The Music and Dance of China - WOW!

Over 300 people attended the Music and Dance of China performances last evening. It was amazing and a GREAT time was had by all.
Here's a pic from the Dynasty Fashion Show. The ensembles were a flurry of color and beauty. This was presented by Xinmin Yue's group, the Indianapolis Chinese Performing Arts, Inc.

The Indianapolis Chinese Choir of the Indianapolis Chinese Community Center, Inc. is enchanting to listen to. Quite a wonderful respite to have enjoyed their voices.

Join us on Wednesday, August 13, 6:30 p.m. for this performance again!

Kevin Harmon's birthday

We celebrated Kevin Harmon's birthday (he's our brilliant ARTSPARK horticulturalist!) today with cookies! Delicious!

David Kwasigroh gives a tour to the Confucius Institute kids

These kids were so excited to see the exhibit. They were the most energetic and inquisitive visitors of the summer for sure! They were super-duper cute too!

We love this picture taken by Marketing Director, Lisa DeHayes.

Frank Francese gives watercolor demo

Frank has been conducting a landscape watercolor workshop this week teaching his personal approach to painting.

Value planning, sketching and design have all been fundamentals he's stressed to prepare the paintings.

His class, for artists of all levels, took place Monday through Wednesday, July 21 through 23, 9 a.m.- 4 p.m.. The fee was $427 to participate.

Jill Dworkus, co-director of the Art Center's Fine Arts Day Camps, got engaged today!

Jill Dworkus, co-director of the Art Center's Fine Arts Day Camps, got engaged today to her boyfriend of seven years, Kevin Kniptash.

When she arrived to her classroom this morning there was a huge canvas facing the wall. Jill immediately thought someone had left it there until she lifted it and turned it around.

Funny. The picture kind of looked like her and Kevin. And, it was emblazoned with the words, "Will you marry me?" When the proposal registered, Kevin was there waiting for her to accept.

Check out this amazing marriage proposal!

Congrats to them both!

So You Think You can Dance: Chinese Style

This past Wednesday visitors were treated to a free presentation of dance performances at the Art Center. These were presented by members of three local Chinese Cultural organizations

The following picture was taken from Wedding, a traditional Chinese dance portraying the celebration revolving around a bride on her wedding day. This was preformed by members of the Indianapolis Chinese Performing Arts, Inc. The red fans proved a dramatic accent to the dance. Kudos to Megan Perry, our Education Associate, for the great photos of this event!

The bride rises from her supporting cast of dancers...

Altogether eight dances were performed. Young children and teenagers also took part, as is evidenced in the following picture from The River of 10,000 Springs.

These dancers are members of The IUPUI Chinese School. They put on three lighthearted dances over the course of the evening.

Be sure to catch the next two free dance shows at the Indianapolis Art Center. They are on Wednesday July 30th and August 13th both at 6:30 pm in the Frank M. Basile auditorium.

See you there,

Patrick

Marketing scroll

The marketing department created this scroll to demonstrate how much earned media was received in the last two months for the Art Center.

Pictured are Anya Aslanova (graphic designer and publications coordinator) and Lisa DeHayes (marketing director) pasting everything into place in the Ruth Lilly Library.

WTHR - Channel 13 was here today

Angela Cain of WTHR/Channel 13 interviewed Kris Hurst in our education department today in the Ceramics Studio about the Art Center's fall classes. The segment will air on Wednesday, July 23, the same day our Early Bird class registration starts - that means a discount for registering early!

Angela also interviewed Patrick Flaherty, exhibitions technician one of our staff bloggers, about Two Worlds programming and exhibits. That segment will air this Friday, July 18.

Visit www.WTHR.com for more information.

"Cross Over Effects" installed today as part of the Chakia Booker: Mass Transit, a Public Art Indianapolis project

Chakia Booker's Cross Over Effects was installed today as part of the citywide public art exhibition, Chakia Booker: Mass Transit. Maps of downtown sculpture locations can be picked up at our front desk.

Nine new pieces by Booker can be found downtown, while this earlier work will reside with us at the Art Center.

We are completely thrilled to host this piece which will sit at our 67th St. main entrance through August 2009, and be a complimentary addition to ARTSPARK, our 12-acre, interactive sculpture park designed by world-renowned architect Michael Graves.

Learn more about this exhibit at www.PAIndy.org/Booker


Luke Boehnke (installer), David Kwasigroh (Art Center exhibition director) and Mindy Taylor Ross (director of public art for the Indianapolis Arts Council) watch the install.

Out on the Weekend: A Taste of China

The cooking class watches chef Hong Yin prepare a dish. Note the propane unit he used to heat up his iron pots.

This Sunday the Indianapolis Art Center hosted a cooking event featuring chef Hong Yin - a master of Chinese cuisine. Those that attended were presented with seven traditional Chinese dishes prepared before them in our painting studio. My favorite was the Sweet and Sour Chinese Bass.

The Sweet and Sour Sea Bass.

It was a treat for both taste and sight as Hong's knife skills expertly cut fish in ways that made it spiral in the oil. The Flying Phoenix was arranged to look like a bird including a cucumber cut to resemble the birds head. The desert, a fruit plate, utilized the skin from honeydew to make hands - a traditional symbol related to Buddah.

A view of the chef working. In the foreground you can see the green head of the phoenix.

All in all it was an informative and tasty afternoon. Look for more Chinese themed programs as the Art Center continues to host its Two Worlds One Language through Art exhibit on display through August 24. Up next is a free performance at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 16, The Music and Dance of China, in the Frank M. Basile Auditorium.

I hope to see you there.

Your exhibits friend, Patrick.

Note from Patrick: Iron Sculptures and a Game of Croquet

Sitting just beyond the east parking lot are two rows of iron sculptures. These are the results from our last bi-annual iron pour. If you haven't discovered these yet don't miss your chance. The next bi-annual iron pour is scheduled for mid October and these sculptures will be replaced shortly thereafter with the new round.

A few of the iron sculptures (The large silver piece in the background is a separate
sculpture made of stainless steel).

I personally think this time of year is one of the best times to view them. Their strange almost alien forms, massive and covered in rust exist in strong contrast to the robust greenery surrounding them. Each sculpture is from a different artist and it is interesting to see a sampling of how many ways iron can be manipulated.

The Great Lawn that runs alongside them also makes a wonderful place to picnic or play a game of croquet.


A view of the Great Lawn. The iron sculptures are along the right side.

Enjoy!

Happy Birthday David K!

The Art Center is big on celebrating. Today's celebration...David's (director of exhibitions) 25th birthday (again). Diana and Michelle finish off the cake (homemade by Patrick's wife Valorie). Although, I think they were also there to start off the cake. Hmmm.

We have WiFi!

Christy Jennings, waiting to pick up her daughter in the Pre-school Picasso camp, takes advantage of the Indianapolis Art Center's new wifi in the Frank M. Basile Exhibition Hall.

Anyone can log on and use the free wireless in ARTSPARK using an eWireless account. it's easy to register. Just visit www.ewireless.net.

Note from Patrick: Florie's Retrospective

Florie and myself at her opening reception (The yellow thing in my pocket is a box of red "sold" dots. Prints were selling so fast that I literally had to keep the dots on my person.)

Since I started teaching printmkaing at the Indianapolis Art Center in 2004 I have had the pleasure of having Florie Leviton in my class. She has made prints longer than I have been alive and I learn as much from her as she might learn from me.

The source of her artwork is the world she lives in. Bored at a dinner party, she will reach for her sketchbook and draw what is around her. She has many portraits of the backs of peoples heads from attending lectures and performances. What has resulted is a 40+ year body of work unique to her own experience and her own style - or "hand."

Florie and guests at her opening reception.

Florie's "hand" is truly unique to her. She draws from life uninhibited by what it "should look like." What results are wonderful drawings that only she could produce. I find it inspiring in my own drawings as a reminder to loosen up when drawing from life, letting each drawing develop in its own way. Not every feature in her drawing may be drawn "accurately" or proportionally, but there is no mistaking that every feature was drawn by Florie.

This show runs through Tuesday, July 22 in our Student Gallery. I would encourage you to come and see it. Modestly priced, almost the entire show has sold out. There are still some unsold prints and in some cases multiples are available. Although you may not have the delight of personally knowing Florie, you will surely gather a sense of her witty personality by spending some time with her work.

Did you watch Fox 59 this morning?

David Kwasigroh our Exhibitions Director who traveled to China to help make "Art, Harmony and Nature: From the Land of Confucius" exhibit happen, talked to Fox this morning. Sarah Gilchrist with guest services and outreach also got some airtime.

That's Dave Grove, the Fox 59 camera guy getting David K. hooked up to sound.
David K. got his kung-fu jacket in China while organizing this show.

Sarah is totally Chinese Chic in this vintage silk jacket from Hong Kong.

The Music and Dance of China

The performances were fantastic tonight and the Frank M. Basile Auditorium was packed.

Julie Patterson and Scott with Channel 8 WISH TV visit Two Worlds this morning

Watch WISH TV's Hot Spot this weekend for an interview with Dave Thomas, Vice President and Director of Programs at the Indianapolis Art Center.