Category Archives: The Arts at Penn

August 1, 2011 · 5:17 pm

Secret Cinema at the ICA

Need something fun to do this week? A way to escape the heat? Come down to the Institute of Contemporary Art this Wednesday to take part in one of the final events for this year’s Secret Cinema. Details below.

Wednesday, August 3
8:00 PM- 11:00 PM
Admission: FREE
Sister Ray Slam with Secret Cinema

The Secret Cinema will help make the media more multi as all celebrate the close of ICA’s summer season with screenings of rare Andy Warhol short films and “Screen Tests,” accompanied by four live bands reinterpreting the Velvet Underground’s epic “Sister Ray.” Many of the films selected were originally part of Warhol’s “Exploding Plastic Inevitable” shows with the Velvet Underground. In conjunction with the exhibition That’s How We Escaped: Reflections on Warhol, come channel The Factory with music by U.S. Girls, Dry Feet, Megajam Booze Band, and The Sweet Sister Ray Band (featuring Dan Murphy of Megawords). Plus artisanal treats by Little Baby’s Ice Cream!

 

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July 12, 2011 · 3:44 pm

Locust Walk Talk: The Penn Museum

Author: Casey Ryan, C’95

I love the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology.  One of my favorite reasons is its temporary exhibits.  I profoundly remember one exhibit, the “Track of the Rainbow Serpent: Australian Aboriginal Paintings of the Wolfe Creek Crater.”

In 2005, I was planning to travel to Australia and I was consuming anything I could about the country to be more informed.  I watched Rabbit Proof Fence and re-watched Muriel’s Wedding.  I read Neville Shute’s On the Beach and A Town Like Alice (a.k.a. The Legacy), Bill Bryson’s In a Sunburnt Country, Tim Winton’s Cloudstreet and even Colleen McCullough’s classic, The Thornbirds.  There was even an Animal Planet show that I stumbled upon and watched about a marsupial surrogacy program, which paired human volunteers with orphaned marsupial to recreate a pouch-like environment using book bags to help in there development and growth.  (What a tear jerker. If you don’t cry at folks trying to treat a sick wombat with an infection, you have no heart)! If it was Australia-related, I was there.

In the middle of my building excitement, I learned there was an exhibit of Aboriginal work at the Penn Museum. I was thrilled.  I searched on line for some articles to learn more about Aboriginal Art, and soon visited the Museum.

“Red Rock (Ngaimangaima)” by Daisy Kungah from Billiluna, 2002. Image courtesy of the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology

The culture of Aboriginal peoples is one of the world’s oldest continuous cultures, art traditions and belief system.  Though interpreted differently group by group, the creation story centers around the Rainbow Serpent, one of the important creative forces in the cosmology, and his travels to create existence during a mystical state called Dreamtiming that transcends time.

Image courtesy of Shreyans Bhansali, C’05, ENG’05

In particular, this exhibit is comprised of works from the Djaru Aboriginal people living by the Wolfe Creek Crater in Western Australia.  The story of a meteorite landing was interpreted as a star falling to Earth.  Wrapped around the light of the falling star is the Rainbow Serpent. The Serpent makes the hole in the new crater upon impact, then he continues to burrow and move underground and through the area to create waterways, landscape features. The Serpent’s movements and creation opened the land up for the Aboriginals’ First Ancestors to come and live.

The Djaru are stewards of this land and due to sacredness of the area custom prohibits them from directly discussing the story. Yet, through painting, using traditional techniques and colors, they can share the stories through art. The art is bold, using bright colors and traditional symbols for water, watering holes, stars and people.  Without speaking, these paintings tell the stories of the traditional way of life for the Djaru.

“Kandimalal (Wolfe Creek Crater) and the Rainbow Serpent” by Boxer Milner from Billiluna, 2000. Image courtesy of the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology

Thanks to the efforts of the Penn Museum, I had an Australian cultural experience that I wouldn’t have had anywhere in the world as I prepared for my trip.  I gained an appreciation for Aboriginal culture and I didn’t have to leave my figurative backyard to get it.

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May 31, 2011 · 6:58 pm

Penn Fine Arts Abroad

Thanks to a generous gift by Howard A. Silverstein, W’69, and his wife, Patricia Belznak Silverstein, C’81, PennDesign students have been able to participate in the Howard A. Silverstein and Patricia Belznak Silverstein Studios Abroad. Offered every two years, these studios allow a number of undergraduates and graduates from Penn Design the rare opportunity to travel to an exciting, developing city and immerse themselves in its sights and culture.

In 2009, several friends of mine were able to go to Beijing, China where they lived and created work (and blogged). When they returned from the trip, jet-lagged and dazed, I was amazed by the stories, videos and images they shared as they unpacked all their equipment and files–it took every ounce of self-control I could muster not to feel terribly jealous. Several weeks later, I was equally floored at how quickly they were able to turn around work for the gallery show.

PennDesign in the Forbidden City, Beijing

East West South North - show card

The work was surprising, beautiful and inspiring.  The show received a review from the Philadelphia Inquirer, and Penn’s President Amy Gutmann viewed the show with commentary by the artists. Click here to view more photos from her visit to the gallery.

Student describing work to Penn President Amy Gutmann

This year, fourteen undergraduate and graduate students traveled to Mumbai, India to create work for Populous Flows. Again, I was floored by the beauty, color and life in the images and videos. Again, I could really only act like I wasn’t completely and utterly jealous that these students, faculty members and staff were able to experience Mumbai so closely.

Penn Design in Agra, India

The following images were created by a faculty member and a staff member–both of whom I truly admire and respect. The first image was taken with and iPhone and does the piece absolutely no justice. I apologize…

Image from Populous Flows

And amid the hustle and bustle of life and color in the students’ work–to me, this image rounded out the experience, and made it all seem just a bit more human:

Sam Belkowitz - from Populous Flows

Populous Flows is on view at Charles Addams gallery until July 12, 2011. Anyone can view the show 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. If you have any interest in photography, art or India, I strongly encourage you to visit!

Populous Flows - Mumbai trip show

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May 27, 2011 · 11:30 am

My Top Penn: Public Art

In 1959, Philadelphia passed a law that called for 1 percent of construction costs to be set aside for fine arts projects. Since then the University has acquired campus art that is displayed inside and outside many of the University building. Throughout campus there are many interesting pieces of art that are the part of the fabric of campus, and I wanted to share with you my favorite 10 outdoor pieces of Public Art.

10.          Quadrature #1 (T. G. Miller Plaza, Hamilton Walk, between HUP and Medical Education Building) – personally, I have likened it to the Medical School’s own Covenant.

9.            125 Years (Hill Square) – this public work has transformed the pathway diagonally crossing Hill Square, aka Hill Field.

8.            Tribute to Tuskegee (20-22 39th Street – South Wall) – one of the few murals that Penn has supported through this program.

Tribute to Tuskegee

7.            Column + Capital (Hayden Hall Rear Lawn) – this subtle and sometimes unnoticed piece of art is nod to engineering, highlighting the skill of the Greeks and Romans in the middle of Penn Engineering’s buildings.

6.            Solomon (36th Street Walk, South of Walnut street) – this legendary king of Israel both blends in with the grass and flora due to its a green patina and stands out due to its massive size.

Solomon

5.            George Munger (Franklin Field) – Mungermen have left an indelible mark on the football program at Penn  and this homage to Coach Munger is a fitting tribute.

4.            Love (Blanche Levy Park) – this Robert Indiana classic has been a backdrop for many pictures, ranging from wedding save-the-dates to holiday cards.

Love

3.            Ben Franklin – this is a cheat since there are 3 statues of Ben on campus: The prominent Franklin (Blanche Levy Park, in front of College Hall), young Ben Franklin (Weightman Hall on 33rd Street) and the life-sized Ben on the Bench (37th & Locust Walk, South East Corner).

2.            Covenant (Hamilton Village, spanning Locust Walk at 39th Street) – the given name to the large cheery-red sculpture of rolled steel that dominates Hamilton Village, aka Superblock.

Covenant

1.            Spilt Button (Blanche Levy Park at Van Pelt Library) – this one needs no introduction.

To learn more about the Public Art at Penn, visit the PennCurrent article, here and to view a map of public art at Penn, visit Penn’s Facilities Map and check the “Public Art” box.  Are there pieces that you wished I included?  Which ones would you switch out from my list?

In addition, when on campus, art lovers or admirers can learn more about Penn’s outdoor art through the University’s free “Discover Penn” audio walking tour. Launched in 2008 by the Division of Facilities and Real Estate Services, this program provide a number to call, posted on a small, red ground-level sign posted at various sites around campus to hear a short narration about significant University buildings, sculptures, historical events and other points of interest.

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April 15, 2011 · 11:00 am

Milk, Cookies, and Sculpture

Author: Lynn Carroll, C’93

Penn is a fertile breeding ground for those unlikely juxtapositions that would never happen in real life.  They’re so much fun to watch.  Like when the Balalaika Orchestra and the Amorphous Jugglers perform on College Green at the same time, or when a professor in a tweed blazer with (obligatory) elbow patches runs a gauntlet of students hawking Vagina Monologues tickets.

Case in point: Marian Puro Froehlich is an octogenarian sculptor who graduated from Penn in 1948. Marian was on campus for a tour of Addams Hall, the undergraduate fine arts building, and she graciously offered to talk to a bunch of 2-year-olds in my daughter’s “Rainbow Bears” daycare class about sculpture.  They couldn’t even pronounce “sculpture,” but they loved visitors, so I figured, what the heck?

She didn’t dumb down her work, or talk to them like little idiots—she just told them, pleasantly, that each of them could create sculpture if they wanted to.

All you needed was to use your imagination, then try to express what you see inside your mind.  Something about seeing those children, mesmerized as this woman created a figure with clay, made me smile.

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April 15, 2011 · 9:01 am

You’re the Inspiration

Author: Nicole C. Maloy, W’95

While dining at 1920 Commons with some fellow freshmen in the fall of 1991, I saw a sophomore named Tanisha carrying a stack of those ¼ size sheets of colored paper – you know the ones – from table to table. When she got to us, she looked at me and asked, “Do you sing?”

I shrugged and responded, “A little.”

She smiled, thrust an orange handbill towards me, and said, “Audition for The Inspiration!”

I struck a defensive posture, hands up, palms out. “Oh, no. You don’t want me,” I said.

I’d just heard The Inspiration (often mistakenly referred to as “Inspirations”) at Performing Arts Night. The audience was mesmerized by this incredibly smooth, polished, R&B a cappella group. My singing experience at the time consisted of high school musical showtunes with the drama club, and harmonizing with the radio. Let’s say my style (such as it was) seemed all wrong for The Inspiration.

Honing in on my concern, Tanisha replied, “I auditioned with an opera.”

My hands came down. “Really?”

She nodded.

Hmm…Hmm…

Had anyone else approached me, I would not have taken that flier. But I did. As a result, I would give up every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday night for four academic years. In return, I would gain a room full of new siblings, and memories that still make me smile 15+ years after graduation. An example: a fire drill once interrupted our rehearsal in High Rise East. We gave a brief, impromptu performance for the growing crowd in Superblock until everyone could get back inside. We were asked to sing at all future fire drills, but politely declined.

The real Sopranos

Just being in the group made my singing better, but who knew I would learn how to arrange music for a cappella performance? By the time I was an upperclassman, the group gave me the amazing opportunity to produce full concerts as a Show Coordinator. Our events were meant to educate as well as entertain so, in addition to living a dream and writing sketch comedy, I got to arrange a song by supergroup Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Then I asked a hallmate from South Africa to translate the lyrics from Xhosa to English for us. This way, we could explain to the audience what they were about to hear.

Post-show Happiness

Duet with Byron. T-shirts designed by Ralphy Bead! I still have mine.

Each time I step back onstage with other alumni (lovingly dubbed, “oldheads”) at a show by the current group, I am moved by the significance of The Inspiration’s continuity on the Penn campus. Having been a part of it, knowing that our shows have added to the quality of life here over the years, is a source of great pride. I offer special thanks to Tanisha Lyon Brown’s background in opera for making it all possible for me.

The Inspiration’s 5th Anniversary show

 

FamilyFeud sketch: Evans (Good Times) vs. Banks (Fresh Prince of Bel Air)

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April 7, 2011 · 2:00 pm

The Excelano Project is Real Cool

Author: Cecilia Ramirez, C’05, SPP’10

This past Saturday night, I had the pleasure of attending Penn’s very own Excelano Project Spring 2011 Show, We Real Cool, in commemoration of their ten-year anniversary. The Excelano Project (EP) is the university’s first and only spoken word student group. A mixed audience of students, alumni and staff members devoted our Saturday nights to a celebration of the single most inspirational poetry that Penn has ever seen.

A compilation of joint poems, emotional ballads, melodic free verses, passionate odes and powerful couplets, appropriately entitled, Short Poems, filled the stage as the EP’s all-star student cast graced the stage for a nearly-two hour show. EP’s founder and award-winning actor, poet and playwright, Carlos Andres Gomez C’03, was among the many alumni present for this milestone performance. The coffered domed ceiling could barely contain the cheers, applause and event-appropriate ::snaps:: from the crowd. Nearly all of the Penn Museum’s Harrison Auditorium 780 seats were taken as we watched on with frequent guttural affirmations and sighs of amazement of the magic on stage. The artists included students from all years, including EP’s only senior, Justin Ching C’11. Ching closed his final show with a surprise collaboration with Penn Masala, Penn’s nationally-recognized Hindi a cappella student group.

I decided to attend this year’s anniversary show on a nostalgic whim and I was absolutely blown away. The level of skill, maturity, lyrical prowess and sheer brilliance that I was privileged enough to witness was truly moving. I was an undergraduate when EP was formed and I had not attended a show since then. I have fond memories of its awe-inspiring first shows and of my secret wishes for the courage and talent to emulate my talented peers. Ten years later, I found myself with similar sentiments and feelings of admiration; EP is unquestionably more than cool, it’s real cool.

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