I don’t understand all the hub-bub about the new location of the public library. Over the last few months I have read a number of stories on the Gazette’s website and for some reason continued on down the page to view the comments. I am shocked that not only do people have emphatic opinions on the subject but are quite rude and presumptuous with them.

Personally, I want the library back. I don’t care if it’s at True North, Emerald Knights,  KCRG or back in it’s previous spot (and I understand that this is impossible according to FEMA guidelines). Now that these decisions are made, perhaps people can be grateful that we’ll get another part of our city back and they can throw their hostility elsewhere.

I am just happy it’s coming back.

Orchestra Iowa’s ‘Generation O’ series kicks off

• What: Orchestra Iowa presents Neocons
• When: Thurs., Nov. 12.
  • 6 p.m. Preconcert reception, Zins, 227 Second Ave. SE
  • 7 p.m. Behind-the-scenes tour, Sinclair Auditorium, 1220 First Ave. NE
  • 8 p.m. Neocons Performance, Sinclair Auditorium, 1220 First Ave. NE
• Cost: Generation O tickets are $25; concert tickets are $14 to $39 through www.orchestraiowa.org or (319) 366-8203 or 1 (800) 369- TUNE (8863)
• Other Neocons performances: 2 p.m., Sunday, Englert Theatre, 221 E. Washington St., Iowa City. Tickets are $14 to $39 through www.orchestraiowa.org or (319) 366-8203 or 1 (800) 369- TUNE (8863)
• Future Generation O concerts: Fire and Ice (January 23) and Signature Sounds (April 22).

Think going to the symphony means blue-haired ladies, unforgiving ushers and the agony of not knowing when to clap? Think again. Tonight, Cedar Rapids’ Orchestra Iowa launches the first installment of “Generation O,” a series of events designed to bring young professionals and other symphony listeners together over a glass of wine and a night on the town.

For the doubters among us, it may just prove that classical music is sexy.

The event, a new offering this year from Orchestra Iowa, has all the ingredients of a posh night out: a preconcert cocktail reception at Zins in Cedar Rapids, followed by a behind-the-scenes tour at Coe College’s Sinclair Auditorium with music director Timothy Hankewich, musicians and Orchestra Iowa production staff. Then it’s on to the entree, a program that features the well-known — Beethoven’s First Symphony — and the not-so-well-known – Respighi’s “Gli Uccelli.”

There’s a reason for that, says Hankewich.

“It’s important to give audiences a taste of something they know they’re going to like, but like any great meal, to introduce something that they’re unfamiliar with but likely to remember even more,” he says.

For Generation O, the goal is to offer young Corridor professionals — and anyone else who likes a little Beethoven with their Brie — a social networking event at an affordable price as well as a backstage pass to the world of classical music.

“The point of this whole Generation O experience is to introduce people to the orchestra, introduce them to great music, but at the same time break down the barriers so that they’re not afraid,” Hankewich says. “People love to learn, but on the other hand, they hate to feel ignorant. When you can create a safe atmosphere where people can come together, go out, have a great time with their friends and enjoy great music – then you’re in for a good evening.”

That’s a particularly important thing to keep in mind, considering that while America’s orchestras are good at reaching school-age children and their parents — or perhaps grandparents — 20 and 30-somethings can sometimes be overlooked. And reaching that market can be crucial to the continued success of the orchestra as well as the well-being of its audience.

“Nowhere is it written in stone that a community needs to have a symphony orchestra,” Hankewich explains. “Like all the arts, we have to earn our relevancy every day, and that means reaching out to new audiences and making the orchestra as visible as possible in as many contexts as possible.”

That combination of social networking and community outreach is something that Hankewich, who’s in his fourth year as an Iowan after leaving his previous post in Kansas City, understands personally.

“It’s been a real privilege getting a chance to know some of the great minds in this area,” he says.

By getting to know Orchestra Iowa friends and supporters, he explains, he’s been able to feel right at home in the Corridor — a sentiment that Generation O is designed to cultivate.

“It’s been remarkable, without a doubt, to enjoy getting the chance to become an Iowan and get acquainted with the community. I’ve made some of the best friends of my life here.”

— JESSICA

The Cedar Rapids Museum of Art (CRMA) and Orchestra Iowa are once again teaming up to host Sight & Sound—the biennial gala fundraising event that supports programming at both arts organizations.

This year’s event—deemed “Celebrate the Unexpected”—will be an evening full of surprises! Sight & Sound 2009 will take place on Saturday, November 14^th at 6:30 p.m. at the Cedar Rapids Country Club. Additional information, including how to purchase tickets can be found at www.crma.org.

The gala begins with special cuisine and continues with silent auction favorites and a dramatic live auction full of surprises. Patrons will have the opportunity to view the professional Artist Gallery, and, for the first time, seek works by our extremely talented friends and neighbors in the new Unexpected Artist Gallery. Then, they will enjoy the high impact sounds and soulful lyrics of Funk Shop, an 11-piece band with hot horns and a whole lot of groove!

Both organizations have also teamed up to present the Sight & Sound Raffle. This year’s raffle features eleven unique prize packages: a trip to Arizona, a trip to Grand Cayman, a trip to New York, a trip to Florida, a trip to Lake Geneva, a trip to Chicago, a physical fitness package, and so much more! Raffle tickets are just $25 a piece or ten chances for $100 and can be purchased at the Museum of Art or Orchestra Iowa offices. You can also download a raffle entry form and read more about the enticing raffle packages at www.crma.org. Raffle winners need not be present at the Sight & Sound event to win.

Tickets for the event start at $100 per person. For more information on this event or to make reservations please contact either Kelly Leusch at the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art at 319.366.7503 ext. 207 or kleusch@crma.org.

This exhibition marks the first time trans-identified artists have the opportunity to showcase their work in the same space in Iowa City. Photography, sculpture, and other mixed-media work will be on display at The UI Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Resource Center (LGBTRC), starting with the opening reception on Friday November 13th.

“Transcending the Wall” is a symbolic title that captures the idea that trans-identified artists have multiple walls to transcend – from academic ivory towers to interpersonal and structural barriers. Finding a space to explore trans identities is a daunting task that can be engaged through artistic endeavors. All of the artists in this exhibition self identify as transgendered, and are proud to showcase work for the general Iowa City community and The University of Iowa campus.

The UI LGBTRC will host the opening reception on Friday November 13th from 6:30 to 9pm. Beverages, snacks, fun, and conversations can be enjoyed at the opening. The exhibit will be on display from November 13th through December 4th. The LGBTRC is located at 125 Grand Ave Court Iowa City, IA on The University of Iowa campus. Parking is available directly behind the center.

Three events open to the public bring Molly Mason, widely known New York sculptor, University of Iowa School of Art graduate and Cedar Rapids native, to the Cedar Rapids/Iowa City area in early November.

Schedule:

Tuesday, November 3 at 8:00 p.m.

The University of Iowa School of Art and Art History invites you to attend a Visiting Artist’s lecture, “Sun and Shadow”, by Molly Mason. The lecture will be held at 101 Becker Communications Studies Building on the University of Iowa campus.

Friday, November 6 from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The public is invited to a reception in the lobby of the new Kirkwood Center for Continuing Education (KCCE), 7725 Kirkwood Blvd. SW, Cedar Rapids, Iowa to view “Before the Sun Speaks”, Mason’s outstanding new stainless steel and kiln-formed glass sculptures with fountain & pool features, commissioned by Kirkwood Community College for the KCCE. Ms. Mason will make brief remarks at 6:30 pm. and her extensive body of works will be shown on monitors throughout the reception.

At the reception, we wish to honor The Ceramics Center of Cedar Rapids, the UI School of Art and Art History and the UI Museum of Art by accepting gifts of any size earmarked for the three institutions to help in their recovery from the 2008 flood. (All gifts are tax-deductible. Non-earmarked gifts will be equally divided between the School of Art, the UIMA and The Ceramics Center.)

Saturday, November 7 at 1:00 p.m.

Mason will talk and present slides about her extensive early body of work in ceramics at The Ceramics Center, located in the Cherry Building, 329 10th Avenue SE, Suite 117, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Tours of this long-awaited arts facility will be available after Mason’s presentation.

Background Information

Mason is a sculptor with over 30 years experience in creating public, corporate and private site-specific works in architectural and natural settings. Her numerous recent projects for art-in-public-places have incorporated many media such as water features, stainless steel, aluminum, forged bronze and kiln-formed glass elements, along with concrete and ceramic tile structures with built-in seating. She is a hands-on sculptor who works with, and is an expert in, a wide variety of sculptural materials and processes, including welding, all aspects of metal forming, casting, wood, stone and cast concrete/ceramic tile. Earlier in her career, Mason extensively produced and exhibited widely in the medium of ceramics.

Mason’s aim is to create a sense of a “private,” intimate space within the larger natural world and public built-environment. She has been honored with over 45 awards for her artwork. A Fulbright Senior Professorship to Japan allowed her to study the sense of form, space and iconic relationships in the “transformed” nature of Japanese gardens. Mason has had 20 solo exhibitions and her work has been included in over 150 curated group exhibitions here and abroad. A college professor for many years, her works are in over 125 public, corporate and private collections across the U.S. and in several foreign countries.

One of the most celebrated studio potters in the history of American ceramics will exhibit in downtown Iowa City for October’s monthly ceramic show at AKAR Gallery.

Warren Mackenzie’s new pieces arrive in Iowa shortly after a 50 year retrospective exhibition honoring his body of work concludes at The Museum of Craft and Folk Art in San Francisco.

Mackenzie’s incredible longevity has given collectors, students, and other potters the opportunity to enjoy extended exposure to his art, exactly as Warren intended.

“If given time to absorb the nature of the work and its maker, the person who uses these pots will share in the creative act that produced the piece,” he says.

Mackenzie’s simple, wheel-thrown functional pottery is influenced by the oriental aesthetic of Bernard Leach and Shoji Hamada, and can be found in collections at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C., The National Folk Art Museum in Tokyo, Japan, The Victoria and Albert Museum in London, England, The Contemporary American Crafts Museum in New York, and the Minnesota Museum of American Art in St. Paul.

More information on Warren Mackenzie’s MOCFA show at http://www.mocfa.org/exhibitions/index.htm and on Michael and Naomi’s Bandanna Pottery website at http://www.michaelhuntpottery.com

Join the Grand Opening Celebration of Iowa Art Works’ new Ceramics Center – and for the re-opening of the newly renovated Cherry Building, which houses the Ceramics Center, as well as being home to a variety of other small businesses and artist studios.

At 4:30 on Friday, there will be a ribbon cutting ceremony celebrating the re-opening of the historic Cherry Building as a landmark site in the New Bohemia Cultural District following the devastating flood of 2008.

At Friday’s event the Ceramic Center will offer pottery and glass fusing demonstrations, tours of the facilities, live music, refreshments and door prizes.

On Saturday, bring the kids for more demonstrations, tours and refreshments.

The Ceramics Center offers facilities and a wide variety of programs in both Clay and Warm Glass – for all ages and ability levels. It offers classes and workshops for children and adults, open and private studio rentals for interested amateur and professional artists, outreach programs in the Cedar Rapids Schools and an Artist Residency Program for emerging ceramic artists.

For more information about the Ceramics Center, please contact Ben Jensen, Ceramics Center Director, at 319.365.9644 or visit our website at: www.theceramicscenter.org

For information about the historic Cherry Building, contact Lijun Chadima, President, Thorland Company 319.270.4529

Schedule

Ribbon-cutting Ceremony – 4:30 PM, Friday, Oct. 23

Open House Celebration – 4:00 – 7:00 PM, Friday, Oct. 23

Open House Celebration – 1:00 – 4:00 PM, Saturday, Oct. 24

The Cherry Building, 329 10th Avenue, SE. Cedar Rapids, IA 52401

CSPS will be among the more than 150 sites presenting the nationwide premiere of The Laramie Project: 10 Years Later on Tuesday, Oct. 12 at 7 p.m. Presented by a cast of local actors, the play is an 80-minute epilogue to The Laramie Project, the acclaimed play about the 1998 murder of 21-year-old college student Matthew Shepard. The staged reading is being presented on the 11th anniversary of Shepard’s death by Legion Arts in cooperation with Urban Theater Project of Iowa, Stage Left Productions and Theatre Cedar Rapids. CSPS is located at 1103 Third St. SE in Cedar Rapids. Admission is free, though donations will be accepted.

The evening will feature a pre-show live webcast hosted by actor Glenn Close, welcoming remarks by Matthew’s mother Judy Shepard and a post-production Q and A moderated by National Public Radio Arts and Culture correspondent Neda Ulabay.

Moisés Kaufman, the playwright and director who, with his Tectonic Theater Project company, wrote and produced the first Laramie Project, said the epilogue focuses on the long-term effects of the murder on the town of Laramie, Wyo, where the murder occurred. It explores how the town has changed and how the murder continues to reverberate in the community. The play also includes new interviews with Judy Shepard and Mathew’s murderer Aaron McKinney, who is serving two consecutive life sentences. The writers also conducted many follow-up interviews with Laramie residents from the original piece.

Tectonic has managed to recruit more than 150 sites for the premiere, from high school stages to New York’s Lincoln Center, where members of the original cast will perform.

Matthew Shepard’s murder helped rally support for comprehensive hate crime legislation and raised awareness about violence against gays in general.

One of the most presented plays in the country, the original Laramie Project was also made into a film for HBO starring Peter Fonda, Laura Linney, Christina Ricci and Steve Buscemi. It opened the 2002 Sundance Film Festival and was nominated for four Emmys.

Theatre Cedar Rapids will present the original play January 15-24.

DES MOINES — Cheers, bravoes and prolonged applause provided the soundtrack to a breathtaking night of ballet Friday at the Civic Center of Greater Des Moines.

Ashley Wheater, the Joffrey Ballet’s artistic director, was right when he said in an earlier Gazette interview that he feels “the company is dancing at an all-time high.”

Every piece was stunning in a program designed to raise money and spirits for the rebuilding of Hancher Auditorium in Iowa City and for the University of Iowa School of Music.

The Chicago-based dance troupe has a long and glowing history with the UI and offered up its artistic services in benefits staged for an intimate gathering Sept. 3 at the Joffrey Tower studios in Chicago and for about 1,600 people Friday in downtown Des Moines. The Civic Center, which also extended an offer of aid shortly after the June 2008 flood, waived its rental fee.

The two organizations joined their helping hands in a most superb way.

Beginning with greetings from Chuck Swanson, Hancher’s executive director, and Lt. Gov. Patty Judge, the evening’s tone turned somber with a video of the flood’s devastation on the UI performing arts campus.

And then the celebration began. A celebration of spirit, beauty, grace and artistry, accompanied impeccably by the UI Symphony Orchestra.

The program was eclectic in tone, but each piece showcased what the Joffrey does best, putting a contemporary twist on classical movements.

“Kettentanz,” a 1971 piece in nine movements, was the most classical work, featuring lively, lilting music by Johann Strauss Sr. and Johann Mayer. Choreography by Gerald Arpino, the Joffrey’s late co-founder, gave a nod to Old Vienna with waltzes, gallops and polkas, while further developing the company’s signature modern look.

Linear movements and joyous skipping by a dozen dancers gave way to beautiful lifts and gorgeous extensions as they paired off, then took solo turns with powerful, athletic spins and delicate pointe work, before coming back full circle, linking up in a spiraling chain.

The next two works, “… smile with my heart” and “Carousel Dance” from 2002, reflect the music of Richard Rodgers, injecting elements of a very modern dissonance juxtaposed with a very romantic, fluid feel.

Choreographer and UI alum Lar Lubovitch infuses “… smile” with whimsical foot positions, intricate arm work, unusual lifts from prone positions, sensuality and humor.

“Carousel” choreographer Christopher Wheeldon wraps a carnival atmosphere around Rodgers and Hammerstein’s dramatic, melancholy love story. Dancers create the rides and their mechanisms, moving like pistons before giving the stage over to the lovers who waltz with poetic beauty through their pas de deux on “If I Loved You.” The company returns, cartwheeling to calliope music before forming the most gorgeous carousel with six women elegantly clutching golden poles and poised on their partners’ right shoulder.

The evening’s final work, “Age of Innocence,” choreographed by Edwaard Liang in 2008, thrusts the court and courtship dances of the late 18th/early 19th centuries into the modern musical stylings of Philip Glass and Thomas Newman. It’s a marriage of powerful counterpoints, dissonance and curtsies, frenetic strings and delicate pointe, dizzying spins and lifts and leaps that defy convention as well as gravity.

It’s an achievement that drew and immediate and well-deserved standing ovation. As did the entire evening.

– DIANA NOLLEN, THE GAZETTE

Eulenspiegel Puppet Theatre’s 2009-10 Season in West Liberty includes old favorites, innovative new projects, and guests from afar. Performances will take place at the historic New Strand Theatre in downtown West Liberty or at Owl Glass Puppetry Center. Weekday shows are specially scheduled for Field Trips and Homeschoolers but are also open to the public. Sunday afternoon shows will take place at 2:00 and 4:00 P.M, a change from previous years. The season begins with the West Liberty Children’s Festival.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 26: WEST LIBERTY CHILDREN’S FESTIVAL
The Thirteenth Annual West Liberty Children’s Festival will include a puppet mini-festival featuring performances by Hunter Marionettes and Village Idiot Puppets from Minneapolis; Corcoran Puppets from Wisconsin; and Eulenspiegel Puppets! The festival offers food, beverages, and a host of children’s games and activities.

SUNDAY & MONDAY, OCT. 25 & 26: THE ADVENTURES OF GREAT RABBIT
by Eulenspiegel Puppets
Based on an Algonquin tale about Mahtegwis, the rabbit trickster, this Eulenspiegel favorite tells how Bobcat got his stumpy tale. The puppet theatre uses witty, fast-paced dialogue, highly mobile shadow puppets, and live music by musician Ron Hillis.

SUNDAY & MONDAY, NOV. 22 & 23: THE FROG PRINCE
by Puppets to Go from Florida
In this enchanting, updated version of the classic fairy tale, Wanda the Witch casts a spell on the handsome prince, turning him into a frog. To break the spell, he now must be kissed by a beautiful princess. There are a few delightful surprises, too. Beautifully designed puppets and music, which will evoke a wide range of moods, enhance this production.

SUNDAY & MONDAY, JAN. 24 & 25: ASIAN GRANNY TALES!
by Eulenspiegel Puppets
A set of three tales from Japan and Turkey tale, these stories all feature atypical heroes. A favorite is the little old lady outsmarting two Oni (Japanese trolls) who imprison her in order to sample her delicious cooking. The show uses a clever stage that rises and folds out of a decorated box. It features rod puppets, paper puppets, masks, and a combination rod puppet/rod marionette.

SATURDAY & SUNDAY, FEB 27 & 28:
PUPPETS AND PASTRIES: DESSERT THEATRE for ADULTS
by Eulenspiegel Puppets and Friends
Tickle your imagination and your sweet tooth by attending “dessert theatre,” featuring EULENSPIEGEL PUPPETS, their talented friends, and delectable desserts! If you love puppet theatre, you’d like the opportunity of enjoying it in the company of other adults, and you’re curious to see what the puppeteers come up with, then this is the event for you!
TUESDAY, MARCH 16: SPRING BREAK SHOW!
by Eulenspiegel Puppets
A weekday show for families on Spring Break and Field Trip groups still in school! Title to be announced in January.

SATURDAY & SUNDAY, APRIL 17 & 18: THE PIED PIPER
Cororan Puppets and Point Dance Ensemble from Wisconsin w. local residents
Puppeteer Pam Corcoran and dance Pam Luedtke bring their original production, which they will rehearse and perform with local dancers and puppeteers. West Liberty’s mayor will play the part of the evil Mayor of Hamelin!

MONDAY & TUESDAY, MAY 10 & 11: STORIES AND CUENTOS
by Eulenspiegel Puppets
Developed by Monica Leo in collaboration with Mexican puppeteer Eli Portugal (formerly of Mojiganga Arte Escenico, which toured Iowa in 1995 and 2000), this delightful collection of animal tales from south of the border incorporates both English and Spanish.