Nov/Dec 2003

Transcription

Nov/Dec 2003

A r ts Council of Placer County
Ar ts Newsmagazine & Calendar of Events
N ove m b e r / D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 3
Fabric Artist
Polly Roberts
Big Idea Theatre
Company
InnerRhythms
Dance Theatre
Watercolorist
Imi LehmbrockHirschinger
& Photographer
James
Hirschinger
Volume 9, Number 6
5
In the Abstract
An artistic Loomis couple share a passion for abstraction
by Janis Dice
X.
8
They’ve Got Rhythm
A North Tahoe dance company makes its debut
by Persia Woolley
10
Conquering the Darkness
Courage characterizes a blind artist
by Shirley M. Pooley
“The Wind Always Strikes the Highest Mountain,”
color photo by Randy Snook.
12
What’s the Big Idea?
Big plans afoot for Roseville’s newest theatre company
by Arlene Evans
14
Arts News
16
Arts Leap
Arts in Placer County schools
by Carolyn Taylor
19
Arts Calendar
Galleries, Music & Dance, Museums, Events & Festivals,
Trips, Film, Theatre, Classes, Arts for
Children, Calls to Artists
An InnerRhythms
dancer struts her
stuff in a recent
production.
30
End Paper
An Audience of One: Memorizing Poetry
by Susan Rushton
“Cold Forest Moon,” watercolor, acrylic and ink painting
by Jennifer Egan
About the artist:
Artist and illustrator Jennifer Egan studied illustration and graphic
design at San Jose State University, where she received, among
other honors, a Society of Illustrators Award, in 1992. A Tahoe City
resident, Egan has created many logos for local businesses and
festivals. Her whimsical artwork, depicting animals, nature, and
adventures, always tells a story from her dream-like imagination.
Each scene is filled with lively color and personal symbols. The artist also creates hand-painted, one-of-a-kind functional ceramics.
Starting in December, Egan’s ceramic works will be shown at the
Keoki Flagg Gallery, a new gallery located in the Village at Squaw
Valley.
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November/December 2003
Perspectives
About the cover:
Many moonlight-guided cross country ski trips helped to inspire
the creation of “Cold Forest Moon.” Perhaps the most memorable
one began as the Sierra alpenglow fired the sky with brilliant
shades of orange and violet. I skied through forests into large, open
meadows to meet a group of friends celebrating New Year’s Eve.
We watched the sky change and fade as the Tahoe temperature
dropped to 10 degrees. Stars twinkled in the distance; snowflakes
floated gently down. People hooted and hollered; dogs barked and
pranced with joy. Then all was quiet except for the crunch and
glide of skis on frozen snow as we wound our way home to find
warmth and a New Year.
—J. Egan
We’re off to find the Wizard…
F
or those of you who are subscribers and
consistent readers of Perspectives, you may
have marveled at last issue’s four-color format,
featuring the Tenth Annual Autumn Art Studios
Tour map. Yes, by virtue of a merger of two
meager program budgets, we were able to
accomplish the special four-color issue. Except
now, like Dorothy and Toto, we are back in
Kansas — and back to a black and white print
format. While the substance of Perspectives
is outstanding, thanks to the editorship of
Sandra Reeves and fine Placer County writers,
our graphic designer is ready and rearing to
promote the faces of the arts in Placer County
— in living color. So, we are off to find the
wizard, one or more major donors who will
underwrite four-color costs for this great publication! By the power vested in me, by the Arts
Council Board of Trustees, I invite you to call
us at (530) 885-5670 x 15, if you or someone
you know would take us back to Oz.
Food for thought…
Please join us on Saturday, November 15,
2003, from 7 – 9 p.m. for BREAD of LIFE:
Food for the Ancestors. This will be a unique
community celebration of culture and thanksgiving. The event will center on the feast of
breads from all cultures. What is it that sustains a community? Imagine a ceremonial celebration sharing whole wheat and rye bread,
bagels, tortillas, cornbread. We can renew our
community by expressing a creative gratitude.
This is at the heart of this celebration.
In August 2003, through an open-space,
community decision-making process, the Arts
Council was awarded a grant by the Mother
Lode Foundation to foster creative thinking,
celebrate cultural diversity, and help create
community dialogue. This event will begin a
year-long series of events to fulfill that goal.
Stan Padilla will serve as the mentor artist
for the project. Your participation is actively
sought.
Please join us in this
“potluck feast” by attending with your family and
friends and by bringing
with you as an offering,
the “bread” of your culture. Awendes, a Native
American Women’s Drum
Group, will join us to help
celebrate this special event.
The future is now…
As we near the end of
the calendar year 2003, I
wish to again congratulate all of those who have
been a part of what is now the 20-year-old
Arts Council of Placer County. Born of grassroots endeavors, the agency, which began as
ARTcetera, has continued to succeed in its
mission as catalyst for the arts and humanities
thanks to those involved over the years -- the
founders, the many board trustees, dedicated
staff members, artists and cultural groups of
many disciplines, and our members, patrons
and donors; committed public officials, and
the visiting public. As Stan Padilla recently said
at the annual Arties Recognition event, “we [in
the arts] must not let anything stop us.”
The commitment begins with each individual. We each have the opportunity to support artists, to enable cultural expression, and
to ensure that our children and grandchildren
may live in a society which supports a diversity of cultural traditions, makes room for artistic
expression, and provides access to all arts to
all people, all the time.
Artist Stan Padilla
at the recent
Arties Recognition
event.
I sincerely hope to meet you at the BREAD of
LIFE celebration on November 15 at the Arts
Building, 808 Lincoln Way in Auburn. ■
— Angela Juliano Tahti, Executive Director
Arts Council of Placer County
Perspectives
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Perspectives is a bi-monthly publication of the Arts
Council of Placer County and the City of Roseville. Its
purpose is to create a forum for communication for
artists and arts organizations in Placer County and to
increase awareness of activities and programs related
to arts and culture in the area.
MISSION STATEMENT
The Arts Council of Placer County is the
catalyst for the arts in Placer County.
ARTS COUNCIL
OF
PLACER COUNTY
Contributors
Shirley M. Pooley (“Conquering the Darkness,” pg. 10) is a retired
psychiatric social worker who now does freelance writing for newspapers
and magazines in the region. She has written a book on addictive
behavior as a soul sickness, Can’t Stop Overeating, Drinking, Working or
Using Prescription Drugs, released in 1993.
Writer Janis Dice (“In the Abstract”, pg. 5) is a frequent contributor to
Comstock’s Business magazine and the Discover magazines published by
the Sacramento Bee. Her Community Profiles and Home and Garden
feature articles appear weekly in the Auburn Journal. She is a regular
features contributor to Perspectives.
Executive Committee
April Maynard, Chair
Susan Dupre, Vice-chair
Bob Hagmann, Secretary
Dave Imgrund, Treasurer
Anthony Folcarelli, District 1
Board of Trustees
Supervisorial District Members
District 1 Anthony Folcarelli, Roseville
District 2 vacant
District 3 Debbie Dragon, Auburn
District 4 Elizabeth Bushnell, Granite Bay
District 5 Joan Stockbridge, Colfax
Carolyn Taylor (Arts Leap, pg. 16) regularly contributes to Perspectives’
Arts Leap section. She is the Education/Community Relations Project
Manager for the Placer County Office of Education.
Persia Woolley (“They’ve Got Rhythm,” pg. 8) is the author of a trilogy
Members at Large
Susan Dupre, Christian Valley
Lauraine Bacon, Colfax
Jan White, Penryn
April Maynard, Auburn
Bob Hagmann, Roseville
Dave Imgrund, Auburn
of historical fiction books and two non-fiction books. Persia writes
regularly for the Auburn Sentinel and is a Perspectives mainstay writer.
Arlene Evans (“What’s the Big Idea?” page 12) edits and writes for the
Discover magazines published by the Sacramento Bee. A former school
nurse, she has written a book for young readers on color vision deficiency
called Seeing Color: It’s My Rainbow, Too, just released.
Advisory Team
Dave Breninger, Chair Emeritus
Dick Cushman, Resource Development
Phyllis Butz, Leadership Development
Administrative and Program Staff
Angela Tahti, Executive Director
Dorothy Crites, Office Manager
Norma Brink, Accountant
Perspectives
Editor: Sandra Reeves
Design/Production: Blue Cat Studio
Printed by Auburn Printers
Publication and distribution of Perspectives is made
possible with support from the County of Placer,
the California Arts Council State-Local Partnership
and Local Arts Education Partnership Programs, and
by the Placer County Visitors Council, and the cities
of Auburn, Lincoln, and Roseville.
Perspectives, published four to six times a year,
is sent to members and distributed via the public
library system countywide and regionally. Copies
are available at the Arts Council of Placer County
office as well as at the California Welcome Center
Auburn. Opinions, findings, and conclusions
expressed are those of the authors and do not
necessarily reflect the views of the arts council or
cultural arts commission, board of trustees, staff,
advertisers, or funders. Letters, suggestions, and
story ideas are welcomed. Calendar items, along
with photographs or slides, may be sent to the
office. Deadline for the January/February 2004
issue: November 20, 2003.
Arts Council of Placer County
808 Lincoln Way
Auburn, CA 95603-4807
Phone (530) 885-5670
Fax (530) 885-0348
email@PlacerArts.org
www.PlacerArts.org
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Perspectives
Monotype
print by Diane
Ruhkala Bell,
one of 80
artists participatiing in the
Autumn Arts
Studios Tour
November 8–9.
In the Abstract
An artistic Loomis couple share a passion for abstraction
by Janis Dice
W
hat do you get when you wed an
impressionist painter to an abstract photographer? A home that is as artistic and eclectic as
the couple that lives there. Married 31 years,
watercolorist Imi Lehmbrock-Hirschinger and
her husband, photographer James Hirschinger,
use different media to share a passion for
abstraction. Their work covers the walls of
their home in the hills of Loomis, the framed
pieces and works in progress competing with
views of Folsom Lake glimmering through the
windows. The two-story structure is an extension of themselves: open and flowing, relaxed
and inviting, a part of the wooded setting that
quiets their minds and renews their spirits.
“For us, art is a lifestyle,” James says. “We
surround ourselves with visual interpretations
of everything. Imi interprets through her painting; I interpret through my lens. But there’s
a lot of compatibility because we approach
things in the same way, each of us using color
abstraction to create powerful images.”
Imi designed the 19-year-old multi-level
house and the subsequent addition of a voluminous garage that functions as their studio.
Broad windows in the airy workshop face
out on hummocky outcrops bunched under a
copse of oaks, framing views of native woodland inhabitants that provide a serene backdrop for their artistic endeavors.
The niece of a noted European architect,
Imi always felt a need to create and was
working as an art instructor in her hometown
of Mayrhofen, Austria, when she met James.
He was first introduced to art masterpieces by
a college professor, then traveled to Europe to
broaden his exposure to classic works. When
he met Imi, who was mainly doing sculptures
and ceramics at that time, he was impressed
with — and inspired by — the strength of her
artistry. Eventually, admiration turned to love.
After marrying, the couple returned to the
United States in 1973. They settled in New
Jersey before relocating to California, where
the crest of the Sierra Nevada reminded Imi
of her homeland, and its forests and mountains offered her favorite recreations — hiking and skiing. Here, Imi worked as a framer,
becoming known for her mastery, while
James earned his doctorate at the University
of the Pacific in Stockton. Imi completed her
BA in Art at the same school, receiving in
Perspectives
“New Folsom
Bridge,” photograph by James
Hirschinger
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Above: Imi
Hirshchinger in
Mayrhofen, Austria,
at work on the
third wall of a 140foot wraparound
mural she finished
this year.
the process Awards
of Excellence for
her work. The
Hirschingers moved
to Loomis in 1984
when James was
offered the position
of Dean of Students at
Sierra College. Imi continued painting while
operating the Ibex Visual Arts gallery, in
Folsom.
At that time, James had to be content with
“Ojo Sarco
Window”
photograph by
James Hirshcinger
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Perspectives
doing photography as a hobby. But since retiring two years ago, he has devoted himself
fulltime to the craft of capturing objects and
scenery on film in abstruse fashion: A ship’s
compass housing is reduced to a melange of
gleaming light and smooth curves; a dewdrop
sliding down an emerald leaf turns out to be
sunlight reflecting off the hood lamp of an
antique car; a staircase bleached by the burning Southwest sun is a still life of pattern and
texture so rich it seems dimensional through
James’ artful eye — and the lens of either his
Nikon 35mm with telephoto lens, or his cherished Pentax medium-format camera.
“If I never sold any work, I would not be
happy. I would probably give up,” James
admits, shaking his head at the thought.
“Because my goal is to share my images and
to get people to think non-traditionally about
photographs. For me, real art is interpretation,
not replication. That, to me, is the most creative thing.”
James need not worry about his work going
unnoticed: Both he and Imi are being commissioned to provide pieces for private parties and are showing in solo, joint and group
exhibitions. Imi was honored as a “Collectible
Artist,” and James earned an “All Star” position
during KVIE’s recent fundraising Art Auction.
And they participated in their ninth annual
Autumn Art Studios Tour, where patrons were
invited into their atelier to see the mechanics
behind their creations.
Although she dabbles in everything from
narrative airport scenes and coastal vignettes
in layered watercolors to assemblage collages
of modern gadgetry, Imi’s unique “colorfields”
— abstract paintings of aerial views — are
perhaps her most uncommon productions
and the art most often requested for display
“Colorfields”
paintings by
Imi LehmbrockHirshinger
in corporate buildings. Struck by the montage
of curvilinear color blocks formed by crops,
fields, rivers, roads and buildings observed
while descending to the Sacramento Airport,
Imi now works from aerial photographs to
capture the multi-hued patchwork of landscapes in vivid impressions. Although the
figures are represented abstractly, they are in
proportional perspective, making them seem
familiar despite the interpretive qualities of
their simplified shapes and designs.
On a recent trip to Santa Fe, where James
shot doors and windows for his next series
and show, one of Imi’s colorfields won a coveted spot in an upcoming exhibition at the
prestigious Wiford and Vogt Fine Art Gallery.
“I was told they get two to three people
coming each day, trying to get their art into
the gallery,” Imi says. “So, this is one of my
biggest accomplishments in the last three
years.”
But it’s not her only one: Last fall, she had
a solo show at the Art Foundry Gallery in
Sacramento and has been adding to collections
displayed at the UC Davis Med Center and
other corporate buildings in Sacramento and
Folsom, where some of James’s work is also
exhibited in elephantine scale, thanks to the
efforts of their representative — art consultant
Cindy Strickland.
Now printing and framing archival-quality original pieces and reproductions to better
control their presentation, the Hirschingers
have added greatly to their non-creative work
load. But they still carve out time for hiking
mountain trails and traveling.
Earlier this year, Imi returned to her home
town in Austria to complete the third wall of
a 140-foot wraparound mural she started years
ago on a graphics art building. During her
last week of painting, James joined her for a
family holiday. Mixing the business of producing diverse creations with the pleasures of
companionship is just a way of life when you
share an ardor for abstract art. ■
Perspectives
Artists Imi
LehmbrockHirschinger and
James Hirschinger
in their Loomis
home studio.
7
They’ve Got Rhythm
T
horeau wrote about each person marching to his or her own drummer, and it would
seem the founders of InnerRhythms Dance
Theatre in North Tahoe City had that idea
in mind when they began their outreach to
young people interested in dance. Founded in
July 2002, InnerRhythms is a regional performing arts organization designed to broaden the
area’s cultural activities and open a door for
local dancers of all kinds into the performing
arts.
“I was trained by and grew up in a regional
dance company in Stockton,” recalls Elizabeth
Archer, co-founder and artistic director of the
group. “Not only was it a great introduction to
the performing arts, I learned many life skills
from it as well.”
Among these, Archer mentioned self-discipline, self-esteem, commitment to others as
well as one’s self; how to handle disappointment and, perhaps most important, how to
work with others of differing backgrounds,
goals, and ideas.
Trained in both classical ballet and jazz
dance, Archer studied under such masters as
Robert Joffrey and Maria Tallchief. After coming to the Tahoe area, she became a full-time
teacher at Sierra Nevada Dance. She also
works with students at Truckee High School
and, for the last five years, has choreographed
the school’s spring musicals.
Kimberly Danek Pinkson, InnerRhythms’
associate artistic director, has an equally
impressive background, having studied and
performed classical ballet, modern dance, jazz,
and hip-hop in dance companies from Marin
and San Francisco to Los Angeles, as well as
in several international venues. She is also an
accomplished writer (currently for the Tahoe
Quarterly Magazine) and is well-versed in
promotion, public relations, and event
coordination.
While Archer and Pinkson bring their
backgrounds in teaching and performing,
Sheri WoodsGreen, co-founding director of
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Perspectives
The youthful InnerRhythms dance troupe.
InnerRhythms, adds the balance of a businesslike mind that so often makes the difference
between the success or failure of an artistic
project. WoodsGreen has a good deal of experience in marketing, in both the public and
private sectors. She was development officer
for Sierra Nevada College and the American
Red Cross-Sierra Nevada Chapter, as well
as events and entertainment coordinator for
Caesars Tahoe. In the not-for-profit arena, her
clients include the Lake Tahoe Chamber of
Commerce and the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare
Festival.
These three women got InnerRhythms rolling last summer. Student auditions were held
in the fall, and the troupe gave its inaugural
performance at the Truckee High School auditorium on April 5, 2003.
“It wasn’t quite sold out, but we made a
good run at it,” Archer notes with pride.
The program included both classic and
popular music — ”Rhapsody” and “Outlet”
were ensemble numbers, and Pinkson cho-
A North Tahoe dance company makes its debut
by Persia Woolley
reographed and performed “Fever,” putting
dance pizzazz into the Peggy Lee classic.
The finale, “A Taste of Fosse,” got everyone
involved. Guest artist Richard Hess performed
a pair of monologues by Tom Stoppard and
Sam Shephard, and Sara Kuttel, who boasts a
long-time association with the Nevada Opera
Company, sang “Memories” from Cats and
“Habanera” from Bizet’s Carmen.
“We decided to use a bare stage,” Archer
explains, “and Ron Gaunt gave us a scrim at
the back of the stage that could be varied both
by lighting and the use of drapery across it.”
Besides the guest artists, performers ranged
in age from 12 to 25, a reflection of the
group’s goal to expose children early on to
the arts. In that same vein, Pinkson worked
with the Boys and Girls Club to create an
opening act for the Oakland hip-hop group
Culture Shock when it performed at Cal-Neva.
Club members will also open for Savage Jazz,
a professional troupe from Berkeley scheduled
to perform at Cal-Neva next March.
In the meantime, InnerRhythms has also
developed a party mode in which they turn
any child’s birthday party into a memorable
event. The Celebration Package includes an
hour-long class in dance/drama or music
(Mother/Daughter Jazz, Hip-Hop, creative
Inner Rhythms Dance Company performing with the
Sierra Mountainaires in September 2003
dance or Swing) plus cake, place settings,
gift bags and balloons for up to 15 children.
In addition, a coordinator is available to help
with all the aspects of the celebration.
“We not only got off to a great start,” Archer
notes, “we’re rapidly becoming part of the
community, and are looking forward to a
unique spring production as well.”
For that show, InnerRhythms is planning
an outdoor “installation art” concert to be presented in various stream and garden spaces.
The audience will move with the performers
from setting to setting and watch as they act,
dance, and sing, interacting with the environment. Future programs will make use of modern technology as multi-media events.
“The culture here at the lake is changing so
fast,” Archer concludes. “It’s very exciting to
realize that InnerRhythms can be an important
part of that blossoming.” ■
For more information about InnerRhythms’
performances or auditions, call Elizabeth Archer at
(530)584-1210.
Reporter’s Note:
As I was growing up in Auburn, my godmother would tell me about
her godfather, Jackson Gregory. He had married Lotus McGlashan
of Truckee, and during the summer he, his wife, and their two boys
would go camping on the shore of Donner Lake with the rest of the
McGlashan brood. (This was in the nineteen-teens.) And on more than
one occasion the grown-ups made up a pageant for the youngsters,
who were wakened to “come see the fairies.”
According to Nona McGlashan, one of those pre-school cousins,
the event included finding a half-walnut shell holding a small lit candle
floating on a pool where one of the many streams had spread out
before reaching the lake. There was also a tiny doll whose limbs could
be moved by attached strings, and this little creature danced amid the
ferns and pines, enchanting the youngsters.
Development has changed the scene around the lake, but one
could almost see InnerRhythms’ events as a modern-day extension of
that early bit of magic for kids.
Perspectives
9
Conquering the Darkness
A severely sight-impaired artist carries on courageously
by Shirley M. Pooley
T
hose who have celebrated their Medicare
Poet and weaver
Polly Roberts never
stops pursuing her
artistic interests.
10
birthday and qualify for
senior discounts wouldn’t
quibble with the premise
of Art Linkletter’s book,
Old Age Is Not For Sissies.
And one senior who
exemplifies that title is
82-year-old Polly Roberts.
Though she can barely
see, Polly still actively
pursues her artistic interests as a poet, weaver,
gallery founder, and lifelong student. Just recently, she received awards
at the Gold Country Fair
for her beautiful fabric
art and book of poetry.
Polly is a wife and
mother, too. For 61 years
she has been a devoted wife to her husband,
Ray. Together, they raised eight children, and
have been blessed with 17 grandchildren.
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Polly was
started on her creative path by two women.
Her mother, a seamstress, taught her to sew.
While other girls in the seventh grade made
gym bags, Polly sewed her own school
clothes. As an elementary student in a gifted
program, she was encouraged by her teacher
to write poetry.
Polly attended U.C.L.A. majoring in bacteriology. “In my junior year I met Mr. Wonderful
on a blind date. Six months later, we were
engaged,” she relates. “World War II had broken out, so we married. Our first child, Steven,
arrived when Ray was a soldier in basic training. Our baby was six months old when Ray
was sent overseas. Steve and I lived with relatives until his return. Meanwhile, our romance
flourished by way of the U.S. mail.”
Perspectives
Several years ago, the Roberts compiled and
published those letters into a book entitled,
One Thousand Love Letters from World War
II, as a Christmas gift to family members. A
second book, of Polly’s poems, A Life of Love,
Laughter and Tears, was recently compiled on
her computer.
A love of learning has been a strong motivator in Polly’s life. With seven children
at home, she returned to California State,
Northridge as a part-time student seeking a
teaching credential. “Ray was working as an
attorney, and I felt if something happened to
him, I needed a job to support our children,”
she recalls. “I couldn’t have done it all without
his help. Pregnant with our eighth child, I left
school. Four years later I returned to graduate,
earning a B.A. degree with the class of 1971.”
Missing the challenge of academia, she
returned to the campus and during the next
eight years took courses in fiber and ceramic
arts.
At age 35, Polly was diagnosed with R.P.
retinitis pigmentosis. Asked how she dealt
with such terrifying news, Polly replies, “I
believe when God closes one door, another
one opens.” Instead of leaning on her handicap as a crutch, she uses it as a springboard
for discovering resources and helpful aids.
In 1980, after Ray retired, the couple moved
to a rural area outside of Auburn. Then,
Polly’s night blindness forced them to sell
their dream home and move into town where
public transportation was available. Another
door had closed. “If Ray can’t drive me, I use
the Placer County Transit, which takes me to
Sierra College for computer or writing classes,”
Polly explains. “I love the friendly small-town
atmosphere of Auburn. The sales people
and bus drivers know me. I feel safe walking through town with my white cane,” she’s
quick to add.
Another door was shut when Polly could
On her home studio loom, Polly Roberts creates scarves, ponchos, and wall hangings.
no longer read or write. With a castoff computer from her children, she set about becoming computer-friendly with two great programs
that read the script out loud and enlarge the
print. “Now I can read books. This has really
put me back into the mainstream.”
Polly’s creative talent finds expression in a
basement studio, where she turns out beautifully woven scarfs, ponchos, and various other
garments on her loom. “I’ve collected black
trash bags, blue cleaner bags, orange and yellow bags, which I cut into strips and weave
them through my loom, making vibrant-colored wall hangings,” she says. “My kids teasingly call me a bag lady.”
“In the past three months, I’ve started to
lose my sense of colors,” she laments. “But a
weaving friend has labeled my color chart in
large black paint so I can continue weaving.
I’ve had to limit myself to simpler garments
that don’t have to be cut or sewn.”
A few years ago, Polly helped establish
Auburn’s Old Town Gallery of Fine Art, a
cooperative where artists display and sell
their artwork. A blurb in the Auburn Journal
in the fall of 1995 had piqued her curiosity.
Merv and Nikki Totten Mack were looking for
artists interested in starting a cooperative art
gallery. One dozen determined folks rented
a small space in the back of the Old Livery
Building. After three months of scraping floors
and painting walls, they opened for business.
Several years later, the gallery was moved to
larger quarters at the front of building.
This past September, the Old Town Gallery
celebrated its eighth anniversary. Currently, the
cooperative displays and sells the high-quality
work of 37 area artists. Six to eight potential
members remain on the gallery’s waiting list.
Each member works an eight-hour shift once
a month as a salesperson. When Polly could
no longer do the required paperwork, another
artist began working her shift with her. “These
friends are my extended family,” the artist
notes.
Doreen Kidd, an artist and friend for the
past five years, relates, “Polly is an asset to
our business. She’s positive and upbeat when
greeting customers or when showing her work
and that of others. You wouldn’t know of her
blindness unless she told you.”
Everyone who knows this gutsy lady agrees
— she’s no sissy! ■
Perspectives
11
What’s the Big Idea?
Michael
Kreutzburg (left),
Mary Gambale,
and Chris Lamb
in a scene from
“Cold Storage,” a
comedy performed
by the Big Idea
Theatre this year.
C
urtains up! Light the lights! Roseville
has a big idea — a Big Idea Theatre, that is
— dreamed up by friends Gian Montesini and
Blake Flores. Originally, the pair discovered
their mutual enthusiasm for theatre at Hewlitt
Packard, where they are both employed.
“I started a theatre group at HP,” says Gian.
“Our first play was ‘Rebels Without Applause,’
which was the first play I performed when I
was 16.” The HP group has done about eight
plays. “Whatever play was short and fun, we
chose.”
Gian and Blake originated BIT in December
2002 with the vision that the plays would be
different from those they staged at HP. Gian
says, “We want our plays to be thought-provoking. We want the audience to enjoy not
only a quality play, but to take a message with
them. Something intriguing.”
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Perspectives
Located in the Polish American Hall in
Roseville, BIT opened in March of this year
with the play, “Arts and Leisure,” a comedy about a drama critic who blurs the line
between life and art. The group’s second production was “Cold Storage,” a poignant comedy about life and death. In September, BIT
mounted “The Importance of Being Earnest,”
in which two young men claim to be named
Earnest for the purpose of wooing two young
ladies.
The theatre’s children’s productions are
known as “Little BIT.” The children have performed “Cinderella,” and “Aladdin” is coming
up. Besides rehearsals where actors are limited to practicing one role, Gian offers acting
workshops for all ages in which participants
are challenged in a wide range of roles.
Gian started theatre work in his native
Its founders have big plans for Roseville’s newest theatre company
by Arlene Evans
Brazil when he was 16. “English teaching is
big business in Brazil because many people
want to learn English, and many multi-national
companies need to do business in English.
I went to a school that taught English as a
foreign language, and they had drama as
a means to enhance the teaching, so I got
involved with their drama group.” He also
worked with other theatre productions in
Brazil, both in English and Portuguese. Besides
doing improvisations, he directed plays and
taught acting classes. “All of my experience
was from an amateur standpoint.”
After graduating from business school in
Brazil, Gian worked in a finance position for
Ford Motor Company. “I always did theatre on
the side. It’s a passion for me,” he says.
Although he came to the U.S. six years
ago, Gian still has just a hint of an accent, a
fact that leads him to comment, “If Antonio
Banderas can keep his accent, so can I.”
Ticket sales pay for the plays themselves,
but, Gian notes, “At this time, ticket sales do
not cover the cost of renting the theatre, so
Blake and I cover that out of our own pockets.”
Getting started, BIT held a fund-raising gala
to help with some initial costs. Gian explains
that they didn’t want to open entirely out of
pocket. “At the gala we had music and snippets of upcoming productions. About 90 people attended. It was a lot of fun.”
The staff wants BIT to be known as a community theatre. “We’re counting on people
in the community to become involved in all
aspects of the production of the plays. We
are taking our actors and directors from the
community, and we want to use community
resources to find everything we need.”
For the coming years, BIT is planning other
cultural events besides stage plays — musical reviews, poetry readings, and other types
of productions. “We don’t have any of this
planned in our next season when we will
have three plays. But word of mouth is what
we’re counting on to build our reputation.
I do believe in the value of the work we’re
doing. I see a strong future. It will take some
time. But we’ll get there.” ■
For more information about Big Idea Theatre, call
(916) 789-8477 or visit www.bigideatheatre.com
Big Idea Theatre
Company
founders Blake
Flores (left) and
Gian Montesini.
Big Idea Theatre actors Ryan Nicholls (left), Trish DeBaun, and Analise Marie
Langford in a scene from “The Importance of Being Ernest.”
Perspectives
13
Bringing arts to the Lake
The AFtS student
quilt and
poetry show, The
Day I Met the Sky,
toured California,
Oregon, and
Washington, D.C.
The squares were
created by
students and
quilted by the
Truckee Quilters
Guild. Arts for the
Schools director
Terry Yagura shows
one of the
show’s quilts.
14
“Who would think something as tiny as an
egg could change my son’s life?” Terry Yagura
reads a mother’s words and is recharged with
passion and energy for the art program she
created at Lake Tahoe 20 years ago, Arts for
the Schools (AFtS). Yagura planted the seeds,
and a small group of volunteers and artists
nurtured the program into a non-profit corporation with a full-time artist in residence and
visiting artists’ workshops in dance, music,
theatre, and art. With those artists, Arts for the
Schools enriches the lives of more than 2,500
North Tahoe students every month. Every day,
AFtS brings the arts into the classrooms of
private schools, charters, and home schools;
sponsors training workshops for teachers and
parents; schedules student field trips to theatre
productions; mounts multi-cultural assemblies
and performances that
open students’ eyes to
the entire world.
One AFtS venture, the
Quilt Project, “The Day I
Met the Sky,” was started
after the 9-11 tragedy.
The project grew into
three hero quilts — a
Local Hero, Hero of the
Americas, and a World
Hero. A poetry book,
also part of the project,
incorporated poems written by children from the
Lake Tahoe area.
“It became a celebration of spirit through the
arts — a creative act that
moves human consciousness a step forward,”
explains the project leader, Nancy Tieken Lopez,
who teaches art to thirdand fifth-graders. “We
joined together — artists,
Perspectives
quilters, students, teachers, community nonprofits, and businesses to create an extraordinary movement of home, hope and charity, an
act of goodwill and affection.”
The three quilts and poetry book were presented at a poetry festival and exhibit at the
Cal Neva resort, at North Shore. Two of the
quilts were sent to heroes — one to an emergency worker in New York City, and one to
an Afghan woman who risks her life to teach
other women.
Lopez and Marya Roddis, both part-time
artists-in residence with Arts for the Schools,
have written an art instruction guidebook for
teachers, parents, and artists interested in art
education. Called Hands-On Workshop in the
Study of the Arts, published by AFtS, the book
is a guide to teaching 16 classroom art projects that meet state requirements. It also gives
teachers guidance in incorporating art into the
curriculum for any subject.
Yagura stresses the importance of such a
guidebook. “Bringing art into the classroom is
the best equalizer,” she says. “Art reaches all
levels of abilities and development. Art uses
all parts of the brain. Children’s minds expand
to embrace new ideas. Not everyone is an
artist, but everyone can do art.”
Funded originally by bake sales and
walkathons, Arts for the Schools eventually
gained funding from the Truckee Community
Foundation, generous community members,
the California Department of Education, and
the California Arts Council. In 1989, AFtS was
able to a full-time Artist in Residence, Cathee
St. Claire. (All AFfS artists are paid. Community
volunteers, such as Yagura, run the program.)
But lack of state financial support for education and the arts has decimated funding for
the California Arts Council. As a result of this
major cut, the matching grant for AFtS’s Artist
in Residence programs is no longer available.
The community is supportive, but the organization must now scramble for funding to buy
materials and pay artists, to carry its invaluable
work forward.
Arts for the Schools brings a world of arts to North Tahoe students
by Carolyn Taylor
Arts for the Schools —
John’s Story
John was a shy boy who would rather
stay home from school than face the
kids in his class who would tease, bully,
and hurt him. His lack of small motor
skill development and difficulty understanding concepts made each day at
school frustrating and demoralizing.
Just before his move to another town,
Cathee St. Clair, Arts for the Schools artist in residence, started her Egg Painting
Workshop in his class. The “Egg Lady”
talked about the importance of caring,
of realizing that each of us is strong, but
also fragile as an eggshell. “Our hearts
can easily break,” she said. “All it takes
is a look, a word, a gesture.” She talked
about kindness, about being aware of
little things in relationships, the importance of a smile.
St. Clair showed the class how to
draw lines, how to curve them around
to make different shapes, how to use
these shapes to draw complicated things
like dragons and castles. She worked
with John individually, took time to help
him learn to control his pencil. She was
patient. He painted a magnificent dinosaur on his masterpiece egg.
When his family moved, John
started his new school with new selfesteem. He taught others how to paint
on eggshells. He and his mother paint
eggs every day, a practice that helps his
fine motor skill development, and helps
them draw closer. His mother wrote to
AFtS, “There’s something about the egg,
about holding it in your hands. It’s almost
magic. Who would think something as
tiny as an egg could change my son’s life
— could change our lives together?”
Each year artist
Cathee St. Claire
designs a holiday
card to be sold as
a fundraiser for
AFtS. To purchase
a set of the 2003
cards (shown at
left), or for more
information about
Art for the Schools,
please call
Terry Yagura at
(530) 546-4602.
If you’re interested
in improving arts
education for kids…
you’ll need a license.
The Arts License Plate, designed by renowned California artist
Wayne Thiebaud, is the first plate in the nation solely designed to
benefit the Arts. Your purchase of the Arts plate helps fund arts
education and local art programming in schools and communities
throughout California. Order your plate today by calling (800)
201-6201 or visit www.cac.ca.gov.
Perspectives
15
Eleven-year-old
wins Best of Show
at Children’s Open
Sarah Croft, 11, of
Loomis, with her
oil painting “Oh So
Still,” Best of Show
winner at the 2nd
Annual Children’s
Open Show at the
Art House Gallery,
in Roseville.
Sarah Croft, 11, of
Loomis, won Best
of Show for her oil
painting “Oh So Still,”
shown in Roseville
Arts Center’s 2nd
Annual Children’s
Open Show at the
Art House Children’s
Gallery. The show
ended October 30.
Jurors, artists Elma
Jella and Barbara
Blabon, picked Croft’s
piece for this highest honor from among the
117 in the exhibit.
The young artists and their families came to
accept awards and celebrate the exhibit opening at a reception on September 20. At the
reception, all participants received certificates
and ribbons. Nine honorable mention awards
were presented, and twelve 1st, 2nd, and 3rd
place awards in four age categories.
Art House Children’s Gallery, at 424 Oak St. in
Roseville, is open Tues. – Fri. 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. or by
appointment. (916) 783-4117.
New book explores color vision
deficiency in children
More than eight percent of the
world’s population has some
degree of color vision deficiency
(CVD), usually referred to as “colorblindness.” The effects of CVD
on children’s lives is explored
in a new book by local author
and retired school nurse Arlene
Evans, R.N.
Seeing Color: It’s My
Rainbow, Too is an introduction to CVD designed for
children ages 9 – 12. In
kid-friendly language, the
book explores all aspects
16
Perspectives
of this genetic disorder that affects one in 12
males and one in 200 females.
Whimsically illustrated by Auburn artist
Bud Pisarek, Seeing Color: It’s My Rainbow,
Too retails for $11.95. The book may be
ordered and the first chapter read at:
www.CVDbooks.com. The book is also available at Sharon’s book store in Auburn.
Although CVD has been recognized for
more than 200 years, the condition remains
poorly understood. Children with CVD may
experience a variety of difficulties in preschool
and primary grades, where there is an emphasis on color. Older children may experience
problems with colored maps and, for instance,
comparing colors that are the end result of science experiments.
Evans peppered the book with examples
from her own experiences, gathered from testing children’s color vision and talking with
parents and teachers. She wrote the book
because throughout her 22 years of school
nursing with the Placer County Office of
Education she could find no books, articles, or
pamphlets for children on this subject.
Placer County artists win KVIE
Auction 2003 awards
Three Placer County artists received awards
at KVIE’s Art Auction 2003, held on the air
on September 19, 20, and 21. Rick and Janet
Nicholson won 1st Place in the Fine Crafts
division with a blown glass bowl from their
Point Break Wave Bowl Series; and Steve
Coverston won an Honorable Mention in the
Pastels and Drawing division for his drawing
“Raft Trip in Coloma, South Fork American.”
The three were among 30 award winners in
seven categories.
Other Placer County artists participating
in the auction were Steve Aldridge, Donna
Fay Allen, Michael Anello, Millie Beatie,
Victoria Brooks, Pam Cushman, Thien Dao,
Sandy Delehanty, Francis Domaratius, Fred
Ekman, Reif Erickson, Ray Gonzales, James
Hirschinger, Imi Lehmbrock Hirschinger,
Dorene Kidd, Judie Larson, Mya Louw,
Joyce Mayer, Constance McLennan, Barbara
Newell, Barbara Noble, Stan Padilla, Barbra
Paitich, Helen Phillips, Marsha Proud, Ann
Ranlett, Gayle Rappaport Weiland, Michael
Reigel, Merridee Joan Smith, Susan Sorensen,
Paul Sprunck, Keith Sutter, David Thibeault,
Margaret Wilner, and Sandy Wythawai.
Pastel Society offering scholarship
The Pastel Society of the West Coast is offering
a $500 scholarship for the continuing study of
art to a high school senior graduating in 2004.
The society is accepting any subject matter in
any medium. Although PSWC is a representational society, it is open to receiving abstract
work of a high quality. Work will be judged
by PSWC board members, and the winner will
be announced before the end of the school
term.
Deadline is March 31, 2004. For an application, write
to Rosemary Boissonade, 6024 Plum Canyon Lane,
Roseville, CA 95747 or contact her at
(916) 771-4415 boisson@quiknet.com
Historic Local Scenes Calendar 2004
Now On Sale
For the 23rd year in a row, Colfax High
School has published its Historic Local Scenes
calendar. The 2004 calendar, done by the CHS
Drafting Design Department, is on sale at a
dozen Placer County locations for $5 each.
Each calendar month is accompanied by a
detailed drawing of a past event or location in
the region, and each picture includes a short
identifying caption.
What started out as a lark one year has
become a sought-after collector’s item of the
region’s history. The unique historic drawings the publication contains have earned it
the Governor’s Historic Preservation Award.
Colfax High was the only school in California
to receive the award in 2002.
This one-of-a-kind publication takes a full
year to put together. Local people loan students old family photos. The teen artists then
draw pictures in pencil from the reference
photos. Then, master drawings are inked-in,
each student using his or her own personal
style. Drawings can take up to 60 hours each
to complete. Over the
years, hundreds of student artists have produced
more than 340 drawings
unique to this region.
Once the calendar
layout is complete, it is
delivered to the printer.
The calendar comes off
the press in the fall, ready
for delivery to stores from
Auburn to Nyack. Last year,
CHS received emails from as
far away as Florida with requests for copies.
“Because of our Gold Rush history, people
from all over the world find our calendar
interesting,” says Steve Coverston, instructor
and advisor to the students’ Art Drafting Club.
“Year after year, our wonderful readers send
us thank you notes and personal stories that
relate to the pictures. One year we used a picture from Iowa Hill that helped reunite family
members that had lost contact with each other
40 years ago. Many people have shared stories
of steam trains, mining, Highway 40 adventures, and their favorite swimming holes,” he
relates. “If you happen to have old family
photos you think we could use, please
contact us.”
For more information about the Twenty-third
Anniversary Edition of Historic Local Scenes Calendar,
2004, visit www.puhsd.k12.ca.us/colfax and click
on “Historic Local Scenes Calendar”; or email Steve
Coverston at scoverst@colfax.puhsd.k12.ca.us. Or write
to Colfax High School, Attn. Steve Coverston, 24995
Ben Taylor Rd., Colfax, CA 95713.
Arties Event Notes Arts Council’s
20th Anniversary
The Arts Council of Placer County’s 20th
Anniversary figured prominently in the Arties
awards ceremony, held October 19 at the
Shiloh Center, in Auburn. Presided over by
ACPC’s executive director Angela Tahti, the
event honored past arts council directors Larry
Ortiz and Persia Woolley. A special award
went to Bud Pisarek, founder of ARTcetera,
the organization that became ACPC. Former
Perspectives
Colfax High School’s
2004 Historic Local
Scenes Calendar
is now on sale at
the following
locations:
Buzz Thru Joe’s
Colfax Area
Chamber of
Commerce Railcar
Dawn’s Hallmark
Dutch Flat Trading Post
Hilda’s Pastries
Monte Vista Inn
Nyack Shell
Oliver’s Grocery
Placer County
Museum Gift Shop
Prince’s Chevron
Food Mart
Sierra Market
Toy and Nature
Walker’s Office
Supplies—Auburn
Wildflower
17
Earthbound Series
— Illuminations
Table Lamps by
Rick and Janet
Nicholson.
board of directors
chairs were recognized, as well as
other past board and
staff members. Both
Ortiz and Pisarek
spoke, reminiscing
about their times with
the council. Shaden
Mousa, who as a
young art student volunteered with ACPC,
spoke about what
that stint, when she
worked closely with
established artists, has
meant to her.
Artie Awards
for 2003 went to
Keith Sutter of Auburn, manager of the Arts
Building (Arts Administration); Anke Hass of
Truckee, an artist and teacher (Arts Education);
Susan Federico of Roseville (Arts Education);
Signature Theatre Group (Business Support/
Partnerships) for Auburn’s Independent Film
Series. And the award in a new Arties category, Arts Volunteer/Patron, went to ACPC
Tellabration: An Annual World-Wide
Storytelling Event
Saturday, November 22, 2003
Co-sponsored by the Foothills Storytelling Guild and The Arts Council of
Placer County
Story Hour: Stories for You and Your Young Children
11 a.m. – 12 noon
The Arts Building , 808 Lincoln Way, Auburn
Story Concert: Stories for adults and children who can listen like adults
7 – 9 p.m.
Unity Church, 1212 High Street, Auburn
Free admission but donations gratefully accepted!
For more information call Linda at 530-478-1604 or Joan at 530-637-5858.
Tellabration is a world-wide storytelling event sponsored by the National Storytelling
Network, with over 400 communities participating across the globe. Come hear Placer
County’s talented storytellers tell a variety of funny, moving, and inspirational tales.
18
Perspectives
board member Phyllis Butz for her 20 years
of continuous, indefatigable service to the arts
council.
This year’s commemorative Arties awards
were made by Marianne DeMartini, who created matte-glazed china plates symbolizing traditional 20th Anniversary gifts.
After a luncheon and awards ceremony at
the Shiloh Center, the entire audience, led
by the Sugar Plump Fairies, a zany group of
three less than light-weight sprites, danced its
way down the block to the Arts Building to
be musically entertained by guitarists L. Louis
Ortz and D. R. Wagner. There the fairies presented special ribbon awards to all the Arties
“losers.”
MissionaryArts.com helps
artist-missionaries
MissionaryArts.com, a virtual art gallery, was
launched in January 2003 to help artists working as missionaries throughout the world.
Co-creators Tim Anderson and his friend Carl
Kisling, a missionary, envisioned the site as a
way for missionary artists to supplement their
incomes. They posted an announcement of
their new site on a missions resource internet
bulletin board and quickly received a response
from John Afolayan, a Nigerian missionary
pastor who was producing museum-quality, silk-woven tapestries depicting life in his
native country.
After a few more artists joined the effort,
Anderson and his business partner, Kevin
Smith, expanded the requirements to include
not only full-time missionaries but any
Christian artist interested in supporting missions work through sales of their artwork. By
the time MissionaryArts.com was launched, 10
artists had signed on. There are now nearly
30 artists participating. Eighty percent of art
sales on the site goes directly back to the
missionary.
Original artworks by Kisling, Afolayan and local artist Bryan Lynch (also part of the MissionaryArts.com
family) are currently on display and for sale at Sunset
Oaks Frame Shop and Gallery, in the Fiddler Green
Plaza, 1273 Grass Valley Hwy., in Auburn.
professor. Snooks’ vibrant photographs reflect the many facets of
Hmong culture, in which wisdom and prsonal relationships are central. Ridley Gallery, Sierra College. (916) 789-2873.
December 8–13: Holiday Show and Sale. Paintings, ceramics,
sculptures, drawings, prints, photographs, jewelry, fiber arts, silk
paintings, ornaments, and more by Sierra College students, faculty,
and artists from the community. Procceds benefit the Ridley Gallery.
At Ridley Gallery, Sierra College. Call for hours. (916) 789-2873.
www.sierracollege/edu/events/current.html
Lincoln
Through November 21: “Lost in America,” sculptural art by
Miriam Morris and woodcuts by Vic Edmisten. Lincoln Arts &
Culture Foundation, 580 Sixth Street. (916) 645-9713.
November 25–December 20: Holiday Shoppe, an invitational
show including art, crafts, and ceramics. At Lincoln Arts & Culture
Foundation, 580 Sixth Street. (916) 645-9713.
Auburn
November 1–December 24: Art is a Gift, a group exhibit of affordable
art gifts by local artists. Auburn Old Town Gallery, 218 Washington St.
(530) 887-9150.
“Aerial 1, 2003,” oil on canvas, by Erin Noel, showing at Julie
Baker Fine Art Gallery in Grass Valley.
Galleries
November 17 – December 31: “Dolls and Smallworks.” An exploration of the capacity of dolls to take us into the realms of imagination,
ritual, and play. Included in the show is an opportunity to create a
“doll” for inclusion on a Tree of Life; date and time for this event
TBA. Also on display, small works in various media by Jody AhlquistMough, Andrea Fuhrman, Kathleen Curtis, Andrew Bissell and others,
available for purchase as holiday gifts.The Arts Building Gallery, 808
Lincoln Way. (530) 885-2787.
P E R F E C T LY P E A C H Y
Roseville
Through December 18: Roseville Arts Center’s 28th Annual Open
Show. Jurors Sarah Flohr and Tom Monteith, from CSU Sacramento,
selected 60 pieces of two-and three-dimensional art from 325 slides
submitted from across the country. Work chosen ranges from traditional watercolor and oil to innovative presentationsl using silver leafing, magnets, guitar strings, and felted wool. Free to the public at the
405 Gallery, 405 Vernon St. (916) 786-7827.
Through December 18: Tropical Birds, is the theme of a show by
students of Antelope Crossing Middle School. At The Art House
Children’s Gallery, 424 Oak St. (916) 78304117.
Ongoing: Showing oil paintings by Margot Comer. Studio 5
Gallery, 510 Oak St. (916) 771-8955. www.studio5gallery.com
Ongoing: 3rd Saturday Art Tour. Free art viewing and Open House
every Third Saturday of the month, 6:30-9 p.m., in participating galleries: 405 Gallery, 405 Vernon Street; The Art House Children’s
Gallery, 424 Oak Street.; FASTFRAME, 1132 Galleria Blvd.; Owl
Club, 109 Church St., Old Roseville; Studio 5 Gallery, 510 Oak
Street; and 2237 Gallery, 2237 Douglas Boulevard; Borders Books,
2030 Douglas Blvd.; Frostad Atelier, 8609 Auburn Folsom Rd.,
Granite Bay; and Triple Vision Art, 6661 Stanford Ranch Road, Suite
E, Rocklin. Maps available at all galleries and at the Roseville Arts
Center. (916) 786-7827.
M O O N S TO N E
P L AT I N U M • P E AC H G O L D • D I A M O N D S
studio & galler y
Rocklin
Through November 20: Many Ideas Open the Way, a collection of
Hmong proverbs in photographs by Randy Snook, a Sierra College
107 sacramento st., old town auburn • (530) 823-1965
Perspectives
19
Colfax
Through January 3, 2004: Land Scapes—City Scapes, an art show
featuring landscape paintings by Chris Duke, cityscape scenes by
Sue Averell. Reception, Sat., Nov. 15, 6–9 p.m. with live music &
refreshments. Suggested donation $10. The Rainbow Gallery of Art
& Music, 46 N. Main St., 2nd Floor, Historic Colfax. (530) 346-6906.
www.therainbowcompany.com
(photo of Chris Duke, emailed)
North Tahoe/Truckee
Through November 15: “Winter Dreams,” pastels by Carolyn
Kiegley, an artist known for her evocative snowscapes. Main Gallery,
North Tahoe Arts, 380 North Lake Blvd., Tahoe City (530) 581-2787.
Through November 15: “Through the Lens” photography by Al
Beirl, Susan Nielsen, and Rhonda L. Wilson. Outdoor and abstract
photography by three accomplished Tahoe artists. Upstairs Gallery,
November 24–December 20: HollyART 2003. North Tahoe Arts’
Annual holiday extravaganza. Holiday artwork in a multitude of
media by North Tahoe Artists, on display and for sale. HollyART
Preview Brunch, November 23, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m., $15 per person.
Opening in December: A new gallery, the Keoki Flagg Gallery,
located in the Village at Squaw Valley, will feature original works and
limited edition graphics, photography, ceramics, and sculpture. On
display in December, ceramic artwork by Tahoe artist Jennifer Egan.
(530) 581-3839
Outside Placer County
November 3–30: 20th Annual Northern Mines Open Art Show.
Main Gallery, Center for the Arts, 314 W. Main St., Grass Valley. (530)
265-6076.
Sourdough Slim will perform at the Cowpoke Fall Gathering, in
Loomis November 14 & 15.
Through December 19: Sacramento Archives & Museum Collection
Center Exhibit. Viewpoint Gallery, Sacramento Valley Photographic
Art Center, 551 Sequoia Pacific Blvd., Sacramento. (916) 441-2341.
www.viewpointgallery.org
November: Pastel Society of the West Coast, 12th bi-annual associate membership show. More than 80 paintings by members. Juror:
Waif Mullins, PSWC-Distinguished Pastellist, Pastel Society of America.
Awards and Reception, Nov. 8, 1–3 p.m. At Gallery One, 291 AuburnFolsom Rd. (916) 663-1211.
Through November 16: Gillian Hodge Outdoor Memorial Sculpture
Exhibit. An exhibition of work of students and emerging artists.
Sierra College Campus, Grass Valley. Awards reception Sept. 7,
5–7 p.m. (530) 274-5300.
Through November 11: Autumn Art Studios Tour Preview Show
featuring work from the more than 80 artists participating in the
November 8 – 9 studios tour. Tickets for the tour ($10) are available
at the gallery. The Arts Building Gallery, 808 Lincoln Way. (530) 8852787.
November–December: Art Can Heal. Art in a variety of media chosen for its healing qualities. Work by area artists and students from
local schools. Sutter Auburn Faith Hospital Hallway Galleries.11815
Education Dr. (530) 389-8504.
December: All Creatures Great & Small, a group show by Placer
Arts League. Reception, Dec. 14, 1–4 p.m. At Gallery One, 291
Auburn-Folsom Rd. (916) 663-1211.
Ongoing: Pastels by Margot Schulzke & Watercolors by Trudi
Hayden & Susan von Borstel. Sunset Oaks Framing and Gallery at
Fiddler Green Plaza, 1273 Grass Valley Hwy. (530) 885-4858.
Granite Bay
Ongoing: Exceptional work by regional visual artists. Elliott Fouts
Gallery, 4120 Douglas Blvd., #305. (916) 797-7270. www.efgallery.com
20
Perspectives
Through November 29: Erin Noel, “The Divide: Notes on Landscape and Memory,” a multimedia installation piece. In her work,
Noel blends digital media and painting, traditional and conceptual.
Through December 20: Ansel Adams, PortfolioV, at the Sacramento
Valley Photographic Art Center. Reception Dec. 13, 5:30–8:30 p.m. 551
Sequoia Pacific Ave., Sacramento. (916) 441-2341.
Through January 4: Main Street USA: Shopkeepers of the Past. An
exhibit of retailers of yesteryear, the items used in their trade and the
goods they sold; vintage oddities and treasures from watchmakers,
cobblers, music dealers, and gunsmiths featured in the “store front
town.” Folsom History Museum, 823 Sutter St., Folsom.
(916) 985-2707.
Ongoing: Marty Gessler: Portraits & Oils on Canvas. On display at the American River College Gallery, 4700 College Oak Dr.,
Sacramento. (916) 484-8011.
Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento
Through November 9: Remembering the Family Farm: 150 Years
of American Prints.
November 21 – February 8: Knock on Wood: Sculpture by Michael
Stevens. Stevens’s wood sculptures evoke his trademark attraction to
dark comedy and irony. Featuring two decades of the artist’s work,
the exhibition surveys Stevens’s evolution as an artist and seeks to
acknowledge his position as one of Northern California’s premier
sculptors.
Continuing: European Painting from the Collection, European
Galleries. Introduces museum visitors to the subjects and styles represented by our European collection; includes a small selection of
decorative arts rarely seen on display.
Continuing: Early California Painting Collection. Demonstrates the
artistic vitality of Northern California through the 1870s.
The Crocker’s collection includes works from Europe, North America,
and Asia, dating from the 15th century to the present. The museum
also offers special exhibitions, educational programs, workshops, concerts, and events. For a complete list of activities for all ages call
(916) 264-5157 or visit www.crockerartmuseum.org. 216 O St.,
Sacramento.
Music & Dance
Rocklin
November 19: Jazz Night at the Dietrich Theatre, Sierra College.
7:30 p.m. (916) 789-2920.
December 6 & 7: Winter Concerts at the Dietrich Theatre.
Sat., 7:30 p.m.; Sun. 2 p.m. (916) 789-2920.
December 19 & 20: Roseville High School Dance Show. About 150
RHS students participate in this 26-number show, which includes tap,
ballet, jazz, Latin, swing, clogging, and character. Shows held at the
Woodcreek High School Theatre, Woodcreek Oaks Blvd., Roseville.
Dec. 19, 7 p.m.; Dec. 20, 2 p.m. & 7 p.m. Tickets, $7, go on sale Dec.
1. (916) 782-3753, ext 3913.
December: Candlelight Concerts at the Dietrich Theatre. Dec. 12
& 19, 7:30 p.m.; Dec. 13, 14, 20, 2 p.m. (916) 789-2920.
Auburn
November 9: The Vega String Quartet, a bright star among chamber
music ensembles, will charm with its pristine style, silken sound,
and exciting presentation. Presented by Auburn Community Concerts
Association. For ticket information, call (530) 887-1624.
December 4–7: Placer Theatre Ballet’s Annual “Nutcracker.”
Tchaikovsky’s classic ballet presented Dec. 4 and 5, 7 p.m.; Dec. 6
and 7, 1 p.m. Placer High School Auditorium. Tickets and information
at (916) 630-7820. www.placertheatreballet.org.
December 9: Auburn Symphony’s Messiah Sing-Along. Guest soloists and visiting choirs join the audience in selections from Handel’s
Messiah. Placer High School Auditorium, 7:30 p.m. (530) 823-6683.
Truckee/North Tahoe
November 18: Figures of Speech Theatre, combines banraku puppets and actors presenting “Cupid & Psyche, a 2,000-year-old Greek
myth.” Many consider banruku to be the most refined puppet theatre
in the world. At Cal Neva, North Shore, 7 p.m. Presented by Arts for
the Schools. (530) 546-4602.
November 21–23: “Sleeping Beauty” Ballet, presented by Sierra
Nevada Dance, a community dance academy. More than 100 local
students and adults in a fully costumed production. Sponsored by
Arts for the Schools. Friday, Nov. 21, 7 p.m.; Sat., 7 p.m.; Sun., 3 p.m.
At Cal Nev, North Shore.(530) 546-4602.
The Vega String Quartet will perform in Auburn on Sunday,
November 9, at Placer High Auditorium.
December 5–7: Where’s Rudolf? Original ballet choreography for the
holidays by the Tahoe Dance School. Fully costumed production. Fri.,
Dec. 5, school show at 10 a.m.; Sat., Dec. 6, public show at Cal Neva,
North Shore, 7 p.m.; Sun., Dec. 7, public show at 3 p.m. at Cal Neva,
North shore. Sponsored by Arts for the Schools. (530) 546-4602.
January 9: Storyteller Willy Clafin performs in the Cal-Neva’s
Indian Room, 7 p.m. Outstanding storyteller for all ages. Presented by
Arts for the Schools.(530) 546-4602.
Colfax
November 22: An Evening of Opera with Sussy Flanigan. General
seating $25, tickets available at the Rainbow Gallery 46 North Main
Street, Colfax, (530) 346-6906. www.therainbowcompany.com
November 2: April Verch in Concert. Fiddle-playing and dancing presented by the Folsom Lake Community Concert Assn. At the
Folsom Community Center, 52 Natomas St., 3 p.m. (916) 483-7004.
November 1: Sacramento Philharmonic Orchestra’s 7th Season
Opening: “Paradise and More.” Brahms’ Violin Concerto with guest
artist Axel Strauss, violinist; cesar Franck’s Symphony in D Minor.
Community Center Theater, 8 p.m. Season tickets available for the
five-concert series. (916) 732-9045.
November 5–16: 26th Annual Festival of New American Music.
Concerts, lectures, performances. At CSUS, Sacramento. (916) 2785155 or www.csus.edu/events.
Perspectives
21
November 7: Reconciliation Singers Voices of Peace and the
Sacramento Children’s Chorus present “Prelude to a Season,” a
concert to benefit the Mustard Seed School. An inspiring evening of
choral music. RSVP is becoming known as the outstanding chamber
choir of the region, and the award-winning Children’s Chorus recently
returned from its tour of Czechoslovakia. At the Arden Christian
Church, 4300 Las Cruces Way, Sacramento. Tickets available at the
door. For more, visit www.rsvpchoir.org.
Bernhard Museum Complex, 291 Auburn-Folsom Road
This complex was built as an inn called Travelers Rest in 1851.
The house, one of the oldest wooden structures in Placer County,
was added in 1868. Now restored, the house is furnished with late
Victorian pieces. Also located here is an 1874 winery, one of the first
in the state, a reconstructed carriage barn, and Gallery One, home of
the Placer Arts League. Docent tours, permanent and seasonal exhibitions. (530) 889-6500.
Opening November 21: Hansel and Gretel, a Sacramento Opera production with music by the Sacramento Philharmonic Orchestra. At the
Community Center Theater, Sacramento. For tickets, (916) 264-5181.
Gold Country Museum, 1273 High Street
This museum chronicles the rich history of gold mining in the region.
Exhibits include gold panning demonstrations, a walk through a man
shaft, an operational stamp mill model, and displays showing the
lifestyle of gold country residents during the Gold Rush. At the Gold
Country Fairgrounds. (530) 889-6500.
Ongoing: Mondavi Center Presents. World-class performances of
music, dance, and drama; also well-known speakers and concerts
for children. On the UC Davis campus. For a complete schedule of
events, call (530) 752-1915 or visit www.MondaviArts.org.
Museums
Roseville
Roseville Telephone Co. Museum, 106 Vernon Street
With exhibits detailing the history of telephone communications and
of the Roseville Telephone Company, the museum offers a portrayal
of an often-overlooked aspect of the past. Displays include old-style
switchboards and telephones; models range to present day.
(916) 786-1621.
Maidu Interpretive Center: Indian Museum
Maidu Interpretive Center—Indian Museum and Nature Learning
Center offers tours of the ancient Nisenan (southern Maidu) village
site Tuesday-Friday 10 a.m. & Saturday 10 a.m. and 1p.m., featuring
over 300 bedrock mortars, petroglyphs and evidence of thousands of
years of occupation by the Maidu. Cultural classes for children and
adults ongoing. Center is open Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m.–4
p.m. $4/adult; $3/child; $12 family of four. 1960 Johnson Ranch Drive,
Roseville. (916) 772-4242. www.roseville.ca.us/indianmuseum
Rocklin History Museum, 3895 Rocklin Rd.
Opened in June 2002, the museum houses a history timeline, Whitney
Family items, Indian artifacts, quarry tools and railroad items, Ruben
Ruhkala paintings, and a Rocklin Jubilee display, as well as many
historic photos. Also on display are a quarry photo supergraphic, a
quarry layout with a description of quarry operation, geology exhibits, and Rocklin’s Centennial quilt. The architectural style of the small
Victorian home that houses the museum is typical of many early
1900’s Rocklin homes. Its original doors, cabinetry, woodwork and
exterior trim are good examples of the period. (916) 624-2355.
Penryn
Griffith Quarry Museum, Taylor and Rock Spring roads
Griffith Quarry’s history dates back to its founding in 1864. The quarry was major supplier of granite for many of California’s buildings,
including the State Capitol in Sacramento. The museum houses exhibits reflecting the history of the granite industry in the region. Three
miles of nature trails offer views of old quarry sites. (916) 663-1837.
Tours (530) 889-6500.
Auburn
Placer County Museum, 101 Maple Street
On display are exhibits on the Placer County Courthouse, a unique
set of Pleistocene animal remains, and the Pate Native American
Collection of over 400 items. All located on the first floor, Placer
County Courthouse. Docents offer free walking tours of Old Town
Auburn on the first and third Saturdays of every month. (530) 8896500.
Foresthill
Foresthill Divide Museum, 24601 Harrison Street
Museum displays portraying the history of the Foresthill and Iowa Hill
Divides include a model of the Foresthill Logging Company, firefighting equipment, depictions of life during the Gold Rush and of early
modes of transportation. (530) 889-6500.
Dutch Flat
Golden Drift Museum, 32820 Main Street
The colorful history of the “Golden Triangle”—Dutch Flat, Gold run,
Alta/Towle—is shown in exhibits depicting boom days of hydraulic
mining, the rise of the county’s timber industry, the coming of the
transcontinental railroad, and the growth of communities. Tour the
town and all its historic buildings. (530) 889-6500.
Truckee/North Lake Tahoe
Rocklin
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Joss House Museum and Chinese History Center, at Sacramento
Street and Brewery Lane, Old Town Auburn
This historic building is almost completely restored and will soon
be open to the public. The original temple altar is preserved in this
Chinese house of worship; on display are artifacts representative
of the lives of the Chinese people during the Gold Rush. Open by
appointment. (530) 823-2613.
Perspectives
Gatekeepers Cabin Museum, 130 West Lake Blvd., Tahoe City
The museum houses artifacts of Lake Tahoe history, including paneled history displays, illustrated pioneer stories, hundreds of historical items, and a research library. One wing contains the Marion
Steinbach Indian Basket Museum, filled with a collection of more
than 800 rare baskets from 85 tribes, and collections of Indian dolls,
and Southwestern pottery. (530) 583-1762.
The Watson Cabin Living Museum, 560 N. Lake Blvd., Tahoe City
An outstanding, preserved, turn-of-the-century log cabin, built in 1908
by Robert Montgomery Watson, Tahoe City’s first Constable. (530)
583-1762.
Share Your Love of the Arts and Humanities…
Forever
Including a charitable bequest to the Arts Council
of Placer County in your estate plans is a way that
you can say thank you to your family, friends, and
community while sharing your love of the Arts and
Humanities with future generations.
For more information about a charitable bequest,
call the arts council at (530) 885-5670.
sense of humor and outrageous stories. Tri-tip dinner BBQ Sat.
3–7 p.m. by the South Placer Heritage Foundation. BBQ tickets at
(916) 787-0878. Poetry tickets and information at (916) 652-6290.
Penryn
December 6–7: First Annual Christmas Sale, at the Penryn
Workshop. Ceramic art for sale, refreshments, music, Raku demonstrations. 9 a.m.–6 p.m., 1394 Orange Hill Lane. (530) 663-2815.
Lincoln
Ongoing: Tea in Crimson. Elegant Victorian afternoon teas every
Tuesday, 1–5 p.m. in the lavish Gladding McBean Dining Rooms.
Presented by Beermann’s. Reservations at (916) 645-2377.
Auburn
The Colfax Hometown Holiday Festival on December 5 features a
Light Parade at about 7:30 p.m.
Emigrant Trail Museum, 12593 Donner Pass Rd., Truckee
Located in Donner Memorial State Park, this museum focuses on the
theme of the Donner Party. A 26-minute movie on the Donner Party
is shown on the hour. Other exhibits portray the lives and arts of the
Washoe Indians, early explorers, the building of the railroad through
the Sierra Nevada, and the early days of Truckee. (530) 582-7892.
Folsom History Museum, 823 Sutter St., Folsom
Main Street USA: Shopkeepers of the Past, an exhibit of retailers of
yesteryear, the items used in their trade and the goods they sold;
vintage oddities and treasures from watchmakers, cobblers, music
dealers, and gunsmiths featured in this “store front town.” Showing
through January 4, 2004. (916) 985-2707.
Events & Festivals
Western Placer County
November 8–9: 10th Annual Autumn Art Studios Tour. More than
80 artists participate in a self-guided tour. Great variety of media on
view and available for purchase in studio settings. Artists will be on
hand to talk with visitors. Tickets are $10 each. For tickets and more
information, call the Arts Council of Placer County at (530) 885-5670.
Roseville
November 8–9: 19th Annual Auburn Christmas Festival. A spirited
celebration of the season featuring 200 craft artists, live entertainment on three stages, fine food and drink, Santa’s Merry elves and
Twinkle Trees. Continuous entertainment by such artists Tom Rigney
& Flambeau, Sourdough Slim, Rob & Christine Bonner, bagpiper Chris
Caswell, and jugglers Grinn & Barrett. The “Polar Express” train for
children will run all day both days. Sat., 10 a.m.–6 p.m.; Sun.,
10 a.m. –5 p.m. At the Gold Country Fairgrounds. (209) 533-3473.
www.fireonthemountain.com
November 15: Faith & Fantasy Ball, “A Tryst in the Evening Mist.”
Sutter Auburn Faith Hospital Foundation’s annual black tie fundraiser.
Cocktails, dinner, dancing, cruise raffle, live and silent auctions.
At The Ridge Golf Course. (530) 888-4557.
November 15: 2nd Annual Harvest Celebration, a dinner and auction for the benefit of Placer Land Trust. The event will showcase
foods, beer, and wines produced in Placer County. $30 per person.
Dinner prepared by Cow Camp; vegetarian option available. At Placer
Hall, Gold Country Fairgrounds, 6:30 - 9:30 p.m. (530) 878-6053.
November 22–23: Mountain Mandarin Festival, a celebration of the
county’s mandarin harvest, featuring mandarins and mandarin products, arts and crafts, food and entertainment. At the Gold Country
Fairgrounds, Auburn. (916) 663-1918.
November 28–30, & December Weekends: 22nd Annual Nicholson
Blown Glass Holiday Open Studio. Artists Rick and Janet Nicholson
open their studio to the public for demonstrations. Fridays and
Saturdays, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.; Sundays, 12 noon – 4 p.m. Nicholson
Blown Glass, corner of Bell and Cramer Roads, north of Auburn.
(530) 823-1631. www.nicholsonblownglass.com
December 6 & 13: Country Christmas in Old Town Auburn. Arts &
crafts vendors, Santa, strolling musicians, warming refreshments. (530)
823-3836.
November 22: Holiday Parade. Vernon St., Roseville. (916) 783-8136.
Colfax
December 6: 14th Annual Holdiay Craft Faire. More than 100 quality crafters, strolling entertainers, food and specialty coffees. Parking
and admission are free. Hosted by the Roseville Parks, Recreation and
Libraries Dept. Maidu Community Center, 1550 Maidu Dr.,
9 a.m.–4 p.m. (916) 774-5950.
December 5: Colfax Hometown Holiday featuring crafts in historic
downtown Colfax on Main St., 3–8:30 p.m.; Soroptimist Soup Kitchen,
5–7 p.m., at the Sierra Vista Community Center; Light Parade on Main
St. at about 7:30 p.m. (530) 346-8888 or www.colfaxarea.com.
Rocklin
November 21: Germany Travelogue, last in a film series at Sierra
College. A feature-length film narrated live by a noted photojournalist.
At the Dietrich Theatre, 7:30 p.m. (916) 781-0590.
Loomis
November 14–15: Ninth Annual Cowpoke Fall Gathering. Cowboys
and cowgirls share their poems and songs. Three shows: Fri., 8 p.m.;
Sat. 1 p.m. and 8 p.m. Entertainers include Sourdough Slim with his
unique musical variety act, and Pat Richardson, known for his dry
November 8–13: Art Quilt Tahoe, a study conference featuring a
faculty of 14 well-known fiber artists. Conference includes accommodations at The Hyatt at Incline, gourmet meals, faculty presentations,
quilt exhibit, and quilt shop. For details, call (530) 887-0600 or visit
www.artquilttahoe.com
November 24–December 20: HollyART at North Tahoe Arts. One
of the largest, most diverse holiday shopping events at North Tahoe.
Handcrafted items by local artists fill the gallery space, creating a
wonderland of holiday cheer. Soaps, holiday cards, home decor
Perspectives
23
items, table runners, quilts, snowmen, angels, hostess gifts, fabulous
fine art, and photography are among the treasures available for purchase. Pictures with Santa, Dec. 6, 10 a.m.–12 noon. North Tahoe Art
Center, 380 North Lake Blvd., Tahoe City. (530) 581-2787.
December 21: Messiah Holiday Group. Free morning holiday concert in the Village. Northstar-at-Tahoe. (530) 562-1010.
December 22–25: Holiday Festivities. Santa, choirs, music, and much
more in the Village. Northstar-at-Tahoe. (530) 562-1010.
Ongoing: North Shore Poets Open Mike & Feature Readers. Every
third Thursday, 7–9 p.m., North Tahoe Art Center, 380 North Lake
Blvd., Tahoe City. (530) 581-2787.
November 1: World Beard & Moustache Championships.
Competitors judged in 17 categories, ranging from the Musketeer, a
small pointed goatee with a prominent moustache, to the freestyle
full beard, where creativity is encouraged. Contestants coming from
around the world. All contestants will march in the annual Nevada
Day Parade in Carson City in an Oktoberfest-style celebration.
Carson City Community Center, Carson City, Nevada. (530) 581-3940
or www.worldbeardchampionships.com
November 6–9: Wild Women Show, “With Curves Like These.”
Wild Women is a group of California and Eastern Nevada artists (one member lives in Mississippi) who draw upon their wild
natures to create works of art in a variety of media. Every year the
group stages a several-days show in Reno. This year, the show celebrates Reno’s new museum of art building, which has a curved and
bowed facade. Opening Reception, Thurs. 5–8 p.m. Fri., Sat., Sun.,
11 a.m.–6 p.m. Nevada Museum of Art, 160 West Liberty St., Reno.
www.wildwomenartists.com
November 8–9: Art to Wear. The Sacramento Center for the Textile
Arts presents its annual fashion show and sale. One-of-a-kind handcrafted garments, accessories, and jewelry. Fashion show, Sat., 10
a.m.; sale, Sat., 11 a.m.–4 p.m., Sun., 11 a.m.–3 p.m. Shepard Garden
and Arts Center, 330 McKinley Blvd., Sacramento. (916) 481-2348.
November 28–30: Artisan’s Festival. Nevada County’s most prestigious arts and crafts show, a tradition at Miners Foundry, Nevada
City. (530 265-5040.
December 7: Holiday Craft Faire. North Columbia Schoolhouse
Cultural Center, Nevada City. (530) 265-2826.
December 31: Annual New Year’s Eve Bash. Miners Foundry,
Nevada City. (530) 265-2826.
Film
Roseville
September–October: Roseville Historical Society at the Movies. Free
classic movies every Thurs. & Sun., 1:30 p.m. 557 Lincoln St., Old
Roseville. For schedule, call (916) 773-3003.
Auburn
November 1: Silver Screen Classic Movies:Dr. Jekyll and Mr.
Hyde, starring Fredric March and Miriam Hopkins. Shows at 2 and 7
p.m. at the Beecher Rm., Auburn-Placer County Library, 350 Nevada
St. Presented by the library. Suggested donation $5 general admission,
$4 seniors and students.(530) 878-7938.
December 6: Silver Screen Classic Movies: North by Northwest,
starring Cary Grant, James Mason, and Eva Marie Saint. Shows at 2
and 7 p.m. at the Beecher Rm., Auburn-Placer County Library, 350
Nevada St. Presented by the library. Suggested donation $5 general
admission, $4 seniors and students.(530) 878-7938.
Theatre
Roseville
November 1, 6–8: Macbeth, Shakespear’s classic tale of greed,
magic, and murder. Presented by the Woodcreek High School Drama
Department, featuring a cast of 30 students. 7:30 p.m., Woodcreek
High School Theatre, 2551 Woodcreek Oaks Blvd. (916) 771-6565,
ext. 4228.
Through November 29: Rumors by Neil Simon. A very funny farce
by America’s foremost comic writer. At the Magic Circle Repertory
Theatre, 241 Vernon St. (916) 782-1777. www.mcircle.org
GALLERY SHOWS, ARTISTS’ STUDIOS, CLASSES
November 7–16: Mystery at Greenfingers, by J. B. Priestly.
Presented by the Sierra College Drama Department at the Dietrich
Theatre. Nov. 7, 8, 14 & 15 at 8 p.m.; Nov. 9 & 16 at 2 p.m. Nov. 13
at 7 p.m. Director’s Discussion at 5:30 p.m. (916) 789-2920.
December 14–23: Scrooge. A comical take on Dickens’s Christmas
Carol. At the Magic Circle Repertory Theatre, 241 Vernon St. (916)
782-1777, www.mcircle.org
808 Lincoln Way, Auburn
(530) 885-2787
24
Perspectives
January 9–February 14: The Man of La Mancha. Miguel de
Cervantes and the inmates of a Spanish dungeon act out Cervantes’
story of Don Quixote in this musical, with such songs as “Aldonza”
and “The Impossible Dream.” At the Magic Circle Repertory Theatre,
241 Vernon St. (916) 782-1777. www.mcircle.org
INDEPENDENT FILM SERIES Late Fall 2003
AUBURN STADIUM 10, 500 NEVADA ST. AUBURN, CA
November 20–December 31: A Christmas Carol. Charles Dickens’
errie ghost story is still the definitive Christmas tale. A new adaptation
by the Foothill Theatre Company at the Nevada Theatre, Nevada City.
(530) 265-8587 or toll-free 888-730-8587.
Every Wednesday and Thursday at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
October 29–30
WINGED MIGRATION
Sony Classics, Rated G, 87 minutes
More than 450 people, including 17 pilots and 14 cinematographers followed and filmed a variety of bird migrations through
40 countries and each of the seven continents.
November 5–6
THE MAGDALENE SISTERS
Miramax Pictures, Rated R, 120 minutes
Starring Garaldine McEwan, Dorothy Duffy, Annie-Marie Duff;
directed by Peter Mullan. Set in 1960s Ireland, while women’s
liberation is sweeping the globe, four “fallen women” are condemned to sentences in the Magdalene Laundries. The last
Magdalene Asylum closed in 1996, and since then the horror of
the these institutions has begun to emerge.
November 12–13
SECRET LIVES OF DENTISTS
Manhattan Pictures, Rated R, 105 minutes
Starring Denis Leary and Robin Tunney. A dentist living in the
suburbs, Dr. David Hurst, suspects that his wife, also a dentist,
is having an affair.
November 19–20
AMERICAN SPLENDOR
Fine Line Features, Rated R, 101 minutes
Harvey Pekar, the hilariously downtrodden Cleveland comic
book artist, is the subject of the movie. Played by actor Paul
Giamatti, Pekar also appears as himself, giving the film a documentary feeling with many behind-the-scenes on-set shots.
Directors Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini maintain
this balance between the actors and the real-life characters.
November 26–27
No film during Thanksgiving week
December 3–4
DIRTY PRETTY THINGS
Miramax Films, Rated R, 107 minutes
Starring Audrey Tatou (Amelie); directed by Stephen Frears (The
Grifters, Dangerous Liasons). Set in London’s secret underworld,
the film follows two workers at a West London hotel who are
put to the test when one of them makes a shocking discovery
one night.
December 10–11
BUFFALO SOLDIERS
Miramax Pictures, Rated R, 110 minutes
Starring Joaquin Phoenix, Ed Harris, Scott Glenn, Elizabeth
McGovern, Anna Paquin; directed by Gregor Jordan
Set on an Army base just as the Berlin Wall is about to fall in
1989, the film takes a satiric look at a group of soldiers who
over-indulge in illicit activities, until a new Sergeant arrives and
takes charge to crack down on the soldiers’ activities.
Save over 30 percent on regular evening adult admission price
by buying a (transferable) series ticket for six films prior to the
first film showing, and a portion will be donated to the Arts
Council of Placer County. Tickets are available at the arts
council office in the Arts Building, 808 Lincoln Way, Auburn,
(530) 885-5670, or at the Stadium Theatre box office.
There will be an express line at the box office for series ticket
holders. Come early and enjoy our trivia contest and win prizes.
For more information, call the theatre or visit our Web site at
www.signaturetheatres.com
Through November 9: New Voices of the Wild West. Fifth year of
staged readings of four new plays chronicling stories of the American
West, past and present. At the Center for the Arts, Grass Valley.
(530) 265-8587 or toll-free 888-730-8587.
November 15–December 14: Five Women Wearing the Same Dress
by Alan Ball. A comedy about bridesmaids by the author of the film
American Beauty. A wickedly funny, irreverent and touching celebration of the women’s spirits. River Stage, 8401 Center Parkway,
Sacramento. (916) 691-7364.
November 15–January 18: SantaLand Diaries by David Sedaris. An
unusual monolugue based on the playwright’s encounters working as one of Santa’s little helpers at Macy’s SantaLand. Sacramento
Theatre Company, 1419 H. St., Sacramento. (916) 446-7501.
www.sactheatre.org
December 6–28: The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery. As
this classic, fantastical story, full of color and life unfolds, there is a
distinct sense of magic taking place. Sacramento Theatre Company,
1419 H. St., Sacramento. (916) 446-7501. www.sactheatre.org
Classes & Workshops
Roseville
November 5 & 12: Write and Illustrate a Children’s Book. 6–8 p.m.,
Roseville Public Library. (916) 774-5950.
November 8: Petroglyphs by Night. A class for adults, 7–9 p.m. at
the Maidu Interpretive Center, 1960 Johnson Ranch Dr. (916) 7724242. www.roseville.ca.us/indianmuseum
November 12: Watercolor Workshop. 6–10 p.m., Maidu Community
Center.(916) 774-5950.
November 15: Soapstone Carving for Adults. Learn the ancient art
of carving soapstone, rasping and smoothing this beautiful natural
material as you sculpt an animal pendant or shape of your choice.
Maidu Interpretive Center, 1960 Johnson Ranch Dr. (916) 772-4242.
www.roseville.ca.us/indianmuseum
November 22: Creating Soaproot Brushes. A class for adults,
9 a.m.–12 noon, at the Maidu Interpretive Center, 1960 Johnson Ranch
Dr. (916) 772-4242. www.roseville.ca.us/indianmuseum
December 6–7: Painting Miniatures as Gifts Workshop. Margot
Comer will repeat this popular holiday workshop. Students will create
six 5” x 7” oil paintings in their choice of animals or florals. Fee: $85.
Studio 5 Gallery, 510 Oak St. (916) 771-8955.
September–October: Cultural Skills and Nature Hikes. Call for listings. Maidu Interpretive Center, 1960 Johnson Ranch Dr.
(916) 772-4242. www.roseville.ca.us/indianmuseum
Ongoing: Painting in Oils and Acrylics with Margot Comer. Adults
learn about paint, brushes, mediums and other painting tools in oils
and acrylics. Drawing, composition, color and value are taught as
they are used to start, work and finish successful canvases. A variety of methods introduced, a lively exchange of ideas encouraged.
Tues. 10 a.m.–3 p.m. Mon. and Thurs. 5:30–9 p.m. Location: Studio 5
Gallery, 510 Oak Street, Roseville (916) 771-8955
Perspectives
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Ongoing: Calligraphy Classes with Chris Foster. Italic hand, beginner. Fri. 9:30–11:30 a.m. Michaels Arts and Craft Store. (916) 797-0232.
Ongoing: Classes with Gayle Rappaport-Weiland. For full schedule
and sign-up information, visit www.art.grappaport.com
Ongoing: Roseville Parks & Recreation Cultural Arts Classes. For
a full schedule, call (916) 774-5950 or visit www.roseville.ca.us, Parks
& Recreation Department, Activity Guide.
Rocklin
Ongoing: Sierra College Community Education. Day, evening, and
weekend classes. Short, fun, interesting classes. Sierra College, 5000
Rocklin Rd. (916) 781-0590 or visit www.sccommed.org
Ongoing: City of Rocklin Community Education. A variety of cultural arts classes for children and adults. (916) 632-4100.
Auburn
November 22–December 6: Small Format Watercolors for Cards &
Calendars with Sonja Hamilton. Saturdays, 9:30 a.m.–!2: 30 p.m. at
Dewitt Center, Rm. 324B. Register with Placer School for Adults,
(530) 885-8585.
Ongoing: Handbuilding in Clay with Gerda Imgrund. Beginning
and advanced students. At the Old Library Art Studio, Almond St.
(530) 887-8216 or (530) 885-9928.
Ongoing: CLAYart Classes with Larry Ortiz. Ceramic clay adult
classes Tues. & Thurs., 6:30–8:30 p.m. Adult figure sculpture class
Mon., 6:30–8:30 p.m. The Arts Building, 808 Lincoln Way.
(530) 885-2787.
Ongoing: Music, voice, dance, and drama classes at Music &
More Arts Academy & Theatre. For schedule, (530) 885-0594 or visit
www.musicandmore.net
Ongoing: Learn to sing and perform Barbershop-style fourpart harmony. For women of any age or singing experience. Sierra
Gold Chorus (member of Sweet Adelines, Int.), under the direction
of Sharon Hardie, invites singers to join the chorus every Monday, 7
p.m., at the Bill Burback Hall (Dewitt Center), 11577 E Ave.
(530) 885-4202.
Alta
November 14–16: The Art and Act of Journaling. Wanda Recely and
Steve Ceccato show students how to make journaling a creative part
of life. Cedar Moon Guest House. For reservations or more information, (530) 389-8718 or joseph@eres.org
Publicize YOUR
Arts Event
Send your CALENDAR listings, along with
photos — black and white or color — to
Perspectives, 802 Lincoln Way, Auburn, CA 95603
Fax to (530) 885-0348 or email to
Perspectives@PlacerArts.org
Deadline for the January/February 2004 issue:
November 20
26
Perspectives
Willi Chevalier, from Singmaringen, Germany, current freestyle
beard champion. The World Beard and Moustache Championship
will be held November 1 in Carson City.
November 21–23: Art Weekend at Cedar Moon Guest House.
Bring your own art and work and play together. Friday dinner until
Sunday lunch. For reservations or more information, (530) 389-8718
or joseph@eres.org
December 6: Victorian Greeting Cards with Susie Flanagan. Create
your own cards from times past. At Cedar Moon Guest House, 10
a.m.–4 p.m. For reservations or more information, (530) 389-8718 or
joseph@eres.org
November 1, 8 & 15: Representation Painting & Drawing
Workshop with Anke Hass. For artists of all levels. 12–4 p.m. At
North Tahoe Arts, 380 North Lake Blvd., Tahoe City. (530) 581-2787.
November 6 & 13: Knitting 101 Workshop with Bev David. For
those new to knitting or born-again knitters. 6–9 p.m. At North Tahoe
Arts, 380 North Lake Blvd., Tahoe City. (530) 581-2787.
November 21–23: Sculptural Felting with Bev David. Learn three
different techniques for creating fiber sculptures: needle felting, traditional felting, and felting with an armature. 10 a.m.–4 p.m. At North
Tahoe Arts, 380 North Lake Blvd., Tahoe City. (530) 581-2787.
November 22: Pointsettia Watercolor Workshop with Jan Foss.
Focus on the wet-in-wet technique, the perfect way to capture the
soft, delicate beauty of flowers. 10 a.m.–3 p.m. North Tahoe Arts, 380
North Lake Blvd., Tahoe City. (530) 581-2787.
December 5–6: Landscape Watercolor Workshop with Heidi
Reeves. Exploring depth and atmosphere, light and shawows of a
landscape. Class size limited; individual help. 9 a.m.–4 p.m. North
Tahoe Arts, 380 North Lake Blvd., Tahoe City. (530) 581-2787.
Ongoing: Ballroom dancing with Judy Lee. Couples and singles
of all ages. Learn the basics of foxtrot, waltz, tango, rumba, cha-cha,
and swing. Beg/Int, Tues., 6:15–7 p.m.; Adv., 7–8 p.m. Private lessons
Sundays 5–9 p.m. Tahoe Lake School. North Tahoe Arts, Tahoe City.
(530) 581-2787.
November 6, 13 & 20: Glass Mold Making and Slumping Classes
with Diane J’Wood. Prerequisite: a Fused Glass class. Students will
prepare their own molds and slump glass into their molds. Includes
instruction in how to run a kiln for slumping glass, and a review of
different forms of glass molds. 6–9 p.m. American River Extension
College, (916) 484-8643.
Ongoing: Classes with Gayle Rappaport-Weiland. For full schedule
and sign-up information, visit www.art.grappaport.com
Ongoing: Color Intensive and Landscape Workshops at the
School of Light and Color. Taught by master artists. 10030 Fair Oaks
Blvd., Fair Oaks. For class schedule, (916) 966-7517 or
sarback@lightandcolor.com or www.lightandcolor.com
Ongoing: Backstage Hands with Connie Omans. Ages 13–18. High
School students learn technical skills while earning community service
hours, working with spotlight, sound special effects, and stage props.
Class is free. Wed.–Sun. 7–8:30 p.m. Finnish Temperance Hall,
4090 Rocklin Rd. (916) 632-4100.
Loomis
Ongoing: Hands-On Art History (ages 6–8) and Creative Process
Through Art (ages 9–11) with Terri Kent-Enborg. Students will
explore the Elements of Art and/or the cultural relevance of Art
History in a process-oriented environment where each child’s creative thinking process will be encouraged and celebrated. Private
tutoring/lessons available. At Creativity Central. (916) 652-4538 or
tkenborg@vfr.net
Arts for Children
Ongoing: McLaughlin Studios of Music offers a complete program
of individualized music instruction in flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, piano, guitar, bass, percussion, violin, cello and voice. Jazz and
youth symphony classes. (916) 652-6377.
Roseville
Penryn
November 7: Campfire with songs, stories, and marshmellow roasting. 7–8 p.m. Maidu Interpretive Center, 1960 Johnson Ranch Dr.
(916) 772-4242 or www.roseville.ca.us/indianmuseum
November 25–30: Wood Firing at Penryn Workshop. Kiln loading
Nov. 25–26; bring your work to fire. Unloading Dec. 5. The Penryn
Workshop, 1394 Orange Hill Lane. (530) 663-2815.
November 12: Beginners’ Watercolor Workshop with Gayle
Rappaport-Weiland. 6–10 p.m. Roseville Parks & Recreation.
(916) 774-5950.
Auburn
November 15: Carving Soapstone Pendants. Sat., 10 a.m.–12 p.m.
Maidu Interpretive Center. (916) 772-4242.
Ongoing: CLAYart Classes with Larry Ortiz. After-school Kids’
Program. Tuesday and Thursday, 3:30–5 p.m. The Arts Building, 808
Lincoln Way. (530) 885-2787.
November 15: Autumn in the Creek and Woods. Walk for
families to explore nature’s fall harvest. 12 - 1:30 p.m. Maidu
Interpretive Center, 1960 Johnson Ranch Dr. (916) 772-4242 or
December 6: Animal Tracks and Tracking. 9–10:30 a.m. Maidu
Interpretive Center, 1960 Johnson Ranch Dr. (916) 772-4242 or
December 13: Bird Watching for Young Naturalists. 9–10:30 a.m.
Maidu Interpretive Center, 1960 Johnson Ranch Dr. (916) 772-4242 or
December 13: Build a Book. Ages 8+. Sat. 12 noon–2.p.m. Maidu
Branch Library. (916) 774-5220.
Ongoing: Maidu Interpretive Center Children’s Classes,
Workshops, and Events. For listings, contact Maidu
Interpretive Center, 1960 Johnson Ranch Dr.(916) 772-4242 or
Ongoing: Fun with Art, Margot Comer. Ages 6–12. Themed sessions on animals, people, plants, objects, or events. Classes explore a
variety of skills: drawing and painting, color theory, composition and
value study, all in a wide variety of mediums. Wed. 3:45–5 p.m. $15.
Studio 5 Gallery, 510 Oak Street (916) 771-8955.
Ongoing: Roseville Parks & Recreation Cultural Arts Classes
for Children. For a full schedule, call (916) 774-5220 or visit
www.roseville.ca.us, Parks & Recreation department, Activity Guide.
Rocklin
November 13: Watercolor Greeting Cards & Gift Tags with Gayle
Rappaport-Weiland. 6–9:30 p.m., Rocklin High School.
(916) 781-0590.
Ongoing: City of Rocklin Community Education. A variety of cultural arts classes for children. (916) 632-4100.
Perspectives
27
Ongoing: Kindermusik Classes. Ages birth to 8. Scholarship funding
from Children and Families Commission. Full or partial scholarships
available. Piano: Ages 6-18. Guitar: Ages 8-18. Keyboard Konnection,
1515 Grass Valley Highway. For full schedule, (530) 745-0248.
Ongoing: Music & More Arts Academy, music, voice, dance and
drama classes. Classes for all ages in most instruments taught by
master teachers. For schedule, (530) 885-0594 or www.musarts.com
Truckee/North Tahoe
Ongoing: KidArt Classes with Nina Ski. Age-specific art classes are
held at various times at various North Tahoe locations.
(530) 582-5555.
Ongoing: Piano lessons with Zuzana Balazshazyovr. Weekly lessons for beginners, 8 to 10 students to a group, for six-week sessions.
The Tahoe Conservatory of Music. For details, call (530) 546-2356 or
visit www.tahoemusicconservatory.com
Calls to Artists
Deadline November 12. 7th International Open. All female artists
invited to submit artwork in all media. Three entries, $20. SASE to
Women Made Gallery, 2418 W. Bloomingdale Ave., Chicago, IL 60647.
www.womenmade.org. gallery@womanmade.org
Deadline November 15. Absolute Art Gallery reviewing proposals
for exhibitions for solo/group shows in 2004. $15/20 slides max. SASE
to: Absolute Art Gallery, 2326 Huntington, Dr., San Marino, CA 91108.
(626) 285-8585
November 29 – December 14. Holiday Arts & Crafts Faire in San
Francisco. Open to artists working in all media. Entry fee. 20 percent
commission. Juried. For a pros, (415) 346-8323 or rik@alivantage.com.
http://demolitionkitchen.com/zono
Deadline December 1. Accepting submissions for the Blue Light
Press Book Award. Winner & 1st finalist will be published. Seeking
imagistic, emotionally honest poems that push the edge. For guidelines, email bluelightpress@aol.com
Deadline December 30. Juried Sculpture Competition. Artists from
the U. S. and Canada are invited to submit outdoor sculptures to be
featured at the Fifth Annual Peace Arch Park International Sculpture
Exhibition, May 1 – Sept. 30, 2004. A panel of international art
experts and park management personnell will jury the exhibit. Exhibit
presented by the United States Canada Peace Anniversary Assn., in
cooperation with Washington State Parks. Entry fee $10. Ongoing. For
prospectus call (360) 332-7165, email info@peacearchpark.org, or visit
www.peacearchpark.org
Deadline January 9, 2004. “Home Sweet Home,” National Juried
Photography Exhibit at studio2gallery in Austin, Texas. $300 cash
award for Best of Show. Exhibit March 4 – April 24, 2004.
For prospectus, visit www.studio2gallery.com or call (512-448-2622.
Chris Duke will be exhibit his landscape paintings through January
3 at the Rainbow Gallery of Art and Music, in Colfax.
Deadline January 15, 2004. National Juried Photo Competition,
“Through a Lens — Urban Landscape,” presented by the Coastal Arts
League, Half Moon Bay, CA. Exhibition scheduled for March 2004.
Prospectus available at www.coastalartsleague.com/photos show or
by calling (650) 726-5607.
Deadline February 14, 2004. Feats of Clay XVII. Ceramic artists residing or working in the U.S. or its territories are invited to
enter contemporary ceramic art (sculptural, functional, or nonfunctional). Show is April 24 – May 23, 2004, at Gladding McBean
terra cotta factory, Lincoln, CA. Juried from slides. Juror: Richard
Notkin, BFA & MFA, Helena, Montana. Purchase, place and merit
awards in 2003 exceeded $16,000. Presented by Lincoln Arts &
Culture Foundation. For prospectus send call (916) 645-9713 or send
a #10 SASE to Lincoln Arts, 540 F St., Lincoln, CA 95648 or visit
www.lincoolnarts.org
Ongoing. Galeria de la Raza reviews artists’ work on an ongoing
basis — Chicano/Latino artists in all genres. For more info, contact
Jaime Cortez, Galeria de la Raza, 2857 24th St., San Francisco, CA
94110. (415) 826-8009.
Ongoing. “Rear Window, Night Moves,” San Jose Institute of
Contemporary Art. Open: All. Media: Sculpture thata activates the
space. For prospectus, (408) 283-8157.
Ongoing: California Society of Printmakers, Portfolio Review. Open:
All. Media: Printmaking. Fee: $40. Juried. For pros, (415) 905-4296,
caprintmakers@hotmail.com. www.caprintmakears.com
Ongoing: Rainbow Gallery of Art and Music, in Colfax, is currently
accepting sumbissions for exhibition season. All artists eligible. For
info, write to P.O. Box 454, Colfax, CA 95713 or call (530) 346-6906.
Ongoing. For singers for the Sierra Gold Chorus, member of Sweet
Adelines, Int. Learn to sing barbershop harmony. Women of all ages
welcome. Rehearsals Mondays, 7 p.m., Burback Hall, Dewitt Center,
Auburn. (916) 663-2105 or (530) 885-4202.
For more information visit
the California Arts Council
Open Call. To exhibiting artists: Great exposure in an historic
Auburn Victorian, East-West Galleries at Latitudes Restaurant, 130
Maple Street in Auburn. Artists are invited to submit inquiries for the
2004 exhibit calendar. For details, call art curator Rosie Stilwell,
(530) 885-1121.
at www.cac.ca.gov
28
Perspectives
Open Call. For accomplished artists who would like to teach. Sierra
College Community Education is recruiting new instructors for its
ever-changing, growing program. No special degrees required. To
request a class proposal, call (916) 781-0590.
FYI: A new online directory, ArtChain.com, provides free searchable
listings to help people find and connect with art groups. The directory is kept current and is backed by a database containing each organization’s location, art media, cultural focus, services provided, and
contact information. Listings in the directory are free for art groups in
the U.S. and Canada. Art groups can sign up for a listing in the directory by visiting. www.artchain.com or contacting Bob Nicholson at
(408) 431-0674 or info@artchain.com
FYI: www.Artdeadline.com holds a comprehensive listing of job
opportunities, grants, percent for art, competitions, and more for artists. There is a small subscription rate for the services.
FYI: ArtistsRegister.com showcases thousands of visual artists nationwide. Developed and managed by the nonprofit Western States Arts
Federation, this membership-based online community features a fully
searchable database of art and artists. See samples of artists’ work,
along with their bios, contact details and artistic statements.
to our new, renewed and business members, patrons and affiliates — and, of course, our public partners
New Members
Allen Adler
Tom Bennett
Geraldyn Bergman
Bobbie Brown
Francisco & Kara Castro
Nelcha M. Cross
Robert & Natalie Hancock
George & Shirley Hare
Marsha Mobley Kilian
Carolyn J. Kooi
Charmaine Lehman
Stanley & Judith Mac Donald
Jan & Kristine McDonald
Arthur, Winona & Cole Miller
Fusae Miyamoto
Randi C. Olson
Delia Panighetti
Greg Perkins
Larry Rief
Barbara Roth
Kathleen E. Ryan
Laurice Schwartz
Gordon & Rosemary Seck
Frank J. Thomy
Marianne Walpert
Carol L. Walsh
Ardath W. Winterowd
Renewed Members
Jack & Jane Amick
Melissa Arnold
Michael & Marilyn Barham
Katherine K. Beggs
Diane Bell
Suzanne A. Blaney
Marjorie Blodgett
Kim Brown
Linda Butler
Glyneth Cassidy
Martha Chatoian
Joan A. Chlarson
Kerry M. Clark
Sandy Delehanty
Dianne Derin
Bob & Veda Eckard
Mario Ferrante
Lauren S. Forcella
Chris K. Foster
Nancy E. Foster
James & Irmgard Hirschinger
Elaine J. Hollows
Jana K. Johnson
Mary Ann Kollenberg
Anthony La Bouff & Laurie
Penn
Nancy Langhorn
James P. Lares
Libbie Miller
Kay Muselin
Barbara M. Newell
Jerry W. Oates
Marian O’Neill
Carol Owens
Polly Roberts
Gail Trapnell Robertson
Jerry B. Rogers
Kathleen Sailor
Connie L. Scrima
Bill Scrivani
Linda S. Shradar
Susan A. Smith
Richard & Mary Stark
Peggy M. Tibbs
Rodger & Nancy Tognazzini
Virginia Wachob
Donna K. Ward
Gayle Rappaport-Weiland
Barbara Zollner
Patrons
Eldon A Cotten
Kathryn Landreth
Andrew Laursen
Meech Miyagi of “Art Planet”
Dorothy & Richard Sanborn
Public Partnerships
California Arts Council
City of Auburn
City of Lincoln
City of Rocklin
City of Roseville
County of Placer
Metropolitan Arts Partnership
National Endowment for the
Arts
Placer County Office of
Education
Placer Union High School
District
Western Placer Unified School
District
Perspectives
New Business Members
Auburn Printers
Auburn Placer Disposal
Service
Audio Partners Publishing
Corp.
Avantgarden
Dancing Dog Productions
Depoe Bay Coffee Company
Dogwood Interior Design
Fat City, Inc.
High Hand Nursery
High Street Gallery
Impressions/Diamond Plastics
Lantz & Lantz, C.P.A.
Newcastle Produce
Pastel Society of the West
Coast
Affiliates
Auburn Arts Commission
Auburn Branch American
Association of University
Women
Auburn Symphony
North Tahoe Arts
Placer Art League
Placer County Visitors Council
Sierra County Arts Council
Windows Art Project
29
An Audience of One: Memorizing Poetry
O
ne of the many lessons I learned when I
edited Perspectives for the arts council in the
‘90s is that art has no borders. Art has fuzzy
edges, if it has edges at all. If you’re creative,
you’re artistic, even though you don’t paint
or sculpt or weave or etch or throw or draw.
This very large circle labeled “artists” includes
dancers, musicians, singers, and actors.
Writers, too, of course.
It’s important for artists to cultivate an
audience. As a writer without an audience,
my words just haunt the ozone, just take up
space, no matter how good they are. An artist
needs an audience. More than that, an artist
needs an appreciative audience, people who
know what quality is, who are grateful for it
and want it. A gratifying audience is one that
understands the effort involved, the talent necessary to move an audience, and knows that
excellence doesn’t come easy.
Maybe it’s an art to be a receptive audience. That takes talent, too, and knowledge.
So within that fuzzy circle of art also lives the
receiver of that art: the viewer, the listener, the
reader. The audience completes the circle.
This is a roundabout introduction to a brief
discussion of poetry. Last December I read an
op-ed piece in The New York Times by poet
and teacher Carol Muske-Dukes that extolled
the virtues and the pleasures of memorizing
and reciting poetry — and, as she wrote, “the
power of reciting in order to share a poem or
to comfort oneself with its words.”
You may see their trunks arching in the woods / Years
afterwards, trailing their leaves on the ground / Like
girls on hands and knees that throw their hair / Before
them over their heads to dry in the sun.
— Robert Frost, “Birches”
30
Perspectives
I was so interested in that idea — of making
a poem my own by memorizing it and then
reciting it — that I started All Poetry Aloud!,
a quirky offbeat group of poetry memorizers
and reciters. We meet once a month and recite
and read poetry to and with each other, and
we get a lot of pleasure out of it.
When I work on a poem to memorize it
(and it does take work, let me tell you — and
time and patience), I am that poet’s audience.
I receive those words, and the sound of those
words. I take them into me, and take delight
in rolling them around in my head, heart,
and mouth, on my tongue, and hearing their
music.
The long willows drowse / on the shoulders of the
running water, / and sleep from much music / joined
songs of day-end: feathery throats and stony waters /
in a choir chanting new psalms.
— Carl Sandburg,
“Prairie Waters by Night”
It’s a rare thing, memorizing poetry, because
time is at a premium these days, and we have
so many demands pulling at us. And we can
say the same thing about art appreciation.
But taking time to appreciate art is good for
the spirit. It makes for a whole person. I say
the same thing’s true for memorizing poetry.
For those who need statistics, I’ve read studies proving that memorization is good for the
brain. The more you exercise your brain, the
stronger it gets and the better you feel.
Poetry memorization is good for the heart,
too. The March issue of GreatLife magazine,
referring to a recent article in the International
Journal of Cardiology, extolled the effects on
the heart of reciting poetry: “The stress-releas-
The benefits of knowing poems by heart
by Susan Rushton
ing effect of guided recitation of poetry could
lead to deep heart relaxation afterward... after
reciting poetry (for half an hour), participants’
heart rates slowed to match their breathing
rate in ‘harmonic interaction.”
Life has loveliness to sell, / Music like a curve of gold,
/ Scent of pine trees in the rain, / Eyes that love you,
arms that hold, / And for your spirit’s still delight, / Holy
thoughts that star the night.
— Sara Teasdale, “Barter”
Finally, if those very encouraging studies aren’t good enough for you, here’s this: I
work hard to find reasons to feel good about
myself, and memorizing poetry accomplishes
that. I tell you with amazement and satisfaction
that since January, I’ve memorized 26 poems,
including The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,
that meandering white elephant by T.S. Eliot.
Before I started All Poetry Aloud!, I’d assumed
that memorizing that after-dinner speech of a
poem (it runs nearly 1100 words) was impossible. But I’ve done it, and if I can do that,
I can do anything. Now that I’ve memorized
them, I have them. I’m their audience whenever I want to be, and possessing these words
and these rhythms and sounds is a wonderful
thing. It’s a pleasure I sincerely recommend.
If you’re interested in All Poetry Aloud!,
give me a call at 530-878-7938, or e-mail me at
rushton@wizwire.com.
F
or I have known them all
already, known them all:
H ave known the evenings,
mornings, afternoons,
I have measured out my life
with coffee spoons.
I have known the voices dying
with a dying fall
B eneath the music from
a farther room.
— from The Love Song of
J. Alfred Prufrock, T. S. Eliot
Besides memorizing poetry, Susan Rushton writes a
weekly column for the Auburn Journal and runs Silver
Screen Classic Movies once a month at the AuburnPlacer County Library.
Perspectives
31
All people
All arts
All the time
Please Support the
California Arts Council
To advocate call
916-322-6555
THE ARTS COUNCIL OF PLACER COUNTY
Non-Profit Org.
808 Lincoln Way
U. S. Postage
PAID
Auburn, California 95603-4807
Permit #150
Auburn, CA

Nov/Dec 2003

Transcription

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