CricketToes

All the World Rejoices as PBS Launches Video Portal!

Oh. Good. God. A wondrous email landed in Cricky's box this afternoon announcing the launch of PBS' new beta video portal. Hurray and Yippee for all of us!

Through the magic of The Internets™ you can now watch full-length programs online whenever you want, including the most recent, most significant, most longtime-coming 5-part American Experience mini-series on Native American history "We Shall Remain."

I received this historic communiqué of newsy goodness 'cause I happen to be a participant in the PBS Viewer Advisory Group--the weird and wonderful thing is that they listen to you! If you'd like to join me so you can make stupendous things like this happen, go here. And don't forget to donate some cash to your local PBS station.

Oh all the things we shall learn and explore--things we may have missed because we were too busy either workin' or boozin', eh, people?

Now go and feel your brains expand!

Everything is Temporary--Even Your Art

As you may well have heard, Pegi Taylor and the crew at Milwaukee-based IN:SITE are in the midst of organizing a project--temporary of course because, um, that's what they do--to be installed in the Park East Corridor this summer. Seven artists have been in on the the primary development but that's just not enough, folks, and they want you--that's right, they're lookin' at you--to apply for participation in this fantastic public art project.

Though it hasn't been officially approved yet, the Milwaukee Arts Board has thrown its support behind it and some donors have also stepped-up to help fund the project, including real estate heavy-hitter Ruvin Development Corp. All that dough means that artists invited onto this IN:SITE project will receive--wait for it--stipends ranging between $500 and $1500 smackers! Now that's what Cricky calls supporting the arts.

So the deal is simply this: You need to sit down with yourself, or a buddy or two, and hatch a brilliant idea for an installation work that answers the question, "What is the value of this land?" Think about that for moment. That's a pretty broad question really that could have innumerable answers, you just need to figure out your particular and unique response.

Got to the IN:SITE website for complete details and to download an application form. Deadline is May 6, 2009, which is approaching rapidly but I've got a sneaky feeling that's exactly the kind of fire ya need to get your brainpan juices a'bubblin'.

Link

Call to Action for Some: Saving Film in Wisconsin

Hey, you cuddly ADD artists, filmmakers, videographers, writers, actors, crew members, and film/video lovers, we've got a call to action but it's only for some of you, so try your best to pay attention, 'kay? I knew that you would.

So, this Thursday, April 30, the Wisconsin State Legislature's Joint Finance Committee will be voting on the modified film industry tax incentives, as put forth by Rep. Tamara Grigsby (D-Milwaukee). Those of you living in districts represented by the members of that committee need to call them right now to say you want them to vote for it.

Arts Wisconsin has provided a sample of what you can say:

"I am a constituent of Sen./Rep. (say name here) and I want him/her to support and vote for the improved film industry tax incentives proposal at the April 30 Joint Finance Committee Executive Session.  His/her support will help create jobs in the district and across the state, and is greatly appreciated!"

Again, this action is for only those people who live in the districts represented by the 16 Joint Finance Committee members, and they are:
Sen. Mark Miller, D-Monona, Co-Chair, 16th District, Sen.Miller@legis.wisconsin.gov, 608 266 9170

Sen. Alberta Darling, R-River Hills, 8th District, Sen.Darling@legis.wisconsin.gov, 608 266 5830

Sen. Dave Hansen, D-Green Bay, 30th District, Sen.Hansen@legis.wisconsin.gov, 608 266 5670

Sen. Julie Lassa, D-Stevens Point, 24th District, Sen.Lassa@legis.wisconsin.gov, 608 266 3123

Sen. John Lehman, D-Racine, 21st District, Sen.Lehman@legis.wisconsin.gov, 608 266 1832

Sen. Luther Olsen, R-Ripon, 14th District, Sen.Olsen@legis.wisconsin.gov, 608 266 0751

Sen. Judy Robson, D-Beloit, 15th District, Sen.Robson@legis.wisconsin.gov, 608 266 2253

Sen.Lena Taylor, D-Milwaukee, 4th District, Sen.Taylor@legis.wisconsin.gov, 608 266 5810

Rep. Mark Pocan, D- Madison, 78th District, Co-Chair Rep.Pocan@legis.wisconsin.gov, 608 266 8570

Rep. Pedro Colón, D-Milwaukee, 8th District, Rep.Colon@legis.wisconsin.gov, 608 267 7669

Rep. Tamara Grigsby, D-Milwaukee, 18th District, Rep.Grigsby@legis.wisconsin.gov, 608 266 0635

Rep. Cory Mason, D-Racine, 62nd District, Rep.Mason@legis.wisconsin.gov, 608 266 0634

Rep. Phil Montgomery, R-Green Bay, 4th District, Rep.Montgomery@legis.wisconsin.gov, 608 266 5840

Rep. Jennifer Shilling, D-LaCrosse, 95th District, Rep.Shilling@legis.wisconsin.gov, 608 266 5780

Rep. Gary Sherman, D-Port Wing, 94th District, Rep.Sherman@legis.wisconsin.gov, 608 266 7690

Rep. Robin Vos, R-Racine, 63rd District, Rep.Vos@legis.wisconsin.gov, 608 266 9171

If you don't know who your State Senator and/or Rep is--and who could blame ya--go here to find out, then check it against this list.

I know there's a whole lotta people who are dyin' to have their voice heard on this issue and you're dearly loved for that, but let's try to keep the phone lines clear for those who are actual constituents of these voting members. Besides, that'll mean more time for you to be lazy and kick back with a cold one today--it's a win-win!

(via Arts Wisconsin and Cultural Alliance of Greater Milwaukee)

Related:
State Commerce Dept. Takes Aim at Film Tax Credit
Help Wisconsin Film to Help Yourself

Fortis to Abele: Let the Suing Begin!

For the love of all things artsy and legalsy--New Word Alert!--how did I miss this little gem on MilwaukeeWorld:

FORTIS SUES ABELE OVER FILM FEST(S)

Whoa-ho! Nearly a year later--timing is everything, don't cha know--it is so on.

Ever since Milwaukee International Film Festival (MIFF) went belly-up in spectacular, cat fighty fashion and Milwaukee Film was launched last summer, this story has just gotten better and better. Who needs Desperate Housewives when you've got Fortis and Abele, huh? Nobody.

Related:
The Maestro Pulls No Punches
Milwaukee International Film Festival Cat Fight

Alverno Presents Africa's Rising Diva

To the left, Ladies and Germs, is Dobet Gnahoré, one of the most stunningly gifted self-taught singer/songwriters and hands-down gorgeous females this little planet has ever produced. Seriously, just take a moment to gaze at that face, that hair--it doesn't get more beautiful than that.

But I digress. The important intel here, people, is that you can see and experience Gnahoré in person--yes, right in front of you--this Saturday, May 2, at 8PM in the Pitman Theatre at Alverno College. Whoozzah!

Rejecting the overplayed cooler-than-thou live Western world musical tradition of being rooted to one spot, Gnahoré is physically emotive and moves about the stage with a powerful presence, infecting the crowd through graceful gestures and dance. She does this while simultaneously projecting a voice that is both strong and lyrical, and it's a sight and sound to behold.

Born in Côte Ivoire in West Africa and now based in Marseille, France, Gnahoré is a multilinguist and vocalizes in no less than seven African languages--Bété, Fon, Bauole, Lingala, Malinke, Mina, and Bambara--bringing to her lucky audiences the subtle and varied tonal qualities and pronunciation of each. She will no doubt speak during song breaks in both French and English, so the show will be truly global in essence.

Alverno Presents has uploaded a must watch video of her live performance at the 2007 Global Union Festival here in Miltown for your enjoyment. Feel free to thank them when ya get a chance.

For more samples of her work, check out her official website in French, which includes a Jukebox. Those lacking skills in the language of love but who simply cannot bare not being able to read more about her should click on over to her MySpace page in English.

Tickets are just $25 and you can buy them online here. The African Diva beckons!

RIP Beatrice "Bea" Arthur

The amazingly talented actress, Broadway star and all-around fantastic human being Bea Arthur passed away on Saturday April 25, 2009. She was 86 years old.

As the star of the 1970's groundbreaking television show Maude, Arthur brought life and an indomitable energy to a complicated, cuttingly witty, no-nonsense female character, the likes of which had not been seen before and are seldom presented on either the big or small screen today.

Relatively younger viewers will remember her as Dorothy Zbornak on The Golden Girls--a huge hit with gays everywhere!--that handled the lives and issues of older women with a deft and funny hand, proclaiming loudly and proudly, "Yes, there is sex after 50!"

We offer our sincere condolences to her family.

NPR's Fresh Air aired excerpts from a 2007 interview with Arthur today and you can listen to it here.

Truly, there are all of us who pass through this mortal coil and then there's Maude.

Philosophy 101: Will the Future Kill Arts Institutions?

Arts journalist/critic and founder/editor of ArtsJournal.com Douglas McLennan posted a fascinating little item Sunday, the title of which poses the question, "Do we need Institutions To Make Art?" Hmm... well, do we?

My first reaction to the title was similar to that of one of the commenters on his post, and that is institutions don't make art, people do. And yet I found myself compelled to read the piece because this is one of the questions that I've been pondering for quite some time.

Referencing the crumbling traditional business model of the music industry--or, as we like to call 'em, those greedy bastards who don't have a lick of talent themselves but somehow manage to bleed those who do dry--and the panic-stricken gray giants of news, McLennan lays out a brief argument that arts institutions are facing the same troubling issues and that when the dust settles from this economic storm we're trapped in the symphonies, ballets and museums may not be among the survivors.

"The internet has decentralized the arts," McLennan states. Very true, I say. Pair that fact with the reality that "institutional arts are finding their business models eroding as corporate funding dissolves, foundation support erodes and endowments shrink" and you've got a full-on recipe for Freeze-Dried Death Stew--Now with More Death per Ounce!

McLennan also posted this video of a July, 2005 TED presentation by Clay Shirky, Internets™ expert and author of Here Comes Everybody: The Power of Organizing Without Organizations. Warning: Tired brains should rest up before watching.

By including this video, McLennan opens up the industrial-sized can of debate regarding professional vs. amateur content producers, in this case artists. It has always been my position that if the artist consistently produces work over time, thereby creating a portfolio, that artist is a professional regardless of his/her level of formal training and/or education. In other words, it matters not if you bear the institutional stamp of approval on your forehead, what matters is the work.

There are countless examples throughout history of not just artists but scientists, mathematicians, inventors, and others who've been essentially self-taught and seem to have come out of nowhere to effect significant changes within the society, sometimes on a global scale. We have a habit of venerating these people as rare geniuses who've bucked the system and successfully risen to great heights. The truth is that these people simply think and see the world differently and the system doesn't know how to deal with them, so they are largely left to their own devices. For some, that's exactly the impetus they need.

Those who follow the path of traditional training and education to become professional artists understandably see this as a threat to their standing within society and their livelihood. But that type of defensive territorialism assumes an expectation of privilege that is unhealthy for the artist, their work and for the larger society. They would do far better to open their minds to the possibilities of collaboration with those who are self-taught, thereby increasing their artistic flexibility and expanding their view.

It may be, however, that this will devolve into a matter of semantics as we move into a future that values community collaboration over the cold control of institutions and more self-taught geniuses emerge. If that does indeed happen, they will no longer be rare and the fundamental functioning of society will change to meet them.

Link (via Thomas Cott's "You've Cott Mail")

What a Difference a 48 Hour Meetup Can Make

So tomorrow, April 25, at Art Bar from 4-6PM is the 2009 Milwaukee 48 Hour Film Project Meet & Greet, otherwise known as the Film/Video Nutjob Get-Together.

Need a director, producer, writer, camera operator, sound guy/gal, gaffer, grip and/or best boy/girl--and frankly who doesn't, am I right? Or perhaps you rank among these gifted folks and need a team to join. Show up on Saturday to get acquainted with others desperately seeking the perfect teammates to make an outstanding seven minutes max film/video in 48 short hours.

Once you've got your crew together, you can register for the project, which will be held this year in Milwaukee from June 5-7--that's a whole two days and nights of creative, self-induced manic depression that can't be missed! Screenings are scheduled for June 10.

If you can't make it to the Meet & Greet but still want to join a team, send an email to Angie Nemanic milwaukee at 48hourfilm dot com and she'll do her damnedest to link ya up with a team.

Link (via Angie Nemanic on MARN)

Lose Your Fear/Laziness--Apply to RedLine

RedLine Milwaukee, the new art incubator slated to open in July of this year, has put out a reminder call to artists of all disciplines that the dreaded deadline to apply to the Artists-in-Residence Program is May 1, 2009. OMG, that's like one week away, kids! Time to jump on it.

Co-founders Steve Vande Zande and Lori Bauman are offering a veritable emerging and mid-career artists' paradise for those accepted into the program, complete with studio space, an established artist mentor of your very own, curatorial opportunities, a chance to work directly with the community, as well as access to the print shop, video equipment, and ongoing interdisciplinary connections/collaborations with other artists. People, you really couldn't ask for anything more.

To apply for the RedLine Artists-in-Residence Program click here to view the requirements and download the forms. If you have questions, send an email to Julie Anderson, Program Manager, RedLineMKE at gmail dot com as quick as you can.

Also, for those interested in supporting the RedLine cause, there will be an Silent Art Auction to raise funds for the print shop on Saturday, May 2, 6-8PM. More than 50 works donated by local Milwaukee artists, a few badass New York City artists, and a couple of RedLine Denver artists will be up for bid.

As Bauman wrote in a recent email:

"There will be prints, mixed media, jewelry, ceramics, artist books, bronze, paintings, photos.....just about everything... cash and carry..."

Ya hear that? Cash and carry. So be sure to hit an ATM before ya stop and shop over at RedLine, 1422 N. 4th Street. Whoot!

Link (Thanks, Steve and Lori!)

Related:
Community Turnout for RedLine
Come On Over to RedLine's Crib
Creativity to Flow Freely at RedLine

Sound Art for the Improv Wacko in All of Us

This Sunday night, April 26, WMSE 91.7 FM and Woodland Pattern is presenting the first of the Alternating Currents Live concert series, featuring electronic/turntable artist Lou Mallozzi and percussionist/composer Michael Zerang. Whoa doggies, it's gonna be the improvisational session of the decade!

Miltown's nearly mythical yet still human guru of experimental music and host of Alternating Currents, Hal Rammel, aired a preview of Mallozzi and Zerang's work, both solo and as a duo, last Sunday night. Give the 2009-04-19 show a listen at the WMSE archives.

The gig starts at 7PM at Woodland Pattern, 720 East Locust Street, this Sunday. Be there or be genuinely and undeniably square, man.

Link