CricketToes

The Fading Ink II: An Apology, A Clarification, An Opinion, An Addition & An Idea

Okay, people, we've gotten some very interesting comments, emails and phone calls regarding Wednesday's post about the contract buyouts taken by most of the arts and culture staff at Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, and we thank you heartily for all your input and reasoned criticism. Democracy lives on The Mighty Internets™!

As has been pointed out, I did fail to note in my post that theater critic Damien Jaques and books editor Geeta Sharma-Jensen will still have a voice at MJS as freelancers and music/dance writer Tom Strini will continue on with his work, though where has not yet been determined, and for these omissions of fact I humbly apologize. It does happen on rare occasion that--surprise!--mistakes are made and I am more than willing to live up to them when they do. If you'd like to confirm the accuracy of what I've just stated, check out MJS art and architecture writer Mary Louise Schumacher's post and this Milwaukee Business Journal item.

On the other hand, the notion that freelancers are able or willing to take on the same amount of work at a single publisher as they would as full-time employees is simply not realistic, so my call for The Shepherd Express to expand its print coverage of arts and culture stands unchanged.

To the issue that The Shepherd is not exactly beloved by many artsy types in the community, I wholeheartedly agree, but it is still another print outlet that could take up some of the slack.

Also, while I have my own opinions regarding the quality of work produced by the writers/critics who took the buyout, that was not the main thrust of the post, so there was no reason to include it. If you're dying to know what I think of the skills displayed by these writers/critics, well, let's just say I don't.

Ben Turk mentioned in the comments that The Onion's Decider Milwaukee has been covering more arts and culture in its printed format, and to that I say, "Wow, why the hell didn't I think of mentioning them?" So thanks, Ben!

In the interest of broadening the discussion, I had a chat with a friend today who suggested the brilliant idea that MJS put out its feelers and contact other arts/culture writers to increase its pool of freelancers and open up its print and online publications to more voices, particularly for reviews. Mary Louise Schumacher has already wisely done this by inviting guest bloggers onto Art City, so why not for theatre, dance, music, TV, radio, and books? Seems like a no-brainer to me.

That's what I've got on this subject for now. What else you kids got?

Related:
The Fading Ink of Miltown's Arts and Culture Coverage

Help Us to Help Alternating Currents Live Stay Live!

As we informed y'all last week, Kev and I and a bunch of our wacky cohorts will be staging a Liver Pants performance during the First Annual Music Marathon to benefit Alternating Currents Live at Woodland Pattern Book Center on August 22, 2009, so today we're gonna to use our blog for the primary reason blogs were invented in the first place: Shameless panhandling!

Headed into its 15th season, Alternating Currents Live features musicians and sound artists from all over the world who challenge conventional notions of what music is and can be through the exploration and creation of unique soundscapes and improvisational performances.

For the First Annual Music Marathon, Liver Pants will perform music and sound for a whole 10 minutes--that's the amount of time everybody gets--during the 7-8PM time slot at Woodland Pattern, 720 E. Locust Street in Milwaukee, on August 22, 2009.

Anyone who donates $25 or more will get into the Music Marathon for FREE! Also, you'll receive our undying love, which has no monetary value but may keep ya warm some day in the future when it seems that care and affection are hard to come by.

To give via PayPal, go to our ChipIn page.

Please help us to help Alternating Currents Live stay live!

Thank you so much, peeps!

Related:
A Marathon to Keep Alternating Currents Live

The Fading Ink of Miltown's Arts and Culture Coverage

An urgent call came over the Cricky phone earlier today--one that I was happy to take since the caller is a buddy of ours--and the gist of it was this: With the exception of art and architecture critic Mary Louise Schumacher, nearly the entire Milwaukee Journal Sentinel staff responsible for covering arts and culture have decided to take the contract buyouts offered to them by the newspaper's parent company Journal Communications Inc, including music and dance writer Tom Strini, theater critic Damien Jaques, books editor Geeta Sharma-Jensen, broadcast media columnist Tim Cuprisin, and pop music writer Dave Tianen.

Wha?! But who'll write reviews on music and dance performances for the edification of those who still read ink on paper? Who'll pen critiques of local theatre and get Insurgent's Ben Turk all riled up? Who'll tell literary lovers which books are pedantic and forced and which ones deliver real emotional narrative? Who'll offer both a stirring analysis of Fox's So You Think You Can Dance and a doling out of kudos to WTMJ 620 AM's often loony morning radio host Charlie Sykes in one column? Who'll give the parents and grandparents of tweens and teens a reason to click their tongues and shake their heads at the most recent lunatic romps of Britney Spears? Who?

As much as I loves me some good-natured pokin' of the printing press world--and, really, who doesn't?--this is a serious situation for our ol' Miltown. While we can go on and on about print media writhing painfully in its death throes, the reality is that there are still plenty of people within the general populace who don't have computer access or don't know how to use one. A large percentage of these folks are low income residents and the elderly to whom the newspaper is an invaluable source of information.

The fact that the arts and culture department is being gutted is particularly distressing as the distribution of MJS as a print newspaper is one of the major means of getting art events and issues out to the public, and the public is exactly who we artsy types need to connect with if we want them to care more about what we create and have to offer the community at large.

Certainly the dye has been cast at MJS, but maybe there's another print outlet that could see a ripe opportunity in such dismal news--perhaps a paper of the weekly variety, hmm? Well, the only candidate fitting that description around here is The Shepherd Express, and maybe if we all send owner Louis Fortis emails and letters expressing our support and encouragement for his paper to expand its arts and culture coverage specifically in print, maybe it just might happen.

So we throw down the gauntlet to you, Mr. Fortis! Shall you take up the challenge and fill the gaping print void before us? Surly you can see that even with the city's many online art and cultural resources now active--like this here bloggity blog and ThirdCoast Digest, just to name two--the beat is big enough for all of us and the case to be made for increased print coverage is a sound one.

Listen, don't get me wrong, we wanna grow Cricky's readership as much as possible, but if we tried to cover everything that happens in this town/state/country/world with an artsy or cultural slant, we'd end up twitchin' on the ground out of sheer exhaustion, completely and utterly useless to anyone.

So what say ye, Mr. Fortis?

For all you peeps who'd like to encourage Shepherd Express' owner to expand arts and culture print coverage, please send an email to lfortis at shepex dot com or mail a letter to:
The Shepherd Express
Attn: Louis Fortis
207 E. Buffalo St.
Suite 410
Milwaukee, WI 53202

When you're done, go treat yourself to your favorite cocktail, 'kay?

(Thanks, D!)

UPDATE: The Fading Ink II: An Apology, A Clarification, An Opinion, An Addition & An Idea

Abu's Restaurant: A Fertile Crescent Reborn

Pita bread is to Middle Eastern cuisine as pasta is to Italian cuisine--a basic foundation that must be of the very best quality. That's the oh-so wise sentiment that the very personable Firas Jarrar conveyed to me during an informal interview yesterday at Abu's Restaurant on Milwaukee's East Side.

For 32 years, the Nasr family has owned Abu's, serving a variety of tasty Middle Eastern edibles to any and all with an appetite, and that fact has not changed. But on July 20, the management duties were turned over to Jarrar, a close family friend and first-time eatery manager, who is leasing the storied restaurant and is super busy bringing new life to the property and menu.

Born in Saudi Arabia, Jarrar's parents hail from Jerusalem and are currently residing in Jordan, so the cuisine cultivated and enjoyed within the Fertile Crescent region is part and parcel of his life and identity. Giving credit where credit is due, Jarrar noted that it was his mother who instilled him with the passion for cooking--it almost always goes back to Mom, doesn't it? Also, he loves to eat, to which we say, "Us too!"

Over 20 days, Jarrar completely refurbished the property, updating equipment and adding a customer service counter to better compliment the switch from a sit-down to a carry-out/delivery operation. During that same period, he also fired his first chef, assistant manager and prep cook due to, well, let's just say their skills didn't quite match their resumes--welcome to the wonderful wacky world of the restaurant business! For now, Jarrar is head chef and it's a position he seems to relish greatly. (By the way, if you've got assistant managerial experience in a fast paced restaurant environment, stop by Abu's with your resume--no embellishments, please.)

Though an industrial engineer by training, having earned his BA from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) and putting in time on his master's, the recession has significantly slowed the demand for his professional consulting services. So whaddya do when one avenue starts to narrow so tightly ya can hardly squeeze a Vespa through it? Ya ask yourself, "What other paths of interest do I have?" Which is exactly what Jarrar did. His answer? Cooking!

With so many years spent living, studying, working, and eating in the United States, Jarrar has a solid understanding of how to expand the American palate with healthy Mideast fare and at affordable prices. Nothing on the menu is over $10 and that's all kinds of awesome, ain't it, kids?

Jarrar's vision for Abu's new menu was driven by his desire to offer authentic Middle Eastern food made from scratch and using only fresh ingredients--no Falafel mixes or microwaves allowed. He cooks and tastes everything, from Hummus to Baba Ghannooj, and has created new items like Abu's Veggie Pizza, which I had the opportunity to sample. Fantastic was my verdict.

"I'm not a recipe guy," Jarrar told me plainly. Rather he does what all notable chefs do, and that is to cook and season and cook and taste, repeating as many times as necessary to achieve the perfection sought. Falafel, a breakfast mainstay in the Mideast, is clearly one of his favorite dishes. While we talked, his eyes glazed over with a true joy as he explained just how good it can be when made in the traditional manner, packed with ground vegetables and deep fried to a golden brown. Say, is that your tummy growlin' or mine?

Patrons will notice that the new menu is divided into two sections, Vega-Tarian and Meat-Tarian--haha!--and includes Shawerma (Beef or Chicken), Kefta Kebob, Falafel, Hummus, Baba Ghannooj, Grilled Eggplant, Chicken Vegetable Soup, Lentil Soup, and meat and vegetarian pies. Fans of Abu's Original Shawerma can order that up, too.

Those looking for a unique pizza experience should try one of these specialties:
• Beef Shawerma Pizza--with tomatoes, tahini (sesame seed sauce), onions, parsley, and mozzarella cheese
• Chicken Shawerma Pizza--with tomatoes, fries, garlic sauce, and mozzarella cheese
• Kefta Kebob Pizza--with tomatoes, tahini (sesame seed sauce), onions, and mozzarella cheese
• Abu's Veggie Pizza--kalamata olives, artichoke, spinach, basil, and mozzarella cheese

Or you can make your own 'zza by choosing from a plethora of ingredients, including grilled eggplant and fried cauliflower.

While the restaurant is a little spare in atmosphere at the moment--it's only been a week and a half, people!--Jarrar plans to display the numerous award plaques presented to Abu's over these many decades as well as photos of the founding couple, Alice and Khalil "Abu" Nasr, to be hung in a place of honor.

Abu's is located at 1978 N. Farwell Avenue in Milwaukee. Hours are 11AM-10PM daily for carry-out and delivery. Call 414-277-0485 to find out if they deliver to your area. The new menu will be up on their website soon.

A grand opening will be held when everything's right and plumb, but it's strictly TBA right now, so I'll let y'all know when that intel comes over the wire. It'll be the Mideast food in a Midwest town celebration of the year!

(Thanks, Firas!)

RIP Merce Cunningham

Merce Cunningham, a towering figure of modern dance, passed away on Sunday, July 26, 2009, leaving an incomparable legacy of movement that will continue to challenge dancers and choreographers around the world for as long as the art of dance exists. He was 90 years old.

Along with his partner, the late groundbreaking musician John Cage, Cunningham defied traditional choreography by fundamentally altering its relationship to the musical composition. Instead of the movement serving as a literal narrative of the music, its connection was tenuous, sometimes contradictory, and often offbeat.

Even so, Cunningham's love of bodily grace was evident in every work he created. To wit, this truly lovely excerpt of Septet (1964):

In 1953, after a five year stint as a soloist with the company of Martha Graham, he founded the Merce Cunningham Dance Company. Working closely with Cage, the exploration of the possibilities of movement and the opening of thought and theory were paramount at the company as they practiced a type of improvisational creation process. The lessons that dancers and choreographers were taught within conventional training of "natural" progressions of steps and poses were throw out the window and to amazing effect.

While we understandably mourn the loss of such an outstanding and influential artist, we also give the highest praise for all he has given us both in life and in dance.

Read or listen to NPR's remembrance on All Things Considered. You can also access videos of performances there, hosted by the phenomenal avant-garde Internet archive UbuWeb.

Making Art of a Tweeting Humanity

For many artists, stepping into the world of new media and social networking as a means of creative expression, as opposed to a time waster when the ideas aren't flowing and avoidance seems the only cure--you've done it, just admit it already!--is a frightening, nay horrifying prospect for which there is no well-worn blankie of comfort. Not so for local artist Boris Ostrerov--he jumps right in and with all the boundless energy of his 23 years.

Cricky had the pleasure of meeting Ostrerov last week for a beverage and an animated chat about his most recent project, Twitter Installation, as well as some of his past work, most of which was done when he was a Milwaukee Institute of Art (MIAD) student. For friends and well-wishers wanting an idea for future gifts to bestow upon him, dude likes fruity tea--hehe!

Ostrerov formulated and presented the interactive Twitter Installation project for the 2009 Walker's Point Center for the Arts (WPCA) Annual Members Show held this past June. The basic premise? Create a Twitter account, get tweeters to follow ya, print out their tweets and fling 'em into a pile on the gallery floor each day for a month.

Under the username "Installation1", Ostrerov did not tweet himself, but rather posted updates with links to photo documentation of the growing mound of translucent paper strips. His plan was then to glue the strips into a tweet ball or sphere.

On it's face, the work can be simply taken for a lighthearted demonstration of turning what is essentially intangible into a physically tangible piece. But the mega popularity of the micro-blogging web application Twitter and the manner in which its millions of users worldwide have substantially expanded on its initial raison d'être--that is, answering the simple question "What are you doing?"--raises much more complex issues about how human communication and interaction has changed and the consequences of that change.

Symbolically, the loose and haphazard pile of tweets on the gallery floor speaks to the overwhelming volume of individual expression in 140 characters or less occurring on Twitter every single day. It is a visual representation of a cacophony of voices speaking all at once, each one being heard distinctively for a split second until another covers it up.

Ostrerov's final tweet sphere then transforms the largely unrelated communications into an interconnected form where all the voices are integrated and each is a necessary component of the whole. Deep, eh?

So I asked Ostrerov if he planned on exhibiting the completed tweet sphere as he didn't have the chance to do so at the end of the WPCA show and, yes, the Fine Art Gallery at Colorado State University–Pueblo will be displaying the piece in the near future. Bad news for those of us in Miltown 'cause we won't be able to see it in person, but great news for him, don't cha think? Indeedy do!

While Ostrerov hasn't quite decided yet what direction he'd like to head in right now--he just received his BFA in 2008--or if he'll be staying in Milwaukee, he's got plenty of time to figure that out. Hopefully, he can keep workin' the art good while his life takes shape.

Check out Ostrerov's website, where you can view photo documentation of Twitter Installation and his other work. I'm partial to his ink and enamel paintings myself but, seeing as y'all have the freedom of choice--Whoot!--you decide what you like best.

(Thanks, Boris!)

Apropos of Absotootly Nothing--Just Because It's Friday

Proof that the power of love can make whole chorus lines of peeps do wacky things and make us smile for the sheer lunacy. Also, that Minnesotans are complete nutjobs:

You may now move on to the rest of your day.

Link (via Boing Boing)

(Thanks, Kev!)

Cricky Celebrates 1 Year of Virtual Life!

Today, good people, is the first anniversary of the birthing--or, if you prefer, hatching--of this here bloggity blog known as CricketToes. Whoozzah!

On this historic day, we thought it most fitting to update our tagline to better reflect what has become the major focus of our coverage and opining, and that is art and culture. Have no fear, oh you who love the endlessly fascinating topics of food and drink, for we shall continue on with those as well and to the best of our ability as time allows.

Should any doubt the correctitude of our new tagline, let us assure you that we have it on expert authority that some cricket species do indeed fly, however rarely. Cricky just happens to be one of those extraordinary few who take to the air on a frequent basis.

Anyhoo, as is the usual custom on birthdays, it is the duty of the honored celebrant to bring the cookies, cake and other sweet treats for the enjoyment of friends and family, and what follows is a litany of sincere appreciation.

To all the highly talented and worthy artists, groups, collectives, galleries, orgs, institutions, projects, and businesses who have generously shared their time and intel with us--you know who you are!--helping to feed Cricky so that Cricky may feed the peeps, we transmit our humble gratitude through this mighty chirp: Thanks for all you do and all you create!

To all the bloggers, writers, critics, feed aggregate enablers, and others who have shown us prodigious love over the past twelve months by giving us mentions, links, kudos and comments, we offer our own deep affection to you and then some: Alverno Presents, Artists Working in Education (AWE), Art Mail Milwaukee, Artsy Schmartsy (a.k.a. Jonathan West), Ben Turk, Brew City Tea, Bucketworks, Cassandra Smith and Jessica Steeber of the now defunct Armoury Gallery, Coalition of Photographic Arts (CoPA), Cultural Alliance of Greater Milwaukee, Dorota Biczel Nelson of Walker's Point Center for the Arts (WPCA), Dwellephant, Pegi Christiansen of IN:SITE, Joyce Owens, Kurt Hartwig, Latino Arts, Inc., Mary Louise Schumacher, Mike Brenner, Mollie Boutell-Butler on Decider Milwaukee, Nathaniel Stern of Upgrade! Milwaukee, Queercamp Milwaukee, RedLine Milwaukee, Rishi Tea, South of Highland (SOHI) District, Spreenkler, Susceptible to Images, ThirdCoast Digest, TRUE Skool, Urban Milwaukee, Polly Morris of UWM Peck School of the Arts, William Zuback, Wisconsin Arts Board's Arts News, and WMSE 91.7 FM. (If we've forgotten anyone, please accept our deepest apologies and let us know who you are, 'kay? 'Kay.)

To our sponsors and in-kind exchange partners, both past and present, we send good tidings and good vibes for your success, no matter your stock or trade. And here's where we present our thanks in the form of the ever cherished link: Milwaukee Specialty Food and Coffee, emerge midwest art zine, In Tandem Theatre, CJ Clippers, and Indie Talent Magazine. Whoot!

Finally and most importantly, to our devoted and oh-so loyal readers, commenters, retweeters, spreaders of the word, and tip givers whose numbers continue to grow by tremendous crickety leaps and bounds, we give a hearty and heartfelt shout-out designed to linger in the air for all eternity: Thank you, peeps! Were it not for you Cricky would be but a mere yet messy streak on the giant windshield of The Internets™.

Now let's all lift a glass in cheers!

Glimpse Some IN:SITE This Weekend

The upstanding peeps at Miltown's temporary public art org IN:SITE have been workin' their creative noodles down to their starchy atoms for months to develop, fund and get approval for their Park East Corridor (PEC) Project. Now the fruits of their labor are juicy ripe and the wait is over. Well, at least part of the wait.

For Gallery Night weekend, July 24 and 25, seven of the eleven installation, performance and interactive projects will be available for your perusal at various sites in the PEC area:
• Gary John Gresl's "Disinterment" along Broadway, between Ogden and Knapp Streets.

• Sarah Luther's "Park East Souvenir Stand" from 6-8PM along Water Street on Friday & "Sunset Theater" from 7:30-8:30PM on Jefferson Street, between Lyon and Ogden Streets, on Saturday.

• Kasia Drake's "Uniting the Fence" volunteer latching from 1-5PM at the corner of Water and Knapp Streets on Saturday.

• Chris Bach and Cat Pham's "Framing Place" at four separate locations.

• Annushka Peck's "cede" billboard map on Water Street with cutout elements attached across the street at the Laacke & Joys boathouse, 1463 N. Water Street.

• Paul Druecke's "Guide" banner on the Sydney Hih building, 300 W. Juneau Avenue.

• Ted Brusubardis' "Landscape" sound and video projected on either side of Water Street at the North End and The Flatiron from 8-11PM on both Friday and Saturday.

Pegi Christiansen--who recently got happily hitched, resulting in a change to her surname from Taylor--emailed Cricky a helpful map today of the project sites when fully up and running for the week-long grand opening, August 23-30 (click on it for an eyeball friendly view):

 

Truly, people, the willful dismantling of a freeway has never produced a better a result!

(Thanks, Pegi!)

Related:
Public Art: Winner of the 2009 Most Talked About Topic Award
Everything is Temporary--Even Your Art

Peltz Gallery Turns a Remarkable 20 Years Old!

This Gallery Night & Day will mark the 20th anniversary for Milwaukee's own Peltz Gallery and to celebrate this extraordinary achievement in longevity--a rare feat indeed in the rough and tumble artsy world--it's presenting an annual exhibition that consistently draws huge crowds time and time again: The Remarkable Women Show. Let's hear it for the ladies!

This year's show will feature some forty plus artists of the female persuasion working in the mediums of painting, drawing, collage and printmaking, including notable Peltz regulars Squeak Carnwath, Tamiko Dargan, Lesley Dill, Hung Liu, Frances Myers, Judy Pfaff, JoAnna Poehlmann, Carol Pylant, Alison Saar, Cheryl Olson Sklar, Jeanette Pasin Sloan, Evelyn Patricia Terry, Kara Walker, and Della Wells. Also on display will be the creations of a few new artisans to the gallery, namely Dottie Attie, Elizabeth Catlett, Claire Van Vliet, and Carol Wax.

As with many of Peltz's group shows, the work of one artist is chosen as a highlight and for this nineteenth year of The Remarkable Women Show that artist is Judy Chicago. Best known for her multimedia, collaborative project and installation The Dinner Party (1974-1979), a seminal work that explores women's history in Western Civilization, Chicago is a giant not just among female artists but all contemporary artists. For over forty years, she has vigorously guided discussions on cultural issues, particularly within the United States, with a keen feminist eye. No lie, kids, you'll kick yourself with mighty force if you miss the opportunity to view her stellar work.

The opening reception for The Nineteenth Annual Remarkable Women Show at the Peltz Gallery, 1119 East Knapp Street, is this Friday, June 24, from 6-9:30PM. As is the tradition, there will also be a free French Breakfast the following day from 11AM-4PM, but this one is super special with the inclusion of a birthday party. Whoot!

Whichever day you go, be sure to shake the hand of gallery owner and curator Cissie Peltz while sincerely thanking her for 20 years of outstanding and challenging art exhibition.

Link (Thanks, Tamiko!)

Related:
Reflected Beauty at Peltz Gallery