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Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Exhibit of photos chronicle history - Features
In the University Library Gallery, students will be able to travel back in time through David Hume Kennerly's photography, which covers events from 1966 all the way to President Barack Obama's inauguration.
Kennerly's exhibit, "Capturing History: David Hume Kennerly," will display a range of photographs, including events such as the Vietnam War and Obama's inauguration.
Kennerly, the official White House photographer, considers himself to be a documentary and political photographer. He's had many accomplishments through the years, including winning the Pulitzer Prize in 1972 for his Vietnam War photographs, serving as President Gerald Ford's White House photographer and photographing many covers for Time and Newsweek.
Phil Hitchcock, University Library Gallery director, has known Kennerly for more than 40 years.
"David is without a doubt the most recognized photojournalist in the last three or four decades," Hitchcock said.
Stephanie Nemeth, junior art history major and an intern at the gallery, said Kennerly's exhibit is a retrospective of his career.
"He's been photographing for over 40 years and he has thousands, I mean, I think almost a million photographs in his archive. It's a very small show, but we picked what we felt was a good representation of his work, and to give the audience and the viewers a good idea of what he does," she said.
Hitchcock mentioned that this type of exhibition is not seen in many places.
"This collection is out of the archives of the University of Texas, who holds all of his archives," he said, referring to Kennerly's photographs. "The Obama ones have never been seen and we printed and published those on campus."
Kennerly's inspiration comes from photographers such as Larry Burrows and Joseph Rosenthal. He also gets his inspiration from people who have had an impact in the lives of others.
"People like Barack Obama and Gerald Ford," Kennerly explained. "And the effect they've had in the world."
Many look at Kennerly's photography and become so mesmerized by the images themselves that they tend to forget the risks he took in order to capture that particular moment. Kennerly said one of his biggest accomplishments as a working photographer has been staying alive.
"I've been in seven different wars. I've had a lot of close calls in my career," he said. "I think I've been very lucky to stay away from death."
Another major accomplishment for Kennerly is his ability to document America's history. He has traveled to more than 130 countries, including Cambodia, the Philippines, China and Guyana. Some of his most memorable experiences include his trip to Israel with the president of Egypt, Anwar Sadat, and when President Ronald Reagan and Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev first met in 1985 in Geneva, Switzerland.
"Those were two instances where I got a lot of photos, but I got to take history," Kennerly said.
Hitchcock said Kennerly's photography is very sensitive.
"He's been able to capture with a photograph a kind of essence of that time of history," Hitchcock said. "I think if you look at his one here, Easter Sunday of a GI sitting on top of a tank with his head in his hands, it pretty much captures the feeling of it. He captures history and history is emotions."
Cindi Shimkus, junior photography major, also noticed the Easter Sunday photo.
"There's one over there that's amazing," Shimkus said, turning around to look at the photograph. "It's Easter Sunday and you can see this guy just - you can see his face and you can tell everything. It's hot, he's dirty, the war is going on still even though it's a holiday, but they don't just stop for the holiday."
Shimkus said she likes how Kennerly's work touches on the senses.
"Some people take pictures and it's just another picture. (With) his you feel like you're there. You can feel everything all around," she said.
Kennerly's photography has the ability to trigger many personal emotions.
Ana Quinonez, junior Spanish major, said she feels happy when she looks at the Obama pictures.
"It's pretty cheesy, but some of the photos make you smile," Quinonez said.
Nemeth, who also discussed Obama's photographs, said the ones taken of the president recently give her a sense of pride. She said her favorite picture from the collection at the gallery is one that shows the back of Obama's head when he's saluting.
"It's just something that you would never think to photograph - the back of a person's head, but I think it's very powerful." Nemeth said. "As far as the other ones," she explained, while referring to the pictures of events that occurred before she was born, "because the photographs are so good, it kind of makes me, I don't know the word to describe it, but it's just like being there almost."
Nemeth said she thinks Kennerly's photography is incredible.
"He's a photojournalist but also an artist. He takes brilliant photographs and I think people are really going to like it. I really like it," she said.
Kennerly thinks the University Library Gallery is a great venue to meet students and to talk about his work.
"I think it's an honor having people wanting to show my work," he said.
His advice to aspiring student photographers is to take a lot of photographs and be very diligent about it as a career.
"There's no simple formula for it," he said. "The desire for it is the single most important element."
David Hume Kennerly's photos will be displayed from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays from March 13 to June 27 at the University Library Gallery.
Exhibit of photos chronicles history - Features
Kennerly's exhibit, "Capturing History: David Hume Kennerly," will display a range of photographs, including events such as the Vietnam War and Obama's inauguration.
Kennerly, the official White House photographer, considers himself to be a documentary and political photographer. He's had many accomplishments through the years, including winning the Pulitzer Prize in 1972 for his Vietnam War photographs, serving as President Gerald Ford's White House photographer and photographing many covers for Time and Newsweek.
Phil Hitchcock, University Library Gallery director, has known Kennerly for more than 40 years.
"David is without a doubt the most recognized photojournalist in the last three or four decades," Hitchcock said.
Stephanie Nemeth, junior art history major and an intern at the gallery, said Kennerly's exhibit is a retrospective of his career.
"He's been photographing for over 40 years and he has thousands, I mean, I think almost a million photographs in his archive. It's a very small show, but we picked what we felt was a good representation of his work, and to give the audience and the viewers a good idea of what he does," she said.
Hitchcock mentioned that this type of exhibition is not seen in many places.
"This collection is out of the archives of the University of Texas, who holds all of his archives," he said, referring to Kennerly's photographs. "The Obama ones have never been seen and we printed and published those on campus."
Kennerly's inspiration comes from photographers such as Larry Burrows and Joseph Rosenthal. He also gets his inspiration from people who have had an impact in the lives of others.
"People like Barack Obama and Gerald Ford," Kennerly explained. "And the effect they've had in the world."
Many look at Kennerly's photography and become so mesmerized by the images themselves that they tend to forget the risks he took in order to capture that particular moment. Kennerly said one of his biggest accomplishments as a working photographer has been staying alive.
"I've been in seven different wars. I've had a lot of close calls in my career," he said. "I think I've been very lucky to stay away from death."
Another major accomplishment for Kennerly is his ability to document America's history. He has traveled to more than 130 countries, including Cambodia, the Philippines, China and Guyana. Some of his most memorable experiences include his trip to Israel with the president of Egypt, Anwar Sadat, and when President Ronald Reagan and Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev first met in 1985 in Geneva, Switzerland.
"Those were two instances where I got a lot of photos, but I got to take history," Kennerly said.
Hitchcock said Kennerly's photography is very sensitive.
"He's been able to capture with a photograph a kind of essence of that time of history," Hitchcock said. "I think if you look at his one here, Easter Sunday of a GI sitting on top of a tank with his head in his hands, it pretty much captures the feeling of it. He captures history and history is emotions."
Cindi Shimkus, junior photography major, also noticed the Easter Sunday photo.
"There's one over there that's amazing," Shimkus said, turning around to look at the photograph. "It's Easter Sunday and you can see this guy just - you can see his face and you can tell everything. It's hot, he's dirty, the war is going on still even though it's a holiday, but they don't just stop for the holiday."
Shimkus said she likes how Kennerly's work touches on the senses.
"Some people take pictures and it's just another picture. (With) his you feel like you're there. You can feel everything all around," she said.
Kennerly's photography has the ability to trigger many personal emotions.
Ana Quinonez, junior Spanish major, said she feels happy when she looks at the Obama pictures.
"It's pretty cheesy, but some of the photos make you smile," Quinonez said.
Nemeth, who also discussed Obama's photographs, said the ones taken of the president recently give her a sense of pride. She said her favorite picture from the collection at the gallery is one that shows the back of Obama's head when he's saluting.
"It's just something that you would never think to photograph - the back of a person's head, but I think it's very powerful." Nemeth said. "As far as the other ones," she explained, while referring to the pictures of events that occurred before she was born, "because the photographs are so good, it kind of makes me, I don't know the word to describe it, but it's just like being there almost."
Nemeth said she thinks Kennerly's photography is incredible.
"He's a photojournalist but also an artist. He takes brilliant photographs and I think people are really going to like it. I really like it," she said.
Kennerly thinks the University Library Gallery is a great venue to meet students and to talk about his work.
"I think it's an honor having people wanting to show my work," he said.
His advice to aspiring student photographers is to take a lot of photographs and be very diligent about it as a career.
"There's no simple formula for it," he said. "The desire for it is the single most important element."
David Hume Kennerly's photos will be displayed from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays from March 13 to June 27 at the University Library Gallery.
Exhibit of photos chronicles history - Features
Ballroom Dancing Remains on the Hill
One, two, three – One, two three – One, two, three. The instructor counts the rhythm to the waltz as a dancer elegantly glides across the floor. Though many Hill residents were disappointed when long-time neighbor Metronome Ballroom departed the community last year, they will be gratified to know that ballroom dancing has not left the neighborhood altogether.
With its urban, artsy, loft appeal, the recently renovated space formerly occupied by the Metronome Ballroom, is now home to Cheryl Burke Dance. The new dance studio fits in perfectly with Potrero Hill’s flourishing environs. Located at 17th and De Haro streets, Cheryl Burke Dance celebrated its grand opening two months ago with a fundraiser for Mayor Gavin Newsom’s Shape Up San Francisco Initiative. The event was attended by Cheryl Burke, the studio’s namesake, who’s a Bay Area native, two-time Emmy nominee and two-time champion on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars. Other celebrities at the event included her former dancing partner Drew Lachey; current partner Cristián de la Fuente; Jerry Rice, and Mayor Newsom.
With the 17-year-old Metronome struggling financially, and owner Bram Morris ready to retire, Cheryl Burke, her mother Sherri, and Michael Reeves decided to purchase the Metronome because they didn’t want to lose San Francisco’s last ballroom. “San Francisco was lacking a really good ballroom school. Most of the smaller ballroom schools in the San Francisco area had pretty much dissolved, and this was one of the few left in the City. We thought it was so significant that we kept a really good ballroom school in San Francisco,” said Reeves. According to Sherri Burke, “We wanted to make sure that San Francisco continued to have a place, a venue for dancing - ballroom dancing especially. We feel there has to be a place for San Franciscans to express art in some form or another through dancing.”
Cheryl Burke Dance hopes to “promote physical fitness through dance.” According to Reeves, dancing “is the second best exercise to swimming because you’re using the whole body, not just parts of it.” The dance studio offers more than 60 classes a week, including waltz, ballet, salsa, belly dancing and Argentine tango. And Cheryl Burke Dance instructors work to tailor their courses to their clients’ needs. “Rather than have people come to us, we try to develop a curriculum around what people are asking for. We’re always inventing and reinventing ourselves into what the public wants now,” said Reeves.
On Friday, June 13th, Cheryl Burke will welcome aspiring dancers to her studio, in an event that includes a Latin dance lesson at 7:30 p.m., followed by a social dance party at 8 p.m. The alcohol-free gathering will be held every Friday night thereafter. “We will introduce them to three dances, and then they can stay and dance afterwards,” said Reeves. For more information: 252.9000; www.cherylburkedance.com.
http://potreroview.net/news10041.html
With its urban, artsy, loft appeal, the recently renovated space formerly occupied by the Metronome Ballroom, is now home to Cheryl Burke Dance. The new dance studio fits in perfectly with Potrero Hill’s flourishing environs. Located at 17th and De Haro streets, Cheryl Burke Dance celebrated its grand opening two months ago with a fundraiser for Mayor Gavin Newsom’s Shape Up San Francisco Initiative. The event was attended by Cheryl Burke, the studio’s namesake, who’s a Bay Area native, two-time Emmy nominee and two-time champion on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars. Other celebrities at the event included her former dancing partner Drew Lachey; current partner Cristián de la Fuente; Jerry Rice, and Mayor Newsom.
With the 17-year-old Metronome struggling financially, and owner Bram Morris ready to retire, Cheryl Burke, her mother Sherri, and Michael Reeves decided to purchase the Metronome because they didn’t want to lose San Francisco’s last ballroom. “San Francisco was lacking a really good ballroom school. Most of the smaller ballroom schools in the San Francisco area had pretty much dissolved, and this was one of the few left in the City. We thought it was so significant that we kept a really good ballroom school in San Francisco,” said Reeves. According to Sherri Burke, “We wanted to make sure that San Francisco continued to have a place, a venue for dancing - ballroom dancing especially. We feel there has to be a place for San Franciscans to express art in some form or another through dancing.”
Cheryl Burke Dance hopes to “promote physical fitness through dance.” According to Reeves, dancing “is the second best exercise to swimming because you’re using the whole body, not just parts of it.” The dance studio offers more than 60 classes a week, including waltz, ballet, salsa, belly dancing and Argentine tango. And Cheryl Burke Dance instructors work to tailor their courses to their clients’ needs. “Rather than have people come to us, we try to develop a curriculum around what people are asking for. We’re always inventing and reinventing ourselves into what the public wants now,” said Reeves.
On Friday, June 13th, Cheryl Burke will welcome aspiring dancers to her studio, in an event that includes a Latin dance lesson at 7:30 p.m., followed by a social dance party at 8 p.m. The alcohol-free gathering will be held every Friday night thereafter. “We will introduce them to three dances, and then they can stay and dance afterwards,” said Reeves. For more information: 252.9000; www.cherylburkedance.com.
http://potreroview.net/news10041.html
Hill Cafe Provides Venue for Play Group
“Slippery Fish, Slippery Fish, sliding through the water…” Sara O’Neill, mother of three-year-old John Haley, wiggles her hands in a fishlike motion as she sings the tune to the children’s song that gave name to the innovative Slippery Fish Cooperative. The parent-run cooperative was formed in 2007 by four mothers, with funding support from a First Five grant and space provided by Axis Café.
Slippery Fish started out as a babysitting exchange, with four families taking turns hosting play groups at one another’s homes. But as babies become toddlers, keeping them in confined spaces became more challenging. The parents decided to launch a formal cooperative, with enough space for their children to roam and explore. Slippery Fish was born.
The founding parents – Sara O’Neill, Elizabeth Buchanan, Shiraaz Bhabha, and Anita Ahmed – quickly realized that leasing space would be too expensive. However, they discovered that Axis Cafe was willing to offer their studio free of charge. “It was just too good to be true, and it still is,” O’Neill exclaimed. According to Hannah Walker, Axis Community Project’s (ACP) lead coordinator, “We as a cafe decided they can have the space for free. We’re a cafe that’s nonprofit making. We just didn’t feel comfortable with making them pay a monthly amount.”
Located at the intersection of Eighth and 16th streets, Axis Café’s ACP has goal of serving families, children and Potrero Hill residents. ACP hosts weekly art events, a family night on Monday evenings, and a monthly Movie Night. “Our vision is not to be just a cafe. It should be more than that, and it’s all about community,” said Walker.
Slippery Fish children are able to interact with one another in a childproof atmosphere full of toys stored onsite. Participating children enjoy free play, snack, storytime and a planned craft activity. They regularly dance, play with trains, or pretend play with a toy kitchen. Special guests, such as a musician or yoga teacher, are often invited. “I look forward to the days my daughter goes to Slippery Fish, even when I have to work, as I know she will have fun with her friends and have an enriching morning,” Lisa Tehrani, one of the cooperative’s parent-teachers explained. “It is nice to be involved in this sort of experience with her before she heads off to preschool,” she added.
Children ages 18-months to three-years can participate either two or four days a week, Mondays through Thursdays from 9 a.m. to noon. Parents are required to work half of the number of days their children attend, volunteering to manage the morning program or signing on for a particular job, such as maintenance or purchasing.
Slippery Fish is in the process of becoming an official nonprofit organization. The founding members hope that newer families will take over cooperative management as the inaugural class moves onto preschool. Eight children ages two to three currently attend the cooperative, with six on Monday/Wednesday and four on Tuesday/Thursdays, which gives them and their parents an opportunity to get to know their neighbors.
For more information visit www.slipperyfish-sf.com.
http://potreroview.net/news10068.html
Slippery Fish started out as a babysitting exchange, with four families taking turns hosting play groups at one another’s homes. But as babies become toddlers, keeping them in confined spaces became more challenging. The parents decided to launch a formal cooperative, with enough space for their children to roam and explore. Slippery Fish was born.
The founding parents – Sara O’Neill, Elizabeth Buchanan, Shiraaz Bhabha, and Anita Ahmed – quickly realized that leasing space would be too expensive. However, they discovered that Axis Cafe was willing to offer their studio free of charge. “It was just too good to be true, and it still is,” O’Neill exclaimed. According to Hannah Walker, Axis Community Project’s (ACP) lead coordinator, “We as a cafe decided they can have the space for free. We’re a cafe that’s nonprofit making. We just didn’t feel comfortable with making them pay a monthly amount.”
Located at the intersection of Eighth and 16th streets, Axis Café’s ACP has goal of serving families, children and Potrero Hill residents. ACP hosts weekly art events, a family night on Monday evenings, and a monthly Movie Night. “Our vision is not to be just a cafe. It should be more than that, and it’s all about community,” said Walker.
Slippery Fish children are able to interact with one another in a childproof atmosphere full of toys stored onsite. Participating children enjoy free play, snack, storytime and a planned craft activity. They regularly dance, play with trains, or pretend play with a toy kitchen. Special guests, such as a musician or yoga teacher, are often invited. “I look forward to the days my daughter goes to Slippery Fish, even when I have to work, as I know she will have fun with her friends and have an enriching morning,” Lisa Tehrani, one of the cooperative’s parent-teachers explained. “It is nice to be involved in this sort of experience with her before she heads off to preschool,” she added.
Children ages 18-months to three-years can participate either two or four days a week, Mondays through Thursdays from 9 a.m. to noon. Parents are required to work half of the number of days their children attend, volunteering to manage the morning program or signing on for a particular job, such as maintenance or purchasing.
Slippery Fish is in the process of becoming an official nonprofit organization. The founding members hope that newer families will take over cooperative management as the inaugural class moves onto preschool. Eight children ages two to three currently attend the cooperative, with six on Monday/Wednesday and four on Tuesday/Thursdays, which gives them and their parents an opportunity to get to know their neighbors.
For more information visit www.slipperyfish-sf.com.
http://potreroview.net/news10068.html
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Art exhibit showcases body, work - Features
Art exhibit showcases body, work - Features
Expressing your feelings through art may be a lot easier than doing it with words. At Sacramento State's exhibit "The Body: Vessel for the Soul," students, faculty and members of the community were given the opportunity to express their interpretation of the exhibit's title through different forms of art.
The exhibit was created through collaboration between Kalyn Coppedge, health educator for the Fitness, Healthy Eating and Lifestyle Program called Fit HELP, and Sue Anne Foster, an art department lecturer.
Foster said a lot of times, the exhibits at Sac State showcase work by art students or art faculty. Her purpose for this exhibit was to get the community involved and to display artwork from a variety of people.
"There will be some more naive beginner work and then there's some very professional work that's in the show," Foster said. "I like that continuity of odds and ends coming together around one great form."
There is a wide variety of artwork displayed at the exhibit, including paintings, sculptures, metal work, drawings and photography.
Jeremiah Jones, senior art studio major, said he liked the different types of media used at the exhibit.
"I definitely like it. There's a lot of diversity and different artist expressions," Jones said.
Coppedge said she and Foster wanted to have a gallery that would give artists the opportunity to show beauty in a lot of different ways. They also wanted to give them the ability to showcase the human body.
"So many times in the media we see kind of the same Photoshop image all over the place," Coppedge said. "It's nice to let people see a different interpretation of the human body and the different ways that it's beautiful."
Maria Winkler, art department professor, has an artist book displayed at the exhibit. An artist book is a non-traditional book that's like a sculpture.
Winkler said she thinks society is so caught up in the exterior of women that she wanted her artist book to point out the interiors of women, both the good and the bad.
Winkler's book cover has a secondary cover called, "The Book of Vices and Virtues."
"The dark pages are the vices and the luminescent or translucent pages are the virtues," she said. "The inside book cover says, 'It's what's inside that counts.' The whole book is in a shape of a woman's torso, so as you open the book, you're also opening her up and looking inside."
Ernylla England, one of the artists featured in the show, heard about the exhibit through Foster. England said the idea for her piece, "Turning Inward," came from a bad time in her life.
"I wanted to show how one turns in on itself. Being by one 's self - sort of withdrawn from the world. That was my feeling," she said.
England said her artwork for the show is an expression of her feelings.
"It was very important at the time, kind of a self-therapy. It helped me get over the bad times," she said.
Foster has two pieces in the exhibit. One of them is called "Sunbaked Beauty."
"One is a handmade paper torso with a copper swimsuit on, and the handmade paper is very parched and dry," Foster said. "I call it 'Sunbaked Beauty' because it's like you've been in the sun for too long. We tend to worship the sun and I love the sun too, but too much of it isn't good, so here's this body with very tanned and rugged skin and this beautiful bathing suit," she said.
Foster's "Sunbaked Beauty" piece can have several messages.
"One is, even though you are not perfect with the skin, you still have a good time donning a wild, fun suit, or it could be the irony of too extreme interest in tanning your body."
Foster's other piece, a handmade paper bra with a bird in one of the breasts, is called "Nest in my Breast." The idea for this piece came from her experience with breast cancer 15 years ago.
"I had breast cancer so I lost a breast, and I had to contend with that," she said.
During her treatment, Foster raised African Grey Parrots. She said she would carry one of the tiny, baby birds around to keep it warm and to let it have contact with some life.
"I made a little soft thing and put it in my empty breast and carried the bird around in it. It was kind of a way to humor myself. At the same time I was experiencing a loss," she said. "It's my symbol of accepting what is and finding humor as you go."
Rene LaRose, junior art major who works for the gallery, said she really likes Foster's piece, "Nest in my Breast."
"I like the idea that you take something that is a terrible experience and turn it into something quite beautiful," LaRose said. "She got that baby bird next to her and she found a place for it. I think that's really precious. I think that's what art is really all about - giving meaning to the difficulties people have."
Coppedge thinks it's nice to be able to showcase the human body and to see how our flaws can make us special.
"So many people have different views of what beauty is, and I think it's really nice to appreciate that and hear from other people about the good stuff, not always the bad stuff," she said.
Foster and Coppedge chose the pieces for the show according to whether or not they fit with the overall theme.
Foster said the theme deals with inner beauty and knowing who you are and owning what that is. She hopes this exhibit will have something for everyone.
"People look at art once over lightly, and I'm hoping people walk into this and they'll find at least one thing that just really makes them stop in their tracks and think," Foster said.
"Body: Vessel for the Soul" will be showcased in Kadema Hall's Witt Gallery through Friday. The gallery's hours are from noon to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Expressing your feelings through art may be a lot easier than doing it with words. At Sacramento State's exhibit "The Body: Vessel for the Soul," students, faculty and members of the community were given the opportunity to express their interpretation of the exhibit's title through different forms of art.
The exhibit was created through collaboration between Kalyn Coppedge, health educator for the Fitness, Healthy Eating and Lifestyle Program called Fit HELP, and Sue Anne Foster, an art department lecturer.
Foster said a lot of times, the exhibits at Sac State showcase work by art students or art faculty. Her purpose for this exhibit was to get the community involved and to display artwork from a variety of people.
"There will be some more naive beginner work and then there's some very professional work that's in the show," Foster said. "I like that continuity of odds and ends coming together around one great form."
There is a wide variety of artwork displayed at the exhibit, including paintings, sculptures, metal work, drawings and photography.
Jeremiah Jones, senior art studio major, said he liked the different types of media used at the exhibit.
"I definitely like it. There's a lot of diversity and different artist expressions," Jones said.
Coppedge said she and Foster wanted to have a gallery that would give artists the opportunity to show beauty in a lot of different ways. They also wanted to give them the ability to showcase the human body.
"So many times in the media we see kind of the same Photoshop image all over the place," Coppedge said. "It's nice to let people see a different interpretation of the human body and the different ways that it's beautiful."
Maria Winkler, art department professor, has an artist book displayed at the exhibit. An artist book is a non-traditional book that's like a sculpture.
Winkler said she thinks society is so caught up in the exterior of women that she wanted her artist book to point out the interiors of women, both the good and the bad.
Winkler's book cover has a secondary cover called, "The Book of Vices and Virtues."
"The dark pages are the vices and the luminescent or translucent pages are the virtues," she said. "The inside book cover says, 'It's what's inside that counts.' The whole book is in a shape of a woman's torso, so as you open the book, you're also opening her up and looking inside."
Ernylla England, one of the artists featured in the show, heard about the exhibit through Foster. England said the idea for her piece, "Turning Inward," came from a bad time in her life.
"I wanted to show how one turns in on itself. Being by one 's self - sort of withdrawn from the world. That was my feeling," she said.
England said her artwork for the show is an expression of her feelings.
"It was very important at the time, kind of a self-therapy. It helped me get over the bad times," she said.
Foster has two pieces in the exhibit. One of them is called "Sunbaked Beauty."
"One is a handmade paper torso with a copper swimsuit on, and the handmade paper is very parched and dry," Foster said. "I call it 'Sunbaked Beauty' because it's like you've been in the sun for too long. We tend to worship the sun and I love the sun too, but too much of it isn't good, so here's this body with very tanned and rugged skin and this beautiful bathing suit," she said.
Foster's "Sunbaked Beauty" piece can have several messages.
"One is, even though you are not perfect with the skin, you still have a good time donning a wild, fun suit, or it could be the irony of too extreme interest in tanning your body."
Foster's other piece, a handmade paper bra with a bird in one of the breasts, is called "Nest in my Breast." The idea for this piece came from her experience with breast cancer 15 years ago.
"I had breast cancer so I lost a breast, and I had to contend with that," she said.
During her treatment, Foster raised African Grey Parrots. She said she would carry one of the tiny, baby birds around to keep it warm and to let it have contact with some life.
"I made a little soft thing and put it in my empty breast and carried the bird around in it. It was kind of a way to humor myself. At the same time I was experiencing a loss," she said. "It's my symbol of accepting what is and finding humor as you go."
Rene LaRose, junior art major who works for the gallery, said she really likes Foster's piece, "Nest in my Breast."
"I like the idea that you take something that is a terrible experience and turn it into something quite beautiful," LaRose said. "She got that baby bird next to her and she found a place for it. I think that's really precious. I think that's what art is really all about - giving meaning to the difficulties people have."
Coppedge thinks it's nice to be able to showcase the human body and to see how our flaws can make us special.
"So many people have different views of what beauty is, and I think it's really nice to appreciate that and hear from other people about the good stuff, not always the bad stuff," she said.
Foster and Coppedge chose the pieces for the show according to whether or not they fit with the overall theme.
Foster said the theme deals with inner beauty and knowing who you are and owning what that is. She hopes this exhibit will have something for everyone.
"People look at art once over lightly, and I'm hoping people walk into this and they'll find at least one thing that just really makes them stop in their tracks and think," Foster said.
"Body: Vessel for the Soul" will be showcased in Kadema Hall's Witt Gallery through Friday. The gallery's hours are from noon to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Senior stars as Mexican painter - Features
Senior stars as Mexican painter - Features
Many have seen her picture. Many have heard her name, but not a lot of people are familiar with the life and history of legendary Mexican artist Frida Kahlo.
At the Wilkerson Theater in midtown- Sacramento, the California Stage Company is performing the play "Frida Kahlo." Sacramento State senior Diana Tercero is starring as Kahlo in the production. The play is directed by Manuel Pickett, professor of theater at Sac State, in association with Teatro Espejo, and produced by Ray Tater.
Tercero, who grew up learning about Kahlo, said her main reason for trying out for Kahlo's part was because of her parents.
"It would make my parents so proud if they knew I played a Mexican-hero," she said.
Tercero has noticed a lot of people carrying bags or wearing T-shirts with Kahlo's picture. She said people know Kahlo as an icon, but they don't know the real person. She wants people to understand who Kahlo was, her life and the reasons behind her art.
"I want people to leave the show and think, 'Wow, she's an amazing person."
Tater got a hold of the Kahlo script due to its popularity and spoke with Pickett last year about putting on the play.
Tater said the play is about the life of Kahlo and her inner life of pain. Kahlo had physical pain when she suffered serious injuries after a bus accident. She also contracted polio as a young child. Her marriage to famous painter Diego Rivera, who Tater said was a womanizer, caused her to go through a lot of pain as well.
Tater noted that this play gets down to the real Kahlo and focuses on life experiences that influenced her work.
"(She was) determined to paint and determined to try to have a relationship with her husband - a good one," he said.
The play is being performed in English and Spanish.
Pickett said he wanted to have the play in Spanish because he thinks it is important to reach out to the Spanish-speaking and bilingual communities. He realized he wanted the play performed in Spanish when he was at an immigration march in Sacramento.
"There were also the people marching for immigration rights and when I saw over 20,000 people marching down L Street and probably most of them didn't speak English, I realized the potential of the audience that we could have," Pickett said. "In addition to that, many people throughout my career in theater have asked me to do plays in Spanish, so that pretty much motivated me."
The actors and actresses performing the English version are also playing the same roles for the Spanish version. Pickett said it has been very difficult because it's as if they are putting on two different plays.
"The way you approach the words is very different," he said. "You almost have to transform into an entirely different character," Pickett said.
Tercero said learning two parts has been really tough.
"I grew up speaking English at school, so I completely forgot the Spanish," Tercero said. "I know the English script so well. I know I can't translate English word for word in Spanish. It's been really tough."
Tater has noticed that Kahlo herself has become larger than life.
"When you walk into a store and see buttons and pins and pictures of Frida Kahlo, or go into an artist's studio and see the Madonna that was Frida Kahlo, you know there's something about her which is almost saint-like," Tater said. "It has an effect on people. Some people - they couldn't even tell you what kind of things she's painted, but they know Frida Kahlo."
Pickett thinks Kahlo is an example of one of the stronger female painters featured throughout Mexican history. He said this play is part a of the Mexican culture and heritage.
"Part of our culture goes beyond dancing and the singing," he said. "Part of our culture is also being able to appreciate those heroes and those models that we have in our past that help shape our future."
Pickett thinks this play is important to see because watching it live is a lot more different than watching it at a movie theater. Live theater gives the audience the chance to experience the senses.
"People love her paintings. People have seen her visually. People have seen a movie about her, but they've never really been to see her breathe or to see her walk across the stage, or to see her pain or her anguish," Pickett said. "This is live theater and what you see are actual emotions on stage."
Corin Ramos, senior psychology major, has seen the English version of the play and is planning to see the Spanish version with her organization M.E.Ch.A., a group that promotes political and culture awareness to "LA Raza," a group of Spanish-speakers in America. Ramos thought the play was powerful and intense because of its raw emotions.
"You could feel the emotion at times," she said.
Ramos said many people think that if Kahlo didn't have such a difficult life, her art wouldn't be as successful. The play, however, shows how much Kahlo struggled because of her famous art.
"She actually just wanted to have a normal life. She just wanted to be married and have kids and not have operations all the time. She would rather have that than all of the fame."
The performance will be at the Wilkerson Theater in midtown Sacramento on 1723 25th St., on the corner of R Street.
For more information visit: www.calstage.org.
Many have seen her picture. Many have heard her name, but not a lot of people are familiar with the life and history of legendary Mexican artist Frida Kahlo.
At the Wilkerson Theater in midtown- Sacramento, the California Stage Company is performing the play "Frida Kahlo." Sacramento State senior Diana Tercero is starring as Kahlo in the production. The play is directed by Manuel Pickett, professor of theater at Sac State, in association with Teatro Espejo, and produced by Ray Tater.
Tercero, who grew up learning about Kahlo, said her main reason for trying out for Kahlo's part was because of her parents.
"It would make my parents so proud if they knew I played a Mexican-hero," she said.
Tercero has noticed a lot of people carrying bags or wearing T-shirts with Kahlo's picture. She said people know Kahlo as an icon, but they don't know the real person. She wants people to understand who Kahlo was, her life and the reasons behind her art.
"I want people to leave the show and think, 'Wow, she's an amazing person."
Tater got a hold of the Kahlo script due to its popularity and spoke with Pickett last year about putting on the play.
Tater said the play is about the life of Kahlo and her inner life of pain. Kahlo had physical pain when she suffered serious injuries after a bus accident. She also contracted polio as a young child. Her marriage to famous painter Diego Rivera, who Tater said was a womanizer, caused her to go through a lot of pain as well.
Tater noted that this play gets down to the real Kahlo and focuses on life experiences that influenced her work.
"(She was) determined to paint and determined to try to have a relationship with her husband - a good one," he said.
The play is being performed in English and Spanish.
Pickett said he wanted to have the play in Spanish because he thinks it is important to reach out to the Spanish-speaking and bilingual communities. He realized he wanted the play performed in Spanish when he was at an immigration march in Sacramento.
"There were also the people marching for immigration rights and when I saw over 20,000 people marching down L Street and probably most of them didn't speak English, I realized the potential of the audience that we could have," Pickett said. "In addition to that, many people throughout my career in theater have asked me to do plays in Spanish, so that pretty much motivated me."
The actors and actresses performing the English version are also playing the same roles for the Spanish version. Pickett said it has been very difficult because it's as if they are putting on two different plays.
"The way you approach the words is very different," he said. "You almost have to transform into an entirely different character," Pickett said.
Tercero said learning two parts has been really tough.
"I grew up speaking English at school, so I completely forgot the Spanish," Tercero said. "I know the English script so well. I know I can't translate English word for word in Spanish. It's been really tough."
Tater has noticed that Kahlo herself has become larger than life.
"When you walk into a store and see buttons and pins and pictures of Frida Kahlo, or go into an artist's studio and see the Madonna that was Frida Kahlo, you know there's something about her which is almost saint-like," Tater said. "It has an effect on people. Some people - they couldn't even tell you what kind of things she's painted, but they know Frida Kahlo."
Pickett thinks Kahlo is an example of one of the stronger female painters featured throughout Mexican history. He said this play is part a of the Mexican culture and heritage.
"Part of our culture goes beyond dancing and the singing," he said. "Part of our culture is also being able to appreciate those heroes and those models that we have in our past that help shape our future."
Pickett thinks this play is important to see because watching it live is a lot more different than watching it at a movie theater. Live theater gives the audience the chance to experience the senses.
"People love her paintings. People have seen her visually. People have seen a movie about her, but they've never really been to see her breathe or to see her walk across the stage, or to see her pain or her anguish," Pickett said. "This is live theater and what you see are actual emotions on stage."
Corin Ramos, senior psychology major, has seen the English version of the play and is planning to see the Spanish version with her organization M.E.Ch.A., a group that promotes political and culture awareness to "LA Raza," a group of Spanish-speakers in America. Ramos thought the play was powerful and intense because of its raw emotions.
"You could feel the emotion at times," she said.
Ramos said many people think that if Kahlo didn't have such a difficult life, her art wouldn't be as successful. The play, however, shows how much Kahlo struggled because of her famous art.
"She actually just wanted to have a normal life. She just wanted to be married and have kids and not have operations all the time. She would rather have that than all of the fame."
The performance will be at the Wilkerson Theater in midtown Sacramento on 1723 25th St., on the corner of R Street.
For more information visit: www.calstage.org.
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