The Encyclopedia Britannica describes Frank Bidart as an “American poet whose introspective verse, notably dramatic monologues by troubled characters, deal with personal guilt, family life, and madness. His unconventional punctuation and typography give his colloquial and economical style an added emphasis.” (more…)
ArtSparkle, the Indianapolis Art Center’s main fundraiser, will conclude the IAC’s excellent “Two Worlds, One Language through Art” exhibitions, and will be an excellent way to learn more about the city’s continuing engagement with Chinese culture in the autumn. (more…)
How cool is it that Indiana has a Poet Laureate? Back in 2005, Mitch Daniels put his stamp of approval on a bill to create the position, with the intent of “increasing the awareness of poetry and the power of written and spoken verse” and probably also creating some good publicity for himself.
Nevertheless, the existence of a people’s poet in Indiana speaks volumes about the importance of the arts in culture. This month, Indiana inaugurated its newest Poet Laureate, Norbert Krapf. To celebrate, there’s a Poet Laureate Party at the American Cabaret Theatre where the public gets to wax poetic with Mr. Krapf (or schmooze, if you prefer).
Bonus: light refreshments catered by Kaffeeklatsch maven Jeannette Footman. And jazz with Monika Herzig on piano, Carolyn Dutton on violin, and Peter Kienle on bass. And that means the kind of jazz that Norbert gets to read his poetry with. (Cue fingersnaps.)
Where: The American Cabaret Theatre, the Athenaeum, 401 E Michigan Street, Indianapolis.
When: Sunday, July 27, starting at 5:30
Cost: Free
What the heck a Poet Laureate does: (officially) “represents the State of Indiana and the art of poetry through the development and implementation of programming to the education community and general public.” Thanks, Norbert!
An artistic celebration of peace, nonviolence, and social justice. Saturday, August 9th, at 7 p.m. at the Bean Cup Coffee Shop, 8908 St. Peter St.
www.thebeancup.com
www.myspace.com/indyartistspeaceproject
Thomas Floyd, singer-songwriter
Marshall Gibson, storyteller
Everett.McKee, singer-songwriter
Dan Henkel, classical/fingerstyle guitarist
Jeff Matheus, poet and writer
Michelle Gussow, writer and filmmaker
It’s the Fourth of July! Why should you be spending your time hearing music, watching theatre, and seeing art?
Because supporting your community supports your country, without residual political guilt and without resort to the glorification of redemptive violence.
The Teen Arts and Music Festival gives rising artists a little space and time to share their music with the community. A more youthful counterpart to June’s Independent Music and Art Festival, but the idea remains the same: a day of free music, theatre, and art, with lots of the warm, fuzzy feelings one gets from supporting local, independent artists and not military might.
An all-day affair. Go to the MySpace page for the line-up (15 bands of teenagers), or the event website for contact information.
Pulitzer Prize nominee Norbert Krapf reads the story of his German ancestors in Jasper at that masterpiece of Teutonic architecture, the Athenaeum. Join him at the Stammtisch, the elevated table where serious German men discuss elevated topics.
Check out the Midwest film premiere of On the Road Now: Artists and Writers Respond to Kerouac in the 21st Century, a reflection on the Kerouac beat legacy featuring Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Amiri Baraka, and others. Head conservator Jim Canary, curator of the scroll at Indiana University’s Lilly Library, will introduce the film and afterward, show images of the scroll’s own roadtrip across the world. (more…)
A scroll both holy and profane. Iconic photos that 50 years ago redefined how America sees itself. (more…)
Local poets read work directly inspired by Robert Frank’s famous photographs, compiled into a 1958 book called The Americans. A mix of life-in-motion portraits and inconclusive scenes shot during an ambling U.S. tour in the mid-fifties, Frank’s influential photos catch Americans in all their cultural variety and mystery, from subway riders to politicians and cross-dressers. (more…)
If you hang out around the art and cultural scene in Central Indiana the second half of 2008, you’ll be hearing a lot of Chinese. The Indiana Art Center kicks off this important period with “Two Worlds, One Language Through Art” … and for the right price, you can be part of the gala kick-off of the kick-off. (more…)
NUVO gives Provocate 2007 Cultural Vision Award
Provocate featured in Indianapolis Monthly
"Award combines film, activism: Festival to recognize social justice of Sept. 11, Congo in discussions,"
Indiana Lawyer April 16, 2008 ... on Provocate's Eric Parker Social Justice Award at the Indianapolis International Film Festival
