Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Dogwood Gallery, Tyrone, GA: Viewpoint: Variations on Landscapes

Viewpoint: Variations on Landscapes

Featuring works by Georgette Liberatore, Martin Pate, David Boyd, Jr., Bob Francisco and Wynne Ragland. Diverse landscapes will be depicted in watercolor, oil, acrylic, and photograghy. All works are for sale.
Please join us for the Opening Reception
Saturday, May 17th
6:00 to 9:00

The show will run May 17 – June 7th

1175 Senoia Road Tyrone, GA
(Located Behind The Legacy Theatre)
phone 770–774–3524
www.dogwoodgallery.net

Gallery Hours
Tuesday – Friday 10 to 5
Saturday 11 to 4
Sunday & Monday by Appointment

"American Masters" at Mudfire Claywork and Gallery

American Masters, a landmark invitational exhibition highlighting sixteen of the country's most established and talented studio potters, opens at MudFire Gallery on May 10, 2008. The show will continue through June 21, 2008. American Masters exhibit will feature fine craft by American potters whose work has shaped the landscape of contemporary ceramics. The artists are known internationally and represent a diverse sample from the top of the field.

The American studio pottery movement gathered steam in the post-WWII era, with the GI bill funding the initial endeavors of many now legendary names. Initially inspired by the humble anonymous potter ethic of Bernard Leach and Shoji Hamada, significant figures such as Peter Voulkos, Paul Soldner, Warren McKenzie, and Rudi Autio became the standard-bearers for a new generation of ceramicists. American studio pottery as a whole has since blossomed and branched in countless directions, with a current day depth and vibrancy that is unmatched in any other place or time.

American Masters brings the best of the best to Atlanta, in a nationally significant exhibit which reinforces the metro area's fast-growing reputation for being an important center for the clay arts. This exhibit offers Atlantans the opportunity to view, handle, and purchase some of the best fine craft being made by contemporary American artists.

American Masters features over 100 works by artists including: Kathy King, Lisa Orr, Judith Duff, Rick Berman, Mark Shapiro, Kari Radasch, Glenn Dair, John Britt, Linda McFarling, Malcolm Davis, Ayumi Horie, Michael Kline, Gay Smith, Michael Schmidt, Lana Wilson, Jeff Oestreich, and Paul Andrew Wandless. Students, and collectors of clay will not want to miss this rare opportunity to experience a collection of this calibre in the intimate setting of the MudFire Gallery.

Details about the exhibit, complete artist information and representative images are available at http://www.mudfire.com/american-masters.htm

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

HIGH ACQUIRES WORKS BY ARTISTS CASSATT, PISSARRO, BONNARD AND VUILLARD

The High recently acquired four new works for its permanent collection, including the pastel “Mother and Child,” by Mary Cassatt; the oil painting “Snowscape with Cows, Montfoucault,” by Camille Pissarro; the oil painting “The Breakfast,” by Pierre Bonnard; and the painting on paper “Villa les Écluses, St. Jacut, Brittany,” by Édouard Vuillard. The new acquisitions were purchased from the estate of longtime Atlanta resident Kathryn Welch Hartzog. The purchases were made possible by the Forward Arts Foundation, the Robert D. Fowler Family, Helen C. Griffith and Joan N. Whitcomb. The Forward Arts Foundation, a special friend of the High for over 40 years, has donated the funds to help the Museum acquire most of its Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings.

“The acquisition of these four major works makes the Museum’s holdings of French Impressionist and Post-Impressionist artists one of the most important in the Southeast,” commented David Brenneman, the High’s Director of Collections and Exhibitions and Frances. B. Bunzl Family Curator of European art. In addition to paintings by Monet and Bazille and prints and drawings by Toulouse-Lautrec and Degas already in the permanent collection, the High now possesses two pastels and one oil painting by Cassatt; three paintings and one print by Pissarro; one painting, three drawings and three prints by Vuillard; and one painting and three prints by Bonnard.

Beginning on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 11, and running through August 17, the four new works will be on view at the High as part of a special permanent collection installation of eight works titled “Cassatt, Pissarro, Bonnard, Vuillard: New Acquisitions for the Collection.” The four new works will be joined by another Cassatt pastel, which was gifted by Jacqueline and Matt Friedlander in 2005; a Cassatt oil painting; and two Vuillard pastels, which were given by Mrs. Hartzog in 1992.

Mary Cassatt, “Mother and Child,” 1909–1914
Mary Cassatt (American, 1844–1926) was considered one of the greatest painters of mothers and their children. In “Mother and Child,” Mary Cassatt’s modern interpretation of the Madonna and Child theme captures the intimacy of the relationship between mother and child. Cassatt often used the soft and delicate medium of pastel—which she adopted, at least in part, because of her friendship with Edgar Degas—to render her depictions of domestic interiors and family life. Cassatt’s bold, sketchy application of brilliant colors heightens the effect of a tender moment and results in her warm, affectionate portraits of mothers and children. “Mother and Child” was purchased with funds from The Forward Arts Foundation and the Robert D. Fowler Family.

Camille Pissarro, “Snowscape with Cows, Montfoucault,” 1874
Camille Pissarro (French, 1830–1903) is perhaps best known for his paintings of rural landscapes. The scene in “Snowscape with Cows, Montfoucault” depicts the home of fellow painter Ludovic Piette and is one of several snow scenes Pissarro painted during the winter of 1874. Pissarro’s limited palette and broad, painterly brushwork suggest not only the influence of Pissarro’s predecessor, Gustave Courbet, but also the influence of Paul Cézanne, with whom Pissarro worked closely during the 1870s. “Snowscape with Cows, Montfoucault” was purchased with funds from Helen C. Griffith to honor Robert Sherrill Griffith, Jr., and from Joan N. Whitcomb in memory of Taylor Stuckey.

Pierre Bonnard, “The Breakfast,” 1922
During the 1880s and 1890s, Pierre Bonnard (French, 1867–1947) was a leading member of the Nabis, a group of Post-Impressionist artists. An example of an intimiste painting—a scene depicting everyday life in a domestic interior—“The Breakfast” displays Bonnard’s approach to painting: an exquisite sense of color—highlighted here by the artist’s use of pinks and purples—and the unusual cropping of the figure. “The Breakfast” was purchased with funds from Alfred Austell Thornton in memory of Leila Austell Thornton and Albert Edward Thornton, Sr. and from Sarah Miller Venable and William Hoyt Venable.

Édouard Vuillard, “Villa les Écluses, St. Jacut, Brittany,” ca. 1908
While vacationing in Brittany during the summers of 1908 and 1909, Édouard Vuillard (French, 1868–1940) produced a number of landscapes, including “Villa les Écluses, St. Jacut, Brittany.” This painting is a noteworthy example of Vuillard’s free experimentation with new media and techniques, particularly in the use of peinture à la colle—pigment bound with animal-based glue. His unusual choice of medium emphasizes the paper’s surface texture and accentuates the composition’s flat shapes and silhouettes. “Villa les Écluses, St. Jacut, Brittany” was purchased with general acquisitions funds.

European Collection at the High
In 1958 the High received a donation of twenty-nine Renaissance and Baroque paintings and sculptures from the Samuel H. Kress Foundation, establishing the core of the Museum’s European art collection, which today includes nearly 700 works. Highlights of the Kress gift are Giovanni Bellini’s “Madonna and Child,” Tommaso del Massa’s “Madonna and Child with Six Saints” and Giovanni Battista Tiepolo’s “Roman Matron’s Making Offerings to Juno.” In later decades, the High acquired important late nineteenth-century French paintings by such masters as Claude Monet, Camille Pissarro and Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot. More recently, the sculpture and works-on-paper holdings have been strengthened through acquisitions of works by artists ranging from Albrecht Dürer to Antoine-Louis Barye and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec.

High Museum of Art
The High Museum of Art, founded in 1905 as the Atlanta Art Association, is the leading art museum in the southeastern United States. With more than 11,000 works of art in its permanent collection, the High Museum of Art has an extensive anthology of 19th- and 20th-century American and decorative art; significant holdings of European paintings; a growing collection of African American art; and burgeoning collections of modern and contemporary art, photography and African art. The High is also dedicated to supporting and collecting works by Southern artists and is distinguished as the only major museum in North America to have a curatorial department specifically devoted to the field of folk and self-taught art. The High’s Media Arts department produces acclaimed annual film series and festivals of foreign, independent and classic cinema. In November 2005, the High opened three new buildings by architect Renzo Piano that more than doubled the Museum’s size, creating a vibrant “village for the arts” at the Woodruff Arts Center in midtown Atlanta. For more information about the High, please visit www.High.org.

The Woodruff Arts Center
The Woodruff Arts Center is the largest arts center in the Southeast as well as one of the four largest in the nation. The Woodruff is unique in that it combines five visual and performing-arts divisions on one campus as one not-for-profit organization. Opened in 1968, the Woodruff Arts Center is home to the Alliance Theatre, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, the High Museum of Art, Young Audiences and the 14th Street Playhouse.

JOE OVERSTREET’S STORYVILLE SERIES NAMED OFFICIAL ARTWORK OF 31ST ANNUAL ATLANTA JAZZ FESTIVAL

The 2008 Atlanta Jazz Festival features artwork from critically acclaimed artist Joe Overstreet’s Storyville Series. The Storyville Series weaves a tapestry that reveals the life and culture of the notorious District in New Orleans that flourished between 1715 and 1917 and captures the music, mysteries and magic of the city. The paintings of this Series are embroidered with oil pigment actually applied with palette knife and paper and pay tribute to the past, to the birth of jazz, and explore the paradox of New Orleans history.

Presented by the City of Atlanta Office of Cultural Affairs, the exhibit is free and will be on display for public viewing at City Gallery East.

City Gallery East
675 Ponce De Leon Avenue
Atlanta, GA 30308
May 2 – August 1, 2008
10:00 am - 5:00 pm, Monday – Saturday.

Sunday, April 27, 2008

Senoia Arts on the Move!

I heard rumors that the city of Senoia (in Coweta County) was in the midst of embracing the arts. Little tempting bits of information were being dropped into conversations that had me curious. So, Friday I took a drive down with a friend to have a look.

The town certainly has changed! Stores have been renovated and cute little shops had popped up since the last time I wandered through. I noticed a sign on one door referencing an art show, unfortunately, I was too early. The opening reception was Friday night, something I had to miss as it wasn't on the schedule and something else, not as much fun I think, was.

However, I told my husband about some of the interesting things I'd seen and he surprised me by suggesting we head down there for brunch at the Veranda Historic B & B Inn this morning. What a great treat! I'll be sharing a bit about our great experience at the Veranda in our Fayette Food and County Cuisine sections later.

After enjoying the great meal we toured the Veranda and spent some time talking with owners Rick and Laura Reynolds. We touched on their interest in the arts --- sounded like there's going to be some great things happening in that regard at the Veranda. More on that in another column once I learn more.

We left the Veranda and headed around the corner to the main drag to hopefully stop in some of the little stores. First stop was the Art Show I'd noticed on Friday. They had just opened the doors. Ten to twelve artists from the area have work on display. They are only open on weekends through Memorial Day. Saturday hours are 11 - 5, Sunday they're open from 1 - 5. Some of the work has already sold! Not bad for being open such a short time.

Now here's some of the rumors and tidbits I've heard... The movie studio, Riverwood, is building a bunch of condos that they'll be leasing. They'll also be using them for a movie set if my information is correct. Anyone leasing a condo has to agree to go out the back exit only when the studio is filming. I understand they're trying to attract artists, and that the condos will be leased at a fair price. I'm going to be putting in a call to the studio to find out more about this exciting venture (and to verify the bits I'm hearing).

There are some beautiful old homes for sale in the Senoia downtown area. It's a strange mix of old 1900's homes, some government duplexes, old brick home from maybe the 50s or 60s and a few more modern home stuck in the middle. There are untold numbers of new subdivisions going up - and it looks like they're selling, which is surprising in the current economy. I didn't see anything to rave about in the subdivisions, but then I'm not one to care for cookie-cutter homes. I prefer those old Victorian houses that have so much flavor! I don't live in one, probably never will, but I can still like them...

I didn't get to stop in any of the other little stores, ran out of time. I'll be going back just to check them out. I may save up my pennies and buy one of the pieces of art in the show. I saw a number I'd like to have.

I'll be sharing more on Senoia. As an artist I hope they make it work. I did ask about lease pricing on some of the stores on main street... I was surprised at how high the prices were! I could be wrong, but it sure seemed like they were out to make Peachtree City pricing look reasonable in comparison.

-jmd

Saturday, April 26, 2008

NEW STUDY REVEALS THAT ARTS-RELATED BUSINESSES PROVIDE SIGNIFICANT EMPLOYMENT IN ATLANTA AND ACROSS THE NATION

More than 2,430 Arts-Centric Businesses Employ 23,198 People

Earlier this month the City of Atlanta Office of Cultural Affairs released its Creative Industries 2008 report which presents detailed analysis of arts-related businesses, institutions, and organizations in Atlanta. The local report is part of a national study on creative industries conducted by Americans for the Arts, the nation’s leading non-profit organization for advancing the arts. Arts-centric businesses represent 4.3 percent of all businesses and 2.2 percent of all jobs in the United States and illustrates that the arts are a robust and formidable economic growth sector.

In Atlanta:

· More than 2,430 arts-related businesses employ 23,198 people.
· Arts-centric businesses grew 18.94 percent from 2007
· Employment growth by arts-centric businesses since 2007 was 22.08 percent.

And nationwide:

· More than 612,000 arts-related businesses employ 2.98 million people.
· Arts-centric businesses grew 12 percent from 2007 compared to the growth of 10.7 percent for all U.S. businesses.
· Employment growth by arts-centric businesses since 2007 was 11.6 percent, more than four times the rise in the total number of U.S. employees of 2.4 percent.

Combining Dun & Bradstreet data and geo-economic analysis, the study tracks and maps the presence of these arts-related entities in six creative industries: museums and collections; performing arts; visual arts and photography; film, radio, and TV; design and publishing; and arts schools and services. These creative industries range from nonprofit museums, symphonies, and theaters to for-profit film, architecture, and advertising companies.

“This study reveals the extraordinary presence of the creative industries throughout Atlanta,” said Camille Russell Love, Director of the Office of Cultural Affairs. “Cultural programs and the arts are fundamental components of the national and local economy, and one in which the Atlanta community has a stake.”

The entire Creative Industries 2008: The 50 City Report, as well as additional reports on states and U.S. Congressional Districts, can be found at: www.AmericansforTheArts.org/CreativeIndustries.

Fayette County Library Hosts “Christian Writers Fair”

Acclaimed Christian fiction author Gilbert Morris will deliver the keynote speech for the Fayette County Public Library’s “Christian Writers Fair” on Saturday, May 3. The event begins at 1:00 p.m., and also features eight local Christian writers of both fiction and nonfiction. Each author will give a presentation, answer audience questions, and sign books. The event is free and open to the public. Light refreshments to be served.

Gilbert Morris is a prolific and bestselling author of over 20 different series of fiction for adults, teens, and children, as well as numerous stand-alone fiction titles. His writings span many genres, but always remain true to a Christian theme. An ordained Baptist minister, Morris says, “I am an avid reader of popular fiction—mystery, detective, western, and suspense. It is my ambition to write many novels with just a touch of the Christian viewpoint.” His many fans agree that, in his long career, he has succeeded in this goal. His 2000 novel “Edge of Honor” received a Christy Award; among his many popular series are “House of Winslow,” “American Odyssey,” and “The Appomattox Saga.”

Dale Cramer, a resident of Henry County whose novels “Levi’s Will” and “Bad Ground” both garnered Christy Awards, says, “I believe God is endlessly interesting, surprising and mysterious, I believe we are the arms of God, and I believe the forgiven have an obligation to forgive.” From this starting point, he writes novels of human struggle and redemption, with strong characters and imaginative plotting.

Barbara Cunningham is a minister and teacher whose mission is to educate people to help themselves. A Fayetteville resident, Cunningham is the pastor of The Living Truth Center of Christ in Stone Mountain. Her book, “I AM Consciousness of Being” instructs the reader to see beyond the physical, prompting those seeking spiritual liberation through the Divine Messenger to explore their inner dimension.

Rose Marie Harper is co-founder—with her late husband Dr. Byron Harper, Jr.—of Christian City, a nonprofit, nondenominational organization in Union City that provides affordable residential, health and social services primarily to children, the aged, and the infirm. Mrs. Harper has written the “Legacy” series of historical fiction books, inspired by her own family history.

Mamie Harris, a resident of Fayetteville, is the founder and senior pastor of the New Generation Christian Fellowship Church in Griffin. Her book, “Detour to Destiny,” is a message from the perspective of a pastor’s widow. It illustrates the real life obstacles that we face from day to day with realism and transparency.

Vickie Keyes, a homeschooling mom and mentor in a local congregation for women, cherishes most being able to encourage women to move beyond energy-restricting life issues. In her book, “Overcoming the Issues of Life,” she shares stories and insights to heighten the faith of others.
Jimmie Lucas wrote “Custom-Built by God” to motivate and inspire readers to understand their uniqueness and fulfill the purpose for their God-given gifts, talents and abilities. Lucas is president and founder of Voice Of Light International Ministries, and CEO of Maximum Output Leadership Organization.

Creston Mapes provides fiction lovers with exciting, page-turning reads that will draw them to a better understanding of God’s unconditional love. His latest novel, “Nobody,” is a gritty tale about a homeless murder, packed with intrigue, mystery, suspense and a touch of romance.
Tammy Melton is a Christian speaker, author, and the founder of Legacy Ministries for Christ in Fayetteville. Her book, “Loving God with All Five Senses” conveys the message that God delights in satisfying our deepest longings—even beyond the desires of the five senses.

The free public event is sponsored by the Fayette County Public Library and the Friends of the Fayette County Public Library. A reception will follow including talks with the authors, a book signing—books available for purchase—and light refreshments. Proceeds from books sold benefit the Friends of the Fayette County Public Library.The Fayette County Public Library is located behind the Fayette County administrative complex in downtown Fayetteville, at the southwest corner of Highways #85 and #54. For additional information, please contact the library at 770-461-8841.

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Art Show Opening in Historic Senoia

Set against the rustic brick walls of a century-old building, "Art Senoia" will debut April 25th with an opening reception from 6:30 to 9:30 at 20 Main Street in Historic Downtown Senoia. This is the first event of the newly formed Cultural Arts Committee of the Senoia Downtown Development Authority. "Art Senoia" will feature a range of beautiful paintings along with fine photography and art quilts. The art is for sale, and a portion of the proceeds goes to support the Cultural Arts Committee. Local shops and restaurants will also be open the evening of the reception.

Local painters taking part in the show are David Boyd Jr., Victor Dallas, Anne Harwell, Martin Pate, Jane Whitehurst, Joy Whitley and Yun Liu. Photographers showing their artwork are Paul Conlan and Jeremy Harwell. Found metal sculpture by Zack and David Moye and fiber art and quilts by Claudia Wood are also included in the exhibit.

After the April 25th reception, the exhibit will be open Saturdays 11:00 to 5:00 and Sundays 1:00 to 5:00 through Memorial Day, May 26th. It can also be viewed during the week by students and other groups by appointment. The reception and art show are free and open to the public.

Art Senoia is sponsored by the Senoia Downtown Development Authority and The City of Senoia. For more information, call Suzanne Helfman at 770-599-8182 or Claudia Wood at 770-599-0047.
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Community News You Can Use
Fayetteville, Peachtree City, Tyrone
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Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Disney’s THE LION KING --- Traffic Alert!!!

Broadway Across America – Atlanta is encouraging theatergoers to please allow extra travel time to the Atlanta Civic Center for the 1:00 p.m. matinee performance of Disney’s THE LION KING on Sunday, April 27 due to Tour de Georgia road closures near the venue. The following street closures are likely to impact travel getting to the Atlanta Civic Center. It is strongly suggested that theatergoers adjust their travel time to arrive at the Civic Center early in light of these street closures.

Streets used on the racecourse will include:
Luckie Street from Atlanta Centennial Park to Auburn Ave.
Auburn Ave. from Luckie Street to Piedmont Ave.
Piedmont Ave. from Auburn Ave. to John Wesley Dobbs
John Wesley Dobbs from Piedmont Ave. to Jackson St.
Highland Ave. from Jackson Street to Glen Iris
Ralph McGill Blvd. from Glen Iris to Parkway Dr.
Linden Ave. from Parkway Dr. to Central Park Place.
Central Park Place to Ralph McGill Blvd.
Ralph McGill Blvd. to W. Peachtree St.
W. Peachtree St. to 5th Street
Techwood Dr./Atlanta Centennial Park from 5th Street to the Park

The race will start at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 27 at Centennial Olympic Park and will finish at approximately 3:15 – 3:40 p.m. Roads used for the course will be cleared of traffic beginning 15-20 minutes before the race. Travel along the course will be restricted during the 2 ½ hours of the race. Emergency vehicles will not be affected by road closures.

WHEN: Sunday, April 27
1:00 p.m.

WHERE: The Atlanta Civic Center
395 Piedmont Avenue
Atlanta, GA 30308
(404) 523-6275

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Call (404) 523-6275 or visit www.atlantaciviccenter.com.
Listen to WSB-AM (750 AM) for travel updates.
Visit www.tourdegeorgia.com for maps of the racecourse.
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Community News You Can Use
Fayetteville, Peachtree City, Tyrone
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Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Clayton State University’s Cygnet Launches with an “Open Mic”

Clayton State University’s literary arts magazine, Cygnet, will launch the 2008 edition along with the University’s annual Poetrypalooza with an open mic event on Thursday, Apr. 17 at 7 p.m. in room 272 of the University’s James M. Baker Center.

“This year the event will start with an open mic session during which faculty and students will read, or perform their poetry work. A few people plan to perform musical pieces as well,” explains Dr. Brigitte Byrd, assistant professor in the Department of Language and Literature and senior editor of Cygnet.

The event will also take on a new look by projecting the student artwork that is featured in this edition through out the evening.

The editors of the Cygnet invited the students whose work of fiction, nonfiction, or poetry is featured in this Cygnet to read excerpts of their work. Byrd is also inviting faculty to read poems (either their own work or the work of one of their favorite poets).

The winners of the Poetrypalooza will also read their work.

First published in spring 2004, Cygnet exists to encourage creative writing and art by providing a forum for writers and artists to display their works. Poetrypalooza exists to provide students the forum to express their creative writing talents with an audience.

For more information on the release of the University’s literary arts journal, Cygnet; or the annual Poetrypalooza Student Poetry Contest, contact Byrd at BrigitteByrd@clayton.edu or by phone at (678) 466-4556.

A unit of the University System of Georgia, Clayton State University is an outstanding comprehensive metropolitan university located 15 miles southeast of downtown Atlanta.

Monday, April 21, 2008

Arts institutions feeling impact of ailing economy

When the J. Paul Getty Trust in Los Angeles was seeking to finance the purchase of art works, it did what cultural institutions often do to raise money: It issued bonds.... More

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080421/ap_on_re_us/uneasy_economy_museums

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

“Think on your feet!”

Adults, ages 18 and up have an opportunity to participate in a free Theatre Improv Workshop at the Carrollton Cultural Arts Center. “Think on your feet!” An incredibly fun class that lets you make it up as you go! Play exciting theatre games, do character and scene improvisations, creating work never seen before. Develop spontaneity, fearlessness, expression and teamwork in this fast-paced class that will be the most fun you’ll have all day! The workshop will be led by Jeff Holbrook from the Springer Opera House, Columbus, Georgia. Funding for this program is provided by a Grassroots Grant from the Georgia Council for the Arts. The Improv workshop is Saturday, May 10 from 10:30 a.m.-12:00 noon on stage at the Carrollton Cultural Arts Center. The workshop is free but registration is required and is limited to 30 participants. Call 770-838-1083 or email plewis@carrollton-ga.gov

Monday, April 14, 2008

Happenings at the High - Update!

CLOSING WEEKEND: Embodying the Sacred in Yoruba Art
Through April 20, 2008
For full exhibition information, please click here.

FINAL WEEKS: O’Keeffe and TRANSactions
Through May 4, 2008
“Georgia O'Keeffe and the Women of the Stieglitz Circle”
“TRANSactions: Contemporary Latin American and Latino Art”
For full exhibition information, please click here.

FOURTH ANNUAL DRISKELL PRIZE DINNER
Monday, April 21
Sandra Baccus, Honorary Chair, and Co-Chairs Jennifer and Curley Dossman and Sally and Allen McDaniel invite you to the fourth annual Driskell Prize Dinner—a fundraising event honoring the Museum's 2008 David C. Driskell Prize winner, Xaviera Simmons. This prestigious award, named for artist and art historian David C. Driskell, is presented to an artist whose work contributes to the contemporary definition of the African American visual experience. The event’s net proceeds support the David C. Driskell African American Art Acquisition and David C. Driskell African American Art Acquisition Endowment Funds.
For information, click here or call Rhonda Matheison at 404-733-4403 or Monifa Clunie at 404-733-4404.

FILM SERIES: “French Film Yesterday and Today” Closing
Thursday, April 24 and Saturday, April 26
“French Film Yesterday and Today” closes with a new print of François Truffaut’s 1962 film “Jules and Jim” on Thursday, April 24 and Saturday, April 26. Set between the First and Second World Wars, the film follows two artist friends who are in love with the same woman—the wild and ravishing Catherine (Jeanne Moreau). As their lives go on, their relationships change, but their friendships remain strong.

“Jules and Jim.” Thursday, April 24 and Saturday, April 26
In French, German and English with subtitles.

All films are screened at 8 p.m. (unless otherwise noted) in the Richard H. Rich Theatre, located in the Memorial Arts Building, adjacent to the High at Peachtree and 15th Streets in midtown Atlanta. For in-depth film series descriptions, click here or call the films hotline at 404-733-4570.

“French Film Yesterday and Today” is an annual program made possible with support from the Embassy of France Cultural Services and the Consulate of France in Atlanta. 35mm projection facilities in the Rich Auditorium were provided by a gift from George Lefont. All programs are subject to change or cancellation.

Tickets: $5 for the public and $4 for Museum members, students and seniors. Patron-level members enter free. Tickets can be purchased in advance by going online at www.High.org, visiting the Woodruff Arts Center Box Office, or by calling 404-733-5000. Tickets may also be purchased at the door on the night of the screening. Phone and internet orders will incur a service fee of $1.00 per ticket.

ART IN THE CITY: Thursday Nights at the High
Thursday, April 24, 5 to 8 p.m.
The Museum offers extended hours every Thursday until 8 p.m. This is a great way to see special exhibitions and avoid the weekend crowds. Free with Museum admission and free to members.

SAVE THE DATE: Celebrate Mom at the High for Mother's Day
Sunday, May 11, 12 to 5 p.m.
Treat your mother to a special day she'll never forget – a visit to the High on Mother's Day to view extraordinary antiquities from the Louvre Museum in Paris including those owned by Empress Josephine. Enjoy gallery viewing, special Mother's Day gift selections in the Museum Shop, and more! Members will receive an additional 10% discount in the Museum Shop.
Ticket Special: Buy one adult ticket and get one free; free for members

REGULAR FAMILY PROGRAMMING:

TODDLER THURSDAYS
Thursdays; 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Greene Family Education Center
Experience this popular pre-school art education program! Parents and their children ages 2 to 4 are encouraged to look at works of art within the Museum’s special exhibitions and permanent collections as well as to create a masterpiece to take home. Drop by any time and stay as long as you like. A treat for parents and toddlers! Sponsored by Carters/ OshKosh.

April 24: Black and White Paper Collage
No registration required. Free with Museum admission.

SATURDAY STUDIO
Saturdays; 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.; Greene Family Education Center
With activities ranging from three-dimensional sculptures to figural collages, your family is sure to have an enriching hands-on art making experience! Saturday Studio is offered each Saturday at the High.

April 26: Enlarged Detail Drawings
No registration required. Free with museum admission.

MUSEUM HOURS
Mondays CLOSED
Tuesday and Wednesday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Thursday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Friday and Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sunday 12 to 5 p.m.
* Friday Jazz (3rd Friday of every month) 5 to 10 p.m.
Check www.High.org for special extended hours during special exhibitions and events.
Closed January 1, July 4, Thanksgiving and December 25.

GENERAL ADMISSION
$18 Adult
$15 Senior citizens and college students with ID
$11 Children ages 6 to 17
Free Children under age 6 and Members
*All pricing includes free audio-guide tours of “Louvre Atlanta”

Tickets are available online at www.High.org. Tickets may also be purchased at the High Museum admission desk, Woodruff Arts Center box office, or by phone, 404-733-5000 (404-733-5386 TTD). All ticket orders placed via phone will incur a $3.00/ticket service charge.

WHERE
High Museum of Art
1280 Peachtree Street
Midtown Atlanta
MARTA: Arts Center

Thursday, April 10, 2008

May Films at the High

7th Annual Film Festival of India Returns;
Special Spotlight Series Features Academy Award–Winner Javier Bardem

Summer films kick off at the High in May with two series: the seventh annual Film Festival of India and Starring Javier Bardem. Both series feature multiple critically acclaimed foreign films, including Indian festival opener “The Voyeurs,” whose director Buddhadev Dasgupta won seven international awards for his work. Javier Bardem, the featured actor of the second spotlight film series, has been nominated for nearly 80 awards and won over 50, including last year’s Best Supporting Actor Oscar for “No Country for Old Men.”

Co-sponsored by the Georgia Indo-American Chamber of Commerce and the Indo-American Film Society, the Film Festival of India, featuring five films, will run from May 9 through 31. Starring Javier Bardem, with four films, begins May 3 and continues through June 26.

“The Film Festival of India brings outstanding alternative Indian cinema to Atlanta audiences. The films we’ll be presenting are not Bollywood spectaculars, but the Indian counterpart of American indie cinema—thoughtful, off-beat and provocative,” said Linda Dubler, the High’s Curator of Media Arts. “We have showcased Javier Bardem’s performances over the years, but with his recent Oscar win for ’No Country for Old Men,’ it seemed like an ideal time to create a festival around his brilliant work.”

Film Festival of India
This series begins on Friday, May 9, with “The Voyeurs,” a story about two country boys trying to make it in the city. Dilip and Yasim are surveillance-camera installers who take it too far when Dilip starts spying on his beautiful neighbor, a dancer named Rekha. Director Buddhadev Dasgupta tenderly tells Dilip’s story while also critiquing the modern culture of surveillance and fear.

On Saturday, May 10, the festival continues with “Before the Rains.” In 1937 India, Henry Moores has begun building a road to his spice plantation. With his right-hand man T.K. running construction, Henry begins romancing his married housekeeper Sajani. The relationship sparks a series of tragic events stemming from the community’s outrage and the arrival of Moores’ wife and son from England.

“The Eclipse,” showing on Friday, May 16, won director Mohan Krishna Indraganti top honors for a debut film at the 2005 Indian National Film Awards. Based on a story by Telugu writer G.V. Chalam, the film focuses on how superstition, mysticism and misogyny affect its central characters: Saradamba, the generous wife of a village landowner, and Kanakayya, the teenaged boy she has taken under her wing.

On Saturday, May 17, Josh Hamilton stars in “Outsourced,” a story focusing on Todd, whose Seattle-based company shuts down their call center and outsources the work to India. Culture shock ensues on both sides, and while Todd adjusts to village life outside Mumbai with the help of co-worker Asha, his new trainees contemplate the products they are meant to sell: ceramic American eagles and Wisconsin cheese-head hats.

The final film, “Amal,” (pictured) will show on Saturday, May 31. This fable-like movie centers on a generous-hearted auto-rickshaw driver named Amal who fortuitously picks up a cranky, homeless old man. The man turns out to be anything but homeless and wills his estate to the humble driver. The events that follow come together in a morality tale about the best and worst of human nature. (photo credit: “Amal, 2007”)

Starring Javier Bardem
“Before Night Falls” opens this series on Thursday, May 3. A skillful retelling of Reinaldo Arenas’ memoir, Julian Schnabel’s second film focuses on the Cuban writer’s life from childhood in revolutionary Cuba through his death of AIDS in 1990s Manhattan. With heavy focus on visual cues that describe the stages of Arenas’ life, the film garnered eleven awards including four high honors at the Venice Film Festival in 2001. This film is not appropriate for children.

On Thursday, May 22, the series continues with “Live Flesh,” a vibrant film by Pedro Almodóvar. Police officer David and his junkie-turned-housewife Elena are at the center of this gripping story, in which past indiscretions come back to haunt the couple and push the limits of their love. In her 1997 “New York Times” review, Janet Maslin praised the ensemble cast, saying that each character “is depicted with sharp, lively precision.” This film is not appropriate for children.

Thursday, June 19, brings “The Sea Inside,” 2005’s Oscar winner for Best Foreign Film. Having endured 28 years of paralysis, Ramón Sampedro is petitioning for the right to euthanize himself. Sampedro’s relationships with family, a lawyer and a young neighborhood mother stand out in the story, bringing to the table diverse ideas of what it means to live. Roger Ebert called Bardem’s performance full of “charm and masculine force” in his 2004 review.

The final film is “Mondays in the Sun” on Thursday, June 26. A Spanish shipyard closes down, and five friends find themselves with nothing. Even, or perhaps especially, their self-esteem has left them in a lurch. The feeling of being at a dead end permeates the film, which won five out of eight Goya awards in 2003, including Best Film. Bardem picked up seven international awards for his performance as Santa, the most rebellious and reckless of the group.

Film Series Schedule
All films are screened in the Richard H. Rich Theatre, located in the Memorial Arts Building, adjacent to the High at Peachtree and 15th Streets in midtown Atlanta. All films are screened at 8 p.m. in the Rich Theatre unless otherwise noted.

Film Festival of India
“The Voyeurs”
Friday, May 9
(India, 2007, 115 minutes)
In Bengali with subtitles

“Before the Rains”
Saturday, May 10
(U.S., 2007, 98 minutes)
In English and Malayalam with subtitles

“The Eclipse”
Friday, May 16
(India, 2004, 96 minutes)
In Telugu with subtitles

“Outsourced”
Saturday, May 17
(U.S., 2006, 98 minutes)
In English and Hindi with subtitles

“Amal”
Saturday, May 31
(Canada, 2007, 101 minutes)In English and Hindi with subtitles
Starring Javier Bardem
“Before Night Falls”
Thursday, May 8
(U.S., 2000, 133 minutes)
In English, Spanish, French and Russian with subtitles

“Live Flesh”
Thursday, May 22
(Spain/France, 1997, 103 minutes)
In Spanish with subtitles

“The Sea Inside”
Thursday, June 19
(Spain/France/Italy, 2004, 125 minutes)
In Spanish, Catalan and Galician with subtitles

“Mondays in the Sun”
Thursday, June 26
(Spain/France/Italy, 2002, 113 minutes)
In Spanish with subtitles.

Support
The seventh Film Festival of India is co-sponsored by the Georgia Indo-American Chamber of Commerce and the Indo-American Film Society. 35mm projection facilities in the Rich Auditorium were provided by a gift from George Lefont.

Tickets
$5 for the public and $4 for Museum members, students and seniors through May 31; $7 for the public and $6 for Museum members, students and seniors beginning June 1. Patron-level members enter free. Tickets can be purchased in advance online at www.High.org, by visiting the Woodruff Arts Center Box Office or by calling 404-733-5000. Tickets also may be purchased at the door on the night of the screening. Phone and internet orders will incur a $1-per-ticket service fee.

The public may call the High’s film hotline at 404-733-4570 for up-to-the-minute information about visiting directors, receptions, changes or cancellations and for a free subscription to the quarterly film calendar. The Museum’s website is www.High.org.

Ticketing information:
To allow us to continue showing the best films from around the world, film ticket prices will increase beginning June 1, 2008. New prices will be $7 general admission, $6 students, seniors and Museum members. Free for patron-level members.

Painting Project Brings Soldiers, Iraqi Families Together

Photo: Young Iraqi artists pose in front of their artwork after a day spent painting a T-wall at Forward Operating Base War Eagle in northern Baghdad, March 29, 2008. The children of the village next to the base painted the T-walls that line their route to school. Photo by Army Spc. Joseph Rivera Rebolledo, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Multinational Division Baghdad

Soldiers at Forward Operating Base War Eagle here invited a group of Iraqi children to showcase their artistic skills and creativity March 29 by painting the concrete walls used to protect citizens in their neighborhood.

The children live in a village near War Eagle and walk by the "T-walls" daily on their way to school, said Army Capt. Megan Welch, a Multinational Division Baghdad logistics officer with the 4th Infantry Division's 64th Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, adding that the children find the route to be a safe way to get to school.

Though the focus of the painting session was to provide another way to establish rapport with the adult and younger residents of the village, Welch said, it also was a chance for the children to beautify something they see daily.

Welch, a native of La Crescent, Minn., added that it helped the Iraqi children see soldiers not only as armed protectors, but also as people with whom they can interact.

The children painted Iraqi and American flags, palm trees, flowers, hearts and other designs of their imagination to give the T-walls a vivid look. The painting day gave the children a better feeling of how people behind the uniform are, and it shows them soldiers care about them, Welch said.

"The kids who participated had a good time, and for us, it was a good opportunity to interact with the neighborhood kids," said Army Capt. Walter Zurkowsky, a New Hampshire native who serves as executive officer for Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 3rd Brigade Combat Team.

Welch and her fellow soldiers from the Mountaineer Battalion organized the day and said they hope to host similar events.

"We had a lot of fun with the kids. It was a good, cooperative community-building event, and we look forward to seeing many of these in the future," she said.

(By Army Spc. Joseph Rivera Rebolledo, Special to American Forces Press Service; Army Spc. Joseph Rivera Rebolledo serves in Multinational Division Baghdad with the 4th Infantry Division's 3rd Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs Office.)

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Mamma Mia! Returns to Atlanta (June 10 - 15)

THE GLOBAL SMASH HIT WILL RETURN TO ATLANTA FOR ONE WEEK ONLY!

Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus’ MAMMA MIA!, the smash hit musical based on the songs of ABBA, returns to The Fabulous Fox Theatre for a special one-week engagement June 10 – 15, 2008, presented by Fidelity Investments Broadway Across America – Atlanta. Tickets go on sale Sunday, April 13.

Seen by over 30 million people around the world, Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus’ global smash hit musical MAMMA MIA! is celebrating 6 sold-out years at the Winter Garden Theatre on Broadway, and is currently playing record-breaking engagements in Las Vegas and on National Tour in the United States. The original West End production has played more than 3,500 performances, an international tour has played in more than 30 foreign cities, and the feature film of MAMMA MIA!, produced by Judy Craymer and Gary Goetzman, will be released on July 18, 2008.

An independent, single mother who owns a small hotel on an idyllic Greek island, Donna is about to let go of Sophie, the spirited daughter she’s raised alone. For Sophie’s wedding, Donna has invited her two lifelong best girlfriends—practical and no-nonsense Rosie and wealthy, multi-divorcee Tanya - from her one-time backing band, Donna and the Dynamos. But Sophie has secretly invited three guests of her own.

On a quest to find the identity of her father to walk her down the aisle, she brings back three men from Donna’s past to the Mediterranean paradise they visited 20 years earlier. Over 24 chaotic, magical hours, new love will bloom and old romances will be rekindled on this lush island full of possibilities.

Inspired by the storytelling magic of ABBA’s songs from “Dancing Queen” and “S.O.S.” to “Money, Money, Money” and “Take a Chance on Me,” MAMMA MIA! is a celebration of mothers and daughters, old friends and new family found.

The performance schedule for MAMMA MIA! at The Fox Theatre is:

Tuesday, June 10 8 p.m.
Wednesday, June 11 8 p.m.
Thursday, June 12 8 p.m.
Friday, June 13 8 p.m.
Saturday, June 14 2 p.m., 8 p.m.
Sunday, June 15 1 p.m., 6:30 p.m.

Ticket prices for MAMMA MIA! are $25.00 – $64.00 and can be purchased through authorized ticket sellers at The Fox Theatre box office, Ticketmaster outlets, online at http://www.ticketmaster.com/, or by phone at 404-817-8700. Orders for groups of 20 or more may be placed by calling 404-881-2000.

Produced by Judy Craymer, Richard East and Björn Ulvaeus for Littlestar in association with Universal, the creative team responsible for bringing MAMMA MIA! to theatrical life includes some of the most gifted and celebrated talents of musical theatre and opera. With music and lyrics by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, MAMMA MIA! is written by Catherine Johnson and directed by Phyllida Lloyd. MAMMA MIA! has choreography by Anthony Van Laast, production design by Mark Thompson, lighting design by Howard Harrison, sound design by Andrew Bruce and Bobby Aitken, and musical supervision, additional material and arrangements by Martin Koch.

The original cast recording of MAMMA MIA! is available on Decca Broadway. For information about MAMMA MIA! around the world, go to http://www.mamma-mia.com/.

The Atlanta engagement of MAMMA MIA! is presented by arrangement with Broadway Across America-Atlanta. Broadway Across America-Atlanta proudly presents Broadway productions in Atlanta as a member of Broadway Across America. Broadway Across America-Atlanta thanks its sponsors for their continued support of the Series: The Georgian Terrace, as the Official Hotel, Sprint PCS as the Official Wireless Provider, Fidelity Investments and Publix.

Broadway Across America (Producer): Owned and operated by British theatre producer John Gore (CEO) and led by Thomas B. McGrath (Chairman), Broadway Across America presents first-class touring Broadway musicals and plays, family productions and other live events throughout a network of 42 North American cities. Broadway Across America is also dedicated to the development and production of new and diverse live theatre for productions on Broadway, across America and throughout the world. Current productions include A CATERED AFFAIR, PASSING STRANGE, SPAMALOT, GO DIEGO GO and THE BACKYARDIGANS. For more information or to purchase tickets through an authorized agent go to BroadwayAcrossAmerica.com.

Monday, April 7, 2008

Joseph Painting Exhibit & Artists Talk, Carrollton Cultural Arts Center

Stefani Joseph, painting exhibit, May 2-30 in the Carrollton Cultural Arts Center Roush Family Gallery. LOFAS, League of Fine Artists South, multi medium exhibit, May 2 -30 in the Carrollton Cultural Arts Center Galleria. Opening Reception Friday, May 2 from 5-7 p.m. For more information call 770-838-1083.

Artist Talk with Stefani Joseph followed by presentation on "Is Art and Design College Right For You?" artist talk in the setting of Joseph's featured painting exhibition and presentation by representatives from the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), May 3 at 2 p.m. at the Carrollton Cultural Arts Center. The event is free and open to the public, although an RSVP is kindly requested. Register online at the “SCAD in your area” section on the Admission page at www.scad.edu or e-mail scadatl@scad.edu.

Popular Author Mary Kay Andrews to Speak and Sign Books at

Mary Kay Andrews, author of such best-selling comic, romantic novels as “Hissy Fit” and “Savannah Blues,” as well as more than a dozen popular mystery novels under her real-life name, Kathy Hogan Trocheck, will visit the Fayette County Public Library on Saturday, April 19 at 1:00 p.m. She will give a brief talk, after which the audience will have an opportunity to ask questions. The author will sign copies of her new book, “Deep Dish,” which will be on sale at the event. “Deep Dish” tells the story of two feuding television chefs, and the audience will be treated to complimentary refreshments that echo some of the concoctions described in the book.

A long-time metro Atlanta resident, former Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporter Kathy Hogan Trocheck found success throughout the 1990s penning a series of humorous mystery novels starring Callahan Garrity, the ex-Atlanta-cop housecleaner. With the arrival of the new millennium, Trocheck changed genres and adopted the pen name Mary Kay Andrews. Filled with the shenanigans inherent in relations between the sexes, and featuring feisty contemporary Southern women, Andrews’s books have found a whole new audience.

The event is free and open to the public, and sponsored by the Fayette County Public Library and the Friends of the Fayette County Public Library.

The Fayette County Public Library is located behind the Fayette County administrative complex in downtown Fayetteville, at the southwest corner of Highways #85 and #54. For additional information, please contact the library at 770-461-8841.

LEONARDO DA VINCI’S NOTEBOOK TRAVELS TO ATLANTA WITH RARE MEDIEVAL AND RENAISSANCE TREASURES FROM RENOWNED BRITISH COLLECTION

An exhibition of 35 medieval and Renaissance masterpieces from one of the world’s finest collections will be on view at the High Museum of Art beginning September 13, 2008, through January 4, 2009. This internationally traveling exhibition of rare treasures from The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) presents works dating from 400 to 1600 AD, many of which have never before traveled to the U.S. Following the tour, the works will be returned to newly restored galleries at the V&A in London.

“The V&A is known worldwide for its exquisite collection of medieval and Renaissance work—from intricate decorative arts to delicate devotional and religious objects. Visitors will come up-close with some of the rarest of these treasures here at the High, as well as have the opportunity to witness the marriage of beauty with outstanding craftsmanship,” said Michael E. Shapiro, the Nancy and Holcombe T. Green, Jr. Director of the High Museum of Art.

“Medieval and Renaissance Treasures” features mostly small-scale works—sculpture, metalwork, ceramics and glass. The foundations of the collection were laid during the 19th century when the museum was known as the South Kensington Museum. Highlights include a Leonardo da Vinci notebook, the “Codex Forster I”; the “Symmachi Panel,” a 5th-century Roman ivory possibly carved to commemorate a wedding; the front cover of the “Lorsch Gospels,” a richly decorated ivory cover of the Gospels made for an abbey in Charlemagne’s Germany; the “Basilewsky Situla,” a small vessel used by priests to hold holy water and gifted to the Emperor Otto II in 980; a pair of gilt-bronze statuettes of prophets from an altarpiece by Hubert Gerhard; and Donatello’s bronze “Putto with Fish.”

Exhibition Organization, Tour and Publications
“Medieval and Renaissance Treasures” is organized by the V&A, London. This exhibition is supported by an indemnity from the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities.

The exhibition debuted at the Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto (June 23 through October 7, 2007), and then traveled to the Norton Museum of Art, West Palm Beach, Fla. (October 20, 2007, through January 6, 2008). Additional venues include the Speed Art Museum, Louisville (January 22 through April 20, 2008); the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City (May 19 through August 17); the High Museum of Art, Atlanta (September 13, 2008, through January 4, 2009); and Millennium Galleries, Sheffield, U.K. (January 29 through May 24, 2009). In fall 2009 the works will be reinstalled in the new galleries at the V&A.

“Medieval and Renaissance Treasures” is accompanied by a fully illustrated program book featuring the works that will be on view at the High Museum of Art, in addition to other pieces from the V&A’s collections. Published by V&A Publications and distributed in North America by Harry N. Abrams, Inc., the catalogue will be available in the High Museum of Art Museum Shop.

The Victoria and Albert Museum
The Victoria and Albert Museum—known as the V&A—is one of the world’s greatest museums of art and design with collections unrivalled in their scope and diversity. It has an outstanding collection of medieval and Renaissance art, from every area of Europe, and includes textiles, paintings, sculpture, glass, metalwork, prints, manuscripts, furniture, ceramics and jewelry. The medieval and Renaissance collection illustrates changing artistic fashions over this long period and can be used to explore many other themes. The artworks provide revealing insights into the skills of the people who made individual objects and the beliefs, aspirations and values of those who owned them. For more about this collection and the V&A, please visit www.vam.ac.uk.

High Museum of Art
The High Museum of Art, founded in 1905 as the Atlanta Art Association, is the leading art museum in the southeastern United States. With more than 11,000 works of art in its permanent collection, the High Museum of Art has an extensive anthology of 19th- and 20th-century American art; significant holdings of European paintings and decorative art; a growing collection of African American art; and burgeoning collections of modern and contemporary art, photography and African art. The High is also dedicated to supporting and collecting works by Southern artists and is distinguished as the only major museum in North America to have a curatorial department specifically devoted to the field of folk and self-taught art. The High’s Media Arts department produces acclaimed annual film series and festivals of foreign, independent and classic cinema. In November 2005 the High opened three new buildings by architect Renzo Piano that more than doubled the Museum’s size, creating a vibrant “village for the arts” at the Woodruff Arts Center in midtown Atlanta. For more information about the High, please visit www.High.org.

The Woodruff Arts Center
The Woodruff Arts Center is ranked among the top four arts centers in the nation. A not-for-profit center for performing and visual arts, its campus comprises the Alliance Theatre, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, the High Museum of Art, Young Audiences and the 14th Street Playhouse.

Sunday, April 6, 2008

Indian Springs Writing Conference

April 25-27

Generations Gallery in The Village at Indian Springs is offering “Tapping Into Your Native Spirit”, a writing conference in which participants learn skills, establish goals and explore the publishing world. Drawing on the area’s rich Native-American history, the conference takes participants on a “Writer’s Vision Quest” under the guidance of many of our regions finest authors. The remarkable 1800’s venue includes the Indian Spring Hotel/Museum (c)1823, the historic Hanes House ante bellum mansion (c)1852, Pinky’s Parlor and Cafe, and The Whimsical Botanical Garden. Activities such as the “Village Tour”, “Open Mic”, “Sacred Circle Campfire”, and “Casual Banquet” make the conference unique.

Among the presenters are Southern writer Rosemary Daniell, Macon Telegraph columnist, Ed Grisamore, WMAZ TV’s Suzanne Lawler, Indigo Publishing, and authors Walter Sorrells, Jackie Welden White, and Dr. Catherine Meeks.

Sunday’s, “Meet the Authors” book signing event is open to the public with special presentations by author and feature writer Dr. Anne B. Jones, PhD and 1960 NASCAR Champion Rex White “Early Racing History and Memoir Writing” at 1:30 p.m.. At 2:00 p.m., former Tuskegee Airman, Lt. Colonel, Charles Dryden will present an educational session based on his book “A-Train: Memoirs of a Tuskegee Airman”. A “Meet the Authors” Book signing event will be held throughout The Village at Indian Springs in the shops from 2:30 to 5:00 p.m. Sunday afternoon.

Register early, as space is limited for the 3 day conference. The conference fee is $150.00. Please call Generations Gallery at (770)775-5556 or Phase One Design Services at
770-227-4002 or toll free at (800)352-7212 for additional information or to register for the conference. We can email a listing of accommodations in nearby communities of Forsyth, Jackson, and Griffin, Georgia. To contact us by email andi@phaseonedesign.com.
Visit our webpage at www.TheVillageatIndianSprings.com/gallery.

Saturday, April 5, 2008

Newnan-Coweta Art Association Announces Spring Show

The Newnan-Coweta Art Association (NCAA) is pleased to announce its annual Spring Fine Art & Craft show. The upcoming exhibit will take place on Saturday, April 19, 2008, from 10:00 a.m. until 6:30 p.m., around the historic Courthouse Square in downtown Newnan. Traditionally, the NCAA hosts its show in conjunction with the Newnan-Coweta Historical Society’s Tour of Homes, also slated for the April 19-20 weekend.

A variety of fine art and crafts including watercolor, oil, acrylic, drawing/sketching including pen/pencil/ink, charcoal and pastels, mixed media, sculpture including pottery and woodworking, photography and more, will be on display. “Reflections of Coweta County,” a special themed exhibit, is also planned for the one-day event. Nearly 40 artists from all over Atlanta’s southern crescent are expected to exhibit. Cash awards and ribbons will be awarded to artists and crafters in all media categories.

Admission and parking for this family-friendly event are free. The public is invited to enjoy an artistic day in Newnan’s charming downtown area.

The NCAA celebrates its 40th birthday this year! The Newnan-Coweta Art Association was incorporated June 18, 1968.

Today, it is a non-profit organization whose purpose is to encourage and aid artists to produce original works of art of every type and character, including but not limited to painting, sculpture, ceramics, wood craft, drawing and metal crafts; to furnish the auspices for the display of such works in Coweta County and elsewhere; and to foster education and instruction in the creation and appreciation of works of art.

The Association supports the arts in Coweta schools through annual donations and scholarships to high school students pursuing the arts in college. The Newnan-Coweta Art Association can be found online at www.Newcaa.com.

Friday, April 4, 2008

APRIL FILM SERIES BRING ITALIAN FILMMAKING, FRENCH CLASSICS TO THE HIGH

April 3–6: Italian Film Festival
April 10–24: French Film Yesterday and Today

Two upcoming film series are bringing the best of western European cinema to the High in April—the Italian Film Festival and French Film Yesterday and Today. Eleven films make up the two series. Many have won international awards, and some have never before been shown in Atlanta. Running concurrently with the Italian Film Festival is a small exhibition of landscape photographs by Italian Ambassador Marco Rocca. About 20 photographs will be on view in Gallery 100, directly across from the Rich Theatre in the Memorial Arts Building.

“It has been increasingly difficult for lovers of Italian cinema to see new movies, as fewer and fewer films receive theatrical distribution in the U.S. Through this partnership with Miami’s Italian Film Festival, Atlanta audiences will be able to get a taste of some of the newest and best-received films coming out of Italy right now,” said Linda Dubler, the High’s curator of Media Arts. “It’s a great opportunity to share these films in addition to the acclaimed French films we would also present during these two April series.”

Italian Film Festival

The series begins on Thursday, April 3, with “The Days of Abandonment.” Olga, played by four-time Davide di Donatello–winner Margherita Buy, hits rock bottom when her professor husband leaves her for one of his students. “Days” follows Olga as she swims through her depression. Deborah Young praised the lead actress in her “Variety” review of the film, saying “this is more or less a one-woman show, and Buy rises to the occasion with surprising force.”

On Friday, April 4, at 7 p.m., the Italian Film Festival brings “One Out of Two” to the screen, a film in which an unlikely pair, upscale lawyer Lorenzo and truck-driver Giovanni, search for authentic life. When Lorenzo finds out he may have a malignant brain tumor, he is too nervous to sit idly in his hospital bed and await the results of his biopsy. Instead, he embarks on a journey to Umbria in search of Giovanni’s estranged daughter, hoping to bring the two back together.

“Manual of Love 2,” on Friday, April 4, at 9 p.m., is Giovanni Veronesi’s sequel to his first “Manual of Love,” which presents four new episodes of love lost, found and frustrated. Monica Bellucci stars in the first segment as a physical therapist on whom patient Nicola develops a crush. Additional segments follow a couple seeking infertility treatment, a gay couple trying to marry and an older married man who falls for his maid.

“Sorry You Can’t Get Through” will be shown on Saturday, April 5, at 6 p.m. Walter, an elderly trickster, reads that for every retired person, there is another person toiling away in the workforce. He decides that this means he must find his counterpart and become a sort of guardian angel. With the help of his friend Sara, he befriends the shy Piero and teaches him how to live.

At 8 p.m. on Saturday, April 5, “The Fever” focuses on Mario, a bored accountant who dreams of opening a nightclub. When he takes a well-paying position in the mayor’s office, he realizes that he needs to make a decision about whether he would rather fulfill his obligations or his hopes and dreams. This film about self-discovery features what Duane Byrge of the “Hollywood Reporter” called “smartly scoped compositions” and “flavorful” art direction.

The final day of the festival, Sunday, April 6, brings “What Will Become of Us,” a coming-of-age story about Matteo, Manuel and Paolo. They have just finished their high-school exams and are walking the line between childhood and adulthood, spending their final summer vacation in Greece. The film won awards in Italy, Egypt and Denmark in 2004 and 2005.

The Italian Film Festival closes on Sunday, April 6, at 7 p.m. with “Letters from the Sahara.” The film won the Award of Rome for Best Film at the 2006 Venice Film Festival and was subsequently shown at festivals from São Paolo to Jerusalem. “Letters” follows Assane on his journey from Senegal to Italy, where he faces hardships that are lessened when he meets and falls in love with a social worker named Caterina.

For additional information including film descriptions and running times please visit www.cinemaitaly.com

French Film Yesterday and Today
French Film Yesterday and Today begins on Thursday, April 10, with “La Moustache,” in which a successful architect loses his grasp on reality as result of a triviality: he shaves his mustache, but his wife doesn’t perceive a difference. Kevin Thomas of the “L.A. Times” called this witty psychological mystery “a deliciously unsettling, beautifully sustained film of much beauty and flawless performances.”

The second film in the series is “Forever,” showing on Friday, April 11. This documentary centers on Paris’s Père Lachaise cemetery, where Jim Morrison, Proust, Modigliani, Chopin and other famed artists are interred. With generosity and warmth, Dutch director Heddy Honigmann records her encounters with pilgrims to the famed resting place and locals who tend the plots of their loved ones.

“Gabrielle,” an elegant, chilly chamber drama, will be shown on Friday, April 18. Directed by Patrice Chereau and starring Isabelle Huppert, the film takes place in 1912 Paris at the home of a seemingly perfect couple. Despite their wealth, sophistication and famous weekly salon, Jean and Gabrielle’s marriage is empty due to Jean’s iciness and distaste for emotion. When Gabrielle inevitably strays, he discovers that while he never believed in love, he may not be able to live without it.

The series closes on Thursday, April 24, with a new print of François Truffaut’s 1962 film “Jules and Jim.” Set between the First and Second World Wars, the film follows two artist friends who are in love with the same woman—the wild and ravishing Catherine (Jeanne Moreau). As their lives go on, their relationships change, but their friendships remain strong. The film garnered best director and best film awards at multiple festivals.
Film Series Schedule
All films are screened in the Richard H. Rich Theatre, located in the Memorial Arts Building, adjacent to the High at Peachtree and 15th Streets in midtown Atlanta. All Italian Film Festival features are in Italian with English subtitles. French Film Yesterday and Today films will be shown in French with English subtitles unless otherwise noted.

Italian Film Festival
“The Days of Abandonment”
Thursday, April 3
7:30 p.m., Rich Theatre
(Italy, 2005, 96 minutes)

“One of Two”
Friday, April 4
7 p.m., Rich Theatre
(Italy, 2006, 100 minutes)

“Manual of Love 2”
Friday, April 4
9 p.m., Rich Theatre
(Italy, 2007, 105 minutes)

“Sorry You Can’t Get Through”
Saturday, April 5
6 p.m., Rich Theatre
(Italy, 2005, 98 minutes)

“The Fever”
Saturday, April 5
8 p.m., Rich Theatre(Italy, 2005, 108 minutes)
“What Will Become of Us”
Sunday, April 6
5 p.m., Rich Theatre
(Italy, 2004, 100 minutes)

“Letters from the Sahara”
Sunday, April 6
7 p.m., Rich Theatre
(Italy, 2006, 100 minutes)

French Film Yesterday and Today
“La Moustache”
Thursday, April 10, and Saturday, April 12
8 p.m., Rich Theatre
(France, 2005, 87 minutes)
In French, English and Cantonese with subtitles.

“Forever”
Friday, April 11
8 p.m., Rich Theatre
(Netherlands, 2006, 95 minutes)

“Gabrielle”
Friday, April 18
8 p.m., Rich Theatre
(France, Germany, Italy, 2005, 90 minutes)

“Jules and Jim”
Thursday, April 24, and Saturday, April 26
8 p.m., Rich Theatre
(France, 1962, 105 minutes)
In French, German and English with subtitles.

Support
The Italian Film Festival at the High Museum of Art is presented in conjunction with the Miami-based Italian Film Festival. French Film Yesterday and Today is an annual program made possible with support from the Embassy of France Cultural Services and the Consulate of France in Atlanta. 35mm projection facilities in the Rich Auditorium were provided by a gift from George Lefont.

Tickets
$5 for the public and $4 for Museum members, students and seniors. Patron-level members enter free. Tickets can be purchased in advance online at www.High.org, by visiting the Woodruff Arts Center Box Office or by calling 404-733-5000. Tickets may also be purchased at the door on the night of the screening. Phone and internet orders will incur a $1-per-ticket service fee.
The public may call the High’s film hotline at 404-733-4570 for up-to-the-minute information about visiting directors, receptions, changes or cancellations and for a free subscription to the quarterly film calendar. The Museum’s website is www.High.org.

Special Ticketing for Italian Film Festival
Additional information can be found at www.cinemaitaly.com. Tickets for each film during this special event are $10 general admission; $8 students, seniors and Museum members, including Patron-level members.

High Museum of Art
The High Museum of Art, founded in 1905 as the Atlanta Art Association, is the leading art museum in the southeastern United States. With more than 11,000 works of art in its permanent collection, the High Museum of Art has an extensive anthology of 19th- and 20th-century American and decorative art; significant holdings of European paintings; a growing collection of African American art; and burgeoning collections of modern and contemporary art, photography and African art. The High is also dedicated to supporting and collecting works by Southern artists and is distinguished as the only major museum in North America to have a curatorial department specifically devoted to the field of folk and self-taught art. The High’s Media Arts department produces acclaimed annual film series and festivals of foreign, independent and classic cinema. In November 2005, the High opened three new buildings by architect Renzo Piano that more than doubled the Museum’s size, creating a vibrant “village for the arts” at the Woodruff Arts Center in midtown Atlanta. In October 2006, the High launched an unprecedented three-year partnership with the Musée du Louvre in Paris to bring hundreds of works of art to Atlanta. For more information about the High, please visit www.High.org.

The Woodruff Arts Center
The Woodruff Arts Center is ranked among the top four arts centers in the nation. A not-for-profit center for performing and visual arts, its campus comprises the Alliance Theatre, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, the High Museum of Art, Young Audiences and the 14th Street Playhouse.

SWEENEY TODD, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

SWEENEY TODD, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

SLICES ITS WAY INTO ATLANTA

MAY 27 – JUNE 1 AT THE FOX THEATRE

SWEENEY TODD, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, will make its Atlanta premiere at The Fabulous Fox Theatre for a limited one-week engagement beginning May 27 through June 1, presented by Fidelity Investments Broadway Across America – Atlanta as part of its 2008 season. Tickets are on sale now.

Tickets for SWEENEY TODD cost $19 – $55 and are available through authorized ticket sellers at The Fox Theatre box office, Ticketmaster outlets, online at www.ticketmaster.com, or by phone at 404-817-8700. Orders for groups of 15 or more may be placed by calling 404-881-2000.

The performance schedule for SWEENEY TODD is:

Tuesday, May 27 8 p.m.
Wednesday, May 28 8 p.m.
Thursday, May 29 8 p.m.
Friday, May 30 8 p.m.
Saturday, May 31 2 p.m., 8 p.m.
Sunday, June 1 1 p.m., 6:30 p.m.

This exciting and innovative new production features a multi-talented ensemble of ten talented actor/musicians, five from the 2006 Tony Award winning company. The Wall Street Journal says, “The greatest musical of the past half-century has returned in a staging of the utmost force and originality!” and Time Out New York calls Doyle’s revival “the most addictively delicious dish on Broadway in years!”

Judy Kaye (Mrs. Lovett) and David Hess (Sweeney Todd) will be joined by Diana DiMarzio (Beggar Woman), Benjamin Eakeley (The Beadle), Benjamin Magnuson (Anthony), Steve McIntyre (Jonas Fogg), Lauren Molina (Johanna), and Elisa Winter (Standby for Johanna and Pirelli) who all appeared in the Broadway production of SWEENEY TODD. Also joining the touring cast are Edmund Bagnell (Tobias), Keith Buterbaugh (Judge Turpin), Katrina Yaukey (Pirelli), Edwin Cahill (Standby for Anthony, Tobias, The Beadle and Jonas Fogg), David Garry (Standby for Sweeney Todd, Judge Turpin and The Beadle) and Megan Loomis (Standby for Mrs. Lovett and Beggar Woman).

SWEENEY TODD is based on the 19th century legend of a London barber driven to a life of crime after a malevolent judge takes his wife and child from him. Sweeney’s plan for revenge includes a cutthroat partnership with Mrs. Lovett—an enterprising businesswoman—who is soon producing the tastiest meat pies in London.
Directed and designed by John Doyle, who won the 2006 Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards for this production, SWEENEY TODD features the music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, book by Hugh Wheeler from an adaptation by Christopher Bond and music supervision and orchestrations by Sarah Travis who won a 2006 Tony Award for SWEENEY TODD. The creative team also includes lighting designer Richard Jones, and sound designer Dan Moses Schreier.

Doyle’s production of SWEENEY TODD opened on Broadway in 2005 to universal critical acclaim where it won the Drama League, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards for Best Revival of a Musical, and was awarded a Special Citation by the New York Drama Critics Circle. It arrived on Broadway from a highly successful London engagement originally staged by the Watermill Theatre, which transferred first to the Trafalgar Studios in London’s West End in July 2004 to wide critical acclaim, then to the New Ambassadors Theatre where it ran for a limited engagement that closed on February 5, 2005.

The original production of SWEENEY TODD opened on Broadway at the Uris Theatre (now the Gershwin) on March 1, 1979 in a production directed by Harold Prince. The musical won eight 1979 Tony Awards including Best Musical of the Year and ran for 557 performances.

JUDY KAYE appeared in Sweeney Todd on Broadway last summer as Mrs. Lovett. Her other Broadway credits include Phantom of the Opera (Tony Award, Drama Desk nomination); Mamma Mia! (Tony and Drama Desk nominations); On the Twentieth Century (Theatre World Award, Drama Desk nomination); Ragtime (Theatre LA Ovation Award); and Souvenir, A Fantasia on the Life of Florence Foster Jenkins (Tony nomination and LA Ovation Award). She recently finished an acclaimed performance in Zorba for the Reprise Series in Los Angeles. Ms. Kaye has appeared with symphony orchestras around the world, and has sung at the White House twice.

DAVID HESS’s Broadway credits include Sweeney Todd and Annie Get Your Gun. He has appeared Off-Broadway in Lincoln Center's Dessa Rose, Prodigal, and Love in a Thirsty Land, and has been seen around the country in the first national tour of Ragtime. His regional theater credits include Jane Eyre (San Francisco Bay Area Critics Award, Goodman Choice Award), Grand Hotel (Barrymore nominee), Sweet Charity (Ben Payne nominee), and Shenandoah (Jeff Award). Mr. Hess has been seen on TV on “Dynasty,” “Dallas,” “One Life to Live,” “General Hospital,” “Young and the Restless,” and “The Guiding Light.”

SWEENEY TODD is produced by Thomas Viertel, Steven Baruch, Marc Routh, Richard Frankel, Ambassador Theatre Group, Adam Kenwright, Tulchin/Bartner/Bagert, and Live Nation.

For more information on SWEENEY TODD, please visit the tour website, www.sweeneytoddtour.com.

The Atlanta engagement of SWEENEY TODD is presented by arrangement with Broadway Across America-Atlanta. Broadway Across America-Atlanta proudly presents Broadway productions in Atlanta as a member of Broadway Across America. Broadway Across America-Atlanta thanks its sponsors for their continued support of the Series: The Georgian Terrace, as the Official Hotel, Sprint PCS as the Official Wireless Provider, Fidelity Investments and Publix.

Broadway Across America (Producer): Owned and operated by British theatre producer John Gore (CEO) and led by Thomas B. McGrath (Chairman), Broadway Across America presents first-class touring Broadway musicals and plays, family productions and other live events throughout a network of 42 North American cities. Broadway Across America is also dedicated to the development and production of new and diverse live theatre for productions on Broadway, across America and throughout the world. Current productions include A CATERED AFFAIR, PASSING STRANGE, SPAMALOT, GO DIEGO GO and THE BACKYARDIGANS. For more information or to purchase tickets through an authorized agent go to BroadwayAcrossAmerica.com.

Thursday, April 3, 2008

TWO Great Summer Art Camps for South Metro Kids!

Be creative with Summer Plans for your children! From June 9 through June 20, Arts Clayton presents two weeks of art packed fun at the 15th annual KALEIDOSCOPE Summer Art Camps and the Summer Art Camp for Young TEENS!

Through art related activities, instruction and special programs, elementary age children from all across the south metro area will enjoy hands-on instruction about art, photography, dance, drama, music and more. KALEIDOSCOPE Summer Art Camp is designed to be an overall Art Experience for children. EVERY child at EVERY experience level will participate in BOTH Visual and Performing Arts during their time at camp. It is Arts Clayton’s goal to encourage children to explore and develop an appreciation for ALL of the Arts and to learn that by working together THROUGH the arts, we bridge all gaps and come together as a community. At the conclusion of Art Camp an exciting Musical Performance AND a Gallery Style Art Exhibit will be presented by the campers for the enjoyment of family, friends, and community!

There will be special visits and exciting programs including a visit from renowned children’s literature illustrator Michael White; a theatrical performance of Tales from Near and Far by Offshoot Productions; the art of storytelling by KUUMBA Storytellers; and an amazing puppet and animation show by Al Waller and the Be A Know It All Varmints! The Clayton County Fire and Police Departments will pay a visit allowing campers an inside peek the extraordinary safety vehicles they drive and an opportunity to talk to real police and fire officers! Campers will also have an opportunity to participate in the Kaleidoscope Campers Talent Show!

The KALEIDOSCOPE Summer Arts Camp is designed for children entering first through sixth grades next fall, and will be held mornings 8:30 am to 12:15 pm at Lee Street Elementary located at 178 Lee Street in historic downtown Jonesboro ~ behind the Jonesboro Library. The all inclusive cost of the full two-week program is only $155. There are no additional registration or supply fees. Arts Clayton also provides mid-morning snacks for the children each day and a FREE T-shirt for campers.

AFTER CAMP art classes will also be available to registered KALEIDOSCOPE Campers. For an additional $95 (total for both weeks), kids enrolling in AFTER CAMP bring a bag lunch and remain each day until 2pm for additional art classes. Openings are VERY limited and available on a first come basis.

For Middle School students entering the 7th, 8th or 9th grades next fall, Arts Clayton offers the Summer Art Camp for Young TEENS. The program welcomes the return of the ever popular Cartooning and Animation classes and also offers instruction in Photography, Drawing, Painting, and Theatre Arts for the rising young stars!

The two-week Theatre Camp students will be exposed to elements of stage movement, acting, costuming, improvisation, and audition techniques. Actors will learn not only basic skills, but will tap into their own experiences and imagination to perform and communicate. The final production will receive a public performance!

Summer Art Camp for Young TEENS will be held at Lee Street Elementary located at 178 Lee Street in historic downtown Jonesboro ~ behind the Jonesboro Library, from June 9 through June 20. Class times, days and tuitions will vary based on each student’s selections.

More information and camp registration forms are available at the Arts Clayton Gallery, 136 South Main Street in historic downtown Jonesboro, open Monday through Saturday from 9am until 5 pm. You may also visit our website at www.artsclayton.org, email us at artline@artsclayton.org, or call 770-473-5775 or 5826 to request a registration form by mail. Class sizes are limited and registration is on a first come basis.

The Arts Clayton Summer Art Camps are a part of the Clayton County Commissioner’s “Safe Summer Initiative for Children”. Arts Clayton is also a Partner at Large in Education working with the Clayton County Public Schools to ensure the highest caliber of programs and activities are offered.

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

Tickets for The Touring Stage Version OF Disney’s HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL

Tickets for The Touring Stage Version
OF Disney’s HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL
Go On Sale Saturday, April 5

Limited Engagement Runs from August 15-24 for 13 performances only at The fabulous fox theatre in Atlanta

Disney Theatrical Productions and Theater of the Stars announced today that tickets for the new touring stage version of the phenomenally popular Disney’s HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL will go on sale to the public on Saturday, April 5 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm at the Fox Theatre Box Office, 660 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA 30308. The Atlanta engagement will run from Friday, August 15 through Sunday, August 24 for 13 performances only. This marks the Atlanta reunion of the show and the final stop on the national tour!

Tickets will go on sale this Saturday, April 5 at the Fox Theatre at 10:00 am – in person only. They will go on sale through www.theaterofthestars.com and at all Ticketmaster outlets on Sunday, April 6 beginning at noon.

As a special bonus, anyone purchasing tickets in-person on Saturday at the Fox Theatre will receive a special offer to Broadway’s Award-Winning Best Musical: Disney’s The Lion King which is now playing in Atlanta through May 4. Disney’s The Lion King is presented by arrangement with Broadway Across America – Atlanta.

This new touring stage adaptation of Disney’s HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL is directed by Jeff Calhoun (Big River). Disney’s HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL features a book by David Simpatico (adapted from the original movie script by Peter Barsocchini), and a score including all the songs from the original soundtrack plus two new songs. The touring company includes a live orchestra and a cast of 34 talented performers.

Commenting on the production, Thomas Schumacher, President and Producer of Disney Theatrical Productions, said, “Our stage version of this great property has been mounted as a direct response to overwhelming demand. As someone who has been passionate about theatre since I was a kid, I am thrilled that we are touring this remarkably popular title as a fully realized stage production, and most certainly introducing countless young people to the world of theatre for the very first time. You can’t ask for more than that.” Schumacher adds, “It is a great joy and privilege for us to be able to produce and present the Disney Channel’s enormously popular property on stage.”

Disney’s HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL is a contemporary musical comedy about a popular high school basketball star and a shy, academically gifted newcomer who discover they share a secret passion for singing. When they sign up together to audition for the lead roles in the school musical, it threatens East High's rigid social order and sends their peers into an uproar. In a desperate effort to maintain the status quo, the "jocks," the "brainiacs" and even the drama club regulars are soon hatching convoluted plots to separate the pair and keep them offstage. By defying expectations and taking a chance on their dreams, however, the couple inspires other students to go public with some surprising hidden talents of their own.

The creative team for this new touring stage production of Disney’s HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL, in addition to aforementioned director Calhoun, consists of choreographer Lisa Stevens, scenic designer Kenneth Foy, costume designer Wade Laboissonniere, lighting designer Kenneth Billington, sound designer Duncan Robert Edwards and music supervisor Bryan Louiselle.

DISNEY'S "HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL" the movie premiered on Disney Channel U.S. on January 20, 2006, and posted the highest ratings for a Disney Channel Original Movie up until that time. It went on to become a smash hit internationally, airing on 27 Disney Channels and free-to-air broadcasters worldwide, thus far reaching over 250 million viewers in over 100 countries including China. It was also the first TV movie to be offered on the iTunes Music Store. Disney’s HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL delivered the #1 album of 2006, the year's #1 TV movie on DVD, licensed amateur and professional touring stage productions, a best-selling junior novel, a popular consumer products franchise at mass retailers, a themed show at Disneyland Parks and Resorts in Anaheim, Orlando and Paris, a sold-out 42 date arena concert tour in North America and Latin America and a popular touring ice show around the world. Adding to its success, it won two Emmy Awards, a DGA Award, Television Critics Association Award, an Imagen Award, a Director's Guild of America Award and a Humanitas Prize nomination among other honors. Its soundtrack received a Billboard Music Award (Soundtrack of the Year) and was nominated for an American Music Award in the Favorite Album (Pop/Rock) category. Its critically acclaimed sequel, HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 2, ranks as the #1 basic cable telecast of all time (18.6 million viewers for its August 17, 2007 premiere) and has thus far been seen by 179 million total viewers around the world. Its soundtrack is quadruple Platinum in the U.S., triple Platinum in the UK and many more countries. It recently won an American Music Award. Walt Disney Studios will begin production on a feature film based on the movie; Kenny Ortega will direct and choreograph and the cast will reunite for the film titled High School Musical 3: Senior Year, scheduled for a 2008 release in theatres around the world.

Theater of the Stars will present Disney’s HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL at the Fabulous Fox Theatre from August 15-24, 2008. Performances times are as follows:

Friday, August 15 at 7:00 pm
Saturday, August 16 at 2:00 pm and 8:00 pm
Sunday, August 17 at 1:30 pm and 7:00 pm
Monday, August 18 – no performances
Tuesday, August 19 at 7:00 pm
Wednesday, August 20 at 7:00 pm
Thursday, August 21 at 7:00 pm
Friday, August 22 at 7:00 pm
Saturday, August 23 at 2:00 pm and 8:00 pm
Sunday, August 24 at 1:30 pm and 7:00 pm

Purchases through Ticketmaster can be made in three ways: at Ticketmaster ticket outlets, by calling 404-817-8700, or by ordering online through www.theaterofthestars.com For group ticket sales, call the Fox Theatre Group Sales Office at 404-881-2000. Ticket prices range from $20- $66.

Theater of the Stars will celebrate its 56th Anniversary in 2008 as one of the nation’s premier theater companies. A civic not-for-profit cultural treasure, Theater of the Stars is dedicated to presenting and producing the best in musical theater. To learn more about our history of excellence visit www.theaterofthestars.com

Gallery Players Perform Without a “Net”

Offshoot Productions’ Gallery Players work off the cuff, sans script, without a net. Any way you want to put it, the four actors who comprise this adult improvisation troupe rely on their quick wit; trust in one another, and appreciation for the audience’s suggestions to pull off an evening of laughs.

The troupe’s next performance is at the Fayette Art Center and Gallery, on Friday, April 4, at 7:30 p.m. In fact, these seasoned improvisers have been invited to perform at the Art Center the first Friday of each month. Every show is different, and not only because improvisation by definition cannot be predicted. Scene content and characters, provided by the audience, and scene structure, imposed by the group, make for a fresh performance every time. Occasionally, audience volunteers join the actors on stage.

The performers include Elizabeth Clausen, who has thirty years of credits in shows ranging from the classics to children’s theatre; Darren Matthews, who recently performed in Fairy Tales for Grownups; Andy Fleming, who brings a musical theatre background to the troupe and provides guitar accompaniment along with laughs; and Paige Steadman, a composer and performer who has filled roles onstage and off for Offshoot since its inception.

Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door, and the proceeds benefit both nonprofit companies, the Fayette Art Center and Gallery and Offshoot Productions. Reservations may be made in person at the Fayette Art Center, 2011 West Highway 54, Fayetteville (across from Ace Hardware), by phone at (770) 631-2780, and online at fayetteartcenter@bellsouth.net.

For information on Offshoot Productions, the Southside’s longest-running professional theatre, contact the company at offshootpr@aol.com or (770) 631-2362 or visit www.offshoot.org. Offshoot is currently preparing for its spring-summer tour of Tales From Near and Far, the cast of which includes Clausen, Fleming and Steadman.

Art Classes at Carrollton Arts Center

Billie Mathis Three Day Watercolor Workshop for ages 16 to Adult on Monday-Wednesday, April 7-9, 9:00 am until 3:00 pm (1 hour break for lunch) at the Carrollton Cultural Arts Center in Classroom #1 This workshop will emphasize design, value and color. Each student is individually monitored. Classes are geared to enhance creativity and the intuitive self in expressions on paper. Critiques will be held at the end of class. Instructor will paint two demos each day. Participants at all levels of ability: beginner, intermediate, and advanced are welcome. Fee is $150 for the three-day workshop. Supply lists are available at the Carrollton Cultural Arts Center. Instructor, Billie Mathis. Register on line at www.cprcad.org or call 770-838-1083.

Watercolor Classes for adults, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 noon at the Carrollton Cultural Arts Center in Classroom #4. Fee: $50, Patsy Monroe, instructor. Supply list available at registration. Beginning Watercolor Classes on Wednesdays in six week sessions on April 16-May 21. Advanced Watercolor Class on Thursdays in six week sessions April 17-May 22. Register on line at www.cprcad.org or call 770-838-1083.

Carrollton Cultural Arts Center
251 Alabama St Carrollton, GA 30117
Ph: 770-838-1083