In July, I went to Iowa via Aspen and took two train rides to make it work. Wednesday: Denver to Glenwood Springs 9 AM The train is about two hours late getting into Denver. The couple standing behind me in the platform line is from Canada. They are with friends who live in the area and the two couples are headed up to Glenwood Springs to enjoy the waters. The woman … [Read more...] about Art on Trains: July Edition
CA to Colorado on the Zephyr: Train Art and Culture
On June 12, I boarded the train for a 34-hour ride to Denver, on my way to the annual convention of Americans for the Arts. My assignment to myself was to write something about every hour I was awake. It turns out there's a lot of art and culture to see on long train rides. Tuesday 9 AM Seriously, I’m so excited to be getting on the train to … [Read more...] about CA to Colorado on the Zephyr: Train Art and Culture
Civics is How We Take Care of the Space Between People
The most important thing I learned in a glorious Humana Festival weekend of theater — six new American plays and a lot of theater geeks—was not in a play at all. Anne Bogart gave a talk at the Festival. I recommend it to you. If you too are a contemporary American theater geek, you probably already know her name. As a mere lover of new plays, she was new to me when I … [Read more...] about Civics is How We Take Care of the Space Between People
Artistic Resistance in Our America
This weekend, the conductor and pianist Jeffrey Kahane played with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra—a spectacular jazzy Ravel’s La Valse, with an achingly lovely middle movement. But it was his encore that was unforgettable. He bowed his head before starting, waited a moment, we anticipated. It took several notes to recognize with his slow start. Ah, America the … [Read more...] about Artistic Resistance in Our America
What We Liked in 2017
When Doug McLennan asked me to write a description for my blog that ArtsJournal would begin hosting in 2017, I thought about the topics which move me to spend time writing—the things that I feel sufficient passion to write about without compensation. There’s no employer, no client, no contract, and no deadline. Looking at the writing I’d been doing for my own blog at … [Read more...] about What We Liked in 2017
Pre-Enacting: Performing the Future We Want
Anticipating new investment in the Monon 16 neighborhood in Indianapolis, neighbors and artists got together to create a vision for their community. Like residents in many mid-size cities, they welcome new businesses and more housing filling in the vacant lots at this intersection of the Monon Trail and 16th Street, but worry about the impact of development on the … [Read more...] about Pre-Enacting: Performing the Future We Want
Artists as Researchers: Equity in Changing Places
Neighborhoods across the nation are facing questions about changes that lead to displacement or feelings of division. In Cincinnati, Walnut Hills’ residents are talking about new housing, new restaurants, and plans for renovation of historic buildings. This is exciting—yet it leaves some people with feeling wary about rising rents and the loss of neighborhood culture. The … [Read more...] about Artists as Researchers: Equity in Changing Places
The Aspen Pipeline
Today, a man elected last November is othering United States citizens, POC in Puerto Rico. We should stand up to that because it's important to call out our outrage—even though he won't be likely to stop. There are places where we have the power to make a difference—and it's a big miss (at best) when we don't use it. Like.... We hear all the time that the classical … [Read more...] about The Aspen Pipeline
Frank Sinatra Sings Brahms
The Importance of the Familiar You know how it feels when you unexpectedly hear a familiar piece of music—any kind of music? You get that jolt and you say, oh I love that song/piece. Or you say, wait, I love that, what is that? And maybe you hit Shazam on your watch or phone to confirm what it is and listen again. There’s some evidence that familiarity increases … [Read more...] about Frank Sinatra Sings Brahms
This is Reading—Artists Make Magic
In mid-July, I traveled to Pennsylvania to see a show. It was straight-up MAGIC. I can’t stop thinking about it. This is Reading is a transmedia production about the people and times of Reading, Pennsylvania. Reading has been through the boom and the bust. It’s the city that gave the name to Reading Railroad—of Monopoly fame, yes. The Reading Company was the biggest … [Read more...] about This is Reading—Artists Make Magic