Archives for October 2009

This morning, the Grand Rapids Symphony joined in the arts celebration surrounding ArtPrize, and I’m beginning to wonder what haven’t people in that city thought of to make this event special? I’m also beginning to sound like a publicist, instead of a journalist, on this topic, and that I regret — but it’s not often that a community seems so intensively involved with the arts. On Wednesday, Michael Kaiser even spoke about “the crisis in arts funding,” in connection with ArtPrize, at the Gerald R. Ford Museum.

But back to the music.

David Lockington, the symphony’s music director (right), has composed a piece called Ceremonial Fantasy Fanfare for ArtPrize “inspired by visual artists and honoring the ArtPrize Top 10,” according to the symphony’s website.

The top ten artists, who will go on to the next round, were announced last night; their work is displayed on the ArtPrize site: David Lubbers, Sarah Grant, Nessie Project, Jason Hackenwerth, Ran Ortner, Eric Daigh, Michael Westra, Tracy Van Duinen, and Bill Secunda. That’s based on 332,051 votes. Grand Rapids Press has more on the outcome.

The symphony performance took place this morning, and photos of ArtPrize contestants were set to be shown during the music. The symphony also coordinated the participation of nearly 30 local churches that agreed to ring their church bells in unison at a particular point in the piece.

OK, here’s one more thing it could do: put the Fanfare up on the web so we all can listen to it.

Photo Credit: Adrian Mendoza

If you happen to find yourself in the Battery Park City neighborhood in New York — especially if you’re with a child (or more) — you might want to drop in to the new Poets House* to show them something they’ve never seen before: typewriters. These ones in particular were once owned by the late poet laureate Stanley Kunitz.

You’ll see new things, too (Philip Guston works, for one), about which more in a moment.  

The two typewriters sit in the children’s room, and Lee Briccetti, the executive director, tells me that kids love them — along with the old card catlogues they can open and shut, finding poems in the drawers.  

Those are just a few of the touches at the new Poets House, which has been around since 1985, mainly in a Soho loft. The opening of its beautiful building in Battery Park City in New York last weekend, heralded the other day in The New York Times, could well be a transforming event.

One of the things I love about the group is that, despite its flashy, elegant building, the first image on its home page is of its stacks (above) — they’re what counts. Poets House has some 50,000 volumes of poetry, counting books, chapbooks, journals, reading tapes, CDs and so on (all donated!). It’s open access, to all — you can roam. And though that picture doesn’t show them, there are comfortable couches and chairs on the right where you can sit and read poetry.

Another thing that picture doesn’t show is those Guston paintings and drawings.

[Read more…] about You Don’t Have To Be A Poet To Love Poets House