Visual Art: Visionary Art group show

"Medmona"

No Artist Left Behind

Sept. 24th - Oct. 10th: Free Admission

Anchorage Community Mental Health Services, Inc., in partnership with The Alaska Mental Health Authority, the Wellness Innovations Center (a program of ACMHS Consumer Driven Service) will be hosting a unique art show calledNo Artist Left Behind. The show opens this Friday, Sept. 24th, from 5pm to 7pm in the Out North Emerging Artists Gallery. 

No Artist Left Behind focuses on the creativity of one community of people who give and receive mental health services here in Anchorage. Many do not know that there is a great overlap between those who use mental health services and those who provide them. The goal of this show is to breakdown the stigma of mental illness and share with our greater community who we really are. Creativity, like recovery, does not know the boundaries between provider and recipient. Come and see.

VSA Alaska at Out North: 3800 Debarr road between Bragaw and Primrose

Out North Previews Their 2010-1011 Season

Here's another catchup post.  This was the Sept. 16, 2010 Season Preview at Out North Theater.  They are housed in the old Grandview Gardens Library building.  The evening began with a silent auction in the art gallery.  The exhibit was touchable art.

This bowl even has braille!

People were milling around the auction items, keeping an eye out for other bidders marking up the bid.  


















Republican House candidate from Spenard, Thomas Higgins was there.  

One of the auction items was this collection of Sarah Palin pins.  

Then the event began.  Out North has brought a lot of - I'm struggling here for the right adjective, like edgy, but that isn't enough cause it is generally provocative in a very substantive way raising important issues other venues aren't willing to touch - performances.  After tumultuous beginnings, Out North has managed after 25 years to become established as an important part of the Anchorage arts and theater scene without losing its daring.  Gene and Jay should be pleased that their baby is in good hands and growing up well now that the parents have left home.  

I was  impressed with the line up of coming events as well as how it was all presented.  It began with local Hmong kids dancing and playing the khaen - a wind instrument I came to appreciate while living in rural Thailand long ago.  But at first it had the same noise quotient as bagpipes have.  And there was a good deal of genuine and funny clowning around.  Just about at the end of the event, Scott pointed out that what he was reading his notes from was an Out North I Pad.

Here's a bit I caught on video - unfortunately it only includes Scott Schofield, the new Executive Artistic Director whose abundant energy and enthusiasm and imagination suggest an exciting year.  Two types of events he mentioned were particularly intriguing to me.  He's scheduling some new, even unfinished films and plays, that will include Skype linkups with the directors and playwrights so the audience can give them feedback.  All this technology allows Anchorage to be both far away and right in the middle of things.   

Originally posted at: What Do I Know?: Out North Previews Their 2010-1011 Season

Out North Season 27 Opening Party

There's Magic Happening at Out North - Season Kickoff

[Looking this over, I realize it gets a bit gushy.  But I'm convinced it's accurate.  There really is something special happening at Out North now.]

The very first time I saw Scott Turner Schofield at Out North I knew this guy was special.  That feeling's been reinforced every time I've seen him in action.  Last night the years of work that Gene Dugan and Jay Browse put into clearing the land, planting the seeds, watering, fertilizing, keeping  the wild animals from trampling it all, are now turning into the magical arts incubator and stage they cultivated.

That's not to say a lot of special performances haven't already happened over the years.  But Scott seems to have sprinkled his own magic dust on Out North.

The season preview attracted a full house to bid on silent auction items, eat and drink, and then to watch Scott emcee the preview show spotlighting Out North Art House residents he's gathered to Primrose and Bragaw.

It's an amazing collection of talent - from Hmong youth musicians, Hispanic Hip Hop, a therapy theater group from Akeela House, youth rappers, a writers' group, 20 something actors troupe, a non-profit that works with disabled students, a dance group, local arts magazine, to an FM radio license - from such a variety of local communities and media.



I have no doubt that the kind of talent we sampled  last night exists in every community.  The difference is that here everything has come together just right to provide the nurturing and mentoring to hone one's craft and confidence, the space and time to  practice and perform, and an administrative infrastructure to get the bills paid and the audience to attend.  That infrastructure includes a lot of volunteers and a charismatic performer/organizer who contributes a special energy and excitement. 

I haven't had time to edit all the video I took of last night's event, but here's part one.

See the original posts here, here, and here.

Visual Art: Community Fundraising Show

Grannie's living room? You can buy it...

REDUX: an Installation of Re-Emerging Art

Friday,September 10th at 6pm-9pm

Free Admission

Part Mad Men, part Design Star, part your best memory of your grandma’s living room, Out North’s “Redux” installation brings back art, furniture, and the experience of an era just passed.Showcasing art re-emerging from the Anchorage community, this affordable art fundraiser turns full-spectrum installation--complete with fondue--on Friday, September 10^th from 6-9pm. Sport your finest retro flairen costume to become a part of the installation. Bring your checkbook: everything is for sale. Except the feeling, this, as “Redux” demonstrates, is yours to keep forever. We neither confirm nor deny the existence of martinis... Come dressed to impress and create a Happening...