Kaleidoscope Festival: SRU Buys a $15,000 sculpture

Slippery Rock University announced at 2 p.m. on Apr. 29 in the James C. Myford Sculpture building that it bought a $15,000 sculpture.

It was the last day of the Kaleidoscope Festival, and Dr. Curry, acting president, spoke at the James C. Myford Sculpture Invitational.

“It is a great pleasure to be here,” Curry said.

The winner of the inaugural James C. Myford Sculpture Invitational was James Shipman. The piece was called,“Space, Time, Dream Hard.” It is a permanent collection.

“We appreciate to have this dynamic piece on campus,” Curry said.

James Myford, a sculpturist and former SRU professor, gave recognition to his family, friends and former students. His name is now assigned and plated onto the sculpture building.

James C. Myford Sculpture Invitational 2012

“I would like to thank the university and faculty to host the invitational,” Glen Brunken, a former SRU art professor said. “Hopefully, we can make this an annual event. The sculptures really add a sense of beauty to the campus.”

The exhibition idea came from former president Bob Smith two years ago. Smith asked Myford to start this project and Myford was willing to complete it.

“I spend months in Arizona working on my own projects," Myford said. "I told him that it was highly unlikely, but I’ll do it.”

Video: Myford's favorite project


Myford's vision was to become involved in art. His high school art teacher, Mr. Salisbury, took a sick day to take Myford to Edinburo University to meet the faculty. It was the only school that he applied to.

Video: Myford's future projects

Google Map: A walking tour of the sculptures on campus

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"I probably not selling my work at the price they should be," Myford said. "Neville Chrome, 101, is quite a woman to help with this project. Everybody has to start somewhere."

Dr. Thomas Como, an art professor, met with the facility department and art students to put concrete in to hold up the sculptures.

“I thank Curry to keep this moving forward,” Como said.
At the presentation, Brunken gave a history lesson. He started teaching at SRU when Myford started. There was one problem. There was no sculpture studio. It started in the basement of Carruth Rizzo Hall. It started small. When more students were added, they needed more space. It started because someone took the inititiative to get it started. Almost 150 were in the major now.

“Every department experiences change,” Brunken said. “Jim’s hardwork comes a long way. I congratulate this building in his name.”

Josh Young, justice building and Board of Trustees declared the building's new name. After some more recognitions, people went outside to get catered food.

During the walking tour, Artist D.W. Martin explained how he made his new pieces of artwork. His artwork "Mega Hertz" was located near Maltby. He teaches sculpture and 3D design at Edinboro University.

Myford grew up in Trentum near a prosperous town with the steel mills and the glass company. Most towns were near the river. In the second and third grade, his teachers would ask him to help put bulletin boards up. He got a job helping stores by drawing the theme of the month on their store window. In junior high school, he worked with plaster and clay material.

“I didn’t use these materials in elementary school,” Myford said. “I like using the materials to make three dimensional things.”

In high school, he would make wood carvings by using gouges and a mallet. He took painting, sculpture, and ceramics. Photo wasn’t art at the time. He had a field trip to the Carnegie Museum. It was the first time he went in a museum and a gallery.

“I remember saying to myself when I went into the galler that I like this kind of thing,” Myford said. “The gallery was roomy, clean and organized.

His high school teacher, Mr. Salisbury, got Myford a job at super market. He would paint the week’s special. It would be a 4 feet by 6 feet sign outside of the store. He was making $10 dollars a week. He graduated in Trentum High School in 1958. He played football. He was the linebacker.

At his senior year in high school, his professor asked him what he wanted to do. He was a sign painter outside of Pittsburgh. He asked him to work form in him. In the summer in Pennsylvania and Florida in the winter. He was painting signs. At 18 years old, he didn’t want to go to Florida. One day, Salisbury took a sick day to take Myford to Edinborough to visit the campus. It was the only university that he applied to. He did one year of football in Edinboro. He wan’t serious about his work. He got a $500 dollar scholarship from the teacher association from Trentum high school. He studied art education. He worked 29 years at SRU and retired. He did shows in Chicago and Toronto. Currently, he works in Arizona.

“It was a pleasure to work at SRU," Myford said. "I really like teaching."

Check out a D.W. Martin video on: http://youtu.be/lwMtiPk15mo

Kaleidoscope Festival: Taiko Drummer Takumi Kato performs in Swope Music Hall

Taiko Drummer Takumi Kato performed at his largest venue in the United States for the Kaleidoscope Festival at 7:30 p.m. on Apr. 28 in the Swope Music Hall.

Soon Kato will be playing Taiko drums by the request of Japanese Emperor Akihito.

“I’m very honored and nervous to perform for him,” Kato said.

Kato was nervous throughout his performance, but the crowd cheered him on throughout the evening. In the first performance Kato wore a tropical-themed robe to honor those who lost their lives from Japan’s tropical storm and earthquake last year.

The theme of the first song was about different relationships, different tongues from the family and outside of them through which people are connected.

Performances recap:

“I’m still nervous,” Kato said after his performance. “It reminded me of great love back home. This song reflects that.”

Kato’s family was always supportive of his career. His family helped put together his outfit. His grandma made the armbands—except for the shoes, he joked.

The next song he connected the theme to his family and community. It reflected social networking. It invoked a noisy household, and his mom had an American bold personality.

After his performance, he asked the audience if it was okay to drink water. He’s played the drums for 10 years. He used to do 1,000 push-ups a day to build the muscles to perform. He was the youngest of three children. He admits he is still childish.

Ikuko Kurasawa, an instructor in Japanese at Penn. State University Greater Allegheny, performed with Kato for the first time that night. Kurasawa met Kato through mutual friends and was asked to perform for him. They performed a song about friendship.

Pictures of the Taiko Drum event:

In the fourth performance, Kato played someone’s original song using a traditional Japanese bamboo flute. In the fifth performance, Kato used all three drums. One of the audience members asked him to take off his shirt. He placed his robe on the floor and took a picture of the audience on his phone. His drums were 50 years old. Each of the sticks that he uses is different. The heavy ones create a deep tone. The drum skins last 10 years and are very thick.This night was Kato’s fourth performance at SRU.

Kato's Final Performance


Kato had CDs and T-shirts to raise money the earthquake and tsunami after the show. He also has his own charity studio called "Nukumori no Mori" to raise money for people and the enviroment through traditional music and Taiko peformance.

Steve Strain, a biology professor, has been going to the Taiko Drum performances for four of the five years they performed at SRU.

“I can’t even tell you why I like it,” Strain said. “It’s just neat.”

In high school, he used to play the trombone. His older son, 16, wants a career in music and is planning to study music in college.

Colleen Reilly, the director of Kaleidoscope Festival for two years, leads arts administrations academics curriculum in theater. Being the director is part of the contract.

“I’m thrilled to be opening the community to the art culture,” Reilly said. “I appreciate the picnic in the quad donated by AVI Foodsytems. Overall, the departments are shown.”

Kato’s violin teacher recommended him to play the drums.Most of the audience stayed to take pictures with Kato. There was a five-dollar suggested donation and the entire event lasted for 40 minutes.

“I have enjoyed seeing brothers sitting together,” Kato said. “In Japan, you don’t see families sitting together.”

Interview with Takumi Kato:

Check for arts at SRU in the upcoming article about the Sculptural Invitational on Friday, May 11.

You may view more Takumi Kato's performances on YouTube at: http://www.youtube.com/user/ericakurvach/feed

Kaleidoscope Festival: SLAB (Sound and Literary Art Book) launches its annual literary magazine

SLAB (Sound and Literary Art Book) released its seventh annual literary magazine at 7:30 p.m. in the Russell Wright Alumni House on Apr. 18 in part with the 2012 Kaleidoscope Festival.



SLAB advisors Mark O’Connor, an associate English professor and Danette DiMarco, an English professor, welcomed guests to purchase educational booklets, buy mustaches, and pick up the latest and free SLAB issue.

"The students are awesome," O' Connor said. "They are the best part about SLAB. They get to do the work.”

Jim Daniels, a poet and writer, read his poems during the presentation. He is an English professor at the Carnegie Mellon University and published Places/Everyone, which won the Brittingham prize in poetry in 1985.

English Department Faculty Member, Kelly Miesko, won a creative writing award. Dr. Kim Johnson was the Elizabeth R. Curry Poetry Contest judge. The contest winners are Meg Cowen, first place, C. Dylan Basset, second place, and Meredith Stricker, third place.

Michael Chiappini, a senior English major, SLAB intern and production manager, won the Elizabeth R. Curry Prize for,“In grateful recognition of the person who has gone WAY above and beyond in service to SLAB literary magazine.”

O’Connor’s creative writing class students created the educational pamphlets which were sold for 25 cents each. Adhesive false mustaches were sold in a coin machine for 50 cents each. In addition, SLAB sold creative writing works in a tampon vending machine.

The Student Government Association and the English Department of Slippery Rock University funded SLAB. The managing editors are Paul Cunningham and Tristina Marx. The associate managing editors are Sheena Carroll and Steve McGouldrick. The creative nonfiction editors are Ellen VanWoert and Nora Connlain. The fiction editors are Sheena Carroll and Jocelyn Fisher. The poetry editors are Bridgette Powers and Steve McGouldrick. The database managers are Laura Swanson and Lisa Correll. The layout artist is Paul Cunningham. Rebecca Yokum did the manuscript design and Phil Geist managed the website. The cover art was created by Morgan Cahn. The readers are Michael Barchetti, Sarah Conley, Ashley Cook, Stephani Damato, Jacob Frampton, Susan Gardner, Austin Harvey, Tim Hogg, Jeremiah Klumh, Tesa Maldonado, Emma Neely, Corrie Parrish, Sarah Poeppel, Ariel Wall, Genna Walker, Madeline Weiss, Jessica Wykoff, Bridget Yeager and Devan Zanaglio.

To receive an update on Kaleidoscope Festival with the special Taiko Drum musical performance, check for the next post by Monday, May 7.

Barbara Westman Biography

Barbara Westman, a printmaking and fibers art professor at Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania (SRU), was born in Gdansk, Poland. Growing up, Westman went to gallery openings with her parents. She would go to work with her mother at the gallery, Wojewodzki Osrodek Kultury. Her mother, father and grandfather were all artists. Her mother made sculptures, and her father was a photographer. Her grandfather was professor and a painter.

There was a political turmoil in Poland while Westman was in high school. In 1989, the government changed from communism to democracy. However, the times were peaceful afterwards for Westman. In high school, she took art classes and participated in track and field.

She completed all of her education in nine years in Poland. She completed her undergraduate and graduate studies in Poznan University. She completed her bachelor degree in art-graphic design, art-prints, and art-fibers at University of Arts in Poznan. Westman did not have clubs in Poland, but got involved with a group of friends in the city. All of the shows that she displayed were group work. In graphic design, she made illustrations for books and magazines. She worked in a small graphic studio company called Studio 37 in Poland.

Then, she completed her dual master degree in prints and fibers at the Academy of Fine Arts in the University of Arts in Poznan. In prints, she worked more with techniques and composition compared to fiber art. In fibers, she works more on creative thinking and combining materials.

“Paper is fantastic to work with,” Westman said. “You can cut paper into pieces and change the color, and it becomes something else.”

In 1998, Westman married to Grant Westman, and in 2002, she moved to the United States. In 2005, she started working at SRU.

Currently, Westman enjoys teaching printmaking and fiber art to college students.

“I’m not the type to sit behind the desk all day,” Westman said. “I like the pace and the activities in the college classroom.”

               

Westman is the advisor for the student-run Martha Gault Art Society (Art Club). Students in Art Club coordinate lectures and field trips for students to participate in. She represents the art department for the Kaleidoscope Festival where members schedule performers and events, make budget plans and promote the festival. She helps out with the Student Exchange Program between the Art Department and the University of Arts, Poznan.

She has submitted her work in national and international competitions, group and solo shows. Her work is focused on Intaglio Printmaking and Fiber Art. She focuses on texture and composition. She keeps it simple by making it monochromatic or achromatic.

After years since the first request, the “temporary” fibers art building on Kiester Road will be moved to Patterson building by the end of the summer.

Westman’s semester goal is that students gain knowledge and cover printmaking processes so that they can work independently. She focuses on teaching the technique and then work on building conceptual thinking for projects.

“People don’t realize the kinds of materials that you can use,” Westman said. “You can find beautiful things in the trash can.”
Fibers Studio With Rhellie Beach

Outside of Fibers Studio With Eric Berdis

Advanced Studio Fibers Class

Printmaking Studio With Cheyenne Kelley

University of Pittsburgh Bomb Threats

Event occurred: April 4 at 9:20 p.m. First Posted: April 5 at 9:06 p.m.

Students roamed around the residence halls.

The University of Pittsburgh had another set of bomb threats on Wednesday shortly before 9:30 p.m. Students and faculty had to evacuate from Victoria Hall, the Frick Fine Arts Building and the Music Building. No students or faculty were hurt and no bomb was found. Pitt had 23 bomb threats in the past few weeks. Clancy Hanagon, a freshman neuroscience major, was at the bomb threat on Wednesday night. "It's beginning to get boring," Hanagon said. "It's a routine, I've had to miss classes because of it." Some threats were emailed and written on the bathroom stalls, investigators reported.

The 2012 National Cherry Blossom Festival

The 2012 National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C. celebrated the gift of cherry blossom trees that were given to the United States 100 years ago by Japan. There are 200 events that promote arts and culture. They offer films, ceremonies, and galleries to attend to. One of the most popular events is the 2012 Parade of the National Cherry Blossom Festival on April 14 at 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Constitution Avenue. The Opening Ceremony featured performers such as Sara Bareilles, The Washington Ballet, and the Samurai Sword Soul on March 25 at 5 p.m. in the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.

The National Cherry Blossom, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose goal is to promote beauty and build community. The organization is run by a board of directors and is supported by donors such as Canon, FedEx, and the Japan-America Society of Washington, D.C.

There is no additional cost to see the 3,000 cherry blossoms. The average date that the blossoms bloom is April 4. In the embed slideshow, the pictures were taken on the Washington Monument Grounds.

The College of Humanities, Fine and Performing Arts Walking Tour

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