Tag Archives: Krasl Art Center

Large-scale photograph, gravity-defying wooden sculptures at Krasl Art Center

Entertainment,
A piece by sculptor Barbara Cooper. (Krasl Art Center)

If the winter blues have you down, Krasl Art Center is ready to inject vibrancy into to your routine! “Dex R. Jones: Storied Portraits” features 20 colorful, large-scale photographs filled with vibrant and stylish models highlighting his passion for showcasing strong subjects. In the artlab gallery, sculptor Barbara Cooper displays wooden forms inspired by the ability of nature. These exhibitions will be on view March 13 – May 31 and offer several unique opportunities for the public to interact with the artists and learn about the work on view.

Influenced by the cultural richness of his Caribbean heritage and Pan-African studies, Jones unwaveringly removes the veil of self-conscious inhibition by eliminating preconceived notions of beauty. Instead, he masterfully reveals true splendor and regality, even amidst vulnerability. Jones relentlessly pushes the characterization of beauty not often seen. Encompassing a mixture of texture, hues, flesh and heavy contrast in his editorial photography, his expertise in justly capturing women of vast shades is indicative of his strong matriarchal upbringing. Jones is driven by an infectious passion that is distinctly exposed in the strong subjects he portrays.

Born in Brooklyn, New York, Jones works on artistic projects, editorial assignments and creative collaborations in both photography and film. Storied Portraits is Jones’ first solo show outside of New York and features 20 images produced in large-scale, further enhancing the vibrancy, strength and appeal of his artwork.

Chicago-based sculptor Barbara Cooper uses wood, books and glue to create elegantly structured artworks. Using nature as her starting point, the artist is inspired by the stresses and obstacles nature confronts. These evolutions in growth and form provide the foundation to her stunning sculptures.

Interested in viewing these exhibitions with your group or organization? Docent-led tours are available for schools and special interest groups. School groups can sign up for KAC’s Understand Art tours, which include a 45-minute gallery tour and a 45-minute hands-on art lesson with a trained docent. Contact the Education Department at 269-983-0271 or email education@krasl.org to book your tour today!

‘Aftermath: War is Only Half the Story’ photography exhibit coming to Krasl Art Center

Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, , ,

By Matthew Bizoe, Krasl Art Center

Beginning Friday, Feb. 8 at Krasl Art Center, 707 Lake Blvd., Saint Joseph, MI 49085, viewers will see incredibly moving stories of the people left behind after cameras have moved on from a war zone in the photography exhibit, Aftermath: War is Only Half the Story. Drawing on photographs from over 50 photographers, these personal and often poetic post-war views unveil not only another side to the devastating effects of war, but also tell the stories of people coming together to rebuild and heal.

The exhibition is a 10-year retrospective of the work of the groundbreaking documentary photography program, The Aftermath Project. Founded to help change the way the media covers conflict — and to educate the public about the true cost of war and the real price of peace — The Aftermath Project has discovered some of the most groundbreaking photojournalists in the world — as well as internationally acclaimed photographers Stanley Greene, Nina Berman, Davide Monteleone, Justyna Mielnikiewicz, and Jim Goldberg, among many others – working on post-conflict themes.

Aftermath: War Is Only Half the Story is originated by The Aftermath Project, Los Angeles, and toured by Curatorial Assistance Traveling Exhibitions, Pasadena, California.

About The Aftermath Project
The Aftermath Project is an outcome of photographer and writer Sara Terry’s five-year-long project, Aftermath: Bosnia’s Long Road to Peace, about the aftermath of the 1992–95 war in Bosnia and Hercegovina. She completed her work in 2005, convinced that a broader public understanding and discussion of aftermath issues was crucial in a world where the media regularly covers war, but rarely covers the stories that follow the aftermath of violence and destruction. Sara founded The Aftermath Project as a way to help photographers tell these crucial stories

The Aftermath Project is a non-profit organization committed to telling the other half of the story of conflict — the story of what it takes for individuals to learn to live again, to rebuild destroyed lives and homes, to restore civil societies, to address the lingering wounds of war while struggling to create new avenues for peace. The Aftermath Project holds a yearly grant competition open to working photographers worldwide covering the aftermath of conflict. In addition, through partnerships with universities, photography institutions and non-profit organizations, the Project seeks to help broaden the public’s understanding of the true cost of war — and the real price of peace — through international traveling exhibitions and educational outreach in communities and schools.

Gallery Opening Party
Friday, Feb. 8
6-8 pm
FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Join us as we welcome Aftermath: War Is Only Half the Story to Krasl Art Center. Allow inspiration to take over with KAC’s Education Department leading an exhibit-themed workshop. Small bites from Bistro on the Boulevard and a cash bar available.

Panel discussion hosted by Aftermath curator, Sara Terry

Saturday, Feb. 9
10am-12pm
FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Join Aftermath: War is Only Half the Story curator, Sara Terry, who will lead an engaging panel discussion with regional community members on the themes covered in this exhibition. Sara Terry is an award-winning documentary photographer and filmmaker best known for her work covering post-conflict stories. She founded The Aftermath Project in 2003.

Coffee with the Curator
Wednesday, Feb. 13
12 noon

FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Gain insights to the art on view and the connection to the art world at large in this gallery tour with KAC Deputy Director and Curator, Tami Miller.

Krasl Art Center partners with the Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival to present ‘The Merchant of Venice’

Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, Upcoming Events, ,

By Amber Erickson, Krasl Art Center

 

Shining a light on the outcast, the excluded, and the other, the Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival (NDSF) Touring Company partners for the third year with the Krasl Art Center to present an exciting new production of Shakespeare’s classic slapstick comedy The Merchant of Venice on Friday, July 27 at 7pm.

 

Director Jemma Alix Levy helms this year’s Touring Company production. Levy is the Founding Artistic Director of Muse of Fire Theatre Company, which just finished its seventh season in Evanston, IL, where she spends her summers. She has directed multiple Shakespeare productions for Muse of Fire and other companies, including Hamlet, Romeo & Juliet, Julius Caesar, and Henry V, as well for other schools and theatres including The Taming of the Shrew and The Two Gentlemen of Verona (American Shakespeare Center), and Macbeth (Quill Theatre). She is currently an Associate Professor of Theatre at Washington & Lee University in Lexington, VA.

 

Join the NDSF Touring Company in its signature ensemble style under the open sky, and explore the plight of the mistreated “other” in a time when Shakespeare’s comic and dramatic dilemmas are as relevant as ever. Director Levy’s new staging of The Merchant of Venice engages audiences through both hilarious comedy and a villain who elicits great sympathy.

 

Visit shakespeare.nd.edu to learn more about the Touring Company and other exciting NDSF programs.

 

NEW LOCATION THIS YEAR! The Krasl Art Center will be holding this year’s Shakespeare performance in the Benton Harbor Arts District at the corner of 5th Street and Territorial Road (at the shipping container) due to Sculpting Community construction taking place on the KAC’s grounds. To learn more about Sculpting Community, visit https://krasl.org/art/sculpture-map/sculpting-community/ or to make a donation, visit https://public.krasl.org/web/donate.

 

This performance is FREE and open to the public; bring the whole family, pack your own chairs, and experience The Merchant of Venice like never before.

 

Soft drinks and water for sale during the event, cash only.