Real Hartford

Meduzot (Jellyfish)

I’m actually a little surprised that nobody pulled me aside and ordered me to go see this film. It’s definitely my type. Anyone who knows me well could see it a mile away. It’s full of darkness, melancholy, and characters who have shit luck. The film is described as centering around three females in Tel Aviv, but I think it goes beyond that. There’s the little girl, and mother and daughter conflicts, and the photographer.

It opens with Batya (Sarah Adler), a waitress, watching her live-in boyfriend move out. One critique I read described this scene and character as being passive, but I disagree. Crying and throwing someone’s belongings in the street no more make someone an active character than quietly continuing on with one’s life (working, dealing with landlord, etc.) makes someone passive. Batya’s storyline took a turn into magical realism, with the use of water imagery. One of the best uses of irony is how her mother is the voice for an organization that says every child deserves a roof overhead, while Batya’s own “roof” (ceiling, actually) is leaking—excessively. Continue reading Meduzot (Jellyfish)…

Kultura Borikua and more

The party will be at the Wadsworth on Thursday July 3rd. On the first Thursday of every month, the Wadsworth Atheneum hosts Phoenix Art After Hours, which is the downtown version of the Creative Cocktail Hour. It goes from 5-8pm and costs $5 (The film costs extra). This month they will be providing salsa music by Kultura Borikua, a gallery talk (about art) by Professor Robin Greeley (author of Surrealism and the Spanish Civil War), and a showing of the film Lovesickness (Maldeamores).

Connecticut Gay & Lesbian Film Festival

This year marks the 21st CT Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, held at Cinestudio on the Trinity College campus in Hartford. Though there is a “sneak preview” on May 29th, the festival runs from May 30-June 7, 2008.
There will be a silent auction throughout the festival, and special guests will be in attendance on several nights. Check out their website for the full listing of films to be shown.

Creative Cocktail Hour: Random Art

I’m trying to figure out if the three works on display by three artists have anything in common. Sam Gibbons’ work was cartoonish art that I still contend looks like stoner art that one would find at Spencer’s Gifts or a head shop. It didn’t do much for me. A friend said it was trippy, as opposed to being stoner art. I don’t know what the distinction is, but clearly could not appreciate it as much as he could. There are supposed to be hidden images of sex and violence. I could see these, but I was not sure what the message was. Continue reading Creative Cocktail Hour: Random Art…

Upcoming Events in (and around) Hartford

TONIGHT: Hope Out Loud Coffeehouse at Alchemy (New Britain Avenue, next to new ice rink) at 7:30. It’s free, but donations are accepted.

SATURDAY: FADGE Fest– grrrl power at the Charter Oak Cultural Center

SUNDAY: I just learned that the new cinema up at (roll eyes here) Blue Back Square has Classic Movies (yea!) on Sundays. They serve hooch during these films.

Also on Sunday, the April in Paris film festival starts at Cinestudio. These films will play throughout the week.

Art!

I’m one of those annoying people who tend to get to events early. I don’t like to fight for parking, so it’s easier for me to be a big loser and walk through the door when an event actually starts. Well, every year being early to the preview show is the only way to see it. After about 15-20 minutes, the place is far too crowded for anyone without absolute zen-like patience to deal with it.
Continue reading Art!…

A Meandering Post

So, I’m trying something different with comments now. I had totally forgotten about changing code (d’oh!), so now I’m going to play around with different comment features. It may be a spam nightmare, but at least people will be able to comment without registering themselves.

* * *
The other day I mentioned the illegal dumping that people are fond of doing in the parking lot here. Well, it happens all over the city, as Helder Mira shows us. While you’re over at his site, check out the other photos he’s taken.

* * *
Because I’m a late bloomer, I saw Persepolis for the first time only yesterday. In fact, it’s been the only film I’ve felt compelled to see in the theater in months. I’ve read pieces of the graphic novel while tutoring students who have had it assigned to them, and had been wondering how they would make a film out of it. To me, it worked: subtitles, in French, punk and metal music, mostly black & white…I loved it. For one, the French was a dialect that was slow enough for me to actually understand some of. I’ve tried understanding other French films, like Amelie, and the pace is too quick. Of course, with subtitles it doesn’t really matter, but I’d like to believe my semesters of learning French were not an entire waste. Anyway, they did a great job of coming the very serious issues (war, revolution, oppression of women) with humor. This is playing at Real Art Ways until Wednesday.

More Evidence that Hartford is not Dead

It was great seeing Jude, Maurice, Sara(h), Audrey, and one former co-cast member from the Vagina Monologues (2006). It was nice meeting some different people who I would never cross paths with otherwise.

Write up is at Undercurrents.

Art Won’t Kill You

There are at least four openings or ongoing exhibits that sound remotely interesting to me.

First, for an old standby, the Wadsworth Atheneum has “Martin Luther King Jr.: Life, Times and Legacy” until April 27, 2008. This exhibit marks the 40th anniversary of King’s assassination. The Wadsworth is open Wednesday-Sunday. On Monday January 21, they will be open for MLK Day, and admission will be free that day.

Tomorrow night is the opening reception of [un+art] a collection of un+defined, un+juried, un+censored artworks in the tri-state area, celebrating the 10th Anniversary of Hartford ArtSpace Gallery from 6-9. This exhibition at ArtSpace (555 Asylum) will close on January 27th. Admission is free. The money from any artwork purchased will go entirely to the artist.

I’m most excited about Paper/New England, a new-as-of-2007 art center in Hartford.  January 15th is the opening of a juried show at the Bushnell Promenade Gallery.

On January 17th, coinciding with Creative Cocktail Hour, Bradley Dean Wollman’s exhibit, The Little War,  will be opening at Real Art Ways. The CCH runs from 6-10pm.

First Thursday

Tonight at the Wadsworth Atheneum there’s going to be a gallery talk–”Martin Luther King, Jr.: Life, Times, and Legacy”–as part of their Art After Hours cocktail party. Live music will be performed by Vance Gilbert.