{"id":43680,"date":"2017-01-11T10:13:41","date_gmt":"2017-01-11T15:13:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/?p=43680"},"modified":"2022-09-26T10:44:14","modified_gmt":"2022-09-26T14:44:14","slug":"wright-state-to-pay-tribute-to-modern-art-with-dazzling-array-of-drawing-percussion-and-dance-events","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/2017\/01\/11\/wright-state-to-pay-tribute-to-modern-art-with-dazzling-array-of-drawing-percussion-and-dance-events\/","title":{"rendered":"Wright State to pay tribute to Modern Art with dazzling array of drawing, percussion and dance events"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"modern_newsroom_2\"<\/a><\/strong>The re-installation of a geometrical wall drawing originally overseen by a founder of Conceptual Art plus performances by an internationally acclaimed percussion ensemble and celebrated dance company will highlight Wright State University\u2019s tribute to Modern Art.<\/p>\n

\u201cMODERN: Reimagining the New. A window into the making of the Modern Art movement<\/a>\u201d is the theme to the series of College of Liberal Arts<\/a> events that will feature work by artist Sol LeWitt, S\u014d Percussion and Dwight Rhoden and his Complexions Contemporary Ballet.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe end result is going to be a very, very significant event here on campus for pretty much the whole year,\u201d said Hank Dahlman, director of Wright State\u2019s Collaborative Education, Leadership and Innovation in the Arts (CELIA)<\/a>. \u201cIt will answer two questions \u2014 where have we been and where are we going?\u201d<\/p>\n

The events, which begin Jan. 19 and run through Sept. 28, will occur under the direction of three CELIA Fellows: Stefan Chinov, associate professor of art and art history<\/a>; Gerald Noble, director of percussion<\/a>; and Gina Walther, associate professor of dance<\/a>.<\/p>\n

LeWitt, who died in 2007, is regarded as a founder of both Minimal and Conceptual art. His prolific two and three-dimensional work includes more than 1,200 wall drawings as well as hundreds of works on paper extending to structures in the form of towers, pyramids, geometric forms and progressions. The works range in size from gallery-sized installations to monumental outdoor pieces.<\/p>\n

In 1981, LeWitt wall drawings were installed at what is now the Trading Room in Wright State\u2019s Rike Hall. They were done in pencil and chalk over nearly the entire length of a 69-foot-long wall. The four geometric designs were intended to be drawn within the shape of a cube, but were instead drawn horizontally because of the shape of the wall. The drawings were lost when the wall was torn down during renovation.<\/p>\n

\"Artists<\/a>

Artists installing a Sol LeWitt wall drawing in Wright State’s Rike Hall in 1981.<\/p><\/div>\n

As part of Wright State\u2019s tribute to Modern Art, the designs will be re-drawn in the shape of a cube on a blank wall in the Robert and Elaine Stein Galleries<\/a>\u00a0in the university\u2019s Creative Arts Center. Visiting professional artists selected by the LeWitt Foundation with the help of Wright State faculty and students intend to begin drawing on Feb. 6 and finish by Feb. 16. LeWitt rarely executed his own drawings, but rather provided explicit, detailed instructions on how they were to be drawn.<\/p>\n

Dahlman said the re-installation is a way to show how the same idea can be executed in different ways \u2013 something those in the Modern Art movement were interested in examining.<\/p>\n

\u201cArt is never exactly the same way twice,\u201d he said. \u201cAs an art lover, I think immediately of the studies that Monet did of his lily pond \u2013 never two ways the same, always different light, always different times of year.\u201d<\/p>\n

In addition to the re-installation, there will be a Curatorial Talk on LeWitt at the Dayton Art Institute by Chinov and Susan Martis, the institute\u2019s curator of education, beginning at 6 p.m. on Jan. 19. On Feb. 2, from 6 to 8 p.m., the institute will have a public screening of \u201cSol LeWitt,\u201d a documentary film by Chris Teerinks. A second public screening of the film will occur from 2 to 4 p.m. on Feb. 24 at the Stein Galleries and include a panel discussion with Chinov and Karla Huebner, associate professor of art and art history.<\/p>\n

John Hogan, who guided and oversaw most of the LeWitt installations and is considered the world\u2019s foremost expert on LeWitt\u2019s art, will lecture at Wright State Stein Galleries on March 12 beginning at 2:30 p.m., prior to the public opening of the re-installed LeWitt wall art. Hogan is installation director and archivist of Sol LeWitt Wall Drawings housed at the Yale University Art Gallery.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is a connection between what John Hogan and his people will be doing in terms of executing the art that musicians and dancers also do,\u201d said Dahlman. \u201cThey are often told: \u2018Here are the instructions; now make the art happen.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

\"S\u014d<\/a>

S\u014d Percussion will be in residence at Wright State from Jan. 26 to Jan. 28. (Photo courtesy of S\u014d Percussion)<\/p><\/div>\n

The musical component of Wright State\u2019s Modern Art tribute will feature the S\u014d Percussion Residency. S\u014d Percussion is based at Princeton University, where the group offers educational work and performs concerts. They are also co-directors of the percussion department at the Bard College-Conservatory of Music and run the annual S\u014d Percussion Summer Institute for college-age composers and percussionists.<\/p>\n

The four-member group includes Eric Cha-Beach, Josh Quillen, Adam Sliwinski and Jason Treuting. Their repertoire features \u201cclassics\u201d of the 20th century to their own works ranging from standard concert pieces to immersive multi-genre programs. In these concert-length programs, S\u014d Percussion employs a 21st century synthesis of original music, artistic collaboration, theatrical production and visual art to explore their own creative experiences.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe idea of percussion ensembles is part of this overarching theme of Modernism,\u201d said Dahlman. \u201cPercussion is one of those things that has been with us since the beginning of time, but it\u2019s just been in the last 100 years where it has reached a level of maturity where it has become its own art form, not just being used to communicate or ceremonially in religious and military settings.\u201d<\/p>\n

S\u014d Percussion began the 2016-17 season with critically acclaimed performances at the Lincoln Center Festival, including a complete performance of Steve Reich\u2019s \u201cDrumming\u201d and a sold-out trilogy of S\u014d commissions and masterworks of the percussion repertoire.<\/p>\n

S\u014d Percussion will begin its residency at Wright State on Jan. 26, collaborating with Noble, Michael Burritt\u00a0 and Jon Bennett of the University of Rochester’s Eastman School of Music, Rob Ferguson of Matrix Performing Arts and Nick Angelis, assistant band director at the University of Cincinnati. On Jan. 27, S\u014d Percussion will take part in a festival at the Creative Arts Center, with master classes and clinics. On Jan. 28, at 7:30 p.m., the group will perform in concert at Wright State’s Schuster Hall.<\/p>\n

The concert will feature pieces written by Burritt, Angelis and Treuting. They will also be performing together on a classic piece of the percussion repertoire — “Ionisation” by Edgar Varese.<\/p>\n

Noble said what makes the percussion program special will be the presentations by nationally and internationally acclaimed artists, new music coming to campus and the high level of student participation. He said the concert will feature rudimental drumming, a nationally ranked indoor drum line, and both classic and modern percussion repertoire.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt covers the scope,\u201d he said. \u201cTo a hobbyist musician or music lover, it\u2019s going to be fascinating and exciting. To an astute musician, it\u2019s going to be deep and profound. This will be a crowd-pleasing concert from start to finish. All are welcome.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPercussion lends itself to the idea of interpretation,\u201d added Dahlman. \u201cAnd it\u2019s fascinating not only to listen to, but to watch.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said the dance portion of the Modern Art tribute \u2014 Rhoden and the Complexions Contemporary Ballet \u2014 will demonstrate the synthesis of different approaches to movement with music.<\/p>\n

Walther, who took part in dance performances with Rhoden in the 1990s, said Complexions is one of the hottest dance companies on the planet and that she has dreamed of bringing them to Wright State ever since she started working at the university.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe kind of style that they do is fiercely athletic,\u201d she said. \u201cA lot of their scenes are en pointe in which the dancers move gracefully on the tips of their toes, but you\u2019re not going to be seeing classical ballet of old. That\u2019s one of the reasons why we chose them. It\u2019s definitely cutting-edge. It\u2019s definitely modern and where modern, contemporary dance is going in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Dwight<\/a>

Dwight Rhoden and his Complexions Contemporary Ballet will demonstrate the synthesis of different approaches to dance with residencies and performances during the spring semester. (Photo by Bill Herbert)<\/p><\/div>\n

Modern dance was started as a rebellion against the traditional structure of ballet, but in recent years the two schools have come closer together.<\/p>\n

\u201cComplexions is a company that combines the two approaches beautifully. There is a fluidity to it,\u201d Walther said. \u201cAnd it\u2019s not just ballet and modern; you\u2019ll see hip-hop influences in there.\u201d<\/p>\n

A native of Dayton, who began dancing at age 17, Rhoden has performed with Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, Les Ballet Jazz De Montreal and as a principal dancer with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. His work has been presented in more than 20 countries, filling some of the most prestigious theaters around the globe. They include The Joyce Theater in New York City, The Bolshoi Theater in Moscow, The Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, the Maison De La Danse in Lyon, France, The Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles and The Arts Center in Melbourne, Australia.<\/p>\n

As a performer, Rhoden has appeared in numerous television specials, documentaries and commercials throughout the United States, Canada and Europe and has been a featured performer on many PBS “Great Performances” specials. He has also directed and choreographed for TV, film, theater and live performances, including \u201cSo You Think You Can Dance,\u201d E! Entertainment\u2019s \u201cTribute to Style\u201d and Cirque Du Soleil\u2019s \u201cZumanity.” In addition, he has worked with or created works for such high-profile artists as Prince, Lenny Kravitz, Kelly Clarkson, The Drifters, Paul Simon, Billy Strayhorn, Marvin Gaye, U2 and Patrick Swayze.<\/p>\n

From Feb. 13-18, Rhoden will begin a residency at Wright State and work with university dance students on one of his licensed works. On Feb. 18 beginning at 5 p.m., an open rehearsal and talkback session with Rhoden will be held in the dance studio of the Creative Arts Center. On April 20-23, a Rhoden work will be performed at the center in the Wright State Spring Dance Concert. The events will conclude with a Complexions residency Sept. 25-28, with a Complexions performance at Dayton\u2019s Victoria Theatre on Sept. 28.<\/p>\n

Rhoden is the resident choreographer of The Charlotte Ballet and has taught and served as artist in residence at New York University, Juilliard, UC Irvine, Skidmore College, The Boston Conservatory and the University of Mississippi, where his 2004 Racial Reconciliation Project was credited as a catalyst for dialogue in a community that had been historically divided. Complexions is widely considered \u201cAmerica\u2019s Original Multicultural Dance Company\u201d has remained consistent in delivering a profound passion for diversity.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe company from the beginning was dancers of all races and all walks of life,\u201d said Walther. \u201cThey pride themselves on trying to make dance accessible to all audiences, trying to bring it away from just the culturally elite going to dance.\u201d<\/p>\n

The entire MODERN program is presented as part of CELIA’s Distinguished Visiting Artist Series with generous support from the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation. Most scheduled events are free and open to the public.<\/em><\/p>\n

For more information, visit www.wright.edu\/modern<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cMODERN: Reimagining the New. A window into the making of the Modern Art movement\u201d takes place at Wright State from Jan. 19 and through Sept. 28. Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":43686,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[722,729,2037,4859,725,747,715,2082],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-43680","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-academics","category-around-campus","category-arts-scene","category-fine-and-performing-arts","category-home-news-sidebar","category-liberal-arts","category-news","category-robert-and-elaine-stein-art-galleries"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43680","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=43680"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43680\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":43774,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43680\/revisions\/43774"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/43686"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43680"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=43680"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=43680"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}