August 25, 2003

Fall arts calendar shows Asian flair

“Mythos of Lost Dynasties” Wenda Gu, The Spirit of Contemporary Asian Art University Library Gallery, Sept. 5 – Nov. 15.

Northern California’s burgeoning interest in Asian art will be a central theme for arts events at CSUS this fall.

Performances and exhibits carrying an Asian theme or focusing on Asian artists include a rare display of contemporary Asian art, curated by the former associate curator of San Francisco’s Asian Art Museum. The campus will also host a world music series featuring artists ranging from Tuvan throat singers to Chinese folk players, Filipino performance art and a display of miniature tapestries.

“The Spirit of Contemporary Asian Art,” Sept. 5 through Nov. 15 in the University Library Gallery, will feature works and subject matter not commonly seen by Western audiences. New CSUS professor Pattaratorn Chiapravati has brought together paintings, calligraphy and photography by internationally known Chinese artists Xu Bing and Wenda Gu, Japanese artists Mayumi Oda and Kazuaki Tanahashi, Thai artist Pinaree Sanpitak and CSUS alumna Hong Zhang.

Sacramento-region artist D.R. Wagner will show his miniature tapestries in the Department of Design Gallery in Mariposa Hall from Sept. 22 to Oct. 11. His intricate pieces have been shown both nationally and internationally and won him an award for "traditional technique" at the International Textile Competition in Kyoto, Japan. Filipino American artist Rico Reyes, director of the Reynolds Gallery at the University of the Pacific, will present his performance art in the Library Gallery on Sept. 20.

A series of world music concerts will include The Melody of China on Sept. 21, featuring classical, folk and contemporary Chinese music. On Sept. 27, “Ancestors of Siberia” will include the Tuvan throat singing group Chirgilchen. The series will also feature Indian classical music on Sept. 14 and Indian-Western fusion with Grammy award-winners L. Shankar and Gingger on Oct. 24.

In October, Academy Award-nominated singer Lila Downs will bring her mix of Spanish, Zapotec, Mixtec, Mayan and English music to campus. Downs, who will perform on Oct. 20, was up for an Oscar in 2003 for the song "Burn It Blue" from the film Frida. She is also a BBC3 2003 world music award nominee.

The University’s first-ever art lecture series “Art Matters Now” begins with “Patterns and Principles of Islamic Art” on Oct. 9. Carol Becker, dean of the Art Institute of Chicago, will talk on “Art Making in a Post, Post-Modern Era” on Nov. 12 and “Ask the Dealer” a discussion on art collecting will be on Dec. 11.

The CSUS Alumni Association will present an evening with artist Gregory Kondos on Oct. 23. As part of the event the University is offering a limited number of signed prints of his painting “Life on the River,” which are available by calling (916) 278-7718. And editorial cartoonist and filmmaker Lalo Alcaraz will speak on Sept. 22. The award-winning artist’s comic strip “La Cucaracha” appears in newspapers and magazines around the country.

The fall also features the return of the University’s Festival of New American Music, one of the oldest festivals in the country dedicated to contemporary American music, Nov. 5 - 16. This year’s program will emphasize the merging of contemporary music with computer art.

Animation will accompany the Society of Electronic Music in the U.S. performance on Nov. 8 as well as the debut of Stephen Blumberg’s composition “Skirr” during the Nov. 9 concert by the Empyrean Ensemble. The festival will open with a gala performance on Nov. 5 and will feature more than 20 performances, nearly all of them free. Composer Steve Mackey will give the keynote speech Nov. 10.

Among the fall’s dance highlights is the 10th anniversary of the Sacramento Black Art of Dance, or S/BAD. The troupe, comprised of CSUS students and faculty, will give performances of their show "Praise: Past, Present and Future" on Oct. 9 - 11 and 16 - 18. Another established campus dance troupe, Dale Scholl Dance/Art, will perform "What Price Liberty?" Nov. 6 - 8, 13 - 15 and 20 - 22. “Moves with Latin Grooves,” a faculty dance concert with music by the CSUS Latin Jazz Ensemble, will be Dec. 11-13.

Theatre performances include Honk!, a new take on Hans Christian Andersen’s The Ugly Duckling, featuring Richard Bay’s puppets, music and dance Nov. 20 - 23 and Dec. 4 - 7. Vaclav Havel’s Temptation will take the stage Oct. 30 - 31 and Nov. 1 - 2 and 6 - 9. The Gershwin tribute Forever Gershwin, a fundraiser for the Gerard Larson Memorial Scholarship, returns Nov. 15 -16 and Baltimore Waltz will be performed Oct. 9 - 12 and 16 - 19.

In addition to performing during the Festival of New American Music, the University’s many vocal and musical groups will hold dozens of concerts throughout the fall including the Jazz Ensembles on Oct. 2 and Dec. 4; the Symphonic Wind Ensemble on Oct. 8 and Dec. 10; the Symphony Orchestra on Oct. 21 and Dec. 9; and the Concert Band on Oct. 27.

CSUS Vocal Jazz will perform on Nov. 20, the Jazz Combos on Nov. 25, and CSUS Choirs will perform on both Nov. 15 and during the popular Procession of Carols Dec. 7 and 8. The campus will also host the Sacramento Chamber Music Society on Sept. 7, Oct. 5 and Dec. 14.

After the close of Asian art show, the Library Gallery will display works by CSUS art studio faculty from Dec. 5 to March 19. The Union Gallery in the University Union has a seven-artist group show “California Society of Printmakers: Radius Sacramento” from Sept. 2 - 26. From Sept. 29 to Oct. 24 the gallery will feature the paintings of Miami artist Ana Candioti.

The Else Gallery will feature a series of art graduate students exhibitions Sept. 2 - 12, Sept. 16 - 26, Nov. 4 - 14, Nov. 18 - 28 and Dec. 2 - 12. The Kurt von Meier Collection will be on exhibit Oct. 2 - 31. The Witt Gallery will show art by students of Brenda Louie on Sept. 11 - Oct. 10 and students of Kurt von Meier from Oct. 13 - 31. In addition to the Wagner tapestry exhibit, the Design Gallery in Mariposa Hall will feature “Emotion and Light” Oct. 21 - 28, the “Tic Toc Clock” exhibition Nov. 13 - 20 and a “Holiday Photography” exhibition Dec. 1 - 11.

For more information on times, locations and prices, visit the online events calendar at www.csus.edu/events.

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