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NYFA to Offer Free Presentations for Artists

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Miami Valley native Rory Golden, Program Officer for External Affairs, Fiscal Sponsor Programs at the New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA), will be returning to Dayton to present on the extensive professional development programs available to artists nationwide through NYFA.

The presentation, geared to individual artists across disciplines and small/emerging arts organizations, will focus on NYFA’s extensive fundraising and support programs available to artists nationwide. Visual, performing, literary artists and filmmakers are all encouraged to attend.

Golden will present at the University of Dayton’s ArtStreet on Friday February 12th from 3:30 – 5:30PM. ArtStreet is located at the intersection of Lawnview Avenue and Kiefaber Street on the University of Dayton campus. For directions or parking information, call 937-229-5101 or visit http://artstreet.udayton.edu.

On Saturday, February 13th from 1 – 3PM Golden will present at Dayton Visual Arts Center. Contact Patrick Mauk, DVAC Gallery Manager,  for more information: 937-224-3822.

Both presentations are free and open to the public. The talk will allow additional time for Q&A and follow up with participants.

ABOUT THE EVENT

Golden’s presentation will include information on two of NYFA’s main fundraising and support programs:

NYFA Source is the most extensive national online directory of awards, services, and programs for artists. Listings include over 4,200 arts organizations, 2900 award programs, 4,200 service programs, and 900 publications for individual artists across the country.

Fiscal Sponsorship is a critical way for individual artists, artists’ collaborative projects, and emerging arts organizations in all disciplines to apply for funding usually available only to organizations with 501(c)(3) nonprofit status.NYFA_Logo

ABOUT NYFA

The New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) was founded in 1971 with the mission to empower artists at critical stages in their creative lives. Each year NYFA awards close to $1 million to individual artists and small organizations.   NYFA Learning programs serve thousands of artists through workshops, panel discussions, and individual mentoring on topics ranging from grant writing and budgeting to creating an artist portfolio and audience development.  The NYFA Fiscal Sponsorship program is one of the largest and most established in the country and helps artists and organizations raise and manage over $3 million annually.  The NYFA website, NYFA.org, received over 4.4 million unique visits last year and contains in-depth information about more that 8,000 opportunities and resources for artists in all disciplines.

For more information about the New York Foundation for the Arts, visit http://www.nyfa.org.

ABOUT THE PRESENTER

Miami Valley native Rory Golden brings strong experience in supporting artists and an active artist’s professional practice to his position at NYFA. As Executive Director at the Center for Book Arts (2000 – 2004) in New York, Rory established various new programs to support artists. These include a new exhibition series, a letterpress broadsides poetry reading series, a workspace artist-in-residence program for emerging artists, and a tuition-free class for emerging writers. He left the position in 2004 to pursue his own challenging creative projects.

Rory has exhibited his artwork widely in both solo and group shows at venues such as the Spruill Gallery in Atlanta, the Denver International Airport and both the San Francisco and New York Public Libraries. His work has been recognized with fellowships from Yaddo, the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, the Blue Mountain Center and the National Academy of Fine Arts. Recent grants include an Idea Capital Grant, a Puffin Foundation Grant and a recent research grant from Duke University Libraries Special Collections.  A 1984 graduate of Tecumseh High School, Golden holds an MFA from the University of Alabama, a Master of Humanities from Wright State University and a Bachelor of Arts from Miami University.

Golf Club Hosts Local Visual Arts Showcase

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art@thetraceThe Fifth Annual Art at the Trace, sponsored by the Centerville Arts Commission will be held on February 13 at The Golf Club at Yankee Trace. “Art at the Trace is a well known and respected event in our community,” said Jim Teske, Centerville Arts Commissioner. “We are bringing back some favorites but have also made it a point to showcase some talent that may not have been seen before. When you mix food, talented artists, great music and Valentine’s weekend all in a warm and cheerful community you can expect something great,” he said.

The event will feature hundreds of works of fine art in a variety of mediums from paintings, photography, sculptures, jewelry, and mixed media on display for viewing and purchase.  Local artist, Nancy Fisher, is the Art at the Trace featured artist who has donated an original piece of artwork to be raffled off at the event. All ticket holders will be entered in the drawing and must be present to win.

Guests will enjoy live music provided by the James Murrell Trio and Rob Turner, along with an assortment of delicious, gourmet appetizers and desserts. A cash bar will be available offering fine wines, beers, and cocktails. The Golf Club at Yankee Trace will also be providing a cash tapas bar paired with wine selections for a nominal fee. Attend and you’ll learn how to choose wine that actually enhances the food’s taste while you stroll the gallery of fine art.

Tickets for Art at the Trace are $5 in advance or $7 at the door. Cash or check is accepted in advance and cash, check, or credit card will be accepted at the door. The event runs from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m., Saturday, February 13, 2010, at the Golf Club at Yankee Trace, 10000 Yankee Street in Centerville.

Advance tickets may be purchased in Centerville at the following locations:

· Municipal Building, 100 W. Spring Valley Road
· Pro Shop at The Golf Club at Yankee Trace, 10000 Yankee Street
· Centerville Framing and Gifts, 270 North Main Street

The Last Truck: An Interview with Filmmakers Steve Bognar and Julia Reichert

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The Last Truck PosterThe workers of the General Motors SUV assembly plant in Moraine, Ohio, must have woken up on Christmas morning of 2008 with the feeling that they just got a lump of coal in their stockings. Two days prior, on December 23rd, the GM plant shut its doors for good, leaving its 2,500 workers and 200 management staff members without jobs.

With so many people affected by the foreclosure, two filmmakers wanted to tell the story of the final months of the GM plant through the eyes of the workers. Steve Bognar and Julia Reichert are the writers, directors, editors, and producers of a 40-minute documentary called The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant, which will be screened at UD on February 2nd.

As both Yellow Springs residents and independent filmmakers, Steve and Julia bring a unique perspective and philosophy on life that is reflected in their career.

Julia’s attraction to photography first spawned her interest in communicating social issues with a large group of people. Her first documentary, Growing Up Female, was released in 1971 and considered the first film to come out of the modern women’s movement.

“It wasn’t until later that I realized the power of film as an art form and not just a medium of communication,” Reichert said.

Steve’s journey into the world of independent film similarly started when he was introduced to the photography book The Americans by Robert Frank.

“It opened my eyes to the power, the poetry, and the meaningfulness of documentaries,” Steve said.

Their first directorial film project together was a documentary called A Lion in the House, which followed five families each with a child diagnosed with cancer. After six years of filming and 525 hours of footage, Steve and Julia were able to shape the story into a four hour long movie that premiered on PBS over two nights.

“It was the toughest film we’ve made by far, but as both humans and filmmakers, it was also the most profound thing we’ve been through,” said Bognar.

A Lion in the House had its world premiere at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival and is considered the longest film to be presented in the documentary category. To Steve and Julia’s delight, many of the families and doctors featured in the movie came out to see the film.

While at the festival, however, Julia felt ill with what she thought was emotional and physical exhaustion as a result of her tireless efforts to complete the documentary. But in a stroke of cruel irony, Julia was diagnosed with cancer and had to leave the Utah screening early to undergo treatment.

With the help of the many people who came out to support the film, A Lion in the House finished its run at Sundance and was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize. Steve and Julia even won a prestigious Primetime Emmy for their documentary in 2007; an award that has since been overshadowed by Julia being cancer-free for three and a half years now.

On June 3, 2008, Steve, Julia and the Dayton community were shocked to hear about GM’s decision to close the local assembly plant.

“We both had seen the plant and knew it was a huge part of the Dayton community,” Steve said, “so it was devastating news to hear that the plant was going to close. Dayton is in a tough situation. Our city has been hit hard with job loss and I think we all have to do what we can to help each other out.”

Together Steve and Julia set out to help the thousands of people who considered themselves more family than GM co-workers by telling their story.

“Your job as a documentarian is to find and feel the story, open your heart to people, and throw away your own preconceptions,” Bognar said.

For six intense months, Steve and Julia shot 100 hours of footage and interviewed many workers who would prove the factory worker stereotype to be completely inaccurate. The Last Truck uses these revealing interviews to portray the emotional toll of not only losing a job, but a sense of self as well.

Since its HBO premiere on September 7, 2009, Baltimore Sun film critic David Zurawik named the documentary as one of the top ten television programs of 2009. In October, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences listed The Last Truck as a possible contender for the Documentary Short Subject Oscar at the 82nd Annual Academy Awards. And now this powerful documentary will be featured at the University of Dayton.

Presented by ArtStreet, Film Dayton, and the University of Dayton Initiative on Sustainability, Energy and the Environment (SEE), The Last Truck will be screened on Tuesday, February 2nd at 7 p.m. in the Science Center Auditorium on the University of Dayton campus. This event is free and open to the public.

Be sure to stick around following the film as Steve Bognar, Julia Reichert, and one or more workers portrayed in the film will be having an open discussion about the documentary for all in attendance.

“My life has been enriched so much to be a part of such a creative medium,” Julia said. “Just going out into reality is such an adventure.”

“I feel so lucky to work, grow as a documentarian, and try to tell meaningful stories,” Steve said. “Bearing witness to the human experience is the best thing we can do with our skills.”

For more information about the February 2nd screening, please call (937) 229-5101. For a campus map, click here. A parking permit is required and can be obtained at the main visitor center on the University circle or parking booth at Lot C on Evanston Avenue.

Dayton Theatre Guild presents “Precious Heart”

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image1Dayton Theatre Guild presents “Precious Heart“, a one-woman play about Fleeta Mae Bryte, a 60-something country southerner living in a small town in southwest Texas.

This simple, yet engaging, performance has a bit of a twist: In the tradition of Tyler Perry’s Madea character, the role of Bryte will be played by a man.

Guild veteran Greg Smith portrays the lovable, funny and endearing Fleeta Mae Bryte to life for this wonderful play, a part of the guild’s “Very Special Performance” Series.

Tickets for the Feb. 5 through Feb. 7 performances are on sale now, priced at $17 for adults, $15 for seniors and $10 for students with valid identification.

For additional information, please call (937) 278-5993.

Dayton Dirt Collective – The Real Story

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Shelly “GladGirl” Hulce, Directing Member of Dayton Dirt Collective posted this statement on the Dirt’s Facebook page and we’re reprinting it with her permission:

20770_1310034424511_1040119339_977216_5667810_nAs of Sunday night Jan. 17th, Dayton Dirt Collective is history. This is sad news for the community of current DDC members as well as friends, fans, local and national bands and performance artists.  We had a blast, made new friends and left the place a better one having been there.

We had a good run, almost two years. And, as the locals say, “Two years is equal to about 10 in Dayton when it comes to anything creative.”  This little social experiment was a complete success, which is quite a feat in an ever changing economy, community and social landscape.

We thank you all for being there helping it grow. Special thanks to the founding father of DDC, “Punk Rock Nick” Anderson, a true LEADER who went through all the labor pains and delivery and the 2:00am feedings getting this thing to live. Thanks also to the first generation DDC members who put blood, sweat & tears into it. DDC was born out of a culture of underground house shows that outgrew the many living rooms and basements. We have now outgrown our house at 144 E. 3rd. Street. We never set out to replace the house show culture and those continue even today!

Now it’s time to put the baby in the basket and sail it down the river to find it’s bigger purpose in life.

As sad as we are, we are equally excited about pursuing our individual dreams and passions.
We will exhibit the same energy we had collectively. We do not see this as a failure by any means, this is just a seasonal change with new and exciting seasons ahead!

People want to know “why?” and “why now?”
First and foremost we had a big financial decision to make that was very time sensitive.
Coming up with the funds to meet this approaching expense was not an issue.  Thankfully we had a lot of good people offer to come along side us and contribute. The love was very evident during this last week of conversations with members of the community.

Looking past the immediate expense of renewing our liability insurance policy, we considered the costs vs. benefits of staying in the space at 144 E. 3rd. Street for another year.  After much deliberation we concluded it would be irresponsible to sign on for another year of insurance to cover that particular space. We have been working closely with the City of Dayton Fire Dept. since May to ensure that we met all the requirements to be compliant with the city ordinances and fire codes.  In doing so DFD would increase the max. occupancy they issued us in May of ’09. We exhausted all those efforts and sadly our goals were not met.  We thank the DFD for being so supportive and cooperative with us.

Integrity has always been a priority for us as an organization.  We felt that staying would compromise our integrity.  Our relationships with one another and with the community are still healthy.  We have met all the obligations we made to one another, the community and initial donors.  Equally important, we left no unpaid bills.  That says a lot in a day when this city and has been the victim of corporate carelessness.

We love this city. We are committed to this city.  We are proud that we have been recognized by tenants of the St. Clair Lofts. They made special trips to come see us and to say thanks for being present and cleaning up that corner. They told us that when we were there doing a show, the drug traffic on that corner stopped.

We invited in the homeless that wondered past the space, gave them a place to just come in, have some human contact, hear poetry, music or some comedy. (Some of them even joined in.) We gave them bottled water, cookies, snacks… whatever we had. They were excited about us. They didn’t know who we were, they just knew we treated them well. We had a food barrel there for everyone. There was a sign on that barrel; “If you need some, take some. If you have some extra, leave some.” We took care of each other as best we could.  We extended that same spirit to our guests.
If a touring band didn’t make much money that night, we made sure they left with a warm meal in their belly’s and some food for the road. The local bands playing with the touring bands always
without being asked, would offer up their share of the door to the touring band as a gesture of support. THAT was the DDC / Dayton, Ohio experience the touring bands took away with them and talked about on the road.

It was clear that the room itself presented some challenges sound wise, some local bands even refusing to play there because of it. They were the exception rather than the rule. Rarely did bands and fans complain about the sound, or the PA, or the way the room or stage was laid out. Mostly touring bands made comments about loving the feel of the room and how it was one of the best places they had played on their tour. That was achieved by having a room full of good spirit, not about the mechanics of the sound system. You can have the best PA in town and still have a bad experience. Emphasis here is on people, not things.

People forget a lot of what you say, but they never forget what you do.
We were always trying to lead by example and that does not stop now just because a building closed.  We were frugal and very much of the DIY “Do It Yourself” culture. This is the very spirit Dayton was built on. This is what brings great minds to Dayton, our innovators and inventors.
Without any advertising we were bringing touring bands to our door, some of them re-routing their entire tours to get a show at DDC. People across the nation “got it” when they heard about us.
With that, they were spreading the word across the US by leaving with a good experience, a positive attitude, some Dayton music to share, and in some cases even taking Dayton bands with them to complete their tours!

The passion and commitment of the members of Dayton Dirt Collective remain for the fringe arts and independent lifestyle of musicians in our own back yard as well as universally.
We are passionate about arts being accessible to everyone no matter what age, status, race, belief, gender…

New bonds were formed during a time of coming together in a city portrayed as one of the fastest dying cities in the United States. We saw arts and music thriving in spite of the economy.
We needed this venue more than ever in the last two years. Everything we took in went back out so we could keep that spirit alive.  Money is a very cheap commodity right now. We became wealthy in our creativity and new relationships. Being free to be creative is very liberating even in dire circumstances.

Healthy things grow.  We took a space that had about as much promise as a chunk of dirt and grew something amazing there!  The seeds were planted, the crops provided well for us and now it is time to rotate the crops.

We leave you with this one very important challenge to carry out the spirit of Dayton Dirt Collective:  Set one another up to succeed!!!

It is a new day in the life of another “Dayton Patented Original! ”

Thank you all. It was an honor to be here.

Shelly GladGirl Hulce

Poetry/Spoken Word Event at North River Coffee House

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slam

Image courtesy of Ambitious Productions

Rhyme, rhythm and poetry will convene on Friday, January 22 5-8pm at North River Coffee House, as Ambitious Productions and Noir Words present “The Utterance Project”, an eclectic offering of spoken word, poetry and musical performances.

This event is the second of a series of monthly showcases featuring local performers, many of who have performed in regional and state poetry competitions.

This month features performances by spoken word artist Remedy, and vocalist William Boatright.  Remedy, a Cincinnati resident, won the Ohio Hip-Hop “Best Spoken Artist” award in 2008. Boatright, a Sinclair Community College graduate, boasts a variety of vocal styles, including R&B, soul, jazz and gospel.

An open mic, poetry slam will be hosted by “Slam Mistress” Miss Purity, a staple of the local and national poetry slam scene.

Admission to this “all ages” event is $5.00.  Student discount is $3.00 w/ college I.D.

North River Coffee House

323 Salem Avenue

Dayton, Ohio 45406

Barbara Kowalcyk to Speak at UD Screening of ‘Food, Inc.’

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FoodIncCincinnati resident Barb Kowalcyk, who is featured in the documentary, Food, Inc., will be at the University of Dayton on Friday, January 15, to discuss her involvement in the film. After her 2 1/2 year old child died from E. coli, Kowalcyk has since become a food safety advocate, fighting to give the USDA the power to shut down plants that repeatedly produce contaminated meats.

The pre-film discussion and reception will begin at 8 p.m. in ArtStreet Studio B. The film, directed by Robert Kenner,  will immediately follow the discussion, starting at 9 p.m. Seating is limited, so be sure to get there early! This event, sponsored by ArtStreet, Film Dayton and the University of Dayton’s Initiative on Sustainability, Energy and the Environment, is free and open to the public.

ArtStreet is located on the 300 block of Kiefaber Street on the University of Dayton campus. For directions and parking information, visit http://artstreet.udayton.edu or call (937) 229-5101.

Film Festival seeks entries

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images-65The festival’s goal is to showcase short films that spotlight the best of local filmmaking talent, from students to professionals to everyone in between. The festival will also include a works-in-progress segment, and audience choice awards for the most popular films.

They are now accepting submissions of short films for the festival–finished films or works in progress. The deadline is Friday, January 22, 2010. The entry fee is  $10.
To be considered for entry, the majority of each film needs to have been shot in one of the following counties: Greene, Montgomery, Clark, Madison, Fayette, Clinton, or Warren. (Exceptions may be made if a filmmaker from one of those counties shotVenessaQuery their film elsewhere.) Films should be no longer than 15 minutes in length. Festival Director Vanessa Query says “we’ll allow for a 1 or 2 minute leeway to suit the filmmaker’s vision.”

To submit a short film, go to http://www.littleart.com/site.php/shortsfest which contains the entry form and other submission guidelines. You can also join the festival’s Facebook page for more information and updates: http://www.facebook.com/ysshortfilmfest

The actual viewing of the shorts will be on the afternoon of Sunday, February 21 at the Little Art Theatre in Yellow Springs. The event will begin with a test screening piece. A few works-in-progress will be shown; the filmmakers will request the audience’s feedback in helping them to craft the final project.  Then, the short films will be screened in a few one-hour blocks (program length to be announced in February). There will be audience choice awards for the most popular films.  A reception will follow the event. The program will be repeated on Saturday, February 27.

Library Welcomes Best Selling Author

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images-63Celebration of the 200th anniversary of the Library,  Washington Centerville Library will kick off with a visit from New York Times bestselling romance and suspense author Tami Hoag. With thirteen consecutive Times bestsellers to her credit, including The Alibi Man, Prior Bad Acts, Dark Horse, and Kill The Messenger, Hoag has more than 22 million books in print, published in more than twenty languages worldwide.

Hoag began her career writing a line of romance novels, penning sixteen titles in five years.  Never wanting to be pigeonholed, the novels ranged from romantic comedy to romantic suspense, with richly drawn characters and sharply written dialogue the hallmarks of Hoag’s style.  These traits carry through to her thrillers, along with fast-paced plots and dead-on police procedure.

An avid competitive equestrian in the Olympic discipline of dressage, Tami divides her time between Los Angeles and Palm Beach County, Florida where she competes her horses on the prestigious winter circuit.

The reception at the Centerville Library will be at 2pm on  Friday, Jan 8th with a  book signing of Hoag’s newest book Deeper Than the Dead.  Ms. Hoag will also appear at the Books & Co at the Greene that same evening at 7 PM.

Holiday Cheer Comes to the Dayton Dirt Collective

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BillyWillyThis year the Dayton Dirt Collective has become a home to many of Dayton’s aspiring comedians, and this Thursday, they’ll put a holiday spin on the laughs.  Friendly, West Virginia’s Billy Willy will headline an evening of music, comedy and good cheer at the Dayton Dirt Collective on Thursday, December 17th.  The show is called Billy Willy’s Miracle on Third Street will feature the songs and stories of Billy Willy and local comedians Michelle Metzner and I Que.  Local musician Akillis Green will perform live music at this Toys for Tots benefit show.

The show starts at 8pm, and the evening’s cost is a new, unwrapped toy or a $5 donation that’ll go to Toys for Tots.

Billy Willy, Akillis Green and show organizer, Shelly Hulce will be appearing on Kaleidoscope on WYSO on Wednesday, December 16th to talk about the show.  Kaleidoscope airs 8-11pm on 91.3FM or wyso.org.

Nativity The Pop Opera

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n193061993632_9226It’s a light-hearted original musical written and composed by Dayton resident J. Todd Anderson.  If that name sounds familiar, J Todd may be better known as a story board artist who often works with the Coen brothers or for his radio show, Filmically Perfect, heard on WYSO-FM Fridays at 12:30PM.

Nativity The Pop Opera commemorates the birth of Christ as seen through the eyes of the angels and is meant to be performed during the Christmas season. The music and the lyrics are contemporary, witty and entertaining and will appeal to audiences of all ages. All actors and musicians have volunteered their time and talent to this production.

Nativity The Pop Opera is performed as a benefit for The Children’s Medical Center of Dayton. 100% of ticket sales will be donated to the “Needy Patient Fund”. The fund provides financial support to in-need patients and families who cannot afford the basic necessities of life. It is a “last resort” after all other community resources and options have been exhausted and families have no other alternatives.

Attend an evening of fun while supporting a good cause:

VENUE
Miamisburg Christian Church
1146 E. Central Avenue
Miamisburg, OH 45342

TICKETS / BOX OFFICE – $10 each or group option-6 tix for $30
Monday – Friday, 10 am – 4 pm
Saturday, Noon – 2 pm
937-866-4893

PURCHASE TICKETS ONLINE
Order 24 hours a day, seven days a week with your credit card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express & Discover are accepted), at exploremcc.org.

Tickets will not be mailed. The number of tickets and the name of the person who purchased tickets via Pay Pal will be held at the door.

Please print a copy of your PayPal receipt as proof of tickets purchased.

DIRECTIONS
I-75 to EXIT 44 (SR-725)
TURN WEST towards Miamisburg
GO approximately 2.1 miles
TURN LEFT into parking lot at MCC marquis (1/2 block after Shell gas station.)

Boot Camp for Future Filmmakers

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95Miami Valley high school students are invited to make a film in 48 hours with Dayton’s best filmmakers.

The Muse Machine is partnering with FilmDayton to present the wildly fun and educational 48 Hour Film Boot Camp. For one action-packed weekend in January, area high school students will work with award-winning Dayton-based filmmakers to learn how to write and direct their own short film. As part of this process, students will also format, storyboard, edit, film, score, and rough cut their films. Finished films will be presented at the end of the Boot Camp weekend on the “big screen” at Wright State University’s esteemed film production facilities. Students who are interested in filmmaking, film school, acting, or just want to get a taste of filmmaking, are encouraged to participate.

at Wright State University’s Film Department
Saturday, January 16, 9am-6pm
Sunday, January 17, 9am-7:30pm; Screenings 8pm
___________________________________________________________________
Registrations will be accepted through December 31, 2009. Registration is $90 for Muse Members. Equipment, breakfast, and lunch are included.

Email Eva Buttacavoli, to register and/or become an $11-a-year Muse Member. Include name, email address, home address, phone number, school, and grade level.

Filmmakers/Instructors
Wright State graduate Filmmakers/Instructors Marisha Mukerjee and Rocky Smith will lead sessions that encompass filmmaking basics, from writing a script to shooting to editing on simple, widely available software programs, and will culminate in the creation of a short film.

Marisha Mukerjee lives and works in Chicago and Dayton; co-produced the feature film The Grind; directed and/or produced numerous short films and theatrical productions for a wide range of venues; and is co-founder of Relief Productions Theater Group and Madrina Films.

Rocky Smith lives and works in Springboro and was the co-producer and co-director of Toughman, which premiered at Wright State’s 2009 Big Lens Film Festival, and was awarded “Best Ohio Short” at the 2009 Oxford International Film Festival. Smith has also worked as a key grip, sound department, stunts, and assistant editor on four award-winning short films for the 48 Hour Film Project.

________________________________________________________________________________
For More Information
www.musemachinedayton.com/filmdayton/

About Muse Machine
The Muse Machine is a nationally recognized arts education organization, providing creative experiences and resources for thousands of Miami Valley young people and their teachers since 1982. For information on the Muse Machine see www.musemachinedayton.com.

About FilmDayton
An initiative of the DaytonCREATE project, FilmDayton is a nonprofit, volunteer organization that has spent its first year connecting local filmmakers, encouraging film culture in our community and working to create a richer environment here for future moviemaking.

We are dedicated to boosting economic development in the region and to expanding recognition of the considerable number of young and established filmmakers who live and work in the Miami Valley. For information on FilmDayton see www.filmdayton.com.

Pottery for a Cause

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Pots for CharityLooking for a way to give a great handmade gift while also giving back to the community? Local potters David Chesar, Kate Chesar and Geno Luketic have combined their skills to create twelve unique ceramic pots that will be up for auction on eBay now through December 11th. All proceeds from the auction will be donated to the Miami Valley Foodbank, which provides hunger relief efforts throughout Montgomery, Greene and Preble counties.

This is the fifth year for the charity pottery auction; each year, event organizer David Chesar has selected a different organization to benefit from the auction. Past beneficiaries have included Daybreak and Dayton Southwest Weed and Seed.  The firing costs for this year’s pots were donated by John Bryan Community Pottery.

Pots for CharityThe pots are on display at the University of Dayton’s ArtStreet Studio D Gallery until December 9. ArtStreet is located on the 300 block of Kiefaber Street; for more information, visit http://artstreet.udayton.edu or call (937) 229-5101.

To view the pots online or place a bid, please visit http://www.ebay.com and search “ArtStreet pots.”

Dayton Theatre Guild – Open Auditions For Shining City

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actorLogoFrontAttention aspiring thespians! Dayton Theatre Guild will be holding auditions for the play Shining City from Nov. 30 to Dec. 1.

Directed by Ralph Dennler, the production opens Jan. 15 and will run for three weeks.

A recent review of the play:

In contemporary Dublin, Ireland, a man claiming to have seen the ghost of his recently deceased wife seeks help from a therapist. What begins as an unusual encounter becomes a struggle between the living and the dead in a game that will define both men for the rest of their lives. I was blown away…Conor McPherson’s new play is haunting, inspired and absolutely glorious.” Ben Brantley, The New York Times.

The production is looking for actors for these parts:

  • John – 50’s – Haunted by his dead wife, struggling to get back to his normal life.
  • Ian – 40’s – A novice therapist trying to help others while dealing with his own demons.
  • Neasa – 30’s – Blue collar woman trying desperately to save a relationship and protect her new child.
  • Laurance – 20’s – A male prostitute.

Four week, evening rehearsals are required, with a break for the holidays. Be prepared to give readings from the script.

Interested parties should contact Ralph Dennler at [email protected].

Traveling Light & Corpus Christi

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I started Katrina Kittle’s first novel, Traveling  Light on Friday and stayed up travelinglightto finish it on Saturday evening.  Katrina Kittle is a Dayton native who continues to live in the region, working on her fourth novel and recently acting in several local theatre productions.  I ran across her books while surfing Amazon for a good read, not even realizing she is a local author.  I went to the library with the intention of borrowing Two Truths and a Lie but it was not on the shelf and thus I picked up Traveling Light.  It felt as though I was supposed to be reading that book this weekend.

On Saturday night we went to the Dayton Playhouse to see Terrence McNally’s Corpus Christi, a controversial passion play that depicts Jesus and the apostles as gay men.  There were several parallels between the two works and it was an amazing opportunity to experience them intertwined.  Both the book and the play are significantly about the prejudices that exist against homosexuals and the concept that love can be pure in any form.    Both works explore issues of acceptance and have heroes that teach of unconditional love.  There are even parallel scenes in the book and play where passages from the bible are used to both condemn and defend homosexuality, highlighting the propensity to pick and choose bible verses to support a point of view.

As we walked toward the theatre on Saturday evening, we were greeted warmly by two members of the Dayton Playhouse.  Just behind the greeters stood several protestors… who really were not protesting as much as holding signs that quoted the bible.  It was actually very peaceful and the chair of the Dayton Playhouse summed it up well by saying that the protestors had as much right to be there as they did in putting on the play.  It made me very proud of my city that the cast and crew had the courage to put on such a controversial play… and that the protestors were not hateful or cruel in their demonstrations.

Tolerance is generally the first step of the journey that leads to acceptance and respect.  In Kittle’s novel, that theme is told through several characters.  One young character is full of hate but has a life changing experience that teaches him tolerance.  The matriarchal figure loved her gay grandson but barely tolerated his lifestyle and partner; in the end she came to respect and accept them as a couple, recognizing the persecution of gays as being as tragic as the persecution of Jews during WWII.  Last night at the show, there was tolerance between the protestors and the theatre.  The play itself was a testament depicting the journey of persecution, tolerance, love and acceptance.

The parallels that could be made between the main characters of the play and the hero in the novel are amazing.  Joshua (Jesus) in the play is teaching unconditional love, while Todd and Jacob epitomize unconditional love in the book.  Both Joshua and Todd see the beauty in their persecutors and suffer immensely at death, while never losing their faith in humanity.   Todd is revered by his family as virtually without fault, as is Joshua by the disciples.

Some of the novel’s critics saw Todd’s character as a caricature and attributed the sparse character development to the fact that is was Kittle’s first novel.  I wonder if perhaps Todd and Jacob are intended to represent characters we all know well within our culture and that is why further development wasn’t necessary.   I am also curious if Kittle was at all influenced by Terrance McNally’s script or if the similarities are merely a result of my interpretation.  Regardless, I look forward to reading more work from this very compelling author, and possibly seeking her out at the Word’s Worth Writing Center where she is currently teaching seminars.

Filmmaker Returns Home To Debut Documentary

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images-27Award-winning filmmaker and former Daytonian Tony Heriza returns to the Gem City to premiere his new documentary “CONCRETE STEEL & PAINT” at noon on Saturday, November 14 at the NEON movies. Following the film is a discussion with the director Tony Heriza and with Public Defender Carl Goraleski, and University of Dayton Law Professor Vernellia Randall. Admission is $5.00. Clilck to view the trailer: Concrete, Steel & Paint

“CONCRETE STEEL & PAINT” – filmed in Graterford prison and in the city of Philadelphia – documents a unique collaboration. When men in a prison art class agree to collaborate with victims of crime to design a mural about healing, their views on punishment, remorse, and forgiveness collide. At times the divide seems too wide to bridge. But as the participants begin to work together, mistrust gives way to genuine moments of human contact and common purpose. Their struggle and insights gained are reflected in the art they produce. The documentary is edited by local filmmaker and two-time Oscar nominee Jim Klein. Tony Heriza is one of the founders of CITYFOLK.