Curtis Brothers Quartet & Orice Jenkins at Real Art Ways

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Curtis Brothers Quartet & Orice Jenkins
  This show takes place at Infinity Music Hall & Bistro, 32 Front Street, Hartford, CT 06103 Two of Hartford’s favorite sons of Jazz, Grammy winning bassist Luques Curtis and award-winning pianist Zaccai Curtis, are bringing their band to Infinity Hall for a hometown throw down!! Between the two brothers, they’ve worked with Cindy Blackman-Santana, Gary Burton, Ralph Peterson, Donald Harrison, Christian Scott, Ray Vega and Hartford Hero of Jazz Jimmy Greene to name a few. Up and coming Hartford Artist, Orice Jenkins warms up your ear drums for this special evening of Hartford-Grown Latin Jazz. Tickets and more information at this link.
Member Appreciation with Artist Alina Gallo

Beginning Monday, February 22, artist Alina Gallo will paint a life-sized egg tempera mural directly onto the walls of the Real Room, re-creating Keleti Station, a train station in Budapest, Hungary where thousands of refugees (many from Syria and Afghanistan) were stranded on their way to Germany, Sweden, and other European destinations during the summer and fall of 2015.

On Sunday, February 28 from 3 – 4:30 PM Real Art Ways’ members will have an opportunity to meet Alina and our Visual Arts Coordinator, Zoe Allison. There will be light refreshments.

Please RSVP to Zoe Allison at zallison@realartways.org or by calling 860-232-1006 x 113.

Heidi Lau
Vestiges from a Dream Pool
Heidi Lau creates sculptures and paper works exploring Chinese folk archetypes, unexplainable superstitions, and inherited memories. For her exhibition at Real Art Ways, Lau presents a selected body of highly textured and glazed ceramic sculptures, some monumental and some miniature. All are embedded with elements from nature and folklore, carrying the memories of many forces. The “Dream Pool” pays homage to Shen Kuo, who wrote Dream Pool Essays in 1088 AD which explained supernatural events, and the inability of empirical science to explain everything in the world. – Vestiges from a Dream Pool has been covered by the Huffington Post at this link:
About the Artist
Heidi Lau grew up in Macao, currently lives in New York and works in Brooklyn. Her ceramics and works on paper have been exhibited nationally and internationally in venues such as the Macao Museum of Art, Wave Hill, Boston Center for the Arts, Tiger Strike Asteroid New York, Kniznick Gallery at Brandeis University and Aljira Center for Contemporary Art. Her practice has been generously supported by numerous residencies and awards: Bronx Museum Artist In the Market Place Program, Emerging Artist Fellowship at Socrates Sculpture Park, Center for Book Arts Workspace Residency, Martin Wong Foundation Scholarship, among others. She is a recipient of the Joan Mitchell Foundation Painters and Sculptors Grant in 2015.
Mohamad Hafez
Desperate Cargo
Artist and architect Mohamad Hafez creates sculptures representing Middle Eastern streetscapes and buildings besieged by civil war, deliberately contrasted with verses from the Holy Quran. His work reflects the political turmoil in the Middle East through the compilation of found objects, paint, and scrap metal in miniaturized installations that are architectural in their appearance, yet politically charged in their content.
About the Artist
A Syrian artist and architect, Mohamad Hafez was born in Damascus, raised in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, educated in the Midwestern United States, and now lives in New Haven. Expressing the juxtaposition of East and West within him, Hafez’s art reflects the political turmoil in the Middle East through the compilation of found objects, paint and scrap metal. Using his architectural skills, Hafez creates surrealistic Middle Eastern streetscapes that are architectural in their appearance yet politically charged in their content. Hafez’s recent work depicts cities besieged by civil war to capture the magnitude of the devastation and to expose the fragility of human life. Hafez’s work reflects his deep interest in the cross-disciplinary exploration of street art and the realistic, yet ironic sculptural work. Closing Event with Artist talk and discussion, Sunday, April 24, 3 PM.
Alina Gallo
Keleti Station

Artist Alina Gallo spent over a week painting a life-sized egg tempera mural directly onto the walls of the entire Real Room. The work re-creates Keleti Station, a train station in Budapest, Hungary where thousands of refugees (many from Syria and Afghanistan) were stranded on their way to Germany, Sweden, and other European destinations during the summer and fall of 2015.

Using imagery sourced from traditional and social media, anti- and pro-migrant graffiti, and disparate first-hand accounts, Gallo has created a composite graphic rendering of Keleti Station. The Hartford Courant published a video about the work at this link: http://www.courant.com/entertainment/museums-galleries/hc-keleti-station-mural-20160311-premiumvideo.html Gallo creates large-scale murals using tempera, an ancient technique for creating fast-drying, long-lasting paintings from pigment mixed with a binding medium (usually egg yolks). Examples of tempera painting still in existence date back to the 1st century AD, and it was the primary method of painting until the invention of oil paints in the early 1500s. Click below to view an exhibit booklet with more background on the mural and detailed descriptions of each section’s imagery. http://issuu.com/alinagallo/docs/keleti_station_booklet_for_web?e=2470384/34362871  
About the Artist
Alina Gallo, originally from Long Island, New York, is based in Rome, Italy. Her large site-specific installations and contemporary miniature paintings have chronicled the representation of events in the Middle East and North Africa since the onset of the Arab Spring. Alina’s work samples and combines imagery and information from a multitude of raw footage, photographs, and documentary snippets, as well as network media sources, reflecting both a fragmented understanding of these accounts and the conscious and unconscious attempts to recompose a potential reality.
5th CT Printmakers Invitational
Image courtesy of Mike Angelis
Multiple Impressions
Curated by John O’Donnell Multiple Impressions is an exhibition of 23 artists who make prints using a variety of printmaking processes, ranging from traditional (intaglio, relief, lithography, and screen printing) to experimental (textile, sculpture, and installation). Their works address a variety of topics concerning design, representation, and abstraction. Some artists in this exhibition are painters who make prints, while others are designers who use printmaking to execute ideas.
The following artists are participating:
Michael Angelis
May Babcock
Sharon Butler
Julia DePinto
Paul DeRuvo
Jenni Freidman
Brad Guarino
James Kimura-Green
Ryan King
Nathan Lewis
AJ Masthay
Guz Mazzocca
Sarah Mikolowsky
Kelsey Miller
Jeff Mueller
Neil Daigle Orians
Hartford Prints!
Thomas Radovich
Nicolas Ransom Kennedy
Thomas Reilly
Jacob Rochester
Sydney Roper
Stephanie Sileo
Tim Wengertsman
Mark Zurolo
Karen Finley: Shock Treatment
At the Mark Twain House
Real Art Ways and the Mark Twain House co-present artist and author KAREN FINLEY at the Mark Twain House. No other artist captures the drama and fragility of the AIDS era as Karen Finley does in her 1990 classic book Shock Treatment. “The Black Sheep,” “We Keep Our Victims Ready,” “I Was Never Expected to Be Talented,”–these are some of the seminal works which excoriated homophobia and misogyny at a time when artists and writers were under attack for challenging the status quo. This twenty-fifth anniversary expanded edition features a new introduction in which Finley reflects on publishing her first book as she became internationally known for being denied an NEA grant because of perceived obscenity in her work. She traces her journey from art school to burlesque gigs to the San Francisco North Beach literary scene. A new poem reminds us of Finley’s disarming ability to respond to the era’s most challenging issues with grace and humor. KAREN FINLEY’s raw and transgressive performances have long provoked controversy and debate. She has appeared and exhibited her visual art, performances, and plays internationally. The author of many books including A Different Kind of Intimacy, George & Martha, and The Reality Shows, she is a professor at the Tisch School of Art and Public Policy at NYU. Tickets are $20, and $15 for Mark Twain House and Real Art Ways members
Bang on a Can All-Stars
Photo by Peter Serling The Hartt School and Real Art Ways co-present a performance by the Bang on a Can All-Stars at the Hartt School’s Lincoln Theater as part of their Richard P. Garmany Chamber Music Series. Bang on a Can are legends of contemporary music. Founded in 1987 by Julia Wolfe, David Lang, and Michael Gordon, Bang on a Can pioneered experimental mixed-instrumentation composition and performance. In 1992, the Bang on a Can All-Stars came together as an internationally renowned category-defining amplified ensemble. Freely crossing between classical, jazz, rock, world and experimental music, the All-Stars have worked in close collaboration with some of the most important and inspiring musicians of our time, including Steve Reich, Ornette Coleman, Burmese circle drum master Kyaw Kyaw Naing, Tan Dun, DJ Spooky, and many more. As part of their United States tour, the All-Stars will perform at the Hartt School’s Lincoln Theater. This performance is made possible in part by a grant from the Richard P. Garmany Fund at the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving.   The program will include: Tan Dun: Concerto for Six Julia Wolfe: Believing Kate Moore: The Hermit Thrush and the Astronaut Michael Gordon: Gene Takes a Drink Steve Martland: Horses of Instruction Philip Glass: Closing The Bang on a Can All-Stars are Ashley Bathgate, cello; Robert Black, bass; Vicky Chow, piano; David Cossin, percussion; Mark Stewart, guitars; and Ken Thomson, clarinets.   Preview a piece the All-Stars will be performing on the 20th:
Carla Gannis: Artist Talk
Artist Carla Gannis will discuss the process and concepts behind her recent work The Garden of Emoji Delights, currently on display in the Real Room. Collaged signs & symbols of everyday virtual speech, commonly known as Emojis, make up Gannis’ contemporary reinterpretation of Hieronymous Bosch’s 16th century masterpiece The Garden of Earthly Delights. The massive digital c-print matches the scale and proportion of the original piece. Gannis, a resident of Brooklyn and a Professor of Digital Art at Pratt Institute, said she wanted to explore the way “popular customs and communications…can be integrated into art.” Read more about the piece in the Hartford Courant, here: http://www.courant.com/entertainment/museums-galleries/hc-emoji-art-hartford-1030-20151029-story.html
This event is free and open to the public.
Metanoia and Meditation
An evening of mindful inspiration with Elizabeth Phelps Meyer’s exhibit Metanoia. This event will give participants the opportunity to enhance their understanding of Meyer’s spiritual inspiration and the meaning behind her work.  As part of the evening, a meditation teacher from the Odiyana Kadampa Buddhist Center will guide a meditation and talk on how to apply Buddhist principles into your daily life. The class is PAY AS YOU WISH and open to the public, but space is limited to 30 participants. Please reserve your space with Zoe Allison at zallison@realartways.org.
Improvisations :: Arcade
Curator musicians Joe Morris and Stephen Haynes join their invited guests for freely improvised music, created in real time. The listening environment encourages intimate and deep contact with the music, the musicians, and other audience members. On Sunday, April 10 at 3 PM, we continue our fifth Improvisations music series with fresh talent under the title Improvisations::Arcade. THE LINEUP: Dana Jessen / Bassoon Joe Morris / Guitar Stephen Haynes / Cornet
Improvisations :: Arcade
Curator musicians Joe Morris and Stephen Haynes join their invited guests for freely improvised music, created in real time. The listening environment encourages intimate and deep contact with the music, the musicians, and other audience members. On Sunday, March 20 at 3 PM, we continue our fifth Improvisations music series with fresh talent under the title Improvisations::Arcade. Sunday’s event features  Lester St. Louis (cello) and Dre Hocevar (drums)   Future Events: SUNDAY APRIL 10 | 3 PM: Dana Jessen (bassoon), Stephen Haynes (cornet), Joe Morris (guitar)
Improvisations :: Arcade
Curator musicians Joe Morris and Stephen Haynes join their invited guests for freely improvised music, created in real time. The listening environment encourages intimate and deep contact with the music, the musicians, and other audience members. On Sunday, February 21 at 3 PM, we continue our fifth Improvisations music series with fresh talent under the title Improvisations::Arcade. Sunday’s event features  Kirsten Lamb (bass), Zachary Rowden (bass), Matt Rousseau (drums), and Dan O’Brien (saxophone, clarinet, flute).   Future Events: SUNDAY MARCH 20 | 3 PM: Lester St. Louis (cello), Dre Hocevar (drums), Stephen Haynes (cornet), Joe Morris (guitar) SUNDAY APRIL 10 | 3 PM: Dana Jessen (bassoon), Stephen Haynes (cornet), Joe Morris (guitar)
Improvisations :: Arcade
Curator musicians Joe Morris and Stephen Haynes join their invited guests for freely improvised music, created in real time. The listening environment encourages intimate and deep contact with the music, the musicians, and other audience members. On Sunday, January 24 at 3 PM, we continue our fifth Improvisations music series with fresh talent under the title Improvisations::Arcade. Sunday’s event features Yasmine Azaiez (violin) and Adam Matlock (accordion).   Future Events: SUNDAY FEB 21 | 3 PM: Kirsten Lamb (bass), Zachary Rowden (bass), Matt Rousseau (drums), Dan O’Brien (saxophone, clarinet, flute), Stephen Haynes (cornet), Joe Morris (guitar) SUNDAY MARCH 20 | 3 PM: Lester St. Louis (cello), Dre Hocevar (drums), Stephen Haynes (cornet), Joe Morris (guitar) SUNDAY APRIL 10 | 3 PM: Dana Jessen (bassoon), Stephen Haynes (cornet), Joe Morris (guitar)
Improvisations :: Arcade
Curator musicians Joe Morris and Stephen Haynes join their invited guests for freely improvised music, created in real time. The listening environment encourages intimate and deep contact with the music, the musicians, and other audience members. On Sunday, December 13 at 3 PM, we continue our fifth Improvisations music series with fresh talent under the title Improvisations::Arcade. Sunday’s event features Dan Blacksberg (trombone), Daniel Levin (cello), and Brandon Lopez (bass). BRANDON LOPEZ is a bassist and composer. He has worked across myriad aesthetic/cultural disciplines, but improvisation is the preferred language. “As with any individual dealing with creative work, much of the inspiration for the work is a difficult pin down. I grew up in a strange cross-section of Appalachia and Suburbia with forest, air, mountains, and new construction homes. I’m Latino and American in various shades. I’ve been in much grappling with the ideals of Euro-centricism, strangled and strangling back. I’m not sure what it all means, but I’d like to be reverent and irreverent with all of it.” – Brandon Lopez DAN BLACKSBERG is rapidly emerging as a new leading voice on the trombone. With musical activity that spans avant-garde jazz, modern classical music, improvised music and klezmer, Dan brings a burly, rough-edged sound intended to push at the technical and textural extremes of his instrument. Based in Philadelphia, Dan leads a variety of groups, such as the Dan Blacksberg Trio and Electric Simcha, and co-leads groups such as Archer Spade, the New York/Philadelphia avant-jazz quartet Bird Fly Yellow, and the terror-improv group Psychotic Quartet. DANIEL LEVIN is “one of the outstanding cellists working in the vanguard arena” (All About Jazz), “ridiculously fluent, virtually overflowing with ideas” (New York City Jazz Record) and “very much the man to watch.” (Penguin Guide to Jazz). No matter what setting he plays in, cellist Daniel Levin occupies a musical space bordered by many kinds of music, but fully defined by none of them. Born in Burlington, Vermont, he began playing the cello at the age of six. In 2001, he graduated with a degree in Jazz Studies from the New England Conservatory of Music, and arrived on New York City jazz scene shortly therafter. Since then, Daniel has developed his own unique voice as a cellist, improviser, and composer. Future Events: SUNDAY JAN 24 | 3 PM: Yasmine Azaiez (violin), Adam Matlock (accordion), Stephen Haynes (cornet), Joe Morris (guitar). SUNDAY FEB 21 | 3 PM: Kirsten Lamb (bass), Zachary Rowden (bass), Matt Rousseau (drums), Dan O’Brien (saxophone, clarinet, flute), Stephen Haynes (cornet), Joe Morris (guitar) SUNDAY MARCH 20 | 3 PM: Lester St. Louis (cello), Dre Hocevar (drums), Stephen Haynes (cornet), Joe Morris (guitar) SUNDAY APRIL 10 | 3 PM: Dana Jessen (bassoon), Stephen Haynes (cornet), Joe Morris (guitar)
Bowl Offering to Benefit Shedrub Ling
Artist Elizabeth Phelps Meyer will culminate her exhibition “Metanoia” with a bowl offering to benefit sacred sites in Nepal. Meyer will offer to the public the 1,080 red ceramic bowls featured in the exhibition. Participants in this exchange will have the opportunity to make a donation toward the rebuilding of the Ky-Nying Shedrub Ling and Nagi Gompa monastery and nunnery, located in the Kathmandu valley of Nepal.

A massive earthquake devastated Nepal in April of 2015. Meyer, who lived in the country in 2007, was moved to create a work to benefit a place for which she feels profound love. The color of the bowls is rooted in the vermilion powder (“sindoor”) that adorns sculptures at sacred sites in Nepal. Each bowl is filled with a mix of sindoor powder, red sand, and occasional clay remnants that are symbolic of the land in a country that needs to be rebuilt.

The creation of the bowls was an accumulative meditative practice for Meyer – part devotion and part “social sculpture.” The decision to give the bowls away after the exhibition is a “reminder of the fragility of our world(s), and [an] opportunity for people to practice generosity themselves,” says Meyer.

This event is free and open to the public. Meyer will be offering bowls from 2-9 PM on January 16th, the final day of her exhibition. One bowl will be offered per person attending the exchange.
DATE CHANGED: Puppetry Workshop
Artist Elizabeth Phelps Meyer will lead a stop-motion animation and puppetry workshop in conjunction with her current exhibition “Metanoia,” now on view. In this workshop, participants will learn about the art of stop-motion animation using a professional figurative armature. Participants will work in teams (of 2-3 people each) both to help construct armatures using kits, and to make short videos using already assembled armatures, a small animation stage, a green-screen, and a DSLR camera mounted to a tripod and tethered to a MAC computer. Non-drying clay will also be available for modeling onto the armatures as each team prepares to make their video by creating a “character” to animate. As they make video, participants will also learn and employ the technique of “rotoscoping” using real-time video they shoot, and the software i-stop motion, in order to represent human movement in a convincing way. At the end of the workshop, participants will enjoy screening the videos created by each team. The workshop will last 6 hours, with a break for lunch (participants are responsible for making their own lunch arrangements).
DATE CHANGED – Now scheduled for Saturday Dec 12
Thank you to everyone who RSVP’d for this event! All slots are now full. If you would like to be added to the waiting list, please send an email to Zoe Allison at zallison@realartways.org
Elizabeth Phelps Meyer: Artist Talk
The artist discusses her art practice and ideas in relation to the concept of metanoia, which is defined as a profound, usually spiritual, conversion, transformation, or awakening. “Metanoia” is a video and sculpture exhibition. A trilogy of videos set in a fictional art gallery feature stop-motion puppetry and crafted landscapes, which explore the transformative power of color. A handmade landscape installation is on display, including twelve of Meyer’s puppets. One thousand and eighty hand-thrown red ceramic bowls, each containing a “fractured landscape” of red sand and clay remnants, complete the exhibition. Free & Open to the Public
Carla Gannis: Garden of Emoji Delights
by Carla Gannis
New media artist Carla Gannis reimagines the 16th century masterpiece The Garden of Earthly Delights by collaging signs & symbols of everyday virtual speech – called emoji – over Hieronymous Bosch’s original work. Carla Gannis will at Real Art Ways for a artist talk on Thursday, February 4 at 7 PM. Take a look in the Hartford Courant: http://www.courant.com/entertainment/museums-galleries/hc-emoji-art-hartford-1030-20151029-story.html
Insook Hwang: The Energy-Love:Miracle
Exploring ideas of memories and experiences, New Haven-based artist Insook Hwangdraws inspiration from the models of DNA molecules to create small, repeating images that assemble into a larger more net-like form. For The Energy-Love: Miracle exhibition, Hwang creates a site-specific installation in our Real Room, transforming it into a imaginative and invigorating environment as her role as the artist is to bring love and positive energy to the audience.