2016 Artists of Promise

Monday, January 25, 2016

Artists of Promise is a gala performance and exhibition honoring the 2016 Chancellor Award Winners of Maricopa Community Colleges' student visual art, choreography, creative writing, theatre, and music competitions. Diverse students from across the valley will take center stage, showcasing their finest artistic work.


It will be held on Wednesday, April 20, 2016 at the Herberger Theatre in downtown Phoenix, Arizona.

Some of the finest emerging artists in the valley in choreography, theatre, music, and visual mediums such as photography, sculpture and painting will be presented to the public during this exciting annual event, which features multi-disciplinary displays and presentations. "Passages," the publication of creative writing winners will also be available.


As the event is open to the public and seating is not assigned, please plan on arriving early for desired seating.


Art Exhibit and Reception from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm.  Performances begin at 6:30 pm.


Location
Herberger Theater
222 E Monroe St
Phoenix, AZ

Contact
Don Jensen-Bobadilla, M.Ed.
don.jensen-bobadilla@domail.maricopa.edu
480-731-8296

PVCC hosts Ken Waldman, Alaska's Fiddling Poet | Free Event

Tuesday, March 22, 2016 @ 7:30pm, Free Admission

The Center for Performing Arts Main Stage

PVCC's Creative Writing Program Presents:

Ken Waldman, Alaska's Fiddling Poet

Ken Waldman primarily plays old-time music, which predates bluegrass. Historically, this is a string-band music linked to Appalachia, though, really, there are variants most everywhere in North America. Some of the tunes he plays are more than two centuries old, though he also has recorded over a hundred he's composed in the style.


Though solo fiddling has its own long-standing tradition—and Ken will still occasionally play solo, especially in conjunction with literary or storytelling events—there's also a long tradition of fiddle and banjo, and of four-piece string-bands with fiddle, banjo, guitar, bass. The permutations are endless: some groups will add a second fiddle, or a mandolin, or will specialize in singing. Some will feature a percussive dancer.

While the music is more widely recognized as square dance music, it's also music of a community, and made among friends. Where bluegrass invariably features hot virtuosic solos, old-time music is an ensemble affair, which relies on a shared background of listening to the music, and playing it. 

What distinguishes Ken is that he uses this music in performance as backdrop as he shares original poems—poetry often about this music—and tells stories, most often about the music, or about Alaska. And while bluegrass may he considered flashier, old-time music may be considered more soulful, which doesn't preclude a high level of musicianship, or satisfaction in the listening. Ken started playing fiddle in 1981, long enough that he knows, and has as friends, hundreds of musicians who are among the very best in this genre. When Ken performs, he can bring “local” accompanists who are highest level musicians themselves, artists who headline their own regional, national, international shows. 

Over the years, as Ken's performances have evolved, he enjoys assembling these all-star bands, and featuring the all-star musicians during the course of the evening. The resulting roots music variety shows, which also include December holiday shows, have proven to be one of Ken's most popular offerings. Ken tailors the evening to a particular community, so shows will incorporate big groups with multiple fiddlers and dancers as well as soloists, duos, and trios, which Ken introduces with a brief poem or story.


Theatre Department Attends Festival in Honolulu, Hawaii

Attending faculty: Andrea Robertson and Karla Frederick. Attending students:  Rachelle Dart, Delfinia Valdenegro, Megan Sutton, Gustavo Flores, Nick Claudio, Micah Thomas, Elizabeth Hogsed, Emile Trudeau and Courtney Kenyon.

Attending faculty: Andrea Robertson and Karla Frederick. Attending students:  Rachelle Dart, Delfinia Valdenegro, Megan Sutton, Gustavo Flores, Nick Claudio, Micah Thomas, Elizabeth Hogsed, Emile Trudeau and Courtney Kenyon.

In February 2016 PVCC Theatre Faculty Andrea Robertson and adjunct Karla Frederick took nine PVCC students to the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival.  This was the first year the PVCC theatre department participated in this Festival. The Festival for our Region was held at the University of Honolulu, Hawaii.  The acting students worked with their partners for about two months before we left on preparing two scenes and a monologue while our stage management student made sure her prompt book was incredibly detailed and full of everything on the production for which she was nominated.


Once in Hawaii we all kept busy with workshops, meetings, acting competition rounds, interviews, watching shows and rehearsals. Two of our students, Nick Claudio and Courtney Kenyon, were selected to participate in the ten minute play festival while we were there. The students also made new friends from around our region including Southern California, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Hawaii and Guam. Rachelle Dart, one of our Irene Ryan acting nominees and her partner Megan Sutton made it to finals of the Acting competition. Out of about 300 pairs they were one of sixteen to show their scene in finals. Our stage manager Courtney Kenyon was alternate to nationals out of about forty forty five managers.  

The Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival or KCACTF is a celebration of the creative process and a shared experience of a community of theater artists. KCACTF honors excellence of overall production and offers student artists individual recognition through awards and scholarships in playwriting, acting, stage management, dramatic criticism, directing, and design.

In January and February of each year, regional festivals showcase the finest of each region's entered productions and offer a wide range of activities, including workshops, symposia, and regional-level scholarship and award programs. At this year's Festival PVCC students were nominated to compete at the Regional level through the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship Auditions and Stage Management after being selected via a response to our shows here at PVCC by a KCACTF Respondent who witnessed the student’s work.  Students competing at the regional festival have the opportunity to appear at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC in April of 2016.




Take Back the Night: Rally Against Sexual Violence

"Shatter the silence. Stop the violence."

Women's History Month @ PVCC is holding a "Take Back the Night" Rally to raise awareness about the problem of sexual violence in our community.  This rally is scheduled for March 28th, from 6pm to 8pm at the CPA Amphitheater.  With 1 in 4 women and 1 in 6 men experiencing sexual violence in their lifetimes, we hope you will help us change these statistics.

Educate yourself and/or others about the problem of sexual violence in our community. 

Take Back the Night events have helped to increase physical safety on the streets with better lighting, teach young people intervention skills to support their peers, increase the awareness of students to reduce vulnerability to exploitation and drugging in social settings, and provide rape kits to hospitals for evidence collection.

We hope you will "Shine Your Light" for Take Back the Night as we work toward a sexual violence-free world!

Emerging Student Artist Series

The Center for the Performing Arts Gallery at Paradise Valley Community College is pleased to announce the Emerging Student Artist Series for 2016, highlighting up and coming student artists Fallon Shell-Kenny, Gayana Babiyan, and Ping Yi-Rivera.

The artwork will be on view from February 29, to March 24, 2016. The reception is Wednesday, March 2, at 5:30pm. The reception is open to the public; light refreshments will be served. The exhibit will be closed during Spring Break, March 14 - 18. The CPA Gallery is open and free to the public, Monday through Friday, 9am - 5pm. Parking is available on the NE side of the CPA.

Ping Yi-Rivera

Mixed Media

Ping’s installation is a visualization of life in her neighborhood unofficially known as “The Square”, and profiled as one of the most densely populated and poorest square miles in Arizona. Her mixed media drawings are meant to invite you to see with your eyes and to ponder life with in “The Square”.

Fallon Shell-Kenny

Ceramics

As a child, Fallon used to love playing with my food. It gave her the freedom to freely express all of the thoughts and feelings that she could not at the time express with words. Her pieces are a reflection of this want to play with food now as an adult. 

Gayana Babiyan

Photography

Gayana believes that every human being appreciates beauty. However, each of us finds it in different things. As for her, she has been fascinated by beauty since childhood. Moreover, she is happy now beauty not only in her mind, but on her photographs which she can share thebeautiful moments with others.

Phoenix Experimental Arts Festival - February 20th, 2016

Phoenix Experimental Arts Festival

Saturday, February 20, 2016

Paradise Valley Community College

Center for the Performing Arts (CPA)

 

#puttingtheAinsteam

 

Events/Activities:

 

12:00pm-4:00pm: OPEN HOUSE

Center for the Performing Arts Lobby/Gallery:

• PLAY, located in the SE corner of the gallery, is an interactive sound installation featuring a Theremin (electronic musical instrument) and several audio filters to alter the sound (via guitar effects pedals). Visitors are invited to PLAY the theremin and engage the guitar effects pedals to create unique tambres. In addition, schematic diagrams of the theremin and filters will be displayed for those interested in electronics and engineering.

• D!G, located in the West corner of the gallery. Designed as a dance/installation piece, D!G comprises 22 self-contained microprocessor/sensor/speaker assemblies. Each assembly utilizes a micro SD card to store and playback sensor data and a LiPo battery for power. Sensor/speaker assemblies are covered by hand-made crocheted pieces to give them a more appealing aesthetic. In playback mode in installation, sensors are distributed on string tapestries throughout the gallery. The intention is to allow audiences a more exploratory approach to the sound. Other features of the installation include a subsonic vibrating bench and tablets preloaded with an Android app. All elements work with the concept of the measurement/capture/representation of movement.

 

Center for the Performing Arts Music Room (CPA 115):

• A live electro-acoustic music performance featuring acoustic musical instruments (piano, percussion, strings, etc.) and electronic components, filters, compressors, effects units and computer software. PVCC commercial music faculty members Jacob Adler (instruments) and Tony Obr (technology) will lead the performance and hold a series of Q & A’s with audience members.

 

6:00pm-7:00pm: PRE-PERFORMANCE EXHIBITS

Center for the Performing Arts Lobby/Gallery:

• PLAY, located in the SE corner of the gallery, is an interactive sound installation featuring a Theremin (electronic musical instrument) and several audio filters to alter the sound (via guitar effects pedals). Visitors are invited to PLAY the theremin and engage the guitar effects pedals to create unique tambres. In addition, schematic diagrams of the theremin and filters will be displayed for those interested in electronics and engineering.

• D!G, located in the West corner of the gallery. Designed as a dance/installation piece, D!G comprises 22 self-contained microprocessor/sensor/speaker assemblies. Each assembly utilizes a micro SD card to store and playback sensor data and a LiPo battery for power. Sensor/speaker assemblies are covered by hand-made crocheted pieces to give them a more appealing aesthetic. In playback mode in installation, sensors are distributed on string tapestries throughout the gallery. The intention is to allow audiences a more exploratory approach to the sound. Other features of the installation include a subsonic vibrating bench and tablets preloaded with an Android app. All elements work with the concept of the measurement/capture/representation of movement.

 

7:00-10:00pm: SIGNATURE PERFORMANCES

Center for the Performing Arts Mainstage:

• An electro-acoustic musical performance featuring 3 miniature toy pianos and specially constructed speaker cones to playback 3 channels of 1-bit electronics.

• A new electro-acoustic performance and a multimedia embodiment (visual/audio) of real-time Twitter data. The Twitter data creates a generative graphic score that is interpreted by the performer on percussion instruments. Audience members are encouraged to participate by including the hashtag #SIFTT in their reaction tweets during the performance. Tweets that include the #SIFTT influence the algorithms that generate the audio and visual components of the work. 

• A live, improvised, multi-media work that blends digital and analog instruments and processes during a live performance

• A new percussion composition, Omónoia combines specific constellations (listed by Ptolemy) mapped as musical material and visual stimuli. The purpose is to create a graphic score that can be read in any direction. Additionally, the performers participate in creating the score by matching up portions of the score to make a map for performance. Performers use a wide range of implements to create various timbres while occasionally returning to the conventional method of playing the instrument. This piece demonstrates the importance of perspective and how vastly different interpretations can arise from the same material. 

• A real-time collaborative performance between two dancers, two musicians and a lighting designer. These five artists come together to compose a piece with light, music and dance in real-time. Each performance offers unique perspectives to the audience as it unfolds. Inspired by the passage of time, this collaboration revels in a temporal ebb and flow via the body, sound and shifting light.


Free Art Workshops for PVCC Veterans

We are pleased to offer a series of free workshops for PVCC veterans that will provide creative activities in the Fine and Performing Arts disciplines: Visual Art, Dance, Music and Theater. Workshops will be taught by PVCC faculty. No experience is necessary.

 

TIPS FOR BETTER PHOTOS

with Jerry Sieve

Friday, February 5th

1:30-4:30pm

E150

 

MOVEMENT WORKSHOP

with Susan Bendix

Friday, February 26th

9am-12pm

CPA Mainstage

 

INTRO TO PHOTOSHOP

with Kip Sudduth

Friday, March 11th

130-430pm

E150

 

INTRO TO STAGE COMBAT

with Andrea Robertson

Friday, March 25th

1pm-3pm

CPA Mainstage

 

SOUND RECORDING WORKSHOP

with Brett Reed

Friday, April 22nd

9am-12pm

CPA Music Hall

 

Pre-registration is required. For more information and to register, e-mail David L. Bradley, david.bradley@paradisevalley.edu or call (602) 787-6115.

Ongoing Spring Film Festival at PVCC: The Page Turner

Wednesday, February 3, 2016 @ 6:30P, Free Admission

The Film Festival at PVCC Presents:

The Page Turner (France, R; 85 min.)

As a child, Mélanie shows great promise as a pianist. As she auditions for a music scholarship, one of the judges, Ariane (Catherine Frot), causes a disruption that throws off the girl's playing. Mélanie locks her piano and does not play again. As a grown woman, Mélanie (Déborah François) sets in motion a long-awaited and elaborate plan for revenge, beginning with obtaining a position as Ariane's assistant.