All posts by laceymd

About laceymd

Birmingham, AL is my hometown. I am one of seven children, talk about a full house! Art is fabulous in all forms. I have worked for three different galleries and cannot get enough.

It’s Not You, It’s Me

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I hope you have never heard it… or had to say it, but we all know the cop out- “It’s Not You, It’s Me “. This independent film by Nathan Ives takes a troubled relationship and reveals the internal struggles of both partners in the relationship. This film is currently on tour in the South East and will continue to travel across the U.S. as the ‘pay what you will’ screenings collect donations to support the tour. I heard about this screening through the Charleston City Paper. The film has a website with the trailer, information on cast, crew and a director’s note. This site also includes a list of upcoming locations for screenings. The director and writer, Nathan Ives, has created a Facebook and Twitter account to promote the film and also used local news to advertise for the Charleston screenings.

I went to see the film on Monday night at Terrace Theater. Before the show started Nathan explained to the audience that he is trying to create a sustainable model for touring independent films, as most of them aren’t even seen by the general public. He was so enthusiastic in welcoming the audience as individuals entering the theater and collectively as a crowd. The audience was mostly composed of people over the age of 50. These were grown ups with a great sense of humor. No dirty joke went without a contagious laugh across the theater. The people in this crowd fit the ‘I read the Sunday paper’ type. I also know for a fact that this film was promoted in the Sunday Charleston City Paper. It goes to show that promotion will determine your crowd! For what Nathan is trying to do with this film and for the independent film industry, he has the right target audience in mind.

Night Out on Campus

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My Monday night ritual was interrupted this week as I decided to break trend and attend the  “As it is in Heaven” at the Emmett Robinson Theatre. This show opened on October 3rd and the final performance is tonight, October 8th, at 7:30.

I honestly did not know what to expect from this show, as it was my first time to attend a play on campus. The plot was not particularly captivating to me, but the quality of the acting held my attention. It would have been nice to have some sort of introduction to the play since the lights went down as I took my seat (due to the mass disorganization outside the theatre). The vocals and characters produced by the cast were fluid and pleasing.  The musical aspects of the play were what I enjoyed the most.

This class has taught me to use a critical eye for all elements of art events I attend.  The show started nearly 20 minutes late as a result of the disorganized lines out side of the theatre and box office. I am very impatient and ended up having to wait in line twice. So, maybe this line riding outside of the theatre was only a problem for me. Either way, there is definitely room for improvement in the process of ticket exchange and theatre admissions.

Complaints about frustrating lines aside, this was an enjoyable event. If you have further interests in the College of Charleston Theatre and Dance Department, check them out on Facebook for information regarding upcoming events and performances. Students, faculty and staff get tickets for $10. You can buy them in advance online, but do not try to enter the theatre before you exchange your pre-purchased ticket at the box office (located directly outside the theatre) with your cougar ID.

Treasures in the Halsey

Are there any perks of school not being closed for Labor Day? Lucky for me, it allowed me to be at the Halsey to see the Herb Parker and Joseph Burwell exhibitions. Just to clarify, this is not a group show, but rather two separate exhibitions titled Herb Parker: Studio Practice and Joseph Burwell: School of the Viking Spaniard Revisited. The curator of these exhibitions, Mark Sloan, was on the mission to recreate these artists studios within the gallery space at the Halsey. If you want to get a taste of Herb and Josephs’ creative process, you should watch this video and see the exhibitions. 

I entered the Halsey and immediately connected to the work of Herb Parker, so I spent the majority of my time viewing his work. Part of this show includes an arrangements of innumerable objects from Herb’s studio, which he brought into the gallery space. Mark Sloan was a guest speaker in one of my classes and he said that Herb was thrilled to have the opportunity to recreate his studio space in the Halsey because it gave him a reason to clean up his studio and go through all of the untouched boxes. The photo below is a panoramic view of the shelf space, organized by Herb himself.

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These objects include body parts in jars, piles of appendages (hands and fingers), dead animals, photographs of babies, trophies, plaques, birds nests, and it is presented in a way that symbolizes the cycle of life, or that is how I perceived it. Viewing these objects was uncomfortable, but in a refreshing way. That type of discomfort that brings you outside of yourself for a brief moment. I did pick a favorite collection of objects, which you can see in the picture below.

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This image to me screams desperation, the objects are beautifully arranged. This wall was my favorite part of the exhibit but there is an abundance of work by Herb and Joseph, so you should go check out both shows before they close on October 5. The Halsey is unique and nationally recognized. We are all privileged to be learning within walking distance of this gallery space so get there! It is FREE. I believe this assignment in itself reflects the topics we have been studying on the environments that effect non-profits. If it goes as planned, my blog post will stimulate readers to attend this show. My attendance was persuaded by my educators, so exposure and education undoubtedly determines likeliness of attendance!