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Hello, friends of Jack Straw!
As usual, we have an incredible amount of great stuff going on: stimulation for your eyes, ears and soul abounds!
First up, Hugo Solis's interactive installation Metaphors for Dead Pianos opens this Friday evening at 7. We hope you can join us for a first look at the piece (as well as refreshments, of course).
Our past gallery artists keep creating great work, too: David Kwan (Terminus, 2007) has a piece called Solaris opening next (First) Thursday, the 4th, at e4c, the electronic gallery at 4Culture.
Next Friday, we'll be hosting Stop & Go stop-motion animation screening - a free screening featuring work from a couple dozen terrific animators from across the country.
We're all over your radio dial, too: in addition to Green ACRE and Sonarchy, resident producer Yuko Kodama just produced a piece on SEED's Young Playwrights program that will be airing on KBCS and Listen Up! Northwest. Read all about it below.
There's all sorts of news from the Jack Straw Writers Program: Our 2010 Writers have been announced, and we are curating the SAM Word series in February and March!
Read about our audio workshops below, or go to the workshops page on our site for details.
Thank you for your support of Jack Straw. We hope to see you at an event soon! |
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Artist of the Week
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| Each week we highlight a different artist from our many artist programs via our Artist of the Week Podcast. This week's Artist is Amanda Cole. You can hear a song from her album Saudade by subscribing to the Podcast. Subscribe at jackstraw.org/ artistoftheweek, or via itunes. |
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New Media Gallery
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The Jack Straw New Media Gallery presents
Metaphors for Dead Pianos
 An interactive sound sculpture
by Hugo Solis
January 29 - April 2, 2010
Gallery Opening: Friday, January 29, 7:00pm
Artist Talk: Friday, February 19, 7:00pm
Jack Straw New Media Gallery
4261 Roosevelt Way NE, Seattle 98105
Gallery Hours: Monday - Friday, 9 - 5
Metaphors for Dead Pianos (Metáforas para Pianos Muertos) is a set of interactive sonic sculptures built by dismembering acoustic pianos that previous owners have thrown away. The poetical goal is to revive the instruments using a contemporary sonic perspective. The pianos are extended with custom electronic circuits, custom software, microcontrollers, sensors, motors, and solenoids.
Using the sensors, a small computer registers and analyzes audience behaviors, generating the materials that the piano bodies reproduce with the solenoids and motors. The result is a modulation between audience interaction and the spectral analysis of the "Well Tempered Clavier" by J. S. Bach.
Metaphors for Dead Pianos III uses one grand piano and one suspended grand piano frame. The characteristic of this third version is the confrontation between two objects of different visual and acoustic properties.
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Special Event: Stop & Go animation screening
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Stop & Go Screening at Jack Straw
Friday, February 5, 2010, 7pm
4261 Roosevelt Way NE
Seattle, Washington 98105
Jack Straw Productions will host the Stop & Go
stop-motion film screening on February 5th, 2010, at 7:00 p.m. The line-up of videos includes national and
international artists and is curated by San Francisco Bay Area artist and
animator Sarah Klein. Klein, who
uses hand-drawn images and stop-motion animation in her own work, chose pieces
that explore the possibilities of stop-motion processes. The animators
breathe life into magazine cutouts, homemade drawings, everyday objects, and
even the body itself. The result is a selection of videos that are humorous,
poignant, and marvelous.
The
complete list of artists includes Ignacio Alcantara, Tommy
Becker, Lilli Carré, Pete Davies, Samara Halperin, Meredith Holch, Sean Horchy,
Stephanie Hutin, Andrew
Kelleher, Lana
Kim, Sarah Klein, Mike Leavitt, Michael McHam, Laurie O'Brian, Saelee Oh, Mel
Prest, Clare Rojas, Judith Selby, SAF
Cakovec Studio, Jen Stark, Melinda Stone, Claudia Tennyson, Sherri Wood, Aeneas
Wilder, and Andrew Jeffery Wright.
Pictured:
American Bandits by Philippe Vendrolini, 2006; For the Birds by Lillie Carre, 2004; Papermation by Jen Stark, 2007; Squeak, Chirp, Honk by Saelee Oh and Lana Kim, 2006
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Jack Straw/AIR Residency
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The Young Playwrights Program on the Radio
 Jack Straw/AIR resident producer Yuko Kodama's piece on the Young Playwrights Program will air on KBCS at 7:40 a.m. on Monday, February 8th during the program The Takeaway. It will also be aired as part of the show Listen Up! Northwest this week and next. For air dates and times in your area, go to listenupnw.org and see the sidebar on the right.
The Young Playwrights program and festival is an educational writing program directed by the non-profit organization Southeast Effective Development (SEED) in Seattle's Rainier Valley neighborhood. A professional playwright goes into public middle and high schools in the inner city to teach this form of writing. At the end of the program, a number of student plays are picked for a community performance.
Yuko Kodama journeyed through interviews with professional playwrights, educators, and performance directors - not to mention through the halls of Franklin High School - to find out more about this program. What she discovered were the stories about the youth behind the plays and concern by both youth and educators about the diminishing arts programs in the public schools.
Yuko's feature was supported by the Association of Independents in Radio and Jack Straw Productions' artist residency programs. The engineer was Tom Stiles. Thanks to Jack Straw Productions and KBCS studios.
Picture: Yuko Kodama (accompanied by her daughter) works in the Jack Straw studios with our production team.
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Composer Spotlight
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Jack Straw Productions and Washington Composers Forum present
Composer Spotlight
 CURTIS TAYLOR
Abstract Change Pleasure
Wed, February 10, 7:00pm
Jack Straw Productions
4261 Roosevelt Way NE, Seattle, 98105
Curtis Taylor is
a narrative filmmaker. In Seattle he operated the underground theater
Vodvil from 1996 to 2006, and under these auspices created original
folk operas, cabarets, recitals and sound art installations. His recent
work has combined mannered musical languages (murder ballads, sacred
choir and opera) with historic stage traditions (ballet, vaudeville and
burlesque) to consider themes of art, life and time. He is currently in
residency at New City Theater in Seattle, at work on a project that
explores flying dreams and suicide.
His
talk will feature a screening of two short music films made possible by
Jack Straw's Artist Support Grant (Bachianas No. 5 and Church Weather).
He will also present a brief lecture on, variously, the incompatible
vocabularies of cinema and opera, the compatible vocabularies of cinema
and automobiles, and a mystery in music that cannot be penetrated.
Jack Straw
Productions and Washington Composers Forum present Composer Spotlight,
a series of talks and performances by composers, musicians, and
scholars of new and innovative music every second Wednesday of each
month. For more information about Composer Spotlight artists and the
series, .
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Writers Program
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2010 Jack Straw Writers Announced
Jack
Straw Productions is proud to announce the literary artists selected by
curator Jared Leising for the 2010 Jack Straw Writers Program. The 2010 Jack Straw Writers are Roberto Ascalon, Brian Barr, Katherine Grace Bond, Bill Carty, Martha Clarkson, Amber Flame, Esther Altshul Helfgott, Marjorie Manwaring, Denise Calvetti Michaels, Tara Roth, Louise Spiegler, and Michael Dylan Welch.
"I'm looking forward to the public getting an opportunity to experience new work
from these writers," says Jared. "They're a fantastic group who seek to create community, and
they represent a rich range of voices."
Jack Straw Writers Program at SAM Word
February 18th, 7:00 pm
Seattle Art Museum, South Hall
Jack Straw is pleased to be the curator for Seattle Art Museum's WORD program in February and March. Three Jack Straw curators - Belle Randall (2004), Donna Miscolta (2009), and Jared Leising (2010) - will read at SAM from 7:30-8:30 PM on Thursday, February 18th. Each will read a new piece based on art in the Freeing the Figure exhibition.
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Jack Straw Winter 2010 Audio Workshops
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Jack Straw Audio Workshops are the perfect opportunity to jump start that recording project you've been thinking about, to refine your digital editing skills, or to get that first hands on introduction to the world of audio recording and editing. See the workshops page on our web site for full class descriptions and instructor bio.
HOW TO SIGN UP: A nonrefundable deposit of $25 is required to register and hold a place in each class. Students are encouraged to pay in full at time of registration. Registration for each class will close ONE WEEK before the class date. Please make sure you contact us to reserve your spot early on! Spaces are limited. To register call Jack Straw Productions at 206-634-0919 with your credit card to pay the deposit or full class fee. Students may also get a brochure form, and mail in a check for the deposit or class fee. For more information email workshops@jackstraw.org.
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Green ACRE Radio
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 Sustainability, local food production, restoration &
environmental talk radio in Seattle and King County Washington. Green A.C.R.E. Radio airs every Thursday on KBCS FM during One World Report (around 5:40 p.m.); on Friday during The Takeaway around 7:41 a.m. and during The Outskirts at 2 p.m. Listen to and comment on current and past installments at the Green ACRE Blog: greenacreradio.blogspot.com
In its most recent installment, Green Acre Radio tells us about another "green" legislative priority. Teaming up with cities and labor, a proposed bill "Working for Clean Water" promises to clean up polluted waterways, create jobs and rebuild our local economies.
Honest!! Only catch is how the environmental community, association of Washington Cities and state labor council plan to raise money to do it!
Sponsored by the HumanLinks Foundation and the Russell Family
Foundation, in partnership with Jack Straw Productions and KBCS
Community Radio.
E-mail greenacre@jackstraw.org with comments or suggestions.
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| Sonarchy Radio |
SONARCHY RADIO HAS MOVED TO SUNDAY NIGHTS, midnight-1am, on KEXP 90.3FM or kexp.org
Sonarchy Radio is a program of Jack Straw Productions. Doug Haire is the producer and mixes these shows live in the studios at Jack Straw. This hour-long broadcast features new music and sound art made by Pacific Northwest artists, and is now in its 14th year (!) of airing on KEXP Seattle (90.3 FM). The show can be heard live at KEXP.org and is available in its entirety for two weeks following the broadcast in several streaming audio formats. All shows are now also available as podcasts. to find the Sonarchy Podcast.
Contact Doug for more information at (206) 634-0919 or doug@jackstraw.org.
SHOW SCHEDULE
January 31st: Broken Mask
A vast array of acoustic instruments and lo-fi electronics are employed to make this fascinating sonic trip a reality. Robert Horton (bay area), Mike Shannon (Seattle).
February 7th: Ronin
New jazz music from Kenny Mandel - sax, flute, percussion, Don Berman - drums, Nate Omdal - bass.
February 14th: New Art Orchestra (NAO)
Presented in association with the 25th Seattle Improvised Music Festival, an archive broadcast recorded in May 1995 revealing this seminal band in full flight. 14 players.
February 21st: Matt Carlson
Modular analog and digital synthesis.
February 28th: Ting Bu Dong
Prog. rock/jazz rock hybrid inspired by Taiwanese themes. Atze Ton - bass, programming, Dennis Rea - guitar, Jim DeJoie - sax/clarinet, processing, Olli Klomp - drums, Phil Rosplesch - guitar. |
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Support Jack Straw
Jack Straw Productions relies on the support of individual contributors to make our programs possible. Please help us continue to support the work of Pacific Northwest artists working with sound and all our art and technology education programs.
Become a Jack Straw Member!
For a $35 annual membership donation, you can receive discounted recording time in our studios, as well as discounted rates on Jack Straw audio workshops. A Jack Straw membership pays for itself in no time! Donate any amount by clicking the button below, or sending a check directly to us 4261 Roosevelt Way NE, Seattle, WA 98195.
Match your donation
If your company participates in an employee matching gifts program, you could double or even triple your gift to Jack Straw! Just ask your HR or personnel department. Questions? Please contact us at (206)634-0919 or jsp@jackstraw.org.
Thank you for your support!
Jack Straw Productions is a nonprofit organization, exempt from taxes under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Contributions to Jack Straw Productions are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.
Pursuant to RCW 19.09, Jack Straw Productions is registered as a charitable organization with the Secretary of State of Washington. For more information, call the office of the Secretary of State, 1-800-332-4483.
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| Jack Straw Productions gratefully acknowledges The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, ArtsFund, City of Seattle's Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs, 4Culture King County Lodging Tax Fund, Washington State Arts Commission, National Endowment for the Arts and the The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, PONCHO, Humanities Washington, Wells Fargo, University Rotary Club, HumanLinks Foundation, The Russell Family Foundation, and individual contributors for their support of our Programs. |
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If you have questions about any of our events, please call us at (206) 634-0919.
Jack Straw Productions(JSP) is the Northwest's only non-profit multidisciplinary audio arts center. A community-based resource since 1962, we provide a production facility that is unlike any other in the region for local artists who work creatively with sound. Jack Straw focuses on annual artist residencies through our Artist Support Program, our Writers Program, and our Gallery Residency Program; art and technology education for all ages; arts & heritage partnerships; and radio production. Our full-service recording studio is also available to the community for a broad range of projects.
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