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The David Wax Museum at WGBH

Tue, 27 Nov 2012 17:35 PM +0000

The David Wax Museum swept into WGBH's Fraser Performance Studio in Boston and quickly demonstrated why so many are fast to fall in love with this energetic, indie, Americana folk, roots rock music sensation. This song, "Born With A Broken Heart", is from the album "Everything is Saved", named "Song of the Year" by the Boston Music Awards.

Edgar B. Herwick III was the host from Boston Public Radio on 89.7 FM who welcomed the band during their recent performance.

>>See more WGBH Music videos on Youtube.

Turn Your Obsession into a Party Game with The Illustrated Stephen King Movie Trivia Book

Mon, 22 Oct 2012 11:11 AM +0000

Scene from The Illustrated Stephen King Movie Trivia Book

“I remember rummaging in the basement and liked the scary stuff on the covers. At first, I stuck to the stories in Night Shift but soon picked up The Bachman Books. It was comforting for me to know that there were other people out there with weird ideas in their heads. And of course, then I read it and became a fan for life.”

That’s Kevin Quigley, writer and die-hard Stephen King fan. Since discovering the literary genius of King in the early ‘80s, Quigley has dedicated his writing life to studying King’s craft and has most recently joined fellow authors Brian James Freeman and Hans-Åke Lilja to release The Illustrated Stephen King Movie Trivia Book, a testament to all of King’s movie work and one guaranteed to make your head spin.

Author Stephen King

Stephen King’s writing career has spanned decades and includes 49 novels and 350 million copies sold (and counting). Early on, he earned his “King of Horror” status by taking classic horror tropes and combining them with very recognizable, very flawed, and very real characters.

“Stephen King is responsible for the horror boom of the 1980’s,” Quigley said. “There was some precedent, of course – things like The Exorcist and Rosemary’s Baby – but Carrie changed the horror game and Salem’s Lot, The Shining, and to some degree, The Stand solidified it. And in Danse Macabre, King not only highlighted contemporary horror authors like Peter Straub and Anne Rivers Siddons, but also introduced the public to his influences, Shirley Jackson and Richard Matheson.”

And when horror became a mass commodity and more accessible to the public, for better or for worse, King worked to strengthen that. Quigley also credits the mainstream success of the supernatural crime novel The Dead Zone.

“It was King’s first number one hardcover bestseller. And I’ve always found it fascinating that this accessible, human, (mostly) gentle story gets lumped in with the ‘King of Horror’ mentality. But since a lot of people read it and found it palatable, it changed the concept of what horror could be,” Quigley said.

But this trivia book isn’t about King’s literature, it’s about the screen adaptations of his work. Between the movies, short films, TV shows, and miniseries, there are over 75 and counting. Some are good, and some are bad... really bad.

“Oh boy, are some bad! I can’t believe I sat through The Mangler. And you know how people say that once you get to a certain level of rich, none of it starts being real anymore? That’s how it is with the level of bad in Children of the Corn. And I will reluctantly say that Children of the Corn II actually isn’t terrible. Or as terrible,” Quigley said.

Whether it’s Misery or Children of the Corn, it’s sure to be covered in The Illustrated Stephen King Movie Trivia Book chock full of over1,000 questions, including special illustration-based ones from graphic artist Glenn Chadbourne.

“I don’t like number or date questions – trivia is more fun if you can make your way to the answer by thinking about the movie rather than reciting rote facts. It’s such a cool book, “ Quigley said.

The Illustrated Stephen King Movie Trivia Bookwill be released nationwide this fall, and includes a forward from director Mick Garris (The Stand, The Shining, Riding the Bullet, Desperation, Bag of Bones).

You can pre-order your copy on Amazon.com or cemeterydance .com, also home to Quigley’s other literary works: Chart of Darkness, Blood In Your Ears, Drawn Into Darkness, Wetware, and Ink In the Veins, all about, you guessed it: Stephen King.

Celtic Wonder Carlos Nu�ez Visits Somerville

Mon, 15 Oct 2012 23:08 PM +0000

Born in Galicia, Spain, Carlos Nuñez began playing the bagpipes at the age of eight. He met Paddy Moloney of The Chieftains (now celebrating 50 years as a group) when he was a teenager . He later became known as the "7th member" of the band. He travels worldwide, sharing Celtic, Berber, Flamenco and Breton music with his audiences and he has collaborated with legendary musicians like Ry Cooder, Sharon Shannon, Sinéad O'Connor and Altan. In Europe, Nuñez plays to sold out stadiums and arenas. He has toured throughout the world and continues to wow audiences with his high-spirited music.

Nunez included a stop at The Burren Irish Pub in Somerville, Mass., hosted by WGBH's Brian O'Donovan, as part of his first major US tour.

Performers
Carlos Nuñez -- Galician piper
Xurxo Nuñez -- Percussion
Katie McNally -- Fiddle
Pancho Álvarez -- Guitar

Liz Longley Sings in Harvard Square

Mon, 01 Oct 2012 17:32 PM +0000

John Mayer describes her music as, "gorgeous, just gorgeous." With a voice that will stop you in your tracks, Liz Longley is an undeniable "rising acoustic sensation" according to Dig Boston. The Washington Post declares she is "destined for a bigger audience."

Longley is a recent graduate of the world renowned Berklee College of Music in Boston. She now lives in Nashville, TN, and is working on a new album scheduled to be released in early 2013.

She stopped by Harvard Square in Cambridge, MA, on a gorgeous late summer afternoon to perform her award winning song "When You've Got Trouble".

See more music videos of music made here in Boston on the WGBH Music channel.

Paul Klee: Philosophical Vision: From Nature to Art

Fri, 14 Sep 2012 14:00 PM +0000

Paul Klee (1879–1940), Wall Plant (Mauerpflanze), 1922.

September 15, 2012

Paul Klee is the kind of artist who seems to show up in every museum, most memorably in the form of petite, almost childlike paintings featuring richly hued backgrounds, cryptic symbols and oddball figures.

But as a new exhibition at Boston College’s McMullen Museum of Art shows, those works make up just a sliver of Klee’s output. In reality, the Swiss-German artist explored a range of styles, techniques and subject matters throughout his prolific career, from primitivism to cubism to color field; drawing to etching to painting to writing.

Organized by John Sallis, professor of philosophy at BC, Paul Klee: Philosophical Vision: From Nature to Art, aims to highlight Klee’s philosophical leanings. Long a favorite among European intellectuals, with philosophers such as Martin Heidegger particularly entranced by his ideas about nature, art and representation, Klee laid out his ideas in theoretical writings, Bauhaus lecture notes, and, of course, his work.

Central to the exhibition is Klee’s idea that “Art does not reproduce the visible but makes visible.” If the Impressionists aimed to change how we look at the natural world, Klee wanted us to look into it. Painting something, he believed, could give us a glimpse at its genesis. A good example is the show’s centerpiece, Wall Plant (1922), an abstract work in muted blues and purples that Sallis argues “makes visible by artistic means all that belongs to vegetative genesis.”

Paul Klee (1879–1940), Polyphonic Architecture(polyphone Architektur), 1930.

The show is full of heady stuff, and the McMullen does a fantastic job of presenting it. Beautifully laid out in eight thematic sections described by smart, digestible wall texts, the 65 works not only show Klee’s philosophical leanings but also the range and, for lack of a better word, liveliness of his work. I especially loved the works from the end of his life: childlike, but in a much different way than the earlier ones – wiser somehow – and the frenetic, angry drawings into which he channeled his fear and loathing as Hitler came to power in 1933. However much you already know – or don’t – about Klee and philosophy, you’ll walk away with a lot.

Paul Klee: Philosophical Vision: From Nature to Art
Sept. 1 – Dec. 9, 2012
McMullen Museum of Art, Boston College

WGBH's Eric Jackson Wins Humanitarian Award

Fri, 31 Aug 2012 12:25 PM +0000

August 31, 2012

89.7 WGBH’s Eric Jackson wins 2012 Duke Dubois Humanitarian Award

The "Dean of Boston Jazz," 89.7 WGBH Jazz host Eric Jackson (WGBH)

Longtime 89.7 WGBH jazz host Eric Jackson has been named the 2012 Duke Dubois Humanitarian Award recipient at the JazzWeek awards in Detroit, Michigan. This prestigious lifetime achievement award is named for the late jazz radio promoter Duke Dubois, who was a pioneer in the field and a mentor to many, including Jackson himself, in the jazz radio and record business.

“To have been named the recipient of the Duke Dubois Humanitarian Award is a humbling experience. I was privileged to know Duke, so to be honored in his name is extremely personally and professionally gratifying,” said Jackson. “Thank you to my friends, colleagues and especially the listeners.”

The Duke Dubois award is given to an individual to recognize a long-standing commitment to jazz, jazz radio, jazz education and generous service to the jazz community. The recipient exemplifies community mentoring and leadership skills for others in the industry. Recipients are selected by jazz radio programmers, jazz record company executives and independent jazzradio record promoters.

"This is well deserved recognition for Eric, who has enriched countless lives with his knowledge and passion for jazz," said Marita Rivero, WGBH Vice President and General Manager for Radio and Television. "We are fortunate that Eric has played a central role in WGBH radio's presentation of jazz for four decades, and we look forward to continuing that commitment together."

This is Jackson’s second award from JazzWeek as he was honored in 2008 as Major Market Programmer of the Year.

Harvard Celebrates 100 Years of Paramount Pictures

Tue, 28 Aug 2012 15:58 PM +0000

(Paramount)

Listen to Edgar's interview with David Pendleton, programmer, Harvard Film Archive and film critic Garen Daley.

Shakespeare once asked asked, “What’s in a name?” For William Wadsworth Hodkinson and Adolph Zukor, I’d say quite a bit. In the early 1900s, they called their burgeoning film production and distribution company Paramount Pictures.

Last week on Boston Public Radio, we spoke with Peter Sokolowski, editor-at-large for Merriam-Webster. I consulted his trusty dictionary for the exact definition of that word "paramount." It means “superior to all others.”

This year, Paramount Pictures celebrates their 100th anniversary and starting in September the Harvard Film Archive is celebrating the famed studio by screening selected films from its considerable canon.

"It's a part of our attempt to bring a broad spectrum of film to Boston and Cambridge," said programmer David Pendleton, who explained that the addition of films with a broad appeal works well in the summer and compliments the theater's usual line up of film with a narrow window of distribution.

Here are excerpts from just a few of the films screening at the Harvard Film Archive:

"In Harm's Way" (1965)

"Popeye" (1980)

"She Done Him Wrong" (1933)

VIDEO: Lunasa at The Burren Irish Pub

Tue, 21 Aug 2012 16:18 PM +0000

Watch Lunasa perform "The Merry Sisters of Fate" at The Burren.

BOSTON — Earlier this month Lunasa, called "the hottest Irish acoustic band on the planet" by the Irish Times, joined Brian O'Donovan, host of A Celtic Sojourn on WGBH Radio, at The Burren Irish Pub in Somerville. O'Donovan hosts a regular feature there called The Burren Backroom Series, and has presented Celtic artists from Fiddler Winifred Horan to Solas to Frankie Gavin & De Dannan and Brid Harper.

Lunasa is named for an ancient Celtic harvest festival in honor of the Irish god Lugh, patron of the arts. The band includes some of the top musical talents in Ireland:

Seán Smyth -- Fiddle, Whistles
Kevin Crawford -- Flutes, Whistles
Trevor Hutchinson -- Double Bass
Cillian Vallely - Uillean pipes, Whistles
Ed Boyd - Guitar

Watch Lunasa perform ""Fleur de Mandragore /Ashplant"

Public Art Tour: Art on the Marquee

Thu, 09 Aug 2012 01:00 AM +0000

August 9, 2012

Mass. artists have a chance to be a part of “Art on the Marquee,” a program designed to integrate the arts into a sign system normally for commercial purposes.

BOSTON — There’s a new digital marquee in Boston, and no, it’s not in the Theatre District. Prominently placed outside the in Boston Convention & Exhibition Center South Boston, this colossal LED billboard features advertisements for all kinds of arts, business, and cultural happenings in the area. But what WGBHArts readers may not know is that it also doubles as a groundbreaking platform on which to showcase the work of some of the region’s best boundary-pushing digital and new media artists (who also happen to be some of the best in the country!).

Thanks to a clever and exciting partnership between the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority and Boston Cyberarts (with funding help from the Massachusetts Cultural Council), artists throughout the state have a chance to be a part of “Art on the Marquee,” a program designed to integrate the arts into a sign system normally relegated for commercial purposes. The initiative (among the first of its kind nationally) has been so successful thus far that those involved are hopeful it will become a model for public art/commercial partnerships of the future.

Because of the sheer size and spectacular brightness of the marquee, the digital artworks on display can be enjoyed both day and night by the tens of thousands of people walking, driving, and/or working in this part of the city (and can be seen from up to a half a mile away). Each call for submissions has been a little different, thus ensuring a plethora of inventive artistic responses. Future calls will likely include collaborations with New England art schools and further explore the range of public media arts best suited to a marquee of this stature.

Please visit the Art on the Marquee website for more information on this innovative partnership, explanations about the artworks currently on display, and the most recent call for participation.

More Links
Art on the Marquee website
Massachusetts Convention Center Authority
Boston Cyberarts
Masachusetts Cultural Council

Public Art Tour: The New England Holocaust Memorial

Thu, 09 Aug 2012 00:46 AM +0000

August 9, 2012

Stanley Saitowitz's New England Holocaust Memorial (1995)

BOSTON — Designed by Stanley Saitowitz and dedicated in 1995, the New England Holocaust Memorial occupies a fascinating site on the Freedom Trail in Boston. This busy location may seem a bit incongruous for a commemorative memorial of this kind, but I believe those characteristics that make it seem most out of place are the very qualities that make the installation so well-suited to this city space. The site caters to tourists and commuters alike–both those with mere moments to spare and others who choose to linger and have a more contemplative experience.

In the context of the Freedom Trail (which marks and celebrates Boston’s unique role in the American Revolution), the New England Holocaust Memorial speaks to a slightly more nuanced aspect of freedom: it invites us to reflect upon the atrocities committed during the Holocaust and recognize that we have a responsibility to ensure such evil and injustice have no place in our society today.

Saitowitz’s memorial accomplishes what many like it strive to do, but often are unable to: it marks a profoundly tragic event in ways that are symbolically loaded without being overtly literal. For example, six glass pillars stand tall at the center of a leafy median. The pillars are etched with six million numbers signifying the Jewish lives lost in the Holocaust (but also referencing the diabolical efficiency of the Nazis and their assigning of numeric tattoos to their prisoners). As visitors walk the linear path beneath the towers, they will see smoke rise from six-foot depressions below the steel grates at their feet (one for each of the six major concentration camps), thus rendering the memorial experience that much more provocative.

With quotes, didactic texts, and significant historical dates peppered throughout this minimal installation, the New England Holocaust Memorial stimulates, educates, honors and—perhaps most poignantly—encourages generations removed from the reality of the Holocaust to remember–often.

Public Art Tour: Jaume Plensa's Alchemist

Wed, 08 Aug 2012 23:59 PM +0000

August 9, 2012

Watch Mary's video about Jaume Plensa’s Alchemist (2010)

BOSTON — MIT is home to a world-class public art collection and the addition of Jaume Plensa’s Alchemist (2010) goes a long way towards keeping that impressive distinction very much intact. Commissioned and subsequently gifted by an anonymous graduate, Alchemist honors the Institute’s 150^th anniversary, the generosity of its alumni, and—by extension—the students who have researched, studied, and problem-solved at MIT.

Based in Barcelona, Jaume Plensa is known the world over for creating artworks that expose aspects of the human figure in fascinating ways. His sculptures (which range in both size and medium) are at once tranquil, meditative, and in tune with both physical and cognitive realms.

With Alchemist, Plensa offers up a tribute to an inquisitive, brilliant, beautiful mind, one that blurs the boundaries between the inner body and the outside world. Viewers will recognize the basic outline of a seated male, traced in a stainless steel skin shaped from numerous numerical symbols and equations—the building blocks of mathematics, science, and engineering. Viewers may enter the piece, and thus surround themselves with abstractions of the innovative ideas, calculated experiments, and ingenious solutions that are the lifeblood of MIT.

WGBHArts readers may enjoy knowing that Plensa is the artist behind Chicago’s acclaimed Crown Fountain in Millennium Park. More locally, an exquisite example of his marble sculpture can be found on the grounds of the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum. And, perhaps most exciting of all, Jaume Plensa will be giving a free lecture on the evening of Friday, October 12, 2012 at MassArt, so mark your calendars and prepare to be inspired!

>>See Plensa listing on MIT Public Art Page.

Public Art Tour: The Wall at Central Square

Wed, 08 Aug 2012 17:33 PM +0000

August 8, 2012

Part of The Wall at Central Square

BOSTON — There exists in the heart of Cambridge a surprising space known as The Wall at Central Square (or The Wall at Central Kitchen) that serves up bombastic, bold, colorful, ever-changing, and oh-so-contemporary examples of some of the coolest street art around.

The brainchild of Geoff Hargadon (a local artist and fan of awesome public art) and restaurant owner Gary Strack, The Wall at Central Square was unveiled a few years ago as a safe place for everyday folks and renowned street artists alike to come and spray, draw, or paint their visions for all to see. On any given day, passersby can find personal tags, memorial tributes, or fantastical designs–all part of a dynamic, morphing tableau very much suited to the energy for which this neighborhood is famed.

The spirit of The Wall—which is really the spirit of street art—is an organic one, in that once an artwork is added, there is an understanding that it will eventually be enhanced or layered over by another artist sometime down the line. In this way, street artists can be said to create the most temporary kind of public art, a chance-filled category that makes the genre all the more exciting and fosters countless visual connections and conversations.

Because of its international resurgence in the urban realm, street art (some of which is not officially sanctioned) is also receiving fresh attention in the museum and gallery worlds. For example, in August 2012 the ICA Boston will play host to an exhibition by Brazilian graffiti artists Os Gêmeos (Gustavo and Otavio Pandolfo) which includes companion site-specific public murals in the Dewey Square section of the Rose F. Kennedy Greenway and on the Revere Hotel Boston Common. And, given that The Wall at Central Square will be celebrating its fifth anniversary this October, I wouldn’t be surprised if there were some fun plans in the works to honor the occasion. So make it a point to check out The Wall repeatedly and keep your eyes peeled for unexpected street art in greater Boston in the weeks and months to come!

Additional photography in this video of The Wall at Central Square is by Gregg Bernstein.

To visit The Wall, use the Central Kitchen address
567 Mass. Ave.
Cambridge, MA