Fairmount CA

By CONNIE NOLEN / Community Columnist

“What I love about photography,” said Pelham High School senior Shannon Lavender, “is that it doesn’t have to be perfect. A simple blade of grass can create an amazing photo.”

Sophomore Trey Evans agreed saying, “Photography surprises me by revealing that imperfection is often beauty from a unique angle.”

According to PHS photography teacher Kim Hinds, Lavender and Evans should know.

“These two students are extremely talented, and it shows in their photos. Shannon and Trey show great enthusiasm and spend time outside of class practicing new techniques and methods,” Hinds said.

Award-winning PHS student photographers Shannon Lavender and Trey Evans show off their cameras. (Contributed)

Both Evans and Lavender were rewarded for their hard work recently when they won awards for their photography in the 2012 Shelby County Superintendents’ Art Show. Trey Evans captured first place in ninth- and 10th-grade photography and Shannon Lavender placed second in 11th- and 12th-grade photography.

“I was pleasantly surprised that some of my students won because our program is so new,” said Hinds.

This is the first year for PHS to have a formal photography class. Students have learned photography basics in publications classes with many of our students capturing photography awards at state publications’ competitions.

“Taking yearbook last year made me realize how much I enjoyed photography and how much I wanted to study and become a better photographer,” Lavender said.

Lavender was not alone in her desire to study photography. More than 90 students are currently taking photography classes at PHS.

For Hinds, setbacks in the construction of our new wing have challenged her to adapt her photography curriculum.

“Without a black room for film processing, the students have mainly dealt with digital photography,” Hinds said.

Although Hinds, along with her fellow PHS art teachers, looks forward to having the updated equipment and facilities in our new wing upon its completion, she has worked creatively to provide inspiring instruction for her students.

At Pelham High School’s upcoming Write Night on Feb. 2, both Lavender and Evans will display their award-winning photos in the art show that became a wonderful addition to Write Night last year.

The creative spirit of PHS students is revealed by the Thoreau quote they’ve chosen for the Write Night T-shirt: “The world is but a canvas to our imagination.”

With new technologies making more creative tools available constantly, our students reveal imagination and artistry worth celebrating. Photography, technology and events like Write Night stretch the creative canvas.

Connie Nolen can be reached by email at CNolen@Shelbyed.k12.al.us.

Yakshagana, Bhangra and Kathakali may be dance forms, but at the flower show they have been transformed into floral beauties.

Texas Techs Department of Dance and Theatre will showcase student and faculty dancers this weekend Thursday through Sunday. Guest artist Sara Tourek, an adjunct Assistant Professor of dance at Elon University, will also perform.

DanceTech: Artistry in Motion features original choreography directed by faculty member Genevieve Durham DeCesaro and Ali Duffy. The show will include performances from all types of dance genres from jazz, classical and hip hop. Admissions is $18 for non-students and $5 for students with a current student ID.

Friday and Saturdays performance will begin at 8 pm and Sundays performance is at 2 pm in the Maedgen Mainstage Theatre.

Copyright 2012 KCBD NewsChannel 11

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FOR its second year, Hennessy Artistry Manila pulled out all the stops. Take the countryâ??s number one man behind the decks, add in three gorgeous model/DJs, blend with two soulful sirens, and then stir in two international turntable superstars. Top it all off with overflowing Hennessy VSOP long drinks and you have a recipe for the yearâ??s grandest party.

An invitation only event, the beautiful people arrived dressed to kill and expecting the kind of night that only Hennessy can deliver. And Hennessy delivered. The event opened in the Resorts World Manila Plaza where guests were treated to divine Hennessy cocktails including Hennessy Berry, Hennessy Ginger, Hennessy Apple and Hennessy Citrus. Hennessy mixologist Julienne Defrance flew in to Manila especially to serve his signature Hennessy creations. On stage was featured Model/DJ trio, the Zombettes. They were more than just pretty faces. Sanya Smith, Ornussa Cadness and Mia Ayesa held their own, spinning an eclectic mix of edgy tunes for the enthusiastic crowd, getting everyone pumped for the long night of partying.

But that was just the beginning. Everything was taken a notch higher in Opus. When the doors finally opened, everyone saw that Hennessy truly outdid itself. It was a feast for the senses, overwhelming to the eyes, ears and of course tastes. Everywhere you looked, gorgeous people dancing to the sexy beat, Hennessy cocktail in hand. Just for the event, the long bar was transformed with the help of 3D mapping into a canvas for digital art. Of course it wouldnâ??t be a Hennessy Artistry party without the best music collaborations and plenty of genre mixing. Hosting the night were the fabulous VJ Cliff Ho of Channel V and Party Boy Extraordinaire Tim Yap. To kick off the night of music, Kat Agarrado of Sinosikat? with Tribu Manilaâ??s Macky Salcedo on drums brought down the house with a sensual and soulful performance. Next was ingÃnue Bea Tantoco with Chico Cristobal on the guitar. The pace was brought to a crescendo by fantastic local and international DJs Manolet Dario, Sky Nellor and Andy Caldwell, each playing their signature styles of house, Ramp;B, hip hop and everything in between. The Hennessy kept pouring till the wee hours fuelling everyoneâ??s appetite to dance.

Rarely does the Metro see a musical meeting of minds of this magnitude or diversity as only Hennessy Artistry can bring. The evening will go down in the books as a night of talented musicians from different worlds sharing the pleasure of performing together, just as Hennessy elaborates its cognacs, combining the best eaux-de-vie from its cellars.

The philosophy behind the Hennessy Artistry Halo is The Global Art of Mixing; the mixing of various genres of music and the blending of top talents and emerging artistes. Combining the acts with spectacular ambience and energy, an extraordinary experience is created. This showcases Hennessyâ??s art of blending in both cognac and music, by combining tradition with trendy innovation.

This multicultural and vibrant series had already left waves of sonic fusions across the largest continents and over 40 countries from Hong Kong, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Beijing, Taipei, Tokyo, Kuala Lumpur, Hanoi, New York, Los Angeles, Miami, London, to Germany, Poland. Moscow and South Africa; becoming the international trendsetter of music and style.

The charm of art lies in its perpetual stream of innovation and Hennessy Artistry Halo is always striving to bring brand new content, new experiences. Hennessy VSOP is the product of a gradual blend of over 60 eaux-de-vie taken from the four leading vineyards in the Cognac region, remarkably blended, just as the Hennessy Artistryâ??s Global Art of Mixing is constantly challenging the boundaries of imagination, making mixing the ultimate manifestation of music.

Like all Hennessy Artistry events across the world, invited guests will experience the universe of Hennessyâ??s mixed drinks based on four basic flavors that blend perfectly with Hennessy Cognac. Hennessy berry, citrus, ginger, and apple are the perfect additions to the worldâ??s best cognac.

Check out the Facebook fan page, Hennessy Artistry Manila and follow Hennessy Artistry on Twitter at HArtistryPH for up to the minute updates.

As a culture that has survived 5,000 years of change and turmoil
—- yet retained its artistry throughout —- there is much to
tell about the story of China, its land and its people. Shen Yun
attempts that feat, and earns rave reviews and returning audience
members on its annual tours.

The troupe performs Thursday through Jan. 22 at the California
Center for the Arts, Escondido —- its seventh appearance at the
venue. Shen Yun, founded in New York City, emphasizes classical
Chinese dance. The elaborately costumed, well-trained troupe covers
more than 5,000 years of Chinese history with elegance and
grace.

Eye-opening backdrops (shown on a large digital video screen)
place the dancers in multiple Chinese locations, from serene
countrysides to busy cities. The troupe seeks to bring back to
prominence many of the original themes, styles and artistic
viewpoints thought gone forever after the Cultural Revolution.

Every year is a new production, with new sets and dances, said
Vivian Wang, the local promoter of the show. This is 5,000 years
of civilization, so there are many stories to tell.

Song is as much a part of the Shen Yun experience as dance.
Plaintive songs of personal experience are accompanied by piano,
with a full orchestra using all-original compositions to bring
forth a blend of Eastern and Western-influenced music. Strings,
percussion, woodwinds and brass are part of the mix.

If the real spirit of the culture has in some ways been lost,
this performance is a way to revive it, Wang said. There is not
only beauty, but universal values. Those values are recognizable
across many cultures, so audience members can relate to the
messages, no matter their ethnic or cultural background.

The 2012 tour will reach more than 3 million people in 30
different countries, with themes involving loyalty, compassion and
spirituality. Ethnic and folk dance are part of the mix. Shen Yun
also merges modern technology, such as digital projection, to help
enhance the human performances.

Children enjoy the colors and culture, while older audience
members enjoy the themes and lessons, Wang said.

From its starting point of about 90 dancers and musicians, Shen
Yun has grown to three full performance groups and orchestras,
filled with award-winning dancers and musicians from throughout
China and the world.

Many people think of Chinese culture as only involving things
such as the lion dance and dumplings and other familiar icons, but
there is so much more, Wang said. There is a reason the culture
has survived for so long and is still vibrant, and that is its
depth.

Betty Moon moved from Toronto to Los Angeles less than two years ago, but her sound seems bred perfectly for LA clubs–dark, heavy guitar with bold and slithering vocals, all marked by the artist herself, a woman in fishnets, strong makeup, and tattoos.

Her new album (her fifth) Rollin Revolution, begun in Toronto and finished at Sage and Sound Studio in Hollywood, explores the contradictory realm of artistic life–the confidence, honest righteousness, the excess, the loss, the starting over.

Despite calling to mind the tailored screeches of Janis Joplin and Patti Smith, and incorporating Black Sabbath-like bass with Iommi-influenced heavy guitar-driven choruses, Moon’s record transcends the obviousness of such a lineage. The album’s a blend of crunching and liquescence, a neon look into the dive bar soul of a sensitive but strong-boot-heel female artist.

The lead track, “Captain Hi-Top,” frazzles the nerves with the right kind of soaring power chords and personal manifesto lyrics that, if it wanted to, could be the coolest song on any modern rock radio station in the nation.

To balance the heavy black-tongued songs like “Captain Hi-Top,” “Trouble Loves Me,” and “Rollin Revolution” she does a couple slower, jazzy laments. “Drink Your Fears Away” reminds of the opening to Rollins Band’s “Liar,” and “Elegy” carries a rainy sound that lays the foundation for Moon’s searching lyrics and vocals.

She ends the record with its thesis, a cover of the Jefferson Airplane’s “Somebody to Love” done the way it deserves to be tried: made boozier, more amphetamine than peyote. The first nine songs are originals, all carrying variations in tone or content on the theme of: “When the truth is found to be lies / And all the joy within you dies / Don’t you want somebody to love / Don’t you need somebody to love / Wouldn’t you love somebody to love / You better find somebody to love.”

It does debase the music to suggest that Betty Moon’s Rollin Revolution merely collages hard rock, punk, jazz and the tradition of bold female frontwomen.

The album does something very difficult, which is reinventing sounds that are entirely familiar in an unfamiliar way.

She’ll make you search your mind for a precedent that doesn’t exist; her style fits a space that feels so natural it’s probably existed in the modern listener’s subconscious for a decade or two, and Moon is the one to make it manifest, as an artist does, bringing forth shapes and colors of the soul.

Moon’s songs have been getting significant airplay on the radio, including on Rodney Bingenheimer’s Rodney on the ROQ on KROQ, and she’s sold out several shows at LA clubs like the Viper Room.

She and her band will play another sold-out show at the Key Club in Hollywood on Saturday, Jan. 28 at 8 pm

Reach Michael Juliani here.Follow him on Twitter here.

Nephew of jazz legend Wes Montgomery releases new album

The inventive artistry that launched guitarist Wes Montgomery into the realm of legend is a family affair. For keyboardist Miko Montgomery, Wes nephew, musical wizardry is embedded in his DNA.

Montgomerys latest album, Cryptic Roots, stretches the boundaries of jazz; actually, it proudly refuses to acknowledge that any of them even exists. On Cryptic Roots, Montgomery slips and slides in between various styles, balancing an eclectic menu that includes electronica, New Age, and even folk, each effortlessly caressed by the smooth touch of his synthesizers.

The opening track, Kiss of the Damned, recalls Danny Elfmans Goth-styled instrumentals for filmmaker Tim Burton. In other words, it is illuminated by a childlike melody with a dark undertow, combining the innocence of youth with the boogeyman fears of that age. Montgomery initially intended this track for a vampire movie; if it ever came to pass, the film should take place at a carnival because it certainly radiates that vibe.

But Montgomerys creative reach quickly unveils how expansive it is by the third cut, AfroCeltic, which is essentially Irish folk music as interpreted by jazzy keyboards. TechNuvo, as hinted by its title, ventures into techno but it is the pioneering electronic work of YMO, whose bouncy, throbbing synth beats Montgomery echoes as opposed to the icy drone of modern club music.

Montgomery honors his late, great uncle by following his own uncompromising vision, crafting accessible, memorable sounds from an instrument that, on its own, isnt known for its mass appeal. Montgomery has just signed a publicity deal with Los Angeles-based promoters Wavelength (http://www.wavelengthradiopromotion.com), ensuring that this wildly imaginative talent develops a larger audience, famous lineage or not.

More Information: http://www.mikomontgomery.com

Submitted By:

Wavelength Radio Promotion

Artistry For A Cause

Sueanne Shirzay has compiled jewelry, soap and fine arts to benefit the National Domestic Violence Hotline.

  Thierry Mugler’s menswear collection included this colourful cloak.Photograph by: FRANCOIS GUILLOT AFP, GETTY IMAGES, AFP

Paris once more turns fashion capital of the world for a week starting Wednesday, playing host to menswear shows before haute couture’s heady mix of craft and luxury casts its spell over the city.

Models, buyers and fashion writers are to converge on Paris for a week of trend-spotting – and hobnobbing – as Italy’s Versace fêtes its return to the couture club, in a glamorous buzz at odds with the ambient economic gloom.

But first, on the heels of the past week’s Milan shows, 51 designers will send out their menswear looks for autumn/winter, with newcomers including the first clothing line by the LVMH-owned luxury boot maker Berluti.

The fashion pack is keenly awaiting the first men’s line by Kenzo’s young new designers Humberto Leon and Carol Lim, the New York duo who took over at the LVMH brand last summer.

Also from New York the Cambodian-American designer Phillip Lim – whose “3.1″ brand is pitched as elegant streetwear – makes his debut in Paris, as will the laid-back Japanese label Kolor.

And the Londoner Kim Jones will be showing his second collection for Louis Vuitton, after a well-received debut last June.

On Monday, men’s fashion makes way for haute couture, with two dozen houses sending out one-off creations- whose dizzying artistry is matched only by their astronomical price tags – over three days of exclusive shows.

After an eight-year hiatus, the Italian brand Versace and its line “Versace Atelier” make a much awaited return to the couture calendar on Monday.

Also from Italy, the 45-year-old Giambattista Valli who showed a first couture collection as a guest label last season, graduates to the status of full member of the family.

Monday evening also promises a visual treat with the show by the young Dutch creator Iris Van Herpen, who stunned Paris last season with bold, otherworldly creations fusing computer-drawn futurism with painstaking workshop craft.

But day one of the couture shows will otherwise be dominated by Dior, which remains in the spotlight since John Galliano’s chaotic departure last March in the wake of a drunken, racist outburst.

All eyes will be watching to see if the house, steered for the past 10 months by Galliano’s right-hand man Bill Gaytten, chooses this week to name a successor, with the Belgian Raf Simons currently tipped for the job.

Tuesday comes the turn of two great French houses – Chanel and Givenchy – sharing the spotlight with small Frenchw designers Alexandre Vauthier (a favourite of R’n'B star Rihanna) or Julien Fournie.

Jean Paul Gaultier grabs the limelight on Wednesday, alongside the French-Chinese designer Yiqing Yin, known for her sophisticated drapes, who was invited to show a guest collection this season.

Haute couture is a protected appellation in France, awarded based on strict criteria like the amount of work carried out by hand and in-house, and the share of pieces made-to-measure.

Chanel, Dior, Gaultier and Givenchy are the only major French houses that show couture, joined by a number of smaller French houses, as well as Italians Valentino and Armani, and now Valli and Versace, and the Lebanese designer Elie Saab.

Haute couture caters to a core client base of no more than 100 women worldwide. They are joined each year by another 100 who will treat themselves – or be treated – to a once-in-a-lifetime dress, for a ball or a wedding.

A unique creation from a young designer is never less than 15,000 euros (20,000 dollars); double that figure for something from a big-name house. Wedding dresses can go for 100,000 euros or more.

© Copyright (c) The Montreal Gazette   

Free haircuts at Artistry in Hair Feb. 11 benefit Locks of Love

Artistry in Hair will hold its ninth annual Locks of Love from 9 am to 3 pm on Feb. 11 and is offering free haircuts to those donating 10 inches or more of their hair to the event.

In addition, light refreshments will be served.

Locks of Love is a public nonprofit organization that provides vacuum-fitted hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children suffering from long-term medical hair loss from any diagnosis. The organization meets a unique need for children by using donated human hair to create high quality-hair prosthetics.

The hairpieces require between six and 10 ponytails and take four to six months to manufacture. Donated hair is evaluated for its usefulness according to the following guidelines: it must be at least 10 inches, clean and dry; must be bundled in a ponytail or braid; bleached hair cannot be used; and hair that has been dyed or permed can be used.

Natalie Phillips, owner of Artistry in Hair, is encouraging area residents to let their hair grow for the event.

“It’s a way for the Ramona community to show love on Valentine’s Day,” she said.

Phillips is also accepting donations of cash, checks and packaged hair accessories for Locks of Love.

For more information call Phillips at 760-789-1231 or visit Artistry in Hair at 1008 D St. The salon’s webite is artistryinhairdayspa.com.

More information on the nonprofit organization is available at locksoflove.org.

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