Friday, March 30, 2012

Shreveport's skanking bayou reggae sextet, the Stiff Necked Fools, have fun with new tune: "Greg Likes Your Mom"



SNF: John Hoffman - Drums/Vocals
Ryan Viser - Trumpet/Vocals
Stefan Poole - Saxophone/Vocals
John Bundrick - Guitar/Vocals
Jason Ball - Keyboard/Vocals
Greg Pitts - Bass

John-Henry Crawford and Yue Chu present Wideman recital in honor of the late Maestro John Shenaut at Anderson Auditorium, Centenary College,7:30 pm Fri, March 30

A special recital on Fri, March 30, will honor the memory of our beloved Maestro, John Shenaut, says Lester Senter Wilson, Executive Director of the Wideman Competition.

John Henry Crawford together with Yue Chu, the Gold Medalist at the Wideman Finals last month, will present a joint ‘cello and piano recital.

It should be something spectacular – and the sort of thing that we have not seen before in Shreveport, says Wilson.

Anderson Auditorium of the Hurley School of Music at Centenary.

7:30 pm.
Compliments of the Wideman Competition. Reception afterwards at Symphony House.

Sculptor / photographer Wayne Martin Belger at Artspace Shreveport; opening party Fri, March 30, 6 pm; artist's talk Sat, 10 am

"artspace presents “Borderlands: Journeys from Destruction to Creation,” an exhibition of the photography and cameras created by Wayne Martin Belger," says Julia Foley.

Belger’s work has been exhibited around the world in prominent galleries and featured in high-profile contemporary arts magazines.

The exhibit will open on Fri, March 30, at 6:00 pm with live entertainment, hors d’oeuvres and cash bar.

Admission for the Opening Reception is $10.

Complimentary parking is available at the Blue Scroll Mural Lot at the corner of Texas and Common Streets.

On Saturday, March 31 at 10:00 am, artspace will host an artist talk with Wayne Martin Belger. He will share technique, experiences and inspiration for his works. This event is free and open to the public.

Monday, March 26, 2012

Two views of education legislation ahead: Jackie Lansdale, chief of Red River United teachers' assoc and Dodie Horton, legislative assistant to State Rep Henry Burns, on KSCL, fm 91.3, at 5 pm Mon, March 26

Red River Teachers Assoc leader Jackie Lansdale and Dodie Horton, legislative assistant to State Rep Henry Burns, will apprise the education issues facing the voters in this session on the weekly public affairs program Time for A Better Shreveport.

Robert Poole, Centenary student, will chat about the service work he performed as part of The Big Event.

Hosts are Loren Demerath, carolyn Manning and Robert Trudeau, board members of A Better Shreveport.

Info: 869 5297
stream at http://kscl.fm/

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Report from the first juncture of the Bayou to Bay canoe trek by wildlife teacher Jon Soul, Shreveport

"Jon Soul is on his expedition down Bayou Pierre via canoe to Natchitoches, this week," writes Loren Demerath. "He'll be calling in to me every night with his location and notable observations."

"The first day, Jon got off pretty late, having had to go through extensive camera training from professional cinematographer and expedition video technical assistant, Dan Furst.

But Jon made it to Flournoy Lucas Rd., where he awaited pickup from Dan, and they both spent that first night at Camp Forbing.

Today, Jon made it to what the cycling community knows as "the crossroads," Rt. 175 and Ellerbe Rd. He noted some great put-in sites with easy access for canoes and kayaks along the way.

The wildlife highlights today were extraordinary: a river otter, a salamander, deer, bass, geese, hawks and seven beaver. The beaver charged together; came barreling off the bank, making a huge ruckus doing it and one big one—maybe the male—came out and gave a big tale slap."

Soul is a teacher at Montessori School for Shreveport. He is the originator of the Coates Bluff Nature Trail.

The Bayou to Bay voyage is designed to show Louisianians the route that would be taken by a loose basketball - a part of the immense amount of trash that escapes our hands each day - as it dribbles down the Louisiana watershed.

Thursday, March 22, 2012

The Art of Weapons by Christopher Moore

THE ART OF WEAPONS
The art of Weapons is a body of work that has been part of Christopher Moore's life for over 2 years. The Art of weapons is thought provoking as well as a whimsical look at weapons in everyday life and death. Artspace has welcomed the idea for the show and it will encompass over 60 works of art in sculpture, plate steel wall hangings, as well as paintings. His ideas do not necessarily precede any logical order. His work sometimes set another idea off in an unexpected direction. 


According to Christopher, "My works of art may be understood as a facilitator from the artists mind to the viewer but it may never reach the viewer and it may never leave my mind. For this mind to continue creating I have to share my works with others through this show".



The show's reception will be April 5, 2012
5:00pm until 8:30pm
Location: ARTSPACE 710 Texas Street, Shreveport, LA 71101
Music by Brady Blade and Blade Studios

Trevarri Huff-Boone and Tchai open show for multi-image Projexorcism at minicine, 846 Texas Ave, on Thurs, Mar 22, 8 pm

Young and gifted saxophonist Tre' Huff-Boone will blow lines inspired by John Coltrane tonight as he reacts to the congas of Tarumbae Ron Hardy, djembe played by Greg Andrews and bass lines by Tchai leader Robert Trudeau.

On the screen will be flicks assembled by Tchai visualist Brian Landry, Jr.

Playing at 8 pm, Tchai opens for Ed Cooper of Houston.

Splaying moving images across every part of minicine, Cooper's multi-projector show, called Projexorcism, inundates viewers in Americana.

The trio John Calvin closes the evening.

minicine?
846 Texas Ave.
all ages.
$5.

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Louisiana Dance Alive! Performances by 4 troupes at 2 pm, Sat, March 24, at the Strand Theater, Shreveport

Carol Anglin's troupe, Louisiana Dance Theater, will be joined by Orchesis Dance Company, Grambling State University, by Impulse Dance Theater, La School for Math, Science and the Arts and by students from Green Oaks Performing Academy in an annual series of dances called La Dance Alive!

Performances begin at 2 pm Sat, March 24.

Strand box office: 318-226-8555.
$20.
Info: 861-3006.

Irene and the Sleepers with Death Rides the River at Shreveport's downtown Riverside Warehouse on Fri, Mar 23

Irene and the Sleepers plow a silly-grinning, enthusiastic audience at the Riverside Warehouse, downtown Shreveport, on Fri, Mar 23, says Chris Rimmer.

Irene and the Sleepers are the newest discovery at Shreveport Blog. It's a rockin Americana group - several of them were in a successful group called Tyler Read - with capable vocals, singable hooks and expert guitars. Check them out.

$5. Doors at 9.
Death Rides The River: 930pm
Irene & The Sleepers: 10:30

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

TEDxRedRiver @ BPCC on Mon, Mar 26: Unplugging and connecting with speakers John Grindley, Judy Williams

"Unplugging - to connect" is the theme of the third edition of TEDx in the area, says Clint McCommon.

To expand audience and confound local expectations of venue - the first gathering was at RFC, the second at CoHab - the session will be presented in the theater at Bossier Parish Community College.

It is free, it is non-commercial and it wraps early, since the presentations begin at 6:30 pm.

See more at FB.

Monday, March 19, 2012

June 4-week program at the Animation & Visual Effects Academy, LSU Shreveport

"The Animation and Visual Effects Academy (AVEA) is a summer program that provides high school students with hands-on instruction in computer animation and film making," says John Miralles.

Topics covered in the summer academy include desktop graphics, film making theory, film shooting, and film editing.

Participants use professional-level tools and techniques to create a short film (from idea to completion) under the instruction of professional filmmakers, visual effects editors, and film compositors.

AVEA is sponsored by LaPREP and is a collaborative effort between LaPREP and the Animation and Visual Effects Program at LSUS.

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Multi-machine image fest: Projexorcism at minicine Thurs, March 22; Tchai opens at 8 pm

"Currently Projexorcism is using a quad 16mm projector array suspended from a lighting pole - the projectors are synchronized with a 4- channel sound-actuated variable speed lighting controller. The projected images are split, inverted and bent using silver reflective CD-R's and Fresnel lenses," says Houston artist Ed Cooper.

Cooper brings his movie array to minicine, 846 Texas Ave, on Th, Mar 22.

Opening at 8 pm with ambient and progressive jazz is Tchai. Hear Tarumbae Ron Hardy on congas, Greg Andrews on djembe, Robert Trudeau on bass and saxophonist Trevarri Huff-Boone on soprano and tenor sax. Tchai guitarist Tracy Chappell is recovering from a broken wrist.

Closing the show is the heavy trio called John Calvin, who refer to themselves on myspace as the Hitleristic Darwinists.

A gathering of conservationists and adventurists on Th, March 22, Marilynn's Place, 5 to 8 pm: follow the watery path of Jon Soul in the Bayou to Bay trek

Bayou to Bay with Jon Soul by trudeau
Bayou to Bay with Jon Soul, a photo by trudeau on Flickr.

"Like every drop of water, piece of trash, and basketball that enters Bayou Pierre, I am undertaking a water-borne journey towards the Gulf of Mexico," says Jon Soul.

The one-man journey is called Bayou to Bay -- exploring Louisiana's watersheds.

Chat with the impassioned and skillful woods and bayou man on Thurs, Mar 22, 5 to 8 pm at Marilynn's Place at 4041 Fern Ave. At 6:30 pm Soul will talk specifically about Louisiana's watersheds and the nature of his journey.

Soul, a teacher at Montessori School for Shreveport, is the originator of the Coates Bluff Nature Trail. He and MSS recently won a statewide conservation award for use and development of the Coates Bluff Nature Trail.

Saturday, March 17, 2012

Shreveport Dog Park Alliance dog wash benefit on Sun, March 25, 2:30 pm to 6 pm, Marilynn's Place, 4041 Fern Ave

Shreveport Dog Park Alliance by trudeau
Shreveport Dog Park Alliance, a photo by trudeau on Flickr.

Get your canines sudsed and dried at Dog Day Afternoon, March 25 at Marilynn's Place, 4041 Fern Ave, says Cynthia Keith. It's a benefit for Shreveport Dog Park Alliance.

There's also Marilynn's Sunday brunch from 10-2pm, with 10% of the proceeds going to the Dog Park Alliance.

At 2:30, the Dog Wash will begin. Vibe Entertainment will have a band and DJs throughout the day. Pawtastic and A Pampered Pooch will provide nail clippings and washes for smaller pups.

Dog Pack volunteers will be washing pups with suds by Lucky's Yellow Rubber Ducky. Marilynn's Place will be hosting a special dog inspired menu.

For more info, Brittany at bnmatthewss@gmail.com, 915-355-6995.

Sunday, March 11, 2012

Dear legislators and voters who are wondering about the viability of Jindal's proposals for educational change: a long-term teacher responds in brief . . .

Caddo Magnet Class of 2011    f by trudeau
Caddo Magnet Class of 2011 f, a photo by trudeau on Flickr.

Please resist the Jindal team and the fast-tracking of his education legislation.

The governor is ignoring the basics in Louisiana. To truly tackle the problems in Louisiana schools is to address the impoverished state of the population.

Research in educational practice - charter schools, for instance, mostly do not prove out - does not back his proposals. Jindal's legislations were written by politicos who seek to privatize education in the service of
quick profits. As a 30-year teacher I have the wisdom to see a disaster ahead in JIndal's plan.

What do I propose? Louisiana needs to link educational reform to addressing the generational poverty that blocks schools and hard-working teachers from being effective. Alas, there's no quick fix in that route.

A sensible program begins with all legislators and state admins being assigned a 3-class unit to teach in public schools. The teacher will be a mentor to the legislator.

Following the widespread experience of businessmen facing students and parents, let us sit down in committees to write a revised list of core problems. From that process will come a fresh perspective and a suitable list of adjustments to be sought.

We might begin with my classroom. Would you like to teach a brief unit on China to world geography 15 year-olds? The very good news is that I teach in one of Louisiana's highest-achieving schools, Caddo Magnet HS. Conditions at Caddo do not reflect the norm in the Bayou State. Regardless, it is a good place to begin.

best,
Robert Trudeau

This is a letter sent today to La Reps Carmody and Peacock. Feel free to copy, modify and send to your representatives.

Saturday, March 10, 2012

Photo exhibit by Sonja Bratlie opens at Bistro Byronz, Shreveport, on Thurs, March15, 6 to 9 pm

"Christy Porter from Bistro Byronz will be hosting another Sightz and Soundz on Thursday, March 15, and I have been invited to showcase some of my favorite photos," writes Sonya Bratlie.

"Please drop by between 6-9 pm. The photos will be printed 11x14", mounted and framed in custom cedar wood frames made by Alicia Brown."

See her excellent compositions at Photos by Sonya.

Expect live music by Jay Bratlie, banjo player from Dirtfoot, who says, "just me and a guitar and banjo; playing some of my favorite tunes and a few originals of my own."

Bistro Byronz
6104 Line Ave, Shreveport

Artist alert: stimulating documentary "Pina," the story of choreographer Pina Bausch, throws modern dance at the screen and into the air; see it at RFC

Pina / Wim Wenders  by trudeau
Pina / Wim Wenders , a photo by trudeau on Flickr.

In "Cafe Muller" the elegantly-dressed dancers enjoying the inviting room are marvelously unhinged people. As a comely woman nervously paces across the room, a man in a well-cut suit pulls chairs and tables out of her way with alacrity and alarm.

Thus it is in the best modern dance, as choreographers such as Pina Bausch explore our psyches through wordless movement.

German moviemaker Wim Wenders won an Academy Award nomination for Pina, a film of relentless rising and falling action. Pina is set both on stages and in the entrancing town of Wuppertal, DE.

The dances are shocking and amusing, often simultaneously. Originality, grinding energy, precision, mystery; Pina is a phenomenal whirl.

Highly recommended.
At Robinson Film Center. Alas, not in 3D.
1 hr, 46 mins. I judge it a PG13.


Tried the Vegetarian Quesadillas at Abby Singers Bistro? Tasty, inexpensive ($9) and filling. Recommended!

Closed door sessions, property developers, local politicians and a key highway: see Finish3132.com to explore the issue

“A developer’s request for access to Flournoy Lucas Road near its intersection with the Inner Loop set off an odd chain of April events,” said an article in The Times (Shreveport) in May, 2011.

The Times reported that for the first time residents in southeast Shreveport who use East Flournoy Lucas Road learned they were not going to receive the traffic relief along the route offered by the anticipated completion of Highway 3132, says Elliott Stonecipher.

"The Finish3132.com website offers information about the importance of finishing Highway 3132 and what you can do to support these efforts," says that site.

Tuesday, March 06, 2012

Teen Tech Week at Cedar Grove / Line Ave Shreve Memorial Library: reps from Twin Engine Labs speak Thurs, Mar 8, 4 pm Shreveport

CoHabitat Shreveport by trudeau
CoHabitat Shreveport, a photo by trudeau on Flickr.

"Celebrate Teen Tech Week with Shreve Memorial Library!" says Kelly McSwain.

Twin Engine Labs reps will talk about how they create awesome apps for the iPhone, iPad and Android devices.

"Come meet the creators of the award-winning "The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore" Interactive iPad app!" adds McSwain.

Th, Mar 8, 4 to 5 pm
Shreve Memorial Library - Cedar Grove/Line Ave.

Shreveport Green will guide volunteers in the Great American Cleanup on Sat, April 14, 8 am to noon

Shreveport Green is seeking volunteers for the Great American Cleanup to be held from 8 a.m. to noon April 14.

Volunteer groups will pick up trash from city streets, parish roads and waterways and beautify area parks by planting flowers and shrubs.

After the clean up, volunteers will be treated to food, prizes and face painting.

T-shirts will be given to the first 600 registered volunteers. The deadline to sign up is April 9.

For more information, contact Casaundra Calloway at (318) 219-1888, ext. 20, or by email at ccalloway@shreveportgreen.org.

Baroque Artists of Shreveport perform at Anderson Auditorium, Centenary College, Sun, March 11, 3 pm

Featuring Bach's Sonata N. 3 in E Major for Violin and Harpsichord and Handel's Oboe Concerto in G Minor, the Baroque Artists of Shreveport will perform on Sun, March 11, 3 pm.

The venue will be Anderson Auditorium, Hurley School of Music, Centenary College.

The concert is free and open to the public.

Monday, March 05, 2012

Artisan opportunity: street market in Highland at Noel Memorial Methodist on Sat, April 28, 8:30 - 11:30 am

Shreveport Farmer's Market by trudeau
Shreveport Farmer's Market, a photo by trudeau on Flickr.

"Here is another opportunity to sell your stuff! says Erin Fort at Noel Memorial Methodist.

Park-it-Market, Sat, April 28, 8:30-11:30am
@ Noel, 520 Herndon Street (Parking lot at the corner of Herndon & Creswell)

Featuring: Artisan works, Food Vendors, Yard Sale Items, Free Kids Art Activities and more!

Vendor Cost: $15 per space which benefits Noel Community Arts Program (helps support their programs and scholarships to students)

Artists can take advantage of the Highland Cultural District!

Deadline to register as a vendor is April 18, 2012 or once all spaces are filled!

Erin Fort
Director of Noel Community Arts Program
520 Herndon Street, Shreveport, LA 71101
Office: (318) 221-5207
Cell: (318) 573-5913
Fax: (318) 425-7643
www.noelumc.org/NCAP
www.facebook.com/NoelArts

Sunday, March 04, 2012

Confetti cannon will roar, the Byrd High Band strut and animators will don their Hollywood sunglasses as Shreveport gives Joyce, Brandenburg and Moonbot Studios a Texas St parade in honor of the Oscar on Mon, Mar 5, about noon

Join the City of Shreveport, Parish of Caddo and a choir of jubilant schatzlsingers on Texas St in a confetti-topped, two and a half-block parade in downtown Shreveport on Mon, Mar 5, 11:30 or noon, says the Mayor.

The fete is in honor of Academy Award-winning directors William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg and the animators at Moonbot Studios.

The parade will begin in front of the Caddo Parish Courthouse and span the 500-700 blocks of Texas Street. The C.E. Byrd Marching Band (Bill Joyce's alma mater) will lead the way to artspace.

Following the parade Bill and Brandon will tell stories about their days in Hollywood.
Then there will be a fresh hot dog lunch!

And don't be surprised if 6 confetti cannon spew masses of paper spaghetti all over your bad self.

Friday, March 02, 2012

Evaluate the thinking of critic Robert Pincus as he assesess the strengths of paintings by artist Rachel Stuart-Haas in sessions at Artspace Shreveport on Fri, Mar 2, and Sat, Mar 3

Once newspapers and even TV networks paid critics to write a stream of evaluation on arts presentations. Today that system is dead.

It may be that arts organizations such as SRAC should step in to employ critics to measure and judge the work, believes Pam Atchison and others.

The public can watch the process in action this week at Artspace Shreveport as San Diego critic Robert Pincus returns to Shreveport to size up a show by Rachel Stuart-Haas (Fri, Mar 3, 5:50 - 7:30 pm) and speak about the role of the critic (Sat, Mar 3, 10 am).

This week Fine Arts Survey students at Caddo Magnet HS watched the award-winning biography "Pollock."

In "Pollock" the script asserts that the NY Times critic was a critical straight shooter, calling the shots - which paintings worked and why, which painters were on fire, etc - as he saw them.

Yet he is also seen as a frequent guest of Krasner and Pollock. On one hand, it is a testament to the PR savvy of Krasner. But it asks for our thinking about an issue.

Is it possible for a critic to both hang with an artist and fairly evaluate the artist's work?

I think not.

That's one of the many issues to be taken up at Artspace this weekend.

THREE FIFTEEN AND HIS SQUARES - Saturday Night on Texas Avenue (Vocalion, 1937)



Announcing a new post over at the Shreveport Songs blog...

In honor of the Texas Avenue Community Association and the first annual Cora M. Allen Day (March 7, 2012), here’s a musical tribute to Shreveport’s Texas Avenue. The complete story on Three Fifteen and His Squares can be found in my article recently published in The Jazz Archivist, a newsletter of the William Ransom Hogan Jazz Archive at Tulane University. Here's an excerpt below -- “Three Fifteen and His Squares - Shreveport's David Blunson” by Chris Brown (The Jazz Archivist, vol. xxiv, 2011).

-----

In 1937, Three Fifteen and His Squares, a music group from Shreveport, Louisiana, traveled 200 miles north for a recording session in Hot Springs, Arkansas. The musicians, led by David “315” Blunson, recorded four songs released by Vocalion Records. Apart from the group’s four recordings, however, they left few traces of their existence. As a result, modern researchers have struggled to shed light on Three Fifteen and His Squares. Luckily for those curious about this enigmatic band, Blunson appears nearly a dozen times in an underexplored resource--his hometown’s weekly African American newspaper, The Shreveport Sun.
 -----

For the rest of the excerpt and audio from "Saturday Night on Texas Avenue," see:
http://shreveportsongs.blogspot.com/2012/03/three-fifteen-and-his-squares-saturday.html

Thursday, March 01, 2012

West coast critic Robert Pincus to speak at Artspace Shreveport on the role of the art critic and on the exhibit of paintings by Rachel Stuart-Haas on Fri, Mar 2, 5:30 pm and Sat, 10 am; free and open to the public

Shreveport Regional Arts Council will host an Art Exhibition Critic’s Talk with Robert Pincus, Ph.D., at artspace, 710 Texas St in Downtown Shreveport, on Fri, Mar 2, 5:30 – 7:30 pm.

Pincus will offer a critique of the current artspace exhibition, “One Woman Show,” featuring the paintings of Rachel Stuart-Haas. He will discuss the current state of art in our country and the role of the Art Critic.

On Sat, Mar 3, at 10 am, Dr. Pincus will hold a discussion with local artists and critics on “How to Critique and the Responsibilities of a Critic.”

Both events are free and open to the public.

SRAC first brought Pincus from San Diego to critique the visual art entries and present the awards for the 2011 exhibit called Impromptu.

With over a quarter million people in the US identifying themselves as “artists” and the decline of art critics due to staffing cuts by magazines and newspapers, the public is lacking analysis and evaluation of new works of art, says Foley.

Art criticism is interpretive and involves effort by the critic to understand a particular work of art from a theoretical perspective and to establish its significance in the history of art. Art critics create dialogue, engaging readers to think and to debate artworks. They also bring a passion to the subject of art and provide significant exposure for artists and arts institutions.

Pincus is a former LA Times art critic, an author and popular teacher at the Univ of San Diego.