Concert will kick off 'Cold Winter, Hot Jazz'
The Associated Artists of Butler County “Cold Winter, Hot Jazz II” exhibit will open with a preview and benefit concert featuring the Slippery Rock University Faculty Jazz Combo and SRU student Jazz Sextet from 7 to 10 p.m. Jan. 27 at The Art Center.
Admission is $15 for the general public and $10 for AABC members and students. Proceeds benefit The Art Center.
Guests to the concert may take their own drinks and refreshments, said AABC President Paul Scanlon. Those attending also are encouraged to dress as flappers or mobsters, since the theme for the night will be a 1920s-era speakeasy.
The exhibit in the Rittelmann Gallery features paintings, photographs and sculptures with the emphasis on the jazz era. The last day for entries is Saturday.
“The “Jazz Age, associated with the 1920s and early 1930s, ushered in a rich period of American art, writing, architecture and music,” Scanlon said.
The exhibit opens to the public on Jan. 29 with a free reception from 7 to 9 p.m.
Alcove
Claire “Vimala” Anderson of Summit Township will be featured in the Alcove in an exhibit focused on Senora, Ariz.
“Desert Song” is the work of the local photographer and musician. The collection is mostly photographs with a few small paintings all concentrating on the vibe of the Arizona landscape.“Having spent some time in the Sonoran Desert over the past three years, I've been there long enough to sense the beauty in this intense, even hostile environment,” Anderson said.Some of her observations include delicate blooms among the prickles and spines; bird song rising from a stark landscape; the calming stillness of rugged mountains and cactus forests offering no shade; vibrant, colorful sunsets following monsoon rains.Along with the artwork, she is attempting to re-create the experience of the Sonoran desert, complete with live cactuses, heat, desert birdsong and light.Though not formally trained in art, Anderson said she believes her talent to be a gift. “Mother Earth is the true artist. I just record her work. The rest is derivative, for where would any of us be without her,” she said.“Prickly Pear Blooms” was one of first photos she took in Arizona in April 2008. “It became an instant favorite as it so thoroughly expresses the contrasting energies of the desert,” she said.“So much of the landscape is inhospitable, full of the sting of heat, spines and prickles. And yet rising up from all of that comes a delicate flower, full of color and life.” she said, noting that life is like that. “There are difficulties, and yet there is grace. My hope is that viewers will see this and be inspired as I have been.”n A second solo exhibit of the work of nationally recognized artist Judith Carducci will be on display in the Members Gallery.
<b>WHO: </b>Associated Artists of Butler County<b>WHAT: </b>“Cold Winter, Hot Jazz II” exhibit in the Rittelmann Gallery<b>WHEN: </b>Open to the public with a reception at 7 p.m. Jan. 29 and runs through Feb. 18. A jazz benefit concert on Jan. 27 is planned. Call for tickets.Regular gallery hours are noon to 6 p.m. Wednesdays to Fridays and noon to 4 p.m. Saturdays.<b>WHERE: </b>The Art Center, 344 S. Main St.<b>INFO: v724-283-6922 or www.aabcArtCenter.com
