text:
Violins of Hope
The Violins of Hope are a collection of restored violins that were played by Jewish musicians during The Holocaust. These instruments have survived concentration camps, pogroms and many long journeys to tell remarkable stories of injustice, suffering, resilience and survival. The collection was assembled and restored by Israeli master violin maker and restorer, Amnon Weinstein.
In some cases, the ability to play the violin spared Jewish musicians from more grueling labors or even death. Nearly 50 years ago, Amnon heard such a story from a customer who brought in an instrument for restoration. The customer survived the Holocaust because his job was to play the violin while Nazi soldiers marched others to their deaths. When Amnon opened the violin's case, he saw ashes. He thought of his own relatives who had perished and was overwhelmed. He could not bring himself to begin the project.
By 1996, Amnon was ready. He put out a call for violins from the Holocaust that he would restore in hopes that the instruments would sound again.
Amnon started locating violins that were played by Jews in the camps and ghettos, painstakingly piecing them back together so they could be brought to life again on the concert stage. Although most of the musicians who originally played the instruments were silenced by the Holocaust, their voices and spirits live on through the violins that Amnon has lovingly restored. He calls these 50 instruments the Violins of Hope.
Images of Human Rights Portfolio
The South African Bill of Rights was born out of a long struggle against racial segregation and human rights violations. Until the first democratic election in 1994, the majority of South Africans had been excluded from participating in the political process. Talks in the early 1990s between political prisoner Nelson Mandela and then South African leader F.W. DeKlerk ultimately led to free elections and a new government which aimed to respect the rights of all its citizens.
Images of Human Rights features 29 fine art prints, created by artists representing the nine provinces of South Africa and hand printed by master printmaker Jan Jordaan. The print portfolio was conceived of and released in 1996 by the Images of Human Rights Portfolio Committee, in commemoration of the newly post-Apartheid nation's Bill of Rights. Funds generated from the sale of portfolios are deposited in the Artists for Human Rights Trust account and are used by Amnesty International and other organizations for human rights education programs for the young people of South Africa. This set of prints is being circulated in North America as one of a series of activities between Michigan State University and a consortium of agencies in South Africa, including the African National Congress; Centre for Cultural Studies, University of Fort Hare; and Mayibuye Centre, University of the Western Cape.
Big Ears 2019
March 1, 2019 - March 31, 2019
Beatrice Gibson, Wang Bing, Johann Lurf, Jodie Mack
In our fourth-annual collaboration with Knoxville microcinema masters Public Cinema, Big Ears 2019 hosted free screenings of films by Beatrice Gibson, Wang Bing, Johann Lurf, and Jodie Mack at the UT Downtown Gallery. From an engrossing nine-hour look at Chinese activists in exile to an enormous montage of shots of stars culled from across the history of cinema, it's one of the most sharply curated blocks of film programming we've ever presented.
I'm Only Here to Leave - Tommy Kha
Tommy Kha is a photographer based between Brooklyn, NY and his hometown, Memphis, TN.
He is a recipient of the En Foco Photography Fellowship, the Jessie and Dolph Smith Emeritus Award, and a former artist-in-residence at Center for Photography at Woodstock, Light Work, Fountainhead, and Baxter Street at the Camera Club of New York. In December 2015, Kha published his first monograph, A Real Imitation, through Aint-Bad. His next book, Soft Murders, will be released Fall 2019.
He was the cover of Vice Magazine's 2017 Photography Issue and a finalist for the Hyeres Photography 2019 Festival.
Kha holds an MFA in Photography from Yale University.
Every day, Knox County art teachers devote their time and energy to cultivating creativity and critical skills in their students. For more than a decade, Art Source, an exhibition dedicated to Knox County art educators, has given these teachers an opportunity to nourish and showcase their own artistic talents. Please join us to celebrate the achievements of our art educators.
This exhibition was sponsored by Jerry's Artarama and Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in partnership with the UT Downtown Gallery.
Carl Sublett - A Centennial Celebration
This exhibition celebrates the 100th anniversary of his birth. Carl was a longtime faculty member in the painting department in the School of Art and a member of The Knoxville Seven, a group of progressive artists active in the 50s and 60s. The show was proposed by his late son, Eric Sublett, who was a champion of his father's work and also an alum of the School of Art. Over 20 regional collectors loaned works that were publicly displayed together for the first time. The exhibition featured over 50 watercolors, oils on canvas, original Christmas cards, and comic strips. Carl was a prolific and experimental artist, and this exhibition featured an example of work from every decade of his career with a piece from every series he created.
Howard Hull Paintings: 1989-2019
In 1965, Hull began teaching at the UT Knoxville College of Education. During his tenure at UT, Hull's painting, collages, and sculpture were frequently seen in various competitive Mid-South and one-person invitationals. Hull's articles have routinely filled the pages of Arts and Activities, Tennessee Education, and School Arts, and his in-depth history of Tennessee WPA post office murals was published in 1996. Before his 1999 retirement, Hull coordinated numerous art educational workshops, curricular projects and extension courses on behalf of his department. Since leaving UT, he continues to be a productive painter and writer.
2019 First Year MFA
Exhibiting students: Gary White, Amalia Mermingas, Nichole Schappert, Ashley Ekstrum, Hannah Oakes, Tasha Lewis, Muriel Condon, and Nuveen Barwari
10 X Relay - Cat's Cradle
The passing back and forth of ideas in painting is like the relay and return of the knotted patterns in the game of cat's cradle. Each painting is a string configuration that we hold out to be received by another, or that we receive and respond to by adding something new, by proposing another knot, another net. Entangled in a myriad of configurations, we start from a place that doesn't wipe out what comes before – we make paintings of inheritances and remembering.
False Calm - Sam Vernon
The UT Downtown Gallery is pleased to host the exhibition FALSE CALM by Sam Vernon. Her work combines xeroxed drawings of photographs, paintings, and sculptural components, along with spray painted elements in an exploration of personal narrative and identity. She uses these techniques and applications in her current installation to honor the past while revising historical memory.
Collecting Histories - selections from the collection of Floyd Jones and Mary Sabol
Collecting Histories spotlights the collection of UT alumni Floyd Jones (Transportation/Logistics '72) and Mary Sabol (Sociology '72). The couple met as undergrads and have been collecting artwork since their days in Knoxville. The exhibition showcases the couple's diverse collecting interests—dolls, Black Americana, Black portraiture, and images of children.
The couple have lived in Chicago since the mid-1970s, and first began collecting dolls—an interest Mary acquired from her mother. Her first doll purchase, as an adult, was in Gatlinburg, TN. Their doll collection sparked interest in collecting art and other historical objects. Floyd became an independent doll appraiser and was on PBS's Antiques Roadshow for several seasons.
Meandering Mythologies: Timothy Massey and Gary Monroe
Meandering Mythologies is a two-person exhibition featuring the work of Timothy Massey and Gary Monroe. Timothy Massey is the associate professor of art and chair of the Art Department at SUNY Brockport. He also serves as the director for the Tower Fine Art Gallery at SUNY Brockport. He studied printmaking and drawing at the University of Tennessee and Ohio State University. Gary Monroe is an artist from Knoxville, Tennessee who has exhibited nationally since the 1980's. Most recently Monroe's work has been featured in one-person exhibitions at the Estel Gallery, Nashville, TN, in 2011; the Clayton Center for the Arts at Maryville College in 2011; the Leu Art Gallery at Belmont University, Nashville, TN in 2009; and the Cue Art Foundation, New York, NY, in 2006.
Intersections: an exhibition of glass from Ball State
Ball State University Glick Center for Glass opened in fall 2011 and this relatively new program has made significant grown and national recognition with the support of fellow educators and artists using this medium. Joining Ball State University faculty and students in this exhibit are Jonathan Chapman and Kristin Thielking from the University of Wisconsin, Stevens-Point, and Eoin Breadon from the University of Wisconsin, River Falls. It is through the intersections of Ball State University's students and their mentors that the glass program is evolving from its regional prominence to national recognition. The glass program, and the Glick Center for Glass at Ball State marks a return of glass production to Muncie. The university gets its name from the Ball brothers who had a food storage manufacturing business in New York and Muncie that made sealable glass jars for home canning – colloquially known as ball jars. In the 1880s glass manufacturing was moved from New York to Muncie due to an abundance of natural gas in the area. By 1917, the brothers had bought the foreclosed Indiana Normal University and gave it to the state of Indiana, creating what would become Ball State University.
Open Ended: films by Kevin Jerome Everson
With a sense of place and historical research, Kevin Jerome Everson's films combine scripted and documentary moments with rich elements of formalism. The subject matter is the gestures or tasks caused by certain physical, social-economic, and environmental conditions in the lives of working class African Americans and other people of African descent. Instead of standard realism he favors a strategy that abstracts everyday actions and statements into theatrical gestures, in which archival footage is re-edited or re-staged, real people perform fictional scenarios based on their own lives and historical observations intermesh with contemporary narratives. The films suggest the relentlessness of everyday life—along with its beauty—but also present oblique metaphors for art-making. This exhibition is in partnership with The Public Cinema and Big Ears music festival.
Breach: Alison Saar
Alison Saar weaves narratives relating to the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 into the mixed-media sculpture and paintings featured in Breach. Saar explores issues of gender, race, racism, and the African diaspora. She mines mythology, ritual, history, music, and her biracial heritage as sources for her work. During a 2013 residency at the Joan Mitchell Center in New Orleans, Saar was dismayed to see how little had been done to rebuild African American communities devastated by Hurricane Katrina eight years earlier. Upon her return to Los Angeles, she began researching the histories of American floods and the effect on African Americans. The Great Mississippi River Flood of 1927, described as one of the worst natural river disasters in U.S. history, piqued her interest. Heavy rains resulted in the river breaching levees, creating a historic catastrophe that had a profound impact on the life of African Americans living in the Mississippi Delta. The flood exposed the conditions of poor African American sharecroppers and tenant farmers and their relationship with cotton plantation owners. The flood also resulted in social, cultural, federal policy, and political changes. With water imagery woven throughout, Breach is the culmination of Saar's creative research on American rivers and their historical relationship to the lives of African Americans. Through mixed media sculpture, paintings, and works on paper, she explores floods not only as natural phenomena; but also the complex interaction of social, cultural, and political factors associated with flooding and its aftermath.
Living On: Tennessee Survivors and Liberators
The UT Downtown Gallery is pleased to present Living On an exhibition of 24 portraits of holocaust survivors and liberators living in Tennessee by Robert Heller. Heller, a professor in the School of Journalism and Electronic Media at the University of Tennessee since 1986, received his B.S. and M.A. degrees in photojournalism from Syracuse University. He taught photography and graphics for five years at the University of Miami, and was publications designer and photographer at the State University of New York College at New Paltz, and Elmira College in New York. Heller also taught photography at The Center for Photography at Woodstock, New York. His photographs have been selected for numerous juried exhibitions and he continues to do freelance work in both graphic design and photography. Living On is a project of the Tennessee Holocaust Commission, which is funded by an annual appropriation from the Tennessee State Legislature and by private donations. Assistance in the development of this documentary project was provided, as well, by the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, Inc. The traveling exhibition was curated by Susan W. Knowles.
Reprocessed is an exhibition of art by three Knoxville artists who use found imagery and materials to create their unique pieces. The UT Downtown Gallery is pleased to display woven work by Judi Gaston and mixed media pieces by Kelly Hider and Beth Meadows. Judi Gaston recalls as a child poring over books with photographs of exotic places. Now she seizes every opportunity to visit far away lands – Kenya, India, Peru, the Amazon Basin, Australia, Samoa… She tries to incorporate some of the contributions that these cultures have made, blending them in new and distinctive forms using old buttons, beads, patching, knotting and embroidery techniques in her woven clothing. Along with her wearable fashions, she also designs a recycled wearable art series. She likes making wearables that have a history of having lived previous lives. Beth Meadows' artwork is inspired by fashion and design, folk art, children's books, and the strength, confidence, and beauty of women. She lives and works in Knoxville, Tennessee. Kelly Hider was raised in Rochester, NY. She received her BFA from SUNY Brockport in 2007, and an MFA from the University of Tennessee in 2011. She is a founding member of the Vacuum Shop Studios, where her studio is currently located, and is Co-Chair of the Dogwood Regional Fine Arts Exhibit. Hider is the Gallery Coordinator at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts and resides in Knoxville, TN.
September 1 - October 7, 2017
Dual Current: Inseparable Elements in Painting and Architecture, curated by Gabriele Evertz, examines the relationship between painting and architecture in a contemporary context through color, shape, and theory. The artists whose works are featured in this exhibition are: Josef Albers (American, born Germany, 1888–1976), Matthew Deleget (American, born 1972), Peter Dudek (American, born 1952), Cris Gianakos (Greek-American, born 1934), Michelle Grabner (American, born 1962), Lynne Harlow (American, born 1968), Changha Hwang (Korean, born 1969), Russell Maltz (American, born 1952), Rossana Martinez (Puerto Rican, born 1969), Kristine Marx (American, born 1969), and Manfred Mohr (German, born 1938). Their works link three-dimensional space and the picture plane to create radical new forms.
Morehshin Allahyari is an artist, activist, educator, and occasional curator. She is the recipient of the leading global thinkers of 2016 award by Foreign Policy magazine. Morehshin was born and raised in Iran and moved to the United States in 2007. Her work deals with the political, social, and cultural contradictions we face every day. She thinks about technology as a philosophical toolset to reflect on objects and as a poetic means to document our personal and collective lives struggles in the 21st century. Morehshin is the co-author of The 3D Additivist Cookbook in collaboration with writer/artist Daniel Rourke– (published on December 2016 online in 3DPDF format and in print by the Institute of Networked Cultures). Her modeled, 3D-printed sculptural reconstructions of ancient artifacts destroyed by ISIS, titled Material Speculation: ISIS, have received widespread curatorial and press attention and have been exhibited worldwide.
Nocturnal Suns
An exhibition of work by 4 professors from the University of Tennessee School of Art: Emily Bivens, 4D; John Kelley, 4D, Mary Laube, painting; and John Powers, sculpture.
Death Rock City: Dannielle Tegeder
Featuring new and recent work, Death Rock City examines how New York artist Dannielle Tegeder challenges the two-dimensional boundaries of traditional painting through the integration of animation, sculpture into her work.
Dannielle Tegeder earned her BFA from the State University of New York at Purchase and her MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She has had solo gallery exhibitions in Paris, Berlin, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Houston and participated in numerous group exhibitions at PS1/MoMA, The New Museum, The Brooklyn Museum, and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago.Her work is in the collections of a number of museums including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, and the Weatherspoon Art Museum at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
New Topology: Paul Krainak
"Topology" employs elements of early modern logic and its attendant forms in art and technology. It considers aesthetic and industrial incentives originating in rural America and calls into question modernism's strictly urban mythology. Grids, cruciforms, and wood grain details are embedded in extended patterns calling to mind Constructivist and Bauhaus Schools' principals of industrial hybridity and utopianism. But the site of industry here is agriculture with distilled forms taken from domestic textile design, land management diagrams, and vernacular architecture.
Paul Krainak is an artist, critic, and Chair of the Art Department at Bradley University.
As one of the Dogwood Arts Festival's featured exhibits, NEXUS, showcases national and international artists working in contemporary sculpture and 3D media. Indoor sculptures comprising all styles and genres from emerging and established artists will be selected by esteemed professor, Laticia Bajuyo, for exhibition at the University of Tennessee's Downtown Gallery.
MFA Exhibition: Eric Cagley
http://www.ericcagley.com
Marion Greenwood in Tennessee
Marion Greenwood in Tennessee features her mural of the history of Tennessee music painted for the University Center at the University of Tennessee in 1954; "The Partnership of Man and Nature," a WPA mural painted in 1940, graciously loaned by the Crossville, TN Post Office; preparatory sketches loaned by UT Special Collections; and lithographs from the permanent collection of the Ewing Gallery of Art and Architecture.
Ask Me, I can Help.
An exhibition of the incoming class of 2017 MFA candidates. Twelve student artists feature their current work as they begin their graduate studies at the University of Tennessee, School of Art. Exhibiting students are: Corinna Ray, Anna Wehrwein, Jing Qin, Josh Shorey, Jessica Gatlin, Abigail Lucien, Elysia Mann, Adam Higgins, Meg Erlewine, Geoff Silvis, Chris Spurgin, and Bailey Davenport.
AIR of UT
Air of UT is an exhibition of the Limited Box Edition project, curated by artists Wade Guyton '95, Josh Smith '98, and Meredyth Sparks '94.
The Limited Box Edition project is part of a fund raising campaign to support the School of Art's Artist-in-Residence in Painting and Drawing program. Now in its 32nd year, the Artist-in-Residence (A.I.R.) program enriches a student's experience by bringing a different artist to spend the semester teaching undergraduate and graduate students. The resident artists are selected because they have launched successful careers in the contemporary gallery and museum world nationally and internationally. They furnish students with significant role models and faculty with new professional connections beyond Knoxville.
Each of the organizing alumni -- Wade Guyton, Meredyth Sparks, and Josh Smith -- benefited from this program, and have asked their former School of Art peers as well as past Artists in Residence to contribute images to the three curated portfolios making up the Limited Box Edition. AIR of UT and the Limited Box Edition is a celebration of the legacy and impact of the Artist in Residence program on the School of Art and its graduates.
DeWitt Godfrey: Drawings, Proposals, Plans, Models, Diagrams, Documents
DeWitt Godfrey is a Professor of sculpture in the department of Art and Art History at Colgate. Godfrey completed his undergraduate work at Yale University, was a member of the inaugural group of CORE Fellows at the MFA Houston, and received his MFA from Edinburgh College of Art, Edinburgh, Scotland. He is the recipient of numerous grants and fellowships, including a National Endowment for the Arts Artist's Fellowship, a New York Foundation for the Arts Artists Fellowship, a Japan Foundation Artist's Fellowship, and a Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation Artist Fellowship. His work is in the collections of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas and the Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, New York. His commissioned work includes "Concordia" for Lexarts, Lexington, KY; "Waverly Place" Cambridge Arts Council; "Greenwich South" a visioning exercise by the Downtown Alliance, New York, NY and installations at Frederik Meijer Garden and Sculpture Park, Grand Rapids, MI; The DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park, Lincoln, MA; and the Kennedy Art Museum, Ohio University, Athens, OH.
Louis Chan: My Home
My Home is an on-going project aimed to help define my identity as a Chinese American and attempt to preserve generations of memories and experiences of Chinese immigrants through photography. My Home serves as a contemporary marker for Chinese Americans to reflect on the hopes, dreams, and sacrifices made for them by older generations in order for their children to have a chance of a better life in America.
Of A Feather
Artists throughout history have found inspiration in the form of birds. Man imbued birds with mystical and religious meaning due to their fascinating ability to exist in two worlds – the earthly world, and the sky, or heavenly realm. Drawn primarily from the Ewing Gallery's permanent collection, Of a Feather features works from historic and contemporary artists who represent birds in a diverse assortment of styles. While some artists approach the bird as studies of simplified form others utilize strategies of space and distance to take a more poetic or analytical look at the economic and social issues attached to birds. Works range from hyperrealism to whimsical to abstract. This exhibition incorporates a number of artists of artists from New York and Chicago including Keith Haring, Michael Kirk, Keith Long, Diane Churchill, and Laurie Hogin; regional artists, Howard Finster, Todd Johnson, Kelly Hider, Heather Middlebrooks, Gary Monroe, and Richard Jolley, as well as distinguished faculty from the University of Tennessee – Jered Sprecher, Diane Fox, Beauvais Lyons, Marcia Goldenstein, Don Kurka, Bill Kennedy, Clark Stewart and Byron McKeeby. The artworks on display consider themes of scientific inquiry, symbolism, environmental consciousness, and the rituals of birding, among others. The exhibition is in tribute to the late artist Ellen Lanyon who often used images of birds in her art.
In the summer of 2013, six students accompanied Ewing Gallery director, Sam Yates to New York, Philadelphia, Boston, New Haven, and Washington DC. They visited major art museums, had studio visits with artists, and learned about the contemporary art world. The work on display was inspired by their travels. The exhibiting students are, Alexandra Gellis, Eric Cagley, Brandon Donahue, Sarah Campbell, Jessica Beeler, and Kelly Householder.
Chad Curtis: Panorama of Desire
Chad D. Curtis is an artist and technologist living and working in Philadelphia. Drawing inspiration from both digital technology and homebrew DIY makers, Curtis's work examines the abstraction of materiality in the digital age and the effects of high technology on the relationship between human beings and the natural environment. Curtis has exhibited internationally, including more than fifty solo and group exhibitions in the past ten years. He holds an M.F.A. from Alfred University and is an Associate Professor at the Tyler School of Art, Temple University.
William Lamson: Fieldwork
March 1 - 2, 2013
William Lamson is a Brooklyn-based artist who works in video, photography, performance, and sculpture. His work is in the collections of the Brooklyn Museum, the Dallas Museum of Art, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and a number of private collections. Since graduating from the Bard M.F.A. program in 2006, his work has been shown at the Indianapolis Museum of Art, the Brooklyn Museum, P.S.1 MOMA, and the Museum of Fine Arts in Santa Fe, among others. Lamson is currently working on two installations for Storm King Art Center in Mountainville, New York.
March 25 - April 6, 2013
As one of the Dogwood Arts Festival's featured exhibits, NEXUS, showcases national and international artists working in contemporary sculpture and 3D media. Indoor sculptures comprising all styles and genres from emerging and established artists were selected by nationally recognized juror, Durant Thompson, for exhibition at the University of Tennessee's Downtown Gallery. Durant Thompson is an Associate Professor of sculpture in the Department of Art at the University of Mississippi. In 1997, Durant received a BFA in Sculpture from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and in 2001 he earned an MFA in Sculpture from Louisiana State University. He has also worked at The Johnson Atelier School of Technical Sculpture in New Jersey and at the University of Southern Mississippi as a technician and instructor before accepting his current position.
MFA: Greg Daiker, Alex Merchant, Shelly O'Barr, and Neil Ward
Knoxville Watercolor Society 50th Anniversary Exhibition
June 7 - 29, 2013
The KWS celebrates its 50th anniversary with an exhibition of works by the current members as well as highlighting the founding members: Robert Birdwell, Ted Burnett, Richard Clarke, Kermit "Buck" Ewing, George Galloway, Martha Godwin, Arlene Goff, David Joyner, Josephine Mayo, Margaret Scanlan, Walter "Holly" Stevens, Carl Sublett, and Betsy Worden.
Print Resonance
July 5 - 27, 2013
Fifty graduate students and faculty members at five universities: the University of Alberta, Canada; the University of Tennessee, Knoxville; the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Antwerp, Belgium; Silpakorn University, Thailand and Musashino Art University, Tokyo, Japan created prints specifically for this project. The participating artists made their prints on the same size paper, allowing the viewer to focus on the image, rather than the scale of the work. The audience is encouraged to consider the artistic expression from each university and to find commonality across geographic and cultural borders, as the printmakers share ideas about their own interests, lives, and values.
The works were created using various print techniques, which include inkjet, etching, drypoint, chine-colle, lithography, woodcut, intaglio and blind printing. This portfolio is a limited edition of 10 copies, two for each of the five universities, with the goal of further development of printmaking education around the globe.
20 Years After
The University of Tennessee Downtown Gallery is excited to present "20 Years Later, UTK School of Art, MFA Class of 1993."
This exhibition features the work of 14 MFA artists from the UTK School of Art Class of 1993. Artist's will be displaying work that is current or important in their journey in fine arts over the last 20 years. The UT MFA program attracts students from different regions of the United States as exemplified in this exhibition, which include artists from Mississippi, Florida, Minnesota, New York, Michigan, Kentucky and Tennessee. Artists included in the exhibition: Scott Palmer -- Ceramics, Annette Bongers - Ceramics, Melody Reeves -- Printmaking, Rob Tarbell -- Painting, Eric Fracassi -- Sculpture, David Deitrick -- Graphic Design, Eric Smith -- Graphic Design, Joel House -- Sculpture, Melanie McLaughlin -- Graphic Design, Kris Rehring Jones -- Graphic Design, Debi Henry Danielson -- Painting, Brad Cantrell -- Ceramics, Laurie Robichaux -- Ceramics, Earl Watson -- Graphic Design.
Echo of the Object
"Echo of the Object" is an exhibition by the artists and Ball State faculty members: Hannah Barnes, Jennifer Halvorson, David Hannon, and Jacinda Russell. This exhibition will bring together several series of works in drawing, painting, photography, and sculpture. Each body of work explores how objects of symbolic or personal significance play a role in the construction of memory, identity, and meaning. The metaphor of containment is a consistent theme in each artist's work, both in the use of objects whose literal function is to contain (bags, jars, boxes), and also in the suggestion that seemingly insignificant objects have a certain capacity to become filled with meaning. Time, humor, absurdity, the domestic, and the everyday are additional themes this exhibition will seek to explore.
Ossuary: A project by Lorrie Beth Clarke
Three hundred artists have contributed to Ossuary. Their work, in many media, includes single bones, clusters of bones, and art works inspired by, using, or playing with the idea of bones. These bones are political statements and personal elegies, memorials to individuals and statements about mortality. They represent connections to our ancestors and/or to our descendants. Some works are serious and some use bones in a completely playful manner. Ossuary was developed in response to the repositories of bones that have accrued in countries like Cambodia and Rwanda, but Ossuary is not a project about those traumas. Rather, Ossuary offers a poignant counter-image to mass violence. It is a project about the hope that art brings.
Images and statements for all the bone works from this iteration can be found online at www.ossuaries.net.
Ossuary is a cummulative traveling project. It began in Madison, Wisconsin. Artists interested in contributing bones to future exhibitions should write to ossuaries@gmail.com.
This relational project was initiated and developed by the artist Laurie Beth Clark. Clark, who is a Professor in the Art Department at the University of Wisconsin, has shown work in galleries, museums, theatres, and public spaces in North and South America, Europe, Asia and Africa. Extensive documentation of prior projects can be found at www.lbclark.net.
AAA 75th Anniversary Print Portfolio
This is the first digitally produced portfolio published by American Abstract Artists. All past portfolios—1937, 1987, 1997—were produced using various forms of lithography and means of transferring image to plate. Unlike traditional printmaking, the digital inkjet process does not involve a physical matrix from which ink is transferred to paper. This marks both a technical and a conceptual shift in printmaking. Our choice of the medium situates this portfolio squarely in the current century and is an indication of the group's forward momentum.
The artists were asked to provide a digital file meeting predetermined specifications, yet no restrictions were placed on how the file could be created. The digital process enabled a wide variety of approaches that include abstract and documentary photography, scanning of flat-work made expressly for the project, digital compositing and image manipulation, as well as the use of vector-based software and hand-coded algorithms. The results are as varied as the artists' individual sensibilities.


text:
Q: JavaScript: How to pass single global object to set of classes? I have a set of global objects. Those globals can have different settings.
var s1 = {
    test1: 10,
    test2: 20
}

var s2 = {
    test1: 10,
    test2: 50
}
...

And I have set of classes which use those objects for self configuring. They could look like this:
var classA = function(s) {
    this.pA1 = s.test1 + s.test2;
    this.pA2 = Math.sqrt(s.test1);
}

var classB = function(s) {
    this.pB1 = s.test1 * s.test2;
    this.pB2 = s.test1 + s.test2 - s.test1 * s.test2;
}
...

Instances of those classes are:
var iA1 = new classA(s1);
var iB1 = new classB(s1);
...

var iA2 = new classA(s2);
var iB2 = new classB(s2);
...

In reality I have more settings, classes and instances.
How to do this without passing a parameter each time?

A: function factory(s) {
    return {
        iA: new classA(s),
        iB: new classB(s),
        iC: new classC(s),
        iD: new classD(s)
    };
}

var set1 = factory(s1),
    set2 = factory(s2),
    ...

Alternatively:
function factory(constructors, arg1, arg2) {
    var res = {};
    for (var i in constructors) {
        var ctor = constructors[i];
        res[ctor.name] = new ctor(arg1, arg2);
    }
    return res;
}

var constructors = [ classA, classB, classC ];
var set1 = factory(constructors, s1),
    set2 = factory(constructors, s2),
    ...

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


I have been working with Omeka — both the original self-hosted .org version and the newer hosted .net version — for about two and a half years. Mostly for teaching purposes, providing instruction to public history students and heritage professionals. But, until recently, I hadn't gotten around to using it to actually publish one of my own research projects.
For almost seven years, I have been researching, on-again-off-again, the almost 1,000 Orange County men and women who have died in our nation's wars since the county was formed in 1889. I took an interest in this topic while working as a news research librarian at the Orange County Register, then dabbled periodically for the next handful of years compiling names and biographical details, while also trying to identify the right solution to publish my research online — both custom "home grown" solutions and existing products.
From the first moment that I learned about and saw a demo of Omeka, I knew it would serve as an excellent web-based platform to share my research. But, since I am more familiar developing on WordPress, I kept waffling between Omeka and WordPress — even building out sample sites on each platform. But, a few months ago, Omeka finally won. I'll blog later about my WordPress vs. Omeka trial, and why I chose Omeka.
Since it's taking me a really long time to do the actual research outside of full-time work and family obligations — again, I'm trying to pull together biographical profiles of approximately 1,000 casualties — I opted to go with a free existing theme for now, Emiglio, instead of spending time designing my own theme from scratch. Fortunately, because I am self-hosting my Omeka project, I am able to tweak and customize Emiglio as much as I want, to start learning how to really work with Omeka themes and functions, so that I can eventually build my own themes.
I will share more in future blog posts about what plugins I am using, what functions and metadata elements I have been playing with, what's worked and what hasn't worked, and what I would like to see in future Omeka releases.
For now, you can expect to see the look and feel of my Omeka project change pretty frequently. And, you can expect to see a bit more research make its way online each week!
I am looking for an open-source collection management program to catalog several family history archives and am considering Omeka or CollectiveAccess. I was happy to find your posts on Omeka and would like to know if you have any experience with CA? Is Omeka still working for your project?
I have not tried CA. I do love Omeka. I'm migrating this particular project over to the free .net hosted version of Omeka because, sadly, I've decided to put a halt to the project (I just don't have time for the research; my research interests have changed quite a bit the last few years), but I want to save my research — especially the metadata — in case any other local OC historians want to take take it on. But, I am still using Omeka for my other research projects.
Please feel free to hit me up if you have more questions.


in the distant desert came to ground!
to seek for an explanation!
no stopping until frenzied quest ended!
emotions erupted started to cry!
like a banshee he wailed!
but the military took him away!
reduced for the moment to docility!
But within him hidden memories stirred!
families had come as settlers.
just one of a long train.
dying an every day event!
but they'd never admit regret.
as overhead flew the vulture!
by different parts of our world.
today how are their endeavours defined?
As our society reaches terminal velocity!
their hearts filled with malice.
seeds of hatred were sown!
to see the next morning light.
with their lives the army toyed!
surely a reason they were due!
though many loved ones taken!
their spirits can never be defeated.
always the aggressors and maligned!


What Is Team Drumming (Team Building Event)?
Led by our USA trained Drum Circle facilitators, drumming team building is the perfect activity for teams that march to the beat of their own drum, and is guaranteed to get you working in harmony.
Who Is Team Drumming Popular With?
Ready to bond to the beat?
Start pounding the drum by giving us a call. Contact us now to receive an instant quote with detailed descriptions of activities in less then 24 Hours.
I am a volunteer for the SPD, and am planning to have a drums session. However the participants will be physically disabled people.
Idea for the session is to let the participants play with the drums, so as to build up the confidence that they can play some drum despite their disability.
Some of the participants will have some form of restriction in their arms movement, however they shld still be able to swing the drumsticks to play music.
Would like to ask for a quotation pls.
Hi Chin Soon, we will be happy to share more info. Please drop us a line at sayhello@griness.com or call at 62828547. Look forward to planning an awesome team building!


But the minority party may not be able to secure the investigation and oversight it wants in Congress.
Democrats on Capitol Hill want answers on who knew what, and when, in the wake of former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn's resignation and reports that Trump campaign aides communicated with Russian intelligence officials.
On Wednesday, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer described "reports of constant contact between the top officials in the Trump campaign and Russian intelligence" as "chilling," and outlined a series of demands for further investigation, including a request that campaign and transition officials testify in public and under oath in front of Congress.
The Senate and House Intelligence Committees are already expected to examine potential links between Russia and the Trump campaign as part of ongoing investigations. But Schumer promised on Wednesday that the Senate Intelligence Committee would not be the "only committee that looks into ties between the Trump campaign, transition or administration, and Russia." A group of congressional Democrats also called on Attorney General Jeff Sessions to appoint an independent Special Counsel to look into potential ties between Trump associates, including Flynn, and the Russian government.
For now, however, Democrats are severely constrained in their ability to investigate Trump, Russia, and Flynn as the party out of power in Congress. To get what they want, they may need to first convince a critical mass of the American public of the legitimacy of their demands. If they manage to win over the public, Democrats will have more leverage as they attempt to pressure congressional Republicans to push for rigorous investigation.
At the same time, there are plenty of reasons to doubt that Republicans will pursue a rigorous investigation of potential ties between Trump and Russia, as well as Flynn's resignation. Neither McConnell nor House GOP Speaker Paul Ryan called for an independent or separate investigation into the circumstances prompting Flynn's resignation on Tuesday. And Ryan sounded deferential to the the president when he told reporters that he was confident "the administration will explain the circumstances that led to" the resignation. On Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer insisted that Flynn's departure was not prompted by any legal issue, but rather suggested that Flynn had lost the president's trust amid concerns that he had misled the administration.
During his press conference, Schumer noted that in addition to congressional investigation, "law enforcement must also get to the bottom of everything that may have transpired." Schumer called on Sessions to recuse himself from any investigation involving the FBI and Department of Justice prosecutors related to potential Russian ties to the president's associates.
The near certainty of Republican resistance is part of the reason why Democrats' most effective route to achieving greater oversight may be appeals to the public. Schumer acknowledged the importance of public support on Wednesday when questioned by a reporter about how Democrats would realize their ambitions for scrutiny of Trump's alleged Russia ties. "I think as the public sees what's going on, they're going to demand the kind of bipartisan, thorough investigation we are asking for," he said.


If you're looking for high quality long lasting light bulbs for use at home, in the shop, or on the jobsite at discounted prices, you've come to the right place. At DeFusco Industrial Supply we only offer top quality name brand lighting solutions to ensure that when you purchase a light bulb from us, it will not only produce bright light, but it will last longer than other light bulbs found for the same price. On our site you'll find halogen, tough skin, and rough service light bulbs.
The number one reason why any light bulb burns out is due to damage and breakage to the light bulbs filament. Halogen light bulbs include a halogen gas that protects and in a way repairs damage to the bulbs filament resulting in a bulb that lasts much longer than a standard light bulb. Since halogen bulbs last longer, you benefit by not having to change them out so often, which will also save you money, not having to buy as many. Halogen bulbs also emit a brighter and whiter light than a standard light bulb, so if you are using several bulbs to light one room, you can use less energy and save money by installing one halogen lamp.
Tough skin light bulbs provide an added level of security when used outdoors. These light bulbs are Teflon coated, which provides protection from changing weather while at the same time making them somewhat resistant to shattering. With the six-point filament support design, tough skin light bulbs are also resistant to vibrations making them great for use in troubled locations such as garages or next to doors that slam often.
Rough service light bulbs are designed to take more punishment for a longer period of time, while maintaining a familiar shape and size. Although these light bulbs come in the standard "A" shape and fit in all standard size lighting fixtures, they are not your standard light bulb. Rough service light bulbs also include the same six-point filament support as our tough skin light bulbs, so they will last longer while withstanding vibrations and shock. These rough service light bulbs will provide adequate light for up to 15,000 hours in most indoor environments.
When it comes to high quality brand name light bulbs, we have you covered. If you're looking for a different wattage, size, or quantity, which is not listed on our site, contact us by email or phone and one of our staff members will gladly assist you.


text:
La gaviota (Чайка / Chayka) es una pieza teatral en cuatro actos de Antón Chéjov escrita en 1896; es la primera de las que son generalmente consideradas las cuatro obras maestras del dramaturgo y escritor ruso. Se centra en los conflictos románticos y artísticos entre cuatro personajes: La ingenua Nina, la anteriormente gloriosa actriz Irina Arkádina, el dramaturgo experimental Konstantín Tréplev, hijo de Arkádina, y el famoso escritor Trigorin.

Como el resto de los dramas de Chéjov, La gaviota depende de un bien formado elenco de diferentes y bien desarrollados personajes. En oposición a muchos melodramas teatrales del , escabrosas acciones (como el intento de suicidio de Tréplev) suceden tras bastidores. Los personajes tienden a hablar en circunloquios alrededor de un tema, en lugar de discutirlo expresamente, un concepto conocido como 'subtexto'.

La obra tiene una fuerte relación con el Hamlet de Shakespeare. Arkádina y Tréplev lo citan en el primer acto. También hay muchas alusiones a la trama de la tragedia shakesperiana, por ejemplo, Tréplev intenta que su madre regrese y abandone al usurpador Trigorin como Hamlet intenta que la Reina Gertrudis regrese, abandonando a Claudio.

La noche de estreno de la producción en el estatal Teatro Aleksandrinski de San Petersburgo fue un famoso fracaso. Cuando Konstantín Stanislavski la dirigió en una posterior producción para el Teatro de Arte de Moscú, la obra triunfó.

Recepción

La primera noche en que se presentó La Gaviota el 17 de octubre de 1896 en el estatal Teatro Aleksandrinski de San Petersburgo fue un desastre, abucheada por la audiencia. Vera Komissarzhévskaya, a quien algunos consideraban como la mejor actriz en Rusia, y quien, de acuerdo con Chéjov, hizo llorar a la gente en el papel de Nina durante los ensayos, fue intimidada por la hostil audiencia y perdió su voz. Al día siguiente, Chéjov, quien se había refugiado tras bastidores por los últimos dos actos, anunció al editor Alekséi Suvorin que desistía de escribir teatro. Cuando sus partidarios le aseguraron que en las siguientes representaciones hubo más éxito, Chéjov asumió que simplemente estaban siendo amables.

La Gaviota impresionó al también dramaturgo Vladímir Nemiróvich-Dánchenko, quien dijo que Chéjov debió haber ganado el premio Griboyédov ese año en su lugar.<ref>Benedetti, Stanislavski: An Introduction, p 16.</ref> Y fue Nemiróvich-Dánchenko quien convenció a Konstantín Stanislavski dirigir la obra en el innovador Teatro de Arte de Moscú en 1898. Esta producción fue tan exitosa que el teatro adoptó la gaviota como emblema. La colaboración de Chéjov con Stanislavski fue crucial para el desarrollo creativo de ambos personajes: en Stanislavski la atención hacia el realismo psicológico y revivió el interés de Chéjov en escribir para el escenario.

 La gaviota en España

Entre las representaciones de la obra en España, puede en primer lugar la dirigida en 1959 en el Teatro Windsord de Barcelona, por Alberto González Vergel, interpretada por Amparo Soler Leal, Josefina de la Torre, Francisco Piquer y Mary Paz Ballesteros. Cuatro años más tarde, en 1963, el mismo director llevó el montaje al Teatro Valle-Inclán de Madrid, contando con la interpretación de Asunción Sancho, Rafael Llamas, Ana María Noé y Mari Paz Ballesteros.

Cuatro años después, en 1967, el propio González Vergel se encargó de una versión para TVE, emitida en el espacio Estudio 1, con actuación de Julián Mateos, María Massip, Luisa Sala, Pilar Muñoz, Carmen Sáez, José María Caffarel, Francisco Pierrá, Francisco Merino, José Sepúlveda, Naftali Fuertes y Fernando Rey.

En mayo de 1972, volvió a grabarse para Estudio 1, esta vez con Irene Gutiérrez Caba,  Julián Mateos, Julieta Serrano, Francisco Pierrá, Tomás Blanco, Pilar Puchol, Victorico Fuentes, Mercedes Borqué, Estanis González, José Luis Argüello, José María Prada (Trigorin).

En 1981 se estrenó en el Teatro Bellas Artes de Madrid una adaptación de Enrique Llovet, que interpretaron María Asquerino, Ana María Barbany, María José Goyanes, Raúl Freire, Eduardo Calvo, Luis Perezagua, Elvira Quintillá, José Vivó y Pedro Mari Sánchez, con escenografía de Gerardo Vera y dirección de Manuel Collado.

En el 2004, la directora Amelia Ochandiano presentó con la compañía Teatro de la Danza una versión protagonizada por Roberto Enríquez, Silvia Abascal, Carme Elías, Pedro Casablanc, Goizalde Núñez, Juan Antonio Quintana, Sergio Otegui, Jordi Dauder y Marta Fernández Muro entre otros.

En el 2005, la compañía Guindalera hizo una versión centrada en seis personajes protagonizada por Raúl Fernández de Pablo, María Pastor, Ana Miranda, josep albert, Ana Alonso y Alex Tormo

Rubén Ochandiano se encargó de una nueva versión puesta en escena en 2012 y que protagonizaron Toni Acosta,  Javier Albalá, Javier Pereira, Irene Visedo y Pepe Ocio.

En España, además, debe mencionarse la versión en catalán que dirigió Josep Maria Flotats en 1997, con un cartel encabezado por Nuria Espert, acompañada por Ariadna Gil, José María Pou y Ana María Barbany.

En el 2012, se puso en escena una versión de la obra por Daniel Veronese con el título de Los hijos se han dormido, interpretada por Susi Sánchez, Ginés García Millán, Miguel Rellán, Malena Alterio, Pablo Rivero, Diego Martín, Alfonso Lara, Aníbal Soto y Marina Salas.

En el 2021, en el Teatro Quique San Francisco de Madrid, la compañía Los Hijos de puso en escena una versión libre de la obra por el dramaturgo Pablo Quijano con el título de La Gaviota o los hijos de, interpretada por: Tábata Cerezo, Georgina Amorós, Alejandro Jato, Xoán Fórneas y Federico Coll.

 La gaviota en Latinoamérica

En 1990, La gaviota subió a escena en Puerto Rico en una producción de la compañía Teatro del Sesenta bajo la dirección del alemán Wolf Aniol. El montaje estuvo protagonizado por Cordelia González (Nina), Idalia Pérez Garay (Arkadina), José Félix Gómez (Trigorin) y Miguel Ramos (Tréplev). Se presentó en el Teatro de la Universidad de Puerto Rico.

En el 2022, La gaviota regresó a los escenarios de Puerto Rico en una producción de la compañía Teatro Público dirigida por Jacqueline Duprey. Protagonizada por Gabriela Saker (Nina), Luis Rivera Figueroa (Tréplev), Jacqueline Duprey (Arkadina) y Héctor Enrique Rodríguez (Trigorin), junto a Jorge Luis Ramos, Braulio Castillo, Linnette Torres, Mario Roche, Joealis Filippetti y Jorge Alexander, la obra se presentó en la Sala René Marqués del Centro de Bellas Artes Luis A. Ferré en Santurce.

 Notas

 Referencias
 Allen, David, Performing Chekhov, Routledge (UK), 2001, ISBN 978-0-415-18934-7
 Benedetti, Jean, Stanislavski: An Introduction, Methuen Drama, 1989 edition, ISBN 978-0-413-50030-4
 Chekhov, Anton, Letters of Anton Chekhov to His Family and Friends with Biographical Sketch, translated by Constance Garnett, New York, Macmillan, 1920. Full text at Gutenberg.
 Donald Rayfield, Anton Chekhov – A Life. London: HarperCollins, 1997; New York: Henry Holt, 1998. ISBN 1-85399-426-X

 Enlaces externos

 Traducción española, en PDF.
 Texto ruso, en Wikisource.

 Representación ofrecida por TVE en Estudio 1 el 28 de junio de 1967; tras la presentación, con imágenes de los personajes, el reparto, desde los 3 min. y 52 seg.; la función, a partir de los 5 min. y 52 seg.
 Otra copia.
 Otra copia.
 Otra copia.

 Representación de la adaptación de Marcial Suárez, ofrecida por TVE en Estudio 1'' en 1972, con dirección y realización de José Antonio Páramo; la relación del reparto, hasta 1 min. y 14 seg.

 Representación ofrecida por TVE en una emisión del 19 de abril de 1982, con actuación de María José Goyanes, Pedro Mari Sánchez, María Asquerino, José Vivó, Elvira Quintillá, Eduardo Calvo, Abel Vitón, Ana María Barbany, Carmen Gran, Javier Ulacia, Raúl Fraire, José Torrens y Mercedes Valdeita.

Obras de teatro de Anton Chéjov
Obras de teatro de 1896
Obras de teatro adaptadas a la televisión
William Shakespeare

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Clarke Quay is a historical riverside quay in Singapore, located within the Singapore River Planning Area. Today, it is a refurbished riverside development of old warehouses consisting almost exclusively of bars and restaurants. Jonite Toilet Grates made its debut in its latest upgrading works.
JCube, a seemingly unpretentious shopping mall in Jurong, is Singapore's first mall to hold an Olympic size ice skating rink on its second floor, an IMAX theatre on the top floor and a rollerblading park on the rooftop. To ensure that the mall and the ice rink stays cool, an evaporative cooling system as well as precast concrete panels help to lower the overall heat absorption rate. Integrating various night lighting into the cube's façade, the once quiet streets of Jurong has become a lively destination for people of all walks of life to gather. Jonite Toilet Grates are used to maintain a clean and hygienic feel.


text:
National trade body's live demo for invasive weeds
A national trade body has brought together a range of non-native invasive weeds under one roof to help property professionals improve their identification skills.
Japanese knotweed, American skunk cabbage and Three-cornered garlic are just some of the plants being cultivated in the Property Care Association's specially-commissioned 'non-native' greenhouse.
The new facility is home to 20 plant species and varieties, being put on show as part of the PCA's training and development programme.
Dr. Peter Fitzsimons
Dr Peter Fitzsimons, Invasive Weed Control Group Technical Manager of the PCA, said:
"The greenhouse will play a useful role in helping those on our training programmes to accurately identify invasive, non-native weeds in a controlled environment.
"By curating these plants in one location we can accelerate learning regarding weed species."
To create the greenhouse, PCA has introduced a number of controls to contain the spread of the plants.
Dr Fitzsimons added:
"We've built the greenhouse over an impervious root barrier membrane to contain the highly penetrating roots of some of the specimens, particularly the bamboos and Japanese knotweed.
"We also need to carefully collect any plant waste and ensure this is disposed using a licenced waste carrier."
The greenhouse will be operational for the PCA's inaugural 'Invasive Plant Identification Course.'
Invasive greenhouse
Offering a comprehensive overview of the key issues surrounding certain plants listed on Schedule 9 of Section 14 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act, the first course takes place on Thursday, August 1, at the PCA's training centre, in Huntingdon.
The cost is £295 plus VAT for PCA members, and £345 plus VAT for those not in membership of the association.
More information and booking details can be found at www.property-care.org/training-qualifications/training-courses/invasive-plant-identification/
Participants also receive a free copy of both 'Practical Management of Invasive Non-Native Weed in Britain and Ireland' and the 'Field Guide to Invasive Plants and Animals In Britain.'
Kindly shared by Property Care Association (PCA)
PreviousFive things homeowners should review before signing a mortgage offer
NextLondon house raffle finally closes one year on: will anyone win the property?
Households have been pushed nearly £2,000 into the red since Theresa May took office, says TUC
BPF welcomes government planning consultation to fix broken housing market
Remortgage market surges in new interest rate environment
UK home ownership "is in structural decline" warns Barclays bank

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Jews in Cancun
Discussion in 'Living in Cancun' started by Jim in Cancun, Mar 15, 2009.
Jim in Cancun Guest
The Chabad website is here http://www.jewishcancun.com/ for information for both locals and tourists. The article below gives more information also.
http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/826673/jewish/The-Jews-of-Cancun.htm
"The Jews of Cancun
By Howard Hian
While attending the 2008 annual conference of the North American Travel Journalists Association, I met Cancun's Director of Public Relations, Emilio Reyner. Almost immediately, my Jewish radar began to buzz. I observed that Reyner is not a typical Latino surname. He smiled and responded that his family was originally from Hungary. I asked rhetorically, "So, you're Jewish?" He looked at me and said with a straight face, "No, but my aunt in New York is." I laughed and told him, "Emilio, you are Jewish" and that's how this narrative began. I was about to get a glimpse of Jewish life in Cancun.
Within a few months, a trip was arranged and I had an opportunity to meet and chat with Ari Rajsbaum, the volunteer president of the Jewish Community in Cancun. Ari stated that the history of the Jews of Cancun began when the first merchants and entrepreneurs arrived shortly after development of the area started in 1974. Chabad's part time relationship with the Cancun Jewish community began approximately 13 years ago. However, organized Jewish life coalesced in 1985, when a handful of "settlers" congregated in a private home to celebrate Shabbat. Temple life has slowly evolved from that small dedicated group into its present form. In 1998, a Civil Association was established and donations were obtained to acquire a small community center, which included space for a synagogue and rooms for educational purposes. Although there is no official rabbi, there is a friendly, intertwined relationship with Chabad of Cancun and its Rabbi, Mendel Druk. Even though the membership spans a wide religious spectrum, services are traditional, including a mechitzah. Activities at the synagogue, Neve Shalom, include Hebrew lessons, music, study groups, cultural events, weddings, bar/bat mitzvahs, weekly prayer services and celebration of all festivals (Tu' B'Shevat is observed in the nearby jungle).
When interviewing the enthusiastic and engaging Rabbi Druk, I learned that Chabad's part time relationship with the Cancun Jewish community began approximately 13 years ago. At that time, rabbinical students were sent from the United States to officiate at high-holiday services. At the urging of American and Canadian émigrés who wanted a more formal Jewish education for their children, Chabad began a permanent relationship in 2007 when Rabbi Druk and his family arrived. While he is involved with his rabbinical duties, his wife, Rachel, teaches, coordinates the ritual requirements of the Mikvah and handles the challenges of kashrut; quite formidable given the limited local availability of kosher food. When asked what it was like to be a Jew in a Catholic country, Rabbi Druk's answer was most interesting. He stated that it was very difficult to find any anti-Semitism. However, stereotypes relating to Jews and wealth endure. The incongruity is that both he and Ari mentioned that a significant percentage of Jews in Cancun struggle economically.
When asked about his congregation, the Rabbi replied that "Every Jew who steps into Cancun belongs to our community." "every Jew who steps into Cancun belongs to our community." Recently, on Friday night, there were 270 people in attendance for services. About 60 were local and the balance were visitors from outside Mexico including tourists, time-share owners and a few Israeli backpackers. Rabbi Druk estimates that 60%-70% were "connected Jewishly" but not necessarily religiously; they just wanted to experience and celebrate Shabbat in Mexico.
Rabbi Druk helps a tourist put on Tefillin
The overall population of Cancun is approximately 450,000. There are an estimated 500 Jews representing 150 families living there and they are a diverse group. The demographics are heavily skewed toward residents who migrated from Mexico City. The ethnic background is 40% Ashkenazi, 40% Halebi and Shami (Syrian and Lebanese) and 20% Sephardi from Turkey and the Balkans. There are part and full-time residents from other Mexican cities, as well as from South America, Israel, Canada, Europe and the United States. Only about one-third are actively involved in synagogue life (sound familiar?). It is a fascinating, evolving Diaspora tale with a Mexican twist.
A few days before we were to leave, Emilio joined me for a stroll through town. At one point, he stopped to take an incoming call. After he hung up, Emilio looked at me and smiled broadly. He had spoken to his daughter who told him that she was excited to be a guest of her boyfriend's family for Shabbat dinner. Emilio was clearly pleased. Reflecting back on Emilio's comment about his Jewish aunt in New York, my thought was that perhaps their family roots had taken hold in a new generation, reaching from Hungary to Mexico and the community of Jews of Cancun.
Travel Notes: When necessary, both Chabad and Neve Shalom provide assistance to the Israeli Embassy and Jewish tourists. Chabad of Cancun is located across the street from Le Meridien Hotel in the Hotel Zone and they offer a discount to visitors who mention Chabad. The hotel was recently named the #11 resort in Mexico by the 2008 Conde Nast Travelers poll."
Jim in Cancun, Mar 15, 2009


text:
Weighing in on the future of Buffalo's Outer Harbor
by: Staff
Posted: Nov 19, 2018 / 05:30 PM EST / Updated: Nov 19, 2018 / 11:04 PM EST
Western New Yorkers are getting a say about how they want their waterfront to look.
Transforming Buffalo's Outer Harbor is part of the Buffalo Billion.
Almost 180 acres of land will be transformed into recreational space, creating public access for everyone.
The Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation presented plans Monday night for three different areas of the Outer Harbor. The areas include: First Buffalo River Marina, Wilkeson Pointe to Bell Slip and Terminal B.
All three areas have three options on the table.
For instance, First Buffalo River Marina could see amenities such as a beach, seasonal restaurants, marina slips and walking trails.
"We like seeing the boats in the water or the boats on the land, it really reminds us that this is a waterfront we're looking at," said Buffalo resident, Tim Tielman.
Wilkeson Pointe may see a more open concept with boardwalks, a kayak launch and Times Beach Nature Preserve.
"Well we like more habitat and one of the places we like it is at Wilkeson Pointe Park. They're creating buffers there for the nature preserve rather than just recreational space and we like that a lot," said Jay Burney, founder of the Outer Harbor Coalition, a community group.
Terminal B has even more recreational opportunities with plans to include a mountain bike track, lawn space for big events, an outdoor amphitheater and more.
"There's a small community of us, of kite surfers and windsurfers, but we really think there's got to be a little space for us," said Ron Lemmon, Amherst resident.
Developers learned from the first open house that people did not want to see housing or skyscrapers at the Outer Harbor, which is not included in the current proposals.
"The waterfront is one of our biggest assets in Buffalo so we have to do something to entice people to come down here," said Tina Croom, resident of Buffalo.
The Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation will take Monday night's feedback from the second open house to help narrow down the proposals to one for each of the three locations.
The next open house seeking community input will be in the Spring of 2019.
To give your feedback on the proposals, click here.
by BRIAN SLODYSKO, Associated Press / Jul 15, 2019
WASHINGTON (AP) — Kamala Harris raised money from a group of attorneys on the same day she blasted their firm's work on the Jeffrey Epstein case for calling "into question the integrity of our legal system."
An invitation obtained by The Associated Press shows Harris' husband headlined a Chicago fundraiser last Tuesday that was hosted by six Kirkland and Ellis partners.


I recently spent a week caring for my three grandsons. They're wonderful kids and I love them to death, but frankly they wear me out. After a busy day of preparing meals, snacks and overseeing homework projects, breaking up squabbles and keeping up with dishes and laundry I'm more than happy to "pop in a video" as they say, and watch them settle into wide-eyed, quiet little people.
But I'm also aware that many children rarely see the light of day except when in transit from school to home where they immediately turn something on—the television, a video player, a computer or a computer game. It's become a huge problem for children and it is affecting their health. These technological wonders have their place in both the educational realm and for entertainment, but it has been said that today's children have a "nature deficit order." They know little or nothing of the outdoor world around them and don't care to spend time exploring it. The pull of today's electronic offerings is extremely strong and it's hard to break. But experts say a lot can be accomplished in just a few minutes of outdoor play each day. And once the enjoyment begins, kids will want more.
There is a growing move among parents and community leaders to organize and encourage more quality outdoor experiences for today's children. Virtually no one doubts the advantages of time outdoors for our kids, but bad habits are hard to break. Here are five tips for fun and interesting ways to get the whole family out of doors to experience the beauty and enjoyment of nature.
1) Grow and Eat Something: Kids quickly learn to enjoy gardening when they do the work themselves and when they are part of harvesting—enjoying the fruit of their labors. One organization that facilitates such hands-on gardening projects is the Farm-based Education Association. They offer outdoor events for the entire family for an annual fee.
2) Observe or Collect Something: When children begin to observe and interact with nature they build a greater respect for the care of the planet. Increase their wonder by taking short excursions for the sole purpose of observing what is under that rock or hiding within the bark of a tree. Begin a nature collection as simple as establishing My Box of Rocks. It doesn't take much to begin the journey to a greater appreciation of nature.
3) Recycle or Reuse Something: While some of the action in recycling takes place indoors, the emphasis is on maintaining the beauty and cleanliness of our outdoor world. At the littlegreenblog.com you'll find lots of ideas related to living in sync with nature.
4) Build Something: Have some family fun with a building project such as this simple fort. Kids will spend hours in the out of doors with a simple backdrop and the whole family will enjoy the building process.
5) Hike Somewhere: Younger children will always enjoy a ramble in the woods with their loved ones. As children get older, they may need the incentive of linking the out of doors to a hobby such as photography or geocaching. Go to Kids Unplugged to find an organization that plans outdoor family events, perhaps in your area. If not, see their listing of many other groups who have banded together for the same purpose: getting kids unplugged and outdoors.


If you have been looking for top recommended best modern fireplaces reviews, this 6" x 48" HeatFab Single Wall Black Stovepipe – 2608B is the best cheapest price on the web i have searched. Many good reviews already proving the quality of this product. The 6" x 48" HeatFab Single Wall Black Stovepipe – 2608B is equipped with a large number of features that makes it great product. The most sold product is not expensive and it is highly desirable, and if you want buy it now, you should not miss this opportunity because this product is the price length applications.
The Saf-T Pipe from HeatFab is a heavy-duty stove pipe system designed for use with residential or commercial coal and wood-burning units, and is intended for interior use as a connector pipe.
Continuous-seam laser welding delivers a product that fits consistently round.
Saf-T Pipe holds together in the event of overheating.
What is the 6" x 48" HeatFab Single Wall Black Stovepipe – 2608B good for?
I have found most affordable price of 6" x 48" HeatFab Single Wall Black Stovepipe – 2608B from Amazon store. It offers fast and free shipping. Best modern fireplaces for sale will be limited stock of certain product and discount only for limited time, so do order now to get the best deals. Before you buy, check to see if a product is available online at store, read and compare experiences customers have had with modern fireplaces below.
All the latest best modern fireplaces reviews consumer reports are written by real customers on websites. You should read more consumer reviews and answered questions of 6" x 48" HeatFab Single Wall Black Stovepipe – 2608B below.