Tuning Up

The Alabama Symphony, under the direction of Carlos Izcaray, and featured pianist Joyce Yang provided a wonderful evening of Beethoven, Liszt, De Fall and Brahams. We are so fortunate to have the ASO right here!

Amazing Evening

The Alabama Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Christopher Confessore, along with choirs from Red Mtn. Theatre's Youth Chorus, UAB, Samford and the ASO Chorus and the three featured soloists,  brought the packed audience to their feet Friday and Saturday night with their magnificent performance of Carl Orff's Carmina Burana!

Stoking the Fire

Light Dreams II

Alys Stephens Center

LIght Dreams II - Double Take

 

Mary Foshee, Birmingham dancer, teacher and a director at the Children's Dance Foundation, kicked up her heels while trying out the space for her Double Take, Point of Light installation last Thursday night at Light Dreams II at the Alys Stephens Center.

Light Dreams II - Wonder

Where to begin to show you the photos I took last night in one of Birmingham's greatest events, Light Dreams II.  This free event that runs Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings at the Alys Stephens Center at UAB, was even better than last year. It is a celebration of digital projection, art ( in 3D this year) and music and is free. Today I share a photo of what looked to me like a satellite made of styrofoam packing material lit from within.  This was a favorite of the children of course.

Pink X 3

Spotted at the Alys Stephens Center's Lux Somnia

Cyber Grafitti

Back to Lux Somnia at the UAB Alys Stephens Center about a week ago. There were so many creative uses of light.  Here a young woman had fun "spray painting" digitally!

Lite Brite!

Lux Somnia - Light Dreams at the UAB Alys Stephens Center for the Performing Arts encompassed many wonderful multimedia installations. This giant Lite Brite was a hit with the kids, and the adults as well. I was hoping for the big kids to back off and let the little ones have the fun!

Hoopla!

Part of the Lux Somnia - Light Dreams evening at UAB's Alys Stephens Center, were interactive activities.  The kids, and a few brave adults, had a ball with the glow in the dark hoola hoops.  I wished I'd not lost my touch!

Since it rained last night, you can still catch this fabulous evening tonight!

Light Dreams

Jean Jacques Gaudel

Birmingham's multi-faceted artist,  Jean Jacques Gaudel amazed the hundreds gathered outside of UAB's Aly Stephens Center for the Perfoming Arts last night with his amazing digitally projected artwork.  Randal Crowe and Joe Walker were also featured.  In addition there were other installations by local artists, as well as musical groups participating before and after this presentation.  If you are in the Birmingham area, you can catch another performance tonight at 7:00.  For more information about Light Dreams, click HERE.

I regret the quality of these photographs.  My iPhone saved the day as my camera just wasn't up to the task, or maybe it was the photographer!

Meet the Mud Cloth Artists from Groupe Bogolan Kasabané

  Two of the six artists that make up Groupe Bogolan Kasobané from Mali, West Africa joined the Gee's Bend Quilters as part of the week long workshop, Common Threads at the Alys Stephens Center at UAB.

Using handspun and handwoven cotton cloth, they apply a mixture of clay and plant dyes to the cloth.

Meet the Gee's Bend Quilters

Yesterday was one I've looked forward to for many years.  FINALLY, I was able to meet and photograph some of the now famous Gee's Bend quilters.  They are here for the week participating in Common Threads at the Alys Stephens Center at UAB, along with Groupe Bogolon Kasobane mud cloth makers from Bamako, Mali.  This partnership brings together textile artists from West Alabama and West Africa.  It's free to the public and what I loved the most was the access to interact and move around and watch them work. I took a LOT of photographs, hung over their shoulders while they worked, and asked a million questions.  Everyone was delightfully patient.  The artists from Mali tolerated my weak French, and the Gee's Bend ladies even sang a few spirituals while they worked.  I'm sorry I didn't have a video cam for that!  Today I wanted you to meet these ladies, but this week I'll have more from both groups.  I LOVE THIS "JOB"!

Project Bandaloop - Defying Gravity

Thursday afternoon Project Bandaloop rehearsed for their upcoming performances at The Alys Stepens Performing Arts Center at UAB.  This wasn't just any "dance" performance mind you, the performers' jaw dropping acts were done suspended by ropes off the side of the theater itself. See for yourself.  

This is how their website describes their amazing performance.

Project Bandaloop activates urban and natural environments with perspective-bending body-based live performance. Combining climbing technology, and dynamic physicality, Project Bandaloop turns the dance floor on its side, captivating audiences with site-specific performances in theaters, on buildings, mountains, bridges and structures around the world. Since 1991 artistic director Amelia Rudolph has collaborated with dancers, climbers, musicians and visual artists to redefine dance and performance space and inspire wonder and imagination in large and diverse audiences.

Today Oakland Daily Photo has posted Project Bandaloop from her city. Take a look here