August 21, 2014
To be disciplined is to follow in a good way
To be self-disciplined is to follow in a better way
Consider everything as an experiment
Nothing is a mistake
There is no win
There is no fail
There is only MAKE
Don’t try to analyze and create at the same time
They are different processes
Be happy when you can manage it
Enjoy yourself
It is lighter than you think
There will be new rules next week.
Excerpted from the Immaculate Heart College Art Department rules
Sister Mary Corita (1918-1986)
Born Frances Elizabeth Kent, the Iowa native joined the Roman Catholic Sisters of the Immaculate Heart in 1936. She studied art at Otis College of Art and Design and the Chouinard Institute and received her BA from Immaculate Heart College where she laterbecame the Chair of the Art Department. She said her work was influenced by Buckminster Fuller and Charles and Ray Eames, with whom she enjoyed close relationships as she developed her signature style of painting and serigraphy, said by many to have changed the course of modern art. Corita Kent left the sisterhood in 1968, moved to Boston, and devoted herself to a highly successful life as a studio artist. Among her best known works are the “Love” postage stamp from 1985 and the controversial gas storage tanks on the Southeast Expressway in Dorchester which are said to contain the profile of Ho Chi Minh.
With thanks to Christina Sun, in whose excellent Bowsprite: A New York Harbor Sketchbook I found this excerpt.
Gregory R Bover
Monday August 25, freshly painted on the gap end of Straitsmouth Island.
On Saturday, September 6 at 7 pm, classical guitarist Sharon Isbin performs a concert including the Massachusetts’ premiere of her documentary Sharon Isbin: Troubadour. A three-time Grammy Award winner, she has released more than 25 recordings covering a wide range of styles, genres and composers. She’s played with more than 170 orchestras over the world, has commissioned more concerti than any guitarist in the modern era, and has won numerous awards and accolades, including being the first guitarist to win the renowned Munich Competition. Isbin’s music has ranged from Baroque to Spanish/Latin to crossover jazz to contemporary new music. Her documentary includes guest appearances from a wide array of luminaries including Michelle Obama, Joan Baez, Steve Vai, Stanley Jordan, Garrison Keillor, Mark O’Connor, Martina Navratilova and many more. The evening includes an Artist Meet and Greet Reception following the concert. Tickets: $28-$46
On Friday, September 5 at 8 pm, the Scottish folk trio Cantrip perform at the Shalin Liu Performance Center. Expertly balancing tradition and innovation, the band—Jon Bews (vocals, fiddle), Dan Houghton (vocals, pipes, flutes), and Eric McDonald (vocals, guitar, mandolin)—infuses a modern sensibility to beloved Scottish folk tunes as well as their own compositions. Originally a quartet, the band quickly gained a following in Scotland and signed with the well-respected Foot Stompin’ record label, for which they released their 2001 debut, Silver. Their next two self-released records (Boneshaker in 2005 and Piping the Fish in 2008) further cemented their place among today’s premier traditional folk acts. The band has just finished its fourth album and their performance at the Shalin Liu is the CD Release Party.  Tickets: $20-$25
On Thursday, September 25 at 8 pm, singer-songwriter Joan Osborne will perform songs from her latest release Love and Hate, which combines her folk and jazz influences with her tremendous songwriting. Rolling Stone magazine reviewed the new CD stating that “there’s a substance and depth here that is not easily achieved, and I think Osborne is getting more interesting with time.” Well-known for her 1995 breakout album Relish with her hit song “One of Us,” Osborne was catapulted into super stardom with seven Grammy nominations. In recent years, Osborne has worked in the world of blues and R&B, from which her love of singing began. In 2002 she cemented her reputation as a top tier soul singer with the acclaimed documentary Standing in the Shadows of Motown and a tour with legendary Motown band The Funk Brothers. Earning a 2013 Grammy nomination, Bring It on Home was her first album composed entirely of covers in that genre, featuring songs by Muddy Waters, Ray Charles, Nina Simone and Otis Redding. Tickets: $39-$58
Folk singer Melanie performs for the first time at the Shalin Liu Performance Center on Saturday, September 27 at 8 pm. A singer-songwriter known for her surprise starring role at Woodstock and her subsequent #1 hit “Brand New Key,” Melanie has remained an iconic voice for that generation.  Melanie was just 22 when she got her big break, being invited to perform at the Woodstock Festival in 1969. Before that, the Queens native had been playing in relative obscurity in the Greenwich Village folk circuit. It wasn’t until after Woodstock, when she wrote and recorded a tribute to the festival and its attendees called “Lay Down” (Candles in the Rain)” that her star truly began to rise, the single hitting #6 on the pop charts. So began a string of hit singles and albums including “What Have They Done to My Song, Ma?” As the 70’s rolled along, Melanie continued to write and record, releasing a steady stream of albums throughout the years, retaining a cult audience enamored by her whimsical songwriting style and powerful emotive voice. Her most recent effort, 2013’s Ever Since You Never Heard of Me, was produced by her son, Beau Jarred. Tickets: $28-$46
Thursday, August 28 at 8 PM
Saturday, August 30 at 3 & 8 PM
Good Morning Gloucester 