OVATIONUnion College Arts & Culture September 2012 | Volume 2 | Issue 1

The “banner stamp” art for this issue of Ovation is inspired by the start of a new semester here at Union College.

Readers, The fall semester has begun. Along with the flood of students is the return of this newslet-ter, back from a brief absence precipitated by the extra work-load associated with launching Union’s new website (Check it out. We’re super proud: www.unionky.edu). We’re anxious to report the wealth of arts and cultural events coming your way. You’ll have many opportu-nities to get your fill. The first performance of the season is scheduled in just a few weeks and promises to deliver a performance unique to anything we’ve hosted. The African Show-boyz will perform on Sept. 13. Read more about them in the cover story for details. Also in this issue, we will in-troduce you to some new faces on campus and, as always, list upcoming performances in the region. We hope you had just as much fun this summer as we had, and we want to see and hear about those experiences. Please send us memorabilia (photos, videos, stories, etc.) from this summer, so we can feature them in our next issue. In the meantime, please enjoy our latest edition. We hope you’re glad to hear from us again. We’re certainly glad to be back. Contact UsOffice of College CommunicationsMissy Reid, director606-546-1610communications @unionky.edu

showboyz

An African performance group that has collaborated with Stevie Wonder will appear on campus this month for this year’s first event organized by the Union College Arts and Culture Committee. The African Showboyz, made up of brothers Napoleon, Joseph, Issac, Mosses and JJ Sabbah, are originally from a tiny village in Ghana, West Africa, called Binaba. They will make their way to Barbourville on Sept. 13 for a 7:30 p.m. performance in Conway Boatman Cha-pel. The concert is free and open to the public. The group got its start performing as musicians and dancers; however, their show now include much more. Besides music, audiences should expect other forms of entertainment throughout the night, including dancing, magic, comedy routines and even stunts such as glass eating. The group has been performing since the oldest brother, Napoleon, was a child. At a young age he received a vi-sion from his grandfather. According to their website (africanshowboyz.com),

africanSeptember 14

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this vision told him that “he was to em-bark on a world journey in effort to bring recognition to the suffrage of the African people, and feed his ever-growing fam-ily.” This led Napoleon, along with younger brothers Isaac and Joseph, to set off on bicycles to neighboring villages, where they performed. In 1987, the other two brothers, Mosses and JJ, joined the group, and the African Showboyz “emerged as Africa’s pentacle of conscious musi-cians.” After making a name for themselves throughtout Ghana, the brothers began touring beyond the borders of their native country and eventually beyond Africa. In 2003, they performed for the first time in America at Floydfest in Floyd, Va. Since then, they have performed all across the U.S. and have also appeared in the film “1 Giant Leap,” which was nominated for two Grammy Awards.

Click the button for a preview.

ovation

There are also quite a few new faculty, and one of those is assistant professor of theatre, Diane Montgom-ery Ph.D. Montgomery, who boasts an impressive theatre rep-ertoire, has been heavily involved in theatre her whole life. Even as a small child, Montgomery said she knew she wanted to pursue the stage. “I knew I wanted to be a performer since I was three years old. That was all I ever wanted to be,” Montgom-ery said. As she grew older, she decided to branch out beyond performance. She pursued a master’s degree and eventually a Ph.D., which led to her teaching the art she had come to love so much. After a career of teaching that has involved three previous positions at Missouri State, Shorter College and Radford University, Montgomery made her way to Union, a place she connected with immediately. “I particularly wanted to work at a small, Chris-tian college where I could get to know the students well and where I felt free to share my faith,” Mont-gomery said. “I really felt that I clicked with the faculty right away, and praying for God’s guid-ance, I took the job.” While Montgomery is excited about joining the Union family, she admits that she was a bit overwhelmed at first by the legacy her predeces-sor, Rebecca Pettys, Ph.D., left. However, she is confident that she will be able to make her mark at Union as well, and is already planning how she will go about that.

“Theatre takes many talents, not just performing and not just artistic,” Montgomery said. “ I want to foster that, and eventually be able to recruit more people to the program.” As the new semester starts, Montgomery already has plans, including the performance of her first play at Union. “Doubt” is a play that Montgomery said is extremely dark and serious, but at the same time has great comic moments. “I wanted to start with a small cast and a relatively easy set,” Montgomery said. “Without giving away too much of the play, it is extremely interesting and intro-duces many themes that other teachers may want to explore in their classes.” Montgomery brings with her an impressive repertoire of experience in higher education. She earned her un-dergraduate degree from Tusculum College, her Master of Arts in theatre from Missouri State and her doctorate in theatre history, dramaturgy and theory from Union Institute and University. Professionally, aside from the university-level teaching positions she has held, she has also directed at schools—both at the college and high school level—and also for Soldiers’ Theatre in Italy. She has been performing professionally as an actor and singer (who can dance) for more than 25 years both in the states and abroad.

As with the start of any fresh academic year, there are plenty of new faces at Union. But not all of them are students.

nowspotlight

in the

allcallingsingers

It is now time for the Union College Regional Chorus to prepare for the annual Christmas Festival Concert. In an e-mail sent out in August, director Gay Gandy, Ph.D., encouraged interested community members to attend the first rehearsal of the year. “I am once again looking forward to another won-derful concert season with the Union College Regional Chorus,” reads Gandy’s e-mail. “The Regional Chorus is a wonderfully exciting group, and we would love for you to join.” The Union College Regional Chorus is not limited to Union students. Anyone who wishes to join may sing, including students, faculty, staff and community mem-bers. Rehearsals will begin on Tuesday, Sept. 4 at 7:30 p.m. in the rehearsal room of the Fine Arts Building on Union’s campus. Gandy also announced the Union College Regional Chorus performance dates for the 2012-2013 school year. There will be three concerts, including the Christ-mas Festival Concert, the Valentine Concert and the Spring Concert. The Christmas Festival Concert will be on Dec. 1; the Valentine Concert on Feb. 12; and the Spring Concert on April 16. Each will begin at 8:00 p.m. in Union’s Conway Boatman Chapel. All performance dates are also posted on Gandy’s blog, “The Art of Choral Music.” To view those dates, or to read more, visit Gandy’s blog at www.theartofchoral-music.blogspot.com. If you’d like to sing, it’s not too late. Just notify Gandy, either through e-mail (ggandy@unionky.edu) or by telephone (606-546-1333).

The Union College Regional Chorus is once again rehearsing, and you’re encouraged to join them.

ovation

Union’s service project organization, Common Partners, facilitates an art program called “Crafts on Wheels.” Union College students, with their art supplies in tow, visit local primary schools and work with kids to help them create their own masterpieces, such as this mask. To donate supplies to help cultivate the skills of these budding artists, contact Austin Sebald, director of Common Partners: austin.sebald@unionky.edu

crafts on wheels?know about

www.songza.com

www.artthatfits.com

www.national-geographic.cafepress.com

www.globalgrasshopper.com

www.ugallery.com

Red HorseArt That Fits

Acadia National ParkNational Geographic

Midnight WakeUGallery

onlinefind it

This music website lets you choose playlists for whatever you want it to be.Whether you want something motivational to get you through your work day, or just want a simple playlist of popular contemporary songs, you can get those here. Just create an account, and start listening.

This site is advertised as one that lets you find “Art that fits your style.” This website is a large, online art gallery, where you can find what you need to fit with your personal aesthetic taste. The online gallery hosts more than 3,300 works of art, so your options are extremley varied.

If you love the unforgettable art of National Geographic, this site is for you. Here you can buy those same photos in the form of prints with framing options. This is the perfect way to bring a touch of nature to your home.

This is a website built for your inner traveler.This site lets you browse other travelers’ experiences to get perspec-tives from real-life people as opposed to marketers. Likewise, you’re welcome to share travel experiences of your own. Whether you want a critique or would like to issue one, this site can hook you up.

Looking for reasonably priced pieces from up-and-coming artists?Then this is the site for you. UGallery prides itself in allowing new artists to show their art to the world, and do so at prices that appeal to average consumers and collectors.

ovation

seeing

The buckets of peanuts at this year’s Western-themed picnic—part of Welcome Weekend for new students—served not only as appetizers to the barbeque, but also as centerpiece art for all the tables.

art is not

you makewhat you see

but what

degas

the

others see

art

calendar of events

unionky.edu

PLAYS &

MUSICALS

September 11 Cincinatti Pops Orchestra, 8:00 pm at the EKU Center for the Arts, Richmond, tickets starting at $25September 14 Lexington Philharmonic presents Firebird and Fandangos, 7:30 pm at the UK Singletary Center for the Arts, Lexington, tickets starting at $25September 19 Pentatonix, 8:00 pm at the Kentucky Center, Bomhard Theater, Louisville, tickets starting at $27.50Septmeber 21 Al Green, 8:00 pm at the EKU Center for the Arts, Richmond, tickets starting at $90.50September 22 Black Jacket Symphony performing Led Zep-pelin’s IV, 8:00 pm at the the Lexington Opera House, tickets starting at $25September 22 Richard Kogan: Kogan on Beethoven, 8:00 pm at the Kentucky Center, Bomhard Theater, Louisville, tickets starting at $25September 29 Singletary Center presents Andrew Bird, 7:30 pm at the UK Singletary Center for the Arts, Lexington, tickets starting at $25October 3 Antibalas, 8:00 pm at the Kentucky Center, Bom-hard Theater, Louisville, tickets starting at $22.50

concerts

September 4-26 “Romeo and Juliet,” various times at the Pa-mela Brown Auditorium, Louisville, tickets starting at $32September 6-8 UK Theatre Department presents “New Works Festival,” 7:30 pm at the UK Singletary Center for the Arts, Lexington, tickets starting at $15September 13-30 Studio Players presents “Elvis Has Left the Building, various times at the UK Singletary Center for the Arts, Carriage House Theatre, tickets starting at $19September 14-October 31 “Dracula,” various times at the Bingham Theatre, Louisville, tickets starting at $32September 21-28 “Tosca,” various times at the Kentucky Cen-ter, Brown Theatre, Louisville, tickets starting at $27

September 6 Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus pres-ents “Fully Charged,” various times at Rupp Arena, Lexington, tickets starting at $15September 14-16 Lexington Ballet Company presents “Hard Rock Ballet,” various times at the Lexington Opera House, tickets starting at $29.75September 23 Royal Drummers and Dancers of Burundi, 2:00 pm at the EKU Center for the Arts, tickets starting at $25

Dance &

Ballet

at unionSeptember 4 First rehearsal for Union College Regional Cho-rus, 7:30 pm in the rehearsal room of the Fine Arts BuildingSeptember 13 The African Showboyz, 7:30 pm at Conway Boatman Chapel, Union College, free and open to the publicOctober 2 Minorities Day, 9:30 am at Conway Boatman Cha-pel, free and open to the public.