Author Archive: Herb Stratford

Ai Weiwei’s Dazzling Political & Cultural Zodiac Hits the TMA

March 1, 2016 | Herb Stratford

Zodiac Heads, Gold Monkey, by Ai Weiwei

The art world has been in love for some time with Chinese artist Ai Weiwei, thanks to a fabulous 2012 documentary (Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry), his stunning “bird’s nest” Olympic stadium design and countless exhibitions around the globe, such as the recent installation at Alcatraz prison. Weiwei is not just the latest flavor in the art world, he is a genuine genre-busting genius who frankly has few, if any peers in contemporary art. Weiwei is somewhat less appreciated for his brilliant takes on culture, history, appropriation, world politics and the interplay of each of these things with each other. His Circle of Animals/ Zodiac Heads: Gold at the Tucson Museum of Art, is both beautiful and a profound statement about so much more than beauty.

On display in the lower reaches of the main galleries at the museum, the work is a semi-circle composed of 12 oversized animal heads made of gold-gilded bronze set on wooden pedestals. The work, from 2010, depicts the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac, which includes; a snake, dragon, bear, horse, dog and others. While the sculptures are exquisite to look at, with lifelike details including human characteristics in some of the heads, it is really the back-story that makes this a powerful piece of artwork.

The series, his first major public sculpture project, has been on tour in two formats; bronze, and in gold, since 2011. While the work will also appear in Phoenix later this year, Tucsonans get to see it first as it will be on display through June 26. Previous stops of the tour read like a who’s who of destinations including; the Tuileries Garden at the Louvre, the Hirshorn in DC, the LA County Museum, Cleveland Museum, The Adler Planetarium in Chicago and also stops in London and Brazil.

The original heads in the piece were part of the famed water clock fountain at the imperial retreat in Beijing, China and were designed by the Italian Jesuit Giuseppe Castiglione. The palace, elaborate gardens and fountain were destroyed in 1860 by British troops during the second Opium war, and looted as an act of revenge by Lord Elgin who also looted the Acropolis in Athens. Just seven of the twelve heads survived, and when they surface outside of the country at auction, they are a sore point as many Chinese believe they belong in China and not in the west. Weiwei thinks otherwise, and his interpretation of the work, as an oversized commentary, includes his own versions of the five lost heads, and his work speaks to questions of power, cultural appropriation, art and world history.

Ironically, Weiwei’s outspoken criticism of his home country, which gets him in trouble on a regular basis, is a direct result of the Chinese government’s treatment of his family that started when he was just a small child. His father, a renowned poet, was exiled for decades and as soon as Weiwei was able to travel to the west, he did. He landed in New York City at the perfect moment of time to hone his artistic and activist skills, arriving on the international art scene in 1999. He then found even more international acclaim due to his work on the Olympic stadium in 2008 with the Swiss architects Herzog and De Meruon. But things went south in 2008 when Weiwei created an artwork criticizing the government after the devastating earthquake that caused the collapse of 7,000 schools. This led to his being beaten by the police and his eventual incarnation for trumped up tax evasion charges. Weiwei was eventually freed and allowed to leave China and currently resides in Berlin, Germany where he teaches and continues to create work that is both beautiful and thought provoking.

Two of the missing original five heads in the series, the dragon and ram, were recreated and re-visioned by Weiwei based upon period research of similar artwork during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing dynasty (1644-1911). The other three “new” heads of the rooster, dog and snake, were made after real life observation of the animals and have a slightly modern feel to them, which brings the work into a contemporary frame of mind. In addition the scale, and elaborate presentation in gold turns the original, smaller water fountain nature of the historic work on its end. Weiwei has taken something that was originally opulent and quite frankly multi-ethnic, with its European design and Asian history, and made it grossly obese and garish for the modern global world.

This is an important and thoughtful work of art by one of the world’s most important living artists that really needs to be seen in person. Do yourself a favor and spend some time with the installation, as it is presented in a way that you can walk around each head and really examine them, but also keep in mind the tortured history that they represent and the role artists take in communicating messages across time.

Ai Weiwei: Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads: Gold is on display at the Tucson Museum of Art, located at 140 North Main Ave. through June 26. TucsonMuseumofArt.org

Artifact Dance Goes Back in Time for The Grand Parlor

March 1, 2016 | Herb Stratford

Artifact dancers Claire Hancock, Julian Johnson, Cindy Cantos, Bill Patterson, Alissa Dill. photo by Ed Flores

Tucson’s dance world has been blessed with a number of remarkable groups over the past 30 years. We’ve seen companies who have delivered traditional, timeless works like clockwork, as well as groups who have pushed the performance envelope with their content and audience experience. In the art world today, both locally and nationally, collaboration is the key to engaging and entrancing an audience, and the Tucson-based Artifact Dance Project is clearly both an innovator and practitioner par none. The group’s March performance at the Tucson Scottish Rite Cathedral is entitled “The Grand Parlor,” and it has all of Artifact’s signature elements on display in a smorgasbord for the senses.

According to Artifact’s Managing Director and Co-Artistic Director Ashley Bowman, the performance is envisioned as an “Americana Vaudeville” evening of years past. The wide variety of acts, includes modern dance, tap, a contortionist, a little clown work and even homage to Noah’s ark. As with all Artifact Dance performances, music is a key element to the experience. Ben Nisbet has again created the sonic portion of the evening, which will be performed live during the evening. Works include classical standards such as; Saint Saen’s Danse Macabre and Rossini’s Barber of Seville overture along with works by Dvorak, Tchaikovsky, Schubert and Gershwin. Musicians for the evening include; Derek Granger, Ken Marrs, Mary Turcotte and Samantha Bounkeua. A ringmaster, Artifact Dance company member dancer Cindy Cantos, will guide the intimate audience on their journey through the evening’s 14 vignettes, which will also feature a short intermission. The show is both family friendly and adult friendly with cocktails available to complete the cabaret experience for those of appropriate age.

Of special note is the location for the “Parlor” performances, in the Tucson Scottish Rite Cathedral’s Grand Parlor. The building, listed on the National Register of Places, recently celebrated its 100th anniversary and is a local landmark that would have hosted events such as this in the past. The local Masonic Order still uses the facility for functions, but recently it has been used more and more by the community for special events, largely due to its vintage character and downtown location. Several of last year’s Tucson Fashion Week runway shows made use of the space very effectively, and the Artifact’s Grand Parlor performances will again transform the space into a unique location for arts performances. With such a wide variety of components to the show, it’s hard for Bowman to pick a favorite section. One has to imagine that the entire presentation of a modern dance company’s interpretation of the American Vaudeville performance style in a century-old building, will be something to remember for a long time. This is sure to be one of the performing arts seasons highlights.

The Grand Parlor, by Artifact Dance Project takes place March 18-19-20 at the Tucson Scottish Rite Cathedral, located at 160 S. Scott Ave. Tickets are $25 or $20 for students and are available in advance or at the door.

Masterful Season Opening

October 16, 2015 | Herb Stratford

Untitled, 2015, from Political Abstraction, archival pigment print, © Ralph Gibson, courtesy Etherton Gallery

Etherton Gallery features works by Andy Summers and Ralph Gibson

In the world of galleries and museums, curators and owners often wrestle with the pairing of artists for exhibitions. Sometimes it’s a bit of an intellectual leap to connect two or more artists and their respective works, but other times pairings makes perfect sense—such is the case of the new show at Etherton Gallery that pairs Andy Summers and Ralph Gibson. The exhibit, entitled Light Motifs, is up through November 7 and presents a variety of work from both men who share a love of black and white photography and have a complementary aesthetic.

MJ, Sardinia (1980) gelatin silver print, 60 x 40 inches © Ralph Gibson

Ralph Gibson, who is unquestionably one of the giants of contemporary photography, is showing a diverse selection of his images which range from stunning nudes to striking moments of the sublime. Gibson has been working in the digital arena now for three years and his transition from the “analog” world of film has brought some degree of freedom, especially when traveling as frequently as he does. Gibson takes “5 to 6 trips abroad a year and practices a version of visual imperialism” in documenting what he sees. He has been invited by numerous countries to come and shoot, and has most recently been in Australia and is heading to Korea next for a return visit. He describes himself as a “formalist” always adhering to a few tenants like the avoidance of wide angle, maintaining a specific distance to subjects and waiting for the perfect moment. Gibson’s work brings to mind other giants such as Cartier Bresson and Edward Weston, but he also seems uniquely adept at capturing the ethos of modern life like no other artist.

Andy Summers comes to photography alongside his other passion, which is music. Perhaps best known as part of the rock band The Police, Summers won raves for his guitar work and was named to several lists proclaiming him one of the greatest guitarists ever. He continues to make music and tour around the world, which also enables him to capture what he sees while abroad with his camera. Early work by Summers documented his life on the road with The Police and the surreal nature of being in one of the biggest bands in the world. But Summers is also quite a talented photographer of other subjects, most notably the female form, and his nudes are both striking and unique. Summers seems able to capture the stranger in a strange land with his dark, moody images of other cultures. He tends to focus on black and white imagery, although it “seems like sacrilege not to capture the color in the real world,” because it allows him to focus on detail and get more out of the subject. Summers strives to “create an attitude or mystery on the wall” with his work which often evolves over the course of a body of work. He aims to “transform the ordinary into the extraordinary,” and more often than not succeeds.

Jazz, Golden Gai, Tokyo, 2008, gelatin silver print, © Andy Summers

Ironically Summers and Gibson are in fact great friends, having met in 1983 in Brazil and having collaborated over the years on books, but have never exhibited together before this show, which according to Summers is both “fun for us and an honor for me to show with Ralph.” The two often get together and not only look at each other’s work, but play music together as Gibson is now a guitar player. Both men share a love of the same subjects, but also the world around them, and increasingly find themselves traveling in order to shoot. While Gibson is entirely digital in his work, Summers is about half-and-half and begrudgingly carries dozens and dozens of rolls of film through airport security whenever he’s abroad. While the two live on opposite sides of the country—Gibson in New York and Summers in California—they relish the time they get to spend with each other and the recent opening of the show at Etherton in late September gave them the chance to meet up and catch up with Tucsonans getting a chance to meet them as well. n

Light Motifs, work by Andy Summers and Ralph Gibson is on display at the Etherton Gallery, located at 135 S. 6th Avenue through November 7.
EthertonGallery.com, ph. 520.624.7370

Big Cats, High Fashion and a master Illusionist at the Loft

May 1, 2015 | Herb Stratford

An Honest Liar

A legendary Illusionist, scores of lions and tigers and an inside look at high fashion are all on tap at the Loft Cinema this month. This long lost gem, Cesar award winner and compelling documentary are just a few of the films that can be found at Tucson’s home of art house cinema – The Loft.

Roar, a semi-lost film from 1981 was the brainchild of director Noel Marshall and star Tipi Hedren (The Birds), who wanted to make a film about a wildlife researcher living with big cats. The resulting film is unlike anything you’ve ever seen and when the cats draw blood, it’s real. It’s like a Mutual of Omaha show gone horribly wrong as the researcher’s family comes to visit and attempts to live in the same house with the cats. The film also stars Harden’s on and off-screen daughter Melanie Griffith, and it must be seen to be believed. A film like this can never be made again – at least not without a fatality.

When actress Kristen Stewart won a Cesar award, the French Oscars, this year for best supporting actress in The Clouds of Sils Maria, it was the first time an American actress had won a Cesar. Now it’s your chance to see her standout performance alongside Juliette Binoche and Chloe Grace Moretz. The film follows an actress (Binoche) on her journey to perform in a stage play that she is reluctant to take on. Her assistant (Stewart) and co-star (Grace Moretz) are both points of reflection and contention throughout the film, which is a refreshing, female-centric European tale for adults. That is, there is a lot to think about and talk about after the film, and Stewart’s performance shows that she is so much more than a teenage vampire.

A pair of fine documentaries round up our Loft Theatre spotlight this month, that are already on my list of favorites this year. Dior and I follows new artistic director Raf Simons as he joins the legendary Parisian fashion house with just eight weeks to create his first haute couture line. This intimate look at the inner workings of Dior is quite fascinating and frankly, invigorating, especially the grand fashion show finale, which is jaw dropping. Our other documentary is entitled An Honest Liar, the story of “The Amazing Randi” – a former stage magician and psychic debunker who has made it his life’s work to keep magic and illusionists honest. But this documentary is not just about his colorful past – but also his brave and defiant present as he navigates the modern world. For more information and screening times visit LoftCinema.com.

The Clouds of Sils Maria

Dior and I

Roar

Mark Klett Then + Now

March 4, 2015 | Herb Stratford

Contemplating the View at Muley Point, Utah, 5/13/94
from Revealing Territory
archival pigment print on Museo Photo rag, printed 2014
32 x 40 inches, © Mark Klett 1994, courtesy Etherton Gallery

Photographer Mark Klett is a modern day enigma. Known world-wide for his stunning large-scale black and white images that trace and invoke past landscape photograph pioneers, he also brings a modern sensibility to his work that is infused with a wide range of emotions. Rarely are artists so agile at capturing both the majesty of their environments along with the complex socio-economic impact of modern man on the same spaces. In Klett’s new show at the Etherton Gallery entitled Then + Now, the photographer again demonstrates both his technical artistry and his keen powers of observation.

The exhibition is divided into three sections, the first features a look at several now-classic black and white images of western landscape that are familiar and compelling for their beauty and composition. Long known as one of the finest landscape photographers in the country, if not the world, these images reinforce the beauty of the environment that many of us will never see firsthand. With sweeping vistas and towering rock forms these images look like stills from a science fiction film. The next part of the show features these same black and white images on a larger scale than they have been seen before. This transformation is quite remarkable for a number of reasons. First, the amount of detail that has been captured and not seen before is staggering. Secondly, the images somehow manage to convey an even more powerful respect for the space that is being portrayed. After seeing these jumbo-sized works, it’s hard to go back to the originals.

The final set of images in the main exhibition, from the Camino del Diablo series, are entirely new, and are in glorious color. Klett again revisits his passion for history, as for this series he has retraced the route of an 1870 geological survey and photographed what might have been seen along the way. The pages from the book describing the landscape are displayed adjacent to each image, which adds to the experience of seeing this landscape for the first time in both words and images. Ironically, the location of this trek is now part of the Barry M. Goldwater bombing range and US military training area in the Sonoran Desert. As in the past, this juxtaposition of man and nature is handmade for Klett’s eye to document the intersection of man and nature in an uncanny way. These images are drop dead gorgeous and also a little sad. The scale of man in several puts perspective into play, along with the debris that has been left behind, but in the end it’s the staggering beauty of nature at outweighs anything humans are doing.

Largely unchanged since the era of the original descriptions in the narrative accompaniment, one can easily imagine being marooned in this foreign landscape in the late 1800s following a dangerous and hard stagecoach journey into the newest area of the United States, and expressing wonder at the exotic flora and fauna. Of particular note is one image of a crescent moon over a barely visible mountain range that sucks the viewer into its rich and inky black midnight tones. Another personal favorite in this series is the beautiful bowl of stars on display in another night scene, something that is hard to imagine to us city-dwellers—sad creatures who rarely see anything but the brightest stars due to urban light pollution. Equally startling though is the image of a military training compound constructed out of shipping containers to resemble a mosque. The desert life around the obstruction is a riot of color and texture that lets us know the desert will reclaim this interloper soon, as this desert is clearly standing in for another region

This body of work was recently vetted in a New York Times opinion page piece due to its exhibition at the Pace McGill Gallery where the retracing of the dangerous journey from 1870 and again today in an active bombing range that borders Mexico, is recognized as no small feat. While it was impossible to know if the route documented by Klett was exactly the same one taken in the 1870s, the fact that the wilderness still exists and continues to beguile, is the point.

Also on display as part of the show is a series of intimate images entitled Time Studies that track celestial movements in a single image. These are both works of art and scientific observations that only Klett could merge and make fascinating.

Mark Klett Then + Now is on display at the Etherton Gallery, located at 135 S. sixth Avenue in downtown Tucson. The show is up through March 21 and is free and open to the public Tuesday thru Saturday 11am – 5pm and by appointment at 624-7370.

Etherton Gallery

AZUFF: Deeper Underground Than Ever Before

September 9, 2014 | Herb Stratford

A still from “Time Lapse,” screening at the AZ Underground Film Festival.
Image courtesy AZUFF

In the world of film festivals, of which there are literally thousands for audiences to discover, organizers must lure in audiences as well as find unique films to screen. In Tucson, we have an embarrassment of riches to choose from every year, as a wide variety of festivals show films that you would never see, if not for these events. While many Tucson film festivals have established a niche audience and program over the years, one festival is becoming quite well known for its premieres, eclectic films and rabid fans — the Arizona Underground Film Festival (AZUFF), which hosts its seventh edition from Sept. 19-27.

AZUFF founder and organizer David Pike and his screening committee have again assembled an impressive lineup of films that are challenging, thought provoking and wild. Like many festivals, the programmers at AZUFF draw from both submissions, as well as from word of mouth to assemble their lineup. It’s this mixture, with hits from places like the most recent edition of the Sundance and Tribeca film festivals, buzzed about indies, intriguing docs and crazy-odd films from Europe that comprise AZUFF. There’s also the soon-to-be classic Call Girl of Cthulhu, so they pretty much have all their bases covered.

In order to get Zócalo readers primed for this year’s festival, we previewed a few titles. First up is the smart, edgy and suspenseful sci-fi thriller Time Lapse that puts a trio of young people in an uncomfortable position after they find a device that lets them see slices of the future one day in advance. The film has generated quite a buzz on the indie film fest circuit and is guaranteed to leave you thinking about what you would do if in a similar situation. Another intriguing, if not downright odd, addition is the French film You and The Night, which is an existentialist meditation on life, death and sex — kind of like a Twilight Zone version of The Breakfast Club, with nudity and in French. The intriguing short film Life After Manson takes a look at former Manson “family” member Patricia Krenwinkel, who has been in jail since 1970 and now tries to help other inmates get their life together. The film played at the most recent Tribeca film festival and is a real eye-opener.

BFE is another provocative feature film that looks at several teens living in a small town, on one fateful day/night. All their stories, and back stories, intertwine and it’s a heartfelt glimpse at the challenges kids are facing and surviving when adults are largely absent from their lives.

Returning to the aforementioned Call Girl of Cthulhu… Many people know the iconic name of H.P. Lovecraft’s seminal evil creature that has become a pop culture phenomenon, but you’ve never seen anything like this horror/comedy about a prostitute, a naive young artist and a plot to resurrect the evil force from another dimension. It’s a cheesy, fun ride you will not see anywhere else but at AZUFF.

The seventh annual Arizona Underground Film Festival runs Sept. 19-27 with screenings of narrative and documentary features as well as shorts, animated films and experimental movies. Screenings take place largely at The Screening Room, 127 E. Congress St., which now features new seats, projection and an improved snack bar. Tickets are just $8 per film and a limited number of passes are also available for $50. For more information visit AZUFF.com.

Wildest America

July 8, 2014 | Herb Stratford

Detail of 07004-6-10 (2010) pigment print in “Wilderness” series
© Debra Bloomfield

Landscape photographers are an entirely different breed than most other photographers. This is primarily due to the dedication required to get to many of the places they shoot, but it is also their ability to be patient – waiting for the right moment to click the shutter – and being alone for extended periods of time. Let’s call it a healthy obsession. Many of photography’s earliest images were of landscapes and early landscapes remain interesting for their nostalgic essence. Contemporary landscape photographers face a much harder audience for their images today, given that most people carry some sort of camera phone in their pocket and there are few unseen locales left on dry land. Photographer Debra Bloomfield, in her new show at the Etherton Gallery, demonstrates why she is among the genre’s most interesting and dynamic artists working today, with the work from her Wilderness series.

Bloomfield spent seven years on Wilderness, from 2007 to 2014 in Alaska, which is actually shorter than her usual time commitment on a single body of work. Bloomfield began her artistic career in 1972, and her earlier bodies of work have been well received due to their poetic and majestic qualities as they capture the world around us.

Bloomfield feels that her work is always “in tune with the other senses,” that is, her images speak to more than the eyes when seen. The work is designed to have “a visceral, emotional response” when viewed. This has never been made more possible than with the Wilderness project. All of the images have been collected in a book, which has an accompanying CD of audio that was recorded in the same place where the photographs were captured. It is designed to be played while viewing the work. The book and sound/image layout took two years to map out for the artist who may be the only person doing such interactive projects. Bloomfield also feels that the work is “not just about the destination, but about the journey,” and the experience of the place, which is hard to convey, even with her large, striking images. Bloomfield shoots on film, but produces digital prints, making her an artist with feet in both worlds of photography.

38996-8-09 (2009) pigment print in “Wilderness” series. © Debra Bloomfield

This body of work was previously on display at the Phoenix Museum of Art and will travel this fall to New Mexico. The opening event, last month at Etherton Gallery, was presented as a celebration of sorts of the modern environmental movement with representatives from local entities like the Sky Island Alliance and others, hoping that Bloomfield’s rapturous images will help to instill greater appreciation for our endangered wilderness.

Gallery owner/director Terry Etherton has paired Bloomfield with renowned photographer Ansel Adams for this show, seeing a duality in their images. However, while Adams’ work served to reintroduce wilderness to the general public, much like early photographers Timothy H. O’Sullivan and others of that era, Bloomfield is truly more after capturing and conveying an emotional response with her multi-media approach. While Etherton has been showing Bloomfield’s work for many years, this body of work has “really excited” the gallery owner and he can’t wait to share it with his gallery’s viewers.

The wilds of Alaska. With so much open sky and water, this show should be a great respite for anyone in Tucson this summer.

“Wild America: Photographs from America’s wild lands by Debra Bloomfield and Ansel Adams” is on display at Etherton Gallery, 135 S. 6th Ave., through August 20. The gallery is closed July 1-7, but normal hours are Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and by appointment by calling (520) 624-7370. Visit EthertonGallery.com for more information.

“Small” Art: Creative & Inspired

May 24, 2014 | Herb Stratford

The 22nd Annual Small Things Considered exhibition at Davis Dominguez Gallery is a institution unlike any other. With work by over 80 different Tucson-based artists, the exhibition presents a snapshot of what many of our city’s better-known artists are up to–with a slight twist. Each of the invited participants must provide a work of art that is 12” x 12” for painters or no larger than 18” tall for sculptures. The results of this restriction are both inspired and surprising.

“Tulum Boy,” by Moira Geoffrion

With a list of artists that reads like a who’s who of the Tucson art world including names such as Julia and David Andres, James Cook, Bruce McGrew, Gary Benna and Jeff Smith, this show is a great introduction to some of our city’s best and brightest. According to gallery co-owner Mike Dominguez, painters Jim Waid and James Cook have participated in all 22 iterations of the show. Two pleasant surprises to watch for, as noted by Dominguez, were the LED-lit rocket ship sculpture, Ground Control to Major Tom by Bob Hassan, and a painting by Moria Geoffrion entitled Tulum Boy.

An interesting twist is this year’s inclusion of kinetic works. Several of the pieces feature either moving lights or moving parts as a key component of the work. Dominguez sees this as a 21st century development and is not sure what’s next. The aforementioned LED rocket, as well as a piece by Mike Fadel, which incorporates Lebanese olive oil and an altered music box, is particularly unique this year.

While I find myself drawn to works whose style I recognize, I’m also drawn to the works whose creator escapes me without a look at the title card. Work identified by Dominguez and his partner Candace Davis as artists to watch include two abstract painters, Karen DeClouet and Jenny Day, and photographer Claire Harlan—whose parents had possibly the first serious contemporary art gallery in Tucson in the 1970s.

Given the long history of this show, and the gallery itself, it’s natural to ask what Davis and Dominguez think of the local art world and what they have seen since they started. Dominguez sees Tucson as “still recovering from the financial crisis, especially in the young and emerging collector market,” but as a strong art community overall that has “riches yet to be unveiled.” This annual summer showcase is really a must-see for Tucson art lovers.

The 22nd Annual Small Things Considered show, at the Davis Dominguez Gallery—154 E. 6th St.—is currently open and on display through June 28. A reception is scheduled during the annual Summer Art Cruise on Saturday, June 7 from 6 p.m.-8 p.m. Visit DavisDominguez.com for more details.

Small Works in the Salon Gallery. photo: Peter L Kresan

Arizona International Film Festival

April 7, 2014 | Herb Stratford

The 23^rd annual fest returns with Cine Cubano

“Harlem Street Singer” examines the contributions of blues and gospel musician Rev. Gary Davis.
photo courtesy AIFF

April in Tucson means it is time for the Arizona International Film Festival. Marking its 23^rd annual event, the granddaddy of Arizona film festivals will once again bring both films and filmmakers from around the world to Tucson from April 11 to 27 at The Screening Room, Grand Cinemas Crossroads 6 and Elliott’s On Congress.

While films from the entire world are often represented in the festival program, one particular focus of note is the Cuban film program this year, which will showcase feature length films, shorts and documentaries from the island nation that is slowly making a splash in world cinema.

The festival’s track record, having shown more than 2,200 films from 90 different countries to a total audience of over 138,000 people since it began in 1991, is definitely impressive, but equally impressive is the continued quality and diversity of films that continue to be showcased each year. This year there are films from 42 countries and there will be about 40 feature length films and 60 shorts screened.

Many film festivals are designed to bring films that might not otherwise be seen by locals in a community. That in itself is a worthy goal, exposing new, quality work to interested audiences. However, the AZIFF goes one step further, by having nearly every filmmaker whose film is being screened at their AZIFF screening. The experience of interacting with the filmmaker is well worth the price of admission, because the audience gets a much more complete experience. In fact, once you’ve seen a few films with post screening Q & A sessions, you’ll wish there was one after most films you see.

The AZIFF draws film from around the world, many of which are United States, West coast or Arizona premieres. This also adds to the fun factor when you are seeing a premiere of a film with the director present. Many high-profile directors have premiered their films at AZIFF and gone on to fame and fortune such as Christopher Nolan (Batman trilogy, Inception, Interstellar) while other filmmakers have continued to make films that are the darlings of the film festival circuit. Other AZIFF offerings have made a splash at other festivals and are brought in for screenings, which may be the only time they will be seen by Tucson audiences.

A still from “Glena.”
Image courtesy of AIFF

One documentary film of note that had its world premiere at the most recent Slamdance Film Festival in Park City is Glena. The film skillfully captures the world of a female mixed martial arts fighter and her quest to go professional at all costs. Sad and brutally honest in its depiction of personal passion, Glena is a must-see film even if you’re not a fan of cage fighting.

Other documentaries of note to watch out for include; Harlem Street Singer about a mostly forgotten ragtime, blues and American gospel singer and American Wine Story about a fledgling family winery. Also of note is the narrative feature film Hotel Congress, about a couple trying not to have an affair. This title was filmed entirely in our own Hotel Congress and on a budget of $1,000.

The Cuban film series, entitled Cine Cubano features six documentaries, four features and three short films will give viewers an inside look at contemporary Cuban life. Focusing on the conflicts due to scarcity of products, social injustice and inequality, the program promises to be an honest and sobering look at our island neighbor. Beginning with the recent high-profile film Juan of the Dead, a zombie/horror comedy, and the rise in prominence of the countries own film festival which is drawing tourists from the rest of the world every spring; Cuban films are making serious waves in the international film world.

The 23^rd annual Arizona International Film Festival takes place April 11-27 at The Screening Room, 125 E. Congress St., Grand Cinemas Crossroads 6, 4811 E. Grant Rd. and Elliott’s On Congress, 135 E. Congress St. Tickets are $6-$8 per screening and an all access pass is $100. To purchase tickets/passes and for film information visit: FilmFestivalArizona.com.

Fundraiser + Fun Party=MOCA Gala

April 2, 2014 | Herb Stratford

Chuck George, John Adams, Marta Harvey, Mark Lory, Randi Dorman and Rob Paulus in front of the mural by Gerben Mulder at the 2012 Gala.
photo: Roger Tamietti

While some local fundraising shindigs have gotten predictable year after year—taking place in the same resort ballroom, with elaborate menus, lots of silent auction items and a band to help you dance the night away—other local enterprising entities’ events are standing out with their unique settings, programs and attendees.

Recent events of note have included the “Bollywood at the Fox” fundraisers that closed off Congress Street, the annual Centurions events which rotate venues and themes, and the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) Gala and Local Genius Awards Gala. This year, gala takes place on Friday, April 11 and is promising to raise the bar on what distinctive, fun and successful events look like in Tucson.

The purpose of the MOCA Gala is to raise funds in support of its exhibitions and education programs that aim to inspire, through contemporary art, an appreciation for the creative world. The event nearly always sells out, with many of its 300 plus attendees returning every year due to the exceptional blend of style, food and company.

Set in MOCA’s cavernous Great Hall in the old Downtown fire station, the event has many of the standard elements of a fundraiser such as live and silent auctions, top-notch food and dancing, but there is something different about the event that sets it apart from others. It may be the audience; a matchless blend of art folk, city leaders, scientists and activists, or it may be the setting of a transformed former garage of a fire station that sets the tone for the evening.

Randi Dorman, MOCA’s Board President and chief cheerleader is a tireless advocate for the mission of MOCA and sees the gala as a “perfect blend of fundraiser and fun party.”

This year, as in the past, guests can valet park at the Tucson Convention Center (TCC) as the party begins in the Leo Rich Theatre at TCC. Following the official “program,” a short procession goes from the TCC across the street to MOCA for the main event, which often goes long into the night.

Featuring a lavish buffet from Blue House Catering along with a special “art” dessert from the world famous Kreemart and music from renowned DJ Gaspar Muniz, the night has all the makings of a special evening. Also on display during the gala is the artwork of video artist Janaina Tschäpe whose career retrospective is currently on display. Her artwork can also be experienced from noon to 5 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday, in case you want to see it without a full-blown party going on around you.

A packed house enjoying the 2011 Gala.
photo: Tom Willet

The gala usually raises well over $100,000 for MOCA, helping it operate all year long to bring and host cutting-edge artwork to Tucson. MOCA’s ongoing educational programs are also a beneficiary of the evening, which many Tucsonans are unaware of. Everything from artist lectures, to programs for children from grade school age to high school are offered at MOCA all year long and are helping to create a “new generation of art savvy kids,” according to Dorman.

MOCA’s annual Gala is Friday, April 11 at the Leo Rich Theatre, 260 S. Church Ave., and at MOCA, 265 S. Church Ave., from 6 p.m. to midnight. Artwork by video artist Janaina Tschäpe is featured this year. Tickets are $250 per person, which includes the buffet, champagne toast and dancing. A live and silent auction will also take place during the evening. For more information and tickets visit MOCA-Tucson.org.