New Medium News

PBS announced today that Tuesday, October 15, 2013, is 'Superheroes Night,' featuring a three-hour block dedicated to the groundbreaking program SUPERHEROES: A NEVER-ENDING BATTLE.

KM Fine Arts Los Angeles is pleased to present Compulsive Pencil, a solo exhibition of prominent Colombian artist Federico Uribe. The exhibition will open with an artist reception on the evening of September 12, 2013 presenting 14 of Federico Uribe's latest works built entirely out of color pencils. This facet of Uribe's art form, Pencilism, is an embroidery-like technique with a repetitive and compulsive process creating a series of 'paintings' and 'sculptures' which re-envisions how the world around us is perceived. Uribe introduces irony, humor, childhood memories and fantasy in his work, with a fresh association of materials and ideas. He transforms the objects of daily life into new objects that have different significance, appearance and texture. Uribe's work explores the shifts in scale, materials, and techniques informed by the assemblage process that has been central to his working method. Although dating back to the 19th century, today's era of heightened environmental awareness has inspired many new artists to recycling methods within the art form. Assemblage as an art form has been around for many centuries and in many forms all over the world. However, in Western culture, once dominated by painting and stone or bronze sculpture, the introduction of assemblage was a radical shift. It is difficult now, with this new medium having come fully into its own, for us to imagine what a leap it must have been in 1912 to consider disrupting the purity of the dominate mediums by the inclusion of foreign elements. At the time, in the midst of intense shifts in perception about the world and about the cultural status quo, disruption and disorientation were becoming normal states of mind from which to work. The perception of the world was becoming less solid and more open to endless possibilities while the supremacy of painting was being brought into question by the growth of photography. This is evidenced quite well in the Analytic Cubist experiments of Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque, giving rise to both collage and assemblage. The spread of assemblage as a new medium deserving of attention by serious artists goes far beyond the mere fact of Picasso and Braque having introduced them. These new ways of working would have remained only an anomaly were it not for a number of other important and simultaneous technological, cultural and political factors. American artists Alexander Calder, John Chamberlain, Joesph Cornell and Robert Rauschenberg have been extremely influential to assemblage artists. Born in Bogota, Colombia 1962, Uribe lives and works in Miami. He studied art at the University of Los Andes in Bogota and in 1988 left for New York to study a Master of Fine Arts degree under the supervision of Luis Camnitzer. It was the beginning of a journey that included years of studies and work in Cuba, Mexico, Russia, England and finally Miami. Initially his formation began as a painter with sensual and brooding canvases influenced by his dark reflections on the Catholic sense of pain, guilt and sexuality. In 1996, he abandoned painting and started collecting items from everyday objects in which he perceived more than just their utilitarian value, but also the aesthetic decisions that went into their creation. Uribe began to observe them with care, collect them, set them side by side and combine them, so that they became unusual instruments of a new aesthetic, full of color, irony and lively playfulness. He bought baby bottle nipples in various colors, rubber gloves, dolls, paper forks and chairs. Following the classic canons of figurative and abstract art, Uribe transformed them into sculptural installations - sometimes turning an object upside down - thereby altering its original meaning and function. Tools morphed into palm trees; screws, coins, rubber lips and computer keys became women's torsos; Puma shoes became animals, and thousands of discarded books became whole room museum installations. When observed closely, his works reveal various kinds of interpretations; they invite us to touch them, to discover the detail and connection between one element and another. When viewed from further away, they offer volumes, forms, textures and color. Distance, proximity and perception are key factors in the interaction between Uribe's work and its viewers. With 30 solo shows and 8 publications, Federico Uribe has received international recognition with exhibits throughout Europe and Latin America. His works have been displayed at Chelsea Art Museum, Bass Museum of Arts, Art Museum of the Americas in Washington, DC, Jacksonville Museum of Modern Arts, Boca Raton Museum of Art and The Hudson River Museum of Art.

From today, August 7-11 in the Doris Duke Theatre, Jacob's Pillow presents the highly anticipated return of Jessica Lang Dance, a contemporary ballet company led by Artistic Director and choreographer Jessica Lang. The company debuted at the Pillow during the 2012 Festival to rave reviews and sold-out performances. Jessica Lang Dance returns this season with five works, including a world premiere.

From August 7-11 in the Doris Duke Theatre, Jacob's Pillow presents the highly anticipated return of Jessica Lang Dance, a contemporary ballet company led by Artistic Director and choreographer Jessica Lang. The company debuted at the Pillow during the 2012 Festival to rave reviews and sold-out performances. Jessica Lang Dance returns this season with five works, including a world premiere.

CYNTHIA-REEVES is pleased to announce their return to Basel for 'The Solo Project', June 12 - 16, 2013, located at ST Jakobshalle, Bruglingerstrasse 19-21 in Basel, Switzerland. Following the successful debut of the Art13 London Fair in March, CYNTHIA-REEVES will reconnect with international collectors at one of the premier satellite fairs during Art Basel Week with a two-person exhibition; minimalist abstract paintings by international museum exhibiting Chinese painter, Shen Chen, and anodized aluminum and 'Torn Steel' contemporary sculpture by American sculptor and Eli Broad artist, Jonathan Prince.

Telemundo Media and zeebox announced a partnership today encompassing the network's largest second screen initiative to date, kicking off with the 2013 "Latin Billboard Awards Presented by State Farm" on Thursday, April 25, at 7pm ET/6pm CT.

Gina Ravenswood, author of the new book "Shaking Hands with Love" (published by Balboa Press), has lived her life in the pursuit of helping others understand theirs. A medium by calling and trade, she enjoys a complicated relationship with death and what follows. When her dear friend, Nannette, was dying of cancer, Gina was at her side. The night Nannette took her last breath, her friend was there. But this was not the end for these two friends; it was the start of an extraordinary journey they would share - to death and beyond.

Strand Theater Company joins forces with StillPointe Theater Initiative to co-produce The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin - an Obie Award-Winning, autobiographical, 'smartly sweet' musical about a woman named Bubbly learning to embrace her color, as she pursues a dream of becoming the greatest dancing star in the world. Directed by Ryan Haase. The production will begin with Previews tonight, February 8-14, will officially open on February 15, and run through February 23.

The man who founded NFL Films, whose groundbreaking highlight reels of the game's greatest plays and The Players earned him a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, believes he and other non-players do not deserve enshrinement in the Hall. That's what 'Big' Ed Sabol tells Armen Keteyian on the next 60 Minutes Sports premiering tonight, Feb. 6 at 10:00 PM, ET/PT on SHOWTIME.

Over the years, many in the Way Off Broadway family have gone on to appear in countless productions around the country on national tours and on Broadway. Now, for the first time, a WOB alumnus will be starring in a national webseries as Jordan C. Allen plays the role of Wyatt in Cinevore Studios' Nerd vs. Geek.

Strand Theater Company joins forces with StillPointe Theater Initiative to co-produce The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin - an Obie Award-Winning, autobiographical, 'smartly sweet' musical about a woman named Bubbly learning to embrace her color, as she pursues a dream of becoming the greatest dancing star in the world. Directed by Ryan Haase. The production will begin with Previews on February 8-14, will officially open on February 15, and run through February 23.

Quintessence Theatre Group continues its third season of progressive classical theatre with Gogol's THE DIARY OF A MADMAN, directed by Alexander Burns. THE DIARY OF A MADMAN will begin previews on Wednesday, February 13 at 7pm and open on Saturday, February 16 at 8pm at the Sedgwick Theater, 7137 Germantown Ave in Mt. Airy, Philadelphia, 19119. To purchase tickets, visit www.QuintessenceTheatre.org or call 1.877.238.5596.

Ned Wertimer, a versatile and prolific character actor who was perhaps best known as Ralph the Doorman for 11 seasons on TV's The Jeffersons, has died, it was announced today by his long time manager Brad Lemack. Wertimer passed away on January 2nd at the Sherman Village Health Care Center, outside of Los Angeles, from complications following a fall in his Burbank home in late November. He was 89.

NBC Sports Network presents STAR SPANGLED SUNDAYS, a four-part special that will document the rise of the NFL to become the most-popular sport in America. Star Spangled Sundays, debuts tonight, January 8 at 10 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network. Following are the scheduled original airdates for the four-part series:

Maritz, in collaboration with the Arts and Education Council, announced today that it has awarded $30,000 in grants ranging from $1,400 - $5,000 each to nine arts education projects in the St. Louis bi-state area through the Maritz Arts and Education Fund for Teachers. Maritz and the Arts and Education Council partner to offer this unique funding opportunity to individual schools and non-profit organizations to support projects and opportunities that encourage creativity in the classroom; the grants are administered by the Arts and Education Council and supported by Maritz. The unique funding program enables teachers to apply directly for a grant. Awards are granted at the beginning of the school year.

Eli Klein Fine Art, one of America's leading galleries specializing in Chinese Contemporary Art, is pleased to announce it will present a retrospective exhibition featuring the work of one of China's most dynamic artists, Zhang Dali. Showcasing pieces from his most celebrated series, this exhibition reflects on the unprecedented growth and development China experienced when it expanded its contacts with the rest of the world in the 90s. This exhibition will be on view at Eli Klein Fine Art through February 18, 2013.

NBC Sports Network presents STAR SPANGLED SUNDAYS, a four-part special that will document the rise of the NFL to become the most-popular sport in America. Star Spangled Sundays, debuts Tuesday, January 8 at 10 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network. Following are the scheduled original airdates for the four-part series:

The Jewish Museum and the Film Society of Lincoln Center will present the 22nd annual New York Jewish Film Festival at the Film Society's Walter Reade Theater, Jan. 9-24, 2013. The festival's 45 features and shorts from 9 countries - 23 screening in their world, U.S. or New York premieres - provide a diverse global perspective on the Jewish experience. Many film screenings will be followed by filmmakers and special guests in onstage discussions.