DIVA Center News- October, 2008

Major Photography Exhibit at DIVA. DIVA's first national traveling exhibit, "Rhapsody in Black and White" the photographs of Charles "Teenie" Harris, continues through November 22nd.

Gallery Talk: "Rhapsody in Black and White". Professor Deborah Willis of the New York University Tisch School of the Arts discussed the photography of Charles "Teenie" Harris before a full house at DIVA on Friday, October 17th.
Harris's photographs, now on exhibit at DIVA, reflect African-American urban life in the mid-20th century from the Depression to the Civil Rights Movement, from children playing on a hot day to celebrities like Louis Armstrong. His ability to capture the story with a single photograph earned him the nickname "One Shot".
Professor Willis, one of the nation's leading historians of African American photography, is the is the co-curator of the "Rhapsody in Black and White" touring exhibit of Charles Harris' work currently on view at DIVA through November 22nd.

Choreographer Ron Brown at DIVA. Ronald K. Brown, director and choreographer of his Evidence contemporary dance company and co-curator of the Charles "Teenie" Harris photo exhibit, visited DIVA on October 26th. He, and members of his dance ensemble introduced "One Shot" scheduled for performance at the Hult the following day. "One Shot" is dance performance based on selected photographs from the collection now on exhibit at DIVA.
Brown founded Evidence, A Dance Company, in 1985. The group focuses on the fusion of traditional African dance, contemporary choreography, and spoken word.
The performance of "One Shot" concluded a series of events that included workshops with middle school children, University master classes, and other arts education activities while in Eugene

Avery Clayton Hosts Film Series. Avery Clayton, President and Chief Executive Officer, of the Mayme A. Clayton Library and Museum (MCLM) in Culver City, California spoke at a DIVA Gallery Talk about "The Evolution of the Mayme A. Clayton Library and Museum (MCLM): From a Backyard Collection to a Major American Cultural Institution".
     The MCLM holds one of the largest collections of materials related to African American Culture. This rich historical resource all began with a personal collection of material by Mr. Avery's mother and once occupied home, garage, and storage facilities around Los Angeles until it was all brought together as a museum and library in Culver City.
     Avery Clayton is leading the effort to preserve and share the Mayme Agnew Clayton Collection of African American Culture and History. A goal is to advance research, public edification, and establish the Mayme Clayton Library and Museum as a research and education center. The facility has become a repository for endangered African American collections; a museum for contemporary art; and a media center for film and live-performances.
   While in Eugene as the guest of DIVA Member Thomas Blank, Mr. Clayton hosted a three night festival of Early African American Films that he selected from the Clayton Museum.

Happy Anniversary DIVA! The Downtown Initiative for the Visual Arts recently celebrated its fifth anniversary when members and friends were invited to attend the Center's annual membership meeting to help celebrate this special occasion.
    DIVA opened its doors on November 3, 2003. Over the past five years it has become a center for regional visual arts exhibits, arts education, and a west-coast venue for time-based and media art programming.
    The Downtown Initiative for the Visual Arts (DIVA) is a not-for-profit Center. Its' mission is that of a catalyst for bringing artists and the community together in an on-going dialogue about the creative process through the visual arts.
    DIVA encourages the community to visit and enjoy its six exhibit galleries, media arts programming, art talks, and educational opportunities. The slide-show at left provides an overview of all the activities that take place throughout the year at the DIVA Center.

Join DIVA's Volunteer Cadre. DIVA is a volunteer based organization and the service provided by its cadre of volunteer assistants has made it an outstanding downtown center for the visual arts. If you have only a few hours a week or many to offer as a volunteer, DIVA would like to hear from you. The Center is looking for individuals interested in serving as Gallery Hosts to greet patrons during the Center's open hours and provide information about DIVA's many programs and opportunities. Volunteers to assist with events, receptions, and other activities are also needed. If you have an interest in film and performances there are needs for individuals to help manage events. There are also special receptions and programs at which food and beverage servers are needed. The Center is also in need of specialized services including administrative assistance and graphic design. Interested? Contact the Center's Exhibit Director for more information. Or, visit the Volunteer page on DIVA's web site.

Youth Visions Teen Video Challenge Registrations Due. DIVA's 2009 Youth Visions Teen Video Challenge celebrates the work of young videomakers in Lane County. Each year teens submit work that is reviewed by a panel of video professionals and educators. Those videos that demonstrate the most creative, effective and skillful responses to the call for entries will be screened and awarded prizes at a special session at the January 2009 OpenLens Festival held at the DIVA Center in Eugene. Winning videos will go on to be shown at other festivals and events as part of a 2009 Youth Visions Festival compilation.
DIVA's 2009 Youth Visions Teen Video Challenge announces a call for short narrative, animation, music, experimental, or documentary videos. The challenge is open to all youth ages 13-18 living in Lane County. The entry registration deadline is November 4th, 2008. Final video submissions must be received by December 1st, 2008. Visit the Teen Video Challenge website for full details and registration forms.

DIVA Center hosts Punto y Raya Film Festival. At 1:00 PM on Sunday, November 16th, Buenos Aires–based artist and organizer Nöel Palazzo will host and introduce an engaging selection of contemporary experimental animated films in which artists from England, Spain, Germany, Japan, the United States and Canada explore graphics, abstraction and synesthesia.
The program has been culled from the most recent Punto Y Raya Festival, held September 2007 in Madrid, Spain. Featured will be 13 dot-line films that survey the currents of "visual music" with films by Chris Casady, Joaquin Gil, Danielle Ye, Laurie Gibbs, Tom Jobbins, Bret Battey and many others.
Films submitted for this festival had to be void of figuration and narrative. Any kind of illustration and analog or digital animation technique could be used. Submissions were also to be void of texture and patterns but could make use of color and gradients. The soundtrack had to be non-narrative.

The Art of Teaching the Arts: A Workshop for High School Teachers. Teaching the arts is, as one might expect, an art in itself, and teachers young and old alike will find much to engage their attention on this delightful website. Created as part of the Annenberg Media's educational resource website, this site offers an eight-part professional development workshop for use by music, theater, dance, and visual art teachers. The site includes all eight of the one hour programs, and visitors just need to complete a free registration form to view them in their entirety. The programs all include demonstrations, sample activities, and other pedagogical elements. Visitors should note that the programs include titles like "Developing Students as Artists", "Creating Rich Learning Environments", and "Fostering Genuine Communication". The site also includes support materials and "Channel talk", which is the email discussion list for this set of workshops. Learn More.

Bring Oregon's artists into the classroom. Kids love art. They love to draw, sing, dance and perform. They love using art to express their creativity and personality and to explore their world. Teachers also love using the arts to engage and inspire students, to bring out their creativity, and enhance their learning experiences.
That's why OPB has brought together this collection of over 100 video profiles, selected from the OREGON ART BEAT television series, featuring some of the best musicians, dancers, writers, photographers, and visual artists in the state. For each profile, our team of curriculum writers has developed arts-focused lesson plans with related activities, resources and projects to help teachers bring the arts into their classrooms and get kids engaged in learning and creating.
Explore the collection of video clips and lesson plans by discipline, grade level, integrated subject or artist name. All of the lesson plans are available to view online and print and have been correlated to the Oregon Content Standards for the Arts. Each lesson plan includes tips on modifying the activities to fit different classroom needs. The video clips are available for you to stream or download to your desktop. Read more about Art Beat at School.

News of Area Non-Profit Arts Organizations: