(SCENE) Announces "Epicenter," an exhibit of Lansing-Area Artists, Opening Friday June 27, 6-9 PM

Thunderstorms, computer crashes, new art, oh my!

Despite some setbacks of the "life happens" variety, (SCENE) will unveil our latest exhibit "Epicenter" on Friday, June 27 with a public reception from 6-9 PM featuring new works by seventeen artists from the Greater Lansing area. Epicenter's call-for-entries resulted in a flood of excellent submissions, and the gallery is filled to the brim with the creative output of artists Josh Ardis, Juanita Baldwin, Dorothy Brooks, Tim Casey Jr., Kerry Clark, Chris Corneal, Jillane Dumdei, Jessica Klumpp Held, Jane Kramer, Tim Lane, Randy Maidlow, Alex Nichols, Tiffany Norman, Mike Pixley, Jules Schmuker, Sally Martin Stewart, and Krys Tourtois. Based on the number of overall artist entries, we could hold 2 or 3 area-specific exhibits like this in a row. It underscores our curatorial conviction that Lansing, despite its sleepy industrial surface, conceals an undertow of vision and talent we would be more than happy to drown in.

As such, we have appropriated and repurposed the image of a grenade to symbolize the exciting potential under our noses. This original graphic was created by Chris Van Wyck of Ciesa Design. Once an image of violence, the only violence this new right-brained grenade intends is against the notion that there is "no good art" in mid-Michigan. In fact, there is so much good art in mid-Michigan that we have no hope of fitting even a fraction of it in our gallery! Naysayers, receive your come-uppance!

The opening reception will feature musical performances by local folk-indie favorites Falcorps as well as turntable veteran DJ Chris Clark.

An Evening of Music featuring THE POOR SOULS / STEVE LEAF / DALI ROCKET: Saturday July 19

THE POOR SOULS
STEVE LEAF
DALI ROCKET

SATURDAY JULY 19
8:00 PM
ALL AGES $5
(doors at 7:00)

An Evening of Music featuring FATHER TIME / THE NOVEL CITIZEN / ALTIMIRA: Saturday July 12

FATHER TIME
THE NOVEL CITIZEN
ALTAMIRA

SATURDAY, JULY 12
8:00 PM
ALL AGES $5
[doors at 7:00]

EAST LANSING, Mich. — The City Of East Lansing’s alternative art and performance space (SCENE) Metrospace will host an evening showcase of music featuring Rochester, MI-based band The Novel Citizen, local post-rock instrumentalists Father Time, and Philadelphia-based experimental jazz artists Altamira.

The Novel Citizen plies a unique, trombone-augmented groove that falls between angular post-rock and funk, recalling The Pop Group on the one hand and Talking Heads on the other. This young band brings energy and chops to original compositions that suggest a midnight meeting between Joy Division and James Brown, steeped in indie-rock history and percolating with interlocking rhythms.

Father Time, a band that cut its teeth at (SCENE) Metrospace over a year ago, returns with a superb EP (the self-released “Married To The Sea”) and another one on the way. With hints of Explosions In The Sky and Godspeed You Black Emperor, Father Time’s compositional approach balances intrigue and textural darkness with melodic, chiming guitar lines and saxophone textures.

Altamira, an experimental indie-jazz outfit led by drummer Ricardo Lagomasino, combines “a flurry of touches that reminds me of Denardo Coleman with the impact of late 80's speed metal." (Mike Long, Black Lodge Productions) Lagomasino holds a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Performance from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. He is currently working with Joe Lally of Fugazi, when not helming Altamira or contributing to the like-minded combo Capillary Action.

More information can be found at http://www.myspace.com/ricardolagomasino, http://www.myspace.com/thenovelcitizen, and http://www.myspace.com/fathertimemusic.

An Evening of Music featuring THE HALLOWS / AMERICAN MARS / DRUNKEN BARN DANCE / SPITZER SPACE TELESCOPE: Saturday June 28

THE HALLOWS
AMERICAN MARS
DRUNKEN BARN DANCE
SPITZER SPACE TELESCOPE

SATURDAY JUNE 28
8:00 PM
ALL AGES $5
[doors at 7:00]

(SCENE) Announces The "3D / 4D" Exhibit, Opening Friday, May 2

East Lansing's alternative art space, (SCENE) Metrospace announces an upcoming exhibit of artwork which engages time and physical space.

The exhibit, which will be displayed May 2 - June 15, 2008, is titled “3-D/4-D,” and will focus on three-dimensional and four-dimensional works of art: shapes in time. The gallery’s interior space will be occupied by sculpture, kinetic artworks, and hybrid artworks that explore notions of time, change, and physical space. Sculptors and multi-media artists included in the exhibit include Steve Baibak, Mark Chatterley, Zabby Cox, Deon Foster, John Lindenmayer, Dan Marsh, Robert Park, Janel Schulz, Tom Sheerin, Craig Mitchell Smith, and Lisa Truax.

An Opening Reception will be held the evening of Friday, May 2, from 6-9 PM featuring food and refreshments by Mama Bear's Cafe and audio/visuals by djtor2.

slideshow

Limited Edition (SCENE) T-shirts Are Here!

[above, Ande models (SCENE)'s new limited edition fundraising T in front of Ryosuke Cohen and Michael Mosher's "Brain Cell #693"]

(SCENE)'s community-based T-shirt design contest is still ON! Our idea to have online voting buttons is taking some time to implement. We sincerely thank all the T-shirt artists who've turned in designs and who've been patiently waiting to see the voting bgin. And while we wait for technology to catch up with our bold ideas, we've released a limited edition of 100 T-shirts featuring the "Return To Sender" exhibit on the back and a sharply inclined (SCENE) logo on the front. [actually there are only 99 available, I've reserved one for myself -- Peter] We hope to periodically release limited-edition commemorative shirts, and "Return To Sender" featured some world class postal artists so we've selected it to be the first of a series. [you can click on the image above for a closer look!]

The Return To Sender T is available on white 100% cotton in all sizes at (SCENE) Metrospace for $15, with all the proceeds benefitting (SCENE)'s mission to display cutting edge and emerging artforms. You can stop in to the gallery to get yours (cash or check only), or drop an e-mail to scenemetrospace [at] gmail [dot] com for further details!

Call-for-Proposals for "Epicenter:" An Exhibit Entirely Drawn From The Lansing Area

(SCENE) Metrospace announces a call-for-proposals for an upcoming exhibit of artwork entirely drawn from the Greater Lansing area. All artists over the age of 18 are invited to submit proposals. Proposals will be accepted through Friday, May 30, 2008.The exhibit will be on display at (SCENE) Metrospace from June 27 - August 17, 2008. Artists are invited to submit any number of pieces for consideration.

Artists may submit works in any media including but not limited to: sculpture, performance, video, sound, graphic design, photography, collage, painting, installation, and drawing. Artwork in any media or any combination of media will be reviewed. (SCENE)’s focus will be on selecting an exhibit that represents the best in alternative and cutting-edge art the Lansing area has to offer.

Entry materials must include a current artist's biography and/or artist resume, as well as an artistic statement for the proposed artwork(s). Proposals should include photographs of actual or representative works, or digital images on a CD mailed to the address below. No slides please. There is a $10.00 entrance fee per proposal for this exhibit. Checks payable to “The City of East Lansing,” with “(SCENE) Metrospace” in the memo line are due with submission. Entry materials are due Friday, May 30, 2008 in order to be considered for the exhibit (submissions with missing information cannot be considered). Artists must also include a SASE for the return of their materials. Early submissions are encouraged.

For more information, contact Peter Richards at (517) 319-6832.

(SCENE) Metrospace
c/o Peter Richards, director
410 Abbot Road
East Lansing, MI 48823

Transparent Exhibit opens Friday, March 7

EAST LANSING, Mich. - East Lansing's alternative art space, (SCENE) Metrospace announces an upcoming exhibit of artwork themed around the word “transparent.” Fifteen artists from the Lansing area and all over the United States responded to this word with over 40 works of art exploring all aspects of transparency, from the physical to the emotional.

The exhibit will take place from March 7, 2008 through April 20, 2008. There will be a public artists’ reception Friday, March 7 from 6-9 PM, featuring live musical performances from Dixon’s Violin and DJ FRESH:BACE.

Artists featured in the exhibit include Okemos-based photographer Juanita Baldwin, Pullman WA-based painter Brad Dinsmore, Nacogdoches TX- based printmaker Chad Erpelding, Chicago-based mixed media-artist Jennifer Hines, Big Rapids-based mixed media artist Jill Jepsen, Grand Rapids-based printmaker Kimberly Lavon, New York NY-based photographer William Linn, Pullman WA-based multimedia artist Heather McGeachy, East Lansing-based graphic designer Kelly Salchow, East Lansing-based photographer and printmaker Jules Schmuker, East Lansing-based painter and sculptor Cedric Tai, Lansing-based painter Krys Tourtois, Lansing-based painter Anthony Vasquez, Pullman WA-based photographer Tobias Walther, and Ann Arbor-based sculptor Adam Winnie.

(SCENE) Metrospace is located at 110 Charles Street, in the lower level of the colorful Division Street parking structure. (SCENE) is open Thursdays from 2-5 PM, Fridays and Saturdays from 2-9 PM, and Sundays from 12-4 PM during scheduled exhibits. For more information, please contact Peter Richards at (517) 319-6832.

ROBERT COLLAZO GRADUATE RECITAL, Sunday April 20

(SCENE) is launching a Sunday Evening series: This time each week has been set aside for students of all levels from Michigan State University's Music College to perform recitals and conduct workshops. We are pleased to announce our first installment of this series:

Robert Collazo
in Graduate Recital, Saxophone

[2 part program that will explore the relationship between Jazz music and Motown. It will feature new arrangments and compositions by Robert Collazo, Stevie Wonder, and many others.]

Featuring:

Ben Williams on upright and electric basses
Mike Jellick on keyboards
Michael Zurmehly on drums
Andy Wilson on harmonica
Ashton Moore on vocals
John Cassidy on drums
...and others!

7:30-9:30 PM

Please join us in supporting the endeavors of MSU's music scholars.