Artosphere Photo-a-Week - Weekly winner #3

The first ever Artosphere Photo-a-Week Challenge is almost over. We are down to our final week, and the theme for this week is "Music." We are really enjoying all the photos you all have been submitting!

This week's winner, Kelly Leong, submitted this beautiful photo of her interpretation of last week's theme "Sticks."

photo by Kelly Leong

Congratulations Kelly! Once again, it was difficult to pick just one. They were all beautiful!

Get your "Music" photos in this week, it's your last chance to enter the Artosphere Photo-a-Week Challenge!

Sticks, stones, sweat and heART

We are right in the middle of our Artosphere Festival, and while we do have Polyglot Theatre's We Built This City happening in our hall this Saturday, May 19, there is also a lot going on outside our theater!

As part of Artosphere's visual arts component this year, we commissioned two artists to build site-specific installations; Karst artist Massey Burke, and Stickworks artist Patrick Dougherty. Both artists began their residency last week, and what progress they've made these past few days! Of course, they have had help from local volunteers that have dedicated their time (and sweat) to helping both of these artists complete their pieces.

Dougherty and volunteers

Patrick Dougherty installation on Walton Arts Center's Tyson PlazaMassey Burke's "Karst" installation in progressLocal apprentices learning sustainable building techniques while assisting BurkeWalton Arts Center will host an End-of-Construction Celebration for Massey Burke and her Karst project on Saturday, May 19 from 3pm-5pm at the installation on the Nadine Baum Studios lawn. Patrick Dougherty's piece will be finished by the following week, May 28.

If you're interested in learning about artists who work with nature, join us this Saturday, May 19 from 2pm-3pm at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art for a lecture with Patrick Dougherty and Robert Tannen. While the event is free, reservations are required due to limited seating, and can be made by clicking here.

BIG thank you to all the volunteers who are helping bring both of these projects to life on the Walton Arts Center campus. We truly appreciate your help, and could not have done this without your support. Northwest Arkansas truly is a wonderful community!

We need your help building a city!

Imagine...thousands of cardboard boxes, building assistants and the energy and creativeness of a child. The sky's the limit!

This Saturday, May 19, Polyglot Theatre is bringing their interactive program "We Built This City" to the Walton Arts Center stage for two shows; 11am-1pm & 3pm-5pm. Participants are welcome to come and go during the times that they purchase tickets. Tickets are $5 for kids & adults are FREE!

Children are encouraged to participate and help build cities on the Walton Arts Center stage. Polyglot Theatre provides building assistants to help guide the children through the construction process. They create an infrastructure, tunnels, alleys and more during the building activity. Then (we think this might be the most fun part) the kids get to knock it all down and do it AGAIN!

Just take a look at these photos, and you can see how much fun previous participants have had during "We Built This City."

photo by Ludovic des Cognets

photo by Ludovic des Cognets

Walton Arts Center has been gathering recycled boxes from our facilities as well as others to use for "We Built This City," which is a part of the Arts & Nature Festival, Artosphere.

Artosphere Photo-a-Week - Weekly winner #2

Who knew we had such amazing photographers in our community? You guys are really bringing your a-game to the Artosphere Photo-a-Week Challenge! Once again, it was a tough decision this week, but we had to pick one. Drum roll please...Daniel Stadler is our winner for Week 2's theme "Trail."

Photo by Daniel Stadler

Week 3 has begun, and the theme is "Sticks." It's only Monday, but we've already received some beautiful photos for this week! Friday is the deadline for submissions, and you can send them to us through any of these channels:

• Upload them to our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/waltonartscenter)
• Tweet them to us at @walton_arts/#AFphoto
• Email them to photos@waltonartscenter.org

Looking forward to another great week!

Q&A with Diavolo Dance Theater: Part 3

Today we're finishing up our Q&A with Diavolo Dance Theater. We have had so much fun getting to know more about this group of fascinating dancers, and we hope you have as well!

Diavolo will be performing two times this weekend; Friday, May 11 at 8pm and Saturday, May 12 at 8pm. As part of our 10x10 Arts Series, tickets to these performances start at only $10! We hope to see you here this weekend!

Photo by Kristi Khans

CaSon MacBride - dancer

1. How do you explain what you do to people that have never seen a performance or a photograph of your work?

When referencing Diavolo... I tell them i'm apart of an acrobatic dance company. Similar to cirque du soleil but with a more contemporary dance feel. And then I usually pull out my iPhone and show them our demo video.

2. What style of dance is your favorite to watch?

Nothing like watching really great classical ballet and smooth and groovin' first nations powwow dancing.  

3.Who is your artistic icon?

Bill Irwin 

4. Is there any part of Fearful Symmetries that you thought would be impossible to perform?

Jumping from Column to Column.... looks difficult. Though getting into the piece is also difficult ;-)

5. If you were not a performer today, what profession would you have chosen?

If I absolutely couldn't perform... I'd direct or teach. Lead and grow performers. 

6. Have you ever broken anything while performing?

No breaks but my third day with Diavolo I received 7 stitches just below my knee because of a mishap on Traj (the boat piece). And once while rehearsing a site specific piece with another choreographer I dislocated my ankle.  

7. If you can incorporated and object or structure into a performance what would it be and why?

A teepee. I think it would compliment Diavolo's Dreamcatcher and also bring a cultural element to already great work. There are alot of pieces to a Teepee which would make for great props to make choreography.

The poles, the ropes, the canvas... and then there's the structure itself. The idea of living, dancing, playing on something that is created before your eyes I think would be amazing. Not a structure built before the show off stage behind the curtain; but a structure that the dancers have to discover piece by piece and manifest with an audience. 

8. Diavolo: Fearful Symmetries is described as being inspired by surrealism. Are you influenced by any surrealist artists?

My background is in American Indian Dance... I think in order to believe in the supernatural and the magic within everything you have to live in a surreal reality. Sherman Alexie... if you could consider his work surreal would be one. 

9. How does nature impact your artistic process?

Nature is inspiration, calm, home... you can't exclude yourself from nature. 

And nature is simple, unforgiving, fearless. You can distill anything that happens on stage, the life of a performance, to the simplicity of what is found in nature. When you remember that you can look for inspiration to play any role through how "nature survives".  

10. Do you have a personal way that you try to live a more sustainable life?

An aluminum water bottle that I refill as often as is convenient. Turn lights off when I leave (and TV's). Trying to not take advantage of food, resources, and energy while traveling just because someone else is buying. And I use the low flow flush on toilets when I go number 1. 

11. What is your favorite healthy snack?

Pizza & Yogurt... eaten separately.