Things of Beauty (clearly the eyes of this beholder are f**ked up!)

I was interviewed the other day. For an article about Artsy Schmartsy. Go figure, someone thought it might be newish-worthy.

The interviewer asked me primarily about my desire to learn more about art that I have talked about on this very blog and have slacked on kicking off because I'm a loser who hasn't scheduled any art lessons with the artists who volunteered to help me. (To save some face, I've been busy trying to finish my book for Arcadia Publishing called "Milwaukee's Live Theater" that will be really cool and become the perfect thing for every single man, woman and child in the metro Milwaukee area to buy very soon.)

In any event, one of the questions she asked me was, "What's beauty?"

Okay, brace yourself. My answer is not one for the feminists out there. I couldn't even stand myself when I answered it in my head, to tell you the truth.

My knee jerk reaction to what beauty was resulted in a quick rewind of all the ladies in my life that I've taken a shine to on a "more-than-friends" basis. Yep, I thought about naked girls.

I'm a pig. I know. But I admitted it to my female interviewer and we shared a laugh. At least I thought it was a laugh...maybe she was choking. So, that's cool, right? I'm more of a piglet if I admit my oinkiness, right?

When I was leaving the interview, my inquisitor gave me a book called "Let's See" by Peter Schjeldahl (who apparently writes arts essays for The New Yorker, though I have never caught that since I'm always so concerned about winning the cartoon caption contest.)

Hours later, I flipped open the front cover of this book and started to read the first essay titled...Karmic moment here, folks...BEAUTY. It's full of good writing, witty observations, and niceties about what the hell beauty might actually mean.

But I wasn't somehow satisfied. I know that a slideshow of my naked lovers doesn't really cut it for the ultimate definition on beauty, so I decided to do something proactive.

I created a Flickr group!

Yes, I have succumbed to answering all of life's questions through Flickr. What I have done is create a group called THINGS OF BEAUTY. It's purpose is to exist so that anyone can post pics of things they call "things of beauty."

I've started the thread, and you'll see that I don't have one red rose or baby chick in my collection. Here's a slideshow so you can see what I'm talking about.



If you want to join this Flickr group just click the link THINGS OF BEAUTY or go to http://www.flickr.com/groups/thingsofbeauty/. I've included the slideshow in the "to-the-right" layout of Artsy Schmartsy so we can all see on an evolving basis what folks think is beauty. (Sorry, no nakie shots of my wife or former gal friends will make it in there, sickos.)

And once I get it together in the next couple of days, you can expect THINGS OF ART coming your way. Wait until you hear what my Rorschach test reaction is when I'm asked, "What is art?"

Check out FOOTLIGHTS.COM

Footlights, Milwaukee's answer to Playbill, has a new website. It's big, it's fairly comprehensive, and for those of you who can't get enough of him, it has John McGivern videos.

Check it out. It's kind of cool. And Footlights is 20 years old, so it's nice to drop in and say, "Hi, oldie!"

IN:SITE...that's what you should check out this weekend. No doubt.

Yes, there are tons of things to do things weekend artsy wise. Just link click away at this list and you'll be more than full of art this weekend:

•Next Act Theatre's production of LOMARDI: THE ONLY THING is still going, and is now extended by popular demand. Yahoo! Love the extensions.

•The Skylight's production of LA BOHEME is, I am told, a winner. Also, you might want to check out the blog Barihunks to see why the Skylight's Marcello, Texan Michael Mayes, was mentioned on as one of opera's sexiest baritones. Mayes is also a hell of a Texan barbeque master and he recently visited my back yard and made it look at smell like a cattle round up. Which is a good thing that will will get some electronic ink from me soon.

•RIPPER! closes at The Alchemist Theatre and it's just bloody good fun. Who doesn't love them a serial killer play?

•The Rep play factory is in full tilt and you probably can check out 60 or 70 shows there this weekend. (I'll be at the 4:00 PM Saturday showing of I AM MY OWN WIFE to see Michael Gotch's many faces while he wears a subtle, conservative black dress, so if you see me say, "Hi, Artsy Schmartsy!").

•sfSound is in residency at UWM this weekend making much noise as part of the UNRULY MUSIC SERIES.

•Add LOVE'S LABOURS LOST at Milwaukee Shakespeare and GOSSAMER at First Stage and you got yourself a full weekend.

But the thing to see this weekend is IN:SITE.

IN:SITE is just more awesomer than the most awesomest thing I know. For the past six months they have been "curating" public art installations in the Sherman Park area. I don't know if you've driven through the Western corridor of North Avenue recently, but a street lined with homies in hoodies isn't necessarily the first place you think of as a public art destination. But look what I found at the corner of 39th and North (with a couple of homies in hoodies standing in a doorway nearby, mind you).





That's Eriks Johnson's murals for "Road Closed/Path Open". Me like.

You need to support IN:SITE by checking out how it is having a fabulously positive effect on the community it is in with it's temporary art exhibits right now. Here's the lowdown about this weekend from the IN:SITE website:

IN:SITE Fall 2008 Opening Event
Saturday, September 27th from 1:30-4:00pm

Events include:

* 1:30-2:30pm – Reception at Sherman Park Community Association (3526 W. Fond du Lac) with all the artists discussing their work. In addition, Claire Odishoo, Director of the Northwestern Mutual Art Gallery at Cardinal Stitch University, will talk about Eriks Johnson's wall painting.

* 3:00-4:00pm – Artists will be at their installations to answer questions. A map of the installation sites will be available at Sherman Park Community Association and Sherman Perk Coffee Shop.

* Eriks Johnson with "Road Closed/Path Open" at 3901 W. North Avenue.
* Bridget Frances Quinn at Sherman Perk Coffee Shop with "I've just seen a face" (4924 W. Roosevelt).
* Kamryn K. Boelk with "I'll take one of each; wrap it to go" near the northwest corner of Sherman Boulevard and Burleigh in Sherman Park.
* Stephanie Davidson and Georg Rafailidis with "Public Heat" at Sherman Park Community Association. These two artists will travel from Germany to install this heat-sensitive project.

Again, IN:SITE. IN:SITE. You do that this weekend, you're cool.

The Great Schlep--do it Jew friends!

Add Sarah Silverman to my hard crush list. Not like she hasn't always been on there. Duh.

This makes me wish that my Florida retired grandparents were still alive. And that they were Jewish. And that I wasn't Catholic. But I digress. (Thanks to the ever genius Clyde Fitch Report for showing me what to steal for a posting.)

What to write about today?

Should I write about how I find it hard to reconcile the fact the Hank Paulsen, the man who is probably going to get Congress to give $700,000,000,000 (God, look at all those zeros) to the financial market to "save the world", is also a huge tree hugger who supports the Nature Conservancy in a big way?



Should I write about John McCain rushing to Washington to help right the world financial crisis just because he doesn't really know all that much about the world financial ways and means and wants to avoid talking about it in a debate?



Maybe I'll write about Sarah Palin really representing with Katie Couric on the CBS Evening News and showing us all that she truly is Caribou Barbie.



Maybe it's time to say that the news that Clay Aiken is gay really isn't news because we just all assumed he was gay and that the only ones who are crushed by this are a couple of fag hags who thought they had a shot with the cool crooner.



Perhaps it's time to say, "Huh? Wha? Duh?" about Tom Barrett presenting a "balanced budget" and his "preferred budget" to the Milwaukee Common Council?



Nah, I think I'll just mention that art is still alive and well even though it seems like it's Crazy Week in Crazy Town, USA. See?



Crap. Just crap. It's one of those weeks folks.

You wanted it, you got it! A formal invitation to sit down with The Cultural Alliance of Milwaukee!

Seems like eons since I started this conversational thread, but now, once and for all, there is a clearly defined meet up scheduled with The Cultural Alliance of Milwaukee, where you can ask, "What is it The Cultural Alliance of Milwaukee does?"

Consider yourself invited. Now show up and don't shut up.

Anyone within reading distance of Artsy Schmartsy is welcome to attend. But you have to give me an RSVP by e-mailing me at jonathanwest@artsyschmartsy.com. In that e-mail tell me who you are, if you are coming alone with with a date or two, and throw any questions that you might have about The Cultural Alliance out to me just so I can get a vibe about what we're going to be yapping about.

Here's the 411 on the who, what, and where:

DATE: Monday, October 6
TIME: Noon-2 PM
PLACE: Marcus Center for The Performing Arts 4th Floor Rehearsal Hall A (enter from the Marcus Center Office entrance on State Street)

Who will be there?

Me, Christine Harris, Executive Director of The Cultural Alliance, a Board Member from the Alliance, and, I really, really, really, really hope, you.

How often do you get a chance to have an open door Q&A session with an agency that you find puzzling? This should be, as always, FLEARNING (that's FUN LEARNING, of course.)

E-mail me today at jonathanwest@artsyschmartsy.com with your response.

I'm on Lake Effect this morning!

Look at those attractive radio people. No "faces for radio" come to mind when looking at Mitch Teich, Bonnie North, and Dan Harmon. Clearly they are the sexist staff of a local public radio show trafficking in interesting talk for interesting people.

Today, I lend my voice to the Lake Effect effort with one of my frequent contributions. This one is about sending my daughter back to school. Tears, I tell you, tears. (Of joy, of course.)

Give it a listen now. The show is on from 10-11 AM in Milwaukee on but you can also stream it live here. Which is even cooler.

Holy Joe! Wowzie, yowzie Rep fans!

Now this is more than a little professional tidbit about administrative change at Milwaukee Rep, this is a tidal change.

Joe Hanreddy is leaving Milwaukee Rep, too. Wow. Floor me.

It's undeniable that the combo of the successful artistic director and managing director of a big artsy institution like The Rep is big news. Think about what that means at Milwaukee Rep.

It means that soon two new perspectives will be in town to guide The Rep. That means any and all ideas that are coming in will be new.

The Rep is a unique company in terms of large regional companies. Unlike most other theater companies in our country, The Rep still employs a resident company of actors. This has been the cornerstone of the company for years and years. It has also been a benefit and a deficit in terms of artistic quality (good companies know each other and have a special artistic shorthand, burnout, complacency and trying to fit a square peg in a round hole can be a side effect of having the same group of actors as your starting lineup). But anyone has to think that in a shifting cultural landscape, where all artists need to think outside the box, things like a resident company at The Rep might be reexamined by two new artistic heads.

Whatever the case, I think the Milwaukee theater community is in for some thrilling times ahead. I still recall the energy that Joe lit under the community when he came into The Rep nearly 15 years ago (it was my first season as the assistant to Managing Director, Sara O'Connor). These changes ahead bespeak some new enthusiasm and the possibility of radical new ways of doing things over at 108 E. Wells Street that will spill out into the rest of the theatre community.

In the face of all this, let's all take our hats off to Joe. He has shown himself to be a great leader, a consummate artist, and a superb Artistic Director. I'm certain that his impact on the artistic life of our community will be felt for years to come, and we should all be grateful that we had him while we did.

Here's to you Joe. You're a hell of a guy, and you have done a hell of a job.

Me on a Jones Soda Bottle Label...duh!

Have you ever had a Jones Soda? Damn, they are good. Made with pure cane soda, too. None of that corn syrup. Just good teeth rotting sugar.

I want my Artsy Schmartsy eyes on their label. You can help.

Jones Soda prints labels with photos submitted by folks like me and you (well, okay, obsessive folks like me, I don't really know about you).

All I'm asking is for you kind readers to click through to Jones Soda and vote big.

I'm thinking it's a perfect 10.

Pleasing me with my eyeglasses on a soda bottle could be considered your good deed for the day.

Again, all you gotta do is go to Jones Soda and vote for the Artsy Schmartsy label.

Vote hard! Drink much!

One of the good guys goes bye-bye

I always liked this guy.

This guy, for those of you who don't know, is Tim Shields, The Milwaukee Rep's Managing Director. But he keeps that title for only a few months as The Rep announced yesterday that Tim has been appointed Managing Director of McCarter Theatre in Princeton, NJ as of January 1, 2009.

That's a great opportunity for Tim. No doubt. But a bittersweet loss for our community.

I have some knowledge of the Managing Director lineage at Milwaukee Rep, so this is a big news issue for me. In the early 90's I had the great fortune of working as the assistant to legendary Sara O'Connor, the Managing Director of Milwaukee Rep for over twenty years. For a month or so, I also was Dan Fallon's assistant, the poor guy who had to come in after Sara and try and keep up with all that she brought to the job of Managing Director. I never got to work for Tim, but I sat in plenty of meetings with him over the years and I learned much about leadership and integrity.

From Tim I learned that it's good to fight for things to be better, even when you ruffle some feathers. I learned that honesty and candor are qualities that should be applauded. Tim is a guy who can be deadly serious one moment and then cracking a joke the next. He's a man of vision who helped his institution remain strong during some tricky times. And no, I'm not trying to get him to hire me at McCarter, I just think highly of the guy and think The Rep and the Milwaukee cultural community were lucky to have him.

So goodbye, Tim Shields. Eat wings at Chuck's in Princeton when the business of managing a mammoth theater gets to be too much, and all will be good.

Now, the question is: WHO WILL BE THE NEXT MANAGING DIRECTOR OF MILWAUKEE REP?

This is not an unimportant question at all in terms of the cultural life of Milwaukee and this region. The woman or man in charge of the administration of the biggest theater in our state will have influence on this community. I wonder what the future will bring.

And you? Any thoughts on the qualities you think are important in the new Managing Director of Milwaukee Rep? Or do you think they should just look good in a suit?

Hockey mom, my ass

This one from my good pal Chad Larget. A fine laugh for the Obamanaut in me. A terrifying feeling when I actual think about how much trouble that Sarah with a capital S for "safe sex has no place in my family unit" potentially means in this election year.

Art things to pass your time between binge drinking!

GARDEN VARIETY

Armoury Gallery has an open tonight from 7-11 for their new show, "Garden Variety." In any of the PR materials about the show, you'll read things like "relationships with the physical and imaginary world", "cultural study", "quiet meditation", and "symbolic imagery".

Let's call a spade a spade...it's a show about dirt, people and things that need to be watered.

Which, by the by, is awesome. I look at my withering tomato plants and weed ridden lawn juxtaposed against my neighbor's nicely manicured parcel of green space and it makes me appreciate this show hugely. I mean it's got "relationships with the physical and imaginary world", "cultural study", "quiet meditation", and "symbolic imagery". Oh, shit, I'm starting to sound artsy. Just see the show. It looks really great and if you hit the reception tonight you'll get to meet artists Joseph Sinness, Erika Olson, and River Bullock. And meeting artists is always good for the soul.

When and where: Opening night reception tonight (9/5) from 7-11 PM, but then the show will be ongoing through October 4th. Armoury Gallery, 1718 N. 1st Street 3N3. For more info call 414-265-2806 or visit www.thearmourygallery.com.



PRESENT PAST

Present Music will be presently opening their season on Saturday at Turner Hall Ballroom. No tumbling, I think, but much engaging stuff for any audiophile.

I don't really even know what to make of a concert that boasts

"Post-Classical Music Party, Fencing & Ballroom Dance Demonstrations, Your Mother Dances Dancers Dance, Hee-Haw, John Adams' Son of Chamber Symphony, Vaudevillian Spectacle Delivered Through Crackling Victrola Veneer of Hand-built Copper Microphone, and Other Astonishing Surprises...

but who cares. This isn't the Jonas Brothers, and that ain't a bad thing for Milwaukee (or any city, for that matter).

Also, The Scarring Party will be on hand. If you don't know them, you should. They are weirdly, freakishly grand.

Since it's the season opener, you can believe there will be some partying going on pre and post show. And you know what partying with musicians means...massive hangovers the next day and a high probability of getting some play. What's not to love about this show?

When and where: September 6. Turner Hall Ballroom, 1034 N 4th Street. For more information call 414-271-0711 or visit www.presentmusic.org.

The Cultural Alliance will not date me without a chaperone

You may have read this comment on the my post titled Cultural Alliances...are they more than something you see on a fly ridden beach on reruns of "Survivor"?:

Jonathan, in light of all that you say here on your blog and the questions posed by your readers, I believe it is in the best interests of the cultural sector to have an open dialogue about the role and work of the Cultural Alliance rather than a private session between the two of us. That way the conversation will be transparent and available to all interested.

Therefore, I am posting two invitations to you and your readers. First, I would be happy to meet with anyone you choose to invite in a session at a location of your choice at a mutually agreed time. Second, I will extend an open invitation through your blog to our general listening session which will soon be scheduled for the latter half of October at Bucketworks.

Christine Harris
Cultural Alliance of Greater Milwaukee

Damn. Artsy Schmartsy has been faced by the Cultural Alliance.

I guess being in the same room alone with me is a scary prospect. It's not the first time someone has felt this way, so I'm sure I can get over it.

I am curious to understand what "the best interests of the cultural sector" means, though. Please friends, I need some help. Let's push some more paper, shall we!

Anyone have a spot we can host this transparent conversation? I'm thinking we need two hours. I believe there are lots of questions Artsy Schmartsy readers have, and Christine has given an open invitation for a dialogue between her and youse all. And frankly I'm kind of excited to hear readers ask their own questions in their own full throated way. Should be probing and fun.

Shoot me an e-mail at jonathanwest@artsyschmartsy.com if you want to donate your space for some cultural dialogue. We'll work on the time once the space question is handled.

And I'll be sure to post info about the general info session that Christine mentions at Bucketworks in October once that becomes available. For now, I'll cross out my Tuesday meeting with Christine Harris on the old day planner. Maybe I'll spend that time exploring the cultural sector. As soon as I figure out what that is, of course.

I can't even...

...make a joke about the matriarch of this clan.




It would be too easy, when you see things like this...



or this...



or even this...



No. No jokes. When someone like Rick Santorum says this:

“The fact that it is front page news means that the mainstream media thinks it is going to hurt Sarah Palin--it’s going to hurt with social conservatives--and the bottom line is just the opposite. It’s going to help. Social conservatives are not puritanical. They are not people who think people don’t sin, that we don’t do things wrong, that the kids don’t make mistakes. But the question is, what do you do when that happens? And what she did, was she stayed true to her values. She loved her daughter. She loved her granddaughter or grandson, and she embraced it and brought in her future son-in-law. And she did exactly what we would hope we would all do in that situation and I wonder if it might even galvanize social conservatives further around here because this is a woman under another difficult circumstance who stood up for her values and was consistent with them and that is a beautiful thing.”

There's nothing funny about this gal. Or the GOP. Or this election.

I'm not pushing any agenda, but watch those guys like Santorum. They'll get you every time.

Cultural Alliances...are they more than something you see on a fly ridden beach on reruns of "Survivor"?

A while back, I asked, "Just what is it the Cultural Alliance of Milwaukee does?"

You also asked questions related to my question. Need proof? Here are some of your probing thoughts:

* I would like to know the difference between UPAF and the Cultural Alliance and what are some of this organization's goals.

* Since this is NOT a fundraising organization...who is paying the salaries of the staff?

* Ask Christine (Christine Harris, the Executive Director of the Cultural Alliance of Milwaukee) what her salary is, and ask her if she feels that she deserves it. No, really.

* Ask what they plan on doing with all the detailed financial information they want all the arts groups to send them.

* Ask if the monies currently used to fund the Cultural Alliance would be better used if equally distributed to all the arts groups in MKE.

* Do we really need another group whose mission (from what I can tell) is to justify the arts' existence to people who couldn't care less. At some point can we all agree that the arts have a purpose? Now, if they could get us more exposure and funding- that would be something!

* As soon as you find out what the Cultural Alliance does, please, please let me know. I called them about a legal matter that could affect the entire theatre community and they "just didn't have the staff" to pursue it. I'd love to know what they have enough staff to do.

From the tenure of these questions I can deduce that readers of Artsy Schmartsy kind of have a chip on their shoulder about the Cultural Alliance of Milwaukee.

And, from my insider knowledge as a member of the local arts community, I also know that many of my fellow colleagues carry that chip, too. The prevailing thought is that this group is just another paper pushing supposed do-gooder collective that forces countless surveys and excel spreadsheets into the work flow of already overworked arts group employees.

Now we all have a chance to find out what's what.

I'll be meeting the Christine Harris, Executive Director of the Cultural Alliance of Milwaukee, on Tuesday, September 9 to get the heart of the matter.

So, you got questions, I have the means to get answers. Post your question here or e-mail them to jonathanwest@artsyschmartsy.com.

I'm like a vulture for culture on this one.

I'm back, let's shake off the summer and get to work!