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Graphic
achievement: award-winning Flora.
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Picture
Book
The
list of winners for this year’s American Graphic Design Awards
includes Jennifer Wilkerson of Aurora Design in Niskayuna,
and local photographer David Brickman. The two were awarded
for excellence in communication and graphic design for their
collaborative work on the book Flora, a 20-page collection
of Brickman’s photographs.
Sponsored
by Graphic Design: USA magazine, the 25-year-old award
competition has emerged as one of the most prestigious in
the nation. Flora was up against nearly 10,000 other
entries in the competition, less than 10 percent of which
were named winners by the distinguished panel of judges.
Wilkerson, who worked on layout and design elements of the
book, claims that the beauty of Brickman’s photographs, and
the high production value of the book, combined to make Flora
a work worthy of recognition. “We really worked hard at capturing
David’s images. It’s a real artist’s piece,” she says.
Brickman, who’s interested in exploring page-to-page sequencing
and the poetic connection of images, says that a theme of
growth unifies the images in Flora. The prize-winning
publication features colorful photographs of landscapes and
cityscapes from Europe to the streets of Albany.
While winning an American Graphic Design award doesn’t involve
any prize money or anything more tangible than a paper certificate,
both Brickman and Wilkerson are proud of their achievement.
“It’s always a big deal to be recognized for your hard work,”
says Wilkerson.
Flora,
as well as Brickman’s first book, Neighborhood, which
Wilkerson also had a hand in designing, are available at area
bookstores.
—Paul
Hamill
Come
to the Cabaret
As
part of a continuing mission to broaden its arts offerings,
the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, in North Adams,
Mass., will soon make it possible for a small, intimate audience
to watch movies and drink beer. Or have dinner and enjoy a
band. The former B-10 Theater is being reinvented as Club
B-10, which will be home to both a new cabaret performance
series and a regular film program.
The B-10 Theater, which hosted theater productions and musical
performances in a traditional setting, is currently being
completely remodeled into something considerably funkier.
“It’s
a great two-story factory room with huge windows, which we
decided to totally rip apart and start again,” explains Jonathan
Secor, MASS MoCA’s director of performing arts. “We’re putting
in an upper lounge with balcony seating,” he notes, adding
that there will be a new, small stage with cabaret-style seating—tables
and couches—as well as a full bar and full food menu. Secor
says, “We want to create a fun atmosphere and present artists
we are really excited about.”
The idea is to present acts not necessarily appropriate for
the main stage. The new Club B-10 will seat 160 people. In
this regard, Secor hopes that “we can have a little fun with
programming.” Better-known acts—such as Suzanne Vega, who
recently sold out the 800-seat main stage—will still be scheduled
for the main stage, more formally known as the Hunter Center.
The new space will complement this programming. Upcoming performers
in the Alternative Cabaret series include Shannon McNally,
Living Colour frontman Corey Glover, and alt-bluegrass outfit
Luther Wright and the Wrongs.
Thursday evenings will be reserved for movies, as Club B-10
will be transformed into a “Cinema Lounge.” The first film
series—a program of music documentaries—will begin Dec. 19
with D.A. Pennebaker’s seminal Bob Dylan documentary Don’t
Look Back. Other films in the series include Strange
Fruit, the story of the Billie Holiday classic; This
Is Spinal Tap; and the gospel celebration Say Amen,
Somebody.
It’s all part of MASS MoCA’s plan to be a year-round arts
center serving what Secor calls “our own tri-state area,”
meaning western Massachusetts, eastern New York and Vermont.
He explains that with Club B-10, “we want to create a fun
atmosphere.”
—Shawn
Stone
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