PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
Arts and Humanities Council of Tuscaloosa County, Inc.
Contact: Kevin Ledgewood
205-758-5195, x6
DOYLE LAWSON AND QUICKSILVER WITH OPENING ACT
THE GREENCARDS AT THE BAMA THEATRE
(Tuscaloosa) The Arts and Humanities Council of Tuscaloosa County will present award-winning bluegrass band Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver in concert on August 26, 2010 at 7:30 p.m. The performance will take place at the historic Bama Theatre, 600 Greensboro Ave., in downtown Tuscaloosa with The Greencards opening the concert.
Tickets are $26 general admission and are available by visiting www.brownpapertickets.com . Call 205-758-5195 for further information.
The Hampton Inn will be sponsoring the event.
Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver
Publicity Contacts:
Josh Trivett
(626)893-5216
Joshtrivett@aol.com
The face of bluegrass music changed forever in 1979 when Doyle Lawson formed his groundbreaking band, Quicksilver. The Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver sound- which emphasizes smooth, intricate, astonishingly perfect vocal harmonies, innovative song arrangements, and stunning instrumental work- has been a model for countless progressive bluegrass bands since the 1980s and 90s. The Gospel Quartet style is the mainstay of the group's repertoire, and Lawson has discovered and revitalized obscure material from old hymnbooks and early records.
Among the ensemble's many awards are the Dove Award and numerous Grammy nominations plus the International Bluegrass Music Association's Vocal Group of the Year 2001 - 2007. The group has toured extensively having performed in Canada, Europe, the British Isles, North Africa, the Middle East, and Central and South America. They have been featured on ABC's Nightline, the Nashville Network, and the Americana Network.
Band members are Doyle Lawson- Mandolin, Guitar, and Vocals; Josh Swift- Dobro, Percussion, and Vocals; Corey Hensley - Guitar and Vocals; Carl White- Bass, Piano, and Vocals; Joey Cox- Banjo and Guitar and Jason Barie - Fiddle.
The Greencards
Publicity Contacts:
Mitch Schneider, MSO
818.380.0400 x235 mschneider@msopr.com
Todd Brodginski, MSO
818.380.0400 x239 toddb@msopr.com
Donica Christensen, Sugar Hill Publicity
615.297.6890 donicac@sugarhillrecords.com
Drawn together by a common passion for creating inspired newgrass acoustic music, The Greencards crossed continents to collide deep in the heart of Texas, quickly making a name for themselves in the Austin music scene. South London native Eamon McLoughlin was classically trained through London's Royal School of Music and first played country music professionally at 13. A keening, high lonesome sound and a desire for permanent work drew him to Austin in 1997. There, he served as a member of the Asylum Street Spankers, the Austin Lounge Lizards and the touring bands of Ray Wylie Hubbard and Bruce Robison. In addition, he found session work with Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Peter Rowan, Tony Rice, Robert Earl Keen, Alejandro Escovedo and Kelly Willis.
Raised in Coff's Harbour, New South Wales, Carol Young was nominated for best female vocalist and best new talent by the Country Music Association of Australia (CMAA). Young also enjoyed two No. 1 Australian singles in 2000 ("True Blue Fool" and "Part of the Past"), which landed her the Australian independent country artist of the year award.
Kym Warner, from South Australia's capitol Adelaide, was a four-time national mandolin champion of Australia (1994-1997), earning a scholarship to the acclaimed bluegrass program at South Plains College in Levelland, Texas, along the way. His "Mando on the Mainland" was nominated for instrumental of the year by the CMAA in 1999. Warner was also a member of Kasey Chambers' touring band, which played at Austin's annual SXSW festival near the end of her 2001 world tour. The fertile musical climate he discovered in Texas had a profound effect on him.
Shortly after arriving in Austin, the duo from Down Under began crossing paths with McLoughlin. In 2003, they recorded their debut album Movin' On with guitarist Pat Flynn and drummer Kenny Malone. In 2004, they toured throughout Texas and across the U.S. As a result of their energetic live shows, they were named best new band at the Austin Music Awards and nominated as best new emerging talent at the Americana Music Awards. Throughout the year, they appeared at numerous festivals, including SXSW, Merlefest, Strawberry and Austin City Limits Festival and opened for Keen at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.
In 2005, they issued their second album, Weather and Water on Dualtone Records -- in the midst of a tour of summer ballparks, opening for Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson. A third album, Viridian , was released in 2007.
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
Arts and Humanities Council of Tuscaloosa County, Inc.
Contact: Kevin Ledgewood
205-758-5195, x6
ARTS COUNCIL NAMES NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
EDUCATION DIRECTOR VACANCY ALSO ANNOUNCED
(Tuscaloosa) Pamela Penick, Executive Director of The Arts and Humanities Council of Tuscaloosa County, recently announced her upcoming retirement from the position she has held since August 1998. Following the submission of applications by potential candidates and the interview process, the committee in charge of filling the position selected Sandra Wolfe, the current Director of Educational Programs for the Arts Council, to replace Penick.
During her tenure as Director, Penick lead such projects as the 1998-1999 Capital Campaign, which provided funding for the purchase of new carpet in the Bama Theatre and projection equipment for the Silver Screen Movie Series (est. 1999). Various renovations also took place during this time period including backstage upgrades in the theatre and improved lighting and new wall carpeting in the Junior League Gallery. Other programs/projects established during Penick's time as director include Jubilation magazine (est. 2000); the Bluegrass, Big Bands and More performing arts series; the Double Exposure photography competition (est. 2004); and the Jewish (est. 2003) and German Film Festivals. Penick will continue her association with the Arts Council as a member of the Board of Directors and will remain involved in the upcoming Allen/Jemison Restoration Project. It has been a great pleasure to serve the arts community for over a decade, notes Penick. It has been very rewarding to bring back movies to the Bama, to work with the many artists that we have brought to the Bama stage, and to work with a fabulous Board of Directors. I wish Sandy all the best. I know our programs will be in good hands, and she will give the guidance necessary to move the Arts Council and the Bama Theatre forward into the next decade.
Wolfe, a graduate of the University of Louisiana Lafayette and Capital University, has been employed as Director of Educational Programs since 1998. During this time she administered and served as creative director of the Arts Council's Bama Fanfare series, revived its arts education outreach program, SPECTRA, and established the Artist-in-Residency program. Wolfe coordinated Alabama State Council on the Arts programs for local schools such as the Visual Art Achievement Awards and Poetry Out Loud. She has contributed to arts education locally and statewide through the Black Belt Arts Initiative Community Arts Partners in Pickens County, served on ASCA grant review committees, served as a consultant to local arts educators, and has written and received numerous grants for the Arts Council. Serving as the Council's liaison to Westwood Elementary in the Adopt-A-School partnership, Wolfe coordinated Westwood Art Month at the Bama, Westwood Cultural Arts Day and oversaw various award programs at the school. I am proud of the many things that the Arts Council does within the community and am honored and excited to lead this organization in the future. I believe that the arts are important to the life and vitality of a community and the lives of its citizens. The potential of a new arts center is very exciting as the Council moves toward creating our own space to draw in the community. I look forward to working with the staff, Board of Directors and the arts organizations throughout the community.
Wolfe's appointment as Executive Director has left her former position as Director of Educational Programs vacant. The deadline for applications for the position will be announced in the upcoming days. Those with experience in arts education/administration with an emphasis in the visual arts are encouraged to apply. For more information about the position call Sandra Wolfe at 205-758-5195, x4.
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PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
Arts and Humanities Council of Tuscaloosa County, Inc.
Contact: David Allgood
205-758-5195, x5
BAMA ART HOUSE MOVIE SERIES CONTINUES JUNE 8
(Tuscaloosa) The Arts and Humanities Council of Tuscaloosa County will again bring new and unique film to the West Alabama area with the second run of the Bama Art House Film Series. The series will feature eight films, each screening one night only. Opening the series, the film Greenberg will screen on June 8, 2010 at 8 pm with an opening reception at 7 pm. Discounted complete series subscription tickets are available at www.brownpapertickets.com/event/112414 ($40 adults/$30 students and seniors) and individual tickets will be available at the Bama box office prior to screenings ($7 general/$6 students and seniors/$5 Arts Council members).
The mission of the Bama Art House series is to bring current and contemporary independent film to Tuscaloosa, transforming the historic Bama Theatre into a cinematic Art House one night a week. For complete information and a chance to view trailers from each film, visit the site at www.bamaarthouse.com or join the Facebook group, Bama Art House Film Series.
Bama Art House Series:
(Each film is one night only)
Greenberg June 8
The first film of the series this year is Noah Baumbach's new comedy Greenberg . Baumbach's work ranges from his 1995 debut cult classic Kicking and Screaming , to more recent fare like the critically acclaimed The Squid and the Whale , and 2007's Margot at the Wedding . Baumbach's films all have a very esoteric and conversational feel and are all very funny in their own way. He has a knack for the nuances of American speech, and Greenberg , starring Ben Stiller, is no different. True to form like his other work, A.O. Scott of the New York Times calls it, "The funniest and saddest movie Mr. Baumbach has made so far, and also the riskiest."
The Secret of the Kells June 15
The Secret of the Kells was nominated for an Oscar in the Animated Feature category this year. An Irish-French-Belgian co-production, the film has some serious pedigree - especially since the producers of the film were attached to The Triplets of Bellville , another independent animation critical hit from 2003. The critics have been raving about Secret since it first made its way to the U.S. "A glorious throwback to the more stylized, painterly work of decades past," says Kenneth Turran of the L.A. Times . "The kind of vividly colored, fanciful pictorials that are usually confined to the small-scale realm of animated shorts."
The Ghost Writer June 22
The Ghost Writer , directed by controversial figure Roman Polanski, is a thriller starring Ewan McGregor, Pierce Brosnan, and Olivia Williams. Polanski is noted for his attention to the directing process and the patient pace he's brought to films from Chinatown to The Pianist . As Roger Ebert says about this one, "Polanski at 76 provides a reminder of directors of the past who were raised on craft, not gimmicks, and depended on a deliberate rhythm of editing rather than mindless quick cutting."
The White Ribbon June 29
The White Ribbon , the German critical smash that won the Palme d'Or at Cannes last year, is the fourth film in the summer series. This greatly anticipated film has been hailed not only as a critical success but also as a kind of socio-political touchstone. Peter Travers of Rolling Stone says, "Shot in stunning black-and-white by the gifted Christian Berger, The White Ribbon is a toxic blossom of images that burn into your memory." But he also warns, "Don't let anyone tell you too much about this spellbinder from Austria..."
A Prophet July 6
A Prophet , the explosive French gangster film that won the grand prize at Cannes, is the fifth film of the summer series. The story revolves around a young Arabic man sent to prison and his gradual transition into a mafia kingpin. Another critical success, Manhola Dargis of the New York Times calls it, "One of those rare films in which the moral stakes are as insistent and thought through as the aesthetic choices." A brilliantly acted, smart midsummer gangster film from France.
The Secret in Their Eyes July 13
The Secret in Their Eyes , the surprise Best Foreign Film this year at the Oscars, is the sixth feature of the summer series. This Argentinean murder mystery has been heralded for its rapid pace, tight plot and old school thriller properties. Bob Mondello of NPR labels the film "A taut murder mystery with a political conscience.
No One Knows About Persian Cats July 20
An Iranian movie about indie-rock, the film focuses on a group of young rock and rollers that want what every young person with a guitar wants: to turn it up and make it loud. Their goal is easier said than done in Iran. The film, which maintains an almost documentary feel due largely to the fact that the two leads are playing themselves in roles and situations that are basically based on real events, also had its debut at Cannes. Persian Cats , from the well known Iranian director Bahman Ghobadi, is also a critical success, with Ann Hornaday of the Washington Post writing, "Ghobadi has emerged as a filmmaker whose gift for poetic realism was only equaled by an unerring sense of precisely when and how to break the viewer's heart."
Please Give July 27
Nicole Holofcener's Please Give , ends the summer series with a light American indie comedy. Starring Catherine Keener and Oliver Platt as a husband and wife duo who run an antiques store in New York City, the film is a study on what's commonly called "white liberal guilt" but what might be better described as that amorphous feeling of wanting to help but being too completely incompetent and self absorbed to do any real good. Though it may seem at first that Please Give divides people between the selfish and the guilty, with a few normal folks around the edges, that does not turn out to be the case," writes Kenneth Turran of the L.A. Times . "This is a film that focuses on the tiny moments of connection and consolation that sustain us in a hard-edged world because they are all we have."
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