arts@MIT - News & Announcements




	News & Announcements Visiting musicians to perform works by MIT composers: Nov 22, Dec 3 Guest musicians at MIT will present free concerts featuring compositions by MIT professors Peter Child and Keeril Makan in Killian Hall, (160 Memorial Dr., Cambridge). ML King Visiting Artist Donal Fox helps students bridge musical genres Fusion is not only happening in labs at MIT. In Fox's new Music and Theater Arts class in musical improvisation, MIT students are examining relationships between improvisation, composition and performance from a score. Two geniuses, one work: 'A Midsummer Night's Dream at MIT Dec. 3-4 In a collaboration of unprecedented size and scope, the artistic community of MIT will join forces to present a semi-staged production of Shakespeare's magical play, A Midsummer Night's Dream, accompanied by the complete orchestral music Felix Mendelssohn wrote for the play. Student design contest to fill Lobby 7 plinths Unnoticed to thousands of students, faculty, and tourists passing through Lobby 7 every day, MIT’s iconic William Bosworth-designed entrance has sat unfinished since its construction in 1939. Now, the Class of 1954 is preparing a student design contest to fill the four bare pedestals in the corners of the lobby. Conductor Gustavo Dudamel named recipient of Eugene McDermott Prize in the Arts by Council for the Arts at MIT Open Rehearsal with the MIT Symphony Orchestra and panel discussion moderated by Maria Hinojosa to mark Gustavo Dudamel's award and residency at MIT in April 2010. Blogging about MIT arts CC@MIT combines theater & science Stephanie McGuire '96 Switches to Career in Music Stephanie McGuire sang regularly with her church choir from the age of five. Then, when she was 16, an intense bout of stage fright took her by surprise. "I thought, 'If I can just get off this stage alive, I'll never perform again,'" she recalls. But music kept calling her, even as she studied biology at MIT. 'Tomes & Domes' Opens at Rotch Library Tomes & Domes: Islamic Architecture Collections at Rotch Library opened on Thursday, Oct. 15, in Rotch Library of Architecture & Planning (7-238). The exhibit highlights items from the library’s extensive collection of materials related to architecture and planning in the Islamic world. It features items used in The Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture (AKPIA) and includes photographs taken by MIT students supported by the AKPIA Travel Grant. Marcus Thompson scores musical find in the stacks "There it was sticking out of library shelf at MIT. I had never heard of the piece." That's how Marcus Thompson, professor of music in the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, and the new artistic director of the Boston Chamber Music Society (BCMS) found Penderecki's Sextet for Piano, String Trio, clarinet and horn, which he's programmed for BCMS' Nov. 22 concert at Harvard's Sanders Theater. João Ribas named new curator of List Visual Arts Center The MIT List Visual Arts Center announces its selection of João Ribas as its new curator of exhibitions. Radius Ensemble appointed Alumni Ensemble in Residence at MIT for 2009-2010 The critically acclaimed chamber music group Radius Ensemble has been appointed Ensemble in Residence at MIT for the 2009-2010 academic year. Radius Ensemble will present a four concert series in Killian Hall and collaborate with faculty on other projects including the Ed Cohen Memorial Concert. Cha-Rie Tang '73 & Bruce Hubbard '73: Marrying art & science Artist Cha-Rie Tang '73 zings around the studio she shares with her scientist husband, Bruce Hubbard '73, explaining the process of firing ceramics and glass. 3 Questions: Evan Ziporyn on his new opera ('A House in Bali") In this installment of '3 Questions,' Evan Ziporyn, the Kenan Sahin Distinguished Professor of Music, talks about his new opera, 'A House in Bali,' which is based on a true-life story and combines Balinese and Western musical forms. Wodiczko brings immigrant stories to life for Venice Biennale As part of a major new piece at the 53rd Venice Biennale -- considered by many the world's most important venue for contemporary art -- MIT Visual Arts Professor Krzysztof Wodiczko is using high-definition, large-scale images to give a voice to immigrants from Chechnya, Ukraine, Libya, Vietnam, Sri Lanka and Morocco who seek work in Europe. 2009 Arts Awards Presented Research Profile: Literature (School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences) Research Profile: Music (School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences) Research Profile: Women and Gender Studies (ballads) (School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences) Research Profile: MISTI (dance production) (School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences) Research Profile: Theater (School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences) Community Profile: Janet Sonenberg (Theater) (School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences) Community Profile: Diane Henderson (Literature) (School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences) Community Profile: Michael Ouellette (Theater) (School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences) Community Profile: Helen Elaine Lee (Writing) (School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences) Composer-pianist Donal Fox and writer-actor Ricardo Pitts-Wiley to be visiting artists at MIT Composer/pianist Donal Fox and thespian/author Ricardo Pitts-Wiley have been named Martin Luther King Visiting Artists at MIT for the 2009-2010 academic year. Natural Inspiration: Neri Oxman strives to bring architecture to life When you look at MIT graduate student Neri Oxman's work, it's not hard to believe that she started out as a pre-med student before deciding to switch to architecture. Everything she builds or designs looks organic, as if it had grown like some alien life-form instead of having been crafted by human hands and imagination. Jacquelyn Martino, PhD '06: Art + computation = experimental technology If you asked Jacquelyn Martino when she was seven years old what she wanted to be, she would have told you that she was headed for law school. ATG co-founder Mahendrajeet (Miki) Singh '85 forges a second career in music It's 11 p.m. at Precinct, in Somerville's Union Square. In the bar area, college basketball is keeping fans enthralled as Duke and Boston College battle it out, but in the back room the crowd is there to hear the Singhs, the five-member band fronted by Art Technology Group cofounder and former CEO Miki Singh '85. It feels as if the gang's all here. Singh flew into Boston from his 70-acre Caribbean estate one week ago to rehearse and perform with his Boston-based band members, and lots of old friends have come out to hear them. MIT Dance Theater Ensemble Presents 'Live Action Anime 2009: Madness at Mokuba' How can MIT students bring to life the excitement and eccentricities of anime? The MIT Dance Theater Ensemble will demonstrate the possibilities with its performance Live Action Anime 2009: Madness at Mokuba at the convention Anime Boston on May 22, 2009 (Fri.) in the Hynes Convention Center. The troupe will then take the show to Japan, where they will collaborate with Japanese students to perform the play at Tokyo University of the Arts on May 29-30, 2009. Music at MIT hitting all the right notes The music scene at MIT is among the Institute's best-kept secrets, but it shouldn't be. Scientists and engineers have often been avid musicians -- think of Albert Einstein and his violin or physicist Richard Feynman and his drums. The fact is, music at MIT plays a cathartic role in campus life and displays many of the bold characteristics -- innovation, ingenuity, excellence and creativity -- that lie at the heart of the MIT culture Video: John Harbison discusses music and MIT Students Video: John Harbison discusses composing at MIT Spring 2009 Arts Sampler Wodiczko's Veteran Vehicle Project Projected Voices of Homeless Veterans at Democratic Convention During last summer's Democratic National Convention in Denver, visual arts professor Krzysztof Wodiczko transformed a military Humvee into a work of public art, projecting the words and voices of homeless veterans against silent city walls. New Features on the Arts Website A guide to the new features and links on artscal.mit.edu and web.mit.edu/arts. Video artist Viola samples new technologies at MIT More than 35 years ago, Bill Viola jolted the contemporary art world with a new kind of artistic expression: electronic images and sounds that explored themes of love, death and rebirth. Today, the title "video artist" could be claimed by any kid with a camera, but the label rightfully belongs to Viola, who harnessed the potential of high-definition technology to produce evocative and startling snippets of video for museums and installations. Video: Bill Viola talks about his experiences at MIT Architecture head to build sustainable town in China (Spectrum) Yung Ho Chang spent his childhood in Beijing, often creating buildings and cities with blocks. Now, Chang, the head of MIT's Department of Architecture, says he builds buildings and cities because he must. Artist Jennifer Allora SM '03 profiled in Tech Review When Jennifer Allora listens to music, she perceives more than sound qualities. In the past two years, this accomplished artist and her partner, Guillermo Calzadilla, have created several works that "examine how power, militarism, and war are encoded through sound." Artist Bill Viola named recipient of $75,000 Eugene McDermott Award in the Arts by Council for the Arts at MIT Prize Includes a Weeklong Collaboration with Students and Faculty at MIT. Award to be received at a public presentation by the artist on March 10. Boston Globe: Gondry has 'Warm feelings for MIT' The former MIT artist-in-residence said he was happy to be back in Cambridge, despite the excruciating cold. "It's a perfect environment for me, because it's where art meets science," he said, of MIT. Subscribe for monthly arts calendar MIT Physics Prof. Walter Lewin tests art knowledge Stroll down the sixth-floor hallway of the MIT Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research in Building 37, and you'll see images of the Milky Way in molecular clouds, the Folded-port InfraRed Echellette spectrometer and simulations of cold dark matter caustics. Walk a little farther, and you'll see a Rembrandt, a Hockney, a Picasso and many more reproductions by famous artists ranging from Giotto to Judd. This unexpected burst of art in an enclave of science and technology is the brainstorm of MIT physics professor and art lover Walter Lewin. Media Lab creates Center for Future Storytelling The MIT Media Laboratory today announced the creation of the Center for Future Storytelling, made possible through a seven-year, $25 million commitment from Plymouth Rock Studios, a major motion picture and television studio that is expected to open in 2010 in Plymouth, Mass. Marcus Thompson named director of BCMS Internationally acclaimed violist and Marcus Thompson, Robert R. Taylor Professor of Music at MIT, has been named the new Artistic Director of the Boston Chamber Music Society. Jeff Lieberman's Aha Moment via Arthur Ganson (NPR podcast) Jeff Lieberman (SB Physics/SB Math '00, MS Mech Eng '04; PhD candidate in robotics at the Media Lab) discusses how an encounter with the sculptures of Arthur Ganson at the MIT Museum changed his life. (NPR's 'Studio 360' September 19, 2008) A Conversation with Junot Dìaz: Podcast, Sept 15, 2008 Stratton medal awarded to Margaret McDermott Margaret McDermott HM '90 received the Catherine N. Stratton Medal in the Arts during a reception at her home in Dallas. Q&A with speculative fiction author Neal Stephenson Celebrated author Neal Stephenson, known primarily for his speculative fiction works, visited MIT Sunday to speak to fans and sign copies of his books, including his latest novel, "Anathem." Tales from the crib: MIT assistant, Sally Lee, publishes 20th children's book MIT is home to many published authors, but Sally Lee may be the only one whose target audience is under 6 years old. Lee, an administrative assistant in CSAIL, has just published her 20th children's book, "The Tutu Ballet." Register for Student Art Assn classes on-line MIThBusters: Artists/Athletes/Nerds? Video dispelling stereotypes about MIT. Pulitzer Prize-winner Junot Díaz on 'Colbert Report' Video clip of Professor Junot Díaz's appearance on the July 18, 2008 broadcast of Comedy Central's 'Colbert Report.' The Tech Interviews Professor Junot Díaz The Pulitzer Prize-winning author talks about writing, growing up, and what it's like to teach at MIT. Between Class, Students Blow Glass Beneath the Infinite Corridor, students learn glassblowing and develop community. From MIT Engineer, Acting, and Hazardous Waste all in a Day's Work for MIT Alumna Helen McCreery Each year, a handful of MIT graduates complete demanding requirements to major in theater, music or art in addition to one of the engineering or science disciplines for which MIT is so well known. Not many manage to juggle careers in both fields. Helen McCreery, 23, is following her passion for both environmental engineering and theater arts. Interview with the dean: Deborah Fitzgerald, SHASS (School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences) An interview with Dean Deb Fitzgerald, dean of the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, in which Fitzgerald discusses SHASS's impact on the international-education aspect of MIT and the school's future MIT's Makan wins Rome Prize MIT assistant professor Keeril Makan, a musician and composer acclaimed for his technique of layering recorded and live sounds, has been awarded the prestigious Rome Prize by the American Academy in Rome for 2008-2009. Junot Díaz wins Pulitzer Prize MIT professor Junot Díaz' critically acclaimed debut novel, "The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao," enjoyed another wondrous round of literary praise today, winning the Pulitzer Prize for fiction just one month after receiving the National Book Critics Circle Award for best novel of 2007. Van Zante's photo-essay book looks back at 1867 New Orleans "New Orleans 1867: Photographs by Theodore Lilienthal," a new book of essays on rediscovered photographs of New Orleans in 1867, written by the curator of architecture and design at the MIT Museum, shows how the city tried to rebuild its economy and retrieve its prestige in the aftermath of war. Book critics honor Díaz with top novel prize MIT professor Junot Díaz has won the National Book Critics Circle 2007 award for fiction for his first novel, "The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao." "I'm proud that the invented lives of a Dominican family could reach into so many hearts -- proof positive that the particular is the universal," Diaz told the MIT News Office in an email from Rome, where he is on a one-year fellowship in literature. New Harbison CD released by BMOP A recording of MIT Institute Professor John Harbison's Ulysses--Complete Ballet (1984, rev. 2003) was released on March 1, 2008, on BMOP/sound, the new signature record label of BMOP (Boston Modern Orchestra Project). Video of Jay Silver's "Drawdio" Musical pencil developed as "human touch" project Video of Jay Silver's "Musical Bodies" Project debuted at Boston's Museum of Science's Seamless: Computational Couture Fashion show on Jan 30, 2008) Mary Morwaread Farbood, SM '01, PhD '06: Award-winning harpsichordist creates Hyperscore From a very young age, Mary Farbood's passion has been music."I still remember begging my parents to let me take piano lessons when I was five years old," she says. Happily, they acquiesced when she was seven, and today she's a visiting assistant professor of music and music professions at New York University. Dramashop turned 80, two years after celebrating its 50th season. (But who's counting?) When more than 80 Dramashop alumni returned to MIT in 2005 to celebrate what they thought was the club's 50th anniversary, they were in for a surprise. Some of the club's members brought evidence that a recalculation was in order: anecdotes and memorabilia going back much earlier than 1955. Chris Janney SM '78: Mr. Multimedia (Music + light + architecture) Artist and architect Christopher Janney, SM '78, is a multimedia multitasker. His current workload includes finishing a sound and light installation for a housing development in Leeds, England; designing a 10-story parking garage with colored glass corners in Fort Worth, TX; and collaborating on a performance project with musician Herbie Hancock. Wearing their art on their sleeves: Grad students' fanciful clothing designs reflect emotions MIT students are always in motion, so their projects for the advanced visual design course, Give Me Shelter, featured clothes and accessories to help navigate the gaps between work and home, self-confidence and unease, and under- or over-stimulation The art of communication: Making MIT arts info more accessible MIT is making it easier for students, faculty and staff to learn about the hundreds of energizing performances, lectures and other art events taking place at the Institute. Toy soldier: At play with Barry Kudrowitz, MIT toy designer 'Tis always the season for Barry Kudrowitz to think about toys. A doctoral student in mechanical engineering, Kudrowitz specializes in toys: He plays with them; he designs them; and he pioneered MIT's first course in toy design, now in its third year. Making their own music: MIT students craft their own instruments When some MIT students want to hear the sounds of success, they go right to the source and build their own instruments. And whatever notes emerge, the result is always the same: Hands-on work is its own reward. James Prigoff '47 -- Former executive, now photographer, documents spray-can art John156. Dizney. Blade. These are just a few of the graffiti artists James Prigoff '47 counts among his friends. Prigoff is a world-renowned photographer, author, and lecturer on murals and graffiti, or spray-can art. His love of photographing in public spaces began more than 30 years ago, and "Spraycan Art," the 1987 book he coauthored, has sold 200,000 copies. Alum Ronald C. Wornick donates collection to MFA Ronald C. Wornick SM '60 describes the artwork he has collected as "good friends you welcome into your living conditions." (The Tech, 11/16/07) Bàkks and polyrhythms: sabar drumming at MIT--Rambax, Patricia Tang, Lamine Touré (Soundings, Fall 2007) Rambax is a Senegalese drumming and dance ensemble that studies the art of sabar, a musical and dance tradition of the Wolof people of Senegal. Rambax (pronounced Rahm-bach, a vocal mnemonic for a signature sabar rhythm), was founded in 2001 by Associate Professor of Music Patricia Tang. Value of the Arts: Arlene and Harold Schnitzer say the arts are essential because they help expand the mind (Spectrum, Summer 2007) When Harold Schnitzer was a student at MIT, he rarely had time to visit a museum or attend the symphony. But his interest in art was piqued when, in 1961, his wife opened an art gallery in Portland, Oregon. Alum's passion for drumming turns to steel design (Adam Simha '88) Adam Simha '88 formed his first impressions of MIT as a toddler. That's when he began his frequent visits to campus with his father, O. Robert Simha, MCP '57, who was director of planning at the Institute from 1960 to 2000. Echoes: Rebecca Rice Dance Company (video) The Rebecca Rice dance company performed on campus in a lecture/demonstration recital of dances set to music by MIT composers John Harbison, Institute Professor, and lecturer in music Elena Ruehr. Origami Mens et Manus: fold the MIT seal in 3 easy steps (video) Graduate student Brian Chan demonstrates how to fold the MIT seal "Mens et Manus," his original origami design, and one of the winning entries for the 2006-2007 MIT Origami contest. Grad student revives Rivera's 1933 mural It was perhaps the most famous act of artistic destruction in modern history. After renowned Mexican artist Diego Rivera refused to alter a mural commissioned for the Rockefeller Center in New York City, the painter was sent packing and the 1933 mural demolished. Ben Wood, a second-year graduate student in visual arts in the Department of Architecture, has long been fascinated by murals. He became intrigued with the controversy over Rivera's original commission and the copy the artist later painted in the Palacio De Bellas Artes Museum in Mexico City. Shannon collection shows wit and whimsy MIT Museum receives toys & contraptions created by the 'father of information theory' What's new at the Lewis Music Library? Books and some of the CDs that have been received in the Lewis Music Library so far this month. Mitchell book portrays bold new campus architecture The stories behind the conceptualization, design and construction of the Stata Center and four other major buildings--Kevin Roche's Zesiger Sports and Fitness Center, Steven Holl's Simmons Hall, Charles Correa's Brain and Cognitive Sciences Complex and Fumihiko Maki's new project for the Media Laboratory--are contained in William J. Mitchell's new book "Imagining MIT: Designing a Campus for the Twenty-First Century." Chris Adler '94 premiered new work at Carnegie Hall Chris Adler '94 went to MIT to study mathematics and physics, never imagining that he would become a successful musician and composer. "Music had been a passion and a hobby," he says. "I never intended to go on with it. But then I met and studied with composer and professor Evan Ziporyn. It allowed me to consider music as a possibility, and it just went from there." (Technology Review, March-April 2007) 'N (Bonaparte)' is third in Laura Harrington's war trilogy The winter/spring 2007 issue of TheatreForum magazine, a prestigious venue for new works of drama, will include a script by Laura Harrington, lecturer in theater arts at MIT since 1995. Harrington's play "N (Bonaparte)," which premiered at Boston's Pilgrim Theatre Company in 2005, is a tragicomedy about the deposed French emperor, set on the island of St. Helena where Napoleon is in exile. Among its characters are an Irish doctor, a pandering valet, the dead empress Josephine, Joan of Arc and a lot of rats. For much of the play, Napoleon reposes (fully clothed) in a bathtub. Math major pursues theatrical career Math major Sameera Iyengar '93 initially took a theater course just to fulfill the MIT humanities elective--but her work with Michael Ouellette, now director of theater, changed her focus. "I still loved math," she says, "but the kick I got from theater was something else!" MIT novelist makes his peace with war stories At first glance, Adjunct Professor Joe Haldeman appears to be a man of contradictions--a pacifist who writes about war, a former astronomy major who has spent his career working in the arts. But for Haldeman, the author of dozens of novels, short stories and poems, complexity is what makes life interesting. Building a better violin bow? Sounds good! Diana Young, a Ph.D. candidate in the Hyperinstruments Group of the MIT Media Lab, has developed a new electronic sensing system to measure minute changes in the position, acceleration and strain of a violin bow. The Arts complement life at MIT Alumni Association article, 6/8/2006 MIT poet develops 'seeing machine' Elizabeth Goldring, an MIT poet has developed a small, relatively inexpensive "seeing machine" that can allow people or visually challenged like her, to access the Internet, view the face of a friend, "previsit" unfamiliar buildings and more. MIT World Video Link: Art & Technology Panel discussion with Alan Brody, Associate Provost for the Arts and Professor of Theater; Jay Scheib, Assistant Professor of Theater; Krzysztof Wodiczko, director, Center for Advanced Visual Studies; & Evan Ziporyn, Kenan Sahin Distinguished Professor of Music. Part of a weeklong celebration for the Inauguration of Susan Hockfield as MIT's 16th president (May 4, 2005). MIT World Videos--Media in Transition: The Work of Stories Part I--Migratory Narratives: Why Some Stories Replicate Across Media, Cultures, Historical Eras Part 2--Why are Stories Violent? MIT World Video: Lecture on Swiss Design "The Art of Structural Design: A Swiss Legacy"--lecture by David P. Billington, Gordon Y.S. Wu Professor of Engineering, Princeton University. Lecture showcases the work of Robert Maillart, Othmar Ammann, Heinz Isler and Christian Menn, and illustrates a Swiss tradition of 20th century bridge building. Presented in conjunction with exhibit at the Compton Gallery through December 30, 2004. MIT World Videos--2004 Max Wasserman Forum on Contemporary Art: The University as Patron of Cutting Edge Architecture Presented in celebration of the opening of the Stata Center for Computer, Information and Intelligence Sciences. Part One: Provides an overview of MIT's architectural history as well as the history of campus design in general. Featured speakers: Jane Farver, director, MIT List Visual Arts Center; James Ackerman, Arthur Kingsley Porter Professor of Fine Arts Emeritus at Harvard University; Kimberly Alexander, architectural historian. MIT President Charles Vest shares his insights about the Stata Center and overseeing one of the most ambitious building initiatives in MIT history. Part Two: Architecture Professor William J. Mitchell, head, MIT Media Arts and Sciences leads a lively and insightful panel that features two Pritzker Prize Laureates-- Frank Gehry and Robert Venturi. News archives Press Release archives