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campus arts
‘People Get Ready’ showcases pieces from Nasher permanent collection By Ashley Kwon Staff Writer
In the Nasher Museum of Art’s new exhibition, viewers discover a contemporary photograph next to ancient Greek artifacts, and even find reflections of themselves on mirrors behind pictures from the 1960s. On Sept. 1, the museum opened its new exhibition, “People Get Ready: Building a Contemporary Collection.” Organized by Trevor Schoonmaker, deputy director of curatorial affairs, the exhibition displays works mainly by underrepresented artists throughout history to shed light on their forgotten messages and stories. It extends into the Wilson Pavilion. All of the displayed works in exhibition come from the collection that the museum has built throughout the past 12 years. While some works are new acquisitions, others even date back to the days of the Duke University Museum of Art. “The exhibition represents a culmination of all of these years of collecting, and we finally have a critical mass of works that can be put together in a full pavilion,” Nasher Director Sarah Schroth said. Deriving its name from a 1960s soul song inspired by the civil rights movement, the exhibition reveals the museum’s particular interest in integration of diverse identities into artworks and representation of artists of color in the contemporary world. The artists of the works range from a relatively less known Native American artist whose work recently got discovered to more prominent artists of color like Fred Wilson. “It’s important for us here at Duke as an institution of learning to be considering and celebrating all identities and perspectives,” Jessica Ruhle, director of education and public programs, said. “Within the city of Durham, it is [also] important for us to be showing works that more broadly reflect our community.”
In the exhibition, works such a family tree with figures composed of images cut out from magazines and a life size portrait of a woman with her face covered with a T-shirt draw viewers’ attention. Such potent works engage visitors into conversation topics that they do not often discuss in their everyday lives. “[The works]...become the reasons for conversations that can be very civil,” Ruth Caccavale, lead gallery guide and museum educator, who will be leading tours of the exhibition, said. “[They] bring people out of their comfort zones, but not in a way that is so confrontational, because people expect to look at [works] of art and discuss [them].” Frequent visitors of the museum may discover that some of the works in the galleries have previously been displayed. In the current exhibition, the works are put into different conversations with new artworks that the public have never seen. Such juxtaposition not only provides insight into the works that the Nasher values, but also reveals the ways in which social changes influence the kind of works that are created and shown. “[The exhibition] does allow the viewers to see a work with a new eye and reconsider what maybe is an old favorite from the Nasher’s collection alongside a new piece that either we have added or have not installed in the past,” Ruhle said. “Those conversations [among the works] can also reflect what has changed within society… and how we interpret any particular work and pairing within galleries.” The ways in which artworks are organized in the exhibition also deliver strong messages to viewers; seeing pictures from the civil rights movement attached to mirrors and a school desk made up of erasers in the same room brings into question whose history gets to be told, while others’ get forgotten.
Meanwhile, “People Get Ready” is the museum’s bold attempt to put its contemporary collection into conversation with its historical collection. For the first time in the museum’s history, visitors will find a painting by a contemporary African American artist and European old master paintings in the same gallery. “In the past, the historical collection seemed a little disconnected from the contemporary collection,” Wendy Hower, director of engagement and marketing, said. “And now, I feel like it is easier to tell the story of the Nasher Museum and why it is unique, because the contemporary works are now, for the first time, in conversation with the historical works.” Such a new move will allow visitors
to connect artworks from diverse time periods and countries. The exhibition also accentuates the importance of discovering aspects that the historical collection could not reveal on its own such as the continuing influence of European colonialism in AfricanAmerican artworks. Directors and educators agreed that they want visitors to discover conversations among artworks by artists from different backgrounds, while establishing personal connections to the works. “My hope with visitors in any of our galleries is that they will find ways that the art connects to their own experiences and with [those ways], the art allows them think about, consider and reflect upon the experiences of others,” Ruhle said.
Photo Courtesy of Nasher Museum of Art The displayed works in the exhibition come from the museum’s collection, built throughout the past 12 years.
ON THE COVER FALL 2018
ARTS PREVIEW
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1. Photo from the film Madeline Anderson: I Am Somebody, showing at 7 pm in the Rubenstein Arts Center. Part of Visible Spectrum: Experimental and Documentary Cinema, a new annual film series presented by Duke’s Screen/Society. 2. In Accord with Established Arrangements, Julie Janus Walters, Choreographer. From the Duke University Dance Program’s spring dance concert, Choreolab 2018. Photo by Alec Himwich.
3. From One Hurricane Season, an exhibit by Tamika Galanis, centering around the representation and history of her native Bahamas. On display at the Center for Documentary Studies Thursday, October 11-Sunday, February 17. 4. Hassan Hajjaj, Nisrin, 2010/1431. Metallic Lambda print on 3mm white Dibond, painted wood, and aluminum cans. 53 1/2 × 36 3/4 in. (135.9 × 93.4 cm). Now on display at the Nasher Museum of Art through January 6, 2019. 5. The Duke Jazz Family Weekend Concert will feature Carol Sloane, jazz vocalist. Photo courtesy of the artist. 6. Duke Theatre Studies will present Dancing at Lughnasa, directed by Professor Ellen Hemphill, November 8-18 in the Sheafer Lab Theater. 7. Duke Music presents Jennifer Curtis, violin & The Melodic Refuge Orchestra, a free concert on September 14 at 8pm in Baldwin Auditorium.
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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2018 | 3
Nasher exhibit explores social complexities of the Piedmont By Abbey Milwicz Contributing Writer
With fall colors rolling in and pumpkins around every corner, leafpeepers from across the country will head to North Carolina’s Piedmont to marvel at the extraordinary transformation of the countryside. This Piedmont region – from Charlotte to Raleigh – will celebrate the glorious southeastern American feats of nature. “Across County Lines: Contemporary Photography from the Piedmont” will be featured in the Nasher Museum of Art from Oct. 4 to Feb 10. As a culmination of 39 artists’ hard work and dedication to the people of North Carolina’s Piedmont and expressing 45 years of culture, this exhibition aims to present the remarkable intimacies of everyday life to viewers. The exhibition opening will take place Oct. 6 with refreshments and live music. “The subject matter includes everything from portraiture to landscape, still life, politics, gender and identity issues, activism, immigration, Americana, abstraction and both local and foreign current events.” wrote Molly Boarati, assistant curator for the Nasher Museum of Art. “Hopefully there is something in the exhibition that speaks to all students as individuals.” Passion and persistence manifest themselves through each artist’s work. For many, their work represents a piece of their own story as well. Kennedi Carter, a featured artist and Piedmont resident, welcomes the opportunity to represent her community and the marginalization it experiences. “This is the only place that I truly know,” Carter said. “ In photojournalism and fine art, or really any type of art in general, you want to tell stories and other
people’s narratives – you need to be able to connect with that story. You’re not just telling someone else’s story, you’re telling your story too. The Piedmont region is what I connect to and what I know – it’s where my story is.” The diversity in the artwork reflects the complexity of the region and the artists. Artist Titus Heagins, a Duke alumnus and Piedmont resident, aims to capture individuals as part of their own complex story which applauds diversity. “So essentially what I would like people to come away with is the idea that the greatness of America, the potential of America, comes from all backgrounds: socially, racially, economically, politically, and we need to think about that when we start giving out the resources of this country and making sure all people get access,” Heagins said. “Photography is about capturing an instant. It’s very brief. I think that the important thing is, because of the iconography that’s within the image, people can glean information about what the photograph is about or what the story is about.” For Boarati, the excitement from working with such a diverse group of artists stems from their influence on each other. To experienced older artists, working with the younger artists they inspired speaks to the support this community provides. The culmination of art forms and perspectives offers a unique view of the range in perspective. “I think the range [of years] contributes more examples of analogue photographs, in addition to the more ubiquitous digital photographs today. The older photographs give a glimpse of the past, before undergraduate viewers were born, and provide a sense of what photography
from the region looked like a few decades ago,” Boarati wrote in an email. Older photographs give a glimpse into the rich history and tradition of the region and contribute valuable insight into the growth and lack thereof. Photography provides the perspective to try and see beyond difference and into the complex reality of the community. Heagins’ work will feature images from the Durham community spanning 15 to 18 years. He is one of many to offer not only the glimpse into a rapidly changing community, but also the perspective to connect the past to the present. “I believe that what my goal is is to visually confront people who may never encounter – or at least may encounter
under different circumstances – people of otherness so that they can consider their humanity and understand that we’re all part of this world,” Heagins said. With a broad expanse of artwork showcased at the exhibition and an array of unique perspectives showcasing a variety of realities, “Across County Lines: Contemporary Photography from the Piedmont” allows the community to tell its story. “A lot of the time the only people telling [the] narratives are people that can’t relate to it or it’s just not their story – they’re just trying to project what they see visually or promoting ideas that they’ve encountered through media,” Carter said. “It’s important to be able to control the narrative and that’s something I’m trying to do.”
Photo Courtesy of Nasher Museum of Art Titus Brooks Heagins’ “Kevin and Desniq” from “Durham Stories.” Heagins’s work is featured in “Across County Lines.”
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4 | WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2018
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Inaugural art and tech fair allows students to try out new tools By Sydny Long Student Life Editor
When the Rubenstein Arts Center opened last spring, the student body was promised that the new building would be a place for artistic exploration, a hub for interdisciplinary discovery and collaboration. Since then, the Ruby has covered almost every artistic base from the moving image to dance, and has collaborated extensively with other departments at Duke to allow students to marry artistic mediums with topics as wide in scope from prosthetic engineering to computer programing. This integrative spirit is present in the upcoming Art + Tech Fair, a joint effort by Duke OIT and Duke Arts to combine cutting-edge technology with the arts in order to produce uniquely multidimensional exhibits and demonstrate how printers and lasers can be harnessed for creative projects. “We hope that students will have an ‘aha’ moment Photo Courtesy of Rubenstein Arts Center at the event — to show them how fellow students have The Ruby has allowed students to marry artistic mediums with topics as wide in scope from prosthetic engineering to computer programing. used technology tools to be creative,” said Jeannine Sato, communications strategist for Duke’s Office of Information Technology, who coordinates the technological portion of the event. “Because technology can sometimes feel intimidating, we think an open-house where students can try out the tools with a little help from staff opens the door to coming back with their own ideas.” Even though she represents the “Tech” half of the fair, Sato is eager for students of all backgrounds and disciplines to experiment with the technology provided. “The event is absolutely for the entire student body… OIT specifically works with a lot of engineering and computer science students, and they are amazing. But we also want students in arts, humanities and social sciences to know there is something for them too.” Sato is especially excited for the fair’s experimental, “crowd-sourced” exhibit: a chandelier made of laser-cut wood pieces and added to the project by attendees. “We have no idea if it will work,” Sato admitted, “But we are excited to try and that’s what it’s all about.” The crowd-sourced chandelier perfectly encapsulates the synergy at work in both the Ruby and the pop-up exhibits that will be present during the fair. Attendees will be allowed to test out a range of 3D printers, which have been provided by the Duke student organization eNable, a group that focuses on using 3D printing technology to produce cheap prosthetics for amputees. Other exhibits include the use of novel techniques, such as micro-controllers to bring watercolor paintings to life and lucid digital instruments played using gestures. Organizers hope that by introducing students to these technologies in a faculty-led, low-pressure environment, they will be encouraged to integrate them into other projects and undertakings at Duke and continue experimenting with all of the technology that the university has to offer. Katy Clune, arts communication specialist for the Office of the Vice Provost for the Arts, is optimistic about the fair’s ability to familiarize students with these new technologies. “My hope is that students will leave the fair knowing what tools are available to them. Knowing what you can do with the laser cutter, for example, might lead to a dynamic class project years later!” Clune is confident that both art and tech will be equally represented at the event, despite Duke’s tendency to focus more on the sciences. “Creativity and innovation are essential for both art and technology—and in both fields, the maker is often trying to design a solution to solve a problem or communicate an idea,” she said. “At the Art + Tech fair, students will be able to learn about the tools they can use for any kind of creative project, and just knowing the different resources available at Duke will be inspirational.” Regardless of a student’s background or exposure to technology, the Art + Tech Fair promises to be an exciting experience for attendees. The range of exhibits that will On view through January 6, 2019 be presented — spanning from 3D structures to video installations — is likely to spark a conversation and stir up interest in the groundbreaking technological processes harnessed to bring artwork to life. As the Ruby’s second major foray into interdisciplinary crossovers — the first being “Art of a Scientist”, which was held over the summer — the fair is the perfect vehicle for emphasizing the collaboration going on behind its doors. Genevieve Gaignard, Front Line (Nothing to Hide) (detail), 2017. Chromogenic print, 34 × 48 inches (86.4 × 121.9 cm). Once the fair is over, there will be plenty of opportunities Collection of the Nasher Museum. Gift of Jennifer McCracken New (T’90, L’94) and Jason G. New (L’94). Image courtesy to create, experiment, and develop using new technology of the artist and Shulamit Nazarian, Los Angeles, CA. © Genevieve Gaignard and artistry, especially within the Ruby. People Get Ready: Building a Contemporary Collection is supported by the Nancy A. Nasher and David J. Haemisegger “In the end, we want to promote creative expression Family Fund for Exhibitions; JoAnn and Ronald Busuttil; Lisa Lowenthal Pruzan and Jonathan Pruzan; and Karen M. and problem-solving,” Sato said. “Art and technology together are perfect vehicles for that.” Rabenau and David H. Harpole, M.D.
Admission is always free for Duke students.
The Art + Tech Fair will be held at the Rubenstein Arts Center on Wednesday, September 12 at 6:30-8:30 pm.
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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2018 | 5
Experimental documentar y screenings come to the Rubenstein By Miranda Gershoni Contributing Writer
When most people think of documentaries, a very clear image comes to mind: talking heads, facts and figures, experts seeking to prove a certain truth. There may be variations of this form, but the word “experimental” usually doesn’t come to mind. However, sometimes the best works of art break the rules. This fall, Duke will welcome the works of 18 artists who push the boundaries of documentary filmmaking. “The Visible Spectrum,” a free screening series of experimental documentaries will be shown at the new Rubenstein Arts Center every Tuesday night at 7 p.m. from September 4 through October 2. This inaugural program was the creation of Shambhavi Kaul, assistant professor of the practice of filmmaking in the Department of Art, Art History & Visual Studies, who wanted to bring together the perspectives of different artists to explore the world of experimental documentaries. The program was partially born out of Duke’s MFA program in Experimental and Documentary Arts (EDA), which is comprised of a large scope of artists, including filmmakers, photographers and sound artists. Kaul said she was interested in the intersection of experimental and documentary film because of the unique opportunities and conversations they can create. “Both practices may seem to have limitations, but I think it’s interesting when you bring them together because it opens up opportunities for really generative conversations,” Kaul said. The nature of experimental film opens up opportunities that may not be possible with more mainstream genres of film. Each of the artists use several unique mediums to make their stories come to life, including found footage, digital manipulations and the use of paint and scratched frames. While experimental film may seem abstract and difficult to decipher, Kaul
highlighted that all it takes is the courage to tell a story in an unconventional but powerful way. “The most important part is figuring out the story you want to tell, and the experimental part is figuring out the means to get there. It’s a slightly different order of operations but it’s the same concept as other modes of film.” The program will feature guest curators each year that add to the cohesive artistry of the program. This year’s curators are Chi-hui Yang of the Ford Foundation and Jon-Sesrie Goff of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, both of whom have experience both in producing and curating film and photography. Goff’s experience at the Smithsonian helped him discover and protect social movements through preservation and restoration. This perspective along with his participation in the MFA program helped Goff hone his unique perspective on art and film. Goff said he believes that the awareness he carries with him today was partly a result of his time at Duke. “The MFA program attracts the type of student who draws inspiration from other films,” Jon-Sesrie Goff said. “It gives you the freedom to experiment in a holistic way, to take risks with storytelling, to be able to use data in different ways, to allow it to inform your decision-making practice.” The program seeks to draw an intersection between the nonfiction aspects of documentary film and the more abstract, storytelling capabilities of experimental and narrative filmmaking. The carefully chosen works are meant to come together to humanize facts and figures and in doing so elevate social justice movements. “The works in this program represent the kinds of interventions I think we need in political and social discourse,” Yang said. The first screening will feature the work of Madeline Anderson, which tells the story of American race relations from the perspective of
Photo Courtesy of Screen Society This fall, Duke will welcome the works of 18 artists who push the boundaries of documentary filmmaking.
black women. While not as well known as other famed filmmakers, according to Goff, Anderson deserves to be recognized for her incredible legacy as an artist. “She was known as a ‘fixer’ who would be called in to help filmmakers gain trust of communities they were working in,” Goff said. “She should sit in the conversational realm as an innovator of documentary.” The rest of the program holds similar power in both content and artistry. Just a few of the other artists include Ephraim Asili, who explores the experience of the African diaspora, John Gianvito, who explores the differing perspectives of American history through its monuments and historical markers and Adam and Zach Khalil, who investigate indigenous experiences through various methods and mediums. To Professor Kaul, the screenings will help revive the rare but important act of viewing movies at the theater. “Traditionally, cinema was interesting
Fall Jazz at Duke! Friday, Oct. 19 8 p.m. Baldwin Auditorium Family Weekend Concert: Duke Jazz, Djembe, and Afro-Cuban Ensembles with Carol Sloane, jazz vocalist Friday, Nov. 30 8 p.m. Baldwin Auditorium Duke Jazz Ensemble with Ali Jackson, percussionist
because it was in the movie theater, and it almost operated as an alternate universe” Kaul said. “It transforms your understanding of the world you live in.” She argues that while streaming media online has its place, it is a different experience to view media in a theater. “There’s of course the aesthetic effect of watching the big screen but to me it’s the sociality of it,” she said. “People getting together and doing something together. I think it’s really valuable for students to share in this space and be able to talk about the ideas instead of each student just watching it on their own computers.” According to Professor Kaul, the screenings will showcase a bravery in filmmaking made possible through experimental filmmaking. “We need spaces to improvise and feel comfortable failing, especially today when everyone is constantly watching each other through social media,” she said. “I want the program to create conversation and ask tough questions to bring unlikely people together.”
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Acclaimed Ciompi Quartet welcomes new cellist after 23 years By Christy Kuesel Recess Editor
Photo Courtesy of Duke Music Department
After an international search, The Ciompi Quartet will host their first concert with new addition, celloist Caroline Stinson, on Sept. 29.
Building new worlds every semester
Fall 2018
Dancing at Lughnasa
Brian Friel’s passion-filled memory play set in 1930s Ireland directed by Professor Ellen Hemphill Fall mainstage production class, THEATRST 350
November 8-18, Sheafer Theater, Bryan Center
Auditions for spring mainstage Bad Roads, new documentary theater from Ukraine directed by Professor Jody McAuliffe as THEATRST 350
Audition dates October 21 & 22 (class starts in Jan. 2019)
Love Life
Kurt Weill & Alan Jay Lerner’s experimental musical directed by Tony Award-winning actor/director Victoria Clark Musical Theater Workshop class, THEATRST 211
December 7, von der Heyden Studio Theater
THEATER STUDIES offers a major, a minor and a minor in musical theater. All classes and auditions are open to all undergraduates.
theaterstudies.duke.edu
@duketheater
Alex Felix Vinegar Tom, 2018
The last time the Ciompi Quartet welcomed a new member, it was 1995. Nannerl Keohane had recently become the president of Duke. That fall marked the first time all freshmen roomed together on East Campus. Now, after two decades, cellist Caroline Stinson has joined the Ciompi Quartet, Duke’s resident string quartet, after the retirement of Frederic Raimi last season. “You have to be a great soloist, a great chamber music player and a great teacher,” violinist Hsiao-Mei Ku said. The quartet spent last season conducting an international search, narrowing to 12 semifinalists, 4 finalists and finally choosing Stinson. Violist Eric Pritchard said they were looking for someone who was not only an accomplished chamber musician, but also a wonderful colleague and potential mentor to students. He had been the newest member of the quartet until Stinson joined. “I’m no longer the ‘new kid on the block,’” he said. Violist Jonathan Bagg said Stinson introduces new energy and could raise the bar for the group. “It will force some kinds of change in the way things operate,” Bagg said. “The good things about these changes will stick.” Stinson, originally from Canada, taught in the Julliard and Pre-College Advancement Programs in New York before coming to Duke. She has been a member of the New York-based Lark Quartet since 2008. She stressed the importance of flexibility in working in a quartet, particularly with new members. Working with three other people offers unique challenges in communication and appreciation of each member’s significance in the group. “The quartet is four equal voices in conversation,” Ku said. Italian violinist Giorgio Ciompi founded the Ciompi Quartet in 1965. All members of the quartet are Duke professors, teaching classes and performing on campus, but they have also traveled across five continents to share their music and have reached international acclaim. The quartet celebrated their 50th anniversary three years ago, but they hope to continue to evolve. “We want to explore what’s new in the world of music, according to what our tastes and preferences are,” Bagg said. He feels that with the support of an institution like Duke, the quartet has the responsibility to create new chamber music. They commissioned two pieces for this season, including a piece from Scott Lindroth, Duke vice provost of the arts, that will be out in April. Bagg said more Duke students are interested in chamber music now than when he first started teaching here in 1986, and having a quartet in residence helps inspire students to continue to pursue music at Duke. Each semester, students form eight or nine chamber music groups. According to Ku, whether or not students choose to major in music, taking lessons in the department offers invaluable learning experience, for few other courses offer the same amount of one-on-one training. She said the relationships formed in the music department last way beyond Duke, and that the skills students acquire can help them in their future careers, whether they become musicians, CEOs or surgeons. “The beautiful thing about chamber music, or music in general, is that there’s no formula,” she said. Students learn how to negotiate and communicate, how to speak up and accept criticism from working in a small chamber music group. “That creativity takes a lot more endurance, perseverance and patience,” Ku said. “I feel that’s very important to this generation where everything happens so quickly.” And the spirited debates disagreements can cause produce better music: Oftentimes, a musician will convince the others of the best way to play the piece not by debating, but by showing through technique. “This is a different kind of way to bring people around to your point of view, Stinson said. “Much of it is done without saying anything at all.” On the first day of class, the quartet hosted their annual performance in Pegram, where they hoped to showcase the Duke music program to freshmen. Ku is a faculty-inresidence in Pegram. In the past years President Brodhead and his wife have also attended the show. After the performance, the quartet members mingled with and got to know the students. “One student came up to me and said, ‘I’ve never heard chamber music sound like this,’” Ku recalled. She appreciates the ability to touch students’ lives through music, even if they aren’t musicians themselves. The quartet’s first concert at the end of this month will be their opening concert at Duke with Stinson, but they don’t know all of what is yet to come. “Who we are as a quartet is going to change, and we don’t know how just yet,” Bagg said. The Ciompi Quartet will host their first concert with Stinson Sept. 29 at 8 p.m. in Baldwin Auditorium. Visit https:// dukeperformances.duke.edu for more information.
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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2018 | 7
CDS showcase challenges traditional notions of the cowboy By Alizeh Sheikh Reviews Editor
I didn’t grow up with cowboys. I believed they were already long dead. I haven’t seen “Gunsmoke,” “The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly” or “The Virginian,” films that come out of an era so timeworn that the smoke has long cleared. Cowboys were not a fixture of my childhood afternoons, when imagination and historical mythicality coalesce into something both trivial and all-consuming. My history was more recent, more tangible, and the cowboy-Indian duality was too wrought with flattened racism even for my nine-year-old brain. My conception of the cowboy was that of a dying one. It was a myth that could not be chased, a path that was no longer sustainable in a modernizing world. My lasting impression of the cowboy is rooted in Cormac McCarthy’s “All the Pretty Horses”, an assigned high school reading that I both cherished and read voraciously. There is no sanctuary to be found in running from time, McCarthy seemed to be saying. Even the noblest, the toughest, the whitest, and the hardiest of cowboys will find their end. The myth of the cowboy as we know it was buried decades ago. But can that myth be repackaged, repurposed? Is it even a myth at all? Jeremiah Ariaz’s photography collection currently on exhibit at the Center for Documentary Studies suggests that no, it’s not. The collection, entitled “Louisiana Trail Riders”, documents the black Creole cowboys of southern Louisiana, who diligently maintain, honor and celebrate their heritage through weekly trail rides in which they traverse the main streets of their local towns on horseback. The trail riding clubs are centerpieces of their Creole communities, serving to purvey tradition and reinforce shared historical narrative through community-service trail ride events.
Certainly, Ariaz’s exhibit challenges the cultural association between whiteness and the mythical cowboy. However, such a stripped down analysis fails to capture the historical and cultural implications of the modern black cowboy, which defy our own limiting conceptions of what can and cannot be deemed history and packaged as myth. In constructing the collection, Ariaz was intimately concerned with documenting time, rooting each photograph in a specific time and place. In one particularly poignant shot, he captures a group of horses and riders entirely within the frame of a car door window. In another photograph, horses and their riders march past an auto shop, tires delicately stacked along the bottom half of the frame. This isn’t nostalgia. This is here and now, and it’s on purpose. “I wanted to make clear in the photographs that what a viewer was seeing was in the here and now, that it is part of our contemporary experience,” Ariaz said. “Some of the things that other photographers might choose to exclude from the photographs in order for it to be more timeless, I wanted to include as a type of timestamp to indicate when the photograph is made.” Nonetheless, the close attention that Ariaz pays to time is in some ways redundant. The incongruity – or at least what we merely interpret as incongruity – between past and present is implicit and inherent to the photographs. Adult riders wear t-shirts, jeans and sneakers, though some prefer a pair of traditional cowboy boots. Teenagers push the historical grounding a step further, sporting beanies, sunglasses and jeans hanging low on the hips. In one photograph, a stoic young woman wears both big hoop earrings and a belt with an imposing, bulbous silver belt buckle. The earrings and buckle merge, held alongside one another on her steadfast frame. After the civil rights and black power movements, Creole communities adopted the African-American label and some of the cultural characteristics
that came along with that more encompassing identification. For example, the traditional zydeco music that bookends trail rides is increasingly infused with hip hop and reggae influences. During these rides, DJs sit atop wagons at the front of the procession, sewing together the soundtrack of the parade on their sound systems. “I don’t think it’s possible for anything to exist in the world without being influenced by the life and time that we are in,” Ariaz noted. “Therefore, I think those changes [in trail riding culture] are inevitable. I think in the photographs, you see both generations coming together, sharing an experience, and I hope that neither the younger nor the older generation feels that they don’t belong on the trail rides. Every generation is going to make their activities their own.” The multi-generational comparisons are even evident –– or are they? –– in the interaction between rider and horse, between human and animal. The horse is not a mere show animal; throughout Creole history, horses have been a fixture of quotidian experience on the ranch or the farm. They were a livelihood, and they maintain their prominence even as they meld into tradition. In the exhibit, we see riders carefully and diligently
caress, brush, and feed their horses. In one image, horse and rider seem to become one as the rider’s head obscures that of the horse. This connection between human and beast is so rare and unfamiliar that it feels raw, almost archaic. Yet here the rider stands before us, a product of modern time, wearing a beanie and white t-shirt. The blending of past and present that is evident in trail-riding culture seems to suggest that there is really no past at all, at least in the face of mythicality. We deem something “of the past” and delegate it to history simply because its paradigm case –– the John Wayne cowboy –– no longer exists. But the mythical cowboy is not long-gone and impertinent to present-day and thus our attention. It is simply reborn, relived, and recreated (rather, it has always been born, lived and created) in the culture and acts of those we have not thought to consider, and not realizing that that is the case robs us of our present and the lessons we may learn from it. The decision to make the cowboy a myth is our own. Perhaps myths never die; rather, we kill them with our own rigidity. The cowboy does, and should, live on. “Louisiana Trail Riders” is on exhibit at the Center for Documentary Studies until September 22.
Photo Courtesy of Center for Documentary Studies
Jeremiah Ariaz’s “Louisiana Trail Riders” documents black Creole cowboys in southern Louisiana.
8 | WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2018
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DUKE PERFORMANCES
Branford Marsalis Quartet
Pam Tanowitz Dance & Simone Dinnerstein, Piano Friday, October 5 | 8 pm Saturday, October 6 | 8 pm Baldwin Auditorium
can’t miss
events SCREEN/SOCIETY
Repertory Film Series: Precarious Living: Rediscoveries in American Independent Film
NASHER
People Get Ready: Building a Contemporary Collection
Saturday, September 1-Sunday, January 6 Nasher Museum of Art
Thursday, September 20: Wanda (1971, DCP) dir. Barbara Loden Thursday, September 27: Blue Collar (1978, 35mm) dir. Paul Schrader Thursday, November 8: Personal Problems (1980, DCP0) dir. Bill Gunn Thursday, November 15: Bless Their Little Hearts (1984, DCP) dir. Billy Woodberry 7 pm Rubenstein Arts Center Film Theater
Three timely restorations (and one underseen classic) of 70’s/80’s independent film offer an affective glimpse into the origins of our own historical moment, where broad coalitions of class, race, geography and gender have failed to materialize, leaving precarious individuals to get by however they can.
Drawing primarily on the collection built over the last 12 years, People Get Ready includes works dating from 1970 through 2018 that address issues ranging from identity to social justice and environmentalism. People Get Ready extends into The Collection Galleries in Wilson Pavilion, integrating some contemporary art among historical works in the collection. In doing so, connections across time, space and culture become possible and present the opportunity for challenging dialogue.
CENTER FOR DOCUMENTARY STUDIES
One Hurricane Season
Thursday, October 11-February 17, 2019 Kreps and Lyndhurst Galleries, Center for Documentary Studies
MFAEDA
Visionary Aponte: Art & Black Freedom
Wedneday, September 19-Saturday, November 17 Power Plant Gallery A nine-week art exhibit based on a digital humanities project called Digital Aponte. The exhibit and conversations, screenings, performances, residencies, and workshops that accompany it are organized by the Power Plant Gallery and the Forum for Scholars and Publics. The series of events explores the histories and stories behind the Visionary Aponte exhibition and its timely meditations on slavery, Black incarceration, revolution and artistic expression.
Branford Marsalis is jazz royalty. Raised in the rich culture of New Orleans by a family of professional musicians, Marsalis got his start touring with Art Blakey’s legendary Jazz Messengers. He has gone on to win three GRAMMYs, write scores for Broadway, appear with leading symphony orchestras, and collaborate with the likes of the Grateful Dead and Sting. Marsalis and bandmate (and fellow Durhamite) Joey Calderazzo also serve as artists-in-residence at the award-winning Department of Music at NCCU. But Marsalis shines brightest as the leader of the longrunning Branford Marsalis Quartet, hailed as “a prime example of modern American jazz” by the BBC.
SCREEN/SOCIETY
Kung Fu ‘Sifu’ Lau Kar-Leung
Monday, October 1: The 36th Chamber of Shaolin AKA Master Killer (1978, 35mm) dir. Lau Kar-leung Thursday, October 4: Martial Club AKA Instructors of Death (1981, 35mm) dir. Lau Kar-leung 7pm Rubenstein Arts Center Film Theater ‘Sifu’ is the Cantonese term for a skillful master/teacher. Renowned Hong Kong film director/choreographer Lau Kar-leung (Liu Chia-liang) was also a kung fu master whose lineage traced back to legendary folk hero Wong Fei-hung (portrayed by Gordon Liu in Lau’s Instructors of Death). In wildly entertaining films like The 36th Chamber of Shaolin, Lau used authentic kung fu demonstrations and arduous training sequences to educate audiences about kung fu, and to document and preserve its traditions.
Tamika Galanis’s exhibition is part of an ongoing project that the artist/documentarian describes as her life’s work, centering around the representation and history of her native Bahamas. The exhibition evolved from time she spent with family in the Bahamas in the summer and early fall of 2017, anticipating and in the wake of two hurricanes. As Irma and Maria were devastating the Caribbean, Galanis was also witnessing the progression of her grandmother’s dementia. Incorporating archival family photos and videos as well as natural materials, One Hurricane Season “likens my personal experience with my grandmother to what happened to the countries throughout the Caribbean in that hurricane season,” says Galanis.
The Chronicle
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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2018 | 9
THEATER
Dancing at Lughnasa
Thursday, November 8, 2018-Sunday, November 18, 2018 Sheafer Theater This exciting early play by an acclaimed Obie directed by Professor Ellen Hemphill, Dancing at Lughnasa is a two-act play by Irish dramatist Brian Friel. It is set during the summer of 1936 in the fictional Irish town of Ballybeg. This play is the story of a family of 5 sisters, their brother Jack (a priest recently returned from Africa), Michael (the child of one of the sisters, also the narrator), and Gerry, the always-absent father of Michael.
FULL FRAME
Capturing the Flag
Thursday, October 18 | 7:30 pm Full Frame Theater
Music and dancing carry the theme of this seemingly simple story, and reveal the inner lives, the passions and obsessions of the sisters. The dancing also offers hints of pagan rituals that are juxtaposed against the strict Catholic tradition of the household and the town itself.
During the 2016 U.S. presidential election, three friends travel to North Carolina to do voter protection work at the polls. This on-the-ground look at their efforts to help potential voters navigate the new laws and requirements that may prevent their vote reveals shocking accounts of voter suppression in play. JAZZ PROGRAM
Family Weekend Concert: Duke Jazz, Djembe, and Afro-Cuban Ensembles with Carol Sloane, jazz vocalist Oct. 19 | 8 pm Baldwin Auditorium
MUSIC
Family Weekend Concert: Duke Chorale, Symphony Orchestra, and Wind Symphony Oct. 20, 2018 | 8 pm Duke Chapel
Three of Duke’s largest student music ensembles—the Duke Chorale, directed by Rodney Wynkoop; Duke Symphony Orchestra, directed by Harry Davidson; and Duke Wind Symphony, directed by Verena Mösenbichler-Bryant, celebrate Family Weekend with a showcase concert featuring an eclectic selection of works.
DANCE
November Dances 2018
Friday, November 16-Saturday, November 17 | 7:30 pm Bryan Center Reynolds Industries Theater The Duke Dance Program’s fall concert featuring ballet, modern, African dance, and dance theater works by Duke faculty, Michael Kliën, Ava LaVonne Vinesett, and Julie Janus Walters, and advanced students and alumni.
DUKE ENTERTAINMENT, MEDIA AND ARTS NETWORK
DEMAN Weekend
Nov. 2-3
RUBENSTEIN ARTS CENTER
Ruby Friday: Meet the Man Behind the Art-o-Mat Friday, October 26 | 12-1 pm
This semester, the Rubenstein Arts Center is launching Ruby Fridays. Each Friday during the semester, drop into the Ruby Lounge at noon for an informal art talk with a visiting artist, or an artist from the Duke community. On October 26, meet Clark Whittington, the artist and entrepreneur based in Winston-Salem responsible for the Art-o-mat® vending machine in the Ruby. His machines are stationed in galleries, pubs, coffee shops, tattoo parlors, libraries, and other establishments from coast to coast, vending original artwork in cigarette-pack-sized packages for $5 a pop.
PHOTO BY ALEC HIMWICH
DEMAN Arts & Media Weekend is the annual signature event at Duke that brings together students and alumni interested in creative industries and features workshops, receptions, master classes, and more. DukeDEMAN.com
Brought to you by Department of Art, Art History and Visual Studies, Center for Documentary Studies, Dance Program, Music Department, Master of Fine Arts in Experimental & Documentary Studies, Nasher Museum of Art, Screen/Society, Theater Studies with support from the Office of the Vice Provost of the Arts.
10 | WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2018
The Chronicle
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Fall theater studies play places value in family and memory By Eva Hong Features Editor
The first half of November will see the story of “Dancing at Lughnasa” performed on stage. The director, Ellen Hemphill, a theater professor, recently finished the auditions which were attended by many first-time actors. This two-act Irish play tells the story of a family of five sisters, their brother Jack, the son and narrator Michael and his always-absent father Gerry living in a fictional Irish town called Ballybeg. Weaving dance and music into a classic tale about family dynamics and personal life struggles, the play will provide a feast for the eyes and ears of all audiences. Hemphill was educated in France and has an artistic background in experimental theater. She has now been at Duke for 25 years, teaching voice, gesture, public speaking, theater and solo performance. Her experience in theater is diverse and comprehensive, as she has taken on all kinds of roles, including director, actress and choreographer. She mainly works with alternative theater but is attracted to “Dancing at Lughnasa” this time due to its historical context, the challenges of having to learn the dialect and its philosophical Chekhovian nature. As domestic women living in a lowincome Catholic town, the sisters in the musical constantly need to negotiate the restrictions of social rule and seek out ways to creatively express their personal freedoms and individuality. Their means? Dancing, music, hope.
“The bigger picture is about each sister’s journey and certainly the brother – he comes back from the war [in Uganda] already handicapped or wounded in the sense that he has an illness,” Hemphill said. “So everybody is sort of a wounded creature doing their best.” This kind of story about human spirit fighting against life’s hardships never gets old, but “Dancing at Lughnasa” is also spiced up by its retelling-from-memory format – an older Michael narrates the show, recalling his childhood events from memory. Perhaps in the face of adversities, he chooses to escape to the innocence of young age and the security and love that family offered. Perhaps he just wants to indulge in the happiness of being able to see the lively Maggie and the naïve and pure Rose again. Or perhaps all the sweet memories are just trickery by his mind to comfort himself. But sometimes these fantasies are worth the risk, aren’t they? “For me memory is very singular, very interior,” Hemphill said. “You can even have a conversation with a friend about last week, and you’re not gonna have the same memory of that. So for me memory lives in the same part of the brain as a dream.” This simple story about dreams, passions and humanity should resonate with the Duke community because its theme of identity in relation to family is central to our college experience. In these vital years of our personal development, we look up to our parents and other familial mentors for role models and advice and mature by both relying
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on and rebelling against family beliefs, values and traditions. As young adults, we are caught in an awkward situation that teeters between independence and individual responsibility that we have to navigate on campus, and the family security and comforts provided by trips home during breaks. “I always feel that students are pretty attached to their family, very family-centric and talk to their family a lot,” Hemphill said. “And that might even be more so now than it used to be ... I think young people between the age of 18 to 21 are in the process of individuating away from family. So
I think every time there is a family story, it relates to young students who are in relation to family still.” Furthermore, the play will pay special attention to visual and sound design, singing, choreography and dialect coaching. The production will strive to perfect the technical aspects that make a play interactive, engaging and enjoyable. “Theater is visceral,” Hemphill said. “When you see something live, a dance, theater or music, it hits you. It’s rare that something on your phone does that.”
Photo Courtesy of Duke Theater Studies “Dancing at Lughnasa,” Duke’s fall Theater Studies show, is set during the summer of 1936 in a fictional Irish town.
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MFA candidate receives prestigious Princess Grace award By Carsten Pran Contributing Writer
Photo Courtesy of Sarah Riazati The prestigious Princess Grace Award recognizes emerging talent in theater, dance and film.
As a second year MFA candidate in Duke’s experimental and documentary arts program, Sarah Riazati wears many hats. Not only is she a creator, a teacher and a student, she is also an up-and-coming talent in the digital storytelling arena. Riazati won the prestigious Princess Grace Award: a scholarship which aims to “identify and assist emerging talent” in theater, dance and film. While her humility and approachable demeanor may not suggest it, Riazati possesses a visionary perspective and an artistic intuition that she has acquired through years of schooling, online tutorials and “lots of practice”. She has had the opportunity to work in New York and Italy, collaborating with other artists and evolving her style along the way. The funds the Princess Grace award supplies will assist Sarah in what she calls, “The biggest project I have ever done.” “My thesis will be a feature length documentary film that is a layered retelling of the history of Durham, asking questions about race relations and gentrification with Durham as a case study, Riazati said. “It kind of all stemmed from my own personal reactions to the events of last August with the Confederate monuments in Virginia and Chapel Hill.” She uses archival material to tell a story of events from a hundred years ago. “I’m trying to make something that is a fluid and messy and complicated version of a history that we think we understand,” Riazati said. “We think we have a fixed idea about what it was like back then but it was actually just as complicated and messy and human as it is today.” As she excavates decades of time-worn newspapers, pictures and manuscripts to supplement this undertaking, Riazati posts her archeological finds on the instagram page @durham_detritus. She believes that delving into Durham’s past will reveal unforseen aspects of the historical tensions that emerge to this day. In Sarah’s eyes, completing her feature film project will serve to convey the “antithesis of a static stone monument to history”, allowing our community to collectively investigate the complexity of race and class relations through a new lens. Aside from tackling the enigmas of troubled histories, Riazati also expresses her creativity across a wide array of short films. Her works encompass everything from interviews with musicians Matt and Kim, bizarre animated shorts like “Peeing Cloud” and even trippy lyric videos with
kaleidoscopic visuals. In other words, rather than devoting herself entirely to a specific genre of filmmaking, Riazati finds artistic richness in exploring and testing herself in various settings. “As soon as there is one path, I’m like ‘I reject this path’ because you told me I can only have one,” she said. “I would like many.” Riazati said her undergraduate program was segregated. “You’re a photo person, you’re a video person, you’re in design,” she said. “I struggled to find my place and I felt like that jack-of-alltrades and master of none…It was hard for me to communicate to people that I was interested and capable of doing video storytelling and also making a website.” As a result of her curiosity and willingness to integrate new techniques into her work, Riazati has found success early on in her career. “I do like to learn new things and put pieces together and just play with many different kinds of creative outlets,” she said. “That’s been part of what value I bring to employers. I think it took me a while to realize that was a strength and not a confusing weakness.” Presently, Riazati enjoys the learning environment Duke’s MFA program provides her – both exposing her to knowledgeable faculty and also affording her the liberty to expand her skill set without the anxieties of a strict artistic dogma. For students who may be interested in improving their craft, in documentary arts or otherwise, Riazati recommends taking a piece-by-piece approach. “Students can be really hard on themselves for not getting something perfect at first,” she said. To build confidence when confronting an ambitious project, like a novel or short film, Riazati suggests breaking down the task into multiple digestible components. She explained that watching and practicing online tutorials on specific skills helps her improve her video editing. “I learned techniques but I also have an understanding of rhythm and an understanding of pacing,” she said. “I’ve practiced a lot.” Riazati has already come far in her career as a digital storyteller, but she has no plans of slowing down now – especially with her first feature film in the works. She still humbly remembers the commitment and determination it took her to get to this point. “It took me some time to look at the things I had made and enjoy them in the way that other people had,” she said. “It took me a long time to see what you’re calling ‘talent’” For Riazati there really is no end goal in improving her art – rather it is a perpetual process from which there is always something to learn.
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2018 | 11
IMAGINE WHAT YOU CAN DO IN THE RUBY Learn how to get creative or be inspired in Duke’s new home for making art.
EVERY WEEK DURING THE SEMESTER (Confirm online, then drop in!) Free coffee & pastries, Tue 2-5pm Art talk & free lunch, Fri 12-1pm
GALLERY PROPOSALS* Month-long exhibits by, or organized by, the Duke community. Learn more & apply online.
ARTS PROJECT RESIDENCIES* Individuals or teams can apply to use a studio for approx. 3 weeks. Learn more & apply online.
RESERVE A RUBY STUDIO* Use the Ruby for your art event or rehearsal—student organizations welcome! Email artscenter@duke.edu.
artscenter.duke.edu follow @dukearts
12 | WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2018
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student life
Latin-American eatery Sazón opens to mixed reviews from students By Nicole Lindbergh Contributing Writer
Sujal Manohar | Photography Editor
Sazón, Duke’s first Latin-American inspired restaurant in the Brodhead Center, makes its dining hall debut. Sazón, Duke’s first Latin-American inspired restaurant in the Brodhead Center, makes its dining hall debut with long lines, high praise, questionable authenticity and anticipation for more to come. In its highly anticipated Grand Opening during Duke’s First Big Week, Sazón was packed with students eager to try its fresh LatinAmerican cuisine, which features dishes inspired by recipes donated by Latin-American students on campus, and to collect the Duke Dining swag bags and free samples. “We’re amazed at how quickly [Sazón] has caught on,” Scott Morse, owner of both the new restaurant and familiar student-favorite, Il Forno, said at the ribbon-cutting ceremony. “Day
one, the line’s formed, and since, we haven’t had 60 seconds where there isn’t a line!” Student reactions have been mostly positive. Trinity senior Adaír Necalli, an indigenous student from Mexico, enjoyed the food. “A lot of the food I am pleasantly surprised by, like the yucca fries,” Necalli said. “They actually got the texture right!” Students have eagerly awaited Sazón’s opening, especially members of the Latinx community on campus, who have worked intimately with the Duke University Student Dining Advisory Committee (DUSDAC) to make Sazón authentic. Many students donated their own recipes and helped pick the name and design of the restaurant and participated in taste
tests and focus groups. Morse has big plans to expand the current menu, including the addition of rotating regional specials based on each country “once things settle down.” While reviews are fairly positive, common complaints from students are the long lines and high prices. Trinity senior Lauren Hale said she probably would not go back. “Just because of the money,” she said. “I don’t have a food plan.” “The pricing part bothers me the most,” Necalli said. “The pricing was a surprise! [Latinx students] are statistically the least well-off group on campus, and we can’t afford our own food.” DUSDAC has been in constant contact with Latinx students on campus to ensure that their feedback matters and students’ needs are addressed. “I do feel like they’ve been open in the process,” Trinity junior Jennifer Ricano said. “They’re trying.” Necalli was quick to assert that Sazón’s authenticity has a special meaning for Latinx students on campus. “They asked us for authentic recipes and asked us for help to make it an authentic Latino restaurant,” they said. “If they’re aiming for that, they should follow through with it. They promised us.” Necalli donated their own family’s cherished mole recipe to the restaurant, a recipe they mentioned their brother had spent 15 years coaxing out of their father. “It’s a lot to give them ‘a responsibility,’”
Ricano adds. “At the restaurant, people there are just doing their jobs. But I feel like they’re a stepping stone for people to experience Latin-American culture… Personally, to me, it represents a slice of home.” Many others also commented on the authenticity. “I don’t know why the arepa is on the bottom,” Hale, a white student, said. The arepa bowl, a twist on the pre-Hispanic street food, is one of the restaurant’s main dishes and is usually stuffed instead of mixed in a bowl. “It doesn’t seem very…authentic,” Hale said. “It’s just very similar to Chipotle.” Ricano said of the same dish. “They’re taking Chipotle and putting their own spin on it [with] the bowls, where they just put in the rice, and the beans, and the cheese… That’s fake Latin-American.” It also doesn’t help when the servers, only a few of whom are Hispanic, can not pronounce the names of the food. “Yeah, some person ordered a horchata, and the guy kind of stops and says, ‘Wow, it sounds really different when you say it correctly!’” Ricano said. Necalli recalls an interaction where a Hispanic student corrected the server on their pronunciation. “He wasn’t bothered by it, but, if you’re working at this restaurant, if I order barbacoa, you should know what I’m saying,” they said. “I shouldn’t have to mispronounce my food for you to get it.” Despite initial hiccups, both Ricano and Necalli express excitement over the future of Sazón, especially the rotating regional menu. “I would love for people to try menudo or pozoles…and I haven’t tried Venezuelan food or Argentinian food!” Necalli said. “Still, I would like to emphasize the pricing part, though. If anything, at least, this restaurant should change that…and the arepas need to be fixed.”
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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2018 | 13
local arts
Food truck rodeo brings familiar tastes to year-round tradition By Jessica Williams Media Production Editor
Home to Durham’s Farmers’ Market every Saturday, Durham Central Park also hosted another exciting culinary event this Labor Day weekend: the Durham Central Park Food Truck Rodeo. An amalgamation of over 50 food trucks, the vendors represented cuisines from around the world and flavors from across the Triangle. While the atmosphere itself, with live music and lots of friendly dogs, would be enough to warrant a visit, here are a few vendors that stole the show: Holy Moly Cannoli: Founded by a husband-and-wife team, Holy Moly Cannoli is an exciting dessert option. In addition to a fun choice of base (traditional shells, mini shells or cannoli nachos), the truck offers a rotating menu of fillings and toppings, ranging from maple bacon to lemon pistachio. The traditional cannoli was perfectly sweet, with a fresh homemade whipped cream as a great complement. The Oreo cannoli and peanut butter chocolate cannoli were also nicely sweet and rich. Arepa Culture NC: A much-awarded family-owned and
-operated food truck, Arepa Culture NC serves Venezuelan cuisine – specifically, cornmeal bread sandwiches called “arepas.” While the menu provides some vegan and vegetarian options, all arepas are gluten-free. The fish lover’s specialty arepa this weekend featured noticeably fresh tomato and mozzarella, along with a flavorful yet perfectly salted smoked salmon. Baguettaboutit: Far from a normal hot dog, Baguettaboutit’s sausages (and veggie options) are served inside French baguettes, paired with a selection of sauces. The United Nations baguette featured a well-spiced chicken chipotle sausage balanced out by a chimichurri sauce, inside of nicely crunchy bread. Fahsyrah’s Homemade Lemonade: It would be hard to drink Fahsyrah’s Lemonade without smiling. Even during the first sip, it’s easy to tell the lemonade is something special; it achieves a balance between sweet and sour like few lemonades can, and its refreshing aftertaste is memorable. With so many intricate food trucks at the Rodeo, I did not not expect the highlight to be as simple as a cup of homemade lemonade. The Wandering Moose: Founded by two friends who share a
passion for food, The Wandering Moose serves slow-cooked chicken, beef and pork with homemade sauces. Their menu consists mainly of sandwiches, which are also served as salads upon request. The brisket hash was surprisingly well-flavored; the sauce was spicy but not overpowering, and grilled onions provided an added layer of flavor. With soft potatoes and tender meat, the filling hash could have made an entire meal – for only $4. Honeygirl Meadery: Located in downtown Durham, Honeygirl Meadery creates a variety of meads (honey wines) for sale at the Durham Farmers’ Market and Food Truck Rodeos. Creating small batches out of all natural ingredients, the Meadery produces a variety of interesting fruit and herb flavors. The strawberry guava option at the Rodeo was undoubtedly strong, but was offset by an attractive tang and subtle sweetness. In spite of the strength, it was still possible to taste the different flavors of the strawberry and guava in the mead. Medley: A thoroughly healthy food truck, Medley was founded on the idea that nutrition and taste should always go hand in hand. While Medley has a menu of mostly salads and grilled chicken,
its cauliflower “mac” n’ cheese stands out. With the option to add veggies, chicken, pork or steak, the baked “mac” is a twist on a childhood favorite that doesn’t give up its signature taste. Though it takes a few bites to get used to the cauliflower’s consistency, the dish maintains the traditional cheesy taste of mac n’ cheese, without the carbs and heaviness of macaroni. Two Roosters Ice Cream: Two Roosters has operated its beautiful, retro ice cream truck since 2014, and just opened its first shop in Raleigh last year. In addition to stable flavors such as coffee bourbon, blackberry hibiscus and roasted strawberry and honey, Two Roosters features a rotating menu of seasonal flavors; lemon mascarpone cake and buttered croissant and blueberry jam were offered at the Rodeo. A scoop of cookies and cream was the perfect end to a hot, crowded Rodeo visit. The cookies were well blended into the ice cream, and the consistency stroke a great balance between icy and creamy. The ice cream was so impressive that I’d drive to Raleigh or a Durham Bulls game (where they have a stand) to try it again. The Durham Central Park Food Truck Rodeo takes place five times a year; the Autumn Rodeo will be on Nov. 4, 12-4 p.m.
Jessica Williams | Media Production Editor
The Durham Food Truck Rodeo, an amalgam of over 50 food trucks, represented cuisines from around the world and flavors from across the Triangle.
The Chronicle
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14 | WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2018
playground
Too good to be true? Tracing the inevitable death of Moviepass By Jack Rubenstein Contributing Writer
Lexi Bateman | Design Editor MoviePass’s recent financial trouble means users can now only see up to three movies a month.
Moviepass is the deal that was too good to be true. I started my subscription 10 months ago, and in that time, I’ve seen 34 movies. That comes out to a little less than $3 a movie. Movie tickets at my theater typically cost $12, and nationally the average is $9.38. That means it is nearly impossible for Moviepass to earn a profit if moviegoers go to just one movie a month on the company’s $9.95 one-movie-a-day plan. It is easy to see why this model isn’t working, and why Moviepass recently felt compelled to rework their business plan. However, Moviepass has stumbled greatly in creating a model that works for them. They tried raising the price to $14.95, creating a surge pricing system that would charge an extra fee for blockbuster movies, and adding ticket verification requirements. The current plan is back to $9.95 a month, but only includes three movies per month, and it includes
20
major restrictions on which movies are available. Throughout all of this, they have been unclear about what the exact business model even was. Sometimes they think the math works on their subscription model, and at other times, they believe profitability could come from the Facebook model, selling subscriber data to advertisers. Regardless of what business model they think works, Moviepass is likely going to fade out. The financial situation is a mess. They ran out of money in late July, and they have been losing roughly $40 million a month. Their parent company, Helios and Matheson, used a reverse stock split to help boost their tanking stock up to $21. The stock plummeted again, and it now sits somewhere between two and four cents amid market and investor skepticism of Moviepass’s financial status. A board member of Helios and Matheson recently resigned, claiming that
Moviepass withheld information on business decisions regularly. Ted Farnsworth, the CEO of Helios and Matheson, has said that other start-up companies such as Uber and Amazon have, at various points, lost billions of dollars and are still around and very successful today. This may be true, but the key difference between those companies and Moviepass was investor confidence. Investors saw both the consumer and financial potential for those companies, while investors are currently running as far away from Moviepass as they possibly can. For all of Moviepass’s missteps, it has undeniably had a positive impact on theatergoing. Over three million people are currently subscribed to Moviepass, and their impact on the industry cannot be denied, as Moviepass still represents six percent of movie tickets bought in America. Ticket sales are declining as prices increase, and media consumption via Netflix, Hulu and other platforms makes it harder to get people to the theaters. However, Moviepass has caused subscribers to buck this trend, with 85 percent saying they go see movies more now that they are Moviepass customers, according to a Hollywood Reporter survey. People are pushing the boundaries of their movie interests, with 49 percent saying they have seen more movies they would not typically see. I have certainly seen more movies than I used to see, many of which fall outside my comfort zone. Additionally, I have seen more movies that receive mixed or even bad reviews now that I am not paying for each ticket individually. Farnsworth calls this “Moviepass insurance”. People are less likely to be annoyed they saw a movie they did not like if they paid nothing out of pocket.
Whether or not Moviepass will be around to enjoy it, the service has clearly revolutionized the ticketing process. AMC, who have been highly critical of the $9.99 plan, calling it unsustainable, introduced their own subscription based service called the AMC A-List. The A-List costs $19.99 a month and includes three movies per week at AMC theatres that can be rolled over to subsequent weeks. Additionally, IMAX and 3D movies are available, something that has always been restricted on Moviepass. The service seems to be doing quite well, picking up 175,000 subscribers in the first five weeks of business. Sinemia, another mostly movie subscription service, has been a competitor of Moviepass for quite some time, although they have always had the smaller subscriber base and typically more expensive plans. However, that has changed recently with the introduction of a $9.99 plan for three movies a month, matching Moviepass’s deal. Sinemia also allows customers to book movies in advance, something Moviepass does not offer, and it does not have any of the restrictions on which movies are available. This new $9.99 plan now accompanies their previous offers of a two movie a month plan for $7.99 for one movie plan and a $14.99 three movie a month plan that includes IMAX and 3D. There is really no longer a reason to have Moviepass, as the new restrictions are a serious impediment to using the service. However, the role of Moviepass as the trailblazer for movie subscription services cannot be denied, even if Sinemia and the A-List currently offer better plans for consumers. Along with many other Moviepass customers, I am happy to have taken the ride with them, while their deal was too good to be true.
ARTSY THINGS TO DO BEFORE YOU GRADUATE
For the full list of 101 Things to Do Before You Graduate visit welcome.dukechronicle.com o Take an art class o See a local band play at Motorco o Read an issue of FORM and check out The Standard o Go to a Def-Mo show
o Host a Duke radio broadcast o See the Pitchforks or another student a cappella group perform o Catch a concert at Cat’s Cradle o See a show at the Carolina Theatre o Dance for a cause at the Duke Dance Marathon o Check out the galleries at the 21c Museum Hotel
The Chronicle
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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2018 | 15
Streaming: the music industry’s savior and the musician’s enemy By Kerry Rork Contributing Writer
For the sake of its own survival in an increasingly interconnected world, the music industry is adapting. After years of minimal earnings, the industry experienced substantial growth through a shift in how we listen to music. More and more people have access to streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora and Soundcloud that offer nearly unlimited amounts of music. In fact, according to Spotify, the company has recently reached 170 million users, half of whom pay for premium service, a number that continues to grow. How will this transform the music itself and the musicians behind it? Appealing to their ever-increasing audience, musicians are attempting to create music that will immediately draw in listeners. In fact, the music industry may even see a shift from albums themselves towards musicians released their expected best-selling singles since they now have a limited time to attract the listener before they decide to skip the song. There is also the potential for songs with a similar feel in albums, like Nicki Minaj’s “Queen,” rather than concept albums to keep listeners stuck on a single album for longer. All of these changes are simply to keep the musician’s numbers high in the new streaming world. And the goal of boosting numbers influences to the music itself. For instance, Ed Sheeran produced multiple versions of his chart-topping hit “Shape of You,” which had all the appearances of a bid for higher streaming numbers. This attitude has the potential to destroy the quality of the music in exchange for a greater quantity. This change in how we listen extends
beyond simply the stylistic elements of the music. It entails changes for the musicians and what they are willing to sacrifice. Services like Spotify grant artists a tradeoff: greater recognition for fewer earnings. What were once considered “underground artists” are now getting acknowledgement on a much greater scale without having to sacrifice their sound. Spotify’s Rap Caviar playlist, working as a band manager for up-and-coming hip-hop artists, has launched the career of musicians who make the cut. Artists no longer need the backing of a label to succeed in the music industry, with artists like Frank Ocean even deciding to go independent. This has led to the rise of Soundcloud rappers and obscure indie bands, like Bazzi, Zara Larsson and Glass Animals, receiving ample recognition. The variety of platforms available to musicians allows them to experiment more with their sound. Yet these services do not always provide fair treatment to their musicians. In fact, in the past few years, Spotify has been sued a number of times for shortcutting licenses and royalty payments to artists. Earlier this year, Spotify was sued for only having one of the two required licenses for over 10,000 listed songs. Additionally, Spotify claims to be a noninteractive system, like Pandora, where users cannot choose songs to listen to. According to copyright codes, in order to be required to pay mechanical royalties, the company has to be distributing and replicating the music, making it an interactive service for its consumers. Whether or not Spotify falls under such jurisdiction will later be decided in further court cases, but until then Spotify will continue trying to dodge these allegations. Spotify’s opportunism is nothing new to the music world, but its methods leave artists with less money and
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Lexi Bateman | Design Editor Streaming services offer unlimited music, but this shift may affect the artists we listen to.
further destroys the worth and value of the music produced. And all the money seems to go straight into the pockets of streaming services and labels, and practically nothing to the artists themselves. Streaming services have also created a more cut-throat, competitive environment for the musicians. Other artists are producing covers of hit songs that, due to Spotify’s broad search engine, can be listed as a top choice, like Jocelyn Scofield’s cover of “Skyfall” which that had higher numbers than Adele’s for a short period. Essentially, artists have begun profiting off of other musician’s work in more dramatic ways. Its effect now requires the consumer
o Go to The Nasher to check-out art exhibits, then grab brunch at the Café o Check out local art galleries at Third Friday Durham o Attend a Chapel service o Enjoy Jazz at the Mary Lou Williams Center
o Attend Me Too Monologues, All of the Above, or a Hoof ‘n’ Horn production
to navigate through multiple versions before finding the original song they were looking for. Musicians’ music also decrease in streams when they are being taken up by these covers. Streaming services were initially considered a savior for the near-collapsing music industry. Previously, musicians often had to sacrifice their personal sound to attract the greatest number of listeners. Now, the genres are endless as the number of listeners expands and time spent listening to music grows. Could the many benefits outweigh the current and potential drawbacks? Only time will tell. But hey, at least we have more than enough cover songs and a well-curated Rap Caviar playlist to enjoy.
o Instagram the Chapel/ take a Chapel selfie
o See the Ciompi Quartet perform at Baldwin o Watch live music at the Coffeehouse o See an event at DPAC o Keep up with the arts — read The Chronicle’s Recess section every Wednesday. o See a movie at the annual Full Frame Documentary Film Festival
16 | WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2018
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