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‘Amending American Art’ interrogates history of representation By Tessa Delgo Staff Writer
In Titus Kaphar’s “Behind the Myth of Benevolence,” Thomas Jefferson exists on a fivefoot canvas, but the black woman seated behind his likeness indicates a bigger picture. Kaphar, a New Haven-based artist and 2018 MacArthur Fellow, will hold a public conversation Thursday, Jan. 16 entitled “Amending American Art, Making Space for Black History” with Dr. Jasmine Nichole Cobb at the Nasher auditorium. The free event, cosponsored by the From Slavery to Freedom Lab at the John Hope Franklin Humanities Institute, is the keynote of “Black Images, Black Histories,” a two-day conference examining cultural representations of blackness. “The role of images in popular culture, to me, is that images grab people in a way that books don’t always do,” Cobb said. “If you’re just with your family killing time at a museum and you see an image, it can spark a curiosity about something you never would’ve picked up a book on.” As a professor of African & African American Studies and art history at Duke, Cobb became a fan of Kaphar’s work while using it to supplement “African Americans & the U.S. Presidency,” a project that originated in her Fall 2018 “Introduction to African & African American Studies” course. Many of Kaphar’s works examine past representations of glorified American historical figures by portraying the often-ignored problematic aspects of their legacies, such as “Benevolence” and “The Cost of Removal,” an altered portrait of Andrew Jackson juxtaposed with his oppressive Indian Removal Act.
“[Kaphar] is interested in amending the history of art. He makes us think of the history of all these great men with portraits and what the life they were living was while [those portraits] were being created,” Cobb said. “We can think about that as relevant to any ‘great’ man, whether it be Thomas Jefferson or James B. Duke — who are they besides this individual immortalized in a piece of art?” Many storied American universities and their founders — almost ubiquitously upperclass white men — have roots in racism that their modern-day communities must reckon with. Several of Kaphar’s projects have confronted these histories, such as “Impressions of Liberty,” an installation at Princeton University responding to records of slaves sold on its campus by former president Samuel Finley. For his own alma mater, Yale University, Kaphar created “Enough About You,” a painting that sheds light on the life of a young boy once enslaved by the school’s namesake, Elihu Yale. Concerning public art associated with slavery, Kaphar “has some interesting ideas that I think people in the Triangle could benefit from hearing about, given Silent Sam and UNC giving 2.5 million to the Sons of Confederate Veterans,” Cobb said. “I think his work is timely and relevant to Triangle audiences.” Duke itself is no stranger to reckoning with controversies surrounding its own monuments. The university removed a statue of Robert E. Lee from campus in 2017 after it was vandalized following white supremacist riots in Charlottesville, Va., over the removal of another monument to Lee on the University of Virginia’s campus. In early 2019, the university installed a stone plaque in Abele Quad honoring
Courtesy of the Nasher Museum of Art Kaphar will hold a conversation entitled “Amending American Art, Making Space for Black History.”
Julian Abele, a black architect who designed much of West Campus in the 1920s. The commemoration was the result of decades of dedicated efforts to bring Abele’s legacy to light after his contributions were publicized by his great-grandniece in 1986. Duke arts stalwarts Sarah Schroth, director of the Nasher Museum, and Scott Lindroth, vice provost for the arts, will both retire at the end of the 2019-20 academic year. According to Cobb, the need to bring in new blood allows for an “exciting” opportunity to jolt the university’s current arts culture, particularly by expanding the variety of black artists featured on campus. “I’ve seen a number of prominent black artists and works by artists of color come
through the Nasher in my time here, but I think there’s always room for more,” Cobb said. “There’s always room for growth.” The necessity for more diverse art on campus and in the world is what the conversation aims to elucidate for the Duke community. On Thursday, doors will open at 5 p.m. for a reception prior to the event, which will take place from 6 to 7 p.m. “By coming to the event, there’s a chance for people to think about their own relationship to images and put images in context,” Cobb said. “I hope they’re inspired to … think more deeply about images that they think they know well. To not just look at a portrait of a significant figure, but consider what it means to be thought of as significant enough to get a portrait at all.”
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‘Ar·ti·facts: Abortion Stories and Histories urges us to listen to silenced narratives By Skyler Graham Staff Writer
Debates surrounding reproductive rights have been prominent in politics since the mid20th century. The insensitivity of such debates, however, often drowns out the stories of people who have firsthand experiences with abortion. How long have such stories been silenced? And what can we learn from them today? This semester, the Center for Documentary Studies will be displaying “Ar·ti·facts: Abortion Stories and Histories,” a traveling multimedia exhibition that reveals untold abortion experiences in order to address common misconceptions regarding reproductive rights and health. “Ar·ti·facts” was created by Melissa Madera and is based on her podcast “The Abortion Diary.” The Center for Documentary Studies’ exhibitions director, Courtney Reid-Eaton, and her intern, Amber Delgado, organized the display of “Ar·ti·facts” on campus. “I found each piece of art, each interview to be extremely helpful in learning about abortion experiences and the purpose of this exhibit,” Delgado explained. “We wanted to allow women to share their stories about abortion in a way that doesn’t shame them.” The exhibit features a series of playlists from Madera’s “The Abortion Diary,” allowing listeners to explore various perspectives surrounding the history of abortion. One playlist titled “Pre-Roe Stories,” for example, displays the physical dangers and restricted information regarding abortion prior to the landmark Roe v. Wade decision in 1973. “When I found out I was pregnant, I didn’t think it was possible,” one podcast interviewee described. “I didn’t know who to talk to. Who do you share with? You look for other women. I discovered that other women had similar issues, but everyone was very coy about sharing what they knew.” Before the Roe decision, many women turned to underground services that resisted the law for the benefit of women’s safety. The exhibit features a piece dedicated to one such service, the Abortion Counseling Service of the Chicago Women’s Liberation Union (commonly known as “Jane”). Jane provided thousands of illegal abortions for women from 1969 to 1973, and “Ar·ti·facts” reveals the reasons why. The lack of information and silenced discussions about reproductive rights have impacted women of every generation in every region of the world. One of the exhibit’s playlists
titled “Abortion Around The World” shows how the struggles surrounding abortion are not exclusive to the U.S., as women from England to Colombia to Canada and beyond share their powerful stories. “Ar·ti·facts” is impressive not only for its extensive and complex subject matter, but for its emphasis on the art of telling unheard stories. The stories featured in the exhibit cannot be found in traditional history textbooks or newspaper headlines. These stories provide a greater perspective on the emotional and spiritual impacts of abortion. “I realized I needed to tell my own story and listen to the stories of others,” Madera said in an audio piece included in the exhibit. “It was the singular most isolating experience of my life. It was also the most impactful. I would have never guessed that my experience would create the Abortion Diary.” Throughout the exhibit, there are several pieces of art and media that focus less on the often divisive science and politics of abortion, and more on the legal struggles and emotional isolation of people with abortion experiences. Many interviewees of “The Abortion Diary” suggest that these experiences are inevitably overwhelmed with grief and isolation. This exhibit, however, demonstrates how pain can be transformed through creative outlets. Zines, letters, comic books and pamphlets discussing reproductive rights are displayed on the walls, each illustrating the vast range of thoughts and emotions involved with abortion. The “Rites and Rituals” playlist shows how women cope with their grief by honoring spirits and commemorating their abortion experiences; some plant trees, some pray, but all find ways of respecting their experiences. Although the exhibit focuses on stories of women in the past, it nonetheless invites all visitors to share their own experiences. An empty drywall panel, push pins and blank sheets of paper ask each observer to engage with the exhibit by providing their stories and opinions. By listening to others’ experiences and reflecting on our own, we can better learn about the intricacies regarding sensitive political and personal topics. “Ar·ti·facts” exemplifies the importance of sharing and understanding unheard histories, as their silence prevents change in policies, behaviors and narratives. “Ar·ti·facts: Abortion Stories and Histories” is located in the Juanita Kreps Gallery in the Center for Documentary Studies. It is on display until May 30.
Photos Courtesy of the Center for Documentary Studies This semester, the Center for Documentary Studies will be displaying “Ar·ti·facts: Abortion Stories and Histories,” a traveling multi-media exhibition that reveals untold abortion experiences.
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Brooks Frederickson’s audio installation asks us how we consume music By Courtney Dantzler Staff Columnist
If you peer into the glass windows connecting the Rubenstein Arts Center to the outside world, you might notice an arrangement of six armchairs, each connected to its own pair of headphones and microphones, facing outward into an otherwise open space. The stripped-back presentation of the Ruby’s newest installation might seem underwhelming at first, but there is more to this room than meets the eye. The real magnitude of this unique aesthetic experience becomes clear only when you step inside and start to listen. “Here to Hear // Hear to Here” is an interactive audio installation in the Ruby’s Murphy Agora. When participants take a seat and put on their headphones, they are instructed to match the specific pitch played in their ears. Once they sing on key, the sound of their voice triggers music to play. Every interaction with the installation results in a new, spontaneous organization of music, which creates an ephemeral audio experience. “ “Here to Hear // Hear to Here” is an individual experience for participants, but observers hear a very different version of the music. Instead of hearing the musical cues inside the headphones, they only witness the droning pitches of the six participants which sync in and out of harmony. The contrast between the music inside and outside of the headphones is a central aspect of the project’s artistic vision: The installation asks us to consider the relationship between music and location. Composer Brooks Frederickson created this unique sound experiment as part of the Ruby’s art project program. The installation is additionally supported by the Office of the Vice Provost for the Arts. Frederickson composed the music played inside the headphones, which features digitally manipulated versions of music from the new Grammy-winning music choir The Crossing, supported by electronic percussion. “For a while, it seemed like I had a clear trajectory in composing minimal and post-minimal music,” Frederickson, a Ph.D. student in music composition, said. “But when I came down here, I didn’t have a bunch of eyes on me all the time. The Duke composition department became an incubator space for me — I tried things out and started broadening my practice.” This experimentation has led Frederickson to create works that are performative rather than musical and generative rather than strictly notated. His compositions have gradually become more intentional in lowering the barrier of making music for non-musicians. One of the many reasons Frederickson created this installation is to give people of all musical backgrounds the opportunity to make music. “The older people get, the more they feel like they cannot make music because they lack the training or they don’t have the right background or skill,” Frederickson said. “All you need to do is match pitch, which most people can do.” When I put on the headphones myself, I found that my mind
cleared of all other thoughts as I solely focused on producing my own sound. At the beginning of my session, my voice was drowned out by the voices I heard in my headphones. Sometimes I was unable to sing a tone loud enough for the microphone to pick up, and the track would start looping. Rather than let this setback discourage me, it encouraged me to sing louder in order to hear my voice. I find that simply starting and stopping sound can become its own form of music. Playing around with the features of the installation gave me some agency in the flow of the music. When I became an active part of the music, it changed the way I listened for the better. “A lot of the time, music is left in the background, just like the colors of the lights in a room,” Frederickson said. “People often don’t pay that much attention to the listening experience. But with this, you have to be engaged. You cannot be passive because you have to work to hear it.” Frederickson does not intend to release the music recorded by The Crossing nor the music created spontaneously by those who participate in the installation to the public, so the only way to listen to it is to actually be present in the space. Restricting access to the music allows it to become inherently personal to the people in the room.
I found the auditory experience of the installation almost meditative. As a Duke student dealing with stress on a day-today basis, music that I actively listen to can refresh my mental state. It unplugs me from the Duke environment. Frederickson similarly enjoys making meditative art because it compels him to be in his own relaxed frame of mind. He admitted that sometimes creation can induce anxiety, as a myriad of artistic choices can make composing stressful. “Here to Hear // Hear to Hear” is different in that simply holding a note removes that sort of pressure. “I think it’s going to be interesting how different people react to it,” Frederickson says. “I hope a wide variety of people come. People who have extensive musical experience, no musical experience, and experience in other artistic disciplines, come try it out! Take a break for a little while.” “Here to Hear // Hear to Here” is on view from Jan. 14 to Feb. 16 at the Rubenstein Arts Center in The Murphy Agora (Studio 129). There will be an opening reception for the installation Jan. 16 at 6 p.m. at the Ruby, where members of the general public can witness it for the first time. Frederickson will also be giving an artist talk for Ruby Friday about his work and creative process Jan. 24 at 12 p.m.
Courtesy of Duke Arts “Here to Hear // Hear to Here” is on view from Jan. 14 to Feb. 16 at the Rubenstein Arts Center.
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1. DUKE PERFORMANCES: Canadian pianist Jan Lisiecki makes his Duke Performances debut at Baldwin Auditorium January 31. 1. RUBENSTEIN ARTS CENTER: The Ruby at dusk 2. NASHER: The Nasher Sculpture Garden at dusk 3. MUSIC: Ulysses Owens Jr. performs with the Duke Jazz Ensemble on February 21. 4. DANCE: Photo credit: Alec Himwich 5. SCREEN/SOCIETY: Image from Portrait of a Lady on Fire (screens February 14) 6. MFA: Thomas Crawford, Progress of Civilization 7. CDS: Image from Road to Midnight 8. RUBENSTEIN ARTS CENTER: Painting by Maxan JeanLouis, depicting the assassination of Jean Dominique.
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Admission is always free for Duke Students.
EXHIBITION OPENING PARTY
Ebony G. Patterson . . . while the dew is still on the roses . . . Thursday, February 27, 6 PM Join us to celebrate the opening of Ebony G. Patterson . . . while the dew is still on the roses . . . . Patterson is known for drawings, tapestries, videos, sculptures and installations that involve surfaces layered with flowers, glitter, lace and beads. Her work investigates forms of embellishment as they relate to youth culture within disenfranchised communities. This is the most significant exhibition of the artist’s work to date, presented within a new installation environment that evokes a night garden.
nasher.duke.edu/patterson Photo of Ebony G. Patterson by Daniel Moody. Image courtesy of the artist and Monique Meloche Gallery, Chicago.
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CENTER FOR DOCUMENTARY STUDIES
Welcome Reception for 2020 Lehman Brady Professor Von Diaz Monday, February 3 4:30-6 pm Center for Documentary Studies
ART, ART HISTORY & VISUAL STUDIES
Art History Speakers Series “American lndianisms: Narrative Structure as Secular Judgment in, Thomas Crawford’s Progress of Civilization” Monday, January 23 5 pm Smith Warehouse A 290
This event welcomes this year’s CDS Spring Lehman Brady Visiting Joint Chair Professor in Documentary Studies and American Studies at Duke and UNC-Chapel Hill, Von Diaz. Von Diaz is a writer, documentary producer, and author of Coconuts & Collards: Recipes and Stories from Puerto Rico to the Deep South (University Press of Florida, 2018). At CDS, Von will be teaching DOCST 246S “Feeding Diaspora” on Wednesday afternoons. This welcoming event will run from 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.; Von will have remarks at 5:15 p.m.
With Kirsten Buick, Harold and Edythe Toso Professor, Associate Dean of Equity and Excellence for The College of Fine Art and Professor of Art History University of New Mexico
SCREEN SOCIETY
DUKE PERFORMANCES
JAN LISIECKI, PIANO
Friday, January 31 8 pm Baldwin Auditorium
Canadian pianist Jan Lisiecki makes his Duke Performances debut at Baldwin Auditorium, furnishing a program replete in classics of the repertoire. Only 24 years old, Lisiecki has established serious artistic credentials: his recordings of Chopin at age 14 were praised by BBC Music Magazine for their “mature musicality,” and at 15 he signed an exclusive contract with Deutsche Grammophon. Rebuffing the “child prodigy” label, Lisiecki’s gifts are admirable in pianists of any age. Bach composed the Capriccio when he was 19, ostensibly as his brother was leaving for Sweden; Lisiecki shows off his technical range in a piece comprising vignettes in various styles. Mendelssohn’s sixth book of Songs Without Words provides an introspective musical diary, while Chopin’s Nocturnes, opus 27, present mysterious essays in mood. Ending with two rondos, Lisiecki steers through the intensity of Beethoven’s “Rage Over a Lost Penny” and the fantasy of Mendelssohn’s Rondo capriccioso.
Free Film Screening: Portrait of a Lady on Fire (Céline Sciamma, 2019) Friday, February 14 7 pm Rubenstein Arts Center Film Theater
France, 1760. Marianne is commissioned to paint the wedding portrait of Héloïse, a reluctant bride-to-be. As the two women tentatively orbit one another, curiosity leads to intimacy, and Héloïse’s portrait becomes a collaborative act and testament to their relationship. Info: http://ami.duke.edu/screensociety
MUSIC
Ciompi Quartet: Myth-Makers, featuring Rachel Yonan, viola & Alex Ezerman, cello Sunday, February 16 4 pm Baldwin Auditorium $25 general admission, free for all students tickets.duke.edu
Richard Strauss: Sextet from Capriccio; Shulamit Ran: String Sextet, “Lyre of Orpheus”; Gabriel Fauré: String Quartet in E Minor, Op. 121. Violist Rachel Yonan, co-founder of the Marinus Ensemble, and cellist Alex Ezerman, professor cello at UNC-Greensboro, join the Ciompi for an afternoon program of sparkling chamber music. The opening sextet of Strauss’s 1942 opera “Capriccio” has been featured as a separate piece since the opera’s premiere, notable for its nod to 18th-century chamber music through Strauss’s uniquely rich harmonies. Shulamit Ran’s “Lyre of Orpheus” features the two cellists in contraposition, one playing the role of the hero while the other tunes down to reach the depths of the underworld. Fauré’s only string quartet was his last finished piece, an intimate and subtle portrait of musical freedom and interaction.
CELEBRATE TWO NE RUBENSTEIN ARTS CENTER
Radio Haïti-Inter: Three Decades of Resistance Opening Reception Thursday, February 27 | 6–8 pm Murthy Agora, Studio 129, Rubenstein Arts Center
Bringing to life the legacy of Radio Haïti-Inter, this exhibit includes photographs, historical objects, and an immersive audio experience that puts the viewer inside a Haitian household. This exhibit supports the Duke Performances premiere of Breaking the Thermometer to Hide the Fever, a collaboration between Leyla McCalla (formerly of the Carolina Chocolate Drops), Kiyoko McCrae, and the Radio Haiti archive in Duke’s Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library. Performances are on Mar 4, 5, and 6. Presented by Duke Arts with support from Duke Performances, Duke Libraries, the Forum for Scholars and Publics, and Duke’s Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies. (On view Feb 27–Mar 10)
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THEATER STUDIES
Fefu and Her Friends
Thursday, April 2-Saturday, April 4 and Thursday, April 9-Saturday, April 11 at 8 pm April 5 at 2 pm Reynolds Theater Written By: María Irene Fornés / Directed By: Jeff Storer Cuban-born Fornes (who trained in Paris as a painter) was present at the birth of New York’s off-Broadway movement and became one of its guiding lights during the latter half of the 20th Century. Her work is not afraid to be funny and elegant and gritty – often in the same scene! In Fefu and Her Friends, Fornes shifts our understanding of the very place in which the play is produced by challenging the relationship between space, actresses, and audience.
MUSIC
Duke Jazz Ensemble with Ulysses Owens Jr., percussion Friday, February 21 8 pm Baldwin Auditorium
Heralded as a “legitimate jazz triple threat” (Critical Jazz) who “take[s] a back seat to no one” (The New York Times), Ulysses Owens Jr. has been named a Rising Star by DownBeat’s Critics Poll for five years straight. He is a recipient of the 2013 ASCAP Plus Award, the 2014 Global Music Award and the 2015 Jazz at Lincoln Center Swing! Award. John Brown directs the Duke Jazz Ensemble.
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NASHER
Exhibition Opening Party Ebony G. Patterson . . . while the dew is still on the roses . . . Thursday, February 27 5 pm Cash bar, 6 pm Gallery talk
The Nasher Museum celebrates the opening of Ebony G. Patterson . . . while the dew is still on the roses . . . with a gallery talk by Ayanna Legros, a graduate student in Duke’s History Department. She was awarded the Emerging Scholars Award by the Haitian Studies Association and was granted an NSF travel grant from the Society for the History of Technology. Her talk will take place within the exhibition. Followed by a reception. Installation view of Ebony G. Patterson . . . while the dew is still on the roses . . . , Pérez Art Museum Miami, November 2018 – May 2019. © Ebony G. Patterson. All work courtesy of the artist and Monique Meloche Gallery, Chicago. Photo by Oriol Tarridas.
Painting by Maxan Jean-Louis, depicting the assassination of Jean Dominique. In the foreground, supporters of the station protest impunity and call for justice for Dominique.
ChoreoLab 2020
Friday, April 10 and Saturday, April 11 7:30 pm Bryan Center Reynolds Industries Theater
CENTER FOR DOCUMENTARY STUDIES
When I Say Africa
An exhibit of photographs exploring representational practices that can reframe how Americans see Africa and how they choose to engage with it. Curated by Catherine Mathers, International Comparative Studies.
DANCE
The Duke Dance Program’s Spring concert in honor of Associate Professor of the Practice of Dance, Tyler Walters. Featuring dance works by Duke faculty Ava LaVonne Vinesett, Tyler Walters, Nina Wheeler, Andrea E. Woods Valdés, plus work by students. $17 General / $12 Senior / $7 Student / http://tickets.duke.edu
EW RUBY EXHIBITS On view February 25–March 8 Gallery 235, Rubenstein Arts Center
PHOTO CREDIT: ALEC HIMWICH
MFA|EDA
2020 Thesis Exhibition
Monday, March 16-Friday, April 17 Power Plant Gallery, Rubenstein Arts Center, Full Frame Theater, Jameson Gallery, Brown Gallery, Northstar Church of the Arts, Cassilhaus, Duke Sculpture Studio mfaeda.duke.edu The Duke University Master of Fine Arts in Experimental and Documentary Arts program is proud to announce its spring thesis exhibition, MFA|EDA 2020. Featuring site-specific projects by twelve MFA|EDA graduating students, the exhibition presents a tremendous range of work including presentations of film and video, installation, sculpture, photography, immersive arts, performance, sound, and multimedia over the course of four weeks across Duke’s campus and downtown Durham. On view March 17-April 17. More info at mfaeda.duke.edu.
Full Frame Documentary Film Festival Thursday, April 2 - Sunday, April 5 Durham Convention Center
The Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, a CDS program, is one of the world’s premiere showcases for nonfiction cinema. Renowned for its film curation, support for artists, and vibrant atmosphere, Full Frame draws an international mix of 10,000-plus attendees to Durham every spring. Over four days, the Academy Award®–qualifying festival screens close to a hundred films, hosts panels and parties, and fosters community among filmmakers, industry professionals, and audience members. The 2020 festival will take place in Durham April 2-5. Full Frame fulfills its mission year-round. Free film screenings throughout the Triangle region, as well as educational initiatives—a Youth Screening for students and educators, a Teach the Teachers documentary literacy program, and a School of Doc filmmaking camp for high school students—increase access to documentary films and demonstrate their power.
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, Duke Performances, Nasher Museum of Art, Screen/Society, Theater Studies with support from the Office of the Vice Provost of the Arts.
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‘Joker,’ ‘Knives Out,’ and more: Freewater Presentations’ spring screenings By Jonathan Pertile Staff Writer
The organization’s homepage on the DukeArts website is clear: “We show movies.” And they aren’t lying — that’s exactly what the DUU Freewater Presentations does. With screenings almost every Friday and Saturday, Freewater Presentations regularly provides a free movie-going experience to Duke students and the public. The selections differ every semester, usually going for newer releases. These, however, cover a wide range of options, both the gargantuan blockbusters and the smaller critical darlings. With so many choices, there will almost certainly be something to please everyone. Generally, each movie is shown four times by Freewater Presentations: 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. on both Friday and Saturday. The Griffith Film Theater, located in the lower level of the Bryan Center, offers the complete movie experience. There’s a full battery of candy and soda provided by Freewater Presentations to complement the movie atmosphere of the theater. No ticket is needed to attend each showing, so everyone can attend a presentation at no cost to themselves. Some of the most anticipated showings this semester are also some of the biggest titles of the past year. “Joker,” screening Feb. 21 and 22, drew in huge audiences when it debuted last year, eventually surpassing “Deadpool” to be the highest-grossing R-rated movie ever. It’s joined on April 3 and 4 by “Frozen 2,” which now has the all-time record for most money made by an animated movie. The movie is getting some special treatment, too, as it will not be shown in the Griffith Theater but rather outside on
Abele Quad. Another popular movie showing next semester is the final installment in the “Star Wars” series, “The Rise of Skywalker,” which will be shown March 27 and 28. Other Freewater Presentation screenings will highlight some of the critics’ favorites from the past year. Keep an eye out for “Knives Out,” a detective thriller movie, on Jan. 31 and Feb. 1, which was widely lauded for its fun take on the murder-mystery genre. Another movie beloved by critics is Quentin Tarantino’s ode to the Hollywood New Wave, “Once Upon A Time In Hollywood,” which will screen Feb. 28 and 29. Freewater Presentations is also occasionally showing movies outside of its normal Friday and Saturday Griffith Theater schedule. Sometimes, this simply means having the movie on a Thursday, as the organization is doing with the widely-praised South Korean film “Parasite,” playing Feb. 20. Other special showings include the “dive-in” screening of “Shark Tale” in Wilson Gymnasium’s Taishoff Natatorium April 10 and 11. Freewater Presentations also boasts a Valentine’s Day showing of “Isn’t It Romantic” and a special senior screening of “Just Mercy” April 17 and 18. The process to choose which movies will be shown isn’t too complicated. Last semester, Freewater Presentations sent out a survey asking students and other interested people which movies they wanted to see this semester. By giving respondents the ability to pick as many options as they want, Freewater Presentations promotes diversity in the kind of movies it puts on while also ensuring that the most popular movies still get shown. However, there are inevitably movies that don’t make the cut. Some of the most notable snubs include the drama
Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures “Joker” is one of the many films Freewater Presentations will show on campus this semester.
and mystery thriller “21 Bridges,” directed by Brian Kirk, and the much-maligned musical “Cats,” which ended up flopping massively after its December release. Having free movies screen on campus is undoubtedly a huge benefit for the Duke student body. As anybody who’s been to a movie theater in the past few years knows, going to see a film
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is not a cheap experience. By providing the experience at no cost to (often-cash-strapped) Duke students and the Durham community, Freewater Presentations is admirably promoting arts and culture on campus by making a generally inaccessible experience doable for everyone. That’s no small feat, so maybe check out a movie yourself sometime this semester.
Question. Believe. Doubt. Explore. Learn. Relate. Journey. Share. Live.
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campus arts
Indie folk collective Mountain Man hopes to spread joy with immersive ‘Cosmic Prom’ By Stephen Atkinson Staff Writer
The hushed three-part harmonies of Durham-based indie band Mountain Man grew out of a college dorm over 10 years ago in rural Vermont. According to the band’s oftrepeated story, then-student Amelia Meath heard a song coming from her dorm’s living room. Captivated by the music, she rushed downstairs to find Molly Sarlé, who taught her “Dog Song.” Meath then taught the song to her friend Alexandra Sauser-Monnig, and soon, the three were recording an album together. After releasing “Made the Harbor” in 2010, the trio went their separate paths — Meath to Durham, Sarlé to California and SauserMonnig to Minnesota. Now, after years spent waitressing, farming, hanging out in zen centers and forming other musical projects, the members of Mountain Man are back. On three consecutive nights at The Fruit from Friday, Jan. 17 to Sunday, Jan. 19, Mountain Man will present “Cosmic Prom,” a collaboration with visual artist Nathaniel Russell. An immersive visual and musical experience, each night of “Cosmic Prom” revolves around a theme. The band encourages attendees to dress up — as a starry abyss for Friday’s “Beneath the Stars,” a tropical plant for Saturday’s “Under the Canopy” (bring a plant, too!) and a fish for Sunday’s “Below the Sea.” The band’s music is consistent with this playfulness. Tracks from their 2018 album “Magic Ship” feature nearly-nonsensical rhymes and frequent name-drops of plants and animals. In just one verse from the track “AGT,” the lilting trio sings: “Artemisia in the morning / Silver green, no bloom adorning / Held within each sagey whorl / A diamond dewdrop glowing
borne.” Occasionally, the band reaches beyond this whimsy; “Dog Song” from 2010’s “Made The Harbor,” for example, aches beneath Sarlé’s tender delivery. The tracklist at “Cosmic Prom” won’t end with Mountain Man’s most recent release, or even their whole catalog. Songs from all of the band members’ associated projects — including the indie-famous electropop duo Sylvan Esso, of which Meath is a member — are on the table. What exactly will be played and who else might join the band (the press release promises “special guests” each night) remains a secret. Nathaniel Russell, the artist who will transform the space in The Fruit for the show, is in the process of making the visuals a week ahead of the event. Russell has maintained an acquaintance with Mountain Man over the last few years and created their tour poster last fall. In an email, he wrote that his “objects and set designs are stewards and conduits for the feeling” the band is reaching for. In an email, the band wrote that they hope for Cosmic Prom to provoke “a feeling of community, whimsy and joy,” immersing the audience in an environment that “bring[s] people joy in these hard times.” Critics often observe that Mountain Man’s music feels like an escape to a simpler time, however imaginary that “simpler time” may be. The band’s melodic style borrows from traditional folk music, and it’s not hard to imagine the album “Magic Ship” broadcasting quietly from a static-filled local radio station in an isolated corner of Appalachia. As the threat of war and news of climate destruction flash on our phone screens, Mountain Man’s music feels like an escape into a more peaceful place and time. This weekend, Cosmic Prom will expand Mountain Man’s oasis to the cosmos, the tropics or the ocean — just take your pick.
WEEKLY ART TALKS & LUNCH (Most) Fridays, 12pm Casual talks by artists from Duke, Durham, and around the world.
FREE WEEKLY FILM SCREENINGS Curated by Arts of the Moving Image
WORKSHOPS IN ART, TECH & FILM Offered in the Ruby and other campus locations. Schedule & registration:
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RADIO HAITI-INTER: THREE DECADES OF RESISTANCE Feb 27–Mar 10 (Murthy Agora, Studio 129)
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Photo by Elizabeth Weinberg From Friday, Jan. 17 to Sunday, Jan. 19, Mountain Man will present “Cosmic Prom.”
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Black Lit Library encourages children of color to see themselves in stories By Derek Chen Staff Writer
In November 2019, Liberation Station’s Black Lit Library finally settled into its new host location at the Sarah P. Duke Gardens. Located in the Doris Duke Center Classroom inside the Gardens visitor center, this library intends to provide a safe reading space for children of color. Liberation Station is a mobile children’s pop-up bookstore, offering over 500 thoughtfully curated titles centered on the representation of African American children with access to over 10,000 titles for distribution. Inspired by co-founder Victoria Scott-Miller’s difficult experience finding books that her own children of color could relate to, Liberation Station was created to glorify the black narrative and increase black representation in literature so that all children of color can find stories that accurately and positively reflect their own experiences. In the eyes of Scott-Miller and co-founder Duane Miller, the installation of the Black Lit Library and its partnership with Duke represents a step toward accomplishing Liberation Station’s goals. “With this library we wanted to go into unconventional spaces where children of color might not necessarily feel welcome,” ScottMiller said. “A lot of children of color are intimidated by the idea of college, so we wanted to place our Black Lit Library in a space where they would unknowingly grow comfortable with the idea of college.” The hope with this library is to ultimately encourage children of color to feel encouraged to pursue higher education and not to be
afraid of learning. Currently, the library has 19 different books that all celebrate the black narrative, each carefully selected by Liberation Station. But beyond the books in the library, the aspect that sets this library apart is its connection to the Duke Gardens. “The Duke Gardens wants to be a place where everyone can see themselves belonging,” said Kavanah Anderson, education program coordinator at the Gardens. “Gardens are one of the more surprising places to learn and connect with nature.” As such, the backdrop of the Duke Gardens provides a relaxing and relevant space for children and families to learn. Another notable aspect of the library is its emphasis on a classroom-like structure. “I love the fact that the library is modeled after a classroom,” Scott-Miller said, “because it’s this aspect that allows students to learn not only about the garden space, but about themselves.” Beyond being relevant to children of color, Scott-Miller believes the Black Lit Library is relevant to everyone. “This library is showing us what we lack,” she said. “We should all be concerned with representation being normalized. … Society needs to reach a point where having black literature isn’t a surprise and is readily available.” Anderson echoed Scott-Miller’s sentiment on the importance of representation. “At the gardens we want to reflect the diversity of Durham,” she said. “The books in the library are a way to make sure every unique story is shared and celebrated.” The Black Lit Library intends to be more than just a place to read — it wants to become
Courtesy of Duke Gardens Liberation Station’s “Black Lit Library” was recently added to the Duke Gardens’ classroom resources.
a symbol of black advancement and inclusion in our society. The Duke Gardens and Liberation Station welcomes all visitors to explore this library during its open classroom hours from
10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and encourages them to attend the library’s free winter programs and story times. The exact dates and times that these events will be offered are listed on the Duke Gardens website.
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Division of Community Health uses film in its fight against child abuse By Megan Liu Staff Columnist
“We all like to think of childhood as this time of joy and innocence. But for many of us, it’s just not true.” Those are the opening lines of the trailer for “Resilience: The Biology of Stress and the Science of Hopes,” a documentary that discusses the biological dangers of childhood abuse and neglect, which have been linked to everything from depression and substance abuse to cancer and heart disease. The documentary, screened at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival, promotes trauma therapies and research-based methods to protect vulnerable children from toxic stress. The first local showing was held in the auditorium of the Duke Regional Hospital in November of 2017. The screenings, sponsored by the Duke Division of Community Health, have been a continuous effort led by Fred Johnson, vice chief of the division. Johnson regularly shows the documentary to professional and public audiences alike, and he spoke about his excitement after seeing the film for the first time. “I drank the Kool-Aid, like, oh my God, people need to know this,” Johnson said. “That’s part of the theme of the movie — general awareness of the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences.” Adverse Childhood Experiences, or ACEs, are trauma-inducing events that occur during childhood (0-17 years) that can undermine a child’s sense of stability and stability. Common triggers include witnessing or experience violence, substance abuse and parental absence. Immediately after watching the film,
Johnson helped form a county committee and began organizing screenings in Durham and the Duke community. The screenings were well-received as the audience grew larger every year and even wanted to host their own showings in churches and community groups. The Division of Community Health, since learning about the implications of Adverse Childhood Experiences, has worked to address these issues in the healthcare system. “A big issue in the movie is that many clinicians were totally unaware of this study, so we began organizing Grand Rounds in the School of Medicine over the last 18 months,” Johnson said. Grand Rounds are a customary component of medical education where new and timely research in medicine can be disseminated to faculty and trainees. Duke Hospital conducts weekly Grand Rounds, and they are just part of the Division’s movement to fight against the fallout of childhood abuse. In order to implement a comprehensive approach to fighting toxic stress, the Division also aims to connect with educators and school systems. “One of the things that struck us, and it’s really clear in the documentary, is that there is a concern that we may be overdiagnosing ADHD, and we wanted to get it [the documentary] out in the schools to educate teachers that there might be something else going on,” Johnson said. Johnson also discussed the relevance of “Resilience” to students on Duke’s campus — or any college campus. According to Johnson, attendees at a screening took a trauma questionnaire, and 35% of respondents
Courtesy of KPJR Films “Resilience: The Biology of Stress and the Science of Hope” premiered at Sundance in 2016.
averaged three or more of the 10 trauma points checked. The high proportion of respondents with exposure to toxic stress has galvanized Johnson to continue promoting the message and science behind “Resilience.” “You wonder, is your student counseling system trauma-informed?” Johnson said. “It’s an opportunity for student services to have a perspective on students’ anxiety levels and other factors going on in their lives besides exams and papers. For students, knowing you’re not alone is always the beginning of
resolving or addressing it.” Documentaries like “Resilience” show the power that lies at the intersection between the arts and the sciences in advancing society and addressing its deepest issues. As Johnson put it, “there is a very simple approach to traumainformed care, and it changes the lens. It’s not what’s wrong with you, it’s what’s happened to you.” “Resilience” will be shown Feb. 13 and March 12 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Duke Diet and Fitness Center.
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