Posts Tagged ‘indian art blog’

29
Dec

India sand Santa sculptures spread green message

   Posted by: admin    in Art News Updates

Indian sand artist Sudarshan Patnaik has sculpted 100 Santa Claus figures on a beach in the tourist town of Puri.
The exhibition, which was opened by two foreign tourists last week, seeks to spread awareness about global warming.
Mr Patnaik has also sculpted Christmas trees with the message “Save the Earth from Global Warming”, to encourage people to give trees as gifts.
Hundreds of tourists and locals have been visiting the beach to see the unique display.
About 1,000 tonnes of sand and 36 hours of labour went into the creation of the sculpture.
Mr Patnaik was assisted by 20 students of the Golden Institute of Sand Art set up by him on Puri beach.
‘Humble effort’
“It is my humble effort to press home the dire need to go green to save the world from the menace of global warming,” Mr Patnaik told the BBC over telephone from Puri in eastern Orissa state.
Puri, 60km (37 miles) from the state capital, Bhubaneswar, is a major centre of Hindu pilgrimage and is the place where sand art originated in the 14th Century.
Around this time of year thousands of tourists from all over the world descend on Puri.
“That is what prompted me to think of this way of drawing attention to this global problem,” Mr Patnaik said.
The artist has won many prestigious global awards, including first prize in the world sand art championship in Germany earlier this year.
He won a place in the Limca Book of Records by creating the world’s tallest (25-foot) Santa Claus last year.
He has participated in nearly 40 international sand art championships and festivals.
Mr Patnaik has always chosen themes such as HIV-Aids, the bird flu outbreak in India, the tsunami disaster and conservation of the endangered Olive Ridley turtles.
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22
Dec

resolutions: 10 ideas for arts, music

   Posted by: admin    in Art News Updates

The holiday season is also the high season for the performing arts – if you’re the type of person who goes to see one ballet a year, it’s a very good bet that ballet is “The Nutcracker,” especially if you are a parent.

The rest of the year, we often think about getting off the couch for some cultural enrichment, but then Bravo puts on a “Top Chef” marathon and, well, there’s always next week.

But not this year. It’s time to turn on the TiVo and go out to experience art, live music, theater and dance. It’s not just good for your brain, it’s fun, too.

1. See a Pulitzer Prize-winning play: Tracy Letts won the prestigious literary award for “August: Osage County,” his 3 1/2-hour family drama. Sound ponderous? Well, it’s not. Starring Estelle Parsons as a pill-popping Oklahoma matriarch, “Osage County” is a wickedly funny roller coaster that bowled over Broadway and is now wowing audiences on tour. Jan. 5-10 at ASU Gammage, Mill Avenue and Apache Boulevard, Tempe. $19.75-$63. 480-965-3434, asugammage.com.

2. Visit the world-renowned Heard Museum: Like the Grand Canyon, it’s a popular tourist attraction that Arizona residents often never get around to visiting. Devoted to Native cultures of the Southwest and around the world, it features both archeological objects and contemporary art. For example, coming in April is “pop! Popular Culture in American Indian Art.” Hours: 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. 2301 N. Central Ave., Phoenix. $12 (discounts for seniors and kids). 602-252-8848, heard.org.

3. See a show at the historic Orpheum Theatre: Built in 1929, the wonderfully kitschy architectural landmark, complete with gargoyles, was renovated in 1997 and now hosts concerts, theater and dance. Next up: Comic musician Stephen Lynch on Jan. 8. 203 W. Adams St., Phoenix. $29.50 (plus fees). 602-262-7272, ticketmaster.com.

4. Support local music: A bit old to hit the clubs in search of the next breakout rock band from the Valley? Then sit back with a beer and salute the latest class of inductees to the Arizona Blues Hall of Fame: Long John Hunter, Scotty Spenner and Big Nick and the Gila Monsters. Performers include Chuck Hall and Hans Olson. Jan. 10 at the Rhythm Room, 1019 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix. $10 suggested donation. 602-265-4842, rhythmroom.com, azblueshof.com.

5. Support Arizona playwrights: Theatre Artists Studio, an artist-run co-op, is committed to nurturing the talents of local actors, directors and writers. Next up it presents the world premiere of Micki Shelton’s “Medea’s Ghost,” a drama about two women connecting from opposite sides of prison bars. Jan. 29-Feb. 13 at 4848 E. Cactus Road, Suite 406, Scottsdale. 602-765-0120, thestudiophx.org.

6. Buy local art: You don’t have to be a millionaire to collect art. Help jump-start the local economy by finding affordable paintings from the diverse artists who show during First Fridays, downtown Phoenix’s free self-guided galley tour. 6-10 p.m. Jan. 1. artlinkphoenix.com.

7. Introduce your kid to theater: There’s something magical about live theater. For proof, just watch the faces of the kids who see shows from Childsplay, Tempe’s acclaimed professional troupe for young audiences. The company’s musical “Peter and the Wolf” toured venues around the national late last year and soon comes home for a run. Jan. 30-March 13 at the Tempe Center for the Arts, 700 W. Rio Salado Blvd. $20-$25. 480-350-2822, childsplayaz.org.

8. Introduce yourself to opera: It’s the epitome of “culture” that often seems intimidating. But if any opera will convert you, it’s the gorgeous “La Boheme” (which inspired Broadway’s “Rent” – how’s that for cool?). Arizona Opera’s production runs Jan. 29-31 at Symphony Hall, 75 N. Second St., Phoenix. $29-$130. 602-266-7464, azopera.org.

9. Give modern dance a chance: Another intimidating genre. But even if you’re not ready for the pioneering Martha Graham Dance Company, at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts in March, you are sure to get a kick out of it when the same venue hosts “The Best of MOMIX,” a retrospective by the whimsically inventive company that tends toward the Cirque du Soleil side of visual spectacle. Jan. 21-22 at 7380 E. Second St. $47. 480-994-2787, scottsdaleperformingarts.org.

10. Get in touch with your inner artist: Art isn’t just for seeing and hearing, it’s for doing. One of the best places to get your hands dirty, figuratively or literally, is the studios at Mesa Arts Center, 1 E. Main St., which offer classes in dance, acting, ceramics and more

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