EVENTS 2019
JANUARY
ARTICLE AND PHOTOGRAPHS
“LISTENING: MUSINGS AT THE MORRIS MUSEUM”
By Iris Brooks
Photographs by Jon H. Davis and Iris Brooks
“If speaking is silver, then listening is gold.”
-Turkish Proverb
Is listening a lost art?
Sensory bombardment sometimes obscures
a quality listening experience.
This is on my mind while visiting three music exhibits at the Morris Museum in Morristown, New Jersey. Particularly striking is the audio installation by John Morton, incorporating vocal sounds of the human ecstatic experience from many lands.
SCULPTURE IN VALLETTA, MALTA PHOTO © JON H. DAVIS
AUTOMATON AT MORRIS MUSEUM PHOTO © IRIS BROOKS
To Read the Full Article Accompanied by Original Photos
CLICK THE IMAGE BELOW.
EVENT ARCHIVES 2018
To See the Video FEVER SONGS, CLICK THE IMAGE BELOW
CONCERT
“JUDSON DANCE THEATER:
A COLLECTIVE SPECULATION”
MoMA PS1
22-25 Jackson Ave.
Queens, New York
Sunday, January 27, 2-6 PM
Featuring Live Music By Philip Corner - Gongs
With
Iris Brooks - Flute
David Demnitz - Guitar
Daniel Goode - Clarinet
Phoebe Neville - Voice
Leyna Marika Papach - Violin
Philip Corner will be returning from Italy, where he resides, for this New York performance, which is taking place 35 years after he composed, Gamelan Iris. This concert of music by Philip Corner will feature his Lovely Music and Om Entrance along with a symposium honoring the historic Judson Dance Theater movement.
MoMA PS1 is the first non-profit arts center in the country devoted solely to contemporary art and is an affiliate of The Museum of Modern Art. The concert and symposium, “Judson Dance Theater: A Collective Speculation” is organized in conjunction with the MoMA exhibit, Judson Dance Theater: The Work is Never Done through February 3 at their main venue (11 West 53rd St. in Manhattan).
CLICK POSTER for More Information and Tickets.
FEBRUARY
Celebrating Losar, or the new year in Tibet, Bhutan, Nepal, and parts of northern India takes place annually and this seasonal festival is an opportunity to rid oneself of the old, and welcome the new. The sacred holiday pays tribute to wisdom and compassion. This year the ceremonies–coordinating with the first new moon on the Tibetan calendar–occur in early February 2019. It is the Year of the Earth Pig, symbolizing good fortune, and while the festival originally began with farmers, the scope of the Buddhist celebration has expanded.
Losar is a time to clean one’s house of unneeded items, offer incense to local spirits, and place water on the altar to ensure a good harvest. In a purification ritual, lamps are lit, a torch is used to get rid of the old (physical), and firecrackers are set off to chase away evil (metaphysical), monsters, and bad luck. Colorful prayer flags are changed and some monks create large yak butter sculptures known as tsepdro. Others celebrate the festive occasion with games of darts and archery or by singing and dancing to dispel negative forces.
Traditional roasted barley cereal, tsampa is eaten for breakfast. Other holiday foods are guthuk noodles made from nine ingredients such as mandarin oranges, dried cheese, and green bananas. Dough balls or dumplings can be tasty treats, but they have hidden treasures inside at this time, some of which are meant to be humorous, such as a chili pepper representing talking too much. A white item inside, such as salt or rice is symbolic of being a good person and having luck for the coming year, while black coal inside the dough refers to a black heart.
In China, where red is the preferred color for dress and decorations for their new year (coinciding with the new moon), food also has special meanings. In southern China, spring rolls are eaten to usher in the spring. Chinese dumplings also have significance during their new year festival, in which eating them is said to send away the old and welcome the new. If you eat the dumpling with the coin inside, it ensures good luck for the year. And rice cakes are consumed with the belief that the new year will be better than the previous one. The Chinese New Year, also related to their Spring Festival, is celebrated with lantern statues, lion dances, and parades. It is a time many Chinese journey home to celebrate with their families.
-Iris Brooks
ALL PHOTOS FROM BHUTAN © JON H. DAVIS & IRIS BROOKS
CONCERT REHEARSAL
SOHO, NEW YORK
“Before the Dome at MoMA PS1”
Photo Montage By Jon H. Davis
MUSICIANS: Philip Corner - Composer, Gong, and Voice
Iris Brooks - Flute
David Demnitz - Electric Guitar
Daniel Goode - Clarinet
Phoebe Neville - Voice and Gong
Leyna Marika Papach - Violin
VALENTINE’S DAY
CELEBRATING THE DAY OF THE HEART
WITH LOVE POETRY BY PETRARCH,
Italian Renaissance Poet & Father of Humanism
MARCH
GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK
“THE CENTENNIAL”
Article By Iris Brooks
Photographs by Jon H. Davis
“In the Grand Canyon, Arizona has a natural wonder
which is in kind absolutely unparalleled
throughout the rest of the world.”
-Theodore Roosevelt
Mail delivered by mule? This is not a scene from a movie, but a reality along the 277-mile long Grand Canyon, which has one of the last mail-by-mule routes. In addition to postcards and letters, the mule service delivers food, medicine, and small appliances in loads of up to 200 pounds. This is not the only connection of the post office with the Grand Canyon. The U.S. Postal system–which has honored the Grand Canyon in 1919, 1934, 1969, and 2012–issued a stamp featuring a painting of the Grand Canyon by Thomas Moran (1837-1926) when the National Park Service turned 100 in 2016. Now, the park itself is 100 years old.
The Grand Canyon National Park, an icon of America in Arizona and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has just turned 100. The splendor of the Grand Canyon has left multitudes (about 6 million annually) in awe of its natural and majestic beauty on a truly grand scale. It’s a place to hike and raft or ride a mule, train, or plane for scenic panoramic views, with rocks on its floor dating back 2 million years.
Before the Grand Canyon was on everyone’s bucket list, U.S. President Woodrow Wilson signed a bill proclaiming it a National Park without much fanfare. That has changed today as many gatherings are scheduled throughout the year to commemorate this important anniversary with conferences, concerts, and ceremonies. Others programs involve map-based storytelling, stargazing, historic homages, and cultural demonstrations featuring the diversity of the area with Native American heritage days.
And without any special events, the rock formations are staggering and the wildlife in the park is in full force with over 355 bird species, 89 types of mammals, 47 reptiles, 9 amphibians, and 17 species of fish. Naturalist John Muir, known as the “Father of the National Parks,” reminds us not to get bogged down in the separate details of nature. “When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe.”
-Iris Brooks
ART EXHIBITION:
COLOR.COLOUR
With 9 Blue Artworks by Iris Brooks
BLUE HILL ART & CULTURAL CENTER
One Blue Hill Plaza
Pearl River, New York
LAST WEEK FOR VIEWING
EXHIBITION CLOSES FRIDAY, APRIL 5, 2019
Viewing Hours Are Monday - Friday, 8AM - 6PM
This show was curated by Barbara Sussman for viewers and art collectors to experience a palette of different hues while walking through the expansive environment of this corporate venue. Among the exhibited works are blue metal planography by Iris Brooks including her ice images from Norway, sapphire waters from North America’s West coast, turquoise seas from the Caribbean, and the contemplative painting, BLUE MEDITATION.
BLUE MEDITATION © IRIS BROOKS
ART EXHIBIT
HIDDEN WONDERS:
Mandala Art by Jon H. Davis
APRIL
Roost
623 Main Street
Sparkill, New York
FINAL MONTH,
Show Closes April 28, 2019
Firebird is an iconic musical composition and ballet by composer Igor Stravinsky, a Czech fairytale about a mystical, flaming bird eating the king’s golden apples, and an artwork created by Jon H. Davis, inspired by the intertwining rhythms of the rainforest echoing tribal wisdom, where elders believe spirit lives in everything. This featured piece, on exhibit at Roost, reminds us of the biodiversity of nature and its power to transform as this fiery blossom takes flight.
-Iris Brooks
FIREBIRD - 30” x 30” Limited-Edition, Canvas Giclée. © JON H. DAVIS
ARTICLE AND PHOTOGRAPHS
“GREENING OUR PLANET:
EARTH DAY ALTERNATIVES”
By Iris Brooks
ART FOR EARTH DAY
“WOODLAND WONDERMENT”
“ROOTED PATH”
Original Art by Jon H. Davis
WOODLAND WONDERMENT © JON H. DAVIS
Examining delicate forest treasures with symmetry at the root of its small, but important parts, “Woodland Wonderment” is a multi-layered, contemplative work reminding us of beauty and connection in the natural world.
ROOTED PATH © JON H. DAVIS
“Rooted Path” is both a literal and figurative path to keep you in balance by connecting with nature. This artwork was created from images captured at the Hammond Museum Stroll Garden in North Salem, New York.
MAY
FILM SCREENING
LANGUAGES LOST AND FOUND:
Speaking & Whistling the Mamma Tongue
Written, Directed, and Produced by Jon H. Davis and Iris Brooks
Narration by William Hurt
Music Composed by John McDowell
Distributed by Alexander Street/ProQuest
With Post-Screening Discussion and Interactive DVD
AWAKENING LANGUAGES:
A Personal Exploration, Sharing, and Questioning
By Jon H. Davis and Iris Brooks
Albert Wisner Library
1 McFarland Drive
Warwick, New York
Friday, May 17 at 7:00 PM
Celebrate languages around the world and global sounds.
Join in armchair travels while exploring linguistic and cultural diversity.
Consider name identity and borrowed words.
JUNE
ARTICLE AND PHOTOGRAPHS
“BANTERING ABOUT BANNERMAN”
By Iris Brooks
Photographs by Jon H. Davis and Iris Brooks
ARTICLE AND PHOTOGRAPHS
“GARDEN ESCAPE”
By Iris Brooks
Photographs by Jon H. Davis and Iris Brooks
SUMMER
VIDEO
CURRENTLY FEATURED ON GOOD NEWS PLANET
“TRAVELER: 5 Continents in 5 Minutes”
Written, Directed, and Produced by Jon H. Davis & Iris Brooks
Watch it on Good News Planet
ARTICLE AND PHOTOGRAPHS
“BHUTAN:
LAND OF GROSS NATIONAL HAPPINESS”
By Iris Brooks
Photographs by Jon H. Davis and Iris Brooks
Summer Feature on Good News Planet
ARTICLE AND PHOTOGRAPHS
“DUSKLIT 2019:
ART AND THE EPHEMERAL”
By Iris Brooks
Photographs by Jon H. Davis and Iris Brooks
SEPTEMBER
FILM SCREENING
LANGUAGES LOST AND FOUND:
SPEAKING & WHISTLING THE MAMMA TONGUE
Written, Produced, and Directed by Iris Brooks and Jon H. Davis
Narration by William Hurt
Featuring Music by John McDowell
Tuxedo Park Library
227 Route 17
Tuxedo Park, New York
Tel. 845 351 2207
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 15th AT 2 PM
Free Film Screening is Followed by a Q & A with the Filmmakers.
ARTICLE AND PHOTOGRAPHS
“OLANA: A GEM ON THE HUDSON RIVER”
By Iris Brooks
Photographs by Jon H. Davis and Iris Brooks
OCTOBER
ARTICLE AND PHOTOGRAPHS
“THE HUDSON EYE:
CREATIVE PLACEMAKING AT AN INAUGURAL ARTS FESTIVAL”
Whitehot Magazine of Contemporary Art
By Iris Brooks
Photographs by Jon H. Davis and Iris Brooks
VIDEO STILLS CAPTURED AT THE HUDSON EYE ARTS FESTIVAL
BASILICA HUDSON, A REPURPOSED PERFORMANCE VENUE
AT THE HUDSON EYE ARTS FESTIVAL
ARTICLE AND PHOTOGRAPHS
“BELOVED BEE BELIEFS:
I’M A BELIEVER”
By Iris Brooks
Photographs by Jon H. Davis and Iris Brooks
ARTICLE AND PHOTOGRAPHS
“ART TELLS STORIES:
THE MARGARET MEAD FILM FESTIVAL”
Whitehot Magazine of Contemporary Art
By Iris Brooks
Photographs by Jon H. Davis and Iris Brooks
NOVEMBER
Do colors have personalities?
It was this stimulating question, which lured me to the Margaret Mead Film Festival at the American Museum of Natural History. Some artists are concerned with pigment opacity, the chemical properties of a color, or its solubility in water. Others dwell on tactile responses or psychological profiles of color, pairing them with types of humans as an aid to improved functioning. But it is the personality of colors standing on their own that drew me in. The concept is thought-provoking, and I am interested to hear about eggshell white described as a “shy” pigment; dark, opaque colors considered “bullies,” and how colors can be characterized as “wimps” depending on how they absorb light or decompose. While these ideas are tantalizing, more depth on the personality of color was absent in the 20-minute movie, Color, which I still found engaging.
In another film screened at the Mead, we learn about the multi-disciplinary, Australian Aboriginal artist Maree Clarke. “My work is about regenerating cultural practices, making people aware of our culture, and that we are really strong in our culture, identity, and knowledge. We haven’t lost anything: some of these practices have just been laying dormant for a while,” says Clarke.
All text and photographs © Iris Brooks and Jon H. Davis
Kangaroo Teeth Necklace By Maree Clarke
ART
MANDALA - “EARTHLY DELIGHTS”
By Jon H. Davis
Inspired by the Art Exhibition, Madness In Vegetables
At the Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art
New Paltz, New York
EARTHLY DELIGHTS
© Jon H. Davis
“The amber hues of autumn herald a change of color in this transitional season.”
-Jon H. Davis
MEMORIAL CONCERT
AND PROGRAM ESSAY
“BARBARA BENARY: MUSICAL MAVERICK”
December 8
With Gamelan Son of Lion
Loft of Dan Goode
167 Spring Street
New York City
BOOK EXCERPT
AMBER: LITHUANIAN GOLD
Text by Iris Brooks
Photo by Jon H. Davis
DECEMBER
WINTER SOLSTICE CELEBRATION
December 21, 2019
“7 Ways To Relieve Holiday Stress”