New GCAC Website and Blog!

Grand Central Art Center is excited to announce its newly designed website with blog, now online!

We invite you to visit:
http://www.grandcentralartcenter.com/

Artists in Residence, Tacos and a Wedding – Another Typical Weekend @ GCAC

At Grand Central Art Center you never know what to expect, especially when you are an artist in residence. The only thing that is certain is fun activities and connecting with great people.

This past week we had Lisa Bielawa back in residence as we prepare for her major opera project Vireo, a project with her long-time collaborator librettist Erik Ehn. It was a week full of meetings with community leadership, potential collaborators, individuals from Cal State Fullerton and key members of our direct community.

We also continue to have in residence curator Regine Basha, here for the month of July working on projects and talking possibilities of future collaborations with GCAC through her Basha Projects initiative.

But it’s not all work around GCAC, we always find time to walk down to our favorite local tacoria and grab some lunch. Tacos provide a great way for our artists in residence and staff to connect further – just ask Lisa, Regine and GCAC Associate Director Tracey Gayer.

And what GCAC weekend would be complete without an event on our 2nd Street plaza? This weekend, Delilah Snell (our former GCAC tenant through her Road Less Traveled store, Co-Founder of Patchwork Modern Handmade Festival and Co-Founder of the Craftcation Conference for Creative Makers) and Gustavo Arellano (Editor of OC Weekly, Author of Taco USA, writer of the syndicated column “¡Ask a Mexican!”) celebrated their marriage with a reception on the plaza. Delilah and Gustavo sure know how to throw a party! It was, as they have called it “a street fiesta”, with a great mix of live bands, DJ’s including the world famous Richard Blade (formerly of KROQ and now on SiriusXM 1st Wave), great food and drink, and a wonderful gathering of the Santa Ana community. It also provided the opportunity for some dancing to classic 80s pop, allowing Lisa Bielawa to get in on the festivities and share some moves with GCAC’s Santa Ana Sites Co-Found Allen Moon – a fun time was had by all!

GCAC SENDS OUR CONGRATULATIONS TO DELILAH AND GUSTAVO – SUCH A LOVELY COUPLE! TO A LIFE TIME OF HAPPINESS!!!

Video, Images and LA Times Review of Santa Ana Sites #5: Steve Roden

On the evening of Saturday, June 14th, GCAC presented the fifth performance in our Santa Ana Sites series, with a sound performance by artist Steve Roden.

The evening began with a reception at Downtown Santa Ana’s Q Art Salon, hosted by Jose Quant and Shell Martin. Guests gathered and connected with one another at this pre-event mixer.

At 8:15pm, GCAC Director/Chief Curator and Sites Co-Founder John D. Spiak led guests, downstairs, down the street the a historic law building and a parking lot in front of roll-up gate leading to an underground parking area. When all had arrived, the gate was opened and guests made their way underground, where they then entered another space – that of a subterranean racket ball court located beneath the law building owned by Dennis Dascanio, who generously allowed GCAC use of the space for the evening.

There, guests were greeted by Sites Co-Founder and Artistic Director Allen Moon and were introduced to Steve Roden for some brief pre-performance remarks.

GCAC invited Steve to perform in the Sites series, as we admired and respect him for the constant risks he takes – through his painting, installation work, films and sound performances. He is always challenging himself and the audience, allowing access to those slight moments in life that we often forget, or don’t allow ourselves to experience or enjoy – the slight mark, the capturing of an actual shadow, an adjustment or shift of a tone. It is what Steve does best and what makes him such a remarkable individual.

Over the course of his 5o-minutes performance, Steve didn’t disappoint, as he took the audience on a complicated sound journey – one that began with sound bleed from a cumbia band performing for a wedding at a nearby banquet hall, first collaborating with those sounds, then making that background beat truly disappear as his own synthesized composition took center stage. Through his skillful use and knowledge of sound, Roden was able to successfully transport the audiences to a place outside the confines of the Downtown Santa Ana location, to a space of “elsewhere” that was unique to each of the 108 individuals experiencing this live performance.

GCAC was fortunate to have in attendance Carolina Miranda of the Los Angeles Times, who wrote a wonderful review of the evening. capturing her own images and sound of the performance that she shares through text and slideshow, available through the following link:
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/miranda/la-et-cam-steve-roden-sound-art-santa-ana-20140617-column.html

We were also able to record video documenting some of the sound check with the artist during the afternoon set-up, so we thought you might enjoy it as well.

We would like to also acknowledge and thank Dennis Lluy, along with his team at The Yost Theater for their continued support of Santa Ana Sites. Through their in-kind generosity, they have loaned equipment that makes each Sites performance possible.

Lastly, we thank all those who attended and who continue to support Grand Central Art Center, Santa Ana Sites and our community outreach activities!

More information on the Santa Ana Sites series, including documentation of past performances, can be found online at:
https://grandcentralartcenter.wordpress.com/santa-ana-sites/

SANTA ANA SITES #5: STEVE RODEN – A Sound Performance – June 14

SANTA ANA SITES #5: STEVE RODEN
a sound performance

JUNE 14, 2014
7:30 – 8:15PM
PRE-PERFORMANCE RECEPTION / MIXER
*please arrive no later than 8pm

RECEPTION LOCATION:
Q Art Salon
205 N. Sycamore St.
Santa Ana, CA 92701

audience will be escorted to performance location

SEATING LIMITED, TICKETS REQUIRED, BUT ARE FREE TO PUBLIC
ticket information below

Santa Ana Sites #5 presents an evening of sound performance by artist Steve Roden. Performing through the use of two analog modular synthesizers, Roden will continue the Sites approach of presenting work in unique Santa Ana spaces, activating a subterranean racket ball court located in the heart of Downtown Santa Ana.

Tickets are free but reservations are required – RSVP info towards the bottom of this page

Steve Roden is a visual and sound artist born in Los Angeles and living in Pasadena, CA. Roden’s practice includes painting, drawing, sculpture, writing, film/video and sound performance.

Since the late 1980’s, Roden has had numerous solo and group exhibitions internationally. recent solo exhibitions include: CRG Gallery, New York and Susanne Vielmetter LA Projects, Los Angeles. Group exhibitions include Silence at the Menil Collection, Houston, Texas and the First International Biennial of Contemporary Art of Cartagena, De Indias, Colombia.

Roden has performed his soundworks at various arts spaces and experimental music festivals worldwide including: Serpentine Gallery, London; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; Walker Art Center, Minneapolis; DCA, Dundee, Scotland; Redcat, Los Angeles; Crawford Gallery, Cork, Ireland; as well as performance tours of Brazil and Japan. Recent performances include John Cage’s Cartridge Music with composer Mark Trayle at the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena; a tribute to Rolf Julius at the Hamburger Banhof, Berlin; and performances at the Museum of Art, Strasbourg, France and The Rothko Chapel, Houston, Texas. Since 1993, Roden has released numerous cds under his own name as well as under the moniker “in between noise” on various record labels internationally.

Recently the artist has created numerous site-specific sound works for spaces such as MOCA at the Pacific Design Center in response to a group of paintings by Mark Rothko; the Henry Art Gallery at the University of Washington’s James Turrell Skyspace; the MAK Center for Art and Architecture/Schindler House in Los Angeles; a live collaboration with Stephen Vitiello in a room of 50 pieces of sculpture by Donald Judd at Chinati, Merfa, Texas; Daniel Libeskind’s Run Run Shaw new creative media centre building at City University of Hong Kong; a sound/sculpture/drawing installation for Thomas U. Walter’s 1848 building at Girard College, Philadelphia for the Hidden City Festival; and a permanent public artwork at Hayvenhurst Park, in West Hollywood, California.

This event is anticipated to be at maximum capacity with reservations required.

Reserve FREE tickets through email with name and requested number of tickets with a maximum of two tickets per guest to:
jspiak (at) fullerton (dot) edu

A reception at Q Art Salon will begin at 7:30pm, with guests being asked to arrive no later than 8:00pm on Saturday, June 14th.

 

ABOUT SANTA ANA SITES
Santa Ana Sites, an initiative of California State University, Fullerton’s Grand Central Art Center, presenting, in community partnership, contemporary performance in public and private spaces throughout Downtown Santa Ana.

The traveling forum is designed to provide the community shared artistic experiences, encouraging the discovery of diverse environments and architectural space.

Santa Ana Sites was founded by Allen Moon, Artistic Director/Community Partner and John D. Spiak, Grand Central Art Center Director/Chief Curator.

More information on the previous Santa Ana Sites can be found at:
https://grandcentralartcenter.wordpress.com/santa-ana-sites

 

SUPPORT
Santa Ana Sites #5 is made possible through the generous in-kind support of Dennis Dascanio, Jose Quant and Shell Martin, and Q Art Salon.

Video Documentation – Santa Ana Sites #4: wild Up at the Santora

SANTA ANA SITES #4:
WILD UP IN THE SANTORA
WITH LISA BIELAWA AND THE COLBURN CONSERVATORY

SANTA ANA SITES, AN INITIATIVE OF CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, FULLERTON’S GRAND CENTRAL ART CENTER. PRESENTING, IN COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP, CONTEMPORARY PERFORMANCE IN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SPACES THROUGHOUT DOWNTOWN SANTA ANA.

THE TRAVELING FORUM IS DESIGNED TO PROVIDE THE COMMUNITY SHARED ARTISTIC EXPERIENCES, ENCOURAGING THE DISCOVERY OF DIVERSE ENVIRONMENTS AND ARCHITECTURAL SPACE.

VIDEO DOCUMENTATION CREATED BY STEVE METCALF: http://stevemetcalf.com/

CLICK HERE FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON PAST PROGRAMS OF SANTA ANA SITES

wild Up, Lisa Bielawa and Colburn Conservatory – Recap of Santa Ana Sites #4

Grand Central Art Center is beginning to use the tagline “Art unRestricted” to describe our programming.  A perfect example of GCAC’s philosophy took place this past Saturday evening, as we presented the fourth in our ongoing Santa Ana Sites series, co-founded with our community collaborator and artistic director Allen Moon.

Santa Ana Sites #4: wild Up in The Santora was our collaboration with Chris Rountree, founder and creative director of Los Angeles based new music ensemble wild Up; Lisa Bielawa, New York based composer, vocalist and GCAC Artist in Residence; and musicians of the Colburn Conservatory of Music.

The evening began with a reception at GCAC, where we gathered the 225+ in attendance and provided each with a program and wristband of a certain color, which marked groups of 60.   At 7:30, the guests were officially welcomed by GCAC Director/Chief Curator John D. Spiak and given a brief overview of how the evening would play out.  They were told they would be escorted across the plaza to the Santora Building in groups of 60, where the official program would begin.

Upon arrival at the Santora, guests were greeted in the atrium by Genesis Again, a vocal work by Lisa Bielawa with solo accompaniment on violin by Andrew Tholl.

As the short piece concluded, the audience transitioned to the second floor of the building where the full wild Up music ensemble was performing James Tenney’s Swell throughout the open area.  This transition continued to occur until all 225+ audience members were gathered together on the second floor, experiencing the performance of Swell together.

As the work concluded, Allen Moon introduced Chris Rountree, who provided insight into the printed program and spaces of the building.   The program laid out nine locations throughout the three stories of the Santora Building – atrium, third floor, stairway, se corner, OC Creatives, Tween’s Studio, NW corner, steet level gallery, basement – each providing a micro venue which had been separately programed for the evening.  It was a structure that provided the opportunity for each audience member to self-select his or her experience.

The choices were as follows:
Chance Encounter – Lisa Bielawa
Retracing – Eliot Carter Solo for Bassoon
Quintet – Andrew Tholl
The Cohen Variations – Daniel Felsenfeld
Let Down – Radiohead
Synopsis #5 – Lisa Bielawa solo for trumpet
Cabaret and Bach – for bass and voice
Ongoing percussion installation – Corey Fogel
The Twin Suite – Samuel Vriezen
Fratres – Arvo Part
Grisey for clarinet
Spirit Worker – ongoing installation by Chris Kallmyer
Synopsis #9 – Lisa Bielawa solo for Viola
Works by Luciano Berio and John Cage for soprano and voice
Punk Rock Set 1: Deerhoof and Dog Face Hermans
Trombone Sequenza – Luciano Berio
Synopsis #9 – Lisa Bielawa solo for English Horn
Synopsis #3 – Lisa Bielawa solo for Flute
Three Meditations on California Girls – Andrew Tholl
Above Chiangmai – Harold Budd
Love in Outerspace – Sun Ra
Narayana’s Cow – Tom Johnson
Knee Play 2 – Philip Glass

The evening concluded with everyone reuniting in the street level gallery space to experience the last works of the evening together:
From the Cello Suites – J.S. Bach – Archie Carey
Punk Rock Set 2: FEAR, The Misfits, Deerhoof

It was truly a remarkable evening, as wild Up and Lisa Bielawa allowed us to continue to expand our notions of the unRestricted!

Thank you to all the talented performers who made the evening possible:
Christopher Rountree (Artistic Director/Conductor/Voice), Lisa Bielawa (voice), Andrew Tholl (violin), Linnea Powell (viola), Claire Chenette (oboe/English horn), Dana Jackson (bassoon), Chris Kallmyer (guitars/trumpet), Andrew McIntosh (violin/viola), Ruiging Tang (viola), Brian Walsh (clarinets/saxophones), Allen Fogle (horn), Corey Fogel (drums), Justine Aronson (soprano), Melinda Rice (violin/viola), Derek Stein (cello), Eleanor Weigert(clarinets), Jonah Levy (trumpet), Matt Cook (percussion), Richard Valitutto (piano/accordion/melodica), Maggie Hasspacher (bass/voice), Erin McKibben (flute/piccolo), Archie Carey (bassoon), Matt Barbier (trombone), and Jodie Landau (percussion/voice).

Santa Ana Sites #4 was made possible through the generous support of Santora Group LLC, with in-kind support provided by Ashley Eckenweiler, The ACE Agency, Tweena Tran and Memphis Cafe.  We also recognize the wonderful contributions of time and energy the Grand Central Art Center team provide on a daily bases to ensure successful outcomes, so please join us in thanking them next time you visit.

Thank you as well to Kurt Mortensen and Steve Fisch for providing images and video from the evening!

Here are a few video links from the evening:

on YouTube:

on KCRW:
http://blogs.kcrw.com/whichwayla/2014/03/all-the-worlds-a-stage

on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10202872813802754&set=vb.1274343186&type=2&theater

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10202872901164938&set=vb.1274343186&type=2&theater

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10202873016687826&set=vb.1274343186&type=2&theater

To keep informed of future programs, as well as to see images and programming of past events, visit the Santa Ana Sites Facebook page at:
https://www.facebook.com/santaanasites

Success of programming is made possible through the generous financial support of individuals like you.  Contribute to GCAC’s continued success by make a donation online today!
https://www.fullerton.edu/SupportGCAC

Santa Ana Sites #4 : wild Up in the Santora with Lisa Bielawa & Colburn Conservatory – Feb 22

Santa Ana Sites #4: wild Up in The Santora fuses classical instruments with contemporary sounds to create an unforgettable evening in one of Santa Ana’s most charming venues. Los Angeles based music collective wild Up, musicians from The Colburn Conservatory of Music and composer/vocalist Lisa Bielawa come together on Saturday, February 22 to share in a night of unexpected artistic ventures.

With the momentum of three successful Sites programs pushing them forward, Grand Central Art Center and Santa Ana Sites’ Co-Founder/Artistic Director Allen Moon serve up their newest vision showcasing the youthful side of culture. wild Up is a modern music collective that embraces sound as a vehicle for shared experiences. The Los Angeles Times praised the group stating, “You’d be forgiven for mistaking wild Up for an indie rock band.” Led by acclaimed conductor Christopher Rountree, members of the group along with some of Colburn’s musicians and soprano Bielawa will disperse throughout The Santora building to perform engaging micro concerts.

Audiences will begin their Santa Ana Sites #4 journey at the Grand Central Art Center for a pre-show, move to the Santora’s atrium for their first encounter with the musicians, and head to the top floor where the performers and audiences will begin an adventure of music and architecture in various galleries, studios, and empty spaces. The music draws from a vast array of genres, with compositions from Bach, Ravel, Machaut, The Magnetic Fields, Katy Perry, Sun Ra, Brian Eno, The Beach Boys, The Dog Faced Hermans, Philip Glass, Lisa Bielawa, Ornette Coleman, Deerhoof and The Misfits, amongst others. Composer/vocalist Bielawa’s performance with the ensemble treats Southern Californians to her first performance since her appearance in the LA Opera’s presentation of Philip Glass’ Einstein on the Beach, where she also served as the production’s Choral Master.

The historic Santora building’s Spanish Colonial Revival architecture sets the tone for an adventurous evening of music and mingling. A recent change in ownership has lead to rejuvenation for the landmark venue, which broke ground in the late twenties and catered to classic Hollywood celebrities including Jack Benny, Milton Berle, and Lucille Ball. Santa Ana Sites #4: wild Up in The Santora will illuminate the architectural centerpiece of Downtown Santa Ana with sound and creative energy once again, an ideal way to pay homage to the building’s rich history while celebrating contemporary culture in the vibrant downtown.

Santa Ana Sites provides contemporary performances in spaces throughout Santa Ana. The traveling forum is designed to introduce the community to artistic experiences while encouraging diverse environments. Past events featured David Harrington, founder and Artistic Director of the Kronos Quartet; Backhausdance performing their dance installation, The Elasticity of the Almost; and a performance from Inner Mongolian music group AnDa Union. The Santora installment of Santa Ana Sites #4 unites music lovers of every age and background for an evening of forward thinking entertainment.

More information on the previous events can be found on the Santa Ana Sites Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/santaanasites

This event is anticipated to reach maximum capacity with reservations required.  The public is invited to reserve FREE tickets through email with name and requested number of tickets with a maximum of two tickets per guest to grandcentral@fullerton.edu

A reception at Grand Central Art Center will begin at 7pm. Guests are asked to arrive no later than 7:30pm on Saturday, February 22nd.

SUPPORT
Santa Ana Sites #4 is made possible through the generous support of Santora Group LLC, with in-kind support provided by Ashley Eckenweiler and The ACE Agency.

GRAND CENTRAL ART CENTER
California State University, Fullerton Grand Central Art Center is dedicated to the investigation and promotion of contemporary art and visual culture: regionally, nationally, and internationally through unique collaborations among artists, students, and the community.

Grand Central Art Center, 125 N. Broadway, Santa Ana, CA 92701, 714.567.7233, https://grandcentralartcenter.wordpress.com
A Unit of CSUF’s College of the Arts
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