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NO.TOWN beyond the wall: berlin artists in detroit

May 16 2012 at 12:00 PM

Old Main

Exhibition: NO.TOWN beyond the wall: berlin artists in detroit Where: Elaine L. Jacob Gallery at Wayne State University Dates: March 30 through June 22, 2012 Detroit's creative community has long investigated the commonalities and differences between Detroit and Berlin. The most obvious commonality may be that both cities were the base of large industries that have drastically diminished or even vanished. In Detroit, the American automobile industry now shadows its former self in terms of size and influence. In Berlin, the loss of industry such as AEG is a consequence of National Socialism, war and separation. The two cities share physical characteristics as well. The Berlin Wall was a highly protected and dangerous border that cut the city and Europe into two parts. Detroit's Eight Mile Road marks the economic divide between the impoverished city and its affluent suburbs. Both cities have been demarcated and divided with distinct populations in direct proximity while remaining separate, not only physically but psychically. In the recent past, however, after the fall of the Iron Curtain in Europe and the election of a black President in the US, previously fixed borders have become more permeable, creating free spaces and open areas. Though welcome, this new phase is accompanied by an atmosphere of dreariness that has become the ground for new forms of cultural and social exploration by pioneers of contemporary culture. In Berlin and Detroit, many artists have moved into abandoned industrial buildings in the search of studio spaces to create art and to start small businesses. The rich but neglected architectonic legacy is often an added incentive for new kinds of uses. For example, in the early nineties the former vault of the department store Wertheim in Berlin became home to one of the most famous techno clubs in the world, called Tresor. The Tresor is strongly influenced by the roots of Detroit techno music. The changes over the past twenty years have been dramatic. The selected artworks reflect the personal experiences of fifteen artists, each with an idiosyncratic perspective. Urban environments and changing cultures are presented without any attempt to generate sanitized or homogenous pictures. No. Town stimulates visual experience, thought and conversation. The following artists are featured in the exhibition: Jonas Burgert, Uros Djurovic, Gerrit Engel, Fabian Fobbe, Philip Grözinger, Eberhard Havekost, Gregor Hildebrandt, Tilman Hornig, Michelle Jezierski, Daniel Kannenberg, Alicja Kwade, Achim Riethmann, Peter Scior, Wiebke Maria Wachmann and Marcus Wittmers.

Wayne State Jazz Jam at Cliff Bell’s

May 20 2012 at 7:00 PM

Cliff Bell's

Join jazz faculty and students at this free monthly jam at one of Detroit’s legendary jazz venues at 2030 Park Avenue, Detroit MI. Led by Chris Collins, WSU Jazz Faculty and Students gather to jam on jazz standards once a month. All Players and Listeners welcome - Bring your axe and join us!

Graduate Recital: Sylvia Lapratt, soprano

May 22 2012 at 7:30 PM

Schaver Music Recital Hall

Graduate vocal student Sylvia Lapratt to perfrom her graduate recital

Understand and Avoid Modern Political Incivility in the U.S.

May 31 2012 at 6:00 PM

Undergraduate Library

The Wayne State Department of Communication's Summer Doctoral Seminar presents its 2012 public lecture, free and open to all faculty, staff, students and the campus community. Getting the Civility We Deserve: How to Understand and Avoid Modern Political Incivility in the United States with Dr. John GastilProfessor and Head, Department of Communication Arts and Sciences, Penn. State U. Politics in the United States increasingly involves a high level of incivility, which ranges from hostile language, to disingenuous arguments and a refusal to listen. In contrast, weighing arguments, scrutinizing facts and judging value conflicts occurs less frequently in the public sphere. This public lecture focuses on what causes incivility and why it differs in degree and form between the political left and right. The talk will examine how to revitalize public discourse through deliberative reforms that could make for a more constructive and democratic electoral process. http://comm.wayne.edu/files/summerseminar2012.pdf

Detroit-Torino Urban Jazz Project with DSO

June 1 2012 at 7:30 PM

Orchestra Hall

American premiere of works for symphony orchestra with jazz quartet by Prof. James Hartway and Carlo Boccadoro. Featuring projected images of urban landscapes. Chris Collins and Emanuele Cisi, soloists

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