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Rob Curto
 NYC's Brazilian forró-fusion
accordionist
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Rosslyn Spectrum, 8 p.m.
$20, www.ticketmaster.com,
703-573-SEAT
A product of New York City's
diverse musical culture, this Italian-American musician is shedding new
light on the accordion's many timbral and rhythmic possibilities. Part of
the original scene of musicians who established the
northeast-Brazilian genre of forró as the rage in the New
York, The Los Angeles Times writes tht, "Curto's
originals...combine traditional authenticity with persuasive dashes of
jazz." Curto combines swing music, bebop piano, funk, rock and blues,
with his mastery of their South American counterparts, chorinho, samba,
maracatu, frevo and the many other styles that belong to the Brazilian
accordion tradition. The result is completely original, authentic and
stimulating to fans across all genres. Curto spent years living and playing
in Brazil, where he studied and performed with some of that country's
legendary accordionists, including Dominguinhos, Arlindo Dos Oito Baixos,
Camarao and Silveririnha. He has toured with such artists as Lila Downs,
David Krakauer, Frank London and Cyro Baptista.
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 Coco
Zhao
Shanghai's "Boy Billie Holiday"
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Rosslyn Spectrum, 8 p.m.
$20: www.ticketmaster.com,
703-573-SEAT
Out of a small town called Shao Yang in the
Yunan province of China comes jazz vocalist Coco Zhao, whom a Parisian radio
station dubbed "the boy Billie Holiday." Discovering jazz at 17, Zhao
released his first album "Heart Strings" in Korea just 2 years later. Zhao
cross-pollinates Asian vocals with the distinct styles of contemporary
American jazz. Although the lyrics are sung in Chinese, Zhao's distinctive
singing transcends cultures, as evidenced by his sensational reception last
year at the Montreal Jazz Festival and the Kennedy Center's Millennium
Stage. Zhao challenges the stereotypical jazz vocalist image (dated love
songs crooned in smoke-filled rooms) with music steeped in a unique heritage
infused with his own youthful interpretations.
http://www.pianojazz.com/cocozhao.htm
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Divine Drama: Classical Sanskrit Drama in
Performance
 Wednesday,
May 28, 7 p.m. FREE
Shirlington Library, 4200 Campbell Avenue, Shirlington
A panel discussion moderated by Dr.
Janet M. Powers of Gettysburg College will explore the elements of Classical
Indian Drama. Sanskrit drama is still a vibrant and evocative art form in
India, but is rarely staged in the west. The discussion will examine the
elements of Sanskrit Drama and draw a comparison to classical western drama.
It will also demonstrate how this alluring dramatic form can become more
accessible to western audiences. Panelists will include Guarav Gopolan,
Associate Artistic Director of the Washington Shakespeare Company, and
actors who appeared in their 2007 Classical Sanskrit Drama Festival.
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CO2LED
Traffic Island adjacent to Dark Star Park, Rosslyn
(June - Sept. 2007)
Crystal City at Route 1 and Crystal Drive (On
display indefinitely)
 CO2LED
is a temporary public art project commissioned by
Arlington Cultural Affairs as part of the 2007
Planet Arlington World Music Festival. Developed
by artists Butch Anthony, Robert Gay and
Jack Sanders, the project is comprised of
solar powered LED atop poles. This swarm of color and light was
visible night and day throughout the summer at the traffic island just
north of Meade Street Bridge in Rosslyn, and is still visible at the "southern gateway" to
Crystal City, at the intersection of Route 1 and
Crystal Drive.
More
information.
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Spielschiff (Play Ship)
Maury Park, adjacent to the Arlington Arts Center,
3550 Wilson Boulevard
German sculptor
Bonifatius Stirnberg of Aachen, Germany has
recast his sculpture Spielschiff (Play Ship
in German) from molds he originally used to create
an identical piece in 1979 for Aachen, Arlington's
sister city.
 Spielschiff is
an interactive play sculpture with parts that can be
repositioned, swiveled, peered through and explored.
Children can imagine they command a magical vessel
either from the lower level's revolving hull, or in
the crow's nest which is equipped with kaleidoscopes
and weathervanes.
Born
in 1933, Stirnberg trained as a wood sculptor and
carpenter, and earned his sculpture degree from the
Kunstakademie Düsseldorf where he studied under the
renowned German artist Joseph Beuys. Stirnberg has
operated his studio and adjacent foundry in Aachen
since 1973 and has created over 100 public artworks
worldwide.
The sculpture was funded by the Department of
Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources, Public Art
Program, Cultural Affairs Division.
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Art Exchange:
Arlington, VA - Cwmbran, Wales
June 6 - July
31, 2008
Opening Reception June 6, 7 p.m.
Melanie Brown: Master Workshop: Teapot, A
3-D Jigsaw Puzzle
Lee Arts Center
5722 Lee Highway, Arlington, VA
703-228-0560
http://www.arlingtonarts.org/leearts.htm
An exhibition of works
by eight contemporary Welsh ceramics artists,
curated by Llantarnam Grange Arts Centre in Cwmbran,
Wales, will be on display at the Lee Arts Center
June 6 - July 31, 2008. Melanie
Brown, a well-known teapot artist from the United
Kingdom and a co-curator of the show of Welsh
artists, will give a
curator's talk at the opening reception on June 6 at
7 p.m. She will also be a visiting artist for the
month of June at the Lee Arts Center, where she will
give a master workshop in teapot construction on
June 21 and 22. All her work is thrown porcelain and
she specializes in traditional Chinese glazes. She
exhibits widely in Europe and the U.S., and recent
shows include SOFA Chicato and "Hot Tea" Del Mano
Gallery, Los Angeles.
As part of the exhibition exchange of contemporary
ceramics, the works of nine Lee Arts Center studio
members will be on exhibit at the Llantarnam Grance
Arts Center from May 3 - June 26, 2008.
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Teapots by
Melanie Brown |
Ceramic
work by Sam Bakewell |
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CROSS-CULTURAL
CINEMA SERIES
A free series of films sponsored by Arlington Central Library, in conjunction with Planet
Arlington.
Admission is free, and all films will be held at the
Arlington Central Library Auditorium, and are sponsored by The Friends of
the Arlington Public Library.
1015 N. Quincy Street, Arlington, VA 22207
703-228-6340
Adio Kerida
(Goodbye Dear Love) (2002)
A film by Ruth
Behar
Spanish and English subtitles, 82 minutes
Thursday, March 20, 2008, 6:30 p.m.
 Distinguished
anthropologist Ruth Behar (recipient of a McArthur
Genius Award) returns to her native Cuba to profile
the island's remaining Sephardic Jews and chronicle
her family's journey to the U.S. as Cuban-Jewish
exiles. Highlighting themes of expulsion and
departure that are at the crux of the Sephardic
legacy, Behar seeks reconciliation with Cubans on
the island and advocates for the possibility of
return and renewal. She debunks the myths about the
country's Jewish community and unravels the
influence of interfaith marriage, Afro-Cuban santería,
tourism and the embargo on contemporary
Cuban-Sephardic cultural identity. The result is a
bittersweet, lyrical and often humorous portrait
that few know exists today. Narrated by Elizabeth Peña.
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Forgotten Ellis Island:
The
Extraordinary Story of America's Immigrant Hospital
[2007]
A film (& book) by Lorie Conway (in English)
Thursday, April 17, 2008, 6:30 p.m. FREE
Arlington Central Library, 1015 N. Quincy Street,
Arlington
Ellis Island contains a long-forgotten 22-building
hospital complex, which during its busiest years,
from 1902 to 1930, was one of the largest public
health undertakings in United States history, and a
place of heartbreak and hope, sickness and recovery.
Since 1998,
Lorie Conway, a Boston-based journalist
and documentary filmmaker, has worked to uncover the
hospital’s history. She received exclusive access
from the National Park Service to film at the
abandoned hospital for two years. She traveled
across the country to find records in dusty
government archives. She tracked down descendants of
long-dead immigrants, here and abroad. This
fascinating story from medical history gives these
buildings new life and new meaning.
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Pictured:
The buildings on Ellis island's southern
side
once included a ward for immigrants with
measles.
Photo: Keith Meyers (NY Times) |
http://www.forgottenellisisland.com/FEI.swf
http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/10/26/ellis-islands-forgotten-hospital/
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Golden Venture: A Journey into America's Immigration
Nightmare [2006]
A
film by Peter Cohn A Hillcrest Films Production, New Day Films]
Thursday, May 15, 6:30 p.m. FREE
Arlington Central Library, 1015 N. Quincy Street,
Arlington
www.goldenventuremovie.com
 The film chronicles the ongoing struggles of
passengers who were aboard the Golden Venture, an
immigrant smuggling ship that ran aground near New
York City in 1993. Passengers had paid at least
$30,000 to be brought to the U.S. from China's
Fujian Province, expecting to arrive indebted but
unnoticed. The Golden Venture crash became a symbol
of a growing national concern over illegal
immigration. Many passengers were deported over a
two-year period, while others were detained for up
to four years. Almost all were defended by a
tenacious group of York, PA attorneys, whose
persistent efforts on behalf of the detainees saved
many from being sent back. At a time when the
immigration issue has led to furious debate and high
stakes political maneuvering, the fate of the Golden
Venture passengers is more relevant than ever.
Filmmaker Peter Cohn will lead a discussion about
the film, just after the screening.
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Note:
This film will be
screened at the Shirlington Library
Orange Revolution
[2007]
Directed and
produced by Steve York
Sunday, June 8, 2008, 2 p.m. FREE
Shirlington Library, 4200 Campbell Avenue,
Shirlington
703-228-0322
 Orange
Revolution provides an in-depth look at
Ukraine's historic non-violent revolution of 2004.
With riveting footage, conversations with those who
made the revolution and music performed live at
pivotal moments, the film captures the spirit and
determination of the most successful non-violent
political protest of the decade.
A discussion with some of the DC area residents who
witnessed the events will follow the screening.
http://www.orangerevolutionmovie.com
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Arranged [2007]
A film directed by Diane Crespo & Stefan Schaefer
Thursday, June 19, 2008 Free
Arlington Central Library, 1015 N. Quincy Street,
Arlington
 Ditmas Park, Brooklyn. A young Orthodox woman,
Rochel Meshenberg, is about to begin her first year
as a special education teacher at the local public
school. As the school year gets underway, Rochel
meets Nasira Khaldi, a Muslim woman of Syrian
descent. Nasira is also a first-year teacher. The
two young women – Rochel in long skirt and
conservative blouse, Nasira in headscarf – stand out
in this public school context. As the school year
progresses, Rochel and Nasira realize they share
much in common, not least of which is that they are
both going through what the outside world would call
"arranged marriages." As their friendship deepens,
they are exposed to their respective worlds. They
prepare for school at one another's houses, meet one
another's families, and discuss commonalities and
differences. Through the course of the film, the two
women develop a friendship that transcends their
insular Brooklyn communities and the religions that
seem so at odds in the broader world. They share a
friendship that will endure as they move on to
become wives and mothers, and continue to be modern
women with deep religion convictions.
http://www.filmmovement.com/filmcatalog/index.asp?MerchandiseID=122
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 Planet
Arlington is proud to be a partner in the Jewish
Community Center of Northern Virginia's
8th Annual International Jewish Film Festival
April 29
- May 15, 2008
Events listed below are those being held at the
Rosslyn Spectrum, 1611 N. Kent Street, Rosslyn.
For complete descriptions of the films, go to the
Arlington arts
calendar.
For the complete list of films and locations, go to
http://www.jccnv.org
Tickets $9:50, $7 and $6:
703-323-1993
Opening Night Reception
Tuesday, April 29, 7 p.m.
Welcome by
guest speaker from the Embassy of Israel and
screening at 8 p.m.: "Three Mothers",
Israel, 2006. 106 mins. in Arabic, French, English,
Hebrew with English subtitles.
Wednesday, April 30, 7:30 p.m.
"I Have Never Forgotten You: The Life and Legacy of Simon
Wiesenthal", USA, 2007, 105 mins. Guest speaker: Dr.
Ann Millin - Holocaust Museum
Sunday, May 4
2:30 p.m.
"Knowledge is the Beginning", Germany/Israel, 2006, 114 mins.
Arabic, Hebrew, English, German, with English
subtitles. Guest speaker: Daniel Heifetz -
Founder/Director of Heifetz International Music
Institute.
5:30 p.m. "Steel Toes", Canada,
2006, 90 mins. English
8 p.m. "Turn Left at the End of the
World". Israel, 2005, 108 mins. French, Hebrew, with
English subtitles.
Wednesday, May 7, 7:30 p.m. "Jellyfish",
Israel/France, 2007, 78 mins. Hebrew, English with
English subtitles. Guest Speaker: Staff member from
the Embassy of Israel
Thursday, May 8, 7:30 p.m. "Black
Book", Netherlands, Germany, UK, Belgium, 2006. 145
mins.
Saturday, May 10,
9:15 p.m.
"Bad Faith", Belgium, France, 2006, 88 mins.
French, with English subtitles.
Sunday, May 11
2:30 p.m. "Orthodox Stance", US, 2007, 82 mins.
English, Russian with English subtitles
5:30 p.m. "Just an Ordinary Jew", Germany,
2005, 88 mins. German with English subtitles. Guest
speaker from the Swiss Embassy.
8 p.m. "So Long Are You Young", US, 2006,
75 mins. English.
 Children's
Adventures Workshops for Grades 1 - 8
Two workshops:
Monday, April
14, 3 - 5 p.m.
Arlington Arts Center, 3550 Wilson Boulevard
Cost: $10
703-228-1859
Saturday, April 26, noon - 2 p.m.
Walter Reed Community Center
2906 16th Street S.
Cost $10
Community artist
Elizabeth Morisette will lead participants in
creating imaginative musical instruments made from
recycled materials. Some materials will be provided
but participants are encouraged to bring their own
collections of recyclable materials. All children
must be accompanied by an adult.
Registration Form
must be completed and returned with payment to:
Planet Arlington Children's Adventures
Arlington Cultural Affairs
3700 S. Four Mile Run Drive
Arlington, VA 22206
To have one sent to you, or for questions, call Sara
Lissabet at 703-228-1859
Planet Arlington
Partners
Planet Arlington is
more than just a fun time. It's a party with a
purpose! Towards that end, meet our Planet Arlington
partners: organizations that strive to bridge gaps,
effect positive change, or empower the
disenfranchised. At the World Music Festival and
various other Planet Arlington events, you will see
representatives from organizations such as:
 Educate
the Girls, Inc.
A non-profit organization dedicated to helping
girls in the developing world receive an education,
a necessity often denied them. At the core of their
program is the "Uganda Project" which supports the
Kyegonza Promotion of Girls Education Committee - an
organization of women in the Kononi and Kasaka
villages in Uganda's rural Mipigi district - by the
U.S. marketing of "Baskets of Hope". All proceeds
from the sale of these exquisitely beautiful
handmade baskets are returned to them to support the
education of the village girls. For more information
see
http://www.educatethegirls.org
Pictured:
Educate the Girls staff at the Planet Arlington
World Festival, 2007
 Phoenix
Bikes
works to develop young leaders, advance sustainable
transportation, and share the joy of cycling. At
Phoenix Bikes, a non-profit, community bike shop in
Arlington, VA, teens team up with mechanics and
community mentors to refurbish donated bikes, make
repairs for area cyclists, and go on bike
adventures. In the shop, youth mechanics gain
leadership and marketable skills; beyond its walls,
events like Working Wheels, Ride Smart Student
Workshops, and Earn-A-Bike, support safe and
affordable cycling and give youth mechanics the
opportunity to serve their families, neighbors, and
peers. Learn more at
http://www.phoenixbikes.org
U.S. FreedomWalk
Festival Club, Inc.
An all-volunteer, non-profit walking club that
organizes the annual U.S. FreedomWalk Festival each
October in Arlington. The festival promotes personal
fitness through walking, international friendship,
and civic education during a weekend of
non-competitive social walks around the monuments,
memorials, embassies and parks of Arlington, VA and
Washington, DC. Participants come from throughout US
and the world and the US to walk the area's trails.
http://www.usfreedomwalk.org
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