By Geri Laudati
During the spring semester, the Friends of the UW-Madison Library and the Department of Special Collections cooperated to offer a series highlighting the arts.
The first in the Friends' spring lecture series "Art and Life" was a performance led by ellsworth snyder , featuring soprano Mimmi Fulmer, Steve Nelson-Raney, and Yehuda Yannay. As might be expected, several audience-participation pieces rounded out the program, which heralded the opening of the exhibit "famous for other things, gifts from the collection of ellsworth snyder." The exhibit features visual arts created by individuals who were or are famous for their creative endeavors in other fields. Represented are works by e. e. cummings, Jackson MacLow, Merce Cunningham, John Cage, David Lynch, Laurie Anderson, and Henry Miller, to mention just a few. The exhibit runs through 10 April in the Department of Special Collections.
The second presentation in the series featured Tracy Honn, Director of the Silver Buckle Press, whose talk "Life is Short, Letterpress is Long," highlighted the delights of letterpress printing. The Silver Buckle Press, a fully functioning nineteenth century letterpress, is located on the second floor of Memorial Library.
Chicago art critic Dennis Adrian's talk "Art as a mirror of Life," a gendered interpretation of twentieth century art, elicited much discussion and more than a few raised eyebrows. No one slept through this lecture!
The final entry in the series will feature dancer and choreographer Mary Anthony. Anthony began her career in the early 1940s at the studio of late great German modern dance exponent Hanya Holm, and founded her own dance studio in 1954. She credits the late UW-Madison dance faculty member Louise Kloepper, whom she knew while a member of the Holm Company, as her mentor. Anthony is recognized as one of the leaders of the modern dance movement and as a dancer, choreographer and teacher. Miss Anthony's lecture will be held at 5:30 p.m. on 9 April in the Fluno Center Auditorium.
To finish the semester, "Moving Lessons: Dance at Madison" will open on 15 April in the Department of Special Collections. The exhibit, sponsored by University Archives, showcases dance at the UW from the time of Margaret H'Doubler.
The Friends of the Library is an organization that helps to support projects in all libraries on the UW campus. To join the Friends, or to learn more about their activities, call Tom Garver, coordinator, at 265-2505.