Free Family Adventure Day - January 2011

Join us for our next Free Family Adventure Day on Saturday Jan. 15, 2011 | 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Explore some of the classes we will be offering for our Winter/Spring 2011 Session!

Activities include:

• Experimenting with Color


• Hand-building with Clay


• Constructing Paper Mosaics


• Painting Vibrant, Up-close Creatures

Docent-led tours to the Fine Arts Center begin at 12:30 pm! Free Family Adventure Days are made possible in part by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the Anna Keesling Ackerman Fund.

FAC Holiday Hours (Bah, Humbug!)

[FAC Museum staff strike a Scrooge-like pose next to a sculpture by Francisco Zuniga (1913-1998) "Elena de pie" (Elena Standing) 1976, Bronze FA 1983.9. The sculpture is part of the FAC's extensive collection of Hispanic Art.]

Though we may be closed on Christmas Day, the FAC Museum staff (pictured above in their self-portrait with Francisco Zuniga's bronze statue) would like to remind you that there's no reason for a Bah, Humbug holiday weekend. On the contrary, come on by to view Ceramics of Tonalá: Legacy of a Thousand Years Christmas Eve until 2 p.m or New Year's Eve day until 2 p.m.

FAC Galleries
Open Christmas Eve - Dec. 24 til 2 p.m.
Open New Year’s Eve - Dec. 31 til 2 p.m.

Closed on Christmas Day - Dec. 25
Closed New Year’s Day - Jan. 1

Bemis School of Art
Closed Christmas Eve Dec. 24 (at noon), 25, 31 and Jan. 1

Party at the FAC!

The New Year offers a chance to start anew, be it with a new job, a new hair color, or a new family in a newly established autonomous state. Wave goodbye to old ways with today’s Groupon.com offer: for $64, you get admission for two to New Year’s Eve at the Fine Arts Center (a $138 value).

Celebrate the end of the millennium and the beginning of a new golden age at Cruising to Exotic Places, an elegant themed affair running from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. December 31 and featuring multiple dancing areas, tours of the gallery, karaoke, live entertainment, singles-mingles, and a champagne toast at midnight. Enjoy Argentinean tango dancing in the Buenos Aires lounge, or generate buzz for your self-made sitcom in the Hollywood room. Pair your happy hooves with a contented stomach by adding on a reservation-only sit-down dinner ($50 extra per person), with seating times at 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; Caribbean buffet ($24.99 extra per person); or post-midnight breakfast buffet ($12 extra per person).

2010 Denver Post Ovation Awards Nominations - Please vote for your favorites!

[Photo of Alan Osburn as Sweeney Todd and Eryn Caman as Mrs. Lovett in the FAC's 2010 Sweeney Todd. Photo by Tom Kimmell.]

Please vote for your favorites! The ballot is available here through Dec. 20 | 5 p.m.

Congratulations to all those involved in making 2010 a great year for theatre in Colorado! We're honored to learn that our production of Sweeney Todd leads all musicals in Colorado for receiving seven nominations in the 2010 Denver Post Ovation Awards.

Here they are, in order of appearance on the nomination list.

• Best musical - Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center's "Sweeney Todd"
• Actress, musical role - Eryn Carman, Mrs. Lovett, Colorado Springs F.A.C.'s "Sweeney Todd"
• Supporting actor, musical role - Thaddeus Valdez, Judge Turpin, Colorado Springs F.A.C.'s "Sweeney Todd"
• Director of a musical - Alan Osburn, Colorado Springs F.A.C.'s "Sweeney Todd"
• Scenic Design - Christopher L. Sheley, Colorado Springs F.A.C.'s "Sweeney Todd"
• Lighting - Holly Anne Rawls, Colorado Springs F.A.C.'s "Sweeney Todd"
• Best band - Roberta Jacyshyn, Colorado Springs F.A.C.'s "Sweeney Todd"
  
  

[Updated] Amuzé at the FAC: Exotic Holiday Wine Tasting Dinner

Five-Course Wine Tasting Dinner | $49 per person

Dec. 15 | 7:30 p.m.

Call 719.477.4377 for reservations.

Looking for ways to wow your dinner guests this holiday season? Featuring exotic food pairing choices, this tasting demonstrates ways to add extra flair and flavor to holiday dining. Still not convinced? Here's the menu:

Course 1
Lump Blue Crab in Brioche
Garbel Prosecco, Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy, 2009

Course 2
Potato Chestnut Soup Demitasse
Novellum Chardonnay, Vin de Pays Cotes Catalanes, Languedoc, France, 2009

Course 3
Duck Confit with Frisee
Leyda Pinot Noir, “Classic”, Leyda Valley, Chile, 2009

Course 4
Maple Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin with, Baby Carrot, & Cheese Polenta
Domaine d’ Andezon, Cotes du Rhone, France, 2009

Course 5
Chocolate Ganache Torte with Coulis
Victoria Tawny Port, R.L. Buller, Victoria, Australia

Remembering Bill Hyer

[Bill Hyer at the Colorado Springs Abstract opening reception, February 27, 2009. Photo by Mark Fletcher.]

We had the great privilege of working with artist Bill Hyer on the Colorado Springs Abstract exhibition in 2009.

Bill said of his paintings, “My work is based on what I see inside as well as what I know lies beyond this world. When I start a painting, it is because a creative force within beckons me to action and expression and my mood is already present. Rather than beginning with a sketch, the process for each piece begins with a very clear view of what I am going to paint. I can see exactly what I am going to do - what colors I am going to use, where they go on the canvas, and the textures that they will create.”

Bill began painting late in life out of the most genuine kind of necessity. In his paintings, he sought to tap into elemental humanity and spirituality - a tradition in abstraction since Kandinsky, Malevich, Rothko, and Newman. Nevertheless, Bill believed that the essence of his paintings represented a “larger human experience” which came from within him rather than from artistic precedents. There are always hidden images in his paintings, which will continue to challenge viewers to locate individual faces and spiritual references throughout their compositions.

Bill was an extraordinarily passionate and generous person who believed that art could affect our spirit in the most the most affirmative ways. He will be missed.

[Bill Hyer (1936-2010), Exodus, 2006, Oil on canvas, 54 x 66 inches, Gift of the artist, FA2008.7]

Go, Go, Go, Jo! Meet the Real Joe Behind the Technicolor Star

Meet the real Joseph behind the Technicolor star

Joseph Mikolaj (MICK o lī) stars as Joseph in the FAC’s holiday blockbuster performance of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Mikolaj recently graduated from the Yale School of Music with a Masters Degree in Vocal Performance. His stage roles include Nanki-Poo in The Mikado, Frederick in Pirates of Penzance, and Goro in Madame Butterfly. This past April, Mikolaj took first prize at the New York Oratorio Society’s Lyndon Woodside Solo Competition as the youngest musician in the competition.

Q. We’re thrilled to have you in this production! Where are you from?
J.M. I’m from a small town near Houston, Texas. I sang in choir throughout school.

Q. What brought you to Colorado Springs?
J.M. My brother, who moved out here first. He was a dietician in the army, and now he’s finishing up his nursing degree. I finished grad school and I’d planned to move to NY and do the “Big Apple” thing, but I’d been in school all my life, and I wanted a break. I wanted to spend some time with my family. My brother said, “it’s beautiful here and I have an extra room!” and that’s all it took.

Q. How did you get involved professionally in music?
J.M. Even though I sang in my high school choir, I didn’t decide to be a music major until well into my college career. Right before sophomore year, I met up with high school friends from choir who were all music majors, and they were all having an awesome time. So I jumped right into vocal performance degree and found a phenomenal voice teacher in Houston. My voice teacher, Dr. Knapp, suggested Yale University for grad school. I had no idea when I applied about the level of competition-- the Yale School of Music only accepts one student per part, per year.

Q. That’s amazing! How did your classical studies influence your approach to theatre?
J.M. My Degree is in early music and concert singing. In the classical music world, I’m known as a lighter tenor, so early music made sense for my voice. Regardless of the era, there’s an innate drama to the music and to the words the music is set to. When you really delve into that, you don’t have to do anything else besides being moved by it. That doesn’t necessary hold for music theatre, but it deepens that relationship—looking for what is powerful and letting it move you.

Q. What’s your favorite piece of music?
J.M. Impossible to choose just one!

Q. Ok then, what music do you hear in your head when you wake up in the morning?
J.M. Depends on what I’m singing the night before. It’s different every morning. On the classical front, I’ve got a performing of Bach’s St. Matthew Passion coming up in Philadelphia, so I’ve been hearing that in my head a lot lately. I also find myself singing anything from Joseph. “Close Every Door” is a great song.

Q.What do you like best about performing musical theatre?
J.M. It’s so honest. Music theatre is an opportunity to live the best of two worlds. It’s so challenging as an artist, and it’s so fulfilling! You can’t hide behind anything—that’s what makes it raw and honest.

Q. What do you like to do when you’re not working or performing?
J.M. I absolutely love to read, especially now that I’m out of grad school and can read for fun. Being able to do that is wonderful! I also enjoy rock climbing and martial arts.

Q. Do you have a favorite line from the show?
J.M. Yes! It’s the line when Joseph and his brothers are reunited: “Can't you recognize my face? Is it hard to see? That Joseph, who you thought was dead, your brother, is me?”

Q. Who would win in a dance off, you or Donny Osmond?
J.M. Donny Osmond! Hands down.

Guided Tour of Allen True Murals

Free Tour | Dec. 17 | 11:30 a.m.
Reservations required by 5 p.m. Dec. 16 | 719.477.4341

Muralist Allen Tupper True (1881-1955) was born in Colorado Springs and many of his paintings and illustrations are currently on display in the El Pomar Gallery of the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center. However, True’s work has had a permanent home in the city as well, in the form of a mural at the Early Connections Learning Center (formerly Colorado Springs Day Nursery), located at 104 E. Rio Grande St.

In 1922, the artist painted a whimsical mural at the school, featuring themes of Mother Goose nursery rhymes and other fairy tales. The mural is not typically available for public viewing, but through the generous collaboration of the ECLC, may be seen as part of a guided tour of the facility at 11:30 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 17. This event is free, but reservations are required and space is limited. To RSVP, please call Joy Armstrong, Curatorial Assistant, at 719.477.4341 by 5 p.m. on Dec. 16, 2010.

Like the FAC, the Colorado Springs Day Nursery Association was founded by a group of women, including Alice Bemis Taylor, who donated money to build the Day Nursery to provide a permanent home for the Association. The building was dedicated “to all mothers and all children” in December, 1923. For more information about Early Connections Learning Center, please visit the website.

Open Auditions Jan 4: The Women

Tues. Jan. 4 | 6 p.m.
To schedule an appointment, please call 719.477.4387 and leave a message stating your name and contact phone number. Your call will be returned as soon as possible.

The FAC is holding open auditions for The Women, a play by Clare Boothe Luce on Tuesday, January 4, 2011 starting at 6pm. Needed are actresses ranging in age from 18 to 60. There is one role for a young girl age 10-14. There are no male roles in this play.

The Women will be performed March 25 through April 10, 2011.

At this time all roles are available. All roles are paid. Auditions will consist of cold readings from the script.

Actors should arrive about 10 minutes prior to their audition time to fill out paperwork. Please also bring a headshot and resume.

Out of town actors as well as members of Actors Equity Association are welcome to audition. We do offer a limited number of Equity Guest Artist Tier II contracts.

To schedule an appointment, please call 719-477-4387 and leave a message stating your name and contact phone number. Your call will be returned as soon as possible.

Call backs for The Women will take place on Wednesday, January 5th starting at 6pm. If you pass the first audition you will be invited to attend the call back. Dialogue sides for the call back will be emailed to you in advance.

The Women will be directed by Sandra Womochil Bray.

The Fine Arts Center does not believe in discrimination based on color, race, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, disabilities, gender, or otherwise. All performers, including those of color, seniors, women, and performers with disabilities, are encouraged to audition and will be given full consideration.

Make your own jewelry presents with cold chain construction

Chain Construction
1-Day Workshop at Bemis School of Art
Chains will be our focus in this workshop. Soldered, fused and “cold connect” chains will be fabricated just in time for the holidays. Prerequisite: must have basic soldering skills. Supply list. Intermediate Adult

Register online

A83 Santistevan $128 (Members $113)
Sat 12/11 9:30am-4:00pm