Showing posts with label discussion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label discussion. Show all posts

Friday, February 6, 2009

Humanities West: Cinematic Art and Reality Television in Modern India

From: Patricia Lundberg, Executive Director [patricia@humanitieswest.ccsend.com]

Dear Friend of Humanities West,

Have you seen Slum Dog Millionaire yet?

Trust me. It's great. Find out even more about Indian Cinema and upward mobility in India at Humanities West's India Rising: Tradition Meets Modernity, Friday evening, February 27 and all-day Saturday February 28, 2009 at the Herbst Theatre in San Francisco.


The Saturday program features a lecture with film clips by Dilip Basu, Founding Director of the Satyajit Ray Film Archives at UC Santa Cruz on the cinema of Satyajit Ray and his cohorts in post-independent India.

Learn how popular cinema, both past and present, uses the modern cinematic medium to the fullest while following the traditional Indian dramaturgy in form and content. And Professor Raka Ray, Sarah Kailath Chair in Indian Studies, Chair of the Center for South Asia Studies, and Associate Professor of Sociology and South and Southeast Asian Studies at the University of California Berkeley not only moderates this program but lectures on Reality Television and the New India.

As American Idol again draws high television ratings in February, Professor Ray will discuss the Indian Idol phenomenon, in which the women and the rich men are voted off first in support of upward mobility for the poor Nepalese boy who eventually wins, and in a sense causes the upward mobility of his whole community, generating pride within the regionally underserved.

Get tickets now!

Visit our web site for more information:
HumanitiesWest.org

Visit City Box Office to buy tickets.


RELATED EVENTS

The Enigma of Arrival:
Modern India & Anglophone Literature

Lecture by Stanford University Professor
Saikat Majumdar and
A Conversation with Award-Winning Indian Novelist
Vikram Chandra

Tuesday, February 17, 2009
5:30pm Reception
6 pm Lecture
Mechanics' Institute
57 Post Street, San Francisco, CA

Modern India and its people are increasingly associated with a narrative of achievement and prosperity in the realms of the economic and the cultural. State-of-the-art technology and award-winning literature are two of India's most dazzling ambassadors.

This lecture will briefly overview the field of modern Indian-English literature and raise some questions in the process: Is it possible today to see the phenomenon of Anglophone Indian literature as separate from the new image of rise and growth that currently engulfs this nation? What is gained, and what is lost when an art form gets so closely wedded to tropes of progress and achievement in the national and global public spheres?

Professor Majumdar will end his lecture in conversation with Vikram Chandra, author of Sacred Games and one of India's foremost novelists.

FREE to Members of Mechanics' Institute and Friends of Humanities West
$12 general public

To Reserve Tickets please call
415.393.0100

For more information:
Mechanics' Institute

___________________________


Preview of India Rising: Tradition Meets Modernity

A Fireside Chat with George Hammond

February 24, 2009
7:00 pm
Orinda Library
26 Orinda Way
Orinda, CA 94563
(925) 254-2184
Free to the General Public.


RESOURCES ON THE WEB

Visit our web site to:

> Download the "India Rising" brochure

> Download our newest and archived newsletters

> Suggested reading for "India Rising"

> If you are a contributor to Humanities West or a ticketholder to India Rising and would like a copy of our specially prepared India Reader, you may request your copy by writing to info@humanitieswest.org.

Patricia Lundberg, PhD, Executive Director
Humanities West, P O Box 546
San Francisco, CA 94104

info@humanitieswest.org

MoAD is Free all February!

From: Museum_of_the_African_Diaspora@mail.vresp.com



February 2009 Events and Programs

Programs & Events | Exhibition | MoAD Picks | Get Involved!

In celebration of Black History Month, admission and all events are FREE during February thanks to Bank of America.

PROGRAMS & EVENTS

Conversations That Matter – The Future of Hip Hop
Saturday, February 7
2:00 pm – 4:00 pm MoAD Salon

Join us for this exclusive conversation featuring premier Hip Hop scholar and activist, Davey D, and entertainment lawyer Michael Ashburne. With Barack Obama elected as the first African American President of the United States, can we expect to see major changes to the image of Hip Hop? Learn what these two experts have to say and join in the conversation.[more]

Lunchtime Artist Talk – Deciphering the Perpetrator
Wednesday, February 11
12 noon – 1 pm MoAD Salon

Sculptor Lorraine Bonner decodes her challenging, thought provoking work in the Perpetrator series. Find out how the portrayal of the “blackness” and/or “whiteness” of physical features – eyes, ears, hands, and mouths – can influence and perpetuate the representation of oppressive conditions. And be sure to see Bonner’s sculptures in Decoding Identity.[more]

Family Day – Soundtrack to Revolution, Part 1
Saturday, February 14
11 am – 4 pm MoAD Salon

Join MoAD for the first of two Family Days in February dedicated to exploring music of resistance performed by some of the best musical talent in the Bay Area. You’ll also have a chance to work with local artists in our Education Center to create an original work of art inspired by our exhibition, Decoding Identity: I Do It foe My People.[more]

Lunchtime Artist Talk – Psychological Imprints on Tangible Objects
Wednesday, February 18
12 noon – 1 pm MoAD Salon

Through his conceptual art pieces, Clint Imboden connects his own creative art-making process with his work as a mental health practitioner. Learn how he incorporates reclaimed tangible objects (shoes, x rays, and family photographs) that add a haunting psychological dimension to his work. Then check out his work among the pieces in Decoding Identity.[more]

Lunchtime Artist Talk – Power of the Unspokn
Wednesday, February 25
12noon – 1 pm MoAD Salon

What if all the terms used to demoralize and dehumanize African Americans throughout history no longer had the power they once did? Join artist Kelly Marshall for a provocative look at contemporary perceptions of blackness through her works that re-appropriate racial slurs, exposing the powerful role terminology plays in defining culture.[more]

Family Day – Soundtrack to Revolution, Part 2
Saturday, February 28
11 am – 4 pm MoAD Salon

Join MoAD for Part 2 of our February Family Days dedicated to exploring music of resistance performed by some of the best musical talent in the Bay Area. You’ll also have a chance to work with local artists in our Education Center to create an original work of art inspired by our exhibition, Decoding Identity: I Do It for My People.[more]

Lunchtime Artist Talk – Viewer’s Guide to Traumanauts
Wednesday, March 4
12 noon – 1 pm MoAD Salon

Painter David Huffman reveals the behind-the-scenes development of his African American astronauts, Traumanauts, the link to his social, political, and science fiction influences. Join Huffman when he explores the “outsider” symbols he uses in many of his newer works. Huffman is currently a drawing and painting professor at California College of the Arts.[more]

EXHIBITION

Decoding Identity: I Do it for My People
January 23, 2009 – March 8, 2009
Forging a personal identity gives rise to a unique voice that transcends stereotypical barriers. The works of 20 diverse artists challenge cultural and ethnic prejudices and question issues of religion, sexuality, race, and gender. Ultimately, Decoding Identity heals the dynamic tension between individual and collective identities.[more]

MoAD PICKS...OUTSIDE THE MUSEUM

Brown Bag Lunch -- Justice Albie Sachs
Wednesday, February 11
12 noon
Bar Association of San Francisco
301 Battery Street, Third Floor, San Francisco

Roundtable discussion moderated by Pamela Merchant, Executive Director of the Center for Justice and Accountability. Justice Albie Sachs, a member of the South African Constitutional Court, was appointed by President Nelson Mandela in 1994. A civil rights lawyer and activist struggling against apartheid since the 1960s, Justice Sachs was detained without trial twice, lived in exile from 1966-1990, and was almost killed in a 1988 car-bombing in Mozambique. World-renowned for his role in the creation of South Africa's new constitution, Justice Sachs is the author of several books on human rights. Presented by Facing History and Ourselves and the International Human Rights Committee of the Bar Association of San Francisco.

RSVP by February 6: Karen Foster at 510.786.2500, x226 or karen_foster@facing.org

EXHIBITION -- Connections
Thursday, February 5 – Opening Reception
5:30 pm – 7:30 pm

Jenkins Johnson Gallery, 464 Sutter Street, San Francisco
Gallery owner Karen Jenkins-Johnson and independent curator Lisa Henry set out to curate an exhibition to explore connections between artists who boldly speak on topics of race, ethnicity, identity and sex in America. CONNECTIONS presents a selection of artists who not only transcend aesthetic boundaries, but have created a powerful discourse around social condition, personal identity, and cultural heritage in America during a time of a historic political change. The exhibition will continue through March 28.

The Culture Bus 74X

CultureBus – Muni route 74X – is a brand new SFMTA bus route designed to provide both residents and visitors with a new eco-friendly transportation alternative to and between San Francisco's popular museums and cultural institutions. [more]

GET INVOLVED!

Support and Save as a MoAD member

MoAD Members enjoy free or reduced admission to our museum opening events and ongoing programs. In addition to free admittance, members can take advantage of complimentary guest passes, guest artist tours and more.

Join MoAD Today!

Become a Museum Guide

Share MoAD with visitors of all ages in the MoAD Guide Program. Guides learn about the Museum’s unique immersive exhibitions, featured exhibitions and the Heritage Center in quarterly trainings. Must be able to commit 2 hours a month plus attend all exhibition trainings. To apply, email volunteer@moadsf.org.

MoAD is located in the heart of San Francisco's Arts District at Mission and Third.

685 Mission Street, 94105 - 415.358.7200 Click here for a map

Museum and Store Hours>

Email: info@moadsf.org
Phone: (415) 358-7200
Web: www.moadsf.org

Museum of the African Diaspora
685 Mission St
San Francisco, California 94105
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Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Humanities West presents "India Rising" and "Confronting Napoleon"

From: Patricia Lundberg, Executive Director [mailto:patricia@humanitieswest.ccsend.com] On Behalf Of Patricia Lundberg, Executive Director


Dear Friend of Humanities West,

Please join us as our 2008-2009 season continues.

Tickets for our second program, India Rising: Tradition Meets Modernity, are now available.

India Rising is a two-day program of lectures, discussions, and musical presentations exploring the dynamic fusion of modern Indian culture, where ancient tradition meets current innovation and is revealed in contemporary art, literature, film, and music.

The program takes place on Friday, February 27, from 8 pm to 10:15 pm and Saturday, February 28, from 10 am to 4 pm, at Herbst Theatre, 401 Van Ness Avenue in San Francisco.

Please see the article below and
visit our web site for more information:
HumanitiesWest.org

Humanities West, a unique San Francisco Bay Area non-profit, has been "exploring history to celebrate the mind and the arts" since 1983. Your support helps us sustain excellence in interdisciplinary arts and humanities programs for the general public throughout Northern California. HumanitiesWest.org

India Rising: Tradition Meets Modernity

India's artists, in pace with their country's rapid modernization, have adopted many contemporary techniques. Yet past traditions remain strong. Ancient themes and modern modes of expression intermingle with fruitful creative tension. Abstract and surrealist artists incorporate images of legendary gods and heroes in their work, and musicians create exciting new sounds in collaboration with Western jazz and classical performers. Literature and cinema with rural village scenes compete with others featuring urban landscapes, Indian-American cultural fusion, and the seductive joys of Bollywood. This two-day presentation explores the result: a kaleidoscope of unique new delights for the eye, the ear, and the spirit.


On Friday Shashi Tharoor (diplomat, writer, and chairman of Dubai-based Afras Ventures) will discuss the 'soft power' of India. In contrast to how India's economic dynamism, political stability, and proven military capabilities assure its status as a "world leader" Tharoor's lecture will examine how Indian art, music and dance, fashions, and cuisine strengthen India's worldwide influence and contribute to its "great power". Santhi Kavuri-Bauer (Assistant Professor, Art History, San Francisco State University) follows with an illustrated talk tracing the development of modern art in India and will highlight several contemporary artists, who combine traditional symbols, forms and processes with modern media techniques.

On Saturday Vikram Chandra (Senior Lecturer, UC Berkeley) one of modern India's greatest novelists, will read from and describe his best-known work, the epic Sacred Games, a Victorian-Indian-gangster-spy-family saga, placing his work into the broad context of Indian literature today. Dard Neuman (Kamil and Talat Hasan Endowed Chair in Classical Indian Music, UC Santa Cruz) lectures on Indian music, with rare recordings. Dilip Basu (Associate Professor of History and Founding Director, Archives and Study Center on Satyajit Ray, UC Santa Cruz) presents a lecture with film clips, affirming that the cinema of Satyajit Ray and his cohorts in post-independent India remain quintessentially modern. Raka Ray (Chair of the Center for South Asia Studies at UC Berkeley) discusses the Indian Idol Phenomenon, in which the women and the rich men are voted off first in support of upward mobility for the poor Nepalese boy who eventually wins, and in a sense causes the upward mobility of his whole community, generating pride within the regionally underserved.

There will be special pre-program musical performances of Indian Classical Music by Joanna Mack of the Ali Akbar College of Music, on Friday at 7:30pm and on Saturday at 1:00pm.

For a complete program schedule and additional information about the presenters please visit HumanitiesWest.org.


Related Events


The Enigma of Arrival:
Modern India & Anglophone Literature

Lecture by Stanford University Professor
Saikat Majumdar and
A Conversation with Award-Winning Indian Novelist
Vikram Chandra

Tuesday, February 17, 2009
5:30pm Reception
6 pm Lecture
Mechanics' Institute
57 Post Street, San Francisco, CA

Modern India and its people are increasingly associated with a narrative of achievement and prosperity in the realms of the economic and the cultural. State-of-the-art technology and award-winning literature are two of India's most dazzling ambassadors.

This lecture will briefly overview the field of modern Indian-English literature and raise some questions in the process: Is it possible today to see the phenomenon of Anglophone Indian literature as separate from the new image of rise and growth that currently engulfs this nation? What is gained, and what is lost when an art form gets so closely wedded to tropes of progress and achievement in the national and global public spheres?

Professor Majumdar will end his lecture in conversation with Vikram Chandra, author of Sacred Games and one of India's foremost novelists.

FREE to Members of Mechanics' Institute and Friends of Humanities West
$12 general public

To Reserve Tickets please call
415.393.0100

For more information:
Mechanics' Institute

___________________________


Preview of India Rising: Tradition Meets Modernity

A Fireside Chat with George Hammond

February 24, 2009
7:00 pm
Orinda Library
26 Orinda Way
Orinda, CA 94563
(925) 254-2184
Free to the General Public.


Sincerely,

Patricia Lundberg, PhD, Executive Director
Humanities West, P O Box 546

San Francisco, CA 94104

info@humanitieswest.org