Culture Shock
House of Folk—My dictionary claims that “folk” means “of, originating among, or having to do with the common people.” Sounds kind of Marxist, doesn't it? For the organizers of this weekend's Albuquerque Folk Festival, however, “folk” has precious little to do with hairy ol' Uncle Karl. “Folk” is more a creative ethic, a DIY attitude that involves plenty of public participation. The festival isn't just about showing up and listening to a bunch of music or looking at art created by other people. It's about learning how to make your own damn music and art, while interacting with others of like mind.
Art News
The Art of Video Games
I Am 8-Bit
At the dawn of the video game era, lots of kids spent hundreds of hours inside cramped, noisy arcades staring at pixeled screens until the otherworldly images of aliens, spaceships, gargantuan centipedes and traffic-dodging frogs burned permanently into their impressionable brains. Some of these kids grew up to be artists. A few of them began incorporating imagery from their favorite games into their artwork. The eye-popping result is I Am 8-Bit.
Art Magnified
The Jungle Book, Kids
Gorilla Tango
It’s the jazziest jungle around with some pretty cool cats singing about the bare necessities and all that jive. Take a trip into this hep jungle and attend The Jungle Book, Kids, opening this week at Gorilla Tango. Based on the classic Disney film (which in turn is based on the stories of Rudyard Kipling), the performance follows the story of Mowgli, the kid who talks animal, and his bear friend, Baloo. Gorilla Tango has created a musical that's fun for the whole family. Twelve young local actors star in the colorful and energetic musical that features such tunes as “The Bare Necessities” and “I Wanna Be Like You.” The show runs tonight through June 25, Fridays at 7 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets are $8, and the show is rated G. 245-8600.
Art Magnified
Boca de Arena
Working Classroom
Fred Wilson's ceramics have been exhibited around the world. Starting this week, his work can be seen at Working Classroom alongside ceramics created by students from Washington Middle School and six high schools around Albuquerque. Boca de Arena features a collection of contemporary ceramic sculptures ranging from slabs to masks, sculptures of human heads to animal heads. To create these pieces, the students and their mentor have practiced ancient ceramic techniques by which they explore figure, texture and shape. The show opens Friday, June 16, with a reception from 6 to 8 p.m. 242-9267.
