Category: Arts

Categories
Arts

Movie Review: The Great Gatsby

“[Nick] ventured, ‘You can’t repeat the past.’

‘Can’t repeat the past?’ he cried incredulously. ‘Why of course you can!”

Courtesy of 8tracks.com
Courtesy of 8tracks.com

Unlike Jay Gatsby’s attempt to repeat the past, director Baz Luhrmann’s endeavor to bring The Great Gatsby to the screen yet again was the refreshing and unique spin that this acclaimed American story needed.

In 1926, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s, The Great Gatsby, made its screen debut in a silent film production directed by Herbert Brenon. Following in 1949, Elliot Nugget directed a black and white “talkie” version. Yet a third version was created with a screenplay by Francis Ford Coppola and direction by Jack Clayton in 1974. That most recent version starred actors still known today, such as Robert Redford and Mia Farrow, but many critics, such as Roger Ebert, were unimpressed.

All this to say this classic story needed a fresh spin to redeem it from some of its less than impressive predecessors. Luhrmann’s adaptation was created in conjunction with musical genius Jay-Z, who also served as executive producer for both the film and album. The duo was joined by composer Craig Armstrong, whom Luhrmann had worked with in previous projects, such as Moulin Rouge.

The acting and cinematography of the film were stylistically unique and fairly well received, but the soundtrack was perhaps most notable.  The soundtrack, a composition of upbeat brash hip-hop combined with traditional jazz melodies and other contemporary sounds, was a means to bring the Roaring Twenties to the modern era. Luhrmann said, “The question for me in approaching Gatsby was how to elicit from our audience the same level of excitement and pop cultural immediacy toward the world that Fitzgerald did for his audience. And in our age, the energy of jazz is caught in the energy of hip-hop.”  Jay-Z’s $100 Bill carries an electro-rap beat that bluntly chops in and out of Nick’s wistful recount of Gatsby’s woes.  The hard beat and pointed lyrics serve as a description of Gatsby’s life of luxury and “decade of decadence, ill reverence, irreverence.”  Later, Lana del Ray’s haunting, Young and Beautiful, rises and falls, as Gatsby and Daisy’s intimate relationship climaxes within the Gatsby estate.  To name a few other contributors, Florence and the Machine, The xx, and Gotye all add key elements necessary to bring back to life the vibe of the Roaring 20’s.

In terms of acting, DiCaprio stepped up to the role of nouveau riche and mysterious Gatsby himself.  Throughout the film his, “Old Sports,” get repetitive, but they do the job to stress his tiresome and affluent lifestyle.   However, Tobey Maguire’s performance in the role of the young and naïve Nick Caraway who quickly gets caught up in Gatsby’s bourgeoisie living is weak. Though Maguire’s character is meant to get lost in the decadence of Gatsby’s spendthrift life, his performance is much overshadowed by DiCaprio. Lastly, Carey Mulligan struggles to balance and convey the love triangle she has been caught in, yet her sub-par performance is overall acceptable.

Perhaps the harshest criticism of the film should be directed at what is also considered it’s greatest strength–its unabashed and garishly over-the-top ostentatious storytelling. Luhrmann’s riots of color and extravagant party scenes take away from Fitzgerald’s intimate and personal story of self worth and the struggle to mend relationships. Gatsby’s doomed romance is repeatedly overshadowed and shoved to the side, due to unapologetically excessive depictions of the leisure class. Some critics point to the films of Quentin Tarantino as having the feel Luhrmann was ultimately striving to achieve, yet failed to accomplish. However, this flaw seems minor when compared to the

Categories
Arts

Houghton Hires New Photography Professor

Houghton welcomed 11 new faculty members this year, including new photography and digital imaging professor, Ryann Cooley.  Professor Cooley comes to Houghton after several stints as a photographer in both the advertising and missionary fields.

However, before pursuing his career in photography, Cooley worked as a financial planner. In the late 80s, on what is known as Black Monday, the stock market crashed and Cooley marks this as the start of a series of events that happened in his life where he said God started speaking in his life, “convicting [him] of [his] motivations for being in the financial sector.” After the revelation that money was his “primary motivation”, Cooley said that he realized he could “only serve one master”, something which “shook [his] world.”

Cooley_RyannEventually Cooley stepped away from the financial sector and said that this time in his life was one without “a sense of direction, motivation, or drive.” The next six months were spent in prayer, Cooley said, almost “like [he] was in a monastery.” This intense period of prayer ultimately left Cooley with a dream in which he was “a photographer for missionaries, traveling the world to document various missions” as a graduate of Brooks Institute, a school he heard about in high school.

Initially following his dream, Cooley contacted Brooks Institute and learned that both the tuition and admission requirements were out of reach. Dismayed, he began to look elsewhere. Yet a month later he received a call from Brooks offering him admission and scholarship. After being accepted into the undergraduate program at the Brooks Institute under the Alumni Scholarship Program, Cooley immediately enrolled and successfully completed his degree. Following his graduation, he began to contact missionaries to see if he could come along on their missions and take photos. When Cooley was denied these opportunities, he said his next step was to “go and make a name for [himself] as a photographer,” so he moved to New York City, “the hub of photography”, in order to do so.

In NYC, Cooley worked as an assistant photographer for several years with his first client being Levi’s. His work in advertising gradually grew and was followed by an opportunity to shoot for a Presbyterian mission organization while they were on a mission in Mexico for three weeks, an opportunity Cooley said he “jumped at.” His work with missions organizations continued with groups like the Arab World Missions in Morocco and the International Bible Society based in Colorado Springs.

Following the birth of his son and the start of his family, Cooley said that his career direction changed. “My dream had come true,” he said, and it was now time to return to the advertising world, which Cooley said he sees as “much [of] a mission field” as those he had worked in before, calling advertising a “foreign country itself.” In 2012, after a reasonable stint in advertising, Cooley pursued and received his MFA in Photography, Video, and Related Media from the School of Visual Arts in NYC so that he could teach.

Before coming to Houghton, Cooley looked into and interviewed at several schools, but he said it was the students at Houghton that stood out to him because they were “easy to talk to and articulate;” students he wanted the chance to work with. After receiving and accepting the position at Houghton, Cooley and his family moved from New York City to Angelica, and he said that the transition was big, but that he was “ready to move on from the city.”

When asked what he hopes to bring to Houghton, Cooley said that he wants to bring an “NYC edge,” and introduce more conceptual art that will help in his goal of “pushing the boundaries of what people expect of art.” Additionally, he would like to see the number of photography classes grow to include more advanced classes that offer students the opportunity to specialize in areas such as lighting. Also important to Cooley is the relationship between the music and art departments. He hopes to help bring the departments together in combined performances, and said that there may be a collaboration with Professor Brian Johnson in the works for this year’s Christmas Prism.

Categories
Arts

“Diary of Love” Recital

www.houghton.edu

The recent faculty recital, Diary of Love Songs, featured Kelley Hijleh, voice, Sharon Johnson, piano, and Steven Thomas, violin. Martha Thomas, wife of Thomas, the violist, said that the recital was “a musical energy that has been birthed by love,” and according to Professor Kelly Hijleh- she has got it spot on.

Hijleh is the lead vocalist of Diary of Love Songs, and has been part of the Houghton faculty for 21 years. She said her hope for the recital was that to unite the campus through music. Hijleh said that this recital was more personal to her than previous recitals because it is, in effect, a story of her own relationship with her husband of 23 years. The recital featured two pieces written by her husband, Mark Hijleh. One, More Precious than Rubies, was first played at the couple’s wedding, and will be played once more, this time by Hannah Hijleh, the couple’s daughter. “Romantic love is a great gift from God” Hijleh said, “and I have attempted to share my life story.”

A member of the music faculty for 10 years, Johnson explained that this recital encompasses her relationships with dear friend Kelley Hijleh and her students. She said the recital was a special bond she was able to share with Kelley, and said the experience was one that enriched their friendship. Johnson also said that recitals help her to better communicate with her students by helping her to bridge the gap between musician and teacher. “I am not just a teacher but also a learner and that creates a holistic environment for students,” she said, “and that can be seen clearly when I perform on stage.”

“Music is very present in our life and in worship,” Thomas said, “ and when we worship we are closest to God.” Thomas said that the recital was a very exciting event for him and a strong expression of his own spirituality as he said, “I am most intimate with God when I play music.”

The recital was unanimously described to be “all about love.” A theme that is reflected both in the repertoire and the participant’s back stories. To begin, Hijleh and Johnson performed four Italian love songs from the 17th and 18th centuries. The first two selections highlight the beloved, while the third, a decidedly darker melody, “depicts love that is faithful in the face of faithlessness” according to Hijleh’s program note, and finally the fourth piece reflects the “fiery passion” that is “often depicted in love songs. Hijleh brought life to the lyrics with dramatic expression and a passionate delivery of the melody. Following the Italian selections, is another series of four pieces by Johannes Brahms. The themes of passion, fire, and love are present throughout, and Hijleh’s performance mirrored these well. Also on the program was Hijleh’s performance of an aria from the French opera, Louise, entitled “Depuis le jour.” It was an “exuberant” piece that Hijleh said “[captured] for [her] better than anything the feeling of being in love.

Categories
Arts

New Vocal Ensemble: “The Houghton Singers”

Houghton College ChoirThis semester Houghton will be welcoming the new vocal ensemble, the Houghton Singers.  This group will be dedicated to bringing more contemporary arrangements, including hits from The Beatles and Tom Petty.  The Singers’ coordinator, Kevin Dibble, said the idea for this group began last year when Voces8 performed on campus and was received with an “overwhelming interest”.  The Houghton Singers hope to reflect a similar acapella sound.

Traditionally, the Houghton Music Department has been devoted to the genre of classical music.  Dibble, Assistant Director of Choral Activities, acknowledges that while it is still important to study and perform conventional pieces, it is also vital to “recognize that the world of music is changing”.  Houghton is now providing a more diverse course offering that include studies in commercial compositional activity and music business.  The Houghton Singers look forward to being a continuation of the recent appreciation for a more varied music scene on campus.

Simba Kamuriwo, a senior music major, is just one of the 13 vocalists that make up the Houghton Singers.  Kamuriwo is looking forward to “giving more variety to the music program that already exists,” and describes the group as a “selection of different students from numerous studies”.  The ensemble consists of both undergraduate and graduate students.

One hope that the Houghton Singers have as a group is to encourage the idea that music at Houghton is for everyone.  Dibble also serves as Coordinator of Music Admissions and Recruitment, and said that part of the institution’s plan as a liberal arts college is to have the opportunity for all to participate in the music program, whether or not it is their area of study.  This group has the potential to attract more people who may have been turned off from the previous repertoire.  Dibble is excited to have the chance to “marry” the classical and the contemporary music worlds.

Admittance into the Houghton Singers was very selective, beginning with initial auditions, followed by callbacks held Friday, September 6.  After the ensemble’s first rehearsal, Kamuriwo was “impressed by the level of commitment” evident in the group.  Kamuriwo is looking forward to getting to know his fellow vocalists and said, “We have a common goal that drives us . . . we are all going to put our hearts into this, work hard, and set a standard for performing in this genre.”

Sophomore Religion major, Hope McKeever, who will be singing alto in the Houghton Singers, is just one of the vocalists that will be adding to the diversity of this new group.  McKeever has previously sung in various choirs, festivals, and musicals.  She described her current involvement with the Singers as her, “first musical endeavor at Houghton” and said this is an unique opportunity for students.  Although Mckeever is not studying music, she can find connections between her area of study and this ensemble. and said she, “appreciates the relationship of discipline as well as the ability of gaining a new perspective”.

In looking toward the future, the Houghton Singers are excited to sing in chapel and SPOT as well as travel to local schools.  This vocal ensemble plans to serve as ambassadors; outreaching and connecting with others through music.  This is especially feasible due to the group’s convenient small  size, which opens the door to more possibilities.

Most importantly, Kevin Dibble said that the goal behind the Houghton Singers is to have a “clear intention for God . . . although the music may be secular, every performance [will] be given to God as another way to thank Him for gifts He has given.”

Categories
Arts

Annual Faculty Art Exhibition

The start of the new school year offers opportunities not only to grow academically and spiritually on campus, but also to enjoy what the art department has to offer with this year’s Faculty Art Exhibition. Originally featuring the work of two professors, this exhibition has occurred annually since the art department was founded at Houghton College and was expanded eight years ago to become the comprehensive group faculty exhibition that it is today.

Faculty_Art_Show_1Jillian Sokso, chair of the art department, said that the purpose of the Faculty Art Exhibition is to “engage the community in what’s happening with the art faculty,” similar to the faculty recitals that happen within the music department. Twelve different medias from six professors are featured this year, which Sokso said would help students to get a good idea about what is available to study in the art department. Additionally Sokso said that the exhibit also “benefits the faculty” involved, as it is “good to get to work together” and will foster “helpful conversation” amongst colleagues. Faculty members featured this year include Ted Murphy, Ryann Cooley, Jillian Sokso, Dave Huth, John Rhett, and Gary Baxter.

Professor Ted Murphy, who teaches fundamental art courses such as painting, drawing and Intro to 2D Design, as well as the art history course, Renaissance to Early Romanticism, has over 26 pieces featured in the exhibition. One of his series, Drawings In and Out of Context, was completed “during the lectures and seminar discussions of the past year in the Contemporary Context class” he helped to teach, according to his artist’s statement, noting that “in order to better concentrate on [the class] discussions [he] began to draw.” Concerning his part in the exhibition overall, Murphy said in his artist’s statement, “these works grew out of a process” and that this “current body of work reflects [his] overlapping interest in representational art and degrees of abstraction,” as well as reflecting “an interest in Zen painting”.

Houghton’s new photography and digital imaging professor, Ryann Cooley is also featured in the exhibition, and is showing an installation conceptual piece entitled “The Last Supper”. Cooley’s typical work in the light-based mediums of photography and video is reflected in this piece, which employs twelve working TVs. The twelve TVs represent the Twelve Apostles, giving the piece its name. Cooley plays Mel Gibson’s “The Passion” on a loop while arranging the TVs to face the wall, allowing the viewer to only observe the light given off as its reflected. He said that as observers walk amongst the piece they are unaware that “Christ is continually being crucified” and that this “mirrors the conditions of the Last Supper where Christ said that his disciples didn’t ‘get it’,” as the viewers will at first miss the true meaning of the exhibit. “Yet,” Cooley said, “one can still enjoy the piece just like the apostles enjoyed Christ’s presence,” by evoking a reflective nature in the observers.

Chair of the art department and professor Jillian Sokso said that her work in this exhibition is “all relatively recent and was done over the summer.” Her works include drawings, an installation piece and book sculptures. When asked about the inspiration for her work here, Sokso said that much of it stemmed from her recent residency at the Woodside Art Center in Troy, NY.  Her installation piece is also inspired by the concept of “strategic reuse,” something Sokso said she is interested in.

The exhibition formally opened the 30th of August and will continue to run through the 6th of October. A reception will take place the 20th of September complete with live music and food, as well as featuring the artists themselves speaking about their work.

 

Categories
Arts

Things to Eat: Garlic Scape Pesto


How ironic that I wrote this piece on the same day as the National Day of Garlic, the feature food of my article.

Garlic, a relative in the onion family and native to central Asia, has been consumed by humans for more than 6,000 years. Known for its medicinal qualities, garlic has been used over the centuries for currency, to ward off evil spirits, as an aphrodisiac, and more.  Most commonly it has been used as a seasoning that is a frequent flavor booster in world cuisines.

As a self-proclaimed “foodie,” I have been using garlic in savory dishes since I can remember learning to cook. But it wasn’t until a few years ago that I discovered that you could use more than the bulb of the garlic plant.  Garlic “scapes” were introduced to me by my son, Andrew, who did an internship four years ago at a sustainable agriculture center in upstate New York.

The scape, or garlic curl, represents a stage of growth common to the hard-necked variety of garlic.  As the underground bulb grows and begins to harden, the plant sends up a dense green shoot the consistency of asparagus that curls as it grows longer.  Snipping off this curly shoot (the scape) at this stage, before it produces a flower, allows the garlic bulb to grow larger.

Garlic scapes are considered a vegetable and have a mild garlicky flavor.  While my favorite way to use scapes is in the pesto recipe below, it can be used in hummus, sliced thin and sauteed, and even added raw to salads, and other vegetable dishes.

Garlic Scape Pesto

1 cup garlic scapes (8 or 9 scapes), chopped (remove flowering end)

1⁄3 cup walnuts

3⁄4cup olive oil

1⁄4to 1⁄2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1⁄2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Ground black pepper

Mix all together in a food processor and blend to a fine consistency.

The pesto is delicious tossed with warm pasta or spread on as the bottom layer on a pizza before adding other toppings.

You can freeze the pesto or refrigerate it for up to one week.

Garlic scapes usually appear for a few weeks in late spring or early summer at local farmer’s markets.  Doug and I planted our first crop of garlic last November and today the plants are several inches out of the ground.  I will be watching for our own scapes and also at the markets again this summer so that we have a fresh batch of pesto in the freezer for use next winter.

Categories
Arts

Things to Do: Wiscoy Falls

Wiscoy Falls is one of those places that should be on every Houghton student’s bucket list. Set back a mile or so from the well-frequented Route 19, this chain of three waterfalls is a gorgeous sight to see and explore. To get there, simply drive 10 minutes north of Houghton on Route 19, and take a left at the sign denoting Wiscoy. As you follow its direction, you will come to a Y in the road, at which you should continue to the right. Very soon, you will reach the bridge that overlooks the first of the falls. Most Houghton students that expedition here will make use of the small dirt parking space next to the condemned mill building just past the bridge, and then proceed along the path that extends from there.

Courtesy of Maribeth Olson
Courtesy of Maribeth Olson

Visitors should follow this pathway through the woods, and then there is a hike across a firm dirt trail along the river. After dodging briars and climbing the dry sides of the waterfall’s shale, visitors can splash through the shallows on their way upstream. As they chase the river toward its source, visitors will encounter three waterfalls before finally being faced with the dam that spills the water down toward the Genesee. All three of these waterfalls are accessible to the adventurous expeditionary, and they all hold secrets of their own for the discovery.

As visitors approach the second waterfall from downstream, they will find the riverbed to be hazardously pot-marked with greater or lesser depressions in the rock. The deepest of these begins a short way from the strongest portion of that particular fall and extends right up to the crashing of the water. However, there is a ledge that can be traced from the right side of the falls (facing upstream) that will lead visitors along the edge of the falls. Visitors will be led to a point where their faces are stung by the spray of the water and they have no more ledge to trace, and it is at that point that visitors may let themselves fall into the powerful curtain of water and startlingly find themselves safe in an open cavern beneath that very curtain. This moderately sized cavern is my personal favorite place to explore when I travel to the falls when the water is warm.

Since it is only early spring, I would not recommend swimming at Wiscoy just yet. But you may still enjoy the picturesque scenery and take the opportunity breathe the clear air of a white-water Spring.

Categories
Arts

Houghton Palooza

Spring came just in time for Houghton’s annual outdoor music extravaganza, the Houghton Palooza, taking place this Saturday April 27 on the quad at the townhouses. This year’s event will host a musical line-up featuring of a mixture of local musicians and Houghton students.

Courtesy of samecity.com
Courtesy of samecity.com

One of the bands performing this year is Samecity. Headed by Justin and Hannah Bowersox, Samecity is an alternative/folk rock group that will be playing the songs from their new EP that was released this week. Graduate Justin Bowersox, lead vocals, said that the band’s music “[addresses] the issues of brokenness and hopelessness and reconciling them with the hope found in Christ.”

Hannah Bowersox, senior, said that for Samecity, the Palooza is “an opportunity to play for friends…they can see what we devote our hearts to.”

Many involved with the event are hoping for and expecting a big turnout. For many of this year’s performers, the Palooza is an opportunity to showcase a year’s (or more) worth of hard work and practice. Senior Dan Larson, drums of Samecity, said, “it’s nice to see all our friend’s bands and what everybody’s put together.”

Sophomore Aaron Arber and his band “Crowning Achievement” will also be playing at this year’s Palooza, performing a selection of covers and some original songs ranging from pop punk to heavy rock in genre. This is the band’s first time playing at the festival, and Arber said, “We’re going to try our best to entertain, but we’re mainly playing to have a great time.”

In addition to the musical main event, there will be several different clubs making an appearance and hosting booths. For instance, junior Nathan Hatch said that Printed Matter Press will be offering screen-printing and that the Environmental Club will offer Henna tattoos. Senior Lanthorn Committee members Hannah Hanover and Megan Specksgoor will also be joining the festivities and hosting a face-painting booth.

Hanover said that, in addition to face-painting, the Lanthorn’s booth will feature some free books as well. Hanover added that she and her fellow editor, Specksgoor, “can’t wait to relax with other clubs on campus…and to have the opportunity to share [their] enthusiasm for student art with the campus.”

Hatch said that this year will be different thanks to the involvement of several different clubs, making this year’s Palooza “a better event for everyone.”

Accompanying the music and various activities hosted by each club’s booths, Hatch said that there would be “plenty of 3 Bums pizza, cotton candy, and smoothies.” Hatch also said that Silas and Sadie Miller will be selling lemonade to raise money for Silas’ well fund in Africa.

This year’s Houghton Palooza is sure to be a “rollicking good time in the sunshine and a great opportunity to socialize, relax, and listen to live music,” said Hanover.

Categories
Arts

Senior Art Reception Tonight

At 7 p.m. tomorrow evening, the Ortlip Gallery will open to reveal the Senior Art Exhibition. This exhibit is one that art majors steadily work toward over the course of their four years at Houghton, and it is the culmination of their learning, experiences, and artistic efforts.

Courtesy of Andrea Pacheco
Courtesy of Andrea Pacheco

This show is unique in the fact that it is entirely student-run. “They install their work, set up the gallery space, and do advertising,” said Gallery Director Renee Roberts. “I do very little except help with small incidental questions and problems.”

This makes the display itself an integral part of each student’s vision for their work, and an added reason to attend the exhibit and experience how the work is presented.  “It has been exciting to see the show being installed this week,” said Hannah Jennings. “Getting to see everyone’s hard work in the setting of the gallery is always really rewarding.”

This year, senior art students have the additional challenge, and excitement, of an exceptionally large graduating class. “I’m looking forward to the wide range of work that will be shown,” said Jennings.

Art majors this year have had concentrations in every possible area of study, and the show will surely express variety, with everything on display from ceramics and sculpture, painting and drawing, to photography and printmaking, digital art and graphic design.  “I am proud of the work the seniors are exhibiting and think it reflects what a strong and healthy art department Houghton has,” said Roberts. “I am so pleased to be able to go and support and appreciate their work on a personal level.”

Students themselves have mixed feelings about pulling together the exhibit.  “I feel like in putting up your senior show there is supposed to be this sense of closure,” said Tricia Powles, “but I am now more excited to keep working than I’ve ever been. I am putting up my pieces and showing them to the public for the first time, and that is awesome and I’m a little nervous about their reception. I treat my pieces as if they were my children, they’re really important to me, and so I’m going to be nervous.”

Seniors have been advertising the show and inviting their family and friends to come and see their work. Jennings said, “It is always encouraging for the seniors to be supported by their fellow students for this show.”

It has been an intense and trying year for these seniors, who are excited and proud to have their work finally on display.  “Everyone should come see what we’ve done!” said Powles. “This is the beginning of everything.”

At the opening reception there will be music and refreshments, also provided by the seniors themselves.  And in the words of Roberts, “There is no reason for students to not be here! This is such an excellent show! Come!”

Categories
Arts

Things to Do: Eat Ice Cream!

It’s finally warmed up in western New York, and that means it’s ice cream season again! There are plenty of places to go out for ice cream in the area, but I have a couple recommendations.

Courtesy of hotspoint.com
Courtesy of hotspoint.com

If you don’t want to drive very far, make your way south on Route 19 to Oramel and turn into Coffee Plus Cafe. They feature over 125 flavors of soft serve ice cream and have a nice patio where you and your friends can enjoy your cones in the sunshine.

If you are up for a longer drive, head to Arcade and stop at Delightfull’s. There you can find hard ice cream and soft serve in addition to sundaes, floats, and blizzards. The shop is quaint and the atmosphere pleasant.

For ice cream and a little entertainment, consider the Charcoal Corral. Their ice cream parlour offers soft and hard ice cream, and you can enjoy it while playing a round of mini golf for $5.

You could also see two featured films at the Silver Lake drive-in theater for $7. The films begin at dusk this weekend, and on the first screen The Croods and Oz: The Great and Powerful are playing. On the second screen you can see Oblivion and Identity Thief.

Wherever you choose to go, make sure you de-stress and enjoy a cone during the nice weather sometime before the end of the semester.