News Briefs: October 2021
Local Choreographer Sidra Bell Premieres New Work with New York City Ballet
Westchester choreographer Sidra Bell will premiere a new work with New York City Ballet (NYCB) during its upcoming season. Bell was the first Black female choreographer to create a work for the company with her 2020 “pixelation in a wave (Within Wires),” which had a digital premiere due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “New Bell,” will mark her first work to premiere on the NYCB stage. During the “Innovators & Icons” program on October 1-3, 6 and 12, Bell’s work will share the stage with Andrea Miller, who is also premiering her first main stage work for NYCB, as well as George Balanchine, who is considered one of great choreographers of the 20th century.
Call for Hudson Valley Artists: “Who Writes History?” Exhibition
ArtsWestchester invites Hudson Valley Region artists working in 2D, 3D, digital, performance and new media to submit proposals to create new work that considers the complexities of writing (or rewriting) history. The exhibition seeks to bring marginalized stories to the fore in an effort to work towards a more inclusive recounting of the past and present. Commissioned works will be included in ArtsWestchester’s exhibition, “Who Writes History?” where three artists will be selected to realize their project and be awarded $2,500. Deadline: October
Katonah Museum of Art Appoints Interim Executive Director
Katonah Museum of Art (KMA) recently appointed Leslie Griesbach Schultz as its Interim Executive Director. Schultz comes with experience from several nonprofit organizations, including BRIC Arts | Media House, a major arts and media venue in Brooklyn, where she led development and funding efforts. Schultz will lead the KMA while the Museum’s board conducts a nationwide search for a permanent Director. In the meantime, Schultz says that she plans to make the transition of leadership “meaningful, productive and invigorating.” Board President Vida Foubister explained that the Museum will seize this opportunity to “strengthen relationships with its community, collectors and patrons, and other arts and culture organizations that want to engage with its future in a full and vibrant way.”
MARSHA ON THE MOVE
Coda (Apple TV+)
I can’t tell you how much I loved this movie. A hearing girl, growing up in a deaf family, who loves to sing – that’s just the beginning of this beautiful story. As the movie-goer, we see a family that is different from many, with incredibly strong bonds and also some tough dynamics. The family is dependent on their hearing child who became the interpreter for the family, but also the translator for the family’s livelihood. We see a girl who goes to school, but also works incredibly hard on the fishing vessel owned by her family; we see her overcome the bullying abuse that she endured from her classmates; and we meet the teacher who sees her talent and the promise of a different life ahead. The very existence of the family’s ability to earn money is threatened by her dreams and yet, enough said. Rather than inserting any spoilers here, I’d urge ArtsNews readers to watch this film and make sure they have tissues nearby.
A version of this article first appeared in the October issue of ArtsNews, ArtsWestchester’s monthly publication. ArtsNews is distributed throughout Westchester County. A digital copy is also available at artsw.org/artsnews.
About ArtsWestchester
Founded in 1965, ArtsWestchester is New York State’s largest private not-for-profit arts council. The leading funder and advocate for the arts in Westchester and Rockland Counties, ArtsWestchester works to create an equitable, inclusive, vibrant and sustainable community in which the arts are integral to and integrated into every facet of life. Building on its 60-year legacy, ArtsWestchester advances arts and culture by providing grants, bringing artists into schools and community centers, advocating for the arts, and building audiences through diverse marketing initiatives. ArtsWestchester enriches the lives of everyone in the community and operates a multi-use gallery and home for the arts at 31 Mamaroneck Ave. in White Plains, New York.