Overwhelming and impressive

MFA exhibition opens at Star Store

By Allison Reitz

The 2007 MFA Thesis Exhibition can be best summarized in one word: overwhelming.

Upon entering the Star Store, located at 715 Purchase St., Downtown New Bedford, visitors are immediately thrown into the intensive, extensive exhibition. And it’s no wonder.

The exhibition features the culminating works of the master’s of fine arts graduate students. The breadth of the show is limited only by the imagination of the students and the criteria of the MFA program. The results are a feast for all the senses, as the body of work contains ceramics, electronic imaging, illustration, jewelry/metals, multimedia studies, painting, printmaking, sculpture, typography and wood/furniture.

The opening reception was held on Saturday, March 31, in the University Art Gallery, spilling out into the surrounding first-floor galleries of the Star Store.

For Star Store patrons who have never been to an MFA exhibition before, this openness may be a new experience. Galleries toward the back of the building are open, allowing the hallways and smaller satellite galleries to be used in the show.

With so much to see covering such a large space, it’s no wonder that this show is best described as overwhelming. However, experiencing the talent of this group of graduate students is well worth the sensory overload.

It’s almost difficult to know what to cover in a review. So let’s discuss some of the highlights on display in each section of the Star Store.

In the Crapo Gallery section of the Star Store, which is the lobby area in front of the University Gallery, some of the most impressive work is by Dawn Stetzel. Her use of porcelain in works like “Tower” and “Drip Bird” is thoughtful and beautiful.

Also featured by Stetzel is a work of porcelain chips that covers the floor. At first, it looks like a neatly swept porcelain debris field, but upon closer inspection, small birds can be found scattered through the broken bits of porcelain.

It is difficult to ignore, though, the contributions of Jeremy Zwiefel. His work “07C19H-722” is made from salvaged wood and weaves in and out of railings and pipes to form a large sphere. This piece is sure to have onlookers scratching their heads and saying, “How did he DO that?”

In the back rooms of the Star Store, the exhibition continues with beautiful work from MFA student Jamie Davis. The works “before.during.after” and “contaminated” are stunningly detailed. The amount of time that must have gone into each piece is difficult to imagine.

For example, “before.during.after” is comprised of hundreds of circles cut from wax paper, parchment paper and newsprint, which are then threaded on to string and hung as a curtain. “Contaminated” uses glass beads, wax, thread and charcoal, also hanging from the ceiling to create a stunning visual. Both undertakings work well with the space and available lighting.

The main gallery of the Star Store, the University Art Gallery, also contains dozens of incredible student works. Two of the highlights come in the form of April Kawaoka’s “Silent Sorrows” and Mark Hoffman’s “this means nothing #1-15 (with superfluous notation).”

In “Sorrows,” Kawaoka creates a stunning visual with her use of rocks and steel to create a hanging display. Despite the materials use, the work does not appear harsh or over-industrial. It is simply beautiful and a perfect example of how skillful artwork can make even the heaviest materials appear light.

In another corner of the gallery, Hoffman’s use of casual banter and wall-writings to dissect and discuss his own work is a breath of fresh air. In an exhibition full of very serious works, “this means nothing” is wonderfully witty.

Hoffman admits, through the so-called superfluous notations, that “no one told me this had to be serious,” with the words “this had” crossed out. He writes about another work in the series, “This is the last one I made...and I’m not sure if it’s about the circus.”

One of the most interesting parts of the reception wasn’t hearing the artists talk about their own work but hearing them talk about the work of their fellow students. After being greeted by friends and family members, many students would instantly lead them to another area of the gallery saying, “Look what this other person did....”

It was easy to tell that these students are not only pleased with their own work. They are extremely proud of their peers’ achievements, as well.

The 2007 MFA Thesis Exhibition is on display through May 15. The University Art Gallery is open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Parking is available in the nearby Zeiterion parking garage. For more information about this event, visit the University Art Gallery online at www.umassd.edu/cvpa/universityartgallery.

SCREW THE ACADEMY

Seriously: Adam Sandler?

By Bronson Michaud

"Reign Over Me" (2007)
Rated R for language and some sexual references.
Runtime: 124 min.

I really wish comedians would stop acting in serious roles just to get the elusive Academy nod because not only is it hurting their fan base, but it also hurts the movies they star in.

Adam Sandler, whom we all know and love from movies like “Billy Madison” and “Happy Gilmore,” does a complete 180 in this film and plays a dark and disturbed man named Charlie Fineman. Charlie is a man who is repressing all memories of his family who died in the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Sandler shares his dark spotlight with Don Cheadle, whom I believe shines in every role he touches, even one as touchy as this.

I’ll get to the acting later, but first I feel compelled to chastise the writers for choosing such a touchy back-story. Just like with “United 93” and “World Trade Center,” it bothers me when I see Big Hollywood trying to make an easy buck preying on people’s memories of 9/11.

It’s one thing to make a movie about Pearl Harbor or the Kennedy assassination because we have had time to heal from those tragedies, but 9/11 is still very fresh in everyone’s minds. To make a movie about 9/11 this soon is in very bad taste.

Now that we’ve got all the sad crap out of the way, I’ll start with Cheadle’s performance. He plays a just as disturbing a character as Sandler. He is a successful dentist with a loving wife and family who cannot help but begin to feel detached and unsatisfied with his life.

In my opinion, Cheadle played this part perfectly. I felt he was more the star of this movie because people could relate to his situation more than with Sandler’s.

Just like with Jim Carrey’s role in “The Number 23,” you can’t help but laugh at Sandler at this serious career turn, which is distracting due to the complexities and the suffering of the character he is supposed to be playing.

Now, I will give him some credit. He did better than I expected. Sandler just isn’t a dramatic actor because he still retains those goofy facial expressions and ridiculous laugh that we’ve all come to know and love, which makes it hard for him to be serious.

All in all, Cheadle was great, Sandler was awkward, the back-story was very touchy and covered a bit too soon. That being said, the music was incredible.

This movie could have been great if they had not included 9/11 and used someone else to play the lead.

I give this movie a 3 out of 5.

RECOMMENDING RHONDA

Rhonda says: 'Go see the animals!'

By Recommending Rhonda

Well, kids, it’s that time of year again: spring. Time to break out the flip-flops, the mini skirts, the tank tops and the banana hammocks.

Along with the warm weather comes a certain restlessness -- a desire to be outdoors and do fun outdoorsy activities. Of course, your first idea would be to hit the beach or break out ye old volleyball, but Rhonda here wants you to seek entertainment from other local venues. Today, I want you to go to Buttonwood Park Zoo.

Right now.

There are many things to do at Buttonwood Park Zoo besides just look at the animals (and you clearly want to check them out). There are the Aquatics Environment Center; the Wildlife Education Center; and River Otter, Beaver and Seals Exhibition Center.

There are the Bald Eagle and Coyote Exhibits; Blackbear Exhibit; Cougar and Bobcat Exhibits; Fox and Raccoon Exhibits; and an Asian Elephant Exhibit (last time I went there, they were giving the elephants a bath, and it was hilarious!).

In addition to all of this, Buttonwood Park Zoo has a brook walk, a covered bridge that leads to Buttonwood Farm, and a waterfowl pond. That’s enough animal watching to last you an entire day!

There are nearly 200 species of animals at the zoo, and the focus is on land and water-based wildlife from Massachusetts, with an emphasis on rebuilding the actual habitats that these animals would live in naturally. The zoo, which was recently renovated in 2000, is also the twelfth oldest zoo in the United States and was established in 1894, which is pretty rad, considering it’s only about 10 minutes away from UMass Dartmouth.

Buttonwood Park Zoo is open every day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For children three and under, admission is free, but for us college students the fee is $6, which isn’t bad for a day’s worth of entertainment.

To get to the zoo from campus, take a left out of campus, a left onto Cross Road, a right onto Rt. 6 East. From there, turn right onto Brownell Avenue and then left onto Hawthorn Street. And it is right there — only 3.63 miles from campus!

Upon entering the zoo you will be handed a map of the site, which will allow you to navigate without getting lost...since that’s what maps are for.

Aside from the animal exhibits, there is a small playground for those of you with youngsters (or for those of you who are just plain young at heart), pony and train rides, as well as the Bear’s Den cafe, which offers a full lunch and snack menu.

With so much to see, do, and explore, this could surely become one really fun, inexpensive day trip that can accommodate all of your friends. Don’t forget to bring a camera!

For more information on the Zoo, visit www.bpzoo.org or www.buttonwoodpark.org, which will give you information on all of the different kinds of animals, their lifestyles, eating habits, habitats, the different special events that go on at the zoo, information about the history of the zoo and general information about the zoo.

ASK LADY CORSAIR

Got a question? Don't be afraid to ask!

By Lady Corsair

Do you want to ask someone for some unbiased advice, someone who won’t judge you or use your information as collateral? Coming soon will be Ask Lady Corsair, a new, anonymous advice column, designed with UMD students in mind.

This column is directed to give you the answers to your questions when you aren’t completely certain your friends are giving you their honest opinion.

Do you have a pesky roommate who just will NOT turn the TV off when he or she goes to bed? Do you have a friend who always “borrows” money from you without ever paying you back?

Are you struggling with some tough classes and don’t know what to do to get some help? Are you completely wiped out by the end of the week because of your crazy schedule?

Do you hate Res food and want to start a cooking club? Are you totally clueless about college and have yet to emerge from your darkened, cob-webby dorm room?

Is your sex life lackluster all of a sudden? Are you and your significant other having difficulties because you go to different schools?

Get creative. Don’t be afraid of being laughed at for wearing pajamas with footsies when your roommate just doesn’t understand that your creative energy flows through your feet.

You don’t even have to sign your name, if you’d prefer not to. Just sign with a question-related pseudonym, like “Concerned Roommate” or “Single, Lonely Male” or even “Loves Penguins.” After all, I don’t know who you are, and you don’t know who I am, so I won’t hold it against you.

E-mail me with your anonymous concerns 24/7 at LadyCorsair2007@gmail.com, and I will reply to you promptly and have a few of my favorites published in the following week’s edition of the Torch.

I will try to vary the kinds of questions I put in the paper so that different issues can be addressed each week. Send me a good one, and you just might see your question with a reply in print! Have fun with it, and I hope to hear from all of you soon.

‘Music of the Middle East’ fills the CVPA

DARTMOUTH, Mass. — On Thursday, March 29, the CVPA welcomed performers Kareem Roustom and Jamal Sinno to the campus. The two distinguished musicians gave a presentation titled “Music of the Middle East” as part of the music department’s free concert series.

The presentation was a chance for students and faculty to grow more accustomed with Middle Eastern music and the instruments used. Roustom and Sinno are most well known for their accomplishments with two traditional instruments called the “oud” and “qanun.”

The oud, played by Roustom, is a musical instrument native to the Middle East and northern regions of Africa. It is part of the lute family. Much like a guitar, the oud has a fretted neck, but its body is smaller and more pear-shaped.

Sinno plays the qanun, which is a more modern descendant of the Egyptian harp and similar in form to the dulcimer. It is an integral instrument in Arabic music.