Kusama Soft Sculptures at Phillips Reveal Her Early Practice
Kusama Soft Sculptures at Phillips Reveal Her Early Practice
Sundance Institute Announces Fellows for 2023 Native Lab
- Details
- By Native News Online Staff
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April 27, 2023
Park City, UT — Acclaimed nonprofit Sundance Institute announced today the Fellows for the 2023 Native Lab.
For two decades, the Native Lab has elevated Indigenous storytelling through concentration on the distinct development of feature film and episodic work by storytellers from Native and Indigenous backgrounds.
For two decades, the Native Lab has elevated Indigenous storytelling through concentration on the distinct development of feature film and episodic work by storytellers from Native and Indigenous backgrounds.
The 2023 Native Lab will be held online May 1–5 and continues from May 8–13 in person in Santa Fe, N.M.
Participating artists will enhance their storytelling and technical skills, including one-on-one feedback sessions with advisors and roundtable discussions, where they will also explore indigenizing their creative practices.
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“One of the core tenets for us in the Indigenous Program is that we support a broad spectrum of Indigenous storytelling – our cohort of five Native Lab Fellows and the projects they’re bringing to Santa Fe demonstrate that commitment to supporting diverse narratives and approaches,” said Adam Piron, Director of Indigenous Programs. “We’re looking forward to seeing where those different global and tribal perspectives the Fellows bring to the table will help them as they enrich each other and themselves, and I’m so pleased to have our Creative Advisors on hand to participate in this process of collaborative discovery.”
Also attending will be Artist in Residence Taylor Hensel (Cherokee Nation), auditing the lab while in script development.
According to a statement from the Sundance Institute, experienced advisors are an instrumental part of the Lab. The Native Lab Creative Advisors include Andrew Ahn, Alex Lazarowich (Cree), Dana Ledoux Miller (Sāmoan), and Jennifer Reeder.
The Native Lab is overseen by Adam Piron, Director of the Institute’s Indigenous Program (Kiowa and Mohawk), and Ianeta Le’i, the Program’s Senior Manager.
The five participating fellows and their projects include:
- Eva Grant (director/writer) with Degrees of Separation (Canada): In this smart and stylish ensemble comedy, Indigenous Ph.D. student Delphine plans a daring heist to return Ancestral remains to her tribe. But first, she and her team must outsmart the White Saviours and Collectors who have arrived in the community like vultures, ready to pick the bones clean.Eva Grantis a bilingual filmmaker of mixed St’at’imc Indigenous, Asian, and European heritage. She is currently a Vancouver Queer Film Festival Disruptor Fellow and an Artist in Residence at the Art Gallery of Ontario. A former E20 screenwriter, she studied literature and philosophy at Stanford University.
- Quinne Larsen (writer) with Trouble (U.S.A.): Five people living in an abandoned desert motel try to put their world (and their giant robot) together from scraps.Quinne Larsen is a Chinook writer and cartoonist in Los Angeles (Tongva territory). They’ve worked on shows at Sony Pictures, Cartoon Network, Disney T.V.A., and Netflix. They’re currently working on an original graphic novel for First Second.
- Anpa’o Locke(writer) with Growing Pains (U.S.A.): Kawá, an urban Native teen, and her mother, Elizabeth, a relocated rezzer, return to their hometown in South Dakota after Elizabeth is hired as the new Lakota teacher at the reservation high school; Kawá navigates friendship, queerness, and belonging on the reservation.Anpa’o Locke is a Hunkpapha Lakota and Ahtna Dené writer, filmmaker, and curator from the Standing Rock Nation. She was a 2022 Sundance Indigenous Fellow focused on Native diaspora experience and self-determination in filmmaking. She holds a B.A. in Film Studies from Mount Holyoke College and lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
- Jana Schmieding(writer/producer/actor) with Auntie Chuck (U.S.A.): A rezzy spinster must find her inner auntie when she’s tasked with taking care of her siblings for two weeks.
J
ana Schmiedingwrote on and co-starred in Rutherford Falls and is known for her comedic roles on Reservation Dogs, The Great North, and Spirit Rangers. A Lakota woman, Jana is making her mark on the entertainment industry as an actor, writer, and producer, bringing Native stories to mainstream audiences.
- Cian Elyse White (director/writer) with Te Puhi’ (New Zealand, United Kingdom): Aotearoa, 1962. 19-year-old Te Puhi claims international fame overnight when she is crowned Miss New Zealand – the first Māori to win the title. Torn between duty and her dreams, Te Puhi navigates the disconnect from home when she moves to London against her family’s wishes.
Cian Elyse White(she/her) is a Te Arawa, Ngāti Pikiao/ Ngāti Te Tākinga, Ngāi Tūhoe, Ngāti Porou (Te Whānau a Ruataupare, Te Whānau a Hinetāpora), Ngāti Kahungunu ki Te Wairoa, Tainui writer, director and actress born in Rotorua, New Zealand. Cian has written scripts for stage and screen, including Kōtiro (Daddy’s Girl), PIIKSI/HUIA, and Te Puhi (in development). In 2022, Cian won the award for ‘Outstanding Newcomer’ at the Women in Film & Television awards, N.Z.
Previous Sundance Institute Native Lab Fellows include award-winning filmmakers Sterlin Harjo, Sky Hopinka, Shaandiin Tome, Erica Tremblay, and Taika Waititi.
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Climate protesters paint case housing Degas ballerina sculpture in D.C.
Police arrested the two protesters after they used their hands to paint the pedestal and clear case protecting the “Little Dancer Aged Fourteen” sculpture in Washington.
Why Many Italians Are So Upset About a New Tourism Ad
A controversial marketing campaign by Italy’s tourism ministry is grabbing attention for what seems like all the wrong reasons.
The €9 million ($9.94 million) marketing campaign Open to Meraviglia (“Open to Wonder”) was unveiled by tourism minister Daniela Santanchè and Italy’s national tourism board ENIT last week. It is fronted by a digital rendition of the Roman goddess Venus as depicted in Sandro Botticelli’s 15th century renaissance masterpiece Birth of Venus, wearing a mini-skirt, holding a smart-phone, and eating pizza.
The digital rendition of Venus also comes with an Emily in Paris-style Instagram account with 34,000 followers and counting. The page features photos of Venus posing in front of various Italian landmarks, such as the Colosseum and Pantheon.
A campaign ad—which aims to boost international tourism in Italy—features idyllic stock footage that isn’t even in Italy. One scene shows people drinking Slovenian wine on a patio in the village of Gorjansko, in neighboring Slovenia’s Komen municipality.
The campaign makes its international debut at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) tourism show in Dubai from May 1 to 4. Here’s everything to know about the campaign.
How are Italians reacting
The campaign has been ridiculed by Italians on social media who say it cements tired stereotypes of the country. Art historian Tomaso Montanari called it “grotesque” and said it was an “obscene” waste of money, while the culture ministry’s undersecretary Vittorio Sgarbi told La Repubblica, “I don’t want to contradict my colleagues too much. But ‘Open to Wonder?’ What is that? What language is that?”
Art historian Livia Garomersini was also quoted in a statement reported by ArtNet, saying, “where is the art, where is the promotion in this hackneyed jumble of clichés?” She said the campaign “trivializes our heritage in the most vulgar way.”
The Uffizi Gallery in Florence, which houses Botticelli’s Birth of Venus painting, has not commented on the campaign. But Florence’s mayor Dario Nardella said that this is emblematic of a wider cultural problem. “We’re fighting against commercial exploitation that ridicules our artistic jewels, like the aprons showing the statue of David’s private parts or grotesque reproductions of works of art in stupid poses,” he said.
What has Italy’s tourism ministry said about the reaction?
Tourism minister Santanchè has said that the project sells “our nation in an unseen way that has never been done before.” She also told a local radio station that she had seen and enjoyed the memes that the campaign is generating online.
“I consciously chose Botticelli’s Venus, an icon known throughout the world and a symbol of our Italian spirit,” she said.
Santanchè also speculated about why people have criticized the use of pizza in the computer generated images. “I don’t understand the criticism, pizza is famous all over the world, it is part of the Mediterranean diet and of our cuisine, which is appreciated, imitated, and copied all over the world,” she said. “Perhaps it is criticized by the slightly snobby and radical chic people who eat caviar and salmon.”
Why tourism in Italy can be controversial
The campaign has brought to light the sometimes complicated and fraught issue of tourism, with many citing the reality that Italian tourist spots like Venice are often overcrowded and subject to misuse.
In June, two American tourists caused $25,000 worth of damage to the Spanish Steps in Rome by throwing scooters down them. Other incidents recorded in 2022—of which there are many—saw an American smash two sculptures in the Vatican Museum when he was told he would not see the pope.
To combat overcrowding, Venice has announced a booking system for visitors (which charges for entry) that took effect in January. Meanwhile, in influencer hotspot Portofino, tourists can be charged for hovering in beauty spots for too long while taking photos.
All of this has left many to wonder what good a digital Venus and her Instagram can do for the nation.
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Helen Frankenthaler Foundation Awards Artist’s Prints and Programmatic Funding To University Art Museums
The Helen Frankenthaler Foundation announced ten new recipients of its Frankenthaler Prints Initiative, an ongoing program for university-affiliated art museums that reflects the Foundation’s commitment to supporting undergraduate and graduate education in the visual arts and art history.
High Museum presents southern photography exhibition spanning 175+ years
Clarence John Laughlin (American, 1905–1985), “The Masks Grow to Us,” 1947, gelatin silver print, High Museum of Art, Atlanta, purchase with funds from Robert Yellowlees, 2015.40. © Estate of the artist
Gordon Parks (American, 1912–2006), “Ondria Tanner and Her Grandmother Window-Shopping, Mobile, Alabama,” 1956, printed 2012, inkjet print, High Museu m of Art, Atlanta, gift of The Gordon Parks Foundation, 2014.386.8. Courtesy of and copyright The Gordon Parks Foundation
A Look Behind the Awards-Season Curtain With Photographer Greg Williams
Allison Janney at the 2018 BAFTA Awards, holding photographer Greg Williams’s hand.Photograph by Greg Williams.
From Saoirse Ronan FaceTiming her mom to Tilda Swinton relaxing on a plane, Williams catches moments no other photographer can—and with his new book, he’s ready to share his secrets.
For Greg Williams, it’s the parts of awards shows that you never see on TV where the real stories get told. Take the moment after the 2020 Oscars when Joaquin Phoenix and his partner, Rooney Mara, were en route to the Vanity Fair Oscar Party, but wanted to be photographed eating vegan burgers before they got there, as part of their ongoing animal activism. They called up Williams, who was busy at a different Oscar night event but ducked out to photograph the couple.
“It was at a deliberately not lovely, a reasonably tired old stoop of an apartment block,” Williams recalls. “And it was so mad—we shot those pictures so lo-fi that we were right next door to a party I was photographing, and across the road was a whole load of photographers on stepladders, and they never saw our entire shoot.”
Throughout his book Photo Breakdowns, out May 9, Williams emphasizes the importance of being ready for the moment, whether you’re a professional like Williams, who’s photographed virtually every A-list actor alive, or an amateur with an iPhone. “The idea of the photo breakdown is to demystify photography,” says Willams, a frequent contributor to Vanity Fair. “It’s free to understand light, it’s free to understand composition and exposure. All you need is the phone in your pocket to do that, and that idea is something I’m putting into a lot of things I do.”
The magic of Williams’s photographs is often the level of intimacy with his subjects, photographing them in unguarded moments in their hotel rooms, with their families, or even at home. “I want to take pictures that feel like you’re slightly looking behind the curtain,” he explains. “It’s rare that my pictures hold someone up. It’s more that I’m trying to show the person behind the personality, rather than the screen siren or the matinee idol.” In his book that kind of revelation comes in many forms, from an errant sticker on the bottom of Adam Driver’s shoe to a shoot with Kate Winslet in the sea near her home.
Ahead, Williams shares excerpts from his book and more of the stories behind them.
Saoirse Ronan at the 2018 Golden Globes
“I often am allergic to photographing people with their phones because we’ve all got them in our hands all the time, every day,” Williams writes in the book. “But in this case, you really feel the phone is a portal straight through to a loved one.” In this case, Ronan is FaceTiming her mom to celebrate her victory for Lady Bird, moments after exiting the stage.
Dakota Johnson
In the book Williams uses this shot, taken as Johnson is about to turn on to Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, as a lesson in exposure for budding photographers. “I really want to encourage you to use exposure to your advantage,” he writes. “When using your phone, it’s as simple as holding your thumb down on the image and scrolling up and down, to brighten or darken the image.”
Lady Gaga at the 2019 Oscars
Snapped backstage at the Oscars, while Williams was elbow to elbow with other photographers, Williams says the power of this photograph is all in “how you place yourself, how you time things.” He continues, “I’m looking for a different picture than the press photographers, I think. It’s access but then it’s also deciding where you put yourself for that access.” In the book’s caption he adds, “What you see is absolutely raw unbridled emotion, relief, pride—she’s genuinely overwhelmed.”
Cate Blanchett at the Cannes Film Festival
Blanchett’s daughter began playing underneath her formal gown just after WIlliams had finished his shoot, and Blanchett called him back in to capture it. “It’s one of my most liked photos I’ve ever taken,” Williams writes in the book, “and it particularly struck a chord with working mothers.”
Taron Egerton at the 2020 Golden Globes
“Olivia makes this picture,” Williams writes in the book of this photograph, taken backstage at the Golden Globes immediately after Egerton’s victory for Rocketman. “She’s so much fun and she’s giving us the bird and is so irreverent and so far from the queen that she’s portrayed on more than one occasion.”
Tilda Swinton
Williams happened to run into Swinton on a flight home from Italy, and captured an image with a “slightly futuristic feel to it” despite the mundane setting. “She doesn’t have any interaction with me, the photographer, or appear to have any interest in it either, which really works in this shot,” he writes in the book.
Daniel Craig on the set of Casino Royale
Williams has photographed many James Bond sets, and calls this one one of his favorites. “It’s a really lovely picture of Daniel in his absolute prime,” he writes in the book. “I suppose, of a lot of the photos I’ve taken, it’s one that I think is going to age really, really well.”
Listen to Vanity Fair’s Little Gold Men podcast now.
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A Modern Cabin That Rises Above the Trees to Maximize the Views
Located in Golden, BC, Canada, this modern cabin marks the first new residential build project for Twobytwo Architecture Studio. The Columbia River Valley Lookout residence is a ski cabin designed to connect the family together, as well as to the surrounding, tree-filled landscape. While the structure’s footprint is rather compact, it rises above the trees in order to maximize the mountain views.
The three-story cabin begins with a solid concrete base and is topped with a simple shed-style roof. The blackened wood exterior is punctuated by a cantilevered steel balcony that wraps around one side of the house.
The homeowners, Sandra Bassett and Chris Urbinsky, enlisted the firm, led by David Tyl and Sandra’s sister, Jenny Bassett, to bring the project to life. The studio tapped Chris and his steel engineering background to structurally design the modern cabin. His talents also inspired the certain features throughout the design, like the exterior balcony, Douglas fir rafters, and industrial staircase that joins the three floors.
The interior feels open and bright thanks to 14-foot-tall ceilings, large windows, and white walls. Polished concrete floors continue the industrial look while the wood ceilings add warmth.
Just imagine getting to sit down at that dining table to eat meals with the dreamy scenery framed on two sides.
Construction by Zimmerman Construction.
Photography by Hayden Pattullo.
Foos for Thought
Yu’s inspiration stems from his first weeks at Bentley. Exploring Boston, he came upon the two giant foo dog statues that flank the entrance to Chinatown.
“I instantly felt a sense of comfort,” says Yu, who was born in Taiwan and raised in the Philippines. “As soon as I got back to my dorm, I began sketching my own foos. I wanted to replicate that sense of home and create something tangible I could take with me.”
Today, the alumnus also produces electronic/house/hip-hop music with fellow members of the LA-based trio Torsades and creates paintings that have found homes with NBA player Andre Drummond, Grammy-winning musician Post Malone and other notables. And that’s all while working full time as a business analyst for a marketing technology firm.
“I need something to exercise the analytical part of my brain,” he says, adding that the job’s focus on marketing trends helps him “think strategically about ways to monetize my art.”
Yu hopes that his artwork, like foo dogs, can be a conduit for goodwill and harmony. “At the end of the day, you need to build a community, you need to be connected to people. You need to take time to understand other people’s stories.”
47 ABC MCO receives Earth Day Photography Award
SALISBURY, Md. – 47 ABC Master Control Operator Josh Griffin received an award from Wor-Wic Community College for his participation in their Earth Day photo contest.
Way to go Josh!
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