The Aegean Center Fall 2009 Reading

THE AEGEAN CENTER FOR THE FINE ARTS

WRITING WORKSHOP

(Autumn 2009)

READING

Tuesday, December 8, 6:30 p.m.

Maia Bull
Stephanie Dissette
Evie Elman
Jessica Freedman
Julian Gilbert
Phoebe Guenzel
Chelsey Ternes
Emma Thorne
Carter Umhau

Creative Writing Director – Jeffrey Carson
Aegean Center Director – John Pack

Dessert at The Villa Rospigliosi

We waited for evenings that offered Roquefort
And when they came, we hoarded pears in our pockets
Until with table knife we could spread that tangy blue
Across the slippery slice of pear we had prepared
For this very moment: dessert at the villa.

–Carter Umhau

Toi Derricotte @ The Center – 6 Oct. 2009

Toi Derricotte was born in Hamtramck, Michigan, in 1941. Her books of poetry are Tender (1997), winner of the 1998 Paterson Poetry Prize; Captivity (1989); Natural Birth (1983); and The Empress of the Death House (1978).  Her The Black Notebooks, a literary memoir  (W.W. Norton, 1997), won the 1998 Anisfield-Wolf Book Award for Non-Fiction and was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. Her essay, “Beginning Dialogues,” is included in The Best American Essays 2006, edited by Lauren Slater. Of her poems, Audre Lourde wrote, “Because the power of her images breeds visions which are neither easy nor inescapable, Toi Dericotte moves us…The pain does not exceed the power.”

Her honors include the Lucille Medwick Memorial Award from the Poetry Society of America; two Pushcart Prizes; the Distinguished Pioneering of the Arts Award from the United Black Artists; the Alumni/Alumnae Award from New York University; the Barnes & Noble Writers for Writers Award from Poets & Writers, Inc.; the Elizabeth Kray Award for service to the field of poetry from Poets House; and fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, the Rockefeller Foundation, the Guggenheim Foundation and the Maryland State Arts Council.

With Cornelius Eady, in 1996, she co-founded Cave Canem Foundation, North America’s premier “home for black poetry” – http://www.cavecanempoets.org/.  She is a Professor of English at the University of Pittsburgh.

The Aegean Center Student Reading

Mariel Capanna reads a sample of her poetry at the Aegean Center student reading

On a warm Tuesday evening on May 26, the students of the Aegean Center creative writing course gave a reading to a crowded audience at the Center to kick off a week of Aegean Center related events.  The members of the class, Mariel Capanna, Carrie Cooley,  Shaun James,  Lliam Storms, Chelsey Ternes, Lily Tucker,  and Carter Umhau all read from their collections of writings over the course of the semester.  Creative Writing Professor Jeffrey Carson introduced the students by noting the diversity of work and the methodology of the Creative Writing workshop, noting how some of the pieces being read where even still works in progress.   The reading was a true success as each writer gave a stirring and engaging reading of their poems, a fine start to a wonderful and busy week for the Aegean Center.

Fall 2008 at the Aegean Center

The Aegean Center is back on Paros and well into our first week of classes, having just returned from an exhilarating month in Italy. Curious about what we do there? Read Jeffrey Carson’s article in the September Paros Life. Pictured above is drawing and painting student Silina Pandelidou trying her hand at glass blowing at a workshop in Murano.

In other news, this semester’s digital photography students are the first to enjoy our brand new Piezography Lab. Set in a beautifully illuminated space just around the corner from our main building, the lab is equipped with state of the art systems for image processing and printing. Thanks to the generosity of Jon Cone, we are able to supply our students with the very best ink available for producing black and white images of the highest quality and permanence. For more information on Jon Cone and Piezography, click here.

Alicia Stallings will kick off our new season of visiting artists and lecturers with a poetry reading at the Aegean Center on Friday, October 10 at 7PM.

End of Semester Programme – Spring Session 2008

Originally published in the No. 114 issue of Paros Life

2008 marks 42 years on the island of Paros and 19 years in the Tuscan town of Pistoia, Italy for the Aegean Center. Founded in Paros in 1966 as an independent, not-for-profit institution, the Aegean Center offers small group and individualized study in the visual arts, creative writing and music.

Students present their work twice a year at the end of each semester in a rich programme of art, photography, poetry and music .

Saturday, 24 May at 8pm
Apothiki Art Center, Paroikia
The Aegean Center presents a recital under the direction of Orfeas John Munsey of songs by Haydn, Mozart, Schubert, Finzi and Bernstein with Niki Chasapi (soprano), Apollonia Ikonomou (soprano), Joshua Warren (baritone) and Konstantina Andreakou (piano).

Wednesday, 28 May at 7:30pm
The Aegean Center, Paroikia
Reading of student poetry and prose from the creative writing class of Jeffrey Carson.

Thursday, 29 May at 8.30pm
Aghios Giorgos Catholic Church, Naoussa
The Vocal Ensemble of the Aegean Center under the direction of Orfeas John Munsey presents a concert of Medieval and twentieth century a cappella music.

Friday, 30 May from 7:30pm
The Aegean Center
Exhibition of student paintings, drawings
and photography.

Saturday, 31 May at 8:30pm
Aghios Antonios Catholic Church, Paroikia
Repeat of the Ensemble performance of 29th May.

Sunday, 1 Jun at 8:30pm
Aghios Antonios Catholic Church, Paroikia
Repeat of the Ensemble performance of 29th May.

The Vocal Ensemble will also perform a short programme at “Paros Sings”, the 1st Festival of Parian Choirs to be held at the Archilochos Hall in Paroikia on Sunday, 18 May at 8.30pm. See p4.

For additional information contact Director John Pack at the Aegean Center for the Fine Arts. Tel: 22840-23287 or see www.aegeancenter.org

A Busy Session at the Center

It is always busy at the Aegean Center for the Fine Arts, but the Spring 2008 session at the Center has been particularly animated. There have been visiting artists, guests, alumni, readings, performances and presentations. Here is a short post to recap some of the events of the session so far and some of the activities to come.

Starting in mid-March, 2005-2006 alumni Maria-Elena and Gabriel’s former tutor Brett arrived. Maria-Elena gave a stirring solo performance for an assembled audience of faculty, students and friends of the center.

Also in March, visiting professors Peter Abbs and Lisa Dart made their regular visit to the “Academy” (as Peter likes to call the Aegean Center) and gave a joint poetry reading featuring recent and older works. Peter also read poems to be featured in John and Peter’s upcoming exhibition The Greater Journey in Canterbury this September.

April saw the arrival of artist-in residence Betsy Bonner. Betsy and poet Alicia Stallings would later give an enjoyable reading of their respective works, which could be see in video on this page.

Greek Easter came late (April 27) and with it the arrival of many guests. Close Aegean Center friend John Van Buren was the first to arrive bringing with him some welcome warm, spring weather. John enjoyed works in progress in the studios, sat in on vocal performances from the ensemble, and ate his fair share of delicious tzatziki. John also brought two old friends to the Center, Wyoming Poet Laureate and musician David Romtvedt and ceramist and gallery director Margot Brown, David’s wife. David gave two performances, one a selection of poems and the other a musical performance. Playing his button accordion and accompanied by Margot on percussion, David gave an interesting and rousing performance of various folks music of the Americas. Margot gave a presentation of her artwork, as well as pieces from artists represented at her gallery.

During the same week visiting photographer Marion Patterson, a student and colleague of Ansel Adams, gave an enthralling presentation of her life as a photographer, and displayed the work featured in her book Grains of Sand. After the presentation Marian graciously went out with photo students to and together they shot photographs of the Paros landscape.

Other visitors were 2001-2002 alumni Anne-Meade and spring 2002 alumni Arial. Next week will see a presentation by philosopher Warwick Fox. Later in May the Center will feature  poets Christopher Merrill, director of the Iowa University’s International Writers’ Program, and Adrianne Kalfpoulou. Aegean Center alum and exhibiting photographer Holly Lynton will come to show her work as well.

Meanwhile, the students are all hard at work as the session is beginning to wind down. Next up, the vocal perfomances (ensemble and solo), followed by the Student Reading, to be followed by the Student Exhibition, concluding this wonderfully busy and animated spring session.

-by Jun-Pierre Shiozawa

Poetry Reading by Betsy Bonner and Alicia Stallings

On April 29, The Aegean Center hosted a poetry reading featuring visiting artists Betsy Bonner and Alicia Stallings.