Sunday, November 29, 2009
Arts & Extras: Floyd exhibit to shine a light on sister's artwork
Courtesy of carrinoarts.com
"The Spirit of Children: The Art and Life of Karen Carrino" was published in 2000.
Courtesy photo
The Roanoke Ballet Theatre will present its Christmas ballet, "The Magic Toyshop," on Saturday.
Arts & Extras column
Mike Allen, arts columnist
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Karen Carrino's story ended and began in 1972.
That year, the New Jersey teen's life was tragically cut short in a hit-and-run car crash.
At 19, Carrino had already accumulated a huge portfolio of drawings and paintings, mostly of children. Her father sold most of her art after her death.
But Carrino's younger sister Deborah, who was in the car with her sister the day of the fatal crash, began a search for Karen Carrino's artwork in 1990, eventually finding 300 pieces, which she photographed or borrowed to use for gallery displays.
"While I could do nothing about losing Karen, I could do something about bringing her work to the world," she wrote in an e-mail. Starting Dec. 11, the Jacksonville Center for the Arts in Floyd will open an exhibit, "The Art and Life of Karen Carrino."
An artist in her own right, Deborah Carrino moved to Floyd County, where she runs Carrino Arts, designing and painting ceramic tile murals.
"During the five years that I've lived here, getting to know the artists, the back-to-the-land hippie community, and the young families with all the children made me realize how much Karen would have fit right in," she wrote. "She would have loved to sketch the sweet children I see everywhere."
Deborah Carrino presented 124 of her sister's drawings of children in a book published in 2000, "The Spirit of Children: The Art and Life of Karen Carrino." She also assembled exhibits of the portraits in New Jersey and Massachusetts. Her project made national news, attracting attention from The New York Times, People magazine, CNN and CBS Evening News.
According to Deborah Carrino's Web site, she continues to look for her sister's art. "It's hard for me to say just how many pieces are left out there. I keep finding pieces I never knew about."
Carrino said she hopes visitors to the gallery can enjoy the beauty in her sister's work without her tragic story overshadowing it.
"There is a presence in all of Karen's children. She focused on capturing the nature and spirit of the individual, the distinctive beauty and soul of each child. You can't walk away from Karen's work and not feel the love and respect she felt for her subjects. I think she was trying to reach us all with her work, to say that this is where it's important. How we treat our children is of ultimate importance in who they become as adults."
"The Art and Life of Karen Carrino" will be on display Dec. 11 through Jan. 23 in the center's Hayloft Gallery. For more information call 745-2784 or visit jacksonvillecenter.org.
Ann Fralin Awards
The Taubman Museum of Art presented the Ann Fralin Awards to Sheila Strauss and Sherrie Rollins Westin at the sold-out Women's Luncheon event on Nov. 23.
The event took place in the building's atrium, with all 320 seats filled. Prices were $100 per person and $1,200 for a host table. Proceeds from the luncheon benefit Art Matters, the museum's after-school outreach program.
The event is five years old but didn't take place last year, as the new incarnation of Roanoke's art museum had just opened. So this year, the Women's Luncheon committee caught up by giving out two Ann Fralin Awards.
The award recognizes the recipient for her support of the arts, education and quality of life. The award itself is a miniature replica of Roanoke artist Betty Branch's sculpture "Isabel."
Strauss, a longtime museum volunteer and philanthropist, was honored in part for her key role in creating Art Venture, the museum's interactive exhibits for children.
As she accepted the award, Strauss mentioned she knew Ann Fralin personally.
"We played tennis together, we partied, we shopped together," she said, and expressed delight to be receiving the award honoring her late friend.
The second award went to Westin, a Roanoke native who is now the chief marketing officer of Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit education organization behind "Sesame Street" and numerous other programs.
Westin gave a presentation about the organization's efforts to teach reading and improve lifestyles in other countries -- for example, the South African version of "Sesame Street" contains a Muppet character who is HIV-positive, to help educate children about the disease in a country where AIDS is an epidemic.
Westin, who has a son and an adopted daughter, told the audience that she knew of no job more demanding and rewarding than being a mom.
The museum also gave its first Art Venturer Award to recognize teachers or artists who have helped children discover artistic expression. The award went to Cave Spring High School art teacher Pat Carr.
The Magic Toyshop
This year, the Roanoke Ballet Theatre's original Christmas ballet, "The Magic Toyshop," will feature aerial ballet performances by two dancers -- Caroline Calouche and Amanda Rentschler -- from a North Carolina-based contemporary dance company.
Calouche, the executive and artistic director of Caroline Calouche & Co., is also a University of North Carolina at Charlotte faculty member and the founder and director of the Charlotte Dance Festival.
The ballet will also feature "Munecos" ("Dolls"), with music by Cuban composer Rembert Equez and choreography based on the work of Alberto Mendez, Cuba's choreographer laureate.
Roanoke Ballet Theatre's executive director, Sandra Meythaler, a former principal ballerina with the National Ballet of Ecuador, acquired special permission to adapt "Munecos" for this performance.
Blacksburg dancer Claire Kiser, 13, will play the lead role in the "Magic Toyshop" segment. In January, Kiser will begin attending the Kirov Academy of Ballet in Washington, D.C.
The performance happens 6 p.m. Saturday at William Fleming High School. Tickets are $15, children 12 and younger $7. For more information call 345-6099 or visit www.roanokeballet.org.
Arts & Extras blog
Take a peek to see items on more upcoming concerts and plays at blogs.roanoke.com/arts.
