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An Evening of World Percussion with Lil Sum’n Sum’n and Friends Friday, June 9 Concert begins at 8:30 pm Doors open at 8 pm Advance Tickets $20 Door $25  Featuring a Traditional Nepalese opening set from Bijay Shrestha (sitar) and Andy Skellenger (tabla) and then joined by David Hinojosa (guitar) and Gilly Gonzalez (percussion). Closing the night will be a drum extravaganza with Lil Sum’n Sum’n. Gilly Gonzalez and Lisa Wimberger make up Lil Sum’n Sum’n, a duet born out of the collective projects of Kan’nal and Lunar Fire. It is an improvisational psy-trance experience featuring a world beat made up of Middle Eastern, Afro-Cuban, African, and American influences. Hang drums, tablas, doumbeks, dounouns, congas, shakers, udus, drones, ballaphones, and tap dancing drive rhythms that range from primal dance to meditational journeying. Light sculpture orchestration and projection by Marc Billard. It all takes place within the ambiance of the Lumonics Light & Sound Gallery. +  Join us for a captivating Immersive Jazz-Art Series on Friday, June 30! Hugh Ragin and Friends present Sun Ra, Part 2 7 pm to 9:30 pm $20 advance $25 at door Hugh Ragin is a lecturer of Jazz Studies at the College of Music at the University of Colorado-Boulder. Raised in Houston, Texas, he began playing trumpet in his early teens, taking lessons in classical music; he was also a member of the Houston All-City High School Orchestra. Ragin earned a degree in music education from the University of Houston and a degree in classical trumpet performance from Colorado State University. He continued his education in 1978 at the Creative Music Studio with Roscoe Mitchell. A year later, he performed with Mitchell, Wadada Leo Smith and the Creative Orchestra at the Moers Festival in Germany. He then toured with Anthony Braxton. During the early 1980s, Ragin toured with jazz trumpeter Maynard Ferguson. He began an association with David Murray, becoming a member of Murray’s band in the 1980s. Currently, Ragin is a member of the Art Ensemble of Chicago. Ragin earned a DMA in jazz studies from the University of Colorado-Boulder and leads a variety of ensembles, master classes, and workshops. Janine Santana hosts the series. She is Artistic Director/Radio Personality at The Arts Validation Network and Leader/Conguera at Janine Santana Latin Jazz. A popular on-air host at KUVO Denver for many years, Janine hosts Afternoon Jazz Mondays through Fridays from 3-6 pm Mountain Time on TAVN-Jazz. https://tavn.org “Janine Santana here…and I want to personally thank all who have attended our Jazz-Art Immersion events. The response has been absolutely heart-warming! Each event is unique, with different jazz musicians, a different film and an individualized light experience curated by Lumonics Gallery. A percentage of any profit goes to support The Arts Validation Network (501c3), too!” +  photo of section of Lumonics by Marc Billard Lumonics Immersed Saturdays at 8 pm Light artists Dorothy and Mel Tanner originated this multisensory experience in 1969. Although they have passed away, Lumonics continues to evolve as we stay true to the Tanners’ intention of utilizing the artform to stimulate creativity, expand awareness, provide a sense of comfort, and foster a sense of wonder. Each performance is orchestrated live by Marc Billard, and never repeated. Dorothy Tanner and Mel Tanner are now included in the archives of Wikiart, the visual art encyclopedia, and have a Wikipedia page. +  On June 19, Lumonics is excited to be hosting this year’s interns attending the the Museum of Outdoor Arts’ Design and Build Program. This program began in 1991 and is an opportunity for emerging artists, students and creative minds to express their creativity in collaborative art, architecture and design projects. We will be giving a tour, discussing the history of our project, and concluding with an Immersive. + Students at the Lumonics School of Light Art A recent article in the Washington Post discussed the Maker Movement which focused on workshops, mostly in San Francisco, that teach people how to work with their hands, and how they realize how gratifying it is. Many attending are technology workers who sit in front of computer screens all day. Some companies set up classes to team-build. Comments by Participants “It’s tremendously grounding, and it’s meditative…” “had this deep sense of accomplishment, and it was so incredibly satisfying…” “I like learning how to be competent at something. At the end of it — look, I have this thing,” “You’re tapping into a history of human craftsmanship that’s been around for the entire existence of our species.” “As people spend less time commuting, they have more time for hobbies, and more of a need for connection.” This kind of gratification is what Dorothy Tanner had in mind when she founded the Lumonics School of Light Art in 2018, shortly after she received the Denver Mayor’s award for Innovation in the Arts, and two years before she passed. A student makes a cube, electrifies it with an LED bulb, and then “artifies” it. You can read student comments and see many cubes that have been completed. Read our blog which links to the Post article. Best wishes from Barry, Barbara, and Marc |
Jun 05
June Lumonics Newsletter
