Art: Spring fever
The garden is the theme of watercolor/gouache and collage paintings by Chris Zafren on display this month at Doriola's Cafe, 510 W. Tudor Road. Zafren has composed "flower portraits" that may stir up spring fever in those of us who have been looking at snow and brown grass for too long. Just to rub it in, the paintings will share the space with photographs by master gardener Annie Nevaldine showing -- you guessed it -- close-ups of her favorite subject: flowers!
New directors
Students of King Career Center's film/video department will show their projects at the Two Oceans Film Festival, at Bear Tooth Theatrepub starting at 3:30 p.m. on Friday, May 9. The festival will feature a variety of short films produced by students over the past year -- music videos, silent films, documentaries and narrative shorts. Admission is $4, a whole lot less than you'll pay when these kids are directing feature films with Hollywood stars.
Ambitious musical programs
The Mat-Su Concert Band will wrap up their season at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, May 9, at Teeland Middle School. The program includes an arrangement of Brahms' "Academic Festival Overture," Leroy Anderson's "Belle of the Ball" and a symphonic suite from "Band of Brothers." Admission is $5 at the door.
The Anchorage Civic Orchestra will present an ambitious all-Russian program at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 10, in the Sydney Laurence Theatre. The program will include Rimsky-Korsakov's "Entry of the Nobles," Shostakovich's Piano Concerto No. 2 with Freya Wardlow-Bailey as soloist, and Glazanov's Symphony No. 7. Organizers suspect the concerto is having its Anchorage premiere; the symphony is almost certainly a first for the town, if not the state. Tickets are $20 at centertix.net.
Compiled by arts reporter
Mike Dunham