Published: December 20th, 2007 08:18 PM
Last Modified: December 22nd, 2007 11:41 PM
In addition to landscapes that draw heavily from Japanese woodblocks, art by Byron Birdsall now on display at Artique Ltd. includes these Christmas ornaments. For more information, call the gallery at 277-1663. Photo by MARC ROBINSON
Photography
Mountains and owls and bears, oh my
The library looks like a zoo, with steely landscapes, bruins and birds on the make and flora so velvety it looks good enough to eat.
Don't fret. Quietude still rules the day at Loussac Library (3600 Denali St.), but this month the 17th annual Alaska Wild Photo Exhibit adds a visual cacophony to the third level. On the usually barren walls around the elevator, 32 images by members of the Alaska Society of Outdoor and Nature Photographers show everything from newborn fox sparrows to the Alaska coastline.
The exhibit's Best of Show winner, "Raven-Nightwatch" by Gary Postlethwait, poses a mythic interplay between a raven and the moon. Another, "Teklanika Overlook" by Ed Bennett, sustains an extraordinary sense of movement through line and composition.
Many pieces magnify the ordinary. The elegant shot of dragonflies in Don Wilson's "Radio Flyers" looks bare in some ways, lush in others, while the image of the sun going down in "Sunset on Ice" by Genevieve Klebba looks fantastical.
Alaska Wild continues at the library until the end of the month. Look at images or find more information at www.asonp.org.
-- Dawnell Smith music
Young chanteuse set for jazzy Christmas gig
Local chanteuse Kim Robinson's flexible voice gives an elegant, succulent interpretation to the classics -- by which we mean Porter, Ellington, Carmichael and even Robinson's own songs.
Music fans who haven't heard her yet can catch the young singer at Cafe Felix in Metro Music and Book (530 E. Benson Blvd.) from 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday. Robinson -- whose performance benefits from tight and sympathetic keyboard accompaniment by her dad, Marc Robinson -- promises "a jazzy, bluesy Christmas" theme for the upcoming session.
The music is free, but you'll want to buy a mug of steaming cappuccino or high-class tea, sit yourself comfortably in a big wing-back chair and turn the long, cold night into a tasty, toasty musical treat.
-- Mike Dunham theater
Gospel message 'Essence' of new play
"Essence of a Man" is a don't-miss for anyone seeking morality-based Christmas entertainment.
The gospel play -- written by Anchorage playwright-actor Brad Bowyer -- tells the hopeful story of a young Christian convert who struggles with his marriage and his faith. Live, soulful gospel music propels the action forward.
The musical is being performed by Total Praise Productions, a new group of local adults who provide Christian entertainment, mainly via theater and films.
"Essence of a Man" starts at 6 p.m. Saturday at East High School, 4025 E. Northern Lights Blvd. The performance is free. (301-7921)
-- Sarah Henning visual art
Last chance to catch Birdsall, Gilbert works
If you want to see the latest work by Byron Birdsall or Ayse Gilbert, run to Artique Ltd. today -- now, as soon as you can. Do not stop for coffee; do not bump into old friends. Just head straight to 314 G St. and see both shows before they end today.
Landscape watercolorist Birdsall considers his mentors to be the Japanese wood block printers Hokusai and Hiroshige and gives evidence of their influence with pieces that posit one of his central subjects, Mount McKinley, into iconic Japanese settings and compositions. Birdsall's exhibit also includes Christmas ornaments and Russian icons.
Gilbert's show includes a series of acrylic reverse paintings on glass, each imbued with color and intricate design elements but all centering on the same female iconic form.
Preview them at www.artique ltd.com. Call 277-1663 for more information.
-- Dawnell Smith theater
1960s London in the spotlight for 'Black Comedy'
1965. London. A starving young artist, Brindsley Miller, anxiously readies himself to meet his girlfriend's conservative, military father. Things look promising until a fuse blows and the lights go out in this hilarious farce by Peter Shaffer.
Perseverance Theatre stages "Black Comedy" Wednesdays through Sundays until Jan. 13, so there's plenty of time to catch the show if you're going to Juneau for the holiday or to prepare for the legislative session.
The show is directed by national theater fixture Keith Baxter. He was the original star of "Sleuth" in London and on Broadway, he played Antony to Maggie Smith's "Cleopatra" and appeared in "The Merchant of Venice" with Hal Holbrook. Baxter's history at Perseverance includes directing last season's "Noises Off."
Tickets are $22 to $27. (1-907-463-8497, www.perseverance theatre.org)
-- Sarah Henning
Two artists
Pastel paintings by Melissa Hesselbach and sculpture by Connie Tarbox are on display at Alaska Pacific University's Carr Gottstein space. We review them Sunday in Life & Arts.
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