Culturally Speaking for Aug. 2

Nutcracker auditions remind that holiday season not so distant

Photo provided by Baton Rouge Ballet TheatreThe character Clara dances with the Nutcracker figurine in a past production of The Nutcracker -- A Tale from the Bayou. A cast is being sought for this December's production.

Baton Rouge Ballet Theatre will conduct auditions for its annual production, The Nutcracker — A Tale from the Bayou, as well as for its 2012-13 season, on Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 15-16, in the Dancers’ Workshop, 10745 Linkwood Court. Roles are available for children and advanced dancers. Season auditions will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 15, and are for classically trained, advanced level dancers who have been on pointe for at least two years. Nutcracker auditions for children ages 8-12 will be Sunday, Sept. 16. The schedule will be 12:45 p.m., boys age 8 and older; 1:15 p.m., girls age 8; 2 p.m., girls age 9; 2:45 p.m., girls age 10; and 3:30 p.m., girls ages 11-12. There will be a $5 audition fee. For audition requirements or more information, call [phone] or email [e-mail] or [e-mail].

ä ON THE INTERNET:

http://www.brbt.org

Art history published

The Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, in partnership with the State Bicentennial Commission, announces the publication of A Unique Slant of Light: The Bicentennial History of Art in Louisiana. Edited by Michael Sartisky, president of the LEH; J. Richard Gruber., director emeritus of the Ogden Museum of Southern Art; and Associate Editor John Kemp, the book will be in stores on Wednesday, Sept. 12. The book includes 276 entries on Louisiana artists and more than 400 images from private collections and the state’s major museums and archives. The book’s price is $120. Also, the LEH has planned a fall tour for the book. Local tour dates will be 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 14, Ogden Museum of Southern Art, 925 Camp St., New Orleans; 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 27, LSU Museum of Art, Shaw Center for the Arts, 100 Lafayette St.; and 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 11, Paul and Lulu Hilliard University Art Museum, 715 St. Mary Blvd., Lafayette. For more information visit the websites.

ä ON THE INTERNET:

http:// www.leh.org

http://www.knowla.org

Wine and Food tickets

Tickets are on sale for the Baton Rouge Irish Club’s annual Food and Wine Experience, set for 7-10 p.m. Friday, Sept. 7, at the Celtic Media Centre, Stage 2, 10000 Celtic Drive. There will be live entertainment by Pete Dawson, along with the McTaggert Irish Dancers. All proceeds will benefit the fifth annual Irish Film Festival in July 2013 at the Manship Theatre. Tickets are $25 for club members and $30 for non-members. For tickets, visit the Elizabethan Gallery, 630 Jefferson Highway; or Bonefish Grill, 7415 Corporate Blvd, In New Orleans, visit The Irish House, 1432 St. Charles Ave.

At Kress Gallery

The artists’ reception for an exhibit featuring artwork by muralists working with the BR Walls Project at Kress Gallery, Third and Main streets, has been postponed because of Hurricane Isaac. The opening originally was scheduled for Aug. 30, and the new date and time will be announced later. Featured artists are John Wax, Katie Knoeringer and Michael Secor.

ä ON THE INTERNET:

http://www.kressthirdmain.com/downtown.html

UpStage tickets

Tickets are on sale for UpStage Theatre’s production of Gloria Browne’s Killing Me Softly, set for 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Sept. 14-15, and 3 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 16, at the theater, 1713 Wooddale Blvd. Browne is the winner of UpStage’s third annual Emerging Playwright Project. A talk-back with the playwright will follow the Sept. 14 production. Tickets are $15. For more information, call [phone] or visit the website.

ä ON THE INTERNET:

http:// www.upstagetheatre.biz

LAAG class set

The registration deadline is Monday, Sept. 10, for the class, “Portraits in Oil” by Steve Shamburger, set for 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, Sept. 25-27, at the Louisiana Art and Artists’ Guild’s Studio in the Park, 2490 Silverest Ave. The fee is $125 for guild members and $160 for nonmembers. To register, call [phone] or email [e-mail].

ä ON THE INTERNET:

http:// www.laag-site.org/Artists/Shamburger/class_info_portrait

In Denham Springs

The Denham Springs Art Association’s next meeting has been moved to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 4, because of the Labor Day holiday. The meeting will take place in the Municipal Building, 941 Government St. The meeting program will the hands-on, experimental activity, “Jump Into Art and Paint.” For more information, call [phone], [phone] or [phone] or email [e-mail], [e-mail] or [e-mail].

ä ON THE INTERNET:

http:// www.dsfaa.blogspot.com

At Rosedown

Rosedown Plantation State Historic Site, 12501 La. 10, St. Francisville, will continue its “Garden Tour Fridays” series at 10 a.m. Friday, Sept. 7. For more information, call [phone].

ä ON THE INTERNET:

http:// www.lastateparks.com

Call for artists

The deadline is Nov. 30 for entries to the 2013 Brush With Burden juried art show. All media will be accepted. The theme should be inspired by the landscape, structures, flora and fauna of The Burden Center, 4560 Essen Lane. New for 2013 is a special award for outdoor sculpture. To enter or for more information call [phone] or email [e-mail].

ä ON THE INTERNET:

http://www.burdenhorticulturesociety.com

At Golden Gallery

The Rolland Golden Gallery, 419 Main St., Natchez, Miss., will host its Second Saturday reception, set for 5:30-8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 8, for Golden’s show, Sweet Virginia, featuring Golden’s paintings, drawings and prints depicting the state of Virginia. For more information, call [phone] or email [e-mail].

ä ON THE INTERNET:

http://www.rollandgoldengallery.com

In Covington

Several activities are taking place at the St. Tammany Art Association, 320 N. Columbia St., Covington:

• Art teachers are needed to teach the organization’s fall and winter classes in Mandeville and Covington. For more requirements or more information, email [e-mail].
• The deadline is Wednesday, Sept. 19, for art submissions to the association’s bimonthly Art Market at the Covington Trailhead. For requirements and more information, email [e-mail].
• The association is looking for volunteers for gallery assistants, wine and beer servers, office help, wall painters, handyman work, gardeners and event volunteers. For details or more information, call [phone] or email [e-mail].
• Donations are needed for the annual fall fundraiser HeArt & Soul silent auction. For more information, call [phone] or email [e-mail].
• The deadline is Monday, Sept. 17, for the Louisiana Art & Artists Guild’s 43rd annual River Road Show, set to run Dec. 3-Jan. 30, 2013, at the Louisiana State Archives, 3851 Essen Lane. For more information, call [phone] or email [e-mail].

ä ON THE INTERNET:

http://www.sttammanyartassociation.org

At the Hilliard

The exhibit, Rhyme and Reason: The Art of Shawne Major, will open Saturday, Sept. 8, at the Paul and Lulu Hilliard University Art Museum, 715 St. Mary Blvd, Lafayette. Museum hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays, 9 a.m.-noon Fridays and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturdays, For more information, call [phone].

ä ON THE INTERNET:

http://museum.louisiana.edu

Benefit set

Tickets are on sale for the Lafayette Ballet Theatre’s Alla Prima event, which kicks off its capital campaign, at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 28, at the Acadiana Center for the Arts, 101 W. Vemilion St., Lafayette. Tickets are $100. For tickets, call [phone] or visit the website.

ä ON THE INTERNET:

http://www.acadianacenterforthearts.com

At AcA

Tickets are on sale for three series at the Acadiana Center for the Arts, 101 W. Vermilion St., Lafayette. The series are:

• Jazz @ The Center, featuring the Mark Whitfield Quartet on Oct. 5; Judy Carmichael, Nov. 9; Claudia Acuna, Jan. 25, 2013; the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Feb. 2, 2013; the Terence Blanchard Quintet, March 22, 2013; and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette Jazz Ensemble, May 3, 2013.
• The Family Series, featuring, Marionetas de la Esquina: ‘Emilio and the Enchanted Cow,’ Oct. 10-11; Playing By Air, Nov. 27-28; Rock the Presidents, Jan. 17-18, 2013; and Sunjata Kamalunya, Feb. 20-12, 2013.
• The AcA AllStars , featuring the sold-out season opening gala, Lyle Lovett and his Large Band, Wednesday, Sept. 5; John Hiatt, Oct. 16; Los Lobos Acoustic En Vivo, Jan. 22, 2013; and Travis Tritt: Solo and Unplugged, Jan. 27, 2013.

For ticket prices, tickets or more information, call [phone] or visit the website.

ä ON THE INTERNET:

http://www.AcadianaCenterfortheArts.org

Anne Frank auditions

Auditions for Spotlight Theater Players’ production of Diary of Anne Frank will be 5-7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 15, and 2-4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 15, at Wholly Ground Coffee House, 27988 Walker South Road, Walker. Scripts are available for review at the coffee house for a $10 refundable deposit. Appointments aren’t necessary, but participants are asked to email [e-mail] if they are planning on auditioning so sufficient materials will be ready. An electronic version of the audition sheet may be requested in advance, as well as a cast description and rehearsal schedule. The production will run Nov. 8-10 at Wholly Ground Coffee House.

At Ohr-O’Keefe

Admission is half price on Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 3, at the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art, 386 Beach Blvd., Biloxi, Miss. Featured is the exhibit Labor Day! Geoff Mitchell: Chaos at the Confessional, with large-scale mixed media works and contemplative videos. Also showing are the exhibits, The Art of Eugene Martin: A Great Concept, Trailer McQuilkin: An Uncommon Beauty and George Edgar Ohr: Selections from Gulf Coast Collections highlights work of the “Mad Potter of Biloxi.”

ON THE INTERNET:

http://www.georgeohr.org

Film acting class

Registration is open for a Film Acting Class taught by J. Patrick McNamara, set for 6:30-8:30 p.m. Mondays, Sept. 10-Oct. 10, at the Elm Theatre, 220 Julia St., New Orleans. McNamara is the creator of the DVD, The Craft of Film Acting. He also has many film credits. A headshot and resume are required and must be approved. The fee is $300, and the class is limited to 14 students. Also, registration is open for a Voice and Movement Workshop by Artemis Presshl, set for 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 15-16.

The fee is $250. There is a $50 discount for all union actors. The class is limited to 21 students. To register or for more information, call [phone] or visit the website.

ON THE INTERNET:

http://www.elmtheatre.org　

Creative daycare

Enrollment is open for Creative Kids Fine Arts Academy’s first early childhood arts program at its facility, 7450 Antioch Road. The academy is accepting applications for the 2012-13 school year for students between ages 2 and 5 for its full-time arts program. It also is accepting applications from school-age students for its after-school arts program. The facility is equipped with a theater, as well as a café for parents. Moe Smith, an alumni of the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, is the director. For more information, call [phone] or email [e-mail].

Louisiana Contemporary winners

The Ogden Museum of Southern Art has announced the winners of Louisiana Contemporary presented by Regions Bank, a new, juried annual exhibition focusing on Louisiana artists. Winning “Best in Show” was Adam Mysock of New Orleans for the installation, “Mountains Named after Presidents, Seen from a Distance.” Winning second place was Mik Kastner of Amite for the installation, “Hoodwink;” and third place went to Kate Ryan of New Orleans for the oil painting, “Slayed.” Honorable mentions went to: Hannah Chalew of New Orleans, Courtney Egan of New Orleans, Jennifer Graycheck of New Iberia, Dixie Kimball of New Orleans and David Sullivan of New Orleans. Forty-five artists from throughout Louisiana are represented, with a total of 86 works selected. Some artists had more than one work chosen. The juror was Rene Paul Barilleaux, chief curator/curator of art after 1945, McNay Art Museum In San Antonio, Texas.

ON THE INTERNET:

http://www.louisianacontemporary.org

At the Ogden Museum

The Ogden Museum of Southern Art, along with more than 50 New Orleans visual and performing arts organizations, will kick off the cultural season at Culture Collision 4, 5:30-10 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 5, at Generations Hall, 310 Andrew Higgins Drive, New Orleans. Admission is free.

Also, tickets are on sale for the museum’s “O What A Night” gala, set for Saturday, Oct. 13. For reservations, email [e-mail]. And the exhibit Art of the Cup will open with a 6-8 p.m. reception on Thursday, Sept. 6, at the museum, 925 Camp St., New Orleans. For more information, call [phone].

ON THE INTERNET:

http://www.ogdenmuseum.org

At Tulane　

The Tulane University Department of Theatre & Dance in New Orleans has announced its their 2012-13 season. Scheduled productions are A Night of Chekhov One-Acts, Oct. 16-21, Lupin Theatre; The Lesson, Oct. 30-Nov. 4, Lab Theatre; Gogol’s Waltzes, Nov. 15-18, Lupin Theatre; Yentl, Feb. 26-March 3, 2013, Lupin Theatre; Above the Oaks, April 4-7, 2013, McWilliams 300; and Almost, Maine, April 16-21, 2013, Lupin Theatre.

ON THE INTERNET:

http://www.tulane.edu/liberal-arts/theatre-dance

Legally Blonde tickets　

Tickets are on sale for Rivertown Theaters for the Performing Arts’ production of Legally Blonde: The Musical, which opens Friday, Sept. 7, and runs Fridays through Sundays until Sunday, Sept. 23, on the theater’s main stage, 325 Minor St., Kenner. Show times are 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 2 p.m. Sundays.

Tickets are $35. Discounts are available for seniors, students, military and groups. For tickets, call [phone].

ON THE INTERNET:

http://www.RivertownTheaters.com