Arts News in Raleigh

A two-part exhibition opens downtown this Saturday and is forecasted to be a real blockbuster.  One part, Mysteries of the Lost Colony, is presented by the N.C. Museum of History in collaboration with the Roanoke Island Historical Association, producer of the outdoor drama “The Lost Colony.” Much of the focus of this section is the history of the play itself, which has now run for 70 years and helped jumpstart the careers of numerous actors and Broadway performers. 

Full details of The Lost Colony Exhibition…

  You know that Bojangles on Fast Food Alley, aka Western Boulevard?  I’m sure you do.  You know that onion headed creature that terrorizes colonies of ants and fights The Mobster Lobsters each week in the Independent?  I’m sure you do.  But, in case you don’t, next week, Tuesday to be precise, Onion Head Monster’s creator Paul Friedrich will take on a new foe, Bojangles.  Paul, renown Bojangles’ expert/raconteur Bryan Pack and Bojangles’ historian/expert Eleanor Spicer will attempt to spend an entire day at the Western Boulevard location restaurant and live to tell the tale online, all day and each day afterwards.  Guest appearances are expected and more surprises.

More info on the Suburban Xtreme Endurance Event below the fold

Raleigh sounds like “Mile End” by Pulp. It boasts the orangest sun and ripcord train sounds, rubble fields and fog silhouettes, but Raleigh’s artistic community lacks a center. Its network is impermanent, hyperventilating in expectation. The city is disconnected with itself, desireless of the will to collect. A field map would render a pell mell constellation of no recognizable form. As I peer down from the topmost floor of the Clarion Hotel at the city below I feel no pull toward its prolix sloganeering of construction and reemergence. Installation artist Olafur Eliasson’s recent comments in W magazine that downtown areas have become increasingly static and museumlike continually text my thoughts. Indeed many of my contemporaries have echoed this sentiment in recent conversation. It is suddenly chic to live downtown. Downtown: the new suburbia? And while there are over a dozen major construction projects in downtown Raleigh it feels less urban—artificially posh. I spoke with several citizens recently who reiterated my feeling that Raleigh is lacking in spontaneous action toward a vibrant and varying forcefield for art.

A collection Artists from the Triangle (including New Raleigh’s own Tracy Spencer) will sell their work to benefit AIDS.  The feature artist is Stephen White but there are over a hundred more to choose from!

The 17th annual Works of Heart
The Triangle’s Art Auction Against AIDS

100% of the proceeds from your contribution provide valuable funding to The Alliance of AIDS Services

Saturday, October 13th, 2007 at AJ Fletcher Opera Theatre

More Auction Info below the Fold

Tonight is a big night for the Fish Market, NCSU College of Design’s gallery of student work- It is their 5th anniversary in the empire Properties sponsored space.

Don’t forget our other First Friday guide and Tracy’s rundown here.

Miles Holst the current Curator sent out this announcement:

Tonight! 6pm-11pm at the Fish Market COD Student Gallery.
Collections: the act of accumulating various objects ... once and for all.

This is going to be a spectacular show, with live music, aurdurves, lots of interesting people and of course, plenty of eclectic collections from the students of the college of design. We look forward to seeing all of you!
Love,
The Fish