Thirty-six artists from fifteen different countries were selected to participate in this next outstanding biennial art exhibit Latin Views 2008, which opens on September 19, at 6:00 pm at the Alexey von Schlippe Gallery of Art at the University of Connecticut's Avery Point Campus, located in the Branford House Mansion.   The Latin Views 2008 will be an extraordinary international celebration of art that will be sure to excite and entertain any art lover.  The exhibit will cover narrative, fantasy, myths, prophesies, spectacle, and the ambiguous territory between the real and unreal.  This exhibit is an invitation to the viewer to enter, explore, and immerse himself in the imaginary world of contemporary Latin artists, which is filled with emotions and imagery. The exhibition will occupy the entire gallery creating the ideal atmosphere to showcase these impressive works of art.   The Latins Views 2008 was curated by the directors and advisors of the LNVA jointly with The Griffis Art Center Board of Trustees and overseen by Julia Pavone, Director of The Alexey von Schlippe Gallery of Art.  The artistic director of Latin Views 2008 is Sharon Griffis, who is also the Director of Griffis Art Center of New London CT and has extensive experience organizing exhibitions throughout Connecticut. Highlighted among the special events of this exhibition is a Panel Discussion organized by the LNVA that will be presented in association with The Alexey von Schlippe Gallery of Art at the Marine Science Building, University of Connecticut at Avery Point on the following day of the opening reception, September 20, 2008 at 1:30 pm. Since its inception in 2003, the Latin Views exhibits have greatly evolved and have become the leading medium offering international contemporary art to southeastern Connecticut.  The exhibit will run from September 19th to November 2nd, 2008.  The opening reception will be on Friday September 19th, from 6.00 to 8.00 pm and the panel discussion will be on September 20th at 1:30 pm.

On Friday, October 17th, Firehouse 12 will present a two-set performance by renowned trombonist/composer Josh Roseman's Execution Quintet.  One of Roseman's newest ensembles as a leader, this eclectic Brooklyn-based group creates music ranging from the intense to the theatrical, with elements of game theory thrown in for good measure.  Its chord-less line-up features trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire, Dutch saxophonist Ben Van Gelder, bassist Chris Lightcap and drummer Dave Treut.

"Josh Roseman has the quirky charisma necessary to turn the often sedate trombone into a leading instrument," declared the All Music Guide's Michael Gown.  Critics have called him "an excellent trombonist" (Liz Spikol, Philadelphia Weekly), "a high-spirited musical provocateur" (Andrew Gilbert, San Jose Mercury News) and "a powerful and eccentric presence" (Mike Ross, Edmonton Sun).  The BBC's Peter Marsh adds, "music made with this much intelligence and passion is definitely worth your time."

A perennial winner in the Rising Star Trombone category of DownBeat's annual Critics Poll, Roseman has been an integral member of the New York jazz scene for nearly two decades.  His diverse resume includes membership in a long list of notable groups, including Lester Bowie's Brass Fantasy, Brooklyn Funk Essentials, Uri Caine's Mahler Ensemble, the Dave Douglas Sextet, the Either/Orchestra, Groove Collective, the Dave Holland Big Band and the SFJAZZ Collective.  He has also worked outside the jazz realm with artists such as Cibo Matto, Mike Gordon, Sean Lennon, Me'Shell NdegeOcello, The Roots and The Skatalites.  His third and most recent recording as a leader is 2007's New Constellations: Live in Vienna (Accurate Records).

FRIDAY, October 17, 8pm

Performed by the New Haven Theater Company, The Legend of Pedro de
Urdemalas is a family-friendly adaptation of folklore from Central and
South America which uses music, dance, puppetry, and storytelling. The
mischievous narrator, Pedro de Urdemalas, is a trickster and practical
joker who weaves a world where animals talk, visitors from the next
world walk in this one, and nothing is exactly as it seems.

As part of Green Street Arts Center's In the Limelight series: Latino Voices

Reception at 7:30pm, Play starts at 8pm
$8 ($5 members, seniors & students)

Green Street Arts Center
51 Green Street
Middletown, Connecticut 06457
Wesleyan University

gsac@wesleyan.edu
www.greenstreetartscenter.org
For tickets, please call (860) 685-7871

The Green
Street Arts Center is a project of Wesleyan University created in
collaboration with the City of Middletown and the North End Action Team. We
are affiliated with the National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts, a
nationwide association of non-profit community schools of the arts founded
in 1937.

Green Street serves as a vibrant cultural and
educational center combining the resources of Wesleyan and Middletown
to transform lives through the arts and foster the creativity that exists in
all of us. We strive to help individuals
identify and realize their creative potential presenting
programs and events that reflect the wide spectrum of visual and performing
arts as well as the diversity of the neighborhood itself. Serving as a place
for community gathering and celebration, Green Street is an anchor for the
revitalization efforts currently underway in Middletown’s North End.

In a remarkable recording career that spans three and a half decades, Kenny Rankin has established an impressive set of creative credentials, as an insightful songwriter, a distinctive guitarist and, above all, a world-class singer possessing an uncanny ability to cut straight to a song's emotional heart.

While his supple, pristine tenor has earned him status as a singer's singer, Rankin's songwriting talents have been widely recognized by his peers. However one may attempt to pigeonhole Kenny Rankin -- as jazz vocalist, pop artist or introspective singer/songwriter -- the openhearted emotional forthrightness of his singing renders such classifications irrelevant. "My interpretation of the songs is purely emotional," he explains. "We've all experienced disappointment and heartache, and that's what I draw upon. When I sing 'A Song for You' and 'Where Do You Start?' or 'She Was Too Good to Me,' I'm really hurting for the people in the song. I never change lyrics, because when I select a song it's usually because of how the lyric impacts me. I've been accused of straying from the melody, but when I sing I'm feeling, not thinking." Dave Reilly will also be performing. Dave Reilly is the fastest rising star in the comedy world. His comedic stylings have been compared to those of Jerry Seinfeld, Robin Williams and Lenny Bruce by many of his comedy fans. Dave's original interpretation of some classic gender differences, combined with his character acting, has audiences literally falling out of their chairs in laughter.

Westport Arts Center presents:

Optomism

Sept. 26 - Nov. 30

An exhibition examining the role of art as a form of political activism. Open to the public.

Gallery Talkback: Wed, Nov. 12, 7:30 - 9:30 p.m.

WAC Main Gallery

For more information, contact WAC at 203-222-7070, www.westportartscenter.org, or visit the gallery, M-F 10-4; Sat/Sun 12-4 at 51 Riverside Ave., Westport.

Stamford Theatre Works presents Defiance by John Patrick Shanley

Directed by Patricia R. Floyd

Jan. 28 - Feb. 15

Set in 1971 in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, two U.S. Marine officers, one black and one white, are on a collision course over power, responsibility, and an affair with an enlisted man's wife. Performances on Tuesdays though Saturdays at 8 p.m.; matinees Saturdays at 4 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m.; first Sunday and first Tuesday at 7 p.m. Tickets $25 to $43.

Stamford Theatre Works, 200 Strawberry Hill Ave. (campus of Sacred Heart Academy), Stamford.
www.stamfordtheatreworks.org / Box office: 203-359-4414

October 7 - 25 and October 30 - November 1

Westport Country Playhouse stages "Of Mice and Men," a classic drama by John Steinbeck. Tony Award-winning designer Michael Yeargen will be scenic designer, with the legendary Jane Greenwood as costume designer. $30 - $65. For more information and tickets, call the box office at (203) 227-4177, or for out-of-town callers toll-free at 888-927-7529, or visit the box office at 25 Powers Court, off Route 1, in Westport, CT. Information about the Playhouse is also available at www.westportplayhouse.org.