“Art” for F**k’s Sake

Serge, Marc, and Yvan

As a freshman at NYU Tisch school of the Arts, the initial topic of any group class discussion began with the age old question, “What is Art?” Our unformed, naive minds tossed and turned with notions and quandaries, tracing the origin of hip-hop and dissecting the value of shock art until one became driving on the endless roundabout of what actually defines art and who decides. Is the purpose of art to make you feel? But art is relative. Right? Is art for art’s sake? But art should be for everyone. Right? And who is really qualified to decide what is art and what is yet another Lindsay Lohan film? Maybe the root of all this exciting art gab around the water cooler needs to be about what perpetuates the purpose and creation of art. The fact that art is both object and subject, is in fact what makes it “art”. While I am sure this is the topic of discussion pursed on everyones lips as they gallivant down Bourbon or pop it like it’s hot to some yacht bounce, it’s hard to get a really good banter about the social implications and worth of modern conceptual art while knocking back a few brewskies before riding a mechanical whale. So in preparation for The NOLA Project’s run of “Art”, a play by Yasmina Reza, at the NOMA all August long, I have decided to create a “Cosmo” like quiz (how pop “art” culture appropriate, right?) to help audience members find out where they stand on the issue of what defines art and more importantly what character they identify with most!

Choose one answer for each of the questions below that best describes you and post your results by leaving a comment below!

1) If at a gallery opening of a new posh artist do you…

a) Inquire how much the art work is because you’re building a collection.

b) Pop a few vitamins out of frustration and have playful argument with the curator about the purpose of deconstruction.

c) Pick the cashews out of all the nut bowls and then ask if the artist is fashionable.

2)When considering purchasing a new work of art you ask…

a) Check or credit?

b) Do you think I’m an idiot? Because only and idiot would pay that price for that child’s drawing you call art.

c) Will my new wife like it?

3) Upon receiving an invitation to the new installation at the NOMA you decide to bring…

a) A friend.

b) An apprentice.

c) Your nagging future mother-in-law.

4) In decorating your living room you prefer to hang…

a) Modern art with simplistic nuances.

b) A traditional Flemish painting.

c) Family heirlooms.

5) When starring at a seemingly blank canvas you…

a) Buy it.

b) Laugh at it.

c) Stare inquisitively with a half smirk, half smile.

If you answered mostly a’s you are a Serge, b’s a Marc, c’s an Yvan. Post your results by leaving a comment below!

Now go see what all the fuss is about: “Art” at the New Orleans Museum of Art

–Kyle Williams

Actress & Blogger, kylejunewilliams.com

“Art” Concept & Performance Schedule

From L to R: Michael Aaron Santos, Jason Kirkpatrick, James Bartelle, Alex Wallace, Richard Alexander Pomes, & A.J. Allegra

Just in case you’re holding out on buying your tickets for our upcoming production of “Art,” here’s something that might get you excited…

We’ve got an award-winning cast of six NOLA Project actors including A.J. Allegra, James Bartelle, Jason Kirkpatrick, Richard Alexander Pomes, Michael Aaron Santos, and Alex Martinez Wallace who will play in rotating fashion so no two shows are exactly alike!

The show will begin Friday, August 5 at 8 p.m. and repeats every Friday evening and Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m. in August. Scroll down to see which gent is performing on which date and then visit www.noma.eventbrite.com to purchase tickets!

Fri Aug 5th 8 pm

• James Bartelle- Yvan
• Richard Alexander Pomes- Marc
• Michael Aaron Santos- Serge

Sun Aug 7th 3pm

• Alex Wallace- Yvan
• AJ Allegra- Marc
• Jason Kirkpatrick- Serge

Fri Aug 12th 8 pm

• James Bartelle- Yvan
• AJ Allegra- Marc
• Michael Aaron Santos- Serge

Sun Aug 14th 3 pm

• Alex Wallace- Yvan
• Richard Alexander Pomes- Marc
• Jason Kirkpatrick- Serge

Fri Aug 19th 8 pm

• Alex Wallace- Yvan
• AJ Allegra- Marc
• Michael Aaron Santos- Serge

Sun Aug 21st 3 pm

• James Bartelle- Yvan
• Richard Alexander Pomes- Marc
• Jason Kirkpatrick- Serge

Fri Aug 26th 8 pm

• James Bartelle- Yvan
• AJ Allegra- Marc
• Jason Kirkpatrick- Serge

Sun Aug 28th 3 pm

• Alex Wallace- Yvan
• Richard Alexander Pomes- Marc
• Michael Aaron Santos- Serge

See you at the museum!

–Richard Alexander Pomes

Marketing & Publicity, The NOLA Project

Directing Yasmina Reza’s ‘Art’ in an Art Museum

The cast of "Art" and director, Kate Kuen

My first class at NYU was called Writing the Essay: The World through Art.  One of the first discussions we inevitably had, being a private liberal arts school, was “What is art?”  One girl raised her hand and said “Everything is beautiful, and everything that’s beautiful is art.”  I asked “If I pissed on your shoe right now, would that be art?”  You can tie yourself in knots trying to objectively talk about something as naturally subjective as art.  And it’s both these persuasions of personality and environment of opinions that enable and disable so much of our lives, most importantly, our friendships.  I have been incredibly lucky to help showcase a small buffet of our community’s artistic talents in this coproduction with the NOMA from performing arts of not just 3 but 6 talented actors to visual arts of Sarah Zoghbi’s delicate Antrios to Byron Asher’s original score for our show, recorded in NOMA’s Great Hall itself.  With a special thanks to my team of women, Ashley, Christina and Kyle for keeping me sane.

I am humbled by this world through art, and I hope you enjoy our story.   x

–Kate Kuen

Director of “Art,” The NOLA Project

Some Q&A about Sculpture Garden-going

If New Orleanians know how to do one thing, it’s how to stake a spot on a patch of grass:  with a blanket and some lawn chairs.  And with our current production of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ we want to make sure that our audiences know exactly what they’re in for when it comes to viewing an outdoor production.

First off, the seating is Bring-Your-Own.  This means a blanket or portable chairs would work best, or (if you prefer a more au natural technique) its butts on the grass.  BUT BE WARNED:  The production is a promenade production, which is a fancy way of saying that the audience will move around.  The show occurs throughout the garden in three total locations.  So whatever you choose to bring in terms of seating, make sure it can travel.  Personally, this is why I think a blanket is best.

Now for some FAQs that we’ve been asked in the last week, here presented for your convenience:

Q:  Can I bring food and drink into the garden?

A:  You don’t even need to!  Ralph Brennan’s Cafe will provide delicious cheese platters, turkey sandwiches, and vegetable sandwiches, as well as wine by the glass or bottle that can be purchased for a reasonable price!  (That is our very positive spin on ‘No, Im sorry, no outside food or drink allowed)

Q:  Can I bring my child?  Is this family friendly?

A:  That decision is really up to the parent that knows their child best.  That said, this is a fun, vivid, and very physical play that I think many kids will enjoy.  I’d say any children over 8 would really enjoy themselves, but any age children are welcome.  Its 90 minute running time is also conducive to short attention spans (young OR old)

Q:  How do I order tickets?  Will they be mailed to me?

A:  The internet is a wonderful thing, isn’t it?  For that reason, we strongly suggest purchasing your tickets online at www.noma.eventbrite.com with a credit card.  When you do this, you will receive an online receipt.  Print this, and this can be used as your ticket when you come to the show!  If you hate computers and all that internet garbage and are more of a people person, you can always call the reservation line at 504. 658.4100.  Or if you like to fly by the seat of your pants, you can purchase at the door.  BUT BE WARNED.  You may be denied a seat if you attempt to purchase at the door and we have reached our capacity.

Q:  Should I bring bug spray?

A:  Is the Pope Catholic?  But just in case, we will have some available at the front for ya

Q:  Will this be the best production I have ever seen in my many years of extensive theatre-going?

A:  It’s a damn safe bet.

–A.J. Allegra

Artistic Director, The NOLA Project

Lola from Nola to the rescue!

Graphic Design has always fascinated me.  I will easily admit that I judge and purchase books based on their covers.  I see the plays that have great posters.  I purchase itunes singles from albums that have beautiful artwork.  And for a few years now, I have had the pleasure of creating the bulk of the show poster artwork for The NOLA Project.  And then we came to ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ presented at NOMA.  I knew we needed something beautiful.  I knew something hand-drawn would be elegant and refreshing in a world of photoshop.  I also knew that I had no ability whatsoever to make this thing happen on my own.

So I enlisted our old friend Craig and his wonderful online list.  I put out an ad for local artists looking to work on something hand drawn and whimsical for NOLA Project.  The response was amazing.  Over fifty artists showed me their work via email within a few days.  After going through hundreds of online paintings, photographs, sketches, and graphic designs, I found myself most drawn to the work of a girl whose website called her lola_from_nola.  Her name is Lauren Hemard, and her work is exceptional.  She does it all:  photographs, sketches, paintings, graphic art, hand-lettering–and mixes it all in ways that are fascinatingly unique.  She was the obvious choice for this job.

We started with a discussion, which was quickly followed up by some sketches, which followed with a completely watercolored piece of beauty that I am happy to have our names on.  Yesterday, while traveling about town on my bike and putting up posters, I was met with dozens and dozens of ‘ooooh, that’s pretty’…’beautiful’…’wow, I love the colors’ and so forth.  Those statements were all quickly followed with ‘I think I’ll have to see that.’  Seems I’m not alone on my cover-judgement after all.

Here is Lauren’s beautiful poster presented as best I can showcase it online.  But I also suggest you visit her website at www.lolafromnola.com to check out just a small sampling of her other work.  We hope to have her showcased at the museum as a part of this production.  I hope you enjoy her work as much as I do.

–A.J. Allegra

Artistic Director, The NOLA Project

And so we begin anew…

At least in terms of a website.  I want to welcome you to our blog and the brand new NOLAProject.com.  A lot of hard work went into redesigning this site, and that credit goes to my good friend Drew Franzo at Esyncs, a web design and social media company that he started last year.  Drew also has designed the website of NOCCA.com, which won a Webby Award for its comprehensive design.  So I want to start by thanking Drew.

And now onto our blog.  Like many internet perusers, I know the joys and perils of a blog.  When updated frequently, they can be good fun.  When abandoned, they sit like blighted properties on an otherwise bustling block.  I hope to keep our blog up to date and fresh with content regarding the goings-ons at The NOLA Project as well as theatre and arts life in New Orleans in general.  We are an ensemble company, and as such, you’ll most likely hear from many of us in the company in this blog.  But the most important thing that we can do with out web presence here is to promote the culture and joy of living and making theatre in the city of New Orleans.  For those of you reading this from farther off, come visit.  Now.  This city is bustling with so much artistic and entrepreneurial energy right now, and the slope only seems to be headed upwards.  Check out this great video which explains just what I’m talking about at 504ward.com.  The future looks bright for The NOLA Project and New Orleans in general.  I hope our blog reflects that.  Thank you and enjoy the site.

–A.J. Allegra

Artistic Director, The NOLA Project