Howling Temple under the Full Moon (~1652Hz by Abby Wendle at {Re}HAPPENING 8) Photo by Michael Oppenheim.
What a month! March, 2018 was one of our busiest yet and also one of our most exciting. We were able to host The Principles of Uncertainty, an evening length performance from John Heginbotham and Maira Kalman, as well as our 8th annual {Re}HAPPENING, featuring the Grammy award winning vocal ensemble Roomful of Teeth as well as dozens of local and national artists. The events of this past month have been the result of unprecedented growth that we are embracing as we enter our 25th year, growth that is made possible by the generous support of our members, sponsors and friends! To mark these two incredible events, we would love to take a look back. We hope you will enjoy some insights and photos from The Principles of Uncertainty and {Re}HAPPENING 8!
Read Part 1 of our March Blog, including photos from The Principles of Uncertainty, here.
{Re}HAPPENING 8
{Re}HAPPENING 8. Photo by Michael Oppenheim.
Every year our {Re}HAPPENING offers the opportunity to celebrate the legacy of Black Mountain College by returning to the historic Lake Eden campus with dozens of local and international performers and artists. This year’s event went beyond our expectations with 150 participating artists and 800 attendees! Because of your support, we were able to raise critical funds that help us to continue working with artists to create innovative art, as well as to preserve the legacy of Black Mountain College. Thank you to everyone who helped bring this year’s {Re}HAPPENING to fruition!
We were thrilled to feature Roomful of Teeth, the grammy award winning vocal ensemble, at this year’s {Re}HAPPENING. Roomful of Teeth performed at the Dining Hall where the first Happening occurred in 1952, entrancing the audience with their vocal work that draws from centuries of traditions as diverse as Tuvan throat singing to Broadway belting. Their performance concluded with singer/composter Caroline Shaw’s Partita for 8 Voices, which earned her a Pulitzer Prize – making her the youngest person to ever receive the honor.
Of course, Roomful of Teeth was only one of many performance groups that joined us at Lake Eden at this year’s {Re}HAPPENING. Our local community had an incredible presence this year, in part thanks to the John Cage Room curated by MAP/REVOLVE and sponsored by Make Noise. The John Cage Room was a reactive multimedia installation scored by three movements which feature live coding, sound, performance and visuals. The space was a hub for chance encounters, prompted actions, and a variety of trans-disciplinary activities.
{Re}HAPPENING 8. Photo by Michael Oppenheim.
Many of our local universities were also represented. Students and faculty from Warren Wilson College were inspired by Beaumont Newhall’s photographs of Jean Varda’s Trojan Horse, constructed at BMC during the Summer Art Institute of 1946. Students, with guidance from professors Jacob Brault, Anna Helgeson and Julie Levin Caro, created an installation and performance piece, Performing the Archive – Time is No Object: Varda’s Trojan Horse. The Trojan Horse became a gathering place, inviting interaction through dance, photography and conversation. Performances and installations from UNC Asheville faculty and alumni were also featured with the installations CORE and Shadow Rise/Shadow Fall. In Mixed Matrix Messaging- a printmaking collaboration, Western Carolina University students – led by Matt Riddle, Lauren Medford + Sara Method – created images and text which could be improvisationally combined to create screen prints by participants.
There were so many incredible moments shared at this year’s {Re}HAPPENING, a few of which we’ve compiled in the album below. Please also visit the {Re}HAPPENING webpage for a full list of artists involved in this year’s event as well as more photos and videos from each project. Also scroll down to read a poem written by local poet Alli Marshall that beautifully captures the spirit of the {Re}HAPPENING. Marshall’s work Sleeping on Rooftops was featured at this year’s event.
Thank you all for supporting BMCM+AC and for being such open and enthusiastic participants. YOU make {Re}HAPPENING such a special event. Looking forward to seeing you all next year!
Read IMAGINARY LANDSCAPE, a poem by Alli Marshall in celebration of {Re}HAPPENING 8, here.
{Re}HAPPENING 8. Photo by Michael Oppenheim.
