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When you walk through the doors of The Center’s museum or any event you are likely to see or experience a world-class and award-winning artist, performer or speaker.
For example, did you see the recent announcement of this year’s MacArthur Award winners? My colleagues and I were thrilled to see Viet Thanh Nguyen’s name on the list. Our community will have the opportunity to hear from him on March 8, when he closes The Center’s Lecture Series with a talk we’re co-presenting with the Community Library. Click here for more info.
As I scrolled through the list of this year’s winners, I came across another familiar name: Trevor Paglen. Paglen is an artist and geographer who’s been making work about our national surveillance systems and agencies for the last couple of decades. I included some of Paglen’s work in a 2010 exhibition here at The Center, I Spy: Surveillance and Security. It was gratifying to see him recognized by the MacArthur Foundation for his deeply thoughtful work.
Seeing his name on the list made me wonder if there are other MacArthur Fellows whose work has been part of our exhibitions. As I started digging, I was surprised to find that work by six had been in shows here at The Center just in the past ten years.
In 2007, my first year here, Jeanne Meyers curated a fabulous exhibition of interactive art that included work by MacArthur winner Camille Utterback. I showed lightbox photographs by Alfredo Jaar in an exhibition on mining, and Iñigo Manglano-Ovalle’s DNA portraits in a project about biology. Xu Bing’s Square Calligraphy works were part of our exhibition on contemporary China. Just this summer, Kristin Poole’s exhibition, Night Watch, featured beautiful prints by Vija Celmins; and this winter we’ll have an additional MacArthur winner taking part in This Land is Whose Land?, our consideration of the refugee crisis, will include a selection of photographs by MacArthur Fellow Fazal Sheikh.
The Center is a non-collecting museum and is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. “Non-collecting” means we borrow or commission every artwork we show. We borrow from artists, galleries, museums and private collections. The fact that we don’t collect means we have the opportunity to exhibit work that engages with the most relevant issues and ideas of our times. It also means we have the luxury of showing work that might not fit into a private home—either literally, because of its size (Michael Salter’s giant Styrobot!), or because the subject matter it tackles might not be something you’d want to live with every day.
As a non-collecting museum, we are lucky to be able to bring art to this valley that is made by artists working at the top levels of the contemporary art world. The school children and adults who tour our tiny space have the opportunity to see work not just by MacArthur Fellows, but Guggenheim Award winners (Kim Abeles, Carl Andre, Vija Celmins, Mahwish Chishty, Russell Crotty, Beverly Fishman, Joyce Kozloff, Nicholas Lamia, Iñigo Manglano-Ovalle, Stephanie Syjuco). They get to have intimate experiences with work by artists who have participated in the São Paulo Bienal (Mark Dion, Allan McCollum, Vik Muniz), the Venice Biennale (Tiffany Chung, Spencer Finch, Theaster Gates, Vik Muniz, Michal Rovner, Kiki Smith) and the Whitney Biennial (Spencer Finch, Theaster Gates, Kiki Smith). They sometimes have the chance to experience work by 20th-century artists who changed the trajectory of modern art (Arthur Wesley Dow, Sol LeWitt, Helen Lundeberg, Lee Mullican) or artists who shape the narrative of the history of American art at the Whitney Museum (James Castle, Helen Frankenthaler, Agnes Martin, Agnes Pelton, Fred Sandback, Richard Tuttle).
I think that architecture, for better or for worse, sets expectations. Walking into our humble museum, one might not expect to encounter any of the names on this list. As I read through it myself, I feel incredibly fortunate that we have been to be able to share work by these Did. And while showing work by well-known artists is always important to our curatorial goals, we’re equally focused on giving opportunities to younger and emerging artists, particularly when we can commission a new body of work or a site-specific installation. It’s exciting to think about which of these lesser-known artists might someday represent the U.S. in Venice or be part of the national conversation at the Whitney Biennial. And it’s equally exciting to think about whose work might fill our space in the next ten years!
SOLD OUT! Welcome in 2018 with fellow supporters of the arts at the New Year’s Eve Bubbly Bash, which promises to be the valley’s most festive holiday celebration. The annual sold-out event benefits the Sun Valley Center for the Arts and is co-hosted by Sun Valley Resort and The Center’s Junior Patrons Circle.
Partygoers will gather at Sun Valley’s iconic River Run Lodge to enjoy free champagne from 9 to 10pm and a midnight toast, compliments of event sponsor Barefoot Bubbly. Attendees can snap a memory in the customized Bubby Bash photo booth and dance the night away with the evening’s music and celebratory vibe driven by DJ Lady Sinclair and her live band. Returning for her second year at the Bubbly Bash, Los Angeles-based DJ Lady Sinclair has played at major clubs and celebrity events around the world, spinning mashup juxtaposing tracks that keep people hanging on to the next mix. This year’s theme is “Winter White-Out” — guests are encouraged to wear white!
“The Center’s Bubbly Bash has become one of the most anticipated events of the winter season in Sun Valley,” said Callan Miranda, Special Events Fundraising Manager at The Center. “It’s the perfect way to ring in the new year, celebrating with good friends, great music and, of course, a glass of bubbly, all while supporting the arts in our community.”
Purchase tickets online at sunvalleycenter.org or in person at The Center’s box office in Ketchum. All attendees must be 21 and over. For more information, call 208.726.9491.
Ticket prices include tax, but applicable ticketing fees apply. This popular event tends to sell out quickly, so patrons are encouraged to buy tickets early!
The Junior Patrons Circle (JPC) is a group of young adults dedicated to furthering the mission and goals of the Sun Valley Center for the Arts. The JPC seeks to involve the next generation in its programs and develop future volunteer leaders for the arts in the community.
Company of Fools is seeking an individual with considerable administrative and management talent, passion for the theatre, a belief in arts-in-education, and a proven ability to advance institutional aims. We welcome applications from non-profit and business leaders, theatre directors, designers, actors, development professionals and arts managers
The Company of Fools Managing Director will manage the day-to-day administrative, business and development operations of a busy theatre and, in collaboration with the COF Artistic Director, will produce exemplary theatre experiences that are in keeping with The Center and COF missions and in service to this community.
Click here to learn more or to apply.
The Sun Valley Center for the Arts is thrilled to announce the lineup for the 2017–2018 Lecture Series and Performing Arts Series. Every year, these highly anticipated lectures, performances and presentations bring award-winning authors, journalists, artists and musicians to stimulate curiosity and conversation and bring joy to the Wood River Valley community.
The 2017–2018 Performing Arts Series presents five incredible opportunities to experience nationally and internationally acclaimed musicians. The series includes a return visit from International Guitar Night after a sold-out performance in 2017 with a fresh new line-up of virtuoso musicians led again by the incredible Lulo Reinhardt, an all female Spanish flamenco evening with Las Migas, powerful songwriting and astonishing guitar by Band of Horses front man, Tyler Ramsey, an evening with the innovative Irish folk trio, Socks in the Frying Pan, and bluegrass by renowned Grammy Award winner Mark O’Connor with the O’Connor Band. As part of The Center’s commitment to arts education, every performer in the 2017–2018 Performing Arts Series will be working in local schools as part of The Center’s Professional Artist Residency Program.
The events associated with the 2017–2018 Lecture Series are all connected to The Center’s 2017-2018 BIG IDEA projects. As part of The Unreliable Narrator BIG IDEA project (Sept. 1–Nov. 24, 2017), the community will have the opportunity to hear from bestselling author and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist James B. Stewart about the threat that “fake news” presents to our democracy. As part of This Land is Whose Land? BIG IDEA project (Jan. 26–March 31, 2018), The Center shifts focus to a conversation about refugees and how contemporary artists, city administrators and filmmakers grapple with how to welcome others into our communities, featuring a lecture by Vietnamese American Pulitzer Prize-winning author and Guggenheim Fellow Viet Thanh Nguyen. In the spring, we turn to a celebration of bees and pollinators with a BIG IDEA project titled Bees (April 13–June 22, 2018). This project explores the essential role these tiny creatures play in our lives and features a lecture with Ruth Reichl, bestselling author, food critic and judge of Bravo’s Top Chef Master, that focuses on protecting what we eat.
Tickets for the Lecture Series and the Performing Arts Series will first be made available to members of The Center. On Tuesday, Sept. 5 at 10 a.m., series tickets will be on sale to members only; on Friday, Sept. 15 at 10 a.m., individual tickets will be on sale to members only. On Friday, Sept. 22 at 10 a.m., tickets will be on sale to the general public. For information about Sun Valley Center for the Arts membership, visit sunvalleycenter.org/membership.
2017–2018 LECTURE SERIES
James B. Stewart:
“Truth Matters: How Fake News and False Statements Undermine America”
Thursday, Oct. 19, 2017 (DATE CHANGE: Please note this lecture date has changed from the originally published date of Oct 12)
Church of the Big Wood, Ketchum, 6:30 p.m.
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and bestselling author James B. Stewart combines the skills of an investigative reporter with the style and sensibility of a novelist, examining events in finance, law and politics that shape American society. A former Wall Street Journal reporter and editor and a regular contributor to The New Yorker, Stewart is the author of multiple bestselling books. His latest book, Tangled Webs: How False Statements are Undermining America: From Martha Stewart to Bernie Madoff, analyzes America’s perjury trend, which he suggests is symptomatic of an ethical breakdown compromising the country’s judicial system as well as business, government, academia and medicine. A Harvard educated lawyer, Stewart is the Bloomberg Professor of Business Journalism at the Columbia Journalism School. The San Francisco Examiner described Stewart as “the journalist every journalist would like to be.”
Part of The Center’s BIG IDEA project The Unreliable Narrator.
Ruth Reichl: “Protect What We Eat”
Thursday, Feb. 8, 2018
Church of the Big Wood, Ketchum, 6:30 p.m.
Bestselling author, food critic and judge on Bravo’s Top Chef Masters, Ruth Reichl is one of the most recognizable and beloved culinary voices, guiding people around the kitchen, showing them what to
eat, how to cook and where to satisfy their cravings. Reichl has been the Editor-in-Chief of Gourmet magazine, the restaurant critic of The New York Times and both the restaurant critic and food editor of the Los Angeles Times. Reichl is the author of several bestselling memoirs and cookbooks, including Tender at the Bone: Growing Up at the Table, Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise, and My Kitchen Year: 136 Recipes that Saved My Life, named best cookbook of the year and one of the best books of the year by Amazon. Currently, Reichl is working on her fifth memoir. Her 10-episode PBS show, Gourmet’s Adventures with Ruth, highlighted her trips to the best cooking schools on five continents. Born and raised in New York City’s Greenwich Village, Reichl moved to Berkeley, California, in the early 1970s, where she played an integral role in America’s culinary revolution as chef and co-owner of Swallow restaurant.
Part of The Center’s BIG IDEA project Bees.
Ruth Reichl’s lecture has been generously sponsored by Susan and Ron Greenspan.
Viet Thanh Nguyen: “An Evening with Viet Thanh Nguyen”
Thursday, March 8, 2018
Church of the Big Wood, Ketchum, 6:30 p.m.
Award-winning author Viet Thanh Nguyen continues to gain recognition for his bold, elegant and fiercely honest writing. His remarkable debut novel, The Sympathizer, won the Pulitzer Prize in 2016 and made the finalist list for the 2016 PEN/Faulkner award. His collection of short stories titled “The Refugees” was released in 2017. Nguyen and his family came to the United States as refugees during the Vietnam War. As he grew up in America, he noticed that most movies and books about the war focused on Americans while the Vietnamese were silenced and erased. He was inspired by this lack of representation to write about the war from a Vietnamese perspective. The New York Times says that his novel, “fills a void … giving voice to the previously voiceless while it compels the rest of us to look at the events of 40 years ago in a new light.” His voice is refreshing and powerful as he urges readers to examine the legacy of that tumultuous time and its aftermath from a new perspective. He is currently the Chair of the English Department at the University of Southern California, where he is also an associate professor of English and American Studies and Ethnicity.
Part of The Center’s BIG IDEA project This Land is Whose Land?
Viet Thanh Nguyen’s lecture is presented in partnership with The Community Library and has been generously supported by an anonymous gift and Marcia & Don Liebich.
Student Humanities Club sponsors
Free Student Humanities Club tickets are provided through the generous support of Robin Leavitt and Terry Friedlander for lecture series, performing arts events and Company of Fools staged readings.
2017–2018 PERFORMING ARTS SERIES
Las Migas
Friday, Nov. 3, 2017
Liberty Theatre, Hailey, 7 p.m.
Las Migas is unique among Spanish music groups, a fascinating blend of Flamenco and Mediterranean styles that combines classic and contemporary rhythms and melodies that range from powerful to passionate to playful. The four women of Las Migas come from four different cities that span not only the geography of Spain but also its cultural diversity—Barcelona, Sevilla, Córdoba and Lérida. The two Andalusians are the guitarists: Marta Robles, the veteran, and Alicia Grillo, the most recent addition and youngest musician of the group. The two Catalans are Alba Carmona on vocals (and dance), and Roser Loscos on violin. They all came to the group with one common passion: Flamenco. You can hear it in the rhythms of the guitarists, the dancing violin lines and the raw power of the vocals.
Mark O’Connor with the O’Connor Band
Sunday, Dec. 10, 2017
Sun Valley Opera House, 7 p.m.
Mark O’Connor is a renowned and revered bluegrass, jazz and country violinist and fiddler, a composer and music educator. Backed by his Grammy Award-winning O’Connor Band, Mark O’Connor puts on an engaging, dynamic show showcasing compelling arrangements, virtuosic solos and tight vocal harmonies. The O’Connor Band’s debut album, Coming Home, hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Bluegrass Albums chart in 2016 and won Best Bluegrass Album at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards in 2017. This award was in addition to Mark O’Connor’s other two Grammy wins: one for Best Country Music Performance in 1991 and the other for Best Classical Crossover Album in 2000.
The O’Connor Band is a family band in the bluegrass and country traditions, but one that happens to have one of the greatest instrumentalists of this generation in the lineup. Mark O’Connor, the group’s founder, has played with Stéphane Grappelli, David Grisman, Béla Fleck, Emmylou Harris, Itzhak Perlman, Chet Atkins, Yo-Yo Ma and many more.
Tyler Ramsey
Thursday, Jan. 18, 2018
Sun Valley Opera House, 7 p.m.
Best known as the lead guitar and singer with Band of Horses, Ramsey left the group to focus on his solo career in May 2017. Astonishing on guitar, Ramsey is also a powerful songwriter and will play this solo show at the Opera House in support of a new album, to be released early 2018.
International Guitar Night
Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2018
Sun Valley Opera House, 7 p.m.
International Guitar Night (IGN) is North America’s premier touring guitar festival. Since IGN’s first performances in 1995, audiences have cherished the friendly informal ambiance of their concerts. Each tour, IGN founder Brian Gore invites a new cast of guitar luminaries to join him for special evenings of solos, duets and quartets that highlight the virtuosity and diversity within the world of acoustic guitar. For the 2018 North American tour, Gypsy Jazz legend Lulo Reinhardt (Germany) returns as guest host, along with young Canadian sensation Calum Graham; classical innovator Marek Pasieczny (Poland); and award-winning American guitarist Michael Chapdelaine.
Socks in the Frying Pan
Tuesday, March 6, 2018
Sun Valley Opera House, 7 p.m.
Taking America by storm, the 2014 Irish Music Association “Best New Band” Socks in the Frying Pan has had several very successful tours around the U.S. where they performed at all the major Irish festivals including Milwaukee; Dublin, Ohio; and Kansas City. These County Clare natives have captivated audiences worldwide with their high energy performances, humor, breathtaking musical ability and trademark three-part harmony vocals. Their high energy, masterfully performed live shows demonstrate exactly why Socks in the Frying Pan is fast becoming a household name and why they are one of the most loved and sought after Irish bands in the world today.
Performing Arts Season Sponsors
The 2017–2018 Performing Arts Series is sponsored by Scott Miley Roofing and Wood River Inn & Suites.
*The Center’s Professional Artist Residency Program is supported by Scott Miley and Jane Rosen and, in part, with funds for International Guitar Night and Socks in the Frying Pan provided by the Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF), the Idaho Commission on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts, and all our members, donors and annual Wine Auction participants.
ON-SALE DATES
Tickets for The Center’s Lecture Series and Performing Arts Series will go on sale on the following dates:
SERIES TICKET PRICES
LECTURE SERIES PRICES
EDITORS SERIES:
Includes all three lectures with Premium Seating and an invitation to the Critics Circle Series & Editors Series luncheon in April 2018
$500 ($395 is a tax deductible donation)
LECTURE SERIES:
Includes all three lectures; Regular Seating; available to members only
$94.50 (includes 10 percent member discount)
INDIVIDUAL LECTURE TICKETS:
Regular Seating: $35/$45 nonmember; $15 student/educator
(Educator tickets are limited to one per person)
*Prices listed do not include taxes or applicable ticket fees.
PERFORMING ARTS SERIES PRICES (seating is reserved for all Performing Arts shows)
CRITICS CIRCLE SERIES:
Includes five concerts with Premium Seating and an invitation to the Critics Circle Series & Editors Series luncheon April 2018
$500 ($350 is tax deductible donation)
PREMIUM PERFORMING ARTS SERIES:
Includes five concerts with Premium Seating; available to members only
Adult: $252 / Student: $126 (includes additional 10 percent member discount
REGULAR PERFORMING ARTS SERIES:
Includes five concerts with Regular Seating; available to members only
Adult: $135 / Student: $67.50 (includes additional 10 percent member discount)
INDIVIDUAL PERFORMING ARTS TICKETS:
Pricing varies by show; Premium and Regular Seating available at each performance
Member prices begin at $25 (Regular Seating), $50 (Premium Seating)
Nonmember prices begin at $35 and are an additional $10 above member price
Student (18 & under) prices begin at $12.50 (Regular Seating), $25 (Premium Seating)
(Student price is the same for members and nonmembers)
Individual Ticket pricing details are available at sunvalleycenter.org/concerts
*Prices listed do not include taxes or applicable ticket fees.
Tickets can be purchased online, by calling 208.726.9491, or at The Center box office at 191 Fifth Street East in Ketchum. Members can purchase series tickets through the box office or by a special link that will be sent via email. To learn more about Sun Valley Center for the Arts membership, please visit sunvalleycenter.org or call The Center at 208.726.9491.
The Sun Valley Center for the Arts is thrilled to announce its new BIG IDEA project, The Unreliable Narrator, opening Friday, Sept. 1, with a celebration at The Center’s museum in Ketchum. The event, which is free and open to the public and coincides with Gallery Walk, will begin at 5 p.m. Visitors are invited to enjoy a glass of wine while they view the exhibition.
This BIG IDEA project considers the power of the narrator—a storyteller who shapes our experience of a story by determining the pace at which it unfolds, the order in which we learn about events, what details we’re given and what gets omitted. Sometimes narrators aren’t completely reliable, and their accounts can’t be implicitly trusted. They may lie (either directly or by omission) or perhaps misunderstand and misrepresent the events that occur in a story. An unreliable narrator may ask readers (or listeners, or viewers) to fill in the blanks, to question and to construct their own narrative structure as they read a book, watch a play or film, or view a work of art.
The Center’s exhibition for The Unreliable Narrator features art that invites viewers to question the story they are being told: What parts of the storyline can we believe? What don’t we know? What information do we need to fill in? Each of the exhibition’s six featured artists encourages us to engage with their artwork to complete its story.
Participating Artists include:
“I think we’ve all had the experience of reading a novel or watching a film and realizing we can’t be sure of anything the narrator has told us. That same dynamic can occur with art,” observed Dr. Courtney Gilbert, Curator of Visual Arts at The Center. “And that experience is part of the fun—it gives us a chance to take an active role in deciphering the story and figuring out the relationship between the narrator, the storyline and the audience.” The Center is especially excited about the new work being presented as part of The Unreliable Narrator project. “With generous support from Jennifer Wilson, The Center commissioned Holly Andres to create a body of still-life photographs at The Center, Hailey, the birthplace of Ezra Pound,” explained Gilbert. “The images Holly produced are incredibly evocative and invite all kinds of interpretations of the stories they might tell.”
A series of lectures, workshops, films, and a theatrical reading will complement The Unreliable Narrator visual arts exhibition and encourage community discussion on the topic.
Associated Events include:
The visual arts exhibition for The Unreliable Narrator will be on view through Nov. 14, 2017, at The Center in Ketchum. For more information, please visit www.sunvalleycenter.org or call 208.726.9491.
The Sun Valley Center for the Arts celebrates its 49th Annual Sun Valley Center Arts & Crafts Festival in August, drawing artists, craftspeople and visitors from around the country. This ever-popular community event will once again be held at Atkinson Park in Ketchum, Friday through Sunday, August 11–13.
Admission is free to this three-day outdoor exhibition of 130 artists whose work includes a wide range of unique handmade fine arts and crafts—from painting, photography, fiber and ceramic, to metal, jewelry and woodwork. Exhibiting artists and craftspeople are selected through a rigorous jury process, ensuring truly exceptional work in all categories. According to Art Fair SourceBook, a comprehensive guide to the top-selling art fairs and craft shows around the country, the Sun Valley Center Arts and Crafts Festival is ranked in the top 100 fine art festivals in the nation.
The Festival gives Wood River Valley residents and visitors the opportunity to interact directly with artists and learn what’s new in the world of arts and crafts—and perhaps even purchase some art.
In addition to the arts and crafts exhibition, the Festival includes Free Artist Demonstrations (1–4pm daily), a Free Kids Activity Area and food vendors.
FREE KIDS ACTIVITY AREA
The Kids Activity Area is open 11am–2pm each day. Children under the age of 8 are welcome with an adult who is ready, able and willing to help them create art. Children ages 8–12 may work alone but cannot leave the craft area unattended.
2017 Kids Activity Area Schedule
Friday, Aug 11: Fish Sculptures
Saturday, Aug 12: String Painting
Sunday, Aug 13: Paper Sun Hats
In addition, kids can take part in the Scavenger Hunt which encourages kids to explore the artists and artwork of the festival – located at the Kids Activity Area as well.
Thanks to generous donors and experienced volunteers, the kids’ activities are free of charge.
FREE DAILY ARTIST DEMONSTRATIONS
Artist demonstrations are scheduled daily from 1-4pm. Each day features a different local artist working on a project for the duration of the demonstration. Attendees of the festival are encouraged to drop in and see what they are making, ask questions about their process and check on their progress throughout the afternoon.
2017 Artist Demonstration Schedule
Friday, Aug 11: Sarah Davies, Abstract Painting
Saturday, Aug 12: Wes Walsworth, Furniture Maker
Sunday, Aug 13: Mark Sheehan, Metalwork
There are numerous opportunities to volunteer at the Arts & Crafts Festival. Volunteers are needed for a wide variety of activities: assisting with setup; registering artists; working at the main festival tent; helping with children’s craft projects; and more. For more information and to apply to be a volunteer, visit The Center’s volunteer page at sunvalleycenter.org or contact Kris Olenick, Volunteer Coordinator, at kolenick@sunvalleycenter.org. Student volunteers are also welcome!
The Festival is held in Atkinson Park, adjacent to Hemingway Elementary School in Ketchum. Guests are reminded that per Atkinson Park rules, no dogs are permitted on the Festival grounds. The Center wishes to thank the Ketchum Parks and Recreation District for use of the park over the weekend.
The 2017 Arts & Crafts Festival is sponsored by Ketchum Parks & Recreation.
The Sun Valley Center for the Arts and Company of Fools will move forward with the first play of their 22nd season this summer, Life Sucks by Aaron Posner. In light of the recent passing of Company of Fools Co-Founder and Artistic Director, John Glenn, opening night has been delayed until July 6. With deep consideration of this significant and emotional loss, the company determined that moving forward with the play’s production was exactly what was needed to honor the incredible vision and life of John Glenn. The production will provide an opportunity for the community, The Fools, and The Center to mourn and celebrate through the healing medium of theatre and storytelling. The new production dates for the Life Sucks are July 6 through July 19.
John Glenn was scheduled to direct the play, but Ilana Becker, Associate Artistic Director, has accepted the role as Co-Director, a title that will be shared with Glenn, in recognition of his deep involvement and inspired vision with this particular play.
“As Artistic Director of Company of Fools, John Glenn selected the 22nd season along with Ilana Becker, COF Associate Artistic Director, and was keen on Life Sucks as part of a group of plays that focus on our connection to community,” said Kristin Poole, Artistic Director, Sun Valley Center for the Arts. “John’s unexpected death in early June was a significant loss for the Wood River Valley, The Center and the family that is Company of Fools. We are grateful to Ilana for agreeing to direct the play in John’s vision. As we grieve the loss of our amazing colleague, friend and mentor, we are enormously grateful to the actors, designers, managers, and staff whose courage and commitment to John Glenn, Company of Fools and this valley affirms the essential nature of community.”
The Sun Valley Center for the Arts and Company of Fools remain committed to creating theatre at The Liberty in John’s vision, which is driven by the power of the theatrical experience to connect artist and audience, telling stories that engage, inspire, entertain and transform.
The complete cast of LIFE SUCKS includes Andrew Alburger, Jana Arnold, Chris Carwithen, Cleo Gray, Neysa Lozano, Joel Vilinsky, and founding company member, Denise Simone.
The production will feature scenic design by resident designer Joe Lavigne, lighting design by Mike Inwood, costume design by Maria Gerhardt, props and sound design by resident production manager K.O. Ogilvie, and stage management by Anne Huston.
ABOUT THE PLAY
From the mind of award-winning playwright Aaron Posner comes a celebratory play about the foibles of humanity. In this fiercely playful reworking of Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya, a group of old friends, ex-lovers, and estranged family gather over a weekend to grapple with life’s thorniest questions, each other, and you. What could possibly go wrong? Heartfelt but never sentimental; full of endless amazement and wonder; and always, always tipping toward more love, hope, passion and perseverance, Life Sucks draws you in and doesn’t let go. Never has unhappiness been so much fun.
ABOUT COMPANY OF FOOLS
Since 1996, Company of Fools (COF) has produced high quality plays, musicals, and new work along with substantial arts-in-education programming in Sun Valley, Idaho. A member of Theatre Communications Group, COF has always put an emphasis on the connection between theatre and community, a commitment to excellence in acting and design, and the signature intimacy of its home, the Liberty Theatre. COF has been recognized for its significant contributions to the arts, receiving the Idaho Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts in 2004 and being honored as Arts Advocate of the Year by the Sun Valley/Ketchum and Hailey Chambers of Commerce in 2009. Founding members Denise Simone and John Glenn are both individual recipients of the Idaho Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts — Simone in 2014 and Glenn in 2016. In 2013, COF merged with the Sun Valley Center for the Arts — a multifaceted organization that is an accredited art museum that also presents educational programs, music, dance, and film screenings in venues around the Wood River Valley — to become what is now the largest arts institution in the state of Idaho.
The production of Life Sucks is generously sponsored by Jeri Wolfson.
Company of Fools’ 22nd season sponsors are The Shubert Foundation, Greg Carr, Linda & Bob Edwards, Ken Lewis, Scott Miley Roofing, Priscilla Pittiglio, Linda & Bill Potter, Mary Ann & John Underwood, Anonymous and media sponsor The Weekly Sun
ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT
Aaron Posner is a Helen Hayes and Barrymore Award-winning director and playwright. He is a founder and former Artistic Director of Philadelphia’s Arden Theatre, is an Associate Artist at both the Folger Theatre and Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, and has directed at major regional theatres from coast to coast including the Folger, Seattle Rep, Portland Center Stage, The Alliance, Actor’s Theatre of Louisville, Arizona Theatre Company, Milwaukee Rep, California Shakespeare Theatre, Shakespeare Santa Cruz, Roundhouse Theatre, Studio Theatre, Signature Theatre, Theatre J, American Player’s Theatre and many more. His adaptations include Chaim Potok’s The Chosen and My Name is Asher Lev; Ken Kesey’s Sometimes a Great Notion; Mark Twain’s A Murder, a Mystery, and a Marriage; an adaptation of three Kurt Vonnegut short stories, entitled Who Am I This Time? (& Other Conundrums of Love); and Stupid F*#king Bird, a variation on Chekhov’s The Seagull. Aaron was raised in Eugene, Oregon, graduated from Northwestern University, is an Eisenhower Fellow, and lives near Washington, D.C.
REVISED PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE:
Thursday, July 6……….7PM OPENING NIGHT “Pay What You Feel Night”
Friday, July 7……….8PM
Saturday, July 8……….8PM “Girls Night Out”
Sunday, July 9……….7PM “Backstage Tour/Post-Show Chat Back”
Monday, July 10……….7PM
Wednesday, July 12……….7PM
Thursday, July 13……….7PM
Friday, July 14……….8PM
Saturday, July 15……….8PM
Sunday, July 16……….7PM
Tuesday, July 18……….7PM
Wednesday, July 19……….7PM
BEYOND THE CURTAIN SPECIAL PERFORMANCES:
Learn, explore, and have fun with Company of Fools. Take advantage of these interesting ways to engage with theatre and the current performance on a deeper level:
“Pay What You Feel” Night – Thu, July 6, 7pm
Join us for the first performance of Life Sucks and literally pay whatever you’d like! Tickets go on sale at the Liberty Theatre box office one hour prior to the performance. These seats are general admission. Simply buy your ticket, find a seat and enjoy the show. If you’d prefer to reserve your seats in advance, you may also purchase your tickets at full price for this performance.
“Girls’ Night Out” – Sat, July 8, 8pm
Going to the theatre has gotten even more fun! This performance offers a pre-show happy ½-hour with discounted wine, beer, and bubbly; deals at local partner restaurants; and a chance to win fabulous prizes.
“Backstage Tour/Post-Show Chat Back” – Sun, July 9, 7pm (immediately following the performance)
Enjoy a thought-provoking discussion with the artists of Life Sucks and a behind-the-scenes tour with COF’s resident set designer Joe Lavigne.
“10 for 10″
Ten seats are sold for $10 each, on each night, at the box office starting one hour prior to the performance. Limit two tickets per person.
TICKET INFORMATION
* Ticket prices do not include taxes or processing fees.
These ticket prices do not include the “Pay What You Feel” preview, 10 for $10, and Educator Night. There is also a SPECIAL GROUP RATE — groups of 8 or more receive $35 tickets (a $5 savings, per ticket, if you are not a member of The Center!)
Tickets may be purchased online at sunvalleycenter.org, by phone at 208.578.9122 or at the Liberty Theatre box office starting one hour prior to curtain. Company of Fools’ box office is located at the Liberty Theatre, 110 N. Main Street in Hailey, with hours from 10am to 4pm, Monday through Friday. All seats are reserved, except for the “Pay What You Feel” preview.
It is with profound sadness that the Sun Valley Center for the Arts and Company of Fools announce the death of Company of Fools Co-Founder and Artistic Director, John Glenn, on June 9, 2017. He was 55 years old.
Glenn relocated to Hailey, Idaho in 2000, intent on joining his dear friend and professional colleague Denise Simone to continue building a professional theatre company on Main Street at the historic Liberty Theatre. During Glenn’s tenure at The Fools he oversaw 21 seasons and over 150 productions. John Glenn was exceptionally brilliant and accomplished in all aspects of theatre—acting, directing, designing, and producing. When not on the stage, Glenn mentored, directed and supported the ones in the spotlight, providing guidance through thoughtful decisions, true depth of feeling and a dedication to his craft and community.
In 2016, Glenn received the Idaho’s Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts. One of the highest honors in the state for the arts, it was given in recognition of his lifetime of achievement and impactful contributions to the arts and to the community at large.
Company of Fools has also been recognized numerous times for its significant contributions to the arts and this is in large part due to the commitment, passion and leadership of John Glenn. In 2009, the Company was awarded Arts Advocate of the Year by the Sun Valley/Ketchum and Hailey Chambers of Commerce. In 2004, Company of Fools was honored as a recipient of the Idaho Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts. In December 2000, the Company became the first theatre in Idaho’s history to receive Constituent Theatre status from Theatre Communication Group, the national organization for the professional, nonprofit American theatre.
John’s passing is not only a tragic loss for our organization but also a loss for our entire community. As the family at the Fools and The Center reflects on this loss and a life cut short we can feel the tremendous impact of his life and spirit. John set the tone of the culture and the direction of Company of Fools. John relished every relationship he had. Although he was private, he cared deeply about each and every person who walked through the doors at the Liberty and into his life. He was particularly proud of this upcoming season’s focus on community and the families we build.
He gave selflessly to his work and his efforts made what appeared on stage seem effortless and beautiful, all in service to the love of sharing stories that touched our hearts and minds…with sensitivity, intelligence, kindness and light that will be powerfully missed and impossible to replicate.
The Sun Valley Center for the Arts and Company of Fools remain committed to creating theatre at The Liberty in John’s vision, which is driven by the power of the theatrical experience to connect artist and audience, telling stories that engage, inspire, entertain and transform.
Glenn is survived by his husband, R.L. Rowsey. They were partners for over 24 years and married 2 years ago.
The Center is thrilled to announce their 2017 Summer Concerts featuring Lord Huron and Pink Martini. Lord Huron will kick off the exciting season on Monday, July 17. This indie band, based in Los Angeles, has rocketed to prominence with their beautiful and upbeat songs. While Lord Huron defies categorization, Portland, Oregon’s Pink Martini crosses genres, styles and even languages. With songs in 15 different languages, this little orchestra can transport listeners to a French jazz bar with one tune and then jump into a hilarious song about Eugene, the guy who got your phone number but never called, in the next.
“The Center’s summer concerts have been a Sun Valley institution for over 30 years—and are known for performances that bring our community together and help friends and neighbors fall in love with bands they may not have seen before!” said Kristine Bretall, Performing Arts Director at the Sun Valley Center for the Arts. “We are thrilled to bring Lord Huron to the valley—a band that we’ve been chasing!! And as for Pink Martini, it’s been a full 5 years since they played River Run and they are one of The Center’s most requested return engagements because of the incredible variety and fun that this ‘little orchestra’ brings to every show.”
2017 SUN VALLEY CENTER SUMMER CONCERTSThis indie band of Michiganders has played on stages from South by Southwest to Lollapalooza and Outside Lands in San Francisco. Formed by bandleader Ben Schneider, Lord Huron was “conjured from the depths of Lake Huron during a trip to his family home in northern Michigan in 2010.” Unlike other songwriters, Schneider creates fictional worlds within worlds through his music. His songs are about made-up villains and heroines of the old West—and the band’s videos are mini-Westerns based on the song titles. With over 100 million hits on Spotify on songs from Ends of the Earth, Fool for Love, She Lit a Fire, Time to Run and The Night We Met, Lord Huron will have the Sun Valley Pavilion rocking to their gorgeous, smart, upbeat music.
Ticket Prices:
For Center members tickets in the Pavilion start at $47, $36 on the lawn. Lawn tickets are $16.50 for students 18 & under with I.D. Lawn seats will be released after 75% of the Pavilion seats have sold. Nonmembers add $10 to the price of each ticket.
Title Sponsor Lord Huron concert:
Walker & Dunlop
Summer Concert Series Sponsors:
Bex Wilkinson and The Marshall Frankel Foundation
Sun Valley Resort
Supporting Sponsors:
Goode Motor
KSKI 94.5
Wood River Inn
Now in their 21st year, Pink Martini and bandleader Thomas Lauderdale are Portland, Oregon’s “musical ambassadors to the world,” performing a multilingual repertoire on concert stages from Carnegie Hall to the Hollywood Bowl to Royal Albert Hall, and with more than 50 symphony orchestras throughout Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Australia, New Zealand and the Americas. The band has released nine albums on its own label, Heinz Records. Their most recent release is Dream a Little Dream, a collaboration with The von Trapps. Lauderdale and lead singer China Forbes bring together this small orchestra, crossing classical, jazz and old-fashioned pop and creating evenings that are charming, nostalgic and mesmerizing.
Ticket Prices:
Tickets start at $48.36 for members, $24.60 for students 18 & under with I.D. Nonmembers add $10 to the price of each ticket.
Summer Concert Series Sponsors:
Bex Wilkinson and The Marshall Frankel Foundation
Sun Valley Resort
Supporting Sponsors:
Goode Motor
KSKI 94.5
Wood River Inn
Sun Valley Center for the Arts Membership:
Membership to The Center brings two perks for summer concerts (membership has many more throughout the year, in addition to supporting the year-round educational programming of The Center and Company of Fools): the opportunity to purchase package tickets and to purchase tickets during the members-only pre-sale. Memberships for individuals start at $50, which allows the purchase of two tickets at the member price. Family memberships start at $100, and allow the purchase of up to six tickets at the member price.
Members can buy two concerts and save!
Only Center members may purchase the two concerts at once to save an additional 10% on tickets. You’re guaranteed to get the best seats available.
Series tickets are only available to members and are 10% off individual tickets
* Series prices listed above INCLUDE all taxes and ticketing fees. Package price includes one ticket to Lord Huron and one ticket to Pink Martini.
Dates for ticket sales:
For more information about the 2017 Summer Concert Series, membership information or to purchase tickets, please call us at 208.726.9491.
The Sun Valley Center for the Arts has awarded over $800K in scholarships over the past nineteen years. In 2017 The Center gave 28 scholarships to Wood River Valley residents.
Each year The Center gives scholarships to local students and educators to further their education in the arts and humanities. Comprised of four different scholarships, the program is made possible through funds raised at The Center’s Annual Wine Auction and private donations. Awards are based on artistic merit, application materials and financial need.
“Our annual scholarship presentation is always one of my favorite events of the year,” said Christine Davis-Jeffers, Executive Director at Sun Valley Center for the Arts. “It is incredibly rewarding to see the impact these awards have on the lives of our valley’s students. Every year, we hear from students who have gone on to careers in the arts and humanities that they might not otherwise have had access to because of the programs they were able to participate in with the help of the The Center’s scholarship program. It’s a joy and a priviledge to be able to help launch young artists, writers, dancers, musicians and actors on courses of study as they pursue their passions.”
Kim Aranda received the Ezra Pound Award, a grant made possible through the generosity of Jennifer Wilson and given each year to a Blaine County high school junior for summer study. Aranda will use the funds to study visual arts at the Arts University of Bournemouth in London, England.
Nineteen high school students received Arts and Humanities Scholarships to attend a wide variety of summer programs. Several students will use their awards to pursue music lessons with the Sun Valley Summer Symphony School of Music, while others will travel to programs around the country including The New School Jazz Program, Maine College of Art, SOCAPA Advanced Filmmaking, Carnegie-Mellon School of Drama and the University of Idaho Design Week.
This year’s Gay V. Weake Award, which supports college students majoring in the arts and humanities, was given to Lemuel Reagan. Reagan attends Boise State University and is persuring a theatre major and dance minor. Five former Gay V. Weake recipients had their awards renewed to continue their college studies: Pierson Carlsen (2016), Ashlie Pulleiro (2015), Haylee Pettit (2015), Caleb Garvin (2014) and Chase England (2013).
Additionally, two local educators received funds to pursue professional development in fields including theatre and visual arts.
A reception for recipients and their families was held on Tuesday, April 4th.
A complete list of the 2017 Scholarship Recipients:
Ben Anderson Arika Gourley Bronwyn Reagan
Kim Aranda Jennifer Jordan Lemuel Reagan
Pierson Carlsen Analicia Josie Koeplin Neftali Reigle
Monica Carrillo Casas Jorgen Lawrence Milo Ryason
Elva Chen Annabelle Lewis Amy Schlatter – Educator
Rebecca “M” Clayton Jeff Mecham- Educator Beck Vontver
Chase England Odalis Ocampo Annabel Webster
Emma Flolo Haylee Pettit Anik Zarkos
Joseph Frye Dylan Porth
Caleb Garvin Ashlie Pulleiro
For more information about The Center’s scholarship program or get involved, please visit sunvalleycenter.org/scholarships or call us at 208.726.9491.