summer

A Look Back into the Archives: Downtown@Dusk

By: Alexandra Lynch, Kent State University Practicum Student

It’s hard to believe that the Akron Art Museum’s Downtown @ Dusk has just started its 30th season! This season kicked off on Thursday, June 19 with American, Pop artist Anne E. Dechant with Director Mark Masuoka as MC. This year’s Downtown @ Dusk has a diverse line up, ranging from Indie Folk Groove to Old School R&B, and will be taking place Thursdays throughout the summer.

Downtown @ Dusk Concert Lineup:

June 26 15 60 75 The Numbers Band, Abstract Blues

July 3 The Wanda Hunt Band, Old School R&B

July 10 The Speedbumps, Indie Folk Groove

July 17 Zach, Singer Songwriter

July 24 Horns and Things, Jazz

July 31 JD Eicher & The Goodnights, Pop & Light Rock

August 7 Blu Monsoon, Jazz

“We’re free Thursday nights if you are.” Just like in the 1990s, the museum has brought back its Free Thursday! Stop by the museum early to explore the galleries and grab a cold one before the entertainment begins!

Downtown @ Dusk Advertisement, summer 1990

Last Downtown@Dusk of the Summer ft. Zydeco Kings

Thursday, August 9
6:30 – 9:30 pm

Come see the Zydeco Kings perform live at the Akron Art Museum on Thursday from 6:30 – 8:30 pm as part of the museum’s popular Downtown@Dusk concert series. Also enjoy a lecture from Collection Manager Arnold Tunstall, ArtCamp@Dusk for the kids, hot dogs and a cold beer from Elevator Brewing for adults. This is the LAST Downtown@Dusk of the season and is also a great chance to purchase work from local artists.

The Zydeco Kings have been celebrating the music of Louisiana for more than twelve years. The band consists of five members playing variety of instruments to create an old school rhythm and blues sound. Popular instruments like the guitar, drums, piano and bass are used, but different instruments such as rubboard and accordion are incorporated. This creates a unique sound that makes the band stand out. The Zydeco Kings play all over Northeast Ohio and on local news stations.

In honor of 90 years as a museum, Tunstall will breeze through artwork from the collection representing each of those years from 1922 to now. Not a historical highlight of familiar works, but a whirlwind tour through art historical movements and regional interests represented chronologically by our museum’s objects.

The Museum Store at the Akron Art Museum is happy to host regional artists Bili Kribbs, Morgan Mzik and Todd Jakubsin who will be selling their paintings, prints and sculptures onsite during ArtSale@Dusk. Sorry members, but member discounts are not applicable on consignment items.

Bili Kribbs resides is Massillon and thinks that imagination is important for the human psyche. Escape from reality, day dreaming, fantasy… all these things help us hold on to our youthfulness and are why Kribbs makes art.

Morgan Mzik’s motivation for her artwork comes from a desire to understand the self and fully appreciate the world around her.

Todd Jakubisin has a passion for telling stories both verbally and visually highlighted with considerable emotion. Jakubisin prefers to take his time in portraying sweeping complexities with simple strokes while using shadows both figuratively and literally to stimulate the viewers’ imagination.

Concert goers may also visit the museum galleries to view Gravity and Grace: Monumental Works by El Anatsui, Robert Stivers: Veiled Image and The Anniversary Show: Commemorative Art Through the Years during the evening. Gallery admission is required. For detailed information on this and other museum events, visit the calendar of events at www.AkronArtMuseum.org/calendar.

Downtown@Dusk 2012 is made possible by The City of Akron. It is presented in cooperation with 89.7 WKSU.

ArtTalks@Dusk are made possible by a gift from the Sam & Kathy Salem Philanthropic Fund of the Jewish Community Board of Akron.

ArtCamp@Dusk is made possible by a gift from the Harris-Stanton Gallery.

Downtown@Dusk ft. Robin Stone

Thursday, July 19
6:30 – 8:30 pm

Come see Robin Stone perform live at the Akron Art Museum Thursday from 6:30 – 8:30 pm as part of the museum’s popular Downtown@Dusk concert series. Also enjoy a lecture from Kent State University art history professor Fred Smith, ArtCamp@Dusk for the kids, hot dogs and a cold beer from Elevator Brewing for adults.

The Cleveland native voted “Best Vocalist” at the Free Times Music Awards in 2009 almost wasn’t. After being diagnosed with a tumor on her vocal cord in 2008 and a rare auto immune disease in early 2009, Stone battled back to not only release a new record and a live album but start her own record label, She Loves You Records. The acclaimed singer’s soulful lyrics are drawn from her personal hardships and over 10 years of experience performing. For more information on Robin Stone or She Loves You Records, visit her website at www.shelovesyourecords.com/.

Professor Fred Smith will focus on the development of El Anatsui’s work in terms of influences and issues, connecting some elements of tradition-based art and the work of other contemporary artists and movements that impacted the artist.

Bring the kids down for the first ArtCamp@Dusk! Children7-12 years old will explore fun and wacky hands-on art making in the museum classroom. Registration is required for members and nonmembers. Sign-up today at http://akronartmuseum.ticketleap.com/artcampdusk/#view=calendar.

Concert goers may also visit the museum galleries to view Gravity and Grace: Monumental Works by El Anatsui for free as part of the museum’s Third Thursday program. Enjoy free admission to collection and exhibition galleries on the third Thursday of each month. Galleries are open 11 am – 9 pm every Thursday. For detailed information on this and other museum events, visit the calendar of events at www.AkronArtMuseum.org/calendar.

Downtown@Dusk 2012 is made possible by The City of Akron. It is presented in cooperation with 89.7 WKSU.

ArtTalks@Dusk are made possible by a gift from the Sam & Kathy Salem Philanthropic Fund of the Jewish Community Board of Akron.

ArtCamp@Dusk is made possible by a gift from the Harris-Stanton Gallery.

Third Thursdays are made possible by a generous gift from the Goodyear Rubber & Tire Company.

Downtown@Dusk ft. Anne E. DeChant

Thursday, June 28
6:30 – 8:30 pm

Come see American/Pop/Country singer Anne E. DeChant perform live at the Akron Art Museum Thursday from 6:30 – 8:30 pm as part of the museum’s popular Downtown@Dusk concert series. Also enjoy a lecture from Christy Gray of ZeroLandfill, ArtCamp@Dusk for the kids and a cold beer from Elevator Brewing for adults.

Since the 1990’s Anne E. DeChant has been writing songs about the feelings of having a broken heart and social injustice. DeChant is a 5-time winner of Cleveland’s Best Singer Songwriter award (Cleveland’s Scene Magazine), and 2007 inductee into The Cleveland Free Times Magazine’s All Star Musician Category. She has performed at Lilith Fair, The White House, opened for Nora Jones, Stevie Nicks, Joan Jett, Train, Vonda Shepard, 10,000 Maniacs and Guster, among others. As a storyteller, she creates characters as diverse as the landscapes in which she perfoms.

ZeroLandfill is an award winning upcycling program held seasonally that supports the supply needs of local artists and arts educators while reducing pressure on local landfill capacity. Since 2006, the ZeroLandfill project team has partnered with the architectural and interior design community in identifying, diverting from local landfills and re-purposing back into the community over 500,000 pounds of expired specification samples that hold value for other audiences.

Concert goers may also visit the museum galleries to view Gravity and Grace: Monumental Works by El Anatsui and String of Hearts: Photographs by Bea Nettles during the evening. Gallery admission is required. For detailed information on this and other museum events, visit the calendar of events at www.AkronArtMuseum.org/calendar.

Downtown@Dusk 2012 is made possible by The City of Akron. It is presented in cooperation with 89.7 WKSU.

ArtTalks@Dusk are made possible by a gift from the Sam & Kathy Salem Philanthropic Fund of the Jewish Community Board of Akron.

ArtCamp@Dusk is made possible by a gift from the Harris-Stanton Gallery.

First Downtown@Dusk of the Summer ft. The Wanda Hunt Band

Thursday, June 21
6:30 – 8:30 pm

Kick off the summer with the soulful sounds of The Wanda Hunt Band, a talk from Akron Art Museum Director & CEO Mitchell Kahan, an ArtCamp@Dusk preview for the kids and a cold beer from Elevator Brewery and Draught Haus.

A fan favorite of past Downtown@Dusk series, The Wanda Hunt Band has been known throughout Northeast Ohio for a great live performance of old school R&B and blues. Wanda Hunt’s terrific vocals lead the band, consisting of solid rhythm and horn sections, in classic songs, distinctive renditions of recent songs and original compositions.

In celebration of the 90th anniversary Director & CEO Mitchell Kahan will talk about the museum’s past, present and future.

Bring the kids down for a preview of the new ArtCamps@Dusk program! Children7-12 years old will explore fun and wacky hands-on art making in the museum classroom. Registration is not required for the camp preview, but is required for subsequent sessions. Sign-up today at http://akronartmuseum.ticketleap.com/artcampdusk/#view=calendar.

Downtown@Dusk 2012 is made possible by The City of Akron. It is presented in cooperation with 89.7 WKSU.

ArtTalks@Dusk are made possible by a gift from the Sam & Kathy Salem Philanthropic Fund of the Jewish Community Board of Akron.

ArtCamps@Dusk are made possible by a gift from the Harris-Stanton Gallery.