Artist Jana Hanka
When Kalamazoo-based artist Jana Hanka was 24 years old, living in her native Czechoslovakia, she was thrown from a horse, and spent several hours in a coma. She says when she came to she felt she had been transformed. An exhibit of her work, titled “Clay and Copper” is on display at the Oakland Drive Water Street Coffee Joint. It focuses on horses as a symbol of transformation and freedom.
One of the larger wall pieces is called “Herd.” It features a series of horse heads, all facing to the viewer’s left. Jana says it has a sense of movement and, she hopes, a look of mystery.
A series of smaller works, made of copper and clay, was created with help Jana got from her husband, artist Ladislav Hanka. He found a way to transfer her woodcuts onto copper. One piece shows the horse heads nestled together, exhibiting a type of equine communication.
Another piece is called “Cave Painting.” Jana says the ancient look resulted when she used iron oxide to paint on tiles made of clay and sawdust.
“Clay and Copper” will be on display at the Water Street Coffee Joint on Oakland Drive in Kalamazoo through July.
Waterfront Film Festival
Among the documentaries being screened at this year’s Waterfront Film Festival in Saugatuck is the story of the competition to win “Miss Wheelchair America
The filmmakers chose five women from around the country and followed them leading up to the national pageant. Amber Marcy, Miss Wheel Chair Michigan 2009 was among them. Marcy, who is from Saugatuck, says she wanted to be open with the film makers about her struggles as a quadriplegic. But, she says, she’s a bit nervous about having her life shown on screen in her own hometown.
“Defining Beauty” (Alexis Ostrander - Director/Producer, Manuela Ikenze - Executive Producer, Molly Kasch - Producer, Meagan Keane - Producer) will be shown June 10 at 9:00 a.m. at the Saugatuck Center for the Arts and June 11 at 2 p.m. at the Saugatuck Brewing Company.
The Waterfront Film Festival also features several short films. One shot in West Michigan will be part of the comedy shorts program. “Bullies on Vacation” (Directed by David Gummersall, Produced by Michael Zago) was shot in Bay Harbor, Grand Rapids and East Grand Rapids last year. Producer Michael Zago says the plot revolves around a writer named David Sandstedt who is on summer vacation when he runs into his childhood nemesis.
The idea for the film’s plot comes from a song of the same name by the band the Verve Pipe. The band’s lead singer Brian Vander Ark wrote the film’s screenplay and stars as Steve Vanderlaan, the childhood tormenter of Sandstedt.
“Bullies on Vacation” will be part of the Waterfront Film Festival’s comedy shorts program. Screenings are at 11:30 a.m.on June 10 and at 2:00 p.m. on June 11 at Saugatuck High School.
Other Events
The film “Of Gods And Men” is being screened by the Kalamazoo Film Society June 10-12 at the Little Theatre at Oakland and Oliver on the WMU campus in Kalamazoo.
A live animal program about raptors begins June 12 at 2:00 p.m. at the Kalamazoo Nature Center. Participants will see birds of prey up close and learn about their hunting and survival skills.
The Michigan Nightingales perform a free concert at the Rotary Stage in Kalamazoo’s Bronson Park June 12 at 4 p.m.. This event is part of the “Concerts in the Park” series put on by the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo.
The MSU Extension of Kalamazoo County will offer a seminar on canning and home food preservation on July 13th at the Health and Community Services Building on Gull Road. The registration deadline is July 6th.
The Kalamazoo Institute of Arts is hosting an artistic getaway to Saugatuck and Douglas on June 17. Known as the “Art Coast of Michigan” the area is home to over 25 galleries.