Dennos Museum Center welcomes new exhibitions and world music in March

There are several new exhibits in place at the Dennos Art Museum, which is located at 1701 E. Front St. in Traverse City. For a more indepth look at the museum, please visit the Dennos website.

Modern Twist: Contemporary Japanese Bamboo Art, February 22 – June 2

Modern Twist explores the innovative shape that bamboo art has taken since the mid-twentieth century, highlighting the creativity of 17 contemporary artists through a stunning collection of 37 works. These artists have challenged previous aesthetic conventions of bamboo art by experimenting with nonfunctional, sculptural forms, and have pushed their medium to new levels of concept and technique.

The pieces in the exhibition range from the mid-1960s to 2010, with most made during the last ten years. All but one of the artists still actively design and create new artworks, and many of the pieces have never been seen before in the United States.  

Bamboo art is a unique Japanese phenomenon. As early as the eighth and ninth centuries, bamboo objects were used in Buddhist rituals, tea ceremonies, and ikebana (Japanese flower arranging), and became important features of these traditions. Bamboo art has been less widely recognized than other Japanese decorative arts such as ceramics and lacquer, but is a highly demanding medium that requires years of study under the tutelage of a bamboo master. Modern Twist brings the creativity, innovation, and expertise of these artists to the forefront of the international art world. The exhibition is curated by Andreas Marks of the Clark Center for Japanese Art and Culture in California.

Rufus Snoddy: The Wings of Icarus, March 10 – June 2

Rufus Snoddy is an artist of national stature living and working in the Grand Traverse region. "Painting as object" is the description of the innovative approach Snoddy applies to his works. He calls them "construction paintings," made from natural materials, found and fabricated objects to realize his work.

Mythology is one area of subject matter for his work. His exhibition at the Dennos features a major installation based on the story of Icarus.

Larry Cressman : Line Work, March 10 – June 2

Larry Cressman is a professor of art at the University of Michigan's Residential College. For Cressman line continues to be the focus and driving force of his work. His exhibition at the Dennos will explore line on and off the wall with his "installation drawings" that incorporate cane, twigs, paper, graphite, wire, and other materials--much of it floating away from the gallery wall, or as 3-D constructions that hang from the ceiling floating within the gallery space.  

Cimarron, Sunday, March 17, 7 p.m.

Winner of the iTunes Rewind 2011 Traditional World Album of the Year award, Smithsonian Folkways recording artist Cimarrón is the most accomplished llanera group in Colombia, South America. They play festive dance music called jorpo, a fierce display of melodies played on harp, bandola and cuatro. Performing around the world for more than twenty years, they are immersed in the sounds of "los llanos" (the plains); and they seek to experiment with their rich heritage while retaining the essence of the tradition.

Tickets are $25 in advance, $28 at the door, and $22 for members. Purchase tickets online or by calling our box office at (231) 995-1553 or 1-800-836-0717