FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Tricia Suit Marketing and Communications Manager (513) 684-4526, tsuit@taftmuseum.org
Past, Present and Future: Duncanson Artist-in-Residence Program Celebrates 25 Years Three artists chosen for anniversary: soprano Adrienne Danrich, jazz violinist John Blake Jr., and singer/songwriter Tracy Walker. To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Duncanson Artist-in-Residence program, the Robert S. Duncanson Society of the Taft Museum of Art has selected three artists for this year’s residency: soprano Adrienne Danrich, jazz violinist John Blake Jr., and singer/songwriter Tracy Walker. Each artist will be in residence for approximately one week beginning in October and continuing through November. They will give public performances and engage in educational outreach activities for students and adults. The Duncanson Artist-in-Residence program was established in 1986 to honor the achievements of contemporary artists of African descent working in a variety of disciplines. The program honors the relationship between African American painter Robert S. Duncanson and his patron, Nicholas Longworth, who commissioned Duncanson to paint landscape murals in the foyer of his home, now the Taft Museum of Art. During the residency, the artists will give public performances and engage in educational outreach activities. All three Artists-in-Residence will perform together during a special evening at the Freedom Center. Danrich’s new work, An Evening in the Harlem Renaissance, will be the centerpieces of her residency with the Taft.  An Evening in the Harlem Renaissance, presented in collaboration with the Cincinnati Opera, will be performed at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. For this performance, Danrich has re-written the work to include Blake and Walker, allowing all three to Duncanson artists to appear on stage together. Danrich, a soprano, is a native of St. Louis, Missouri and is an alumna of Eastman School of Music and the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. Since then, she has performed with companies across the country in some of history’s most well known operas. She made her professional debut as Pamina in Mozart’s Die Zaubeflöte with the Kentucky Opera. Danrich has also performed as a soloist at Carnegie Hall. In 2006, Cincinnati Opera commissioned Danrich to write and perform a one-woman show, This Little Light of Mine: The Stories of Marian Anderson and Leontyne Price. She premiered the show at Music Hall the following year. In 2008, she presented an encore performance with Cincinnati Opera and since then has performed the show more than fifty times across the country  WCET Cincinnati will present their own original televised version of the show this fall. In 2010, Indiana University Pennsylvania commissioned a show from Danrich. Blake, the 1997 Duncanson artist-in-residence, returns to Cincinnati in celebration of the residency’s 25th anniversary. For more than four decades John Blake, Jr. has been one of the world’s leading jazz violinists. A four-time winner of the Down Beat Critics’ Poll “Violinist Deserving Wider Recognition” category he was also one of the top two jazz violinists in the 49th, 50th, and 51st Down Beat Readers’ Poll, classically trained. A Philadelphia native, Blake began studying violin at the Settlement Music School. After graduating from West Virginia University he did postgraduate work at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Montreux, Switzerland and received a grant to study East Indian music. In addition to his work as an instrumentalist performing with his quartet and as a featured guest soloist at concerts and on studio sessions, Blake is also an accomplished composer, arranger and producer as well as an author, teacher and lecturer who presents hundreds of workshops annually to musicians at all levels. Walker was named 1997 Best Singer/Songwriter and 2000 Best Folk Artist by Cincinnati Entertainment Awards sponsored by Cincinnati CityBeat, the city’s leading weekly newspaper of arts and issues. She was also awarded two CAMMYs, the Cincinnati Enquirer Pop Music Awards, for Best Solo Act in 1999 and Best Folk/Bluegrass Vocalist in 2001. She was voted Best Local Musician in CityBeat’s Best of Cincinnati readers' poll. Walker has contributed her talent and time to many fund raising efforts and has served as a panelist at music seminars devoted to the business of music and is a songwriting mentor for the Songwriter's Summit for Oneness Retreat produced by Columbus Ohio's CAPA and Los Angeles' Oneness (national organization promoting racial and ethnic diversity and unity through music). She has also worked with youth through The True Body Project, Artworks, BOYAC, and ArtSafe. Tracy Walker has played extensively in the Greater Cincinnati area and has appeared on stages in Iowa City, Tucson, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Indianapolis and other cities across the country. Tracy has developed a well deserved reputation as a fierce performer both as a solo artist and with her band. The 2011 Duncanson artists-in-residence programs are sponsored in part by ArtsWave Presents, a program bringing musicians, dancers, actors and artists from Cincinnati’s arts organizations into local neighborhoods for public performances. In 2011, ArtsWave Presents will support performances by Cincinnati Ballet, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra in community arts and civic centers throughout our region. “ArtsWave knows that a vital arts scene creates thriving neighborhoods where people like to live and visit,” says Heather Hallenberg, vice president of ArtsWave. “ArtsWave Presents offers friends and neighbors a chance to come out and come together for some of our amazing arts events.” The Taft Museum of Art is supported by individuals and organizations throughout the area, who recognize that their donations to ArtsWave help create a livelier community and a place where people from different backgrounds come together to share ideas and experiences. ArtsWave helps create the kind of thriving arts environment that makes the Cincinnati region a better place to live, work, play, and stay. Duncanson artists-in-residence sponsor: Ohio National Financial Services Additional Support: ArtsWave Presents, Docents of the Taft Museum of Art, Scripps-Howard Foundation, Robin and Murray Sinclaire Collaborating Partners: Cincinnati Opera, Allen Temple A.M.E. Church, Elementz: The Hip-Hop Youth Arts Center ArtsWave Partner: Fifth Third Bank Programs and Events ADRIENNE DANRICH IN RECITAL Wednesday, October 5, 7 p.m. Taft Museum of Art Danrich presents a recital of songs inspired by the Robert S. Duncanson murals in the Taft Museum of Art and the paintings of other African American artists. Piano accompaniment by Djordje Nesic. FREE. Reservations required: (513) 684-4528 or www.taftmuseum.org AN EVENING IN THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE Sunday, October 9, 3 p.m. National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, 50 E. Freedom Way, Cincinnati Adrienne Danrich leads a journey through the sights and sounds of the Harlem Renaissance in this performance chronicling one of the most exciting times for African American writers, singers, and composers. She will be joined by fellow Artists-in-Residence John Blake Jr. and Tracy Walker along with singers from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and the School for Creative and Performing Arts. FREE. Tickets required. Phone the Cincinnati Opera box office at (513) 241-2742 after Sept. 5. Presented in collaboration with Cincinnati Opera JAZZ JOURNEY: A WORKSHOP WITH JOHN BLAKE, JR. Wednesday, October 12, 3-4 p.m. Elementz: the Hip Hop Youth Arts Center, 1599 Central Pkwy., Cincinnati John Blake, Jr., one of the country’s leading jazz violinists and one of this year’s three Duncanson Artists-in-Residence, leads this after-school youth workshop on the origins and performance of jazz. Bring a musical instrument or use your hands, feet and voice during this introduction to jazz and its history. No experience necessary. For ages 13–18. Accompanying adults welcome. FREE. Registration recommended: (513) 684-4528, or sign up in person at Elementz. JOHN BLAKE JR. IN CONCERT Thursday, October 13, 7 p.m. Allen Temple A.M.E. Church, 7080 Reading Road, Cincinnati Blake performs jazz standards, spirituals, and original works. He will be joined by a trio of local jazz musicians. FREE. No reservations taken Information: (513) 684-4528 or www.taftmuseum.org Presented in collaboration with Allen Temple African Methodist Episcopal Church AN EVENING WITH TRACY WALKER Saturday, November 12, 7 p.m. Clifton Cultural Arts Center, 3711 Clifton Ave., Cincinnati A regional favorite, Walker has earned a well-deserved reputation as a fierce performer whose music transcends genres. FREE. Reservations recommended. (513) 684-4528 or www.taftmuseum.org FAMILY CONCERT: SING A SONG WITH TRACY WALKER Sunday, November 13, 3–4 p.m. Bring the family to the Taft for this fun, interactive performance by Cincinnati singer/songwriter Tracy Walker, one of this year’s Duncanson Artists-in-Residence. FREE. Reservations required: (513) 684-4528 or www.taftmuseum.org
The Taft Museum of Art is at 316 Pike St., in downtown Cincinnati. The Museum is open Wednesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $8 for adults, $6 for students and seniors and free for children under 18. The museum is free to all on Sundays. Call 513-241-0343 or visit the website at www.taftmuseum.org for additional information. ###### The Taft Museum of Art is supported in part by the generosity of individuals and businesses that give annually to ArtsWave. The Ohio Arts Council helps fund the Museum with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence, and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans. The Taft Museum of Art is accredited by the American Association of Museums and is affiliated with the Association of Midwest Museums and the Ohio Museums Association. Mission Statement The Taft Museum of Art welcomes people of every background to experience a world-renowned collection in a beautiful historic house. Through its intimate presentation of the Tafts' treasures and its engaging exhibitions, programs, and activities, the Museum creates enjoyment and learning opportunities for all. Diversity Statement The Taft Museum of Art respects the dignity of all people and values what each member of our team brings to the organization. Accordingly, the Museum is committed to building an inclusive environment that welcomes and values diversity. This includes our staff, board of directors, volunteers and visitors. As an organization we recognize the importance of attracting and retaining talented people of different backgrounds. We understand how a diverse work team of staff, board of directors and volunteers benefits our organization by enabling us to draw upon a richness of resources. We want all our team members to feel appreciated for their uniqueness, so we work to foster an environment that provides everyone equal access to information and opportunities. This ensures that each person learns, grows, excels and maximizes his or her personal contributions. The Museum will thus be able to tap into a greater wealth of knowledge, perspectives, and experiences to develop and deliver programs and services to an increasingly diverse audience.