The Michigan Daily-Thursday, September 10, 1981-Page 5-F The A By STEVE HOOK .Lfull schedule is planned at the Ark his'; fall; another extensive series of '.4i-music performances can be expec- Bwelcome as this news is for local eidents, it is made even more eJcome by recent history. Despite its iwftenational recognition as one of A erica's strongest folk music "cof- fiuses," and despite its consistent ' ia support, the Ark has continued to liter financially. Last winter, the Fr6rth Annual Ann Arbor Folk :'istival-which has kept the Ark aIent since its inception-lost money., l e setback was critical for the Ark, aceording to manager Dave Siglin, and tcessitated a spring Pete Seeger *iefit at the Michigan Theater, which 4Dlrlout and bought the Ark more time. FOR FIFTEEN YEARS, the Ark has _iwvn folk musicians (or in broader *rips, preferred by Siglin, "live edustic" music) to Ann Arbor on a *e kly basis. Located at 1421 Hill rk lures folk home Street in a large, sky blue house with a white porch and black shutters covering the windows, the Ark is among the nation's few survivors of the busy 1960s folk music coffeehouse circuit. While similar clubs lost support an money-and went out of business in large numbers-during the 1970s, the Ark remained. The building itself is owned by a group of churches in Ann Arbor. Dave and Linda Siglin, who handle the Ark's booking and publicizing, and who over- see the performances, live upstairs in the once private home. For the stan- dard price of $4, local residents are treated to consistently high quality "traditional" music that is available on the circuit Performances take place in the spacious living room of the Ark under carefully arranged stage lighting; the audience rests on floor cushions, or views the performance from seats fur- ther from the artist. Coffee and tea is available for patrons, and the Ark's "famous" popcorn is served during the intermissions. Just like it was in the late '60s when Arlo Guthrie and John Sebastion denounced the Vietnam War in song onstage. ACCORDING TO SIGLIN, attendan- ce has increased by 50 percent in recent years, which he says "indicates we've broadened our base, that people are aware of the Ark and they haven't lost interest in live acoustic music. We're reaching more people." Indeed, more people can be found at Ark concerts, but with such a small scale operation (capacity 208 people), the numbers remain modest. In a university town containing more than 30,000 students and thousands of staff and faculty, as well as a sizable non- academic population, a large majority of local residents clearly do not support the Ark. It relies on a small but remarkably loyal following, which has thus far barely managed to keep the Ark afloat (pardon the pun).. This fall, the Siglins plan to conduct a fund-raising "membership drive," Dave announced last May, just after a committee had been organized to discuss the project. He said several "high powered" meetings were held with "various members of the community," and they discussed the membership drive specifically, and the Ark's future generally. Siglin described the new financial strategy for the Ark, which will be contained in "two thrusts:" the autumn membership drive, and the winter festival. Siglin also said the Ark will be made more "student-oriented" this fall; ef- forts will be made to tap the primarily untapped student population, which has marginally patronized the Ark in recent years. This attempt seems doubly necessary; student unattentiveness to the Ark, more often because of un- familiarity than preference, not only harms the Ark. It harms the students themselves, who miss out on one of Ann Arbor's most valuable resources. a - r Eclipse Jazz beginning 7th Year (Continued from Page 2) field that the classically oriented University Music School continues to ignore. The program now benefits local R musicians with a summer program of free concerts in the parks, im- provisation workshops led by local musicians, end a series of open jam sessions at the university Club. Many of the musicians appearing in concerts hold afternoon workshops, providing an opportunity to learn arranging from Anthony Braxton, chat with Dexter Gordon, or hear global musician Don Cherry reminisce about his travels in Africa. Original works have been commissioned from Max Roach and the late Charles Mingus, and a new class offers training in the care and feeding of concert sound systems. Ultimately, everything Eclipse does provide educational benefits, because everything is done by students. Some people work for Eclipse as a social pass-time and a chance to meet people; some have no interest in jazz but need outlets for skills as varied as graphic design and bookkeeping. Some have a real dedication to jazz and have gone on to run concert productions all over the country. Many people are involved, handling newspaper and radio publicity, ticket sales, concert security, stage and sound system management, bookkeeping, writing for the newsletter and press releases, taking care of the musicians, or just sticking up a few posters. New plans for the future abound, in- cluding a series of concerts at the University Club in a nightclub context with performances by contemporary classical musicians like Philip Glass. Funds are a little tight with federal aid drying up in the Age of Reagan, but Eclipse has operated in the black for its last two seasons and still enjoys the support of the University, so the future looks very bright. Eclipse welcomes volunteers to come down to the office and get involved in the action. Daily photo Folk artist David Bromberg is as faithful to the Ark as local fans of acoustic music. I Lots to see in galleries (Continued from Page 3) carry some original lithographics by artists like Chegall and Avery. Middle Earth Craftspeople from all over the United States are represented at Middle Earth, located at 1209 S. University. Local jewelrist Pat Garrett has shown her work here, but the shop carries mostly items of hand-blown glass, functional ceramics, wooden objects,: and one-of- '-kind pieces. Middle Earth tends to lork outside the area for artists' works. Ii'carries "folks art" and carvings and 1W ti les from around the world, ecia'lly from Asia. sixteen hands Eight local artists (hence, sixteen hands) own, operate, and produce art works. for sale at this shop at 119 W. Washington. After paying bills, the profits from the sale of art pieces are divided up by the eight members. They all work in leather, as well as the con- struction of wood furniture, pottery, jewelry, and paper cut-outs. But these aren't the only places in Ann Arbor to look for art. Posters and some original graphics by Mark Chegall, Peter Max, Jamie Wyeth, and others can be found in Borders Bookstore at 21,1 S. State, Contem- porary Graphics at 321 S. Main, and Frames unlimited at 251 N. Maple. Works in glass are featured at Classical Glass, located at 249 E. Liberty. And for posters, framed pictures, Mexican pot- tery, leather items, and custom framing, Graphic Art Wholesalers at 224 S. Main is a place to look into. And for any "undiscovered talents," if browsing is not enough, check out the University Artists and Craftsmen Guild. It is a non-profit organization composed of students and local artists committed to the promotion, develop- ment and cultivation of contemporary arts and crafts. The Guild sponsors classes in photography, drawing, stain glass design, calligraphy, quilting, and art appreciation, all for novice as well as intermediate. In addition, it sponsors a multitude of exhibits, fairs, and festivals throughout the year. With programs geared toward non-art majors, the Guild publishes a monthly newsletter and maintains resource files for current arts information and con- cerns. A small library on local, state, and national arts organizations is a good resource for the beginner. A R TWORL DS offers workshops in. ART DANCE PHOTOGRAPHY Term begins Sept.14 Register Early For information, call 994-840U 213 S. Main, Ann Arbor, Mi -Maw&.- oel { Ii, 'A x - If Comedy explosion hits campus (Continued from Page 4) -tkusical interludes at the Michigan I'nion Ballroom. ... ,Funnyites like veteran Steve Kurtz, the director/writer/actor/composer for ,several shows, flinch at the term "collegiate," aiming for a more "varied" sort of entertainment. ~ The Funnies stress professionalism and_ popular appeal in their shows. "We want to expand, make this a con- tinuing institution," states John Wasylysyn, another writer/ producer/actor. An already established institution at the University is the Gargoyle, a humor periodical first published in 1906. As social climates and staffs shifted over 4he years, the magazine suffered a - rgcky career. ,Gil Borman, a recent University graduate, discovered the Gargoyle during one of its dormant states in the spring of 1979. "I WAS VERY EXCITED," Bor- man recalls. "I received cosmic ,messages from my predecessors. In the 0.69s and 60s, the Gargoyle used to be amazing-there were little glimmers of genius there, when the institution was rt its strongest. They did theme magazines-parodies of Time, ,Reader's Digest, even one of the . Monopoly game, called Michopoly. Very rebellious, just like National Lampoon used to be. Now it's on its feet again, and becoming known." Gargoyle has an open submissions policy, gather than a regular writing staff. Borman calls some of what is printed "down-to-earth" (read: sophomoric) humor about bodily ex-r cretions and sexual habits. But other material, such as a scholarly critique of a Cliff Note ver- sion of A Farewell to Arms, show more sophistication and wit. Last year, the Gargoyle staff put out three well- received issues, and plans to do the same this year. Last year, ex-Gargoyle staffers John Scheafer and Joseph Backer founded Michigas, a monthly magazine with a format somewhat similar to Gargoyle's. Michigas, like its brother periodical, features mostly humorous material. But its emphasis is on eye- catching artwork and literary content: poetry, short. stories, drama, and reviews, some of them serious. Also, unlike Gargoyle, Michigas is distributed free of charge. m 0 -r 1ir08e 0 0 0. QUALITYC For Your Special Birthday Person 6 * QSend A a Personalized Quality K BIRTHDAY CAKE 347 S. Main , 663-2w ) . - Q4 c 0 0 361 *I ------ mm I ARE YOU... -twiddling your thumbs, feeling restless -bored with the routine of your evenings ARE YOU... -intrigued by the arts & meeting artists -interested in an art or craft class ARE YOU... -a Uof M student creating original work -seeking out a good market for your work ARE YOU... Students have nee ds.. And life can be empty if they go unfilled. Ulrich's can help. We have art prints and frames to decorate your room, lamps to light it, Michigan souvenirs for fun, gifts, pens, calculators, and other supplies. And, of course, books. 4 We can help you make a home away from home.