The Michigan Daily-Weekend etc.-April 1, 1993-Page,5 End of the Simsar era by Charlotte Garry After 24 years, the Alice Simsar Gallery on North Main Street, known for its commitment to contemporary American art, will be closing. As a tribute to the gallery's long service to the Ann Arbor community, a final exhi- Twenty-Four Years: A Closing Alice Simsar Gallery bition, "1969-1993 Twenty-FourYears: A Closing," has been assembled. The exhibition highlights the wide range of works thathavefrequented the gallery's walls over the years. The artworks comprising the show include many different mediums and styles. From oil-on-canvas pieces to multi-media works, from cubism to pencil sketches, all walks of contempo- rary art are represented. As Alexa Lee, associate director of the gallery, said in an interview, "The exhibition is basi- cally an inventory of all the framed pieces of the gallery. It shows the range of what has been done over the years." Although the exhibition is a little overwhelming due to the quantity of pieces and the number of artists, the variety is refreshing. Where else could you finda10-foot multi-media mobile? Gerome Kamrowski's "Mobile" em- ploys a black metal base to suspend unique wooden winged creatures of wild colors. The various animals, patterned with bright colored paint and marble- like beads, hint at an outrageous and off-beat creativity on the part of the artist. The piece seems a magnified and dramatized depiction of what a crib mobile would look like to a tiny baby peering up atstrangeandunknown float- ing objects. In extreme contrast to Kamrowski's "Mobile," the exhibition also contains thesignificantly smallerpencil sketches of artist Don Wynn. "Interior with Chair," while simple in its subject, is provoking when closely studied. The flowing lead strokes which confront and divulge into each other echo, what seems to be, a free-flowing, careless mindset and style on the part of the artist. The work portrays the curiosity, talent and commitment of the artist and presents an interesting study into. the complexity of shading and line. From Wynn's sketches to Kamrowski's "Mobile," the variety of this exhibition is as unparalleled as the Alice Simsar Gallery itself.Thisgallery is matchless in Ann Arbor, and will be missed by patrons who have been loyal for over two decades. "1969-1993 Twenty-Four Years: A Closing," while prompted by the sale of the building that houses the gallery and the consequen- tial closing, is acelebrationoftheartthe community has been blessed with through Alice Simsar. Her work and commitment will not be forgotten. .'- rit'lwm -e v71%v7~ 1969-1993T WENY-FOUR YhARS: A CLOSING runs through April 29 at the Alice Simar Gallery, 301 N. Main. Call 665-4883. The Men's Glee Club is not only stylish and debonair, but they're also amazing singers. The other side of Men's Glee Club i I I by Melissa Rose Bernardo So we already know that the Men's Glee Club is an amazing choir. But beneath their success, what makes them such a superior choir? Conductor Dr. Jerry Blackstone illuminated the "other side" of the Men's Glee Club (MGC). "I think the Michigan Glee Club * particularly has a strong sense of mis- sion, a strong sense of dedication and camaraderie," Blackstone said. TheAs- sistant Professor of Conducting and Coordinator of the Conducting depart- ment is in his fifth year conducting MGC. He also conducts the University Choir in the School of Music. "There's a uniqueness of an all- male singing group ,- the sound," Blackstone said, "So that's part of the distinctive, what makes it popular." There are, unfortunately, very few all- male choirs in the country. "Another aspect is just how many years it's been around - in 134 years you build up quite an alumni base," Blackstone added. Atone pointinhistory-clearly before basketball - the MGC's fall and spring concerts were the two social events on campus. MGC also has, ac- cording to Blackstone, "a tradition of beingverymuchtiedtowhatisuniquely 'Michigan."' Many of the Michigan songs were actually written for the MGC - most notably "The Hymn," which was composed for the group's 100th anniversary. Blackstone pointed to touring as an agent for building tradition and cama- nraderie inthe group." The group devel- opsareal'espritdecorps' whenthey're away togetherforan extendedperiodof time ... it becomes a bonding sort of experience," he said. For their weekend Wintertour, this pastweekend the group traveled to Smith College in North Hampton, Massachusetts, where they performed two Brahms Orchestral works with Smith'sWomen's Glee Club, in addition to performing their own pieces. MGC also performs five con- certs yearly in cities around Michigan. Beyond the concert aspect, the group also works as a club. "The Glee Club is an exceedingly organized institution," Blackstone pointed out. The officers meet officially with Blackstone once a week. Each January, MGC hosts a"Male Voice Day," in which high school male singers work with Blackstone and the MGC. Add that to contacting alumni, planning tours and organizing scholar- ships. "It's very organized," Blackstone re-emphasized, "To get all of that done 'I think the Michigan Glee Club has a strong sense of mission.' Dr. Jerry Blackstone just takes a lot of work." And then there are the Friars. "The Friars are theirown organization in terms of all of their concerts and tours and so on," Blackstone explained. The Friars are all members of MGC, but choose their members, arrange their music and rehearse as a separate entity from MGC. All work and no play for the MGC? Not a chance. After every Thursday night rehearsal, the guys get together at Pizzeria Uno to "sing, eat, and have good times together," Blackstone said. Blackstone feels thatthe group main- tains a good balance between the musi- cal and the non-musical. "I would guess and hope that most of the guys would say that music is the primary reason that we work so hard together, and that we have to be as terrific as we can be musically. "But then what makes it very special and whatmakes it a unique choral expe- rience is the tradition that has been for so many years," Blackstone concluded. MGC has over 1000 living alumni with whom they keep contact - what Blackstone calls "a remarkable link to the traditions of what's gone on here on campus for so many years." Blackstone considers MGC a family. Blackstone discussed their upcom- ing concert program with great antici- pation. Pieces include aNigerian Christ- mas song, two Verdi opera choruses, folk songs, seashanties, selections from the Friars and (of course) the traditional Michigan songs. Does the MGC ever tire of the Michigan songs? "No," Blackstone responded, "It really does something special in the bonding pro- cess... when we're singing a Michigan song and look out at the audience, you see people for whom those (songs) are very dear. It's not uncommon to see tears in people's eyes ... and I find that very touching," he said. The Men's Glee Club is more than your average choir - it's the music, tradition and camaraderie rolled into one. Yeah, I know it's Final Four week- end. But if you can tear yourself away from the TV, you'll discover that the Men's Glee Club represents Michigan just as much as the Fab Five do-ifnot even more so. THE MEN'S GLEE CLUB will perform April 3 at 8p.m. at Hill Auditorium. Tickets are $10, $8, $5, $3 (students) and are available at the Union or the Hill Auditorium box office. Call 764-8350 or 763-TKTS. 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