(gentle music) (upbeat music) - [Lara] The Bard is back at Shakespeare and Company.

Julie Torres and Ellen Letcher discuss experiments and curation at LABspace.

And catch a performance from Peter Annello.

It's all ahead on this episode of "AHA!

A House for Arts".

- [Narrator] Funding for "AHA!"

has been provided by your contribution and by contributions to the WMHT venture fund.

Contributors include the Leo Cox Beach Philanthropic Foundation, Chet and Karen Opalka, Robert and Doris Fischer Malesardi, the Alexander and Marjorie Hover Foundation and the Robison Family Foundation.

- At M&T Bank, we understand that the vitality of our communities is crucial to our continued success.

That's why we take an active role in our community.

M&T bank is pleased to support WMHT programming that highlights the arts, and we invite you to do the same.

(upbeat music) - Hi, I'm Lara Ayad and this is "AHA!

A House for Arts", a place for all things creative.

Let's send it right over to Matt Rogowicz for today's field segment.

(upbeat trumpet music) - The place, the thing here at Shakespeare and Company, I'm here to speak with artistic director, Alan Burrows to learn more about what's happening on stage.

(tense music) - Last spring 2020, we realized that we had to pull up the drawbridge on the season and that meant taking everything off the dock.

Everyone went on furlough for the summer of 2020.

"King Lear" was lined up as our main stage show with Christopher Lloyd.

He then signed on for 2021, and that meant that we had kind of an anchor show that we could build 2021 around.

People really came to our aid and said, "We want live theater back and we want you to do it."

- Which of you shall we say doth love us most?

- "King Lear" is a mammoth play, as you know, King Lear basically gives away his kingdom and then asks which of his daughters loves him the most.

And when he finds out that his favorite daughter refuses to answer the question.

- Nothing, my Lord.

- Nothing?!

- Well, then he kind of takes great umbrage at that.

- So young and so untender.

- And very slowly and continually goes off the rails and descends into very articulate madness.

- That she may feel how sharper than a serpent's tooth it is.

To have a thankless child.

Away!

Away!

- And I play the fool to Christopher Lloyd's Lear, and that's been a great ride and we have a great assembly of actors out there really throwing themselves at this.

(upbeat music) I also took the opportunity to build this brand new 550 seat outdoor amphitheater, because I felt that people would be more comfortable assembling out of doors.

And indeed, that turned out to be true.

So, we've had "King Lear" on this stage, the new spruce theater all summer.

We do it in the afternoon, goes into the evening.

People can enjoy the sunset while the poetry kind of flows over them.

It's been a great long run and we're looking forward to more.

Well, the education programs are really one of the lifebloods of the organization.

It means that kids in the community get exposed to not only to this beautiful poetry, but how to interact on that level with other kids.

But also it gives them the confidence to stand up in front of a group of people and speak to something that both is important to them and globally as well.

- When I'm on stage, it's one of the places where I feel I can be completely myself.

I feel like I'm not judged, that I'm free to live fully and not feel like I have to restrict myself the way I do sometimes as a woman or as living in a predominantly white environment.

So, I just feel so much more free when on the stage.

For the world at large, for all of humanity, it is a way for us to, I guess remember why we're here.

I think that one of the main reasons we are here in this world is just to help each other.

art reminds us of that because it shows us, in all of our glory as well as in all of our weaknesses, it allows us to see each other more fully.

- You can define how you look at current events through Shakespeare's poetry and acting is really how you enliven that poetry.

We could have come out of this pandemic and people could have been kind of ho-hum.

"Oh, we didn't really miss you that much while you were away."

The opposite has been true.

So, we hope people will continue to come out for the rest of the summer because it's a great way to spend those afternoons.

We also have a lot of online programming coming up.

We have productions coming into the fall with Debbie Tucker Green's "Hang" and then the absurd comedy, "The Chairs" by Eugene Ionesco.

Reggie Life is directing "Hang" and James Warrick is directing "The Chairs".

So, we have a lot of programming still to come for the rest of the season.

- Originally founded by Susan Jennings in 2014, LABspace is now the long-term curatorial project of artists, Julie Torres and Ellen Letcher.

The Hillsdale New York gallery is dedicated to experiments and curation exhibiting category-busting and culturally relevant work by contemporary artists.

What kinds of events can we expect to see at LABspace?

I spoke with Julie and Ellen to find out.

Welcome to "A House for Arts", it's such a pleasure having the both of you.

- Thank you so much for having us.

- Yeah, thank you.

- So, you have done amazing work, both as artists and as curators.

I know you've worked as a professional team for about a decade now, but I know your art has been featured in The Wall Street Journal on separate occasions.

I want to get to your origin story a little more in depth in just a moment, but first tell us what LABspace is.

- Do you want me to take this?

- Sure.

- LABspace is an artist-run art space in Hillsdale, New York.

Sort of in the middle of nowhere, but halfway between Great Barrington, Massachusetts and Hudson, New York, where we live.

And it was founded by artist Susan Jennings in 2014, actually in her backyard in Great Barrington.

- So, you've been running it now for about three years.

- Exactly, since 2018.

And she calls it more than an art gallery.

- Yeah, so, I've noticed that before.

What does that mean exactly?

What sets LABspace apart from your typical art gallery?

- Well, I think because it's artist-run, we're more about connecting people and getting people to show up and come and meet each other and spend time there and grow different communities and I don't know, you want to?

- More than a commercial space, would invested in having...

Most of our followers are artists, and so, the shows are primarily focused as the artist as the viewer, rather than the big collectors.

We've been having that too, which is wonderful.

We've had some success there as well, building our collector base, but connecting and expanding the community is something that we specialize in and something that S.J.

specialized in when she founded the space.

- I actually wanted to then bring us now, more into the present, because I know you just recently opened your "Kurt & Courtney" show at LABspace.

And from what I understand, it's a set of photographs that come from this 1992 photo shoot by the GUZMAN photographer team.

But they were photographing Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love who were famous musicians from the '90s, even if you're not gen X, you know who they are.

And I've seen images of these works, and they're just incredible.

What do you think is so special about this show and what do you think visitors are looking for when they go to see it?

- I think we have lots of different visitors for lots of different things.

I mean, we have a huge Instagram following now of Kurt and Courtney fans which was kind of unexpected.

Yeah, that's a whole separate thing that we didn't foresee.

People writing to us from literally all over the world, begging for more images, which is kind of fun.

And then a lot of those people who are in the States are driving from all over the country to see the show.

And then there are the local artists and art lovers.

- And skeptics.

- And skeptics.

- That are like, "What is this?"

- Yeah, so, tell us a bit about the people who love the work and the skeptics, and maybe tell us too, what do these pieces look like in person, right?

Because it's not just a digital reproduction of the photographs, they are physical objects that you go and see.

- Yeah, GUZMAN is really amazing.

GUZMAN is Connie Hanson and Russell Peacock.

And they're a team, a couple who work together.

They've worked together for over 30 years and they're artists.

They do art photography and lots of different types of photography.

But in the '90s, they were really popular to go on these commercial shoots.

They were hired by Spin Magazine to do the shoot in '92.

But the thing that's interesting about these photos, number one, they're mostly outtakes.

So, mostly photos that nobody has ever seen before from their archives, and number two, they are still art photography.

They're printed on Japanese rice paper, mostly.

There's a mix of Polaroids and then some older silver prints.

- So, I can imagine that they have this kind of raw, sort of matte quality to them, not like the glossy sort of black and white that you typically envision when you think of celebrity shoots.

- Exactly.

So, it's quite different than what people generally expect.

So, they show up and they're sort of surprised to see how the images are printed and the artfulness and some are collages.

And then we also have photos spanning their entire career of 37 years.

So... - Which just scratched the surface of things they've done.

So, you really get an overview of them as this photo art duo.

- Right, right.

- Yeah.

- It sounds like what the GUZMAN team is doing or was doing also in the '90s was kind of blurring the boundaries between what is considered formerly art, what's considered photography, what is pop culture and what's kind of fine art or high art culture.

I've also seen images of your work as artists.

And I've been struck by this mix of acrylic and found notebooks or gouache and envelopes.

Tell us a little bit about how your art also breaks down some of these barriers between different categories of art or different categories of creative making.

- You should talk about your work.

- Well, we both like to use unexpected materials, definitely.

So, that's kind of a fun place we like to dabble in and to experiment in, definitely.

- I'll pour paint on anything.

- Will you pour paint on me?

- If you wanted me to.

When I first met Ellen and saw her work, you were mostly doing collage of magazine pages and her work has changed since then.

But I think it's kind of interesting because she was coming from a publishing world and it's sort of along the lines of how GUZMAN are taking photography, but turning it into sort of a more tactile art form.

And we're actually installing our work together, coming up very soon.

- And this is at LABspace?

- No, we never show our own work at LABspace.

But we have a duo show.

Well, it's actually a three-person show with Susan Carr coming up at Cedar Crest College in Allentown at the end of October.

- Amazing.

Amazing.

So, I'm sure viewers will look forward to seeing that and also that you leave your space open to other artists to exhibit their work at LABspace, which is really great.

I mean, that is the definition of community, right?

Is allowing other people the space to express themselves.

- I do want to say, the art...

I don't want it to make it sound like it's sort of like a community, crunchy granola kind of space.

The artwork comes first.

We focus really heavily on emerging and mid-career artists in the area and in the Hudson Valley and Columbia County, Capital Region.

Berkshire's, there's just so many.

- So, really local, very much regional.

Why is it important to support early career and mid-career artists, and on top of that, ones who are coming from the region or the area.

- You have to be part of the environment you're in.

So, I would say that maybe 80% of the artists that we show are in the area, but we don't want it to be insular.

So, we also like to bring artists from other areas, but not just the city, we're not just trucking artists from the city.

'Cause that's also something that we have a little bit of a pet peeve about.

- Why is that, why is it such issue to just kind of truck in artists from the city?

- Well, I think that it's very easy to show tried and true artists who already have built a career and are showing in the city, but there's so much art all around us, I mean... - There's so many great artists just right in Hillsdale, it's crazy.

- I know, in Hillsdale!

- It's fun to just mix all those people up together and then see what happens.

- And you expand communities that way rather than keep things insular also.

'Cause if you're just bringing people from the city, then it's like, okay, their city friends may come, but when you're bringing artists from the area and from other parts of the country or from other areas that aren't quite as local, then you're sort of connecting communities and that's something that we're more interested in.

- Yeah, it's almost like you're creating new networks and new centers for artistic dialogue that they're not just like the city is the center and then it just sort of spreads from there.

- Well, that's just the thing.

- [Ellen] That's exactly, yeah.

- So, we are pushing.

I like what you said.

We're pushing against this idea that the city is somehow the center.

I mean, I guess in some ways it might be, but it's not up here.

- It doesn't have to be anymore either because of the internet and everything.

We're all so connected that it seems more exciting to me too, to have to feel like you have to be in that one place and that's it.

- And we learned that during COVID.

You can literally be anywhere.

- I was about to say that with COVID and everything and people not only working from home, but also, people are migrating from cities to rural areas and vice versa and people are moving around and realizing I don't have to be only in New York or LA just to do this thing.

Yeah, yeah.

So, what kinds of programs and what kinds of events do viewers have to look forward to?

- So, Upstate Art Weekend takes place August 27th to the 29th and we're going to be open 12 to six.

That's Friday through Sunday.

And 60 spaces in the Hudson Valley region.

60 other arts spaces are going to be open that weekend with extended hours.

And it's sort of a self-guided tour that we're thrilled to participate in.

And then as part of that, Connie and Russell of GUZMAN are going to do, well, it's not a talk, but they're going to be at the space from one to three on Sunday the 29th at the gallery to meet visitors.

- People have a chance to just meet the people who made these photographs, that's really cool.

- Yes, and I want to mention that GUZMAN, the couple, actually live five minutes from the gallery.

So, people have this idea that we've sought out these celebrity photographers from New York or LA, but they live right here in the Berkshires.

- It was such a pleasure having you both on "A House for Arts".

It's great talking and thank you so much for being on here.

- Thank you so much for having us.

- Please welcome, Peter Annello.

- Hey, everybody.

I'm Peter Annello and this first song I'm gonna play for you is a song that I wrote about acknowledging when you're at the root of some of your problems that you're facing and there's not always someone there to tell you that besides you.

It's called "Read The Signs" and it goes like this.

(upbeat guitar music) ♪ Well, I've been living under a rock my whole life ♪ ♪ And I've been nothing but trouble to myself in this ride ♪ ♪ I've got a short temper, ♪ ♪ I try to stay together ♪ ♪ But if it isn't better by December ♪ ♪ I'll remember I was just trying to be who I want to be ♪ ♪ Oh, I know I'm always in the way ♪ ♪ Every place I go I really ought to learn to take it slow ♪ ♪ So I can read the signs ♪ ♪ And any time that you open up ♪ ♪ Your heart is mine, I'll read between the lines ♪ ♪ I won't let this die tonight ♪ ♪ Somebody I used to see all the time ♪ ♪ Took a sharp turn, now they pay me no mind ♪ ♪ I've got a short temper, ♪ ♪ I try to stay together ♪ ♪ But every time I get up I'm back under the weather ♪ ♪ Because I'm trying to be who I want to be ♪ ♪ Oh, I know I'm always in the way ♪ ♪ Every place I go I really ought to learn to take it slow ♪ ♪ So I can read the signs ♪ ♪ But any time that you open up ♪ ♪ your heart is mine, I'll read between the lines ♪ ♪ I won't let this die tonight ♪ ♪ Would you just paint a picture ♪ ♪ Of what you see in me ♪ ♪ Do not trust in my intentions ♪ ♪ Might not what you need ♪ ♪ Would you just paint a picture ♪ ♪ Of what you see in me ♪ ♪ Do not trust my intentions ♪ ♪ Might not what you need ♪ ♪ Oh, I know I'm always in the way ♪ ♪ Every place I go I really ought to learn to take it slow ♪ ♪ So I can read the signs ♪ ♪ Any time that you open up ♪ ♪ Your heart is mine, I'll read between the lines ♪ ♪ I won't let this die, no ♪ ♪ I won't let this die tonight ♪ All right, this last song I'm gonna play for y'all is called "Lightning" and it's the most recent single that I put out.

It's a song about being in a relationship with somebody and wanting to not be in a relationship and someone has to speak up about it.

And in this case it was me and it goes like this.

(slow guitar music) ♪ Did you feel me take a stride ♪ ♪ 'cause any bit of time from this will do ♪ ♪ And if you want to cut ties I'll take your lies ♪ ♪ And send them on back to you ♪ ♪ Fighting ain't right, I might just take flight ♪ ♪ While you wonder what to do ♪ ♪ I could hold on for the rest of my life ♪ ♪ Use up all my time on you all my life ♪ ♪ But for the times that the lights went out ♪ ♪ Your lightning only lighted up my room for second, baby ♪ ♪ For a second ♪ ♪ You are on my mind tonight ♪ ♪ I've been tossing and turning in bed ♪ ♪ Til' things are all all right ♪ ♪ You and I have been around the block before ♪ ♪ This ain't the first time you've heard me say ♪ ♪ I could hold on for the rest of my life ♪ ♪ Use up all my time on you all my life ♪ ♪ But for the times that the lights went out ♪ ♪ Your lightning only lighted up my room for a second, baby ♪ ♪ And darling you don't even know how good you have it ♪ ♪ There is no reason to start anymore of this madness ♪ ♪ Should you wait just a second too late ♪ ♪ Use all your time to contemplate all your time ♪ ♪ All your time ♪ ♪ Fighting ain't right, I might just take flight ♪ ♪ While you wonder, wonder what to do ♪ ♪ 'cause I could hold on for the rest of my life ♪ ♪ Use up all my time on you all my life ♪ ♪ But for the times that the lights went out ♪ ♪ Your lightning only lighted up my room for a second, baby ♪ ♪ Darling you don't even know how good you have it ♪ ♪ There is no reason to start anymore of this madness ♪ ♪ Should you wait just a second too late ♪ ♪ Use all your time ♪ ♪ I could hold on for the rest of my life ♪ ♪ Use up all my time on you all my life ♪ ♪ But for the times that the lights went out ♪ ♪ Your lightning only lighted up my room for a second, baby ♪ ♪ For a second ♪ ♪ Your lightning only lighted up my room for a second, baby ♪ (upbeat guitar music) - Thanks for joining us.

For more arts visit wmht.org/aha, and be sure to connect with WMHT on social.

I'm Lara Ayad, thanks for watching.

(upbeat music) - [Narrator] Funding for "AHA!"

has been provided by your contribution and by contributions to the WMHT Venture Fund.

Contributors include the Leo Coz Beach Philanthropic Foundation, Chet and Karen Opalka, Robert and Doris Fischer Malesardi, the Alexander and Marjorie Hover Foundation and The Robison Family Foundation.

- At M&T Bank, we understand that the vitality of our communities is crucial to our continued success.

That's why we take an active role in our community.

M&T Bank is pleased to support WMHT programming that highlights the arts, and we invite you to do the same.