Lessons to be Learned from the Kent State Shooting Incident
Dr. Drew Tiene
Professor Emeritus: Kent State University
How does the shooting of student protestors at Kent State fifty years
ago relate to our lives today as American citizens? Clearly there are a
number of important lessons to be learned. First of all, it was an
instance of what would now be called political spin. The facts of the
case were misreported, misinterpreted, and manipulated by both the media
and government officials. At first, it was inaccurately reported in
some newspapers that guardsmen had been shot. Then there were false
claims that a sniper’s presence on campus had prompted the shootings.
Guard commanders insisted that their soldiers had been attacked by the
demonstrators and fired in self-defense. These misleading claims
ultimately became the basis of their legal defense in the courts. The
contentious and questionable public discourse that followed the
shootings helped confuse Americans about the nature of the incident for
the ensuing decades, right up until the present day.
The gunning down of political protestors has been practiced by
autocratic regimes throughout history. Recent examples can be seen in
countries like Iraq, Venezuela, Hong Kong, Chile, Iran, and Ecuador.
Those of us in the Kent State community appreciate the official
recommendation to “Learn, Inquire, & Reflect” that is etched into the
memorial built to honor those who were shot. Many of us feel that an
equally important message should be “Never Again.” Such practices
should have no place in the United States.
The incident at Kent State University in 1970 was a violation of
Constitutional rights cherished by American citizens. The campus
protest on May 4th was an exercise of the First Amendment right
“peaceably to assemble and to petition the government for a redress of
grievances.” Students were practicing their freedom of speech
guaranteed by the Bill of Rights. If the United States is going to
uphold these traditions, it needs to allow political dissent without
interference or intimidation on the part of law enforcement. The
shooting of anti-war demonstrators at Kent State will hopefully be
remembered in American history as both an aberration and an anomaly.
None of the Ohio National Guardsmen who fired their weaponry at unarmed
students were ever held legally accountable. Their “self-defense”
argument is sadly still with us today, having been used repeatedly in
similar types of cases over the ensuing decades. Police who face
charges for shooting civilians have repeatedly claimed they thought
their victim was reaching for a gun, even when there was no weapon. The
Black Lives Matter movement has hopefully raised the nation’s awareness
about these issues and the need for accountability. An often
underappreciated legacy of the Kent State shootings was the manner in
which the justice system failed afterwards.
The Kent State shootings were a result of opposition to an unpopular,
unsuccessful war conducted in Asia. Unfortunately, over the course of
the past half century we have witnessed a number of similar overseas
military misadventures, wherein we have lost many American lives, killed
thousands and spent huge sums in the process. The famous quote by
historian George Santayana that “those who do not remember the past are
condemned to repeat it” surely applies here. Another lesson associated
with the Kent State shooting incident might be that war not continue to
be waged in other countries whose citizens prefer to determine their own
destiny.
Finally, the Kent State shootings took place in a political context
wherein a president sought to enhance his power, silence the media, and
punish his enemies. That president, Richard Nixon, ultimately had to
resign during impeachment proceedings against him. The parallels to
today’s Trump administration are difficult to miss. It is clear that,
like Nixon before him, Trump intends to disrupt the traditional balance
of power between the executive, legislative and judicial branches. The
enormous powers of the U.S. presidency have been abused in the past, and
they can be abused again.
Hopefully the Kent State shootings will never become an obscure footnote
in American history. The incident represents an inappropriate use of
deadly weaponry to silence dissent, followed by misrepresentations of
facts and a miscarriage of justice. Such challenges to our democratic
values seem particularly relevant in today’s “post-truth” political
era. Commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Kent State shootings can
serve to preserve the heritage of freedom that the United States of
America represents, both for its own people and as an example to the
rest of the world.
Standing Rock Cultural Arts welcomes you to enjoy a Virtual Tour of the
After the death of my sweet mom last year, I tried to return to painting landscapes and cityscapes, but I quickly found out that it was unfulfilling and meaningless to me. I came across a statement by animal rights activist, Bradley Trevor Grieve, and decided to embrace this statement as a direction for my art. Mr. Grieve said, and I paraphrase, that animals will not fight or argue for their survival. They will just disappear without our interventions. As species go extinct on a daily basis due to our overconsumption, I will join the other conversationists to be a champion for these fellow creatures.
Fred Pierre Art Statement
Fred Pierre creates optical art, or op-art, through a computerized compositing technique. Digital compositing is done by layering multiple images, one on top of the other. At the base of these images is a collage. To create depth in the image, Fred leverages the power of optical illusions. Color is important to his work, and Fred incorporates nature into every piece. Contemplate these pieces and you will see dozens of animals and plants. By sharing his love of nature, Fred hopes to inspire others to revere our planet and its ecology. We don't want to lose these beautiful creatures.
Fred Pierre hopes you will find joy in the playful and colorful nature of this environmental art, and encourages you to be inspired by nature to conserve and preserve the flora and fauna of this dynamic and interconnected world.
Joshua Bentley Artist Statement
Joshua Bentley is a multi-disciplined artist and Kent native. He has exhibited works in Ohio, Texas, and New York. Painting is his primary focus though he also works in commercial photography and illustration (including label art for local brewer Crafted Artisan Meadery in Mogadore).
These selected paintings invoke thoughts of the life, love, and beauty that make our earth such an abundantly unique planet and a limitless canvas for co-creation.
Nikki Puccini Artist Statement
Multidisciplinary artist Nikki Puccini finds inspiration from a plethora of imagery references, from music lyrics and song titles to pop culture and nostalgia to growing up in an abandoned city, animals and nature. Her collage work, photography and videography has been featured in galleries around NE Ohio as well as by music videos and promotional material for local and nationally touring bands.
Shura Skaya
Shura Skaya (AKA Chernozatonskaya Skaya) is a multi media artist. She has studied classical music, then painting, and now combines the two, while also making films and performances. Chernozatonskaya has exhibited internationally. Her solo shows include, among others, the “Signals” in the Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn (2012) and G.R.O.U.N.D (2016, 2018), Open Gallery (2015), Roza Azora Gallery (2011, 2016), in Moscow. She has been living and working in New York since 2000.
MOBY DICK, THE RAFT OF THE MEDUSA AND POPEYE: A story was told that sometime in the 1950s, one of my grandmothers received a free trip from the Soviet state to go to some retreat on the sea. She, knowing her motherly duties but not knowing how to swim, bought a book. Every night after the family dinner was over, she would clear the table, cover it with a blanket and lay on top of it with the manual “How to swim” right in front of her. She followed the instructions and moved her arms and legs according to the diagrams. She persisted to do so every day until it was time to travel.
Later, when she and her son came to the sea, she went into the water confidently, and swam.
Trey Berry
I recognized at an early age that my passion in life was to create beautiful objects. My work expresses a connection with a higher consciousness. Nothing exists that does not touch the other. I believe, the more we become aware of our inner world, the more our relationship changes with our outer world or reality. The understanding of the subconscious and discovering super conscious symbols that speak to all is the objective. My paintings imagine mystic and symbolic worlds that express wonder not fear of the unknown.
I spend many of my days painting. The experience carries me to places far into my imagination, places that seem to exist more and more closely to reality than the day before. Dreams and visions give me great faith in humanity and a greater knowledge of the immensity of the universe of the inner mind. Creating gives great power to the artist; it allows one to explore all possibilities and have vision of what can be. Remembering those on this path that have gone before us, listening for secrets, seeing visions, smelling the spirits, mixing the medium is a history and ritual as old as man. Magic never evades us. It is all around us, a great river forever flowing through time. With every brushstroke and thought that passes we create our own destiny. I seek experience that not only changes my personal and spiritual views but experiences that rock the very foundations of the soul. Nothing of great value comes without sacrifice. Personal discovery and the resulting destruction of the ego is a calling of the highest order. Let the revolution begin.
Cindy Penter
For this show at Standing Rock Cultural Arts, I chose a number of photographs that illustrate my interest, as a documentary photographer, in the beauty of nature and its changing aspects in our contemporary life. I observe and record what I see in my own locality. My photographs are my my response to what I see and what I feel about the natural world.
I see family farms long abandoned or being sold off, as farmers can no longer afford to make a living on the land. I see larger farms who allow corporations to place cell towers over their homes so they can keep going. I see wild animals who no longer live in forests and meadows but now exist in cities in suburbs as their natural habitats disappear. Wolves domesticated behind fences. I see trees dying. And other signs of devastating change.
I also see signs of hope, companies setting up arrays of solar cells, people gathering to honor the solstice as a way of reconnecting with nature. People stopping to appreciate the flowers. Dancers dancing about the earth. I see beauty and the hope.
Vince Packard
We border the most dubious of the Great Lakes to the north, Lake Erie, and the Ohio River isn’t really considered more than an industrial alley and toxic sewer, as are most our waterways. Our most famous river, the Cuyahoga, earned infamy by catching fire and burning for days in the 60’s. We can brag of the smallest and most fragmented National Forest in the country, the Wayne. It is timbered, drilled for gas, and routinely strip-mined.I love Ohio.
But honestly, this is mostly from the history I’ve learned on my own. I wasn’t taught much of this in school. I suspect this history of the denigrations of the natives and the land might be too subversive to the ever exploitative/consumptive status quo. Suppose we are ever to teach the grand bounty of our original flora, fauna, and human culture that the Europeans first glimpsed in this the “Northwest Territories”. Well, we might suspect something is wrong with a culture that leaves such devastation for the temporary benefit of a few. I also see signs of hope, companies setting up arrays of solar cells, people gathering to honor the solstice as a way of reconnecting with nature. People stopping to appreciate the flowers. Dancers dancing about the earth. I see beauty and the hope.
It wasn’t until I was in my 20’s when I learned that Ohio was once home to wood bison, cougar, wolf, elk, wolverine, fisher, lynx, etc., etc. Along with giant trees, wild clean waterways, and the epic drama of the Native Americans yielding and suffering the European conquest.
There is a Hopi prophesy,
"At this time in history, we are to take nothing personally,
Least of all ourselves.
For the moment we do,
Our spiritual growth and journey come to a halt.
The way of the lone wolf is over.
Gather yourselves.
Banish the word "struggle ' from your attitude and vocabulary.
All that we do now must be done in a sacred manner
And in celebration.
We are the ones we have been waiting for."
This documentary video tells the story of Robert Wood's artistic development. This lovely tribute to his life and work is also a virtual tour of the Fenruary 2020 Standing Rock Cultural Arts gallery exhibit. We hope to provide more virtual exhibits in the next month.
Standing Rock Cultural Arts asks for patience
as we navigate the quarantine.
Gallery hours are suspended indefinitely.
Our 20th Annual Environmental Art Show will be postponed, but
we will post an online version for your enjoyment!
The 14th Annual Environmental Film Festival is cancelled. But we'd
still love you to submit your environmental films for next year. 10
minutes or less!
We're working on setting up some virtual live concerts.
Check back for updates as we navigate this uncharted territory.
Thank you for supporting small businesses and non-profits!
Standing Rock Cultural Arts'
"Around the World" Music Series
presents
Buddhist Music of Vietnam
RESCHEDULED
featuring Dr. Phong Nguyen
8:00 p.m, July 18th, 2020
$10 suggested donation (or pay what you can)
preceded by 7:30 p.m. meet-and-greet featuring light food and drinks
In this special program, world-renowned ethnomusicologist,
musician, and NEA National Heritage Fellow Dr. Phong Nguyen
will share his knowledge of Vietnam's wealth of Buddhist
musical traditions, demonstrating numerous distinct styles
of recitation, cantillation, hymn singing, and chant while
accompanying himself with a variety of traditional percussion
and string instruments. Translations and insights into the
texts will be provided.
The chants to be featured in the program will be selected from the following:
● Niệm Hương (Offering of Incense)
● Xướng Khể thủ (Bowing to the Buddha)
● Khai kinh (Opening of the Sutra Chanting)
● Kinh Lăng Nghiêm (Diamond Sutra)
● Bát nhã tâm kinh (Heart Sutra)
● Tán lễ Thích Tôn (In Praise of the World-Honored One)
● Án tác (An Tac Chant)
● Nguyện tiêu nguyện sanh (Release From Suffering and Rebirth in the
Pure Land)
● Tam tự quy (Three Refuges)
● Improvisation on the đàn tranh zither: "Meditation" mode
The instruments used to accompany the chants will include chuông (bowl
bell), mõ (wooden bell), đẩu (hand gong), linh (hand bell), trống
(drum), and đàn tranh (17-string zither).
About the performer:
Born in 1946 into a family of traditional musicians in the Mekong Delta
of southern Vietnam, Phong Nguyen (full Vietnamese name: Nguyễn Thuyết
Phong) showed early musical talent, and, at the age of seven, his fine
singing voice attracted the attention of the Elder Venerable (Hòa
Thượng) Thích Thiện Đạo, the abbot of Thiên Phước Monastery and the
senior Buddhist monk of the entire Mekong Delta region, who happened to
be visiting Phong's home village of Tam Ngãi. The abbot offered Phong
the opportunity to become a novice at Thiên Phước Monastery in Cần Thơ
Province (located a half day's journey by boat from Tam Ngãi), where he
could obtain training in Buddhist chanting, and he and his family accepted.
For the next ten years, Phong received a thorough religious (and
musical) education from the monks at the temple, while at the same time
pursuing academic studies at the local public school as well as learning
various genres of traditional music and theater. After seven years, he
was ordained as a Reverend Bhikkhu (called Đại đức in Vietnamese). He
returned to the temple for further study, eventually being appointed
Venerable Bhikkhu (senior Buddhist monk) before assuming the position of
principal of a high school in Saigon.
In 1974 he received a bachelor's degree in Buddhist studies (with a
concentration in Vietnamese Buddhist literature and philosophy) from
Saigon University, before leaving Vietnam to pursue postgraduate
research in Japan on the subject of educational technology for use in
the high school curriculum, under the sponsorship of the Ministries of
Education of Vietnam and Japan; while there, he also conducted informal
research into Japanese Buddhist chant.
In 1982, Phong completed a 466-page Ph.D. dissertation, entitled "La
musique bouddhique du Vietnam" (The Buddhist Music of Vietnam), at the
Sorbonne University in Paris, which was the first and most comprehensive
work published on this subject. His dissertation was given the rare
distinction of Mention « Très honorable » (highest honors/summa cum laude).
Dr. Phong is today one of the world's foremost authorities on the
subject of Vietnamese music. He has taught at the University of
Washington, UCLA, Kent State University, the University of Michigan, and
Mahasarakham University, and, in 2004-2005, under the auspices of the
Fulbright Foundation, he helped to establish the ethnomusicology program
at the Vietnam National Academy of Music (formerly called the Hanoi
Conservatory of Music), the preeminent classical and traditional music
teaching institution in Vietnam. He has contributed articles to such
standard reference works as The New Grove Dictionary of Music and
Musicians, The Garland Encyclopedia of World Music, and an encyclopedia
of world music published by the Iwanami Shoten publishing house in
Tokyo, Japan. In 1997, in a ceremony held at the White House, he was
awarded the National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage
Fellowship, the U.S.'s highest honor in the folk and traditional arts.
Dr. Phong has performed and lectured throughout the United States, as
well as in Canada, France, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Spain,
the United Arab Emirates, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, the
Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, and Vietnam. With his Phong Nguyen
Ensemble, he has performed at such venues as the Cleveland Museum of
Art, National Folk Festival, Kennedy Center, and Library of Congress. He
has released CDs on the Lyrichord, Music of the World, and White Cliffs
Media labels. He has also received grants from the Rockefeller
Foundation, Ford Foundation, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, National
Endowment for the Arts, Asian Cultural Council, and Henry Luce Foundation.
For the past three years, Dr. Phong's field research has focused on
Buddhist musical traditions of Cambodia, Myanmar, Indonesia, and the
Himalayas, working toward a projected future publication entitled
"Buddhist Music: A Global Perspective." Over the past decade, he has
also researched the musics of Thailand's minority ethnic groups, and has
participated in an ongoing interdisciplinary project called "Song of the
Mekong" since 2016.
PAST EVENTS
Standing Rock Cultural Arts is pleased to announce:
The Virtual Jawbone Open Poetry Reading
A Zoom Meeting
Friday, May 1st, 7:30pm.
Take off that Kingston Trio recording of "The Wreck of the Good Ship Jawbone", and tune into the Virtually Jawbone Zoom Reading, this Friday. Your Zoom link will be posted below.
Steve Skovensky, who was scheduled to host the live Friday night session, will lead off at 8PM, supported by Brian McDonald, who was scheduled to host Saturday afternoon from up in a tree by the river, and Kathy Korcheck, who would have hosted Saturday evening if the world had not stopped spinning. If you can't make it into Zoom, you can send us what you would have performed via email: jawbone2020poems at gmail dot com. Feel free to also send us your work even if you can perform via Zoom. Deadline? We don't need no stinking deadline!
Zoom: Virtual Jawbone
Time: May 1, 2020 07:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Standing Rock Cultural Arts with the cooperation of The FJ Kluth
Gallery and The Robert E. Wood Legacy Committee presents
4th Annual Robert E. Wood
Legacy Project Art Exhibition
Drawings, Paintings, Prints
by Robert E. Wood.
(July 20, 1943-February 4,2012)
Work will be for sale with proceeds
going into a Robert E. Wood Legacy
Fund. The purpose will be to construct
a cultural art center, in Kent,
that will house a Robert E. Wood
Gallery in the future.
Standing Rock Cultural Arts is honored to present Halim El-Dabh Day!
A Celebration of Halim El-Dabh
Friday, March 6, 2020. 7:00pm
Professor Emeritus at Kent State University
and Premier Classical Music Composer
of the 20th and 21st centuries.
Videos of past performances.
Bring Instruments, Beverages, And Good Vibrations to help celebrate
the achievements of this incredibly Creative Spirit in our community!
Standing Rock Cultural Arts
Around the World Music Series presents
HearthStone: Three centuries of music from Scotland and Ireland Saturday, Feb. 29th at 8 pm
$10 suggested donation (or pay what you can)
preceded by 7:30 p.m. meet-and-greet featuring light food and drinks
The HearthStone duo (Duane and Ginni Dickson) will present an evening of historical and
contemporary Celtic music played on a variety of Scottish smallpipes, Border pipes, Highland pipes,
tin whistles, and Celtic harp. Their program will include music originating from the Scottish Highlands,
Lowlands, and Islands, some from collections such as the William Dixon border pipe manuscript (dated
1733), which comes from Northumberland in the Anglo-Scottish border region. They will also play a
few pieces of modern vintage (including "Water Spirit" by Wisconsin-based harpist Kim Robertson), as
well as a few Irish tunes.
About the artists:
Duane Dickson has been playing pipes in one form or another for 50 years. He has played in pipe bands
in the Northeast Ohio area starting with the MacCallum Highlanders, and has played in pipe band
competitions with The MacGregor Pipe Band, Clan Moffat Pipe Band, and The Western Reserve Pipe
Band throughout the United States and Canada, as well as with the North Coast Pipe Band three times
at the World Pipe Band Championships in Scotland. As pipe major, Duane led the MacGregor Pipe
Band of Massillon, Ohio to the Grade III North American Championship in 1984. He developed an
interest in bellows-blown pipes in the 1980s, and has studied with Hamish Moore and Iain McInnes,
among other proponents of the Scottish smallpipes.
Ginni Dickson has been playing harp since the late 1980s, and plays both Celtic harp and concert grand
harp. She has also been a member of The Clan Moffat, Western Reserve, and North Coast pipe bands,
playing tenor and snare drum, and even learned to play pipes, winning the 2013 Midwest Pipe Band
Association 2013 Solo Championship senior novice division. She has a master's degree in music from
Indiana University, with emphasis in piano. Ginni frequently plays contemporary, classical, and Celtic
music on harp for wedding ceremonies and receptions, parties, church services, and other events.
Daniel Johnston's Fever Dreams
“Fever Dreams: The Early Drawings of Daniel Johnston.” features never-before exhibited sketches
from Daniel Johnston's youth, prior to relocating to Texas. Powerful images reflect a beautiful and
tormented mind.
Daniel Dale Johnston (January 22, 1961 – c. September 11, 2019) was an American singer-songwriter
and visual artist regarded as a significant figure in outsider, lo-fi, and alternative music scenes. Most
of his work consisted of cassettes recorded alone in his home, and his music was frequently cited for its
"pure" and "childlike" qualities
Johnston spent extended periods in psychiatric institutions and was diagnosed with schizophrenia, and
bipolar disorder. He gathered a local following in the 1980s by passing out tapes of his music while
working at a McDonald's in Austin, Texas. His cult status was propelled when Nirvana's Kurt Cobain
was seen wearing a T-shirt that featured artwork from Johnston's 1983 album Hi, How Are You.
Beyond music, Johnston was accomplished as a visual artist, with his illustrations exhibited at various
galleries around the world. In 2005, his struggles with mental illness was the subject of the
documentary The Devil and Daniel Johnston. He died in 2019 of what is suspected to have been a heart attack.
Standing Rock Cultural Arts and Downtown Businesses present
Make Mine With Ice
Ice Carving Contest
Saturday, February 8, 1-4pm
A Downtown Innovative Community Event (D.I.C.E.)
Ice Carving Demonstration by John Dreslinski and Tarah Jenkins
Location: Hometown Bank Plaza, corner of Water St. and Main St. in Downtown Kent
ABOUT DICE EVENTS:
D.I.C.E. is a grassroots partnership between
Standing Rock Cultural Arts and downtown
businesses whose purpose is to revitalize
Downtown Kent through cultural events.
All events are Free and Open to the Public and
take place at The Hometown Bank Plaza, Downtown Kent, Ohio.
Bad Art Experimental
Art Making Workshop
Ages 10-100
Thurs, February 6, 2020 - 6 to 9 PM
300 N. Water St.
$5 to $25 suggested donation per person.
Basic Art Supplies will be provided. Or you can bring your own. Please wear something that can get messy.
Maximum # of participants: 15
Sign Up or Questions: call 330-673-4970. or email info@standingrock.net
Standing Rock Cultural Arts is pleased to announce
The 17th Annual Standing Rock International Shorts Festival.
This popular annual event will feature films from as far away
as Switzerland, and from as close as Akron, Ohio.
It will include animation, music videos, short comedy,
experimental films, documentaries and more.
Standing Rock Cultural Arts'
Around the World Music Series presents
Los Tres Sonidos 8:00 p.m., Saturday, December 21st, 2019
classic boleros romanticos
from Latin America
300 North Water Street Gallery
in Kent, Ohio
$10 suggested donation (or pay what you can)
preceded by 7:30 p.m. meet-and-greet
Standing Rock Cultural Arts presents
Expressive Abilities
An Art Exhibition of work by people with disabilities
who particpate in the
Creative Arts Program of Hattie Larlham
7:00 to 10:00 pm, Saturday, January 4th, 2020
Exhibit runs through February 8, 2020
300 North Water Street Gallery
in Kent, Ohio
Join us for the exhibition of new works created by people with
disabilities who participate in Hattie Larlham's Creative Arts program.
Each piece is a unique expression of the individual artists and brought
to the public with enthusiasm. Gain a better understanding of the
Creative Arts program and even meet some of the artists!
Hattie Larlham is a nonprofit organization that provides medical,
residential, recreational and work training services to 1,600 children
and adults with developmental disabilities. The organization provides
services to children and young adults at the Hattie Larlham Center for
Children with Disabilities in Mantua, Ohio, and to adults at
community-based homes throughout Ohio.
Hattie's Creative Arts assists artists with developmental disabilities
to create compelling works of art. Dialogues of 'yes or no' questions
are used to uncover each artist's choice. Hattie's Creative Arts
participants work in disciplines including painting, ceramics, and music.
Standing Rock Cultural Arts'
Around the World" Music Series presents
Native Flute Improvisations by Billy Crowbeak 8:00 p.m., Saturday, November 30, 2019
Followed by a Film Screening
The Authorized Biography of Crazy Horse Part 1: Creation, Spirituality, and The Family Tree. 1 hr. 38 min 300 North Water Street Gallery
in Kent, Ohio
$10 suggested donation (or pay what you can)
preceded by 7:30 p.m. meet-and-greet featuring light food and drinks
An evening of music for the Native American flute, played on a variety of handmade instruments by veteran performer and flute builder Billy Crowbeak.
Based in Medina County, Ohio, Billy Crowbeak Faluski has been a carpenter and woodworker all his life, but first became interested in the Native American flute and its construction after attending a powwow in the early 1980s. Inspired by such master flute makers as Arnold Richardson (Iroquois), Hawk LittleJohn (Eastern Cherokee), and Mac Lopez (Shoshone/Cherokee), Crowbeak began building flutes of his own, and is today one of the Midwest's most respected players and builders of the instrument, making custom-made instruments from North American woods such as poplar, cherry, cedar, redwood, and sycamore, sometimes in combination with such additional materials as gourd, bone, antler, pewter, or turquoise. Although each of his instruments is unique (many featuring rich inlay work and intricate relief carving of animal figures), he generally voices his flutes in the woodland style of his heritage (he is part Cherokee on his mother's side, as well as part Russian on his father's side).
Faluski has performed at powwows, festivals, parks, schools, colleges, and public libraries across Ohio, and gave well attended solo concerts for several summers at the F.A. Seiberling Nature Realm in in Akron, Ohio.
About his music, Faluski says the following:
"The music, being primitive in nature, tends to take listeners and performers to a subliminal place perhaps from distant portions of our past...a sense, maybe, of life in a simpler, easier time. I often joke that Native flute performers are the only performers who do not mind if the audience should fall asleep, as that means they have done their job!! Improvising with this type of flute, called playing from the heart, is easy, as each flute created has its own unique voice...the flute will teach you its song."
Jewelry, Ceramics, Photographs, Paintings, Prints and more. Become an SRCA Member and be entered into a drawing to win a Large Screen Digital Projector!
Saturday, December 7, 2019. 10am-6pm
North Water Street Gallery, 300 N. Water St. in Kent
In conjunction with the Downtown Kent Festival of Lights
Jeff @ 330-673-4970 for info, to donate art or pies.
Or to order a pie.
Now in its 22nd year, it's that time again. Pie Time at the gallery!
Come on down for a slice, or buy a whole pie. We've got apple,
blueberry, blackberry, raspberry, peach, key lime, sweet potato, organic
and vegan pies. We've got pies of all sorts to please your palette, pies
that don't even have a name yet. There will be other donated baked goods
for sale. And we have some fine art by local artists as well. Ceramics,
Photos, Paintings, Jewelry, Collage, and more. Bids starting as low as $5.
REMINDER! OUR ANNUAL FUNDRAISING AND MEMBERSHIP CAMPAIGN ENDS AT 6PM,
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 7. BECOME A MEMBER TODAY!
Standing Rock Cultural Arts presents
"17th Annual Dia De Los Muertos"
Saturday, October 26th, 2019. Begins at 7:00 pm
300 North Water Street Gallery
in Kent, Ohio
27th Birthday of The North Water Street Gallery!
Featuring Vince Packard, Elizabeth Lax, Trey Berry, Joshua Bentley,
Amy Strainer and more! Featuring
Paintings, prints, collage, puppets, masks, and photographs
Special Appearance by Mariachi Santa Cecilia! ($10 suggested donation)
Presented by The Around The World Music Series
We will be taking a collection for the family of Vicente Hernandez who is
currently being held in detention by ICE in Cleveland. Vicente performed
last year at the gallery with Mariachi Santa Cecelia and has been a
beloved member of the community for over 20 years. Learn the latest about Vincente's situation.
WHEN: Saturday October 26, 2019. 7pm-10. Opening Reception
-Parade to Gazebo. Drummers welcome!
-Exhibit runs through November 30
Standing Rock Cultural Arts is pleased to present
A Special Musical and Multi-media Performance by
UZIZI Saturday, November 2, 2019 at 8:00 pm
300 North Water Street Gallery
in Kent, Ohio
Led by Songwriter Craig Matis
From a story by CoolCleveland.com:
Under the radar but heavily cherished by eclectic music lovers who over the decades have discovered it‘s musical prowess, UZIZI is one of Northeast Ohio‘s more creative and artistic groups.
Led by songwriter, band leader and multimedia artist Craig Matis, UZIZI comes to Kent.
"The music is original," said Matis, who is a retired art and music teacher. "I don‘t know if there are any bands in Cleveland that play like we do, that incorporate world music the way we do. I don‘t want to brag, but I think that‘s been the case the entire time we‘ve been around."
UZIZI was started shortly after Matis‘ 1980 arrival in Northeast Ohio. The shapeshifting act explores an alternative world beat musical aesthetic with percussion and melodies, from Ireland to the Middle East, that seamlessly blend in elements of rock, jazz and folk.
Expanding and contracting like a breathing organism, the group over the last decade has varied from 10 to 18 members, each incarnation providing a slightly oblique UZIZI experience.
The current iteration for the upcoming show features CRAIG MATIS (acoustic guitar, banjo, lead singer), MARK NATHANSON (drums), CHARLES KLEIN (bass guitar), KAITLIN EMMERT (violin/fiddle), JIM VAN CLEEF (lead guitar), BERT STRATTON (saxophone, clarinet, blues harp)
JORDAN DAVIS (vocals), MATTIE RODGERS (vocals), DENISE WALTERS (vocals), TERRY GUTGSELL (projectionist)
The show will also feature Original Visuals that accompany the songs.
"I got tired of exhibiting in galleries, but I wanted my work to be seen, so I thought this is another way for an audience to see what I do," Matis said. "Currently it also pertains to a nine-song cycle called "Crossing the Water," which is about my personal journey with raising a child with mental disabilities."
"The visuals start in childhood and go through adulthood. The songs talk about anger, having a little patience and small victories. Overall, I find exhibiting work in a gallery is fine and good, but it ‘s not the same kind of satisfaction I get when I am performing music in front of an audience."
When asked if anything surprises him about UZIZI these days, Matis pointed to the recent run of longevity regarding its current lineup.
"This last formation has lasted 10 years," Matis said. "Usually every six months the personnel changes, people come and go in this group, but the core has been with me for 10 years. I am very grateful and surprised that it has lasted this long."
Musician/artist Craig Matis has been fronting one version or another of his shapeshifting band UZIZI since the early 80s. Back then, its blend of world music, jazz, folk and rock, augmented with visuals based on Matis' own art work, was like nothing else in Cleveland.Learn more...
Standing Rock Cultural Arts, The City of Kent,
and Downtown Businesses present
"16th Annual Cider Festival"
(A "deciderly" different event) Saturday, October 19th, 2019. 1-4pm
Hometown Bank Plaza, corner of Main (59) & Water
(43) Streets, Downtown Kent
Free and Open to the Public
DICE (Downtown Innovative Community Event)
Old Fashioned Cider Press Demonstration
(Mark & Barb Strickler and company)
Musical Entertainment by Wilbur and Erin Krebs
"Dog Friendly" 1pm.
Activities for Kids (Pumpkin Painting, Face Painting,
Sidewalk ChalkDrawing)
Amazing and Unique Kent Businesses Open to Serve You
This event is one event in a series of annual Downtown Innovative
Community Events (D.I.C.E.), a grassroots partnership between Standing
Rock Cultural Arts, The City of Kent, and a consortium of Downtown
Businesses for the revitalization and continued growth of downtown Kent
through cultural arts events. All events take place in the Open Air at
The Hometown Bank Plaza and are free to the public. Annual calendar of
events is available at www.standingrock.net.
NEXT D.I.C.E. EVENT:
Ice Carving Exhibition
Saturday, February 2020, 1-4pm
Sponsored by The Henry V. and Frances W. Christenson Foundation, The
Ohio Arts Council, The City of Kent, The Kent Parks and Recreation
Department, The Hometown Bank, Woodsy"s Music, City Bank Antiques, The
Hall-Green Insurance Agency, Taco Tontos, Ray"s Place, Family and
Community Services, Inc, Franklin School of Dance, Off the Wagon,
Glanville-Hussing and Family Optometry.
Kumpania and the Standing Rock Cultural Arts present,
"Women's Art Recognition Movement's"
(W.A.R.M.) 16th Annual
Silent Art Auction.
Collection Available Sept 28th.
Opening Reception, Saturday, October 5th, 5:00 pm
Standing Rock Cultural Arts
North Water Street Gallery
300 N. Water St., Suite H
Kent, OH 44240
330-673-4970
Gallery Hours: Thursday-Saturday, 1-5pm, or by appointment at 330-673-4970
EXHIBIT DESCRIPTION:
W.A.R.M. Show
All Proceeds Benefit
Safer Futures, Portage County's
Battered Women's Shelter
Standing Rock Cultural Arts presents
"Crazy Horse: The Lakota Warrior's Life and Legacy"
Book Discussion and Signing
Crazy Horse Family Elder Floyd Clown and Author William Matson discuss and sign their book based on the family's oral history.
Friday, October 11, 2019. 7-9pm.
Standing Rock Cultural Arts
North Water Street Gallery
300 N. Water St., Suite H
Kent, OH 44240 - 330-673-4970
The Crazy Horse Family website is administered by the Edward Clown family (Crazy Horse or Waglula's grandson's descendants) and a representative. Floyd Clown, Doug War Eagle, and Don Red Thunder are family members and administrators to the Crazy Horse Estate.
"We are members of the Crazy Horse Family and the Edward Clown family. ECF stands for the Edward Clown Family. We are here to tell the truth about Crazy Horse and all our grandfathers and grandmothers from the Edward Clown family. For those who seek and appreciate the truth about Crazy Horse and all our grandparents we encourage you to like our page and read all our posts. Wopila!"
Standing Rock Cultural Arts and the
"Around the World Music Series" Presents
Oleg Kruglyakov, Balalaika Virtuoso from Siberia
Saturday, September 21, 2019. 8:00 pm. North Water Street Gallery.
$10 Suggested Donation Preceded by 7:30 meet and greet
For the opening concert of our fifth season, virtuoso performer Oleg
Kruglyakov will present a fascinating and fun-filled program of diverse
Russian music on the balalaika, Russias distinctive national
instrument. Kruglyakovs hands make its three strings truly sing, in
contexts ranging from lively folk songs to expressive classical pieces.
Raised in Siberia, Kruglyakov began playing at the age of 7 and
eventually became a protege of Yevgeny Grigorovich Blinov, the foremost
balalaika virtuoso of the Soviet Union. In the 1980s and 90s he played
and toured as soloist with many Russian folk troupes. Now based in
Clevelands Slavic Village, he has performed since 2007 (along with
pianist Terry Boyarsky) as half of the critically acclaimed Russian Duo.
Come listen to dazzling playing, spirited singing, and a unique
perspective on culture and history.
More about the artist:
http://www.russianduo.com/oleg.html
* * * * *
The North Water Street Gallery is conveniently located just a block
north of the intersection of Main and Water Streets in Kent, Ohio, with
free street parking on both sides of the street. Seating is limited, so
arrive early for the best seats.
----------------
Established in 2015, the "Around the World" Music Series is a concert
series presenting outstanding musicians from diverse cultures in an
intimate setting.
Concerts are held approximately every other month in the new theater
space of the North Water Street Gallery in downtown Kent, Ohio.
The series is an initiative of Standing Rock Cultural Arts, and is
curated by ethnomusicologist David Badagnani. The series is made
possible by the support of Drs. Terry E. and Sara Stone Miller and the
Ohio Arts Council.
Standing Rock Cultural Arts in partnership with the dis[place]d: seeking refuge Project present
"The dis[place]d: seeking refuge Project" Photography Exhibit
A Photo Journal of Refugees in Crisis.
Monday, September 16, 2019. 7-9 pm. Meet and Greet Reception.
Tariq Tarey will present his work with refugees and offer
a Q&A discussion.
Professor Dave Foster will be available to answer questions about KSU's
School of Journalism and Mass Communication.
EXHIBIT DESCRIPTION:
A collaborative initiative between Columbus-based photographer and
videographer, Tariq Tarey and writer and word artist Amanda Erin, this work aims to build empathy and understanding of and between two communities that have had little contact: refugees and rural people, specifically those in Appalachian Ohio. Tariq Tarey displayed dozens of his portraits of refugees, selected from his more than 10
years of experience as a visual ethnographer. These photographs tell the stories of forced migrants, both in refugee camps and those fortunate to be resettled in
Columbus, Ohio. Amanda Erin weaves the story of these new migrants finding their way into the story of America, a new chapter in a long history of seeking refuge. This exhibit includes an invitation to the
viewers to submit their own ancestral stories of arrival.
Standing Rock Cultural Arts and Downtown Businesses with D.I.C.E and Kent Parks and Rec present
Sidewalk Cinema "How to Train Your Dragon 2"
Hometown Bank Plaza
Friday, August 30, 2019. Begins at Dusk. Free - Everyone is Welcome!
Director: Dean DeBlois
Writers: Dean DeBlois, Cressida Cowell
Stars: Jay Baruchel, Cate Blanchett, Gerard Butler
Rated: PG
Run Time: 102 minutes
It's been years since Hiccup and Toothless successfully united dragons and vikings on the island of Berk. While Astrid, Snotlout and the rest of the gang are challenging each other to dragon races (the island's new favorite contact sport), the now inseparable pair journey through the skies, charting unmapped territories and exploring new worlds. When one of their adventures leads to the discovery of a secret ice cave that is home to hundreds of new wild dragons and the mysterious Dragon Rider, the two friends find themselves at the center of a battle to protect the peace.
Now, Hiccup and Toothless must unite to stand up for what they believe while recognizing that only together do they have the power to change the future of both men and dragons.
THANK YOU TO: The Ohio Arts Council, The Henry V. and Frances W. Christenson Foundation, The City of Kent, The Kent Parks and Recreation Department, The Hometown Bank, Woodsys Music, City Bank Antiques, The Hall-Green Insurance Agency, Off the Wagon, Rays Place, The Kent Health Care, Glanville, Hussing and Fath Family Eyecare, Family and Community Services
Standing Rock Cultural Arts in partnership with Xtinguish Celebration,
West Creek Conservancy, The Ohio Humanities and The Cuyahoga Valley
National Park present
"Crooked River Contrasts"
A Photo Exhibit commemorating 50 years of Cuyahoga River Clean-up!
Saturday, July 6, 2019. 7-10pm. Opening Reception.
-Exhibit runs through August 17.
Standing Rock Cultural Arts
North Water Street Gallery
300 N. Water St., Suite H
Kent, OH 44240
330-673-4970
Gallery Hours: Thursday-Saturday, 1-5pm, or by appointment at 330-673-4970
EXHIBIT DESCRIPTION:
Crooked River Contrasts
A Multimedia Exhibit Celebrating the Cuyahoga
Presented by Xtinguish Celebration, West Creek Conservancy, Cuyahoga
Valley National Park and Ohio Humanities
The 1969 Cuyahoga River fire has become a powerful cultural symbol as
well as a rallying cry for better water protection. Discover a story of
extraordinary resilience and recovery, captured by photographers from
Northeast Ohio.
Standing Rock Cultural Arts and Downtown Businesses
Sidewalk Cinema screening of “Isle of Dogs”
-bring a blanket or a lawn chair
Friday, June 28, Dusk
Outdoors at The Hometown Bank Plaza
-corner of Main and Water Streets in Downtown Kent
THANK YOU TO: The Ohio Arts Council, The Henry V. and Frances W.
Christenson Foundation, The City of Kent, The Kent Parks and Recreation
Department, The Hometown Bank, Woodsys Music, City Bank Antiques, The
Hall-Green Insurance Agency, Off the Wagon, Rays Place, The Kent
Health Care, Glanville, Hussing and Fath Family Eyecare, Family and
Community Services, Inc.
Standing Rock Cultural Arts is a nonprofit 501(c)(3)
art and education organization based in downtown Kent. Our mission
is to Build Community Through The Arts.
We
nurture the spirit of creativity by providing opportunities for
children and the public to explore the arts. We do this by providing
opportunities for artists to bring their work to the community
through exhibitions, poetry readings, workshops, theatrical productions,
music performances, festivals, public art projects and special
events.
In an effort to help support these community-enriching activities,
we are offering a low-priced, tax-deductible Membership
Plan to supplement our other funding. We have student
memberships available for only $10 per year and a variety of plans
to fit individuals, couples, families, and even businesses! All
members will receive special benefits that are not generally available
to the public.
Your membership and/or contribution is tax-deductible and greatly
appreciated! Without the generous support of our donors and future
members, we would not be able to offer the diverse quality cultural
arts programming that we offer continuously throughout each year.
There is no greater compliment to our organization about how valued
our programming is to our community and area than your ongoing
support! Checks may be made payable to:
Standing Rock Cultural Arts (SRCA)
300 N. Water St, Suite H.
Kent OH 44240
330-673-4970
Standing Rock Cultural Arts’ programming includes:
•New World Children’s Theatre Playwriting Workshop
& Performances
•The Annual Standing Rock International Short Film/Video
Festival
•The Annual Who’s Your Mama? Environmental Film &
Earth Day Festival & Vegan Iron Chef Competition
•Routine Open Poetry Readings & weekend long Jawbone
Open Poetry Celebration with Maj Ragain
•Routine Art Exhibitions including charitable collaborations
with Hattie Larlham (benefiting differently-abled artists) &
W.A.R.M. (Women’s Art Recognition Movement benefiting Safer
Futures Domestic Violence Shelter) in addition to other annual
exhibitions (Student, Environmental, & Dia de los Muertos),
as well as newly themed shows
•D.I.C.E. (Downtown Innovative Community Events) in conjunction
with other downtown area businesses
•Workshops (art, drumming, dance, writing, etc. as offered/available)
•Hosting of Around Town Folk Festival Performances &
other music acts
•Public Murals
•Pro Arts Consulting
Ohio Arts Council Arts Access Grant
Standing Rock Cultural Arts is proud to announce that we have received an Arts Access Grant from the Ohio Arts Council for our operating
expenses between July 1, 2019 and June 30, 2020.
In reviewing the SRCA application, the panelists noted:
1. nice partnerships with local institutions
2. impressive amount of programming offered
3. appreciate the diversity of mediums and genres offered through
programs
4. sound practice-based structure in place
5. concern over lack of paid staff
We are grateful for all the support the arts receive from the legislators in Columbus and from The Ohio Arts Council. We truly
believe the arts benefit all Ohioans culturally, educationally, and eonomically.
The Arts Access program supports ongoing arts and
cultural activities in all genres that broaden opportunities
for the general public to participate in the arts. This
flexible two-year funding supports Ohio arts providers as they
make artistic experiences available to their communities, positioning
Ohio as a vibrant place to live, learn, work, and visit.
We invite you to come and visit our cultural art center in downtown Kent
at 300 N. Water St., Suite H. We have a long term goal of having a
larger facility that could serve an even larger audience in Kent and the
surrounding areas. If you would like to learn more about our plans or
have any other questions, feel free to contact me at any time.
Thank you again for supporting the arts in Ohio!
Jeff Ingram/Executive Director
Standing Rock Cultural Arts
300 N. Water St., Suite H
Kent, OH 44240
330-673-4970
www.standingrock.net
Standing Rock Cultural Arts is a non profit, 501(c)(3) charitable organization. We invite and welcome sponsors to help cover expenses for
our art and educational activities. Donations are tax deductible.
Amazon will donate .5% of sales to Standing Rock Cultural Arts!
Use AmazonSmile and Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to Standing Rock Cultural Arts whenever you shop on AmazonSmile. AmazonSmile is the same Amazon you know. Same products, same prices, same service.
Just click here - AmazonSmile - and make an eligible purchase and support local arts!
Standing Rock Cultural Arts'
Standing Rock Cultural Arts with the cooperation of The FJ Kluth
Standing Rock Cultural Arts is honored to present
Standing Rock Cultural Arts
International Short Film Festival
Standing Rock Cultural Arts'
Standing Rock Cultural Arts'
Standing Rock Cultural Arts presents 
Standing Rock Cultural Arts presents 
Standing Rock Cultural Arts is pleased to present 
Standing Rock Cultural Arts, The City of Kent,
Kumpania and the Standing Rock Cultural Arts present, 
Standing Rock Cultural Arts presents 
Standing Rock Cultural Arts in partnership with Xtinguish Celebration, 
Standing Rock Cultural Arts presents
We
nurture the spirit of creativity by providing opportunities for
children and the public to explore the arts. We do this by providing
opportunities for artists to bring their work to the community
through exhibitions, poetry readings, workshops, theatrical productions,
music performances, festivals, public art projects and special
events.
Standing Rock Cultural Arts 