Articulations

Austin photographer Martha Grenon is one of three artists to be awarded a Texas Photographic Arts Society Members grant to help defray the costs of the exhibit "The Bringing of the Bones: Politics and Religion in Albania," opening this week at Pro-Jex Gallery, 109 E. Fifth. The show combines Grenon's images with text by Albanian writer Robert Martikos, documenting life in his country during and after the Hoxha regime, the most severe of the Eastern European communist dictatorships. The show runs June 7-30. Call 472-7707.

Frontera@Hyde Park Theatre has won a National Theatre Artist Residency grant from Theatre Communications Group, Inc. and the Pew Charitable Trusts to fund the residency of artist Laurie Carlos. Carlos will spend six months over two years here developing new work and mentoring young artists at both Hyde Park Theatre and the Zachary Scott Theatre Center. The local theatre was one of 15 nationwide to be awarded a residency grant. For more info, call 419-7408.

Festivals, Play On!

A friendly reminder that we're deep in music fest time: Both the Austin Chamber Music Festival (an offshoot of the Austin Chamber Music Center Music Workshop) and the New Texas Festival are going strong this week. The Chamber fest, which started last Sunday, continues with a concert by violinist Corey Cerovsek Friday; a recital by soprano Gilda Cruz-Romo on Sunday; an evening of Russian music Tuesday; an evening of American music Wednesday; and a concert by the James Polk Jazz Quintet Thursday, June 12. Call 454-TIXS.
The New Texas fest chimes in Sunday and runs for a week, with a little something for everyone, from American song with tenor Vern Sutton and pianist Keith Weber to choral work by the Conspirare Choir to jazz with Cynthia Clawson to samba with Ta Mére. There's even a new choral setting of Green Eggs and Ham for the young ones. To get all the New Texas info, call 476-5775.

Worthy Causes

The ninth Mostly Music Marathon and Almost Anything Silent Auction is this Saturday, June 7, at First Unitarian Universalist Church, 4700 Grover. This amazing Austin tradition unites artists of all stripes - classical musicians, jazz players, folk singers, actors, opera singers, comedians, poets, and more - in a performance benefit for AIDS Services of Austin. Each artist takes a 10-minute slot between noon and midnight, during which they do their thing with a special slot set aside from 7-8pm for columnist and rabble-rouser Molly Ivins to speak. Tickets are $12-25. Call 452-6168.

The Austin Visual Arts Association is having its annual Great Austin Art Exchange and Garage Sale this Sunday, June 8, 9am-4pm, at Coronado Studios, 1707 E. Sixth. AVAA will be selling art and framing supplies, art, and all the garage sale staples (furniture, clothing, books, records, etc.), with proceeds to benefit AVAA programs and services. The sale lasts from 9am-4pm. Call 454-0075.

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