Media Information
For Immediate Release
Contact: Mannie Gentile and Virginia Rose Kane,
365-9659 or virginia@indepaper.com;
or Joann Reeves, 245-8185 or jowolf10@aol.com
FESTIVAL 2003 POSTER CREATED BY MANNIE GENTILE AND VIRGINIA ROSE KANE
Artist Statement by Mannie Gentile and Virginia Rose Kane
“Alexander Calder once insisted that “art should be happy, not lugubrious,” said Kane, “and we considered those words to be our marching orders before embarking on our design for this year’s Festival poster.”
“Our poster captures the fun of Festival. It contains lots of color and movement and depicts lots of people coming together and enjoying a mix of activities. We combined brightly painted, three-dimensional sculptures of happy paint-in kids and musicians, etc. and jumbled them together amidst a colorful, collaged backdrop of downtown Grand Rapids. The central image is the jubilant face of Alexander Calder - the sculptor himself - donning a silly hat in the shape of his famous stabile.
Our poster design is an explosion of fun and color that celebrates the excitement of Festival while encouraging people to ask the question “who is that guy?” We felt it was about time to invite Alexander Calder back to the party.” We hope our poster will introduce or reacquaint folks with the man who designed and built one of Grand Rapids most famous landmarks. Alexander Calder’s innovations, including the invention of the mobile, challenged existing principles of sculpture and forever changed the course of art history. He is considered to be the most innovative sculptor of the 20th century and we believe it’s an incredible gift that our community is home to his works. His approach to life was joyous and unpretentious and he modeled the importance of living simply and being yourself.
Passing by “La Grande Vitesse” every day or seeing its likeness depicted on street signs and the like – its easy to lose track of just how important that particular sculpture is and how it’s presence here ranks Grand Rapids as an important art destination. Our poster celebrates Alexander Calder as well as the party that convenes beneath his sculpture.
Mannie Gentile Biography:
“My greatest early influences were my mother, Civil War author Bruce Catton, and the cartoonists Bill Mauldin an John Glashan. It was in fact my mother who bought me Glashan’s Book of cartoons “Speak Up You Tiny Fool!” when I was but a tiny fool myself. Through that book and in the countless bottles of ink that I have gone through in the intervening years, I have found the means to win friends, influence people, and embarrass evil bullies.”
“About fifteen years ago I started using various types of sculpting materials to bring the third dimension to my cartoons. The resulting sculptures usually reflect a skewed view of folklore, religion, bogeymen, popes, businessmen…am I repeating myself?”
A lifetime resident of Michigan, Mannie Gentile is a career arts and cultural history educator, writer, curriculum designer, videographer, and creative force behind his company, the Museum of America. You can find him working in his backyard, helping out at GRTV, prowling local bookstores, or leading tours of Civil War battlefields. He has been married to Virginia Rose Kane for twelve or thirteen years…okay, twelve, he’s pretty sure.
Virginia Rose Kane Biography:
Virginia Rose Kane is an independent artist working full-time in her studio on the northeast side of Grand Rapids. In addition to collaborating on this year’s Festival poster, her latest creations include exquisite botanical papercuttings, colorful mosaic frames and boxes, and delicate handcrafted greeting cards. She can also be found some Saturday mornings teaching tiny aspiring artists in the Grand Rapids Art Museum’s A.M.@ GRAM program.
From her home-based business, Virginia Rose Kane Designs, the artist enjoys creating original works of art and seeking out buyers who endeavor to brighten their lives with it. Marketing her work directly to enthusiastic collectors by appointment and through regular participation in the American Craft Council’s retail and wholesale shows in Chicago and Baltimore, Kane’s goal is to promote the craft of collage while supporting her family through art.
Her work can be found nationally in such prestigious fine craft galleries as Seldom Seen in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and The Muses Window in Boston, Massachusetts as well as private art collections as far away as Paris, France. In addition to being a visual artist, Virginia Rose Kane is a freelance writer. She received a B.A. in Art from Aquinas College in 1984. There is more information, including a list of selected exhibits and an artist statement specific to botanical paper cutting, on her website www.indepaper.com
“I grew up on Long Island, about 30 minutes from New York City and have been an artist my entire life. My first introduction to the work of Alexander Calder was at the age of ten when my sister Marianne, who had just moved “way out west” to Michigan, told me all about this beautiful red sculpture that was being erected in her town. When I visited her in the summer she took me to see it. Then, in 1977, I was lucky enough to see Calder’s famous wire circus that was on display at the Whitney Museum. I was surprised that the artist who made these delicate little objects was the same man who built that huge structure in Grand Rapids.”
Festival History of the Artists
Mannie is a long-time Festival volunteer working with Paint-In and Face Painting. He has been involved in the live broadcasts of Festival on GRTV and has been mc for the Film and Video Awards. He has been an avid Festival-goer since moving to Grand Rapids in 1978.
Virginia’s involvement in Festival over the years has been primarily as a Festival visitor. “I think I volunteered for face painting once, but usually I go to Festival and walk around, listen to some music, see the art show, and have something good to eat. My artwork has been included in Festival art shows in the past but lately I’ve decided to lend my support to the visual art aspect of Festival by funding an award for collage.” 2003 will be the second year that Festival offers the Virginia Rose Kane Award for Collage. “Once the juror is finished selecting works for this year’s show, I will get to select a winner from the collages included in that show. My goal is to encourage more artists to explore collage and create new works in that medium.”
Please feel free to contact Mannie or Virginia Rose with questions about the 2003 Festival Poster collaboration. Our number is 616/365-9659 or you can email virginia@indepaper.com.