Art, and how we look at it, informs this whole week. It starts with a documentary and talk on “visual literacy,” continues with a book-signing about “Animating the Canvas,” and and concludes with art done in the name of international peace. The soundtrack for this week of art and peace is a whole lot of jazz and funk.
Monday, Sept. 15
Ways of Seeing
Visual Literacy: Rethinking the Role of Art in Education is a documentary meant to prompt greater discussions about the future of how art is taught in schools. To that end, a discussion follows this screening, led by the film’s producer Cyra Levenson. 6:30 p.m. Mitchell Branch Library, 37 Harrison St. (203) 946‑8117.
The Windham-Campbell Wind-up
The Windham Campbell Festival begins today and runs through Thursday. The writers being honored with the prestigious (and financially rewarding) Donald Windham-Sandy M. Campbell Literature Prizes were announced last spring: they are Nadeem Aslam, Kia Corthron, Jim Crace Aminatta Forna, Sam Holcroft, Noelle Janaczewska, Pankaj Mishra and John Vaillant. This week, they all arrive on campus to read, lecture, converse and, not incidentally, accept those awards. The prize ceremony is today at 5 p.m. in Sprague Memorial Hall (470 College St.), featuring a keynote speech by edgy novelist Zadie Smith. (203) 432‑2977.
Tuesday, Sept. 16
Windham-Campbell: Still Winning
Today’s Windham Campbell Festival events at Yale include three happening simultaneously at noon: A conversation with John Vaillant in Kroon Hall (195 Prospect St.), Aminatta Forna discussing “African Narratives” at the Whitney Humanities Center (53 Wall St.) and three “playwrights in conversation” — namely Kia Corthron, Sam Holcroft and Noelle Janaczewska — at the Yale Theater Studies department (220 York St., Room 101). (203) 432‑2977. At 6 p.m., there’s a “Literary Speed Dating” event at the Beinecke Library (121 Wall St.) that lets attendees join all eight of this year’s Windham-Campbell prizewinners for 10-minute discussion sessions at separate tables.
Literary Portrait
Mark Hallett lectures about the great 18th century portrait painter Joshua Reynolds, and signs copies of his new book Reynolds: Portraiture in Action, 5:30 p.m. at the Yale Center for British Art (1080 Chapel St.) The lecture is titled “Animating the Canvas: Sir Joshua Reynolds, Female Portraiture and the Dynamics of Role-Play.”
Wednesday, Sept. 17
Israeli Electronica
G‑Nome Project — a live electronica act made up of Yakir Hyman, Zechariah Reich, Chemy Soibelman and Eyal Salonon, all from Jerusalem — has been around for only a couple of years and doesn’t even have an album out yet but was able to raise over $12,000 through IndieGogo for their first U.S. tour. They play a fast, jumpy form of flashy dance-club funk. You can analyze these human G‑Nomes tonight at Stella Blues (204 Crown St.; 203 – 752-9764).
Thursday, Sept. 18
Wet developing
Tonight is the opening reception for Phyllis Crowley’s photography exhibit Above and Below, which opened Sept. 9 and runs through Oct. 26. It spans three gallery spaces at the New Haven Lawn Club (193 Whitney Ave., 203 – 777-3494). The reception goes from 5 to 7 p.m.
http://www.phylliscrowley.com/
Their Town
At 5 p.m., the Fair Haven branch of New Haven Free Public Library is screening OT: A Documentary, about a school production of the classic American play Our Town. The production chronicled in this film was done in Compton, California, but the script has special resonance in these parts: playwright Thornton Wilder lived in Hamden and taught at Yale. The Long Wharf Theatre will be doing its own diversity-minded rethinking of Our Town in October. 182 Grand Ave. (203) 946‑6796.
Friday, Sept. 19
Woo! Worrell!
Usually when you put “orchestra” in a title, it makes it sound grander and more important. But when you’re talking about the Bernie Worrell Orchestra, the “orchestra” part is superfluous. Worrell is simply one of the most important keyboardists in the history of American popular music. He’s a Juillard-trained pianist, a pioneer of the Moog synthesizer and keyboard-bass, who (as a member of Parliament-Funkadelic) helped invent funk as we know it. He toured and recorded with Talking Heads and has been in bands with Mos Def, Les Claypool and Jack Bruce. Worrell and his orchestra (a three-piece backing band, plus special guests) work their magic 9 p.m. tonight at Café Nine. The opening band is Jen Durkin and The Business; Durkin’s old band Deep Banana Blackout toured with P‑Funk, and she used to sing in Worrell’s band Woo Warriors. $20, $15 in advance.
Class Sax
Evan Parker is an important British saxophonist known for his impressive breathing/playing techniques and improvisatory skills. Parker’s doing a club residency in New York City, but has extended his stay stateside with a New England tour. Tonight at Firehouse 12, he’ll be backed by two regular attractions at this intimate listening room, guitarist Joe Morris and trumpeter Nate Wooley of the Daniel Levin Quartet.Two sets, at 8:30 ($20) and 10 p.m. ($15). 45 Crown St.
Saturday, Sept. 20
Peace is Nigh
Tomorrow, Sept. 21, is International Peace Day. New Haven Free Public Library is jumping the gun (or rather the lack of guns) with an International Peace Day celebration for all ages this afternoon at 2 p.m. There’ll be banner-making, a “Peace Wave” and peace symbols to take home. 133 Elm St. (203) 946‑8129.
Harp Star
Edmar Castaneda, the famed Columbian harp player who can adapt his playing to jazz, pop and world music styles, leads his quartet in concert 8 p.m. at Sprague Hall (470 College St., New Haven). $25 & $35.
Sunday, Sept. 21
Planting Hope
New Haven is an officially recognized Peace Messenger City and today is International Peace Day, so naturally there’s a peaceful event to attend. The New Haven Peace Commission is holding a Tree Planting and Ceremony, 4 p.m. at the Mitchell Branch Library, 37 Harrison St. (203) 946‑8117.
Nothing But a Man
Filmmaker Michael Roemer is on hand to introduce his 1964 indie drama Nothing But a Man, a classic about African-American culture in the racially divided Southern U.S. of the mid-20th century. Ivan Dixon plays a railroad worker who marries the daughter of a local preacher. 7 p.m. at Yale’s Whitney Humanities Center (53 Wall St., New Haven).
