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To commemorate 100 years since Latvia declared its independence the
Kalamazoo Latvian Association is celebrating at Western Michigan University.
The weekend has received support from the Ministry of Culture of Latvia.

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Program

Saturday, March 24

At the Richmond Center for Visual Arts at WMU – Room 2008

• 12:00 Registration
• 12:30 Introduction
• 12:45 – Mark Svede – Latvia Lately: Recent Contemporary Art and Its Institutions

  Latvia Lately: Recent Contemporary Art and Its Institutions

  Description

  A quarter century beyond Soviet occupation, a significant portion of Latvia’s visual artists continue to reckon with a legacy of state-controlled expression while others seem utterly heedless of history — in many of the latter cases, a healthier attitude or behavior than one might ordinarily assume. Much the same can be observed among the Latvian institutional structures that facilitate art-making, promotion, exhibition and sales. Despite numerous indications of positive development, many players in the Latvian art world express extreme frustration with the current state of affairs. This presentation will canvas today’s range of artistic production, thematic trends, and its cultural supports that show most promise of exerting influence over the future direction of Latvian art.

  Comments

  Mark Svede teaches contemporary international cinema at Ohio State University and has numerous publications on Latvian modern and contemporary art including the monograph Art of the Baltics: The Struggle for Freedom of Expression under the Soviets, 1945-1991.

• 1:45 break
• 2:00 – Linda Treija –Generations of Latvian Artists in North America:  Similarities and Differences

  Generations of Latvian Artists in North America: Similarities and Differences

  Description

  The period from the middle of the 20th century to the present day has been marked by several generations of Latvian artists in North America. The generation of artists that were already established in Latvia, such as Augusts Annus, Ludolfs Liberts, Sigismunds Vidbergs, and Janis Ferdinands Tidemanis were forced to flee Latvia during World War II. Their art mostly continued Latvian painting traditions. The next generation began their work in exile – Romans Staprāns, Sigurds Vīdzirkste, Edvīns Strautmanis, Visvaldis Rienholds, Vija Celmins, Daina Dagnija, and others. They were inspired by new ways of expression and art techniques in the art world of the US and Canada. Looking at the work of the third generation of Latvian artists, we have to conclude that there are artists, such as Rita Grendze, Krista Svalbonas, Gints Grinbergs, and Krista Vārsbergs, who consciously create projects with cultural-historical themes rooted directly in their Latvian identity. However, there are also many for whom this inherited cultural impression is less important and is perhaps unconscious. Of course, as in all generations, there are artists who do not fit our stereotypes.

  Comments

  Linda Treija is an artist living in Houston, Texas, the art editor of “Jaunā Gaita” (a Latvian literary and arts magazine published since 1955), and president of the American Latvian Artists’ Association. She spends her summers teaching art at the Latvian Center in Three Rivers, MI.

• 3:00 break
• 3:15 – Kārlis Vērdiņš – Queer and Transgender Representation in Latvian Émigré Literary Culture

  Queer and Transgender Representation in Latvian Émigré Literary Culture

  Description

  Latvian emigré literary culture was established in different countries where Latvian refugees of the Second World War were settled. Promoting the Latvian national identity and willing to represent it in the context of historical trauma and resistance went together with conservative stand of the Latvian intellectuals when the issues of gender and sexuality were discussed. However, as time went by and the sexual revolution of the 1960s came up, this stand was constantly challenged by the western contemporary culture and the ever changing social reality.

  Comments

  Kārlis Vērdiņš is a writer, editor and works in the Institute of Literature, Folklore and Art at the University of Latvia. Currently he is pursuing a second doctorate in Comparative Literature at Washington University in St. Louis.

• 4:30 Lectures conclude

At the Kalamazoo Latvian Center – 100 Cherry Hill St.

• 6:00 Cocktail hour
• 6:30 Dinner
• 7:30 Concert – Juris Ķeniņš, cello and Gunta Laukmane, piano

  Concert – Juris Ķeniņš, cello; Gunta Laukmane, piano

  Program:

  Jāzeps Vītols – Tautasdziesmu svīta
  Jānis Kalniņš – Redz, kur jāja div’ bajāri
  Tālivaldis Ķeniņš – Aijā žūžū
  Pēteris Vasks – Ej saulīte, drīz pie Dieva
  Pēteris Vasks – Tautiešami roku devu
  Andrejs Jurjāns – Berceuse
  Jāzeps Mediņš – Gavote
  Jāzeps Mediņš – Romance
  Imants Ramiņš – Juniper and Pine
  Ēriks Ešenvalds – O Salutaris Hostia
  Ēriks Ešenvalds – Gaisma aust!
  Lolita Ritmane – Lietus līst manā pilsētā
  Jānis Lūsēns – Mazu brīdi pirms

  Comments

  Juris Ķeniņš is a cellist, composer, conductor, music teacher in Toronto, a consultant for the Canadian Music Centre who is organizing the XV Latvian Song and Dance Festival in Canada in 2019.

  Gunta Laukmane is a pianist who has worked with many of the music students at Western Michigan University as a collaborative pianist.

 

Sunday, March 25

At the Richmond Center for Visual Arts at WMU – Room 2008

• 1:00 Juris Ķeniņš – You Probably Know a Latvian Musician

  You Probably Know a Latvian Musician

  Description

  Latvian musicians have brought recognition to Latvia world wide, whether they are composers like Pēteris Vasks, Ēriks Ešenvalds or Emmy winning Lolita Ritmanis, or conductors like Andris Nelsons or singers like Elīna Garanča. There is a good chance that you have heard something from a Latvian musician.

  Comments

  Juris Ķeniņš is a cellist, composer, conductor, music teacher in Toronto, a consultant for the Canadian Music Centre and is organizing the XV Latvian Song and Dance Festival in Canada in 2019.

• 2:15 break
• 2:30 Pre-concert talk

  Pre-Latvian concert talk

  Description

  Juris Ķeniņš will give a brief introduction to the composers and pieces that will be played by the WMU University Chorale and University Symphony Orchestra

  Comments

  Juris Ķeniņš is a cellist, composer, conductor, music teacher in Toronto, a consultant for the Canadian Music Centre and is organizing the XV Latvian Song and Dance Festival in Canada in 2019.

At the Dalton Center – Recital Hall

• 3:00 Concert – WMU University Chorale and University Symphony Orchestra

  Program:

  Vocal Soloists:
  Jānis Mediņš – Ir viens vakars (Hayley Girard, soprano)
  Jāzeps Vītols – Mirdzas dziesma (Alexandra Galla, mezzo)
  Emīls Dārziņš – Teici to stundu (Isaac James, baritone)
  (Gunta Laukmane, collaborative pianist and coach)

  University Chorale:
  (Kimberly Dunn Adams, director)
  Pēteris Vasks – from Klusas dziesmas
  I. Nosapi parsapi
  II. Dusi, dusi
  Ārijs Šķepasts- Es Gulu, gulu
  (Lexi Galla, Holli Slamka, Isabelle Abbott, soloists)
  Ēriks Ešenvalds – Stars

  University Symphony Orchestra
  (Bruce Uchimura, conductor )
  Mozart – Marriage of Figaro Overture
  Emīls Dārziņš – Valse Mélancolique
  Jānis Mediņš – Aria
  Lolita Ritmanis – Overture to Light

 

Exhibits

Signs for Those Seeking Light –at the Richmond Center – Rita Grendze’s art exhibition of Latvian tablecloth designs made from pages of books hangs in the atrium

Treasures of Latvia – at the Richmond Center – 15 Latvian companies working in the U.S. and 5 other “treasures” from  Latvia

Sharing our Stories: The Baltic Diaspora at Home in Canada – at the Kalamazoo Latvian Center – oral histories of Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian and Baltic German seniors on what it means to be Baltic, and the experience of migration and settlement

 

3 ways to pay for March 24 dinner and concert

 

Maps to WMU and Kalamazoo Latvian Center

 

 

Parking for visitors to Western Michigan University is available for free on weekends in the Parking Ramp, but only in the W sections. They will ticket you for expired meters or parking in other areas.

 

From the second floor of the parking ramp there is a bridge that will take you right into the Richmond Center and it goes through to Dalton Center.

 

Kalamazoo Latvian Center

100 Cherryhill St
Kalamazoo, Mi 49006

 

 

 

This event was made possible by a generous grant from the Ministry of Culture from Latvia and the cooperation of the College of Fine Arts at Western Michigan University and the Kalamazoo Latvian Association.