Author Archives: André Natta

Kresge Arts in Birmingham grantees announced

For those that missed yesterday’s announcement via al.com , Kresge Arts in Birmingham announced their first ever list of grantees via press release yesterday. The program, introduced to Birmingham, AL  just earlier this year, is one of five operating with the support of The Kresge Foundation.

The list that follows is of the nine organizations and their proposed projects taken from the official press release. The Cultural Alliance’s website has additional information about the program.

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We Have Signal, Rick Karle up for Southeast Emmys

we have signal posterLast weekend the nominations were announced for the Southeast Regional Emmy Awards. The Terminal found out when the folks from We Have Signal shared their excitement via Facebook last night; after winning for audio work last year, the popular live performance series is up for the award again and competing against two other Alabama Public Television (APT) shows for a second award (known as Outstanding Achievement: Television Crafts Achievement Excellence – Editor – Program (Non-News))

A once over of the official nominations list also shows that Fox 6s Rick Karle is nominated for three awards, including best sports anchor and best sportscast. APT’s episode of Alabama Stories titled Honor Flight rounds out the multiple nominees from metro Birmingham and Alabama.

The awards will be handed out in Atlanta at the Grand Hyatt Buckhead on June 26.

Good luck everybody!

Kresge Arts in Birmingham launches

Birmingham has been chosen as one of five communities participating in the Kresge Community Arts grants pilot program. The Kresge Foundation hopes that the program, “encourages residents to use art and culture as a tool to address issues in their communities.”

The Magic City will participate alongside St. Louis, MOBaltimore, MDDetroit, MI;  and Tucson, AZ. The first three have been participating since last summer – Birmingham and Tuscon’s participation was first announced late last year. Each community will receive $200,000 during the course of two years.

The Cultural Alliance of Greater Birmingham will be the agency awarding the grants here in metropolitan area. Amounts between $2,500 and $10,000 will be provided to “community arts projects that strive to address Birmingham’s pressing issues as determined by its citizens.

Cultural Alliance president Buddy Palmer spoke with The Birmingham News recently about the organization’s hopes for the program as well as specifics about informational sessions to be held on February 22, March 10 and March 16.

Help out Art in Avondale Park tonight

Art In Avondale Park logoWe’re thinking that after yesterday’s news, many of our city’s residents are happy that it’s one of the busiest weekends on the fall calendar, especially if you’re a big fan of Art in Avondale Park .

In its seventh year, the community festival is scheduled to take place this Saturday, October 31 (though a rain date of Sunday, November 1 has already been announced) and they are still taking applications for art booths via Eventbrite.

This year they’ve added a Wild and Wicked Cruise to the festival’s list of activities. The fundraiser will be held at Old Car Heaven this evening (October 29) from 5:30-8:30 p.m. Partygoers can listen to live music by Ashley Miller with special guest Rick Carter plus have a chance to sample award-winning chili from Bottletree Cafe and view an outstanding collection of classic cars and a wonderful selection of silent auction prizes.

Tickets are $10 and include one drink and you can still buy tickets NOW.

Exclusive Brew available for Free The Hops’ Oktoberfest

oktoberfestWe’ve just gotten word that Highland Brewing Company will be bringing their Fall seasonal brew exclusively to the first annual Free the Hops Oktoberfest being held Saturday, September 19th in downtown Birmingham on historic Morris Avenue between 21st and 22nd Streets North.

The festival will feature German cuisine provided by The J Clyde, live music from Die Mitternaechters, and more than 25 German and German-style American-made beers. This will be a great opportunity to sample some exclusive and rare beers that will only be available in the state of Alabama during the festival.

Advanced tickets and more information can be found on the Free The Hops website.

Camera Obscura show canceled

Cinema Obscura - courtesy of MySpace profileTonight’s (June 18) Camera Obscura show at The Bottletree has been canceled due to a family tragedy within the band. They’ve also had to cancel a performance in Atlanta for Friday evening.

The local music venue shared the unexpected news early this morning via their Twitter and Facebook accounts. Their Facebook announcement included the fact that they are hoping to reschedule for a later date and refunds for tonight’s show are available from TicketBiscuit.

The band’s announcement via MySpace was posted late yesterday evening:


“Hi, we’re very sorry about this but I’m afraid we’ve had to cancel the shows in Birmingham, Alabama and Atlanta, Georgia which were to take place in the next few days due to some upsetting personal circumstances. Sincere apologies to those that are disappointed by this. We’ll give you further information when we have it.
Camera Obscura.”

got plans 2.0 | 6.12 – 6.14

Come on people, support the arts! Make your way to Naked Art Gallery this evening from 5-9 p.m. for the opening reception of Rock Paper Scissors.  This show features sculpted creations by artists Justin Roth and Tiffany Ownby.  Both will be present this evening as well as tomorrow for the tea time reception from 1-6 p.m. By the way, there’s going to be fresh baked cookies…

If you’re at Naked Art you might as well stop by Silvertron Cafe and take advantage of their weekend specials. You won’t be disappointed.

Tomorrow night you’re going to miss something special if you sit at home during Paint the Town Red.  The American Red Cross presents Birmingham’s first digital art show in downtown’s loft district. The storefronts along 2nd Avenue North will come alive with digital media creations from 6-11 p.m. Tickets are $12.

If you’re achin’ for a show, checkout the calendar over at bham.fm and remember, unless it storms there’s going to be a kickball game Sunday at Crestwood Park followed by the Rojo after party.  Get the details at @gokickball.

What else do you have to share?

got plans 2.0 | 6.5 – 6.7.2009

If you haven’t had a chance to celebrate since the hops got freed, the Magic City Brewfest is where you need to be this weekend. That is if you can get a ticket. From looks of things on their website the inebriated masses have already bought up most of the tickets, but if you rush over to Sloss this morning you may be able to get a couple of the 100 beer tickets they’re selling.

Are you a country music fan? Forget Nashville this weekend, road trip it down to Enterprise, AL for BamaJam. Taylor Swift and just about every other country star is there this weekend. Things kicked off last night but I’m sure the best is coming tonight and tomorrow.

Celebrate at Vulcan’s 105th Birthday Bash Sunday. Tickets are pretty cheap for this afternoon of family fun.

Also on Sunday, the Alabama Theatre is hosting an open house which includes a tour of the Lyric Theatre.  The tour is free but a donation towards the renovation of the Lyric would be greatly appreciated. The Alabama’s summer film series starts this weekend as well with screenings of Pinocchio and the sing-along version of Mamma Mia .

If you’ve got plans of your own be sure to fill the rest of in…

got plans 2.0 | 5.29 – 5.31

Of course you know that tonight’s the night with the first Art on the Rocks of the season and the second Sound of Summer evening with the Symphony in Caldwell Park, but I’m thinking that most of you haven’t figured out that it’s just the first night of an awesome Birmingham weekend.

Birmingham’s (and Alabama’s) only gay and lesbian film festival, Birmingham SHOUT, runs it’s opening film Sissyboy tonight at 8 p.m., but be sure to get there early for the filmmaker reception at 6:30. WorkPlay is host to the two day festival that showcases “…features, documentaries and short films by new and established artists” while giving “attendees the opportunity to view topics of interest to the LGBT communities.” Be sure to check this event out and show some support for Birmingham’s gay and lesbian community.

…to give a quick run down of what else is happening this weekend: The Birmingham Urban League is having the Young Professional’s Throw Back Prom tonight at 8 p.m., tickets are $25 at the door.

Saturday stop by the Open Door Cafe for the 5th Annual Mudbugs & Music Crawfish Boil benefiting Juvenile arthritis, checkout the details highlighted by NBC 13.

If you haven’t heard Manchester Orchestra, you need to, and to further emphasis that you need to go see them at Bottletree Sunday night. Speaking of Sunday, it doesn’t look like rain so that means kickball, check it out @gokickball.

I’ll be out of town overnight Saturday, but keep an eye on @J_Don, to find out about anything that I might have left out.

got plans 2.0 | 5.22 – 5.24

I was somewhat hard pressed to find events for this weekend. Luckily, it looks like I won’t go wrong with tonight’s Alabama Symphony Orchestra performance in Caldwell Park as the headliner for the weekend. As the opening night of the ASO’s Sounds of Summer event series, they’re mixing it up with Charlie Daniels Band. That’s going to be quite the show, can you imagine “Devil Went Down to Georgia” backed up by an orchestra. Maybe it’ll be kinda like this… just maybe, but probably not.

I digress… That’s not the only show tonight; if you hurry you may still be able to get one of the extra tickets to the sold out Brandi Carlile show at WorkPlay, which starts at 9, but if not head over to Speakeasy and stay up late for the American Aquarium show.

Find your way to Bottletree tomorrow to see ISIS and Pelican, and support local jazz legend Cleve Eaton at his Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame benefit on Sunday.

What else are you doing this holiday weekend?