Oct. 30, 2013: A performance of a new multimedia work, Bronze in the Digital Age: Rodin Reanimated through Music, Dance and Image, will take place at 7:00 pm on Friday, November 22, 2013, in the Yeager Room at the Bronxville Public Library.
Composer and musician Jordan McLean describes the site-specific work as an "immersive reflection on the hundred years since Rodin succeeded in endowing sculpture with the human spirit."
McLean was commissioned to create an original musical composition with modern dance performance to mark Rodin in Bronxville, a community-wide celebration organized by the Bronxville Chamber of Commerce and inspired by Rodin's portrait sculptures on view at the OSilas Gallery through November 27. McLean’s addition of projected images as part of the performance recognizes master photographer Edward Steichen's admiration for the sculptor.
One can imagine that Rodin would have appreciated several aspects of McLean's upcoming work as they incorporate some of his signature groundbreaking artistic practices. Rodin departed from established styles of sculpture by creating the illusion of movement, recycling his own works, and recombining them to create new meaning.
Each of these ideas will be reflected in Bronze in the Digital Age, in which the movement of dance is accompanied by music and projected images. McLean hopes his work will contribute to the redefinition of sculpture for today's audience.
McLean has been active as a bandleader and trumpeter for more than 15 years, having collaborated with musicians, ensembles, and performance organizations worldwide. He was associate musical director for the Tony Award-winning choreographer Bill T. Jones on the production of the Broadway musical FELA! and has served as an associate conductor for the Grammy Award-winning Orchestra of Our Time.
The program has received the support of the Friends of the Bronxville Public Library, which, according to Director Gabriella Radujko, "signals the community's appreciation for the arts and the library's commitment to working collaboratively with local cultural organizations like the OSilas Gallery at Concordia College."
The Rodin exhibition has generated a great deal of excitement about the sculptor through the many events organized throughout Bronxville. "Villagers have had many opportunities to learn about the significance of Rodin's artistic genius," said Radujko.
Photo courtesy OSilas Gallery
Bronxville is a quaint village (one square mile) located just 16 miles north of midtown Manhattan (roughly 30 minutes on the train) and has a population of approximately 6,500. It is known as a premier community with an excellent public school (K-12) and easy access to Manhattan. Bronxville offers many amenities including an attractive business district, a hospital (Lawrence Hospital), public paddle and tennis courts, fine dining at local restaurants, two private country clubs and a community library.
While the earliest settlers of Bronxville date back to the first half of the 18th century, the history of the modern suburb of Bronxville began in 1890 when William Van Duzer Lawrence purchased a farm and commissioned the architect, William A. Bates, to design a planned community of houses for well-known artists and professionals that became a thriving art colony. This community, now called Lawrence Park, is listed on the National register of Historic Places and many of the homes still have artists’ studios. A neighborhood association within Lawrence Park called “The Hilltop Association” keeps this heritage alive with art shows and other events for neighbors.
Bronxville offers many charming neighborhoods as well as a variety of living options for residents including single family homes, town houses, cooperatives and condominiums. One of the chief benefits of living in “the village” is that your children can attend the Bronxville School.
The Bronxville postal zone (10708, known as “Bronxville PO”) includes the village of Bronxville as well as the Chester Heights section of Eastchester, parts of Tuckahoe and the Lawrence Park West, Cedar Knolls, Armour Villa and Longvale sections of Yonkers. Many of these areas have their own distinct character. For instance, the Armour Villa section has many historic homes and even has its own newsletter called “The Villa Voice” which reports on neighborhood news.
Link to Village of Bronxville One Square Mile Monthly Newsletter
Village of Bronxville Administrative Offices
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