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Experience a performance in the galleries by video artist ACVilla and keyboardist/vocalist Thollem McDonas, as part of their national tour. “Stories About People & Everyone Else” has received rave reviews, including “slyly sublime” (The Albuquerque Alibi) and “exquisite” (Brad Rose, Foxy Digitals).“The kind of fiercely independent artists the world needs more of.”
—LiveEye TV
Video artist ACVilla and keyboardist/vocalist Thollem McDonas are touring with stories they have collected over years of travel, including ones from just the other day, retelling them through miniature films and live music. These are audio/visual sneak peeks into otherwise unobserved events that are unfolding at the same time as ours, creating seconds-long bonds that change our day whether we notice them or not. With an eye on these connections, ACVilla highlights the moments with an analog sensibility using digital equipment that fits into her nomadic lifestyle. Thollem’s live soundtrack draws on his infinite influences to create a sonic soundscape that is equally as enlightening as it is entertaining. Stories About People & Everyone Else is exactly that, told through two artists at the center of a world on the edge.
ABOUT THE PERFORMERS
ACVilla (Chicana) is a visual artist who focuses her camera on the subtleties of interpersonal dynamics and the power that context plays in constantly redefining what people believe they already know. ACVilla highlights those aspects of Life with an analog sensibility using digital equipment that fits into her nomadic lifestyle. She is known for contextualizations, her unique approach of projecting the outside world onto the interior of adobe and centuries-old homes, visually combining present-day shared realities into the intimate spaces of families past and present. ACVilla has been commissioned by the cross-border group Estamos Ensemble, the Rova Saxophone Quartet, and the Thollem/Riley/Cline Trio, among others.
As a perpetually traveling pianist, keyboardist, composer, improviser, singer-songwriter, activist, author and teacher, Thollem‘s approach is founded on the two questions, What if? and Why not?. As a result, his projects are ever-changing, evolving and responding to the times and his experiences. He is known in concentric circles as an acoustic piano player in the free jazz and post-classical worlds, as the keyboardist and vocalist for several bands, and as an electronic musician. Both as a soloist and in collaboration with hundreds of artists across idioms and disciplines, his lifelong interest has been to work with people from all walks of life, bringing artists and communities together in ways that create experiences uniquely valuable to everyone involved.
Image courtesy of the artists.
Partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.
Curated by Jason Finkelman, Director of Global Arts Performance Initiatives, together with Krannert Art Museum. Part of the Sudden Sound Concert series.
Krannert Art Museum offers a variety of accessibility supports to help ensure all visitors can fully participate in our programs and events. Please email us at [email protected] if you have any questions, or to request accommodation for an upcoming visit or event.
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
500 E Peabody Dr, Champaign, IL, United States, Illinois 61820
