[BLOG POST 2/11/24} As I start another trip around the sun I'm experiencing another bout of insomnia which is making it rather hard to get in the celebratory spirit of a traditional birthday. Instead I'm restless and anxious and spend the wee hours of the morning cleaning or writing a blog post.
If I'm lucky, I might fall asleep for a couple of hours before I have to get up and start the day with blurry eyes and a headache.
Not the best start to day let alone the next year of my life.
sigh
Thank goodness for Classic Arts Showcase!
I heard about it on Katy Hessel's "The Great Women Artists" podcast. Specifically episode 125 with Karon Davis which is a fascinating interview. I had never heard of Karon Davis but really enjoyed learning about her life-size sculptures in powerful installations. Katy says:
Entering an exhibition by Davis is like stepping into another world akin to watching a film or ballet playing out in front of you: there’s narrative, costume, drama, a beginning and an end, but also beauty and pain.
As an example check out this sculpture titled "Beauty Must Suffer" where an African-American ballet dancer is shown applying make up to her pink shoes sot hat they will match her skin tone.
But I digress...perhaps due to lack of sleep.
Please forgive me dear reader.
Anyway, in that interview Karon Davis mentions having "Classic Arts Showcase" constantly playing in the background as she and her (now late) husband would create art.
I had never heard of this so I looked it up. Here's what I found out. Classic Arts Showcase is a not-for-profit 24-hour programming service offered free of charge.
And you can stream it on your device of choice!
I adore classical music, classical art, classical ballet and especially live performances but those are often too far away or too expensive to attend live. So I have simply enjoyed listening to classical music in the studio as I work.
But now, well now I can experience professional quality music, art, performances and more all from my laptop all for free. In fact, there is no "programming" and you never know what will pop up next. The randomness makes it fun and worth sticking around through something I might not love.
Who do we have to thank for this gift??? According to their website:
CAS was the vision of Lloyd E. Rigler. It was his lifelong love of the performing arts – and his concern that the majority of Americans are rarely exposed to the world’s greatest performances – that inspired this vision. After tracking ticket sales of live performances for decades, Rigler found arts organizations were performing to more empty seats every year, selling fewer tickets and charging more for them. With current audiences aging, and little or no arts exposure in homes and schools to build new audiences, Rigler sought to foster a wider appreciation of classic arts nationwide — through television.
THANK YOU Llyod E. Rigler! My birthday is better because of you! ❤️
Comments