Celebrate with trees
Join local businesses and community organizations in Milwaukee's newest holiday tradition, the annual Festival of Trees, November 22-December 17, at the Wyndham Milwaukee Center Hotel, 139 E. Kilbourn Ave.
The Festival of Trees features 40 trimmed holiday trees displayed in the lobby of the hotel.
The Festival of Trees opens to the public Thur., Nov. 21 in conjunction with the Downtown Milwaukee Holiday Lights kickoff. The Festival of Trees also includes a complimentary children's pancake breakfast on Sat., Dec. 14 with a visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus.
The Festival of Trees Committee is asking businesses and community organizations to take part in this exciting event by purchasing a tree at $500 and decorating it. Later the tree will be a part of an elegant reception gala and auction fundraiser on December 17.
All Festival of Trees will be auctioned off at the gala, which is opened to any interested individual or company. Those benefiting from the 2002 Festival of Trees include: Ronald McDonald House Charities of Eastern Wisconsin, U.S. Marine Corps Toys for Tots, the Salvation Army, the Food Shelter of Southeastern Wisconsin and the Battered Women's & Homeless Shelter.
For additional information on the 2002 Festival of Trees, contact Edward Carducci at (414)291-4780.
Painleve and Pierce join Experimental Tuesdays
November's Experimental Tuesdays at the Union Theatre series presents the best of the old and the new, with newly circulating prints from surreal-naturalist filmmaker Jean Painleve and a visit from film/videomaker Leighton Pierce.
"Science is Fiction: The Films of Jean Painleve" will show Tues., Nov. 12 at 7 p.m. The event is free. "Experiences in transformative time: an evening with Leighton Pierce" is scheduled for Tues., Nov. 19 at 7 p.m. and this event is also free.
Both events take place at the UWM Union Theatre. For more or info or questions, call (414) 229-4758.
Film festival for your shorty
On November 9-10 at the Westown Cinema in Waukesha, the Wisconsin International Children's Film Festival will introduce Wisconsin families to 45 remarkable films from 20 countries, presenting more than 30 Wisconsin premieres. The festival -- curated by Nicole Dreiske, founder and director of the Chicago International Children's Film Festival -- focuses on top quality children's entertainment for children ages 2-13, presenting a wide range of cutting-edge animated and live action films.
As one of the nation's largest children's film festivals, the WICFF is dedicated to bringing a unique movie-going experience to Wisconsin families. Feature films include the charming animated feature film "The Happy Cricket" (Brazil); the heart-warming Academy Award nominated live action film "Little Crumb" ( Holland); and "Jumping for Joy" (USA).
This year's Festival will also feature four programs of short films, and three feature films over the four days of the Festival.
Learn to cook with Milwaukee's finest
The second annual Harvest to Holiday is Tues., Nov. 12 at 6:30 pm
at Lakefront Palm Garden, 1872 N. Commerce. Call (414) 271-FOOD for reservations. A mere $35 will get you access to this Milwaukee Originals Cooking Class -- an evening filled with chef demonstrations, samplings and great ideas for entertaining during the holiday season and all through the year. Using seasonal products and providing recipes to duplicate at home, some of Brew City's best independent restaurant chefs will take the anxiety out of holiday cooking so your family and guests will surely be licking their chops!!
Don't have a cow, man
Peter O'Leary will fire up readers as he shares his work at Woodland Pattern Book Center on Sat., Nov. 16 at 7 p.m. He will talk about the connection between Ronald Johnson and Robert Duncan following the reading.
O'Leary is the author of a book of poetry, Watchfulness (Spuyten Duyvil), as well as a book of criticism, Gnostic Contagion: Robert Duncan & the Poetry of Illness (Wesleyan). As executor for the literary estate of Ronald Johnson, he has edited two collections of Johnson's poetry: "To Do As Adam Did: Selected Poems" (Talisman House) and "The Shrubberies (Flood Editions)."
For more than a decade, he has edited, along with his brother Michael and Joel Felix, the literary magazine LVNG, which has the unusual distinction of being free. He lives in Chicago with his wife and son, and teaches at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Admission is $5 for members and advance purchasers and $6 at the door. Woodland Pattern Book Center is located at 720 E. Locust St. Call (414) 263-5001 for more info.
Kohler continues masquerade theme
Attire as a reflection of personal identity, as sculpture and as performance define the work of Chicago artist Nick Cave and New York artist Clarina Bezzola. The exhibition at the John Michael Kohler Arts Center is on view from December 15-March 16 and continues the Arts Center's autumn theme of Masquerade.
Cave's "Sound Suits" and matching headwear specifically reflect African-American culture. Made of fibers and found objects such as bottle caps, wire, synthetic hair, twigs and feathers, the garments are inspired by African ceremonial dress. When worn, they become objects for transformation
Bezzola's garments are armorlike apparatuses, composed of fabric or metals, that act like shields or barriers. For example, Femininity completely covers the body in padded fabric, protecting it but also limiting the body's ability to function effectively.
Call (920) 458-6144 for additional information.
