Arts



arts

Review: 'The King of Staten Island' is a complete waste of time and money

July 3, 2020 2:00am

“The King of Staten Island” is not a good movie. There. I’d like to get that out of the way. Unlike the 136 minutes stolen from me watching this snooze fest, it will only take me a second to get to the point of this review: “The King of Staten Island” is incredibly boring, self-indulgent and not worth your time or money.


Arts

Review: “Da 5 Bloods” a powerful story of the Black experience in Vietnam

June 26, 2020 3:00am

Director and producer Spike Lee’s “Da 5 Bloods,” released two weeks ago on Netflix, is an impactful Vietnam War story about the Black experience, following the journey of four middle-aged, Black veterans in the present day. In the film, the group returns to Vietnam to recover the body of their fallen captain and the buried treasure they left behind during the war.


Jennifer Lopez examined the struggles of Mexican Americans living in the borderlands through her final project for COSC 27, "Projects in Digital Arts."

special issue

Seniors reflect on their artistic journeys at Dartmouth

June 14, 2020 2:15am

While majors in the arts remain some of the least common at the College, Dartmouth’s arts programs continue to draw in students. In interviews with The Dartmouth, seniors reflected on their artistic development in the past four years — and while each story was different, all were bound by the unifying theme of art as an avenue for self-exploration. 


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arts

Theater students turn to new formats for productions

June 1, 2020 3:10am

This term, theater students and faculty faced an unforeseen challenge when the College switched to remote learning. For some students, months of preparation and practice were put to the test as they scrambled to adapt to performing their projects remotely.


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arts

Museum Collecting 101 offers students a hands-on experience with art acquisition

June 1, 2020 3:05am

Have you ever wondered how museums acquire new pieces and organize exhibits? Since 2002, the Hood Museum of Art has worked to include students in the curatorial process, giving them a behind-the-scenes look into the museum through its Museum Collecting 101 program. The program is offered one term each year to students of all grades and majors, and provides the opportunity for students to select a work — typically a photograph — that the Hood will purchase.


arts

'Fine Forever' establishes indie pop band Varsity’s talent for storytelling

June 1, 2020 3:00am

Varsity, a five-person indie pop band from Chicago, has solidified its place in the genre of indie pop with its new album, “Fine Forever.” Composed of lead singer Stef Smith, guitarists Dylan Weschler and Pat Stanton, bassist Paul Stolz and drummer Jake Stolz, Varsity released “Fine Forever” on May 29 through independent record label Run For Cover Records. While the album’s self-aware lyrics touch on themes such as loneliness and heartbreak, the cheerful instrumentals infuse their songs with an optimistic quality. In “Fine Forever,” Varsity layers complex anecdotes with upbeat indie-pop sounds to stress a message of positivity amid the difficulties of life.


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Arts

Annual arts awards ceremony highlights student achievements in music, theater, studio art and film

May 28, 2020 2:10am

The Hopkins Center for the Arts hosted its annual Arts at Dartmouth Awards ceremony on Tuesday afternoon to celebrate exceptional student work in the theater, music, studio art and film and media studies departments. While the ceremony typically takes place in Spaulding Auditorium, this year’s event was livestreamed via YouTube to accommodate the remote nature of the term.


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Arts

Spotlight: Mary Pedicini ’19 explores metaphysical ideas with 'Imaginary Tyrants'

May 21, 2020 2:10am

While many people disregard old objects, Mary Pedicini ’19 finds a new meaning for them through her sculptures. As one of five interns selected by the studio art department, she has spent the past year working as a teaching assistant and helping faculty prepare for classes. From her life-size honors thesis project to her philosophical exhibition at the Hopkins Center for the Arts, Pedicini has developed a distinct style of creating sculptures out of found objects during her time at Dartmouth.


Arts

Review: Laura Marling's 'Song for Our Daughter' boasts compelling storytelling, dynamic instrumentation

May 14, 2020 2:10am

In a genre as old as folk, it can be hard for anything to stand out against the large body of work comprising the genre’s canon. Artists like Bob Dylan, Woody Guthrie, Joni Mitchell and Paul Simon cultivated the sound that became associated with folk singer-songwriters in the middle of the 20th century. While the sounds they played were by definition based on earlier American musical styles, these artists sounded novel and each presented a unique brand of folk. In recent years, however, artists like Ed Sheeran have figured out how to soullessly manufacture the singer-songwriter formula by repeating the same tired sound again and again. Faced with a barrage of mediocre music, modern folk singer-songwriters have been forced to innovate in an attempt to stand out.


arts

‘The Half of It’ is a beautifully bold stroke and the love story we’ve been longing for

May 11, 2020 3:00am

On May 1, Netflix released Alice Wu’s “The Half of It,” a film that follows Ellie Chu (Leah Lewis) as she navigates love and personal identity as a queer, Asian American teenager. “The Half of It” transforms the common teen romance narrative into a funny, relatable and heartwarming work of art by pushing the boundaries of representation in mainstream romantic comedies.