Star City Blog

Happy New Year and Happy 1st Birthday to Star City Blog!

Welcome to 2010, Lincoln! With the new year brings Star City Blog’s 1st birthday and we’d like to thank all of you for your support! It’s been an interesting year--one full of creativity, learning and deciphering new directions for the website.

As always, our devotion is first and foremost to the arts, businesses and people that make Lincoln so unique. During this first year, we’ve been fortunate enough to meet many of you and we hope that the coming year will bring many more friendships and exposure to Lincoln’s fantastic arts and entertainment and the people behind them.

'Time for Lunch' Campaign Strives to Change the Way Students Eat Lunch

By Sarah F. Sullivan

There are many issues in this country that need to be addressed. Health care and jobs are justifiably at the forefront, but another significant issue is being brought to our attention by the grass roots organization, Slow Food USA. Their national “Time For Lunch” Campaign, focuses on changing the way children in schools eat lunch.  The campaign aims to send a message to Congress to help them understand that our underfunded school lunch programs are unacceptable. At present, schools have only one dollar per child with which to buy ingredients.

The Child Nutrition Act will be up for reauthorization in Congress in early 2010, and the “Time for Lunch” Campaign is hoping that America will help them send a message to Congress that aims to achieve the following goals:

UPDATED: Blog Talk Live: Interview with Dmitri Vietze, World Music Publicist

by Dennis Kornbluh

On the next Blog Talk Live I'll interview Dmitri Vietze, the founder of Rock Paper Scissors, Inc., a publicity and marketing firm that specializes in the promotion of World Music artists to the American public.  He started the company as a way to make a career out of his hybrid interests: global cultures and music. Raised on his mom's scratchy LP's of Balkan, Israeli, and Breton dance music, he discovered Fela Kuti at the public library in Queens, New York, and then took an interest in street performers he encountered all over Manhattan.

Based in Bloomington, Indiana, Rock Paper Scissors regularly promotes world-reknowned artists such as Ladysmith Black Mambazo and King Sunny Ade'.  In this program, which will air Tuesday, December 29, 2009, Dmitri will talk about his company, some of his clients, how he goes about publicizing world music, and the world music scene.

The audio for this broadcast is available below in two parts:

BTL_DMITRI_VIETZE_29DEC09_Part1 27:02

BTL_DMITRI_VIETZE_29DEC09_Part2 27:22

Blog Talk Live airs every Tuesday from 6-7pm on KZUM 89.3 FM, and on the web at kzum.org.

UNL’s Nebraska Repertory Theatre Announces 2010 Season

The Nebraska Repertory Theatre, the Actors’ Equity Association professional theatre at the University of Nebraska­–Lincoln, announces auditions for its 2010 summer season.

More information about how to reserve an audition appointment is on the web site www.unl.edu/rep. Former NRT employees who want to be considered for a role, please contact Artistic Director Virginia Smith at 472-1612.

Tickets on Sale Now for the 2010 Lincoln Wine & Food Experience

The Lincoln Wine & Food Experience returns to the Embassy Suites in downtown Lincoln for a second year on Friday, Feb. 26 from 4 to 8 p.m.  The event gives participants an opportunity to sample exquisite food and wines from around the world.  Proceeds from the event and associated silent auction support the Lincoln Community Playhouse.

Tickets can be purchased at the Lincoln Community Playhouse, 2500 S. 56th Street, or at any Lincoln Russ’s Market store.  General admission tickets cost $25 each and include food and wine sampling at more than 75 vendor booths as well as participation in the silent auction.

Merry Christmas From Star City Blog

All of us here at Star City Blog would like to thank you for your devoted patronage and to wish you a very Merry Christmas! We love what we do and are very grateful to have the support of so many of you. We also hope that you're safe inside and removed from this nasty weather. 

Happy Holidays!

Star City Blog Staff and Writers

Lux Center for the Arts Presents 'Through-the-Lens'

LUX Center for the Arts presents the work of Pulitzer Prize winning artist Ovie Carter in "Through-the-Lens," January 8 – February 27.  An opening reception will be held from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday, January 8.

This exhibition is a retrospective of this Chicago based artist who is best known for his photojournalism, produced from 1969-2004 when he worked for the Chicago Tribune.  Carter has published two books, Sidewalk and Slim’s Table, and has won numerous awards including the Legends In Their Own Time award and the Pulitzer Prize in 1975 for his work with reporter William Mullen for The Faces of Hunger.  The photographs in this exhibition chronicle the lives of inner-city children and adults and are on loan from the Chicago Tribune.

Nominate a Deserving Nonprofit Executive and Their Organization for $500 Award

The Association of Nonprofit Executives (ANPE) announces the ANPE Executive of the Year Award Luncheon to honor the Nonprofit Executive of the Year for 2009. This award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated exceptional leadership, direction and vision.  In addition, the executive recognized and the nonprofit they represent each receive a cash prize of $500, for a total award of $1000.

A Procrastinator's Holiday Shopping Guide: College View

By Dana Ludvik

The final countdown is on. If you are a little late getting into the holiday spirit and need some help finding last minute gifts for your loved ones, here is a one-stop shopping guide to help you in your search without having to schlep all around town.

All you have to do is take a lap around Lincoln's historic College View neighborhood located along 48th Street between Cooper and Prescott and you will find several locally-owned stores to help you get what you need and on your way.

Prepare for the North Lincoln Art Crawl January 8th

On Friday, January 8, Against the Wall Gallery, Heart of Gold Jewelers, LUX Center for the Arts, Mo Java Café and the lichen will again participate in the North Lincoln Art Crawl.  Crawl organizer and LUX Center staff member, Carlos Guerrero says, “Last month’s Crawl was a success for everyone involved.  We plan to continue working together for months to come to showcase the variety of great artwork in North Lincoln.”

Gallery maps will be provided at each of the galleries.

Against the Wall Gallery, located at 6220 Havelock Avenue, will be open from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.  Featured works by local painters, photographers, sculptors, jewelers, potters and textile artists will be on display.