From visual arts to music and dance, this week is packed with fun events and great pick-me-ups for the rainy Durham week ahead.
This week is the final opportunity to see the exhibit “Trajectories: Liberated Pathways through Makeup, Photography, and Jewelry,” which closes Tuesday, June 10. This Maya Ghanem and Nashia Ogbuagu photographic collaboration “envisions personal and structural trajectories without the shackles of oppression.” It can be viewed at Queen Street Magic Boat from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Ghanem draws inspiration from makeup, often using it for self-expression and self-observation. The exhibit’s photographs centerconversations with five individuals about their visions of an “ideal or liberated world,” which are brought to life using makeup and jewelry.
For those interested in hearing the artist’s perspective, “Trajectories” has a closing reception this Sunday, June 8, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Queen Street Magic Boat. This reception includes a “slow art tour” led by Gail Belvett.
This week’s installment of “Music Near the Gardens” is opened by Kym Register, owner of The Pinhook. Register’s band “Meltdown Rodeo” will play Wednesday at 7 p.m. on Duke’s East Campus, performing original music that includes “queer and counterculture themes with foot-stomping rhythms,” and country-rock classics.
Following “Meltdown Rodeo,” Adeem the Artist will perform Patrick Haggerty’s “Lavender Country,” “the first openly gay country album.” His must-see performance will be delivered with an “electrifying stage presence and unapologetically queer perspective.”
The afterparty for this installment will take place at The Pinhook at 9 p.m. Musicians Joe Westerlund, Nathan Bowles and Jaime Fennelly will take the reins at the afterparty to deliver a “mind altering set.”
Country music legend Vince Gill is visting DPAC on Thursday, June 12 at 7:30 p.m. The Eagles’ current lead guitarist, Gill’s acclaimed guitar skills and deep country music repertoire are sure to amaze audiences.
Dance fans should look forward to kicking off the American Dance Festival (ADF) season with a joint performance by the Trisha Brown Dance Company and Paul Taylor Dance Company on June 12 at 7 p.m., followed by a post-performance discussion on June 13 at 7:30 p.m. This performance will take place in the Reynolds Theater at Duke and include sets designed by artist Robert Rauschenberg.
New York Times critic Anna Kisselgoff has called Brown’s set “so fluid that the body seems a conduit for flowing energy.” The ADF describes Taylor’s “3 Epitaphs” as “a humorous yet brilliant exploration of posture and gesture” and Cunningham’s work as “a comedic masterpiece rarely seen since 1979.” ADF has a packed season ahead, with numerous performances scheduled until July 26.
If you want to keep the energy up with Trisha Brown Dance Company and Paul Taylor Dance Company after the performance, be sure to visit the Parizade for the ADF’s season opening party on June 12 at 9 p.m.
While Durham celebrates Pride at the end of September, they are also celebrating Pride Month with Rollin’ with PRIDE this Thursday on June 12 at 6:30 p.m. This Wheels Durham roller skating disco event will donate revenue to the LGBTQ+ Center of Durham.
This week’s fun and diverse events prove that you don’t need to be outdoors and travel far to have an exciting, arts-filled summer.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Sign up for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.
Bhavika Verma is a Trinity first-year and a staff reporter for the news department.