23 FRI • ISSUES & LEARNING The Activist Virginia Woolf — The Cranbrook Humanities and Critical Studies Lecture Series has been developed to offer "opportunities for engaging some concepts and theories prevalent in contemporary art." This week, novelist/essayist Rebecca Brown of Goddard College is slated to bring some irreverence to the series with her lecture on the one of the most important female novelists of our time, Virginia Woolf. Goddard will focus on Woolf’s political, literary and romantic contexts in such books as: A Room of One’s Own, Orlando and To the Lighthouse. At the deSalle Auditorium (on the lower level of the Cranbrook Art Museum, 39221 N. Woodward Ave., Bloomfield Hills.) Call 248-645-3314 for further information. Lecture will begin at 1:30 p.m.
24 SAT • ART Gerard Sendrey: French Master of Line — Some of the most compelling artists in history are self-taught, and painter Gerard Sendrey is one of those rare birds. Born in 1928 in Begles, France, Sendrey did not start painting until he was 39 years old, but quickly developed a unique “space vs. anti-space” style that has since garnered him critical acclaim the world over. In 1979 his work was exhibited in the Galerie du Fleuve in Paris and a year later was acquired for the Collection de Art Brut in Lausanne, Switzerland. In 1989, Sendrey founded Le Musée De La Creation Franche, a museum/gallery that specializes in the work of French self-taught artists. Sendrey is considered a very important living artist not only for his contributions to other aspiring artists but for his importance as an “Outsider Artist” as well. See his works at the Zeitgeist Gallery (2661 Michigan Ave., Detroit). Call 313-965-9192 for more information. Reception will be Saturday, Jan. 24, 7 p.m. to midnight; the Visitors featuring Kenneth Green perform at 9 p.m. Exhibit runs through March 13.
24 SAT • MUSIC Tim Harrison — Folk singer Woody Guthrie once said, “I am out to sing songs that will prove to you that this is your world. … I am out to sing the songs that make you take pride in yourself.” Fellow folkie Tim Harrison has managed to carry on this ethos. Writing music from the viewpoint of the lonesome traveler, Harrison’s introspective mélange of austere yet hopeful songs draws the listener in with a lullaby-like calm and puts him to bed with a kiss on the cheek. Think Celtic harps, softly-strummed mandolins, sad violins and a rolling pick of the six-string. At the Trinity House Theatre (38840 W. Six Mile, Livonia) with special guest, Dan Hazlett. Call 734-464-6302 for further information.
24 SAT • ART Sister Sister Exhibit — Be it the junk art or new genre works, raw art can often be overlooked and underappreciated — but not at a place like Izzy’s Raw Art Gallery. Izzy’s is one of those rare outlets where the unsung hero can blossom. And for their First Annual Woman’s Invitational, Sister Sister, Izzy’s will display cutting-edge pieces of art from more than 30 local female artists including: Jeanne Poulet, Nora Chapa Mendoza, Monica Morgan (exclusive photographer to Rosa Parks) and Marian Letasi. Entertainment for the opening reception (Saturday, Jan. 24, from 7 p.m. to midnight) will be provided by Tamara Lahew Witty, Robert Moutin and Liberty R.O. Daniels, poet. Izzy’s Raw Art Gallery is located at 2572 Michigan Ave., Detroit. Call 248-207-7547 or visit www.izzysrawart.com for further information. Exhibits runs through Feb. 21.
25 SUN • MUSIC Eleni Mandell — The slow burn of Eleni Mandell’s voice has been melting hearts in the dive bar circuit all the way from L.A. to London. Safely immersed in the oceans of honky-tonk, old-timey, alt-country and (most recently) stripped-down Euro-jazz, this young chanteuse’s bohemian charm is gaining popularity. She has come a long way since the DIY days of her self-released CD Wishbone in 1998, as she was just voted 2003’s Songwriter/Composer of the Year by LA Weekly (her co-winner was Elliot Smith). Without the help of major label support and paying her way through profits from film and TV licenses [many of her songs have shown up on television shows (Six Feet Under) and in films (Heavy)], Mandell has managed to stay on the music-making career path. Lucky for us. Listen to a sample of her latest a jazz EP, Maybe Yes, at www.elenimandell.com, and you will be converted. At the Lager House (1254 Michigan Ave., Detroit) with Terror at the Opera. Call 313-961-4668 for more information.
