Immigrant Artists at Russell Library Beginning September 22!

The Immigrant Artist Series begins September 22.

Russell Library, the public library of Middletown, Connecticut, will present an Immigrant Artist series this fall. The series features performing artists as well as an exhibit of visual art.

The word 'immigrant' is defined as “a person who comes to live permanently in a foreign country.”  Unfortunately, owing to recent news stories, this word now carries some negative connotations. 

This fall, thanks to a grant from the Middletown Commission on the Arts, Russell Library will host a series of cultural programs highlighting the artistic contributions of several area immigrants. 

The series begins on September 22, at 1:30pm, when the Chinese dance troupe, Phoenix Performing Arts, performs a program celebrating the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as Moon Cake Day. A Moon Cake will be available for people to taste.

Several concerts are also planned. On September 27th, a six-piece mariachi band, Los Trouvadores de America, will give a concert of traditional Mexican music. The Hirsch-Pinkas Piano Duo performs October 21st; Classical Harmonica player Jiayi He performs with a string quartet on November 17th; solo pianist Alex Nakhimovsky is scheduled for December 9th.

Book discussions, workshops, and presentations are also part of the line-up of events.

An exhibit entitled, “New Land New Art”, will open November 2. Visual artists, who immigrated to this country either years ago or more recently, are invited to submit an application to show up to six pieces of their work here at the library in November and December of this year. The application is available on the library’s website at https://www.russelllibrary.org. The deadline for applications has passed, but late applications are welcome up to and including September 24, 2018. 

Here is the line-up for the Immigrant Artist Series this fall: 

September 22 at 1:30pm: Phoenix Performing Arts (Dance)

September 27 at 7:00pm: Los Trouvadores de America (Concert)

October 2 at 6:00pm: Racial Justice Book Group (Lisa Ko book)

October 20 9am - 5pm: Theater workshop (with Toto Kisaku, at Oddfellows. Sign up online)

October 21 at 2:00pm: The Hirsch-Pinkas Piano Duo (Concert)

November 1 at 6:30pm: "Italycious" (with Enzo Boscarino)

November 2 at 6:00pm: "New Land, New Art" (Exhibit opening)

November 17 at 1:30pm: Jia Yi He and String Quartet (Concert)

November 26 at 6:00pm: The Immigrant Cookbook (Discussion and tasting)

December 9 at 2:00pm: Pianist Alex Nakhimovsky (Concert)

December 16 at 2:00pm: "Osaki-san, the valet of William Gillette" (Theater)