Tim Russell & Liz Sexe | Matt Blair & Abby Frank Taylor | Arts + Literature Laboratory | Madison Contemporary Arts Center

Tim Russell & Liz Sexe | Matt Blair & Abby Frank Taylor

Auricle, the experimental sound and music series, presents Tim Russell & Liz Sexe and Matt Blair & Abby Frank Taylor on Friday, March 29, 2024 at 7:30pm. Free admission, donations encouraged.

You know the type that just invited themselves over.

The ones you have not seen in years and just show up. 

We are being special guests and inviting special guests and honoring the special guests who are attending.

The Timothy Russell (musician) and Liz Sexe (dancer) Spring tour features their newest work, Special Guests. They are being special guests and inviting special guests, not to mention the special guests in attendance. This evening of music/movement improvisations from Russell, Sexe focuses attention on place, space and the people found there. For the evening of Friday, March 29 at Arts and Literature Laboratory, they will be joined by Matt Blair (musician) and Abby Frank Taylor (dancer).

Tim Russell lives at the confluence of the aural and the visual. He currently serves as Music Director for the University of Wisconsin’s Dance Department. In 2019, Tim was selected as one of the Cowles Visiting Artists at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, a first for a Musician in the field of Dance. He has a vast catalogue of works specifically for choreography, most of which exist live, in collaboration with movement. His commitment to the nowness in performance led him to co-create/curate, along with choreographer Maria Gillespie, Hyperlocal MKE, a Music and Dance improvisation series that exists to this day in Milwaukee. His current curatorial project: Common Sage Arts, promotes multidisciplinary artists through carefully curated performances. Along with Tim’s long time collaboration with the Gerald Casel Dance Company, his audio shares the stage with a vast array of choreographic artists bringing Tim and his music across the world from Dock 11 in Berlin to YBCA in San... Read More

Liz Sexe is the choreographer/artistic director of Liz Sexe Dance Company established in 2014. She is described as a “clean and efficient mover,” and having “toughness under her grace.” In her processes, tasks inspire poetic movement, game theory finds logical, yet often unexpected phrasing, and athletic dancing is paired with deep intentionality. Her choreographic work has been featured at the World Dance Alliance Festival in Honolulu, Hawaii, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Danceworks in Milwaukee, WI, and Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin in Spring Green, WI.  She was an artist in residence at University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and the Bubbler at Madison’s Central Library. Most recently Liz is interested in curating and creating more opportunities for Dance in the greater Madison area. She has collaborated with Dane Arts, LunArts, and various local dance companies and organizations in Madison to ensure moving artists have more opportunities to show their work. 

She performs... Read More

Matt Blair

Matt Blair is a pianist, composer, and educator who recently returned to Madison, WI. His work draws upon diverse musical traditions such as contemporary classical, electro-acoustic improvisation, free jazz, minimalism, and noise. In addition to his practice as a pianist, he incorporates extended electronic processing of the Fender Rhodes, synthesizers, and the computer in his music.

Since 2018, Matt has been releasing music on his label, Scribbled Fang Records. Recent releases have included Shadow Sets, a collection of compositions for solo piano that was produced by Dave King (The Bad Plus, Happy Apple), Post Rock Lately, the debut record of Collector, an improvising trio featuring Jakob Heinemann on bass and Devin Drobka on drums and electronics, and Flights and Poor Health Good Spirits, both releases by Big Thanks, a Minneapolis-based Trash House trio featuring Miles Allen on saxophone and clarinet and Jack Lussenden on drums. Other recent releases have included After... Read More

Abby Frank Taylor (she/her) is a dancer, performer, potter, and arts administrator based in Madison, Wisconsin. She has previously performed with Liz Sexe Dance, Shapiro & Smith Dance, SLO Dance, ARENA DANCES, and work by choreographers such as Leila Awadallah, Gerald Casel, Leyya Mona Tawil, and Garth Fagan. Abby was a resident company member for two seasons at Timber Lake Playhouse and spent a summer at Jacob's Pillow as a part of the Company Management team. She currently works as the Grants Manager at Fractured Atlas, supporting artists with fiscal sponsorship, grant writing, and fundraising. 

This event is made possible by support from Dane Arts; Madison Arts Commission with additional funds from Wisconsin Arts Board. Additional funds also provided by Endres Manufacturing Company Foundation, the Evjue Foundation, Inc., charitable arm of The Capital Times, the W. Jerome Frautschi Foundation, and the Pleasant T. Rowland Foundation. Support also provided by generous individual donations.

PLAN YOUR VISIT

Arts + Literature Laboratory is located at 111 S. Livingston Street #100, Madison, Wisconsin, 53703.

Our galleries are open Tuesday through Friday 10am-5pm and Saturday noon to 5pm, and other programs take place throughout the week. Please check the events calendar and education section for details.

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