WGVU to Launch PBS Celebration of the Arts This Fall

PBS Arts Fall Festival to Include National and West Michigan TV Content, Immersive Online Features and Classroom Resources

Top: Miami City Ballet. Credit: © Kyle Froman Photography. Bottom: Steve Martin. Credit: Sandy O.

As part of its commitment to the Arts, WGVU will broadcast the PBS Arts Festival beginning October 14, with content featuring artists and performances from nine different communities around the country and celebrity hosts from each locale. In addition, each of the nine episodes will include short video segments produced by WGVU, highlighting the Arts in West Michigan. The WGVU website will feature local Arts schedules, and PBS Arts will make available innovative classroom tools to help fill gaps in Arts education.

Kicking off on Friday, October 14, and continuing every Friday night into December, the PBS Arts Fall Festival will raise the curtain on a range of performances and transport the stage into America’s living rooms.  The artistic categories included are very broad: Women rock-and-rollers, banjo pickers and the award-winning choreographer Bill T. Jones will be among those who will entertain and inspire viewers with the passion of their creations. Celebrity hosts for each episode will augment the full-length performances with behind-the-scenes interviews, profiles of artists and performers, and mini-documentaries about the art scenes in Miami, San Francisco, Cleveland, Chicago, the Blue Ridge Mountains and other regions. In addition, WGVU will enhance their broadcasts with additional arts content from our community.

In the Classroom

To ensure the arts remain vital to the classroom experience, PBS will help strengthen teachers’ ability to integrate PBS’ award-winning arts programming easily into their existing curricula and help engage students with rich artistic content and opportunities to participate as content creators. Last month, PBS kicked off this effort by hosting an “idea lab” with key leaders in the arts, education, media production and technology to collaborate on new models for using digital media for arts education in schools. Materials will be available for the 2011-2012 school year to coincide with the on-air programming.

PBS ARTS FESTIVAL

Friday, October 14, 2011, 9:00 p.m. ET on WGVU-HD.

PBS Arts from Minnesota: GILBERT AND SULLIVAN’S HMS PINAFORE

Delight in this spectacular new production of the beloved Gilbert and Sullivan classic from the Guthrie Theater, directed by the theater’s artistic director, Joe Dowling. Infused with fresh musical arrangements of Sir Arthur Sullivan’s memorable melodies — ranging from big band swing to classic pop — HMS Pinafore is pure joy and sensational entertainment for everyone. The evening’s presentation is produced by PBS member station Twin Cities Public Television (tpt).

PBS Arts from Seattle: AMERICAN MASTERS "Pearl Jam Twenty"

Friday, October 21, 2011, 9:00

Carved from more than 1,200 hours of rarely and never-before-seen footage, plus 24 hours of recently shot interview and live footage, "Pearl Jam Twenty" is the definitive portrait of Pearl Jam as told by award-winning director, music journalist and friend of the band, Cameron Crowe. AMERICAN MASTERS is a production of Thirteen for WNET. The evening’s presentation is in collaboration with PBS member station KCTS.

PBS ARTS from Miami: GREAT PERFORMANCES "Miami City Ballet Dances Balanchine & Tharp"

Witness the grace and beauty of one of America’s finest dance companies, Edward Villella’s Miami City Ballet, in a trio of signature works by George Balanchine and Twyla Tharp. Watch the company’s critically acclaimed performances of Balanchine’s "Square Dance" and "Western Symphony" and Tharp’s "The Golden Section." Part of GREAT PERFORMANCES’ "Dance in America," GREAT PERFORMANCES "Miami City Ballet Dances Balanchine & Tharp" is a production of Thirteen for WNET New York Public Media. The evening’s presentation is in collaboration with PBS member station WPBT.

PBS Arts from the Blue Ridge Mountains: GIVE ME THE BANJO (w.t.)

Friday, November 4, 2011, 9:00 p.m. ET

Narrated by actor/comedian Steve Martin, a banjoist himself, the film explores the roots of American music — the minstrel show, ragtime and early jazz, blues, old-time, folk, bluegrass and country. It is a story of America’s quintessential musical instrument from its African slavery roots to the 21st century, featuring performances and commentary from contemporary folk musicians such as Pete Seeger, Earl Scruggs, Taj Mahal, Béla Fleck and the Carolina Chocolate Drops, as well as from leading music historians, instrument builders and collectors. "Give Me the Banjo" is produced and directed by Marc Fields with Michael Kantor as executive producer. Tony Trischka is co-producer and music director. The evening’s presentation is in collaboration with PBS member station UNC-TV (North Carolina).

PBS Arts from Chicago: AMERICAN MASTERS "Bill T. Jones: A Good Man"

 Friday, November 11, 2011, 9:00 p.m. ET

Follow award-winning director/choreographer Bill T. Jones’s intense creative journey as he leads his company in the creation of Fondly Do We Hope... Fervently Do We Pray, an original dance-theater piece in honor of Abraham Lincoln’s bicentennial. "Bill T. Jones: A Good Man" is a co-production of A Good Man Film LLC, Kartemquin Films, Independent Television Service (ITVS), THIRTEEN’s American Masters for WNET, and Media Process Group, with the cooperation of the Ravinia Festival. The evening’s presentation is in collaboration with PBS member station WTTW.

PBS Arts from Cleveland: WOMEN WHO ROCK

Friday, November 18, 2011, 9:00 p.m. ET

From Bessie Smith to Janis Joplin to Lady Gaga, this performance documentary vibrates with energy as it traces the indelible mark that amazing women musicians have made on America’s soundtrack. Inspired by the "Women Who Rock: Vision, Passion, Power" exhibit at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, "Women Who Rock" reveals new insights into what it means to be female in the male-dominated world of rock and roll, while exploring how those dynamics between the sexes have changed with time. The film is produced by Susan Wittenberg and Carol Stein with assistance from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The evening’s presentation is in collaboration with PBS member station WVIZ/PBS ideastream®.

PBS Arts from Los Angeles: GREAT PERFORMANCES "Il Postino from LA Opera"

Friday, November 25, 2011, 9:00 p.m. ET

Bask in the beautiful voice of world-renowned tenor Plácido Domingo with the LA Opera in this romantic new opera by composer Daniel Catán based on the Oscar-winning Italian film. GREAT PERFORMANCES is a production of Thirteen for WNET New York Public Media. The evening’s presentation is in cooperation with PBS SoCal (Southern California).

PBS Arts Live Pledge Program just announced: 'Andrea Bocelli Live In Central Park'.   Broadcast Friday, December 2, 2011, 9:00 p.m. ET

PBS Arts from San Francisco: GREAT PERFORMANCES "The Little Mermaid from San Francisco Ballet"

Friday, December 16, 2011, 9:00 p.m. ET

Experience Hans Christian Andersen’s haunting tale of love with San Francisco Ballet’s production of John Neumeier’s inventive ballet. The original score is by young Russian-American composer Lera Auerbach. Part of GREAT PERFORMANCES’ "Dance in America," GREAT PERFORMANCES "The Little Mermaid from San Francisco Ballet" is a production of Thirteen for WNET New York Public Media. The evening’s presentation is in collaboration with PBS member station KQED.