by Myckelle Williams | Jan 25, 2017 | Arts and Entertainment, News Slider
Artist and sculptor Thomas Sturgill was the featured artist in Monday night’s Hutcheson Gallery Exhibit, which displayed a variety of his unconventional paintings and sculptures. The John C. Hutcheson Gallery in the James D. Hughes Center opened fall 2010. Curated by Lipscomb art department faculty, the Hutcheson Gallery features a variety of exhibitions each semester. Sturgill used humor and a creative edge with his unique works, which included sculptured pieces displayed as a two-foot wide ball of multi-colored karate belts, a three-foot long group of over 600 discarded trophies, 50 basketballs with random inscribed names and a self-portrait composed entirely of action figures and accessories. Sturgill, who refers to his work as “individual experiments,” graduated with his BFA in sculpture in 2002 from the University of Tennessee, his MFA in 2006 from Carnegie Mellon University and has been teaching at MTSU in the Foundations department for 10 years. Sturgill currently works as a lecturer at Middle Tennessee State University and credits his inspiration to his parents, whom he says have made a practice of never throwing anything away. “My childhood stuff is still in their home; they don’t change,” he said. Before the art exhibit, Sturgill gave a lecture to the crowd and explained his background. He gave insight into his artistic choices and answered any questions the audience had. Sturgill said that in order to create his works, he browses through thrift stores and Goodwill bins looking for things that no one would buy. He found himself originally drawn to collecting old trophies and awards. “I enjoy creating situations out of objects that are as interesting to me as...
by Olivia Waldorf | Jan 24, 2017 | Arts and Entertainment, News Slider
“God said, ‘I’m going to give you a new passion and mission within music. Sing songs that will change people’s hearts and lives.’” said singer-songwriter Moriah Peters. On Tuesday Jan. 24th, Lipscomb’s typical Tuesday Gathering was anything but ordinary when Peters appeared on stage. A large crowd of students filled in almost every seat of Allen Arena for her special performance. She began with her soulful ballad “You Carry Me,” accompanied by her guitarist Julie Melucci. Once the music faded out, Peters’ “I Am Second” video played, in which she spoke about the support her family and friends gave her during her time on “American Idol.” Peters recalled her mother’s pushing her to audition, saying, “I came downstairs and the American Idol audition-map and tickets were on the table.” She took what she calls a leap of faith and sang before the judges. Peters had always been very vocal and open about her faith, and when she told the judges that she was saving her first kiss for marriage they thought her inexperienced. After the audition, they told her that she had a great voice, but that she was trying too hard to be perfect. They instructed her to go out into the world and make mistakes and then to come back after she had more life experience. A lot of people don’t let their faith intersect with their careers, but Peters had different plans. She kept God at the forefront of her career, often praying and asking him which direction she should take her career. After trying out different musical avenues, Peters finally signed with a record label and put out her first album. With the...
by Anna Rogers | Jan 24, 2017 | Arts and Entertainment, News Slider
Sophomore contemporary music major Nordista Freeze has not been silent about his big plans for the spring semester. Freeze, who has been making waves in Nashville’s up-and-coming music community, has been performing in various venues across Tennessee’s capital and touring across the country, bringing his music into the homes of friends he has made at Lipscomb. His next performance is set for this Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. in Shamblin Theatre, as he opens for Christian artist Moriah Peters. Mid-December, Freeze was asked to represent Lipscomb on tour with for King and Country, a band whose tour the university sponsored. “What that meant for us was that they could send a representative,” Freeze said. “We could set up a booth with information about Lipscomb, specifically the College of Entertainment and the Arts. Right before intermission, I’d go up and say a minute about Lipscomb to the crowd.” Freeze, a performer who was used to crowds, said he was still slightly intimidated by the large audiences. “I was pretty nervous. I can get up and shake my hips, you know, I can get up and dance around and be myself. But when I knew that Lipscomb was putting in a lot of time and effort sending me to do this, it’s just hard to be genuine when you’re just promoting a school. No one knows who you are, they’re just like, ‘I’m here to see a show,’ and you’re like, ‘Hey guys, have you heard of Lipscomb?’” Though Freeze spent most of his time on tour with the tech crew, he had an all-access pass. He got to know the Australian brothers...
by Lorena Coleman | Jan 17, 2017 | Arts and Entertainment, News Slider, Opinion
Many flocked to theaters nationwide on Monday evening to view the season four finale of the popular BBC television series, Sherlock. The show, which is a modern take on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s detective series, follows the beloved, sociopathic detective, Sherlock Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch), and his sidekick and best friend, Dr. John Watson (Martin Freeman), as they tackle case after case in present-day London. While the “The Final Problem” aired on TV screens Sunday night, the show is offering viewers a unique opportunity to see the series’ latest episode on the big screen, including 15 minutes of bonus behind-the-scenes content on Monday, January 16 and Wednesday, January 18. Whether you watched the show since the very beginning, binge-watched it over winter break or are viewing it for the first time, “The Final Problem” serves as a mini-movie that is easy to follow for all viewer types. If you are new to the series, the bonus content that airs prior to the showing offers a mini recap of prior events to catch you up on the latest case Sherlock and co. are attempting to solve. As for the actual episode, be prepared for an emotion-inducing thrill ride that will have you still trying to wrap your mind around everything that happened as the credits roll. Show creators Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat promised season four would have a much darker tone than previous years, and that was certainly the direction it went, with tragedy and heartbreak occurring in the very first episode of the season, leading into what is arguably the most emotional episode of the series in the season...
by Erin Franklin | Dec 29, 2016 | Arts and Entertainment, News Slider, Opinion
With an all-star cast and several hit songs, SING is exactly what you’d expect from an average musical — shining in musical numbers, lacking in an original story. The story revolves around Buster Moon (Matthew McConaughey) — an optimistic, sometimes annoying Koala who fell in love with musical theater at a young age — and his theater, which is not doing as hot as it once did back in its glory days when young Nana Noodleman (Jennifer Hudson) was still performing. However, Moon comes up with a surefire plan to revive his theater — a singing competition (basically American Idol with animals). Contestants pour in for auditions in hopes to get their hands on some of the prize money, but he narrows it down to the lucky few: Rosita (Reese Witherspoon) — the housewife pig who is currently just using her voice for lullabies to her many piglets, Mike (Seth McFarlane) — a jazzy mouse who’s down on his luck, Ash (Scarlett Johansson) — the husky-voiced, better half of a hard rock, porcupine duo, Gunter (Nick Kroll) — Rosita’s entertaining, disco-loving partner and Johnny (Taron Egerton) a young, misunderstood gorilla with a natural talent for crooning. Meena (Tori Kelly), a shy elephant with some powerful vocals, also eventually makes her way into the production. This summer, Illumination proved its worth outside of the Despicable Me universe with the highly enjoyable, The Secret Life of Pets. Noting the all-star cast and hit songs in SING’s amusing trailer and recalling the entertaining action from Secret Life, I likely went in with too high of expectations. SING doesn’t quite reach its potential and falls...
by Brooke Dorris and Erin Franklin | Dec 15, 2016 | Arts and Entertainment, News Slider, Opinion
One of the most anticipated films of 2016, Rogue One succeeds in taking viewers on a different kind of Star Wars journey. Rogue One is not your typical Star Wars film. In fact, it doesn’t even have the classic opening crawl viewers have come to expect at the beginning of any Star Wars-associated movie. Jedi and lightsabers are hardly mentioned, and for the first time, Obi-Wan Kenobi is not seen or heard. That’s not to say that Rogue One isn’t a good film. The action takes place in between Episodes III and IV, and it fills in the gap between the prequels and the original trilogy perfectly. However, it also works well as its own standalone film. It tells the story of how the rebels got the plans which tell where the Death Star’s weak spot is. For moviegoers who have seen Episode IV, we know that the plans Leia sends out had to come from somewhere, and Rogue One tells us of the struggles and battles endured to get those very plans. Felicity Jones’ portrayal of Jyn Erso is especially convincing, but the whole cast delivers admirable performances. Notably, there’s a new droid in town, and Alan Tudyk’s portrayal of K-2SO might make you love this imperial-turned-rebel droid just as much as some old favorites like R2-D2 and C-3PO. Speaking of old favorites, there are some classic characters with cameos that you don’t expect to see, but of course, you’re glad you do. Rogue One is complex, but, since it is a standalone film, it wouldn’t be too difficult for someone who hasn’t seen any of the Star Wars films to...
