ARTS & CULTURE
KANSAN.COM
7
Cottonwood to hold exhibition with Lawrence Arts Center
ALYSSA HOEDL
@ghoedl
Contributed photo
Through a partnership with the Lawrence Arts Center, Cottonwood, Inc. is producing its 17th annual arts exhibit.
The art from the company's exhibit comes from consumers of Cottonwood's work-enrichment program as well as its retirement-enrichment program.
"These programs are a part of our life-enrichment services which provide support and services throughout the day [for our consumers] to have a meaningful day, whether it is to work in the community or here at Cottonwood," said Sarah Brown, the retirement enrichment services coordinator at Cottonwood.
Many different types of artwork will be displayed at the exhibit, including acrylic painting that is done on paper and canvases, melted crayons and other things
layered on canvases, canvases with an acrylic background and a favorite picture placed on top, prints that were made in printmaking classes, and more.
The exhibit is a compilation of pieces of art that
rence Arts Center, said. "The classes and workshops the Cottonwood consumers have with arts center artists and faculty is a unique and valuable experience."
consumers have made, including art that was made in classes at the center.
"The partnership between Cottonwood and the arts center is an important one," Ben Ahlvers, director of exhibitions at the Law-
Though the arts exhibit has only been at the center
"We absolutely love the classes we take at the LAC, the teachers always have a fantastic way that they bring art to our consumers
for five years, its partnership with classes has been much longer.
and they help them develop that passion that they have in class," Brown said.
The exhibit is open to all ages, and college students are encouraged to attend.
"It's an opportunity to learn about people through their art that might not ever intersect with the typical college student experience," Ahlvers said.
The exhibit runs at the center from Oct. 28 at 5 p.m.to Nov. 21 at 9 p.m. Brown said artists will be at the exhibit from 5:30 to 8 p.m.
"You can meet most of the artists, and proceeds from the art go to the consumers," Brown said. "It's their chance to sell their artwork and it doesn't benefit Cottonwood or the LAC, it benefits the consumers and what they've created."
- Edited by Christian Hardy
'Ouija: Origin of Evil' succeeds in scares
GUS HUNNINGHAKE
@gushunninghake
Two years ago, Blumhouse Productions released "Ouija," a poorly directed, scattershot film with virtually no scares. Despite overwhelmingly negative reviews from critics and fans, the film made back its production budget and more in theaters. This prompted Universal Pictures to green light "Ouija: Origin of Evil," much to the initial dismay of many horror connoisseurs. However, once Mike Flanagan was signed to direct, the film gained a glimpse of hope.
"Ouija: Origin of Evil" takes place in 1967 and stars Elizabeth Reaser as Alice Zander, a recently widowed mother who makes her living by pretending to be a medium. Alice's oldest daughter, Paulina (Annalise Basso), and youngest daughter, Doris (Lulu Wilson), both aid her in pretending to speak to those who have passed to the other side. When her practice needs some spicing up, Alice gives in and buys a Ouija board at Paulina's suggestion. Soon after buying the board, Alice plays with it alone, and Doris begins to exhibit paranormal behavior. As the behavior turns sinister and Doris starts playing alone, Paulina turns to Father Tom (Henry Thomas) to help
get her sister back from the damned.
For starters, this film is fantastic. It's also deeply frightening. As a director, Mike Flanagan hardly ever uses fake jump scares to get the audience's heart rate going. Instead, he places truly scary images onscreen without any high pitched musical cues, which allows the tension and fear to flow seamlessly into the film's narrative. Flanagan's attention to period detail also adds to the eeriness of the story and makes the movie feel like it came straight out of the 60s. When the film starts, the Universal logo that was used from 1963 to 1990 envelopes the screen. The title card looks as if it was hand drawn in 1967. Little cigarette burns, which used to be put on film to signify the changing of reels from one projector to another, occasionally appear in the top right corner of the screen. These and many other small directing choices prove Flanagan's commitment and attention to detail while crafting a horror film.
All four of the main characters are heartfelt and gripping in their roles. Both Reaser and Thomas do a fine job of portraying the pain and loss that Alice and Father Tom must deal with each day. The most impressive performances, however, come from the two
younger women. Basso perfectly mixes the angst of being a teenager and the sadness she feels from the loss of her father in a powerfully emotional performance, and Wilson is downright haunting as Doris, especially when supernatural forces surface and slowly begin to take over her life.
These impressive and surprising performances are in large part thanks to the wonderful script co-written by Flanagan and his frequent collaborator Jeff Howard. These two put a lot of time and care into each main character, which allows them to fit into the story with emotional resonance and a sense of importance. Props to Universal for actually caring enough to hire someone that knows how to write a good character for a horror film.
"Ouija: Origin of Evil" is one of the biggest surprises of 2016. Each scene builds on itself to amp the tension and scares up until the credits role. From the meticulous direction, to the well-written script, to the wonderful performances, this prequel did everything right that the first film did completely wrong. This breath of fresh air is well worth the price of admission and is one of the scariest movies in recent years.
—Edited by Cody Schmitz
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