KU artist coordinates local performance art festival
By Bryce J. Tache
Kansan staff writer
Marsha Paludan sees herself as more than an artist.
"I don't have the luxury any more of art for art's sake," said Palaudan, teaching assistant in theater and film. "We need to start thinking about creating a better world. I think more and more artists are becoming politically awake and socially conscious."
Paludan has coordinated a week-
long schedule of performance art concerts involving community and University performers.
The festival opens Saturday at the Lawrence School of Ballet, 20% W. Eighth St., with "Excerpts; Third Hand," a performance by Paludan. The week continue nightly throughout the week on campus and in Lawrence.
"There's a tremendous amount of experimental work being done, not so much at the University, but in spaces
in downtown Lawrence and in Kansas City," Palauan said. "This is an opportunity to provide a forum for that work."
response. Right now, there are a lot of questions being asked, and that is very healthy."
Saturday night will be Paludan's first public performance in Lawrence since she moved here 20 years ago.
"Of all the work being done, performance art is what most breaks down between the artist and audience member and provokes an inquiry that demands a
Roger Shimomura, professor of painting and performance art, said there was so much interest in percussion that he had been full for the past five years.
"I think there is a surprising amount of performance art going on in the world," Frankly, a lot of it isn't very good what is important is that there is a lot
of interest and it is being supported by crowds of people."
For those who have never seen performance art, he said they should go without any expectations.
"I think they shouldn't be expected to be entertained in a traditional way," he said. "The point that is being driven home may not be entertainment. In fact, leaving the performance may leave people ungrieved or more disturbed than before they came in."