An Evening of Artists in Conversation About Emperor Norton
NOTE: This is an archived announcement of an event that already has taken place. Ticketing links have been removed.
Maquette of Emperor Norton, bronze, 21" (1936), by Peter Macchiarini (1909-2001). In 2010, Piero Mussi of Artworks Foundry, Berkeley, Calif., cast a 4-foot version of this sculpture that presides over the main bar at Comstock Saloon, in San Francisco. Photo: Mike Leon. Source: SF Weekly.
Within a couple of years of declaring his own majesty in September 1859, Emperor Norton was the inspirational subject of numerous paintings, comics and theatrical productions in San Francisco. Thus began a stream of Emperor-themed art that has not stopped flowing to this day.
The Emperor's Bridge Campaign* long has staked out a strong interest in the variety of ways — and whys — in which artists of all kinds have taken up the Emperor as a muse for their work.
Recently, the Campaign launched ARENA, our digital Archive of Emperor Norton in Art, Music & Film, with this series of Visual Arts galleries.
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Building on this latest venture, The Emperor's Bridge Campaign is delighted to announce a special evening in October.
We're bringing together an eclectic and interesting mix of people — artists who've created specific Emperor-themed works and others who have thought deeply about Emperor Norton — for a conversation about the Emperor's abiding cultural import as an avatar of whimsy, openness, tolerance and fair play.
We'll learn why Emperor Norton moves these people; how he has shaped their projects; why they think the Emperor remains a cultural touchstone; and the role that they think art can play in shaping and polishing the stone.
Please join us!
MY EMPEROR, MY MUSE
Artists in Conversation About Emperor Norton
Thursday 13 October 2016
The Eric Quezada Center for Culture & Politics
518 Valencia Street (between 16th & 17th)
San Francisco (map)
Doors at 7 p.m.
Program from 7:30 to 9 p.m.
Wine and snacks
Panelist & ticket info below
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Conversation moderated by John Lumea
Founder of The Emperor's Bridge Campaign
Confirmed participants
John Law
Co-Founder of the Cacophony Society and Burning Man
Cacophony holds Emperor Norton as a patron saint.
Dan Macchiarini
Sculptor, jewelry maker and head of Macchiarini Creative Design
Dan carries forward the legacy of his father, Peter (1909-2001), who was part of the circle of artists that included Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo and Benny Bufano. In the 1930s, Peter created two bronze 21" maquettes of Emperor Norton, envisioning a monumental Emperor as a kind of "Statue of Liberty" for San Francisco. In 2010, Dan made possible the 4-foot casting of one of these maquettes that presides over the main bar at Comstock Saloon in the city.
Kim Ohanneson & Marty Axelrod
Creators of the 2005 musical Emperor Norton: The Musical
Kim wrote the book and Marty wrote the songs for this musical, which has had two 3-month runs in San Francisco — at the Dark Room in 2005-6 and in an expanded version at the Shelton in 2007 — as well as being part of the San Francisco Theater Festival in 2006. In 2009, a one-act version of the show had a limited run at Zombie Joe's Underground Theater in Los Angeles, where the couple live.
Tom R. Pike
Writer of the screenplay Emperor Norton: A Somewhat True Story
Tom is the Los Angeles-based director of the upcoming sci-fi dramedy webseries Personal Space. His Emperor Norton screenplay was the 2015 winner of the Fantasy Script Award at Here Be Dragons: The International New Genre Film Festival. In the 2015 Final Draft Big Break Screenwriting Contest, Tom's script was a Top 10 pick in the feature-film Period / Historical category. He currently is seeking representation in order to attach actors to the project.
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ADMISSION
Free to Emissaries of the Empire
(Join online or at the door.)
All others: $10 advance or on the day.
No paper tickets.
As always, no one will be turned away for financial reasons.
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* In December 2019, The Emperor's Bridge Campaign adopted a new name: The Emperor Norton Trust.
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For an archive of all of the Trust’s blog posts and a complete listing of search tags, please click here.
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