Artist Ventures Initiative grantee Kimi Maeda presents new work
Letters of Intent are due Dec. 15 for the next round of Artists’ Ventures Initiative grants.
On Nov. 15 and 16 at the Tapps Art Center in Columbia, Artists’ Ventures Initiative grantee Kimi Maeda will premiere Bend, the final installment in a trilogy of performances developed over the past 14 years. Both shows start at 7 p.m.; tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door. Advance tickets are available online.
Using sand, shadow, and projection, Bend tells the story of two men interned in a Japanese American Relocation Camp during World War II: Maeda’s father, an Asian Art historian, and the subject of his research, Isamu Noguchi, a half-Japanese half-American sculptor. In conjunction with this performance, Tapp’s Arts Center will present Ephemera, a month-long exhibition of objects created in the development of the trilogy.
Maeda partnered with artist Lyon Hill in 2011 to form Belle et Bête, a puppet production and promotion company in Columbia. The Spork in Hand Puppet Slams, evenings of short-form puppetry that showcase artists from across the Southeast, have been a major component of their work. Slams allow puppeteers to test ideas and push the limits of the art form, making them vital to the development of longer puppet endeavors. Bend will share each evening with Jenny Mae’s Playhouse, an all-local edition of the Spork in Hand Puppet Slam featuring house band We Roll Like Madmen.
Get a sneak preview with this Bend teaser video. 
Support for Bend was made possible by the Tapp’s Arts Center, the Jim Henson Foundation, the South Carolina Arts Commission, and the Kō Festival of Performance. Support for the Spork in Hand Puppet Slam was made possible by the Puppet Slam Network and the City of Columbia Hospitality Tax Commission.
Letters of Intent are due Dec. 15 for the next round of Artists’ Ventures Initiative grants. Selected applicants will be invited to develop a full grant proposal. Individuals and collaboratives may apply for up to $5,000 in order to launch a new venture or significantly alter an existing venture.