Shadowbox Live and CMA to Premiere New Collaboration GALLERY OF ECHOES, 5/1

"Imagine if you stopped to look at a painting, it unfolds in front of you, moving through space to cover every inch of your vision. A curator's voice begins to whisper in your ear, telling the story of the piece. Music transforms the brush strokes into melodies and harmonies that become the painting's soundtrack. And nearby, live performers may experience the work through dance, song, and spoken word. Art inspired by art inspired by art."

These are the opening words to Gallery of Echoes which has its world premier May 1 at the Shadowbox Live Building. It's an all original, first time collaboration between Shadowbox Live and the Columbus Museum of Art. And it's a way to experience visual art that's never been tried before.

"We were very excited to work with Shadowbox Live on this brand new kind of collaboration," said CMA Executive Director Nannette V. Maciejunes. "Gallery of Echoes is a unique experience that bridges the gap between the visual and the performing arts. It's like nothing you've ever seen."

"Or heard, for that matter," adds Stev Guyer, Executive Director of Shadowbox Live. "And as far as we know, this production is the first of its kind."

The backbone of Gallery of Echoes consists of two art forms, the visual art pieces themselves, and original instrumental music. To compose and perform the music, Guyer called upon Light, the band responsible for the music of 2011's 7 Deadly Sins and the recent collaboration with Cleveland's Verb Ballets, The Masque.

Guyer and fellow members of Light selected 21 pieces from the Columbus Museum of Art's permanent collection, and composed a 21 song cycle inspired by the works themselves.

"Each song is as utterly unique as the artwork it represents," says Matthew Hahn, Music Director for Shadowbox Live and lead guitarist of Light. "Sometimes the music is heavily influenced by the feelings the piece invokes, other times by the story the artist was trying to tell."

The next integral layer of Gallery of Echoes is video. Since transporting 21 pieces of art would be costly and possibly dangerous for the artwork, each piece will be represented through imaginative video, inspired both by the visual art and the music written for it.

"The video segments are designed to help the audience experience the artwork in a completely different way than if they were simply viewing the piece in the museum," says Chief Video Editor, David Whitehouse. "My job was to essentially blend the actual art with the music as seamlessly as possible. The end product will hopefully result in a performance that's easy to understand and felt at a very deep emotional level."

To help achieve this goal, Mills James is providing a 27-foot video screen that will serve as the centerpiece for Gallery of Echoes. Two smaller screens will flank the stage, making the performance an immersive experience.

"We want to envelope the audience, and in some cases, make them feel as though they were in the art itself," says Whitehouse.

Shadowbox Live metaperformers will also be sprinkled throughout the production. Certain movements call for vocalists who will be performing under the direction of Vocal Director Stacie Boord. Contemporary dance, choreographed by Katy Psenicka, will accompany many pieces. Additionally, spoken word narratives will often be included to help guide the audience through the movements depicting each work of art.

"As observers, we too often consider different disciplines of art as completely separate beasts," says Guyer. "But all art is connected at very base and very visceral levels. 'Art inspired by art inspired by art.' That is what Gallery of Echoes represents.

Shadowbox Live and Columbus Museum of Art present Gallery of Echoes, opening on Thursday, May 1st at 7:30 PM, and running Friday, May 2nd and Saturday May 3rd at 7:30 & 10:30 PM, and Sunday May 4th at 2:00 & 7:00 PM. Tickets are $50 for opening night. All other performances are $25 - $40. Students, seniors, military, and CMA members receive a $5 discount for all shows, except opening night. For more information and reservations, call the Shadowbox Live Box Office at 614-416-7625 or go online at www.shadowboxlive.org.