Alpine City Council members voted unanimously on June 4 to sponsor the festival’s expansion into the city with $2,000 from hotel motel tax funds. The funds will be used to help cover equipment rental and film screening fees.

In previous years, ...]]> MARFA, ALPINE – The Marfa Film Festival said its 2013 program will include screenings in Alpine.

Alpine City Council members voted unanimously on June 4 to sponsor the festival’s expansion into the city with $2,000 from hotel motel tax funds. The funds will be used to help cover equipment rental and film screening fees.

In previous years, visitors attending the Marfa Film Festival have proven an economic boon for Alpine, with the week of the festival rated as the third top economically grossing week in the city.

Stewart Ramser, head of the Alpine Chamber of Commerce and organizer of the Viva Big Bend music festival, worked with Marfa Film Festival organizers to facilitate the expansion. Ramser presented the sponsorship proposal to the Alpine council and provided planning assistance.

“The festival was created with a vision including all of West Texas, not just Marfa,” said festival creator/director Robin Lambaria. “It has always been our dream to involve surrounding communities in the festival. We love Alpine and feel absolutely thrilled to connect in this way.”

The Marfa Film Festival runs this year from June 26-30, with Alpine screenings Friday, June 28 and Saturday, June 29 at both the Rangra and Granada theaters.

A shuttle service will offer free transportation between Marfa and Alpine over the course of the five-day event.

“We would like to invite everyone from Alpine join us, and also encourage our international guests to explore the entire Big Bend region,” said Lambaria. “Many of our guests and artists stay in Brewster County during the festival, so it seems like a win-win for everyone.”

Besides theaters in Marfa and Alpine, the festival will host open-air outdoor classic film screenings at Marfa’s municipal golf course after dark. Locally discounted tickets and passes will be available. A full festival schedule is posted online at www.marfafilmfestival.com. For more information or to volunteer or advertise with the festival call 432.729.4449 or visit the office at 200 S. Abbot St. inside Planet Marfa.

Besides playing their dreamy psychedelic dance-pop, the duo will present their debut film, Never Forever, which has been described as the “first-ever Now-Age psyche opera.”

The film stars both band members, sisters Takara ...]]> MARFA – Brooklyn, NY’s Prince Rama will once again grace Marfa with their presence with a show at El Cosmico on Monday, June 24.

Besides playing their dreamy psychedelic dance-pop, the duo will present their debut film, Never Forever, which has been described as the “first-ever Now-Age psyche opera.”

The film stars both band members, sisters Takara and Nimai Larson, and is accompanied by songs from their latest album, Top Ten Hits of the End of the World.

The Vancouver, British Columbia band is currently on tour in support of their critically acclaimed sophomore album, Welcome to Miami.

The 2012 album, which received early coverage from independent magazines such as Absolute Punk and Popmatters, began gaining traction ...]]> MARFA – Canadian punk rock five-piece Slam Dunk will be performing at the Lost Horse Saloon tomorrow night.

The Vancouver, British Columbia band is currently on tour in support of their critically acclaimed sophomore album, Welcome to Miami.

The 2012 album, which received early coverage from independent magazines such as Absolute Punk and Popmatters, began gaining traction with the mainstream music media with Rolling Stone offering a free download of Welcome to Miami cut, “Horse Bumper” and Vice Magazine web imprint Noisey premiering the band’s first single from the album, “Dying Breed.”

The band will take the stage at 9:30pm and a $5 donation is suggested to help the band make to Albuquerque for their Saturday show.

Club Fort Davis After-School Program is bringing the Missoula Children’s Theatre ...]]> FORT DAVIS – Auditions for the Missoula Children’s Theatre are set for 9am on Monday, June 17 at Dirks Anderson Elementary gym. Auditions are open to all children who are currently enrolled in school. No acting experience is necessary. There is a role for everyone!

Club Fort Davis After-School Program is bringing the Missoula Children’s Theatre to Fort Davis with the financial help from area businesses and individuals. If you would like to make a donation, please either take your donation by the Jeff Davis County Public Library, or call Lisa Gordon at 432-249-0658 for more information.

A private opening reception will be held at 6:30pm on Saturday, June 22. All works are for sale with ...]]> ALPINE -  “Southwest Landscapes – Caroline Korbell Carrington,” a collection of 20 original pieces on canvas and paper, will be on exhibition at the Museum of the Big Bend, Sul Ross State University, from June 22-September 1.

A private opening reception will be held at 6:30pm on Saturday, June 22. All works are for sale with proceeds to help support the museum’s dynamic program of exhibitions and public outreach.

A native Texan, Caroline Korbell Carrington was drawn to the Southwest landscape as a child. Some of her fondest memories while growing up was of the time spent in the Texas Hill Country with her parents and siblings. She believes that being in the Hill Country gave her the space to imagine and create.

She graduated from Texas Christian University in 1992 with a B.A. in painting. While enrolled, she realized that she was the only student that was interested in landscape painting. Traveling to Santa Fe, N.M., each summer, she began creating en plein air paintings. There she had the opportunity to study with the late renowned landscape artist David Barbero.

Carrington returned to San Antonio where she continued to paint and worked briefly as an art teacher.  However, she continues to return to the Southwestern landscape, which for her has a magical, sacred quality. She has had numerous solo and group exhibitions across the state and her works are in a number of corporate collections.  Most recently, she created the centennial painting of the Alamo for the Daughters of the Republic of Texas.

For more information contact Mary Bones, (432) 837-8734 or maryb@sulross.edu.

Sarah Vasquez, Natalie Pattillo, & Megan Detrie will assist with station operations this summer producing news stories and learning firsthand how a community supported, non-commercial radio station operates.

Marfa Public Radio summer interns, from left, Natalie ...]]> MARFA – Marfa Public Radio (KRTS 93.5 FM) is pleased to welcome three summer interns to the station.

Sarah Vasquez, Natalie Pattillo, & Megan Detrie will assist with station operations this summer producing news stories and learning firsthand how a community supported, non-commercial radio station operates.

Marfa Public Radio summer interns, from left, Natalie Pattillo, Megan Detrie, and Sarah Vasquez.

Vasquez, of Austin, is a graduate of Texas State University with a BA in Mass Communications – Journalism. During her time at Texas State, Vasquez worked for the college radio station, KTSW 89.9 FM, serving as a reporter for a public interest program and moving on to management of a ten-reporter team. Vasquez recently received an award for her radio news story on Hurricane Sandy from the Society of Professional Journalists.

Pattillo, of Alpine, is a Communications Major at Sul Ross State University. Pattillo has participated in numerous overseas academic programs including Bond University in Australia and Abaco Instituto in Spain. Pattillo studied on and off Broadway and wrote and directed a series of monologues and plays at Tisch School of the Arts in New York. She brings skills in news writing, multimedia news and freelance blogging to KRTS.

Megan Detrie, of Wisconsin,  has a BA in Journalism and Mass Communication and a BA in Political Science from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. The bulk of Detrie’s six years of professional print and radio journalism have been in the Middle East. She joins us after graduating from the radio track at the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies in Portland, Maine.

This year’s program includes changes to the traditional schedule. There will be no events on Friday night. All activities will take place Saturday and Sunday.

The museum will open to the public on Saturday morning, October ...]]> MARFA – Save the date for Chinati Weekend, which takes place this year on Saturday, October 12 and Sunday, October 13.

This year’s program includes changes to the traditional schedule. There will be no events on Friday night. All activities will take place Saturday and Sunday.

The museum will open to the public on Saturday morning, October 12 with a champagne celebration for this year’s temporary exhibitions: prints by Donald Judd and Albrecht Durer, curated by Marianne Stockebrand, Chinati‘s Director Emerita.

Self-guided viewing of the permanent collection along with related talks, art activities and programming take place on Saturday. That evening, cocktails and the annual benefit dinner will take place in the Arena, followed by an after-party with a DJ and dancing at the Capri.

A sunrise viewing of Donald Judd’s 100 works in mill aluminum takes place Sunday morning, with self-guided viewing of the collection following.

More programming details will be announced soon.

Poindexter’s presentation will chronicle the legacy of Milton Faver, among the very first Big Bend pioneers, and the foundation of his ranch on Cíbolo ...]]> MARFA – John Poindexter, Houston businessman, Presidio County ranch owner and historian will be the Marfa and Presidio County Museum guest speaker at Marfa’s Crowley Theatre on Saturday, June 15 at 4pm.

Poindexter’s presentation will chronicle the legacy of Milton Faver, among the very first Big Bend pioneers, and the foundation of his ranch on Cíbolo Creek.

“Don Melitón” established a sweeping 19th century cattle empire around a headquarters community that was both a fortress and thriving agricultural center.

By the mid-20^th century, Faver’s creation lay in ruins. Poindexter will describe the ambitious project that resulted in the restoration of the lands and buildings that today form a renowned refuge in the midst of the Chihuahuan Desert.

This presentation is sponsored by the Marfa and Presidio County Museum Association.

All area residents and visitors are most cordially invited to attend. Admission is free; a reception with light refreshments will follow Mr. Poindexter’s  presentation.

MARFA – Memphis Tennessee’s Ex-Cult will be returning to the Padre’s Marfa stage tomorrow night with Austin-based new-wave band Captive opening the show at 9:30pm.

(Sentinel file photo by JOHN DANIEL GARCIA) Memphis Tennesse-based punk band Ex-Cult performed at ...]]> By JOHN DANIEL GARCIA

MARFA – Memphis Tennessee’s Ex-Cult will be returning to the Padre’s Marfa stage tomorrow night with Austin-based new-wave band Captive opening the show at 9:30pm.

(Sentinel file photo by JOHN DANIEL GARCIA) Memphis Tennesse-based punk band Ex-Cult performed at Padres in January in this file photo.

Ex-Cult, the psyche-tinged post-punk band that occasionally crosses the line into D.C. hardcore territory, will be playing their second show in six months at Padre’s after they opened for Ty Segall in January.

The band, known as Sex Cult before being legally obligated to change the name, is kicking off their second full tour in support of their Segall-produced debut self-titled full-length record (released in November 2012) tonight in Austin before hitting Marfa. The two week long West Coast tour will end in Los Angeles, where they will meet Segall for another stint in the studio before turning around and playing nine dates in July.

The always-busy Segall, who became a fan and friend of the band after witnessing a few live shows in Memphis, offered the band his services after the band’s incendiary 2012 South by Southwest performance.

“I’ve been friends with Ty for a few years and we had opened for him in Memphis,” explained frontman Chris Shaw, “We told him that Goner Records [who has released albums by artists such as Jay Reatard and NoBunny] wanted to release our full length after our South-by show and he asked us who was going to record it. We didn’t have a producer lined up, so he asked if we’d like him to do it.”

The band will also be releasing their fourth single through Goner next month, which will likely quickly sell-out like their last three 7” records.

The band’s return to Marfa follows a satisfactory show the last time they were in town.

“[Marfa] was awesome,” said Shaw, “We didn’t know what to expect when we rolled in since it’s such a small town in a rural area, but we had a great crowd response and everybody was really cool. I’m sure we’ll have a bada** time again!”

This show, however, should be a lot warmer than the last. A $5 cover will be collected at the door.