Arts & Culture

Coverage of visual arts, performing arts, cultural events, and artistic entrepreneurs.

Hook adds two employees, triples space and hopes to hire four more

The last time we checked in with Hook earlier this year, the commercial-art start-up was made up of its two co-founders, a couple of part-time employees and a stable of freelancers crammed into a small office in downtown Ann Arbor. Today it employs six people (meeting its goal for the year) and has tripled its office space."We just kept working, taking on projects," says Aaron Schwartz, who co-founded the company last year with Michael Watts, both former University of Michigan students. "It got to the point that we had to turn down jobs because we didn't have the manpower."Manpower looks like it will be an important word for the 2.5-year-old firm. Schwartz expects to hire another 2-4 people in 2009 as it adds new clients.Hook incorporates 3-D imagery into commercial art, such as animation and illustrations. The firm's clients include Toyota and its work appeared in this year's North American International Auto Show in Detroit."We'd like to have more national television work," Schwartz says.Source: Aaron Schwartz, co-founder of HookWriter: Jon Zemke

Latest in Arts & Culture
Video The Ann Arbor Film Fest

After 46 years it comes to this: a guest appearance by Larry Flynt, an ACLU law suit and woodland animals getting creamed by roller derby girls. Still, the Ann Arbor Film Festival has never taken its eye off the ball. This year marks a new, user-friendly era for the festival Variety Magazine called, one of "Ten Film Festivals We Love!"

Film on local principal celebrates hands-on tact

One of Ann Arbor’s best educators is standing and delivering in a new documentary. Excerpt: In a new film about his life, Ann Arbor educator Joseph Dulin is portrayed as part drill sergeant, part psychiatrist, part motivational speaker and part Wal-Mart greeter in the halls of Roberto Clemente Student Development Center. The documentary film "Bridging the Gap" shows many scenes where troubled students and worried parents enter the principal's office. After Dulin is done with his pep talk, they are hugging and crying. There were two advance screenings of documentary about the 73-year-old Dulin Friday at the Music Hall Center in Detroit. The movie will be released later this winter when the film festivals get under way. Dulin's been principal at Clemente - an alternative Ann Arbor public school for at-risk eighth- through 12th-graders - for more than 30 years. The filmmakers followed him for three school years. Read the rest of the story here.

Jeff Daniels to perform 11 ‘unplugged’ holiday shows

Jeff Daniels is plugging back into Chelsea this Holiday season with a series of unplugged shows. Excerpt: The Purple Rose Theatre Co. presents Jeff Daniels' one-man show "Onstage & Unplugged" for a limited 11-show engagement from Friday, Dec. 26, 2008, through Sunday, Jan. 4, 2009. All performances will be at The Purple Rose Theatre Company, 137 Park Street, Chelsea. Daniels (executive director and PRTC founder) returns to the PRTC stage for the eighth time since 2001. A prolific songwriter as well as playwright, Daniels performs solo with blues guitar and an arsenal of songs that are alternately humorous and poignant. This year's lineup will feature new selections and crowd favorites from Daniels' critically acclaimed CDs. Read the rest of the story here.

Winter Shadow Art Fair

'Tis the season to support local artists and designers! Once again the Shadow Art Fair makes a 12-hour appearance at the Corner Brewery in Ypsilanti then fades into the wintery night air. Drink beer, listen to music and buy locally made tchotchkes.

Video U-M’s Solar Car Team

Imagine, not paying for gas. Ever. U-M's Solar Car Team brings together engineering, business and design school majors to develop the ultimate sustainable vehicle. How successful have they been? The team has taken home top honors at the North American Solar Challenge for the last five years!

Video Motawi Tileworks

They made it with their own two hands! Karim and Nawal Motawi turned their handmade tile into a handmade business that employs nearly 30 local artisans. Mixing old world craft skills with modern manufacturing techniques, this Ann Arbor-based company brings in $2.5 million in annual revenues and has developed a devoted client base.

LimeWire talks to Ghostly International

LimeWire interviews Jeff Owens, the label manager for Ann Arbors favorite electronic music label Ghostly International.Excerpt:It's the season of scary, and we recently had the pleasure of interviewing Jeff Owens, the label manager for Ghostly International and Spectral Sound. Founded by Sam Valenti IV in 1999 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Ghostly is one of America's most innovative and influential independent record labels. Continue reading to find out why...Read the entire article here.

Video Pixel Velocity

Pixel Velocity is watching. Or rather they're letting you watch. This Ann Arbor-based company creates high-speed digital image processing products for the surveillance and medical imaging markets. See them seeing you.

The Life Sciences Orchestra

"Paging Dr. Clarinet... " For the last eight years U-M's life sciences orchestra has been bringing together eighty or so of the university's most talented doctors, dentists, researchers, technicians and students to make beautiful music. And it doesn't matter how many letters they've got after their name. They have to audition like everyone else.

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