The Met remembers Max Ernst
Only a few weeks old, the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s “Max Ernst: A Retrospective” ushers in spring and the start of summer with the German-born artist’s disruptive, chaotic flair.

Including some 180 pieces of Ernst’s work, the show traces his hectic early life—immediately post-WWI, when he was busy in the German Dada movement and then aligned with Surrealism in Paris in the 1920s—and pans over his prolific later years, which found him in the United States for a spell, until his death in 1976 at age 84.

The Retrospective accounts for Ernst’s most significant paintings and collages—beautifully bizarre in composition and construction—plus drawings, sculptures, and illustrated books lent by private and public collections in Europe and the United States.

It is the first major survey of Ernst’s eclectic career to be exhibited in the United States in thirty years. “Max Ernst: A Retrospective” runs at the Met’s Tisch Galleries until July 10.
—Freddy Deknatel, A&E Editor

Vassar folk trio continues to rise
The Taylor Brown Trio is attracting interest from record labels and music venues across the country. In a music industry that is becoming increasingly computerized, the Trio has traveled in the polar opposite direction. The band is made up of Taylor Brown ’06 (guitar, harmonica and lead vocals), Andrew Lipow ’07 (bass and vocals), and Rigel Byrum-Ridge ’06 (drums and vocals).

The Trio is influenced by musicians from Bob Dylan to Charles Mingus. According to Brown, creating such music was natural. “[Lipow] and [Byrum-Ridge] are jazz players, and I was big on folk, but our meeting point is the blues,” he said. Lipow was attracted to the group by playing with Byrum-Ridge and Brown, and also impressed by Brown’s work ethic. For Brown, Lipow says, “it’s a professional gig. [Brown] knows what he is doing.”

The band’s goals are long-term, and they have negotiated with several different labels, including Blue Note. The Taylor Brown Trio is playing on Founder’s Day at 11 a.m. on Main Stage, and will be opening for and accompanying Kate Taylor at the Cutting Room in NYC on May 13.

—Pat Donachie, Guest Writer

Friday, April 29
Vassar:
Fly People Second Floor Students’ Building, 7 p.m.
ViCE Versa Free concert to kick off Founder’s Day Weekend. Ballantine Field, 7 p.m.

New York City:
Thomas Demand Photo Exhibit Museum of Modern Art, 11 W. 53 Street, 10:30 a.m., $12 Student Admission.

Saturday, April 30
Vassar:
“La Vida Callejera, Making a living in the Streets of Spain” Photo Exhibition by Alexandra Marvar ’06. Aula, 9 a.m.
Founder’s Day Various Locations, 11 a.m.

New York City:
Death from Above 1979 Bowery Ballroom, 6 Delancey Street, 8:30 P.M., $15.

Sunday, May 1
Vassar:
Vassar College Orchestra Under the direction of Eduardo Navega. Martel Recital Hall, Skinner, 3 p.m.

New York City:
Diane Arbus: Revelations Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 5 Avenue, 9:30 a.m.