April showers bring more than May flowers to Southern Indiana. Flower-power blossoms with Penny Sisto’s '60s quilt art exhibit and Casey Harison’s “Join Together” talk at The Carnegie Center for Art and History in April. During May 24-28, peace, love, and rock 'n' roll return to downtown Jeffersonville with the Beatles-inspired music fest, Abbey Road on the River.
“The Sixties: Turn on, Tune-in, and Drop out” by Penny Sisto
At The Carnegie Center for Art and History until April 21, Penny Sisto showcases her fiber works that capture the '60's-era’s innocence, creativity and revolutionary feel. Her exhibit includes important figures in quilt form such as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Abbie Hoffman, Jimi Hendrix, and John Lennon. The quilts bear Sisto’s signature rich colors and textured materials.
Sisto was born in Scotland and was raised by her grandmother. In the 1960s she traveled to Africa to work as a midwife with Maasai women. She eventually settled in California where she lived in a commune. When she met her husband Dick Sisto, she moved to Kentucky and worked on a dairy farm.
Her experiences as a young woman shaped how she creates and though she says she has no formal education and describes herself as a ‘bad artist.’ According to her website, she says, “The one talent I have is to put down in fabric something that makes you able to feel how I felt when I made it.”
“Join Together: The Who and the Sixties Counterculture”
On April 14, Casey Harison, Professor of History at Southern Indiana University, will lead a talk “Join Together: The Who and the Sixties Counterculture.” It will center on the band, The Who and the British invasion’s relevance and impact on youth culture.
From the program announcement, “If The Who had done nothing else, they would have secured a place in Rock ‘n roll history for high volume, smashed guitars and kicked-over drum kits. But The Who also played a role in the American and British counterculture movement of the late 1960s.”
Harison has written a book about The Who called, “Feedback: The Who and Their Generation.”
The program on April 14 is free, but the Carnegie Center asks anyone interested to register by calling (812) 944-7336 or emailing Delesha Thomas at dthomas@carnegiecenter.org.
Abbey Road on the River
In its second year in Jeffersonville, Abbey Road on the River boasts acts from around the world, playing both Beatles music and other artists of the '60's era. This year, the festival will include national musical acts, such as America,
and Vanilla Fudge.
It will also include a tribute to Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers, with The Petty Hearts, and their National Tom Petty Tribute Show.
The band, Classicstone, whose singer Juliana Rodriguez was featured in our Valentine’s day blog, will return to the festival with her band of brothers.
Be sure to stay tuned for the latest information on Abbey Road on the River as this groovy music festival draws close!
For more fun happening this spring, view our April and May calendar of events.
