Forces of Nature
On NJN's State of the Arts
Friday, October 7, at 8:30 pm ; and Wednesday, October 12 at 11:30 pm 

STATEWIDE – Man and his relation to nature was perhaps the first theme to appear in art. In this edition of State of the Arts, profiles of artists Robert Smithson and Thomas George show two very different 20th century variations on the theme. The program also looks at forces beyond our control in a new play by Christopher Durang and the forces behind the success of one of classical music’s premier chamber groups. Forces of Nature airs on Friday, October 7 at 8:30 pm, with a rebroadcast on Wednesday, October 12 at 11:30 pm.

• Robert Smithson
Most famous for his iconic "Spiral Jetty" in the Great Salt Lake, Robert Smithson (1938 - 1973) was a pioneering artist and a native of New Jersey who returned to the Garden State for inspiration throughout his life. In her book Robert Smithson: Learning From New Jersey and Elsewhere, art professor Ann Reynolds wrote that Smithson returned to New Jersey “again and again — alone and with fellow artists — to make art that, through its location alone, undermined assumptions about what, and more important, where, art should be.” Born in Passaic, he grew up in Rutherford and Clifton. Smithson co-founded the "Earthworks" movement in the 1960s and remains a pivotal figure in art history. State of the Arts producer Christopher Benincasa visits the current Smithson retrospective at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York and, from there, explores the artist’s relationship with New Jersey. The Smithson exhibit at the Whitney runs through October 23rd.

• Miss Witherspoon
Forces of Nature turns to the supernatural in “Miss Witherspoon,” a new comedy by the acclaimed playwright Christopher Durang. The play’s world premiere at the McCarter Theatre in Princeton will run through October 16, 2005 prior to a New York run. Miss Witherspoon is a persnickety woman caught in a cycle of reincarnation against her will. Previous lives include “a ringside seat at the Salem witch trials and an exasperating tendency to run into Rex Harrison”; now she must face new tribulations in the 21st century. State of the Arts producer Amber Edwards talks to the playwright and to director Emily Mann.

• Thomas George
Mountains, seas, skies, and trees are the enduring subjects of abstract artist Thomas George’s lifetime of work. A Princeton resident since 1969, George has traveled extensively. He is drawn especially to the dramatic landscapes of Norway, China, and New Mexico, which appear repeatedly in his drawings and paintings. George gives State of the Arts producer Susan Wallner a tour of his recent retrospective at the Princeton University Art Museum, and speaks of his development as an artist over more than 60 years.

• The Eroica Trio
One of classical music's premier Grammy-nominated chamber groups, The Eroica Trio is made up of three glamorous and intense women who have know each other and performed together since they were small children. The Trio regularly performs Beethoven's Triple Concerto for Violin, Cello, Piano and Orchestra and viewers will see excerpts of their recent performance of the Triple Concerto with the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia. Producer Eric Schultz interviews them as they discuss the Triple Concerto, their long friendships, motherhood — each has a son under four years — and their struggles to succeed in a male-dominated profession. The Eroica Trio, itself, projects forces of nature when they perform and rehearse through their passion and impeccable technique. They also evoke forces of nature as they break through the long-standing gender barrier of chamber ensembles.

State of the Arts, the award-winning, half-hour arts magazine airs every Friday at 8:30 pm, followed by an encore presentation each Wednesday at 11:30 pm.

The current episode of State of the Arts can be viewed online at www.njn.net. Individual stories will be available to view online following their broadcast by visiting the program online at State of the Arts.

Funding for State of the Arts is provided by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts and the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation. The series producer is Susan Wallner and the executive producer is Nila Aronow.