Mar. 25: Lyle Ritz RIP, Classical Music Feud, Wendy Red Star, Women on Wikipedia & More

Published: March 24, 2017, 10:52 p.m.

b'This week we are all about change. From feminist art wikipedia editing parties to a young composer calling for a revitalization of classical music, Portland artists and musicians challenge the canon.

March Sadness Update - 00:57

Last week we introduced you to March Sadness: the tournament of heartbreakers, grim reapers, and other incredibly sad songs to get you through the end of winter. We asked you to vote on which tracks you found most gut-wrenching, and we are down to the final two: "And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda" by the Pogues and Johnny Cash\'s "Hurt."

Musician Feud Transforms into Classical Concert - 2:36

In 2015, composer Tristan Bliss wrote a scathing article about chamber group 45th Parallel\'s \\u201cForbidden Music\\u201d show, a classical concert that featured music that had been outlawed for religious and political reasons. Bliss tore apart the concert for its lack of risk, and director Greg Ewer fired back that Bliss compose something better. So he did (or at least he tried).

Rasika Dance Overcomes Travel Ban - 12:50

Putting together a multi-layered international dance performance with international artists is never easy. There\\u2019s the travel logistics and the airfare, to say nothing of navigating the bureaucratic complexity of work visas. Hillsboro choreographer Jayanthi Raman has been an ace at this over the years, but as a result of President Trump\\u2019s visa restrictions, she had to reschedule her big spring show. Featuring a mixture of classical Indian ballet and contemporary dance, Raman\'s \\u201cDuality: A Dance Ballet of India\\u201d tells the story of a woman who moved to Portland from India.

Feminist Art Historians Edit The Internet - 17:43

If you read up on women artists on Wikipedia, chances are that page was written by a man. Statistics show the percentage of women who edit Wikipedia, the popular open-source website, is fewer than 10-percent. But there are some art-minded folks trying to close that gender gap. At Portland Institute for Contemporary Art (PICA) last week, a group of feminists and artists took part in a massive national editing session to create more diverse voices and content on Wikipedia.

Jennifer Rabin\'s New Projects Seek to Show Why Art Matters - 19:22

Of course, editing wikipedia is far from the only way to engage art and politics. Jennifer Rabin is an artist, writer and activist. She\\u2019s used her post as Willamette Week\\u2019s visual arts writer to focus its spotlight on underrepresented artists, and she\\u2019s made her own politically minded work, but that wasn\\u2019t enough. Last week, she launched Art Passport PDX, a collaborative program to get more eyes into galleries by offering prizes (including $1600 to spend on art) to those who visit eight local galleries. And this week, she launched Artists Resist, a project that responds to the proposed elimination of the NEA and NEH.

Artist Wendy Red Star on the Rise - 30:02

Over the last few years, artist Wendy Red Star\\u2019s work has been featured around country, including at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City and two shows at the Portland Art Museum. The hits don\\u2019t stop: Red Star is on the main stage next month at Portland Design Week, and her work is being featured in the Governor\\u2019s office in Salem.

Palindrome Expert Mark Saltveit Dances With Words - 35:14

Oregonian Mark Saltveit is the reigning world palindrome champion, having taken home the prize in 2012 at the first ever competition, hosted by none other than NPR Puzzle Master Will Shorts. Saltveit is also a stand up comedian and writer. This weekend, Saltveit is defending his title.'