If ever a person deserved one of those MacArthur Foundation "genius" grants it's Trisha Brown, who was, in fact, awarded one in 1991. Lucky for us, she comes to the University of South Florida for a multi-event Distinguished Master Artists series that begins Friday.
Brown made her reputation as a ground-breaking choreographer in the 1960s and has continued to receive plaudits for her dances, but she is so much more than a creator of dance. Brown has also staged operas and collaborated with visual artists, such as Robert Rauschenberg, and composers, such as Laurie Anderson and John Cage.
And she's a visual artist. A survey of her drawings from 1975 to the present is on view at USF's Contemporary Art Museum, 4202 E Fowler Ave., Tampa, along with a series of new etchings created with Graphicstudio.
Brown will participate in a symposium with a panel that includes art historian and curator Susan Rosenberg and USF professor of theater and dance Michael Foley from 10 a.m. to noon Friday at USF's Theater 1 on the Tampa campus. The event is free. A free opening reception for "Trisha Brown: Drawing on Land and Air" is at the museum from 7 to 9 p.m. - Lennie Bennett lennie@tampabay.com
