Civil Dusk

A Performance by Bethany Collins

Friday, May 1, 6:30 pm
The Brick
518 N. Western Avenue
Free

Named after the first stage of twilight, Civil Dusk (2024) begins as sunlight fades. The performance consists of multiple versions of Auld Lang Syne sung simultaneously, while focusing on a version historically sung by soldiers in the trenches of war. The melody remains constant as the lyrics change, resulting in a familiar chaos. Despite moments of rupture, there are a few moments of synchronicity within the performance, where two voices nearly align. The performance will end in astronomical twilight, when sunlight no longer illuminates the western-facing gallery doors. Ending in darkness.

About the Artist

Bethany Collins is a multidisciplinary artist whose conceptual practice centers language—its biases, contradictions, and ability to simultaneously forge connections and foster violence. By erasing, obscuring, and rewriting portions of text, her works illuminate American histories, offering insight into the nuanced development of racial and national identities.

Collins received an MFA from Georgia State University in Atlanta, GA and a BA from the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. Upcoming and recent solo museum exhibitions include presentations at the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver, CO; Seattle Art Museum, WA; Frist Museum, TN; CAM St. Louis, MO; and the Art Institute of Chicago. Upcoming and recent group exhibitions include presentations at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Speed Art Museum, Zimmerli Art Museum, Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, The Renaissance Society, Peabody Essex Museum, The Phillips Collection and the Smart Museum, among many others. She is also the recipient of the 3Arts Next Level Visual Arts Award (2024); Gwendolyn Knight & Jacob Lawrence Prize (2023); Joan Mitchell Fellowship (2022); and The Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant (2015), among others.

About the Performers

Allie Bradford is a Chicago, Englewood native and has graced the stage with a plethora of world-renowned musicians.  She has recorded with Grammy Award winning artists like Chance The Rapper and Bobby McFerrin, among others. She has toured internationally and domestically with Jamila Woods, Theaster Gates, New Kids On The Block, Alice Cooper and many others. She recently released her first solo single “When I Met You” on all streaming platforms. The song is from her upcoming debut EP titled “On My Own” showcasing her journey as a classically trained R&B artist and the juxtaposition of blended genres.

Keanon Kyles, bass-baritone, has been praised by CNN for his beautiful voice and superb vocal technique. A native Chicagoan, he received his bachelor’s degree from Columbia College and his master’s degree from Roosevelt University Chicago Conservatory of Performing Arts. He has performed internationally, singing Betto in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi and the Father in Hänsel und Gretel by Humperdinck in Italy, Colline in La Bohème and Leporello in Don Giovanni in the United Kingdom and the title role in Rigoletto in Glasgow, Scotland. His performance in the title role in Britten’s Noyes Fludde was broadcast live in Bogota, Colombia at the León de Greiff. He made his Chicago Opera Theater debut in the role of Daggoo in Moby Dick by Jake Heggie. He just finished up a tour of The Matchbox Magic Flute where he performed the role of Sarastro under the direction of Mary Zimmerman. Indeed, as an Associate Young Artist with C.O.T., he performed in several world premieres of new operas by Kamala Sankaram, Errollyn Wallen and Dan Shore. Kyles has sung with the Chicago Lyric Opera in their productions of The Scorpions’ Sting, The Factotum and Earth to Kenzie. He recently performed at Portland Opera as Morales in their production of CARMEN. Kyles has been front page news in the Chicago Sun Times, United Kingdom’s premiere music publication Opera Scotland, and has appeared on Good Morning America, CNN, the BBC News and NPR. He is a two-time Reva and David Logan Foundation Award recipient, and the State of Illinois 2023 Outstanding Achievement in Arts and Humanity Award Winner. He currently sits on the voice faculty of Roosevelt University and LYRIQ Music School.

This program is presented in conjunction with MONUMENTS, an exhibition co-organized and co-presented by The Brick and The Museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles (MOCA).