I was never much of a wrestling fan as a kid mostly, I think, because none of my friends were. I spent most of my time focused on G.I. Joe, Transformers, Star Wars, and Spider-Man, although I do remember having a set of then-WWF Thumb Wrestlers – Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat and Nikolai Volkoff – for when thumb wrestling with actual thumbs had become passé. It wasn’t until my senior year of college that I became a fan, similarly, because my roommate was a fan. That was in 1998. Almost ten years passed before I finally got to see a live World Wrestling Entertainment event, but it was worth the wait. You’ll have the opportunity to see for yourself on March 12, 2013, when WWE Smackdown comes to the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

There are two stables of wrestlers in the WWE, those who wrestle on Raw and those who wrestle on Smackdown. While there is certainly a lot of crossover between the shows – both weekly and at pay-per-view events –  each “brand” within the larger WWE Universe stays the same. If you’re unfamiliar with the way the WWE broadcasts, here’s something important to know: Monday Night Raw airs live on, you guessed it, Mondays nights on USA. Smackdown tapes on Tuesday night but doesn’t air until Friday, on SyFy. In addition to Smackdown, you’ll get to see a live taping of WWE Main Event, a complement to both Raw and Smackdown, that airs Wednesday nights on Ion Television. That’s two chances to see yourself on TV! My advice – wear a bright shirt. You’re easier to spot that way.

The question people always ask about wrestling – is it fake? No, wrestling is scripted. That’s not the same as fake. Watching what the men and women of the WWE do, especially live, gives you a real appreciation for the kinds of athletes (and really, actors) they are. Look at Dwayne Johnson, aka The Rock, a guy who paid his dues on the wrestling circuit, rose up the ranks to become one of the greatest sports entertainers of all time, and is now one of Hollywood’s biggest stars. You can’t “fake” that.

If you’re a lifelong fan, a wrestling rookie, or somewhere in between, WWE Smackdown is a lot of fun (and family-friendly, too). One last note: the next pay-per-view event after the show? WrestleMania 29! Tickets range from $15 to $95 (additional fees may apply). Check out www.wwe.com or www.ticketmaster.com for more information.

And, you can WIN TICKETS! Simply click here to register to win!

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Have you met HOLGA? Diana?

No? Well, here is your chance to enter the interesting, unique, and colorful world of the toy camera.

Plastic cameras first appeared on the photography scene in the 1960s, bringing photography to the masses. Now these cameras have developed a cult following and are producing award-winning photographs.

One of Artlink’s current shows is Plastic Fantastic: A Toy Camera Extravaganza. This show features the work of artists Cara Lee Wade, Daniel Dienelt, Jason Swisher, Theresa Winans Thompson, Bambi Guthrie, Lilliana Hoag, Holly Clabaugh, Nicole Croy, and Josef Zimmerman. The curator of this show, Cara Lee Wade, describes the show as “a photography exhibition featuring local artists who revel in analog ‘toy’ cameras and the unique images that these low-fi vessels create.” The photography ranges from experimental, Daniel Dienelt actually takes his camera apart, to more traditional and Americana style work by Cara Lee Wade, Jason Swisher and Theresa Winans Thompson.

One of the most interesting features of this show is the opportunity to learn about the cameras. The exhibit features a display of plastic cameras used by these artists in the show. Each camera is accompanied by the artists’ descriptions of how and why they use the camera. Some might consider the cameras themselves as art.

The show opened at the Artlink Gallery at 300 East Main Street in downtown Fort Wayne on January 25, 2013, and closes on February 27, 2013. Gallery hours are Tuesday – Friday 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Saturday 12:00 noon-6:00 p.m., and Sunday 12:00 noon-5:00 p.m.

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As a huge basketball fan, I was excited when it announced in 2007 that Fort Wayne would be the home of a NBDL team. I attended several Fort Wayne Fury games back in the early 90’s, but after a little research, I learned the quality of basketball was expected to be much better in this new league. It was announced that a few highly-regarded college players could eventually suit up for the Ants, including many college stars from the state of Indiana (IU, Notre Dame, Purdue and IPFW).

After receiving the name “Fort Wayne Mad Ants” in recognition of General Anthony Wayne (George Washington’s buddy) and looking over the team’s roster, I jumped on board the Mad Ants bandwagon. And I haven’t left since.

Having been to the Memorial Coliseum on several occasions, I knew what to expect: Good food, reasonable beer prices and a clean venue. What I didn’t expect was a competitive team on the floor, and tons of entertainment.

During most timeouts and in-between quarters, there are many different promotions, some two at a time, like t-shirts being thrown in the stands, trivia questions, races, etc. The announcer is loud and he gets you fired up. The Mad Ants mascot, properly named “The Mad Ant” is always jumping around and getting the crowd on their feet. He takes tons of pictures with kids, who then enjoy playing with his antlers.

The product on the court is one a serious basketball fan would appreciate. These players are not Michael Jordan or LeBron James, but they are solid professional basketball players, who are working their tails off to win. Eventually, these players hope to reach the NBA, which is the ultimate goal. It was neat seeing firsthand many former players that I knew from college, competing right here in Fort Wayne.

Following the game, I was happy to see the players interacting with the fans. Players took pictures and signed autographs, even had long conversations with people they probably didn’t know. The Mad Ants players and organization do an outstanding job interfacing with the local community. I thought that was a huge and unforeseen plus during my Mad Ants experience.

If you have wanted to attend a Mad Ants game or were unsure what to expect, I can tell you that you and your family or friends will walk away very happy with the total experience. I plan to return to many Mad Ants games in the near future!

And, you can WIN TICKETS to see the Mad Ants in action! Simply click here to register to win!

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Where can you go to hear spoken word poetry and learn how to drum-all under one roof? The Three Rivers Insti­tute of Afrikan Art & Cul­ture, Inc. (TRIAAC) is the place to go for cultural exchange.

TRIAAC’s vision is to increase the pro­file of tra­di­tional Afrikan and Afrikan Dias­pora music and artists in North­east Indi­ana and the tri-state region, and see that the ben­e­fits go back to the artists and com­mu­ni­ties that pro­duce the music.

To that end, they offer several programs to engage the public:

The Three Rivers Jenbé Ensem­ble is a Mandé music edu­ca­tion and per­for­mance ensem­ble com­prised of youth and adults who love to learn and to play tra­di­tional Mandé music. TRJE is North­east Indiana’s lead­ing Afrikan-centered drum­ming work­shop and per­for­mance ensem­ble. Music, dance, song, and poetry are the ensem­ble vehi­cles for devel­op­ing com­mu­nity relationships. TRJE’s sea­son runs from Sep­tem­ber through May, but they ensem­ble books per­for­mances year round. For more infor­ma­tion, con­tact TRIAAC at (260) 969‑9442.

TRIAAC is a com­mu­nity of inter­est that shares a love for music, move­ment, and wise words that tran­scend the bound­aries of race, gen­der, cul­ture and class and lead to action that enhances our col­lec­tive human identity.

Another creative outlet is the Wednes­day Night Drum­ming, a work­shop for adults who want to learn to play the jenbé and dunun drums. The work­shop is a project of con­tin­u­ing 7-week cycles. Work­shops con­tinue year-round, on Wednes­day evenings, from 6–7:30PM, for begin­ning and inter­me­di­ate drum­mers. Stu­dents are taught the fun­da­men­tal tech­niques and rhythms of the tra­di­tional Mandé jenbé ensemble. Stu­dents re-enroll for each 7-week ses­sion. The fee is $150.00 per work­shop, or $25.00 per class. TRIAAC mem­bers receive a 15% dis­count on work­shop fees.

Those who appreciate the art of poetry might be interested in the Acoustic Spo­ken­Word Cafe. Artists are invited to come share their work, between 7 and 10PM on the sec­ond and fourth Sat­ur­day of each month except July and August.  (Dur­ing Novem­ber and Decem­ber the Café opens only on the sec­ond Sat­ur­day.) Most evenings con­sist of mixed genre pre­sen­ta­tions by two artists, plus an open mic segment. Pre­sent­ing gen­res have included poetry, rap, short sto­ries, nov­els, acoustic and elec­tric jazz, blues, gospel, folk, tra­di­tional Native Amer­i­can flute, Afrikan drum­ming, and film. Interested in performing? Contact TRIAAC through their website.

Join in on the fun!

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Many events are occurring throughout February to honor Black History Month.

The Fort Wayne Museum of Art honored Black History Month with its exhibition, “African American Art: Up Close and Personal” showcasing their prized collection of art by African American makers of the 21st Century.

Visitors enjoy FWMoA’s African American Art Exhibit

Area universities have events planned throughout the month.  Indiana TECH has a variety of events planned including showing Chris Rock’s film Good Hair on the 13^th and the NSBE Banquet featuring Dr. Carl Mack, “Honoring our Past and Driving our Community Forward” On the 21^st at 6:30 p.m.  While University of St. Francis will host a Black Entrepreneurship Lecture focusing on Frank McWorter and Madam CJ Walker in a public presentation lead by Dr. Joe Steensma on the 12^th.  MarcQus Write will also present on “The Mis-Education of the Black Male” on February 20 at 8:30 p.m. in USF’s North Campus Auditorium.

Mr. & Mrs. Jonathan Ray. Mr. Ray is CEO of the Fort Wayne Urban League

The importance of reflecting on the history of the contributions of African-Americans in our society is not lost on Fort Wayne Urban League CEO, Jonathan Ray. “The contributions of Africans and African descended people is not reflected well in mainstream education,” Ray shared with me. “This month is particularly important for young people. Education for all American students focuses on an intellectual heritage that begins with the European and Euro-American tradition, on one hand, and the Judaeo-Christian tradition on the other. For most Black students, the experience in the classroom is one of being present and being excluded at the same time. Nearly all information taught in schools and colleges ignore the black cultural heritage.”

Consequently, the experience in the classroom during black history month is vital for all students but specifically for black students.  Understanding your history or place in the world creates pride and positive self-esteem.  It also demonstrates that achievement can be found in all people as we are all one race – the human race.”

Click here for a complete list of Black History Month events.

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