Marc Sylvester
If your art teacher tells you that designing a Z-pull to be executed at breakneck speed can't translate into any kind of legitimate art form, tell him to talk with Marc Sylvester. Sylvester, a Drum Corps International Hall of Fame member and noted program designer and instructor (he'll be working with the Cadets in 2003), is having a piece of his sculpture shown at the Phoenix Gallery (568 Broadway at Prince St., suite 607) in New York City's SoHo district. "This piece, titled " Underneath," is one in a series of art projects I have been working on over the past few years called "Beneath the surface," which deals with the way our society constantly defines beauty by a judgment of the outside surface of an object (or a person), as opposed to what is beneath the surface," Sylvester said. Sylvester described the 5.5-ft.-by-4 ft. sculpture, which hangs from the ceiling, as "A found, dome-shaped object which was upholstered, probably some kind of prop a used in a video (I found it in the dumpster of a video studio in my neighborhood). I stripped away all of the outer material to show what was behind the surface. The whole piece was then layered in about 50 coats of glue (a white glue which dries clear)." The show's opening reception will be Friday night, March 7, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The show runs from March 5 to March 29. "I'm very excited to have my work shown at the Pheonix Gallery. It (the gallery) has been around since the '50s, so this is a great opportunity," Sylvester said. Cadets' director George Hopkins, who has worked with Sylvester since 1982, said, "Marc's artwork is interesting, different and without question "outside the box." Marc approaches his art the same way he did drill design -- with passion and a commitment for excellence." Sylvester took a minute to look forward to the Cadets' 2003 show. "I'm also very excited to have Jeff Sactig (drill designer) back at the Cadets! The corps is having an impressive winter. The most talent all the way around I have seen there in decades. This year's show will be a great combination of innovation, achievement and, most importantly, entertainment!" Sylvester said. Sylvester was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2001. He began his drum corps designing and teaching career in the late 1970s with the 27th Lancers, where he helped legendary DCI designer George Zingali put his esoterically wild design ideas onto the field. He and Zingali went on to design some of the more memorable Cadets' drills in the 1980s. "In terms of design he is a master of 'visual instrumentation,' in addition to the theatrics of storytelling. In my years, there is no one like him, and I doubt there will be," Hopkins said of Sylvester's on-field visual design skills. For more information on Sylvester's show, go to http://www.phoenix-gallery.com, call 212.226.8711 or e-mail info@phoenix-gallery.com.