The former assistant director of the National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin, and former director of the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, will lead the Toledo Museum of Art beginning in September, museum officials announced June 30.

Brian P. Kennedy, 48, will leave his director position at Dartmouth College’s Hood Museum of Art to become Toledo Museum of Art’s ninth director after a nearly nine-month search by the Toledo Museum.

Kennedy

More than 100 candidates applied for the position, said Board of Directors Chairwoman Elizabeth Brady.

“We were thrilled with the number of people who were interested,” she said.

Kennedy, a native to Ireland, said he was impressed with Toledo Museum of Art after he visited the museum a few years ago. Although the museum’s 30,000 works are fewer in quantity than other museums Kennedy has worked in, he said the quality of the art is what matters.

“This is a knock your socks off collection,” he said also calling the museum “exquisite,” “sophisticated” and “elegant.”

Kennedy said he has not made specific plans for the museum, but he will draw on past experience and work with employees to move the museum forward.

“This city can do great things in the world…and Toledo Museum of Art can be a leader with it,” he said.

The June 30 Toledo Free Press Star is available as a  ‘Twilight’ e-edition.

As the crowds line up for the June 30 release of “Twilight: Eclipse,” 15-year-old Toledo native Albert Bryant recently began rehearsals for his debut film “Vampire Chick.” The horror short will soon begin shooting at the Collingwood Arts Center as well as the property of  family and friends.
Bryant began his path to success as a client of the Make-A-Wish Foundation with one dream — to meet renowned acting coach and “Scream Queens” judge John Homa. Homa is the exclusive acting coach for the daytime soap opera “General Hospital.” Bryant lives with a form of Mitochondrial Myopathy, a muscular disorder that can cause muscle weakness, muscle cramping, fatigue, lack of endurance and poor balance. He has appeared in a number of local theater productions, as well as multiple regional commercials for Make-A-Wish. Bryant will next appear with Make-A-Wish at the Lucas County Fairgrounds on July 3.
“John Homa told me if you want to make a movie, just make a movie. I first got the idea for “Vampire Chick” while working on another script last summer. I originally wrote like 86 pages, but cut it down to around 25 due to budget concerns. We’re making this whole project for around $140.” Bryant said. “The hardest aspect of the production has been our casting. We cast our lead because we love her acting abilities. I think chemistry is what makes movies — building character relationships and, as a director, being dedicated and loving what you’re doing,”
A number of Bryant’s cast members were taken from the Children’s Theater Workshop at 2417 Collingwood Blvd.  The film is being shot by Bryant’s uncle and is set to wrap principal photography before July 1.
“One of my greatest influences as a filmmaker is Alfred Hitchcock; there was a man who was just ahead of his time,” Bryant said. “When I finish the film I plan on sending it to John Homa, just to see what he thinks, and maybe make a longer version, maybe do a benefit screening for the Children’s Theater Workshop.”
The Toledo Make-A-Wish chapter can be reached at (419) 244-9474.

Though the “Twilight” saga has encompassed just about every aspect of popular media as its predecessor juggernaut, the “Harry Potter” franchise, the vampires have now spread their spore to one arena the Hogwarts students have not: comic books. Early this year, Yen Press released Volume 1 of a graphic novel adaptation of the first “Twilight” novel.

It is hard to imagine that “Twilight” diehards wouldn’t want to at least crack the coffin lid on this beautiful little hardcover. A few things it has going for it include full approval by author Stephenie Meyer, who “supervised each and every page” and lush art by Korean illustrator Young Kim. The style is manga-esque — for those of you not familiar with manga, it’s the dominant form of comics in the Eastern world, most prominently in Japan. It has a unique style, kind of an idealized translation of American comics and “Twilight: The Graphic Novel” is, for the most part, a manga. Readers can expect characters with big eyes and a visual language, including lots of symbolism, which is particular to the style.
In this first volume, Young covers about half of “Twilight,” and adapts the story fairly faithfully and straightforward. No surprises here; Meyer’s fans will find the story they’re familiar with, including dialogue and characters. Young’s art will at times make you linger on certain pages, especially when she illustrates the forests around the city of Forks. Be warned: there are no actors’ likenesses and the art is mostly in blacks and whites and grays — Young’s use of color is strictly sporadic and used for impact, such as in dream sequences or when Bella enters the forest.
This is highly recommended for “Twilight” completists but also for manga fans in general and followers of media who may be fascinated by the translation of one genre to another — as well as one culture to another.

Last fall, I wrote a column for Toledo Free Press in which I asked my fellow geeks if we could ease off on the hatred expressed toward “Twilight” fans. I got a lot of responses to that column, mainly from admirers of the books, thanking me for my support.
I hope those same fans will not begrudge me on writing this column on the movies themselves — why they’re not nearly as good as they could be, and how they could be better.
It cannot be denied that the films based on Stephenie Meyer’s series have been panned by critics, by and large. The first film garnered a mere 50 percent approval rate on critic consensus site RottenTomatoes.com. The sequel “New Moon” could only muster half that.
This has nothing to do with the original books, either — even the critics who claimed that they admired the original Meyer work found plenty of reasons to grumble and complain about the film versions. And those who hated the books, well, we can guess their reaction.
That lackluster response extends to the general populace, as well. The pop culture landscape is filled with people who either adore the “Twilight” movies or adore tirelessly ripping them to pieces.
But, hey, all art has its detractors, right? And despite the critics’ drubbing, both of the first two movies have done amazingly well at the box office, right? So, it’s clear that the fans themselves are loving them, right? So, what’s the problem?
“Is it high art? No. But it’s not trying to be.”
So said Melissa Rosenberg, screenwriter for the “Twilight” films,  in an interview with the Wall Street Journal. Over the course of the article, Rosenberg — a writer whose previous credit was working on the much-celebrated Showtime series “Dexter” — seems almost apologetic about her role in the pop-culture phenomenon.
Asked about the critical response to the films, Rosenberg responded, “It sinks in a lot more than the praise. It speaks to the inner demons that say I’m a hack anyway. I have to not listen to it.
“You’re not wondering if the fans will show up. They will,” she added.
But, see, that might be the problem. When you act like you know that a specific group of fans will support you no matter what you do, it really doesn’t inspire you to work harder and try to make something great. The impression Rosenberg’s remarks give is, “Hey, no matter what, the gullibles will show up, so what do we care if it’s any good?”
It doesn’t have to be like that. A movie doesn’t have to be “high art” to be great. I firmly believe that with a little more care and effort, it is fully possible for any kind of movie to satisfy its core fan base, and also appeal to a much larger audience. For an example of that, you only have to look to the series that “Twilight” is constantly compared to: “Harry Potter.”
J.K. Rowling’s books may have been written with a young adult audience in mind, but the richness of their narrative and characters, and her endlessly entertaining writing style, made them beloved to individuals of all ages. The movie versions of Rowling’s work have been well-received by critics certainly been better than “Twilight,” and the general populace has embraced them to an amazing degree.
There are plenty of prime examples from pop culture of works that held remarkable appeal for their so-called “intended audience,” and yet reached far beyond that audience. These are the works that endure over time. “Lord of the Rings.” “Star Wars.” “Star Trek.” Pixar’s movies. The best Disney animated films. “The Wizard of Oz.” All classics. All will be watched for generations to come.
“Twilight” clearly doesn’t belong in that category. The devotion of a rabid fan base is bolstering the enterprise right now. But in the long run, the quality of the movies will matter. A hit makes you money now. A classic makes you money for 50 years. The “Twilight” films are, clearly, hits. But classics? Certainly not. And if Rosenberg’s attitude is shared by others working on the series, that may be an indication of why.
You’re certainly not a hack, Melissa. But maybe you would be well served to listen to criticism every now and again.

E-mail Jeff at PopGoesJeff@gmail.com.

E-mail your answers to this exclusive Michelle Pan quiz to star@toledofreepress.com by July 7 and win one of four autographed copies of Michelle Pan’s “Bella Should Have Dumped  Edward.”

1.) What river is visible from Edward’s bedroom?
a. Calawah River
b. Sol Duc River
c. Hoh River
d. Bogachiel River

2.) Who is the first student that talks to Bella at Forks High School?
a. Angela Weber
b. Mike Newton
c. Jessica Stanley
d. Eric Yorkie

3.) According to the Twilight movie, how old was Bella the last time she spent Christmas in Forks?
a. Eight
b. Five
c. Four
d. Twelve

4.) Which tribe member imprints on Emily Young’s niece, Claire?
a. Embry Call
b. Quil Ateara
c. Jacob Black
d. Seth Clearwater

5.) Who saves Bella from drowning after she dives from a cliff in “New Moon”?
a. Edward Cullen
b. Victoria
c. Alice Cullen
d. Jacob Black

6.) Who was turned into a vampire after being burned at the stake?
a. Jane
b. Aro
c. Edward
d. Alice
7.) How did Edward’s parents die?
a. Spanish influenza
b. Cholera
c. Murder
d. Vampire attack

8.) Whose gift does Bella cut her finger on in “New Moon”?
a. Jasper’s
b. Alice and Edward’s
c. Esme’s
d. Rosalie and Emmett’s

9.) What is the name of the chapter in “Breaking Dawn” in which Bella gives birth?
a. “There are no words for this”
b. “Waiting for the damn fight to start already”
c. “Tick Tock Tock Tock Tick Tock”
d. “Good thing I’ve got a strong stomach”

10.) Why does Carlisle stitch up Bella’s hand in “Eclipse?”
a. She fell down the stairs
b. She was shoved into a pile of glass
c. She punched a werewolf
d. She was bitten by a vampire

11.) Who invades Bella’s bedroom in “Eclipse”?
a. Jacob
b. Riley
c. Aro
d. Victoria

12.) Where did Bella and Edward’s wedding take place?
a. The Cullen house
b. Isle Esme
c. Seattle
d. A hotel in Phoenix

By Michelle Pan
Special to Toledo Free Press Star

Michelle Pan: We hear you’re being credited as a producer for “Breaking Dawn.” What is your involvement in the movie?
Stephenie Meyer: You know, probably very similar to what it was with “Eclipse.” I’ve become more and more involved with each movie, I think just as Summit’s gotten really comfortable with me, because we’re all friends now, we all hang out, we all discuss it together. I think it’s kind of scary, the idea of an author coming in with a movie studio — think, they’re gonna want to have everything a certain way, they’re gonna be difficult. And I think it means I’m not difficult, that they keep letting me work with them. So this is kind of just an on-paper thing, because I’ve really been sort of producing on the last one. I’m excited to be involved with all the casting on this one; casting is my favorite part. Casting is fun.

Meyer

MP: “Breaking Dawn” will be split into two movies. Where do you think that split might happen?
SM: My personal opinion is that it has to be when she opens her eyes and they’re red. Because I feel like that moment is so full, anything you do right after that’s going to be anticlimactic. So you stop there and you save all of what it’s like to be a vampire for the next movie.
MP: You just came out with a new book, about Bree. Why did you pick Bree out of all the characters?
SM: As it often happens, Bree sort of picked me. When I was working on “Eclipse,” years — this is before Twilight came out, this is a long time ago — my editor was kind of saying, okay, tell me what happens, what happens in Seattle, why is this happening. She was very confused, because it was confusing; we needed to straighten it out a little bit. So I started thinking about what they were doing, and because I had named Bree, she was the one that sort of started telling the story.
MP: So what are you working on currently?
SM: You know, the movies actually take up a ton of time, so mostly I’m working on scripts. Like, you know, we do a lot of versions, and so every script that comes out, you go through, you do your notes, we meet, we talk about it. I’m also working on the guide, sometimes, which, it’s slow, you know, writing a dictionary. I don’t recommend that, but I think there’s gonna be a lot of really good back stories, fun things, you know, Alice, everyone wants to know what happens to Alice, right? So I think that’ll be really cool.

Like many 17-year-old girls, Michelle Pan loves the “Twilight” saga. Unlike most of them, however, she has started a successful fan site (www.bellaandedward.com), been to the premieres of all three “Twilight” films in Los Angeles, and written a book on the series.
Pan started reading the series in 2006 as a school summer reading project. Her teacher gave her a list of books and told her to pick one that sounded interesting. She chose “Twilight.”

Pan

“I was immediately hooked!” she said.
That October, she started the website.
It receives 200,000 to 300,000 unique visitors every month — more around the times of the movie releases, Pan said. Because of the site’s popularity, she was invited to interview the films’ cast and crew at the red carpet premiere of the “Twilight” films and to sit on a panel of fan site owners at a “Twilight” convention in Dallas last year.
She has a staff to help maintain the site. When “Twilight” news breaks while she is in school, they update it for her.
She said she can still spend several hours a day working on the site, especially on weekends.
It features a variety of content, including exclusive interviews with cast members, fan art, wallpapers and news updates.
Pan said it was one of the first fan sites created.
She has also written a book called “Bella Should Have Dumped Edward: Controversial Views on the Twilight Series.” Pan compiled fans’ answers to more than 20 controversial questions (Which “Twilight” saga book is the worst? Would you rather be a vampire or a werewolf? Should Bella have ended up with Edward or Jacob?) She also wrote her own answers to the questions. And for the record, she said she thinks Bella made the right choice by choosing Edward.
The book is available from Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Borders.

Three months ago, 21-year-old Brittany Allen bought tickets to the midnight showing of “Eclipse.”
She describes herself as a “hardcore twihard” — a diehard fan of the “Twilight” series.
She’s not the only one.
Fans like her fuel a hugely successful film franchise; according to Box Office Mojo, the first “Twilight” film made more than $190 million in North America and its sequel, “New Moon,” earned nearly $300 million.
“It’s kind of like an epidemic,” Allen said.
The Devotees
Allen, of Bowling Green, saw the first “Twilight” film eight times in theaters.
She only saw “New Moon” twice, though, so she would be more excited about the DVD release.
“I didn’t want to ruin that feeling!” she said.
Some of her friends are also “Twilight” lovers. Once they watched an entire show just to see the “Twilight” previews. They also record anything that comes on TV about the series and watch it over and over again.
Allen once spent an entire school vacation reading “New Moon.”
“I remember my dad getting so mad because all I would do was read,” she said.
Some of her friends tease her for being such a huge fan.

Jodie Cole, left, and Julie Beam.

“They call me a nerd, but I’m proud of it,” she said.
Her mom is also a “Twilight” fan. Both are members of a minority group that believes Bella should have chosen Jacob instead of Edward.
“I told her, I was like, ‘Mom, he’s way too young for you!’” she said.
She saw “New Moon” in theaters with her mom and best friend. Allen said her mom was glued to the screen through the whole movie.
She added that when the pack of werewolves came onscreen with their shirts off, her mom said, “Shush, the wolfpack’s on, don’t talk to me!”
Allen said her older sister wants nothing to do with “Twilight” and her father does not understand why they like the series.
“He just thinks it’s weird,” she said. “He just rolls his eyes.”
Another fan, Beth Sander of Sylvania, was incredulous when her young daughter told her she needed to read “Twilight.”
“I thought she was nuts,” Sander said. “I couldn’t understand why she even enjoyed it.”
The premise seemed ridiculous: A clumsy, homely girl and a handsome young vampire named Edward Cullen fall in love.
Sander thought vampire books were for horror buffs, not teenage girls.
Her friend Sally Russ, 61, shared Sander’s skepticism.
“It was for teenagers, and I had nothing in common much with teenagers,” she said. “I thought, what could I be interested in with their book?”
Despite their initial disdain for its subject matter, Sander read the first book and Russ saw the first film.
And just like Jacob fell for Bella, they fell for the series.
Since then, Russ has read each of the four books in the series about five times. Each reading takes about two days.
“I become addicted and don’t want to stop,” she said.
Sander has read each book in the series two or three times and spread the word about “Twilight” to many of her friends.
Her co-worker Julie Beam started reading the books because of Sander’s recommendation. She said she liked them immediately and liked them even more the second time. She has seen each movie more than 10 times.
These fans’ enthusiasm goes beyond reading the books and watching the films, though.
Party Time
Sander hosts a party to celebrate the release of each DVD. She starts planning for the party months in advance. Beam helps her.
They said they love finding the perfect decorations for the parties on eBay and the Internet.
The parties have featured red Jell-O shots labeled with blood types, twinkling lights (just like at Bella’s birthday party), lots of posters, bowls of apples reminiscent of the first book’s cover, Red Truck wine (because Bella’s dad has one), goody bags for the guests and, of course, a showing of the film. Sander plays the movie on two TVs so all the guests can get a good view.
At the first party, Sander wore a black cape, vampire-style. Her costume was incomplete, though.
“We couldn’t find good fangs anywhere,” she said.
Between 20 and 30 people have attended each party.
Many of the fans buy “Twilight”-themed T-shirts to wear to parties and the movie theater. Sander’s says “Peace, Love, Twilight.” She also has a sweatshirt that says “Isle Esme,” after one of the vampires in the series.
Beam has a T-shirt with the symbol of the pack of werewolves.
Russ started getting ready for the midnight showing of “Eclipse” in March when she attended Sander’s party for the “New Moon” release.
At the party, she got a temporary tattoo that said “Bite Me” with a heart around it. Russ saved it to wear to the first showing of “Eclipse.”
Why ‘Twilight?’
The love story — not the hot young movie stars or the media hype — keeps these fans devoted to the series.
“Edward loves Bella so much,” Sander said. “He would do anything for her.”
Russ agreed.
“I read the book and I was hooked,” she said. “It was the wonderful love story, and it was so innocent, and I think it’s how every woman would like to be treated — and yet it was a story, it was a wonderful story.”
She said that the books helped her deepen her appreciation for the romantic aspects of her relationship with her husband.
“I think that it’s because I’ve read the books so many times that maybe I’m more aware that I’m holding his hand in a more romantic way than I was,” she said.
They will celebrate their 40th anniversary this year.
“I don’t know if he would say I’m any different, but I feel like I’m a little different,” she said.
Allen said she agreed that the love story was the reason for the series’ popularity. Despite the story’s fantastic elements, like dueling vampires and werewolf packs, she said she thinks readers understand the romantic challenges Bella faces.
Michelle Pan, who runs the popular fan site www.bellaandedward.com, said many readers can relate to Bella, an average high schooler who is not particularly popular or pretty.
“I think a lot of girls can identify with that and put themselves in Bella’s shoes,” she said.
The books’ suspense also keeps readers interested, according to Pan.
“You never know what’s going to happen next,” she said.
Allen agreed.
“You’re always on the edge of your seat,” she said.
The books’ intergenerational appeal has also drawn some families closer together.
Allen said sharing a passion for the stories with her mom has helped the two grow closer.
Beam said she takes her daughters to see the movies, though she will watch the next two movies before them to make sure they are appropriate.

Every year, music’s elite gather to celebrate their talent, and bask in the approval of their peers, whether it’s at the Grammys, BET Awards, American Music Awards or another nationally recognized award show. And while every Toledo artist sees him/herself on that stage, one of the biggest stepping stones is the Ohio Hip-Hop Awards.
For the last five years, the Ohio Hip-Hop Awards have given Ohio Hip-Hop and R&B artists, athletes, clothing designers and more the chance to be recognized for their outstanding statewide accomplishments. While the awards take place in Cleveland each year, the panel that picks the winners is extremely familiar with the happenings in each city. Besides having market leaders that keep the panel in the loop, the panel itself is rooted in the music industry and has a strong understanding of what goes on in the state.
The founders are not against having the awards in other cities, and one of the founders, Derrick McKenzie, said he “feels that we are getting the response from Ohioans to do so in the near future.”

If that isn’t enough, the ballot is not finalized yet. Until July 31, the public can vote daily at www.ohiohiphopawards.com for favorites in a variety of categories ranging from Best New Artist to Best Retail Venue.
But the general public isn’t the only way for an artist to make his/her way onto the ballot. There is the option of submitting a press kit (artists, if you do not know what a press kit is, you should consider sitting this year out) or sending in a video. For those of you who know what a press kit is, it can be submitted at submissions@ohiohiphopawards.com. Another avenue for an artist to be recognized is to perform at one of the showcases.
The Ohio Hip-Hop Awards travel to the major and secondary cities in the state to give artists who may not have as much exposure a chance to prove their worth. These showcases give the artist a platform to perform for his/her hometown, while impressing the founders of the Awards.
The winner from each showcase also gets on the nomination ballot and earns a performance slot on the show. The Showcase will be in Cleveland July 2 at Phantasy Night Club, Lorraine July 9 at Elite Lounge and Toledo July 23 at The Vault.
The Ohio Hip-Hop Awards will take place the weekend of Sept. 17-19 in Cleveland and will include much more than just the awards. There will be parties, battles, meet and greets, panels and a conference. McKenzie says they are always willing to do even more “if promoters step up to the table and want to do some unique promotions with us.”
The last person who usually gets the blame for one’s shortcomings is usually the very person who fell short. Regardless of how big or small the cities in which you live, the Ohio Hip-Hop Awards are the report card for serious artists in the Buckeye State. National artists have to compete for Grammys with all the artists in the country; why complain about competing with artists in one state?
The biggest argument is usually that the Awards are just a popularity contest. In some ways, they are. The most successful artists are in turn the most popular. One must be pretty popular for 10 million people to buy his/her album, and one must be popular to sell out shows.
So instead of complaining because the work wasn’t put in on your end, attend the show and the conferences and take notes. Be sure to follow the awards on Twitter @ohiohiphopaward for updates.