Events at Indiana University
Dream Echoes
Now-April 28, various hours, Cultural Arts Gallery, CE 240, 420 University Blvd., Indianapolis --In his new exhibition at IUPUI, Jorge Macfarland displays his love of the minimalist world of the Baja desert landscape. Born in the U.S. and growing up in Mexico, Macfarland says his feet are "bare of place" and that his spirit is Mexican, carrying the "Indio" shaman or curandero way. He calls himself a shape shifter who can interpret the American mentality as well as the expansiveness and depth of the Mexican soul. America, he believes, lacks this depth and too often wastes its vital energies on wealth or the pursuit of possessions. On canvas, he uses oils, acrylics, sea sponges, spray bottles, blow dryers and a variety of tools and objects to express his art. Admission to the "Dream Echoes" exhibition is free and open to the general public. The exhibit is open for viewing during regular IUPUI Campus Center hours. For hours or more information, call 317-278-2533.
"Find a Fable, Tell a Tale"
Find a Fable, Tell a Tale: A Story of Story Telling
Now-April 30, various times, Mathers Museum, 416 N. Indiana Ave., Bloomington -- A new exhibition at the Mathers Museum explores the world of storytelling beyond words on paper. In "Find a Fable, Tell a Tale: A Story of Story Telling," curator Amanda Hotz, a senior in the Department of Folklore and Ethnomusicology, focuses on the notion that all objects have a story to tell, although some are more obvious than others. The exhibition illustrates the variety of forms that stories can take beyond written representation. It explores stories that are told through music, physical actions, images and objects. The items in this exhibition tell stories that are known worldwide, as well as stories representative of a specific culture or of an individual. Hotz uses these particular objects to remind the viewer that stories are everywhere. For more information, or to schedule a guided group tour, call 812-855-6873 or e-mail mathers@indiana.edu.
Functional Faces: Pottery with Personality
Now-April, various times, Mathers Museum, 416 N. Indiana Ave., Bloomington -- The desire of mankind to create things that look like us, even in the most utilitarian of objects, is the subject of a new exhibition at the Mathers Museum. In "Functional Faces: Pottery with Personality," curator Tiffany Carter examines the use of the human face in pottery from around the world. Carter, a graduate student in IU's Arts Administration program and a graduate assistant in the Mathers Museum Exhibits department, brings together anthropomorphic pottery from a variety of cultures to illustrate the universalism of facial expressions. While it may seem that expressions of happiness, sadness or anger might vary from culture to culture, these pots demonstrate that facial expressions are readable by people who speak any language. The items in this display all serve a variety of functional purposes, making the artisan's desire to include sculptural elements of the human form all the more interesting. The exhibition examines how the function of the pottery relates to the expression on its surface. For more information, or to schedule a guided group tour, call 812-855-6873 or e-mail mathers@indiana.edu.
Transcendent: The Photographs of Hiroshi Sugimoto
Now-May 10, Indiana University Art Museum, Special Exhibitions Gallery/Hexagon Gallery, first floor, 1133 East Seventh St., Bloomington -- Drawn from four private collections, this exhibition of 14 striking black-and-white photographs by the internationally recognized Japanese photographer Hiroshi Sugimoto highlights the elegance and simplicity that are hallmarks of his style. Sugimoto's interest in time and space -- as seen in his seascapes, theaters, architecture and conceptual form series -- transcends the physical limitations of a particular locale or subject matter to reveal a wider realm of ideas. The exhibition and all of the related events are free and open to the public. This exhibition is supported by the Thomas T. Solley Endowment for the Curator for Asian Art and IU Art Museum's Arc Fund. For more information, visit http://www.iub.edu/~iuam/iuam_home.php.
Shadow and Substance
Now-May 17, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., 650 W. Washington St., Indianapolis -- A collaboration with the internationally acclaimed Burns Collection of New York brings together dozens of rarely seen photographs of the African American experience in the United States. "Shadow and Substance" celebrates "the strengths and accomplishments of African Americans in the face of oppression, subjugation and political disenfranchisement." The exhibition is filled with remarkable illustrations of achievement and shocking evidence of intolerance that include images of slaves; Civil War soldiers; new voters; businessmen and professionals; and political activists among others. Indiana-related imagery, such as a photograph of Hoosier international bicycle champion Major Taylor, is also included. The Burns Collection is best known as the nation's largest, most comprehensive resource for early medical photography, but it also includes more than 600,000 other images, with particular strengths in African American photographs, Judaica, Criminology and Ethnology. Much of the African American imagery focuses on the 19th- and early 20th-century African American middle class. It also includes rare photographs of all aspects of African American history. For more information, visit http://www.in.gov/ism/Exhibits_Collections/ChangingGalleries/burns.aspx.
Botanica: A Pharmacy for the Soul
Botanica: A Pharmacy for the Soul
Now-July 2, various times, Mathers Museum, 416 N. Indiana Ave., Bloomington -- The exhibition "Botanica: Pharmacy for the Soul" centers on traditions of spirit healing and the practitioners and places associated with these beliefs. The Mathers Museum is open Tuesdays through Fridays, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Admission to the museum is free. For more information, visit http://www.mathers.indiana.edu.
Images of Native Americans: The Wanamaker Collection
Now-July 2, various times, Mathers Museum, 416 North Indiana Ave., Bloomington -- This exhibition presents selections from one of the largest and most important collections of images of Native Americans, and features an overview of the collection's history and its holdings. For more information, visit http://www.mathers.indiana.edu.
Safe and Sound: Protective Devices from Around the World
Now-Aug.14, various times, Mathers Museum, 416 North Indiana Ave., Bloomington -- The universal desire to avoid danger and remain out of harm's way is the subject of a new exhibition at the Mathers Museum of World Cultures. "Safe and Sound: Protective Devices from Around the World" features a number of objects that are believed, by some cultures, to hold protective powers. Curator Suzanne Ingalsbe, a doctoral student in the Department of Folklore and Ethnomusicology, delves into the history of these devices and explores the sources of their power. The objects in this exhibition represent a variety of countries, cultures and beliefs. Included in the display are signs, clothing, jewelry, text and other devices that illustrate the many varied forms protection can take. These objects, alongside an explanation of their roots, demonstrate the power that belief can give to a seemingly ordinary object. For more information, or to schedule a guided group tour, call 812-855-6873 or e-mail mathers@indiana.edu.
Eros in Asia: Erotic Art from Iran to Japan
Now through June 26, 2 to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and by appointment, The Kinsey Institute Gallery, Morrison Hall, third floor, Bloomington -- "Eros in Asia: Erotic Art from Iran to Japan" features a variety of erotic artwork from Iran, India, Japan and China. In the 1940s and 1950s, Alfred Kinsey actively collected visual materials from around the world to enable him to study sexual behavior and attitudes across the Asian continent. Since that time, the institute has continued to acquire paintings, prints, illustrated books, sculptures and art objects from Asian countries, each of which has its unique artistic traditions and genres for the visual representation of sexuality. The Kinsey Institute was founded in 1947 as a private research institute affiliated with IU. Its mission is to promote interdisciplinary research and scholarship in the fields of human sexuality, gender and reproduction. For more information, visit http://www.kinseyinstitute.org/services/gallery.html or call 812-855-7686.
IU Art Museum presents: Ukucwebezela: To Shine -- Contemporary Zulu Ceramics
Now-May 24, third-floor of the Raymond and Laura Wielgus Gallery of the Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas, IU Art Museum, Bloomington -- Masterfully thin-walled clay containers, round as balls, with blackened, sooty surfaces, are among the most recognized -- as well as the most prized -- examples of the potter's art in the world of African ceramics. Featuring the work of more than 25 artists, "Ukucwebezela: To Shine" speaks to the changing cultural and economic realities of South African ceramicists. An important part of the cultural traditions of the Zulu peoples, the largest single ethnic group in South Africa, these vessels have a long history, but are also part of the vibrant art scene in contemporary South Africa. "Ukucwebezela: To Shine-Contemporary Zulu Ceramics" takes a fresh look at Zulu ceramics, encouraging visitors to recognize subtle differences and to note the rich variety of form, color, texture and decoration of Zulu ceramics today. For more information, visit http://www.iub.edu/~iuam/iuam_home.php.
Focalpoint installation focuses on art from Cameroon
Now-May 24, IU Art Museum, 1133 E. Seventh St., Bloomington -- IU Art Museum visitors can still see some objects from northern Cameroon as well as Grasslands objects not usually on display (including some recent acquisitions) in this semester's Focalpoint Installation. The IU Art Museum's galleries are open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. The museum is closed on Mondays and major holidays. All exhibits are free and open to the public. For more information, visit http://www.iub.edu/~iuam/iuam_home.php.
From Pen to Printing Press: Ten Centuries of Islamic Book Arts
Now-May 10, Special Exhibitions Gallery, first floor, IU Art Museum, Bloomington -- The IU Art Museum is hosting an exhibition of approximately 50 works on paper drawn exclusively from IU collections and on display for the first time. A volume of nine articles produced with full-color illustrations will be published by IU Press to complement the exhibition and to provide a permanent record of IU's rich collections of Islamic art. Both the exhibit and the publication are supported by an Indiana University New Frontiers in the Arts and Humanities grant. Along with a Web module, both the show and the book will establish IU as a leader in the scholarly study of Islamic artistic traditions, a field of growing public interest in recent years. For more information, visit http://www.iub.edu/~iuam/section.php?returnSection=special_exhibitions&navSection=upcoming_exhibitions.
Whimsy and the Wylies: 19th-Century Expressions of Kin, Career and the Colloquial
Now- April 30, Herman B Wells Library Lobby, West Case, Bloomington -- Painting, drawling and sketching were important parts of elite general education during the 19th century, regardless of whether a student planned to pursue art as a career. The images produced by Theophilus A. Wylie and his family during the course of their formal and familial upbringing offer a rich example of how such training was employed in everyday life. Images were chosen from hundreds that appear in family documents and books held in collections at Wylie House Museum and the IU Archives. For more information, visit http://www.indiana.edu/~libwylie/exhibits.html.
Internationally renowned baritone Timothy Noble returns to the MAC stage in The Most Happy Fella
April 17-18, 8 p.m., Musical Arts Center, Bloomington -- In what has been called a musical theater piece, an operetta and an opera, Jacobs faculty member and internationally renowned baritone Timothy Noble will bring The Most Happy Fella to the stage. Noble will perform the role of Tony Esposito, who falls in love with a young waitress, Rosabella. They correspond, but she does not remember him and asks for his picture. Insecure about his age and looks, Tony sends Rosabella a photo of the young, handsome, Joe. From that point on, misunderstandings, mistakes and bittersweet, as well as hilarious, events unfold. To purchase tickets, call 800-745-3000 or visit http://www.ticketmaster.com/venue/41149/?search_redirect=musical arts center&tm_link=tm_header_search
Etiquette dinner to serve students successful interviewing tips
April 16, 5:30 p.m, Kelley Student Center, room 130, IU Kokomo-- IU Kokomo students can learn the art of the "grip and grin," as well as other useful tips for any professional situation, at the upcoming etiquette dinner and reception during the "New Professionals Conference." A two-person team of professional etiquette facilitators will lead the conference, which will include a reception and a four-course meal. Attendees will learn proper dining manners, including how to use a formal table setting. In addition, two conference-style sessions will focus on successful interviewing and budgeting and salary negotiations. The event is designed to teach students skills that will allow them to interact in social or business situations by providing them real-world experiences that will be invaluable in their future professional lives. Cost for the reception is $5 per student. To register, please contact the Office of Career Services by e-mail at carserv@iuk.edu, or by phone at 765- 455-9301.
Wilco to play at IU Auditorium
April 16, 8 p.m. IU Auditorium, 1211 E. Seventh St., Bloomington -- Indiana University's Union Board and Live Nation are bringing the Grammy-winning alternative band Wilco to Bloomington. Wilco is an American band based in Chicago that formed following the breakup of the alternative country music group Uncle Tupelo. The band's music has been inspired by a variety of artists, including Bill Fay. Tickets are on sale now for $25 for IU Bloomington students and general public tickets are $32.50. To obtain tickets, visit the IU Auditorium Box Office or call Ticketmaster at 800-745-3000. For more information, visit http://www.iuauditorium.com/new0809/index.html.
Oklahoma!
April 17, 18, 21-25, 7:30 p.m. and April 25, 2 p.m., Ruth N. Halls Theatre, Bloomington -- "All the sounds of the earth are like music" in the classic Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Oklahoma!. Perhaps the most American of American musicals, the play has delighted audiences since its premiere over sixty-five years ago. The only American musical to win the Tony, the Grammy, and the Pulitzer Prize, this landmark piece continues to resonate today. Full of optimism, but never shying away from the difficulties of everyday life, Oklahoma! serves as the perfect piece to close our season and usher in the summer. Tickets for students are $12, $15 and $20; general public, $20. To purchase tickets, visit https://oss.ticketmaster.com/html/home.htmI?l=EN&err=2&AcctId=&chooseSeat=&errIn=login&team=iuartstd or call 812-855-1103.
Godspell
April 17-19, 24-25, various times, Campus Auditorium, Northside Hall, South Bend -- The IU South Bend Theatre Company and the Ernestine M. Raclin School of the Arts present Godspell, directed by Randy Colborn. This collaborative project is the first musical presented by the school in well over a decade. Godspell is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International. Tickets range from $3-$9 and can be purchased by calling 574-520-4203. For more information, visit http://www.arts.iusb.edu/.
"Altered Spaces -- An Old Friend under Wraps"
April 17-24, regular campus hours, main building courtyard, IU Kokomo -- Working together, IU Kokomo students have designed this project to showcase an underappreciated space on campus. The students are constructing the design with different wrapping techniques based on the work of a well-known environmental artist team Christo and Jeanne-Claude. This artistic duo wraps large objects, such as islands or bridges, to emphasize the importance of these items in the environment. The official opening will take place on April 21 at 11:30 a.m., with a reception to follow. For more information, e-mail Whitney Bair-Sneed at wbairsne@iuk.edu or call 765-455-9468.
Faculty Recital
April 17, 7 p.m., Vivian Auditorium, Richmond -- IU East guitar instructor, David Taulbee will perform works by both Spanish guitarists such as Francisco Tarrega and Fernado Sor as well as classical music composed by Heitor Villa-Lobos and J.S. Bach. This event is free and open to the public. For more information, e-mail aclappit@iue.edu.
"Playing with the popular: A concert of Victorian songs found in the novels of Charles Dickens"
April 18, 7:30-8:30 p.m., Gennett Mansion, 1829 East Main St., Richmond -- This performance is part of the three-day Victorian Conference, hosted by the Midwest Victorian Studies Association 2009 Conference, at IU East taking place April 17-19. For more information or to make reservations, contact Alisa Clapp-Itnyre, assistant professor of English, at aclappit@iue.edu.
Chinese Film Festival
April 20-23, 6:30-9 p.m, various locations, Indianapolis -- The Confucius Institute in Indianapolis celebrates its first birthday at the Chinese Film Festival in Joseph Taylor Hall and Campus Center. Vice Chancellor Uday Sukhatme will speak at 6 p.m. opening night. A martial arts demonstration will precede the show April 22. Documentaries on China will also be shown daily that week in the Confucius Institute, CA 123 at noon. The Confucius Institute in Indianapolis was established at IUPUI in 2007 to promote the teaching of Chinese language and culture in central Indiana and facilitate mutual understanding between the peoples of China and United States. Based in one of America's largest cities and one of its most important hubs for electronic communications, logistics, and life sciences, the Confucius Institute in Indianapolis is well-placed for developing effective relationships and networks between the city's major public university (IUPUI) and its governmental, commercial and civic leaders. The institute's public programming is developed through the collaborative efforts of many local organizations, including local universities, Chinese community organizations, business and government agencies, museums, radio and television broadcasters and organizations that receive international visitors. For specific locations of each showing, visit http://www.iupui.edu/~china/events/chinese-film-festival/ or call 317-278-7900.
Electronic Waste Collection Days: A Free Event Hosted by IU Bloomington and IUPUI
April 30, May 1-2, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., various locations -- All public and private schools, universities, businesses and nonprofit organizations are invited to drop off e-waste Thursday, April 30, and Friday, May 1, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the IU Bloomington and IUPUI campuses. The program will be open to the general public Saturday, May 2, also from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. In Bloomington, the collection event will take place in the parking lot to the north of Memorial Stadium. The drop-off location for Indianapolis will be the parking lot directly south of the Indiana State Fairgrounds at the corner of 38th Street and Coliseum Ave. Complete information, including maps, hours, and a list of accepted items, is available at indiana.poweron.com. Businesses and other organizations are asked to register in advance at http://indiana.poweron.com/p/register.
Musical theater legend Stephen Sondheim, NPR's Scott Simon to appear at IU Auditorium
April 30, 8 p.m., IU Auditorium, Bloomington -- Stephen Sondheim will appear with author Scott Simon, host of NPR's "Weekend Edition Saturday," in a live, unscripted conversation titled "An Evening with Stephen Sondheim and Scott Simon," scheduled for April 30 at 8 p.m. This event is free and open to the public, but tickets are required. For ticket information, call 812-855-1103 or visit http://www.iuauditorium.com/new0809/index.html. This event is made possible by the Ralph L. Collins Memorial Lecture Fund.
Department of Theater and Drama's 75th Anniversary Gala
May 2, 6 p.m., Lee Norvelle Theatre and Drama Center, Bloomington -- The Department of Theater and Drama's 75th Anniversary Gala is a highlight of the department's 2008-09 75th anniversary year celebration. The party will include a dinner; a performance by IU's Broadway Cabaret (directed by Emmy Award-winning faculty member George Pinney); a screening of the film Memory Lane by senior Graham Sheldon; "Dancing with Our Stars," an opportunity to dance with some of the department's top performers; a sing-along piano bar, and a stroll down memory lane that includes a Brown County Playhouse Sweet Shop Gallery, historical exhibits, guided tours, a photo booth and alumni room. Tickets for the gala, including dinner, are $100. For show and cast party only, tickets are $50 for general public, $25 for IU students. Additionally, $1, $2, $5, $10 and $20 "play bills" honoring the department's chairs will be available in the lobby to spend for beverages, theatre boutiques, games and tips. All proceeds from the event will help launch an endowment campaign. For more information or to purchase tickets, contact Patricia Kennedy at 812-855-5568 or e-mail patkenne@indiana.edu.
The All Night Strut
June 11-July 5, various times, Brown County Playhouse, Nashville, Ind. -- The Brown County Playhouse season opens June 11 with The All Night Strut!, a classy, sassy musical celebration of the 1930s and '40s. This show soars, sings and struts to the matchless music and dynamic dances of the '30s and '40s, guiding the audience from the Depression through World War II to the post-war boom on waves of blues, jazz, bebop and classic song standards, including favorites by legendary composers of the American songbook. There are songs of danger and of despair, heartbreak and homesickness, but also heroism and hope, love and romance, sweet sentiment, seduction and just plain fun. The event includes dancing, from smooth moves to swing to jumpin' jive. For more information, visit http://www.indiana.edu/~thtr/bcplay.html.
Our Culture is Our Resistance
Jonathan Moller's work featured in new exhibit
Now-Aug. 14, various times, Mathers Museum, 416 North Indiana Ave., Bloomington -- "Our Culture is Our Resistance" features images by internationally renowned photographer and human rights activist Jonathan Moller. This exhibit focuses on the history of Guatemala, documenting injustices towards the country's indigenous majority during the civil war at the hands of the Guatemalan government. For more information, or to schedule a guided group tour, please call 812-855-6873 or e-mail mathers@indiana.edu.
Thoughts, Things, and Theories
. . . What Is Culture?
Now-July 31, various times, Mathers Museum, 416 N. Indiana Ave., Bloomington -- The meaning of culture and cultural traditions is explored in a new exhibition at the Mathers Museum of World Cultures. "Thoughts, Things, and Theories . . . What Is Culture?" uses objects from around the world to show the way culture permeates all human lives. Funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the exhibit focuses on two main themes: universal needs and life stages. Universal needs (food, clothing, and shelter, for example) are demonstrated in replicas of two households -- one a Bloomington ranch house from 1967, the other a multi-generational family compound from northern Nigeria in the same year. Visitors can then move into an area of the exhibit with artifacts illustrating life stages (from birth and infancy to death and the afterlife), with a Lakota cradleboard, Japanese wedding kimono and numerous other artifacts from around the globe. The exhibit also features a hands-on activity station, computer kiosks with interactive programs, and a reading area. For more information, or to schedule a guided group tour, please call 812-855-6873 or e-mail mathers@indiana.edu.
There Goes the Bride
July 10-Aug. 2, various times, Brown County Playhouse, Nashville, Ind. -- A wedding always creates tension and requires problem-solving and personal management skills, but the society event in There Goes the Bride by Ray Cooney and John Chapman brings new meaning to the phrase "trouble in paradise." Besides the usual interfering relatives and disapproving future in-laws, Judy must deal with a father who is out of his mind -- and not because he's losing a daughter. The morning of the wedding, harassed advertising executive Timothy Westerby hits his head and happily awakens beside Polly Perkins, a 1920's Flapper girl straight out of his current advertising campaign. Of course, no one else can see or hear her. Imagining himself back in 1926, Timothy falls in love and the current wedding preparations plummet into pandemonium, while desperate friends and family do their utmost to get the father of the bride back to reality in time to walk his daughter down the aisle. Bruce Burgun directs this funny fiasco. For more information, visit http://www.indiana.edu/~thtr/bcplay.html.
To view more events from around the state, visit http://www.events.iu.edu/.
