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Events at Indiana University

Dancer with Basket of Pomegranates

Coptic (Egypt), 5th century AD. Dancer with Basket of Pomegranates. Curtain: polychrome wool and undyed linen. IU Art Museum 72.126.5

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Selected Coptic Textiles from Ancient Egypt
Now-spring 2009, Gallery of the Art of the Western World, Indiana University Art Museum, first floor, Bloomington -- Nearly 100 years ago, more than 150 textiles dating from the third to the 12th centuries and spanning late Roman, early Byzantine, and early Islamic times were unearthed from shallow burials in the sandy soils of Egypt. The examples included in this new gallery installation have not been on display since 1999 and are being reintroduced to complement the Middle Eastern Arts Festival organized by the Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies program of Indiana University. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. For more about Coptic textiles, please visit https://www.iub.edu/~iuam/online_modules/coptic/cophome.html. For further information, email iuam@indiana.edu or call 812-855-5445.

Mathers Museum Exhibit -- Botánica: A Pharmacy for the Soul
Now-Dec. 31, various times, 416 N. Indiana Ave., Bloomington -- The exhibit "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 further information, visit https://www.mathers.indiana.edu.

Sunken Cities and Shipwrecks: The Growing World of Underwater Museums
Now-Dec. 19, various times, 416 N. Indiana Ave., Bloomington -- This exhibit delves into the world of underwater museums and addresses the related issues of treasure hunting and site preservation. The Mathers Museum is open Tuesday through Friday, 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 further information, visit https://www.mathers.indiana.edu/.

Images of Native Americans
Now-Dec. 31, various times, 416 N. Indiana Ave., Bloomington -- The Mathers Museum 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. The Mathers Museum is open Tuesday through Friday, 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 further information, visit https://www.mathers.indiana.edu.

Box It Up!
Now-Nov. 16, 416 N. Indiana Ave., Bloomington -- This Mathers Museum exhibit in the Kids' Gallery explores boxes from around the world and their many uses. The museum is open Tuesday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday,1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Admission to the museum is free. For more information, visit https://www.mathers.indiana.edu/.

Hairy Matilija Poppy

A. R. Valentien; American, 1862-1925; Romneya trichocalyx (Hairy Matilija Poppy)

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Floral Images from the IU Art Museum's Collection
Now-Aug. 17, IU Art Museum, special exhibitions gallery, Bloomington -- The Indiana University Art Museum celebrates the summer season with a visual bouquet of flower-inspired shows, including a major traveling exhibition of 80 botanical watercolors by Albert R. Valentien (organized by the San Diego Natural History Museum in collaboration with the Irvine Museum). "Plant Portraits: The California Legacy of A. R. Valentien" will be on view in the museum's Special Exhibitions Gallery. This "bouquet" to the community offers a rare opportunity to see a selection of floral images from IU Art Museum holdings (most drawn from its large works-on-paper collection that is not generally on public display) in a variety of media and styles -- from realistic depictions of gardens to imaginary flower forms. For more information and museum hours, visit https://www.artmuseum.iu.edu/iuam_home.php.

Jon Hughes photo

Jon Hughes, "Masionette"

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The City at Night
Now-Aug. 22, IU East, Meijer Artway, Whitewater Hall, Richmond -- The City at Night is an ongoing project that is inspired by the Hungarian photographer Brasai (1899-1984) who published his first book Paris de nuit in 1932. The objective is to let people see an aspect of daily life as if discovering it for the first time. He uses the light available to capture the ambiance of the situation. Hughes uses fast lenses and pushed film to accomplish the ambiance. He does not use digital equipment or a tripod. Visitors are welcome to view the exhibit during gallery hours Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Exhibits in the Gallery and the Meijer Artway are free and open to the public. For more information, call Ed Thornburg, gallery curator, at 765-973-8605.

Scenes of Summer
Now-Aug. 31, IU Art Museum, Bloomington -- From the 1910s through the 1940s, American artists created iconic scenes of summertime leisure: views of Brooklyn's Coney Island Boardwalk, the summer resorts of Ogonquit, Maine and Gloucester, Mass., and images of the seaside. This installation features works from the IU Art Museum's permanent collection by artists such as Abraham Walkowitz, Reginald Marsh, Maurice Prendergast and Mabel Woodward. For further information, call 812-855-5445 or visit https://www.artmuseum.iu.edu/iuam_home.php.

IU Simon Cancer Center brings Colossal Colon to the Indiana State Fair
Now-Aug. 17, 9 a.m to 6 p.m., Indiana State Fair, Indianapolis -- The Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center, in partnership with Clarian Health, is hosting the Colossal Colon® in the Clarian Healthy Lifestyles Pavilion, located on the southwest corner of the fairgrounds. "Coco," as the Colossal Colon is affectionately known, is designed to educate people about colorectal cancer and other diseases of the colon. Visitors who crawl through Coco will see examples of Crohn's disease, diverticulosis, ulcerative colitis, hemorrhoids, cancerous and non-cancerous polyps and various stages of colon cancer. Coco includes examples of healthy colon tissue, several non-cancerous diseases of the colon, polyps and various stages of colorectal cancer. Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer found in men and women in America. Also during the fair, men and women can help IU Simon Cancer Center researchers unlock the mysteries of breast and prostate cancers by providing a small blood sample for two studies. Men can give a blood sample from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Aug. 17 for a study called PROGRESS (PROstate Cancer -- Genetic Risk Evaluation of SNPs Study), which seeks to identify genetic risk factors that contribute to the development of prostate cancer and response to therapy. Meanwhile, representatives with the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Tissue Bank at the IU Simon Cancer Center will collect blood samples from women from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Aug. 8 and 9. By collecting blood from women with and without breast cancer, researchers will be able to determine the differences between these populations, which could lead to a better understanding of the disease. The bank will ultimately give researchers valuable and unprecedented research data. The blood collections take place in the Clarian Healthy Lifestyles Pavilion. Participants for each study will need to complete a questionnaire containing basic questions and a consent form. For further information, contact maschug@iupui.edu.

Thomas Woodruff brings "Freak Parade" to Indianapolis
Aug. 8 through Oct. 4, Eleanor Prest Reese and Robert B. Berkshire Galleries, Indianapolis -- Thomas Woodruff brings peculiarity, oddity and absurdity to life with his rhinestone embellished mixed media images. Exploring what it means to be a freak in an age of conformity, Freak Parade draws the viewer into Woodruff's anthropomorphic world. Born in 1957, Woodruff has exhibited his work throughout the United States and Australia. He is included in the collections of the Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth, and the Contemporary Museum, Honolulu. Woodruff has a BFA from The Cooper Union for the Advancement and Science of Art and lives in Manhattan. A public reception for this exhibit and Clayfest, a biennial juried exhibition of ceramic art produced by current and former Indiana residents, will be held on Sept. 5 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Woodruff will give a lecture on Sept. 18 at 6:30 p.m. in Herron's Basile Auditorium. An artist reception will take place that evening from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thomas Woodruff's exhibit and lecture are provided with support from the W.C. Griffith Foundation, and from the Arts Council of Indianapolis and the City of Indianapolis. Free parking is provided on Sept. 5 in Herron's surface lot courtesy of The Great Frame Up. All exhibitions are free and open to the public. Gallery hours are Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. or by appointment. The gallery is closed on Sundays. For a complete gallery schedule, visit https://www.herron.iupui.edu/.

IU Day at the Indiana State Fair
Aug. 7, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., Indiana State Fairgrounds, Indianapolis -- For the third year in a row, the Indiana State Fair will be all about Indiana University for an entire day. IU makes a big difference in the state, from improving Hoosier health to building a better Hoosier economy. On IU Day, we'll celebrate our commitment to Indiana. Fairgoers will have a chance to see a cannon and other artifacts salvaged from Caribbean shipwrecks, take part in hands-on science games and experiments, pick up free gifts and prizes -- and learn more about how "IU is Red Hot." For more information, visit https://www.indiana.edu/~fair/.

Summer Music Festival concert features: Unicamente la Verdad! (Only the Truth!)
Aug. 8, 8 p.m.,and Aug. 9, 5 p.m., Buskirk-Chumley Theater, Bloomington -- This production is by Gabriela Ortíz-Torres and features the IU Contemporary Vocal Ensemble. This "video-opera" encompasses elements from contemporary music video, tabloid journalism, analytical documentary, popular Mexican music and, of course, opera. The libretto is based on a news piece that appeared in the Mexican tabloid La alarma about the return of the real Camelia "la tejana" (woman from Texas) and reconstructs her "true" story of trafficking marijuana and becoming a murderer for love. The video artist is Rubén Ortiz-Torres, the conductor is Carmen Helena Téllez, the stage director is Chía Patiño, the production designer is Konstantinos Mavromichalis and the sound designer is Rodrigo Sigal. For more information, visit https://www.music.indiana.edu/publicity/summer_fest/2008/.

The Boys Next Door portrays four loveable mentally challenged men
Aug. 8-24, various times, Brown County Playhouse, Nashville, Ind. -- This special comedy will prompt you to wonder about what makes us laugh. In the production of The Boys Next Door, we meet an intriguing ensemble of characters: Norman loves doughnuts. Lucien is hesitant and unsure. Barry is a self-styled golf pro. Arnold is a worrywart. They sound just like us or our friends. These four loveable, mentally challenged young men share a home where little struggles sometimes become momentous and very funny events. As they strive for a normal life, you will laugh out loud, cry at their setbacks and cheer their victories. This play surprises with its genuine humor and gently tugs at your heart as it gives a startlingly strong and humorous voice to those too rarely acknowledged by society. For more information, visit https://www.indiana.edu/~thtr/productions/2008/bcp/3boys/index.html

Maureen McGovern

Photo by: Deborah Feingold

Maureen McGovern

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Summer Music Festival concert features: Maureen McGovern
Aug. 8, 8 p.m. Musical Arts Center, Bloomington -- Maureen McGovern's eclectic musical career spans 35 years -- all with a voice that defies categorization. Her collaborations with IU Professor Steve Houghton and students from the Jacobs School of Music include a hard-swinging big band, followed by the beautiful sounds of the great American songbook. For more information, visit https://www.music.indiana.edu/publicity/summer_fest/2008/.

Lupe Fiasco
Aug. 30, 8 p.m., IU Auditorium, Bloomington -- The Hip-Hop generation's next vanguard, three-time Grammy nominated artist Lupe Fiasco brings everything from Food & Liquor to his darker The Cool to Bloomington. Fiasco is known for "lyrical dexterity," the ability to paint a "city-under-siege dystopia" in one song then inspire you with the next. Born and raised on Chicago's west side, clad in geek-sheik glasses, with skateboard, and an appreciation for comic book culture, Fiasco's work proves to be a culmination of his unique upbringing. Born to an African drummer and a gourmet chef, Fiasco's parents made sure he was exposed to anything and everything that was in their environment, which he credits as a major influence as a person and as an artist. Collaboration on Kanye West's "Touch the Sky," as well as his own hits "Superstar," the Grammy-nominated "Kick Push" and "Daydreaming," have already garnered much attention for the 25-year-old artist. For more information, contact Kathy Cook at 812-219-2831or ubpr@indiana.edu.

HUB: A Collaboration of Art and Space
Sept. 5, 7 p.m.-9 p.m., SoFA Gallery; Oct. 3, 6 p.m.-10 p.m., Memorial Stadium, Bloomington -- The School of Fine Arts Gallery at IU Bloomington is excited to announce the upcoming exhibition HUB. The exhibition centers around a docking module, which serves as a physical hub, connecting mobile containers/moving trucks filled with art, thus transforming them into temporary gallery spaces. All act together as a temporary exhibition experience that can be erected anywhere, moving from site to site. HUB Phase l is held in the traditional gallery setting at the SoFA Gallery, allowing the visitor to view the artwork in a traditional context. HUB Phase ll invites the visitor to the Memorial Stadium parking lot to experience the transformation of the artwork within the HUB truck containers. Once the exhibition concludes, it will be mobile and travel to other site-specific venues. HUB is a unique exhibition project developed by Derek Parker, Jonathan Dankenbring and LaRinda Meinburg -- MFA students in the Henry Radford Hope School of Fine Arts in collaboration with Betsy Stirratt, Director and Rob Off, associate director of the SoFA Gallery. HUB will feature sculptural installations by Parker, Dankenbring, Meinburg and Rob Off. This exhibition takes on an anthropological role, with installations that explore urban sprawl, the definition of living space, consumer design and the collective unconscious. The first phase of this unique two-part exhibition will open Sept. 5, and continue through Sept. 27. An opening reception will be held Sept. 5 from 7 p.m.-9 p.m. in the SoFA Gallery. HUB Phase Iwill open simultaneously with Vacation '08 at the SoFA Gallery. Hub Phase ll will open with a reception Oct. 3, from 6 to10 p.m. at the Memorial Stadium parking lot and will be open to the public Oct. 4 from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. All events are free and open to the public. HUB: A Collaboration of Art and Space, is a two-part exhibition experiment that seeks to explore the metamorphosis of the gallery experience. For further information, contact the SoFA Gallery at 812-855-8490 or sofa@indiana.edu. More information is available on the Web at https://www.indiana.edu/~sofa/. The SoFA Gallery is accessible to people with disabilities. Gallery hours are Tuesday-Friday from 12 to 4 p.m., and the gallery is closed Sundays and Mondays.

Bill Cosby; Wit whimsy and wisdom from an American icon
Sept. 19, 6 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., IU Auditorium, Bloomington -- Trend-setting stand-up comic. Raconteur. Ground-breaking television actor and producer. Five-time Grammy-winning recording star. Best-selling author. Philanthropist. Educator. Perceptive social critic and activist. Perhaps no other entertainer can accurately claim so many titles as Bill Cosby, a true American legend. For nearly half a century, "the Cos" has kept concert audiences laughing with his gentle brand of nostalgic comedy sprinkled with personal anecdotes and observations. Whether he is recounting the childhood antics of Old Weird Harold, Fat Albert and other friends from the Philadelphia projects or exploring his own foibles as a husband and father, Cosby always seems to touch a familiar and funny place inside all of us. He's also become a beloved fixture in our living rooms, thanks to the historic television trail he has blazed from his barrier-breaking role in I Spy to the landmark sitcoms The Bill Cosby Show and Cosby to the animated children's classic Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids. Refreshingly reliable for decades as a family-friendly comedian, Cosby has won universal appeal without stooping to shock-value humor. For a lifetime of positive contributions to American culture, Cosby was given a Kennedy Center Honor in 1998 and, in 2002, was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor. An iconic American funnyman on par with legends such as Mark Twain and Will Rogers, and mentor to Jerry Seinfield and Chris Rock, Bill Cosby has always managed to make us laugh in the very best way: at ourselves and in spite of ourselves. For more information, including tickets, visit https://www.iuauditorium.com/new0809/index.html.

Same Time Next Year
Sept. 26-Oct. 26, various times, Brown County Playhouse, Nashville, Ind. -- Join us for a perfect autumn evening with Same Time Next Year --a tender, adult comedy about how memories are created. After a one-night stand at a country inn, happily married (but not to one another) George and Doris decide to meet again the next year, and soon they are as committed to their annual weekend together as they are to their own spouses and families. This romantic comedy covers the growth of their friendship and love over the course of a 24-year relationship, and the inevitable changes in their lives and the world around them. Same Time Next Year captures the joy, pain and humor that typify daily -- or annual -- human existence. for more information, visit https://www.indiana.edu/~thtr/productions/2008/bcp/4year/index.html

Dead Man Walking kicks off Theatre and Drama's 2008-09 season
Oct. 10,11,14-18, Ruth N. Halls Theatre, Bloomington -- The Lee Norvelle Theatre & Drama Center proudly opens its season with Tim Robbins' stage adaptation of his Academy Award-winning film. Dead Man Walking chronicles the real-life story of the fearless and inspirational Sister Helen Prejean, as she shepherds a convicted murderer through the final days before his execution. Confronting powerful and controversial social and human issues through the lens of spirituality, Dead Man Walking challenges our perspectives on capital punishment and asks us to plumb the depth of humanity in everyone. For further information, visit https://www.theatre.indiana.edu/.

The Wild Party to play this fall in Bloomington
Oct. 24, 25, 28 and Nov. 1, Wells-Metz Theatre, Bloomington -- Adapted from a Jazz Age poem by Joseph Moncure March, Andrew Lippa's The Wild Party captures the spirit and sensuality, the vitality and violence of the Roaring Twenties. In an attempt to punish her abusive lover, showgirl Queenie throws a debaucherous party designed to make him jealous. The resulting cavalcade of drugs, alcohol and promiscuous sexuality drives the play to its dangerous climax. Deftly blending 1920s jazz with a more contemporary sound, Lippa's score boasts a stunning freshness that carries the original poem to new heights. For further information, visit https://www.theatre.indiana.edu/.

African American Dance Company

Photo by: Mark McCullough

African American Dance Company

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African American Arts Institute's Concert Season begins
Nov. 8, 8 p.m., Buskirk-Chumley Theater, Bloomington --Hello everyone! The African American Arts Institute is preparing another exciting concert season beginning with the 15th annual Potpourri of the Arts in the African American Tradition featuring the Dance Company, Soul Revue and the Choral Ensemble. Be sure to check out these additional events:

  • Nov. 19, 9 p.m., Bear's Place, Bloomington -- Soul Revue
  • Dec. 9, 7:30 p.m., Willkie Auditorium, Bloomington -- Dance Company Studio Concert
  • Jan. 19, 8 p.m., Buskirk-Chumley Theater, Bloomington --Choral Ensemble

For further information, visit https://www.indiana.edu/~aaai/ or contact 812-855-5427.

Hamlet -- Shakespeare's great masterpiece returns to IU Bloomington
Nov. 14, 15, 18-22, Ruth N. Halls Theatre, Bloomington -- Arguably the greatest play written in the English language, Shakespeare's masterpiece returns to the Indiana University stage for the first time in more than 50 years. The play's exquisite language and excruciating violence collide to create one of theatre's truly timeless tragedies. Prodded by the ghost of his slain father, the Prince of Denmark seeks justice against his usurping uncle and malevolent mother, all the while falling into an ever deepening exploration of his own troubled psyche. Both pensive and penetrating, Hamlet probes the struggle for power and the dynamics of family, its lyrical beauty demonstrating why its author stands as one of the supreme poets of the stage. For further information, visit https://www.theatre.indiana.edu/.

The riotously funny Marisol takes to the stage
Dec. 5, 6, 9-13, Wells-Metz Theatre, Bloomington -- Trapped in the tempestuous world of violence and anger that is New York City, a young woman turns to her guardian angel. The angel, however, remains ensnared by her own battles: an aging God is dying and seemingly plans to take everyone with him. The result is a complete disintegration of reason and logic in the world. Often upsetting, but riotously funny, Marisol speaks to the sense of disorder and disillusionment in contemporary society while driving home the vast importance of a single word: hope. For further information, visit https://www.theatre.indiana.edu/.

Stop Kiss explores contemporary urban life
Feb. 6, 7, 10-14, Wells-Metz Theatre, Bloomington -- Simultaneously a valentine and a warning, Diana Son's sweetly arresting Stop Kiss explores the highs and lows of contemporary urban life. Swinging back and forth in time, the play revolves around a brutal beating that occurs when two young women are seen kissing on a park bench in Greenwich Village. While deftly addressing issues of sexuality and the devastating impact of a simple, hesitating moment of intimacy, the play retains a pervasive sense of humor, melding light and dark into a single work that eloquently captures the complexity and humanity of daily existence. For further information, visit https://www.theatre.indiana.edu/.

Oscar Wilde's An Ideal Husband comes to Bloomington
Feb. 27, 28, March 3-7, 2009, Ruth N. Halls Theatre, Bloomington -- Is our character set by our actions? Or are forgiveness and change possible for us imperfect humans? In order to profit from a political pork barrel project, a blackmailer accuses a public servant of insider trading. Will his trusting, loving, righteous wife forgive him? Will his career, her reputation and their marriage be destroyed? This thoroughly contemporary and deliciously clever play still resonates today, using farcical humor and witty satire to insightfully dissect political and moral issues everyone will recognize. Oscar Wilde writes stylish, hilarious comedy with true substance, allowing his outrageous, engaging, articulate characters to lampoon their own society. For further information, visit https://www.theatre.indiana.edu/.

The America Play exposes a gap in American society
March 27, 28, 31, April 1- 4, 2009, Wells-Metz Theatre, Bloomington -- Can black identity ever truly be formed when it is constructed upon white history? This question cuts to the heart of Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Suzan-Lori Parks' powerful and provocative The America Play. With echoes of Samuel Beckett and James Joyce, Parks' unique theatricality and expressive language impressively interrogate American history through the eyes of a single black man, a gravedigger known as the Founding Father. Laced throughout with wickedly irreverent and incisive humor, the play cuts through to the painful truth that the unlearned facts of history make fools of us all. The America Play exposes what Parks calls "the gap between the promise and the reality of this country, and that is a wound." For further information, visit https://www.theatre.indiana.edu/.

Oklahoma! comes to Indiana
April 17, 18, 21-25, 2009, 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 more than 65 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. For further information, visit https://www.theatre.indiana.edu/.

To view more events from around the state, visit https://www.events.iu.edu/ .