Events at Indiana University
Bee-town Quilts: Charm Club Retrospective
Now-March 13, various times, Mathers Museum, 416 N. Indiana Ave., Bloomington -- The Mathers Museum of World Cultures continues its tradition of highlighting the works of local quilters in conjunction with the annual Indiana Heritage Quilt Show. In "Bee-town Quilts:Charm Club Retrospective," the museum will display the works of a regional quilting bee that was organized more than two decades ago. The exhibit, on display through Friday, March 13, 2009, will highlight pieces made by Charm Club members that range from traditional to contemporary designs. The Mathers Museum is located at 416 N. Indiana Ave. in Bloomington, and is open Tuesdays through Fridays, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; and Saturdays and Sundays, from 1 to 4:30 p.m. Admission to the Museum is free. Free visitor parking is available by the entrance on Indiana Avenue, and on surrounding streets (during weekends). Metered and IU Permit parking spaces are available at the McCalla School parking lot on the corner of Ninth Street and Indiana Avenue. For more information, or to schedule a guided group tour, please call 812-855-6873 or e-mail mathers@indiana.edu.
Find a Fable, Tell a Tale: A Story of Story Telling
Now-April, 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, please 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 no matter what language one may speak. The items in this display all serve a variety of functional purposes, making the artistan'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, please call 812-855-6873 or e-mail mathers@indiana.edu.
Botánica: A Pharmacy for the Soul
Now-July 2, various times, Mathers Museum, 416 N. Indiana Ave., Bloomington -- The exhibition "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-August 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, please call 812-855-6873 or e-mail mathers@indiana.edu.
Exhibition: David Bowen and Jason Hackenwerth
Now-March 7, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Saturday, Eleanor Prest Reese and Robert B. Berkshire Galleries, 735 W. New York St., Indianapolis -- David Bowen's kinetic works explore the synergies between art and science. Works exhibited will include Swarm, an autonomous roaming device whose movements are determined by dozens of houseflies housed inside the device itself. For more information, call 317-278-9423.
Plein Air Painters to be featured in Meijer Artway
Now-March 13, Ed Thronburg Gallery, IU East, Richmond -- IU East will feature a group of artists, the Indiana Plein Air Painters Association, in the Meijer Artway. The Indiana Plein Air Painters Association started in 1998 with a small group of artists who believed the best way to capture the essence of a scene is through interpreting nature in plein air (French for "in the open air"). The group has grown over the years, with more than 300 members that paint together and work toward spreading IPAPA's mission of educating artists and non-artists of the joys of painting from nature. For more information, visit http://www.iue.edu/gallery/.
IU East exhibit features printmaker
Now-March 18, IU East, Richmond -- IU East will be showcasing "The Works of Kathy L. McGhee," in The Gallery. "Indirectly through the use of stories and images, people can see and observe themselves in a new light. We have been exposed to fables, parables, myths and stories with hidden meanings and depth all of our lives," McGhee said. "This ability to assimilate ourselves into a story of image and to discover hidden meaning is something with which I have been experimenting for some time. The significance of this and what it means in regard to how we think, perceive ourselves, and how we interact with others is of great interest to me." As a printmaker, McGhee employs various types of printmaking processes; such as intaglio, lithography, serigraphy, and relief (using primarily linoleum). McGhee is currently an instructor at the Columbus College of Art and Design, where she teaches printmaking. Visitors are welcome to view the exhibit during gallery hours, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. For more information, call Ed Thornburg, gallery curator, at 765-973-8605 or visit http://www.iue.edu/gallery/
Photography and DART Area Show
Feb. 19-21, SoFA Gallery, 1201 E. Seventh St., Bloomington -- Bachelor of Fine Arts and Master of Fine Arts students in photography and DART will present their artworks to the public. Students will present contemporary photographs, digital art and works that explore the uses of new media. For further information, contact the SoFA Gallery at 812-855-8490 or sofa@indiana.edu. More information can also be found online at http://sofa.fa.indiana.edu.
Joel DeGrand Exhibition
Feb. 19-21, 24-27, Noon-5 p.m., Ernestine M. Raclin School of the Arts Gallery, IU South Bend -- Photographer Joel DeGrand comes to the Ernestine M. Raclin School of the Arts at IU South Bend with a show titled "Italy: New/Perspectives." The exhibition will include large format panoramic photos. Joel DeGrand has been a photographer and teacher for more than 30 years. After receiving an MFA in photography from the University of Oregon, he taught photography at Southern Illinois University, the University of Pittsburgh and Pittsburgh Filmmakers before opening a commercial studio in Pittsburgh in 1987. In 1990 he moved to Chicago where he opened a commercial studio and started teaching at Columbia College and the Art Institute. Throughout the years Joel has won many awards for his work in commercial and fine art photography. He has participated in numerous one-person and group exhibitions, and workshops in the United States, and his work is included in many museums, private collections, books and publications. In 1980 he received a National Endowment for the Arts survey grant to photograph Pittsburgh. For more information, visit http://www.arts.iusb.edu/.
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 they 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 and 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.
Global Conflicts: The Middle East
Feb. 19, noon - 1 p.m., CE Campus Center 148, 420 University Blvd., Indianapolis -- As part of a series on global conflicts, the discussion will start with the crisis in the Middle East. Join the discussion as participants tackle the issues concerning this region and examine the root causes to the conflicts in the region. This is an opportunity to voice opinions and let your voice be heard. For more information, visit https://demplaza.usg.iupui.edu.
Tobacco's Child Exhibition
Feb. 19 - March 1, Monroe county Public Library, 303 E. Kirkwood Ave., Bloomington -- To raise awareness about the impact of tobacco use and the public policies that surround it, students from Monroe County high schools have been invited to attend one of several readings of "Tobacco's Child," by local writer Marsha Roberts. Interested students have been be encouraged to respond through artistic media and encouraged to incorporate 1-800-QUIT-NOW into their art, which may be turned into posters or billboards that could be displayed in Monroe County or throughout the state. The art will be exhibited at the Monroe County Public Library in the public exhibit area from Feb. 19-March 1. There will be an Announcement and Presentation of Awards Reception at the library in Conference Room 1C on Tuesday, Feb. 24, at 6:30 p.m. For more information, call 812-349-3050.
Arts Week 2009
Ballot Box Blizzard 2009
Feb. 19-21, Bloomington Playwrights Project, 107 West Ninth St., Bloomington --The Bloomington Playwrights Project is a vibrant, successful not-for-profit arts organization dedicated to the furthering of new original plays and theatre. BPP produces original work, hold playwrighting contests and act as a valuable resource for the entire community by offering innovative programs and classes. For more information, e-mail bppwrite@newplays.org.
Arts Week 2009
Darwin, the arts, and the aesthetics of the ordinary
Feb. 19, 10 a.m., The Stone Age Institute, IU, 1392 W. Dittemore Road, Gosport --Marking the 150th anniversary of the publication of Charles Darwin's Origin of the Species, this workshop/conversation directly links Darwin, biological and evolutionary sciences, and the visual, poetic, and performing arts. Printmaker Rudy Pozzatti, poet Philip Appleman, artist Betsy Stirrat, scientists Rudy Raff, John Colbourne, Michael Muehlenbein, surgeon/photographer Mark Pescovitz, biologist Roger Hangarter, and choreographer Liz Lerman will examine the question of what we consider beautiful in nature and ordinary human life vs. our ability to create "perfection" through technology and genomic science. For more information, visit http://www.stoneageinstitute.org/.
Perceptual Magnets: Commanding Attention in Contested Time, Space and Thought
Feb. 20-21, various times, Wylie Hall, Bloomington -- The Department of Germanic Studies announces the Seventh Biennial Graduate Student Conference, this year titled "Perceptual Magnets: Commanding Attention in Contested Time, Space and Thought" to take place Feb. 20-21. This year's conference brings both on- and off-campus graduate students from a variety of disciplines together to present their research and engage in dialogue concerning this topic. Professor Lutz Koepnick from Washington University will present a Horizons of Knowledge Lecture and keynote address called "In/Out of Focus: Modernism and the Art of Managing Attention" on Friday, Feb. 20, 6 p.m., in Wylie Hall 005, and a Plenary Address by Mike Putnam from Carson-Newman College called "When Grammars Collide: Code-switching in the Minimalist Program" Saturday, Feb. 21, 6 p.m., in the Indiana Memorial Union Faculty Club. Graduate students will present papers from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., on Saturday, Feb. 21 in WH005 and WH015. This conference is free and open to the public. To access the schedule for this conference, or for more information, please visit our Web site at: http://www.indiana.edu/~germconf/ or contact us via e-mail at germconf@indiana.edu.
China's Revolutionary Anniversaries: Remembering 1919, 1949, 1989
Feb. 20, 9:30 a.m.-8 p.m., Indiana Memorial Union, Oak Room, Bloomington --The year 2009 is an anniversary year of three of the most important events in modern Chinese history -- the 90th anniversary of the May 4 Movement, the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, and the 20th anniversary of the massacre in Tiananmen Square. In commemoration of these events, the East Asian Studies Center and its partner center at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the Center for East Asian and Pacific Studies, will hold a symposium titled "China's Revolutionary Anniversaries: Remembering 1919, 1949, 1989" on Friday, Feb. 20. During the day, the symposium will take place in the Oak Room of the Indiana Memorial Union and will include a keynote address by Perry Link (East Asian Studies Program, Princeton University), followed by panel discussions. In the evening Ellen Johnston Laing (Center for Chinese Studies, University of Michigan) will speak on the topic of "Woodcuts from Yan'an, China, 1944" in Radio and TV 251. This lecture is part of IU's 2009 Arts Week program, "Arts and Politics," and is presented by Horizons of Knowledge, Thomas T. Solley Endowment for the Pamela Buell Curator of Asian Art, EASC, Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures, Department of History, Friends of Art, the Robert and Avis Burke lecture series, and the Department of the History of Art. Directly following the lecture, the Department of the History of Art will hold a reception in the Thomas T. Solley Atrium at the IU Art Museum, at which time visitors will be able to view a special installation of Chinese socialist realist woodblock prints that the IU Art Museum has on loan in memory of John and Alice Colling. Army Captain John Colling served with the Dixie Mission, which was charged by Franklin D. Roosevelt to establish contact with the Communist forces and evaluate their effectiveness in combating the Japanese. Captain Colling traveled with the Communist Eighth Route Army and the People's Militia where he served as the official photographer and demolitions expert. He met, conferred, and lived with Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, and other legendary figures of the Communist revolution. Zhou Enlai presented Captain Colling with the prints in recognition of his service to the Chinese people. For more information, email easc@indiana.edu.
The Taming of the Shrew to appear at IPFW
Feb. 20-21, 26-28, 8 p.m., Feb. 22 and March 1, 2 p.m., Fort Wayne -- Kate and Petruchio embody the classic battle of the sexes. He would love to marry her for a variety of financial and strategic reasons, and she hates everything about him. Kate's lovely and unquenchable younger sister Bianca cannot marry until she does, but Kate will have none of it -- especially in the marriage her father has arranged for her with the arrogant, self-serving and boisterous Petruchio. Sparks fly as Petruchio tries The Taming of the Shrew, only to find that he has been her captive all along. For more information, visit http://www.ipfw.edu/vpa/theatre/news/performances/fall08/shrew.shtml.
Arts Week 2009
American Politics Through The Musical Looking Glass
Feb. 21, 3 p.m., Sweeney Hall, Bloomington -- Featured musicians include Meredith Mills Kiesgen, Janice Hauxwell-Hammond, Scott Hogsed and Eric Anderson. Lecture given by Constance Cook Glen. Music and art frequently mirror and chronicle the political world within which they are embedded. Throughout its development, the American musical has had a close and powerful relationship to politics and social change. This will be explored and explained through the music of Cohan, Berlin, Gershwin, Kern and Porter. For more information, visit http://www.artsweek.indiana.edu/.
Lift Every Voice: Celebrating the African American Spirit
Feb. 21, 8 p.m., Campus Auditorium of Northside Hall, IU South Bend, South Bend -- The Ernestine M. Raclin School of the Arts at IU South Bend will celebrate black history month with a concert titled, "Lift Every Voice: Celebrating the African American Spirit." The concert will bring together the traditions of Western classical music and African American music. "Lift Every Voice" will feature six African American guest artists, including: Meisha Adderley, piano; James E. Laws Jr., baritone; Bernard Phillips, flute; Antonio Rincón, violin; Stanley H. Waldon, piano; and Frank Ward Jr., bass-baritone. The South Bend Symphonic Choir, conducted by Marvin V. Curtis -- dean of the Ernestine M. Raclin School of the Arts -- will also perform choral works by African American composers. This free concert will be the first of its kind produced by the Ernestine M. Raclin School of the Arts. This event is open to the public. For more information, call 574-520-4203.
Neil Berg
Feb. 21, 4 p.m., Stem Concert Hall, The Ogle Center, IU Southeast, New Albany -- Prepare for an enchanted evening of timeless melodies from the Broadway songbook. Neil Berg is best known as the composer/lyricist of productions such as the hit Off-Broadway musical The Prince and the Pauper,
The Man Who Would Be King, and Tim and Scrooge, many commissioned works and film work. Berg is currently collaborating with Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Robert Schenkkan on a new musical called The Twelve, and is producing the new concert version of The Mystery of Edwin Drood with Rupert Holmes. Producer of more than 1,000 Broadway concerts across the world with such stars as Michael Crawford, Rita Moreno, Bernadette Peters, Ben Vereen, Betty Buckley, and many others, he brings his hit show, Neil Berg`s 100 Years of Broadway, to the Ogle Center. For more information, email mmogden@ius.edu.
Arts Week 2009
Arts, Diplomacy, and the U.S.A.
Feb. 22, 1 p.m., Sweeney Hall, Bloomington -- A panel discussion featuring Karim Wasfi, director of the Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra; Charles H. Webb, Jacobs dean emeritus; Cliff Colnot, conductor; and others. As a basis for discussion, the panel will consider the 2005 U.S. State Department report of the Advisory Committee on Cultural Diplomacy. For further information, visit http://www.artsweek.indiana.edu/
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot: Photographs by Ashley Gilbertson
Arts Week 2009
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot photo exhibit comes to IU
Feb. 24, 6 p.m., Radio/TV Room 251, IU Bloomington -- The School of Fine Arts (SoFA) Gallery at IU is pleased to announce "Whiskey Tango Foxtrot," a photography exhibition by Ashley Gilbertson, in conjunction with ArtsWeek 2009. Gilbertson will give a lecture on his work. All events are free and open to the public. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot will feature 10 of Gilbertson's photographs, chronicling America's early battles in Iraq, the initial occupation of Baghdad, the insurgency that erupted shortly afterward, the dramatic battle to overtake Fallujah, and, ultimately, the country's first national elections. This wide-ranging chronicle of the war from the viewpoint of the photographer is the first of its kind. Gilbertson's narratives convey the exhilaration and terror of photographing war, as well as the challenges of photojournalism in our age of embedded reporting. The photographs of Whiskey Tango Foxtrot depict the full range of human experience called up by the war in Iraq. A photographer for the New York Times, Newsweek and
Time, among others, Gilbertson will discuss his recent exhibit and book, Whiskey, Tango Foxtrot: A Photographer's Chronicle of the Iraq War
. Described as "harrowing snapshots of the American Soul," Gilbertson's book of photographs was chosen as a "Best Book of 2007" by Amazon. A book signing with the author and an opening reception for the exhibition will be held at the SoFA Gallery following the lecture. For more information, contact the SoFA Gallery at 812-855-8490 or sofa@indiana.edu.
Mille-fleurs: An installation by Eva Wylie
Feb. 24- March 13, SoFA Gallery, 1201 E. Seventh St., Bloomington -- The School of Fine Arts (SoFA) Gallery at IU is pleased to announce the upcoming exhibition "Mille-Fleurs" by Eva Wylie. A lecture by Wylie will take place at 6 p.m. Feb. 27 in Woodburn Hall 101, with an opening reception following at the SoFA Gallery. Wylie uses ornamentation as a pictorial language. She utilizes installation and constructed three-dimensional prints, in which she screenprints four-color process images directly on the wall. Her other screenprints are beautifully printed on fabric and cut paper. Wylie uses collected images from the Internet, commercial sources and personal photographs that she took as a tourist to construct elaborate configurations. Working with the architecture of the space, Wylie presents a cross section of a landscape. What appears to be disparate imagery finds coherence and significance through her compositions. Wylie has had several solo and group exhibitions both nationally and internationally. All events are free and open to the public. For more information, contact the SoFA Gallery at 812-855-8490 or e-mail sofa@indiana.edu or visit http://sofa.fa.indiana.edu. Gallery hours are Tuesday-Friday from noon to 4 p.m.
Rendering and Meaning
Feb. 24-March 13, SoFA Gallery, 1201 E. Seventh St., Bloomington -- "Rendering and Meaning, Infinite Speed, Zero Errors & Total Memory: Creativity and Desire in the Digital Age," will open Feb. 24 and continue until March 13 in the School of Fine Arts (SoFA) Gallery at IU Bloomington. Anton Rejinders and Malcom Mobutu Smith will give a Gallery Talk in the SoFA Gallery 3 p.m., Feb. 27. An opening reception will accompany the exhibit Feb. 27 from 7 p.m.-9 p.m. All events are free and open to the public. "Rendering and Meaning" is an exhibition of artworks exploring rapid prototyping digital technology and traditional ceramic art. This is collaborative research by Anton Rejinders of the Netherlands and Malcolm Mobutu Smith of IU. It will present both rapid prototyped forms and ceramics forms, some as independent works and others as overlapping collaborative pieces. Rejinders is a ceramicist who lives and works in the Netherlands. He regularly leads workshops as visiting artist in the Netherlands and abroad. He was head of the workshop and studios at the European Ceramics Workcenter in Hertogenbosch (Nederland) and author of The Ceramic Process. Malcolm Mobutu Smith is an associate professor of Ceramic Art at IU. For more information, contact the SoFA Gallery at 812-855-8490 or visit http://sofa.fa.indiana.edu.
Arts Week 2009
Dead Prez
Feb. 25, 8 p.m., Buskirk-Chumley, 114 E. Kirkwood Ave., Bloomington -- The Florida-based political rap duo Dead Prez has forged its own political and social style of hip-hop. Their lyrics, business choices, and advocacy for change within the music industry -- particularly in the way hip-hop artists are represented and marketed -- are the epitome of "art in action." The Buskirk-Chumley Theater is excited to bring their radical voice to the Bloomington stage. For more information, e-mail sks@indiana.edu.
Arts Week 2009
Patagonia presents the Wild and Scenic Environmental Film Festival
Feb. 26 7-9 p.m., Buskirk-Chumley, 114 E. Kirkwood Ave., Bloomington --Prepare to be awed and inspired by independent film shorts and clips about the Earth and the people who work to sustain life on Earth. Patagonia presents the "Wild and Scenic Environmental Film Festival" hosted by Indiana Forest Alliance. Plan on joining us for a fun and renewing evening and on acting to protect our own beautiful forest lands. For more information, e-mail sks@indiana.edu.
Arts Week 2009
Fire in the Garden
Feb. 26, 8-9:15 p.m., John Waldron Arts Center, 122 S. Walnut St., Bloomington -- In 1965 Norman Morrison, a Quaker from Baltimore, drove to the Pentagon and, in protest over the U.S. policy in Vietnam, doused himself in kerosene and lit himself on fire. In his arms as he did this was his one-year-old daughter (who survived.) Forty years later a new father, haunted by Morrison's act, asks why in the play Fire in the Garden. For more information, e-mail sks@indiana.edu.
Arts Week 2009
The Exonerated
Feb. 26-27, 7:30 p.m., John Waldron Arts Center, 122 S. Walnut St., Bloomington
--
The Exonerated, by Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen, tells the true story of five American men and one American woman who were convicted and sentenced to death for crimes they did not commit. These six people spent more than one hundred years combined on death row before the criminal justice system finally corrected its errors and freed them. Blank and Jensen constructed the play from interviews they conducted with the former prisoners and from various court documents and case files. The lines of the play spoken by the characters are the actual words used by the exonerated prisoners. They tell their stories plainly, and the result is a shocking exposure of police and prosecutorial misconduct that led to the conviction and condemnation of the innocent. The play ran off-Broadway for two years. Celebrity actors, including Richard Dreyfuss, Jill Clayburgh, and many others, all accepted roles in the play at various times in its run. Illinois governor George Ryan attended a special performance of the play and later said it was a factor in his decision only a month later to grant clemency to all inmates of death row in Illinois. For more information, e-mail sks@indiana.edu.
Arts Week 2009
The Writer in the World
Feb. 26 -- Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center, IU Bloomington
-- This panel discussion features N.S., Danit Brown, Philip Metres, and Mitchell Douglas, all alumni of the Creative Writing Program at Indiana University. Their writing explores political turmoil and identity, demonstrating not only that political engagement is alive and well in contemporary American literature but also that Bloomington has been sending politically engaged writing out to the world for years. For more information, email sks@indiana.edu.
Arts Week 2009
Politics and the Beatles: A '60s Rock 'n' Roll Band Grows Up
Feb. 26, 4:30 p.m., Sweeney Hall, Bloomington --Guest lecture by John Platoff, professor of music at Trinity College. A growing political awareness was a central part of the Beatles' development during the tumultuous decade of the '60s, evident not only in overtly political songs such as "Piggies" or "Revolution" but in much more indirect and ambiguous songs like Lennon's "Come Together" from the band's final album, Abbey Road. For further information, visit http://www.artsweek.indiana.edu/.
"Giulio Cesare"
Giulio Cesare
Feb. 27, 28, March 6, 7, 8 p.m., Musical Arts Center, Bloomington -- One of Handel's most popular operas, Giulio Cesare, captures all the intrigue and high-stakes plots and rivalries of the Roman court and, in many ways, of universal politics. Including one of history's most fascinating women, Cleopatra, the story opens in Egypt, just after Caesar has conquered Pompey, who has fled Rome after starting a civil war. A series of assassination plots ensues before Caesar and Cleopatra eventually declare their legendary love for each other. For more information, call 812-855-1583.
Janiece Jaffe
Arts Week 2009
Women in Jazz, a concert and lecture
March 1, 6:30 p.m., John Waldron Arts Center, 122 S. Walnut St., Bloomington
-- The 2009 Arts Week celebrations will close with a tribute to Women's History Month on Sunday, March 1. Bloomington artists Janiece Jaffe and Monika Herzig team up with regional women artists Vickie Daniel, Jennifer Kirk, Shawn Plonski, and up-and-coming young women jazz artists celebrating three generations of women in jazz. The evening will start with a panel discussion at 6:30 p.m., where each participant will present their career path as a musician, mother, wife, and more. The 90-minute concert, starting at 7:30 p.m., will feature a mix of standards and originals featuring each musician. For more information, email sks@indiana.edu.
International Festival
March 3, 5 p.m., University Center North, Lower Level, IU Southeast, New Albany -- This annual event brings together cultural demonstrations of international music and dance to provide atmosphere and enjoyment while you sample global cuisine. The International Festival also provides a unique opportunity to learn more about the wide array of international groups that exist on campus and in the surrounding community through an international information fair. For more information, e-mail hjbeatty@ius.edu.
From Crime Scene to Court
March 7, 7:30 a.m.-1:45 p.m., University Place Conference Center and Hotel, 850 W. Michigan St., Indianapolis -- Join IUPUI for "Homicide Investigation: From Crime Scene to Court." It's a typical Saturday at a local bar until a body is discovered in the parking lot. Put on your detective's hat and learn from experts how forensic evidence can make or break a case, investigate vital pieces of evidence found at the scene, and determine what can be used to convict the person or persons responsible for the homicide in this fictional scenario. Cost is $25 for IU Alumni Association members and current students, $30 for nonmembers. The registration deadline is Feb. 27. For more information, visit http://www.myiupui.com/s/895/index.aspx?sid=895&pgid=337&cid=864&gid=1&ecid=864.
Business Conference
March 11, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Indiana Convention Center, 100 S. Capitol Ave., Indianapolis -- The Kelley School of Business will hold its 63rd annual Business Conference on March 11. Seven speakers, including leading experts on health care, energy and the environment, will provide insights into how businesses can prevail in difficult times. The
New York Times columnist David Brooks will moderate and be the luncheon speaker. Cost to register is $150 per person, or $160 after Feb. 24. Cost of a table for 10 is $1,400 or $725 for a half table for five. For more information, visit http://www.kelley.iu.edu/busconf/
Flight of the Conchords
April 25, 8 p.m., IU Auditorium, Bloomington -- The Indiana Memorial Union Board is proud to present the Grammy Award-winning comedic folk duo Flight of the Conchords. Flight of the Conchordsis an offbeat, New Zealand-bred musical duo composed of Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement. The two were "flatmates" at Victoria University of Wellington studying film and theater when they formed Flight of the Conchordsin 1998. Their unique combination of folk-rock and wit has led to international fame and a loyal following. Flight of the Conchords began touring in 2002 and has appeared at a variety of major festivals including the Edinburgh Fringe, South by Southwest and Bonnaroo. In 2008 Flight of the Conchords won a Grammy for Best Comedy Album of the Year and earlier this month the popular series, Flight of the Conchords, returned to HBO for its second season. The group will be performing at Indiana University less than two weeks after the anticipated release of its second full-length studio album, expected out April 14. Non-Student tickets became available Saturday, Feb. 7 at 10 a.m. for the price of $38.50. Tickets can be purchased at the IU Auditorium Box Office or online at http://www.ticketmaster.com/ .The Indiana Memorial Union Board has brought thousands of events to the IU community for 100 years. Union Board is comprised of 16 student and four non-student directors responsible for campus programming that entertains and educates the IU community. The Indiana Memorial Union Board offices are located in room 270 of the Student Activities Tower in the Indiana Memorial Union. For more information about Union Board, call 812- 855-4682 or email ubpr@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 exhibit 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.
Our Culture is Our Resistance
Now-August 14, various times, Mathers Museum, 416 North Indiana Ave., Bloomington -- 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.
To view more events from around the state, visit http://www.events.iu.edu/.
