Performances, exhibits & more: Things not to miss this fall at TU

By Michele Alexander on Sept. 3, 2018

Students at Towson University aren't just exposed to the art, music and culture of the surrounding Baltimore community. There's plenty to take in on campus.

This fall, the College of Fine Arts and Communication has a series of events scheduled that offer students and community members an opportunity to take in performance, art and more without even leaving campus.

Here's a glimpse at some of the highlights:

Department of Art + Design, Art History, Art Education

Ailey II

September 15, 2018 | 7p.m. & 2 p.m., Towson University Stephens Hall Theatre

With power and grace, Alvin Ailey’s kinetic storytelling bursts onto the Stephens Hall stage with a spirited collection of singular performances. For over 40 years, now under the artistic direction of Troy Powell, Ailey II features the best young dance talent and outstanding emerging choreographers from across the country. Proceeds benefit the TU Foundation.

George Segal in black and White: Photographs by Donald Lokuta and Drawings by George Segal
Fri., Sept. 7 – Sat., Oct. 20  Gallery Hours: Tues. – Sat., 11 a.m. - 8 p.m.  Opening Reception: Thurs., Sept. 6, 7:30 – 9 p.m.

Drawn from an exhibition originally curated by Donna Gustafson, Ph.D., of the Zimmerli Art Museum, Rutgers University, this show includes drawings by renowned sculptor George Segal and photographs by Donald Lokuta, his longtime collaborator. These photographs document Segal in his studio, providing a view of his work and aesthetic choices.  Center for the Arts, Holtzman MFA Gallery, CA 2040 Free

Lecture | Photographer Donald Lokuta
Sept 20, 6:30pm | CA Art Lecture Hall CA2032

Lokuta, artist George Segal’s longtime collaborator, is a photographer, painter, teacher and historian. He has published widely on photography and his work has been included in over 300 exhibitions. FREE

Isla: Regarding Paradise
Opening reception: Thurs 9/6 7:30pm-9pm

Guest curator Jackie Milad ’05 MFA, explores the theme of “paradise” and what lies beyond the typical postcard representations of Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, examining these nations as complex societies struggling to assert economic independence, political autonomy and environmental justice.

Lecture | Artist Gabriela Salazar 
Thurs., Sep. 6, 6:30 pm | Exhibition opening reception to follow | | Center for the Arts, Art Lecture Hall, CA 2032 Free

Salazar, an artist featured in the exhibition Isla: Regarding Paradise, works in sculpture, drawing, writing, and site interventions to investigate the relationship between human-made spaces and structures, and the unpredictable or invisible forces that act upon them, reframing how we are affected by the changes in what we create.

Lecture | Curator Rafael Damast
Thurs, Oct. 11, 6:30pm  | Center for the Arts, Art Lecture Hall, CA 2032 Free

Damast curates Taller Puertorriqueño, the gateway to Latin@ Philadelphia, which promotes and develops Latin@ culture through public exhibitions, youth education programs and extensive outreach programs at schools and community centers. Damast is the exhibition’s program manager.

Lecture | Curator Jackie Milad 
Thurs, Oct 18, 6:30pm | Center for the Arts, Art Lecture Hall, CA 2032 Free
 Jackie Milad ’05 MFA, curator of Isla: Regarding Paradise, discusses the exhibition she created for TU.  Milad’s work invents and references symbols from her multi-ethnic background, and creates textured works on paper by mixing her older and current drawings to make collages. 

Electronic Media and Film

Fall 2018 Film Series | Drones & Droids: Cyber Activism/Cyborg Sex 
Mondays at 7:30 p.m. | Sept. 10, 17, 24 / Oct. 1, 8, 15 | Van Bokkelen Hall Auditorium, VB 204 | FREE

Spanning several film genres, Drones and Droids: Cyber-Activism/Cyborg Sex explores the role of science and technology in creating and shaping power across race, gender, sex and sexuality.  Special guests will provide in-depth and provocative discussions during aquestion and answer session after each film.   May contain material recommended for mature audiences.

Annual Veterans Film Series
Fridays at 7 p.m. | Oct. 26 / Nov. 2, 9, 16 | Van Bokkelen Hall Auditorium, VB 204 | Free

The TU Military & Veterans Center and the Department of Electronic Media & Film present four international films about World War II.

Theatre

A Lie of the Mind by Sam Shepard Directed by Peter Wray
Fri., Nov. 30 - Sat., Dec. 1, 8 p.m. / Sun., Dec. 2, 2 p.m.  Wed., Dec. 5 - Thurs., Dec. 6, 7:30 p.m. / Fri., Dec. 7 - Sat., Dec. 8, 8 p.m.  Preview: Thurs., Nov. 29, 7:30 p.m.

Performed by TU students under the direction of Peter Wray, Sam Shepard’s A Lie of the Mind examines what it means to be a family, and whether or not the family bond truly ties individuals together. Presented by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service, Inc., New York

Towson Faculty Brass Quintet | Ancient Calls: Time and Space
Sun., Sept. 16, 3 p.m. | Center for the Arts, Harold J. Kaplan Concert Hall, CA 3042 Tickets: $21 | $16 | $11

Explore time and space through music for brass, percussion and electronics with multimedia. This eclectic mix includes Margaret Brouwer’s “Ancient Calls,” inspired by visiting Stonehenge, Anthony Plog’s “Four Sketches,” Michael Kamen’s “Quintet”, Coldplay’s “Viva la Vida,” and Radiohead’s “Paranoid Android.” COFAC Theme Related, please include visual identifier

Dance

Transcend
Wed., Nov. 14, - Sat., Nov. 17, 7 p.m.; Sun., Nov. 18, 2 p.m.  | Stephens Hall Theatre | Tickets: $25 | $15 | $10

This evening of mixed classical and new dance works performed by the students of the TU Dance Company illustrates our passion for artistic excellence and going beyond boundaries and limitations. Works include the second act of the classical ballet Swan Lake, contemporary ballet Spectra by guest choreographer, Therese Gahl, a new work by TU faculty member Alison Seidenstricker and works by the Department of Dance repertory classes.

Communication Studies

Lecture | The Afrofuturist Aesthetic and the Written Body
Mon., Nov. 5, 7 p.m.  | Center for the Arts, Recital Hall, CA 3066 FREE

Juliana Huxtable, an artist, writer, performer and DJ, will give an interdisciplinary lecture and performance that explores Afrofuturism and "conditioning." Huxtable focuses specifically on digital spaces, identity and the body. May contain material recommended for mature audiences.

Asian Arts and Culture Center

Asia in Maryland: Expressing Cross-Cultural Experience
Fri., Sept. 7 – Sat., Dec. 8 (Closed Nov. 19 -25)  
Opening Reception: Thurs., Sept. 6, 7:30 – 9pm
Gallery talks at 7:45 p.m.
Center for the Arts, Asian Arts Gallery, CA 2037 | Free

This exhibition brings together the work of artists in Maryland who are Asian, Asian American, and those inspired by Asia. Featured artists will lead hands-on workshops throughout the season. Presented with support from the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation.  

Alif Laila: Art, Music, and Emotion
Sat, Oct. 20, 7 p.m.
Center for the Arts, Harold J. Kaplan Concert Hall, CA3042
Tickets $10 | $15 | $20

Renowned classical sitar player Alif Laila performs ragas while her paintings are projected onto a screen during this dynamic audiovisual performance introducing the aesthetic theory of rasa. A Q&A session follows the performance. Presented with support from the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation.

Of course, there are plenty of other events you won't want to miss over the final few months of 2018. Find a complete, searchable database here.

This story is one of several related to President Kim Schatzel's priorities for Towson University: TU Matters to Maryland.