BU show focuses on bball legend

Coach: The Untold Story of College Basketball Legend Al McGuire will be presented at Bloomsburg University's Carver Hall, Kenneth S. Gross Auditorium, Friday, Nov. 4, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets for the show, part of BU's Celebrity Artist Series, are $29.50 for adults and $16.50 for children.

Coach was written by Emmy-winning sportscaster Dick Enberg, a colleague of McGuire. McGuire, former athlete and coach, led Marquette University's basketball team to the NCAA Championship in 1977. He became a sportscaster for CBS and NBC, where he and Enberg were partners on-air for 10 years. Although McGuire died of leukemia in 2001, Enberg says all of the play's material came from him. "Coach was the most unforgettable character I've ever met," said Enberg. "There's no one in second place.

This one-man show will star Cotter Smith as McGuire. Smith has acted in movies, television and stage including series such as "Without a Trace" and "NCIS." A recorded introduction by Enberg will be shown before the performance.

The next program in the 26th season of the Celebrity Artist Series is It's All Done With Mirrors starring well-known actor Anthony Zerbe, Saturday, Nov. 12, at 8 p.m. in Carver Hall¹s Kenneth S. Gross Auditorium. Tickets are $29.50.

Miscellanea

Lecture: Middle East expert Norton Mezvinsky, president of the International Council for Middle Eastern Studies, will speak on “Current Status of Arab, Israeli Conflict and Implications of U.S. Involvement” Wednesday, Nov. 2, at 7 p.m. in Bloomsburg University’s McCormick Center, room 1303. An expert in the fields of Arab-Israeli conflict and Zionism, Mezvinsky is history professor emeritus at Central Connecticut State University. The lecture is sponsored by BU’s new graduate program in public policy and international affairs.

Latin Celebration: Bloomsburg University's Spanish club, H.A.B.L.A.S., is hosting “Caribbean Breeze,” featuring Hispanic food and lessons ;in Bachata, a Dominican Republic dance, Thursday, Nov. 3, at 6 p.m. in Kehr Union, multipurpose 345A. Hispanic food will be sold for $1 for club members and $2 for the general public. The dance lessons are free of charge. Participants will learn to dance the Bachata and prepare typical Latin foods, including Venezuelan arepas, little stuffed corncakes.

Theatre: “Coach: The Untold Story of College Basketball Legend Al McGuire,” the second program of the season in Bloomsburg University’s Celebrity Artist Series, will run Friday, Nov. 4, at 7:30 p.m. in Carver Hall’s Kenneth S. Gross Auditorium. Tickets are $29.50 for the general public. For more information or to order tickets, call (570) 389-4409 or visit www.bloomu.edu/cas.

Lecture: AGAPE’s executive director, Eileen Chapman, will be the guest speaker at the Friends of Bloomsburg University Library Association’s Fall Program on Sunday, Nov. 6, at 2 p.m. in the Andruss Library, Schweiker Room. Chapman will discuss AGAPE’s efforts in aiding victims of the flood and the continued needs of families from the “Flood of the Century.”

Guitar, flute concert marks new arts endeavor

Musicians Tracey Schmidt-Jaynes and Matthew Slotkin will perform a concert on Tuesday, Nov. 1, at 7:30 p.m. at the Moose Exchange in downtown Bloomsburg. The performance is the first event sponsored by Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania’s Center for Visual and Performing Arts. The show is open to the public free of charge.

The duo draws inspiration from popular and dance music from Spain and the Americas. With Schmidt-Jaynes playing flute and Slotkin on guitar, they will play a variety of music, from re-imagined Appalachian folk music to tangos.

Schmidt-Jaynes is assistant professor of music at Bloomsburg University. She has studied and played music throughout much of the United States, including a solo performance at the National Flute Convention in Chicago. She is a member of the MidSouth Flute Society’s advisory board and chairs the organization’s young artist competition. In addition to teaching, she is a piccoloist for the Williamsport Symphony.

Slotkin is an instructor and director of the guitar program at BU. He has performed in a variety of settings, including solo performance, chamber music, and as a soloist with an orchestra. He has played music worldwide, with his most recent tours bringing him to Australia, Greece, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. He has given numerous master classes and worked with several prominent chamber ensembles. The American Record Guide applauded him for his “musical sensitivity and technical control” on his album, “Twentieth Century Music for Guitar.”

Sunday with Verdi, Elgar and Mozart

Bloomsburg University's Chamber Orchestra will give a concert Sunday, Oct. 30, at 2:30 p.m. at St. Matthew Lutheran Church, 123 N. Market St., Bloomsburg.
The concert, free and open to the public, will include Nabucco Overture from Giuseppe Verdi’s third opera, which is based on a Biblical story and includes romantic and political plots. The orchestra also will perform Edward Elgar’s Serenade for Strings in E Minor, a piece dedicated to the philosopher W.H. Whinfield, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Concerto in C for Flute, Harp and Orchestra, which spotlights the talent of the harpists.
Soloists are flutist Kristen Jelinek, from Bloomsburg and harpist Andrea Wittchen, from Bethlehem, Pa.
For information, contact BU’s music, theatre and dance department at (570) 389-4284.

Exhibit explores Korean myth, Buddhist thought

Artist Eunkang Koh will exhibit works on paper at Bloomsburg University's Haas Gallery of Art from Friday, Oct. 28, through Wednesday, Nov. 30.

The artist will visit the gallery on Thursday, Nov. 3, for a reception from noon to 2 p.m. and a lecture starting at 1:15 p.m. She will also hold a studio demonstration at 9:45 a.m. These events and the exhibit are free of charge and open to the
public.

Gallery hours are weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays from noon to 2 p.m.

Koh uses her art to explore how humans perceive their behaviors and the world around them. Influenced by Korean myth culture and Buddhist philosophy, she seeks to create and depict her own reality. Her characters often combine traits of humans and non-humans, reminding the viewer that
people are not as removed from “lower” animals as society often thinks.

Koh currently resides in Nevada, where she is an assistant professor at the University of Nevada-Reno. She received her bachelor’s degree in Korea and her master of fine
arts degree in California.

Her works illustrate two of her beliefs: that the common conception of reality is manufactured by
society and the relationship between humans and animals is closer than
many believe.

Although this show features paper works, she has also done installation pieces and made pop-out
books featuring her characters.

Details about the artist’s work and a full statement can be found at www.eunkangkoh.net.

Lecture: A perspective on the Arab Spring

Bloomsburg University will host a lecture by Rashid Khalidi, professor and scholar at Columbia University, about the U.S. involvement in the Middle East on Thursday, Oct. 27, at 7 p.m. in the Kehr Union Ballroom. 
Khalidi’s lecture, free and open to the public, will focus on the Arab Spring, a new growth of revolutionary activity in the Middle East. Although much of the region is involved in the movement, the best-known examples include the Egyptian protests earlier this year and recent conflicts in Libya and Syria. 
In addition to being the Edward Said Professor of Modern Arab Studies at Columbia, Khalidi is former president of the Middle East Studies Association and was adviser to the Palestinian delegation during the Madrid and Washington Arab-Israeli peace negotiations during October 1991 and June 1993. He is a member on the Council on Foreign Relations and serves on the national advisory committee of the U.S. Interreligious Committee for Peace in the Middle East. He has authored several books and dozens of articles about the Middle East and is currently the editor of the Journal of Palestinian Studies.
The talk is sponsored by the College of Liberal Arts and the history department.

The witch is in: Get ready for Halloween

Downtown Bloomsburg shop windows have been painted in anticipation of Halloween.

Downtown Bloomsburg, the YMCA and the Moose Exchange invite trick or treaters through age 12 to show off their costumes at participating businesses on Main Street Friday, Oct. 28 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Collect five stickers on a Costume Contest Ticket that night and head to the Exchange from 7 to 8 p.m. for a costume contest. Tickets are available at the Exchange, participating businesses and in a printable pdf at the Moose Exchange web site.

Trick or treating throughout Bloomsburg will be Monday, Oct. 31, from 6 to 9 p.m.

The Columbia Mall in Buckhorn will have a Trick or Treat Parade on Wednesday, Oct. 26, at 6:30 p.m.

A peek at the Dark Side

Artist and professional copywriter Kristine Antonsen saw the post about the "Cover of a Cover" exhibit at the Moose Exchange and sent along the image of her creation which I loved, a take on the Dark Side of the Moon cover, which she titled "Glorious Fans." Click on the image to see it larger.

Dead poets return for reading

The River Poets will hold their annual Dead Poet's Reading tonight, Oct. 20, at 7:30 p.m. in the Bloomsburg Public Library. Once dead poets return for a rhyme, a line, a limerick, haiku, or free verse. Bring a poem, a piece of a dead poet, or costume your recitation. MC will be Katelyn Faye Winters.

Re(Cover) Recap

Take a trip to the Moose Exchange on West Main Street and walk upstairs and you will never think about Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon the same way again. That's my personal fav from the very fun "Cover of a Cover" exhibit in the Moose's Stairwell Gallery that's up through Nov. 10. The cool show is sponsored by Endless Records in the Exchange. Bloomsburg University art major Brittney Logan, interning at the Moose, helped publicize the show, and is shown with her Heavy D re-cover.
Here's a vote for making the show a regular event.

My stepson went with me to the reception last Friday and was inspired enough to create a cover himself for Daft Punk while I worked up a Motorhead cover, imagining if it had been designed for a hair metal band. My daughter likes the shoes though. (click the band name to see the original covers.)

If you've got a re-cover you'd like to show, send it this way and I'll post it (so long as it's safe for kids etc.). - E.G.F.

BU students exhibiting digital work

If you can make it to campus, Bloomsburg University students in the advanced digital art class are exhibiting their work Old Science Hall's Mezzanine (upper floor). Here's the schedule of exhibits:

• Kelly Geist, "Paths" - Oct. 5 to 15 (looks we we missed that one).
• Padraig Doherty-Peterson, "Creative Demise" - Oct. 24 to Nov. 2.
• Julie Farnan, "Into the Blue" - Oct. 24 to Nov. 2
• Erin Mills, "The Nightmare" - Nov. 14 to 21
• Lena Kurtz, "The Power of Words" - Nov. 14 to 21
• Brittney Logan, "The Grass is Greener" - Nov. 14 to 21
• Matt Decker, "dilettantism" - Dec. 5 to 13
• Victoria Sauers, "Lost to the World" - Dec. 5 to 13

The look is being tweaked ...

The blog is not really focused entirely toward photos, which work best on a black background. Instead, it has a mix of text and images, so I decided the lighten up the look a little bit for easier reading. Expect to see some adjustments over the next week.

If you've got an event you'd like to publicize or an artist you'd like to recognize, submissions are welcome, just pop me an email. - E.G.F.

A student artist in the community

Bloomsburg University senior art studio major Brittney Logan is serving in an internship at the Moose Exchange in downtown Bloomsburg this fall. A specialist in printmaking and digital media, Logan is concentrating on promoting events at the historic Moose. The feeling of closeness and community is a big part of the reason she choose BU. (Photo by BU alumna Ashley Willis).

Smart comedy coming to BU

Bloomsburg University will host comedian Josh Blue on Saturday, Oct. 29, at 8 p.m. in Mitrani Hall at the Haas Center for the Arts. Part of the Celebrity Artist Series, general admission tickets are $29.50 for adults and $16.50 for children. Blue’s show features strong language, so the performance may not be appropriate for all viewers.
Blue won NBC’s “Last Comic Standing” in 2006 and has appeared on countless TV and radio shows, including programs on ABC, CBS, Comedy Central, Fox, and MSNBC.
Known as the comedian “who put the cerebral in cerebral palsy,” he uses humor to break down stereotypes and challenge notions about people with disabilities. His likable personality and powerful stage presence, paired with a knack for comedic timing, ensure that no two of his shows are the same.
Upcoming Celebrity Artist Series shows this semester are:

• Coach: The Untold Story of College Basketball Legend Al McGuire, Friday, Nov. 4, 2011, at 7:30 p.m. in the Kenneth S. Gross Auditorium in Carver Hall. Tickets: $29.50
• It’s All Done with Mirrors, Saturday, Nov. 12, 2011, at 8 p.m. in the Kenneth S. Gross Auditorium in Carver Hall. Tickets: $29.50
• The Nutcracker, Friday, Dec. 2, 2011, at 7:30 p.m. in Mitrani Hall at the Haas Center for the Arts. Tickets: $29.50

For additional information on Josh Blue or to order tickets to the concert, call the Haas Box office at (570) 389-4409 or visit www.bloomu.edu/CAS.

Window Shopping

One of nice things about living in a small town is that it's big enough to have a "there" there, but small enough to feel like it's yours. You can park and walk to a variety of places ... pick up a sub at an old-fashioned lunch counter ... walk to an art reception. And along the way a little girl is mesmerized by the dresses (and shoes) in the shop window.

A free fair for children this weekend

The Bloomsburg Fair was cancelled this year because of flooding that devastated the region. But there will be a mini fair this coming weekend, Oct. 14 to 16, at the fairgrounds on the west side of town.

4-H children will show their animals and food vendors will be on-site to satisfy appetites. Admission is free.

The schedule:

Friday, Oct. 14: 6 p.m. Sheep Show / Market Lamb Show

Saturday, Oct. 15
8 a.m. Market Hog Show
12:30 p.m. Market Goat Show
6 p.m. 4-H Beef and Steer Show

Sunday, Oct. 16
8:30 a.m. Supreme Showmanship Contest
2 p.m. Market Animal Show 

Catch a choral concert

Three of Bloomsburg University's choral ensembles will perform Sunday, Oct. 16, at 2:30 p.m. in Carver Hall, Kenneth Gross Auditorium. The concert will feature the Concert Choir, Women's Choral Ensemble and Husky Singers. Directors are Alan Baker and Eileen Hower. Admission: free.

Re-covers for records

The Moose Exchange on West Main Street, Bloomsburg, is exhibiting re-imagined record covers in the Stairwell Gallery through Nov. 10. A reception for the artists, from both the community and the university, will be held Friday, Oct. 14, from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Moose Ballroom. The exhibit is sponsored by Endless Records in the Exchange. 

Poet Shara McCallum to give reading Wednesday

Poet Shara McCallum will give a reading of her works Wednesday, Oct. 12, at 7:30 p.m. at Bloomsburg University's Monty's on the upper campus. She is the author of four books of poetry, This Strange Land, Song of Thieves, The Water Between Us and the recently released The Face of Water: New & Selected Poems. Her poems and personal essays have appeared in numerous literary journals and been reprinted in over twenty anthologies of American, African American, Caribbean, and World poetry. She was awarded a 2011 NEA Poetry Fellowship. Her appearance is part of BU's Big Dog Reading Series sponsored by the College of Liberal Arts and Department of English.

BTE staging 'Doubt, a Parable'

The Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble is staging "Doubt, a Parable" through Oct. 16 at the Alvina Krause Theatre on Center Street, Bloomsburg. The follows a nun, who confronts a priest, who may be having an inappropriate relationship. The Pulitzer and Tony-Award winning play, by Oscar winner John Patrick Shanley, is directed by BTE's James Goode. Showtimes are Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m.  Details.

Celebrate with a Parade Saturday

Bloomsburg will host its annual homecoming parade for the high school and university on Saturday, Oct. 8. Marching begins at 11 a.m. on the Hospital parking lot on Lightstreet, moves through town and ends at Town Park. Both the university and area school district will have floats with the theme "Rock 'n' Roll Legends." Children should be sure to bring a bag to collect candy. Grand marshalls are Ed and Nancy Edwards.

Hawaiian artist exhibiting at BU

BU's Haas Gallery is featuring the work of contemporary artist Wendy Kawabata through Friday, Oct. 14. The gallery is open free of charge from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and noon to 2 p.m. on Saturday.

Kawabata is associate professor of art at the University of Hawaii at Manoa where she teaches drawing and painting. Born in Lansing, Mich., she earned a bachelor’s degree from Massachusetts College of Art and a master’s of fine art degree from the University of New Mexico. Her artwork has been exhibited at venues nationally and internationally, including recent shows in Auckland, New Zealand, and a group exhibit at New York’s Pool Art Fair. Her sculptures and works on paper have been reviewed in numerous journals, including Art in America and Modern Painters