Miscellanea: Dance, talks, more dance, and a reception

Big Band Concert and Dance: Do you like to dance? Would you like to learn to cha cha, mambo, swing, or tango? If yes, then come to the Big Band Dance Tuesday, March 25, 7 pm in the Caldwell Consistory, Market Street, Bloomsburg. The dance is sponsored by the Center For Visual And Performing Arts. The evening will feature a live big band plus demonstrations of the different dance steps-provided by BU dance professor, Julie Petry. Admission is free.

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Bloomsburg University’s LGBTQA Commission is hosting the sixth annual reception, Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler (Let the Good Times Roll) from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 28, at The Barn at Boone’s Dam, 737 Fort McClure Blvd., Bloomsburg. The event, which supports LGBTQA educational outreach, will feature a silent auction, awards, light refreshments and musical entertainment by Chamuris and Brown. Tickets are $25 per person. For information, contact the LGBTQA Resource Center, lgbt@bloomu.edu or 570-389-2819.

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Talking about Video Games: David S. Heineman, assistant professor of communications studies at BU, will talk about the cultural significance of video games at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 26, in Warren Student Services Center, room 004. His lecture, Thinking about Video Games: Notes from a Researcher, is sponsored by the Institute for Culture and Society and the College of Liberal Arts and is free and open to the public.

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Russian Ballet to perform Swan Lake: BU is bringing the Tchaikovsky ballet, Swan Lake, to the stage as a part of BU’s 175th anniversary celebration Saturday, March 29, at 8 pm in Haas Center for the Arts, Mitrani Hall. Tickets are $35 for adults and $17 for children and BU students. For more information, visit www.bloomu.edu/cas or call the box office at 570-389-4409.

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Library Book Sale: The Friends of the Bloomsburg University Library Association (FOBULA) will hold their 14th annual book sale from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, March 29; 1 to 3 p.m. and 6 to 9 p.m. Sunday, March 30; and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, March 31, in the Andruss Library, Schweiker Room. The library’s largest fundraiser, the book sale has raised more than $27,000 to fund special projects, including digitization and preservation of local and university historic materials, and textbook scholarships. For information, contact Robert Dunkelberger, university archivist, 570-389-4210.

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Empty Bowls Banquet: Empty Bowls, an international hunger awareness and fundraising event, returns to Bloomsburg University to benefit the Bloomsburg Food Cupboard from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Sunday, March 30, in the Kehr Union Ballroom. A minimum donation of $10 for adults and $5 for students is requested for unlimited soups. Children under 5-years-old eat free. For more information on this year’s event, contact Jean Downing, SOLVE director, 570-389-4798.

Miscellanea: See the movie, meet the writer ...

Being Flynn, a film based on writer Nick Flynn's memoir, "Another Bullshit Night in Suck City,” will be shown Monday, Feb. 17, at 7:30 pm in BU’s McCormick Center, room 2303. The event is free and open to public. Flynn will visit campus on Wednesday, March 5, as part of the Big Dog Reading Series. The film stars Robert DeNiro, Paul Dano and Julianne Moore. The screening is open to the public free of charge, sponsored by BU’s English department.

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Sue O’Donnell, associate professor of digital art at BU, will explore the tangible nature of memory in her lecture, “Collective Memory,” on Wednesday, Feb. 19, at 4:30 p.m. in the Warren Student Services Center, room 004. The lecture is based on O’Donnell’s book, “Collective Memory: Recollections from 203 West Main Street Bloomsburg, PA: a Workbook,” published in 2012. The book centers on the Moose Exchange, a well-known community center in downtown Bloomsburg that received heavy damage from a fire on Jan. 30. When O’Donnell rented studio space in the Moose Exchange, she heard people reminiscing over their times in the building for proms, weddings and holiday parties. O’Donnell collaborated with various community members to get those memories published.

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The Sundance Film Festival award-winning documentary Inequality for All Thursday, Feb. 20, from 5 to 6:30 pm in the McCormick Center for the Humanities, room 1303. A panel of university faculty will discuss the problems of economic inequality at 4 p.m. in McCormick Center, room 1316. The event is free and open to the public.

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Student artwork will be exhibited in BU's Haas Gallery from Feb. 22 to March 6. On Feb. 27, a reception for the Student Art Show will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. in the gallery. The exhibit and reception are open to the public free of charge. The Haas Gallery of Art is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and from noon until 2 p.m. Saturday. The gallery is closed Sundays and university holidays.

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The Bloomsburg University Players will present The 24 Hour Plays on Saturday, Feb. 22, at 7:30 pm in the Alvina Krause Theater, 226 Center St., Bloomsburg. Tickets are $6 for adults and $4 for seniors and students from other schools. Advance tickets are available at the Haas Box Office at 570-389-4340.

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BU's Celebrity Artist Series will present Christopher O’Riley, who will perform his solo show, Out of My Hands, Saturday, Feb. 22, at 8 pm in Kenneth S. Gross Auditorium, Carver Hall. O'Riley is the host of the weekly National Public Radio program From the Top and is known for his piano arrangements of songs by alternative artists such as Radiohead and Nick Drake. Tickets are $30 for adults and $15 for children and BU students. For tickets or more information, visit www.bloomu.edu/cas or call the box office at 570-389-4409.

Spain and Cuba: Guitar and Piano

Guitar and piano duo Evan Drummond and Orlay Alonso will give a concert (and master class) at BU on Wednesday, March, 27, in Carver Hall, Kenneth S. Gross Auditorium. The concert will begin at 7:30 p.m.; the master class will begin at noon. Both events are free and open to the public.

After graduating from Yale University, Drummond and Alonso combined their musical talents to explore virtuosic Spanish and Cuban music from the last 150 years. With Drummond on guitar and Alonso on piano, the duo performs their own arrangements of works by well-known composers. Drummond has been a featured performer throughout the United States, Canada and Europe. Pianist Alonso has performed at Carnegie Hall’s Wiell Recital Hall and Yale University’s Sprague Memorial Hall with the Manhattan School of Music Orchestra, Ossia Symphony Orchestra and the Bronx Arts Ensemble Orchestra. For information, contact Matthew Slotkin, assistant professor of music, at mslotkin@bloomu.edu.

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The second annual Big Band Dance, hosted by BU’s Center for Visual and Performing Arts, will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, March 27, at the Moose Exchange, downtown Bloomsburg. The event will begin with a demonstration of basic dance styles, such as the samba, cha-cha and tango, followed by music for dancing performed by BU’s Jazz Ensemble. The free event is supported by BU’s College of Liberal Arts. For information, contact Julie Petry, assistant professor of theater and dance, jpetry@bloomu.edu.

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BU students will exhibit their artwork from March 26 to April 9 in Haas Gallery of the Arts. A reception for the artists will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday, March 29, in Haas Gallery. The exhibit is open free of charge from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Friday and noon to 2 p.m. Saturday.

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The film Milk will be shown Tuesday, March 26, at 6:15 pm in Hartlines Science Center, room G42, as part of BU’s Constitutional Freedoms Film Series. Sean Penn stars as Harvey Milk, a politician and gay rights activist who was assassinated in 1978. The film screening, sponsored by the Frederick Douglass Institute and the American Democracy Project, is open to the public free of charge.

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BU’s LGBTA Commission is hosting the fifth annual It’s Time fundraiser on Tuesday, March 26, from 5 to 7 pm at The Barn at Boone’s Dam, Bloomsburg. The event includes a light reception, awards presentation and silent auction featuring items from artists, restaurants and local businesses. Tickets, at $25 each, cover appetizers and beverages. Checks payable to the BU Foundation may be sent to the LGBTA Resource Center, Warren Student Services Center, room 226.

Miscellanea: Kids, soup and a movie

BU’s SOLVE Volunteer Office will host the annual Kids Fun Carnival from 1 to 3 p.m. on Sunday, March 3, in the Nelson Field House. BU student organizations will offer games, crafts and activities free of charge for local children.

The movie Amistad will be shown Wednesday, March 6, at 6:15 pm in Hartline Science Center, room G42. The film is based on an 1839 incident involving a group of slaves who took over their ship, the Amistad. The film screening, sponsored by the Frederick Douglass Institute and the American Democracy Project, is open to the public free of charge as part of BU's Constitutional Freedoms Film Series.

The Empty Bowls Banquet to benefit the Bloomsburg Food Cupboard will be held Sunday, March 10, from 11 am to 1:30 pm in Kehr Union, Ballroom. The minimum donation for unlimited soup is $10 for adults, $5 for students age 5 and older and free for children under 5. For information, contact BU’s SOLVE volunteer office, (570) 389-4788 or stvolser@bloomu.edu. 

Miscellanea: Road trip, poetry and dinner

BU Math prof Paul Loomis will share insights gained while traveling through Peru, Bolivia, Argentina and Chile in Speaking Math in Spanish: A South American Road Trip on Monday, Feb. 25, at 4:30 pm in Warren Student Service Cetner, room 004. Loomis will discuss how cultural, economic and political factors affect university life in South America. The lecture is sponsored by the College of Liberal Arts’ Institute for Culture and Society.

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If you missed Sunbury poet Melanie Simms and other Pennsylvania Poet Laureates at the Mid-Town Scholar Bookstore in Harrisburg ... at least a part of the event is on YouTube.

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The annual Kids Fun Carnival will be Sunday, March 3, from 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday, March 3, in the Nelson Field House. BU student organizations will offer games, crafts and activities free of charge for local children. For information, contact the SOLVE Office, (570) 389-4788 or stvolser@bloomu.edu.

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The BU LGBTA Commission is hosting the 5th Annual, It’s Time Fundraiser on Tuesday, March 26, at The Barn at Boone’s Dam from 5-7 pm. The evening will begin with a light reception followed by an awards presentation and silent auction. Silent auction includes items from artists, restaurants and local businesses. Tickets are $25 and include creative appetizers, beer and wine. Checks may be made payable to the BU Foundation and can be dropped off at the LGBTA Resource Center located in the SSC 226.

Miscellanea: Beginnings, closings, readings and taxes

Bloomsburg University’s annual Chinese New Year Party, sponsored by the BU Chinese Student Association and Chinese Faculty, will begin at noon Saturday, Feb. 9, in Kehr Union Ballroom. The potluck dinner will be served at 1 p.m., followed by music and dance programs. For information, contact Ju Xin, associate professor of physics and adviser of the Chinese Student Association, (570) 389-5309.

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A reception to close an exhibit of photography by Tomiko Jones will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday, Feb. 11, in Bloomsburg University’s Haas Gallery of Art. For information, contact Rebecca Morgan, art gallery associate, (570) 389-4708 or rmorgan@bloomu.edu.

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Bloomsburg University English faculty members Anne Dyer Stuart and Jerry Wemple will read from their personal works at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 12, in BU’s Monty’s Assembly Room, Upper Campus. Each will present their manuscripts-in-progress: Stuart from How to Behave after Murder and Wemple from The Artemas Poems. For information, contact the BU English Department, (570) 389-4427. The reading is part of the Big Dog Reading Series.

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Discussions on faith 

Dr. Ian Wendt, history department, Bloomsburg University, will give a talk “One God, Many Gods: Diverse Hindu Paths” on Thursday, Feb. 21, at 7 pm in McCormick Center, room 1303.

Dr. Jeffrey Long, Professor of Religious Studies and Department Chair, Elizabethtown College, will give a talk “Buddhism: Origins, Philosophy, and Practice” on Tuesday, March 12, at 7 pm in Hartline Science Center, Kuster Auditorium, Hartline.

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Free tax help for qualified residents of Columbia and Montour counties is available from the Student Accounting Association at Bloomsburg University. Help will be available from 4 to 8 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday from Monday, Feb. 11, to Wednesday, April 10, at Wesley United Methodist Church, 130 W. Third St., Bloomsburg. The site will be closed March 18, 19 and 20. No appointments are needed. To learn more about the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, visit the IRS website or contact Gabriel Genovese, accounting instructor, (570) 389-5234 or ggenoves@bloomu.edu.

Miscellanea: Dine for kidsburg

Dine for Kidsburg 2.0: Dine a Balzano's in Wednesdays in January and 10 percent of food sales will benefit Kidsburg 2.0.

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Looking ahead to ArtWalk-In: The 2013 ArtWalk-In will be Thursday, Feb. 21, from 4 to 8 pm at the Moose Exchange.  To have your work exhibited during this unparalleled annual event, contact the Bloomsburg ArtWalk committee at bloomartwalk@hotmail.com. Space limited, applications due February 1, with $25 fee.

Miscellanea: Homegrown

The Moose Exchange will host its third annual Home-Based-Business Expo tonight (Dec. 7), in the Grille Room from 6 to 10 p.m. Shop for great crafts, home accessories, food, and more. The vendors for this year’s event include representatives for Sparkle Tees, Pampered Chef, Scentsy, Tastefully Simple, and 31, as well as repurposed fabrics from 9 Stitches Saved; Ballengee Farm's soap and other goods; handmade crocheted items by Brooke Evonne; Holly Doraski’s nail shields; handmade TC Jewelry; cards by Susan Yale; jewelry, paintings, and more by Chello Sherman; and a lace-making demonstration by Iva Kressler.

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Area poet Melanie Simms will be a featured guest on WFTE 90.3 FM radio Saturday, Dec. 8, at 9:30 am and again on Sunday at 9 am. 

Holiday thanks at the BTE: "A Christmas Carol"

The Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble is staging Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol Nov. 23 through Dec. 29. This production is directed by Richard Cannaday.

Miscellanea at the Moose

Area artisans, crafters, food vendors, farmers and musicians will be at the Moose Exchange this Saturday, Nov. 24, 9 am to 7 pm.

Children (at least in Bloomsburg) are off school Monday, Nov. 26. The Moose is offering bowling from 10 am to 4 pm. A fiver gets the shoes, the ball and the lane for hours.

Miscellanea: Concerts, talks, and a parade

Saxophonist Joseph Murphy and guitarist Matthew Slotkin will give a concert Wednesday, Oct. 10, at 7:30 p.m. in Bloomsburg University’s Carver Hall, Kenneth S. Gross Auditorium. Admission is free.

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Bloomsburg University’s Women’s Choral Ensemble, Husky Singers and Concert Choir will present a concert at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 14, in Carver Hall, Kenneth S. Gross Auditorium. Admission is free.

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Jerry Wemple and other Pennsylvania poets will give readings in the Pennsylvania Capitol Building (East Wing Rotunda) on Thursday, Oct. 11, at noon. Wemple, is a BU professor of English, while Melanie Simms and David Bauman are BU students. First Lady Susan Corbett is scheduled to introduce the readers. Other poets reading will include Marjorie Maddox, director of the Creative Writing program at Lock Haven University, and Nathaniel Gadsden, the former poet laureate of Harrisburg. Wemple and Maddox co-edited a poetry anthology entitled “Common Wealth: Contemporary Poets on Pennsylvania.” Wemple and Maddox will also read at 7 p.m. that evening at the Midtown Scholar Bookstore in Harrisburg. The reading will be recorded for podcast by WITF-FM, the local PBS affiliate.

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The French film Entre Nous will be shown at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 11, in Bloomsburg University’s McCormick Hall, room 2303, as part of the Gender Studies Minor Foreign Film Series. The film, open to the public free of charge, tells the story of two women in unsatisfactory marriages who struggle for identity in post-World War II France. The series is sponsored by the Gender Studies Minor, Department of English and College of Liberal Arts.

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Have a favorite record? Wish it had a cooler cover? Now's your chance, but not for long. The deadline to submit works for the The Cover of a Cover show (at the Moose Exchange and sponsored by Endless Records) is Thursday, Oct. 12. For more information contact Nick or Emily at Endless Records in the Moose Exchange, 570-951-1821.

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The Center for Visual and Performing Arts fundraising dinner on October 21, has had the ticket deadline extended to Oct. 12. The event will feature a delectable menu as well as an art exhibit, plus literary, musical, theatrical and dance performances featuring some of BU's most talented students. Proceeds will go to the CVPA to continue and expand our University/town events as well as provide community performance venues. For tickets, call 389-4410

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Saturday, Oct. 13, is homcoming for Bloomsburg, the high school and the university, will celebrate Homecoming with a parade on Saturday. The parade begins at 11 am at the Geisinger Bloomsburg parking lot on Lightstreet Road and continues to College Hill, Main and Market streets, ending in Town Park. Chang Shub Roh, BU sociology professor emeritus, as grand marshal of the homecoming parade.

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On a more serious note:

• Liz Seccuro, victim’s rights activist and author, will present My Story: The Journey from Sexual Assault Victim to Survivor to Activist, at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 9, in the Bloomsburg University’s Kehr Union, Ballroom. Seccuro founded STARS (Sisters Together Assisting Rape Survivors) to fund programs to help rape victims and their families. Her visit, presented in recognition of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, is sponsored by the Women’s Resource Center and open to the public free of charge.
• Steve Berg, vice president for programs and policy, National Alliance to End Homelessness, will speak on National Best Practices for Building a Homeless System from the Ground Up, at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 10, in Bloomsburg University’s Kehr Union. His talk will be followed by a panel discussion. The program is open to anyone interested in issues associated with homelessness.

Miscellanea: Culture on campus

Painting Exhibit 
Painter Kay Knight will exhibit her work September 14 through October 19 in Bloomsburg University’s Haas Gallery of Art. There will be an artist's reception Thursday, Oct. 11, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. with gallery talks at 11:15 a.m. and 1:15 p.m. Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and noon to 2 p.m. Saturday.

Reminder: Vaudeville silliness 
The Handsome Little Devils present “Squirm Burpee" at Bloomsburg University on Saturday, Sept. 15, at 7 p.m. in Haas Center for the Arts, Mitrani Hall. General admission tickets for the show are $34.50. For information, call (570) 389-4409. The show is part of the Celebrity Artist Series.

Films from afar 
The French film “Sarah’s Key” will be shown Thursday, Sept. 13, at 7 p.m. in McCormick Center, room 2303, as part of a series sponsored by the Gender Studies Minor, Department of English and College of Liberal Arts. Admission is free.

Music with spirit, improvisation

The Bloomsburg University Gospel Choir will have it's 22nd annual Gospelrama Saturday, April 21, at 4 p.m. in the Kehr Union, Ballroom. This year’s theme, “Yet Will I Trust You,” is inspired by Psalms 121:1. The concert is open free to the public.

More photos of the choir can be found at www.bloomufocus.com.

In a a jazzier vein

Garry L. Hagberg, James H. Ottoway Jr. Professor of Philosophy and Aesthetics at Bard College and guitarist with the Atlantic Jazz Trio, will speak and perform Monday, April 23, at 7 pm. in Bloomsburg University’s McCormick Center, room 1303. Hagberg’s talk, “Playing as One: Group Improvisation and Collective Intention” will feature live jazz improvisation. The program is presented as part of BU’s Center for Applied and Popular Philosophy.

More concerts at BU

• Bloomsburg University’s Wind Ensemble will present a concert at 7 p.m., Wednesday, April 25, in Haas Center for the Arts, Mitrani Hall. 
• The Bloomsburg University’s Concert Choir will perform Saturday, April 28, at 7:30 p.m. in First Presbyterian Church, 345 Market St., Bloomsburg. 
• Two Bloomsburg University instrumental ensembles will perform in the annual Knoebels Amusement Resort “Pops” Concert Sunday, April 29, weather permitting. The Concert Band will play at 2 p.m.; the Jazz Ensemble will perform at 5:30 p.m. 

More than fashion: Art you can wear

BU students will show wearable art creations at the annual Personal Adornment Day and Makeup Extravaganza on Thursday, April 26. The catwalk and stage presentation will be held at 5:30 p.m. at the Moose Exchange, 203 W. Main St., Bloomsburg. This event, part of BU’s Center for Visual and Preforming Arts, is free and open to the public. For information, contact Meredith Re’ Grimsley, associate professor of art, at mgrimsle@bloomu.edu.

In a mood for dance

 “New Heights,” the second annual repertory/ensemble dance minor concert, will be given Sunday, April 29, at 3 p.m., and 7:30 p.m., Monday, April 30, at 7:30 p.m. in Bloomsburg University’s Haas Center for the Arts, Mitrani Hall. Admission is free.

Gas Springs Eternal (?)

Not strictly arts related, but there seems to be a considerable overlap in the community interested in the arts, and in the environment. 

John Hintz, associate professor of geography and geosciences, will give a lecture “Gas Springs Eternal: The Marcellus Shale and Pennsylvania’s Unconventional Future,” at 4 p.m., Wednesday, April 25, in the Harvey Andruss Library, Schweiker Room. The event, open to the public free of charge, is presented by BU’s Institute for Culture and Society.

Miscellanea: Poetry, exhibits, lectures, concerts

Poet Grant Clauser, a Bloomsburg University alumnus, will read Monday, April 9, at 7:30 pm from his new poetry collection, The Trouble with Rivers, in the Alumni House, Bloomsburg University.

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Bloomsburg University’s Percussion Ensemble will perform Tuesday, April 10, at 7:30 pm in Haas Center for the Arts, Mitrani Hall. The performance is open to the public free of charge.

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The annual Take Back the Night observance will be held Tuesday, April 10, from 7 to 8 pm, beginning at Bloomsburg University’s Kehr Union, Ballroom.

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David Gluck, author of “Rhythms of the Game,” will give a multimedia presentation Wednesday, April 11, at 6 pm in Bloomsburg University’s Haas Center for the Arts, room 116. Gluck’s presentation, which includes video and music, shares the story of Bernie Williams, former New York Yankees star and accomplish jazz guitarist. He will explain how athletes and artists conquer their fears, embrace failure and ultimately achieve extraordinary success.

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R. Holborn Brown will have a show of photographs, “Passages,” at the Artspace Gallery, Center Street, Bloomsburg, from April 12 to May 20. Reception will be Saturday, April 14, from 6 to 8 pm. 

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The 2012 Juried Student Art Show will run in Bloomsburg University's Haas Gallery through April 23. A reception will be held Friday, April 20, from 5 to 7 pm. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday from 9 am to 4 pm and Saturday from noon to 2 pm.

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Susan Feiner, professor of economics and professor of women and gender studies at the University of Southern Maine, will speak on “The New/Old Macho Economy” Friday, April 13, at 1 pm in Bloomsburg University’s McCormick Center, room 1303. The lecture is sponsored by BU’s Department of Economics and College of Liberal Arts.

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The Bloomsburg University Concert Band’s spring concert will be Sunday, April 15, at 2:30 pm in Haas Center for the Arts, Mitrani Hall. The concert is open to the public free of charge.

Some quick vitamin A and C

Some nuggets of A and C (arts and culture), and maybe a little bit of science and shopping too, for the coming week.

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Frack perspective: “Natural Gas Extraction in Marcellus Shale: Evaluating the Impacts,” a series of lectures, films and a panel discussion, will be held at Bloomsburg University from March 20 to 29. The series will explore the social, economic and environmental impacts of drilling for natural gas in the Marcellus Shale and is sponsored by BU’s Green Campus Initiative, Institute for Culture and Society, Institute for Human Rights and Social Justice, College of Science and Technology and the College of Liberal Arts. All programs are open to the public free of charge. The detailed schedule is here: http://organizations.bloomu.edu/gci/shale.php. 

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Auction benefits LGBTA:  “It’s Time,” a reception and silent auction sponsored by Bloomsburg University’s LGBTA, will be held Tuesday, March 20, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Barn at Boone’s Dam, Bloomsburg. Funds raised during the event will support educational experiences for students, faculty, staff and the local community, including outreach programs and campus speakers. The $25 per person admission fee covers the cost of hors d’oeuvres and beverages. For information, see www.bloomu.edu/lgbt.

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Spaghetti at the Moose: The annual Spaghetti Supper fundraiser for Downtown Bloomsburg, Inc. will be held at the Moose Exchange on Wednesday, March 21. Dinners will be served in the Grille Room from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., with take outs available starting at 4:30. In addition to spaghetti, garlic bread, salad, and drinks, there will be a make-your-own-sundae bar with ice cream from Brennan's Big Chill and a draw-your-own-sundae challenge for children. Tickets in advance (available at the Exchange and other downtown business locations) are $6, or $7 at the door.

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The Big Dance: Bloomsburg University's Dance Ensemble will hold its spring show Thursday and Friday, March 22 and 23 at 7 p.m. at Haas Center for the Arts, Mitrani Hall. Admission is free, but donations are accepted. This show nearly packs Mitrani Hall, two nights in a row. A lot of fun.

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Friday Jazz at the Moose: The third Jazz Night concert with Burgess, Mitchell, and Seal comes to the Moose Exchange on Friday, March 23. The $10 cover charge benefits the Greenwood Friends School’s Greening Greenwood campaign, through which the school will develop eco-friendly programming and become more energy efficient. Light refreshments are available, BYOB.

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Bookworm alert: The Friends of the Bloomsburg University Library Association will hold the 12th annual book sale Saturday to Monday, March 24 to March 26, in the Andruss Library Schweiker Room. Items include books, CDs, DVDs, video tapes, cassettes and records. The pre-sale for members only is Saturday, March 24, from noon to 1 p.m.; the regular sale runs Saturday from 1 to 5 p.m., Sunday, March 25, from 1 to 4 p.m. and Monday, March 26, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

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Reminder: Murder at the Howard Johnson's at the Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble runs only through March 25. 

V-Day at the Exchange Feb. 29 to March 3

Bloomsburg's Center for the Visual and Performing Arts is bringing V-Day to the Moose Exchange. V-Day is a global effort to stop the violence against women and girls.

This event features the performance of The Vagina Monologues, a play made up of a series of monologues about female empowerment and individuality. Performances will be held in the Grille Room at 8 p.m. from Wednesday, Feb. 29, to Saturday March 3. On Thursday, March 1, there will be a showing of Until The Violence Stops, and readings featuring the Men of A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant and A Prayer.

The event is open to the public, however please note that the mature content is not suitable for children. Tickets are available at the door; $5 for B.U. students with ID and $10 for the general public. All proceeds benefit the Women’s Center, Beyond Violence, and Women of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

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Miscellanea


Painter Chet Davis is exhibiting at Artspace Gallery, 221 Center Street, from March 1 through April 8.

The River Poets are holding a reading Thursday, March 1, at 7:30 p.m. at the Bloomsburg Public Library, 225 Market Street. The featured reader is Richard Kahn and the theme is "Poetry is what you get from crossing lions with lambs." Sue Brook will be the master of ceremonies and there will be an open reading.

The Moose Exchange Stairwell Gallery will host an exhibition through March 8 of archived photographs that share the rich history of the old Moose Lodge. Built in 1949 on West Main Street, the Moose Lodge was a treasured gathering spot for members, their families, and the wider community for many years. This exhibition is part of a “Collective Memory” project that invites community members to share their pictures and stories from the Moose.

Monday night culture at BU

Lecture: Coming to terms with a family legacy

Thomas DeWolf, author of Inheriting the Trade: a Northern Family Confronts Its Legacy as the Largest Slave Trading Dynasty in U.S. History, will speak at Bloomsburg University on Monday, Feb. 20, at 7:30 p.m. in the Kehr Union, Multipurpose Room B. The lecture and reading is sponsored by BU's Frederick Douglass Institute and is free and open to the public.

About the book: In 2001, Thomas DeWolf discovered that he was related to the most successful slave-trading family in U.S. history, responsible for transporting at least ten thousand Africans. His memoir follows the journey in which ten family members retraced their ancestors' steps through the notorious triangle trade route — from New England to West Africa to Cuba — and uncovered the hidden history of New England and the other northern states.

Celebrate winter with BUSTED

The cast and crew of BUSTED, an ongoing musical comedy series sponsored by residence life about college life, will present Episode 49, entitled “Winterfest,” on Monday, Feb. 20, at 9 p.m. in the Kehr Union, Ballroom. The show follows the adventures of 19 college students live on stage as they work through various life issues.  Doors open at 8:45 p.m. Admission is free.

Miscellanea: BU students show their stuff

Ten Bloomsburg University music students give an Honors Recital Thursday, Feb. 2, at 7 p.m. in Haas Center for the Arts, Mitrani Hall. The students were top performers at last semester's juries and include performances with guitar, oboe, euphonium, trumpet, piano, and voice.


Reminder: Sculptor Michael Donovan will have a reception is Thursday from noon to -2, with an artist lecutre at 1:15 p.m.


BU's Department of Art and Art History is hosting its 15th Annual Student Symposium in Art History this Friday, Feb. 3 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Kehr Union, Hideaway. Seven art history majors and minors will present their research papers. Refreshments will be served.
Presentations include:

• The Oddity of Piero della Francesca's Flagellation of Christ by Marissa Weinger 
• Artemisia Gentileschi: Proto-Feminism in Italian Baroque Painting by Sarah Halter 
• Embracing Diego as her Son: A study of the relationship between Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera through their Art by Deanna Barnes 
• The Culture of Sex and Beauty by Rachel Etzweiler 
• A Female Language: Judy Chicago and her Art by Gunilla Bjerkman-Geise 
• Deaf, the De'VIA, and Discussion by Ralph Hinkle 
• Cake: Delectable Art by Shonda Cobb

Calling for a cast

Bloomsburg University will hold an  open casting call for students who want to be involved in BUSTED on Monday, Jan. 23, at 8 p.m. in the Kehr Union, Multipurpose 345A. BUSTED, sponsored by Residence Life, is an ongoing musical comedy series about college life. Auditions will be held for character actors, singers, dancers and guitarists. Students may also apply for production positions including assistant choreographer, scenic design, stage crew and photography. Contact George Kinzel, adviser and director, at gkinzel@bloomu.edu.

Living in a real town

This blog gets a certain number of overseas visitors ... more than 200 checked out the blog in the past month from the Ukraine (160), Russia (26)  and Germany (20). Mostly, I'm sure, because of the posting about the Russian ballet at Bloomsburg University.

A lot of visitors from overseas come as a result of searches related to the late Toshiko Takaezu. (BU art professor emeritus Karl Beamer's personal recollection of his mentor motivated the creation of the blog.)

For those from out-of-town: Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, is not a metropolis. It is however, a place where you can take a walk and find a there, or several theres, along the way.

This morning, I did a quick stop at my bank. Across the street is a real, as opposed to to a chain, diner.
Walked past several sub shops, a bunch of clothing stores, including my fav, the classic Al's Mens Shop, a burrito place, a dollar store, a Chinese restaurant, and found a real bookstore/coffee shop, The Cloak and Dragon, which just happens to be hosting an evening of caroling on Thursday, Dec. 15 (details at the end).

Ordered a pizza to take home at La Fontana. While the pizza was being made, I headed down to the Moose, where I just missed the starving artists breakfast ... with artists William Whitmoyer and Larry Ney II behind the counter. I did find time to pick up some cool handmade bread for my wife and check out the galleries (picked up a gift already last week). After picking up the pizza, headed home, and passed Artspace along the way.

The point is, for a small town, we've got a pretty good amount of "there" here.

Caroling details: Thursday, Dec. 15, 7:30 to 9 p.m., Cloak and Dragon Bookstore (they have a fairly large  performance space in back), 12 E. Main St., Bloomsburg. If you're bringing a group, RSVP to Dwayne Heisler (dwayne@remitcorp.com) so they can have enough music on hand.

— E.G. Foster

Miscellanae

Measuring time, artfully: Bloomsburg University’s Percussion Ensemble will perform Tuesday, Nov. 8, at 7:30 p.m. in Haas Center for Arts, Mitrani Hall. This event is free and open to the public.

Art behind bars: Phyllis Kornfeld, author of “Cellblock Visions: Prison Art in America,” will give a talk Wednesday, Nov. 9, at 7 p.m. in Bloomsburg University’s McCormick Center, room 1303. She will discuss American prison art, which encompasses a wide variety of genres, often limited to basic materials allowed in prison cells.

Celebrate e.e. cummings: Well-known actor Anthony Zerbe will perform “It’s All Done with Mirrors” on Saturday, Nov. 12, at 8 p.m. in Bloomsburg University’s Carver Hall, Kenneth S. Gross Auditorium. The show is part of BU’s Celebrity Artist Series. Tickets are $29.50 for adults and $16.50 for children. The performance is supported in part by the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts. Box office: (570) 389-4409.

Violin, viola matchup: The Bloomsburg University-Community Orchestra will perform Sunday, Nov. 13, at 2:30 p.m., in Haas Center for the Arts, Mitrani Hall, featuring Flavia Pisco, violin, and Renata Ribeiro, viola. The program includes Delius’ Florida Suite and Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante. Admission is free.