High school students to exhibit in Haas Gallery

Works by 20 high school students will be exhibited in Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania’s Haas Gallery from May 14 to 31. The artwork was selected based on a review of art portfolios by faculty from BU’s art and art history department.

Three of the student artists will be offered tuition scholarship awards during a reception and awards ceremony from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, May 14, in the gallery. Awards will be announced at 7 p.m. 

Names and high schools of students whose works have been selected for exhibition are: Laura Chappell, Millville; Brandon Conrad, Breanna Fowler, Ava Guffey, Kagen Haberstick, McKayla Robbins, Scarlett Tuck and Lakota Wadena, all of Bloomsburg; Gunnar Feldmann, Morgan Gallagher, Abby Meredick, Justin Phillips and Taylor Roberson, all of Danville; Sarah Foster, Central Columbia; Olivia Greene, Southern Columbia; Darrian Keller and Logyn Smith, both of Selinsgrove; Merre Martin, Northwest Area; Cassandra Vanatta, Warrior Run; and Tailor Weible, Garnet Valley.

The exhibit will also be featured at The Antler, the Moose Exchange annex at 24 E. Main Street, during July and August, with a closing reception on Friday, Aug. 22, from 6 to 8 p.m.

The portfolio review and tuition scholarship program is possible thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor who was inspired by First Columbia Bank’s Teen Star Competition.

“The donor is impressed by the talented high school vocalists and musicians who perform in the annual Teen Star Competition,” said James Brown, dean of the College of Liberal Arts. “The concept behind these scholarships is to recognize talented young people who excel in the visual arts.”

Film explores genetically modified seeds

The Green Campus Initiative at Bloomsburg University and the Moose Exchange are partnering to show two movies related to agriculture and nature.

Bitter Seeds will be shown Tuesday, April 8, at 7pm at St Paul's Episcopal church (at the corner of Iron and Main, Bloomsburg). India has more farmers than any country in the world, and they are in a crisis that is unprecedented in human history. Every 30 minutes a farmer in India kills himself in despair. In a village at the center of the suicide epidemic, a farmer and his family struggle to keep his land and a teenage girl makes her first steps to become a journalist and tell the world about the crisis. "Bitter Seeds" raises questions about the human cost of genetically-modified agriculture and the future of how we grow things. This is the third film in Micha Peled's globalization trilogy, following the award-winning Store Wars: When Wal-Mart Comes to Town and China Blue.

Play Again will be shown on Tuesday, April 22, at 7 pm at St Paul's Episcopal church. Play Again investigates the consequences of a childhood removed from nature. At a time when children play more behind screens than outside, this documentary unplugs a group of tech savvy teens and takes them on their first wilderness adventure, documenting the wonder that comes from time spent in nature and inspiring action for a sustainable future. 

Staged reading of two new plays at the Moose

Bloomsburg University students will give a staged reading of two new plays Thursday, Nov. 21, at 7:30 pm at the Moose Exchange, 203 West Main St.

The plays, written by students in BU's Advanced Playwriting Course, are:

"Milly" by Julie Redmond 

"From Hell" by Lauren Dodge

The performances are sponsored by the Center for Visual and Performing Arts and the Division of Theatre and Dance. Theatre professor David Miller will direct. Admission is free.

A look at life "Under the Sea"

The film Under the Sea, narrated by Jim Carrey, will be shown Tuesday, Oct. 22, at 7 pm, at the Moose Exchange, 203 W. Main St. The screening is sponsored by BU's Campus Green Initiative.

The film examines the impact of global climate change on the ocean wilderness as award-winning director/cinematographer Howard Hall (Into the Deep, Deep Sea 3D) travels from South Australia to the Indo-Pacific to teach viewers the importance of keeping our oceans clean for future generations.

Claire Watkins to give reading at Moose Monday

Short story writer and essayist Claire Vaye Watkins will give a reading Monday, Oct. 21, at 7 pm at the Moose Exchange, 203 W. Main Street, Bloomsburg.

Watkins is the author of Battleborn, which was named a best book of 2012 by the San Francisco Chronicle, Boston Globe, Time Out New York, Flavorwire, and NPR.org. Battleborn (Riverhead Books) also won the Story Prize, the New York Public Library Young Lions Fiction Award, the Rosenthal Family Foundation Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and a Silver Pen Award from the Nevada Writers Hall of Fame.

In 2012, Claire was selected as one of the National Book Foundation’s “5 Under 35.” Currently a visiting assistant professor at Princeton University, Claire is also the co-director, with Derek Palacio, of the Mojave School, a free creative writing workshop for teenagers in rural Nevada.

The reading is sponsored by the Bloomsburg University Center for Visual and Performing Arts and the Big Dog Reading Series.

Arts in Autumn dinner at Moose Oct. 20

Musical performances by a jazz combo, poetry readings and scenes from “Avenue Q” will be featured during the second annual Arts in Autumn. Presented by Bloomsburg University's Center for Visual and Performing Arts, the dinner celebration will be Sunday, Oct. 20, beginning at 5 p.m. at the Moose Exchange, 203 W. Main Street. Tickets at $35 per person benefit BU scholarships and must be ordered in advance.

Guests can preview the items available in the silent auction beginning at 5 p.m., including pieces by local artists and tickets for Celebrity Artist Series shows and BU theatre department performances. Guests may also view an exhibit which spotlights works in a variety of mediums by advanced art students.

The three-course dinner will be interspersed with musical performances, poetry readings by BU students from Creative Writing: Poetry classes and members of BU Players performing a scene and a song from the upcoming production of “Avenue Q,” which will run from Nov. 7 to 10.

Centerpieces will be contributed by Introduction to Sculpture students. Tickets may be reserved at www.bloomu.edu/cvpa or by calling (570) 389-4410. The deadline is Oct. 4.

Things to do in Bloomsburg that don't involve the fair

Yep. It's that time of year again. Fair week. Big crowds, artery-clogging food, traffic, etc. But there are things to do, and places to eat, that have nothing to do with the fair. A sampling:

At the Moose Exchange on West Main Street, Endless Records is sponsoring the third annual Cover of a Cover exhibit. Anyone can participate in any medium. The deadline, Sept. 29, is approaching faster than a Metallica riff.  Re-imagine or re-design an existing album cover and they'll display the new work side-by-side with its inspiration. Must be 12-3/8″ by 12-3/8″ (the size of an LP album cover). Contact Endless Records for more information: 570-951-1821 or endlessvinyl@gmail.com. Drop off your submission with the original album cover (without the vinyl please) no later than Sunday, Sept. 29; the show opens on Tuesday, Oct. 1, and runs through Saturday, Nov. 16. A public reception is scheduled on Friday, Oct. 11, from 6 to 8 pm.

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At Artspace on Center Street, ceramist Sara Baker and fabric artist Denise Richards are the featured artists at Artspace, 221 Center Street, Bloomsburg, through Sunday, Sept. 29.

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Bloomsburg University’s Office of Multicultural Affairs is sponsoring an international taste test at its Flavors of the World event on Tuesday, Sept. 24,  at 6 pm at the Kehr Union, Multicultural Center. The free event aims to bring the community together to celebrate and learn about other cultures through music and food. The Ewabo Calypso Band will perform reggae and Latin music.

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Tami Tango Trio will perform Wednesday, Sept. 25, at 7 pm in Bloomsburg University’s Kehr Union, Ballroom. The event is open to the public free of charge.

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The 2002 French film, L’Auberge Espagnole (The Spanish Apartment), will be shown at 7 pm Thursday, Sept. 26, in McCormick Center, room 2303, as part of Bloomsburg University’s Gender Studies Minor Film Series. The film tells the story of a Parisian college student who is spending a year in Barcelona sharing an apartment with international students. The film showing is open to the public free of charge.    

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The fair is famous for the artery-clogging food, but you'll find very fine fare just a quarter mile east on Main Street —encompassing pizza (lots of choices), fresh-made bagels, a casual but satisfying burrito experience, and even (very fine) dining. Plus, you get to sit down inside.

Now, this is all completely subjective ...
Pizza choices are pretty personal, but to my taste La Fontana at the square is the best. Non-pizza food is fab as well. Love Ready Go Burrito — and while you're waiting for the burritos to be made you can pop next door to Balzano's for a drink at the bar. Just tried the relatively new restaurant, Saisons on Main. BYOB, with a very reasonable $1 per person corking fee. The food isn't fussy, but it is expertly done, with nice twists that complement but don't overwhelm the dish. I had venison with a cabernet juniper glaze. Really good and the juniper was a really cool touch. Different, but to my taste equal to always excellent Inn at Turkey Hill, which is just out of town. If you're a dark beer aficionado, Marley's on Route 11 is worth a stop for the Porter alone, which is getting close to a stout with great coffee and chocolate flavors, natural carbonation, and just a little edge. — EGF.

Exhibits: Downtown and on campus

The Moose Exchange on West Main Street is hosting an exhibit of artists who are, or formerly were, connected with the Pajama Factory in Williamsport through Sept. 26. There will be a closing reception Thursday, Sept. 26, from 6 to 8 pm.

The exhibit covers a wide range of mediums by many artists and artisans, including Chad Andrews, Juan Arata, Rebecca Armstrong, David W. Becker, Lynne M. Becker, Valerie Beggs, Aaron Bellve, Rita Bower, Robert Bower, Steve Bower, Alex Callender, Lynn Estomin, Phil Evans, Casey Gleghorn, Tommy Grieco, The Williamsport Guardian, Jennifer Gunlock, Jeremiah Johnson, Laura Knorr, Jennifer Leidhecker, Todd Lim, Keeley Loy, Vaughn Mallery, John McKaig, Curt Miller, Lawrence C. Miller, Tim Miller, Ron Moreland, John Nicholson, Misako Oba, Jill Ostrowski, Liz Parrish, Matthew Parrish, Veera Pfaffli, Michael Pilato, Marsha Turner Pluhar, Holly Patton Shull, Brian Spies, Dave Stabley, Mark Stabley, Andrea McDonough Varner, Ralph Wilson, Mark Winkelman, and Luke Yocum.

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Sage Dawson will exhibit her work in BU's Haas Gallery through Oct. 11. In her show, Home Sweet Ruin, Dawson uses cartography as a visual metaphor and style. The gallery is open free of charge from 9 am. to 4 p.m. weekdays and from noon to 2 p.m. Saturdays. A closing reception will be held from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 10, with an artist lecture and presentation by Dawson at 3 pm. Dawson was recently featured in “From Here to There” published by Princeton Architectural Press and “Cosmologies of the Self” in Elephant Magazine.

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BU's Gender Studies Minor is sponsoring a series of six French films. The first film, La Vie en rose, will be shown at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 12, in McCormick Center, room 2303. The film depicts the life of the French singer Edith Piaf, who lived from 1915 to 1963. This film series is free and open to the public.

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Open Mic Night, featuring a performance by host Griffen Alexander, will be held at 5 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 12, in Bloomsburg University’s Scranton Commons Amphitheater. The rain location is the Kehr Union Fireside Lounge. Each act in this “unplugged” event must include at least one BU student, faculty or staff member. Open Mic Night is open to the public free of charge and sponsored by BU’s Program Board and Community Government Association.

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Justine Ayuk, a lecturer in the gender studies department at the University of Buea, Cameroon, will talk about Gender and Development in Cameroon at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 11, Bloomsburg University’s Andruss Library, Schweiker Room. Ayuk is one of four University of Buea faculty visiting BU during September. The lecture, open to the public free of charge, is sponsored by BU’s College of Liberal Arts and Gender Studies minor. 

Art you can wear

BU's ninth annual Personal Adornment Day and Makeup Extravaganza (PADME) on Thursday, April 25, will feature a lecture and a workshop on embroidery technique and history, "Extraordinary Embroidery: Stitches in Unexpected Places."

The PADME catwalk and stage presentation will begin at 5:30 p.m. at the Moose Exchange, 203 W. Main St., Bloomsburg. The event allows students enrolled in BU’s 3-D Design and Fabric Design classes to express visual form through artwork made for the body.

Nick DeFord, professor of art at the University of Tennessee, will present a lecture at 9:45 a.m. and workshop at noon on BU's campus.

All events are free and open to the public, but registration is required for the lecture and workshop. To register, contact Meredith Grimsley, associate professor of art, mgrimsle@bloomu.edu.

The impact of Marcellus Shale ... in art, film and words

Just a reminder: The Moose Exchange on West Main is hosting a multi-disciplinary project focused on the impact of Marcellus Gas Shale on Pennsylvania communities. 

The extensive multi-disciplinary project includes an art exhibit, lectures, film screenings. Get the details direct from the Moose. 

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The Moose is also hosting a Mayoral Debate for the Town of Bloomsburg.

Flood Stories, Too

The Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble and the Bloomsburg University Players are staging Flood Stories, Too from March 7 to 17. Shows are pay what you wish.

More details from BU's College of Liberal Arts blog.

Written and directed by Gerald Stropnicky, Emeritus member of Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble, Flood Stories, Too. is a collection of personal narratives and stories of local residents’ experiences with the flood, artfully crafted into a two-act play. 

“You’ll see through different monologues that almost all of the actual events are taken from stories that people have given us,” said Phil Czekner, Bloomsburg University student and actor in the production. 

Many stories were gathered by Mary Reinsburrow, another Bloomsburg University student and actress in the production. Characters featured in the multitude of stories range from unconcerned students to victims themselves to volunteers, even including Mayor Dan Knorr and Bloomsburg University’s President, Dr. David Soltz.

In addition to the play, there are a series of events related to the events scheduled in the town and university as well.

Friday, March 8^th, 5:00 – 6:30 pm, McCormick 1303

Arlene Goldbard, nationally-recognized author/speaker/activist, presents “Tell It! How Shaping Our Stories Shapes Our Lives and Communities”

Saturday, March 9^th, 4:30 pm, Alvina Krause Theatre (AKT)

Arlene Goldbard, nationally-recognized author/speaker/activist, & Gerard Stropnicky, director/writer of BTE’s Flood Stories, Too., present

"What Happens When Communities Participate in Telling Their Own Stories"

Sunday, March 10^th, 12:30-2:00 pm, Moose Exchange, Grille Room

Gerard Stropnicky presents “Flood Stories, Too.: Context and Process”

Tuesday, March 12^th, 6:00 – 8:30 pm, Moose Exchange, Grille Room

Panel 1) Jennifer Whisner, PhD, Asst. Professor of Environmental, Geographical & Geological Sciences, presents “Climate Change and Flooding”

Panel 2) Rita Inklovich, Red Cross; Kathy Lowe, Agape; & Lee Sokoloski, Chief of Police, Bloomsburg, present “The Role of Response Services to the 2011 Flood”

Thursday, March 14^th, 6:30 – 7:45 pm, Hartline Rm 108 (Auditorium)

“Psychological Responses to Natural Disaster: Stress, Community, Resilience”

Culture ... near ... far ... and now

The fourth annual ArtWalk-In runs today (Feb. 21) from 4 to 8 pm.  Downtown Bloomsburg Inc. and the Moose Exchange host the event, which brings together more than 30 local and regional artists in many media, including photography, painting, drawing, sculpture, fiber, and others, and in addition we will have exhibitions of student work from area high schools and Bloomsburg University. The Children’s Museum will provide art activities for kids of all ages, and musicians will play both in the Grille Room and Ballroom throughout the event. Food provided by Downtown restaurant.

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Poet Melanie Simms of Sunbury and several other Pennsylvania Poet Laureates will present a special reading, this Friday, Feb. 22, in Harrisburg at the Mid-Town Scholar Bookstore, 3rd & Broad Streets. The reading is free and open to the public from 7 to 9 pm. If time permits, there will be an open reading period for other poets to participate.

An arts sampler Saturday

A Taste of the Arts will be held at Moose Exchange, 203 W. Main, Bloomsburg, Saturday, Feb. 23, from 2 to 5 p.m. Sponsored by the Bloomsburg's College of Liberal Arts, the event is organized by BU’s Center for Visual and Performing Arts, which helps to promote the arts in the community. Students and faculty in the art and art history, English, and music, theatre and dance departments will showcase their talents.

Bloomsburg's College of Liberal Arts has been previewing some of the specifics on their blog.

A campaign to stop violence against women

Eve Enseler's The Vagina Monologues will be read at the Moose Exchange at 8 pm on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday, Feb. 13, 14, and 16 as part of the Bloomsburg University College Campaign V-Day.

On Thursday, Feb. 14, the Moose will also host One Billion Rising at 9:30 pm. On Friday, Feb 15, at 8 pm there will be a reading of A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant And A Prayer: Writings To Stop Violence Against Women and Girls.

Tickets available at the door: $7 students with BU ID  and $10 general public. Proceeds benefit: Women’s Center Inc., Columbia Montour Family Health, and Beyond Violence. The events are sponsored by Bloomsburg Players and The Center for The Visual and Performing Arts.

Words of the week: Wind ... spring ... talent ... circus

Bloomsburg University''s Wind Ensemble will perform Tuesday, Nov. 13, from 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm in Haas Center for the Arts, Mitrani Hall. The concert will feature the Don Quixote Symphony and Concertango for Alto Sax, Jazz trio and Symphonic band

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The PBS documentary, Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring, will be screened at Bloomsburg’s Moose Exchange on Tuesday, Nov. 13, at 7 pm at the Moose Exchange, 203 West Main Street. The presentation will feature a discussion led by Claire Lawrence, Bloomsburg University English professor.

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Claim Your Fame 4 Talent Show will be held Thursday, Nov. 15, at 9 pm in Bloomsburg University’s Kehr Union, Ballroom. Students will compete in vocal, dance and lip sync categories before a panel of judges and voting audience. Admission is free to the show, which is sponsored by Residence Life and DASL Campus Leadership.

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The National Circus of the People’s Republic of China will perform at Bloomsburg University of on Friday, Nov. 16, at 8 pm in the Haas Center for the Arts, Mitrani Hall. This show is part of BU's Celebrity Artist Series. Tickets cost $34.50 for adults, $19.50 for children and $17 for BU students. 

The National Circus was founded in 1953, making it one of the longest-running circus companies in China. The troupe is known for unique acts, such as Great Teeterboard, Grand Flying Trapeze and Group Contortion. Several performers have been recognized for their talents, including Li Liping, the first Chinese winner of the Golden Clown award, and Xia Juhua, who has served as chairwoman of the International Chinese Circus Society since the early 1980s. As a whole, the company has won more than 20 awards – including gold and silver medals – at circus festivals all over the world. During the 1980s, the National Circus began to focus less on animal acts and more on human stunts. This new style influenced other troupes, including early members of Cirque du Soleil, who invited coaches from the National Circus to instruct them. For tickets or more information, visit www.bloomu.edu/cas or call the box office at (570) 389-4409.

Make tracks to the Moose

Action at the Moose (203 West Main) in the coming days.

• The Community Market starts Saturday, Nov. 3, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and will run through Dec. 22. Shop at the Moose Exchange for high-quality local foods and local art and crafts, grown and made locally.
• "Greased" ... a '50s themed murder-mystery-dessert event ... is Saturday, Nov. 3. The audience-participation fundraising event includes delicious pastries and other goodies included with the $25 ticket price; cash bar. Call 570-317-2596 to reserve your seat now.
• Redesigned Album Covers from the the Cover of a Cover exhibit are on display in the Stairwell Gallery until November 11. 
• Figure drawing sessions for artists aged 18 and older, 7-9 p.m. Wednesdays, usually in the Ballroom. Contact Will Whitmoyer, 570-394-3656, for information.

Dinner for the arts

Bloomsburg University's Center for the Visual and Performing Arts is hosting a dinner celebration Sunday, Oct. 21, beginning at 5 p.m. at the Moose Exchange, 203 W. Main St.

The event, costing $30 a person, will feature Hors d'oeuvres, a three-course dinner, entertainment, art exhibit, and silent auction.

Learn more at cvpa.bloomu.edu or by calling (570) 389-4410. Get your tickets early. I've heard that seating is limited and reservations are due by Oct. 5.

Movies at the Moose

The Moose Exchange is hosting a Short Film Festival sponsored by Box of Light on Saturday, Sept. 15. Showtime is 8 p.m. in the ballroom upstairs.

Before the show, stop by the Stairwell Gallery and check out Images of the Susquehanna photo exhibit reception with light refreshments, music by Fricknadorable, a photo presentation with Doug Brubaker of Looking Back Studio, and river-themed readings with Melanie Simms and David Bauman.

The Cover of a Cover exhibit will return to the Moose this year. Reinterpret your favorite album cover. Deadline for submissions is Oct. 12.

The Moose will also host a murder mystery dessert Nov. 3 with a '50s vibe.

And because movies were referenced and I love King Crimson, here's their Frame by Frame in 7/8. —EGF.

Theatre silliness with the BU alumni players

The BU alumni players will stage some detective silliness this month with a production of Peter Gordon's Murdered to Death." 

Directed by James H. Slusser, the play is set in a country manor house in the 1930s with an eclectic group of characters who need to determine who murdered the owner of the house. Shows are in Carver Hall's Kenneth S. Gross Auditorium on July 27 & 28 and Aug. 3 & 4 at 8 p.m.; Matinee shows on July 29 & Aug. 5 at 3 p.m.

Poster illustration by Sarah Foster.

Plus: Panda's from Space

The Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble and BU Players are doing a co-production of David Mamet's The Revenge of the Space Pandas, or Binky Rudich and the Two-Speed Clock. Directed by Richie Cannaday, the show runs July 19 to 29 at Alvina Kraus Theatre, Center Street, Bloomsburg.

Moose show benefits 'It gets better' movement

The Moose Exchange will host a production of How Would You Feel? by playwright Janice McCrostie. The docu-drama takes an inside look at real-life bullying, based on interviews of people from all walks of life about their experiences and where their personal journeys have taken them because of, or in spite of, their difficult pasts. Shows are Wednesday, July 25, through Saturday, July 28, at 7 pm. Tickets at the door are $5 for students, $10 for adults. All proceeds benefit itgetsbetter.org, an organization that brings hope to young people of the gay community. 


There are 75 seats for each show available for free to Bloomsburg University students. To reserve one, go to the Haas Center for The Arts and leave your name and student I.D number.

Art you can wear

Bloomsburg University will hold its annual Personal Adornment Day and Makeup Extravaganza on Thursday, April 26, at the Moose Exchange, 203 West Main Street, Bloomsburg.

Personal Adornment Day (PADME for short) is a visual showcase of student wearable art, performance art and theater makeup. There will be catwalk and stage presentation of 30 students' work from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.  at the Moose. Visiting artist  Jan Myers-Newbury, internationally renowned art quilter, will give a lecture from 9:45 to 11 a.m. in Old Science Hall, room 311.