The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford will offer a variety of arts events as part of the spring Spectrum arts series beginning in January.
Spectrum offers visual, literary and performing art chosen by the faculty with an emphasis on academics and curriculum.
All events are open to the public and free unless otherwise noted. Hours in the KOA Art Gallery are 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday. For more information on individual events or tickets, contact the Bromeley Family Theater box office at 814-362-5113 or visit www.upb.pitt.edu/TheArts.
The season will commence with “Light and Shadow: Woven Paintings by Rick Minard.”
An opening reception will be held at noon, Jan. 11. The artist lives in Bradford and teaches Color and Design and Printmaking. In this exhibition, Minard explores light and shadows in his woven paintings. This collection will be on display Jan. 11-24 in the KOA Gallery.
On Jan. 23, Baily’s Beads literary magazine will hold its annual reveal celebration at 7:30 p.m. in the Mukaiyama University Room in the Frame-Westerberg Commons. The event includes refreshments, prizes, and open mic readings.
Feb. 7 through March 14, the KOA Gallery will host “The Veterans Book Project,” a library of books authored collaboratively by artist Monica Haller and those affected by the current American wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. For more information, visit www.veteransbookproject.com. The opening reception for this exhibition is at 7 p.m. Feb. 7.
Intricate chamber music pieces are on tap for Noon Tunes on Feb. 12. These pieces will be performed by Christiana Reader on the viola, and Alex Peh playing the piano. Reader has worked with the Rochester Philharmonic, and Peh has performed at various venues including the Austrian Embassy in Washington, D.C. The event begins at noon in the Studio Theater in Blaisdell Hall.
As part of the celebration for Women’s History Month, the Spectrum Series will present the play “Tell Me What’s Coming” at 7:30 p.m. March 5 in the Studio Theater. The play is based on punk star Patti Smith and her collaboration with playwright Sam Shepard, which helped catalyze New York City’s punk rock movement.
On March 19, Beth Ann Fennelly will be sharing some of her writing. Fennelly is the Poet Laureate of Mississippi and teaches in the Master of Fine Arts program at the University of Mississippi, where she was named Outstanding Teacher of the Year. She has received a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, a Pushcart Prize and a Fulbright fellowship to Brazil. She will read from her work at 7:30 p.m. in the Mukaiyama University Room. For more information, visit www.bethannfennelly.com.
On April 9 Dr. Marvin Thomas, a history professor at Pitt-Bradford, will present “Nox Infernalis” at 7 p.m. in Rice Auditorium, Fisher Hall. The multimedia lecture focuses on the burning of Dresden, Germany, and the Soviet army’s impact on refugees in 1945. This is Thomas’s 43rd annual lecture and will be the final one before his retirement in 2019 after 50 years of teaching at Pitt-Bradford.
The Vocal Arts Ensemble will perform on April 11. Student vocalists will be showcased and will sing both contemporary and traditional arrangements. The event will be held at noon in the Studio Theater. Dr. Joshua Groffman, assistant professor of music, directs the Vocal Arts Ensemble.
The final Spectrum Series event of the year will be the annual Celebration of the Arts, beginning at 5:30 p.m. April 18 in Blaisdell Hall. The event will include presentations by interdisciplinary arts capstone students and feature visual and digital art, readings, acting, singing, dancing, music, and more. Refreshments will be served. An open mic performance will be open to all.
