ARTS AT AMHERST SPRING 2018 Exhibitions & Events
Art and the History of Art, Arts at Amherst Initiative, Creative Writing Center, Film and Media Studies, Frost Library, Mead Art Museum, Music, Russian Center Art Gallery, Theater and Dance, and The Common Literary Magazine
EXHIBITIONS VARIETIES OF NONCONFORMISM: UNOFFICIAL ART FROM THE SOVIET UNION On view through Feb. 11 Russian Center Art Gallery, Amherst Center for Russian Culture, Webster Hall (2nd floor) THE CARCERAL COMMONWEALTH / LA MANCOMUNIDAD CARCELARIA Jan. 2–Feb. 18 Mezzanine Gallery, Frost Library (2nd floor) IDENTITIES UNSEEN, Organized by Ann Guo ’20 Feb. 1–March 19 (Opening reception: Thursday, Feb. 1, 4:30–6 p.m.) Keefe Campus Center WORKS BY JANNE HÖLTERMANN Feb. 5–March 2 (Opening reception: Thursday, Feb. 8, 4:30 p.m.) Eli Marsh Gallery, 105 Fayerweather Hall
HOUSE: SELECTIONS FROM THE COLLECTION OF JOHN AND SUE WIELAND Feb. 8–July 1 (Opening reception: Thursday, Feb. 8, 6–7:30 p.m.) Mead Art Museum FRAGMENTED IDENTITIES: THE GENDERED ROLES OF WOMEN IN ART THROUGH THE AGES Feb. 8–July 1 (Opening reception: Thursday, Feb. 8, 6–7:30 p.m.) Mead Art Museum NEW PUBLICS: ART FOR A MODERN INDIA, 1960s–90s Feb. 8–July 1 (Opening reception: Thursday, Feb. 8, 6–7:30 p.m.) Mead Art Museum
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LITERARY AMHERST, Celebrating Amherst College’s Literary Past and Present Feb. 20–March 5 Mezzanine Gallery, Frost Library (2nd floor) UNRAVELING, by Visiting Artist-in-Residence Sonya Clark ’89 Feb. 20–July 1 (Artist performances: Wednesday, Feb. 21, 4:30–7:30 p.m., and Thursday, April 5, 1–3 p.m.) Mead Art Museum CONSTRUCTING A NEW WORLD: SOVIET RUSSIA IN THE 1920s–30s Feb. 26–June 1 Russian Center Art Gallery, Amherst Center for Russian Culture, Webster Hall (2nd floor) AMANDA TOBIN ’17: ILLUMINATE March 6–May 31 (Opening reception: Thursday, April 5, 4:30–6 p.m.) Mezzanine and Beyond Words Galleries, Frost Library (2nd floor)
HALL WALLS: TATIANA POTTS March 7–Dec. 30 (Opening reception: Wednesday, March 7, 6 p.m.) Mead Art Museum MEASURING HISTORIES: Sonya Clark ’89 and Students March 19–April 13 (Opening reception: Wednesday, March 21, 4:30 p.m.) Eli Marsh Gallery, 105 Fayerweather Hall STUDIO SENIOR HONORS EXHIBITION April 24–May 18 (Opening reception: Thursday, April 26, 4:30 p.m.) Eli Marsh Gallery, 105 Fayerweather Hall Unraveling, by Visiting Artist-in-Residence Sonya Clark '89, on view Feb. 20–July 1 at the Mead Art Museum. Photo by Taylor Dabney, courtesy of the artist.
JANUARY M@A PERFORMANCE: The Juilliard String Quartet Friday, Jan. 26, 8 p.m. Buckley Recital Hall, Arms Music Center Tickets required: amherst.universitytickets.com FREE student rush tickets available at the door at 7 p.m.
M@A MASTERCLASS: The Juilliard String Quartet Saturday, Jan. 27, 10 a.m. Arms Music Center See signage upon arrival for room assignments.
CHI SALON: “Unofficial Art from the Soviet Union and Its Social and Political Context, 1960s–80s,” with Mead Curator Alla Rosenfeld Wednesday, Jan. 31, 4:30–6:30 p.m. Center for Humanistic Inquiry, Frost Library (2nd floor)
FEBRUARY
“COME TO YOUR SENSES,” a Lecture by Art Historian Henry Drewal Thursday, Feb. 1, 1–2:30 p.m. Room 212, Arms Music Center
SENIOR THESIS PERFORMANCE: Original Film Score Performed Live to the Silent Classic The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928), Composed and Conducted by Dan Langa ’18 Friday, Feb. 2, 7 p.m. Buckley Recital Hall, Arms Music Center SENIOR THESIS PERFORMANCES: Gabriela Smith-Rosario ’18 and Minato Sakamoto ’18, Composition Saturday, Feb. 3, 7 p.m. Buckley Recital Hall, Arms Music Center
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GALLERY TALK with Mead Curator Alla Rosenfeld, in Conjunction with the Exhibition Varieties of Nonconformism: Unofficial Art from the Soviet Union Wednesday, Feb. 7, noon Russian Center Art Gallery, Amherst Center for Russian Culture, Webster Hall (2nd floor) OPENING RECEPTION for Janne Höltermann’s Exhibition Thursday, Feb. 8, 4:30 p.m. Pruyne Lecture Hall, 115 Fayerweather Hall A CONVERSATION with John Wieland ’58 and Mead Director David E. Little, in Conjunction with the Exhibition HOUSE: Selections from the Collection of John and Sue Wieland Thursday, Feb. 8, 5 p.m. Stirn Auditorium OPENING RECEPTION for the Exhibitions: • HOUSE: Selections from the Collection of John and Sue Wieland • Fragmented Identities: The Gendered Roles of Women in Art Through the Ages • New Publics: Art for a Modern India, 1960s–90s Thursday, Feb. 8, 6–7:30 p.m. Mead Art Museum
THE ELECTRIC DREAM, Honors Thesis in Playwriting and Directing by Denzel Wood ’18 Thursday, Feb. 8–Saturday, Feb. 10, 8–10 p.m. Holden Experimental Theater SPRING ARTS PARTY: Hosted by Arts at Amherst Friday, Feb. 9, 6 p.m.–1 a.m. Powerhouse Refreshments served.
SENIOR THESIS PERFORMANCES: "Coalescense" by Michael Dwyer ’18, Composition, and "Keepsake: A Sentimental Recollection" by Patrick Williams ’18, French Horn Friday, Feb. 9, 7 p.m. Buckley Recital Hall, Arms Music Center Followed by a reception. Juilliard String Quartet, performing Jan. 26. Photo by Simon Powis.
FEB/cont.
FEB/CONT. SENIOR THESIS PERFORMANCES: Caleb Brooks ’18 and Jerry Navarro ’18, Composition Saturday, Feb. 10, 7 p.m. Buckley Recital Hall, Arms Music Center GALENTINE’S DAY BREAKFAST AT THE MEAD Tuesday, Feb. 13, 8:30–10 a.m. Mead Art Museum CAST YOUR VOTE FOR NEW ART AT THE MEAD, Presented by Students in the Interterm Course “Collecting 101: Acquiring Art for the Mead” Tuesday, Feb. 13, 5–7 p.m. Mead Art Museum FICTION READING: Joseph Scapellato Tuesday, Feb. 13, 8 p.m. Amherst Books (8 Main Street, Downtown Amherst) Followed by a reception with refreshments.
M@A PERFORMANCE: International Contemporary Ensemble Saturday, Feb. 17, 8 p.m. Buckley Recital Hall, Arms Music Center Tickets required: amherst.universitytickets.com FREE student rush tickets available at the door at 7 p.m.
GALLERY TALK with Mead Director David E. Little, in Conjunction with the Exhibition HOUSE: Selections from the Collection of John and Sue Wieland Tuesday, Feb. 20, noon Mead Art Museum EMBODIED KNOWLEDGE PROGRAM SERIES, PART 1: The Hair Bow Anthems, a Performance by Jazz Violinist Regina Carter, Followed by a Conversation Led by Sonya Clark ’89 and Darryl Harper ’90 Tuesday, Feb. 20, 1–2:30 p.m. Mead Art Museum Darryl Harper ’90’s Trio, The Onus, performs with special guest Todd Marcus, March 1. Photo by Richard Anderson.
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SONYA CLARK ’89 IN CONVERSATION, Followed by Her Performance of Unraveling Wednesday, Feb. 21, 4:30–7:30 p.m. 4:30–5:30 p.m. Conversation in Stirn Auditorium 5:30–7:30 p.m. Performance at the Mead Art Museum MCBRIDE COMMISSION CONCERT: Amherst College Jazz Ensemble Saturday, Feb. 24, 8 p.m. Buckley Recital Hall, Arms Music Center FICTION READING: Hermione Hoby Monday, Feb. 26, 8 p.m. Amherst Books (8 Main Street, Downtown Amherst) Followed by a reception with refreshments.
MARCH
LITFEST 2018, AMHERST COLLEGE’S 3RD ANNUAL LITERARY FESTIVAL, with Award-Winning Authors Junot Díaz, Masha Gessen, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, Carmen Maria Machado, Min Jin Lee and Others Thursday, March 1–Saturday, March 3 Various locations on campus Full schedule: amherst.edu/go/litfest
ON THESE STREETS: MUSIC AND POLITICAL ACTIVISM, a Performance by Composer Todd Marcus Thursday, March 1, 1–2:30 p.m. Room 212, Arms Music Center PERFORMERS SRINIVAS REDDY AND NITIN MITTA LIVE AT THE MEAD, in Conjunction with the Exhibition New Publics: Art for a Modern India, 1960s–90s Thursday, March 1, 5–6:30 p.m. Mead Art Museum NATIONAL BOOK AWARDS ON CAMPUS: A Conversation with 2017 Finalists Carmen Maria Machado and Min Jin Lee Thursday, March 1, 7:30–9 p.m. Johnson Chapel Part of LitFest 2018: amherst.edu/go/litfest
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MARCH/CONT. CONCERT FEATURING DARRYL HARPER ’90’s TRIO, THE ONUS, with Special Guest Todd Marcus Thursday, March 1, 9–10:15 p.m. Marsh Arts House
UNCANNY VALLEY, Honors Thesis in Directing by Denison Marsland-Rello ’18 Thursday, March 1–Saturday, March 3, 8–10 p.m. Studio 3, Webster Hall JAZZ@SCHWEMM’S Thursday, March 1, 9 p.m. Schwemm’s Coffee House Backroom, Keefe Campus Center POETRY SLAM BY AMHERST STUDENTS Thursday, March 1, 10 p.m.–midnight Powerhouse Part of LitFest 2018: amherst.edu/go/litfest
“TELL US WHAT YOU THINK: THE PLEASURES AND PERILS OF WRITING ABOUT BOOKS,” with Parul Sehgal and Christopher Benfey Friday, March 2, 11 a.m. Center for Humanistic Inquiry, Frost Library (2nd floor) Part of LitFest 2018: amherst.edu/go/litfest
AN EVENING WITH JUNOT DÍAZ Friday, March 2, 7:30–9 p.m. Johnson Chapel Part of LitFest 2018: amherst.edu/go/litfest
EMILY DICKINSON AND HER AMHERST LITERARY MILIEU, a Walking Tour Saturday, March 3, 9:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. Emily Dickinson Museum Part of LitFest 2018: amherst.edu/go/litfest Sign-up during prior festival events required. Hall Walls: Tatiana Potts, on view March 7–Dec. 30 at the Mead Art Museum. Photo courtesy of the artist.
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POETS OF AMHERST: Readings by Rafael Campo ’87 and Tess Taylor ’99 and a Tribute to Richard Wilbur ’42 Saturday, March 3, 11 a.m. Center for Humanistic Inquiry, Frost Library (2nd floor) Part of LitFest 2018: amherst.edu/go/litfest
“WRITING IN AMERICA”: Siblings Masha Gessen and Keith Gessen on Their Literary Lives and Work Saturday, March 3, 1–2:30 p.m. Johnson Chapel Part of LitFest 2018: amherst.edu/go/litfest
~ ~ NGUGI@80: THIS TIME TOMORROW, with Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o Saturday, March 3, 3:30–5 p.m. Johnson Chapel Part of LitFest 2018: amherst.edu/go/litfest
LEONARD BERNSTEIN AT 100: Amherst Symphony Orchestra and Choral Society Perform Symphonic Dances from West Side Story and Chichester Psalms Saturday, March 3, 8 p.m. Buckley Recital Hall, Arms Music Center Tickets required, available at the door: $5 for seniors, children and students with ID and $10 for the general public. FREE for Five College students.
WORKSHOP with Hall Walls Artist Tatiana Potts Tuesday, March 6, 7:30–9 p.m. Mead Art Museum POETRY READING: Forrest Gander Tuesday, March 6, 8 p.m. Amherst Books (8 Main Street, Downtown Amherst) Followed by a reception with refreshments.
LUNCH with Hall Walls Artist Tatiana Potts Wednesday, March 7, noon Center for International Student Engagement, Keefe Campus Center “CONSTRUCTING WORLDS,” a Talk with Hall Walls Artist Tatiana Potts Wednesday, March 7, 5 p.m. Stirn Auditorium
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MARCH/CONT. OPENING RECEPTION for Hall Walls: Tatiana Potts Wednesday, March 7, 6 p.m. Mead Art Museum THE FILM AND MEDIA STUDIES HELENE KEYSSAR DISTINGUISHED LECTURE SERIES presents “How to Comply with an Algorithm: Lethargy and the Effects of Big Data,” a Lecture by Poet and Media Scholar Tung-Hui Hu Thursday, March 8, 4–6 p.m. Center for Humanistic Inquiry, Frost Library (2nd floor) JAZZ@SCHWEMM’S Thursday, March 8, 9 p.m. Schwemm’s Coffee House Backroom, Keefe Campus Center GALLERY TALK with Alla Rosenfeld, in Conjunction with International Women’s Day and the Exhibition Fragmented Identities: The Gendered Roles of Women in Art Through the Ages Thursday, March 8, noon Mead Art Museum LUNCH with HOUSE Artist Radcliffe Bailey Tuesday, March 20, noon Multicultural Resource Center, Keefe Campus Center TALK with HOUSE Artist Radcliffe Bailey Tuesday, March 20, 5 p.m. Stirn Auditorium
HOUSE TEACH-IN with Artist Radcliffe Bailey and Office of Diversity & Inclusion Program Coordinator Babyface Card Tuesday, March 20, 6 p.m. Mead Art Museum OPENING RECEPTION for Measuring Histories: Sonya Clark ’89 and Students Wednesday, March 21, 4:30 p.m. Pruyne Lecture Hall, 115 Fayerweather Hall
GALLERY TALK with Mead Director David E. Little, in Conjunction with the Exhibition HOUSE: Selections from the Collection of John and Sue Wieland Wednesday, March 21, 5 p.m. Mead Art Museum “TELLING TALES: Narrative Scrolls and Temple Murals in South Asia,” a Discussion with Pika Ghosh (Haverford College) and Anna Seastrand (University of Minnesota) Thursday, March 22, 4:30–6:30 p.m. Center for Humanistic Inquiry, Frost Library (2nd floor) Followed by a viewing of the exhibition New Publics: Art for a Modern India, 1960s–90s at the Mead Art Museum.
JAZZ@SCHWEMM’S Thursday, March 22, 9 p.m. Schwemm’s Coffee House Backroom, Keefe Campus Center M@A PERFORMANCE: Damien Sneed, Piano Friday, March 23, 8 pm. Buckley Recital Hall, Arms Music Center Tickets required: amherst.universitytickets.com FREE student rush tickets available at the door at 7 p.m. *PLEASE NOTE: This concert replaces the concert by Maarja Nuut, canceled by the artist.
M@A MASTERCLASS: Damien Sneed, Piano Saturday, March 24, 10 a.m. Buckley Recital Hall, Arms Music Center ART EXPEDITIONS Saturday, March 24, noon Various locations on campus
SINGING THE RUG, by Artist Jen Bervin Tuesday, March 27, 1–2:30 p.m. Room 212, Arms Music Center “WRITING HOME: PART I,” Writing Session with The Common Literary Magazine Tuesday, March 27, 4–6 p.m. Mead Art Museum WindSync, performing April 6. Photo by Shannon Langman.
MARCH/cont.
MARCH/CONT. POETRY AND FICTION READING: Melih Levi ’15 and Lindsay Stern ’13 Wednesday, March 28, 8 p.m. Pruyne Lecture Hall, 115 Fayerweather Hall Followed by a reception with refreshments.
LECTURE by Global Modern Art Specialist and Professor Anneka Lenssen (UC Berkeley) Thursday, March 29, 4:30 p.m. Pruyne Lecture Hall, 115 Fayerweather Hall
THE BLIZZARD OF ’17 (A WORKING TITLE), Honors Thesis in Playwriting by Yetunde Ojetade ’18, Directed by Wes Guimarães ’19 Thursday, March 29–Saturday, March 31, 8–10 p.m. Location TBD: amherst.edu/go/performance
JAZZ@SCHWEMM’S Thursday, March 29, 9 p.m. Schwemm’s Coffee House Backroom, Keefe Campus Center
APRIL
“QUESTION MARK (THINK MEDIA: EGS MEDIA PHILOSOPHY SERIES),” with Artists and Authors Glenn Goldberg and Amber Scoon Tuesday, April 3, 4:30–6:30 p.m. Center for Humanistic Inquiry, Frost Library (2nd floor) GALLERY TALK with Alla Rosenfeld, in Conjunction with Equal Pay Day and the Exhibition Fragmented Identities: The Gendered Roles of Women in Art Through the Ages Wednesday, April 4, 5 p.m. Mead Art Museum
EMBODIED KNOWLEDGE PROGRAM SERIES, PART II: “Anthems and Monuments,” a performance by Darryl Harper ’90 and Jazz Guitarist Freddie Bryant ’87, Followed by a Conversation with the Artists and a Performance of Unraveling by Sonya Clark ’89 Thursday, April 5, 1–3 p.m. Mead Art Museum “WRITING HOME: PART II,” a Postcard-Making Workshop with Writer and Performer Sahar Muradi, Hosted by The Common Literary Magazine and the Women’s and Gender Center Thursday, April 5, 4–6 p.m. Mead Art Museum and Women’s and Gender Center The event begins with an exhibition viewing at the Mead, followed by a workshop at the Women’s and Gender Center.
OPENING RECEPTION for Amanda Tobin ’17: Illuminate Thursday, April 5, 4:30–6 p.m. Mezzanine and Beyond Words Galleries, Frost Library (2nd floor) M@A MASTERCLASS: WindSync Friday, April 6, 4 p.m. Arms Music Center See signage upon arrival for room assignments.
M@A PERFORMANCE: WindSync Friday, April 6, 8 p.m. Buckley Recital Hall, Arms Music Center Tickets required: amherst.universitytickets.com FREE student rush tickets available at the door at 7 p.m.
FICTION READING: Susan Stinson Tuesday, April 10, 8 p.m. Amherst Books (8 Main Street, Downtown Amherst) Followed by a reception with refreshments.
RED EYE | BLACK TIE Thursday, April 12, 8 p.m.–Friday, April 13, 8 p.m. Sculpture Quad Outside the Mead Art Museum Amherst College Dance Ensemble, performing April 20–21. Photo by Maria Stenzel.
APRIL/cont.
APRIL/CONT. AFRICAN AMERICAN DANCE SYMPOSIUM Friday, April 13–Saturday, April 14 Details TBD: amherst.edu/go/performance
MEAD SPRING FORMAL Friday, April 13, 9–11 p.m. Mead Art Museum
MUSIC OF AMERICAN MASTER SAMUEL BARBER: Amherst Symphony Orchestra Sunday, April 15, 3 p.m. Buckley Recital Hall, Arms Music Center Tickets required, available at the door: $5 for seniors, children and students with ID and $10 for the general public. FREE for Five College students.
“BEYOND THE BUNKER: Curators’ Picks from the Mead’s Hidden Collection” Tuesday, April 17, noon Mead Art Museum CITY BENCH LIVE: An Eco-Urban Assemblage with Sculptor Ted Esselstyn Thursday, April 19, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Quad in front of Fayerweather Hall LEONARD GORDON ’59 IN CONVERSATION WITH YAEL RICE, Assistant Professor of Art and the History of Art, in Conjunction with the Exhibition New Publics: Art for a Modern India, 1960s–90s Thursday, April 19, 5–6 p.m. Stirn Auditorium AMHERST COLLEGE DANCE ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE Friday, April 20–Saturday, April 21, 8–10 p.m. Holden Experimental Theater AMHERST COLLEGE GLEE CLUB SPRING CONCERT Friday, April 20, 8 p.m. Buckley Recital Hall, Arms Music Center MEAD COMMUNITY DAY Saturday, April 21, 1–3 p.m. Mead Art Museum
AMHERST COLLEGE CHORUS SPRING CONCERT Saturday, April 21, 5 p.m. Buckley Recital Hall, Arms Music Center AMHERST COLLEGE JAZZ ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE Saturday, April 21, 8:30 p.m. Buckley Recital Hall, Arms Music Center AMHERST COLLEGE CONCERT CHOIR PERFORMANCE Sunday, April 22, 1 p.m. Buckley Recital Hall, Arms Music Center Preceded by brunch at noon in the Arms Music Center lobby.
STUDENT JAZZ COMBOS Monday, April 23, and Wednesday, April 25, 7 p.m. Room 7, Arms Music Center OPENING RECEPTION for Studio Senior Honors Exhibition Thursday, April 26, 4:30 p.m. Eli Marsh Gallery, 105 Fayerweather Hall ANNUAL STUDENT CONCERTO CONCERT: Amherst Symphony Orchestra Saturday, April 28, 7 p.m. Buckley Recital Hall, Arms Music Center Tickets required, available at the door: $5 for seniors, children and students with ID and $10 for the general public. FREE for Five College students.
MAY
STUDY AT THE MEAD Wednesday, May 2–Tuesday, May 8, during open hours Mead Art Museum More info: amherst.edu/mead AMHERST COLLEGE CHORAL SOCIETY COMMENCEMENT CONCERT Saturday, May 19, 9:15 p.m. Buckley Recital Hall, Arms Music Center Tickets available through Greg Brown ’98: gwbrown98@amherst.edu Amherst Symphony Orchestra presents its Annual Student Concerto Concert, April 28. Photo courtesy of Shana Surek.
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Amanda Tobin ’17, Ruach No. 31, 2017, acrylic on canvas. On view in Frost Library, March 6-May 31. Photo courtesy of the artist.