Year of the Arts: December at a Glance

During November, Buffalo State offered an eclectic mix of artistic events open to the public that perfectly reflected the campus’s commitment to the Year of the Arts.

Likewise in December, visitors to Buffalo State can find dance, music, visual arts, and more to fit every taste. Expect to be dazzled by holiday jazz, a sale of student art just in time for gift giving, and the magical “Star of Wonder” show at the Whitworth Ferguson Planetarium. At the end of December, we will provide a preview of January Year of the Arts events. See the full schedule at www.yearofthearts.com

December 1
Design Student Exhibition Opening Reception
The reception and student awards presentation held from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. in the Czurles-Nelson Gallery in Upton Hall, wraps up the free exhibition of ceramics, fibers, metals/jewelry, wood/furniture, and communication design created by students that went on display in mid-November and continues through December 2. (716) 878-6032.

December 1
World AIDS Day Celebration
For the second year in a row, the Burchfield Penney Art Center is hosting a commemoration of World AIDS Day, which includes an exhibition of the organization’s “Mending of the Heart” local memorial quilts and selections from the Madeline Davis’ Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Archives at Buffalo State College, an exhibition that showcases the GLBT movement in Western New York and Southern Ontario. Doors open at 10:00 a.m., followed by a press conference at 11:00 a.m. The lecture, “Where Have All the Artists Gone?” wraps up the festivities at 7:00 p.m. Buffalo State College, the AIDS Community of Western New York, and the Burchfield Penney are sponsoring the celebration. Admission is free and open to the public. (716) 878-6011. www.burchfieldpenney.org.

December 2-3
Buffalo State Faculty Choreographers and Friends Showcase
Members of the dance faculty, along with friends and alumni of the dance program, will present the fifth annual concert dance showcase. The one-hour performance, which features various dance styles and genres, begins at 8:00 p.m. in Warren Enters Theatre, Upton Hall. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased in advance through the Student Union and Rockwell Hall box offices, by calling (716) 878-3005, or ordered online.

December 3
“Oh, What a Night!”
The New Mount Ararat Temple of Prayer in Buffalo presents a mix of vignettes about members’ lives and holiday music to get audiences ready for the holiday season at 5:00 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center at Rockwell Hall. Tickets are $20 at the door and $15 in advance. Call (716) 878-3005 or order online.

December 4
Burchfield Penney Art Center Poets and Writers Series
Poet James Longenbach will read from various collections of his poems at 2:00 p.m. in the Burchfield Penney Art Center. A graduate of Trinity College (Connecticut), Logenbach earned his Ph.D from Princeton University. He is J.H. Gilman Professor of English at the University of Rochester and has published four books of poems: Threshold (1998), Fleet Street (2003); Draft of a Letter (2007); and The Iron Key (2010). He also has published a number of important critical works. The Burchfield Penney's Poets and Writers Series is supported by the David and Ruth Lampe Endowment. (716) 878-6011. www.burchfieldpenney.org.

December 6
Buffalo State Holiday Choral Concert
Get into the holiday spirit with a rousing choral performance and sing-along of joyous holiday music and carols at 7:30 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center at Rockwell Hall. Members of the Buffalo State choirs will be joined by the Buffalo Niagara Youth Chorus and the Buffalo Performing Arts Select Chorus. Admission is free for Buffalo State students and $10 for all others. Call (716) 878-3005 or order online.

December 7
Honors Chamber Ensembles
Buffalo State music department chamber ensembles will perform at 7:30 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center at Rockwell Hall under the direction of professors Crystal Reinoso (woodwinds), Dave Schiavone (saxophones), Rick Fleming (brass), and Jacqui Galluzzo (strings). Admission is free. Ensembles including Buffalo State College Saxophone Quartet, Woodwind Trio, Trumpet Trio, Trombone Quintet, and String Quintet will perform music from a broad spectrum of styles, by composers as various as Mozart, Beethoven, Lennon and McCartney, Nelhybel, Bach, and Jobim. (716) 878-3005. www.buffalostate.edu/music

December 7-8
15th Annual Student Art Sale
Discover a world of handcrafted items perfect for holiday gifts or to grace your home or office. The student art sale held in Upton Hall’s Czurles-Nelson Gallery features jewelry, pottery, scarves, paintings, photos, prints, and sculptures, all created by students in the art education, design, interior design, and fine arts programs. Sale hours are from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. December 7, and 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. December 8.

December 7-18
Laser Holidays/Laser Music Shows
The Whitworth Ferguson Planetarium hosts a variety of laser shows certain to wow guests of all ages–from “Laser Holidays,” in which holiday music accompanies the brilliant laser display to shows set to rock classics, including “Laser Zeppelin,” “Laser Beatles,” and “Pink Floyd: Dark Side of the Moon.” Showtimes vary. Full schedule. Admission is $5 for Buffalo State students, $8 for children, seniors, and other college students with ID, and $10 for all other adults. (716) 878-4911.

December 9
A Peter White Christmas
Over the past 17 years, Peter White has kept thousands of smooth jazz fans worldwide enthralled by his spirited melodies, soulful grooves, and instantly recognizable acoustic guitar tone. Now the affable Englishman, along with stellar musicians Mindi Abair and Kirk Whalum, brings his charm and playfulness to dazzling arrangements of favorite holiday songs as part of the Great Performers 2011-2012 series. 8:00 p.m. Tickets are $30-35 for the general public, $27 faculty and staff, and $15 for students, one hour prior to show time only. (716) 878-3005. 

December 9
Holiday Happy Hour with Mary Ramsey and Friends
Mary Ramsey, the lead singer-violinist for the internationally acclaimed folk-rock group 10,000 Maniacs, will bring her voice, strings, and fellow musicians John Lombardo and Nelson Starr, to a show at the Burchfield Penney Art Center, 5:30-7:30 p.m., during the museum’s Holiday Happy Hour. The group will perform a melody of traditional Celtic music, holiday favorites, and selections from its celebrated body of self-penned songs. Ramsey and Lombardo, of the critically acclaimed folk duo John and Mary, have been writing and performing music together for over two decades. Ramsey has worked with such well-known artists as Billy Bragg, Alex Chilton, Warren Zevon, Jules Shear, Jackson Browne, and Buffalo's Ani DiFranco and the Goo Goo Dolls. The Museum Store also will host its second annual Museum Store Open House, featuring new works by Western New York artists, holiday promotions, gift membership specials, and free gift wrapping. Admission is free for Burchfield Penney members and $10 for the general public. (716) 878-6011. www.BurchfieldPenney.org.    

December 17
David Bromberg in Concert
The extraordinary folk-blues guitarist David Bromberg has strolled back into the spotlight as abruptly as he resigned from it nearly three decades ago. With his Grammy-nominated “Try Me One More Time,” Bromberg’s guitar playing is as agile as ever, and his song choices are astute—tales of death, sex, and struggle that sound astonishingly relevant, funny, and moving at their core. Full of warmth, wit, and hot licks, this legend’s show is not to be missed. 8:00 p.m. Tickets are $35-$30 (716) 878-3005.

Through January 1
“Star of Wonder”
Celebrate the holidays under the stars as they appeared two millennia ago in a show at the Whitworth Ferguson Planetarium. “Star of Wonder” explores a variety of actual celestial events that may have been recorded as the Star of Bethlehem and addresses the questions of who saw the event, when they saw it, and what it likely was. 8:00 p.m. Fridays and 2:00 p.m. Sundays throughout December and on New Year’s Day. Two extra shows will be presented on December 24 at 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., and the planetarium will be closed Christmas Day. Admission is free for Buffalo State students and $4 for faculty and staff. For the general public, tickets cost $6 for adults and $4 for children, other college students with ID, and seniors age 65 and older. (716) 878-4911.