Buffalo State’s Year of the Arts offers an array of events on campus and in the community that showcase established and emerging artists and highlight art in all we do.

The Year of the Arts officially began in August with a handful of exhibit openings, performances, and discussions. September promises a lineup of thoughtful and vibrant offerings you won’t want to miss.

Whether you’re a science lover or an art aficionado, you’ll find something to suit your taste.

See the full schedule at www.yearofthearts.com/events.xml. A preview of some October Year of the Arts highlights will be posted at the end of September.

September 4-30
New York Remembers
A damaged New York Port Authority SUV and some 30 other artifacts taken from the rubble following the World Trade Center terrorist attacks are on display at the Burchfield Penney Art Center through September 30. The haunting exhibit is part of a statewide effort to commemorate the 10th anniversary of that fateful day that includes 30 site installations. The exhibits, spearheaded by New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, come from the collections of the State Museum and National September 11 Memorial and Museum. The exhibit is open during regular Burchfield Penney hours. Admission is free for Buffalo State students, faculty, and staff. For the general public, it costs $10 for adults, $6 for students and senior citizens over age 65, and free for children under 10. (716) 878- 6011. www.nysm.nysed.gov

Through September 9
Lombardo Student Award Exhibition
A stunning collection of ceramics, paintings, textiles, photographs, sculptures, and multimedia pieces are included in this student exhibition on display in the Czurles-Nelson Gallery. A reception featuring the student artists will be held from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. September 8 in the gallery and is free and open to the public. Visual arts and arts education faculty chose the pieces, which garnered each student a Lombardo Award. An investment adviser, art collector, and graduate of Buffalo State’s business program, John Lombardo is providing an amazing opportunity for these students—a funded three-day field trip to New York City in October to meet with gallery owners and learn more about art gallery careers. (716) 878-3549.

September 9-October 1
Jupiter and Saturn: Giants of the Solar System
This hour-long Whitworth Ferguson Planetarium presentation explains how the discovery of Jupiter and Saturn influenced modern astronomy. From Galileo’s first viewing of the planets to the recent missions to Saturn and Jupiter, the history of our solar system’s largest planets will be explained. Showtimes are 8:00 p.m. Fridays and 2:00 p.m. Saturdays in the Whitworth Ferguson Planetarium in the Science Building. Admission is free for Buffalo State students and $4 for faculty and staff. For the general public, adult tickets are $6; tickets for children under 18, other college students with ID and seniors 65 and older are $4. (716) 878-4911. www.fergusonplanetarium.net/Index.html

September 14
The Arts and Autism
Veronica Federiconi, executive director of Autistic Services Inc. (ASI); Dana Ranke, ASI teaching artist; and Cathy Rouin, mother of artist James Marino; will discuss how the creation of art is a powerful source of expression, communication, and a therapeutic tool for individuals on the autistic spectrum from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the gallery of the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society, 25 Nottingham Court. The panel, which is open to the public and free with admission to the Historical Society Museum, dovetails with Marino’s exhibit Bflo Watercolors. His paintings feature well-known Buffalo buildings, icons, and vistas and is on display through September 25. (716) 873-9644, ext. 311.

September 14-16
The Anne Frank Project
Focusing on the theme, “Our Shared Humanity: Looking Inward,” the three-day conference features artists, actors, musicians, scientists, sociologists, storytellers and others who will examine the world’s propensity toward violence and genocide from a variety of unique perspectives. The conference, now in its third year, offers a host of events across campus that follow four themes: Uncovering the American Experience, Defining the Role of Social Justice, Expressing Community, and Employing the Arts for Social Change. All events are free and open to the public. (716) 878-6416. www.theannefrankproject.com/2011.html.

September 14
I’m Not Leaving
The world premiere of the one-act play created by Buffalo State theater students kicks off the Anne Frank Project on September 14. The play is based on the experiences of humanitarian aid worker Carl Wilkens, who refused to leave during the 1994 Rwandan genocide. The performance begins at 8:00 p.m. in Warren Enters Theatre in Upton Hall. Audience members have the unique opportunity to meet Wilkens during a pre-performance discussion at 7:15 p.m. The audience also is invited to stay after the play and talk with director Joseph Price and Drew Kahn, professor and director of the Anne Frank Project. Admission is free, but tickets are required. (716) 878-6416. www.theannefrankproject.com/2011.html.

September 19-23
Anatomy of Clothing Exhibit
See how garments emerge from patterns on the page to dresses, skirts, and tops in this unusual student exhibit held in the Dr. Margaret Eschner Bacon Student Gallery, Upton Hall 234. Textile design and apparel design students will give the viewer insight into how clothes go from 2-D to 3-D, including showing fabric on the computer and the actual fabric. Students will be on hand to discuss their creations during an opening reception 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. September 20 in the gallery. (716) 878-4661.

September 24
100 Thousand Poets for Change
Take part in an international poetry slam, September 24, from 11:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. on the Buffalo State campus. More than 100 area poets will perform with the goal of promoting serious social, environmental, and political change. This free and exciting event is part of a national initiative taking place in 400 cities spread throughout 90 countries. Inspired by Canadian First National poet and playwright Daniel David Moses who recently visited Buffalo and spoke about the healing modalities of poetry and art, the Buffalo organizing committee members selected “healing” as the theme for this event. From 11:30 to 4:30 p.m., poets will gather in a circle in the quad. If there is inclement weather, they will move into the Bulger Communication Center, which is where the poetry initiative will take place beginning at 6:00 p.m. The event is expected to run until 11:30 p.m. with musicians, performance artists, and others joining in. Find out more about the project at www.100tpc.org.

September 30
An Evening with Spike Lee: America Through My Lens
Presented by M&T Bank. Celebrated film director Spike Lee will talk about his career, which includes stints as a writer, actor, producer, author, and educator, at 8:00 p.m. September 30 in the Performing Arts Center at Rockwell Hall. Lee’s latest endeavor is the documentary If God Is Willing and Da Creek Don’t Rise, which focuses on the storm-ravaged Gulf Coast region. Prior to his performance, Lee will meet with students in the college’s television and film arts program to provide guidance and advice. Tickets are available now for Buffalo State students for $5 in the Rockwell Hall and Campbell Student Union box offices. Tickets for faculty and staff are $15; general public tickets are $20. Both go on sale at 9:00 a.m. September 6. (716) 878-3005. www.buffalostatepac.org/page/show/title/spike-lee-2011/