Year of the Arts: April at a Glance

If you’re looking for a capital-infused “Love Story,” a delicious “Musical Feast” or a multisensory dance performance, you’ve come to the right month in the Year of the Arts lineup at Buffalo State College.

Actually, all the months this academic year have brimmed with visual, musical, poetic, and theatrical arts offerings that challenge and inspire. To see the entire schedule, go to www.yearofthearts.com.

April 4
Take Back the Night
This annual student-led event that mixes poetry, interpretive dance, music, and monologues to raise awareness about sexual violence against women will take place at 7:00 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center at Rockwell Hall. The 2012 Take Back the Night theme is “Do Your Part Buffalo State” and will include remarks from Dean of Students Charles Kenyon, along with students who have experienced sexual or domestic violence. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Tammy Kresge, coordinator for Health Promotion, Weigel Health Center and staff liaison for Take Back the Night, at (716) 878-6725.

April 10
Capitalism: A Love Story
Part of the Crisis! film series that explore the global economic crisis, this film by documentary filmmaker Michael Moore asks tough questions about how American corporations and financial institutions sacrifice the interests of working people in their endless pursuit of shareholder profits.

Is Moore making a political statement or is he an honest documentarian? Decide for yourself when you watch the free film at 7:00 p.m. in the Burchfield Penney Art Center Auditorium. After the film, expect a lively discussion with Buffalo State moderators Ted Schmidt, associate professor of  economics and finance; Albert Michaels, professor of history; and Bruce Fisher, director, Center for Economic and Policy Studies. (716) 878-4533.

April 13
A Musical Feast
In the final performance of the 2011-2012 season, hear a fusion of classical and contemporary music performed by Carol Wincenc, flute; Jonathan Golove, cello; Claudia Hoca, piano; and Charles Castleman, violin at 8:00 p.m. in the Burchfield Penney Art Center Auditorium. The concert will include “Trio for Trio for Flute, Cello and Piano” by Bohuslav Martinu; “Duo Concertant” by Igor Stravinsky; “Six Chassidic Folks Songs” by Paul Schoenfeld. Charles Haupt, who is retired from the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, serves as concert master. Tickets are $10 for Burchfield Penney members, Buffalo State students, faculty, and staff and $20 for the general public. (716) 878-4533.

Our Edible Complex: A Live Exhibition of Western New York’s Food Culture
As part the Second Friday series that runs monthly from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Burchfield Penney Art Center, local farmers and representatives from vineyards, breweries, food publications, and non-profit organizations will share their stories, hand out samples of their products, and provide demonstrations and workshops. Free. (716) 878-4533.

April 15
Writers and Poets Series
Buffalo Poet Irving Feldman’s reading from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. at the Burchfield Penney Art Center Auditorium will conclude the Burchfield Penney's 2011-2012 Writers and Poets Series. Feldman's collections of poetry include Collected Poems, 1954-2004 (Schocken, 2004); Beautiful False Things: Poems (Grove Press, 2000); All of Us Here (1986), which was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award; Leaping Clear (1976), and The Pripet Marshes (1965), both finalists for the National Book Award. Feldman is the recipient of a National Institute of Arts and Letters award as well as fellowships from the Academy of American Poets, the Guggenheim Foundation, the Ingram Merrill Foundation, and the MacArthur Foundation. The Writers and Poets Series is presented with support from the David and Ruth Lampe Poetry Endowment. (716) 878-6011.

April 17
Wall Street
The last in the 2011-2012 Crisis! film series, Wall Street, gives us the ugly but unforgettable character Gordon Gekko, whose credo “Greed is good” encapsulated the early years of the “Era of Excess.” Ironically, this film was released just before the October 1987 stock market crash. It’s so good that it never needed a sequel—but next season the film series will show that one, too.  A free showing of Wall Street will begin at 7:00 p.m. in the Burchfield Penney Art Center Auditorium followed by a discussion with Buffalo State moderators Ted Schmidt, associate professor of economics and finance; Albert Michaels, professor of history; and Bruce Fisher, director of the Center for Economic and Policy Studies. (716) 878-6011.

April 18

Hospitality “Arts” Celebration
Buffalo State’s Hospitality and Tourism Department is celebrating the Year of the Arts with a 5:30 p.m. awards ceremony at the Burchfield Penney Art Center, followed by a dinner reception at Campus House. During the ceremony, they will recognize winners of the 2012 Buffalo Niagara Hospitality Ambassador Awards: Ed Healey, of Visit Buffalo Niagara Center; Krista Van Wagner, owner of Curley’s Grill; and Daniel P. Garvey, of the Roycroft Inn; for their accomplishments in the industry and their community service. Hospitality and Tourism Department students also will receive awards, including the Hart Hotel and Pano’s scholarships. Afterward, guests will enjoy a dinner reception at Campus House, the college’s faculty and staff club, where students will prepare artistic culinary delights. The cost is $50. To make reservation call (716) 878-3300 or e-mail campushouse@buffalostate.edu.

Percussion Ensemble/Digital Music Ensemble
The Buffalo State Percussion Ensemble is pairing with the college’s new Digital Music Ensemble in a unique concert at 7:30 p.m. at the Performing Arts Center at Rockwell Hall. The Percussion Ensemble will kick off the concert using standard percussion instruments such as timpani, mallet, tom toms, cymbals and gongs, along with found or constructed instruments. The Digital Music Ensemble will follow using state-of-the art electronic music instruments and common technological tools such as smart phones, iPads, and game controllers. The two ensembles will perform a combined piece at the end. The Percussion Ensemble is directed by Brad Fuster, associate professor and chair of music. Tomas Henriques, assistant professor of music, directs the Digital Music Ensemble. Admission is free. (716) 878-3005.

April 18-21
Alternative Dimensions: A Multisensory Experience
The Buffalo State dance program will present a modern dance performance meant to engage all the senses at 8:00 p.m. April 18-21 and 2:00 p.m. April 21 in Upton Hall's Warren Enters Theatre. Choreographed by dance faculty, “Alternative Dimensions” features 22 Buffalo State students and six guest artists including a Buffalo State alumna. In a separate but related event, “Docents and Delicacies,” held on the third floor of the Bulger Communication Building, art students will serve as docents introducing artwork and talking about how the five faculty choreographers interpreted different pieces of art to create an original dance. Meanwhile, wine and food pairings that correlate with the dance and art will be offered to guests. Alternative Dimensions tickets are $6 for Buffalo State students (if purchased prior to the show); $10 for Buffalo State faculty, staff, and alumni; and $15 for the general public. Tickets for the “Docents and Delicacies” experience are $20. (716) 878-6416.

April 19    
Vocal Jazz Ensemble
The Buffalo State College Vocal Jazz Ensemble and the Women's Chorus will perform a collection of jazz favorites including “When Sunny Gets Blue,” “My Favorite Things,” “I Could Write A Book,” and “When I Fall In Love,” in a free concert at 7:30 at the Performing Arts Center at Rockwell Hall. Victoria Furby, assistant professor of music, and John Fleischman, director of the Women’s Chorus, are directing the performance. (716) 878-3005.

Runaway
This original film written and directed by documentary filmmaker and assistant professor of communication Meg Knowles and produced by Brian Milbrand and Courtney Grim, tells the story of Knowles’ sister, who disappeared from a New England riding camp at the age of 14. Despite extensive investigations by both police and detectives, months passed and her family could find no trace of her. For more than 35 years, her family has never discussed their experiences of that summer—until now. Runaway, shown at 7:00 p.m. in the Burchfield Penney Art Center Auditorium, is the last in the Consider the Alternatives film series presented by the Burchfield Penney and the Communication Department. Admission is free. (716) 878-6011.

April 20
Adam and Anthony Live
Original Rent musical stars Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp will join forces in a special pop/rock evening at 8:00 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center at Rockwell Hall, celebrating their individual musical careers as well as the Broadway cultural hit Rent. The two friends and co-stars will share stories about the Pulitzer Prize-winning show that brought them together and will perform songs from it. The electric and acoustic concert also will feature fresh interpretations of Stephen Sondheim songs and other popular Broadway music, along with a mix of pop and original songs. Tickets are $35-$30. (716) 878-3005.

Emerging Scholars Presentation
As part of the Emerging Scholar Series, David Ben-Merre, assistant professor of English, will present, “Forms of Doubt: Hilda Doolittle’s Trilogy, Ferdinand de Saussure’s anagrams, and Sigmund Freud’s Nachträglichkeit” from noon to 1:00 p.m. in the E. H. Butler Library 210. The poet Hilda Doolittle liked mixing and matching letters as though they were chemicals to be played with in the great lab of life, as though she could “feel the meaning that words hide.” But amid her faith in the capacity of letters to find their homes, she could not shake her doubts that her wartime collection Trilogy would ever come together in a meaningful way. Ben-Merre considers Doolittle by exploring two other great intellectual self-doubters: the linguist Ferdinand de Saussure and psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud. Free. http://www.buffalostate.edu/professionaldevelopment/x1512.xml.

April 21
Buffalo State College Jazz Ensemble
As part of the Friends and Faculty Series, this free concert by the Buffalo State Jazz Ensemble will include traditional jazz music as well as contemporary jazz ensemble arrangements at 7:30 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center at Rockwell Hall. The Jazz Ensemble is directed by Rick Fleming, associate professor of music and director of bands at Buffalo State. (716) 878-3005.

Runway 5.0
Buffalo State’s fashion and textile technology program will present Runway 5.0, which spotlights senior collections from fashion students, alumni, and instructors, along with work from Western New York designers, in a one-of-a kind show held at 3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. in the Pierce Arrow Building, 1685 Elmwood Avenue. The theme of Runway 5.0 is Synthesis, meaning “the combining of separate elements to form a coherent whole offering new, unexpected combinations that can confront opposites.” Tickets to the afternoon show are $15 for students and $20 for the general public. Tickets to the evening show are $30 for everyone. VIP tickets that include a 6:30 p.m. reception catered by the Hospitality and Tourism Department cost $100. Regular tickets are available at Wegmans and at the Rockwell Hall box office. For VIP tickets, call (716) 878-6018.

April 24
Buffalo State College Wind Ensemble
The Buffalo State College Wind Ensemble is one of the premiere performing ensembles on campus. The Wind Ensemble will perform works in the traditional wind band repertoire as well as contemporary works of various styles in a free concert at 7:30 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center at Rockwell Hall. The Wind Ensemble is directed by Rick Fleming. (716) 878-3005.

April 25
Concert: Honors Chamber Ensembles
The Honors Chamber Ensembles, which includes several student chamber music groups, such as the Clarinet Ensemble, Woodwind Trio, Trombone Choir, and String Quintet, will perform mostly classical music with a few pops selections in this free concert at 7:30 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center at Rockwell Hall. Crystal Reinoso, professor of music, and Rick Fleming, director of Buffalo bands, are directing. (716) 878-3005.


April 26
Diaspora Drumming Ensemble and Buffalo State West African Drumming Ensemble
Returning to the Performing Arts Center at Rockwell Hall in this 7:30 p.m. concert, Diaspora Drumming is a trio dedicated to studying, teaching, and performing percussion music of the African Diaspora. Members Ringo Brill, Tiffany Nicely, and Gabriel Gutierrez studied with African masters in various styles and traveled to the place where the music was created. Diaspora Drumming is joined by Buffalo State’s 25-member West African Drumming Ensemble under the direction of Nicely, a lecturer in the Music Department. Tickets are $10; students are admitted for free. (716) 878-3005.

April 27

Buffalo Student Film Forum
Buffalo State’s Silver Screen Association and the Burchfield Penney Art Center’s Street Team will host the Buffalo Student Film Forum in the Burchfield Penney’s Peter and Elizabeth C. Tower Auditorium. Watch a selection of short films created and curated by students from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m., with a reception immediately following. The entire event is free and open to the public. (716) 878-6011.

April 27-28

The 14th Annual Student Research and Creativity Celebration
This exciting annual event features the latest research, scholarly, and creative endeavors by undergraduate and graduate students across all academic disciplines. The result of their work will be reflected in more than 375 posters, papers, visual and performing arts presentations, displays, and demonstrations held throughout campus– in art galleries, theaters, and the E.H. Butler Library. More information, full schedule.


April 28
Buffalo State College Foundation Scholarship Gala
Buffalo State will host its 15th annual Foundation Scholarship Gala at 6:00 p.m. at the Statler, 107 Delaware Avenue in Buffalo. A much-anticipated fundraising event, the gala typically attracts more than 500 guests for an evening of dining, dancing, and a live auction. Because of the gala, the Buffalo State College Foundation awards 200 scholarships to deserving students each year. Since this event was established in 1998, more than $1.5 million in scholarship funds have been awarded. Tickets are $200 per person. For more information, contact Kathryn Neeson or call (716) 878-4895.

Through April 29
Storyboard: The Sexual Politics of Jackie Felix
Admired for her energy and passion, Jackie Felix (1929-2009), a Buffalo State graduate, tackled subjects others avoided. Her intensely dramatic work critiques the callous, violent, and dispassionate sexuality that permeates American culture. Representing Felix’s dynamic artistic career, this exhibition of provocative art at the Burchfield Penney that opened in late February and runs through April 29 addresses topical social issues such as female identity, popular culture, and sexual politics. Admission is free for Buffalo State students, faculty, and staff and runs from $5 to $10 for the general public. (716) 878-6011.