Year of the Arts: October at a Glance
Buffalo State’s Year of the Arts continues with a wealth of events spanning multiple disciplines. In just the first five weeks of the academic year, the college has hosted a global poetry initiative, the world premiere of a play, art exhibitions, and a visit by filmmaker Spike Lee. Also in September, the third annual Anne Frank Project attracted hundreds of visitors to campus and provided participants with an eclectic mix of thought-provoking events.
Likewise, October’s lineup of arts events promises to be diverse and exciting. Some highlights for the month:
October 1-30
Western New York Craft from the Gerald Mead Collection Exhibition
Craft artworks from a variety of Western New York artists are featured in this survey exhibition selected from the extensive art collection of Gerald Mead, a Buffalo State alumnus and lecturer of design. The clay, wood, fiber, glass, and metal art will be on exhibit throughout the month of October in the E. H. Butler Library lobby. Included are pieces by Jozef Bajus, Nancy Belfer, Marvin Bjurlin, Wendell Castle, Val Cushing, Nancy Jurs, Thomas Markusen, Concetta Mason, Gail McCarthy, Stephen Merritt, Barbara Murak, Albert Paley, Sylvia Rosen, Stephen Saracino, Michael Taylor, Carol Townsend, and Robert Wood, among others. The exhibit is free and open during library hours. (716) 878-6317.
October 5
An Evening in Brazil with Crystal Reinoso
Fresh off her sabbatical in Brazil, the Buffalo State clarinet professor will share the charming sounds of Brazilian choro, a classically based popular musical form infused with Latin melodies and samba rhythms, at 7:30 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center at Rockwell Hall. Guest performers include faculty pianist Ivan Docenko, guitarist Stuart Fuchs, and percussionist Tiffany Nicely. Tickets cost $10. Full-time students with a valid school ID will be admitted for free. Purchase tickets online or call (716) 878-3005.
October 5
Tournés Festival
This series of five French-language films kicks off at 7:00 p.m. in the Burchfield Penney Art Center (BPAC) Auditorium with White Material. Starring Claire Denis, it tells the story of a coffee plantation owner in an unnamed African country engulfed in civil war. Sponsored by the college’s Modern and Classical Languages Department, the films are free and open to the public. The remaining films are Des Dieux et Des Hommes (Of Gods and Men) at 7:30 p.m. October 12 in the BPAC; Un Homme Qui Crie (A Screaming Man) at 7:30 p.m. October 18 in Bulger Communication West 2; Potiche (Trophy Wife) at 7:00 p.m. October 26 in the BPAC; and La Belle Endormie (The Sleeping Beauty) at 7:00 p.m. November 2 in the BPAC. Call (716) 878-6011.
October 6
Faculty and Friends Concert Series: Buffalo State Wind Ensemble
Under the direction of Rick Fleming, associate professor of music, the Buffalo State Wind Ensemble will feature Don Harry, principal tuba of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, performing Ralph Vaughan-Williams' Concerto for Bass Tuba at 7:30 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center at Rockwell Hall. Tickets cost $10. Full-time students with a valid school ID will be admitted for free. Purchase tickets online or call (716) 878-3005.
October 8
Madeleine Peyroux
The beguiling French-American singer/songwriter and guitarist Madeleine Peyroux will perform at 8:00 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center at Rockwell Hall. The singer has been compared to Billie Holiday, and her repertoire blends jazz, acoustic blues, country ballads, torch songs and pop creating both classic and contemporary sounds. Her bittersweet, brokenhearted alto shines on tunes by Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits, Bob Dylan, Hank Williams, and Joni Mitchell. She also has penned some soul-baring songs of her own. Admission is $30-$35 for the general public; faculty and staff receive $3 off upper-tier tickets. Buffalo State students can buy $15 “rush” tickets one hour before the show begins (cash only). Purchase tickets online or call (716) 878-3005.
October 9
When Brothers Speak
Members of the largest showcase of black male spoken word artists in North America will perform at 6:00 p.m. in the Campbell Student Union. Performers include 2011 Vancouver International Poetry Slam Champion Open Secret, Ottawa; Dan Vaughn, Milwaukee; Ntare Ali Gault, Buffalo; John Akpata, Ottawa; Jive Poetic, New York; Brother Earl, New York, along with host, founder, and producer of the show Dwayne Morgan, Toronto. The Student Life Office is sponsoring the performance, in conjunction with Up from the Roots, a Toronto art-focused organization, and Nzjozi Productions. Admission is free for Buffalo State students, but tickets are required; for other students with a valid ID, tickets are $5 in advance, $10 at the door; for the general public, tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door. Advance tickets are available at the Rockwell Hall and the Campbell Student Union box offices. Call (716) 878-3005 and (716) 553-9491.
October 12
Faculty and Friends Concert Series: Clara String Quartet
Buffalo State faculty ensemble-in-residence, the Clara String Quartet, includes Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra members Amy Glidden, violin; Jacqueline Galluzzo, violin; Kate Holzemer, viola; and Amelie Fradette, cello. The quartet will perform at 7:30 p.m. at the Performing Arts Center at Rockwell Hall. Back by popular demand, the program will include works by Beethoven and Ravel. Tickets are $10 for the general public and free for full-time students with valid school ID. Purchase tickets online or call (716) 878-3005.
October 13-22
Enron
The Theater Department presents this world-acclaimed play about one of the most devastating scandals in modern history at the energy company whose bankruptcy in 2001 shocked the business world. Joseph Price, professor of theater, directs. Performances will be at 8:00 p.m. October 13-15 and October 20-22, and 2:00 p.m. October 15 and 22 in Upton Hall's Warren Enters Theatre. Tickets cost $6 for Buffalo State students; $10 for faculty, staff, alumni, other students, and senior citizens; all other adults cost $15. Call (716) 878-3005.
October 13
The Mormon Propositionand Me, Myself, and I
Part of the ongoing documentary film series “Consider the Alternatives,” The Mormon Proposition examines the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints’ nationwide effort to prevent the legalization of gay marriage, including the state of California’s Proposition 8, voters passed in 2008. Me, Myself, and I is a hand-processed black and white animated film. Using paper dolls, magazine cutouts, and vintage valentines, this film deals with the ideas of metamorphoses, gender variance, narcissism and, somewhat subliminally, former President George W. Bush. Screenings begin at 7:00 p.m. in the Burchfield Penney Art Center. Admission is free for Buffalo State College students, faculty, staff, and Burchfield Penney members; $5 for the general public. Call (716) 878-6011.
October 15
The Jeff Lorber Fusion
Jazz fusion pioneer keyboardist Jeff Lorber and his band will play the sounds that made Lorber famous at 8:00 p.m. at the Performing Arts Center at Rockwell Hall. Along with his band, including Jimmy Haslip on bass, William Kennedy on drums and Eric Marienthal on saxophone, Lorber will share tracks from his latest hit CD Now Is The Time. This new recording captures the raw energy and enthusiasm that fueled the music of his early days and reinvents some of his most compelling compositions. Tickets are $30-$35. Faculty and staff receive $3 off upper-tierseats. Students can get tickets for $15 one hour prior to showtime; cash only. Purchase tickets online or call (716) 878-3005.
October 15
Art in Craft Media 2011
An opening celebration will be held 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Burchfield Penney Art Center to usher in this exhibition that features the work of more than 60 regional artists in glass, wood, fiber, and metal and runs through January 15, 2012. Selected by juror John McCoy, potter and faculty member at Florida Atlantic University, the 12th biennial exhibition is the largest ever held at the Burchfield Penney and includes artists from throughout the Western New York region working in the craft media in both traditional and more contemporary ways. Admission is free for museum members, Buffalo State students, faculty and staff. Cost for the general public is $10 for adults and $5 for students.
October 19:
La Peur Des Coupsand La Vox Humanine
Experience an evening of French theater, featuring Caravague Theatre Company’s actors Andre’ Nerman and Yannick Rocher, in two one-act plays at 7:00 p.m. in the Burchfield Penney Art Center Auditorium. La Peur Des Corps (Afraid to Fight) examines the ongoing fight between a jealous husband and his wife, while La Voix Humaine (The Human Voice) focuses on a woman talking on the phone to the lover she has just ended a relationship with—amid a bad connection. Presented by L’Alliance Francaise de Buffalo (AFB), the Modern and Classical Languages Department, and the Burchfield Penney Art Center, the productions are both presented in French. Tickets are $5 for students, $8 for AFB members and Buffalo State faculty and staff, and $10 for the general public. Call (716) 878-6011.
A preview of November Year of the Arts events will be provided at the end of October.