Overwhelmed by endless streams of content, sophisticated audiences are demanding deeper, more powerful experiences. Innovative technologies enable and inspire new forms of stories and participation, but immersion is not a property of technology, it is a product of a great experience. Mike Monello, Co-founder of Campfire and one of the creators of The Blair Witch Project, shares secrets from over 20 years on the frontline of emerging technology and storytelling.

a nerve is not a nerve but a bundle of fibers showcases seven contemporary artists, Caroline Wells Chandler, Pilar Sans Coover, Gabrielle Ferreira, Sean Paul Gallegos, Sarah E. Jenkins, Saberah Malik, and Sarah Zapata, all of whom are working with textiles in innovative ways. Though textiles are often thought of as decorative or functional, the artists in this exhibition address complex ideas of identity and cultural history with large-scale crochet, narrative embroidery, deconstructed sneakers, public sewing circles, and traditional dyeing and weaving.

In the Weeds: Art and the Natural World showcases six artists who are examining the complicated relationship between humans and the environment. Many of these artists bridge art and science to bring to life processes that may otherwise elude the general public. Through seed collecting, camouflage, performance, video, and artists’ books, artists Kwang Choi, Rachel Frank, Jenny Kendler, Next Epoch Seed Library (a collaboration between Ellie Irons and Anne Percoco), and Tammy Nguyen consider issues of rewilding and human influence on the natural world.

The exhibition runs October 23—December 12, 2019

Image: Rachel Frank

Join artists Ellie Irons and Anne Percoco of the Next Epoch Seed Library (NESL) for a multisensorial experience with the wild, disturbance-oriented plants of the Wheaton Campus. We’ll get to know Wheaton’s local weedy plants by finding, collecting, sorting and processing their seeds for inclusion in NESL’s popup library in the Beard and Weil Galleries. NESL re-imagines the conventional seed bank for a new epoch defined by massive human impact on the global environment. Rather than focusing exclusively on human utility or agricultural heritage, they champion the contributions of weedy plant species most likely to survive and thrive in an unpredictable future.

Meet in the Beard and Weil Galleries at 2pm, 2nd Floor, Watson Fine Arts.

The ensemble, under the direction of Assistant Professor Sheila Falls, performs music from a variety of genres from around the world, including Europe, South America, Africa and more.

The Southeastern Massachusetts Wind Symphony, under the direction of Associate Professor Earl Raney, presents works by Prokofiev, Milhaud, Gould, Hindemith, plus seasonal favorites. Suggested donation $5.

The 60-piece GWSO performs dance music from around the world, featuring selections from Stravinsky’s Firebird; Respighi’s Ancient Airsand Dances Suite No 2; Melanie Bonis’ Suite en forme de valses; and African-American composer William Grant Still’s Danzas da Panama. Charlotte Chuen, Class of 2020, also performs Beethoven’s Violin Concerto. Suggested donation $5.

The Wheaton Chorale, under the direction of Professor of Music Tim Harbold, continues a Wheaton tradition, singing carols and other music from a wide variety of cultures and traditions. The concert is free to the public, but donations are gratefully accepted. Suggested donation $10.

The ensemble performs under the direction of Artistic Director Andrea Taylor-Blenis. Tickets: $10 general, $5 faculty/staff & seniors, $2 students. Tickets may be purchased online through the Box Office.