Artist Oscar Bedford discusses his sculptural assemblages, which are at once hyper-realistic yet impossible to fathom thanks to his surreal and humorous approach and impeccable workmanship. Bedford will share his new installation, a super-sized “drain” installed temporarily on campus as the first commissioned work in a new partnership with the RISD Sculpture Graduate Program.
Wheaton alumna Sandra Yannone’s poetry amplifies the split-second when the everyday turns into catastrophe; the moment of impact when knowing and unknowing collide; the fusion of before and after. And the aftermaths. All constellate here in Yannone’s first full-length collection, Boats for Women, to orient us toward that “choice/to turn toward a sacred face, a turn/toward your own longing to live.”
Gaignard is a visual artist working across disciplines to address issues of race, class and femininity. Her provocative photographs, sculptures and installations are intended to confront assumptions around beauty and blackness. Gaignard, whose work and career are internationally acclaimed, discusses her work and process.
Technology has vastly outpaced copyright law, yet it has also expanded the bounds of potential creativity in the arts and new media. Join lawyer and copyright expert Kyle K. Courtney for an engaging and informative exploration of how the arts, media and the law intersect.
Join us for the opening reception of In the Weeds: Art in the Natural World at the Beard and Weil Galleries in Watson Fine Arts.
The exhibition showcases six artists who are tackling issues of the human relationship to our environmental surroundings. Many of these artists bridge art and science bring to life processes that may otherwise elude the general public. Through seed collecting, camouflage, performance, 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: Jenny Kendler
Braxton Shelley, assistant professor of music at Harvard University, is a musicologist who specializes in African American popular music. His research and critical interests, while currently focused on African American gospel performance, extend into media studies, sound studies, phenomenology, homiletics and theology.
Founded by Associate Professor of Music Delvyn Case, the Deus Ex Musica Ensemble is dedicated to presenting sacred concert music in contexts that invite discussion and dialogue. Featuring Pulitzer Prize-winning composer John Harbison’s “Samuel Chapter” with soprano Emily Thorner, and Case’s song cycle “Darkness from which I come” with soprano Elisabeth Marshall. Followed by a discussion with Professor Harbison and members of Wheaton’s Department of Religion. www.deus-ex-musica.com
Author and editor Kathryn Kulpa, winner of the Vella Chapbook Contest for her flash fiction chapbook Girls on Filmand the Mid-List Press First Series Award for her short story collection Pleasant Drugs, is also the author of Who’s the Skirt?, a micro-chapbook published by the Origami Poems Project. Kupla, whose work has also been featured in anthologies and literary magazines will read from her recent work.
This performance by Grammy-nominated vocal ensemble Skylark, explores music inspired by art, and art inspired by music, including a newly commissioned work by Nell Shaw Cohen. The Wheaton Chorale and Chamber Singers will open the program and will join Skylark for a few selections. There will be a pre-concert talk by Skylark Artistic Director Matthew Guard beginning at 2:00 p.m.
Latin Grammy Award winning Flor de Toloache is an all-women Mariachi group from Brooklyn, whose diverse cultural and musical backgrounds create “an edgy, versatile and fresh take on traditional Mexican music.” Treating the Mariachi tradition with reverence while introducing modern interpretations, the group has captivated audiences around the world. We are thrilled to highlight Flor de Toloache during Women’s History Month, to enjoy their incredible music, and to celebrate their many accomplishments. Tickets are required but are available free of charge. To reserve tickets, contact the Watson Box Office.