Over the last half century, hip hop has taken over the world. Its beginning is marked by Cindy and Clive Campbell’s (aka DJ Kool Herc) legendary back-to-school party held in the Bronx on August 11, 1973. Since that time, hip hop has spread around the globe, lending its influence to innumerable spaces. Style is one of the most pervasive and visible manifestations of the culture, and twenty- first century fashion, from luxury labels to everyday dress, owes a debt to hip hop. Join Associate Curator Elizabeth Way to discuss her recent exhibition celebrating hip hop style at the Museum of the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT). Ms. Way will also discuss her curatorial specializations, impactful Black designers in American fashion and the historical evolution of fashion systems rooted in American slavery. 

The ensembles, under the direction of Visiting Assistant Professor Alexandra Lutkevich, present a concert of works with orchestra, featuring visiting artist conductor Christopher Lowrey and soloists from Ensemble Altera: Clare Brussel, Andrew Brown, and Michael Garrepy.  Suggested donation $10.

This professional dance company based in DC, focuses on the polyrhythmic art of stepping. Steeped in African and African American tradition, step has deep roots in the emergence of HBCUs in the south. Complex percussive sequences demand energy, precision, and teamwork; the intricacies of the movements can be heard as well as seen. Step Afrika! is committed to performance and outreach, their visit to Wheaton will surely expand our understanding of collective movement—and have everyone on the edge of their seats.

Free tickets may be reserved online via the Watson Box Office.

Noted soprano Louise Toppin presents an evening of art song, arias, and spiritual arrangements by Harry T. Burleigh and his contemporaries. The art songs featured will be included in a forthcoming edition of the art songs, long out of print but happily rediscovered by today’s artists.



Nicholas Kitchen, internationally recognized violinist, founder of the Borromeo String Quartet, and faculty member of New England Conservatory, presents a concert with Professor of Music, Ann Sears, piano. This performance includes sonatas by Beethoven and Mozart, as well as works by Clarence Cameron White and Amy Beach.

The Wheaton Chorale and Chamber Singers under the direction of Visiting Assistant Professor Alexandra Lutkevich, present an evening of musical theater and jazz, featuring group numbers as well as student soloists.

Dr. Ronald Crutcher, President Emeritus returns to Wheaton to celebrate the release of his recently published memoir I Had No Idea You Were Black: Navigating Race on the Road to Leadership. A leader in higher education, distinguished classical musician and accomplished administrator, Dr. Crutcher shares his talents on the cello before sitting down for an interview discussing his life as a Black leader successfully bridging America’s cultural divides and sharing his compelling story which offers many important lessons on life and leadership.

Diana Khoi Nguyen is a first-generation Vietnamese-American poet whose book, Ghost Of, is an elegy for her brother, and she explores the difficulties felt by parents from this culture.  A brief Q&A will follow this evening event.

Artist Eileen de Rosas (MassArt MFA ’22) presents an artist talk discussing her recent Public Art at Wheaton (PAAW) project Into the Woods, sited in the Beard Courtyard of the Mars Science Center. De Rosas will also share work from her artistic practice more broadly.

As we have all been required to spend concentrated time in our homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, domestic spaces have developed new contexts and significance. Through humor, tragedy, the magical and the mundane, the artists in Domestic State explore the meaning and narrative of domestic spaces and objects. Han Seok You photographs himself in the US and Korea, in an effort to define what “home” means. Manal Abu Shaheen’s series Julian follows the experiences of her brother, a Lebanese-American single father, raising his family on a Pennsylvania farm. Elizabeth Duffy’s installations and objects allude to the apparent comforts of home while revealing its contradictions. Shabnam Janessari’s saturated paintings depict spaces that empower the complex realities of Iranian female identity. In addition to work by contemporary artists, pieces from Wheaton’s Permanent Collection offer a contrast between past and present.
Featured artists include: Manal Abu Shaheen, Maria G. Baker, Elizabeth Duffy, Shabnam Janessari, Andrew Raftery, and Han Seok You.