Stimulate your senses with this semester's fine arts lineup
News Release | September 1, 2015
Virginia Wesleyan College is a thriving place for arts lovers. Here’s a look at the visual and performing arts events planned for the fall 2015 semester.
Neil Britton Art Gallery
The academic year artfully opens with “The Canterbury Tales: Stories in Quilts” by B.J. Elvgren (September 3-October 23). An internationally respected fabric artist, Elvgren’s quilts are part of private and public collections worldwide. Opening Reception & Artist Talk: Sept. 3, 6-8 p.m.; followed by a Readers’ Theatre with selections from Chaucer’s “The Canterbury Tales.” Later in the semester, viewers will see “Strange Loops” by Reni Gower (November 13-January 13, 2016). Using the language of abstraction, Gower combines collage and assemblage with detailed illusions on paper, incorporating the circle as metaphor, symbol and motif. Opening Reception & Artist Talk: Nov. 13, 6-8 p.m. Admission to the Neil Britton Gallery, located inside Hofheimer Library, is free and open to the public. More/Gallery Hours
Theatre
The VWC Theatre Department hits the stage during Homecoming & Parent Weekend for its fall production of John Cariani’s “Almost Maine” (September 30-October 3). Explore love and loss in this romantic comedy that takes place in the remote, mythical town of Almost, Maine. Directed by VWC Professor of Theatre Sally Shedd. Performances take place in Hofheimer Theater with public ticket prices ranging from $10-15; free to the VWC community with ID. Reservations recommended—call 757.455.3381 or email tdhority@vwu.edu. Showtimes: Sept. 30-Oct. 2 at 7:30 p.m.; Oct. 3 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; and Oct. 4 at 2 p.m. The Fall One-Act Play Festival (November 19-20), produced and directed by VWC theatre students, offers a variety of plays from thought-provoking dramas to side-splitting comedies. Play titles and performance schedule to be announced; free to all.
Virginia Wesleyan College Concert Series
The VWC Concert Series begins with Mary Elizabeth Bowden, Trumpet (October 19), hailed as a brilliant virtuoso, highly regarded for her artistry, clarity, purity and power. Additional performances include Anthony Hailey, African Percussion (October 27); Tidewater Guitar Orchestra (October 30); Rachel Ordaz, Flute (November 9); and A Wesleyan Christmas (December 4-5). All performances take place in Hofheimer Theater. Showtimes are at 7:30 p.m. and public ticket prices range from $5-15, unless otherwise noted. Free to VWC community with ID. Reservations: 757.455.2101. Made possible in part by the Dougherty Visiting Artist Fund and the Virginia Commission for the Arts.
Student Music Performances
The Virginia Wesleyan Chorale and the Wesleyan Singers begin their 2015-2016 season with Words & Music (October 5), featuring choral music that pairs great poets with great composers. Performance takes place at 7:30 p.m. in Hofheimer Theatre and is free to all. For more information, call 757.455.3282.
Center for Sacred Music
The 2015-2016 Sound & Symbol Lecture Series is titled “Sing Me to Heaven.” VWC faculty and special guests will join CSM director Sandra Billy in an exploration of music and belief in the world’s major religions surrounding death and what comes after, as well as cultural components that form an intrinsic part of our experiences with end-of-life matters. Event dates: Sept. 24, Nov. 19, Feb. 25, March 10, April 7. View the complete list of guest speakers. All performances take place in Fine Arts 9 at 11 a.m. This year’s Monumental Moments series begins with A Service of Lessons & Carols (December 3), featuring Advent and Christmas scriptures with poetry and singing and special music by the Wesleyan Chorale. 11 a.m., Monumental Chapel.
Barclay Sheaks Gallery
This permanent display of works by Barclay Sheaks, the late Distinguished Artist-in-Residence at Virginia Wesleyan, is an expression of the value of liberal and lifelong learning. Admission to the Barclay Sheaks Gallery, located inside Godwin Hall, is free and open to the public. More/Gallery Hours
PLEASE NOTE: All event details are subject to change. For the most current listings, refer to the VWC Campus Events Calendar.