From performing arts events featuring themes of nature and an award-winning musical teaching the power of love and compassion to art exhibitions and philosophical and literary conversations, there are arts and humanities events for everyone at UW-Stout this spring. Some monthly highlights include:
- February: School of Art and Design faculty exhibit, presentations on artificial intelligence and the Irish Literary Renaissance
- March: Student exhibit at the Louis Smith Tainter House, presentation on the Dobbs v. Jackson decision
- April: Theater production of “Dogfight,” choir and band concerts, civic conversation on art appropriation
- May: Student Artist in Residence exhibit reception, civic conversation on Russia’s war in Ukraine
Several events will be held in conjunction with UW-Stout’s Destination Weekend, Friday, April 5, and Saturday, April 6; and Spring Showcase, April 5 to May 11.
University Theater
Students will perform the award-winning musical “Dogfight,” led by Director Audric Buhr, at Harvey Hall Theatre. Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. on April 5, 6, 11, 12 and 13; and 2 p.m. on April 7.
Enter the flashback of Cpl. Eddie Birdlace, set in San Fransisco on Nov. 21, 1963, the eve of his deployment to Vietnam. He and fellow Marines celebrate their last night of freedom with a bit of debauchery and a game they call a “dogfight.” But when Birdlace meets Rose, an awkward and idealistic waitress whom he enlists to win a cruel bet, she rewrites the rules of the game and teaches him the power of love and compassion.
Tickets for “Dogfight” will be available soon at uwstout.universitytickets.com.
Concert Performances
The Symphonic Singers, Chamber Choir and Devil Tones Acappella, led by Director Jerry Hui, will present their concert Green Grass and Blue Water at 7 p.m. on Saturday, April 20, at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, 910 E. 9th St., in Menomonie. The program celebrates Earth Week with music that praises the beauty of nature and calls for the protection of the environment.
The Symphonic Band will present Stars and Sky at 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 21, in the Memorial Student Center Great Hall. They will perform new compositions, movie and television soundtracks, with a special visual presentation.
The Blue Devil Jazz Orchestra will present Jazz from Harvey at 7 p.m. on Saturday, April 27, at the historic Harvey Hall Theatre. Both groups are led by Director Aaron Durst. Music will include big band favorites, Latin dance styles, and rock/fusion pieces for listeners of jazz from every era.
Concert tickets are available at uwstout.universitytickets.com.
Visual arts
A number of exhibitions open to the public are scheduled in UW-Stout’s Furlong Gallery and student Gallery 209, in the Applied Arts Building, as well at the Library Art Lab, on the University Library’s first floor.
Furlong Gallery
- The School of Art and Design Faculty Exhibition runs through Friday, Feb. 23, and showcases the works of interdisciplinary artists and designers.
- From Monday, March 4, to Saturday, April 13, Jessica Campbell, of Toronto, and alum Adam Umbach, of New York, will be showcased in the SOAD Speaker Series Invited Artist Solo Exhibitions. A reception will be held from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 7. Campbell is a cartoonist, visual artist and writer originally from British Columbia. Umbach, based out of Brooklyn, New York, is a biographical painter. He earned his B.F.A. in studio art in 2009.
- The Student Artist in Residence Exhibition, in the South Gallery, and the Best of Design Juried Exhibition, in the North Gallery, will run from Monday, April 29, to Saturday, Sept. 7. A reception and awards ceremony will be held during SOAD Senior Show, from 5 to 9 p.m. on Friday, May 3. SAIR artists are Pheng Thao, a studio art senior from Green Bay, and Joshua Fusco, a graphic communications junior from Shafer, Minn.
Gallery 209 will have a mix of student, club and class exhibits, rotating every week this semester. Exhibits include those by the Fine Arts Association, thesis, photojournalism and advanced printmaking. Also scheduled are:
- Metals and Fashion, April 5-6
- Aesthetics, with a reception during SOAD Senior Show, May 3
The Library Art Lab helps to showcase the collaboration of the visual arts across campus:
- February: Fashion Design and Development Senior Collections
- March: Interior Designers, Teen Library Project
- April: The Entireverse, drawings and storytelling by Dillan Olson. An opening reception will be held from 5 to 6 p.m. April 5.
- Summer: Unspooled Film Stills
A juried student art exhibit at the Louis Smith Tainter House, home of the Stout Foundation, will feature students’ works from Monday, April 1, to Tuesday, April 30. A reception will be held from 4 to 5:30 p.m. on April 5, at LST House, 320 S. Broadway St., Menomonie.
A drawing exhibition, Inspired by the Mabel, will feature works by Bachelor of Fine Arts students, with a reception at the Mabel Tainter Center for the Arts from 5 to 6 p.m. on April 5, at 205 Main St. E., Menomonie. All are welcome to the exhibit and art class and to see the historic buildings.
The fourth annual Art-U art education program for K-12 students will have an art show on Monday, March 4, location to be determined.
Art-U teaches youth about art, while they create under the instruction of UW-Stout art education students. The program is in collaboration with university students, Arts Integration Menomonie (AIM), and Dunn, Eau Claire and Chippewa county 4-H programs.
Art education Program Director Ann Carlisle believes these collaborations increase awareness and appreciation of the visual arts for children and their families.
“They help our preservice art educators to become more confident and competent in teaching. They also bring people together in community to create and enjoy the visual arts collaboratively,” she said.
Civic & Literary Conversations
UW-Stout’s Center for Applied Ethics aims to advance discussions by modeling respectful and open dialogue, and by bringing informed and knowledgeable perspectives to some of the most important and controversial topics of today.
The center will host two discussions this spring semester:
- Sylvester Johnson, director of the Virginia Tech Center for Humanities, will speak about the impact of artificial intelligence on the human condition from 4 to 5:30 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 19, in the Memorial Student Center Willow/Walnut rooms.
- Anne Coughlin, professor of law at the University of Virginia, will present on the recent Dobbs v. Jackson decision that overturned Roe v. Wade from 3 to 4 :30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 6, location to be determined.
The center also hosts Philosophers’ Cafés, informal, friendly conversations of contemporary issues. Meetings are open to all and are led by UW-Stout and UW-Eau Claire faculty. Upcoming conversations will be held at 7 p.m., at Brewery Nonic in Menomonie:
- Wednesday, March 6: The Trolley Problem: Beyond the Memes to Understanding Ethical Decision Making
- Wednesday, April 10: Appropriation Art: The Case Against Andy Warhol
- Wednesday, May 8: Russia’s War in Ukraine
“There are a number of important ethical issues and questions circulating right now,” said Director Xan Bozzo, assistant professor of philosophy. “The Center for Applied Ethics seeks to tackle a wide range of these through a variety of programs and events, often open to all.”
The Literature Committee’s Reading Across Campus will host featured speaker Patrick O’Donnell, as he presents “The Living Tree: Lady Gregory and the Irish Literary Renaissance,” from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 28, in the historic Harvey Hall Theatre.
Originally from Ireland, O’Donnell has been a Minnesota resident for 30 years and has taught at Normandale Community College for 25 years. He is the founder and co-director of the St. Paul Irish Arts Week, and he is the founder and editor of Celtic Junction Arts Review, an online quarterly cultural magazine.
His talk will discuss the greatness of Lady Gregory; her role in the Abbey Theatre, Ireland’s national theatre; and her play “The Rising of the Moon.” The program will also include a performance by the Chippewa Valley Irish Dance, led by owner and head instructor Brenna Jasper.
The event is made possible by a grant from the Provost’s Office.
Other Related Events
Registration is open for UW-Stout’s 45th annual Early Childhood Education Conference, held Friday, April 19, to Saturday, April 20.
Keynote speakers musician and author Jim Gill and Raelene Ostberg will present on the theme of joy. In his keynote, “A Joyous Way to Learn,” Gill will share examples of his books and songs and how his creations in music play inspire young children to move, sing and make connections, while learning to regulate their movements.
Ostberg, founder of Thriving Together, will present “Finding Joy.” Through shared real-life stories, educators can learn to construct a personal joy plan to bolster feelings of gratitude and reduce stress as they carry out their critical role in caring for and educating young children.
Gill will also lead Music Play with Purpose, an interactive session with movement games and active music play that can help children develop abilities essential to school success, such as self-regulation and literacy development.
UW-Stout’s B.S. in early childhood education is offered on campus and online.
The conference is coordinated by Continuing Education and Conferences, a unit of Educational Pathways and Outreach. Sponsors include Mayo Clinic Health System and UW-Stout’s College of Arts and Human Sciences and the School of Education.
