The Fine Arts Center

Artist Rob Pruitt, whose work is currently on exhibition at the University Gallery, proposed the idea of hosting an exhibition in response to The Minox & the Big Shot: Andy Warhol’s Photography (1972-1986) that would allow MFA students the opportunity to engage in an artistic dialogue with Warhol’s art. Entitled Shamel...ess Self-Promotion, this exhibition connects the University Gallery, the MFA program, and the arts community together to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Andy Warhol Foundation.

Fifteen participating UMass Amherst MFA candidates have each created a work of art on the Polaroid-sized dimension that Warhol was so personally fond of. Appropriating the Polaroid’s dimensions, the project/exhibition has a new platform that is not just echoing Warhol’s Polaroids, but also updating the format. Featured artist Chun-Tso Lin remarks about the concept, “We might not become one of the objects in Warhol’s Polaroids; we might not be seen from Warhol’s eyes; we might not be rich and famous; but what we can be are artists that enjoy Warhol’s legacy.” Each participating artist will be their own star in the condensed format of the Polaroid’s dimensions, and the University Gallery will also serve as a platform for the artists and their work.

Shameless Self-Promotion is not just a response exhibition, but a conceptual art project that will be “performed” by the Gallery, artists, and the viewer. It might be seen as a reiteration of the traditional gallery format, but, similar to what each participating artist has done with Warhol’s vision in his or her use of the Polaroid’s dimensions, there is an important conceptual twist to it. As participant Chun-Tso Lin puts it, “Art needs an artist, a gallery, and a viewer in order to be ‘art.’ You as the viewer are invited to come and be part of the ‘art making.’ Let us be known; let us be seen, and let us shine.” After all, it is Shameless Self-Promotion.

Participating Artists: Katie Baker, Courtney Cullen, Michelle Dickson, Ryan Feeney, Joshua Field, Kerry O’Grady, Michele Lauriat, Chun-Tso Lin, Camila Molestina, Sarah Purnell, Hannah Richards, Chad Seelig, Karla Stingerstein, Jieun Shin, and Steve Snell.Read More

The University Gallery is honored to host a guest lecture by artist Tom Friedman, whose work is currently on display at the Gallery as part of the exhibition Connecting the Dots. . . . The Warhol Legacy. Friedman will be addressing his recent works, particularly those that are on display in the exhibition, and their re...lationship with Andy Warhol, among a variety of other subjects, and concluding with a question-and-answer session. Friedman’s style, which often involves incredibly meticulous, thoughtful deconstruction and reconstruction of common consumer goods, owes much to Warhol’s work. Friedman’s 'Untitled (Dollar Bill)' is a clever, visually stimulating update of Warhol’s '200 Dollar Bills'. This lecture is an exciting opportunity to enter the mind of one of today’s most fascinating and creative artists, a place where humor, philosophy and wonder coalesce.

The talk begins at 5:30pm in the Fine Arts Center Building Lobby. A discussion will follow. Light refreshments will be available.
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Friday, June 18 - Monday, June 28

Discover Turkey in a special escorted tour June 18-28, 2010 Organized and presented by The Turkish Cultural Center of Western Massachusetts in partnership with the Asian Arts & Culture Program, Fine Arts Center Did you know Istanbul has been selected as the 2010 cultural capital of ...Europe? Turkey stands as a bridge between the civilizations of the East and West. Enjoy the history and beauty of the renowned cities of Istanbul and Ankara home to famous monuments, the Blue Mosque, treasures at the Hagia Sophia museum and Topkapi palace, breathe in the spice filled “souks”-markets that entice shopping for renowned kilim rugs and spend an evening strolling along the Bosphorous. Travel into the heartland to see the natural landscape wonders of Cappadocia and Pamukkale, the Anatalya region, known as the Turkish Riviera by the Mediterranean Sea and much more. This land of snow capped mountains, brilliant sunsets and a hopping cultural life in its exciting cities is topped only by the hospitality of the Turkish people. Turkey is a must see for all travel lovers. We invite you to apply to participate in this escorted tour offered at a special all inclusive price of $2500. The Turkish Cultural Center of Western Massachusetts working in tandem with BAKiAD. Bosphorus Atlantic Association of Cultural Cooperation and Friendship encourages professionals in the United States to visit and cultivate ties with the Turkish people, academic institutions and businesses.

Application for a subsidized tour
The Turkish Cultural Center of Western Massachusetts will be responsible for the selection and the number of participants for the tour. Each tour group will be limited to sixteen people with a native speaking guide. Please email turkeytrip@tccwesternmass.org or go online for an application and submit it by November 1, 2009. All selected participants will be informed in December 2009 for the June 18-28, 2010 tour. Two orientation meetings will be held in fall 2009 and March 2010 prior to the tour.
Supported by the Ministry of Turkish Culture & Tourism.

To get information about events hosted by the Western Massachusetts Turkish Cultural Center, for the fall please visit their website.Read More

Tuesday, May 11
Bowker Auditorium from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm
$6 students, $8 adults

Reserve Tickets Online

Goodnight Moon is a celebration of familiar nighttime rituals, while The Runaway Bunny’s pretend tale of leaving home evokes reassuring responses from his loving mum. Both tales feature endearing rabbit characters, an...d the soothing rhythms of bunny banter and dream-like imagery never fail to infuse young readers with a reassuring sense of security and peace. Whimsical puppetry and evocative original music will bring a new sense of appreciation to stories that have delighted several generations. This first-rate presentation will inspire students to stretch their imaginations when you encourage them to draw, write or tell short stories in the classroom. Recommended for grades Pre-K - 2. Noon performance also available.

Curriculum Connections: Literature, Family Security, Imagination, Storytelling, Drawing, PuppetryRead More

Tuesday, May 11
Bowker Auditorium
$6 students, $8 adults

SOLD OUT

Goodnight Moon is a celebration of familiar nighttime rituals, while The Runaway Bunny’s pretend tale of leaving home evokes reassuring responses from his loving mum. Both tales feature endearing rabbit characters, and the soothing rhythms of bunny bant...er and dream-like imagery never fail to infuse young readers with a reassuring sense of security and peace. Whimsical puppetry and evocative original music will bring a new sense of appreciation to stories that have delighted several generations. This first-rate presentation will inspire students to stretch their imaginations when you encourage them to draw, write or tell short stories in the classroom. Recommended for grades Pre-K - 2. Noon performance also available.
Curriculum Connections: Literature, Family Security, Imagination, Storytelling, Drawing, PuppetryRead More

Tuesday, April 27
Bowker Auditorium 7:30 pm
Free
Nalini Nadkarni has been called “the queen of forest canopy research,” a field that relates directly to three of the most pressing environmental issues of our time: the maintenance of biodiversity, the stability of world climate, and the sustainability of forests.

She has ...spent more than two decades climbing the tall trees of Costa Rica, Papua New Guinea, the Amazon, and the Pacific Northwest. In 1994 she realized that there was no central database for storing and analyzing the research she was gathering, so she invented one. This state-of-the-art repository, called the Big Canopy Database, is credited with speeding cross-disciplinary collaboration just as a common database revolutionized the mapping of the human genome.

Nadkarni, a professor at Evergreen State College in Olympia,Washington, is known for using nontraditional pathways to raise awareness of nature’s importance, working with prisoners, artists, dancers, musicians, and even loggers. Her work has been featured in Glamour, National Geographic, on TV, and in a giant-screen film, as well as in traditional science publications.

Between Earth and Sky: Our Intimate Connections with Trees
Drawing from her 2008 book of the same name, Nadkarni presents a rich tapestry of personal stories celebrating profound connections we have with trees: the dazzling array of goods and services they provide, their role in commerce and medicine, and the powerful lessons they hold for us.

This event co sponsored by The Environmental Institute (TEI), the TEI Art and Environment Working Group, UMass Amherst Department of Natural Resources Conservation, UMass Amherst Department of Political Science, The Graduate School, and the Engineering Research Center for the Collaborative Adaptive Sensing of the Atmosphere (CASARead More

Times are not accurate

Friday, April 23 and Saturday, April 24
Fine Arts Center Concert Hall Lobby, University Gallery and Amherst Cinema
Free and open to the public.

Celebrating the 10th anniversary of the original BigSmallPressFest and the home-grown, international poetry journal jubilat with readings, addresses, and ...an independent press fair. More details to follow.

Presented in collaboration with the UMass MFA Program for Poets and Writers, the Juniper Initiative, the Amherst Cinema Arts Center and the UMass Fine Arts Center.Read More

Friday, April 16
Concert Hall
$6 students, $8 adults

Reserve Tickets Online

This triumphant story of Jackie Robinson, the first African-American to play professional major league baseball, chronicles the young athlete's nonviolent struggle to integrate what was then considered a "white man's game." Through it all, Jacki...e's courage, intelligence, leadership, resilience and athletic skill propelled him to become a national hero. Advanced in-class reading of books on Jackie Robinson is a great way for students to make historical connections. Recommended for grades 4-8.

Curriculum Connections: Baseball, Segregation, Resilience, National Heroes, Race RelationsRead More

Thursday, April 15
Bezanson Recital Hall 8:00 pm
$12 General Public; $7 Students


"William Parker and Hamid Drake are the best rhythm section in jazz right now," says Alternative Press. This has been true for 15 years. We celebrate this dynamic duo -- respected around the world for their commitment and musicality -- with... three concerts, featuring special guests.

"Not since Don Cherry and Ed Blackwell joined forces have two musicians so organically wedded world-music influences with free jazz," writes Jazziz. Since the late1970's, Hamid Drake has moved easily between work with top jazz improvisers like David Murray, Don Cherry and Pharaoh Sanders, and international artists like Foday Muso Suso, Mahmoud Gania and Gigi. In 1972 Parker began playing with musicians such as Bill Dixon, Milford Graves, Billy Higgins and Sunny Murray, before becoming a member of the Cecil Taylor Unit, where he played a prominent role for over a decade. Time Out New York proclaimed William Parker one of "the 50 greatest New York musicians of all time."

Parker and Drake invite the brilliant tenor and soprano saxophonist Evan Parker to join them. Among Europe's most innovative and intriguing saxophonists, Parker has worked with Derek Bailey, Tony Oxley, Alexander von Schlippenbach and virtually every other important European innovator of the last 45 years. "Evan Parker is that rare bird of contemporary playing: a thoroughly individual voice," writes AllAboutJazz. "Parker has developed a personal vocabulary that is simultaneously instantly recognizable and adaptable to the most varied of situations."Read More