January is shaping up to be an amazing month for the arts at the UO, from performances by the Oregon Brass Quintet and an early American expressionism play that examines gender roles and capitalism to an exhibition featuring recent works by 45 UO alumni artists, illuminating Quack Chat events and more.
Theater
Looking to take a deep dive into early American expressionism? Look no further than the Jan. 25 opening of “Machinal,” a 1928 play by American playwright and journalist Sophie Treadwell at the UO’s Hope Theatre in the Miller Theatre Complex. Inspired by the real-life case of convicted and executed murderer Ruth Snyder, this drama examines the plight of a young woman forced to conform to strongly imposed gender roles and the crushing weight of capitalism. Directed by Department of Theatre Arts graduate Ellen Gillooly-Kress, the play features an all-female/femme-identified cast playing both the male and female roles. The play runs through Feb. 3.
Music performance
What do you get when you combine cool jazz with the high-octane energy of a swinging big band sound? Find out when the UO Oregon Jazz Ensemble and Lane Community College’s Big Band jam together on Jan. 25 at Beall Concert Hall.
Commemorate the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. through a celebration of gospel music concert at Matthew Knight Arena on Jan. 25. The Higher Heights, Deeper Love concert features Pastor William McDowell, Phil Thompson, Callie Day and the UO Gospel Choir.
Exhibits
Starting Jan. 19 at the art museum is “Visual Magic: An Oregon Invitational,” an exciting exhibit that will run through May. A collaboration with the George D. Green Art Institute, the exhibition features work by 45 artists who began their careers in Oregon during the 1960s and ’70s. “Visual Magic” explores how this generation of artists continues to represent the highest levels of creative accomplishment. Three notable UO alumni included in the lineup are Robert Gamblin, Kenneth O’Connell, and Janet “Jan” Reaves. A series of public programs, including thematic tours with artists and a curator’s talk, also are part of the exhibit.
Discover more artist works on campus display at the Erb Memorial Union this month. On tap in the Aperture Gallery is UO alumnus Tyler Young’s exhibit “Hiking the Enchantments,” photos and videos that chronicle his experiences with the Cascadia Action Network as they worked to persuade the REI Cooperative and outdoor brand to divest their money from the fossil fuel industry. Running through mid-February 2019, check out UO planning, public policy and management student Sergio B. Sanchez’ “Santanero y Mexicano” on view in the EMU’s McMillan Gallery. Presented by the EMU Visual Arts Team and the Division of Equity and Inclusion, Sanchez’ artwork details the pride, struggle, love and pain of the Chicago lifestyle.
It’s a bird! It’s a plane! Yikes! It’s a giant flying dinosaur! Opening Jan. 19 at the Museum of Natural and Cultural History is Dinosaurs Take Flight: The Art of Archaeopteryx. The traveling exhibit chronicles the first bird known to have existed during the Jurassic period about 150 to 200 million years ago. Through original works by “paleoartists,” fossil specimens and hands-on activities, visitors of all ages can learn about the evolution of flight and how artists have pieced together ancient clues left in the fossil record. The exhibition will be on view at the museum through May 19.
Cinema
Film and music enthusiasts will enjoy Hackedepicciotto, a Schnitzer Cinema film talk from Alexander Hacke and Danielle de Picciotto on Jan. 23. Described as cultural ambassadors of modern Berlin, the duo will discuss their nomadic life together through clips from their transnational projects. Hacke is a composer and musician with Einsturzende Neubauten, a guest artist with Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, and the protagonist of Fatih Akin’s film “Crossing the Bridge: The Sound of Istanbul.” Danielle de Picciotto is a musician, organizer and visual artist, best known as the co-founder of Berlin's Love Parade, a street festival that became massively influential throughout Europe for the two decades after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Be sure to attend their concert performance, which will be performed the following evening at Tsunami Books.
Lectures
Join Steffani Jemison on Jan.17 for her lecture “Plant You Now, Dig You Later” (a black vernacular phrase that means “see you soon). This interdisciplinary artist, whose work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, uses time-based, photographic and discursive platforms to examine “progress” and its alternatives. This current work incorporates transparency and opacity as material and metaphor with a focus on the politics of privacy. On Jan. 24, Megan Foster will present “Illuminating”, which focuses on everyday experiences through images, film stills, magazine clippings and staged photographs. Both are part of the Department of Art Visiting Artist Lecture Series
Quack Chats
On Jan. 23 find out if the robots will be coming for your vitamins anytime soon, or maybe just whether or not we should trust artificial intelligence with UO computer and information science professor Daniel Lowd. At the Downtown Athletic Club’s Ax Billy Grill & Sports Bar, 999 Willamette St. in downtown Eugene.
—By Sharleen Nelson, University Communications