With campus abuzz at the start of a new academic year, you won’t have to look far for fall art and culture.

Straddling the months of September and October is Latinx Heritage Month. Be sure to check out the many events celebrating this rich culture, including the “Common Seeing” exhibition that complements the 2019-20 Common Reading of “Under the Feet of Jesus” by Helena Maria Viamontes. Take a break from class and do some coloring at Freebie Friday in the Erb Memorial Union, check out the legendary “gonzo” artwork of Ralph Steadman at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art or enjoy an array of music events on tap this month.

Art

According to scholarly articles, the simple act of coloring lowers the activity of the amygdala, a basic part of our brain involved in controlling emotion that is affected by stress. On Oct. 11 take a break from class, soothe your mind and color your stress away on a reusable Zentangle coloring book cloth at Freebie Friday at the EMU stadium stairs from 12:30 to 3 p.m.

Exhibitions

Opening Oct. 5 at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art is “Ralph Steadman: A Retrospective,” a touring exhibition of the works of Ralph Steadman, a British cartoonist and illustrator who notably collaborated with gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson, illustrating the artwork for the book “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.” The retrospective showcases the prolific artist’s paintings, sculpture and works in other media.

From 2 to 3 p.m., Steadman’s daughter, Sadie Williams, will make an appearance at the museum to share insights on her father’s work. On Oct. 12, join Steadman himself in a lively Skype chat. In conjunction with the retrospective, which runs through Jan. 19, the museum is hosting several corresponding events, including “Political Cartoons and the First Amendment,” a lecture and discussion with UO faculty members, Oct. 23. And in partnership with the Eugene Public library, several workshops and lectures celebrate Steadman’s art, including “Comics Journalism,” a lecture by assistant professor of comics studies Katherine Kelp-Stebbins on Oct. 6, and on Oct. 10: a Make a Book with Removeable Pages workshop. Also: See the cinema section below for a screening of a Steadman-centric documentary Oct. 15.

“Racing to Change,” a new exhibit opening Oct. 12 at the Museum of Natural and Cultural History, chronicles the civil rights movement in Eugene during the 1960s and 70s through photographs, recorded interviews and historical archives as well as firsthand accounts from movement organizers, former UO students, elected officials and other members of Oregon’s black communities. Admission is free.

On Oct. 25, coinciding with the “Blake Little: Photographs from the Gay Rodeo” exhibition, the history museum is hosting a rodeo-inspired Museum After Hours: A 21+ Evening at the Museum. Put your boots on and try out some country dance moves, join rodeo-style competitions and enjoy food and adult beverages.

When mezzotint was first developed in Europe in the 17th century, the technique, which relies on the force of repetitive motion rather than the corrosive effect of acid to create an image on a metal plate, was used to create nuanced reproductions of famous paintings. But after the invention of photography, the technique nearly died out. A new exhibition opening Oct. 26 at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art celebrates the history of Japanese mezzotint prints in “Evocative Shadows: Art of the Japanese Mezzotint.”

Cinema

To further celebrate the artistic contributions of Ralph Steadman, on Oct. 15 Schnitzer Cinema presents “For No Good Reason,” a 2012 American-British documentary by Charlie Paul that explores the connection between life and art through the eyes of the artist. The film features appearances by actors Johnny Depp, Richard E. Grant and Terry Gilliam; Rolling Stone co-founder and publisher Jann Wenner; the late gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson; and music producer Hal Willner.

“Dad went along with the filming in good spirits for 12 years and I think found the experience rewarding as well as making lifelong friends with Charlie and Lucy Paul,” said Sadie Williams, Steadman’s daughter. “When people ask about dad’s ‘method’ I always tell them to watch the film, as it shows it so well.”

Music

Every week in October is filled with opportunities to take in some great music on campus. Kicking things off on Oct. 6, the award-winning Brentano String Quartet, a group that has performed across the globe to critical acclaim, will present works by Palestrina, Beethoven Op. 132, Davidosky and Mendelssohn A Minor, Op. 13 at the Beall Concert Hall.

On Oct. 7, you won’t want to miss the World Music Series, co-sponsored by the Oregon Humanities Center, featuring classical Indian music from Josh Feinberg on the sitar. The Oregon Brass Quintet, comprised of brass faculty members from the UO School of Music and Dance, will perform Oct. 21 at Beall Concert Hall.

Catch the Wind Ensemble and Wind Symphony on Oct. 25, and then on Oct. 26, join the low brass studios in Aasen-Hull Hall for Spooktastic!, a Halloween bash for the whole family, complete with candy, fun, music and stories.

Rounding out the month on Oct. 27 is a guest recital by Ko-Ichiro Yamamoto, one of the top Japanese trombonists of his generation. Formerly a trombonist with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra in New York City for 10 seasons and acting principal trombonist of the New York Philharmonic and co-principle trombonist of the All Star Orchestra, Yamamoto is currently principal trombonist of the Seattle Symphony and faculty member of the University of Washington School of Music.

Dance

A lecture-demonstration Oct. 24 at Berwick Hall will showcase Kathakali, a classical Indian dance drama. Kathakali is a story play genre of art characterized by extravagantly colorful makeup, costumes and face masks.

Lectures/workshops

The Department of Art Visiting Artist Lecture Series brings influential artists, curators, critics and historians to campus to lecture about their work and engage with students in small groups or individual studio visits. Three exciting lectures will be offered this month.

On Oct. 10, art gallery curator and writer Danny Orendorff lectures on “Doing It Together: Queerness, Craft, Collectivity.” Orendorff highlights curatorial exhibitions that addressed non-normativity, cooperation, resistance and liberation. On Oct. 14, join artist Hank Willis Thomas for “All Things Being Equal” a discussion about the role of popular culture in instituting discrimination and how art can raise awareness about social justice and civil rights. Then, on Oct. 17, Nicholas Muellner will present “Making Doubles,” a slide lecture based on his forthcoming book, “Lacuna Park: Essays and Other Adventures in Photography,” which incorporates memoir, reporting, fiction and theory to explore the making and viewing of photographs. The free lectures will be held in Lawrence Hall.

Lisa Lipinski, assistant professor of art history at the Corcoran School of the Arts and Design at George Washington University and author of “Rene Magritte and the Art of Thinking,” will present “The Man in the Bowler Hat” Oct. 19.

As Latinx Heritage Month continues, you won’t want to miss “Resistance as Power: A Curatorial Response to ‘Under the Feet of Jesus,’ the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art’s fourth “Common Seeing” exhibition in conjunction with the UO’s 2019-20 Common Reading of “Under the Feet of Jesus,” a 1995 novel by Helena Maria Viramontes. The exhibition includes two special loans from the Smithsonian American Art Museum, including “Farm Workers’ Altar” by Emanuel Martinez and “Braceros” by Domingo Ulloa, which complement the themes in Viramontes’ novel and contemporary works. And Oct. 30, Mexican photographer Fernando Soto Vidal will discuss his photographs of ofrendas colgantes, or hanging altars, in “Day of the Dead: Hanging Altars of Coatetelco and Other Expressions from Morelos.” The lecture will be presented in Spanish with English translation.

Pub talks

Kicking off the Museum of Natural and Cultural History’s monthly Ideas on Tap pub talk is “Private Prisons: Are they Constitutional?” on Oct 2. UO Assistant Law Professor Angela Addae will discuss how privately owned, for-profit prisons create conflicts in constitutional law. Free, at 6 p.m. at Viking Braggot Co. in the Southtowne Plaza.

Later in the month, History Pub presents “Lincoln and Oregon: A Cross-Continental Story” with University of New Mexico Professor Emeritus of history Richard Etulain. The slide presentation illustrates the connections between Abraham Lincoln and the new state of Oregon. Oct. 14, 7 p.m. at Viking Braggot.

On Oct. 10 at Civic Wines and Winery, the Oregon Humanities Center will host its second Wine Chat featuring biologist Brendan Bohannan and philosopher Nicolae Morar speaking on “Thinking about the Human Microbiome: From Concepts to Therapy and Human Nature.”

—By Sharleen Nelson, University Communications