CSUSM Offers Free Community Arts & Lectures Events

California State University San Marcos (CSUSM) announces its upcoming Arts & Lectures series, which will feature 19 free community events for spring 2011. The cross-section of artistic, cultural, musical, and scholarly events are scheduled from February 3 through May 3, 2011. The university's Arts & Lectures series has been an integral part of campus life offering eye-opening perspectives on multiple topics and disciplines by bringing in expert guests from various fields.All events are free and open to the public. For more information regarding upcoming events, contact the Office of Arts & Lectures at 760-750-8889.Directions and ParkingCSUSM is located at 333 S. Twin Oaks Valley Road in San Marcos. For more information or directions to the campus, visit www.csusm.edu/guide. On-campus parking is available and rates range from $3 to $9 depending upon length of stay.LECTURECarl Wilkens: World Outside My ShoesThursday, Feb. 3 at 7 p.m. - Clarke Field House/University Student Union, Rm. 113As a humanitarian aid worker, Wilkens moved his young family to Rwanda in the spring of 1990. When the genocide was launched in April 1994, Wilkens refused to leave. He was the only American to remain in the country, and his actions saved the lives of 100s. His experiences were included in the 2004 PBS documentary Ghosts of Rwanda. Wilkens has dedicated his life to speaking out against hatred, prejudice, and genocide.Co-sponsored by the Leichtag Family FoundationMEDIA ART / DEMODr. Caitlin Fisher: Spatial InitiativesWednesday, Feb. 9 at 6 p.m. - Arts Building, Rm. 111Dr. Fisher will perform a reading/demo of "Circle", a table theatre fiction piece that tells small stories about three generations of women, and "Requiem," a narrative poem, built using computer-vision- based augmented reality. Come experience a unique authoring environment and learn about the expressive software Dr. Fisher built. These flash-based reality solutions are used as creative mediums for literary and visual experimentation.MUSICHaresh Gobin - CSUSM Alumnus: Bhajan/Kirtan/Indian Spiritual MusicTuesday, Feb. 15 at 7 p.m. - Arts Building, Rm. 111Experience a musical journey of soulful Indian Bhajans & Kirtans. This genre of music uses ancient Sanskrit mantras and poetry to awaken the listener. Featuring Bhajan/Kirtan Singer Haresh Gobin and internationally renowned Tabla Maestro, Ustad Rahis Ahmed Khan.DANCELocally Grown Dance Series presents Refrigerate After OpeningWednesday, Feb. 16 at 7 p.m. - Arts Building, Rm. 111University of California San Diego MFA Dance Theatre candidates present an evening of innovative dance theatre and dance for camera works. Witness Alicia Peterson Baskel, Anya Cloud, Janet Hayatshahi, Rebecca Salzer and Kyle Sorensen engage with the moving/speaking body through humorous inquiry and serious investigation. Refrigerate After Opening applies pressure to not knowing within a physical landscape.DANCELunar New Year Celebration: San Diego Lucky Lion DancersThursday, Feb. 17 at noon - University PlazaCome ring in the Lunar Year of the Rabbit with the San Diego Lucky Lion Dancers, the oldest and largest lion dance troupe in San Diego. The traditional Chinese lion dance is an elaborate martial arts ritual involving mythical lion costumes to frighten evil spirits and summon prosperity. Join us as we celebrate the Lunar New Year!Co-sponsored by BAPS, APIFSA and USUAB-CATART LECTUREDr. Renate Dohmen: Collage, Memory and Femininity: Women's Albums in the Victorian AgeTuesday, Feb. 22 at 6 p.m. - Arts Building, Rm. 111The practice of collecting and arranging autographs, watercolors, photographs, and ephemera in ‘albums ornés' was an important aspect of Victorian women's culture and sociability. Dr. Dohmen will discuss the history of women's albums with a particular focus on two albums of women traveling in British India, exploring their representation of empire and experience of travel.ART TALK / WORKSHOPTerrilynn Quick: Artist BooksWednesday, Feb. 23 at 5:30 p.m. - Arts Building, Rm. 342Artist Terrilynn Quick will share the history of artist books and examples of her own handmade works. A bookmaking workshop follows her talk. Bring your own materials and see the website for details at www.csusm.edu/al.MUSICConcert by Martin Chalifour & Dana BurnettThursday, Feb. 24 at 7 p.m. - Arts Building, Rm. 111Martin Chalifour is a principal concertmaster and Professor at University of Southern California's Thorton School of Music. He is accompanied by concert pianist Dana Burnett. This evening features highlights of the violin repertoire with music of Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Fritz Kreisler and others.Co-sponsored by the Funes FoundationTHEATERhereandnowTuesday, March 1 at 7 p.m. - Arts Building, Rm. 111From humble beginnings at East Los Angeles College, hereandnow has grown in the size of its cast which has toured over 200 different colleges, theatres, and festivals since 1990. hereandnow uses the collective voices of its diverse cast to reach out to audiences through a universal theme: everyone comes from a unique experience, everyone has a story to tell.Co-sponsored by SLL Multicultural Program, the Ethnic Studies Program and the Asian Pacific Islander Faculty Staff AssociationLECTUREAndrea Smith: Indigenous Peoples and White Supremacy: Rethinking Racial Justice OrganizingTuesday, March 8 at noon - Academic Hall, Rm. 102Andrea Smith is a Cherokee feminist activist. She co-founded INCITE! Women Of Color Against Violence and the Boarding School Healing Project. She is the author of Conquest: Sexual Violence and American Indian Genocide and Native Americans and the Christian Right: The Gendered Politics Of Unlikely Alliances. She is also editor of The Revolution Will Not Be Funded: Beyond the Non-Profit Industrial Complex and The Color Of Violence: The Incite! Anthology.Co- sponsored by the Social and Justice Equity ProjectPHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITPortraits of Holocaust Survivors Photography ExhibitFriday, Feb. 18 - Monday, April 18 - Kellogg Library"Multiply by Six Million: Portraits and Stories of Holocaust Survivors" presents a visually arresting and powerful first-person history of one of the defining events of the 20th century through photographic portraits and personal stories of Holocaust survivors. The exhibition showcases contemporary photographer Evvy Eisen's 15-year-long project to create portraits of survivors living in California and to collect their personal histories.Exhibition Tour: Wednesday, March 9 at 1:00 p.m.Dr. Andrea Liss, Professor of Art History and Cultural Theory, CSUSM and author of Trespassing through Shadows: Memory, Photography and the Holocaust (University of Minnesota Press) will give a walkthrough tour of the Exhibition on March 9 from 1-2 p.m.LECTUREGerda Weissmann Klein: One Survivor RemembersWednesday, March 9 at 6 p.m. - Arts Building, Rm. 240Author, Academy Award Winner, Holocaust Survivor and Human Rights ActivistFor over six decades, Gerda Weissmann Klein has captivated audiences worldwide with her powerful message of hope, inspiration, love and humanity. From surviving the Holocaust to her journey to the United States, and accepting an Oscar and Emmy for a documentary based on her life, she shares her life story of her commitment to promote tolerance, encourage community service and combat hunger. President Obama named Gerda Klein as one of the recipients of the 2010 Medal of Freedom-the nation's highest civilian honor.Co-sponsored by the Leichtag FoundationTHEATERInmaculada Alvear: Mi vida gira alrededor de 500 metrosWednesday, March 16 at 7 p.m. - Arts Building, Rm. 111Authored by contemporary Spanish playwright Inmaculada Alvear, this award-winning play confronts domestic violence head-on, as the characters wade through a troubled mix of love, jealousy, and violence. This event features a dramatic reading of the play under the direction of CSUSM Fulbright Scholar-In-Residence Rafael Rodriguez. This reading will be in Spanish.DANCESalsa y Mas ShowcaseMonday, April 11 at 7 p.m. - Clarke Field House/University Student Union, Rm. 113Providing a glimpse into the rich culture of San Diego's local salsa scene, this showcase features an array of exciting talent, including dancers who have traveled, performed, and competed across the US and internationally. Come see these exciting performers showcasing their art here on campus!LECTURE / ARTIST TALKMaureen Drdak: The Visual Syntax of Contemplative Touchstones and Archetypal ParadigmsTuesday, April 12 at 7 p.m. - Clarke Field House/University Student Union, Rm. 113Maureen Drdak is a painter of "contemplative touchstones" and extended meditations on Western and Eastern archetypal paradigms. Ms. Drdak will discuss the significance of her artwork, which investigates global cross-cultural myths, history, and the psychological "bones" of these archetypal paradigms and their visual syntax. Drdak's work has been described as "ravishingly beautiful," "sensitive and dazzling," and "visionary" by critics and scholars.MUSICNaruwan Taiko Drums: Celebrating Asian Pacific Islander American HeritageWednesday, April 20 at 7 p.m. - Clarke Field House/University Student Union, Rm. 113Taiko, meaning "drum" in Japanese, stems back over 1000 years in Japan, was originally used as military instruments and village time keeper. North American Taiko is now a popular art form, fusing traditional drumming with modern styles of music with power and dynamism. Enjoy the headliner Naruwan Taiko as CSUSM celebrates Asian Pacific Islander heritage along with enthusiastic student performances.Co-Sponsored by APIFSA , USUAB Clarke Activities Team, BAPS and KPDLFESTIVALEarth Day ConcertThursday, April 21 from 4 to 8 p.m. - Forum PlazaCelebrate EARTH DAY at CSUSM with performances, art exhibits, and music concerts. This event will include students from High Tech High North County and the Visual & Performing Arts Department. The event culminates with music by an ensemble led by award winning artist Yale Strom. Guests are encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs and a picnic!Co-sponsored by the City of San Marcos and the Funes FoundationLECTUREThe New Mexican Literary Canon: An Evening with Cristina Rivera GarzaWednesday, April 27 at 7 p.m. - Academic Hall, Rm. 102Join us for an evening of conversation with Mexican writer Cristina Rivera Garza. Born in Tamaulipas, México, Ms. Rivera Garza is a historian by training and a novelist of international acclaim. She has twice won the Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz Prize, a prestigious literary award in Mexico. She currently teaches Creative Writing at University of California San Diego.THEATERTHISTLETuesday, May 3 at 7 p.m. - Arts Building, Rm. 111In 1990, in the town of El Mozote, El Salvador, Rufina Amaya Marquez witnessed the destruction of her family, and escaped - by miracle, believing she had been spared for the express purpose of witnessing the crimes. In this work in-progress presentation of Erik Ehn's play Thistle, 3rd Space Theatre Collective present her journey using an interdisciplinary approach to storytelling.About California State University San MarcosCalifornia State University San Marcos combines the ambiance of a mid-sized, personal, modern campus with the unequaled value of the California State University. Since its founding in 1989, the campus has distinguished itself. Students benefit from the latest facilities and equipment, a superb faculty that enjoys teaching, and a rigorous academic program that prepares students for a successful life in and out of the workplace. A recent survey reported that our annual spending in the region was $161 million, generating a total impact of $307 million on the regional economy. 85 percent of CSUSM's alumni stay in the region. CSU San Marcos is located on a 304-acre hillside overlooking the city of San Marcos. It is fifteen miles east of the ocean; just thirty miles north of downtown San Diego.