January 2012
Freyberger Gallery presents Maureen Kelleher
January 19-March 4, 2012
Gallery opening: January 19, 2012
6:00 p.m.
Perkins Student Center Freyberger Gallery
This exhibition showcases one woman's explorations of racism, feminism, social issues, and existential art. It traces one woman's experience as a paralegal on "cold case" files, helping find new information that saved a condemned man; one woman's journey negotiating ideas of justice, human rights, and social boundaries; one woman's flight from New Orleans just hours before Hurricane Katrina hit...these concepts form the patchwork of Kelleher's art. Her interest in the arts began after she read a biography of writer James Baldwin. Since that time, Kelleher began creating art dealing with the issues that inform her understanding of the world. Her artwork, comprised of brightly painted and embellished wood pieces, tells the story of a generation: those oppressed, marginalized, and forgotten.
Cody Lundin
Thursday, January 19, 2012
7:30 p.m.
Perkins Student Center Auditorium
The co-host of the Discovery Channel's Dual Survival, Cody Lundin will discuss his adventures as a professional survival instructor with more than twenty years of experience. In 1991, Lundin founded the Aboriginal Living Skills School in Prescott, Arizona, where he teaches modern wilderness survival skills, primitive living skills, urban preparedness, and homesteading. He also serves as an adjunct faculty member at Yavapai College and a faculty member at the Ecosa Institute, where he teaches varied survival curriculums. He is the best-selling author of two books on survival and preparedness, and he lives in a self-designed, "hobbit-inspired" solar earth home in the high-desert wilderness of northern Arizona.
Scratch Track
Thursday, January 26, 2012
7:30 p.m.
Perkins Student Center Multipurpose Room
Some label their sound as acoustic hip-hop soul, while others call it a deft blend of beats and unplugged instrumentation. The dueo that comprises Scratch Track, David "DJ" Lee and guitarist Jason Hamlin Scratch Track, is an anomaly that is perhaps best described as mind-bending, style-bending, and undeniably original. The duo began performing on college campuses, in coffee houses, and clubs, and evolved into touring with O.A.R., and opening for such groups as The Roots, Los Lonely Boys, Erykah Badu, Jarassic 5, and Living Colour, just to name a few. Despite the band's commercial success with three CDs and soundtracks for CSI: New York, Warren Miller's skiing film Off the Grid, and Sony Playstation's "MLB" video game, they have stayed true to their college touring roots.
February 2012
Theatre presents N.O.W. at Berks: One-Act Student Play Festival
February 20-24, 2012
8:00 p.m.
Perkins Student Center Auditorium
In order to encourage and celebrate original writing, the Theatre Program at Berks presents N.O.W. at Berks (New Original Works), an annual one-act play festival. N.O.W. is representative of our current students and promises to showcase amazing on-campus collaborations between student producers, stage managers, playwrights, directors, and actors. All students are encouraged to participate, regardless of their major. Past performances have dealt with serious issues such as love, war, and interpersonal relationships.
Deanne Bell
Thursday, February 23, 2012
7:30 p.m.
Beaver Community Center Gymnasium
Host of Discovery Channel's Smash Lab, Deanna Bell draws upon her background as a woman in engineering to inspire others. From exploding a 747 to crashing a 300-ton train, she illustrates how creativity is at the heart of scientific innovation. Bell defies all stereotypes and speaks enthusiastically and candidly about her journey to success-without a pocket protector. Her work experience ranges from designing optical navigation systems for the aerospace industry to product development for a CAD software start-up company. She is passionate about working with the next generation of scientists and engineers, and previously hosted Design Squad, an educational show for teens on PBS.
Alive! Mental Health Fair
Inspired by H. Reese Butler II, Founder and President of Kristin Brooks Hope Center and National Hopeline Network, 1-800-SUICIDE
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
Perkins Student Center Multipurpose Room
After losing his wife, Kristin Brooks Rossell, to suicide in 1998, H. Reese Butler II founded the Kristin Brooks Hope Center and National Hopeline Network, 1-800-SUICIDE. Butler created thirteen separate programs within the KBHC, from publishing the National Journal Preventing Suicide to the 1-800-PPD-MOMS (Postpartum Depression Peer Support Network). Butler also helped to launch several other organizations: The National Council for Suicide Prevention, the California Suicide Prevention Advocacy Network (SPAN-CA), and the Virginia Suicide Prevention Council. In 2005, the National Mentail Health Association recognized Butler with a special award for his contributions to the prevention of suicide. Join us for a special musical performance by Jared Campbell from 12:00-1:00 p.m.
March 2012
Jinahie
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
7:30 p.m.
Perkins Student Center Multipurpose Room
Jinahie, which means "my wings" in Arabic, is a gifted, 19-year-old, Egyptian-American spoken word artist. Her poetry covers a wide range of topics and issues, and her technique is a masterful display of craft, precision, skill, and grace. In 2009, Jinahie was voted Maryland Youth Slam Grand Champion and Grand Slam Champion of the Philadelphia Youth Poetry Slam; and in 2011, Washington, D.C. Slam Champion. Over the past few years, she has quickly become recognized as one of Washington D.C.'s finest spoken-word artists and is a highly sought-after performer. Her unique style has captivated audiences of all ages and ethnic backgrounds.
Treasures from our Collection
March 15-April 19, 2012
Reception: March 15, 2012
6:00 p.m.
Freyberger Gallery
Over the past decade, Penn State Berks has actively sought artwork for its permanent collection. The artwork is purchased from exhibitions, donated by exhibiting artists, or gifted to the campus by generous donors. The artwork has been placed throughout the campus-in offices, public spaces, lobbies, and on our grounds. The college has developed an extensive collection of artwork by regionally and nationally recognized artists that demonstrates our dedication to arts and the community, and the pride we have in our campus. This exhibition brings many of these works of art together for the first time. The artwork itself helps to define our presence in the community and establish our identity as a growing and innovative destination.
Ana Castillo: Chicana Identity and Culture
March 22, 2012
7:30 p.m.
Perkins Student Center Auditorium
Novelist, poet, and essayist Ana Castillo has long been recognized as one of the most articulate, powerful voices in contemporary Chicana literature. Castillo's work nevertheless transcends boundaries of politics, class, and gender, making her one of the few Mexican-American writers who have attracted the attention of mainstream readers. Her most recent novel, The Guardians, centers on a family devastated by death and disappearances. Ultimately, Castillo's incandescent novel of suffering and love traces life's movement toward the light even in the bleakest of hours.
Dana Leong
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
7:30 p.m.
Perkins Student Center Auditorium
*This event is part of the Berks Jazzfest.
Electro-jazz cellist Dana Leong fuses hip-hop, jazz, and electronics to create a signature, boundless sound. Often referred to as a "hi-def Yo-Yo Ma," Leong has revolutionized the cello with his cutting-edge amplification, lyrical melodies, and college of jazz textures and improvisations. Whether working as a performer, composer, collaborator, or recording producer, Leong's pioneering fusion of electronic music and ethereal jazz sensualities has garnered critical acclaim and wowed audiences worldwide. He studied classical cello and jazz trombone at the Manhattan School of Music and is an offical Yamaha artist, who provides clinics and workshops on the use of electronics with cello and trombone, and his unique genre-bending composition techniques.
April 2012
Fire and Rain
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
7:00 p.m.
Perkins Student Center Multipurpose Room
Fire and Rain is the duo comprised of Joaquin Zihuatanejo, poet, spoken-word artist, and award-winning teacher; and Natasha Carrizosa, poet and writer who celebrates her dual hertiage with works that weave an intoxicating blend of cultures, languages, and impressions. They have shared the stage with Maya Angelou, Billy Collins, Alicia Keys, and Erykah Badu, among others. In their poetry, they capture their dual heritage while seeking to educate, enlighten, and entertain. Born of mestizo, or mixed blood, Zihuatanejo and Carrizosa have often been asked the question, "What are you?" Their poems seek to answer that question, giving identity and voice to those born of two cultures, as different as "fire and rain."
Theatre presents The Children's Hour
April 12-14, 19-21, 2012
8:00 p.m.
April 15 & 22, 2012
2:00 p.m.
Perkins Student Center Auditorium
The Children's Hour (1934) is Lillian Hellman's best-known work. While offering commentary on the social challenges faced by her female contemporaries, Hellman presents a complex undertaking of relationships and women's sexuality in the early twentieth century. The play focuses largely on its central characters, Karen Wright and Martha Dobie, whose professional and personal lives take a critical turn when controversial lies are spread by an unlikely source, a young schoolgirl named Mary Tilford. As the rumors threaten to tear apart everything that Karen and Martha have worked to attain, they also bring the two to the threshold of a profound new understanding of themselves...and each other.