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K-State Today

August 23, 2012

Great beginnings: School year kicks off with music, art and more

Submitted by Communications and Marketing

It's a September to remember at Kansas State University as the school year gets under way with plenty of music, art, fun and even a little drama.

The following events, all free unless otherwise indicated, are sponsored by K-State's McCain Performance Series; the School of Music, Theatre and Dance; and the Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art. They include:

* "Good Night, Moon: Selections From the Permanent Collection," through Dec. 23, at the Beach Museum of Art. The selections include idyllic moonlit scenes by Kansas landscape artists Birger Sandzen and Lisa Grossman, and more conceptual pieces, such as Jeff Mongrain's "An Evening's Breath," a clay pillow that holds the amount of moisture exhaled during a night's sleep. Contemporary images of night include views of porches, airports and highways lit by lights.

* "Konza: Sculpture by John Powers," a large-scale kinetic sculpture that mimics the natural beauty and movement of the nearby Konza prairie, on display at the Beach Museum of Art through May 31, 2013. The natural and the manmade, the internal and external, the small and the vast, the permanent and the fleeting -- this work of art reflects contrasts that human beings have observed and sought to understand for millennia. Located in the Stolzer Family Foundation Gallery, the sculpture was commissioned specifically for the museum.

* Homeschool Tuesday will feature "Math-a-Magical" from 1-2:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 4, at the Beach Museum of Art. An ArtSMART program collaboration between the museum and the university's department of mathematics, "Math-a-Magical" is designed to build math skills at all ages while using art objects from the museum. The cost is $3 per child; $1.50 for Friends of the Beach Museum members. For reservations, call 785-532-7718 or email klwalk@k-state.edu. Children must be accompanied by adult.

* Faculty cellist David Littrell, distinguished professor of music, will present a solo recital in All Faiths Chapel Auditorium at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 4.

* Andy McKee, one of the world's top acoustic guitarists and a YouTube sensation, will perform at? 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 6, in Forum Hall at the K-State Student Union. A McCain Performance Series event, tickets cost $13-$36 with applicable taxes and fees. They can be purchased at the McCain Auditorium box office or by calling 785-532-6428. Tickets also can be purchased online at http://www.k-state.edu/mccain.

* The annual gala of the Friends of the Beach Museum of Arts will be "Cinema Sweethearts" at 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 7, at the K-State Alumni Center. Enjoy cocktails, dinner and a concert by singer Laura Ellis. Tickets cost $125 per person for cocktails, dinner and the concert, or $30 per person for the concert only. Call the museum at 785-532-7718 for more information.

* The Kansas State University Orchestra, under the direction of David Littrell, university distinguished professor of music, will perform a concert at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 11, in McCain Auditorium.

* Family Open House Day at the Beach Museum of Art will be 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 15. Activities include a gallery search, prizes and refreshments.

* The Student Recital Series kicks off the semester with a General Student Recital at 11:30 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 20, in All Faiths Chapel Auditorium The concert features student performers from the wind, brass, string, keyboard, percussion and voice divisions.

* Sculptor Jonathan Powers will present an Artist Talk at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 20, at the Beach Museum of Art. Powers designed "Konza," the large-scale kinetic sculpture currently on display at the museum.

* Bulgarian pianist Ilia Radoslavov will perform a recital at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 20, in the All Faiths Chapel Auditorium. Radoslavov is on the faculty at Truman State University.

* The McCain Performance Series will present the mash-up of radio drama and comic book adventure, "Intergalactic Nemesis Live-Action Graphic Novel, 'Book One: Target Earth,'" at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 21, at McCain Auditorium. Tickets cost $11-$50 with applicable taxes and fees. They can be purchased at the McCain Auditorium box office or by calling 785-532-6428. Tickets also can be purchased online at http://www.k-state.edu/mccain.

* OSU and WIU Chamber Players will perform a concert at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 25, in All Faiths Chapel Auditorium. The performers include Celeste Johnson, associate professor of oboe at Oklahoma State University and a member of the Tulsa Symphony Orchestra; Virginia Broffitt, assistant professor of flute at Oklahoma State University; Meredith Blecha, assistant professor of cello at Oklahoma State University and a member of the Oklahoma City Philharmonic; and Jeffrey Brown, assistant professor of piano at Western Illinois University.

* Faculty organist David Pickering, assistant professor of music, will present "Organ Music for a Wednesday Morning" at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 26, in All Faiths Chapel Auditorium.

* The ArtSMART class "Math-a-Magical" will be offered Sept. 25-28 at the Beach Museum of Art. "Math-a-Magical," a collaboration between the museum and the university's department of mathematics, is designed to build math skills at all ages while using art objects from the museum. The cost is $3 per child; $1.50 for Friends of the Beach Museum members. For reservations, call 785-532-7718 or email klwalk@k-state.edu. Children must be accompanied by adult. Classes for all ages will be 4:15-5:15 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 25, and Wednesday, Sept. 26; for toddlers and 2-year-olds, 10:30-11 a.m. Sept. 26; ages 2 and 3 at 10:30-11:30 a.m., and kindergarten and up at 4:15-5:15 p.m., both Thursday, Sept. 27; and ages 4 and 5, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Friday, Sept. 28.

For more information on all Beach Museum events, call 785-532-7718; for School of Music, Theatre and Dance events, call 785-532-5740; and for McCain Performance Series events, call 785-532-6428.