The speedy construction of the new University Square serves to remind those old enough to remember the old U-Square of its convenient, albeit shabby movie theater, along with the bitter reality that there will not be a new theatre to carry on its legacy.
But fear not fellow moviegoers. You needn’t waste time or money on buses and Marcus’ outrageous prices because the Cinematheque’s fall schedule offers over 25 films you can enjoy free here on campus.
Screening out of Vilas Hall, the Cinematheque devotes itself to sharing rare and often obscure films on campus every Friday and Saturday night, and the fall schedule is no exception. In celebration of their 10th anniversary, the season opens with a screening of the classic “Singin’ in the Rain” on Sept. 5. The following day quickly launches into the first series entitled “Vote Cinema,” a timely collection of politically themed narratives and documentaries from the 1940s to the present, which provide a retrospective glimpse of political climates to stir thoughts in anticipation of the upcoming November election.
As with past seasons, however, the main event of this semester’s schedule focuses on a famous director, usually in the sense they’re the most “famous director you probably have never heard of.” Nevertheless, the spotlight falls on Germany’s Max Oph?ls, who directed twenty-some critically praised films in Europe from the 1930s to the late 1950s, known for their “baroque camera movement, circular narratives and cynical wit,” according to the Cinematheque.
And that’s not all — other highlights include a five-film series titled “Deviants, Delinquents, and Do-Gooders,” which confronts social and moral issues back in the 1950s, as well as the Cinematheque’s first ever Halloween scary movie screening: the film adaptation of Edgar Allen Poe’s “Murders of the Rue Morgue” starring horror legend Bela Lugosi.
The lineup also showcases a few other series which may appeal to a slightly narrower audience. One series concerns the mystic powers of water in African myths and another includes two rare German classics,
A full schedule of the fall films and more details can be found at the Cinematheque’s website: http://cinema.wisc.edu or on posters you’re bound to see around campus.
Alex Garens
Madison is a city full of creativity and innovation. Part of that wellspring is the visual art displayed by artists from this lovely city and around the world. The Wisconsin Union Directorate Art Committee is in charge of the art that adorns Memorial Union’s walls and galleries.
The Memorial Union is currently hosting four art exhibitions in its galleries. “The Art of College Humor,” by John Dobbertin, from Chaseburg, Wis., is a collection of copies of clippings from college humor magazines on display in the Porter Butts Gallery. According to the WUD Art Committee website — www.union.wisc.edu/art — there have been over 200 college humor magazines published in United States history, though only nine remain in print. The University of Wisconsin’s own magazine, The Sphynx, circulated from 1899 to 1914, then became The Octopus and was in publication from 1919 to 1959. A cover from The Octopus is on display in the collection, “The Art of College Humor,” along with other vintage publications of U.S. university history.
Dawn Hunter’s exhibition, “Spectacle Spectacular,” brings to light the misunderstandings of popular culture in the Class of 1925 Gallery. Also, Charles Philip Brooks has his landscape paintings on display in the Theater Gallery in his exposition, “North Carolina Tonalist.” Additionally, The Lakefront on Langdon Gallery boasts a stunning 1,300 pieces of visual art, many by Wisconsin artists throughout Memorial Union.
“The Art of College Humor,” “Spectacle Spectacular,” “North Carolina Tonalist” and the selections from the Wisconsin Union Art Collection will be on display until Sept. 16.
Next on the WUD Art Committee schedule is a variety of photography exhibitions from Sept. 26 through Nov. 11. Among the exhibitions is The PhotoMidwest Seven State Juried Competition, which will include the “best of the best” photos of both nature and urban areas. Shana Wittenwyler, who has done freelance work for the New York Times, will also have a display of her photography, some of which displays interesting perspectives of everyday life in her hometown of New York City. Connie J. Frisch-Cherniak, a fine arts professor at St. John’s University in New York, will also have a gallery of her artwork.
From Nov. 17-21, UW students will have an opportunity to view fellow students’ artwork as Memorial Union presents a student art sale.
The final set of exhibitions for the semester, which is open to the public from Dec. 5 to Jan. 20, will include the work of Pritika Chowdry, a painter from India who currently lives in Madison; Kalpana Prakash; Susan White ; and Hongdi Liu, an abstract artist who moved from China to Madison to study microbiology. Liu’s paintings are known for their stunning colors and often involve scientific themes. In one such painting, Liu uses aqua and fuchsia in a piece called “Drosophila embryo nervous system & mitochondrion.”
There are numerous opportunities to explore the work of talented artists from Madison and around the world right in our own the backyard, that is, Memorial Union. To learn more, visit the WUD Art Committee website at www.union.wisc.edu/art/.
Johanna Lurvey
The University of Wisconsin’s Music Committee continually provides free entertainment for students, Union members and anyone else who wishes hear a new, up-and-coming band. Housed under the Wisconsin Union Directorate (WUD), committee members unite in a common goal of finding a collective mix of music with a diverse lineup.
During the committee’s weekly meetings, students and other Union members brainstorm what types of bands to select for performances at the various venues located on campus.
Patrick Tilley, Music Committee’s Program Director, is enthusiastic about how the Music Committee functions and what it has to offer students this year.
“The main thing we do is programming and finding new ways to promote,” Tilley said. “The way people are finding out about music as the music industry changes has been a point of interest and sort of frustration for us the past couple years.”
Despite this frustration, Tilley and the Music Committee have been determined to take the program in a new direction. While the past involved penny pinching and financial concerns, the committee began taking risks, and the outcome was surprising.
“The risks paid off and it was money well spent as bigger audiences began to attend the concerts. This year we want to continue taking more risks,” Tilley said, adding this year will mark an expansion into new genres which the Music Committee hasn’t offered before.
“There is going to be a big push this year to incorporate more world and traditional types of music like country and jazz,” Tilley said.
Yet, the Music Committee members do more than offer what they think is popular. As Tilley described it, the committee interacts with their audience by doing research on campus as to offer music that is underrepresented by the Madison music scene as a whole.
As Tilley put it, “We hope to beat out other local promoters and find new bands before they hit it big.”
The Music Committee already has performances lined up for the year. They have bluegrass and blues music alternating every Thursday, and the “Behind the Beat” series features weekly jazz music. And as far as bigger gigs go, Broken Social Scene is slated to appear in October.
The Music Committee is currently looking for new members with a fresh perspective. If you’re interested in getting involved with the Music Committee, or would like to learn more about upcoming performers, visit their webpage at www.union.wisc.edu/music.
Andy Groher
