Every week, students’ inboxes are filled with invitations to activities, events, and opportunities. Sometimes, though, it can be hard to sort through and decide which ones to participate in. Here’s a briefing on some current and upcoming arts-related events taking place around campus.
On Tuesday, Feb. 28, Kitao Gallery is collaborating with the Swarthmore African-American Student Society (SASS), AJA, and the Black Cultural Center (BCC) to host a Black History Month art show, featuring student art. On Friday, Feb. 24, Kitao will host a Black History Month art workshop in collaboration with SASS.
Jocelyn Auld ’23, a Kitao board member, mentioned some other events that will be taking place at Kitao in the upcoming weeks.
“We have a lot of exciting things coming up for Kitao this semester! One thing that we started is the Thursday night studio socials, which has been a lot of fun,” explained Auld. “We have a couple upcoming collaborations with the SHAS, so come by Kitao Thursday nights from eight to ten. We are also excited about upcoming gallery shows for the semester.”
In addition to the events at Kitao, the List Gallery will continue to feature “Edith: An Architectural History, an Installation by Nora Wendl.” The multimedia installation explores the story of The Edith Farnsworth House.
Wendl, an architect and writer, engages with different views of the house through photography. My experience in the gallery centered around the different types of objects occupying the space. While the initial centerpieces are the photographs that feature a woman near the house in a black fur coat, long pieces of fabric hang from the ceiling and billow gently in the center of the room. Behind the fabric, one finds both the fur coat from the pictures, draped upon a chair, as well as projected videos. In the second section of the gallery, we see video, documents, poetry, and paper. The gallery is immersive and thought-provoking, and you can stop by and visit it on your way to the Science Center.
The “Mapping the Cosmos” exhibition, by the Codex Foundation, is in McCabe Library. It compiles cosmological maps gathered from 33 artists and printers.
On Thursday, Feb. 23, from 12-1 p.m., the Scott Arboretum will host a walk through the Crum Woods that begins in the Scott Outdoor Amphitheater and ends near the Matchbox Fitness Center. While a nature walk might seem indirectly related to the arts, we repeatedly see Swarthmore’s Crum Woods cited as inspiration for the artistic works of student and local artists. Getting outside, slowing down, and taking in the fresh air can be a valuable opportunity for reflection and creative ideation.
This weekend, the Swarthmore Theater Department will present “Sweet Melodies and Salty Air,” a play created and performed by Marie Inniss ’23 with support from guest artist Severin Blake.
The play will be performed in the Lang Performing Arts Center (LPAC) Frear Ensemble Theater on Friday, Feb. 24 at 8 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 25 at 8 p.m., and Sunday, Feb. 26 at 2 p.m. The play is a cabaret-style honors thesis combining Inniss’s studies in acting and Black Studies. It uses song, story, and memory to reflect on her family history, exploring themes of coming of age, nostalgia, and Black womanhood.
This weekend, take a moment from your busy schedule to see a play, explore a gallery, or take a walk.
