May brings spring commencement, lectures and library exhibits
Following is a sampling of May events at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Please use this information for calendar listings and postings and in planning your event-oriented coverage. Events are free to the public unless otherwise noted
May brings spring commencement, lectures and library exhibits
Following is a sampling of May events at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Please use this information for calendar listings and postings and in planning your event-oriented coverage. Events are free to the public unless otherwise noted.
May 8
Worried Sick: A Prescription for Health in an Overtreated America
1:30 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.
George Watts Hill Alumni Center
At a time when access to health care in the United States is being widely debated, Dr. Nortin Hadler, professor of medicine and microbiology and immunology in the School of Medicine, argues that an even more important issue is being overlooked. Although necessary health care should be available to all who need it, Hadler urges that before committing to paying for what pharmaceutical companies and the medical establishment tell us is needed, American consumers need to adopt an attitude of skepticism. Americans need to arm themselves with enough information to make some of their own decisions, distinguishing good medical advice from persuasive medical marketing and making better decisions about their personal health so they will have a wiser perspective on health-policy issues. For more information or to register, Laura Sheppard at (919) 843-5115 or visit http://alumni.unc.edu/article.aspx?sid=6507.
Waterway Tales
1:30 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.
George Watts Hill Alumni Center
Bland Simpson, Bowman and Gordon Gray Distinguished Term Professor of English and creative writing in the College of Arts and Sciences, has authored five books, two musicals and a public television series on North Carolina’s coastal and sound country. He will screen three pieces in which he tours the Intracoastal Waterway from the Great Dismal Swamp on the Virginia-North Carolina border all the way down to the pontoon bridge at Sunset Beach near the North Carolina-South Carolina border. He will read from and discuss his books “Into the Sound Country: A Carolinian’s Coastal Plain” and “The Inner Islands: A Carolinian’s Sound Country Chronicle,” both featuring photography by his wife, Ann Cary Simpson. For more information or to register, visit http://alumni.unc.edu/article.aspx?sid=6508 or call Laura Sheppard at (919) 843-5115.
Old News, New Media
3 p.m. – 4:15 p.m.
George Watts Hill Alumni Center
Do you Twitter? Do you have information that’s just so Delicious? The Internet has rocked our world, as today's students say, especially in the way we get news. Newspaper circulation is down, television markets are dwindling and many people fear that our communities will be left without a way of getting important news. But is it really all that bad, or do new media give citizens useful new tools to stay better informed than they ever were? Leroy Towns, a political reporting and political communication professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication and research fellow in the Program on Public Life, will lead this session exploring our wired world. Stay tuned, plug in and prepare to be surprised. For more information or to register, visit http://alumni.unc.edu/article.aspx?sid=6509 or call Laura Sheppard at (919) 843-5115.
Thomas Wolfe in the 21st Century
3 p.m. – 4:15 p.m.
George Watts Hill Alumni Center
Carolina alumni of the 20th century may wonder what this new century holds for Thomas Wolfe ’20. Will he disappear from college syllabi? Will the Tom Wolfe who graduated from Washington and Lee be the Tom who wins the laurels? Or will Chapel Hill's Tom triumph? Joseph M. Flora, professor of English in the College of Arts and Sciences, will address and trace the trajectory of Wolfe’s reputation and then look into his crystal ball. For more information or to register, visit http://alumni.unc.edu/article.aspx?sid=6510 or call Laura Sheppard at (919) 843-5115.
Art After Dark
5 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Ackland Art Museum
Enjoy our evening hours, cash bar, free admission, occasional gallery talks by Ackland Art Museum and guest curators and live music every second Friday of the month. This May, enjoy music by the Raging Grannies and a gallery talk on “New Currents in Contemporary Art” featuring exhibition artists and Curator of Exhibitions Barbara Matilsky. For more information, see http://www.ackland.org/programs/art_after_dark/.
May 8 – 9
Moral Philosophy: Two of the Modern Classics
4:30 p.m. Friday – 12:30 p.m. Saturday
UNC campus
The sequel to “Moral Philosophy: An Introduction to Aristotle and Plato,” this seminar will explore two more of the best books ever written on moral theory: Immanuel Kant’s “The Metaphysics of Morals” and John Stuart Mill’s “On Liberty.” Discussions will be led by Geoffrey Sayre-McCord, Morehead Alumni Distinguished Professor and chair of the philosophy department in the College of Arts and Sciences, and will include topics on the good and the right, the value of happiness, the nature of duty and the categorical imperative. Cost is $185 per person. Teachers and first-time participants get 50 percent off. For more information, visit http://www.unc.edu/depts/human/level_3/2009_Spring/92-MoralPhilosophy2.htm or call Caroline Dyar at (919) 962-1546.
May 9
Doctoral Hooding Ceremony
10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Dean E. Smith Center
The UNC Graduate School’s annual doctoral hooding ceremony will feature Dr. Adron Harris, who received his Ph.D. in pharmacology from UNC. Harris, an internationally renowned researcher on alcoholism, holds the M. June and J. Virgil Waggoner Chair in molecular biology and is the director of the Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research at the University of Texas in Austin. For more information, visit http://gradschool.unc.edu/events/hooding/.
May 10
University Commencement
9:30 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.
Kenan Stadium
UNC will hold its annual spring commencement ceremony for undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degree candidates. The speaker will be Archbishop Desmond Tutu, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize and renowned South African anti-apartheid campaigner. In case of inclement weather, the ceremony will be moved to the Dean E. Smith Center, where tickets will be required for entry. Students who are cleared to graduate will need to secure tickets for them and their guests through the commencement Web page. The ticket limit per graduating student is five. No one without a ticket will be admitted to the Smith Center should the ceremony be moved there, due to weather. For more information, visit www.unc.edu/commencement.
May 12
Curator’s Clinic
1 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Ackland Art Museum
The Ackland Art Museum invites the public to bring in one work of art for consideration by an Ackland expert. While Ackland staff is unable to appraise works of art, curators may offer insight into the significance of the piece as well as the techniques used by the artist, condition and subject matter. Only one piece per person, please. Registration is required, free to members and $10 per non-member. Call (919) 843-3677 to make an appointment.
May 15
“Joycean Generosity, Joycean Books” Gallery Talk
3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Melba Remig Salterelli Exhibit Room, Wilson Library
Join Dr. Libby Chenault of the Rare Book Collection for a tour of the exhibit “Joycean Generosity, Joycean Books,” honoring gifts of James R. and Mary M. Patton to UNC Library’s Rare Book Collection. On view will be thirty James Joyce items—the focus of the exhibit—along with works by Sylvia Plath, Ted Hughes, Seamus Heaney and James Dickey. For more information, visit http://www.lib.unc.edu/spotlight/2009/joyce_gallery_talks.html or call Libby Chenault at (919) 962-1143.
Ongoing Events
Year-round (May 9)
Drawing in the Galleries
10 a.m. – noon
Ackland Art Museum
The second Saturday of every month, Amanda Hughes, director of external affairs at the Ackland Art Museum and working artist, meets with friends of the museum who have an interest in practicing and strengthening their drawing skills. Each session opens with a brief conversation about a work of art in the museum, the artist who made the work, and the culture from which it emerged. Bring paper and dry media (crayon, pencils, etc.). All levels are welcome. For more information, visit http://www.ackland.org/programs/drawing_in_the_galleries/.
Drawing for Kids
10 a.m. – noon
Ackland Art Museum
The second Saturday of every month, senior museum educator, Beth Shaw McGuire leads a drawing program designed to teach children the basics of drawing. Children ages 9 to 12 practice techniques like contour drawing, linear perspective, shading and drawing people. Materials are provided. Registration is limited, free to members and $5 for non-members. For more information, call Jocelyn Arem at (919) 843-3687.
Year-round (May 17)
Music in the Galleries
2 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Ackland Art Museum
Every third Sunday of the month, enjoy free music in the Ackland Art Museum galleries. A wide variety of performers can be found, from classical quartets to live DJs, to enhance your museum experience. In addition, the Ackland also features special ticketed concerts throughout the year. This month features a community celebration in collaboration with the Southern Oral History Program representing the culmination of three years of research and collected oral history that explores the dynamic relationship between local African-American neighborhoods, the oldest state university in the country and the inevitable development that is altering it all. Winning entries from the “Because We’re Still Here (and Moving)” video contest will be screened. For more information, call (919) 843-3676 or e-mail acklandprograms@unc.edu.
Year-round (May 30)
Skywatching
8:30 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.
Jordan Lake’s Ebenezer Church Recreation Area, Little River Regional Park
Weather permitting, visitors will discover the night sky with telescopes and guidance from Morehead educators and Chapel Hill Astronomical and Observational Society. Skywatching is a monthly event for all ages. For more information, visit http://www.moreheadplanetarium.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=page&filename=skywatch_calendar.html.
Jan. 21 – May 22
Comic Stripped: A Revealing Look at Southern Stereotypes in Cartoons
8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Carroll Hall
The UNC School of Journalism and Mass Communication hosts “Comic Stripped,” featuring art from comic strips that have helped define the South with cartoons from the 1860s to the present day. The exhibit includes work from Doug Marlette and his Kudzu cartoons, the first major Southern comic strip created by a native Southerner. Marlette, who taught in the journalism school, served on the board of visitors and was inducted into the N.C. Journalism Hall of Fame based in the school, was killed in a 2007 automobile accident in Mississippi. The exhibit is presented in partnership with the Triad Foundation and the Levine Museum of the New South in Charlotte. The Levine Museum created Comic Stripped with support from the Triad Foundation and the RLJ Companies. For more information, call Kyle York at (919) 966-3323.
Jan. 22 – May 26 (May 11, 26)
Yoga in the Galleries
Noon – 1 p.m.
Ackland Art Museum
Namasté! Take a break from your day and explore the world of yoga in the beautiful setting of the Ackland Art Museum. Yoga mats and museum cushions are provided. Please wear comfortable clothing that will allow you to stretch. Since the galleries can be cool, long sleeves are recommended. Sessions are led by Joanne Marshall. Beginners are welcome. Registration is limited, free to members and $5 per non-member. For more information, visit http://www.ackland.org/programs/yoga/.
Feb. 28 – Sept. 20
Sage in the Bamboo Grove: The Legacy of Sherman E. Lee
10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Wednesdays – Saturdays
1 p.m. – 5 p.m. Sundays
Ackland Art Museum
Recognized as one of the outstanding scholars of his generation in the field of Asian art, esteemed former director of the Cleveland Museum of Art Sherman Emery Lee spent over two decades assisting the Ackland Art Museum in building what is now the most significant collection of Asian art in North Carolina and one of the premier collections in the South. This spring, the museum celebrates Lee’s life and contributions with “Sage in the Bamboo Grove,” an exhibition of rarely seen treasures from the Ackland collection including screens, scrolls, sculptures and ceramics of major aesthetic quality. For more information, call Jocelyn Arem at (919) 843-3687 of see http://www.ackland.org/art/exhibitions/2009/sage_in_the_bamboo_grove.
March 5 – May 31
Cultivating the “Great Winter Garden”: Immigrant Colonies in Eastern North Carolina, 1866-1940
9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Mondays – Fridays
9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Saturdays
1 p.m. – 5 p.m. Sundays
North Carolina Collection Gallery, Wilson Library
During and after Reconstruction, the South made a concerted effort to repopulate, but the prevailing pattern of immigration to the U.S. flowed north and west. In order to restore agriculture as part of the economy, governments and businesses sought to attract people to the state. Through about 85 books, pamphlets, maps and photographs, this exhibit documents various efforts to attract immigrants to North Carolina from northern states and Europe. On view will be brochures from around 1915 that refer to North Carolina as “the Nation’s Garden Spot” and “the Great Winter Garden.” The exhibit also documents specific attempts in the early 20th century to draw European immigrants, including photographs of Van Eeden, an agricultural settlement that later became a haven for Jews fleeing Nazi Germany. For more information, call Liza Terll at (919) 962-4207 or visit http://www.lib.unc.edu/spotlight/2009/winter_garden.html.
April 17 – June 30
Jocyean Generosity, Joycean Books
8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Mondays – Friday
9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Saturdays
Melba Remig Saltarelli Exhibit Room, Wilson Library
A collection of books by 20th-century Irish writer and poet James Joyce will be the highlight of this Rare Book Collection exhibition. Several first editions will be on display. In addition to thirty Joyce items, the exhibit will feature works by poets Sylvia Plath, Ted Hughes, Seamus Heaney and James Dickey – all gifts of James R. and Mary M. Patton to the UNC Library. Dickey’s work “Deliverance” was made into a successful movie in 1972. For more information, visit http://www.lib.unc.edu/spotlight/2009/joycean_books.html or call Liza Terll at (919) 962-4207.