Arts and Humanities People and Community

November guide to the arts at the U

Interested in the arts? Check out this comprehensive wrap-up for all arts-related events on campus this month, including the new University of Miami Athletics digital collection at University Libraries.
Athletics digital archives

Online learning has increased dramatically during the pandemic, thus also increasing the importance of unfettered access to unique and primary source materials. Wanting to make the joy of discovery effortless, a team at the University of Miami Libraries has overhauled the digital collections site to enhance use of these materials and to foster the creation of new creative works.

“A common tenet within libraries is to provide free and open access to information,” explained Elizabeth Gushee, associate dean for digital strategies at the libraries. “The digital collections available through this portal represent the manuscripts, rare books, newspapers, and other materials that are unique to UM.  Thousands of these items are available and free to use by students, faculty, and to the public worldwide.”

The Digital Collections feature unique items from the University of Miami Libraries, including the Cuban Heritage Collection, Special Collections, and University Archives, as well as distinctive collections developed in collaboration with nonlibrary partners.  New collections are added to the portal on a regular basis.

Paul Clough, digital architect and infrastructure librarian, explained that he learned so much about the University Libraries’ collections that he didn’t know prior to working on this project.

“I’m in awe with all of the interesting and in-depth history the library holds,” said Clough. “The whole point of making things digital is making them easily transmissible to other people, so this new portal moves us to that direction.”

Laura Capell, head of digital production and electronic records archivist, explains that COVID-19 has really emphasized the importance of digital collections. She has been pivotal in the role of updating the site with new collections for people to enjoy in the comfort of their own homes.

She highlighted the “new University of Miami Athletics digital collection, which includes photographs of athletes, coaches, and athletic events as well as football programs from 1926-1941. The photographs document a variety of sports, including men’s football, baseball, basketball, tennis, and track and field, as well as women’s basketball and tennis. We have also added digitized versions of University of Miami’s Ibis yearbook spanning the 1990s, and we soon plan on digitizing the 2000s and the 2010s.”

Digital resources include correspondence, documents, manuscripts, books, periodicals, scrapbooks, photographic images, slides, maps, prints, posters, architectural plans, audio, video, and oral histories. Currently the site contains more than 100 digital collections.  

“Part of what we try to do is highlight collections that have resonance with students and faculty at UM,” explained Gushee. “We also try to showcase materials that demonstrate the connections that UM has with Greater Miami, South Florida, the Caribbean, and Latin America. The Scott Carver Housing History collection and the Lydia Cabrera Papers, are just a couple of examples. We hope people will continue exploring the collections and make new discoveries each time they visit the site.” 

To learn more visit digitalcollections.library.miami.edu/digital

View events for the month of November below:

Every Wednesday, 4–5 p.m.

Mindfulness at Richter 

The University of Miami Libraries offers introductory mindfulness sessions for cultivating calm and focus. These 45-minute sessions introduce the fundamentals of mindfulness with periods of guided practice and opportunities for reflection and questions. 

Register here.

Nov. 5, 1 p.m.

Deep Dives into Special Collections—“Book of Fate” Discussion 

Journey to the intersection of faith, politics, and fate with Chelsea Jacks through Book of Fate, a Special Collections treasure. This bound manuscript from 1800s England showcases the strategic superstition of the time and the evolution of the concept of destiny and predetermination. Covering everything from political fortune in the Elizabethan court to the weather in the upcoming year, this hand-penned book claims to be an essential key to understanding what lies ahead in life.

Register here

Nov. 12, 11 a.m.

El Efecto Mariel: Before, During, and After—“Pluma y Plumero: Palabras y Papeles de Reinaldo Arenas, featuring René Cifuentes”

Upon their arrival as refugees in New York in 1980, Reinaldo Arenas and René Cifuentes formed an intimate and playful friendship that would last through the writers’ final years. During that time, the two collaborated on multiple projects, including founding Mariel magazine. In his talk, Cifuentes attempts to explain this friendship, which is expansively documented with photos, telephone recordings, notes, and postcards that are now in the Cuban Heritage Collection, in commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the Mariel exodus and the 30 years since the loss of Reinaldo Arenas.

*This event will be presented in Spanish.

Register here

Frost School of Music

Nov. 2, 12 p.m.

The Battle for the Ballot with Stacy Garrop and Svetoslav Stoyanov

Composer and storyteller Stacy Garrop takes a closer look at the process behind one of her latest works, “The Battle for the Ballot,” with Frost professor and world-class percussionistSvetoslav Stoyanov. They talk about Garrop’s journey as a female composer, gender inequality, and what it means to have the power to vote.

Visit here for more information on this podcast

Nov. 8, 1 p.m.

Chamber Music Showcase LIVE

Valerie Coleman, director 

This afternoon potpourri of adventure into new sounds and also the classics we lovefeatures a colorful variety of ensembles performing live—from our brass ensembles to string quartets and woodwind ensembles. Program to include: Poulenc, Ewald, Brandon, Rimsky-Korsakov, and more. 

Register here

Nov. 9, 6:30 p.m.

Music Studio and Jazz Small Jazz Ensemble Concert

Concert features several student groups: Extensions, directed by Kate Reid; Odd Times Ensemble, directed by Errol Rackipov; and the Jazz Trumpet Ensemble, directed by Michael Dudley and Michael Gutierrez.

Register here

Nov. 10, 7:30 p.m.

Beethoven, Mozart, and Prokofiev—Frost Conductor's Orchestra

Gerard Schwarz and Scott Flavin, directors

Matthew Cooperman, Kyle Elgarten, Carlos Lopez, Camilo Tellez, graduate conducting majors

Witness the future of classical music with the next generation of conductors. The program contains masterpieces of the orchestral literature. Enjoy one of Mozart’s last symphonies, Symphony No. 39; Beethoven’s Symphony No. 1, which marked Beethoven’s symphonic composing debut; Beethoven’s Overture to Egmont, composed during the Napoleonic Wars and later becoming the unofficial anthem of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution; Beethoven’s Coriolan Overture, written in connection to Heinrich Joseph von Collin’s play; and Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 1, the first neoclassical composition.

Register here

Nov. 11 & 12, 7:30 p.m.

Menotti Remixed - A New Look at the Operas of Gian Carlo Menotti and Samuel Barber

Frost Opera Theater – Alan Johnson and Jeffrey Buchman, directors

Alan Johnson and Jeffrey Buchman, directors

For fall 2020, Frost opera students will delve deep into the works of Gian Carlo Menotti and Samuel Barber with self-directed videos they created of their performances of excerpts from Menotti's “Amelia at the Ball,” “The Medium,” “The Telephone,” “Maria Golovin,” “The Old Maid and the Thief,” “The Consul,” and “The Saint of Bleecker Street,”  as well as Barber’s “Hand of Bridge” and “Vanessa.”  The program will also feature two scenes by British composers Benjamin Britten (A Midsummer Night's Dream) and Jonathan Dove (Flight).

Register here

Nov. 17, 7:30 p.m.

Frost XJB and Frost Septet

Chuck Bergeron, director

Enjoy a night of impressive charts and incredible energy. The concert will begin with a set performed by The Frost Septet, featuring a program of original music created by the students for this concert.  The XJB then performs arrangements by their musical director, senior Kenton Luck. Selections will include Joe Henderson’s “Jenrikisha” and the Sammy Fain classic “I’ll Be Seeing You.”

Register here

Nov. 18, 7:30 p.m.

Frost Superband—The Big Three meet Studio Jazz Writing

Steve Guerra Jr., director 

The Frost Superband plays the music of Thad Jones, Bob Brookmeyer, and Jim McNeely—three former musical directors of the famed Village Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, as well as the premiere of compositions by members of the Frost Studio Jazz Writing Program.

Register here

Nov. 19, 7:30 p.m.


Jazz Vocal Ensemble Concert

Kate Reid, director

The award-winning Frost Jazz Vocal ensembles present music from today’s leading jazz composers.

Register here

Nov. 20, 7:30 p.m.

20th Century Masterpieces—Frost Symphony Orchestra

Gerard Schwarz, director

Explore the masterpieces that helped guide so many composers during the musically volatile 20th century. Listen to Alvin Singleton’s (b. 1940) After Choice. He is one of our most distinguished composers who will be celebrating his 80th birthday in December.

Enjoy Claude Debussy's (1862-1918) Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun, considered a turning point of music. Take delight in Aaron Copland’s (1900-1990) Appalachian Spring Suite, which won the 1945 Pulitzer Prize for Music. Both pieces were created for dance. Vaslav Nijinsky choreographed Debussy’s piece; Martha Graham, the most influential American modern dancer, choreographed Copland’s piece.

Finally, enjoy Paul Hindemith’s (1895-1963) Concert Music for Strings and Brass. The German American composer wrote this work for the 50th anniversary of the Boston Symphony Orchestra in 1930. He features the brass section of the orchestra, which created a thrilling tonal pallet that has made this work so special for years to come.  

Register here

Nov. 21, 7:30 p.m.

American Modern Band—Video Countdown!

Raina Murnak and Stephen Rucker, directors

Enjoy an exciting evening with members of the Frost School of Music’s American Modern Band as they showcase their original music in a music video format. The group is composed of amazing young songwriters and artists who collaborate and step out of their genre comforts. All videos are directed, produced, filmed, and recorded by students. This ensemble is co-directed by Raina Murnak and Steve Rucker.

Register here

Nov. 23, 7:30 p.m.

American Music Ensemble—The Journey to the Music

Daniel Strange, director

The Frost School of Music’s American Music Ensemble (known around campus as “AME”) brings you on its musical journey through the fall 2020 semester in this rockumentary-inspired presentation. Ensemble director Daniel Strange and his 11 Frost student members take you through the creative, rehearsal, recording, and performance process all while navigating their daily campus life and overcoming the challenges that the COVID-19 pandemic has presented for young musicians. 

To register, click here

Nov. 27, 8 p.m.

Frost Superband—Annual Holiday Concert

A night of Holiday music for jazz big band, featuring members of the Frost School’s acclaimed Frost Concert Jazz Band and Frost Studio Jazz Band

Register here

Lowe Art Museum

Tuesdays, Nov. 3, 10, 17, at 1 p.m.

Mindfulness with the Lowe

The Lowe’s Art of Mindfulness remote sessions take place on Tuesdays at 1 p.m. Each session will last approximately 40 minutes (a 30-minute guided practice with 10-minute reflection and Q & A). 

Registration is required to participate in these free virtual sessions. Visit lowe.miami.edu for more information. 

Fridays, Nov. 6, 13, 20, 2-3 p.m.

USketch

Join the Lowe Art Museum for an in-person sketch class for University of Miami students. The goal is to de-stress and enjoy the outdoors together. No art experience is necessary. Space is limited due to social distancing. 

Register here

Thursday, Nov. 12, 5:30 p.m.

Lowe Connects: Are We There Yet? A Presentation by the de la Torre Brothers 

Join Einar and Jamex de la Torre (Guadalajara, México, 1963 and 1960, respectively) for an exclusive tour of their Baja, California, studio as well as an intimate conversation about their artistic practice, including recent public art commissions and a fall 2021 Latino Smithsonian Center exhibition at the grand opening of the Cheech Marin Museum of Chicano Art. The artists will also reflect on the realities of the contemporary art world as well as the challenges associated with finding and maintaining one's unique artistic voice in the face of market pressures.

Register here

Center for the Humanities

Nov. 6, 2:30 p.m.

Queer-Class Counternarratives in Higher Education

Join Professor Matt Brim for a discussion about dominant high-class narratives in queer studies. During this workshop, participants will discuss a selection of Professor Brim’s most recent book, “Poor Queer Studies: Confronting Elitism in the University.”

Register here

Nov. 12, 7 p.m.

Henry King Stanford Distinguished Professors Series: 1774: The Long Year of Revolution

Learn the history of the “long year” of 1774, or the 16 months from December 1773 to April 1775, which historians have tended to overlook, for reasons Mary Beth Norton will explain. But John Adams later observed that the true revolution took place in the minds of the people before the battles at Lexington and Concord. The year 1774, Norton argues, was when that revolution occurred. Norton is the author of five books and co-editor of several others. Her textbook, “A People and a Nation,” is a survey of U.S. history written with five other authors, published in ten editions with more than 500,000 copies sold. Norton is the Mary Donlon Alger Professor Emerita of American History at Cornell University. She lives in Ithaca, New York.

Register here

Nov. 18, 8 p.m.

Online Book Talk with Melvin Butler

Island Gospel: Pentecostal Music and Identity in Jamaica and the United States

Pentecostals throughout Jamaica and the Jamaican diaspora use music to declare what they believe and where they stand in relation to religious and cultural outsiders. Yet the inclusion of secular music forms like ska, reggae, and dancehall complicates music’s place in social and ritual practice, challenging Jamaican Pentecostals to reconcile their religious and cultural identities. Melvin L. Butler journeys into this crossing of boundaries and its impact on Jamaican congregations and the music they make. Using the concept of flow, Butler’s ethnography evokes both the experience of spirit-influenced performance and the transmigrations that fuel the controversial sharing of musical and ritual resources between Jamaica and the United States. Highlighting constructions of religious and cultural identity, Butler illuminates music’s vital place in how the devout regulate spiritual and cultural flow while striving to maintain both the sanctity and fluidity of their evolving tradition.

Register here