A+E briefs

Wheaton College
Music, archaeology on tap

• The Ying String Quartet and pianist Billy Childs will open the 2008-09 Artist Series at Wheaton College at 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 20, in Edman Memorial Chapel on the northeast corner of Washington and Franklin streets, Wheaton. For more information or tickets, call (630) 752-5010. Online orders may be placed at www.artistseries.org through Sept. 18.
• Wheaton College welcomes singer, songwriter and renowned guitarist Phil Keaggy back to Edman Chapel at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 12. During his 30-year career, he has released more than 50 solo albums and eight records with his band, Glass Harp. He has been awarded the GMA Dove Award seven times. Keaggy sells out concerts in both contemporary Christian and mainstream music markets. General admission tickets are available online at www.itickets.com and in the college bookstore; they cost $20 at the door. Doors open at 7 p.m. For more information, call the College Union concert hotline at (630) 752-5390.
Wheaton College Conservatory faculty members perform two concerts in Pierce Memorial Chapel on the southeast corner of Washington and Franklin streets, Wheaton.
• The “Waves of Irony” concert begins at 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 13, with musicians including mezzo-soprano Sarah Holman and pianist Karin Redekopp Edwards.
• Faculty members perform the “Improvisation” concert at 8 p.m. Monday, Sept. 15, featuring Howard Whitaker on clarinet and Lee Joiner on violin. Tickets to either faculty concert are available only at the door and cost $6 for general audience and $4 for students and seniors. For more information, call the Conservatory of Music at (630) 752-5099.
• This year’s Archaeology Lecture Series, “From Migdol to Aswan: Geoarchaeology in Egypt and Sinai,” explores new insights into the human history of the Nile Valley, Nile Delta and Sinai. Jean-Daniel Stanley, senior scientist and director of the geoarchaeology program at the Smithsonian Institutions’ National Museum of Natural History, will present the first lecture titled “Ancient Cities Submerged Off Egypt: Exploration and Discovery.”
The lecture is free to the public at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 9, in the Phelps Room of the Todd M. Beamer Student Center at 421 Chase St. For more information, contact the Department of Biblical and Theological Studies at (630) 752-5054.


ABCs of Collage
Exhibit reception planned

“Alphabetica II,” an exhibit of collages and assemblages by members of the Midwest Collage Society, is on display this month in Darien’s Indian Prairie Public Library.
Each artist selected a letter of the alphabet and created a work based on individual interpretation. The group received an invitation from Indian Prairie library after a successful exhibit at Downers Grove Public Library earlier this year.
The work will be on display through Sept. 30 during library hours, with a reception from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 28, in the library, 401 Plainfield Road. For more information, call (630) 887-8760.
The Midwest Collage Society is a small group of artists working in the medium of collage, which also encompasses mixed media and assemblage. Since its founding in April 2003, the group has exhibited throughout the Chicago area. Membership includes artists from across the region.


Hi Infidelity
Band, fireworks near

Families and friends are invited to the “End of Summer Celebration” at the Oakbrook Terrace Park District, featuring a concert and fireworks.
Taking place at 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 6, guests will hear the award-winning band play the biggest hits from REO Speedwagon, Journey, Styx and other classic rock bands. After the performance, a fireworks display lights up the sky at 9 p.m. The Park District and Lions Club will sell concessions.
The party is at the Terrace View Park stage, 1 Parkview Plaza, Oakbrook Terrace. For more information, call the Park District at (630) 627-6100 or visit www.obtpd.org.


Darien artist
Studio exhibit offered

Artist Laura Lein-Svencner invites the public to visit her annual Outdoor Studio Exhibit from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday through Sunday, Sept. 5 to 7, at 6718 Dale Road, Darien.
A collage demonstration will be offered from 1 to 3 p.m. daily. Two tents will be filled with collage and assemblages, and all artwork is for sale.
For more on the artist and collage teacher, visit www.lauralein-svencner.com. Her work also is shown in an online gallery at www.lonecrowgallery.com.
She will be featured at an art opening from 6 to 10 p.m. Friday, Sept. 12, at 4Art inc. Gallery, 1923 S. Halsted St., Unit 100, Chicago.


‘Jungle Book’
‘Magical’ troupe sets stage

Adapted from the “Mowgli” stories of Rudyard Kipling, “Jungle Book” tells the story of a young boy raised by wolves. With the help of his friends — the bear Baloo, the panther Bagheera and the python Kaa — Mowgli learns the ways of the jungle.
Performances begin at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and at 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 12 to 14 and 19 to 21, in the Naperville Central High School Little Theatre. Use door 39 on the east end of the building near Naper Settlement. To reserve tickets, order online at www.napervilleparks.org or call the Naperville Park District at (630) 848-5000. Tickets cost $8. For more information and directions, visit www.magicalstarlighttheatre.org.


Norris Gallery
Regional artists featured

The Norris Gallery in the Norris Cultural Arts Center in St. Charles presents its annual “Invitational” art exhibition, with a reception from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 14.
Area artists were invited to display their talents. Artworks have been created in a variety of media from traditional photography to gauche and ink wash to copper etchings. The “Invitational” artists are Shirley Calby (honored in memoriam), Sandy Frigolett, Tina Leverenzzi, Geri Greenman, Nancy Staszak and Lennox Dunbar from Scotland.
Greenman taught art for 25 years for District 88 at Addison Trail and Willowbrook high schools. Staszak is an artist, a public school teacher at Lisle Public Schools, District 202, a poet and member of the Downers Grove Art Guild. She received an Illinois Arts Educators Association grant during the 2007 summer to travel to Santa Fe, N.M., to study with Navajo printmaker Michael McCabe. The workshop was “The Expressive Monotype,” a flexible and creative form of printmaking using painterly techniques. Some of her work in Santa Fe is exhibited at Norris.
Special guests in the exhibit include the students, staff and invited artists of the Printmaking Department from Gray’s School of Art at Robert Gordon University, Arberdeen, Scotland. Collectively, these limited edition prints from Gray’s School of Art represent a body of work titled “Portfolio X.” The project seeks to provide students with a first-hand understanding of the curating, production and dissemination of limited-edition prints.
The show runs through Thursday, Sept. 25, at 1040 Dunham Road on the campus of St. Charles East High School.
More information is available by calling (630) 584-7200, Ext. 14. The complete 2008-09 Norris Gallery Prospectus can be found at www.norrisculturalarts.com.


Gallery Walk
Geneva to celebrate arts

Downtown Geneva’s First Fridays Art Gallery Walk is back from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Sept. 5, featuring artwork and festivities at numerous galleries.
A directory is available from the Geneva Chamber of Commerce, www.artgalleriesgeneva.com or at any of the participating galleries. For more information, call the Geneva Chamber at (630) 232-6060.
Regular participants include:
• Proud Fox Gallery, 213 W. State St.
• Down To Earth Pottery, 221 S. Third St., inside Treasure Hunt Antiques.
• Gallery 28 Fine & Functional Art, 28 N. Fourth St.
• One Fine Art Gallery, 121 S. Third St.
• Out of the Mainstream Designs, 107 S. Second St., (open from 5 p.m. on), with an emphasis on textile arts and jewelry.
• Terra Cottage, 325 South St.
• Verve on Third, 217 S. Third St.

 
Film memorabilia
Show comes to Lyons

A Movie Memorabilia Show and film festival are planned from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 7, in Lyons.
Described as the only collectible show of its kind in Illinois, it ranges from vintage offerings to modern, spanning sci-fi/fantasy, foreign films, horror, classics, B-movies, anime, children’s, indies, cartoons and studio blockbusters. Dealers from around the country will buy, sell and trade hard-to-find and out-of-print DVDs, VHS tapes, movie soundtracks, posters, lobby cards, stills, press books, magazines, animation cels, books, postcards, scripts, autographs and old-time radio shows.
Sofiya Smirnova (www.imdb.com/name/nm2253395/) is scheduled to appear to meet and greet fans and talk about her latest film, “Coventry Lanes,” and what it was like to work on the new Batman movie, “The Dark Knight.”
Open Road Radio (www.openroadradio.com) will do a live radio broadcast on 9 FM (www.weplayanything.com). It is located on three different settings on the FM radio dial: 92.5 FM, 92.7 FM and 99.9 FM.
The show is held in the banquet room of P.J. Klems Restaurant, 8000 Ogden Ave., at Joliet Road and Ogden Avenue (Route 34).
Admission costs $6, and is free for children younger than 12. Dealers who would like to purchase tables or fans looking for more information including celebrity updates and discount tickets may call Frank Slabinak at (708) 257-8205 or visit www.moviememorabiliashow.com or www.moviesandrecords.com.
       

Larry Rossi
Musician to  span genres

RPM Creative Music presents an afternoon concert with Larry Rossi called “Songs and Stories,” featuring a collection of musical styles and moods.
Presented in St. Charles, the program begins at 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 14, and will include Rossi’s originals, along with exceptional old standards, some rock and jazz and the likes of artists such as Santana, The Beatles, Miles Davis and Bob Dylan. Added to the mix of this family concert will be some of Rossi’s down-home stories and quips.
The performance is in the St. Charles VFW Hall, 119 N. Third St. Admission costs $7, $5 for children 12 or younger. Tickets are available at www.larryrossi.org.