Arts come alive during Aurora University series
Aurora University continues its 2015-16 Celebrating Arts and Ideas series in March and April, featuring free music, film, lecture, theater and art events, all open to the public. Visit auartsandideas.com, email artsandideas@aurora.edu or call (630) 844-4924.
The series, now in its 10th year, combines cultural enrichment, creative expression and community engagement for the betterment of the Fox River Valley. The program includes the Faculty Speaker Series, Town Square Series, films, art exhibitions, lectures, theater productions and concerts.
• Attend a recital featuring pianist Wael Rafouk at noon Tuesday, March 22, in the Crimi Auditorium, 407 S. Calumet Ave. in Aurora. Farouk performs works by Romantic composers as part of a daylong celebration of piano at Aurora University.
• The Town Square Series continues with "Immigration Reform in the Land of Opportunity" at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 23, in the Crimi Auditorium. As the presidential election intensifies, so too does the rhetoric over immigration reform. In recent years, many opinions have been voiced and solutions have been proposed. This event features the perspectives of thought leaders in the fields of education, public policy, health care and business.
• Enjoy a recital featuring organist David Schrader at 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 1, in the Crimi Auditorium. Schrader returns to Aurora University for a concert featuring the auditorium pipe organ, Opus 119.
• The Academy Award-winning documentary "20 Feet from Stardom" by director Morgan Neville will be shown at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 5, in the Crimi Auditorium. The 2013 film shines a spotlight on the true story of the backup singers behind some of the greatest musical legends of the 21st century. An art exhibit and music performance will accompany the film. There will be a discussion led by Lisa Fredenburgh, associate professor of music.
• Kevin Gover (Pawnee), director of the National Museum of the American Indian at the Smithsonian Institution, will lead a presentation at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 7, in the Crimi Auditorium. Gover will discuss the issues that Native American communities wrestle with every day and how museums, the National Museum of the American Indian in particular, rise to the occasion to challenge the public's perception of natives and overcome long-standing beliefs and stereotypes.
• The spring play "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" will be April 15-16 and 20-23 at Perry Theatre, 349 S. Gladstone. When six quirky, socially awkward adolescents compete for Putnam County's highest honor, the real prize is learning that winning isn't everything.
• The Aurora University Band and Flute Ensemble will perform at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 27, at Crimi Auditorium. Concertgoers will hear a wide variety of genres, including classical and folk arrangements as well as concert and pep band music.
• The Aurora University Choirs with the Fox Valley Orchestra and Chorus will perform its spring concert at noon Friday, April 29, in the Crimi Auditorium. The final concert of the season features choral music followed by Schubert's monumental Mass No. 5 in Ab Major.
• "Cast Off: Michael Dinges and Companion Exhibit: Arctic Stories in Ivory" is on display now through Friday, May 6, at Schingoethe Center, 1315 Prairie St. in Aurora. In his scrimshaw and trench art series, Dinges addresses issues of globalization, consumerism and object permanence through the exploration of mankind's relationship with the objects we create.