December 4, 2003

Blue Resist Whole Cloth quilt, maker unknown, possibly made in eastern United States, circa 1790-1830. From the International Quilt Study Center Ardis and Robert James Collection. This quilt is one of many on display at the Lentz Center for Asian Culture with the "Indigo Gives America the Blues" exhibition.

Exhibition features 'Blues' in America

The next Lentz Center for Asian Culture exhibition will feature "Indigo Gives America the Blues," a group of American quilts from the International Quilt Study Center's collections made from indigo-dyed fabrics and examples of international indigo-dyed textiles including sarongs from Indonesia, kimonos from Japan and palampores, or printed bedcovers, from India. Chinese and Japanese blue and white ceramics from the collection of the Lentz Center for Asian Culture will accompany the quilts and textiles.

The exhibition will run from Dec. 5 to Feb. 29 at the Lentz Center, located at Hewit Place, 1155 Q St.

Special events are scheduled throughout the exhibition. At the opening at 5 p.m. Dec. 5, the exhibition's curator, Nao Nomura, will lead a gallery talk in the Lentz Center.

Yoshika Wada, an internationally renowned textile artist and author of Memory on Cloth: Shibori Now, will present a public lecture at 9 a.m. Jan. 28 in Room 11 of the Home Economics Building. Wada will discuss the history of Japanese dyeing techniques and their influence on contemporary textiles.

At 1 p.m. Jan. 31, Jay Rich, indigo dyer and fiber artist, will demonstrate indigo dyeing techniques in the foyer of the Lentz Center.

The Lentz Center for Asian Culture is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays and 1:30-4 p.m. Sundays. All events are free and open to the public with a suggested donation of $2.

For more information, visit <http://quiltstudy.unl.org> or <www.unl.edu/lentz>, or contact Carolyn Ducey at 472-6301 or <cducey1@unl.edu>.

'Amahl' opera takes stage Dec. 4, 14

The School of Music at UNL, Lincoln Public Schools, and Friends of Opera will present three performances of Amahl and the Night Visitors by Gian Carlo Menotti.

The first performance will be at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 4 at Lincoln High School, 2229 J St., with the second and third performances at 1:30 and 4 p.m. Dec. 14 at Lincoln Southwest High School, 7001 S. 14th St.

The story of the opera involves the journey of the Three Wise Men and its message about the true spirit of giving. The opera was written for television and was first broadcast on NBC on Dec. 24, 1951. Its stage premier was Feb. 21, 1952.

Daniel Niati and Mike Foley, both middle school students, are cast as Amahl. The chorus at each high school will consist of outstanding music students from that school. All other participants will be from the UNL School of Music. Opera students will sing the major adult roles, with Ryan Powell as Kaspar, Jeff Keele as Melchior, Will Stowell as Balthazar, Briana Donley and Amy Guevara as the mother and David Potter as the page. William Shomos, UNL opera director, will direct the production. Peter Eklund, director of choral activities at UNL, will conduct the instrumental ensemble. The performance is an hour long and will be sung in English.

For more information, call Jan Gradwohl at 423-4674 or the UNL School of Music public relations office at 472-6865.

Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for students and seniors. Advance tickets are available through the Lied Center box office, 472-4747 or (800) 432-3231. Tickets will also be available at the door the day of the performance.

Band to perform 'Lord of the Rings'

The UNL School of Music presents the UNL Symphonic Band at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 4 at Kimball Recital Hall.

The band will present Symphony No. 1, "The Lord of the Rings" by Johan de Meij. The piece premiered in Brussels on March 15, 1988, and was awarded first prize in the Sudler International Wind Band composition contest of 1989. The symphony is based on J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy trilogy The Lord of the Rings. The symphony consists of five movements, each illustrating a personage or an important episode from the trilogy: I. Gandalf [The Wizard]; II. Lothlorien [The Elvenwood]; III. Gollum [Smèagol]; IV. Journey In The Dark: a. The Mines of Moria; b. The Bridge of Khazad-Dom, and V. Hobbits.

Tickets are $5 general admission, $3 for students and seniors, and are available at the door. For more information call 472-6865 or visit <www.unl.edu/music>.

Press displays jackets, journals

The University of Nebraska Press is hosting the 2003 Association of American University Presses Book Jacket and Journal Show through Dec. 15. The show is available for viewing at the Press' offices on the third floor at 233 N. 8th St. from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. The public is invited to drop in and view this traveling exhibit of award-winning designs from university presses across the country, including the University of Nebraska Press.

A reception to celebrate the exhibit will be at 3 p.m. Dec. 11. UNP designer Richard Eckersley will give brief remarks.

For more information, call 472-7946.

Auditions set for 'Drive' role

UNL Theatre's University Theatre will hold auditions for the role of Uncle Peck in its February production of How I Learned to Drive from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 6 in Howell Theatre.

Those auditioning should be 40-45 years old or able to play that age. More information can be found at <www.unl.edu/prodmgr> or by calling production stage manager Brad Buffum at 472-1620.

Rehearsals will begin Jan. 12. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 19-21 and 25-28 in Howell Theatre.

Pottery sale planned

The UNL Clay Club will offer its biannual Pottery Sale from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Dec. 12 and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 13 in Room 118 of Richards Hall.

All of the work for sale is made by UNL ceramic graduate and undergraduate students.

Woodwind trio to play

The Moran Woodwind Trio from the UNL School of Music will perform at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 10 at Kimball Recital Hall.

This performance brings together UNL faculty members William McMullen, oboe; Diane Cawein Barger, clarinet; and Albie Micklich, bassoon.

Tickets are $5, $3 for students and seniors, and are available at the door. Call 472-6865.

Coming soon to the Ross

These movies will play at the Mary Riepma Ross Media Arts Center from Dec. 5-18. Show times are available at <www.theross.org> or by calling 472-5353.

Pieces of April stars Katie Holmes as April Burns, the black sheep of her family who has left suburbia for a Lower East Side tenement. Still trying to win her family's affections, she invites her parents, grandmother, brother and sister to her apartment for Thanksgiving dinner and makes do with a broken oven and bizarre neighbors. Rated PG-13.

The documentary The Weather Underground focuses on the radical political activist group the Weathermen, who organized in the 1960s to protest the Vietnam War and believed they needed to take violent action. The group organized bombings, which ended up putting the group on the FBI's Most Wanted list. In turn, the organization split up and went underground, trying to avoid persecution while continuing to plan violent protests.

In addition, the Ross will show Uncovered: The Whole Truth about the Iraq War at 6 p.m. Dec. 7. The documentary presents interviews with more than 20 experts including former CIA officials and weapons inspectors detailing the distortion of intelligence and the "spin and hype" presented to the American people, the Congress and the press to support the war in Iraq. Some interviewed supported the war but are concerned about the way information was misused and are now speaking up.