April 27 to May 4, 1996

Lentz Features Everyday Arts of Old Japan

Like common people everywhere, farmers and townspeople of old Japan embellished everyday objects, designed tools that were both handsome and functional, and made the most of inexpensive materials.

The Lentz Center for Asian Culture is hosting an exhibition of Japanese folk art, known as Mingei, through July. Nearly 100 items are included in the exhibition, most of which were collected by Peter and Ann Bleed in the 1960s and 70s. At that time, traditional objects were still in everyday use. With modernization and a new generation, many of Japan's old crafts have fallen into disuse and many of these pieces have become quite rare.

The Lentz Center will host an opening reception from 4 to 6 p.m. May 7, including a brief talk at 5 p.m. by Peter Bleed.

The character of Mingei art is best described by the word shibui, which refers to its qualities and subtlety, austerity, simplicity and directness. The term mingei was first used by Soetsu Yanagi. It is an abbreviation of a longer term meaning "the peoples' craft."

The Lentz Center for Asian Culture is in room 329 of Morrill Hall. In addition to this special exhibition, the permanent collection includes a survey of Asian art objects and is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 1:30 to 4 p.m. Sundays. Call 2-5841 for more information.

Displays/Exhibitions

• NASA Exhibit -- full-scale replica of the U.S.-provided modules for the International Space Station, East of Oldfather Hall. To May 1.
• It's Just Plain(s) Politics: Cartoons as Perceptions of the Regional and National Scenes, Great Plains Art Collection. To May 3.
• Department of Architecture sixth-year graduate studio exhibition of student work, gallery of Architecture Hall. From April 29 to May 10.
• In the Eye of the Storm: An Art of Conscience, 1930-1970 -- Selections from the Collection of Philip J. and Suzanne Schiller, Sheldon Gallery. To June 16.
• Ceramics: Pots, Plates, Vessels and Vases, Sheldon Gallery. To June 30.
• William Wiley: Seed Corn, Sheldon Gallery. To July 7.
• Mingei: Everyday Arts of Old Japan, Lentz Center. To July.
• Tales Told in Textiles, undergraduate and graduate student works, TCD Gallery, Home Economics Bldg., East Campus. Runs from April 28 to May 16.

Films

• April 27 & May 4, Persuasion, 1, 3, 7 & 9 p.m., Ross Film Theater. Contact: Ross Film Theater, 2-5353.
• April 28, Persuasion, 3, 5, 7 & 9 p.m., Ross Film Theater.
• May 2 & 3, Persuasion, 7 & 9 p.m., Ross Film Theater.

Lectures/Seminars

• April 29, Parenting in the 1990s: New Challenges, New Research lecture series -- "Across the Generations: A 30-Year Follow-Up of Teen-age Mothers and Their Children," Frank Furstenberg Jr., Univ. of Pennsylvania, 3:30 p.m., Regency Suite, Nebraska Union. Contact: Chris Wiklund, 2-3479.
• April 30, Center for Biological Chemistry Seminar -- LI-COR Distinguished Lecturer -- "DNA Structure, Triplet Repeats and Human Hereditary Neuromuscular Diseases," Bob Wells, Texas A&M, 3:30 p.m., E103 Beadle Center. Contact: Biochemistry, 2-2932.
• April 30, Plant Pathology Seminar -- "Pathogenic Variability in Uromyces appendiculatus," Carlos Araya, plant pathology graduate student, 4 p.m., 345 Keim Hall. Contact: Plant Pathology, 2-2858.
• May 3, Chemistry Colloquium -- Harris Award Lecture -- "Structural Basis for Molecular Communications," Sung-Hou Kim, Univ. of California, Berkeley, 3:30 p.m., 110 Hamilton Hall. Contact: Chemistry Dept., 2-3501.

Meetings

• April 30, Academic Senate Meeting, 2:30 p.m., Clifford Hardin NCCE. Contact: Academic Senate Office, 2-2573.
• May 2, Faculty Social Network Club meeting, 6 p.m., Nebraska Union. Contact: Nicolette Bonnstetter, 423-9138.

Miscellaneous

• April 27 & 28, National Astronomy Day activities with special exhibits by the Prairie Astronomy Club, Mueller Planetarium lobby. Contact: Mueller Planetarium, 2-2641.
• April 27, Conference -- "Two 'Home' Teams: Student-Athletes of Color in Predominantly White Institutions" , Clifford Hardin Nebraska Center for Continuing Education, East Campus. Contact: Dept. of Academic Conferences and Professional Programs (acpp@unl.edu), 2-2844.
• April 27, Communication Studies Interstate Oratory Tournament, , CBA Bldg./Cornhusker Hotel/William Jennings Bryan home. Contact: Communication Studies, 2-2070.
• April 27, 10th Annual Spring Affair -- "Plants and People -- Great Nebraska Traditions," 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., free, Nebraska State Fair Park. Contact: Roddy Spangler (rspangle@unlinfo.unl.edu), 2-9131.
• April 29, New Supervisor Orientation -- "10 Things Every Supervisor Needs to Know," registration required, 1:30 to 4:30 p.m., Nebraska Union. Contact: Human Resources to register, 2-3101.
• April 29, Retirement reception for Laura Casari, associate professor of Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communication, 2:30 p.m., Cottonwood Room, East Union. Contact: June Crockett, 2-2808.
• April 29, Retirement reception for Frank Kuhn, assistant director for Operations, Nebraska Union, 2:30 to 4 p.m., Regency Suite, Nebraska Union. Contact: Daryl Swanson, 2-2181.
• May 2, Retirement reception for Joseph Aguilar, professor, Curriculum and Instruction, 3:30 to 5:30 p.m., Georgian Suite, Nebraska Union. Contact: Sharon Rorie, 2-2231.
• May 3, Retirement reception for Richard Gilbert, chair, chemical engineering and Frank Ullman, professor, electrical engineering, 205N Walter Scott Engineering Center, 10 a.m. to noon. Contact: Electrical Engineering, 2-3771.
• May 4, A Tribute to Larry Lusk, social hour at 6 p.m., dinner at 7 p.m. (reservations required) in the Nebraska Union and program at 8 p.m. in Kimball Hall, 6 p.m., Nebraska Union/Kimball Hall. Contact: Barbara Wright-Chollet, 2-4225.

Performances

• April 27, Instrumental music from India by Shivkumar Sharma playing Santoor, 7 p.m., 119 Westbrook Music Building. Contact: Radha Balasubramanian (raag@unlinfo.unl.edu), 2-3827.
• April 28, Anonymous 4, 7 p.m., Kimball Hall. Contact: Lied Box Office, 2-4747.

Planetarium

• April 27, Planetarium Show -- "Space Stations," 10 & 11 a.m., 1, 2, 3 & 4 p.m., Mueller Planetarium. Contact: Mueller Planetarium, 2-2641.
• April 27, Laser Fantasies Show -- "Pink Floyd: The Wall," 7, 9 & 11 p.m., Mueller Planetarium.
• April 28, Planetarium Show -- "Space Stations," 2, 3 & 4 p.m., Mueller Planetarium.
• May 3 & 4, Laser Fantasies Show -- "The Cure," 8, 9:30 & 11 p.m., Mueller Planetarium.
• May 4, Planetarium Show -- "Moonwitch/The Apollo Missions," 2 p.m., Mueller Planetarium.

Sports

• April 27, Softball -- Nebraska vs. Texas Tech, 1 p.m., Followed by a game at 3 p.m., Nebraska Softball Complex. Contact: Athletic Ticket Office, 2-3111.
• April 28, Softball -- Nebraska vs. Texas Tech, noon, Nebraska Softball Complex.

For questions regarding these Scarlet pages, contact:
dtaurins@unlinfo.unl.edu
(402) 47(402) 47(402) 472-8518, Fax: (402) 47(402) 47(402) 472-7825