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Humanities
 
 
Cultural Events
 
The Humanities Program provides us with an opportunity to study the achievements of past cultures and to consider, in the main, the highpoints of their artistic, societal, and cultural achievements. We benefit by studying the record of past cultural successes and failures and can trace the evidence of our forebears' struggles to understand their place in the universe down through the ages to our own moment in time.
 
The humanities focuses on the art, literature, architecture, and the social and religious activities of the peoples that created our Western tradition. All of our present-day institutions are built on the foundations that we will spend the next two semesters examining. Though not the only source of our intellectual, political, and social vitality, we are strongly connected to a relentless, western cultural flow that is featured in our syllabus.
 
To better understand our dependence on the humanistic legacy of the past, it is appropriate for all of us to experience the richness of our present culture and to reflect on its connections to the humanistic traditions of the past. In addition to in-class activity, Humanities students are expected to attend three campus or community cultural events with Humanities-related content.
 
For each chosen event, students will:
  • arrive on time and stay until the end of the event;
  • write a 250-300 word written response to the event.
The written response should (1) provide the name of the event and where and when it took place; (2) a description of the highlights of the performance/presentation; and (3) a statement on how material presented relates to our study of the Humanities (for example, you might comment on how a work of art, music, or literature reflects that specific characteristics of a period we have studied).
 
Finally, the written response must be submitted to your instructor within two class meeting days from the date of the event. There are several starting points - generally in the West Michigan area - that can serve to provide us with at least three cultural experiences during the course of this semester.
 
The following is the Cultural Events Calendar for the 2010 Spring Semester:
Date/Time Event Location/Additional Information

Jan. 27- Mar.19

Open weekdays at 10 a.m.

Enduring Traditions: History and Meaning in Southwest Pueblo Indian Pottery: Selections from the Public Museum (GR, MI)

Grand Valley State University Art Gallery

1121 Performing Arts Center, 1 Campus Drive

Allendale Campus

(616) 331-2563

Cost: Free!

>>Enduring Traditions
Jan. 29 - April 18
Tues. - Thurs. & Sat
10 a.m. to 5 p.m.;
Fri. 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.;
Sun. Noon to 5 p.m.; Closed Mondays 		GRAM presents:
Calder Jewelry 		Grand Rapids Art Museum
101 Monroe Center
Grand Rapids, MI 49503
Adults $8, College Students with ID $7
>>Calder Jewelry
Feb. 26- Mar. 21
7:30 p.m.
Sundays at 2 p.m.		 Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat with music by Andrew Lloyd Weber

Grand Rapids Civic Theatre
Adults: $30 / $28 / $16;
Children/ Students: $16

>>About
March 19 & 20, 8 p.m. GRS presents: Monteverdi Vespers Cathedral of Saint Andrew
265 Sheldon Blvd. SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49503
$22
>>Concert Info

Mar. 20

9 a.m.- 3 p.m.

 A Grand Dialogue in Science and Religion Conference w/ keynote speaker B. Alan Wallace

Loosemore Auditorium, DeVos Center

401 W. Fulton

GVSU Pew Grand Rapids Campus

Free, with option of $5 lunch

>>Grand Dialogue
Mar. 26, 7:30 p.m. Folias Flute and Guitar Duo

Aquinas College Kretschmer Recital Hall

Cost: Free!

>>>More info about the band

Mar. 28 & Apr. 11

2:30 p.m.

 2010 Chiaroscuro Film Series-- "The Muses"

Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts

41 Sheldon SE

Grand Rapids MI

>>Film Series Official Site
March 28, 3 p.m. Spring Choral Concert feat. the College Chorus, Chamber Choir, & Valenti Handbell Ensemble Basilica of Saint Adalbert
671 Davis Avenue NW
Grand Rapids, MI 49504
Cost: Free!
March 30, 12:30 p.m. "Teaching Spatial Logic in 3-D Design; or, Art Is Not As  Scatterbrained As You Might Think" by Kurt Kaiser Aquinas College Lecture Series
Wege Ballroom
Cost: Free!

April 6

7-8 p.m.

 Author Greg Mortenson to speak about book, "Three Cups of Tea"

GVSU Fieldhouse

1 Campus Drive
Allendale, MI 49401

(616) 331-8100

Cost: Free!

>>About Mortenson
April 7, 8 p.m. Contemporary Writer's Series presents playwright George Brandt

Aquinas Performing Arts Center
Cost: Free!

>>About Brandt
April 8-10 at 8 p.m.
April 11 at 2 p.m.		 Any Other Name by George Brandt Aquinas Performing Arts Center
Ticket prices: TBA

April 8-10

showtimes vary

 Latin American Film Festival

Wealthy Theatre

1130 Wealthy St SE

Grand Rapids, MI 49506

Cost: Free!

>>>Showtimes & details
April 13, 12:30 p.m. "Richard Wagner's Courageous Return to the Forgotten Middle Ages" by Ralph Vunderink Aquinas College Lecture Series
Wege Ballroom
Cost: Free
April 14, 12:30 p.m. Performance poet Herbert Martin as Paul Laurence Dunbar

Aquinas College Humanities Department

Kretschmer Hall

Cost: Free

>>>About Martin
 
You are free to individually choose at least three activities from the following area institutions:
Grand Rapids Web links to Cultural Institutions:
Other Entertainment Sources...
  • The Saint formerly the AQ Times (published twice monthly during the academic year)
  • Grand Rapids Press Weekend Magazine (available in the Grand Rapids Press every Thursday)
1607 Robinson Road S.E., Grand Rapids, MI 49506-1799 - (616) 632-8900
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