14 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
(04/16/10 5:10am)
In some parts of the world, submerging one’s head in water is considered torture. To graduate student Emily Scott Beck, it’s art.Beck’s work is featured in the “New Currents in Contemporary Art” exhibition with the work of three other graduate students in the Ackland Art Museum.Despite working with metals, jewelry and sculpting as an undergraduate, Beck decided to use audio and video for all her graduate work. She said it helped her better express what she was trying to say.“Building these large sculptures all of a sudden felt kind of silly,” Beck said. “I was making these big grandiose sculptures to say something, but I wasn’t really saying it. I was just making a sculpture to hide what I was saying.”One of her new works, “Churn,” features video of several women speaking their hidden thoughts while submerged in water.“I was actually working on another piece that was about being a woman, and it just felt so hard to talk about. Every time I was speaking about that piece, I just felt like I was choking on my words,” Beck said.This gave Beck the idea of speaking under water and observing how water can choke and limit people’s hearing.“It’s very fresh. It’s very creative. It’s very honest. It has a sense of humor to it with a very strong underlying message,” said Jim Hirschfield, her graduate adviser and a UNC art professor for 22 years.Beck said she wasn’t afraid to be part of her art. She is featured in several pieces, including “Churn” and a phone call audio piece.“It’s more just my curiosity about life and what we go through and how we feel about certain things. Having people being willing to share that with me is awesome, and I’ll often share that with the viewer,” she said.On a pedestal in the exhibition is a sticky note with the phone number 1-800-704-3596. Beck said most people are not sure what to do with it, but the intention is to have viewers call the number and listen to an audio piece of phone conversation excerpts from her life.“It shows the monotony of daily conversation but also the way we comfort each other and talk about issues in life,” Beck said.When the number is dialed, Beck greets the caller as if she were engaged in a conversation. It progresses into clips of different phone conversations, with repetition of words like “wow,” “yeah” and “right” to give the sense of everyday speech.All of Beck’s pieces revolve around the idea of human interaction and how people conduct it in different ways.“I’ve been thinking about the concept of communication and how we shield certain aspects of our identity because we’re scared of being too vulnerable. On the other hand, how we sort of project a certain façade while sometimes feeling something differently on the inside,” she said.In another piece, four men in their 30s individually share experiences on video, and Beck manipulates the footage to show the similarities of their conversations and actions, such as scratching their noses.“I like how she manipulates conversation and language. It shows how people are different but at the same time similar and connected,” freshman Chad Rappleyea said while perusing the exhibit.Next year, Beck wants to focus on making art and getting into museums. Hirschfield said he thought she would succeed post-graduation.“When Emily has an idea, she pursues it and pursues it to its conclusion. She’s not just satisfied with ‘It’s OK.’ For her, it has to be excellent. There’s no step along the way where she takes a shortcut. That’s pretty amazing,” he said.Contact the Arts Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.
(03/22/10 3:03am)
Pipe cleaners, streamers, boxes, paint and imagination created endless possibilities for tasks Saturday night.More than 300 people participated in artist-in-residence Oliver Herring’s TASK, an interactive art performance, on Saturday night in Gerrard Hall. The event lasted for six hours, but participants could come and go.A DJ spun techno music as participants completed chaotic and random tasks.Students, children and community members submitted and performed tasks such as crowd surfing, doing the Hokey Pokey and untangling a 37-person human knot.After they completed a task, they would write a new task, add it to the collection and draw another.“I love that it’s so interactive and how it’s such an experiment in how humans interact with each other,” senior Laura Ritchie said.While the turnout was strong, Herring said he was not concerned with numbers and that his events can never succeed or fail.“It’s seems to me like they’re having a hell of a good time. And based on that, I would say it was very successful,” he said.Herring said he doesn’t participate in TASK events to avoid interfering with the experience. Instead, he follows and films participants throughout the event.“It’s not really about me. There’s nothing I get out of it but the experience. It’s really your event, the students’ event, whoever participates. If they get something out of it then that’s all that matters, really,” he said.Herring, the original developer of TASK events, said they now take place without his knowledge all over the country.“I love it. I think it really is fantastic. It’s a tool accessible to anybody,” he said.Most of the materials were donated by the Scrap Exchange, an arts center in Durham that uses recycled and repurposed materials to create art.Cary Levine, assistant professor of contemporary art history, worked with Herring to construct the event. “You can see how materials are used in one thing and then get reused and reprocessed within the event itself to be many different things during the course of the six hours,” Levine said.He said he was pleased with the process-oriented experiment.“It’s more about the experience, about being here, being creative, being spontaneous and improvisational rather than a finished work of art,” Levine said.
(02/15/10 5:20am)
Arts Verdict: 3.5 of 5 Stars
(11/11/09 5:25am)
Sitting in a room watching a naked person for several hours is usually considered reprehensible, but for more some art students it’s integral to their grade.In life drawing classes at UNC and in the community, nude models pose while students surround them with easels, drawing their figures.“It’s interesting to see someone make art out of something normal, like a naked body,” said Eloise Stancioff, a senior who nude models for the Carrboro ArtsCenter.“The way they draw you is usually not how you see yourself, so it’s interesting to see someone else’s perspective.”She said students never seem nervous to draw her.“I don’t think it’s a big deal. Everyone’s naked at some point in their life,” Stancioff said.Dennis Zaborowski, who has taught Life Drawing at UNC for 41 years, said students today are much more comfortable with a nude model than they were 30 years ago, when the room was so silent that he could hear a pin drop.The current model for the class, Keith, who asked to only give his first name, has been modeling part-time for 10 years. Pay varies, and models usually make $30 for a two-hour session at the ArtsCenter.“You get better at it with time. But it can be hard,” he said in reference to retaining a pose when his hands and feet start falling asleep.The ArtsCenter offers a range of life drawing classes that are open to the public. Artists can take the class with or without an instructor for four or six sessions.The UNC art department also offers a similar class, Art 214 Life Drawing. The class is constantly over-enrolled, and students pursuing an art major are given priority registration for the class.Art 314, Life Drawing II, is a more advanced course. Both classes are held in the same room at the same time but have different assignments.Though all the students are viewing the same model, they can have very different interpretations.Annie Clontz, a senior double major in art and Asian studies, depicts all the models as cartoons.Zaborowski said he prefers novice artists to draw from still life, instead of photographs, so live models are essential.He said models come in all different races, body types and ages.“There is no such thing as a model not worth drawing; everyone is interesting,” Zaborowski said.Contact the Arts Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.
(10/30/09 3:19am)
While Halloween is usually associated with scariness, the Chapel Hill Improv Players hope to kick the weekend off with laughter.Chips will be performing its first full show of the school year at 8 p.m. tonight in Hamilton 100 with tickets for $6.“It’s going to be a crazy wonderful weekend, and there’s no better way to start it off than laughing your mask off,” said John Reitz, the co-artistic director of Chips.This night of comedy will contain Halloween elements with sketches and some new short-form games.The improv group has done theme sketches in the past. During basketball season, they performed a Chips Madness sketch in honor of March Madness.“We try to make our shows relevant to whatever’s going on,” said Robert Stephens, the director of Chips.Reitz said he felt the Chips performance had an advantage over other Halloween-related events taking place at the same time.“Improv is a unique experience. What you’re going to see in the show is going to happen one time and one time only,” he said.Chips encouraged the audience to dress up in a Halloween costume for the event. There is $1 off the regular $6 admission for people wearing costumes or who bring fliers for the show with them.Stephens said he thought costume participation would benefit the show.“Improv and comedy shows rely a lot on the energy of the audience. It helps if people are already in that creative, optimistic mind-set,” Stephens said.“If they’re dressing up they already have that energy.”While the group has done performances around holidays, it is rare for the group to have a holiday theme event to this extent.“We depend on the audience to create what we’re making,” Reitz said. “It’s a party. Everyone’s invited; everyone’s involved.”Stephens said he remained optimistic for the turnout of the event, despite competition from other groups.“So far with all the flier-ing, the Facebook group and word-of-mouth, I think we’re going to have a pretty good crowd,” he said.“I think that Halloween and all of our publicity will make it a sold-out show.”Reitz said having a larger audience would create a more energetic event.“Laughter is contagious, so for that reason, the more the merrier,” he said.“It is frightening how funny this show is going to be.”Contact the Arts Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.
(09/17/09 2:25am)
A stage, chairs and suggestions are all the Upright Citizens Brigade need to entertain.The brigade is an improv comedy group with theaters in New York City and Los Angeles.The Carolina Union Activities Board will host the UCB touring company, a program within the brigade, with the Chapel Hill Players as the opening act.“UCB is one of the best improv theaters in the nation, so it’s guaranteed to be really funny,” said Sam Morgan, comedy committee chairman for CUAB. “Bringing their touring company here was an opportunity I didn’t want to miss.”Past brigade performers include Amy Poehler of “Saturday Night Live,” Ed Helms of “The Daily Show” and “The Office” and Horatio Sanz of “Saturday Night Live.”Members of the theater have performed at the DSI Comedy Festival in the past, but the touring company has never performed in Chapel Hill, though the group has ties here. Anthony King, a UNC alumnus, is the group’s current artistic director.“I think people will come to see something they can’t normally see here in Chapel Hill with a national act such as UCB,” Morgan said.Since nationally famous groups like the brigade do not frequent the area often, CHiPs has not had many opportunities to open for such famed acts, said John Reitz, co-artistic director of CHiPs.Morgan said he expects the turnout to completely fill the 380 seats of the Great Hall. He expects that fans will come for both CHiPs and the brigade. The show is CHiPs’ first of the academic year.“And you’ll never know what it’s going to be about because that’s the nature of improv,” Morgan said.Improv is different from other types of performance art because the actors develop the piece from scratch.“Improv done well is as good as a written performance,” said Neil Casey, a performer with the brigade who is part of the touring group.“It’s just as funny and fun to watch.”Upright Citizens Brigade practices long-form improv, which has no pre-planned games or rules before a performance. They pioneered this technique during the early ‘90s in Chicago.“We improvise in a way that is grounded and truthful and not something cheap,” Casey said.He said he felt the brigade excelled at giving students a unique comedic experience.“You are watching something that has never been seen and will never be seen again,” Casey said. “Knowing that and watching it is special.”Contact the Arts Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.
(09/08/09 5:11am)
Several theater and performance groups on and around campus are hoping to attract students to their shows though discounted and free ticket packages.Carolina Performing Arts, PlayMakers Repertory Company, Lab! Theatre and Duke Performances offer an array of discounts through single ticket prices and package deals.“Having discounts for students is something we feel is important,” said Connie Mahan, director of marketing and press for PlayMakers. “The group has sold more tickets this year than at the same time last year.” PlayMakers receives funding from student fees, but that does not go toward offsetting the cost of discounted student tickets, Mahan said.This season, the performance groups cater to many different interests with a diversity of artists.One of the highest-profile acts will be Ravi and Anoushka Shankar, who are famed for bringing Indian style into Western music. They will perform in October as part of the Carolina Performing Arts season.CPA has an overall global theme for the year but still includes the traditional Nutcracker show in December.Lab! shows are free to students and community members. The group has two shows every semester.“We choose to have free shows to enrich the community. We want to provide an experience that people don’t experience otherwise,” said Lab! producer Sarah Berk.PlayMakers offers full stage shows and smaller shows as part of the PRC2 series. Duke Performances offer discounts to all area college students with valid student identification.The box office has sold more than 100 preseason college discounted tickets this year, said Ken Rumble, director of marketing.“Ticket sales across the board have gone up significantly. Last fall the economic situation was more recent, where as now people are adjusting to that to some degree,” he said.Contact the Arts Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.
(04/15/09 4:00am)
The sounds of North American music resonated in Gerrard Hall on Tuesday night.North American culture was the focus of the second day of ""The Sounds of Globalism"" educational festival this week.An audience of about 40 came to listen and learn about the folk music.The evening began with Brevard's The Mason Jar Drinkers" a folk group from Brevard College near Asheville.The trio performed folk music from the 1920s and '30s utilizing a cello guitar" harmonica and pan flutes.Group member Steven Acker said everyone should be interested in folk music.""People should listen to folk music mainly because of the heritage. It's part of everyone's history no matter where you're from"" he said. It's part of the history of this area — and people just don't realize it.""The event covered folk music originating from Native Americans" slaves and the white working class. Senior Meredith McCoy started the festival in an effort to inform people of the importance of folk music in a growing globalized society.McCoy said she thought that though North America is a continent familiar to many" people could still learn a lot about its music.""People are most familiar with it" and so what we're trying to do tonight is show them a part of North American music they don't hear all the time she said.The first evening of the festival focused on the Middle and Near East and drew about 60 people.McCoy said she has been happy with the turnout thus far and was optimistic about the rest of the week.I think as word of mouth travels over the course of the week more and more people will come" she said.The second guest of the evening was a lecture from Glenn Hinson, associate professor of anthropology and folklore.He spoke about how folk music is stereotyped in a certain way depending on its style and region of origin.Hinson said folk music was any song that identified with a community and was not limited to a certain sound.The night concluded with a performance by Native American singer Pura Fé, who lived in North Carolina for years.Christy Oxendine, a sophomore of Native American descent, said she enjoyed Pura Fé's performance the most out of the evening.A lot of her songs were about stories she's been through" about her life she said. Songs about experiences are really indicative of Native American culture" that's something represented in our culture well.""Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
(03/25/09 4:00am)
Monkeys mermaids and Tyler Hansbrough were featured in plays Tuesday on Polk Place. In an event hosted by the Carolina Union Activities Board students made puppet likenesses of animals mythical creatures and celebrities to perform plays with them in front of a video camera.The performances of the day included several creative acts" such as a love story between a lamp and an ice-cream cone and a romance between pop singer Lady GaGa and a sheriff.CUAB hosted ""Puppets in Polk Place"" to provide students an opportunity to take a break from their day and have a good time" said Gabriella Miyares" campus voices chairwoman of CUAB.The idea for an afternoon of puppet-making and plays was derived from CUAB's research of odd holidays.""My committee was discussing ways to commemorate unusual holidays and we found a day in February called ‘Tell a Fairy Tale Day""'"" Miyares said.CUAB was unable to host the event in February" but decided to have a puppet show at a later date.Miyares said she was pleased with the smaller" yet cozy turnout.""It's been pretty small" but I think that everyone who's come has had a really good time" she said.Elena Fenu, a first-year, said she was not originally planning on attending the event until she passed by it. I like it because you get to make stuff with your hands and act silly"" she said.Fenu's puppets included Elvis, an emo kid"" and Rameses. Although the puppet program provided much amusement"" it did so at a lower price than a typical CUAB event due to its use of recycled material for puppet supplies.""Most of the things that we used were actually recycled from other programs" Miyares said. Not counting the flyers we put out" it cost $10.""Supplies for the puppets consisted of paper lunch bags" markers glitter googly eyes pom-poms construction paper and scissors. Miyares said CUAB is discussing turning the puppet footage into a film" but she said she was glad people had fun.""I hope people get a warm feeling and can interact with each other in a creative way"" she said. That's the idea — to help people realize that they can take a little time out and indulge their creativity.""Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
(03/04/09 5:00am)
It was no wonder as to why the New York Philharmonic sold out Tuesday's concert at Memorial Hall.Carolina Performing Arts hosted an enthusiastic audience that was buzzing with anticipation before the event began.The orchestra's well-known name and related prestige even brought attendees unfamiliar with classical music.Ashley Parr a UNC first-year" said she had little experience with classical music before the concert but would consider listening to it more frequently pending her experience.""I feel like I could get into classical music more if I really like the concert"" she said.Stephanie Bellendir, a UNC graduate student, has been a long-time fan of classical music, but this was her first time to an orchestral concert. At first I was a little bit surprised" but not really" she said. Who wouldn't want to see the New York Philharmonic?""The New York Philharmonic will also give ""master classes"" to music students.John Danello" a UNC first-year plays in the UNC Symphony Orchestra. He will attend a master class Wednesday with Philip Smith" the orchestra's principal trumpet.""Having time to spend with someone who is terrifically musical will be able to shed wonderful insight to help me in my playing" Danello said. The steeper price of tickets did nothing to deter more than 700 students who piled into the hall to witness this experience.Bellendir's eagerness to see the prestigious ensemble was not hindered by the $35 student ticket prices.I think it was OK. I mean I think it was pretty fair she said.Danello said he felt the price was a great bargain for students.If I were to go to New York and hear the concert a comparable ticket would cost me upwards of $100" he said.The general audience paid up to $120 for seats. Buyer's remorse was not a problem judging by the numerous encores performed after fervent applauding.Graceful crescendos, dramatic pauses and changes in style all pieced together to create an enchanting concert. The magnitude of talent in their final piece, Symphony No. 4" might have impressed Tchaikovsky himself.They are playing familiar music that people can recognize and enjoy" Danello said.Conductor Lorin Maazel also showcased his talents. His presence was commanding, with an ease and flow to his gestures that exudes years of experience.The level of talent in the orchestra is amazing" perfection from all the players and from Lorin Maazel as well" Danello said. Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.ATTEND TODAY'S CONCERTTime: 7:30 p.m. todayLocation: Memorial HallInfo: www.carolinaperformingarts.org
(02/11/09 5:00am)
Australian singer-songwriter Lenka will bring her own contagious brand of indie-pop to UNC tonight with her anticipated performance at the Great Hall.Advance ticket sales indicate a strong turnout for the performance. About 250 tickets — half of capacity — have been sold.The concert is a stop on the electro-acoustic pop artist's tour for her self-titled debut.Students might recognize Lenka's catchy tunes from the soundtracks to popular television shows" including ""Grey's Anatomy"" Dirt"" and ""Ugly Betty.""Lenka is a former actress who performed in several indie films. While still in Australia"" she trained with actress Cate Blanchett.In the movie ""Somersault"" Lenka was asked to sing, and thus her singing career began.Her music is infectious. You can't listen to her music without getting it stuck into your head"" said Adele Ricciardi, music committee chairwoman of the Carolina Union Activities Board, which is hosting the event.Tom Allin, president of CUAB, also said the music would appeal to a large audience.It's the kind of music that is pretty accessible regardless of familiarity"" he said.He said the $5 student ticket price was a bargain for devoted fans and curious music lovers alike. Tickets are $15 for the general public.We thought it would be such a fun show that we wanted to make sure that as many students who wanted to or were even partially interested would be able to come.""Since the artist's popularity is on the rise"" the prices of her concerts could eventually go up.""We want to expose people to a new up-and-coming artist who won't be so easy and cheap to see in the future" Allin said.Allin and Ricciardi said they are optimistic about ticket sales and are hoping the concert will sell out. Tickets will be sold today at the Union box office through the start of the show.Ricciardi said the show fits perfectly into CUAB's schedule.We were looking for international artists and a female artist. And Lenka being from Australia and fitting both of these categories was an instant fit for everyone on the board she said.She said the show will be an enjoyable way for students to relax and begin the weekend.It's in the middle of the first wave of exams. Everyone needs something to relax and with Valentine's Day being this week the nature of her music is perfect for the atmosphere we're providing for the show" she said. HEAR LENKA PERFORMTime: 7 p.m. todayLocation: Great Hall located in the Student UnionInfo: www.lenkamusic.comContact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
(11/12/08 5:00am)
The world-renowned orchestra performance started with surprise — Emil Kang UNC director for the arts announced that maestro Valery Gergiev decided to rearrange the entire program for the evening.The Kirov Orchestra of the Mariinsky Theatre performed its first of two concerts Tuesday night in Memorial Hall presented by Carolina Performing Arts.In his introduction Kang compared picking a favorite performance of the season to picking a favorite child — almost impossible. He then admitted he has been looking forward to this performance more than all others in the Carolina Performing Arts' 2008 season.The Kirov Orchestra passionately and flawlessly played every piece.Even with nearly a third of the house empty the orchestra delivered a magical performance — Gergiev lived up to his famous name.Gergiev's conducting transformed with each piece from his hands swaying gently to his staccato arm movements exciting the audience.Some in the audience swayed along with the powerful music bobbing their head in a mesmerized stare.While the music filled the room with melodic harmonies and frenzied excitement watching the orchestra itself was a intriguing performance.Although the concert ended an hour late because of several standing ovations few seemed to mind.Carolina Performing Arts recently decided to dramatically lower ticket prices for the shows because the orchestra had not sold as many tickets as Carolina Performing Arts expected.Today's concert seems more promising for attendance with nearly 1000 tickets sold and about 450 left.Kristina Koford a graduate student at UNC" said she was not surprised by the emotional performance.""I originally wasn't planning on attending" but read a review in The New York Times and decided to come" she said.She said she paid the $10 for her ticket, the new lower price, and would not have attended at full price of $35.Senior William Yopp said he regularly listens to classical music. Unlike Koford, he paid the original $35, but was not too upset about the price change.Yopp also said he took a Russian history class that sparked his interest in the Mariinsky Theatre.He said he thought the show would sell quickly and had not expected the price to be decreased.I was really excited about it. I thought it was a good choice and knew it was a good orchestra"" Yopp said. ATTEND THE SECOND CONCERTTime: 7:30 p.m. todayLocation: Memorial HallInfo: www.carolinaperformingarts.orgContact the Arts Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.
(11/10/08 5:00am)
Slow ticket sales forced Carolina Performing Arts to decrease its prices for tickets to a world-renowned orchestra. There are more than 1000 tickets still available for Kirov Orchestra's performances today and tomorrow at Memorial Hall.Tickets for the general public started at $45 and went up to $100 for premium seats. Last week Memorial Hall lowered prices to the range of $35 to $55. Student tickets were originally $35 but are now $10 the usual price for Carolina Performing Arts events.According to Carolina Performing Arts ticket policy no ticket purchased at a higher price will be refunded.The performances which cost Carolina Performing Arts $2500 were planned two years ago. Emil Kang UNC's executive director for the arts made a personal visit to St. Petersburg Russia to book the orchestra. He even had to pull out a map to show the location of North Carolina in relation to Miami and Washington" D.C.Kang said those not familiar with classical music might not realize the significance of the orchestra's performance.""For anyone interested in the world" this orchestra is on the cutting edge of classical music" he said.It is an incredible compliment to our community that this orchestra and this conductor would come here.""The orchestra's performances at UNC are unique because it is only one of two locations where they will perform more than once. Each night will have a different program"" both with excerpts from ""Cinderella"" and ""Romeo and Juliet" both Russian pieces.When they are playing Russian music that is what they're closest to" said Tonu Kalam, UNC Symphony Orchestra director. Their heart and soul comes from that repertoire.""They are particularly skilled at orchestration" at using the instruments in a colorful way" he said, also characterizing the orchestra's sound as brilliant, transparent and colorful.Kalam said one of orchestra's most well-known features is its director, Valery Gergiev, who has a strong following and a resume to match.Gergiev boasts conductor status at not only the Kirov Orchestra, but also the London Symphony Orchestra and The Metropolitan Opera.Because of this, Kalam said there is always powerful excitement when people realize the world-renowned director is coming.It has become a magical name because of his personality and his very strong musical profile"" Kalam said. He is a very individualistic interpreter.""He added that music can be used as a common language.""Music is one way of bridging cultures. It is a nonverbal art form that anyone can grasp"" he said. ATTEND THE CONCERTTime: 7:30 p.m. today and WednesdayLocation: Memorial HallInfo: carolinaperformingarts.orgContact the Arts Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.
(10/29/08 4:00am)
To help enhance the Ackland Art Museum's fiftieth anniversary" the museum will discuss the literature of a UNC alumnus who has become one of the most popular poets in history.Today and Thursday" the museum will host its ""Art and Literature in the Galleries"" event"" where fiction and poetry published in 1958 will be discussed. The event comes as part of the Ackland's ""Circa 1958: Breaking Ground in American Art"" series.This week's literature consists of Lawrence Ferlinghetti's ""A Coney Island of the Mind.""As the ninth installment of the literature series" which started in Jan. 2006" Ferlinghetti's poetry will diverge from previously discussed poetry.The discussions are open to the public and consist of roughly 20 people per discussion. They are facilitated by an Ackland educator and one UNC faculty member.""It's like the art — it's breaking new ground"" said Leslie Balkany, Ackland Art Museum educator. Things were being written that were unlike things written before in America.""This is not the first time Ferlinghetti's work has been shown at UNC. Ferlinghetti graduated with a bachelor's degree in journalism in 1941 and also wrote for The Daily Tar Heel.His collection of poetry"" ""A Coney Island of the Mind"" is one of the best selling books of poetry ever written, with more than 1 million copies printed.Ferlinghetti's poetry does not follow the standard line and rhythm of traditional poetry"" Balkany said. Though the connection between art and literature in the late 1950's may seem abstract, Balkany said many of the artists and writers intercommunicated.A lot of the art in the exhibition and Ferlinghetti's poetry both make very strong social commentaries"" said Hassan Melehy, associate professor of romance languages, who is facilitating the event.Melehy said during the event, he plans on discussing poetry's role and social commentary in 1958 through prepared questions.The idea is to read the literature and make connections with works of art in the exhibition"" Balkany said. It is a way to bring art and literature together to see similarities between a visual object and the written word.""The three-part literature and art series is also the first where the museum will offer two discussion sessions due to the event's high demand"" Balkany said.""Beat literature has a lot of things to offer students about social commentary and the role of poetry in society and in social activism" Melehy said.Both he and Balkany said students would experience the uniqueness of the event.This is an opportunity to look and think about things in ways different than how you normally would" Balkany said. It broadens your mind.""