The University of Chicago Magazine October 1995
Leaves of verse: On a brilliant fall day, a young Tokyo woman in a brightly patterned kimono attaches a piece of paper to a branch. A poem waves in the wind. Part of a fall exhibit at the David and Alfred Smart Museum of Art, the image-Woman Tying Poem Slip to a Maple Tree-is from the printed book, Edo no Nishiki (The Many Colors of Edo), illustrated by Ikeda Terukata (1883-1921).
Terukata, a printmaker and painter, recalls an ancient Japanese pastime of court ladies and men: picnicking under the fall's foliage, writing poetry inspired by the day and company, and tying the verses-called tanzaku, or poetry slips-to the boughs.
While each illustration in The Many Colors of Edo presents a scenic view from the capital city of Tokyo, the artist focuses on the young women who inhabit the landscapes. It's a focus in keeping with the Smart exhibit: Woman in the Eyes of Man: Images of Women in Japanese Art brings together paintings, prints, and illustrated books from the 17th through the 20th centuries to reveal a set of idealized feminine types, each presented as a role model.
The male painters (only one female artist is represented-with a few notable exceptions, most Japanese artists known to historians were men) show Japanese women as types ranging from moral paragon to alluring beauty to selfless caregiver.
The works included are drawn mostly from the Field Museum's Boone Collection, formed by Katharine Phelps Boone and Commander Gilbert E. Boone. Stationed in Japan during the late 1950s, they worked with one of Japan's leading experts on East Asian art to develop a teaching collection of objects, paintings, woodblocks, and scrolls. Back in the states, the Boones used the collection in their teaching at Monmouth College before giving the entire collection to the Field Museum. Despite their artistic and historical importance, this is the first time that many of the works in the exhibition have been displayed or published.
A note to the sharp-eyed: Although the artist does not show any writing on the long, thin scrap of paper, the slip's size and shape, as well as the pale clouds decorating its surface, indicate that it is indeed a tanzaku.-M.R.Y.
Ludwig Rosenberger: The Reader as Collector, continuing. Born in Germany in 1904, Rosenberger left in 1924 and spent four years in Palestine before immigrating to the U.S. This exhibit explores how Rosenberger's life and reading shaped his vision as a collector of books and other materials portraying Jewish history. Special Collections; call 702-8705.
Rodney Graham, through November 12. The Canadian artist's first Midwest museum exhibition premieres a time-based musical installation, School of Velocity. The score hangs on the walls as a computer linked to a piano performs the piece, which stretches over exactly 24 hours. The Renaissance Society; call 702-8670.
Woman in the Eyes of Man: Images of Women in Japanese Art, through December 3. These 40 works illustrate changing views of women in 17th- through 20th-century Japan. Smart Museum; call 702-0200. (See "Center Stage.")
Building Collections: Celebrating 25 Years of the Joseph Regenstein Library, through January 5. This exhibition highlights 25 notable book, manuscript, and archival collections acquired by the University Library since it opened in 1970. Special Collections; call 702-8705.
The Studio Museum in Harlem: 25 Years of African-American Art, October 19-December 10. Organized to mark the 25th anniversary of the Studio Museum, this show features 46 paintings, mixed-media works, and sculptures reflecting African-American culture, social consciousness, and spirituality, and major movements in contemporary American art. Smart Museum; call 702-0200.
Montaigne in Print, October 25-February 2. Featuring editions of 16th-century French philosopher Michel de Montaigne's Essais, this exhibition explores the relationship among author, editor, printer, and the book as a physical object. Special Collections; call 702-8705.
Ben Nicholson: Thinking the Unthinkable House, November 19-December 30. The first American museum exhibition of architect and theoretician Ben Nicholson surveys his work, which engages architecture in questions about technology, subjectivity, movement, time, and the imagination. The Renaissance Society; call 702-8670.
Portrait Sculpture from the Permanent Collection, December 12-March 10. Sculptures by Auguste Rodin and Jacob Epstein highlight this exhibition. Smart Museum; call 702-0200.
Ideas from the University of Chicago, 9:30 p.m. on WFMT-98.7 FM. October 24: Edward Rosenheim, AB'39, AM'46, PhD'53, English professor emeritus, on "The Humane and the Humanities." October 31: Divinity School professor Wendy Doniger on "Myths and Methods in the Dark."
Works of the Mind Lecture Series, 2 p.m. October 29: David Grene, professor in the Committee on Social Thought, on "Meaning and Structure in Aeschylus's Oresteia." November 12: Edward Rosenheim, AB'39, AM'46, PhD'53, English professor emeritus, on "Fielding's Tom Jones Revisited." December 10: Wendy Doniger, Divinity School professor, on "The Mythology of Transsexual Masquerade." Judd Hall Auditorium; call 702-1722.
The University of Chicago Concert Series, 8 p.m. on WFMT-98.7 FM. October 24: The Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra plays Mozart, Britten, and Glass; recorded at Mandel Hall. October 31: Ensemble Ars Nova performs music from medieval pilgrimage routes; recorded at Mandel Hall.
Juilliard String Quartet, October 27 at 8 p.m. Celebrating its 50th anniversary, the quartet opens the Chamber Music Series by performing Schubert, Carter, and Beethoven. Mandel Hall; call 702-8068.
Halloween Concert, October 28 at 7 and 9 p.m. Barbara Schubert, X'79, conducts the University Symphony Orchestra in a program including Samuel Coleridge-Taylor's Hiawatha and Walt Disney's Pocahontas Orchestral Suite. Mandel Hall; call 702-8069.
David Dahl, October 29 at 5 p.m. Organist Dahl performs works by Rheinberger, Smyth, and Dupr. Rockefeller Chapel; call 753-1191.
Gabriel Faur 150th Birthday Celebration, November 4 at 8 p.m. Bruce Tammen, AM'74, baritone, and Kit Bridges, pianist, perform songs by Faur, Debussy, Duparc, and Poulenc. Goodspeed Recital Hall; call 702-8069.
Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra, November 10 at 8 p.m. Conducted by Jeanne Lamon, the orchestra opens the Howard Mayer Brown International Early Music Series with a program including Purcell, Vivaldi, and Bach. Mandel Hall; call 702-8068.
Motet Choir, November 11 at 5 p.m. The choir performs Mass of the Martyrs in honor of the late Ignacio Martín-Baro, AM'77, PhD'79. University Church; call 702-8069.
New Music Ensemble, November 12 at 8 p.m. Barbara Schubert, X'79, directs a program of contemporary chamber works, including pieces by U of C graduate students in composition. Goodspeed Recital Hall; call 702-8069.
University Chamber Orchestra, November 18 at 8 p.m. A program of Beethoven and Mozart, conducted by Antoinette Arnold. Goodspeed Recital Hall; call 702-8069.
University Wind Ensemble, November 19 at 3 p.m. Wayne Gordon conducts a program including Ives and Brahms. Mandel Hall; call 702-8069.
Advent Concert, November 26 at 5 p.m. Organist Wolfgang Rübsam performs seasonal music. Rockefeller Chapel; call 753-1191.
Misha Dichter, December 1 at 8 p.m. Pianist Misha Dichter performs a solo recital of Schubert, Brahms, Bartók, and Liszt as part of the Chamber Music Series. Mandel Hall; call 702-8068.
University Symphony Orchestra, December 2 at 8 p.m. Music inspired by masterpieces of British literature. Mandel Hall; call 702-8069.
A Service of Lessons and Carols for Advent, December 3 at 5 p.m. The U of C Chorus performs works by Britten, Guerrero, Mendelssohn, Mozart, and Pergolesi. Rockefeller Chapel; call 753-1191.
University Jazz X-Tet, December 7 at 8 p.m. Mwata Bowden leads a progressive-jazz celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians. Goodspeed Recital Hall; call 702-8069.
Anonymous 4, December 8 at 8 p.m. As part of the Howard Mayer Brown International Early Music Series, the a capella quartet performs "A Star in the East," a holiday program of medieval chants and polyphony from Hungary. Mandel Hall; call 702-8068.
Chicago Children's Choir, December 8 at 8 p.m. "Songs of the Season" features Margaret Bonds' Ballad of the Brown King. Rockefeller Chapel; call 849-8300, x222.
Handel's Messiah, December 10 at 2 and 8 p.m. This annual production features the Rockefeller Chapel and Motet choirs, and Symphony of the Shores. Rockefeller Chapel; call 753-1191.
Dawn Upshaw, December 15 at 8 p.m. Soprano Upshaw, accompanied by pianist Margo Garrett, performs works by Debussy, Copland, Seeger, and Berg. Mandel Hall; call 702-8068.
Fitna, November 2-4 at 8 p.m. Fitna (the Arab word for chaos) is an original montage of monologues, music, and dance. In Jamil Khoury's work, four Middle Eastern women explore their society. Kinahan Theater; call 702-3414.
Off-Off Campus: Fall Quarter Improvisational Comedy Revue, Fridays at 9 p.m., November 3-17. The group presents original scenes, wacky musicals, and improv. University Church, second-floor theater; call 702-3414.
On the Verge, or The Geography of Yearning, November 3-December 10. Three prototypical Victorian women turned American explorers are thrust into the 20th century in this comedy by Eric Overmyer. Court Theatre; call 753-4472.
Glengarry Glen Ross, November 8-11 at 8 p.m. David Mamet's exploration of greed, desperation, and dishonor among cutthroat real-estate con artists. Reynolds Club, first-floor theater; call 702-3414.
Macbeth, November 16-19 at 8 p.m. Shakespeare's tragedy about the insatiable pursuit of power is retold in the context of urban-gang warfare. Kinahan Theater; call 702-3414.
Man of La Mancha, December 1-2 and 6-9 at 8 p.m. A musical adaptation of Cervantes' classic tale about fantasy, love, and the impossible dream. Reynolds Club, first-floor theater; call 702-3414.
Mummy's Night, October 25 at 6 p.m. This fourth annual family event features tours, hands-on activities, a cartoon screening, prizes, and refreshments. Oriental Institute; call 702-9507.
Sustainable Development in Latin America: Hu-man and Environmental Consequences, October 26-29. Sponsored by the Center for Latin American Studies, this international conference brings together scholars, development specialists, policy makers, and community representatives from eight Latin American countries. Chicago Historical Society / Judd Hall; call 702-8420.
16th Annual Humanities Open House, October 28. The day includes a keynote address by U of C trustee Richard Franke, "The Humanities and the University's Barometers of Freedom," in addition to tours of libraries, museums, and studios; musical and dramatic performances; and faculty lectures. For registration information, call 702-8469.
Pharaoh Goes Fishing, November 4 at 9 a.m. This parent/child workshop includes a trip to the Shedd Aquarium and the Oriental Institute. Learn how to write about fish in Egyptian hieroglyphics and create your own ancient carving. Oriental Institute; call 702-9507.
Ancient Arts/Contemporary Artists, November 5 at 1 p.m. Field trip to the studio of master metalsmith William Frederick. Oriental Institute; call 702-9507.
Tut's Tunes: Music from the Ancient Past, December 2 at 9:30 a.m. In this children's workshop, participants see mummies and ancient musical instruments, then learn to make and play a Near Eastern-style instrument. Oriental Institute, call 702-9507.
A Weekend Conference to Honor Fr. Harrie Vanderstappen, December 8-10. Vanderstappen, AM'51, PhD'55, art professor emeritus, taught at the U of C for over 30 years. Admirers and former students will celebrate the naming of a chair in his honor, the publication of a Festschrift, and art given to the Smart Museum, either by Vanderstappen or in his name. Smart Museum; call 702-0174.
Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh, December 13 at 6 p.m. Raymond Tindel, AM'72, PhD'89, of the Oriental Institute, puts the wise men's gifts into the context of trade and tribute in the ancient Near East. Oriental Institute; call 702-9507.
First Friday Lecture Series, first Friday of every month at 12:15 p.m. November 3: Continuing Studies lecturer Adam Rose, AM'93, on "The Koran: The Word of God Returns." December 1: Continuing Studies lecturer Stephanie Nelson, AM'90, PhD'92, "On Charles Dickens' Bleak House." Chicago Cultural Center; call 702-1722.