Nothing but Networking
Nothing but Networking
TUE 11/29
After recent visits by big-name curators Hamza Walker of Chicago’s Renaissance Society and Glenn Lowry of New York’s Museum of Modern Art, now comes the Hammer Museum’s James Elaine. The mastermind behind the University of California, Los Angeles’ Hammer Projects — a veritable launching pad for under-recognized artists such as James Gobel, Jim Isermann, Karen Yasinsky and (one of our favorites) Erick Swenson — Elaine broaches the subject of contemporary art at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the H&R Block Artspace (16 East 43rd Street, 816-561-5563). We won’t be surprised if he heads back to California with a heap of slides and heartfelt pleas. — Annie Fischer
Indy Cred
We’re crusading for Suzanne Blier’s job.
WED 11/30
We’re big fans of Indiana Jones movies, so we’re a little jealous of Suzanne Blier, professor of fine arts and African and African-American studies at Harvard University. Poring over historical texts in search of ancient relics is all part of her job (though she probably doesn’t have to escape from Nazis and human-sacrificing priests). A writer on subjects as varied as architecture and the Vodun religion, Blier comes to the University of Kansas’ Spencer Museum (1301 Mississippi in Lawrence, 785-864-4710) to deliver a lecture titled “African Amazons: Dahomey Women Warriors In and Out of Africa” at 6 p.m. Wednesday. Expect a challenging presentation, says Gitti Salami, the KU prof who’s bringing Blier to campus. “She does both fieldwork and historical research,” Salami adds, “so she presents details others might overlook or not know.” We hear Harrison Ford calling. — Kate Smith
To Market
Get two fairs for the price of none.
11/25-12/1
Anyone can get Pops a tie from J. Crew. But an embroidered Bangladeshi scarf, hand-stitched in Dhaka — that really says something. Thanks to Lawrence’s Fair Trade Holiday Market, shoppers don’t need to fly 8,424 miles (or get malaria shots) to nab a carved giraffe from Kenya. Buy a beaded Indian sari, and rest assured that no one else at the Christmas party will be wearing the same outfit. Or just go for the coffees and chocolates from the far reaches. The fair runs Friday through December 1 at Ecumenical Christian Ministries (1204 Oread in Lawrence); call 785-843-4933. Other quirky gifts can be found at the Bizarre Bazaar from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at the Lawrence Arts Center (940 New Hampshire), where 112 artists have created items such as turkey-feet tree ornaments; see www.bizarrebaz.com. — Libby Page
