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Hours: Monday-Friday | 9AM-5PM

February 2024

Feb 9 - Mar 22, 2024
DiMattio Gallery at Rechnitz Hall

Gallery Exhibitions

The Cardboard Show

Monmouth University, in conjunction with Parlor Gallery is thrilled to kick off the year with a captivating art exhibition that transcends traditional boundaries. Prepare to immerse yourself in a world of limitless imagination at the much-anticipated Cardboard Show, an extraordinary celebration of free-form and experimental creativity.

Demo and Meet & Greet: Thursday, March 21st. Demo from 3-4 and continuation of the Meet & Greet from 4 - 6.

Free Event

March 2024

Mar 19 - 26, 2024
3/19 at 7:30 PM3/26 at 7:30 PM Virtual

Adult Education Series

Writing Memoir (Advanced)

This two-session virtual course taught by Mike Farragher (88), author of 4 books. The course builds on the wildly popular Intro to Memoir Writing workshops with an emphasis on character development, dialogue, and scene setting that will make any story a page turner. Practical lessons are interspersed with writing prompts to get the creativity going during this 2 week course. No prior writing experience needed and all levels welcome!

Class Schedule: Tuesdays - March 19 and 26 | 7:30 - 9:00 PM

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Tue Mar 19, 2024
7:30 PM LakeHouse Recording Studio

Words & Music

Bill Rosenblatt and Howie Singer

Join authors Bill Rosenblatt and Howie Singer as they discuss their new book Key Changes, which explores the top ten musical advances that have disrupted the music industry. A book-signing will follow their author Q&A with hosts Ken Womack and Joe Rapolla.

Free/Register
Thu Mar 21, 2024
7 PM Pollak Gallery

Adult Education Series

SOLD OUT – Learn the Art of Ukrainian Egg Decorating

Come celebrate the spring at Monmouth University with this unique opportunity to learn the seasonal ancient art known as Pysanky. Pysanky, also known as Ukrainian eggs, is an ancient folk tradition that has been passed down for thousands of years. This meditative and communal experience is unlike any other art process and for many this workshop marks the beginning of a spring time family tradition that can be passed on and enjoyed for years to come. This tutorial will cover the history and traditions surrounding Pysanky, a demonstration, and independent practice session. The instructor will provide a variety of eggs, dyes, and tools. Participants will turn real eggs into works of art using a wax resist method similar to batik. A great deal of patience and concentration is required to complete a single egg, but it is very rewarding to reveal your hard work when the wax layers are taken off. In-person attendance will be extremely limited. No prerequisite skills are required. Please bring a container or old egg carton to take home your creation. ages 18+

See Details
Thu Mar 21, 2024
7:30 PM Pollak Theatre

Live Theatre Broadcasts in HD

National Theatre: Broadcast in HD

Vanya

Andrew Scott (Fleabag) brings multiple characters to life in Simon Stephens’ (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time) radical new version of Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya. Hopes, dreams, and regrets are thrust into sharp focus in this one-man adaptation which explores the complexities of human emotions. Filmed live during its sold-out run in London’s West End, Vanya will be playing exclusively in cinemas in 2024.  

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Fri Mar 22, 2024
6 PM

Special Event

Employee Talent Showcase

Join us for an evening filled with creativity and inspiration. Discover the remarkable talents of your coworkers, from musicians and painters to photographers, knitters, and beyond. Be amazed as you witness the diverse array of skills and passions that exist within our community.

Free Event
Sat Mar 23, 2024
1 PM Pollak Theatre

The Metropolitan Opera: Live in HD

Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette

Two singers at the height of their powers—soprano Nadine Sierra and tenor Benjamin Bernheim—come together as the star-crossed lovers in Gounod’s Shakespeare adaptation, with Yannick Nézet-Séguin on the podium to conduct one of the repertoire’s most romantic scores. Bartlett Sher’s staging also features baritone Will Liverman and tenor Frederick Ballentine as the archrivals Mercutio and Tybalt, mezzo-soprano Samantha Hankey as the mischievous pageboy Stéphano, and bass-baritone Alfred Walker as Frère Laurent.

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Mar 25 - May 2, 2024
8 AM Pollak Gallery

Gallery Exhibitions

Metamorphosis: Works by Nanci France-Vaz

Metamorphosis: Life is all about transitions from one time in life to another. Artists of any art from have dreams of becoming a master in their genre, successful in their career, and recognized to the masses. The models in the paintings are artists in music, art, and performing art  based on a moment in their life or a narrative Nanci has created from film, literature or poetry. Figurative storytelling is infused with light, patterns, and human presence to that have visual impact and make the viewers ponder over the meaning and left to their interpretations. France-Vaz is known for her Imaginative Portraits that render allegorical symbols combined with story and imagination. Most of the work is of female artists that never give up hope or their dreams of becoming a reality.

Artist Reception: April 26 from 6 -8 PM

Free Event
Mon Mar 25, 2024
7:30 PM Pollak Theatre

Great Art on Screen

The Immortals: The Wonder of The Museo Egizio

This documentary is a journey among the most beautiful archaeological finds Egypt has left us. Kha, architect and builder of tombs for the pharaohs, must undertake the journey to the Underworld. Telling us the story of his voyage is Jeremy Irons, in the guise of a narrator. His words take us inside the secret world of Egyptian mythology, religion and funerary culture, interweaving the story with the history of the oldest museum in the world, the Museo Egizio in Turin, founded in 1824 and will soon be celebrating its 200th anniversary. In fact, the Kha’s own Tomb is to be found in Turin along with the most complete and most valuable private collection of grave goods outside of Egypt.

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Sat Mar 30, 2024
8 PM Pollak Theatre

Performing Arts Series

Mary Gauthier w/ special guest Jaimee Harris

As she has so eloquently accomplished over the past 25 years, acclaimed singer-songwriter Mary Gauthier has used her art once again to traverse the uncharted waters of the past few years. “I’m the kind of songwriter who writes what I see in the world right now,” she affirms. Her eleventh album, Dark Enough to See the Stars, follows the profound antidote to trauma, Rifles & Rosary Beads, her 2018 collaborative work with wounded Iraq war veterans. It garnered a Grammy nomination for Best Folk Album, as well as a nomination for Album of the Year by the Americana Music Association. Publication of her first book, the illuminating Saved by a Song: The Art and Healing Power of Songwriting, in 2021, brought her more praise. Brandi Carlile has said, “Mary’s songwriting speaks to the tender aspects of our humanness. We need her voice in times like these more than we ever have.” The Associated Press called Gauthier “one of the best songwriters of her generation.”

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April 2024

Tue Apr 2, 2024
7:30 PM The Great Hall Auditorium/Virtual

Tuesday Night Record Club

Supertramp’s Breakfast in America

It’s just like book club but with albums! With new advances in technology, the way we consume music through our devices, apps and on demand streaming services like Pandora, Spotify and iTunes is making the idea of the “album” as an art form extinct. Get together with other music enthusiasts on Tuesday nights to discuss some of the greatest records of all-time! Listen to the album beforehand and then come prepared to discuss. This event will feature Supertramp’s Breakfast in America.

Free/Register
Tue Apr 9, 2024
7:30 PM Virtual

Tuesday Night Book Club

Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five

Join us for Tuesday Night Book Club! Hosted by Monmouth University’s Ken Womack. This month’s novel is Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five. Slaughterhouse-Five, an American classic, is one of the world’s great antiwar books. Centering on the infamous firebombing of Dresden, Billy Pilgrim’s odyssey through time reflects the mythic journey of our own fractured lives as we search for meaning in what we fear most.

Free/Register
Wed Apr 10, 2024
5:30 PM The Great Hall Auditorium

Visiting Writers

Hernan Diaz

Hernan Diaz is the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of two novels translated into thirty-four languages. He is the recipient of the John Updike award from the American Academy of Arts & Letters, given to “a writer whose contributions to American literature have demonstrated consistent excellence.”

Free Event
Thu Apr 11, 2024
7:30 PM Pollak Theatre

National Theatre: Broadcast in HD

Dear England

Joseph Fiennes (The Handmaid’s Tale) plays Gareth Southgate in James Graham’s (Sherwood) gripping examination of nation and game. The country that gave the world football has since delivered a painful pattern of loss. Why can’t England’s men win at their own game? With the worst track record for penalties in the world, Gareth Southgate knows he needs to open his mind and face up to the years of hurt, to take team and country back to the promised land.

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Apr 16 - 23, 2024
4/16 at 7:30 PM4/23 at 7:30 PM Virtual

Adult Education Series

Self-Publishing, Step-by-Step

This two-session virtual course taught by Christy Schmidt, provides participants with a complete roadmap to guide them through the self-publishing process.

Class Schedule: Tuesdays - April 16 and 23, 2024 | 7:30 - 9:00 PM

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Sat Apr 20, 2024
1 PM Pollak Theatre

The Metropolitan Opera: Live in HD

Puccini’s La Rondine

Puccini’s bittersweet love story makes a rare Met appearance, with soprano Angel Blue starring as the sophisticated French courtesan Magda, opposite tenor Jonathan Tetelman in his company debut as Ruggero, an idealistic young man who offers her an alternative to her life of excess. Maestro Speranza Scappucci conducts Nicolas Joël’s Art Deco–inspired staging, which transports audiences from the heart of Parisian nightlife to a dreamy vision of the French Riviera. Soprano Emily Pogorelc and tenor Bekhzod Davronov—both making their Met debuts—complete the cast as Lisette and Prunier.

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Fri Apr 26, 2024
8 PM Pollak Theatre

Performing Arts Series

Metamorphosis: Portraits of Song

Experience an extraordinary evening where art and music intertwine in a one-night-only concert featuring the brightest female singer-songwriters of the Jersey Shore, drawing inspiration from the captivating artworks of Nanci France-Vaz. Christine Elise, Pam McCoy, Mary McCrink, Laura Johnson, and Genevieve are among those featured in Vaz’s narrative figure paintings on exhibition this spring in the Pollak Gallery. These talented artists step out of the canvases to perform live in an evening celebrating female artistry and inspiration.

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Sun Apr 28, 2024
4 PM Pollak Theatre

Performing Arts Series

From Birmingham To Botswana

Experience Gwen Moten’s powerful one-woman play presented by Dunbar Repertory Company. Commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Birmingham Church bombing during the Civil Rights Movement, Moten weaves captivating storytelling and exceptional singing, sharing her personal connections to the event. Exploring the historical context of social movements and drawing parallels from her travels in apartheid-era South Africa and East Berlin, Moten’s performance delivers an unforgettable journey through history and international perspectives.

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Apr 30 - May 2, 2024
4/30 at 7:30 PM5/2 at 7:30 PM Virtual

Adult Education Series

The Beatles’ A Hard Day’s Night: A Retrospective

This summer marks 60 years since the release of the Beatles’ first and best feature film, A Hard Day’s Night. Through interview clips, video and pictures, this 2-session virtual course taught by Scott McLaren will chronicle the Beatles’ rise to success in their hometown of Liverpool, the explosion of Beatlemania across Britain in 1963, their subsequent conquering of the US in early 1964, all leading to their critically acclaimed first film and soundtrack. We’ll see clips from those who were involved in the film including United Artists executives, the film Producer, Director, the Beatles and others within their inner circle. Lastly, we’ll discuss and listen to song excerpts from the exclusively Lennon-McCartney soundtrack. As most things Beatles, A Hard Day’s Night remains infectious, lasting and fun.

Class Schedule: April 30 and May 2 | 7:30 - 9:00 PM

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May 2024

Fri May 3, 2024
8 PM Pollak Theatre

Performing Arts Series

Joan Osborne + Crash Test Dummies

Joan Osborne and the Crash Test Dummies join forces for an unforgettable night of music. Osborne, a seven-time Grammy nominee and acclaimed by AllMusic.com as “the most gifted vocalist of her generation,” delivers soulful renditions of her timeless hits like One of Us, captivating audiences with her powerful performances. Meanwhile, alt-rock icons Crash Test Dummies, renowned for their platinum-certified sensation Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm, amaze with their fusion of folk and blues, led by Brad Roberts’ unmistakable bass-baritone voice.

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