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  • Writing Memoir

    Class Schedule: Wednesdays – February 19 & 26 | 7:30 – 9:00 PM

    This two-session virtual course taught by Mike Farragher (’88), author of four 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 two-week course. No prior writing experience needed and all levels welcome!

    Zoom Link will be provided upon registration.

  • Yacht Rock! (Part II)

    Class Schedule: Thursdays, April  24  & May 1 | 7:30 – 9:00 PM

    All aboard! By 1980, Yacht Rock artists ruled the charts with their mixture of jazz, R&B, and smooth production. Which artists picked up the torch from the 1970s artists, and how did sounds change? What led to the decline in popularity of the genre? How did Yacht Rock make a comeback that led to the 2024 HBO documentary, a Sirius XM channel, and much more? Plus, the class will endeavor to create the ultimate Yacht Rock playlist and answer the question: what qualifies as Yacht Rock? Explore the history of the genre through multimedia presentations and class discussion.

    This two-session virtual course, taught by Kit O’Toole, explores the origins and rise of Yacht Rock, the smooth R&B and jazz-inspired genre.

    Zoom Link will be provided upon registration.

  • Yacht Rock!

    Class Schedule: Thursdays, January  23 & 30| 7:30 – 9:00 PM
    This two-session virtual course, taught by Kit O’Toole, explores the origins and rise of Yacht Rock, the smooth R&B and jazz-inspired genre.
    The term “Yacht Rock” exploded in popularity since the eponymous satirical web series debuted 20 years ago. But what exactly is the genre? How did it start, and which songs qualify as Yacht Rock? The first of two courses examines the roots of the genre—where did it originate, who were its founders, and how did it in popularity? Part one explores Yacht Rock from its earliest years through 1980. The class will sail the R&B and jazzy seas of smooth sounds through multimedia presentations and class discussion.
    Zoom Link will be provided upon registration.

  • Best of Hans Zimmer

    Candlelight concerts bring the magic of a live, multi-sensory musical experience to awe-inspiring locations like never seen before in Long Branch. Get your tickets now to discover the music of Hans Zimmer at Pollak Theatre under the gentle glow of candlelight.  

    The Listeso String Quartet will be performing various compositions by Hans Zimmer, including ‘Discombobulate’ from Sherlock Holmes, ‘This Land’ from The Lion King, the Pirates of the Caribbean Suite, and many more!

  • Rings & Dragons

    Candlelight Concerts were created with the intention of democratizing access to classical music, and the space and performers are illuminated by thousands of candles to create a truly magical experience. Featuring works from Vivaldi, Mozart, and Chopin, and including tributes to Queen, ABBA, Coldplay, and more, Candlelight Concerts allow audiences to connect with the most iconic pieces of the greatest composers and listen to the top hits of well-known artists in a different way.

    The Listeso String Quartet will be performing themes from The Lord of the Rings by Howard Shore and themes from Game of Thrones by Ramin Djawadi.

  • Tribute to Coldplay

    Candlelight Concerts were created with the intention of democratizing access to classical music, and the space and performers are illuminated by thousands of candles to create a truly magical experience. Featuring works from Vivaldi, Mozart, and Chopin, and including tributes to Queen, ABBA, Coldplay, and more, Candlelight Concerts allow audiences to connect with the most iconic pieces of the greatest composers and listen to the top hits of well-known artists in a different way.  

    The Listeso String Quartet has a tentative program that includes songs such as Clocks, Shiver, Speed of Sound, Trouble, Fix You, Paradise, Yellow, and many more!

  • Singin’ in the Rain

    The “Greatest Movie Musical of All Time” is faithfully and lovingly adapted by Broadway legends, Betty Comden and Adolph Green, from their original award-winning screenplay in Singin’ in the Rain. Each unforgettable scene, song and dance is accounted for, including the show-stopping title number! Hilarious situations, snappy dialogue and a hit-parade score of Hollywood standards make Singin’ in the Rain the perfect entertainment for any fan of the golden age of movie musicals. (source: MTI)

  • Dr. Strangelove

    co-adapted by Armando Iannucci
    co-adapted and directed by Sean Foley

    Seven-time BAFTA Award-winner Steve Coogan (Alan Partridge, The Trip) plays four roles in the world premiere stage adaptation of Stanley Kubrick’s comedy masterpiece Dr. Strangelove.

When a rogue U.S General triggers a nuclear attack, a surreal race takes place, seeing the Government and one eccentric scientist scramble to avert global destruction.
 
This explosively funny satire is led by a world-renowned creative team including Emmy Award-winner Armando Iannucci (The Thick of It, Veep) and Olivier Award-winner Sean Foley (The Upstart Crow, The Play What I Wrote).

  • Blue Hawk Records – Album Release Event

    The Record Label Strategies class along with the rest of the Blue Hawk team invites you to celebrate the release of their 25th compilation album “Signature Edition”! Blue Hawk Records is partnering with WMCX on this milestone release. Join us for some live music, food, and a giveaway!

  • Ocean Bodies, A Solo Exhibit by Kimberly Callas

    Monmouth University’s Ice House Gallery presents Ocean Bodies, a powerful solo exhibition by multimedia artist Kimberly Callas. The exhibition will open on February 6, 2025, with an evening reception from 5:30 to 7:30 PM, and will run through April 4, 2025. Ocean Bodies offers an immersive exploration of humanity’s interconnectedness with the ocean, drawing on symbols, archetypes, and ecological narratives to invite contemplation and action.

    Through sculptures, large-scale drawings, and mixed-media works, Callas examines the “crisis of meaning” at the heart of the climate crisis and advocates for a shift in consciousness toward an “ecological self.” This concept, central to her work, reflects humanity’s integral role within nature rather than apart from it. In Ocean Bodies, she uses water-based materials, such as dyed fabrics, India ink, and water-soluble graphite, to invoke the sea’s physical presence while exploring the symbolic depth of whales, the horizon, and the ocean itself as metaphors for the psyche and cosmos.

    Among the featured works is a series of 10-foot mixed-media drawings inspired by historical nautical charts, which pair psychological journeys with the migration of critically endangered North Atlantic right whales. Complementing these works are colorful life-size figurative sculptures and reliefs, 3D-printed using bio-filament, that further explore themes of renewal and interconnection. Through these works, Callas poses urgent questions about the loss of meaning, wisdom, and biodiversity in the Anthropocene.

    “The ocean has a unique way to connect with people in an immediate and emotional way. Science and data can only tell us so much; art can speak to each of us in a way that is both uniquely personal and universal. Having Kimberly as the Urban Coast Institute artist-in-residence provided inspiration for some of the artwork in the Ocean Bodies exhibit, which will in turn inspire others. She was also able to share her creative process with her students, conducting lectures and using her art and sculpture as a pathway to ‘discovering the ecological self.’ This work reminds us that the worlds of art and science are two sides of the same coin,” said Tony MacDonald, J.D., Director, Urban Coast Institute.

    Callas created much of the work in Ocean Bodies during an artist residency with Monmouth University’s Urban Coast Institute, with additional research conducted at the Archive for Research in Archetypal Symbolism (ARAS) and an artist residency at the Arts Quarter Budapest. This body of work seeks to merge art, science, and archetypal symbols to foster a deeper understanding of humanity’s place within the natural world and inspire meaningful environmental action.

    About the Artist

    Kimberly Callas is a multimedia artist, sculptor, and the lead artist of the Social Practice project Discovering the Ecological Self. Her work delves into the human/nature relationship, focusing on the concept of the ecological self. Recently, she has incorporated cutting-edge technologies, such as 3D printing with bio-filaments and CNC, into her life-size sculptures. Art New England described her series Portrait of the Ecological Self as “unforgettable.”

    Callas’s work often involves community engagement. With her Discovering the Ecological Self social practice project, featured in The Huffington Post, she has led workshops across the U.S. and internationally. Her art has been showcased in prestigious galleries and museums worldwide, earning her numerous awards and grants, including the Pollination Project Grant, the Urban Coast Artist-in-Residence award, and the Puffin Foundation Grant. Her accolades include First Place in Sculpture at the Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club’s Annual Exhibit in New York City.

    Callas’s recent exhibitions include the International New Media Exhibit at the CICA Museum in South Korea, Crossing Boundaries: Art and the Future of Energy at the Pensacola Museum of Art, and Ocean Swimmers (Entanglement), a solo exhibition in Budapest. In May 2025, she will unveil a public art commission for the Lambert Castle Renovation in Paterson, New Jersey.

    Callas holds an MFA from the New York Academy of Art and a BFA from the University of Michigan. She is currently an Associate Professor of Art at Monmouth University and maintains studios in Maine and New Jersey.

    Event Details:

    Exhibition: Ocean Bodies
    Location: Ice House Gallery, Monmouth University, 400 Cedar Ave # 600, West Long Branch, NJ 07764
    Opening Reception: February 6, 2025, 5:30–7:30 PM
    Exhibition Dates: February 6, 2025 – March 23, 2025
    Gallery Hours: Mon-Fri, 10am-5pm,

    For additional information, please contact Scott Knauer, 732.923.4786  or visit https://kimberlycallas.com/.