Center for the Arts

Gallery Exhibitions

WOMEN’S HISTORY: PASSION AND POWER – works by Julie Dzikiewicz

Women’s History: Passion and Power features the work of Julie Dzikiewicz a Virginia-based artist. Dzikiewicz works in ancient encaustic technique using melted wax as paint. The wax is layered and re-fired to create luminous, stained-glass effects and three-dimensional texture. She also incorporates lights and other media to develop depth and richness. Dzikiewicz’s choice of subject is unflinching, using large powerful images to depict her subjects which include themes of violence, racism, and misogyny. “My studio is on the site of the Occoquan prison, which once held and imprisoned Suffragists who picketted the White House. Inspired by this history, this series of work tells the stories of the Suffragists and modern women who work to advance Women’s Rights.”

Opening Reception and Artist’s Discussion: Sept. 21 from 6-8pm

Tuesday Night Book Club

Carson McCullers’ The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter,

Join us for Tuesday Night Book Club! Hosted by Monmouth University’s Ken Womack, each month we’ll explore a different novel. All you have to do is Zoom in and join the discussion! This month’s novel is Carson McCullers’ The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter.

Special Event

The Lost Princess of Oz – A World Premiere

From the creator of America’s favorite story THE WIZARD OF OZ comes this little-known sequel THE LOST PRINCESS OF OZ! L. Frank Baum continues the adventures of Dorothy from Kansas, Glinda the Good Witch and the Wizard himself as they search for Princess Ozma to recover the magic stolen from Oz. In this fantastical tale, Baum introduces new characters including the Frogman, the Patchwork Girl, the clock man Tik-Tok, and, of course, the talking (singing) hen, played by Reagan Richards of the popular country duo Williams Honor. Gordon Brown, also of Williams Honor, portrays Baum. This multimedia dance musical from the Axelrod Contemporary Ballet Theater is directed by Gabriel Chajnik with a libretto based on Baum by Shannon Hill and an exciting original score by Chris Becker, whose Appalachian-inspired composition is infused with country fiddles and bluegrass banjoes!

Workshops

Open Heart : M O V E M E N T Experience

Come join us in the Open Heart : M O V E M E N T experience! The session will begin with a guided meditation emerging in a sound bath of relaxation. Flowing into freely guided movement experiences, together we will integrate music and dance to collectively express. No experience necessary.

Classes held: Sundays September 4, September 25 and October 16

Gallery Exhibitions

Miriam Beerman: 1923–2022 NOTHING HAS CHANGED

This exhibition shines a spotlight on the late Miriam Beerman, a New Jersey artist whose works are included in the permanent collections of over 60 museums worldwide and a female pioneer in the 20th-century art world. Beerman (1923–2022) was one of the 20th-century’s most provocative artists, whose humanist expressionist works highlight her talent as a colorist. A pioneer as one of the first female artists to be given a solo exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum of Art, Beerman is part of a canon of 20th-century women artists who were nearly lost to obscurity due to their gender in a male-dominated art world. Influenced by the social injustice seen around her, Beerman shines a spotlight on the horror and pathos of man’s inhumanity to man. The themes prove to be timeless, resonating today as much as when they were created in the 20th century. Her life and art were explored in the 2015 documentary Miriam Beerman: Expressing the Chaos.

Opening Reception: September 22 from 6 to 9 p.m.

Tuesday Night Record Club

The Moody Blues, Days of Future Passed

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 The Moody Blues, Days of Future Passed.

Adult Education Series

Roots of Rock ’n’ Roll, Part I

This three-session virtual course taught by Kit O’Toole – the first of a two-part course – explores how gospel, blues, and jazz contributed to the development of the music of Elvis Presley, Fats Domino, Little Richard, and much more. How gospel, blues and jazz impacted instrumentation, vocal style, and composition will also be studied. In addition to multimedia presentations, class discussion and activities will enable attendees to identify the essential elements of rock. 

Class Schedule: Thursdays - Sept. 15, Sept. 22 & Sept. 29 | 7:30 - 9:00 PM

Tuesday Night Book Club

Ta-Nehisi Coates’ The Water Dancer

Join us for Tuesday Night Book Club! Hosted by Monmouth University’s Ken Womack, each month we’ll explore a different novel. All you have to do is Zoom in and join the discussion! This month’s novel is Ta-Nehisi Coates, The Water Dancer.

Visiting Writers

Ken Womack

Kenneth Womack is one of the world’s leading authorities on the Beatles and their enduring cultural influence. He is the author of a two-volume biography devoted to famed Beatles producer Sir George Martin, including Maximum Volume (2017) and Sound Pictures (2018). His latest book, John Lennon 1980: The Last Days in the Life (2020), traces the story of the former Beatle’s comeback after five years of self-imposed retirement. Dr. Womack will be reading from his upcoming biography of Beatles roadie, Mal Evans.

Performing Arts Series

The Heart of Saturday Night the music of Tom Waits by Pat Guadagno & Small Change

Pat Guadagno and his band Small Change along with special guests Eryn O’Ree and Ryan Gregg, pay tribute to the head-scratching, mind-bending music of Tom Waits.

Workshops

Open Heart : M O V E M E N T Experience

Come join us in the Open Heart : M O V E M E N T experience! The session will begin with a guided meditation emerging in a sound bath of relaxation. Flowing into freely guided movement experiences, together we will integrate music and dance to collectively express. No experience necessary.

Classes held: Sundays September 4, September 25 and October 16

Performing Arts Series

Roger McGuinn

As a co-founder of The Byrds, Roger McGuinn is firmly established as an indisputable industry icon. From his signature 12-string Rickenbacker sound, to his instantly recognizable vocals on hits like Turn, Turn, Turn, Eight Miles High and Mr. Tambourine Man, Roger McGuinn didn’t just make music; he made history.

Tuesday Night Record Club

Kendrick Lamar, To Pimp a Butterfly

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 Kendrick Lamar, To Pimp a Butterfly.

Adult Education Series

This Day in Music

In this collaboration with the Rhythm and Blues Preservation Society, we are delighted to present This Day in Music, a three session virtual course taught by Sonja Elise Freeman and Perry Thompson. Each course meeting will address a profound moment on that date in music history. This semester’s dates include Jimi Hendrix and the Experience’s inaugural performance in 1966, Prince’s adoption of a symbol to represent his name in 1992, and Hip-Hop legend Snoop Dogg’s 50th birthday in 2021.

Class Schedule: Thursdays - Oct. 6, Oct. 13 & Oct. 20 | 7:30 - 9:00 PM

Tuesday Night Book Club

John Irving’s The Cider House Rules

Join us for Tuesday Night Book Club! Hosted by Monmouth University’s Ken Womack, each month we’ll explore a different novel. All you have to do is Zoom in and join the discussion! This month’s novel is John Irving’s The Cider House Rules.

Visiting Writers

Ricky Tucker

Performing Arts Series

Béla Fleck and Abigail Washburn

Hailed as “the king and queen of the banjo,” (Paste Magazine) sixteen-time Grammy® Award-winner Béla Fleck returns to our stage alongside his wife, fellow banjoist and singer Abigail Washburn. Fleck is the world’s premier banjo player, known for his eclectic mix of bluegrass and jazz, while Washburn marries folk traditions with far-flung Eastern influences. Together, their sound is familiar yet wildly innovative and on stage, their artistry and chemistry results in a picking partnership unlike any on the planet.

Workshops

Open Heart : M O V E M E N T Experience

Come join us in the Open Heart : M O V E M E N T experience! The session will begin with a guided meditation emerging in a sound bath of relaxation. Flowing into freely guided movement experiences, together we will integrate music and dance to collectively express. No experience necessary.

Classes held: Sundays September 4, September 25 and October 16

National Theatre: Broadcast in HD

Jack Absolute Flies Again

A rollicking new comedy by Richard Bean (One Man, Two Guvnors) and Oliver Chris (Twelfth Night).

After an aerial dog fight, Pilot Officer Jack Absolute flies home to win the heart of his old flame, Lydia Languish. Back on British soil, Jack’s advances soon turn to anarchy when the young heiress demands to be loved on her own, very particular, terms. Emily Burns directs this spectacularly entertaining new version of Sheridan’s The Rivals. Featuring a cast including Caroline Quentin, Laurie Davidson, Natalie Simpson and Kelvin Fletcher.

TICKETS ON SALE JULY 20.

The Metropolitan Opera: Live in HD

Medea

Having triumphed at the Met in some of the repertory’s fiercest soprano roles, Sondra Radvanovsky stars as the mythic sorceress who will stop at nothing in her quest for vengeance. Joining Radvanovsky in the Met-premiere production of Cherubini’s rarely performed masterpiece is tenor Matthew Polenzani as Medea’s Argonaut husband, Giasone; soprano Janai Brugger as her rival for his love, Glauce; bass Michele Pertusi as her father, Creonte, the King of Corinth; and mezzo-soprano Ekaterina Gubanova as Medea’s confidante, Neris.

TICKETS ON SALE JULY 20