BRADFORD, Pa. The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford will provide a variety of free and low-cost arts programs this semester, ranging from local writers to a Bulgarian artist, as part of its Spectrum Series.
The series begins with an invitational art exhibition, "Rooted in Intuition: Paintings and Sculptures by Diane Marie Kramer," Jan. 21-Feb. 25 in the KOA Art Gallery. A gallery talk and reception will be held at noon Jan. 21.
Poet Kathleen Driskell will read from her works at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 22 in the Mukaiyama University Room of the Frame-Westerberg Commons. A reception will follow. Driskell's poetry collection "Seed Across Snow" was a poetry foundation bestseller in 2009. She is also the author of a previous book of poetry, "Laughing Sickness," now in its second printing, and the editor of two anthologies of creative writing.
From March 18 to April 15, "The Art of Oleg Gotchev and the Development of Contemporary Bulgarian Mural Paintings" will be in the KOA Art Gallery. The show opens with a gallery talk at noon and a reception to follow March 18 in Blaisdell Hall. Gotchev teaches at the National Academy of Art in Sofia, Bulgaria, where he is the head of the mural program. The exhibition will demonstrate Gotchev's personal art in the field of paintings and miniature drawings, along with his overview on the development of Bulgarian mural paintings. Gotchev's art includes some erotic content.
On March 24, nonfiction writer Dianne Aprile will read at noon in the Mukaiyama University Room. A luncheon reception begins at 11:30 a.m. Aprile is the author of four books, "Making a Heart for God: A Week Inside a Catholic Monastery," "The Eye is not Enough: On Seeing and Remembering" with printmaker Mary Lou Hess, "The Abbey of Gethsemani: Place of Peace and Paradox" and "The Things we Don't Forget: Views From Real Life." She is the recipient of three artist fellowships in nonfiction from the Kentucky Arts Council and two writing grants from the Kentucky Foundation for Women.
On March 25, the final Spectrum music event will take place at 7 p.m. in the Bromeley Family Theater, where mezzo-soprano Lorraine Sullivan will perform with pianist Kirk Severtson. Sullivan is an active performer in opera, oratorio, chamber music and art song. This past summer, she performed throughout Taiwan, with a recital at the National Chiang Kai-Shek Cultural Center.
Severson is the music director of the Crane Opera Ensemble and is chairman of the music performance division at the Crane School of Music, where he teaches courses in vocal repertoire and accompanying.
On April 7-10, the Division of Communication and the Arts will present "boom" by Peter Sinn Nachtreib and directed by Dr. Kevin Ewert in the Studio Theater of Blaisdell Hall. Show times are 7:30 p.m. April 7, 8 and 9, and 2 p.m. April 10.
In "boom," a grad student's personal ad lures a randy journalism coed to his subterranean lab, where he studies fish sleep cycles for signs of the apocalypse. "Boom" contains adult language and situations.
The final event of the Spectrum season is the popular annual lecture by Dr. Marvin Thomas, professor of history, at 8 p.m. April 12 in Rice Auditorium in Fisher Hall. Thomas will speak about "The Earthquake in Lisbon 1755." Thomas will chronicle the physical and psychological effects of a devastating earthquake (felt as far away as North America) that occurred while churches were packed for the Feast of All Saints.