August Heritage Day
Aug. 30, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., George L. Carter Railroad Museum
“Prairie Fires and Mountain Peaks: The West Side of the Mississippi” is the theme of the Heritage Day exhibit, which will feature both vintage and current railroading displays. Free. Contact: Dr. Fred Alsop, 439-6838 or alsopf@etsu.edu.
Observatory Open House
Aug. 30, 8-10 p.m., Powell Observatory
ETSU Astronomer Dr. Beverly Smith will give a talk on “The Comet Hunters,” followed by an opportunity for visitors to view objects in the night sky through the observatory’s telescopes. Free. Will be cancelled in event of cloud cover. Contact: Dr. Beverly Smith, 439-8418 or smithbj@etsu.edu.
Blood Drive
Sept. 2-3, 11:30 a.m.-5 p.m., D.P. Culp Center ballroom
Volunteer ETSU will host Blood Assurance’s first ETSU blood drive. Each donor will receive a limited-edition T-shirt and an entry to win an iPad mini. The Johnson City Blood Assurance Center, located at 1 Professional Park, Suite 14, across from Johnson City Medical Center, currently provides blood donations for three main hospitals in the Johnson City area. Contact: Blood Assurance, 328-3152, or Volunteer ETSU, 439-6633.
‘Oklahoma!’ auditions
Sept. 2, 7-10 p.m., Bud Frank Theatre
Auditions will be held for the Nov. 19-23 production of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical “Oklahoma!” to be presented by the Department of Communication and Performance, Department of Music and Mary B. Martin School of the Arts. Those auditioning should prepare 16 bars of music and provide sheet music for the accompanist, prepare a one-minute monologue and dress for dance. Callbacks will take place Sept. 3 from 7-10 p.m. Contact: Division of Theatre and Dance, 439-6524.
‘John Steele: Paintings’ Exhibit
Sept. 2-Oct. 9, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday, Reece Museum
Fourteen paintings by painter and printmaker John Steele, who was born in Birmingham, Ala., in 1929. He once said of his work, “Most of my works are reflections on the nature of my experiences as a Southerner, an American, and as a stranger in a strange land.” The exhibit reception will be held Thursday, Sept. 18, from 5-7 p.m. Contact: Reece Museum, 439-4392.
Exhibit Reception for ‘Points of Contention’
Sept. 5, 5-8 p.m., Tipton Gallery, 126 Spring St.
“Points of Contention: Oddities, Delicacies and Monstrosities” is the M.F.A. exhibit by ETSU student Art Brown, which will be on display from Sept. 2-26. Brown has 18 years of professional graphic design experience and is an adjunct instructor of communication at Milligan College. The exhibit highlights the art of letterpress printmaking and features 15 works of relief-printed images from carved linoleum and layers of type printed with antique letterpress wood type. The work presents “a visual exploration of dissatisfaction and disenchantment presented through the context of odd stories in the news and major current events of the past three years.” The artist’s reception on Sept. 5 is in conjunction with Johnson City’s First Friday celebration. Tipton Gallery will also be open from 4-6 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays and at other times by appointment. Contact: Karlota Contreras-Koterbay, 483-3179 or contrera@etsu.edu.
ETSU Library Associates Book Discussion Group
Sept. 8, 5:30-7 p.m., Sherrod Library
Members of the group will meet to discuss “The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History” by Robert M. Edsel. Contact: Pat Van Zandt, 439-6988 or vanzandt@etsu.edu.
Dennis McNett Lecture
Sept. 10, 7 p.m., 127 Ball Hall
Visual artist Dennis McNett, who will be on campus Sept. 6-13 for a public art residency, will give a lecture on his work. His work includes prints from woodcuts with motifs from folk tales and skate culture, giant ships and Nordic lore. During his residency, McNett and ETSU Art and Design students will create a sculpture and share the work with the public in a closing celebration on Sept. 13 at 7:30 p.m. in the ETSU Quad area. Sponsored by the Mary B. Martin School of the Arts and Department of Art and Design. Contact: Mary B. Martin School of the Arts, 439-TKTS (8587).
‘The DeVault Tavern’ Exhibit
Sept. 11-Dec. 12, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday, Reece Museum
Twenty large framed photographs by Paul Kennedy of the DeVault Tavern, a two-story brick tavern built in 1819-21 by Frederick DeVault that is now listed in the U.S. National Register of Historic Places, will be on display. The house originally served as a way station and inn along the region’s primary stagecoach route. Kennedy is a Brooklyn-based artist who grew up in Jonesborough. An opening reception will be held Sept. 11 from 5-7 p.m., and a series of lectures, panel discussions and workshops planned in conjunction with the exhibit will be announced at a later date. Contact: Reece Museum, 439-4392.
‘Politics of Representation’ Exhibit
Sept. 15-Oct. 3, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday, Slocumb Galleries
“Politics of Representation: Re-Imaging Indigenous America from Warhol to Map(ing)” is a contemporary indigenous American art exhibit featuring works by Andy Warhol, Fritz Scholder, Ahkima Honyumptewa, Wanesia Misquadace and others. It is co-curated by Slocumb Galleries Director Karlota Contreras-Koterbay and Mary Hood, Map(ing) Project director at Arizona State University. Planned in conjunction with the exhibit are a curator’s talk and reception on Sept. 26 from 5-7 p.m.; an ArtIFact Lecture on Oct. 2 at 6 p.m. in the Ball Hall auditorium; an art demonstration on bark-biting during the first ETSU Native American Festival on Sept. 27 at the Quad; and a display of Cherokee and other Native American artifacts from the Reece Museum’s permanent collection at the Department of Art and Design’s SUBmarine Gallery in the Campus Center Building. Contact: Karlota Contreras-Koterbay, 483-3179 or contrera@etsu.edu.
ETSU Alumni Golf Classic
Sept. 19, 11:30 a.m. check-in, Cattails at MeadowView, Kingsport
This 48th annual event is open to all ETSU alumni, faculty, staff, students and friends. Players will participate in a two-person, select shot competition in eight divisions. A 1 p.m. shotgun start will follow a buffet lunch. Registration is $100 for alumni and friends, $80 for seniors and military personnel with valid ID and $55 for ETSU students with valid ID through Sept. 17; rates increase by $10 after that date. Visit www.etsualumni.org for registration or more information. Contact: Alumni Office, 439-4218 or alumni@etsu.edu.
Fossil 5K
9 a.m., Sept. 20, ETSU and General Shale Natural History Museum and Visitor Center
This inaugural 5K will benefit the exhibition and education programs of the ETSU and General Shale Natural History Museum and Visitor Center at the Gray Fossil Site. Registration is $20 in advance and $25 after Sept. 17; participants may register through www.runtricities.org. Contact: Natural History Museum, 866-202-6223.
‘Music in the Park’
Sept. 21, 3 p.m., Veterans Park, Southwest Ave.
“Music in the Park” featuring ETSU’s Greyscale is hosted by the Southside Neighborhood Organization to build connections among neighborhood members and to provide free outdoor concerts to the community by local artists. It is held one Sunday each month at Veterans Park in front of Southside Elementary School. Guests are encouraged to bring lawn chairs, blankets and picnics. Will be cancelled in event of extreme weather. Check www.facebook.com/etsugreyscale for updates if the weather is questionable. Contact: Department of Music, 439-4276.
Dig Days at the Gray Fossil Site
Saturdays through Sept. 27, ETSU and General Shale Natural History Museum (times below)
Adults and children ages 7 and up can enjoy a first-hand digging experience at the Gray Fossil Site and a behind-the-scenes tour of the museum’s Prep Lab to see fossils being cleaned and assembled. The fee is $5 per person. Will be cancelled in event of rain or thunder/lightning. Participants advised to bring sunscreen, hats, bug spray and water. Times are 10-11:30 a.m. on Aug. 30 and Sept. 13, and 2-3:30 p.m. on Sept. 6, 20 and 27. Contact: Natural History Museum, 866-202-6223.
‘Art of Visual Communication’
Continuing through Sept. 12, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday, Slocumb Galleries
This exhibit features work by graphic design alumni from the ETSU Department of Art and Design and is curated by graphic design faculty David Dixon and M. Wayne Dyer. Pieces range from corporate designs for clients, such as product developments, poster ads and digital campaigns, to fine art, including typography and illustrations. The exhibit reception will be held Sept. 9 from 5-7 p.m., and a corresponding ArtIFact lecture will be given Sept. 11 at 6 p.m. Free. Contact: Karlota Contreras-Koterbay, 483-3179 or contrera@etsu.edu.