(Ashland, Ore.) — The Southern Oregon University Center for Sustainability (CFS) recently received a major gift from Cottage Grove-based Territorial Seed Company. The gift of seeds from Territorial will make it possible for CFS to again provide low-cost fruits and vegetables to the SOU campus community in 2015.

The fruits and vegetables to be grown this year will be distributed at a weekly low-cost farm stand to SOU students, distributed to SOU Dining facilities, and sold to SOU faculty and staff through a CSA subscription program.

Territorial Seed Company has been generously providing advice and support to CFS since Territorial Owner and SOU alumnus Tom Johns visited the site for an opening reception last June. Thanks to the donation from Territorial Seed Company, and the donations of many others, CFS expects to grow its on-campus environmental programming this year.

CFS is currently working with the City of Ashland, Rogue Valley Farm to School, Ashland School District, and OSU Extension to develop the infrastructure and programming necessary to serve the region as a resource for sustainability education and sustainable business incubation.

The seeds donated by Territorial Seed Company include many exciting heirloom varieties, according to SOU Professor and CFS Faculty Director Vincent Smith. “The heirloom varieties we will grow this year were selected for their exceptional flavor and for their proven performance in our region,” he said.

SOU biology major and CFS Farm manager Jessica Harper stated, “I can’t wait to begin planting! We were able to choose a diverse and excellent variety of seeds for this season.”

About Southern Oregon University

Southern Oregon University provides outstanding student experiences, valued degrees, and successful graduates. SOU is known for excellence in faculty, intellectual creativity and rigor, quality and innovation in connected learning programs, and the educational benefits of its unique geographic location. SOU was the first university in Oregon—and one of the first in the nation—to offset 100 percent of its energy use with clean, renewable power, and it is the first university in the nation to balance 100% of its water consumption. Visit sou.edu.

About the SOU Center for Sustainability

The SOU Center for Sustainability is a living and learning laboratory for applied research and projects in sustainability. The Center serves as a community resource for sustainability education, fosters sustainable business development, promotes interconnectedness, and facilitates leadership training through thoughtful learning and practice. Visit sou.edu/sustainable/center-for-sustainability

(Ashland, Ore.) – The Theatre Arts program of the Oregon Center for the Arts at Southern Oregon University presents “The Glass Menagerie” by Tennessee Williams in the Center Square Theatre on the Southern Oregon University campus. Performances run on Thursday through Saturday, Feb. 19-21 and Feb. 26-28 at 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 28 and March 1 at 2 p.m.

Tennessee Williams, one of America’s greatest playwrights, had his first success with this plaintive, semi-autobiographical memory play, focusing on a family struggling with the terrible burdens of love: the restless dreamer Tom, his fragile sister Laura, and their domineering mother Amanda, a faded Southern belle desperate to find a suitor for the pathologically shy Laura. A Gentleman Caller finally arrives, and alters the family’s life forever. Ben Brantley of The New York Times calls it “a certifiable masterpiece.”

“The complexity of the characters and the poetry of the language is what drew me to this play,” said director James Edmondson. “Williams tackles human isolation, universal longing and the courage of small lives. His storytelling style, which combines realism with theatricality, is compelling.”

Edmondson has been acting and directing since 1971. He previously directed eight productions for SOU, most recently “A Streetcar Named Desire” and “The Cyrano Project.”  In his 38 seasons at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Edmondson directed 34 productions and acted in nearly 100 roles, including Willy Loman in “Death of a Salesman” and Richard in “Richard II.” He has worked for the Indiana Repertory Theatre, San Jose Repertory Theatre, American Conservatory Theater and the Utah Shakespeare Festival, among others.

Rebecca Curtis plays Laura, Tamra Mathias plays Amanda, Henry Steelhammer plays Tom and Devin White plays the Gentleman Caller. “This cast has a depth of understanding and compassion and the willingness to take risks,” said Edmondson. “They are gaining a deeper understanding of another time in American life.”

The scenic designer is Marc Wheeler, costume designer is Shannon Benn, lighting designer is Sarah Schwartz and sound designer is Jonathan Pratt. The assistant director is Natalia Regalia-Affinito, technical direction is by JC Leyson and stage manager is Sabrina Schmit.

Tickets are $21 regular admission, $18 senior, and $6 for students. The Performing Arts Box Office is located in the SOU Music Recital Hall lobby. Box office hours are noon to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and two hours prior to each performance. Tickets can be purchased with a credit card over the phone by calling 541-552-6348 or online at sou.edu/performingarts.

About Southern Oregon University

Southern Oregon University provides outstanding student experiences, valued degrees, and successful graduates. SOU is known for excellence in faculty, intellectual creativity and rigor, quality and innovation in connected learning programs, and the educational benefits of its unique geographic location. SOU was the first university in Oregon—and one of the first in the nation—to offset 100 percent of its energy use with clean, renewable power, and it is the first university in the nation to balance 100 percent of its water consumption. Visit sou.edu.

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(Ashland, Ore.) – The Music program of the Oregon Center for the Arts at Southern Oregon University presents a variety of new arrangements and original music by percussion duo Bleep Bloop in the SOU Music Recital Hall on Tuesday, February 10 at 7:30 pm. Admission is free.

Bleep Bloop consists of SOU graduate percussionists Jeffrey Kolega and Colin Malloy. They formed Bleep Bloop last year when Kolega and Malloy discovered that their musical interests were similar and decided to work on music together, outside of class. This is the first full-length concert prepared by the pair completely outside of their academic responsibilities.

The duo has been heavily influenced by minimalism. This concert features minimalist works or works with minimalist elements, including four works by Steve Reich, one of the founders of the minimalist movement in percussion. Three works in this concert are original Bleep Bloop arrangements, including two new works recently performed at Princeton University, home of So Percussion. “Zentropy Study No. 1 – Metronomicon,” is the original composition of Malloy.

“Percussion music can be enjoyed by anyone,” said Malloy. “Our music emphasizes texture and rhythm, with a strong pop/rock sensibility, despite being firmly rooted in the art music realm. These pieces offer an opportunity for people to have an intellectual dialog with the musical experience.”

About Southern Oregon University

Southern Oregon University provides outstanding student experiences, valued degrees, and successful graduates. SOU is known for excellence in faculty, intellectual creativity and rigor, quality and innovation in connected learning programs, and the educational benefits of its unique geographic location. SOU was the first university in Oregon—and one of the first in the nation—to offset 100 percent of its energy use with clean, renewable power, and it is the first university in the nation to balance 100 percent of its water consumption. Visit sou.edu.

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From left: Jeffrey Kolega and Colin Malloy form percussion duo Bleep Bloop, performing new arrangements and original music at the Southern Oregon University Music Recital Hall.

Photo by Hayden Teachout

(Ashland, Ore.) – The Visual Arts program of the Oregon Center for the Arts at Southern Oregon University presents four new exhibitions in the Center for the Visual Arts Galleries. Works are on display from February 2-26, 2015. An opening reception will be held Thursday, February 5 from 5:00 to 7:00 pm. Admission is free.

A.N. Quast concludes her academic career at SOU with a Bachelor of Fine Arts thesis installation of sculpture titled “From the Cold Months” in the Thorndike Gallery. Quast’s body of work explores themes taken from folkloric narrative, ritual and practice. These works utilize natural, ephemeral materials in the context of installation to create a specific environment or experience, placing the viewer in a situation to relate to specific lore. Quast investigates ideas about preservation, duration and memory through the content of the work and choice of materials.

In the Retzlaff Gallery, graduate student Angie Wallace will also offer an installation. Wallace uses a wide range of materials and processes in her visual exploration of human experience. Her work deals directly with self-destructive behaviors and emotional well-being. She tackles themes in her sculpture that can be uncomfortable or deeply personal.

In the Art Chairs Gallery, SOU students Jess Volk and Muuqi Maxwell offer a group photography show titled “The Rest of the Room.” This exhibition reproduces writing and images that have been discovered on the walls of public restrooms. The primary aim of this project is to see what emerges when aspects of communication that were meant for display in semi-private spaces are made completely public.

Audrey Kramm, an Emerging Media and Digital Arts student, displays her capstone show in the Boise Cascade Gallery. This display of photography, graphic design and new media, titled “of, relating to, or based on mental concepts,” is based on inspiring situations. Kramm combines scenery that invokes serene contemplation with odd or eccentric details in a large format to provoke mental interaction by the viewer. Kramm explores traditional graphic design and typography and the way digital developments impact the arts.

About Southern Oregon University

Southern Oregon University provides outstanding student experiences, valued degrees, and successful graduates. SOU is known for excellence in faculty, intellectual creativity and rigor, quality and innovation in connected learning programs, and the educational benefits of its unique geographic location. SOU was the first university in Oregon—and one of the first in the nation—to offset 100 percent of its energy use with clean, renewable power, and it is the first university in the nation to balance 100 percent of its water consumption. Visit sou.edu.

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(Ashland, Ore.) – The Music program of the Oregon Center for the Arts at Southern Oregon University presents the 20th annual High School Honor Band workshop and concert on Saturday, Jan. 31 at 5:00 p.m. in the SOU Music Recital Hall. Admission is free.

The SOU High School Honor Band brings together the region’s outstanding young musicians from local high schools to the campus for coaching sessions and a concert to conclude the one-day workshop with collegiate-level faculty. Participants are chosen by their high school band directors.

The SOU High School Honor Band will perform new works for band as well as old favorites. “This workshop and concert gives these outstanding young musicians an opportunity to collaborate together and learn from professional musicians who teach at the university,” said director Dr. Cynthia Hutton.

Hutton is an associate professor of Music at Southern Oregon University and conducts the SOU Wind Ensemble. She teaches classes in conducting, music theory, aural skills, brass methods and instrumental music education. She is the Music Director of the Youth Symphony of Southern Oregon and has served as Conductor of the Youth Symphony and Youth Orchestra since 1995. As a horn artist, Hutton is a member of the Rogue Valley Symphony and the RVSO Brass Quintet.

About Southern Oregon University

Southern Oregon University provides outstanding student experiences, valued degrees, and successful graduates. SOU is known for excellence in faculty, intellectual creativity and rigor, quality and innovation in connected learning programs, and the educational benefits of its unique geographic location. SOU was the first university in Oregon—and one of the first in the nation—to offset 100 percent of its energy use with clean, renewable power, and it is the first university in the nation to balance 100 percent of its water consumption. Visit sou.edu.

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(Ashland, Ore.) – The Music program of the Oregon Center for the Arts at Southern Oregon University presents the third concert of the SOU Tutunov Piano Series, featuring international piano duo Ivona Kaminska and Christopher Bowlby, on Friday, Feb. 6 at 7:30 p.m. in the SOU Music Recital Hall.

The performance is a prelude to Valentine’s Day with a program of works by Mozart, Schubert, Debussy, Junkinsmith and Milhaud. “This Romantic program will be sure to please everyone in attendance for this early Valentine Day’s celebration,” said Dr. Alexander Tutunov, the series’ namesake.  “Ivona and Christopher are my favorite piano duo who will impress the audience with their superb balance of musicality and technical brilliance in this beautifully constructed program.”

The duo will perform Mozart’s “Sonata in F Major for 4 Hands, K 497,” as well as Debussy’s “Petite Suite,” “Rashamon” by Junkinsmith and “Scaramouche” by Milhaud. The pianists note that Seattle composer Jeff Junkinsmith wrote “Rashamon” particularly for them.

Bowlby is the program director at the Chopin Academy of Music in Issaquah, Wash., and the director and vice president of the Seattle International Piano Festival and Competition. He has been featured on public radio several times, including a live performance of Bach’s “Partita No. 4 in D Major, BWV 828” on King FM in Seattle. His playing has been acclaimed for its warmth and integrity and he has performed in such prestigious musical centers as the Weill Recital Hall in Carnegie Hall in New York City, Salle Cortot in Paris, France, and Benaroya Hall and Meydenbauer Center in Seattle.

Kaminska teaches at the Chopin Academy of Music and is president of the Seattle International Piano Festival and Competition. Dr. Kaminska holds a Masters of Arts and Post-Graduate Performance Diploma from the Frederic Chopin University of Music, Warsaw, Poland, a Masters of Music from University of Nebraska – Lincoln, and a Doctorate of Musical Arts from University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada.

Both artists maintain a busy concert schedule as soloists and chamber musicians.

Tutunov is Professor of Piano and Artist in Residence at Southern Oregon University. “Over the past few years, I felt there were enough people in the Rogue Valley who are as passionate about the things I do and love doing as I am,” said Tutunov. “We have a fortunate combination of a great venue, terrific supportive audience, and my personal connections in the classical piano music world with the result that we can bring high quality music-making to the Rogue Valley.” Tutunov describes each featured artist’s uncompromising quest for finding “the deepest meaning and perfection in the music they perform” as the common thread through the series.

Tutunov also is the Artistic Director of the SOU International Piano Institute and Artist in Residence at the University of Alaska Southeast. He just finished a five-year tenure as a voting member of the Grammy Academy. Tutunov was named the Nationally Certified Teacher of Music and the Official Soloist with the Port Angeles Symphony orchestra last year. He maintains a busy performing schedule in Europe, China, Mexico and the United States as a recitalist, soloist with orchestra, and on radio and television. He is also in demand as an adjudicator for piano competitions.

Reserved tickets are $20 general and free to full-time students. The Performing Arts Box Office is located in the Music Recital Hall lobby. Box office hours are noon to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and two hours prior to each performance. Tickets can be purchased with a credit card over the phone by calling 541-552-6348 or online at sou.edu/performingarts.

About Southern Oregon University

Southern Oregon University provides outstanding student experiences, valued degrees, and successful graduates. SOU is known for excellence in faculty, intellectual creativity and rigor, quality and innovation in connected learning programs, and the educational benefits of its unique geographic location. SOU was the first university in Oregon—and one of the first in the nation—to offset 100 percent of its energy use with clean, renewable power, and it is the first university in the nation to balance 100 percent of its water consumption. Visit sou.edu.

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(Ashland, Ore.) – The Art and Art History program of the Oregon Center for the Arts at Southern Oregon University presents three exhibitions in the Center for the Visual Arts Galleries. Works are on display from January 5 to January 29, 2015. Admission is free.

In the Retzlaff Gallery, SOU students Olivia Merkle-Lawler and Rebecca Gabrielle Hanley offer a multi-media installation performance titled “I’m a teaser. That’s my talent.” Installation media include photography, ceramics and found objects. During the course of this exhibition, the two artists will separately visit the space and add to the work, responding to what is already in the gallery, but without the knowledge of the other. Because Merkle-Lawler and Hanley are friends and colleagues, who often dialogue verbally about art, this exhibition is a challenge for them to conduct a dialogue that excludes any verbal communication. A closing reception and performance is planned for Thursday, Jan. 29 from 5:00–7:00 pm.

In the Thorndike Gallery, community artist Al Crane from Grants Pass, Ore., will be showing a collection of digital prints titled “Scan Art and Manipulated Images.” The images are photo-based digital manipulations. Crane often begins by scanning an element from nature or a found object directly on his flatbed scanner. This method is commonly called “scanography.” Working on the images in Adobe Photoshop, Crane combines them with his own original photography or tintypes and vintage photographs.

In the Meyer Gallery, SOU student Elisabeth E. Ervine offers a solo photography show titled “Dolled Up.”  In this series, Ervine studies the physical features of dolls in order to explore the image of the ideal woman that the dolls represent. The goal of this work is to create a dialogue about physical appearance and the obsession to be “ideal.”

For more information, visit sou.edu/art/galleries or call 541-552-6387.

About Southern Oregon University

Southern Oregon University provides outstanding student experiences, valued degrees, and successful graduates. SOU is known for excellence in faculty, intellectual creativity and rigor, quality and innovation in connected learning programs, and the educational benefits of its unique geographic location. SOU was the first university in Oregon—and one of the first in the nation—to offset 100 percent of its energy use with clean, renewable power, and it is the first university in the nation to balance 100 percent of its water consumption. Visit sou.edu.

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Work by Elizabeth E. Ervine