Mark Your Calendars, Art Enthusiasts

From classical music to Pixar films, the Arts at SCU promise entertainment for everyonePJ Hummelt Associate Reporter September 28, 2017The arts in and around Santa Clara are robust and plentiful. But sadly, many exciting performances and exhibits go on unnoticed, especially in the early part of the year. To limit the presentations that slip past us, here is a preview of what’s offered on and just off campus.First up: SCU Presents organizes an array of productions with various departments through the university to re-engage even the haziest of summer brains. On Sept. 30 at 7:30 p.m. in the Recital Hall, professor Hans Boepple of the Music Department will perform Rachmaninoff’s Prelude in D Minor.Unlike the average child who is forced to take piano lessons, Boepple started performing with nationally recognized symphonies at only ten years old. His early dedication and lasting commitment to music make him a particularly noteworthy artist on campus.For classical music fans, there is plenty still to satiate your desire. The California Theater in downtown San Jose will be hosting backto-back performances of Beethoven’s lively Symphony No. 7 on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1.Next on the list, SCU Presents and the Department of Communication take us into modern media with a couple of films for the big screen.For those who appreciate a good horror film, prepare to mark your calendars. Get Out—Jordan Peele’s social thriller about a weekend getaway turned cringeworthy and gut-wrenching—will play in the Santa Clara Recital Hall on Oct. 4 at 7:30 pm.For the more whimsically inclined, Disney Pixar’s Cars 2 takes us back into the pedalslamming, fender-bending life of Lightning McQueen on Oct. 7 at 1:30 p.m.If none of those strike your fancy, there area variety of visual arts to investigate. Of course, as students of the university, we are lucky to have the de Saisset Museum at our fingertips. But off campus, just down El Camino at the Triton Museum of Art, we have a rare opportunity to see and entire installation created by one of our very own Santa Clara professors, Julie Hughes of the Art and Art History Department.Until Oct. 29, Hughes installation entitled Nocturne, “subtly plays with the line between 2D and 3D,” according to the artist herself. Created from only acrylic paint and Duralar, a type of mylar, Hughes has created a multisensory installation.At first glance, one is instantly struck by the organic nature of her work. This natural form stems from Ms. Hughes’ interest in the cohesion of all living things: “I am endlessly fascinated with the sublimity of the natural world and the ways in which all living things are connected,” she says.Hughes’ interest in the interwoven webs between all forms of life influenced the title as well as the creation. She believes that Nocturne “references things more like nebulae” and that the “painted forms represent both microcosms and macrocosms at once.” The endless parallels between “cosmology and cellular structure,” are, according to the artist, “pretty romantic.” And romantic it is. Colorful, natural and stunning, Nocturne is a must-see creation by one of our very own Broncos.Beyond just a pretty things to look at, Nocturne, holds lessons for Santa Clara students as well. Hughes encourages her students to take risks and “explore materials without an end result in mind” and not to wait until ‘“inspiration’ hits to start making things.”Now you can’t plead ignorance when it comes to Art and Culture, or complain about boredom. There’s plenty to see, hear and experience in the art atmosphere surrounding Santa Clara, and I promise you won’t regret getting involved. Take note of Hughes’ sage advice: explore this week without a result in mind. You might just surprise yourself. As the year goes on, keep an eye out for these local venues to satisfy all of your artistic desires.Contact PJ Hummelt at phummelt@scu.edu or call (408) 554-4852.