Urbanologist
"What We Talk About When We Talk About Art in Cities"
Monday, February 20, 7:00 p.m.
Lawrence Public Library
*Co-sponsored by the Lawrence Public Library 

The question "what is art" can be quite simple or complex. When we think about art in cities, things get even murkier. Who is art for? Is it statues of long-gone military heroes? How does art enhance the public realm? Author and urbanologist Max Grinnell will talk about the role of public art in American cities, using illustrative materials from his travels. Through this talk, guests will see how public art shapes our understanding of urban spaces and how different public art projects can truly be exercises in community building. 

Tuesday, February 21, 7:30 p.m.
Hall Center Conference Hall
Reception to follow 

The process of creating a new and original piece of music is complex. How are ideas for composition generated? How can the rough idea for a musical piece be polished into a beautiful composition? How can one work on developing a creative piece from assignment, while still containing the soul of the creator?

Every artist confronted with these questions will deliver a different answer. Process and composition are as individual as the artists that produce them. Simons Public Humanities Fellow Randy Klein, with accompanying musicians, will perform original composition pieces, show film clips featuring the full range of his work, and discuss where his ideas come from, and how they were shaped into what they are today. Don't miss this opportunity to experience this talented musician's performance and learn about his creative process in this Hall Center for the Humanities recital.  

Avery Dame, American Studies; Natalie Pennington, Communication Studies; & Kenton Rambsy, Enlish
Tuesday, February 21, 12:00-1:00 p.m.
503A, Watson Library
 

Graduate Student Workshop
Wednesday, February 22, 6:00-9:00 p.m. or
Thursday, February 23, 6:00-9:00 p.m.
Hall Center Conference Hall

These duplicate workshops for graduate students, presented by the Hall Center Humanities Grant Development Office, focus on identifying sources of funding and strategies for developing successful grant and fellowship applications. Graduate students in the humanities, social sciences, and arts are encouraged to attend. The RSVP date for this event has passed. Contact hgdo@ku.edu to see if space is still available.  

"Do We Need a Crisis to Have Citizenship?"
Thursday, March 1, 10:30 a.m.
The Commons, Spooner Hall

The Idea Café consists of a fifteen-minute introduction to a provocative topic by an expert in the field, followed by a dinner-table-style discussion among members of the audience. It is intended to serve as an alternative model of engagement between scholars, and between scholars and the broader community, which elicits energetic exchanges between attendees in response to the speaker's introduction. Coffee is provided, and RSVP is required by February 22. Limit 40 guests. RSVP to Emily Ryan at thecommons@ku.edu. 

"'Third Rails' and 'Sacred Cows': Controversies in the Entitlement of Senior Citizens in the United States"
Friday, February 24, 12:00-1:30 p.m.
Hall Center Seminar Room

Once each month, the resident fellows of the Hall Center will meet as a seminar. On each occasion, one of the fellows will offer remarks on some aspect of his/her work-in-progress. These seminars are open to all interested faculty and graduate students. The RSVP date for this event has passed. If you would like to attend but still have not responded, please contact the Hall Center at hallcenter@ku.edu or 785-864-4798. Attendance is still possible but lunch may not be available.

Wednesday, February 29, - Friday, March 2
Hall Center Conference Hall

IDRH will offer our popular Digital Jumpstart Workshops again on February 29-March 2, 2012. These free workshops are intended to provide faculty, staff, and graduate students with hands-on introductions to digital tools and practices in order to help you capture and digitize your data, discover and analyze patterns in your data, and present and disseminate your results. All skill levels, from beginner to seasoned digital humanist, are welcome. All workshops are three hours long, except "Analytical Methods in XML," which is 2 full-days of instruction. Registration is free, but space is limited. Please register by February 24.

Introduction to Mapping and Data Visualization
Wednesday, February 29: 2pm - 5pm

Using New Media Technologies to Foster Participation in/out of the Classroom
Thursday, March 1: 9am -noon

Introduction to Digital Collection Tools
Thursday, March 1: 1pm - 4pm

Digital Humanities in the Undergraduate Curriculum
Friday, March 2: 9am - noon

Analytical Methods in XML
Thursday, March 1 and Friday, March 2: 8:30am - 4pm (*two-day workshop*)