Eckerd College offers myriad activities and programs as a service to the community. All events are held on the Eckerd College campus and are free and open to the public, unless otherwise stated.
Eckerd College is located at 4200 54th Avenue South in St. Petersburg. Programs and events are subject to change. For more information, email events@eckerd.edu, visit eckerd.edu/events or call 727.864.7979. To see all International Cinema Series at Eckerd College offerings, visit eckerd.edu/international-cinema.
SPEAKERS
Leonardo and the Intersection of Art and Science
Wed., February 5, 7 p.m., Dan and Mary Miller Auditorium
Bulent Atalay, Ph.D., a former professor of physics at the University of Mary Washington and author of Math and the Mona Lisa: The Art and Science of Leonardo da Vinci, brings his passion for arguably the greatest artist in history for a special lecture at Eckerd College. Leonardo da Vinci was only a part-time artist, producing fewer than 20 works in his lifetime of 67 years. Among them, however, are the two most famous paintings in the history of art. His paintings echo the myriad passions that preoccupied him—including, anatomy, geology, hydrology, optics and mathematics. In his notebook, Leonardo penned, “Painting is a science, and all sciences are based on mathematics. No human inquiry can be a science unless it pursues its path through mathematical exposition and demonstration.”
Black Appetite. White Food: Issues of Race, Voice and Justice Within and Beyond the Classroom
Tue., February 11, 7 p.m., Fox Hall
Jamila Lyiscott, Ph.D.—an award-winning assistant professor of social justice education at the University of Massachusetts–Amherst and a senior research fellow of Teacher College, Columbia University’s Institute for Urban and Minority Education (IUME)—is a nationally renowned speaker and a spoken word artist whose work focuses on racial justice, community engagement and youth activism in education. She also is the author of Black Appetite. White Food. Issues of Race, Voice and Justice Within and Beyond the Classroom (Routledge, 2019). In her talk, she will invite us to think about the nuanced manifestations of white privilege as it exists within and beyond the classroom. She also will leave us with ideas and tools that teachers, school leaders and professors can use for awareness, inspiration and action around racial injustice and inequity. Sponsored by the Afro-American Society.
Nobel Prize for Chemistry: The Lithium-ion Battery
Thu., February 13, 6:30 p.m., Galbraith Marine Science Auditorium
Paul H. Carr, a physicist emeritus of the Air Force Research Laboratory, will discuss the 2019 Nobel Prize in Chemistry that was awarded to three scientists—mechanical engineer John Goodenough, chemist Akira Yoshino, and chemist and materials scientist Stanley Whittingham—for their work in developing the lithium-ion battery, an innovation that has significantly shaped the way we power everything from smartphones to electric vehicles. As the world attempts to move away from fossil fuels, lithium-ion batteries could play a role in the way we store energy from renewable resources. Carr, who researched magnetic oxides together with Li-ion battery co-inventor Goodenough, will describe the development and evolution of this now ubiquitous technology and its role in moving toward a more sustainable world. Part of the College Program Series. Sponsored by Eckerd College Sigma Xi Chapter.
Women of Faith and the First Women’s Rights Movement: Lessons for Today
Wed., February 19, 7:30 p.m., Fox Hall
Dr. Kristin Kobes Du Mez, a professor of history at Calvin University and author of A New Gospel for Women: Katharine Bushnell and the Challenge of Christian Feminism, specializes in the intersection of gender, religion and politics in recent American history. Her research shows that Christian women were critical to the 19th-century women’s rights movement, and their support for women’s suffrage ultimately proved key to securing the passage of the 19th Amendment. At a time when Christianity and feminism often seem at odds, the history of Christian feminism provides some surprising and often inspiring stories. But it is also filled with cautionary tales, complexities and signs of paths not taken. In all of these ways, this history offers valuable lessons for our own time. Sponsored by the Center for Spiritual Life Burchenal Lecture Series.
St. Petersburg Conference on World Affairs with Guest Speaker Retired General John W. Nicholson Jr.
Fri., February 21, 7 p.m., Fox Hall
Eckerd College has partnered with the St. Petersburg Conference on World Affairs to host General John W. Nicholson Jr., U.S. Army (Retired), the former Commander of U.S. Forces–Afghanistan and NATO’s Resolute Support Mission, who will speak about the ongoing conflicts that have shaped a generation and will give his insight on the future of U.S. military actions around the world. Sponsored by the Academy of Senior Professionals at Eckerd College and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Eckerd College.
VISUAL ART
Made at Eckerd
Monoprints by Visiting Artist Suzanne Benton
January 12–March 6
Artist Talk, Mon., February 10, 7 p.m.*
Cobb Gallery
Gallery Hours: Mon.–Fri., 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
Susan Sanders ’69
A Memorial / The Retrospective
January 25–March 6
Elliott Gallery, Nielsen Center for Visual Arts
Gallery Hours: Mon.–Fri., 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
WORKOUTSIDE
Alumni Invitational Exhibition
January 25–March 13
Main Gallery, Nielsen Center for Visual Arts
Gallery Hours: Mon.–Fri., 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
*Made at Eckerd: Gallery Talk
Mon., February 10, 7 p.m., Cobb Gallery
Internationally known artist and activist Suzanne Benton will speak about her work as a printmaker, sculptor and mask performance artist, in context with her exhibition of monoprints she has made over the past 14 years as a visiting artist in the Eckerd College Visual Arts Department.
MUSIC
Fascinating Rhythms: A Program of Contemporary Works for Piano Four-Hands
Sun., February 9, 3 p.m., Roberts Music Center 104
The Kaplan Duo (Nanette Kaplan Solomon and Iris Kaplan Rosenthal) performs music by living composers combining complex thematic and rhythmic treatments with dance rhythms, jazz or rag-inspired elements.
FILM
Parasite
Fri., February 7, 7 p.m., Dan and Mary Miller Auditorium
Directed by Bong Joon-ho (Korean with English subtitles, 132 min., 2019)
In this comedic thriller from South Korean auteur Bong Joon-ho (The Host, Okja, Snowpiercer), an enterprising family from Seoul’s hidden underclass infiltrates the world of the upper middle class and discovers the realities of 21st-century privilege. The first Korean film to win the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, Parasite also garnered the 2020 Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film and is nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Tickets are required for this feature; register here for free. Part of the International Cinema Series at Eckerd College.
The Chambermaid
Fri., February 14, 7 p.m., Dan and Mary Miller Auditorium
Directed by Lila Avilés (Spanish with English subtitles, 102 min., 2018)
Set entirely in a deluxe hotel, Mexico’s entry into the Academy Awards follows a chambermaid as she attempts to rise through hard work and dedication to duty. Along the way, the film inextricably draws the spectator into the world of the often invisible, yet always on display, working class of the modern service industry. Part of the International Cinema Series at Eckerd College.
Ága
Fri., February 21, 7 p.m., Dan and Mary Miller Auditorium
Directed by Milko Lazarov (Yakut, 96 min., 2018)
In this meditative and revelatory film, elderly indigenous Nanook and his wife attempt to live day by day on the frozen tundra in harmony with a world increasingly thrown out of balance. Co-presented with the Visions of Nature/Voices of Nature Environmental Film Festival. Part of the International Cinema Series at Eckerd College.
Tue., February 25, 7 p.m., Dan and Mary Miller Auditorium
Directed by Richard Ladkani (English, 105 min., 2019)
Through an investigation into the plight of the vaquita, the most endangered cetacean in the world (of which only 15 are known to still survive), this documentary illuminates the dual role of technology (nets, drones, moving images) to help as well as hinder efforts to save the species from exploitation by organized crime. Featuring an introduction and discussion after the film with Eckerd College graduates and members of the Sarasota Dolphin Research Team Aaron Barleycorn ’01 and Jason Allen ’01 about their work with the vaquita rescue effort. Part of the Visions of Nature/Voices of Nature Environmental Film Festival.
Honeyland
Wed., February 26, 7 p.m., Dan and Mary Miller Auditorium
Directed by Tamara Kotevska and Ljubomir Stefanov (Macedonian, Turkish and Bosnian with English subtitles, 87 min., 2019)
Kotevska and Stefanov’s observational documentary about a Turkish beekeeper in Macedonia unfolds like a fictional portrait of a lifestyle on the wane. When a young family moves into this small hive-like community, they disturb the local ecosystem as much as local tradition. Winner of the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival and nominated for Best International Feature Film and Best Documentary Feature at the 92nd Academy Awards. Featuring an introduction and discussion after the film with Professor Nick Corrao (Film Studies, Eckerd College). Part of the Visions of Nature/Voices of Nature Environmental Film Festival.
The Green Lie
Thu., February 27, 7 p.m., Dan and Mary Miller Auditorium
Directed by Werner Boote (German with English subtitles, 97 min., 2018)
In this participant documentary, filmmaker Werner Boote goes on the road with a green advocate to investigate the little “green lies” we tell ourselves about sustainable consumerism. Featuring an introduction and discussion after the film with Professor Joanna Huxster (Environmental Studies, Eckerd College). Part of the Visions of Nature/Voices of Nature Environmental Film Festival.
The River and the Wall
Fri., February 28, 7 p.m., Dan and Mary Miller Auditorium
Directed by Ben Masters (English, 109 min., 2019)
Worlds collide when two filmmakers, one river guide, one conservationist, and one field ornithologist travel the length of the U.S.-Mexico border to consider the ecological effects of building a border wall. Immersive and engaging, this documentary explores the environmental side of a popular political issue. Featuring an introduction and discussion of the film with producer Hillary Pierce. Part of the Visions of Nature/Voices of Nature Environmental Film Festival.
Anthropocene: The Human Epoch
Sat., February 29, 7 p.m., Dan and Mary Miller Auditorium
Directed by Jennifer Baichwal, Nick de Pencier and Edward Burtynsky (English, 87 min., 2018)
Research has confirmed that we have now entered the Anthropocene, a new epoch in which human activities create change in the environment on a scale greater than all other natural processes combined. This wide-ranging documentary explores the reality of this new era from around the world, from intimate changes to massive transformations. Featuring an introduction and discussion of the film with director Jennifer Baichwal. Part of the Visions of Nature/Voices of Nature Environmental Film Festival.
THEATRE
Live in HD at Eckerd College
Get your tickets at eckerd.edu/olli/performance—$25 for the general public and $22 for members of the Academy of Senior Professionals at Eckerd College (ASPEC) and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI).
Met Opera Live: The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess
An Opera by George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin and DuBose Heyward
Sat., February 1, 12:55 p.m., Dan and Mary Miller Auditorium
The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess returns to the Met, for the first time since 1990, in a new production directed by James Robinson in his company debut. America’s “folk opera,” as the 1935 creators described it, tells the story of disabled beggar Porgy, sung by Eric Owens, and his love for the drug-addicted Bess, portrayed by Angel Blue.
National Theatre Live: The Lehman Trilogy
A Play by Stefano Massini
Fri., February 21, 12:55 p.m., Dan and Mary Miller Auditorium
This is the story of a family and their company that changed the world, told in three parts on a single evening. Academy Award–winner Sam Mendes (Skyfall, The Ferryman) directs Simon Russell Beale, Adam Godley and Ben Miles—who play the Lehman brothers, their sons and grandsons. On a cold September morning in 1844 a young man from Bavaria stands on a New York dockside, dreaming of a new life in the new world. He is joined by his two brothers, and an American epic begins. One hundred sixty-three years later, the firm they establish—Lehman Brothers—spectacularly collapses into bankruptcy and triggers the largest financial crisis in history.
Met Opera Live: Agrippina
An Opera by George Frederic Handel
Sat., February 29, 12:55 p.m., Dan and Mary Miller Auditorium
As the imperious title empress, mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato leads the Met premiere of Handel’s tale of deception and deceit. Harry Bicket conducts Sir David McVicar’s wry new production, which gives this Baroque black comedy a politically charged, modern updating.