Provided

Botanical illustrators at Cornell from the 1930s to 2000 are featured in an ongoing exhibition in Mann Library. Shown: a Bente Starcke King watercolor of a hawthorn sprig.

‘Othello’ at Plantations

Cornell Plantations hosts its final performances of William Shakespeare’s “Othello” by the Ithaca Shakespeare Company, Aug. 1-3 at 6 p.m. in the F.R. Newman Arboretum’s Jackson Grove. Admission is a $10 suggested donation, or pay what you can.

Patrons should bring lawn chairs, blankets and an umbrella. Performances will continue in the rain but may be halted in severe weather.

The tragedy is one of two Shakespeare plays on the theme of jealousy that the company staged in repertory this summer at Plantations. The same cast performed “Much Ado About Nothing” from July 11-21.

Information, tickets: http://ithacashakespeare.org

Folk brothers

Cornell’s free summer events series comes to a close Friday, Aug. 2, with six-piece alternative folk group the Andrew and Noah Band, 7-8:30 p.m. on the Arts Quad. Open to the public.

Led by songwriting brothers Andrew and Noah VanNorstrand, the band plays a high-energy, danceable kind of eclectic Americana, with rock instruments plus fiddle, accordion, mandolin, saxophone and three-part harmony vocals. Their music is a mix of Appalachian folk, roots rock, classic country and bluegrass, jazz and swing, Cajun/zydeco, Celtic and world music.

Band members Rachel Bell, Dana Billings, Chris Miller and Kailyn Wright also boast influences ranging from jazz, rock and folk to classical and choral music.

Sponsored by the School of Continuing Education and Summer Sessions. Information: http://www.summer.cornell.edu/events  

Botanical beauty

“Cornell Botanical Illustrators of the 20th Century,” an exhibition on display through November in Mann Library’s Top Shelf Gallery, celebrates the Department of Plant Biology’s centennial by showcasing six illustrators. Their work – created for books and scientific publications to edify and guide professionals and amateur natural historians alike – contributed to the department’s scientific and educational mission.

The artists are: “Beautiful Botanicals” author/illustrator Bente Starcke King, a teacher and illustrator for the Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium and Cornell Plantations, 1980-2005; Marion Roosa Wrench ’37, who illustrated several of Bailey’s books in the late 1930s; Elfriede Abbe ’40, a staff illustrator from 1942 to 1974 who also created sculptural works found across campus; Mitsu Nakayama, an illustrator in the hortorium from the 1950s to 1980; Barbara Bernstein, an illustrator for the department and the hortorium from 1974 to 1992; and Marion Ruff Sheehan, M.S. ’50, who illustrated numerous hortorium publications from the late 1940s through the late 1980s.

The exhibition is free and open to the public, and is funded by the Elizabeth (Betty) E. Rowley Fund for Mann Library and the Mann Library Excellence Fund.

'Back to the Future’

The Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art offers a free outdoor screening of “Back to the Future” Saturday, Aug. 3, at 8:30 p.m. on the museum’s south lawn. The 1985 movie stars Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd and Lea Thompson.

 Free snacks are provided. In event of rain, the screening will take place in the lecture room of the museum wing.

Salsa!

Salsalon Baile Latino features DJ Michael Luis spinning Latin dance music – from salsa, bachata and merengue to reggaeton and Latin house – Aug. 9 and Aug. 23 at the Big Red Barn.

A free salsa and bachata lesson at 9 p.m. precedes the Friday dance party from 9:45 p.m. to 1 a.m. Admission for ages 18 and up is $5.

Wine and grape basics

Cornell Cooperative Extension and the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva will hold a workshop Aug. 22-23 for new grape growers and startup wineries.

Attendees will learn about key aspects of managing grape growing and winemaking, the decisions that need to be made in planning or starting a winery and what to do once production has begun. The workshop includes a tour of a vineyard and winery.

Experts from Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Finger Lakes Grape Program and enology lab, the Department of Food Science and the Empire State Development Agency will cover topics including appropriate grape varieties for the region, site preparation, pest and weed management, equipment for new vineyards, and licensing and legal issues.

The workshop costs $150 for either day, $250 both days, including materials and lunch. Online registration: http://flgp.cce.cornell.edu/event.php?id=95

More information: Gemma Osborne, 315-787-2248.

The dirt on Anderson

Multimedia artist Laurie Anderson will present “Dirtday” Sept. 21 at 8 p.m. at the State Theatre, Ithaca.

The songs and stories in Anderson’s show focus on topics ranging from politics and history to theories of evolution, families and animals. Tickets are on sale at the State Theatre Box Office, http://stateofithaca.com or 607-277-8283.

The event helps support the Paleontological Research Institution (PRI) Rock the Future Campaign, and celebrates the 10th anniversary of Museum of the Earth, which holds a pre-performance event Sept. 21 at 6 p.m. at State of the Art Gallery, across the street from the theater.

Anderson also participates in a panel discussion on art and science, Sept. 22 2-4 p.m., at Museum of the Earth. The panel includes Roald Hoffmann, John Gurche and moderator Barbara Mink. Tickets are $10 per person, available at http://museumoftheearth.org.

Hoffmann, the Frank H.T. Rhodes Professor of Humane Letters Emeritus at Cornell and the 1981 Nobel laureate in chemistry, is also known for his poetry, plays and essays. Gurche is artist-in-residence at PRI and re-creates vivid scenes of past life using bones, fossils and other remains. Mink is founder and artistic director from 1999 to 2011 of the Light in Winter Festival and a member artist of the State of the Art Gallery.