“Staging Art in the 19th Century,” opening Jan. 25 at the Johnson Museum, showcases historical display practice with Thomas Cole’s “Evening in Arcady” (1843) and features more than 40 other artworks of the period.

Things to Do, Jan. 24-31, 2020

Community concert

The Cornell University Glee Club and Chorus will perform a selection of repertoire for the Ithaca community, Jan. 25 at 3 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church, 315 N. Cayuga St., Ithaca. Admission is free.

The vocal ensembles recently returned from a concert tour of the Pacific Northwest Jan. 8-18, performing in Yakima, Seattle and Olympia, Washington; Victoria and Vancouver, British Columbia; and Portland, Oregon.

“Staging Art”

A new exhibition at the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art features paintings typifying the artwork popularized by experiential, dramatic presentation during the 1800s at venues across the United States.

Staging Art in the 19th Century,” on display Jan. 25 through June 14 in the Gold Gallery, includes landscapes, waterscapes and still lifes; by artists ranging from American impressionists to Hudson River School painters.

Before most American cities had a museum, entrepreneurs would set up showplaces where a major painting could be seen, often in an alcove or small room, with curtains flanking the artwork for theatrical effect.

For the price of admission – usually a nickel or a dime – viewers entered an atmosphere orchestrated to inspire awe and appreciation for the talents of the artist, while creating an intimate relationship with the artwork. The emphasis on making unique experiences for the viewer also influenced which subjects and artists became popular.

In contrast to this staged display practice, the Johnson’s permanent collection gallery on the first floor features a salon-style presentation prevalent in Europe at the time, with paintings hung from floor to ceiling.

The exhibition is curated by Nancy E. Green, the museum’s Gale and Ira Drukier Curator of European and American Art, Prints & Drawings, 1800-1945.

Museum admission is free and open to the public Tuesday through Sunday.

Vanessa Bayer onstage

Actress and comedian Vanessa Bayer comes to campus for a talk and Q&A, Jan. 25 at 7:30 p.m. in Bailey Hall.

Vanessa Bayer

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are free and limited to two per person, available from the Willard Straight Hall Resource Center through Jan. 24.

The event will be moderated by Samantha Sheppard, the Mary Armstrong Meduski ’80 Assistant Professor of Cinema and Media Studies in the Department of Performing and Media Arts.

Bayer received an Emmy nomination for her work on “Saturday Night Live.” She was SNL’s longest-running female cast member, appearing in 149 episodes from 2010 to 2017. Her film credits include roles in “Trainwreck,” “Ibiza,” “Carrie Pilby” and “Office Christmas Party.”

The event is sponsored by the Cornell Hillel Major Speaker Series and the Cornell University Program Board. For accommodations to participate, or for more information, email Leila Gordon.

Hollywood classics

Cornell Cinema launches its American Cinema Survey series this week with a screening of Billy Wilder’s “Some Like It Hot,” Jan. 27 at 9 p.m. in Willard Straight Theatre. The series, offered in conjunction with associate professor of performing and media arts Sabine Haenni’s course focusing on Hollywood film, features five classics by acclaimed directors.

In addition to Wilder’s screwball comedy with Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon and Marilyn Monroe, the series includes: “Steamboat Bill, Jr.” with Buster Keaton, Feb. 15 at 2 p.m. with piano accompaniment by Philip Carli; Mervyn LeRoy’s “Gold Diggers of 1933,” with Joan Blondell, Ginger Rogers, Dick Powell and Ruby Keeler, March 2 at 9 p.m.; Alfred Hitchcock’s “Dial M for Murder” in 3D, starring Grace Kelly and Ray Milland, March 13 at 6:45 p.m. and March 16 at 9 p.m.; and Arthur Penn’s “Bonnie and Clyde,” with Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty, March 23 at 9 p.m.

The series is co-sponsored by the American Studies Program. “Steamboat Bill, Jr.” ($7 adults, $5 for ages 12 and under; no passes accepted) is part of the Ithakid Film Festival, with support from the Cornell Council for the Arts.

Also showing: the Oscar-nominated comedy “Knives Out,” Jan. 29 at 8:45 p.m., and Feb. 1-2 at 6:45 p.m.; and the area premiere of Michael Apted’s “63 Up,” Jan. 26 and 28, continuing his documentary series that began with British 7-year-olds in 1963, now interviewed at age 63.

Impeachment panel

The Institute of Politics and Global Affairs hosts an interactive panel discussion about “The Law and Politics of Impeachment,” Jan. 29, 4:45-6 p.m. in Room 120, Physical Sciences Building. The event is open to the Cornell community.

With the third presidential impeachment trial in American history underway in the U.S. Senate, the panel will highlight pressing legal questions surrounding impeachment and the national security issues that precipitated the current crisis.

The panelists are Michael Dorf, the Robert S. Stevens Professor of Law; and Sarah Kreps, professor of government and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. David Bateman, assistant professor of government and an expert on congressional politics, will moderate the discussion.

Big, messy data

Madeleine Udell, assistant professor of operations research and information engineering, will speak on “Filling in Missing Data: Politics, ____, Healthcare,” a Science on Tap event, Jan. 29 at 7 p.m. at Casita Del Polaris at Northstar House, 1201 N. Tioga St., Ithaca.

Udell’s talk will focus on the challenges data scientists face in understanding high-dimensional data sets organized as a table, with different (and often non-numeric) data types and many missing entries. She will discuss how to use models to analyze big messy data in politics, health care and beyond.

The event is free and open to all ages, as part of the monthly Science on Tap series presented by Graduate Women in Science.

Vietnam: Myths and lessons

For a half-century, the Vietnam War – and how it has been remembered through the lens of the American antiwar movement – has contributed to long-term effects on domestic politics, foreign policy and narratives of American history. Southeast Asian and East Asian area studies have also been affected. Why is the war still important today?

A new generation of scholars with language skills and archival experience is contributing fresh thought, according to Keith Taylor, professor of Sino-Vietnamese studies in the Department of Asian Studies.

Taylor discusses “The Vietnam War – What Happened and Why It Still Matters: Fashionable Myths and Unacknowledged Lessons,” Jan. 30 at noon at the Kahin Center, 640 Stewart Ave.

Part of the Ronald and Janette Gatty Lecture Series, the talk is open to the public.

Media Contact

Abby Butler