In the beginning ...
‘Origins’ arts festival provides cosmic answers to everyday questions
By Carl Kozlowski 10/23/2009
Starting Friday and running through Nov. 9, the 2009 Pasadena Arts + Ideas Festival — the fifth of these biennial events — presents a multimedia collaboration of arts, science and cultural organizations teaming up to provide a series of head-spinning events.
This week alone, the fest includes the world premiere of the Theatre @ Boston Court’s punk-meets-Shakespeare musical about political dissent, “God Save Gertrude,” as well as the Pasadena Museum of History’s “Family Stories: Sharing a Community's Legacy,” in where attendees can get clues to climbing their own family trees.
Visitors can also explore the origins of the universe in a special display by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope Science Center weekend evenings at the One Colorado plaza that includes the chance to ask questions of astronomers.
On other fronts this week, Fuller Theological Seminary opens the exhibition “Approaching Eden” by Patty Wickham from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday at the seminary library at 135 N. Oakland Ave., Pasadena. Call (626) 304-3789. Meanwhile at the Pasadena Museum of History docent-led one-hour tours of the “Family Stories” exhibit will take place Fridays at 12:15 p.m., this week, Oct. 30 and Nov. 6, with an optional ethnic lunch afterward.
The Gamble House will sponsor a panel discussion on two early examples of the U-shaped house plan that came to symbolize indoor-outdoor life in California, at 4:30 p.m. Saturday at The Art Center College of Design’s Ahmanson Auditorium at 1700 Lida Street. Call (626) 396-2200 or visit artcenter.edu. And fittingly for the Halloween season, the Boston Court Performing Arts Center at 70 N. Mentor Ave. in Pasadena will host bassist Tom Peters as he creates a live, electronic music score to the classic 1919 horror film, “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari,” at 8 p.m. Saturday. Call (626) 683-6883 or visit Bostoncourt.com.
The final two big events of the week are the Pasadena Symphony Association performing the music of Debussy and Holst in a special 8 p.m. Saturday “Origins: The Planets” concert at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, 300 E. Green St. Call (626) 793-7172 or visit pasadenasymphony-pops.org.
And at the Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens, Huntington Curator of the History of Science Dan Lewis will discuss “Darwin and his Discontents” at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino. Call (626) 405-2100 or visit huntington.org.
Whatever your interests, there’s plenty of fascinating information to be found at the fest. And best of all, most events are free or low-cost. Visit artideasfestival.org for all schedule and admission information.
This week alone, the fest includes the world premiere of the Theatre @ Boston Court’s punk-meets-Shakespeare musical about political dissent, “God Save Gertrude,” as well as the Pasadena Museum of History’s “Family Stories: Sharing a Community's Legacy,” in where attendees can get clues to climbing their own family trees.
Visitors can also explore the origins of the universe in a special display by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope Science Center weekend evenings at the One Colorado plaza that includes the chance to ask questions of astronomers.
On other fronts this week, Fuller Theological Seminary opens the exhibition “Approaching Eden” by Patty Wickham from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday at the seminary library at 135 N. Oakland Ave., Pasadena. Call (626) 304-3789. Meanwhile at the Pasadena Museum of History docent-led one-hour tours of the “Family Stories” exhibit will take place Fridays at 12:15 p.m., this week, Oct. 30 and Nov. 6, with an optional ethnic lunch afterward.
The Gamble House will sponsor a panel discussion on two early examples of the U-shaped house plan that came to symbolize indoor-outdoor life in California, at 4:30 p.m. Saturday at The Art Center College of Design’s Ahmanson Auditorium at 1700 Lida Street. Call (626) 396-2200 or visit artcenter.edu. And fittingly for the Halloween season, the Boston Court Performing Arts Center at 70 N. Mentor Ave. in Pasadena will host bassist Tom Peters as he creates a live, electronic music score to the classic 1919 horror film, “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari,” at 8 p.m. Saturday. Call (626) 683-6883 or visit Bostoncourt.com.
The final two big events of the week are the Pasadena Symphony Association performing the music of Debussy and Holst in a special 8 p.m. Saturday “Origins: The Planets” concert at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, 300 E. Green St. Call (626) 793-7172 or visit pasadenasymphony-pops.org.
And at the Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens, Huntington Curator of the History of Science Dan Lewis will discuss “Darwin and his Discontents” at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino. Call (626) 405-2100 or visit huntington.org.
Whatever your interests, there’s plenty of fascinating information to be found at the fest. And best of all, most events are free or low-cost. Visit artideasfestival.org for all schedule and admission information.
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