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The Good, The Bad, and The Guilty Pleasures
It’s human nature to divide the world into good and bad. Some things are out and out good for you and others, not so much. Things that are undoubtedly good: flossing, turmeric, good posture, drinking water, daily exercise, SPF, kale, democracy. Then there are the things that we can’t deny aren't so great: asbestos, refined carbs, Camp Lejeune commercials, sedentary lifestyles, aggressive drivers, insomnia, dictators, incorrect passwords. Someone once declared, “everything in moderation,” and that created a whole category of things that we can justify as being good as long as we don’t overdo it. This group includes wine, chocolate, and doing nothing. Then there are the things that we all find comfort in but don’t necessarily brag about—the so-called guilty pleasures in life. Everyone has them and they aren’t the same for each person. Guilty pleasures are those things that might even be a tad embarrassing but they bring indescribable joy: Diet Coke, reruns of “The Rockford Files”, O Magazine, mani-pedis, Wordle, ice cream sundaes, “Dancing with the Stars”, online shopping, being nosy. I’m just guessing on the guilty pleasures, of course. But, do tell, what are some of yours?
Stay safe and healthy,
Tracy Jacobs
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Coming on the heels of Halloween, it may be common for major retailers and general observers to see Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) as an extension of Halloween. In actuality, however, sweet treats-specifically in the form of skulls made of sugar and decorated with brightly colored icing (called calaveras de azucar)-are likely the only connection between Halloween and Day of the Dead. Despite the prominent imagery of skulls, Día de los Muertos isn't meant to be spooky at all.
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This program is presented by the Towson University department of Art + Design, Art History, Art Education and supported in part by the Baltimore Hebrew Institute and the National Endowment for the Arts.
“Ex-tend Ex-cess: Metamorphosis in Clay”
On View through December 10, 2022 (Closed November 22–27)
Art Lecture Hall, CA 2032
Exhibition and lectures are free and open to the public.
Artists: Ebitenyefa Baralaye; Cassils; Roxanne Jackson; Sara Parent-Ramos; Zemer Peled; Rotem Reshef; Martha Rieger; Brie Ruais; Anthony Sonnenberg; *Gabriela Vainsencher; Michael Ware; Matt Wedel; & Shiyuan Xu.
This exhibition of contemporary process-based sculpture and installation concentrates on abstraction as an extension of the artist's physical actions. By bringing together abstraction, which is frequently considered elitist and incomprehensible, with craft, which is often viewed as popular but lacking intellectual depth, Ex-tend Ex-cess makes challenging work accessible. It also offers dialog around issues of equity in terms of materials and culture. Curated by J. Susan Isaacs, TU and Sagi Refael, independent curator.
Upcoming Lecture: Gabriela Vainsencher
Thursday, November 17 at 6:30 p.m.
Vainsencher was born in Buenos Aires, raised in Tel Aviv, and currently lives in Montclair, NJ. She received her MFA from Hunter College. Past solo and two-person exhibitions include CRUSH Curatorial gallery, NY, NY, A.I.R. Gallery, Brooklyn, NY, Hanina Gallery, Tel Aviv, Israel; Musée d'Art Moderne André Malraux, Le Havre, France; Parker's Box Gallery, Brooklyn, NY; NurtureArt, NY; and La Chambre Blanche, Quebec City, Canada, among many others.
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Socrates Cafe, a philosophical community
Saturday, November 19, 10 a.m.–noon (Third Saturday of every month)
Baltimore County Public Library—Cockeysville Branch
9833 Greenside Drive
Cutting edge discussions yet timeless truths! Weary of the "same old same old"? Come connect with others at the Socrates Cafe, a philosophical community. Be a social thinker! Our basic guidelines, established centuries ago in Plato's Dialogues, are that all opinions expressed need to be supported by reasons, and that all assumptions need to be examined. Dialogue is not a competition and members are not allowed to dominate the dialogue for the purpose of expressing off-topic personal political, religious, or ideological opinions. While personal opinions may enter the dialogue, the Socrates Cafe is not an ideological megaphone for one member. Rather we challenge the "conventional wisdom" in the spirit of open-minded inquiry and friendly objectivity. We are a laboratory where member opinions are tested by the Socratic Method, not a group with an agenda where everyone seeks confirmation of their opinions.
Questions? Contact 410-887-7750
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“Roman Fever”
Written and directed by Greg Jones Ellis
Sunday, November 13, 1 p.m. Eastern Time
Free, Donation Suggested
Join NEO for a Zoom reading of “Roman Fever” by Osher at Towson University instructor, Greg Jones Ellis. Adapted from the classic short story by Edith Wharton, “Roman Fever” finds two wealthy friends reunited in Rome. Their grown daughters are with them, making their first European trip. This prompts a memory of the old friends’ first visit to Rome and unearths a secret betrayal that changed them forever. (Adapted with permission from the Edith Wharton estate.)
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Support Osher at Towson University. Your tax-deductible contribution helps to provide a rich experience for our members and a vibrant, affordable program for years to come.
Donate online through the link below. If you prefer to donate by check, please make check payable to “Towson University Foundation, Inc.” and note Osher fund in the memo line. Mail to: Towson University Foundation, Inc., P.O. Box 17165, Baltimore, MD 21297-0219.
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