Keweenaw Symphony Orchestra to present "1863-2013: Lincoln and Gettysburg" Dec. 7 at Rozsa Center

HOUGHTON -- The year 2013 marks the 150th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Address, both seminal moments during the mid-point of the Civil War. The Keweenaw Symphony Orchestra (KSO) will honor these historic events with "1863-2013: Lincoln and Gettysburg" -- music inspired by Lincoln, Gettysburg, the Proclamation, and the Civil War, including the first major symphony written by an African-American composer.

Michigan Tech President Glenn Mroz joins the KSO as narrator of Copland’s Lincoln Portrait to conclude this commemorative concert, which will take place at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 7, at the Rozsa Center. Tickets are $19 for adults, $6 for youth. Michigan Tech students are free with the Experience Tech Fee.

This event is presented by the Michigan Tech Department of Visual and Performing Arts.

Also available, the night of the performance, is a "VPA Livestream" of the music, for those who are not able to be present for the event.

Click here to order tickets or to access the livestream at the time of the event. You may also order tickets by calling Ticketing Operations at Michigan Tech’s Student Development Complex (SDC), (906) 487–2073, or visit in person at 600 MacInnes Drive, in Houghton. SDC box office hours are 8 a.m. - 9 p.m., Monday-Friday, and 8 a.m. - 7 p.m. on Saturday. Please note the Rozsa Box Office is only open two hours prior to show times.

Cloud Cult indie rock band to perform Oct. 19 in Rozsa Center

HOUGHTON -- Cosmological pop band Cloud Cult is driving to Houghton on their bio-diesel bus as a part of their indie rock "Love 2013" tour. They will perform at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct 19, in the Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts.

Cloud Cult developed in 1995 as founder Craig Minowa recruited several other artists to contribute to his solo recordings. His first full-length album, The Shade Project, caught the interest of a few small independent labels who urged Minowa to consider performing the songs live. Craig worked the next four years on a new studio project which would be the first official Cloud Cult album, Who Killed Puck?

Sarah Young appeared on this album for the first time on cello and Eduardo Vaz assisted with drums on a few of the songs. Minowa's early work earned Cloud Cult several offers from record labels, but all were rejected in favor of self-publishing and maintaining total control over the ethical aspects of the business practices. Committed to "greening the recording industry," in 1997, lead singer Craig Minowa formed Earthology Records on his organic farm, powered by geothermal energy and built partially from reclaimed wood and recycled plastic.

"The place is so far out in the boonies, you can barely find it, because it’s not on the maps," said Dan Montalto, an MTV Producer who brought a camera crew to the farm to film a short MTV feature on the band. This nonprofit label uses only recycled materials and donates all profits to environmental charities.

Tickets are $20 for adults and $5 for Michigan Tech students. For tickets, go online, or call Ticketing Operations at the Student Development Complex, 487–2073, or visit in person. SDC box office hours are 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Friday; 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday; and noon to 8 p.m. on Sunday. Please note the Rozsa Box Office is closed during regular business hours and will only open two hours prior to show times.

Rozsa Gallery to host Contemporary Ink Painting Invitational exhibit July 19 - Sept. 30

HOUGHTON -- Five well known Contemporary Ink Painting Artists from China and Taiwan will exhibit their art works in the Contemporary Ink Painting Invitational from July 19 to Sept. 30, 2013, in the Rozsa Gallery. The public is invited to a free reception with the artists to be held from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 1, 2013.

Rebirth, by Yueh-mei Cheng, who is now a visiting professor of  art at Tunghai University in Taiwan. From 2002 to 2013 Cheng has been a professor of studio art at Finlandia University's International School of Art and Design.

Chinese Ink painting, an essential component of the culture for millennia, has entered a period of bold renewal and reinterpretation. From the simple elements of water and ink with color emerge artworks of intimate subtlety and overwhelming emotional power. The purpose of this exhibit is to introduce the contemporary style of Ink Painting to a U.S.A. audience.

Click here for more information about the artists and the exhibit.