Following the campus’ recent holiday hibernation, the University of Houston’s arts programs are ready to roar in January and February.

To kick off the spring semester, UH is hosting the Houston premiere of an award-winning opera, the debut of an ambitious multi-media exhibition and a stage favorite with a brand new sound.

Arts highlights in January and February include:

Blaffer Gallery, the Art Museum of UH

Jan. 19 – March 29: “Chantal Akerman: Moving Through Time and Space”
Blaffer Gallery hosts the first major museum exhibition featuring the work of internationally renowned filmmaker Chantal Akerman. Five multi-media installations will display a selection of her documentaries, including a new piece commissioned expressly for this exhibition. An opening reception for this event will be held at 7 p.m., Jan. 18 at Blaffer Gallery. Additional events related to this exhibition include a Curators’ Roundtable Discussion at 1:30 p.m., Jan. 19 and a Brown Bag Gallery Tour at noon,
Feb. 6. In collaboration with UH’s Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts and in conjunction with the “Artists Up Close” series, Blaffer also will host a Contemporary Salon at 6 p.m., Feb. 13.
For additional details or museum hours, visit www.blaffergallery.org

Edythe Bates Old Moores Opera Center

Jan. 24, 26, 27: “Turn of the Screw” – Moores Opera House
The classic tale of terror takes center stage at UH courtesy of the Moores Opera Center. This haunting, atmospheric production tells the story of a governess tasked with the care of two children at a remote English estate. The young nanny, however, gets more than she bargained for when two menacing spirits arrive. 7:30 p.m., Jan. 24, 26, 27

Jan. 25, 27, 28: “The Saint of Bleecker Street” – Moores Opera House
The award-winning opera focusing on faith, love and doubt makes its Houston debut thanks to the Moores Opera Center. The production tells the story of a woman who develops the stigmata every Good Friday and faces questions of whether she’s a saint or if other forces are at work. 7:30 p.m., Jan. 25, 28; 2 p.m., Jan. 27.

For more details on the Moores Opera Center or other Moores School of Music events, visit www.music.uh.edu.

School of Theatre & Dance, Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts

Feb. 15, 16, 22, 23, 24: “The Good Woman of Setzuan” – Lyndall Finley Wortham Theatre
Bertolt Brecht’s classic play takes the stage at UH’s Lyndall Finley Wortham Theatre with a new twist. Augmenting this tale of three gods searching for one good woman is a new score composed by and performed by Two-Star Symphony. 8 p.m., Feb. 15, 16, 22, 23; 2 p.m., Feb. 24.

For details on other School of Theatre & Dance events, visit www.theatredance.uh.edu, and for information on Mitchell Center events, visit www.mitchellcenterforarts.org.

Mike Emery
memery@central.uh.edu