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The Ruby is a catalyst for creativity and a home for making art at Duke.

Ruby Fridays Spring ’20 Season

Published By Duke Arts
Published on: January 12, 2020

Drop by the Ruby on Fridays at noon for a casual art talk and free lunch to learn about the behind-the-scenes aspect of the creative process, careers in the arts, and more.

About Ruby Fridays

Man speaking to a room full of people seated at round tables
Ruby Friday with faculty sculptor Stephen Hayes. All photos by Robert Zimmerman.

Ruby Fridays are casual art talks offered at noon most Fridays during the semester in the Rubenstein Arts Center’s Ruby Lounge. Speakers include Duke faculty and students who are creating or exhibiting work in the Ruby, visiting artists from far and wide, and local creatives. Learn about the amazing art being created on Duke’s campus, the behind-the-scenes aspect of the creative process, careers in the arts, and more over a complimentary light lunch.

Everyone is welcome, no registration required. Save a date that interests you now, and we’ll see you in the Ruby soon!

Spring '20 Schedule

Jan 17 | “The Power of Painting” with Renzo Ortega

“Is painting relevant? What lies beyond painting?” Renzo Ortega, a Peruvian-born artist now based in Carrboro, offers answers following his solo exhibition at Duke’s Power Plant Gallery and time as a visiting artist at the Rubenstein Arts Center in 2019.

Jan 24 | “Here to Hear // Hear to Here” with Brooks Frederickson

Join musician and artist Brooks Frederickson for reflections on music and music-making prompted by his interactive audio installation Here to Hear // Hear to Here, currently on view in the Ruby.

Jan 31| “Between Movement and Emotions in Modern Dance” with Hsiao-Tzu Tien

Choreographer and performer Hsiao-Tzu Tien, visiting Duke from Taiwan, gives insight into her work that continually pushes the human body to express emotion and imagination.

Feb 14 | “Music and the Sacred Arts at Duke Chapel” with Zebulon Highben

Dr. Zebulon Highben, director of Chapel Music at Duke Chapel, provides an overview of music and the fine arts at the Chapel, with insight into future directions for growth and outreach.

Feb 21 | Behind-the-Scenes of When I Say Africa: Photographs from the Continent

Join Kathryn Mathers, Duke professor and curator for When I Say Africa: Photographs from the Continent for a behind-the-scenes look into this photo and film project that documents the agency and self-determination of contemporary Africans.

Feb 28 | “Arts & Context: Leyla McCalla and Kiyoko McCrae”

Haitian-American singer-songwriter Leyla McCalla and director Kiyoko McCrae discuss their new multidisciplinary project and Duke Performances commission: Breaking the Thermometer to Hide the Fever.

March 20 | “Arts & Context: Imani Winds”

On the eve of their performance of Revolutionary aka the Civil Rights Project, GRAMMY-nominated wind quintet Imani Winds discusses their history, current projects, and two-year residency at Duke.

March 27 | “Playing Through is the Easy Part!” with Chamber Music at Duke

Advanced students in Duke Music’s Chamber Music Program discuss their process of learning to rehearse and play as a group before performing live at Ruby Friday.

April 3 | “Forest for the Trees” with Heather Gordon

Artist Heather Gordon takes us behind-the-scenes of her data-driven art, including her most recent project which mined the Duke Forest archives and includes UNLESS, a tape installation in the Ruby.

April 10 | MFA EDA Thesis Showcase

Speaker from the graduating class of students in the MFA in Experimental and Documentary Arts will be announced soon.

April 17| “Radical Repair Workshop” with Julia Gartrell

The talk will explore the historic context of repair, our current relationship to objects vis-a-vis single use culture, and how a sculptural intervention can create a new approach to traditional modes of repair.

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