Gaze at the stars, hear from a bestselling author and learn how to cook sea plants this month

You’ll be thankful for all the arts and events available at Connecticut College during the month of November. The following are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted:

·         Oct. 28 through Dec. 6: Studio Art Exhibitions, Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday-Sunday, 1-4 p.m., the galleries of Cummings Arts Center. The Connecticut College Department of Art presents two exhibitions by the College’s current Dayton Artists-in-Residence, Sophie Kahn’s “Shards” and Alex Rubio’s “Abstract Experiment.” Kahn will give an artist talk on Monday, Oct. 28, and Rubio on Tuesday, Oct. 29. Both lectures take place at 4:15 p.m. in Room 308 of Cummings Arts Center. A public reception for both artists will be held in the galleries on Tuesday, Oct. 29, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. For more information, contact the art department at 860-439-2740.

·         Nov. 1: Fortepiano masterclass with Yi-heng Yang, 4 p.m., Evans Hall in Cummings Arts Center. Yi-heng Yang — prize-winning pianist and a member of the Davidsbund Piano Trio and Elbereth Duo — will conduct a masterclass on fortepiano. This event is part of the College’s Dayton Early Music Series. For more information, contact Terry Wisniewski at tawis@conncoll.edu. This event is part of the College’s Dayton Early Music Series.

·         Nov. 1: “The Composers’ Instruments” concert, 7 p.m., Evans Hall in Cummings Arts Center. The concert will include works by Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven and CPE Bach performed on period instruments by Yi-heng Yang, fortepiano; Daniel Lee, violin; and Hannah Collins, cello. For more information, contact Terry Wisniewski at tawis@conncoll.edu. This event is part of the College’s Dayton Early Music Series.

·         Nov. 1 and Nov. 2: Dance Club Fall Performance with choreography by Connecticut College students,7:30 p.m., Martha Myers Dance Studio in the College Center at Crozier-Williams. Select students have choreographed dance works from many genres for this performance. Tickets are $5. For more information, contact Aimee Couture at aimee.couture@conncoll.edu.

·         Nov. 2: 11th Annual SALT Seminar (Smaller American Lawns Today): “The Joy of Creating a Beautiful and Bountiful Garden,” 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Room 210 of Blaustein Humanities Center. Registration by October 25 is essential. $80 for Arbo/Wild Ones members; $90 for general public. Continental breakfast, buffet lunch and breaks included in the fee.

·         Nov. 5: “Three Cheers for the Jellyfish: Writing the Life of Louis Agassiz,” the Goodwin-Niering Center for the Environment’s Lambert Environmental Lecture by Christoph Irmsher, 5:30 p.m., Ernst Common Room in Blaustein Humanities Center. Irmsher, provost professor of English at Indiana University, has recently published a biography of the 19th century anti-Darwinist Agassiz, which also explores the beginnings of graduate instruction in this country. For more information, contact Keleigh Baretincic atkbaretin@conncoll.edu.

·         Nov. 5: A Talk by Bestselling Novelist Julia Alvarez, 7 p.m., the 1962 Room of the College Center at Crozier-Williams. Alvarez, the author of 14 novels, including “How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents” and “In the Time of the Butterflies,” will speak on sustainability and writing. After her talk, she will sign copies of her books. For more information, contact Kim Wardlaw at kim.wardlaw@conncoll.edu.

·         Nov. 6: “In the Shadow of the Pyramids: Domestic Life in the Tlajinga District, Teotihuacan, Mexico,” a lecture by David Carballo, 11:50 a.m., Room 014 of Olin Science Center. Carballo, an assistant professor of anthropology at Boston University, will discuss recent archaeological research addressing the everyday lives of Teo people living in one of the most spectacular pre-colonial cities in the Valley of Mexico. For more information, call Professor Anthony Graesch in the Department of Anthropology at 860-439-2116.

·         Nov. 8: onStage at Connecticut College presents Imani Winds, 7:30 p.m., Evans Hall in Cummings Arts Center. Imani Winds is North America’s premier wind quintet and one of the most successful chamber music ensembles in the United States. The group is enriching the traditional wind quintet repertoire while meaningfully bridging European, American, African and Latin American traditions. Tickets are $22 for general admission, $20 for seniors and $11 for students. For tickets and information, call 860-439-2787 or visit onstage.conncoll.edu

·         Nov. 9: “Nature’s Edible Art from the Sea," a workshop with Peg Van Patten of the Connecticut Sea Grant, 10 a.m., Room 101 of the science center at New London Hall. Van Patten will teach participants how to identify sea plants and learn which are edible and how they can be prepared. Registration is required and costs $7 for Arboretum members and $9 for non-members. To register call 860-439-5060.

·         Nov. 9: Fall Star Gazing, 7:30 p.m., Olin Science Center Observatory. Participants will view the moon, the Andromeda galaxy and more through the Thames Amateur Astronomical Society and Connecticut College telescopes, weather permitting. In addition, there will be talks on moon phases, meteorites and how the stars and constellations got their names, as well as hands-on astronomy activities for kids. The event will occur rain or shine. For more information, contact Leslie Brown at leslie.brown@conncoll.edu.

·         Nov. 13: "Political Transformations in the Middle East," 4-7 p.m., Harris Refectory Village Square. The Department of Government and International Relations and the Academic Resource Center host a conference at which students will present their original research on a broad range of topics that capture the major transformations currently underway in the Middle East. For more information, please contact Caroleen Sayej, assistant professor of government and international relations, at csayej@conncoll.edu, or Noel Garrett, director of the Academic Resource Center, at ngarrett@conncoll.edu.

·         Nov. 14: “The Vivaldi Project,” a Dayton Artist-in-Residence concert by the Sebastian Chamber Players and Connecticut College students, 7:30 p.m., Evans Hall in Cummings Arts Center. Four Vivaldi concertos are interwoven with interludes composed by Robert Honstein. Tickets are $10 for general admission, $5 for seniors and students and free to Connecticut College staff, faculty and students with a college ID. For more information, contact Terry Wisniewski at tawis@conncoll.edu.

·         Nov. 16: New York Museum Bus Trip, 8 a.m., Cummings Arts Center loading dock. The Departments of Art History and Studio Art host a bus trip to New York City that stops at several museums and points of interest. Tickets are $45 for the general public ($35 for Connecticut College students). For more information or to purchase tickets, contact Debbie Radachy at darad@conncoll.edu.

·         Nov. 16: “Illumina,” a concert by the Connecticut College Chamber Choir, 4 p.m., Harkness Chapel. Assistant Professor of Music Wendy Moy directs a program exploring light and darkness through Mendelssohn, Elgar, Holst, Brahms, Lauridsen, Whitacre and Gjeilo, with Lauren Marazzi ’16 on piano. Tickets are $5 for general admission, $3 for seniors and students, and free to Connecticut College students, staff and faculty with college ID. For more information, contact Terry Wisniewski at tawis@conncoll.edu.

·         Nov. 21: Connecticut College Orchestra Concert, 7:30 p.m., Evans Hall in Cummings Arts Center. Assistant Professor of Music Mark Seto conducts as the orchestra plays works by Georges Bizet and Maurice Ravel. They will be joined by the Sebastian Chamber Players on pieces by Jean-Féry Rebel and Antonio Vivaldi. Tickets are $5 for general admission, $3 for seniors and students, and free to Connecticut College students, staff and faculty with college ID.  For more information, contact Terry Wisniewski attawis@conncoll.edu.

·         Nov. 23: Masterclass with soprano Jolle Greenleaf, 11 a.m, Evans Hall in Cummings Arts Center. Greenleaf is the artistic director TENET, one of New York’s preeminent vocal ensembles. For more information, contact Terry Wisniewski at tawis@conncoll.edu. This event is part of the College’s Dayton Early Music Series.

·         Nov. 23: “ODES: A St. Cecilia Celebration,” 4 p.m., Evans Hall in Cummings Arts Center. TENET, one of New York’s preeminent vocal ensembles, and the Sebastian Chamber Players combine forces to honor music's patron saint in a program of odes, arias and instrumental works, including Purcell's “Welcome to all the pleasures” and “Laudate Ceciliam." Tickets are $10 for general admission, $5 for seniors and students, and free to Connecticut College students, staff and faculty with college ID. For more information, contact Terry Wisniewski at tawis@conncoll.edu.