Calendar highlights

Beauty as a relative concept
Artist Larry Kirkwood plans conducts a gallery talk at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 8, in the Porter Butts Gallery of Memorial Union regarding his new exhibit, “The Body Image Project: Beauty as a Relative Concept.”

The exhibit, displayed Dec. 7-22, explores the physical reality of human beings through life-scale sculptural pieces formed by body casting.

This exhibit focuses on the female form, emphasizing aesthetics and raising questions about the way we react to our own and others’ bodies.

Sixteen of the casts exhibited reveal the various body types of UW–Madison students who participated in the project.

Philosophy and the arts
Philosopher and author Richard Wollheim asks “What Can Philosophy Tell Us About the Arts?” in the next Humanities Without Boundaries Lecture at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 7, L150 Elvehjem Museum of Art.

Wollheim, professor of philosophy at University of California-Berkeley, will discuss how philosophy can throw light on the major issues of art: What is art? What is the value of art? And, how do we interpret individual works of art? He will use the art of painting to illustrate these topics.

Information: 263-3409.

Open Stage debuts
University Theatre begins its open stage season Thursday, Nov. 30, with “Why We Have A Body” by Claire Chaffee. Lili, the lesbian private detective, journeys through momentous episodes of her life in a comic and touching look at the mishaps, dangers and ultimate rewards that can accompany women’s love for each other. The play is co-directed by graduate students Melissa Friesen and Melissa Thompson and is the first show of UT’s Open Stage Season, an annual series of productions directed and produced entirely by students. “Why We Have A Body” plays at Hemsley Theatre, Vilas Hall, Nov. 30 and Dec. 1-2, at 7:30 pm. Tickets: $3.

Back from Budapest
Hundreds of students study far and wide each year; here’s a chance to hear about one of the more interesting experiences. UW–Madison student Sarah Smith describes her year in Budapest, the changing economy there and roles of Hungarian women at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 30, in Memorial Union. Check Today in the Union for location.