Appalachian State University

This workshop for youths, led by App State's Dr. Craig Fischer and BRAHM's Jennifer Garonzik, explores how comics’ mix of words and pictures can tell any story. It will begin with Dr. Fischer offering three tips for creating cool comics. Then, participants will write and draw a four-panel comic strip and fulfill the other requirements for the Girl Scouts’ “Cadette Comic Artist” badge. However, youths do not need to be Girl Scouts to participate.

The Office of Research and Innovation, with support from Hayes School of Music and University Libraries, is excited to host the sixth annual Research and Creative Activity at Appalachian event. This event celebrates all research, scholarship and creative endeavors of Appalachian State faculty and staff. Join us for oral presentations, posters, art pieces and performances. Light refreshments will be served.

Local illustrator Christine Nishiyama is the author and/or illustrator of seven books, including the four-book series “Layla and the Bots,” published by Scholastic. During the interactive workshop, Nishiyama will speak about her experiences as a professional illustrator and will introduce the craft to participants of all ages. The event is free and open to the public.

Embark on a journey through time and emotion as we commemorate 150 years of Carmen in a spellbinding dance performance inspired by the art of Pablo Picasso. Choreographer Gustavo Ramírez Sansano’s quintessential work breathes new life into Bizet’s timeless tale, infusing it with raw passion and visceral energy in CARMEN.maquia. Join us as the narrative of dance work leaps off the stage and into your soul, amplified through Ballet Hispánico’s mesmerizing movement and evocative choreography.

This coda to the Boone Docs Film Festival will feature the work of local filmmakers. Inspired by the unity and resourcefulness of Western North Carolinians, which Hurricane Helene recently highlighted, the films to be screened will showcase resilience and people working together to respond to environmental and agricultural challenges. The event will include panel discussions with filmmakers and community members whose stories are told in the documentaries.

As climate change increases the damage associated with hurricanes, heatwaves, floods, droughts and fires, communities must work together and with local, state, and federal agencies to adapt in ways that minimize harm from extreme events and facilitate post-event recovery. Join us for a free and open-to-all program to learn from two climate resilience experts: Brock Long, Executive Chairman of Hagerty Consulting, and Ashley Ward, Director of the Heat Policy Innovation Hub at Duke University’s Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment & Sustainability.

Conceived and directed by Assistant Professor Elizabeth Parks. Beautiful, Useful, True is an ecofeminist story of earth, ears, and heart using the work of Eunice Newton Foote and other female climate scientists, activists, and artists at App State as a springboard to pose questions about climate change, respect for the planet, and respect for one another.

Many believe that literature serves as a window to the world for children, and Beulah Campbell embodied that belief throughout her life. As a professor of elementary education at Appalachian State University, she understood the vital connection between illustrations and text in children's books. Over her 40-year career Beulah built a collection of original artwork by renowned children’s book illustrators, while also fostering a deep appreciation for children’s literature in her students.

The classical composer Béla Bartók is perhaps most famous in the music world for having incorporated elements of folk music into his work, a practice that earned him the title of “father of ethnomusicology.” Bartók became an outspoken critic of antisemitic laws in Hungary and fled to the U.S. during World War II. This event presents two talks and a listening workshop that will help participants understand and appreciate the legacy of Bartók and other classical musicians who resisted antisemitism and fascism in the 1930s and 40s.

Get off the beaten path and explore the edge of believable with captivating stories from the 49th Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival coming to App State. The ROAD WARRIOR will be returning this year and will be curating the film selection for the APP State showing. Stand on the highest peaks, ski the steepest slopes, and be a part of the gripping adventures waiting for you in this year’s Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour.

Experience the beauty of Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons” as you’ve never heard it before. Playing over 300 concerts a year in Venice, Italy’s San Vidal Church since 1987, Baroque ensemble Interpreti Veneziani, who has gained a reputation for the “…exuberance and all-Italian brio characterizing their performances,” will make its Boone premiere. Immerse yourself in the rich sounds of Vivaldi’s four violin concerti in this special limited-seating concert presented in an intimate venue with a complimentary dessert at intermission.

The classical composer Béla Bartók is perhaps most famous in the music world for having incorporated elements of folk music into his work, a practice that earned him the title of “father of ethnomusicology.” He even spent one summer in Asheville in 1945 and composed one of his piano concertos there. What qualifies as folk music in North Carolina and around the world? What elements of rural sound inspired Bartók, and in which rural communities did they originate? In this workshop, participants will hear examples of and learn to recognize the folk sounds in classical music.