DaXun Zhang presents double bass recital DaXun Zhang (abve) will present a double bass recital in Ramsey Hall Feb. 5. He will be accompanied by pianist Tomoko Kashiwagi. Tickets for the concert are $17 (half-price students) and may be purchased at the box office in the Performing Arts Center. The annual Double Bass Symposium at UGA takes place the evening before, in the School of Music. In conjunction with the symposium, Timothy Cobb, principal bass with the Metropolitan Opera orchestra, will give a recital that night, Feb. 4, at 8 p.m. in Ramsey Hall. Admission to the Cobb recital is free. DaXun Zhang is the first double bass player to win the Young Concert Artists International Auditions. He made such a sensation that he was awarded five special prizes: the Claire Tow Prize, which sponsored his New York debut, the Washington Performing Arts Society Prize to present his Washington debut at the Kennedy Center, the La Jolla Music Society Prize, the Orchestra New England Soloist Prize and the Fergus Prize. This season he is participating in Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Project at Carnegie Hall. He and Ma recently recorded a CD that was released on Sony Classical and used as the score for a 10-part documentary series on the Silk Road that aired on Japan’s national broadcast channel, NHK, on New Year’s day. Zhang comes from a family of bassists in his native city of Harbin in northeast China. He has been playing the instrument since the age of 9, and he studied at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing beginning at the age of 11. He continued his studies in the United States at the Interlochen Arts Academy and is currently working towards his bachelor of music degree at the Indiana University School of Music. Pianist Tomoko Kashiwagi is a native of Japan. She began her musical training at the age of 9 and now holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music from Indiana University. The program for the recital includes Gliere’s Intermezzo, Greig’s Sonata in A minor, Op. 36, Yan-Jun Xua’s Moon Reflected in the Er-Quan Pool, Bottesini’s Capriccio di bravura, Shostakovich’s Adagio and Waxman’s Carmen Fantasy. The Performing Arts Center is sponsoring an educational residency with Zhang in conjunction with his recital. He will present educational programs for elementary and high school students in Clarke and surrounding counties. —Bobby Tyler

Art exhibitions.
Beauty and the Beast: Animals on Paper. Through March 20. Georgia Museum of Art. Open 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday; 10 a.m.–9 p.m. Wednesday; and 1–5 p.m. Sunday. 542-4662.

Beauty and the Beast presents faithful and fanciful renderings of animals in prints, drawings, maps and books. It focuses on a wide spectrum of images of animals with works drawn mainly from the museum’s collections of prints and drawings and is augmented by selected examples of animal bronzes donated by Michael and Mary Erlanger. It includes “beasts” of all shapes and sizes that have fascinated artists for centuries.

Among the artists included in the exhibition are William Blake, Rosa Bonheur, Leonard Baskin and George Stubbs.

Shaping a Collection: Recent Acquisitions in the Decorative Arts. Through March 20. Georgia Museum of Art. Open 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday; 10 a.m.–9 p.m. Wednesday; and 1–5 p.m. Sunday. 542-4662.

The Spirit of the Modern: Drawings and Graphics by Maltby Sykes. Through March 13. Georgia Museum of Art. Open 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday; 10 a.m.–9 p.m. Wednesday; and 1–5 p.m. Sunday. 542-4662.

During his career, which included painting printmaking, teaching and writing, Sykes was a tremendous asset to the cultural life of the Southeastern region. As a teacher for over three decades, Sykes influenced and inspired numerous students.

High Drama: Eugene Berman and the Legacy of the Melancholic Sublime. Through March 20. Georgia Museum of Art. Open 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday; 10 a.m.–9 p.m. Wednesday; and 1–5 p.m. Sunday. 542-4662.

This exhibition presents a survey of 24 of Berman’s works, along with 68 works by such luminaries as Max Ernst, Clarence John Laughlin and Frida Kahlo, among others. Kahlo, a celebrated Mexican painter, developed her own personal surrealist style. Like Berman, Kahlo painted in a manner that reveals her early love for Italian Renaissance art, yet followed a more surrealist style. The works, which include paintings, photographs and sculptures or maquettes, link multiple generations of American artists. The work of each of these artists amplifies and refines a tone or mood that has been prominent in art history throughout the past century.

Selections from the Eva Underhill Holbrook Memorial Collection of American Art. Through March 20. Georgia Museum of Art. Open 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday; 10 a.m.–9 p.m. Wednesday; and 1–5 p.m. Sunday. 542-4662.

This exhibition will feature paintings, dating from 1818 through 1946, from the museum’s permanent collection. Featured artists include George Bellows, Thomas Hart Benton, Stuart Davis, Marsden Hartley, Robert Henri, Winslow Homer, Georgia O’Keeffe, Maurice Prendergast, John H. Twachtman and James A. McNeill Whistler.

Martin Luther King: A Wood Engraving by Ben Shahn. Through Feb. 27. Georgia Museum of Art. Open 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday; 10 a.m.–9 p.m. Wednesday; and 1–5 p.m. Sunday. 542-4662.

Nature Abstracts by Brian Taylor. Through Feb. 13. Conservatory. Open Tuesday–Saturday, 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m.; Sunday 11:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Sponsored by State Botanical Garden. 542-1244.

Brian Taylor is a Shorter College art professor whose abstract oil paintings reflect his love of nature. “I believe that the true experiences of nature are not only in what we see, but also what we feel about what we see,” he says.

Taylor avoids recognizable shapes and forms, using patterns and colors for expression, but the titles of his works, such as Fall Foliage or In a Living Forest, indicate the source of his inspiration.

Absolute Value. Through Feb. 3. Tate Student Center Art Gallery. Sponsored by University Union. 542-6396.

Absolute Value is a joint exhibit by artists Tommy Branch and Brandon Pruett. Both are undergraduate students at UGA majoring in art education. Branch describes his artwork as “realistic expression,” while Pruett categorizes his work as a mixture of painting and found art assemblages.

Hola Cuba! Images and Impressions. Through Feb. 21. Hill Atrium, Georgia Center. Sponsored by Georgia Center for Continuing Education. 542-9334.

This past fall Vice President Emeritus Gene Younts gave a copy of his new book, Hola Cuba! Images and Impressions, to William Potter, University Librarian, for the Libraries collection. Photographs from the book are now on display in the Hill Atrium at the Georgia Center for Continuing Education. On Feb. 6, Younts will sign copies in the atrium during a reception from 3 to 5 p.m. The reception and book signing are open to the public.

Monday, January 31
Winter Evolutionary Biology Symposium.
“Genomic Analyses of Honeybee Social Behavior.” Gene Robinson, University of Illinois. Noon. 1501 plant sciences building. Sponsored by department of genetics. 542-1417.

Plant Biology Seminar.
Steve Hubbell, plant biology. 4 p.m. 2401 plant sciences building. 542-3732.

Tuesday, February 1
Spring Career Fair.
Noon–5 p.m. Classic Center, downtown (shuttles from campus begin at 11:30 a.m.). Sponsored by Career Center. 542-8429.

EECP Seminar.
“Emergence of an Idea: Aldo Leopold and the Conservation of Biological Diversity.” Curt Meine, conservation biologist. 12:30 p.m. Ecology auditorium. Sponsored by Environmental Ethics Certificate Program. 542-0935.

Meine is author of Correction Lines: Essays on Land, Leopold and Conservation and winner of the 2004 Biodiversity Leadership Award. He also works with the International Crane Foundation and the World Conservation Union’s Crane Specialist Group, and recently led an effort to examine the needs of Wisconsin’s fresh water ecosystems. In his home community of Sauk Prairie, Wis., Meine has been a leader in developing a community-driven consensus plan for conserving the now-vacant property of the Badger Army Ammunition Plant, a 7,350-acre World War II munitions factory.

Video Discussion.
“Dinner for Two.” Dorinda Dallmeyer. 5 p.m. Founders Memorial House. Sponsored by environmental design. 542-0935.

Heartsaver CPR Training.
For students, faculty and staff. $25 (two-hour adult CPR class) or $40 (four-hour adult, child and infant CPR class). 5:30–7:30 p.m. -University Health Center. Sponsored by University Health Center. 542-8695.

Healthy Hour.
Kick-Off: Health Topics for Women. 5:30–7 p.m. Foundry Park Inn, downtown. Sponsored by Institute for Leadership Advancement.mailise@uga.edu.

Black History Month Lecture.
“Children of the Movement.” John Blake. 7 p.m. 141 Tate Student Center. 542-8468.

Blake will discuss his new book, which chronicles the civil rights movement through the children of its most powerful figures.

French Film Festival Screening.
Monsieur Ibrahim. Directed by François Dupeyron, starring Omar Sharif (2003). $1. 8 p.m. Tate Center Theater. Sponsored by Film Studies Program. neupert@uga.edu.

In a working-class Paris neighborhood, two unlikely characters—a young Jewish boy, Momo, and an elderly Muslim shopkeeper, Mr. Ibrahim—begin a friendship. Ibrahim spends his days sitting on a stool without talking to anyone, but gradually comes to acknowledge Momo. In return, Momo provides Ibrahim with a new taste for life. It’s a fascinating character study. Sharif won many awards for his performance.

Wednesday, February 2
Black History Month Screening.
Ethnic Notions. 9 a.m.–7 p.m. Adinkra Hall, Memorial Hall. Sponsored by African-American Cultural Center. 542-8468.

Ethnic Notions is Marlon Riggs’s Emmy-winning documentary that takes viewers on a disturbing voyage through American history, tracing for the deep-rooted stereotypes which have fueled anti-black prejudice. Movie will play continuously in preparation for discussion with Kecia Thomas on Feb. 3.

Engineering Seminar.
“Georgia WaterNET: Inspiring Georgia Communities to Make Sustainable Water-Management Decisions.” Debbie Borden, agricultural engineering. 12:20 p.m. Driftmier auditorium. 542-0866.

Staff council meeting.
2 p.m. 350 Student Learning Center. 542-7222.

Student Forum.
Task Force on General Education and Student Learning. 3:30–5 p.m. 213 Student Learning Center. Sponsored by Vice President for Instruction. 583-0690.

Men’s Basketball.
vs. LSU. 7:30 p.m. Stegeman Coliseum. 542-1231.

Thursday, February 3
Summer Employment Fair.
10 a.m.–3 p.m. Georgia Hall, Tate Student Center. Sponsored by Career Center. 542-8829.

Class of 2005 Celebration.
100 days till Commencement. 10 a.m.–3 p.m. Tate Plaza. Sponsored by Alumni Association. 542-8249.

Microbiology Seminar.
“Bridging Basic Bt Toxin Receptor Research to Pest Insect Control.” Mike Adang, entomology. 11 a.m. 404D biological sciences building. 542-1434.

Black History Month Discussion.
“Ethnic Notions.” Kecia Thomas, psychology. 12:30–1:30 p.m. Adinkra Hall, Memorial Hall. Sponsored by African-American Cultural Center. 542-8468.

The documentary film screened throughout the day Feb. 2 will be discussed.

University Council meeting.
3:30 p.m. 101 Student Learning Center. www.reg.uga.edu/uc.nsf/.

Science for Humanists Lecture.
“Using Plants to Clean a Polluted Global Environment.” Richard Meagher, genetics. 4 p.m. 350 Student Learning Center. Sponsored by Center for Humanities and Arts. 542-3966.

Following his lecture, Meagher will join a discussion of the philosophical, societal and environmental implications of this bioengineering technique with panelists Celeste Condit (speech communication) and Gordhan Patel (cellular biology). Betty Jean Craige, CHA director, will moderate.

Meagher is internationally known for his contributions to the fields of molecular cell biology and phytoremediation, which uses plants to draw pollutants from soil. He produced the first plants genetically engineered to clean up the environment, and he has successfully modified diverse plant species with genes that enable the plants to extract and detoxify mercury and arsenic from soils.

Healthcare Provider CPR Training.
$45. 5–9 p.m. University Health Center. Sponsored by University Health Center. 542-8695.

Workshop.
“Botanically Inspired Silk Scarf Creations.” Lauren Zeichner, Good Dirt Art Studio. $25 (members $22). 6:30–8:30 p.m. Conservatory, Classroom A. Sponsored by State Botanical Garden. 542-6156.

UGA Symphony Orchestra Concert.
With guest artist Andrea Hanson, soprano. 8 p.m. Hodgson Hall, Performing Arts Center. Sponsored by School of Music. 542-3737.

Andrea Hanson will be guest artist with the UGA Symphony Orchestra Feb. 3 in Hodgson Hall. Hanson and the orchestra will perform Strauss’s Four Last Songs, and the orchestra will play Barber’s Adagio for Strings and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6. Hanson, professor of voice at Carnegie Mellon University, has performed widely both in the United States and in Europe. David Haas, a member of the School of Music faculty, will present a pre-concert lecture at 7 p.m. in Ramsey Hall.

Friday, February 4
Multicultural Alumni Conference.
$50 ($40 members). Through Feb. 5. Sanford Stadium Sky Suites. Sponsored by UGA Alumni Association. 542-8158. Registration: www.alumni.uga.edu/alumni/minority.html.

This year’s conference will focus on minority alumni involvement opportunities. Featured speakers include Damon Evans (’92, ’94, athletic director), Mary Frances Early (’62, first African-American UGA graduate and professor of music at Clark Atlanta University), Royal Marshall (’92, host of The Royal Treatment on WSB radio), Mia Jackson (’00, comedian, seen on Oxygen and BET’s Coming to the Stage) and Corey Dortch (’03, graduate student in higher education).

Women’s Studies Friday Speaker.
“Refugee Women in Africa: The Invincible Majority.” Alice B. Cooper, doctoral student, Social Work. 12:20 p.m. 350 Student Learning Center. Sponsored by Women’s Studies. 542-2846.

Culture and Institutions Workshop.
“Engaging with Themed Space: Australian Working Holidaymakers and Banal Nationalism in Aussie Theme Pubs.” Brad West, Flinders University, Australia. 3:30 p.m. 114A Baldwin Hall. Sponsored by Georgia Workshop on Culture and Institutions. www.uga.edu/gwci.

Ecology Seminar.
“Revisiting the Plant-Animal Interface in Freshwater Ecosystems: Are They Made from Leaves?” Mike Pace, Institute of Ecosystem Studies. 4 p.m. Ecology auditorium. Sponsored by Institute of Ecology. 542-2968.

UGA Double Bass Symposium.
6–11 p.m. Edge Hall, music building. Sponsored by School of Music. 542-3737. See story above.

Gymnastics.
vs. Florida. 7:30 p.m. Stegeman Coliseum. 542-1231.

Guest Artist Recital.
Timothy Cobb, principal bass, Metropolitan Opera. 8 p.m. Ramsey Hall, Performing Arts Center. Sponsored by School of Music. 542-3737. See story above.

Dawgs after Dark.
$5 (students free). 10 p.m.–2 a.m. Tate Student Center. Sponsored by Student Activities. 542-6396.

Saturday, February 5
Family Day.
“Hearts and Frames.” 10 a.m.–noon. Georgia Museum of Art. 542-0448.

Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving.
vs. University of South Carolina. 1 p.m. Gabrielsen Natatorium, Ramsey Student Center. 542-1231.

Men’s Basketball.
vs. South Carolina. 4 p.m. Stegeman Coliseum. 542-1231.

Black History Month All-Greek Step Show Competition.
7–10 p.m. Classic Center, downtown. Sponsored by National Pan-Hellenic Council. 542-7979.

Recital.
DaXun Zhang, double bass. $17 (half-price students). 8 p.m. Ramsey Hall. Sponsored by Performing Arts Center (Ramsey Series). 542-4400. See story above.

Sunday, February 6
Men’s Tennis.
vs. Furman. 1 p.m. Magill Tennis Complex. 542-1231.

Women’s Basketball.
vs. Kentucky. 2:30 p.m. Stegeman Coliseum. 542-1231.

Franklin College Chamber Music Concert.
Levon Ambartsumian, violin. 3 p.m. Hodgson Hall. Sponsored by Performing Arts Center. 542-4400.
Ambartsumian is calling this program “Jewels of the 20th Century,” and he will perform the same program on March 13 in Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall in New York, accompanied by pianist Anatoly Sheludyakov. The program includes Bartok’s Sonata for Violin and Piano, Prokofiev’s Sonata No. 2 for Violin and Piano, Debussy’s La Plus que lente and Claire de lune, Copland’s Nocturne and Ukulele Serenade, Shchedrin’s In the Style of Albeniz and Humoresque and Piazzolla’s Grand Tango.

A native of Moscow, Ambartsumian studied at the Moscow Central Music School and then graduated from the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory. In 1977 he won first prize in the Zagreb Competition, and in 1981 he won the All-Union Violin Competition in Riga. In 1988 Ambartsumian was recognized as an Honored Artist of Armenia and in 1997 he was recognized as an Honored Artist of Russia.

Beginning in 1977 Ambartsumian performed regularly in all the major cities of the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, but he was not permitted to accept invitations to travel to the West. He appeared as soloist and recorded for radio and television with the Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra, Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Bolshoi Theater Orchestra, Kirov Opera, and the orchestras of Budapest, Bucharest, Sofia and Peking.

In 1988 he began appearing in the United States, Canada, Italy France, Germany, Greece, Spain, Brazil and South Korea. In 1989 he founded Moscow’s Arco Chamber Orchestra, which regularly performed in Russia and abroad and now resides in Athens.

Ambartsumian served on the faculty of the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory and was a visiting professor for two years at the Indiana University School of Music. In 1995 he accepted the position of Franklin Professor of Violin at UGA.

Reception and book signing.
Eugene Younts: Hola Cuba! 3–5 p.m. Hill Atrium, Georgia Center. Sponsored by Georgia Center for Continuing Education. 542-9334.

Monday, February 7
Black History Month Lecture.
Otis Johnson, mayor of Savannah. 6 p.m. 101 Student Learning Center. Sponsored by African-American Cultural Center. 542-8468.

Faculty Recital.
Kenneth Fischer Saxophone Quartet. 8 p.m. Ramsey Hall, Performing Arts Center. 542-3737.

Coming up
2nd Thursday Concert.
“An Evening of Jazz: The Duke.” $12 ($7 students). Feb. 10, 8 p.m. Hodgson Hall, Performing Arts Center. 542-4400.

Concert.
Deutsche Philharmonie. $32–$37 (half-price students). Feb. 11, 8 p.m. Hodgson Hall. Sponsored by Performing Arts Center (Music Series I). 542-4400.