Arts & Culture

Roman Catholicism, with its numerous saints, long history and deep traditions, can be difficult for the uninitiated to grasp. But a new book from an expert on the Catholic Church who teaches at Washington University in St. Louis should help to change that. The Encyclopedia of Catholicism, compiled by Frank K. Flinn, adjunct professor of religious studies in Arts & Sciences at Washington University, will be released May 20. More…

Collaboration is key to creativityIsaac Newton’s “a-ha” moment may have come while he was sitting alone under an apple tree, but that big idea might never had happened if he hadn’t spent so many hours discussing the laws of physics with fellow scientists and philosophers. In his latest book, Keith Sawyer, Ph.D., one of the country’s leading scientific experts on creativity in everyday life, argues that collaboration is essential in helping all of us harness the power of our own creative genius. More…

The Kemper Art Museum presents “Andrea Fraser, ‘What do I, as an artist, provide?'” — the artist’s first Midwest solo exhibition — opening May 11.

“A Temple of Texts” by William H. Gass, Ph.D., the David May Distinguished University Professor Emeritus in the Humanities in Arts & Sciences, is the 2007 winner of the Truman Capote Award for Literary Criticism in Memory of Newton Arvin — the largest annual cash prize for literary criticism in the English language.

Courtesy photoDiane ReevesDianne Reeves, one of the pre-eminent jazz vocalist in the world today, will conclude Edison Theatre’s 2006-07 OVATIONS! Series with a performance at 8 p.m. Saturday, May 19. Reeves is the only artist to ever win three consecutive Grammy Awards for “Best Jazz Vocal Album” — a first in any category — for A Little Moonlight (2003), The Calling: A Tribute to Sarah Vaughan (2001) and In the Moment (2000). In 2006 she received her fourth Grammy, for the soundtrack to George Clooney’s critically acclaimed film Good Night, And Good Luck.

El Museo Cultural de Santa FePeter Elsbeck, Cristina Greavu and Eric Rang, all graduate students in architecture in the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts, have won an international competition to create a sculptural façade for El Museo Cultural de Santa Fe. The group’s winning design was selected from more than 100 entries submitted by architects, artists and designers representing 10 countries. The team will receive a $5,000 first-place cash award.

Trout Fishing in America — the long-standing musical partnership between 5-foot-5-inch bass player Keith Grimwood and 6-foot-9-inch guitarist Ezra Idlet —brings its infectious blend of folk, pop and family-friendly music to Edison Theatre at 11 a.m. May 5.

The Washington University Opera will perform Richard Wagner’s “Ride of the Valkyries” — one of the most recognized motifs in Western music — as part of its Evening at the Opera concerts 8 p.m. May 4-5 in Umrath Hall.

The Kemper Art Museum will present “Ansel Adams: Reverence for Life,” an exhibition of photographs showcasing works from the personal collections of the Adams family, in conjunction with the International Symposium on Energy and Environment, sponsored by the McDonnell International Scholars Academy.

The Supreme Court’s decision April 30 to raise the bar for patents on products combining elements of pre-existing inventions is a landmark in the battle against so-called “nuisance patents” and just one more sign that the tide is turning against overly restrictive and costly intellectual property right protections, suggests a pair of economists from Washington University in St. Louis.