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The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Arts & Issues 2016-17 season features six events spotlighting nationally recognized performers and speakers. The series opens with Chicago Dance Crash’s newest production “Evil & Good” at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 16 in Dunham Hall Theater on campus. 

“Evil & Good” utilizes the company’s signature blend of concert dance and hip-hop. The explosive conceptual piece is inspired by the world’s constant struggle between angels and demons. SIUE XFest is also presenting the show, which is sponsored by Commerce Bank. 

“We’re excited about the upcoming season,” said Grant Andree, Arts & Issues director. “We think our audiences will be thoroughly entertained and informed with our series for this year.” 

Keep a look out for these remaining Arts & Issues shows: 

• CROSSROADS: A Conversation about America’s Future, featuring Juan Williams and Cal Thomas, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 11, Morris University Center Meridian Ballroom. Williams and Thomas will debate the important issues driving our nation’s future. Sponsored by Madison County Regional Office of Education. 

• Peter Mayer’s Stars and Promises 2016 – Wings of Angels, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 1, Morris University Center Meridian Ballroom. Mayer performs a Christmas concert like no other. Sponsored by TheBank of Edwardsville and Mathis, Marifian & Richter, Ltd. 

• Arts & Issues and the Center for Spirituality and Sustainability present Autumn’s Child with Mark Holland, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 4, 2017, Center for Spirituality and Sustainability. Award-winning recording artist and virtuoso on the Native American flute, Mark Holland, along with his ensemble Autumn’s Child, will present an evening of acoustic instrumental fusion. Sponsored by Scott Credit Union. 

• Louis Sullivan: The Struggle for American Architecture, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 23, 2017, Dunham Hall Theater. A feature-length documentary about the revolutionary and brilliant Chicago architect Louis Sullivan (1856-1924). Director Mark Richard Smith will introduce the film and discuss Sullivan’s legacy. 

• Dr. Mae C. Jemison, “Exploring the Frontiers of Science and Human Potential,” 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 16, 2017, Morris University Center Meridian Ballroom. Jemison was the first woman of color to travel into space and first science mission specialist, performing experiments in material science, life science and human adaptation to weightlessness. Sponsored by the SIUE Graduate School, the William J. Probst Memorial Lecture Fund, the Dr. William C. Shaw Lecture Fund, SIUE Office of the Provost, MilliporeSigma and the SIUE Chemistry Club. 

    For tickets, visit the Morris University Center Welcome Desk, visit artsandissues.com or call 1-866-698-4253. 

    The Arts & Issues series brings artistic excellence to the SIUE campus through an eclectic blend of speakers and performers. For more than 32 years, SIUE’s Arts & Issues series has showcased some of the world’s finest artists. Each season, thought-provoking speakers inspire people of all ages and backgrounds. Thanks to the underwriting of SIUE, corporations, foundations and individual donors, tickets are often discounted as much as 50 percent. This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency. 

    Arts & Issues is tied to the academic mission of the University and offers unique opportunities for students, faculty, staff and the community, to engage with performers and speakers through master classes and special sessions. 

Photo:

Members of the dance company, Chicago Dance Crash, perform.