You are here: American University Community Relations Newsletter March 2023 Neighborhood Newsletter

AU in the Neighborhood

March 2023

AU Information Forum March 2, 2023

MeltzerCenterConceptualRendering 02-15-2023

Members of the community are invited to attend an Information Forum to discuss AU’s proposed Alan and Amy Meltzer Center for Athletic Performance Meltzer Center (Meltzer Center) and Sports Center Annex (SCAN) projects on March 2, 2023, at 6:00 pm at Constitution Hall on the East Campus.  

The Meltzer Center, the first new athletics and recreational facility proposed on campus in more than 30 years, will enhance the development of our student-athletes, ensure their success in and out of competition, and bolster the overall athletic and recreational experience for the entire AU community. The new SCAN will house Well-Being Commons and will prioritize and expand the critical student support services that promote and foster overall well-being. These projects are the first part of the Student Thriving Complex.  

This Information Forum is designed to provide campus and neighborhood stakeholders with an opportunity to review preliminary concept renderings for the projects and to ask questions or voice comments to American University staff on the proposals. Light refreshments will be served and there is free parking available in the East Campus parking lot after 5:00 pm. 

Please use this link to RSVP for the event. 

AU is actively collaborating with the AU Neighborhood Partnership (AUNP), the AUNP Facilities Planning Working Group, neighbors along University Avenue, ANC 3E and ANC 3D, and the Community Liaison Committee (CLC) regarding these important efforts.   

Please visit: american.edu/communityrelations/campus-plan to learn more about the Meltzer Center and SCAN projects or to leave comments or ask questions in the online Community Input Portal.  

OSHER Lifelong Learning Courses at American University

AU Community Audit Program PIC

The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at AU offers highly affordable courses throughout the academic year on subjects ranging from politics to poetry, including music, art, science, history, literature, philosophy, and more. Designed for people “50 and better,” nearly 1,600 members are active participants who join for the joy of learning with no tests and no grades.

Spring and Fall Semester classes, which meet once a week, are in-person and online, and there are shorter sessions in February, June, and July. OLLI's Spring Semester runs until early May and costs $300 for up to four classes. The Spring Semester has begun, but registration is open until Friday, March 10.

Additionally, there are free weekly lectures and membership social events. Be a part of a community where curiosity never retires! Go to our website: olli-dc.org or call 202-895-4860 for further information and to register for classes

Full Moon Tour of the AU Arboretum

FullMoonTour 03-06-2023

We are excited to welcome back guided full moon tours of the AU Arboretum. Join AU on March 6, 2023, at 6:00 pm for this special tour.

Did you know that the American University campus is an accredited Arboretum with over 4000 trees and more than 500 different species and varieties of woody plants? Please join us for a guided walking tour, under the light of the moon, of the AU Arboretum and Gardens. Stroll with us through campus and learn about the history of the university along with learning about the trees and gardens and the sustainable features throughout campus. 

Please arrive in front of the School of International Service (SIS) building at 6:00 pm for refreshments and check-in. Parking is free after 5:00 pm in our AU garages, the closest garage is the SIS garage, entrance at the corner of Nebraska Ave NW and New Mexico Ave NW. This is a family friendly event and pets are welcome.

Please RSVP HERE.

School of International Service Ambassadors Up-Close: Women in Diplomacy

Ambassadors Mariangela Zappia, Christina Markus Lassen, and Geraldine Byrne Nason

SIS Ambassadors Up-Close: Women in Diplomacy Tickets, Thu, Mar 2, 2023 at 10:00 AM | Eventbrite

 

Tuesday, March 2, 2023
10:00-11:00 a.m.
Abramson Family Founders Room
 

As we look forward to International Women’s Day and embark on Women’s History Month, the School of International Service welcomes three senior European diplomats to share their experiences. H.E. Geraldine Byrne Nason, Ambassador of Ireland to the United States; H.E. Christina Markus Lassen, Ambassador of Denmark to the United States; and H.E. Mariangela Zappia, Ambassador of Italy to the United States, will discuss the current state of transatlantic relations, the war in Ukraine, and other current issues.

RSVP HERE: SIS Ambassadors Up Close

SIS professor Michelle Egan will moderate this conversation, followed by an audience Q&A and a reception.

AU Farmers Market

FarmersMarket(resized)

The American University Farmers Market is back! Every Wednesday from 11:00am - 2:00pm on the main campus Quad purchase your favorite foods from local vendors. The Farmers Market* runs every Wednesday from March 1 to April 26.

Both credit cards and cash are accepted.

Farmers Market Vendors: 

You can find more information about other vendors joining the Farmers Market this Spring on the AhealthyU Farmers Market website.

*Market schedule is subject to change due to weather implications. The farmers market will not be held during AU’s spring break (3/15).

American University Arboretum Celebrates 20 Year Anniversary

Flowers and a bench on campus

In 2003, American University designated the entire 84-acre campus as an Arboretum and Gardens. Since that time, the campus grounds have transformed into a horticultural showplace featuring a diverse collection of plants. With over 5000 trees and a myriad of shrubs, perennials, ornamental grasses, and bulbs there is something in bloom every month of the year. As an accredited level II arboretum by Arbnet, AU’s arboretum is open to the public for enjoyment, education, and research.

With the unusually warm winter temperatures, we expect an early Spring, and look forward to the arrival of our expansive daffodil plantings.

Amos Perlmutter Memorial Lecture by Menahem Ben-Sasson

SPA-AmosPerlmutterMemorialLecture03-27-2023

Please join us in person as Hebrew University Chancellor Menahem Ben-Sasson delivers the Amos Perlmutter Memorial Lecture, "Israel's Lack of a Constitution and the Present Political Crisis." As former Chairman of the Knesset’s Constitution, Law and Justice Committee, Professor Menahem Ben-Sasson is especially equipped to discuss these questions. Under his leadership the Knesset undertook the last attempt to date to introduce a constitution for Israel. Co-sponsored by American University's School of Public Affairs, Center for Israel Studies and Washington College of Law International and Comparative Legal Studies.

Monday, March 27 7:00 PM

American University East Campus, Constitution Hall

Free, with rsvp: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/israels-lack-of-a-constitution-and-the-present-political-crisis-tickets-554757152577

 

Join AU Neighborhood Partnership

Be Part of It

Please consider joining the AU Neighborhood Partnership which works to provide a consensus-based forum to resolve issues affecting the communities near American University. Interested members of the community may join one of the Partnership’s five standing working groups, comprising community stakeholders and AU leadership. 

If you would like to become a member of a working group, please email communityrelations@american.edu. As always, visit www.american.edu/communityrelations for more information.

American University Events

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Selected
Katzen
Athletics
Performing Arts

Katzen Arts Center

March Events at the AU Museum
 
 
Gallery Talks
March 4, 2-3 pm
About Time Exhibition
First-Generation American Visions Bridging Old and New Worlds
 
Explore the history of recent immigration as a factor informing the multi-cultural character of Rebhan’s work and likewise enriching that of other artists whose family histories contain a rich mix of cultural influences.
 
March 18, 2-3 pm
Barlow Gilotty Collection Exhibition
Join collectors, artists, curators, and special guests for an interactive talk about The Barlow Gilotty Collection.
 
March 25, 2-3 pm
About Time Exhibition:
The Draw (and Drawbacks) of Family Connections for Women Artists and Their Art
Rebhan came of age when women faced discrimination in many fields including the arts. Children and family were often seen as encumbrance to a full-fledged commitment to the pursuit of art, yet many feminist artists began to foreground in their art their multi-dimensional lives & attachments.
 
James Renwick Alliance Distinguished Artist Series Lectures
March 5, 2-3 pm
Sculptor Virgil Ortiz
The James Renwick Alliance brings notable American craft artists from around the country to Washington DC for the Distinguished Artist Series, weekend events which include a free and Sunday lecture.  
 
March 26, 2-3:30 pm
Artist Jack Mauch and Sculptor/Jewelry designer Morgan Hill
The AU Museum is proud to host these visiting artists for the lecture portion of their event as they discuss their unique techniques, influences, and careers.  
 
 
March 31, 6:00 pm | Yolnu Ceremonial Performance
Watch a live Yalnu performance featuring a ceremonial procession, yidaki (didjeridu) and blima (clapping sticks) that will culturally and spiritually celebrate the Madayin exhibition. Registration Required
 

AU Athletics

AU Lacrosse Hosts Three Games This March at Jacobs Complex 
ADMISSION IS FREE ALL SEASON LONG
 
AU vs. George Washington 
Wed. March 1st 12 PM
 
AU vs. Mercer
Sat. March 4th at 12 PM
 
AU vs. Lafayette 
Wed. March 18th at 1 PM
 
For the latest on American University Lacrosse, stay tuned to AUeagles.com and follow the team on Twitter (@AU_Lacrosse), Instagram (@au_wlax), FULL SCHEDULE
 
Tickets are easily shareable to family and friends with just a few clicks from your mobile device!
 
 
Check https://aueagles.com/tickets for complete sporting events schedule and ticket information!

Performing Arts

Art History Spring Lecture: Women Artists and Female Patrons in Tudor EnglandMarch 7, 1 p.m., Katzen Recital Hall and Zoom
There will be a reception following the lecture.
From Queen Catherine of Aragon to Queen Elizabeth I, Renaissance Tudor queens employed women artists to construct their image of power. To mark International Women’s Month, Dr. Emma Luisa Cahill Marrón will showcase the trailblazing achievements of both women artists and female patrons in the Tudor court. It is time to hear their stories to vindicate their place in Renaissance Europe. Register.
 
Visiting Artists Series: Jonathan VanDyke
March 9, 6 p.m.Katzen 201
From the AU Studio Art MFA program: Jonathan VanDyke's work reflects on the unfolding of art objects in dynamic relationship to the passing of time. He seeks a reclamation of the sensorial realm, with an emphasis on modes of attention and embodiment. Manifested through installations, paintings, videos, sculpture, writings, collaborative projects, and live and durational works featuring performers from the queer community of which he is a part, VanDyke's work prioritizes slowness, pauses, subtexts, and doubt. Register on Eventbrite.
 
Visiting Artists Series: Brendan Fernandes
March 23, 6:30 p.m.Katzen 201
Brendan Fernandes (b. 1979, Nairobi, Kenya) is an internationally recognized Canadian artist working at the intersection of dance and visual arts. Currently based out of Chicago, Brendan’s projects address issues of race, queer culture, migration, protest and other forms of collective movement. Register on Eventbrite.
 
The Gorenman Piano Project: Clara Schumann, Robert Schumann, and Johannes Brahms March 25, 7:30 p.m.Abramson Family Recital Hall, Katzen Arts Center, 4400 Massachusetts Ave. NWDepartment of Performing Arts Tickets: Free for AU students with ID; $10 for alumni, staff, faculty, children, and senior citizens (55 and older); $25 general admission.  
 
Internationally acclaimed concert pianist Yuliya Gorenman returns to the concert stage with works by Clara Schumann (1819-1896), Robert Schumann (1810-1856), and Johannes Brahms (1833-1897). Clara Schumann was a revolutionary who paved the way for women performers. She was a world-class pianist, gifted composer, teacher, and finally a muse and inspiration to the great composers Robert Schumann and Johannes Brahms. Gorenman will play Clara Schumann’s “Three Romances op. 11,” Johannes Brahms’s “Two Rhapsodies op. 79” and “Intermezzi op. 117,” and Robert Schumann’s “Carnaval op. 9.” 
 
Book by Edna Walsh 
Music & Lyrics by Glen Hansard & Markéta Irglová 
Based on the Motion Picture Written and Directed by John Carney  
March 30–April 2 Directed by Colleen Sullivan 
Harold and Sylvia Greenberg Theatre, 4200 Wisconsin Ave. NW  Department of Performing Arts   
 
Once is set in Dublin in the mid-2000s. An Irish busker meets a young Czech woman and in five days they discover the healing power of music together. In this soft-spoken story of romance, and cultural and musical chemistry, the cast sing and play their own instruments for all the songs, including the Oscar-winning Falling Slowly from the indie film Once
 
Tickets: Free for AU students with ID; $10 for alumni, staff, faculty, children, and senior citizens (55 and older); $15 general admission. Purchase tickets here