January-February Highlights

Charles Biederman, #9 New York, 1940, Relief construction of painted wood, partially painted glass and colored fluorescent tubes.

The Smart Museum of Art
“Illuminations: Sculpting with Light”
Thursday, Jan. 22 through Sunday, April 4
10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday; 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Thursday; 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday-Sunday.
5550 S. Greenwood Ave. 702-0200. http://smartmuseum.uchicago.edu. Free.
Beginning with one of the first known sculptures to incorporate electric light, Charles Biederman’s “#9, New York, 1940,” this exhibition proceeds to explore American artists’ fascination with light as a sculptural medium. The exhibition also will feature key works by Dan Flavin, Robert Irwin and James Turrell, and a major commission from emerging artist Stephen Hendee. There will be an opening reception from 5 to 7:30 p.m., at which Smart Museum curators Richard Born and Stephanie Smith will introduce the exhibition and lead a gallery tour. Exhibiting artist Stephen Hendee also will be present. The Smart will offer a public exhibition tour of “Illuminations” at 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 25.

A scene from the fairy tale Arabian Nights.

The Department of Music
The University Symphony Orchestra
8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 31
Mandel Hall, 1131 E. 57th St. 702-8069. $8 general, $5 students. Tickets go on sale starting Monday, Jan. 26, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Maestra Barbara Schubert leads the University Symphony Orchestra in a program titled “Fairy Tales.” The orchestra will perform a variety of works, including Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade and Jon Deak’s whimsical Jack and the Beanstalk, with contrabass soloist and University student Andy Cowan.

The Brentano String Quartet

The University of Chicago Presents
The Brentano String Quartet
8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 23
Mandel Hall, 1131 E. 57th St. 702-8068. http://chicagopresents.uchicago.edu. $30 general, $11 students.
In the second concert of the University of Chicago Presents Chamber Music Series, the Brentano String Quartet will present a program entitled “Bach Perspectives: Ten Composers React to The Art of the Fugue.” To celebrate their 10th anniversary, the quartet invited ten of their favorite composers to write “commentary” pieces as companions to selected contrapuncti from Bach’s Art of the Fugue. The result provides the chance to listen to Bach’s music through the ears of some of the preeminent composers of the day. Composers include Nicholas Maw, Eric Zivian, Charles Wuorinen, Sofia Gubaidulina, Wynton Marsalis, Bruce Adolphe, David Horne, Chou Wen-chung, Steven Mackey and Shulamit Ran, the William H. Colvin Professor in Music and the College.

International House
Brazilian Carnaval Fest
9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 31
International House, 1414 E. 59th St. 753-2274. http://ihouse.uchicago.edu. Ages 16 and up. Tickets will be sold only at the door. $15-20.
At International House’s annual Brazilian Carnaval dance party, lively music will be played continuously, and dancing will not stop, in accordance with centuries-old Brazilian and Caribbean tradition. Chicago Samba, a local ensemble, will play a wide variety of Brazilian music through the evening.