Smart scientists, provocative social commentators, a former White House press secretary and performers whose musical influences span the globe will come to the Wood River Valley this fall and winter as part of the Sun Valley Center for the Arts' Lecture and Performance series.
Speaking as part of the lecture series will be Ira Glass, host of NPR's "This American Life," on Saturday, Sept. 25. In addition, clean water advocate Maude Barlow will speak on Thursday, Nov. 4, and Neil deGrasse Tyson, director of New York's Hayden Planetarium, will speak on Wednesday, Nov. 17. "Fast Food Nation" author Eric Schlosser will speak on Thursday, Feb. 24, and Ari Fleischer, former press secretary for President George W. Bush, will give a lecture on Thursday, March 10.
Flamenco-fusion musicians Sam Lardner & Barcelona open the performance series on Friday, Oct. 29, followed by Broadway soloist Crystal Monee Hall on Friday, Nov. 19. Latin pop singer Raul Midón will perform on Friday, Dec. 3, and Taiko drum masters On Ensemble will perform on Friday, Jan. 21. Sweet Plantain returns to the valley for an encore performance on Friday, Mar. 4, and traditional Quebec music by De Temps Antan will take place on Sunday, Mar. 13.
There are two sets of tickets available for the lectures or the performances, or both can be bought. Tickets for the lecture series, which consists of five lectures, are available at a discounted price of $120 for Center members or $170 for nonmembers. Tickets for the performance series, which consists of six performances, are $115 for Center members and $175 for nonmembers. Individual tickets range from $20 to $35, with discounts for Sun Valley Center for the Arts members.
Series tickets go on sale to Center members on Tuesday, Sept. 7, and individual member tickets go on sale Friday, Sept. 10. Nonmember tickets for the series and individual tickets will go on sale Wednesday, Sept. 15. The Center is offering "Editor's Series" and "Critic's Circle" tickets that help to financially support both series. These tickets include preferred seating and invitations to exclusive events for $500 per series.
Tickets may be purchased online at www.sunvalleycenter.org or call 726-9491 or stop by The Center at the corner of Fifth Street and Washington Avenue in Ketchum.
Several of the lectures and performances are tied to exhibitions that The Center will present over the next six months. In addition, many of the speakers and performers will visit local schools as part of the Sun Valley Center's ongoing outreach program to schoolchildren in the Wood River Valley.
For full details about dates, prices and locations and more about the individual lecturers and performers, visit www.sunvalleycenter.org.
