Purdue University Fort Wayne recently announced their 2024-25 Omnibus Speaker Series, that kicks off Thursday, Oct. 24, with New York Times political journalist Michael Barbaro.
For their 29th season, the university said in a press release that they will highlight contemporary themes and personal experiences.
Along with Barbaro, who also hosts the popular The Daily podcast, the series will feature author Luke Russert, the son of the late Meet the Press host Tim Russert, who wrote Grief Journey, on Tuesday, Nov. 19; cultural scholar and award-winning marketer Marcus Collins on Thursday, Feb. 27; and host of the PBS docuseries La Frontera, Pati Jinich, will appear in the spring, although a date has not been set.
“The Omnibus Speaker Series has been a community treasure here in Fort Wayne for almost three decades, and our speakers this year are thought-leaders who will challenge us with a diversity of ideas, perceptions, and experiences,” said Jerry Lewis, vice chancellor for communications and marketing.
All appearances start at 7:30 p.m. in Auer Performance Hall. Tickets are free on a first-come, first-served basis. They are typically made available two weeks before each show.
Final exhibit ends an era at Castle Gallery
Castle Gallery Fine Art is hosting their final exhibition, End of an Era, through Sept. 21.
The art gallery was established in 1995 by Jody Hemphill Smith and Mark Paul Smith, featuring artists from around the world. Jody Hemphill Smith passed away Oct. 23.
The final exhibition will see all three floors of the gallery at 1202 W. Wayne St. packed with discounted art, and hours have been extended to 11 a.m.-6 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, as well as 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Saturday, Sept. 16-21.
PFW building music building on campus
Purdue University Fort Wayne soon will begin construction on a $25 million, 26,000-square-foot music industry building, with an opening date targeted for the fall semester of 2026.
Fundraising for the state-of-the-art facility received a major boost in May with a $15 million budget allocation from the Indiana General Assembly. Forty percent of the money came from private donors.
The decision to create an on-campus music industry building was made primarily in response to growing enrollment in PFW’s popular music, music industry, and music technology programs.
PFW currently works out of the 8,000-square-foot Purdue Fort Wayne Sweetwater Music Center on the Sweetwater Sound campus on U.S. 30 West. The school has been at the location since 2018.
The building will be connected via a second-floor skybridge to the existing PFW Music Center.
Get to the theater this month
If you’re a supporter of local live theater, you are in for a wealth of riches the rest of the month.
- Disney’s Beauty & The Beast: First Presbyterian Theatre, Friday-Sunday, Sept. 13-22.
- Rocky Horror Show: Fort Wayne Civic Theatre, Friday-Saturday, Sept. 13-14 at Foellinger Theatre.
- Much Ado About Nothing: Parlor City Shakespeare Company, Friday-Saturday, Sept. 13-14, at Parlor City Plaza in Bluffton, Sunday, Sept. 15, at Life Community Church in Bluffton.
- Bat Boy: The Musical: Three Rivers Music Theatre, Friday-Sunday, Sept. 13-29.
- Chicago: Indiana Musical Theatre Foundation, Thursday-Sunday, Sept 19-22; Friday-Sunday, Sept. 27-29 at Arena Dinner Theatre.
- Father Brown: all for One productions, Friday-Sunday, Sept. 20-29, at PPG ArtsLab.
News and Venues covers Northeast Indiana’s music and arts organizations, venues, and colleges, from large to small. Send your news items to info@whatzup.com.
