Schedule Of Events

1:00pm : An Afternoon of Song and Dance at the Movies

Supporting the Arts Film historian Barbara Pillsbury’s annual spotlight on movie stars has become a favorite FOTA event. This year, instead of highlighting thelife and films of one golden age actor or actress, Barbara has put together her favorite movie song and dance numbers from a variety of films over a 50 year period, featuring Julie Andrews, Fred Astaire, Judy Garland, Gene Kelly, Rita Moreno, Eleanor Powell, Bojangles Robinson, Russ Tamblyn, and so many others. Take a trip down memory lane and enjoy film clips spotlighting favorite song performances, such as Al Jolson singing “Swanee,” Paul Robeson singing “Old Man River,” Barbra Streisand singing “My Man,” Julie Andrews singing “The Sound of Music,” and Judy Garland singing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” Classic dance numbers, such as Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in Top Hat, Shall We Dance, and The Barkleys of Broadway; Gene Kelly in Singing in the Rain, Anchors Aweigh, and Brigadoon; ensemble performances from Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Kiss Me Kate, and West Side Story; and Bob Fosse’s choreography for Pajama Game, Damn Yankees, and Sweet Charity round out the presentation. 

Location : Immanuel Lutheran Church

6:30pm : Meet Me At the MoSO

This year's Meet Me @ the MoSO builds on last year's discussion of Barbie's long history as a toy and her more recent appearance as a feminist icon in the Barbie Movie (2023). This year we will discuss Barbie as a diverse character in preparation for the Black Barbie movie on February 27 (see p. 77). Visitors are invited to bring insights from their own lives about how games, toys, and family stories impacted their views of women's roles in the home, the workforce, and politics. The deep history of how the suffrage movement has impacted elections from 1920 – 2024 will also be discussed.

Location : FSU Starr Educational Center, Room 314

7:00pm : Icons and Iconoclasts

Early on in the Christian era, the faithful began to create images of important individuals and events for veneration and to help them remember their history. Images of Christ, his mother Mary, Biblical patriarchs, contemporary saints, and Biblical stories also began to fill churches, homes, and caves. For years, these images were embraced as items of remembrance, providing a prominent sacred function for the early Christians from Alexandria to Byzantium to Rome. By the 8th and 9th centuries, dissension had begun to arise in the Christian church about whether these images were blasphemous and therefore should be destroyed. At the same time, other religious groups who did not look favorably on these images had moved into this area. By the mid-8th century, tensions had reached a point where zealous individuals and groups from several camps were organized to remove icons from churches and destroy or deface them. The original “iconoclast” was born. What prompted this rebellion and how did it all end? Join David Cowles for a rare look into this unique era in sacred art history, and also take the opportunity to view some 8th and 9th century icons. David Cowles has a BA in Anthropology minoring in Art and History. He attends St. Nicholas Eastern Orthodox Church in Grand Rapids

Location : Big Rapids City Hall

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