Monthly gallery talks will begin at the Mead Art Museum today with European art curator Carol Solomon Kiefer's lecture on "Cezanne: The Reluctant Printmaker." Her talk will feature Cezanne's "Large Bathers," one of the prints in the fall exhibition "Works on Paper: Impressionism and Post-Impressionism." The Mead Art Museum is also currently featuring an exhibit entitled "East Asian Art: Recent Acquisitions and Loans." More than 40 Japanese woodblock prints, known as ukiyo-e, recent major gifts of William Green and Howard Hamilton to the permanent collection, are a highlight of the show. (Wed., Sept 15, Mead Art Museum. No admission charge.)

 

Sponsored by the Amherst College Creative Writing Center, poet Elizabeth Alexander will read from her work tomorrow at Amherst Books. Author Arnold Rampersad has called Alexander "one of the brightest stars in our literary sky, a poet of poise and power." Alexander is the author of three collections of poetry, including her most recent, "Antebellum Dream Book," and a book of essays about race, art and culture entitled "The Black Interior," in which she studies "black life and creativity behind the face of stereotype and limited imagination." (Thurs., Sept. 16 at 8 p.m., Amherst Books. No admission charge.)

 

Catch popular folk-singer Dar Williams this Friday at Northampton's Calvin Theater. An idiosyncratic songwriter known for her insightful, unique lyrics, Williams has grown from touring coffee-house circuits to touring the nation. She released her latest album, "The Beauty of the Rain," in 2003 and will perform many of her newest songs this weekend. A former resident of Northampton, Williams' show is sure to sell ot fast, so buy your tickets now! (Fri., Sept. 17 at 8 p.m., Calvin Theater, Northampton. Tickets $17.50-$32.50 at www.iheg.com.)

 

Pianist Chongya Shin, a member of the music faculty at Amherst College, will perform works of Schubert, Debussy, Beethoven and Chopin this Sunday in Buckley Recital Hall. Shin has performed as a soloist with the Boston Pops, the Pioneer Valley Symphony Orchestra, the New England Conservatory Orchestra and the Windham Community Orchestra, and has performed many other solo recitals and chamber music concerts throughout New England. (Sun., Sept. 19 at 4 p.m., Buckley Recital Hall. No admission charge.)

Editor's Movie Rental of the Week

Twenty-seven years after the release of the instant smash hit "Star Wars IV: A New Hope," George Lucas and company have finally decided to release the "Star Wars Trilogy" on DVD! The DVDs come complete with commentaries by George Lucas and different cast and production members, extra footage and "Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy," the most comprehensive feature-length documentary ever produced on the "Star Wars" saga. This is a must-have not just for hardcore fans but also for "Star Wars" newbies!