Campus Events

Artist’s Reception: October 4th from 3:00pm to 5:00pm (Refreshments Provided, Free and Open to the Public)

The exhibition "Affinities and Differences" will highlight a selection of paintings and mixed media works by artists James Williams and John Rudel. It invites viewers to explore how information and expressionism emerge through the distinct visual languages of these two contemporary abstract painters. Despite their friendship spanning over twenty years, this will be the first time their works are showcased together.

“Abstract painting is a curious endeavor, as it involves a process of visual discovery. In creating such paintings, artists are guided by intuition and aesthetic sensibilities, often unsure of the final outcome until it gradually emerges. We engage in a form of language creation where the elements of art serve as our grammar. This exhibition is particularly intriguing as it juxtaposes two unique languages of abstraction side by side, allowing visitors to appreciate each piece within a context that encourages comparisons between the two bodies of work, potentially leading to deeper insights.” –John Rudel

James Williams is the Professor of Art and Chair of the Visual Arts Department at Tidewater Community College. John Rudel is a Professor of Art, Curator of Exhibitions, and Director of Undergraduate Research and Creativity at Virginia Wesleyan University. Their friendship began during their high school years in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, in the 1990s.

What has “Virginia” meant over the centuries? Bill Wooldridge, author of “Mapping Virginia: From the Age of Exploration to the Civil War,” explores historical maps that reveal how geography, ambition, and power shaped perceptions of our state. From undefined stretches in the 1500s to borders reaching the Mississippi by the 1700s, maps tell more than directions—they reveal dreams. This event is In recognition of Constitution & Citizenship Day. Please also visit the Wesleyan Engaged resource table for a free pocket constitution and voter registration materials. For more information, contact the Robert Nusbaum Center at 757.455.3129 or NusbaumCenter@vwu.edu.

The Concert Jazz Series will feature a night of Funk and Fusion hosted by Jason Squinobal.

The Concert, featuring faculty and local professional musicians, is free and open to the public. 

What if your neighborhood’s air, heat radiating from cracked asphalt, and the highway bisecting your community weren’t accidental but products of intentional policy? Urban geographer Johnny Finn uncovers how centuries-old policies still shape Coastal Virginia’s landscapes and harm marginalized communities that continue to suffer from environmental degradation, chronic illness, and shortened life expectancy. Through striking visuals and GIS data, this talk asks if our geography was shaped by injustice, how can we reimagine it for justice. For more information, contact the Robert Nusbaum Center at 757.455.3129 or NusbaumCenter@vwu.edu.

Stories give us a sense of place and help us understand ourselves in community. Former Norfolk City Historian Peggy Haile McPhillips shares memorable local tales—from an incendiary Sunday to a hidden horse track—that reveal how the past continues to shape our lives today. McPhillips, a lifelong resident of Norfolk and author of “Remembering Norfolk” and “Historic Photos of Norfolk,” currently serves as president of the Norfolk Historical Society. For more information, contact the Robert Nusbaum Center at 757.455.3129 or NusbaumCenter@vwu.edu.

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The Wolves by Sarah DeLappe with performances in the Brock Theatre, Susan S. Goode Fine & Performing Arts Center on October 3 & 4 at 7:30 p.m. and October 5 at 2:00 p.m.

The show follows a high school girls' indoor soccer team over six weeks as they warm-up for their games. Over these six-weeks, the play explores these girls' lives, friendships, relationships, struggles, and adolescence as they grow and are intertwined with each other. 

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In the 1980s and 1990s, Virginia Beach gained national attention as both a stronghold of the Religious Right and a magnet for the New Age movement, a spiritual crossroads where apocalyptic evangelicals and reincarnation-minded mystics coexisted just miles apart. Yet religious diversity has long defined our region: Ghent is encircled by a Jewish eruv; Norfolk is home to the first mosque ever established on a U.S. military base; and a major Buddhist temple stands just 1.3 miles from the VWU campus. As part of the Nusbaum at Night series, join VWU Batten Professor of Religious Studies and Leadership Craig Wansink over Zoom for a 30- to 40-minute drive-through exploration of the surprising and richly layered religious landscape of Coastal Virginia. Registration required by noon Oct. 6. Register with kjackson@vwu.edu or 757.455.3129

Why does Grace Sherwood’s story still haunt us? Scott Moore, author of “The Witch of Pungo: Grace Sherwood in Virginia History and Legend,” explores how the legend of Virginia’s most famous accused witch has evolved—from persecution to folklore to commemoration and civic pride—and what it says about our current day understanding of justice, gender, and belonging. Join us as Moore traces the strange morphology of a story that refuses to sink—and highlights what the story’s persistence reveals about our community and our conscience. For more information, contact the Robert Nusbaum Center at 757.455.3129 or NusbaumCenter@vwu.edu.

The Concert Jazz Series will feature a night of Vocal Jazz Favorites performed by Vocal Music Majors and accompanied by a professional jazz rhythm section. Hosted by Jason Squinobal.

Concert is free and open to the public

This event is open to all VWU students interested in studying abroad! Ever dream of studying abroad in Germany? Dr. Carolyn Blume, a professor at Heidelberg University of Education, will be in the Athenaeum to help you make your study away goals a reality. Meet other students from Heidelberg and VWU students who have already completed a successful semester at the University.

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Before this land became our campus, it was farmland. Before that, it was home to newly emancipated Black Americans transitioning to freedom. And long before any of that, this place was part of the ancestral homeland of the Nansemond people—members of the Powhatan Confederacy. Join us for a ceremonial repatriation of ancestral artifacts that have been held by the university for nearly sixty years. We gather with Nikki Bass, Assistant Chief of the Nansemond Indian Nation, and Thomas Badamo, Council Treasurer and Assistant Chief Emeritus, to honor the enduring presence of the Nansemond people in our community. Also, with support from the William Granville Sale, Jr. Award given by the Presbytery of Eastern Virginia Peacemaking Committee, a permanent land-acknowledgement plaque will be dedicated. For more information, contact the Robert Nusbaum Center at 757.455.3129 or NusbaumCenter@vwu.edu.

Discover how enslaved people escaped into the Great Dismal Swamp—23 miles from campus—to build secret lives, trade networks, and a unique economy. Marcus Nevius, author of “City of Refuge: Slavery and Petit Marronage in the Great Dismal Swamp, 1763–1856,” uncovers this overlooked form of resistance called petit marronage, where a kind of freedom was achieved through barter and survival in the swamp. For more information, contact the Robert Nusbaum Center at 757.455.3129 or NusbaumCenter@vwu.edu.

A Jewish New Yorker who moved to Virginia and made money as an exporter and who named his son Napoleon. A Kentucky native known as the “Sleeping Prophet” who gave psychic “readings” about health, past lives, and even Atlantis. A native of the Cape Verde Islands who wore loudly colored suits and glitzy jewelry, who had unusually long fingernails, and who was a celebrity preacher, faith healer, and miracle worker in the mid-20th century. Those three quirky figures each found their way to Coastal Virginia and lived in distinctive and unusual homes. As part of the Nusbaum at Night series, join VWU Gloria and David Furman Professor of Judaic Studies Eric Mazur over Zoom for a 30- to 40-minute exploration of these peculiar figures and their unusual homes.  Registration required by noon Nov. 3. Register with kjackson@vwu.edu or 757.455.3129.

In 1775 Virginia, a British governor’s offer of freedom to enslaved people ignited chaos and revolution. Andrew Lawler, author of “A Perfect Frenzy: A Royal Governor, His Black Allies, and the Crisis That Spurred the American Revolution,” shares the story of how these Black allies and the burning of Norfolk pushed the colonies toward revolution. Join us as Lawler uncovers how the fight for Black freedom set America on fire—literally—pushing the colonies to declare independence. For more information, contact the Robert Nusbaum Center at 757.455.3129 or NusbaumCenter@vwu.edu.

The Thanksgiving Play by Larissa FastHorse with performances in the Brock Theatre, Susan S. Goode Fine and Performing Arts Center, at 7:30 p.m. November 14 and 15 and 2 p.m. November 16.

This satirical, joyful, absurd comedy is about four well-meaning white artists trying to stage a culturally sensitive Thanksgiving pageant without any Native voices.  The play highlights the blind spots of good intentions and the deeper question of who gets to tell the story.

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Join The Virginia Wesleyan Orchestra for their Fall Semester Concert under musical director Alexander Chen, of the Virginia Symphony Orchestra. The Orchestra will perform a variety of classic and new works with a focus on small-ensemble chamber music. 

Public sites and structures shape what we honor and what we forget. They can embody the legacy of one group and the trauma of another—the Confederate Memorial in Portsmouth once stood on the site of a slave whipping post, and the Emancipation Oak in Hampton is more than just a tree. How should public sites be designed considering complex histories. How can we develop a consistent view when historical pride, personal attachment, and moral discomfort share the same ground. Levi Tenen leads a provocative exploration of these issues and the ethics of public space more generally. For more information, contact the Robert Nusbaum Center at 757.455.3129 or NusbaumCenter@vwu.edu.

Join the Marlins Jazz Ensemble for their Fall Semester Concert. The Jazz Ensemble will perform jazz favorites from a variety of different styles. Hosted by Jason Squinobal

Concert is free and open to the public

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