To open the student-curated exhibition Jews and American Comics: The New Generations, noted comic artist and director of the Center for Cartoon Studies, James Sturm, will give a keynote address and participate in a panel discussion that will explore Jewish themes in comics strips and comic books, and the ways that Jews have shaped this popular American art form. The panel will also include Jason Lutes, a 1991 RISD graduate and artist of the renowned “Berlin Series,” and Sara Rosenbaum* class of 2000, comic artist and former Providence Journal staff writer.

5 pm, Thursday, Salomon Center, room 001. Reception and exhibit opening follows immediately at 6:30 pm at the John Nicholas Brown Center, 357 Benefit Street

*Sara and I went to see the Darkness at Lupo’s four years ago, and despite the fact that I was nearly crushed to death, and nobody cared, and I almost totally died, it was a lot of fun.  She dashed off this piece to memorialize the physical challenges she faced that night.

Oh my God, cracked-out old people.  SHUT UP.  So your kids are trampy!  We get it.  You don’t need to tell the whole effing library about it…

Anyway,  David Macaulay’s going to be at the RISD Auditorium at 6:15 tonight.  Get there early if you want an aisle seat (which, if you’re taller than 5′2″, you will.)  I’ve never heard the man speak, but learning a little bit about his meticulous process would surely be worth it.

In Providence, Juan Williams, senior correspondent for National Public Radio’s Morning Edition, will speak about the upcoming presidential election at the Central Congregational Church at 7 p.m.The church, at 296 Angell St., is at the corner of Cooke Street.

The speech is one of a series of lectures on religion and politics, sponsored by Darrell West, director of Brown University’s Taubman Center for Public Policy. The event is free and open to the community.

Which I feel like an ass for not visiting more often. There’s a lot going on:

Tuesday, December 11
Tuesday Talk: Daniel Harkett
1pm
Harkett, Assistant Professor in the Department of Art and Visual Culture at RISD, explores 19th-century French paintings in the galleries. This is the final talk in a three-part series of art-history lectures. Fee: $10 per lecture; free to members. For more information, please contact Deb Clemons at 401-454-6530 or dclemons@risd.edu.

Wednesday, December 12
Lecture: Focus on Fabulous Fakes
6pm
Join this adult hands-on workshop to design your own festive necklace creation to keep or give as a gift. Fee: $10; space is limited. For more information, please contact Deb Clemons at 401-454-6530 or dclemons@risd.edu.

Friday, December 14
Music Friday
5:30pm
The second Friday of every month the Museum’s Main Gallery transforms into a funky lounge for an after-work alternative that features cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, art and music. Socialize with old friends and meet new ones. Enjoy special signature cocktails and door prizes. Museum members: $5; non-members: $8. Age 21 and over. PWCVB members and RISD|CE students receive the Museum member rate.

Projo News Blog:

 Former New York Governor George Pataki will deliver this year’s Noah Krieger Lecture on “A House Divided: An Insider’s View of the State of National Politics” at 4 p.m. tomorrow in Brown’s Salomon Center, room 101.

The lecture is free and open to the public.
Governor Pataki served as New York’s governor from 1995 to 2006.
No backpacks, posters, or banners of any kind will be allowed into the venue.

  On Tuesday, the Student Labor Alliance, RI Jobs with Justice, and others will be hosting Stewart Acuff. List 120 (64 College St.) at 8pm. Acuff is an awesome speaker, and the way-left national director of organizing for the AFL-CIO. With elections on the horizon, and the recent split in the AFL-CIO — because of organizing strategy — it’s an especially interesting time to here what he has to say.

As organizing director, Acuff coordinates strategies to help working men and women join and form unions across the federation’s 53 member unions. He has been a community organizer and union organizer for 25 years, except for a brief stint as a truck driver. From 1977 to 1982, he worked as a community organizer in Missouri, Texas, Tennessee and New Hampshire for organizations affiliated with ACORN and Citizen Action.

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