Here are 4 things to do this weekend in Johnson County, including a film about Christine Grant
History and legacy merges with the present and future this weekend.
Iowa women’s athletics pioneer Christine Grant is the subject of a new film at FilmScene, while the Englert Theatre hosts local creatives for an afternoon centered around one prompt by poet Amanda Gorman.
Here are four things to do this weekend in Johnson County.
‘Unshakeable Belief: The Dr. Christine Grant Story’ at FilmScene
On Friday, FilmScene, co-presented by Iowa Women’s Athletics, will premiere “Unshakeable Belief: The Dr. Christine Grant Story,” directed by Nathan McNurlen.
The 88-minute film follows the legendary University of Iowa women's athletics director, telling the story of her early years at the university, lobbying for Title IX and how she built the women’s athletics department at UI.
Grant died in December 2021.
“’Unshakeable Belief' is a celebration of her life and the lasting impact of what she achieved, not just athletics at The University of Iowa, but across the nation,” the film’s description reads.
Showings begin Friday at 7:15 p.m. at FilmScene at the Chauncey.
Here is the rest of the schedule:
Sept. 11 at 5 p.m.
Sept. 12 at 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 13 at 5 p.m.
Sept. 14 at 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 15 at 6:30 p.m.
Proceeds will go toward the UI Athletics HERky’s fund, which supports women athletes at the university. Visit FilmScene’s website for ticket information.
55 Years of International Writers at UI Main Library Gallery
The UI Main Library Gallery has a new exhibit that captures the origins of the International Writing Program and its impact locally and beyond.
“A Hub, a Network, an Archive: 55 Years of International Writers in Iowa City” is on display now, featuring materials from the Paul Engle Papers. Engle was a writer, Iowa Writers’ Workshop director and founded the International Writing Program at UI with wife Hauling Engle. The exhibit also includes portraits of writers by photographer Thomas Langdon, according to the UI Main Library Gallery.
The exhibit, about three years in the making, was curated by Nataša Ďurovičová and Lisa Gardinier and “celebrates the creativity of more than 1,600 writers in residence who have come to Iowa since the program began in 1967, and how their time in Iowa City inspired their work,” according to the UI Main Library Gallery.
“A Hub, a Network, an Archive: 55 Years of International Writers in Iowa City” will be on display through December. Visit the university library’s website for information on the gallery’s hours.
'Prompt for the Planet: Community Creates' at Englert Theatre
PromptPress, an online and in-print arts journal, and the LENA Project, an Iowa City nonprofit advocating for environmental change, present “Prompt for the Planet: Community Creates” at the Englert Theatre on Sunday.
Gorman’s Prompt for the Planet asked the following:
“Think of one element and speak in its voice through pictures and words. What would the fires raging in California say to the world? What would the wind from Hurricane Maria demolishing Puerto Rico sound like? What does freshly fallen rain on a state in drought feel and taste like through poetry? Love? Relief? Think of it as creating an open letter from the planet.”
On Sunday, community members and creatives including the Family Folk Machine, Iowa City musician James Tutson, International Writing Program director Christopher Merrill and more will present an afternoon of music, poetry, dance and film in response to Gorman’s prompt.
Tricia Windschitl, cofounder and director of the LENA Project, told the Press-Citizen in an email that each artist and group will perform their unique response for the first time at the event.
The event came about as a way to “engage our community with the prompt, both as consumers and makers of art.
“We aimed to create an event that would get people interested and excited to learn more, see (and) hear responses from local artists and help us celebrate the planet and the project,” she said. “Meanwhile, we also wanted people of all ages and abilities to take an active part in the project by creating responses as well. We held multiple workshops and tabled (at) several markets/festivals where we guided people through the prompt and encouraged their own creative response. The event is a celebration of all these responses.”
The free event is at 2 p.m.
“I hope people will feel uplifted, inspired and motivated," Windschitl said. "Uplifted to feel hope for our planet, and that they are not alone in helping to fix the current conditions we are under regarding climate change. Inspired to lend their own voices and become a part of the collective voice for earth. And to be motivated to create some small change in their life, whether it be join a group, register to vote or make sustainable choices. We are all on this planet together and must all act in some small way."
Polo G performs at the Xtream Arena & GreenState Family Fieldhouse
Rapper Taurus Tremani Bartlett, better known as Polo G, is performing at the Xtream Arena & GreenState Family Fieldhouse on Friday.
Polo G is known for his 2021 single “Rapstar,” which debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100, 2019’s “Pop Out,” and his sophomore album “The Goat.”
The 23-year-old rapper’s music explores growing up in Chicago, street violence and his family among his rising stardom and success.
Polo G performs at the Xtream Arena at 8 p.m. Visit Xtream Arena’s website to purchase tickets.
Paris Barraza covers entertainment, lifestyle and arts at the Iowa City Press-Citizen. Reach her at PBarraza@press-citizen.com or (319) 519-9731. Follow her on Twitter @ParisBarraza.
This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Things to do this weekend in Iowa City include Christine Grant film
