NICHOLAS C. TURTON - The Spectrum

ARTS

Shibboleth: Not easily defined

By NICHOLAS C. TURTON | Apr. 28, 2013

Art is not easily defined by a single word, phrase or definition; art is multifaceted, diverse and encompasses everything from paintings and sculptures to digital projections and clothing designs - it would be near impossible to condense something so wide-ranging into a single, faithful definition. The same can be said for the group of 35 graduating seniors from UB's Department of Visual Studies; these students are as equally multifaceted as the artwork they create.

NEWS

Stargazing with the Heavens

By NICHOLAS C. TURTON | Apr. 18, 2013

For countless years, artists have been fascinated with the heavens, the stars, the moon and other celestial bodies.

NEWS

Mark Twain was here: A new perspective

By NICHOLAS C. TURTON | Apr. 14, 2013

In July 1869, Samuel Langhorne Clemens - better known as Mark Twain - arrived in Buffalo, N.Y., as a rising star in the literary world.

ARTS

Mark Twain was here: A new perspective

By NICHOLAS C. TURTON | Apr. 14, 2013

In July 1869, Samuel Langhorne Clemens - better known as Mark Twain - arrived in Buffalo, N.Y., as a rising star in the literary world. At the age of 33, Twain - who is most lauded for writing The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) and its sequel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1885) - spent 18 months in the Queen City. This time in his career was fundamental to his overwhelming success in the literary world, yet a great deal of scholarship on the writer disregards Twain's time in Buffalo as dreary, isolated and unimportant.

ARTS

Frost finds new home at UB

By NICHOLAS C. TURTON | Apr. 4, 2013

Robert Frost - one of the most renowned American poets of the 20th century - died in 1963, but he hasn't lived out his last story.

ARTS

From mountains to Mars

By NICHOLAS C. TURTON | Apr. 2, 2013

Experiencing one of Kelly Richardson's video installations is like stepping into another world - a world where reality and fantasy mesh together to form awe-inspiring and discomforting multi-layered scenes at the same time.

ARTS

Just roll with it

By NICHOLAS C. TURTON | Mar. 20, 2013

Take some advice from UB Improv: when things don't go as planned, just roll with it. UB Improv, a group that engages students and audiences alike in the forms and practices of improvisational comedy, is all about "rolling with it." Improvisational comedy, a script-less form of comedy performance, relies heavily on the performers' sharp wits, comedic antics and resilience in dealing with the unexpected. These skills allow UB Improv performers to construct and embody wild characters such as waffle-eating Canadian tennis referees and reverends who are infatuated with their own vices and sinful natures. But UB Improv hasn't always had its fair share of laughs. Christopher Salmin, a senior business and psychology major and UB Improv president, came to UB during the fall 2009 semester and co-founded a small improv troupe with his friend, Ed Caravajo, who is now a graduate of UB. The group was underground and met unofficially for several months.

OPINION

Would you rather?

By NICHOLAS C. TURTON | Mar. 20, 2013

"Would you rather share a room with one of your siblings or move your room to the basement?" my stepmother asked me over winter break.

ARTS

The art of breaking down boundaries

By NICHOLAS C. TURTON | Mar. 3, 2013

Past and present, man and woman, straight and gay: these are dichotomies that are all too familiar.

NEWS

Talking poetry: When We Were Human

By NICHOLAS C. TURTON | Feb. 21, 2013

In a small, cozy area of Talking Leaves Books, Jeannine Pitas' infectious smile complemented the thin hardcover book in her lap.