Tiempo Libre will perform outdoors in the ASC’s Engel Plaza Oct. 6.Join the fun as the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center presents free GlobalFest lunchtime lectures Oct. 3-5, and a free performance by Tiempo Libre on Thursday, Oct. 6.
The lectures and performance are part of ¡Celebración! Hispanic Heritage Cultural Festival, a free, monthlong, citywide celebration through Oct. 26.
The Alys Stephens Center’s GlobalFest, an annual lunchtime celebration of global artistry, has become a favorite on UAB’s campus. Food trucks will be available on-site, or bring a lunch and drop by the center for the hourlong lectures, which begin at noon.
On Monday, Oct. 3, father-daughter duo visual artist Tres Taylor and designer and visual artist Lillis Taylor, a UAB Arts in Medicine artist-in-residence, will share their passion for Mexican art. For their lecture, the Taylors will highlight folk art of the Oaxaca region and the works of Frida Kahlo.
On Tuesday, Oct. 4, John K. Moore Jr., Ph.D., associate professor of Spanish in UAB’s Department of Foreign Languages and Literature, will tell audiences of the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in northwestern Spain, commonly known as the Camino de Santiago.
On Wednesday, Oct. 5, the Alys Stephens Center presents the “Dancing Doctors,” Drs. Sara Alvarez and Roswell Pfister, for a lecture and live demonstration exploring the beauty of Argentine tango.
Tiempo Libre is set to perform outdoors in the ASC’s Engel Plaza at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 6, with a free Latin dance class beginning at 6 p.m. Bring friends, family and dancing shoes to join the free outdoor dance party. Local food trucks will be parked at the ASC. This performance is made possible by support from the Alabama State Council on the Arts. For more details, call 205-975-2787 or visit www.AlysStephens.org.
Tiempo Libre features seven classically trained musicians internationally renowned for their critically acclaimed Latin-fusion music, described by The New York Times as “dance music of sophistication and abandon.” The members of three-time Grammy-nominated Tiempo Libre are true heirs to the musical tradition of their native Cuba. This Miami-based group is celebrated for its performances of timba music, an irresistible, dance-inducing mix of Latin jazz and Cuban songs. Tiempo Libre has introduced Cuban music to new audiences through appearances on shows such as “The Tonight Show,” “Live from Lincoln Center” and “Dancing with the Stars.”
The center is proud to collaborate with the UAB campus family and other Birmingham art partners for ¡Celebración! Hispanic Heritage Cultural Festival, an entire month of events honoring the Latin community in Birmingham. From exhibits to festivals and free tango lessons to performances by Grammy-nominated artists, events will take place at UAB’s Alys Stephens Center, UAB’s Abroms-Engel Institute for the Visual Arts, UAB Hospital, Birmingham Museum of Art, Birmingham Public Library, Birmingham Zoo and Birmingham’s Linn Park. Follow the center on Facebook for up-to-date event information.