Several notable artistic and educational events are coming up in the next few days for the Metro State community. Here's a rundown.

"Leaving Aztlán" Exhibition
The Metro State Center for Visual Art (CVA) presents the Jan. 27 opening of "Leaving Aztlán: Rethinking Contemporary Latino and Chicano Art." The exhibition presents works of contemporary U.S. artists that challenge stereotypical perceptions of Chicano/a and Latino/a art as a homogeneous style.

Exhibition-related events include a free talk by Cheech Marin, this year's Richard T. Castro visiting professor, at the King Center on Feb. 24 at 10 a.m.; a meet-the-artists reception featuring Marin and Kaytie Johnson, guest curator, also on Feb. 24 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the CVA; and "Leaving Aztlán: Alternative Paths," a symposium with artists, curators and Chicano studies scholars, on Feb. 25 from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

The CVA is located at 1734 Wazee Street. For more information, contact Cecily Cullen at 303-294-5207 or go to
http://www.mscd.edu/news/cva/

Second Annual Piano Celebration
On Jan. 28-29, Metro will come alive with the sound of music during the Second Annual Piano Celebration at the King Center.

Free to Metro State faculty, staff and students, the Piano Celebration is filled with workshops, master classes, competitions, demonstrations, exhibits and concerts and is not only open to the Denver and campus piano community, but the public as well.

"This is a source of educational enrichment for Metro students," explains Tamara Goldstein, assistant professor of music and artist-in-residence at Metro, who is organizing the event, "and a cultural opportunity for the entire campus."

Guest artists include Angela Chang, winner of the 1986 Gold Medal at the Arthur Rubinstein Piano Masters Competition and the 1988 Montreal International Piano Competition, and her husband Alvin Chow, who has toured internationally as an orchestral soloist and recitalist and performs duets regularly with his wife.

For more information, go to
http://www.pianocelebration.com.

Black World Conference
The Department of African American Studies will present the 22nd Black World Conference on Feb. 1. The conference will examine trends and issues of importance to the African American community, and will be held in the Tivoli Student Union, Room 320, from 9:30 a.m. to 2:15 p.m.

Featured speakers include Dr. Ella Maria Ray, Department Chair and Curator of Anthropology at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, and Peter Groff, President Pro Tem of the Colorado Senate.

There is no charge to attend and registration is at the door on the day of the conference. For more information, call the Department of African American Studies at 303-556-3124 or 303-556-8740.