Jazz about town

Veteran saxophonists David Liebman and Javon Jackson and Vanguard Orchestra drummer John Riley headline the 20th annual Cornell Jazz Festival, directed by Paul Merrill, April 15-17. Regional artists John Stetch, Walter White and Dave Rivello and Cornell ensembles are also featured. Programs include two free concerts in Bailey Hall, April 16-17 at 7:30 p.m.; jazz until midnight on two stages at the Carriage House Café in Collegetown (April 15, 8 p.m.; April 16-17, 9:30 p.m., $10 each night), and a free performance of Wolfgang Knittel's "Jazz Mass" for big band, community choir and vocalists on Palm Sunday, April 17, 2:30 p.m., St. Paul's United Methodist Church, Ithaca. Details: http://music.cornell.edu/calendar/.

Runway show

The 27th annual Runway Show presented by the Cornell Fashion Collective (CFC) will feature 200 student models wearing the work of more than 60 student designers, April 16 at 7 p.m. in Barton Hall. The student-run CFC, formerly the Cornell Design League, provides Cornell community members with a creative outlet through the medium of fashion. Tickets are $10 in advance ($15 at the door), available from any designer or CFC member, or online: http://www.human.cornell.edu/fsad/cfc/index.cfm.

Sustainable design

"Imminent Ecologies" will probe the possibilities of new tools and advanced computing methods for the design of sustainable architecture and environments, April 15, 5:30 p.m., and April 16, 9 a.m.-6 p.m., in Lewis Auditorium, Goldwin Smith Hall. The symposium, free and open to the public, is hosted by Cornell's Department of Architecture. Information: lpk7@cornell.edu.

Quilting black history

Artist and associate professor of Africana studies Riché Richardson will discuss the inspiration for her latest exhibition, "Portraits from Montgomery to Paris: Mixed Media Appliqué Art Quilts," April 18 at 4:45 p.m., Tatkon Center, 3343 South Balch Hall. The talk, "Quilting Black History From the Civil Rights Movement in Montgomery to the Obamas," will be followed by a reception. The exhibit will be on display at the Carol Tatkon Center through April 29.

Three readings

Cara Hoffman will read from her debut novel, "So Much Pretty," April 18 at 4 p.m., Cornell Store. The book addresses injustices, family matters and community in present-day America. A 2009 graduate of the Goddard College MFA Program, Hoffman worked for more than a decade as an investigative reporter around the Ithaca area. She has taught at Tompkins Cortland Community College, guest lectured at Cornell and Hobart and William Smith Colleges, and now lives in Manhattan.

Also at the Cornell Store, Simone Pinet, associate professor of Romance studies, will read from her work, "Archipelagoes: Insular Fictions From Chivalric Romance to the Novel," April 20 at 4:30 p.m. "Archipelagoes" examines insularity as the space for adventure in the Spanish book of chivalry, much like the space of the forest in French chivalric romance.

In a Chats in the Stacks book talk April 20 at 4 p.m., Room 160 in Mann Library, Ronald Mize, Cornell assistant professor of Latino studies, and Alicia Swords, Ithaca College assistant professor of sociology, will talk about their new book, "Consuming Mexican Labor: From the Bracero Program to NAFTA." They will highlight research on how U.S. corporations, consumers and states involve Mexican immigrant laborers in the politics of production and consumption. A reception and book signing will follow.

Contemporary films

The 30th Annual Black Maria Film Festival, named for Thomas Edison's 1893 experimental motion picture studio, will show at the Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts, April 19 at 7:15 p.m. The film forum features cutting-edge films from prominent avant-garde, documentary and animation film and videomakers worldwide. Lineup at http://cinema.cornell.edu. Tickets: $4.

Analyzing Schumann

Professor of composition Roberto Sierra will present "Robert Schumann and the Caribbean" as the Society for the Humanities' Annual Invitational Lecture, April 20, 4:30 p.m., Barnes Hall Auditorium. The program, rescheduled from February, is free and open to the public. Miri Yampolsky and Xak Bjerken will perform piano works for four hands, and Sierra will provide analysis of Schumann's music. A reception follows at the A.D. White House.

Decaying infrastructure

Rick Geddes, associate professor of policy analysis and management, will discuss the opportunity for private investment in transportation infrastructure and offer an innovative approach to addressing America's infrastructure crisis in a talk, "Revitalizing America's Decaying Transportation Infrastructure: Implications for Sustainability," April 20 at 4:30 p.m., 106 Sage Hall.

Geddes research fields include private infrastructure investment through public-private partnerships, postal service policy, corporate governance, women's property rights and antitrust policy.

Emerging artist concert

This year's Lauren Pickard '90 emerging artist series will feature the Los Angeles rock band Fallen Riviera. The concert will be April 20 at 7:30 p.m., Memorial Room, Willard Straight Hall, doors open at 7 p.m. The concert is accessible by free tickets only, open to the entire community. Tickets available at the WSH Box Office. Information: http://www.fallenriviera.com/.

Furman reading

Fiction writer Laura Furman, renowned editor of the PEN/O. Henry Prize Stories collection and founder of the magazine American Short Fiction, will read from her newest collection, "The Mother Who Stayed," April 21 at 4:30 p.m., Hollis E. Cornell Auditorium, Goldwin Smith Hall.

'The Kids Grow Up'

Documentary filmmaker Doug Block '75, the Irik Sevin fellow on campus, will introduce his latest film, "The Kids Grow Up," April 21 at 7:15 p.m. in Willard Straight Theatre. Free. Block will stay on West Campus and interact with residents during his visit. He also presents "How to Make Personal Documentaries" April 20, 8 p.m. in Alice Cook House Seminar Room.

Climate change 350

Bill McKibben, environmentalist and author of books that have shaped public perception and action on climate change, alternative energy and the need for localized economies, will present the 2011 Iscol Lecture, "350: the Most Important Number in the World," April 21 at 4:30 p.m., Call Auditorium in Kennedy Hall. McKibben is the founder of 350.org, which in 2009 coordinated what Foreign Policy magazine called "the largest ever global rally of any kind," with 5,200 simultaneous demonstrations in 181 countries. A former New Yorker staff writer and Guggenheim fellow, McKibben writes for various publications, including Rolling Stone, The Atlantic, National Geographic and The New York Review of Books.

The Jill and Ken Iscol Lecture brings prominent scholars, newsmakers, scientists and leaders to Cornell to address important environmental issues.

State of electronica

The Cornell Electroacoustic Music Center and Director Kevin Ernste present "State of the Art," with electronic and electroacoustic music by local, national and international artists. The three-concert festival, April 21-23 at 8 p.m. in Barnes Hall Auditorium, opens with Tim Feeney and vocalist Liz Tonne performing works by John Cage April 21. Nathan Ward, saxophonist Keir Neuringer, Cornell's new electroacoustic ensemble and violist Wendy Richman playing a premiere by composer Taylan Cihan are featured April 22. April 23 includes visiting composer Mikel Kuehn with saxophonist Chien-Kwan Lin, and composer Nicolas Scherzinger with violist John Graham. Information: http://digital.music.cornell.edu.

IT initiatives open forum

The next Administrative Streamlining Project (ASP) open forum will be held April 22 at 12:15 p.m., Bache Auditorium, Malott Hall. Chief Information Officer and Vice President for Information Technologies Ted Dodds will present.

Literary Luncheon

Poet Joanie Mackowski is the featured writer at a Literary Luncheon, April 25 at noon at the Cayuga Heights residence of Professor Robin Davisson and President David Skorton. Mackowski is the author of "View From a Temporary Window" (2010) and the award-winning 2002 collection "The Zoo."

Her third collection, now under way, explores lyric poetry from an eco-critical vantage point. Her poems appear in the 2007 and 2009 Best American Poetry anthologies and such journals as Poetry and The Yale Review. Her honors include a Wallace Stegner Fellowship and the Poetry Society of America's Emily Dickinson Prize.

A light lunch will be served at 11:30 a.m. The event is free and space is limited; RSVP by April 18 to special-events@cornell.edu.