Amar Kanwar/Provided

"Lines of Control" at the Johnson Museum.

Soup and Hope

Myra Sabir, assistant dean of admissions and advising in the College of Arts and Sciences and founding director of The Life Writing Project, will speak about how her vocation is intimately connected to her family of origin and the circumstances of her birth, Jan. 19 from noon to 1 p.m. in Sage Chapel.

Sabir's talk, "The Silent Story," is the first event in the spring Soup and Hope series, presented by Cornell United Religious Work. The series features members of the Cornell community talking about sustaining hope in times of change and challenge and sharing stories of hope and courage during their most raw and vulnerable moments.

The talk is open to all members of the Cornell community and includes a free lunch of soup and bread.

Soup and Hope continues every other Thursday through March. Upcoming speakers are Parvine Toorawa, Feb. 2; Syed Rehman, Feb. 16; Provost Kent Fuchs, March 1; Dwight Carroll, March 15; and a DREAM Act student, March 29.

Information: http://www.curw.cornell.edu.

Camera basics

Ithaca photographer Chris Kitchen will help amateurs get the most out of their cameras at two outdoor photography workshops at Cornell Plantations.

Participants will learn some creative and technical fundamentals of photography, including macro and landscape photography as they capture some of nature's beauty in winter at Plantations.

The two-hour workshops are geared to different camera types and include an indoor discussion and demonstration.

The first class, Saturday, Jan. 14, will focus on digital SLR cameras, and a Jan. 21 class covers more casual picture-taking with point-and-shoot cameras. Each session costs $24; $20 for Plantations members and Cornell students. Participants should dress for the weather and bring their own cameras.

To register or for more information, visit http://www.cornellplantations.org or call 607-255-2400.

Kitchen's nature photography, highlighting Plantations' botanical gardens, arboretum and natural areas, is on display through Feb. 28 at the Nevin Welcome Center, open Tuesday-Friday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., and open Saturdays beginning Feb. 4. Admission is free.

Plantations also hosts a walk through its conifer collection with gardener Phil Syphrit, Jan. 14, 2-3 p.m. Participants will learn to identify about a dozen native and non-native conifers, including yew, metasequoia, concolor fir, larch and cedar. Meet at the Nevin Welcome Center. Free; donations welcome.

Drawing lines

International artists explore the seductive simplicity of drawing lines as a substitute for learning how to live with each other in "Lines of Control," Jan. 21-April 1, one of several new exhibitions opening at the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art.

Related public programs include the South Korean collaborative Young Hae Chang Heavy Industries presenting an artists' talk Jan. 23 at 5:15 p.m. and a gallery talk Jan. 27 at 4:30 p.m.

Other new exhibitions include faculty artist Carl Ostendarp's installation "Fat Cakes"/"Myopic Void," Jan. 27-March 25; and evening façade projections of short films by the Lumiére Brothers, Jan. 27-Feb. 20.

The museum will host a public opening reception for its winter and early spring exhibitions Friday, Jan. 27, 5-7 p.m. Free. Information: http://museum.cornell.edu, 607-255-6464.

'Cornell Timescapes'

The Mann Library Gallery is featuring an exhibition of black-and-white photographs, "Cornell Timescapes: Fine Art Photography by Thibault Roland," through Feb. 27.

Roland is a Howard Hughes Medical Institute postdoctoral fellow in biophysics at Cornell. Using light as a tool to manipulate and elucidate the fundamental aspects of life, he captures scenes from the Cornell campus that are public and hidden, familiar and arresting, timeless and in a state of constant change.

Roland is a self-taught photographer whose work been displayed in photo exhibitions and magazines in France and the United States and in several international fine art competitions.

Information: http://gallery.mannlib.cornell.edu.

Healthier pets

Learn how to improve companion animals' lives and make informed breeding decisions at a seminar, "Your Dog and its Genes: The Future of Veterinary Medicine," Saturday, Jan. 21, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. in Veterinary Education Center Lecture Hall 3. To register, email dnabank@cornell.edu by Friday, Jan. 13.

Cornell veterinary specialists in oncology, cardiology, medical genetics and other fields will present information on cutting-edge clinical advances in inherited canine and feline diseases. The seminar is free and lunch, appetizers and a complimentary puppy pack are included.

The seminar is presented by the College of Veterinary Medicine's Medical Genetics Service.