Provided

"The Conversation" at Cornell Cinema.

'Lines of Control'

The Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art celebrates its winter exhibitions including "Lines of Control," which features more than 40 works by international artists, with an opening reception Jan. 27 from 5-7 p.m. Curator of Asian art Ellen Avril will give a gallery talk at 4:30 p.m. Free and open to the public.

Also opening: an installation by visiting assistant professor of art Carl Ostendarp, "Fat Cakes"/"Myopic Void," through March 25, with original murals and playlists of soul/jazz and heavy psych music accompanying artwork drawn from the Johnson collection. The museum also is showing evening façade projections of short films by the Lumiére brothers, Jan. 27-Feb. 20.

"Lines of Control" is on display through April 1. Related events include a performance by the Cornell Avant Garde Ensemble (CAGE), Sunday, Jan. 29, at 3 p.m., and a symposium and artists' panel, March 3-4 (register by Feb. 24).

Information: http://museum.cornell.edu, 607-255-6464.

Sound and vision

Cornell Cinema is presenting a series of films this semester about individuals who traffic in sound -- two eavesdroppers, a wiretapper, missionaries, a composer, a piano tuner and an ethnomusicologist.

Inspired by the Society for the Humanities' 2011-12 focal theme, "Sound: Culture, Theory, Practice, Politics," the series, "Shut Up and Listen!", begins Jan. 31 at 7:15 p.m. in the Schwartz Center Film Forum with "Shut Up, Little Man: An Audio Misadventure." The 2011 documentary is about two young college grads' covert audio recordings of their next door neighbors in San Francisco, who spent alcohol-fueled evenings yelling and screaming at each other.

The series includes Francis Ford Coppola's "The Conversation" (1974, with Gene Hackman), Feb. 20-21; and "Step Across the Border" (1990), Feb. 25-26, about avant-garde composer Fred Frith's global quest for musical ideas. Information: http://cinema.cornell.edu.

Startup Fair

More than 40 startup companies will participate in Cornell's inaugural Startup Career Fair, Wednesday, Feb. 1, 3-7 p.m. in the Duffield Hall Atrium. Registered companies at the fair will include Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, Coursekit, Livingsocial and Nextjump.

Providing opportunities in startup and entrepreneurial careers in the Northeast to technically focused Cornell students, the event features a "NYC Tech Talent Draft" panel discussion with New York City startups, 5:30 p.m. in 101 Phillips Hall, sponsored by the city's Economic Development Corp.).

Engineering Dean Lance Collins and Dan Huttenlocher, dean of computing and information science, will speak at 5 p.m. After-hours events at 7:30 p.m. include interviews, networking and product demonstrations. Information: http://www.engineering.cornell.edu/startupfair.

Southern art

The Carol Tatkon Center in South Balch Hall will host an exhibition of folk art, "Self-Taught Artists of the U.S. South," Jan. 30 to June 15. The display features a selection of original art drawn from the collection of artist and associate professor Riché Richardson, a member of the Africana Studies and Research Center faculty.

History of art associate professor Cheryl Finley will give a related lecture on the history of African-American quilting, Feb. 6 at 5 p.m. in 3331 South Balch Hall. A reception will follow her talk.

The rise of China

The Cornell Program on Ethics and Public Life is sponsoring a six-lecture series on the politics and ethics of the rise of China -- and the prospects and problems related to its transformation as a global financial and political power.

The first lecture, "East Asia and China's Rise: Authority and Power in International Relations," is Monday, Jan. 30, 4:30 6 p.m. in Hollis E. Cornell Auditorium, Goldwin Smith Hall. The speaker is David Kang, professor of international relations and director of the Korean Studies Institute at the University of Southern California.

Upcoming lectures will be held Feb. 20, March 5 and 26, and April 16 and 30, all in Hollis E. Cornell Auditorium. The series is free and open to the public and is co-sponsored by the University Lectures Committee. Information: http://courses.cit.cornell.edu/rwm5/riseofchina/.

CornellNYC Tech

Since winning the New York City tech campus bid, the university has been getting questions from around Ithaca and the world. Tech campus proposal leaders Kent Fuchs, Lance Collins, Dan Huttenlocher and Cathy Dove will give a presentation followed by a Q&A at a forum for the Cornell community Feb. 3, 12:15-1:15 p.m., in G10 Biotech. The event will be videotaped.

Learn guitar

Absolute beginners, novices and longtime players are welcome to join the winter-spring series of group folk guitar lessons, beginning Monday, Jan. 30.

Taught by Phil Shapiro, the eight one-hour lessons will be offered Monday evenings in the International Lounge of Willard Straight Hall. Registration is at the first lesson; bring a guitar.

The beginners' class meets at 7 p.m., and lessons for intermediate players (those with some experience and knowledge of basic chords) are at 8 p.m. The intermediate course covers fingerpicking and includes an introduction to improvisation.

The course costs $60, payable at the first lesson. Presented by the WSH Student Union Board. Lessons are open to the general public and are offered twice a year. Information: http://www.shapiroandshore.com/guitarclass.html, or contact Phil Shapiro at 607-844-4535 or pds10@cornell.edu.

Revisiting the '70s

Social and political historian Jefferson Cowie, associate professor of history in the ILR School, will discuss his award-winning book "Stayin' Alive: The 1970s and the Last Days of the Working Class," Thursday, Feb. 2, at 4:30 p.m. 
in Catherwood Library. Free.

Cowie's book describes how working-class America was affected by social and political upheaval in the 1970s. The event is part of Cornell University Library's Chats in the Stacks Book Talk Series.

Messenger Lectures

David Savran, a Distinguished Professor and the Vera Mowry Roberts Chair in American Theatre at the City University of New York, will deliver three Messenger Lectures at Cornell this semester. The first, "Branding as Cultural Performance," is Thursday, Feb. 2, at 4:30 p.m. in the A.D. White House. Free.

Savran also lectures on "The Kindness of Strangers? Branding American Theatre in Postwar Europe," Feb. 29 at 4:30 p.m. in the English Department Lounge, 258 Goldwin Smith Hall; and March 30, on a topic to be announced.

The Messenger Lecture Series, established in 1924, brings leading scholars and public figures to campus each semester. Information: http://theuniversityfaculty.cornell.edu/lectures/spring_12.html.