蘑菇TV

The Trees Know: A Creative Connections collaboration between the Art and Language & Literature
Cohen Student Union and Sugden Hall Thoroughfare
November 20, 2025 鈥� October 31, 2026

Opening talk and reception Thursday, November 20, 2025, 3:30-4:30pm, Sugden Hall, Room 115

The 蘑菇TV Art Galleries is partnering with the Art Program and Language & Literature to create a hybrid visual art and creative writing site-specific outdoor public exhibition. Under the guidance of their professors, this exhibition features the coursework of 蘑菇TV students from Introduction to Nature Writing and Art and Community Engagement. As the arts become increasingly integrated throughout campus, these cross-curricular efforts promote collaboration between students. The end result of one such project is a large-scale multi-panel mural on display between the Cohen Student Union & Sugden Hall on the pathway to Parking Garage 1.

Faculty: Hannah Harley, Assistant Professor of Art and Community Engagement and Stephen Cavitt, Instructor II, Language and Literature

Sponsored by Gene and Lee Seidler, the Wasmer Endowment, WGCU Public Media, and the State of Florida Department of State, Division of Arts and Culture, the Florida Council on Arts and Culture, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Photo: Tyler Yodzio, The first frost hasn't arrived yet, but the trees know winter is coming c. 2024, Digital photograph, courtesy of the artist.

Becoming Tomorrow's Dream: Onajide Shabaka
Artist Talk, Thursday, January 22, 2026, 5:30-7:30pm in U. Tobe Recital Hall followed by a reception in the Arts Complex

January 23 - February 19, 2026

Can we bring a place out of obscurity and expose it to renewed scrutiny? A promising starting point is to delve into its intricate history. Uncovering the hidden history of a place is akin to finding a way back into the place-world, allowing us to savor the rebirth of place even on the most resistant terrain.

In this exhibition, we embark on a temporal journey, speculating about the people, places, and times of the 1850s to the present. Born before the end of US enslavement, Shabaka鈥檚 paternal grandfather and other family members migrated to St. Lucie County around 1920. They carried with them tales of lives filled with hope, redemption, and reconciliation.

Onajide Shabaka鈥檚 artistic endeavors are deeply influenced by a fusion of historical and biographical content, particularly drawing inspiration from the southern United States population comprising African and Native American descent. Additionally, his practice incorporates elements reminiscent of Florida鈥檚 unique ecology, which holds profound significance in relation to the history of medicinal plants and folk healing practices.

Sponsored by Gene and Lee Seidler, the Wasmer Endowment, WGCU Public Media, and the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Arts and Culture, the Florida Council on Arts and Culture, and the National Endowment for the Arts.This event is free and open to the public.

Sponsored by Gene and Lee Seidler, the Wasmer Endowment, and WGCU Public Media

Image credit: Onajide Shabaka, He bathed in the river's floral scent, 2020, Archival ink photographic print (edition of 5), 13.25 x 20 in. Courtesy of the artist.

Jazz Combo Concert: New compositions inspired by the work of Onajide Shabaka

The Jazz Combo has visited Onajide Shabaka's studio to get a preview of the work that will be on display in January and February. From this visit, they composed new works that they will perform in the Wasmer Art Gallery, within the exhibition. Seating is extremely limited, and tickets may be needed for this event. Check back for more information.

(A Creative Connections collaboration between the Art and Music programs)

Tamiami Tale Tellers - Storytelling Showcase "Love Stories"

Sheila Arnold - Roots of Compassion & Kindness: The Single Act

蘑菇TV Storytelling - "Spoken Stories Creating Community"

Sheila Arnold - Stories of the Underground Railroad: Law & Order

蘑菇TV Storytelling - "Spoken Stories Creating Community"

Josh Goforth - Appalachia Music and Song

蘑菇TV Storytelling - "Spoken Stories Creating Community"

Josh Goforth - Music and Story from Hills and Hollers

蘑菇TV Storytelling - "Spoken Stories Creating Community"

The 24-Hour Festival

Bower School of Music & the Arts is teaming up with Ghostbird Theatre Company for the 24-Hour Festival -- March 14 & 15, 2026. Join visual artists, filmmakers, theatre artists, dancers, musicians, and poets as you race against a 24-hour clock to create unique works based on prompts. You will have exactly 24 hours to create your instant masterpiece. This event is open to all, and multi-disciplinary artworks are encouraged.

蘑菇TV Storytelling - "Spoken Stories Creating Community"

蘑菇TV Storytelling - "Spoken Stories Creating Community"

Music, Art, Spoken Word, Poetry - Open Arts at the Library Data Vis Wall
Share or listen, bring a friend and enjoy free food - Featuring Masami Sugimori

April 10, 11, 17 & 18 at 7:30 p.m.
April 12, 18* & 19 at 2:00 p.m.

蘑菇TV Theatre presents Qui Nguyen鈥檚 She Kills Monsters as part of the celebration of American playwrights in honor of USA250. A young woman, grieving the loss of her family, embarks upon what may be the greatest adventure of her life. Can she navigate a dangerous world full of dungeon masters, paladins, elves, bugbears, demons, dragons, and evil cheerleaders? Qui Nguyen鈥檚 Dungeons & Dragons-inspired play features fight choreography by Dr. Russell Hogg, a faculty member from 蘑菇TV's Physical Therapy Program.

Tickets are $15 for the general public and $7 for students and can be purchased at fgcu.edu/theatrelab

*There will be a discussion with the cast and crew following this performance

She Kills Monsters is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc.

Directed by Dan Bacalzo

Season images created by Olivia Daley ('23, Theatre)

蘑菇TV Storytelling - "Spoken Stories Creating Community"

蘑菇TV Storytelling - "Spoken Stories Creating Community"

Creative Connections April Meeting - Join fellow faculty and staff for an energizing, cross鈥慸isciplinary conversation about how we can strengthen and celebrate the creative threads that run through every field. Each month, we explore ways to build meaningful connections between the arts - Art, Music, Theatre, and Writing - and areas such as the social and natural sciences, health, law, business, athletics, and beyond. It鈥檚 a space for idea鈥憇haring, collaboration, and discovering new possibilities for creative integration across campus. All faculty and staff welcome!

Join the University Archives & Special Collections for the opening reception of Snapshots of Innovation: The Legacy of Kodak. Explore a fascinating collection of vintage cameras, photographic equipment, advertisements and memorabilia from the Kirkpatrick Kodak Collection as we celebrate Kodak's lasting impact on photography, innovation, and the way we capture life's most memorable moments.

Exhibition runs from August 17, 2026-April 30, 2027; Monday-Friday 9am-5pm

To Learn More:

Creative Connections August Meeting - Start the fall semester by joining fellow faculty and staff for an engaging conversation about creativity and collaboration across disciplines. This monthly gathering explores connections between the arts and fields throughout the university, creating opportunities to share ideas, build partnerships, and spart -innovative projects. All faculty and staff are welcome!

The 蘑菇TV Art Galleries is seeking to partner with faculty members around our Fall 2026 exhibition in the Wasmer Art Gallery, The History of the United States, Vol. I & II, 1774 鈥� 1844. The exhibition opens August 27, 5-7pm and will run through September 24, 2026. 

This exhibition features two portfolios of prints with each year, from 1774  to 1844, represented by a different artist鈥檚 depiction of a significant event that happened that year. The pieces will be framed and hung chronologically around the gallery. These were a gift the to the 蘑菇TV Permanent Collection and this will be the first time they will be displayed to the public.

Images of the exhibition can be found at the following link: 

We are looking for faculty members who may be interested in the following:

• Participate in the opening with a talk or presentation in the Wasmer Art Gallery from 5-5:45pm on August 27, 2026
• Conduct a public talk during the run of the exhibition.
• Conduct a class in the gallery using the exhibition prints.
• Bring a class to the gallery to visit and have a tour.  

If you are interested in any of these opportunities, have questions or would like to propose something else, please click the link in the event description above our event calendar to indicate your interest. Someone will reach out with more information soon.

Labor Day Observed

This talk explores how the relative unity of the Consitutional Convention quickly gave way to intense partisan conflict during the presidencies of Washington, Adams, and Jefferson. By examining the rise of political parties, bitter disputes over national policy, and increasingly hostile political rhetior

蘑菇TV's College of Arts & Sciences is launching an exciting initiative to highlight the powerful connections between creative disciplines (Art, Music, Theatre, Writing) and fields like the social and natural sciences, health, law, business and athletics. While these connections already exist, we're making them more visible through special events and branding. Join the conversation by attending our next meeting. Hope to see you there!

Joshua Olowoyo, Associate Professor, Environmental Health (Cross appointment Water School and Health Sciences), 鈥淭racking Pollutants in the Environment: Lessons, Challenges, and Future Directions in Environmental Health Science Research.鈥� Talk starts at 11:45am-12:45am. Lunch is around 11:30am.

Whitaker Institute for STEM Education Welcome Back: The Welcome Back is an opportunity for faculty and staff to connect as we return and also kicks off the Whitaker Institute鈥檚 STEMinar series that will continue the rest of the year. Come enjoy food and drinks with friends. From new programs to new colleagues, we have a lot to celebrate.

This year, we will also be welcoming back a colleague as our event speaker. AJ Nunes-Zaller is an Instructor II in our Integrated Studies department. For two years, AJ has been a Fellow with the MIT Open Documentary Lab. DOCUMENTARY: BEYOND THE SCREEN, 360掳 IMMERSIVE MEDIA, CO-CREATION & COLLLECTIVE KNOWLEDGE.

Scott Michael, Biology, 鈥淓volution and Transmission of dengue virus in Florida.鈥� Talk starts at 11:45am-12:45am. Lunch is around 11:30am.

蘑菇TV Student Scholar Series - 蘑菇TV Chamber Choir, 鈥淗armony Under Pressure: Research, Rehearsal, and Performance to Achieve Concert Deadlines鈥� Snacks will be served.

CABARET opens the 蘑菇TV Theatre season in a special collaboration with TheatreZone, bringing their professional actors, members of the Actors鈥� Equity Association, together with our next generation of performers. Set inside the decadent Kit Kat Club in 1930s Berlin, the musical unfolds as a world begins to shift. Relationships deepen, choices carry consequences, and the line between spectacle and reality blurs. Songs like 鈥淲illkommen,鈥� 鈥淢aybe This Time,鈥� and 鈥淐abaret鈥� give voice to a time鈥攁nd a warning鈥攖hat still resonates. 

Book by Joe Masteroff
Based on the play by John Van Druten and
Stories by Christopher Isherwood
Music by John Kander  Lyrics by Fred Ebb
Directed by Mark Danni

October 8-11, 2026

October 8, 9 & 10 at 7:30 p.m.
October 10 & 11 at 2:00 p.m.

Full Details: Cabaret: 蘑菇TV + TheatreZone Collaboration

CABARET is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Tams-Witmark LLC.

Michele Stork Ed.D. 鈥淒esigning Learning That Works: Using a UDL Mindset for Teaching & Leading.鈥� Talk starts at 11:45am-12:45am. Lunch is around 11:30am.

Film screening of the Outlaws of the Everglades. Collaboration between Gulf Scholars and Water School. Time TBD.

Got a poem you鈥檝e been working on? A song you want to play? A short film, piece of artwork, monologue, or other creative project you want to share? Bring it to Open Arts Night @ the Library! This fall, the Wilson G. Bradshaw Library is opening up the stage to the creativity of the 蘑菇TV community. Whether you鈥檙e ready to perform, show your work, or simply hang out and cheer on your fellow Eagles, everyone is welcome.

Open Arts Night is a chance to share your creativity in a relaxed, welcoming space鈥攁nd discover what your fellow students, faculty, and staff are creating. There鈥檚 no need to be a professional performer or artist. Just bring your work, your curiosity, or your enthusiasm for the arts.

And yes, we鈥檒l have snacks. You might even make some new friends along the way.

Join us at the Data Viz Wall on the first floor of Library West from 6鈥�8 p.m. on:
鈥�    Wednesday, Sept. 16
鈥�    Wednesday, Oct. 14
鈥�    Wednesday, Nov. 18

Come create. Come perform. Come connect. Come see what the 蘑菇TV community has to say. Brought to you by the University Library, the Department of Language and Literature, and Creative Connections.

Dr. Lisa Alberts, Associate Professor, Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, 鈥淲here Mind and Body Meet: Rethinking Mental Health Through an Integrated Lens.鈥� 

The 蘑菇TV Art Galleries are proud to host the Battle of the Arts in partnership with Artsemble Underground. This annual event brings together teams of artists who collaborate live to create public mini-murals, with the competition taking place at a different venue each year. Fall 2026 marks the first time the event will be held at 蘑菇TV. The winning murals will be featured in the 蘑菇TV Arts Complex Courtyard for one year, and the top winner will receive the Battle of the Arts Trophy, an invitation to participate in the SWFL Mural Fest, and additional prizes.
To learn more, including how to participate, visit:

Tamiami Tale Tellers 鈥� New Beginnings

Open Mic Storytelling

Caren Neile - A Celebration of Jewish Storytelling

Susan O鈥橦alloran 鈥� Opening Minds and Hearts

Join us at the Bower School of Music & the Arts as we kick off Halloween with a fun, daytime pre-party for our students, families, and the entire community. The Bower Boo Bash is all about bringing people together through the arts in a way that's welcoming and festive for all ages. 

Stop by for trick or treating around the Arts Complex, storytelling in the gallery, and interactive fun. Costumes are highly encouraged! We'll wrap up the afternoon with a Halloween themed Vocal Area Concert at 3:00pm in the U. Tobe Recital Hall to send everyone off with the Halloween spirit. Hope to see you there!

Joel Ying 鈥� Finding Home

Open Mic Storytelling

Student Showcase: Storytelling as Healing (*蘑菇TV Library Lawn, Veterans Pavillion)

Opening Reception and Student Presentation: Friday, November 13, 2026, 12:00-1:00pm. Exhibit runs through October 30, 2027

The 蘑菇TV Art Galleries is partnering with the Art Program and Mangrove Review to create a hybrid visual art and creative writing site-specific outdoor public exhibition. Under the guidance of their professor, this exhibition features the coursework of 蘑菇TV students from Photo II and submissions to the 2026 edition of Mangrove Review.