Over the last few weeks, I have covered art events put on at the Powerhouse Community Arts Center. In addition to the Powerhouse, we also have another cultural arts center in town, the University Museum.

Here is a sneak peek at all that is going on over there, so be sure to pull out your calendar to take note.

The University has recently installed three new shows in its galleries bringing diverse and interesting shows to town. I previously covered one in an earlier column, Kate Freeman Clark: A New Look at a National Treasure which features work by the late renowned Holly Springs painter. This exhibit will be hanging until Feb. 20, 2016.

Two other shows have opened since. Peri Schwartz: Paintings.Drawings.Prints opened on Sept. 22nd and features compositions in which Schwartz focuses on the interplay of color, light and space. A reception will be held in conjunction with the monthly Art Crawl on Tuesday, Oct. 27 from 5-8 p.m., and on Wednesday the 28th she will speak at a Brown Bag Lunch at noon.

In September, Intervals and Disturbances by Ben Butler opened up in the Hattie Mae Edmonds, Lawrence and Fortune Gallery. This visually compelling show features sculptures made from wood, concrete, and hydrostone.

In addition to the new shows the museum has additionally installed a new work of outdoor sculpture on the pad facing University Avenue. ‘Swamp Flower’ by Lousisina artist Mia Kaplan is constructed of heavy gauge steel, and will be transformed by being painted on-site by the sculptor next April.

The museum offers fun family friendly activities including an after-school arts program, Art Zone, and Family Activity Days which are arts related events held on occasional Saturdays throughout the year—the next Family Day is Oct. 17 from  10 a.m.-noon.  Mini Masters, a twice monthly class for preschoolers and their parents or grandparents, is held in partnership with the Powerhouse.

Children ages 2-5 come to the museum or powerhouse on alternating weeks, and participate in a special arts project geared just for them. Cost is $5.00 per family and is a drop in program where no pre-registration is required.

A relatively new program, Milk Shake Mashups, is geared to middle schoolers/ teens. These are held one Friday a month, and students are given a project that merges two artists or themes into one. All materials, milkshakes and toppings are included. Cost is $5.00 per members and $10.00 per non-member and registration is required. The next class is tomorrow from 4-5:15 p.m.

There are also lectures held throughout each semester, a membership party and the annual Harvest Supper Gala at Rowan Oak. Catering will be provided by Elizabeth Heiskell of Woodson Ridge Farms and the event this year is on Oct. 22 from 7-10 p.m.

ANDI BEDSWORTH is owner of Art To Go, which brings free art opportunities to children in the community.