FORUM Lecture Series at BIG ARTS Celebrates Tenth Anniversary Season

Jan. 15, 2012 - PRLog -- BIG ARTS celebrates the tenth anniversary of its distinguished FORUM Lecture Series this spring with eight prominent scholars and experts scheduled to speak on topics such as national security, fiscal issues, next year’s election cycle and presidential contest, and many others.

The season’s line-up includes Deborah A. Gist, Rhode Island Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education (Jan. 8); Dr. Michael A. Levi, program director for energy security and climate change at the Council on Foreign Relations (Jan. 22); Senator Alan K. Simpson, esteemed politician from Wyoming and co-chair of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform (Feb. 8);  Robert Gallucci
Nuclear Challenge from North Korea (Feb 12), Stuart Rothenberg, editor and publisher of "The Rothenberg Political Report" (Feb. 19); Dr. Geoffrey Kemp, Director of Regional Strategic Programs at the Center for the National Interest (Feb. 26); Dr. Frederick Kagan, resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and co-author of "While America Sleeps: Self-Delusion, Military Weakness, and the Threat to Peace"  Today (Mar. 4); and Desmond Lachman, resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research (Mar. 7). An eighth speaker will be announced later in the season. All lectures begin at 7:30 p.m. in BIG ARTS Schein Hall, 900 Dunlop Road, Sanibel.
   
Dick Wright, Chair of BIG ARTS FORUM Lecture Series, developed the program in 2003 to provide island residents with opportunities for continued education and intellectual engagement. Since its inception, the program has welcomed to the island such notable speakers as Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Senators Russ Feingold and Susan Collins, Ted Koppel, Donna Shalala and Porter Goss.
   
In his role as Chair, Wright recruits all speakers, coordinates travel logistics and organizes volunteers to help run the program. Impressively, The FORUM also enjoys the unique distinction of being the only lecture series of its caliber in the country run entirely by volunteers.
   
“In the ten years since the series started, no one has been turned away,” Wright said of The FORUM. “Even though many lectures sell out, we have always been able to accommodate people who turn out looking for a seat on the night of a lecture.”
   
Wright is pleased to witness the success of the lecture series as it has grown over the course of the last ten years.
   
“FORUM has provided a great outlet for people in the area to engage in stimulated discussion about the important issues of our time,” Wright said. “All speakers we welcome this season are leaders in their respective areas of expertise, and we’re thrilled to have them bring their ideas, knowledge and passion to Sanibel.”
   
The FORUM Lecture Series Grand Patron Series Sponsors are Northern Trust
http://www.northerntrust.com/
and Sue and Tom Pick.

All speakers in The FORUM program are sold out, though interested patrons can come the night of the lecture to see if tickets are turned back in. Although BIG ARTS cannot guarantee ticket availability, historically, tickets have become available the night of a lecture.

To learn more about the FORUM Lecture series at BIG ARTS, as well as information about membership and upcoming events, stop by BIG ARTS, 900 Dunlop Road, Sanibel; call (239) 395-0900; e-mail info@BIGARTS.org; or log on to http://www.BIGARTS.org

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Whether your interest is in classical, jazz, or popular music; dance; the visual arts; lectures; film or live theater; or in attending a class or workshop – BIG ARTS has something for everyone! BIG ARTS serves Sanibel, Captiva and Southwest Florida.