Entertainment News Briefs

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Town Talkers

Today: John L. Ford, director of education at the Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania, "The United States Colored Troops." The Greater Pittsburgh Civil War Roundtable, The Babcock, 3382 Babcock Blvd., Ross, 7 p.m., free. 724-625-2329.

Thursday: The American Short Reading Series will feature Terrance Hayes, author, and the Post-Gazette's Rob Rogers, cartoonist. The topic for the evening is "Hazards." The Brew House, 2100 Mary T., South Side. 7:30 p.m. $4. 412-578-2464.

Sunday: "The Italian Clubs of Monessen," Italians in Monessen Lecture Series. Monessen Heritage Museum, Monessen. 1 p.m., free. 724-684-8460.

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National portrait competition

The Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery, Washington, D.C., is conducting the Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition, the museum's first such competition.

Inspired by similar competitions at the National Portrait Gallery, London, and Australia's Gallery of New South Wales, the event is particularly directed toward emerging and mid-career artists. However, it is open to all artists 18 years or age or older who are living and working in the United States at the time of the competition.

This first competition will consider painted and sculpted portraits. The event, which will be a triennial, will consider other media, such as watercolor, photography, film, video and digital, in future years.

Jurors are artist Sidney Goodman; Thelma Golden of The Studio Museum, Harlem, New York; independent scholar and curator Trevor Fairbrother; and art critic and scholar Katy Siegel.

The grand prize of $25,000 includes a commission to create "a portrait of a remarkable living American" for the Gallery's permanent collection. Finalist portraits will make up the lead exhibition when the Gallery opens in July 2006 after a six-year renovation.

As artists submit works, they will be randomly selected to appear on the competition Web site (click on "Portrait of an Artist").

When checked recently, the artists featured included sculptor Alexandra Martin, who gives her hometown as Pittsburgh and New York.

The competition is named for Portrait Gallery volunteer Virginia Outwin Boochever who endowed the program.

Deadline for submissions is Sept. 6. For information or to register, visit www.portraitcompetition.si.edu. (Mary Thomas)

Concert announcements

Nine-time Grammy winner and Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame member Bonnie Raitt brings the music of her new CD, "Souls Alike," to the Benedum Center on Oct. 15. The concert is presented by the Three Rivers Arts Festival, the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, CD Live! and WYEP. Tickets available at the Theater Square box office, by phone at 412-456-6666 and at www.pgharts.org.

Country singer Trace Adkins will bring his latest hit single "Songs About Me" to a Sept. 1 concert at Washington's Falconi Field. Also on the bill are Chris Cagle, Dusty Drake and the Povertyneck Hillbillies. Tickets run $29 to $42.50 and are on sale through Ticketmaster. 412-323-1919 (John Hayes)

Papa Wemba cancels

Due to a traveling conflict, the Papa Wemba concert scheduled for July 29 at the Byham Theater has been cancelled. Refunds are available at point of purchase.

2 Do 2 Day

A glance at events in and around town.

Xavier Rudd, Rex Theatre at 8 p.m. Tickets: $12; 412-381-6811.