The 2009 Penny W. Stamps series sponsored by the School of Art & Design opens with Nick Tobier's Interruptions for Everyday Life at 5:10 p.m. Jan. 15 at the Michigan Theater. A lifelong participant-observer of street life and the social life of public places, Tobier creates work that reflects his belief in the power of social dynamism and the fundamental role of artist as catalyst and conduit. His interest in the potential of public places has manifested itself in public projects and actions in San Francisco, Detroit and New York, internationally from Toronto to Tokyo, and performances on the stage and in the streets from Milan to Paramaribo, Suriname and at The Edinburgh, Minneapolis and Philadelphia Fringe Festivals. His short performance films have been shown across the world. Tobier is also the author of a series of critical and speculative writings on city space, itinerant entertainment and forms of public entertainment as radical social strategy. (Photo by Rebekah Modrak)