Art Week to feature masquerade ball, gala
The Reception for Caine College of the Arts Ideas Exhibition will kick off USU’s third annual Arts Week on Tuesday, Jan. 22 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Arts Week will end on Saturday, Jan. 26 with a masquerade ball at 9:30 p.m. on the Kent Concert Hall stage.
Utah State University’s Arts Week is always different, according to Denise Albiston, Caine College of the Arts director of marketing and public relations. Ideas Reception, a masquerade ball and Aerial Angels are just a few events which will set this year’s Arts Week apart.
“Arts Week is a big deal,” said Jordan Ames, a junior in theater. The hope for the masquerade ball is that it will help to promote the week to the rest of the student body.
“Arts Week is all about integrating the arts into everyone’s lives,” said Meg Campbell, a theater senior senator for the Caine College of the Arts. “Dancing on the Kent stage is going to give everyone a chance to see what it feels like being on stage under the lights so they can see what it’s like being in our shoes.”
The Kent Concert Hall stage was selected for the location of the dance because of its large capacity and ability to accommodate so many people. It also has the best sound system for the music, Campbell said.
The Reception for Ideas Exhibition is the beginning event for Arts Week and will be held in the Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art. It’s a conceptual art exhibition curated by 13 of Professor Rachel Middleman’s art museum class.
“Conceptual art is a category of art that is often really hard for beginners to understand,” Middleman said. “Part of the Ideas exhibition was to make it more friendly to the average viewer who maybe doesn’t have a lot of background in art.”
Middleman’s class began the curating process near the beginning of the 2012 fall semester by selecting pieces from the Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art’s collection of conceptual art.
“We decided which ones we were really inspired from or we felt would really work together,” said Heather Mahler, a printmaking senior and one of Middleman’s students.
Mahler said the selection process was difficult with so many people involved. Usually there are only a few curators for an exhibition, but the process was worth it, Mahler said.
“I think the student body should come here if they are interested in expanding their minds,” Mahler said. “Get out of your comfort zone and come to this exhibit, because it’s going to take you out of it.”
In past years, theatrical performers would come and perform musical pieces or plays for Arts Week. This year is unique in that Aerial Angels will be performing.
“We decided to bring in the Aerial Angels because they will appeal to a wider fan base on campus,” Campbell said. “Their performance is going to be amazing for everybody involved.”
Other events for Arts Week include USU’s Got Talent and the Grand Gala, both of which are annual events.
USU’s Got Talent will be on Tuesday Jan. 22 at 7:30 p.m. in the Morgan Theater.
“It’s an opportunity to see what your fellow students can do and it will bring us together more as a campus,” Campbell said. “I’m excited to see all of the talents from the colleges across campus.”
USU students, selected from auditions held on Thursday Jan. 17 at 6 p.m. in the Tippets Gallery, will compete with their talents to win bragging rights for the whole year, meal plans and an opportunity to perform at this year’s Grand Gala.
The Grand Gala, featuring Mark O’Connor, will be an evening of performances and recognition for three outstanding seniors in each department of the Caine College of the Arts. It will be held on Jan. 25 at 7:30 p.m.
– jerawood@aggiemail.usu.edu