The College of Fine Arts will celebrate its 60th anniversary next week with an entire series of performances showcasing the college’s works performed by U alumni.
Founded in 1948, the college started as a merger between art and music, and then grew larger with the additions of theater, dance and film.
“We will continue to grow and evolve,” said Brent Schneider, associate dean of the college.
The college is expanding to include art technology but will still hold up traditional art forms.
Both students and faculty believe the college is necessary to the life of the U.
“The college is a center for creativity,” said Valerie Douroux, a junior film major. “It brings life and culture through diversity.”
Daniela Diaz, a junior dance major, said if the U didn’t have a college of fine arts, it wouldn’t be a true university.
“It brings us an exposure to the greater world,” she said.
To celebrate the anniversary event, the college organized a week of performances, shows and lectures. Most of the artists featured have attended and graduated from the U.
The weeklong festival will kick off Saturday with a performance from Bobby McFerrin, who will hold workshops before the show.
Isaac Chung, a filmmaker from the U, will be showing three of his films throughout the week, including “Six Days,” “Munyurangabo” and “Lucky Life,” his work-in-progress. Following the screening of “Munyurangabo,” he will lecture about the importance of film. Chung will be honored this year as the U’s first Distinguished Young Alumni.
Ken Robinson, an acclaimed international speaker on creativity and innovation in business and education, will also speak next week.
Other activities will include a college assembly, which will honor notable alumni from each department of the college. The college will showcase recent works of the art department’s faculty through “Art Now,” a special exhibition.
For the end of the anniversary event, the school will show a final performance, called “The Arts Unfolding.” This gala performance will feature all departments of the college.
All proceeds will go to scholarship funds for the college.
