In 1892, the University of Deseret was renamed to the University of Utah. As the university celebrates its 175th anniversary, the College of Fine Arts proudly presents its 13th annual Arts Bash.
“With so many curricular and co-curricular ways to engage on our creative campus, Arts Bash is our way of educating about and celebrating all the ways students can experience the arts at the U,” John Scheib, associate vice president for the arts and dean of the College of Fine Arts, said.
Get involved
Students of all majors are welcome to participate in this free, on-campus event. Held on Aug. 27 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Marriott Library Plaza, Arts Bash will have an array of performances from the School of Dance, Department of Theatre, Pioneer Theatre Company and many others.
Along with these performances are vendors from on-campus and off-campus affiliates, allowing students to immerse themselves in the arts community surrounding them. Some of these include UtahPresents, Red Butte Garden, Utah Museum of Fine Arts, Utah Center for Vocology, and many others. Students can bring a passport — provided by Arts Pass — to each table, learn and gather stamps and finally, enter to win this year’s giveaway. After all, Arts Bash is the “passport to the arts.”
“The arts at the U have been a pillar of the creativity that makes our campus vibrant and innovative since the very beginning,” Marina Gomberg, director of communication and marketing at the College of Fine Arts, said.
Historical significance
Along with the various performances, free food and vendors at Library Plaza, Arts Pass and the College of Fine Arts will celebrate the university’s 175th anniversary with a history wall. This history wall dates back to the first iterations of the arts at the U. In fact, the first female faculty member was a woman by the name of Maud May Babcock.
You may be familiar with the name because of the Babcock Theatre that lies beneath Pioneer Theatre Company’s main stage. Babcock was an actress from New York and from her work at the U, became known as the “First Lady of Utah Theatre.” The timeline includes other additions of the College of Fine Arts and other campus histories. This addition at Arts Bash this year will provide students with an understanding of not only our culture on campus, but also of the culture within the greater Salt Lake region. Find more about the U’s history of the arts here.
One of the greatest reasons to participate in this year’s event is to gain an understanding of the U’s Arts Pass. All students have access to this program through their UCard, allowing them free or discounted entry to the arts on campus. It also provides a community effort, giving performers and College of Fine Arts students and faculty an audience.
“Research tells us just how valuable the arts are to our lives — from positive impacts on our health to increasing our engagement as global citizens — so we work to make it as accessible as possible for students to join us in our galleries, concert halls, and theaters through the Arts Pass program,” Scheib said.
Partake in the arts at the University of Utah’s Arts Bash, and don’t forget to get a passport. Find more information about the event here.
