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Art + a multitude of free events + energetic student organizers = ¸Ô±¾ÊÓƵ Arts! Festival, coming to a campus near you.

In fact, the inaugural festival kicks off this Wednesday (March 24) and runs through Saturday (March 27). With more than 20 events scheduled, about a half dozen of which were specifically scheduled for the festival, organizers hope the ¸Ô±¾ÊÓƵ community will get a better sense of the dynamic arts scene on campus, according to Matt Brogan ’05, one of the festival organizers.

His group, the ¸Ô±¾ÊÓƵ Arts! Initiative, is trying to serve as a coordinating vehicle for the different arts organizations and individual artists on campus. The festival is the group’s first attempt to bring various events under one umbrella and better promote them.

‘We figured we should do what we already do best ‘ student theater one-night stands, musicals, a cappella, art openings. But let’s do them all together to build off each other, and add in a few special-interest events, like guest lecturers and a reception, to kick off the festival,’ said Brogan.

The reception, where Brogan hopes faculty members and students will mingle and talk about the year’s achievements in the arts and next year’s goals, will be at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the Dana Arts Center. A kick-off party featuring Student Theater’s ‘One Night Stand’ and the University Jazz Combo will be later that night at the Creative Arts House.

Brogan said he is excited that some of the events are going to be held at the downtown Palace Theater. He said ‘Songs for a New World,’ a contemporary musical performed by four students, will be held there at 9:30 p.m. Thursday and 7:30 p.m. Friday.

‘It’s a big change moving down to the Palace. It gives us their professional sound, and their engineers are doing the technical side of it,’ said Brogan. The ‘Songs’ production has an upbeat, rock ‘n roll feel, he explained, and the Palace is the perfect setting to present that.

On Saturday at 6 p.m., the Palace also will host a ‘Battle of the Bands’ sponsored by the ¸Ô±¾ÊÓƵ Activities Board. Six bands are scheduled to appear. That event has been held in Donovan’s Pub at the Student Union, but it has outgrown the space, Brogan said.

Brogan said he is trying to arrange transportation for students wanting to go from event to event. He mentioned the student artwork competition and gallery opening scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday at the Creative Arts House. He’s hoping that after students attend the opening, which will include free CDs and music by the University Chamber Players, they will have access to a campus shuttle that will take them to the Palace for the 9:30 presentation of  ‘Songs for a New World.’

And what would a festival be without food’ Especially free food’ Organizers are hoping that a barbecue dinner, with entertainment provided by Charred Goosebeak, at 5:30 p.m. Friday at the Creative Arts House, and a picnic at 4 p.m. Saturday outside Little Hall, will leave participants satisfied.

The ¸Ô±¾ÊÓƵ Arts! Initiative was founded by Brogan ’05, Emily Kindler ’04, and Rebecca Spiro ’05.  Noel Bisson, assistant dean of the college and liaison to the arts, has assisted the group with planning and funding queries. The Student Government Association provided the funds to help get the festival up and running.

Over the next few days, group members will  be handing out 750 pins, which have the group’s logo printed on them. The group hopes the buttons will help keep the arts in the forefront on campus. There also are new banners that have been placed along College Street near Whitnall Field. Brogan said they also are intended to draw attention to the arts at ¸Ô±¾ÊÓƵ.