UWL Visual and Performing Arts Department presents ARTFEST
La Crosse, Wis. (WLAX/WEUX) – The UW-La Crosse School of Visual & Performing Arts is set to hold its second ArtsFest, a celebration of artistic expression and its impact on daily life.
The event (running from Thursday, April 25, through Sunday, April 28)will feature performances and presentations from UWL students, faculty, and guest artists. All events are free and open to the public except for the production of “Orlando,” which is a ticketed event. The complete calendar of events for ArtsFest 2024 is available at uwlax.edu/Artsfest. Tickets for “Orlando” can be purchased at uwlax.edu/VPA.
The theme of this year’s festival, “Unboxing Creation: Discovery & Anticipation,” explores the dynamics of external presentation versus internal reality. “Simply put, ‘unboxing’ is the act of removing something new from its packaging, and sharing the experience in the moment (usually for an online community),” explains Pete Rydberg, the festival’s producer. “When we watch an unboxing, we share both in anticipating the reveal, and the discovery of how a product functions. This year’s featured artists will highlight artistic products, as well as the processes and theories that lie beneath the surface.”
An opening reception is set for 6:45 to 7:15 p.m. Thursday in the Lowe Center for the Arts lobby. It will be followed by a brief welcome from Rydberg, director of the School of Visual & Performing Arts, and a screening of a short documentary highlighting the AIDS Memorial Quilt exhibition from last year’s festival. Finally, there will be a concert from Chicago-based jazz trio Katie Ernst & Twin Talk at 7:30 p.m. in Annett Recital Hall.
Another featured guest artist is Samuel Yates of Pennsylvania State University. Yates is a deaf artist and researcher who examines the aesthetics of disability and performance. They will share two presentations, both on Friday in Annett Recital Hall. The first, “Access Dramaturgy: Building Theatre Worlds Through Disability,” runs from 3:20 to 4:15 p.m. The second, “Everyone has AIDS!: Race, HIV Profiling and the Dramaturgy of the Comedic AIDS Musical” starts at 4:30 pm.
Saint Paul-based ceramicists Mitch Iburg and Zoë Powell of Studio Alluvium are the third featured artist. They will offer a studio demonstration on Friday from 12 to 3:15 p.m. in the Lowe Center ceramic studio (room 25), as well as a public presentation about their work and on Saturday from 2 to 3 p.m. in Annett Recital Hall.
UWL senior art majors, whose exhibition is titled “Everything AND the Kitchen Sink,” will host two public forums discussing their work. The first forum runs from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on Friday. The second runs from 12:30 to 2 p.m. on Saturday. Both will be held in the UWL Art Gallery in the Lowe Center.
UWL student music ensembles are featured on Sunday. The first two concerts, “An American Fanfare” from the Symphonic Band at 2 p.m., and “Love & Light” from the Wind Ensemble at 4 p.m. will both take place in Bluffs Ballroom in the Student Union. The festival concludes with the UWL Symphony Orchestra’s concert “Summer Dances” at 7:30 p.m. Sunday in Annett Recital Hall.
Running Thursday through Sunday is Sarah Ruhl’s adaptation of Virginia Woolf’s “Orlando,” presented by the Department of Theatre & Dance. For tickets and reservations, visit uwlax.edu/VPA.
Patrons should be aware of construction adjacent to the Lowe Center for the Arts. They are encouraged to use the parking ramp at 17th and Farwell Street. Signage will direct patrons to the Lowe Center. There will be a dedicated drop-off zone on 15th and Vine Street for groups and those with mobility challenges. Take Vine Street from 12th Avenue to avoid road closures. Street parking surrounding the Lowe Center is free after 6 p.m. and on weekends.
ArtsFest, previously organized as the Creative Imperatives festival, continues UWL’s commitment to providing high-quality arts programming for the campus and community.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX2548 & WIProud.
