Some things are so special that they only come around once every decade or so. When The College at Brockport celebrated its 175th anniversary several years ago, a pARTy was thrown to celebrate the arts on campus. The College’s School of Arts and Sciences thinks it is time to remind the community how special their performers and visual artists are. On Friday, March 27, the College will be hosting pARTy 20/20: All Eyes on the Arts, a free celebration of the arts on the Brockport campus, including brief performances and exhibits staged throughout the Tower Fine Arts Center, 180 Holley Street, Brockport. Doors will open at 7 p.m., with performances beginning at 7:30 p.m. and continuing throughout the evening. Though the event is free, tickets are required and can be obtained by calling 395-2787 or ordered online at https://fineartstix.brockport.edu.
“This event is a one-night arts festival,” explains Stuart Ira Soloway, manager of the College’s Fine Arts Series and one of the “pARTy Planners.” “There will be 10-12 minute performances taking place in the Mainstage, our Black Box Theatre, in the lobby, and other various spaces throughout the building. Some of the performances will be repeated, so everyone should be able to see everything at least once.” With the event’s staggered scheduling, you can arrive when you like, take in what you want to see, and stay as long as you want.
Music will lead off the evening, with a “Fanfare” composed especially for this event, written by Tamara Wilcox, an instructor in the Department of Theatre and Music Studies, and played by the Brockport Brass Ensemble. There will be selections from a vocal quartet, under the baton of Elizabeth Banner, a xylophone “petting zoo,” a performance given by the Brockport Faculty Ensemble, as well as some more popular tunes from Brockapella, Brockport’s acapella vocal troupe. The Golden Eagle String Band, led by professor emeritus Bill Hullfish, will also entertain the crowd with their unique brand of canal-themed music.
Frank Kuhn, a professor in the Department of Theatre and Music Studies, is curating a vignette called “Couples,” consisting of excerpts from three plays. According to Kuhn, “the first two concern young people discovering love. The third is about older people remembering and misremembering love.” The pARTy will also feature a preview of several songs from the upcoming production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Michael Krickmire, an alumnus as well as a member of the theatre department faculty, will be presenting an improv workshop.
This year’s Annual Student Art Exhibition will be on view in the Tower Gallery throughout the evening, marking the pinnacle of the exhibition season. The visual arts will also be celebrated with attendees having the option of throwing pottery or witnessing a “bronze pour,” in which molten metal is carefully poured into a mold, only to be unmolded later in the evening. There will be printmaking, led by gallery director Tim Massey, and a talk about female artists given by associate professor Alicia Chase, in honor of Women’s History Month. The Visual Studies Workshop, the graduate program of the Department of Art, will also have a display of works. Throughout the evening, a giant mural will be created by students in a large, glass-walled classroom, on view to all.
The Department of Dance will be on hand with previews of some of their upcoming concerts, including the Sankofa African Dance and Drum Ensemble, as well as an excerpt from “Rom,” choreographed by Mariah Maloney, with a score for marimba composed and played live by Greg Woodsbie.
As with any party, there will be food (catered by Garnishes), fun, and merriment throughout evening.
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