2014 edition of ArtsFest to begin Sunday at DePauw

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

DePauw University's 13th annual celebration of the arts, ArtsFest, will begin Sunday, Nov. 2, and continue through Sunday, Nov. 9.

ArtsFest brings together a variety of events, performers and thinkers centered on a unifying theme: Art and Laughter.

The week will highlight a wide range of university-sponsored programs, which showcase the artistic talents of the DePauw and Greencastle communities as well as renowned special guests through talks, performances and exhibits. All events are free and open to the public with the exception of School of Music performances.

Art and Laughter kicks off Sunday from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. with the annual Art Attack for children. The program, which invites local kids to interact with DePauw students in the creation of art projects, takes place in the Great Hall of the Judson and Joyce Green Center for the Performing Arts.

The week's highlights include the Film Studies Series and Events presentation of "The Grand Budapest Hotel" on Tuesday, Nov. 4 at 7:30 p.m. in Ashley Square Cinemas. The critically acclaimed Wes Anderson film is a darkly comic banquet for the eyes and heart, as it chronicles the adventures of Gustave H, a legendary concierge at a famous European hotel between the wars, and Zero Moustafa, the lobby boy who becomes his most trusted friend.

The Kelly Writers Series welcomes novelist and nonfiction writer Jess Walter at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 5 in Thompson Recital Hall. Walter is a National Book Award finalist, Edgar Allen Poe Award winner and New York Times bestselling author.

On Nov. 6, the Performing Arts Series presents an improvisational comedy troupe, Upright Citizens Brigade, at 7:30 p.m. in Thompson Recital Hall. Originating out of the rich Chicago improv scene in the early 1990s, the troupe later moved to New York City and subsequently opened an additional performance studio in Los Angeles. The troupe also wrote, produced and starred in a TV show on Comedy Central from 1998 to 2000.

DePauw student performances include the Bootleg String Ensemble on Nov. 4 at 11:40 a.m. in the Great Hall. The group's performance will include a classical Scherzo, meaning "joke;" a saucy tango; and a rendition of Michael Jackson's "Smooth Criminal."

Student-led dance group Company Unspoken will perform in the Great Hall on Nov. 7 at 4:15 p.m. The company, led by André Williams '15, poses the question, "We tend to think of art as being something so simple, but what happens when we stop being serious and allow ourselves to enjoy what's happening?"

Mexican photographer and special guest Alejandro Arteaga will present a collection of his work, titled "Estampas Metropolitanas/Metropolitan Scenes," on Nov. 5 at 4:15 p.m. in the Peeler Art Center auditorium.

Events at the Peeler Art Center include an artist talk with Chaz Evans, who will explore satire in his work on Nov. 5. Professors Pauline Ota and Hiroko Chiba will discuss comedy in Japanese theater on Nov. 6, and Professor Lori Miles presents an artist talk: "I Don't Get It: Humor and the 21st Century Artist."

A Timothy and Sharon Ubben Lecture from award-winning TV host and comic Jimmy Kimmel is scheduled Saturday, Nov. 8 at 7:30 p.m. in Kresge Auditorium. Kimmel is the host of "Jimmy Kimmel Live!," which features comedy bits and a diverse group of guests, ranging from actors to athletes to authors and politicians. He will engage in conversation with Tom Chiarella, creative writing professor at DePauw. Chiarella wrote a story about Kimmel for the April 2014 issue of Esquire magazine.

ArtsFest concludes Sunday, Nov. 9 with a 3 p.m. DePauw University Choirs concert with director Kristina Boerger. The program in the Green Center's Kresge Auditorium is titled "...To Make You and Me Laugh." Singers will explore a variety of uses of the vocal ensemble for the communication of humor.

All events are free and open to the public except School of Music concerts. General admission tickets for School of Music ensemble performances are $3 and Faculty Select Series events are $5; tickets for all students, seniors and children are free.

Anyone wanting to attend a music event, who cannot afford to pay full ticket price, can also take advantage of the School's pay-what-you-can option.

Respond to this story

Posting a comment requires free registration: