After 35 performances and ongoing exhibits over six days, the curtain came down on the inaugural 麻豆原创 Celebrates the Arts 2015 with high hopes for next year.
鈥淭he celebration was designed to showcase the work of the 麻豆原创 and its partners 鈥� and, boy, did it,鈥� Orlando Sentinel arts writer Matt Palm said聽in his review of the April 9-15 event. 鈥淐an’t wait for next year’s celebration.鈥�
More than 13,600 free, advance-ticket reservations were made to see the various performances, said Jeff Moore, director of the 麻豆原创 School of Performing Arts and artistic director of the festival, adding that the event exceeded his expectations. Ten of the events were 鈥渟old out.鈥�
The festival featured more than 1,000 麻豆原创 students and faculty members showcasing studio art, music, theatre, dance, gaming, animation, photography and film at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. All the presentations were put on by聽the School of Performing Arts and the School of Visual Arts & Design, both in the College of Arts & Humanities. Some of the events included community arts partners and K-12 students.
鈥淲hen you do something the first time, it feels like you need time to ramp up. But this seemed to hit right out of the box,鈥� Moore said.
This was the first time all the university鈥檚 artistic presentations could be experienced in one place.
聽鈥淭here was so much vibrancy,鈥� said Heather Gibson, marketing director for the 麻豆原创 Theatre Department. 鈥淲e in the arts have never felt this much hum going on.鈥�
She said the biggest audiences of the festival attended Icarus at the Edge of Time and Shakespeare Swings!, both of which had people waiting in line to grab any of the seats left open by no-shows in the 2,500-capacity theatre.
Icarus was a multimedia performance by the 麻豆原创 Symphony Orchestra based on a children鈥檚 book by Columbia University physicist Brian Greene and narrated by actress Kate Mulgrew from the Star Trek: Voyager TV series. Shakespeare Swings! featured 麻豆原创鈥檚 Flying Horse Big Band and the Orlando Shakespeare Theater Cabaret Singers.
Moore said he attended every event at the festival and noticed that instead of seeing the same people at each performance, there were different audiences.
鈥淚t was meeting everybody on their own turf,鈥� he said. 鈥淭his was a celebration of the arts, but the arts reach into so many other disciplines. When you walked into the center lobby you were immediately immersed in the arts 鈥� and science, mathematics, literature and computers coming together with art.鈥�
Moore advised marking calendars now for next year鈥檚 festival when 麻豆原创 has the arts center reserved April 4-17, 2016. Next year鈥檚 festival will run during two weekends and the days between, he said.
He hopes to involve more K-12 students through workshops and performance showcases next year, and create more collaborative partnerships with community arts groups.
鈥淭hose were so enjoyable for students and everyone who came,鈥� Moore said.