University creatives, student-led Contracted Independent Organizations and local organizations were welcomed by U.Va. Arts to the Betsy and John Casteen Arts Grounds Sunday for the annual Arts Welcome Picnic. The event showcased a great diversity of artistic involvement across Grounds, highlighting groups from the AKAdeMiX Dance Crew to the Cavalier Marching Band.
A DJ from WTJU — the Charlottesville community radio station that operates as a program of the University known for platforming a broad array of music and programming — entertained the picnic’s attendees early at the event as they lined the winding row of information tables. Visitors could stop at a creative writing table for a personalized horoscope haiku or play Jenga with a University Architecture student, showcasing the myriad of opportunities to get involved with art on Grounds. A button making station, run by the Fralin Museum of Art, helped picnic-goers accessorize their outfits while familiaring themselves with museum programming.
The picnic provided organizations with a way to introduce themselves to University students, allowing new comers to write down their contacts, join email lists and GroupMes and connect with art communities across Grounds. Keyandra Morris, the tour and programs coordinator at the Fralin Museum of Art, stressed the vitality of the museum’s participation in the picnic to make connections with students.
“So many students don't know we exist," Morris said. “This is another way to do outreach because the museum isn't just the walls and the art — it's also the people … I don't think a museum is fun without people, and so this is an opportunity to recruit and just to invite people into the galleries.”
Visitors left with valuable information, but also plenty of free merchandise. U.Va. Arts provided free T-shirts, tote bags, buttons and more. There was no shortage of goodies to collect, which served as ways to flaunt arts pride and promote organizations all around Grounds. Students also grabbed picnic provisions — hamburgers, potato salad and watermelon slices provided by Harvest Moon Catering — before settling onto their picnic blankets for a performance from University student band No Composure.
Following a weekend of performances at Ellie’s Country Club and Coupe DeVille’s, and preparing for their Sept. 5 show at The Southern Café and Music Hall, No Composure is a representation of the student-driven side of the Charlottesville music scene. Ayman Haque, fourth-year Commerce student, and Lucas Ihnat, fourth-year College student, performed as an acoustic duo — a pair that makes up two-fifths of No Composure. They played songs from the band's recent EP, “Everything Happens,” pared down to acoustic guitar and impressive vocals, and shouted out the University arts community.
“Some of our early [opportunities] were also thanks to U.Va. Arts and just U.Va., specifically,” Haque said. “We got to record our EP because of the [Cavalier Fund], so stuff like that has helped us throughout, and we wouldn't be here without that. Me and Lucas actually met at [University Records].”
A jam session on the Lawn, hosted by University Records — a CIO working to foster a music community on Grounds — was one example of the connections made and shared interests developed by a single extra-curricular organization. Getting involved in University clubs and investing time in the arts community can both generate new interests and foster older passions while connecting like-minded students across Grounds, such as in the case of Haque and Ihnat.
Performances by the AKAdeMiX Dance Crew followed, energizing the crowd with a mix of “Finesse” by Bruno Mars, “Baby Boy” by Beyoncé featuring Sean Paul and “Tell Ur Girlfriend” by Lay Bankz. Their performance, choreographed and led by University students, embodied the student-driven creativity at the heart of the picnic. The Cavalier Marching Band also joined in the excitement, bringing spirit to the event with classic University tunes.
Finally, the picnic wrapped up with a visit from the Stan Winston and Steven Warner Festival of the Moving Creature. Two fantastical creatures — one a blue, orbital puppet with a hippo-shaped face and the other small and grasshopper-shaped — roamed the Arts Grounds, bringing large-scale art, puppetry and engineering up-close-and-personal to visitors’ picnic blankets.
Unfortunately, as the creatures headed home, so did the crowd. Just past the event's halfway point, a summer storm came raging through. The tables were quickly packed and students made their way inside — many attempting to keep their new WTJU posters dry from the rain. Though cut short, the arts community arrived with enthusiasm and the U.Va. Arts Welcome Picnic inspired excitement for the year to come.
Read More
Professor Kiki Petrosino explores heritage, belonging and family in ‘Perfect Italian’
By Carly Smith | 2 hours agoIn this work, Petrosino examines her own heritage and identity, using engaging yet deeply personal language, vivid imagery and carefully crafted syntax as ways to express her connection, and lack thereof, to her family’s history.
How generative AI is — and is not — affecting arts education
By Alena Touve | 18 hours agoAs University arts professors begin teaching in the new semester, the industry-wide debate about AI’s role in art will frame how professors approach class discussions, assignments and preparing students for what awaits after graduation.
On Repeat: Songs for summer’s final sunsets
By Eloise Diffley | YesterdayThese songs are perfect for soaking up the last few drops of summer sunshine and serve as a great soundtrack for the first few weeks back in Charlottesville.
