During the week of Nov. 13-17, Commonvision hosted events dedicated solely to the arts. DIY paracord bracelets on Commons Mainstreet, a paint night social hour, a condom art competition and much more gave students a chance to delve into their creative side. At each event, Art Week staff gave out “badges” to students in attendance at each activity. Every badge stood for a different event category, with the goal being to get one of each. This added a nice touch and encouraged students to come back for more.
Serving as the finale of Art’s Week, the Performance Jamboree had lower Flat Tuesday’s full of music, laughter and fun on Friday night. It was the perfect environment for students to show off their skills in front of a live audience.
The dim lighting and the hush whispers from the audience in between acts gave the atmosphere a very Busboys and Poets-esque vibe. The blinding spotlight flooded the stage with light, making it the center of everyone’s attention. The support from the audience was outstanding. The loud rounds of applause following each act made the audience seem a lot bigger than it really was. Shouts of encouragement and love were heard all throughout the night.
One of the many performances was by UMBC’s own a cappella group, the Cleftomaniacs. With perfectly harmonized covers of songs like “Redbone” by Childish Gambino, they rocked the stage. Their hard work and long hours of practice were clearly displayed during their set, definitely making them a crowd favorite.
The host Casey Lee, a senior with a double major in graphic design and biological sciences, said her favorite part of Art Week was the screen printing because “it was fun seeing all the different designs being printed on the shirts” as well as reminiscing that “I got to pretend I was athletic by pushing the T-shirts on and off the machine.”
Lee kept the audience entertained in between sets with her comedic personality. Corny jokes and sarcastic comments kept everyone laughing while they waited for the next performers to make their way to the stage.
The Dog Collar Improv Troupe was another group that stole the show. They played a few games that incorporated audience participation. Laughter echoed around the room while things like “The jelly is made from eyeballs” and “But I should be daddy” were being shouted to the crowd.
Following the programmed events, it was time for open mic. People pushed their fear and reservations to the back-burner and took the stage to share their singing skills. It is always a brave move to perform in front of your peers, but that didn’t seem to phase the artists that performed Friday night.
Events like these prove that even at a school known for its dominating STEM programs, there is always a niche for everyone. With the many different art clubs and organizations, Art Week proves there is nothing that UMBC doesn’t have. No matter what your interests are, you can find a group to fit into. To look for upcoming events similar to this, check the Arts & Culture calendar or visit the Commonvision website for information.
