UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State's Center for the Performing Arts (CPA) and Student Affairs have joined forces to get more students engaged in the arts and the benefits art has to offer.
In an effort to bring to life existing campus spaces that house art, the Arts Engagement Program will host one-off programs through their new program called "Art Out." The program will provide an accessible and immersive starting point for student engagement with the arts.
The purpose of the event is to show incoming students the variety of ways students can become involved with the arts on campus — as a direct participant or as an observer. Falk said the programs are inspired by popular events and activities such as escape rooms and scavenger hunts in the hopes that students with varying artistic abilities and little exposure to art will find these events accessible and welcoming.
The first installation of the Art Out program is the Gallery Crawl/Art Involvement Fair taking place on Aug. 22 from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Robeson Gallery and the Art Alley in the HUB-Robeson Center. Each Art Out program will be different and will only be exhibited once.
Hope Falk, student engagement manager for CPA and Student Affairs, wants this event to show students that even those who do not see themselves as artistic, can still become involved. Falk also hopes students realize the benefits art has to offer, like being a great stress reliever.
“You don’t have to be a Picasso yourself to enjoy these events and departments,” Falk said.
The Palmer Art Museum, The School of Visual Arts and The Center for Arts and Crafts are just some of the organizations that will be present during the Gallery Crawl/Art Involvement Fair.
Students can make some art of their own in each of the galleries they visit as well. Once students have visited each table in the gallery, an additional art-making opportunity will be available. All art made in the Robeson Gallery will be displayed for a period of time, while the prints made in Art Alley will be able to be taken home.
Following the Gallery Crawl, Falk said the next Art Out event will be a scavenger hunt held in September, where students will walk through the exhibition sites displayed at the Pattee and Paterno Library, with prizes available upon completion.
In November, those who enjoy the sciences can attend the astronomy and art event. Attendees at the November Art Out will study music and visual presentations while looking at new images of Jupiter as inspiration before taking part in a paper-marbling activity.
Falk said her primary goal with Art Out is to “expose Penn State to the wealth of art programs and venues that already exists on campus,” while making the arts feel and be accessible to everyone.
Those interested in upcoming events can find out more by checking out the art, theater and music page on the Student Affairs website.