An exhibition of World War I propaganda posters. Live improvised jazz music. A reading of original fiction and poetry. A series of 10-minute plays. A nighttime performance of Macbeth. Not a bad way to spend a Friday.
This year marks the second annual BU Arts Crawl, which is sponsored by the BU Arts Initiative to introduce students to the numerous arts-related opportunities available on campus. Ty Furman, managing director of the BU Arts Initiative, says that one of the major impetuses for the creation of the Arts Crawl last year was to showcase entities, like the BU Art Gallery, the School of Theatre, and the Boston Playwrights’ Theatre, that are not included in Splash, the annual fair run by Student Activities to highlight various student organizations.
Furman says today’s Arts Crawl, unlike a traditional activities fair, comprises a series of interactive, performance-based events that departs from the standard table-and-flyer format and truly engage students. “It’s really easy to set up a horseshoe of tables and walk by and get handed a flyer and then you never look at it or think about it again,” he says. “The arts lend themselves to participation versus just a stagnant, stand-there talk. It’s doing versus just sitting around.”
And with more than 20 events and programs to see and participate in, sitting around isn’t an option. This year most of the events are concentrated in buildings near West Campus; although the BU Arts Initiative’s main table will be set up in the GSU Plaza, most events take place at the BU Art Gallery (BUAG) at the Stone Gallery in the College of Fine Arts 855 Commonwealth Ave., and the 808 Gallery, 808 Commonwealth Ave., which Furman says will be an “interesting hub” of different exhibitions.
Students can hear live music from the BU Pep Band and from the various BU Jazz Ensembles, take part in an interactive improvisational theater workshop with the School of Theatre’s student-led improv team, and see a “dance sampler” from the Dance Program and Dance Theatre Group. And that’s only a taste of what’s available.
BU’s Irish dance and culture group performed in the lobby of CGS last year as part of the first-ever BU Arts Crawl. This year, performers from the Institute for the Study of Irish Culture are showcasing Irish step dancing, traditional Irish music, and Irish poetry from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. at the 808 Gallery, 808 Commonwealth Avenue.
Visitors to the Stone Gallery will be able to view its current exhibition, Todd Hido: Excerpts from Silver Meadows, a series of haunting and mesmerizing photographs of suburbia by noted American photographer Todd Hido. Kate McNamara, BUAG director and chief curator, credits the Arts Crawl with not only attracting budding artists at BU to the gallery, but also students who have no background in fine arts. “It has proven to be a great way to bring in students outside of CFA and make the community aware of our gallery as a hub for interdisciplinary conversation,” she says.
The gallery is also hosting a reading of original fiction and poetry by students and faculty from the Creative Writing Program, a collaboration that McNamara hopes will expose students to the possibilities of a multidisciplinary approach to their education. “I was interested in engaging a live aspect within the framework of the gallery—a space that is often looked at as stationary,” she says. “Utilizing the site of the gallery as a backdrop for fiction readings creates another lens with which to think about the current exhibition. I think there is a lot to be said about contemporary art practices and pushing boundaries of artistic disciplines.”
The Boston Playwrights’ Theatre is staging a series of 10-minute plays, all written by alumni of BU’s MFA in Playwriting Program. Kate Snodgrass (GRS’90), the artistic director of the Boston Playwrights’ Theatre, describes the plays as “Cracker Jacks. You can’t eat just one,” she says. “They’re fast and furious and theatrical.” For Snodgrass, the Arts Crawl is an excellent way for students to learn about the many opportunities to become engaged with the Playwrights’ Theatre and other artistic venues. “BU is a large campus, and it’s easy to get lost in the sheer volume of classes and extracurricular activities,” she says. “But showcasing so many artistic homes across campus allows new and old students alike to find a home in the arts. It literally and figuratively puts us on the BU map. That’s invaluable.”
Not an artist? No problem. Furman says the point of the Arts Crawl is to attract any students who have an interest in the arts, even if they’d rather be in the audience than center stage. “Part of what we want the students to learn is not just that these things are here, but how they can get involved,” he says. “The School of Theatre isn’t just about being able to major in theater—there’s a minor, and they put on productions that are free to BU students. There are all kinds of ways that students can connect, and we want them to learn about that. If you like something, you can just go.”
Many of today events are offering free food and prizes as further enticement. If you visit the BU Arts Initiative’s table in the GSU Plaza from noon to 6 p.m. (rain location BU Central, noon to 5 p.m.), you can pick up a free Boston Symphony Orchestra College Card, which entitles you to free admission to more than 20 concerts and open rehearsals, and enter to win a raffle for Museum of Science passes, tickets to the Boston Playwrights’ Theatre, tickets to a production by Boston’s SpeakEasy Stage Company, a gift certificate and mug from Pavement Coffeehouse, and UBurger gift cards.
While the name Arts Crawl conjures up notions of a “bar crawl,” Furman emphasizes that the event is meant to be much less structured than a typical bar crawl. He urges students to pop in and out of the presentations they’re interested in when they have a free moment throughout the day. But he also wants students to be adventurous and explore areas outside their comfort zone. “Go see something that you know nothing about. If you already know a little about the Creative Writing Program, then go see the Irish step dancing at 808. If you already know about that, then go to the College of Fine Arts and see the Improv Theatre Workshop. See and participate in something that you know nothing about.”
The Arts Crawl begins today at noon, with some events running until 10:30 p.m. All events are free and open to all BU students. Check out the full list of events, times, and locations here.
Samantha Pickette can be reached at pickette@bu.edu.