Date: October 3, 2007
Contact: Lindsay Gladstone
Governors State University
Phone: (708) 534-7090
Fax: (708) 534-8399
Email: l-gladstone@govst.edu
For Immediate Release
University Park, IL, October 3, 2007 – Whether it is drawing a picture, writing a poem, or filming a movie, Governors State University will be celebrating the art and the artist at Art Fest on October 17 from 1 to 7 p.m.
“This is a unique event. We are opening the doors to our art facilities to give people an idea of how artistic skills are learned and how art is created,” explained Dr. James Howley, Chair of the Division of Liberal Arts in the College of Arts and Sciences. “We want people to see artists at work and perhaps find the artist in themselves, too.”
The GSU Art Fest offers interactive open studios, where visitors will watch artists creating prints, paintings, sculptures, and digital images. They will also get to use some of the materials and equipment to create their own works of art.
A poetry workshop will present different types of poetry. Visitors will have the opportunity to create their own verse. According to Howley, “Publicly reciting the finished poem is not a requirement. We just want people to enjoy themselves and try new things.”
A special screening of Seth McClellan’s 30-minute documentary, “The New Battle,” concerning Dr. Martin Luther King and the Chicago Freedom Movement, will be at 6:30 p.m. McClelland is a graduate of the GSU Master in Fine Arts in Independent Film and Digital Imaging and currently an adjunct professor at GSU. His film has won numerous awards and recently aired on WTTW Chicago.
Professors in art will be available to answer questions about the graduate and undergraduate degree programs in art and fine art at GSU. Portfolio reviews, a prerequisite for admission into the Master of Arts in Art program, will also be offered.
The Visual Art Gallery will be open with exhibits of both professors’ and students’ works. Art Fest concludes with a reception in E-Lounge which is also free and open to the public.
“The Governors State University Art Fest honors the acts of expression that create what we find beautiful, inspiring, frightening, and enlightening,” added Howley. “It will be a wonderful event for young artists, families, and the community.”
Art Fest is free and open to the public. Governors State University is located at 1 University Parkway, University Park, IL. For more information, call (708) 235-3956.
