Amid the rehearsals to attend and the artwork to submit, students are preparing for the Family Weekend Talent Show and Student Works Show.
Every year, John Brown University encourages students to participate in the talent show to demonstrate their skills. Student Events and Activities and the Parent Association sponsor this event.
Kristen Underland, communication assistant of Students Events and Activities, said this year nine groups will be participating in the talent show, one more group than the previous year. In addition, auditions increased in participation as 15 teams auditioned, compared to 11 from last year.
“The hardest part was deciding which acts to choose for the show out of all the great people that auditioned,” Underland said.
Salina Adolph, senior family and human services major, and Will Echols, junior graphic design major, will be the masters of ceremony this year. Adolph said that it is worth the price of a ticket to see the show.
“People are putting a lot of time and effort into the show, to keep things like the talent show, Mock Rock and even The Next Big Thing going I think it is OK to pay,” Adolph said.
Another important event during family weekend is the students works show that will take place in Windgate Visual Arts West this Friday from 6 to 7 p.m.
Daniel Madrid, senior graphic design and photography major, said that this annual event is sponsored by the Visual Art Foundry and allows students to submit their work in fine art, photography, darkroom, illustration, graphic design and cinema.
“The work is judged by professional artists and cash prizes are given to the first, second and third place in each category at the Arties,” Madrid said. The Arties is the University’s award ceremony for art students.
Students have to pay a fee to enter their work. However, the gallery is free and open to the public.
Madrid said that this show affords students a taste of what it is like to have their own art show.
“There is nothing quite like the prestige of having your physical work exhibited in a realworld gallery,” Madrid said.
The Student Works Show will open Friday, Feb. 19 at 6 p.m. and remain open until Thursday, March 17.
The Talent Show will take place in Cathedral of the Ozarks and it will have two identical showings, one at 6 p.m. and a second at 8 p.m. Tickets can be purchased in advance in Walker Student Center. The price for the ticket is $2 pre-sale and $4 at the door.