The annual celebration of all things arty, Arts First, takes place at and around the University from May 1 to 4. This year’s festival involves more than 2,000 students presenting more than 200 productions and exhibits.
Staff file photo Stephanie Mitchell/Harvard News Office
Arts First, Harvard’s annual festival of students in the arts, celebrates its 16th anniversary May 1–4. The festival, sponsored by Harvard University’s Board of Overseers, involves more than 2,000 students presenting over 200 concerts, theatrical and dance productions, multimedia presentations, exhibitions, and public artworks.
The Office for the Arts at Harvard (OfA), which produces Arts First, announces its sponsorship of 24 of the many projects taking place during Arts First weekend.
The projects sponsored through the OfA Grants Program include a dinner party hosted by the Immediate Gratification Players; public art exhibits; dance performances by the Harvard Ballet Company and the Crimson Dance Team; theatrical productions; live music concerts; and the premiere of a new episode of the Harvard-Radcliffe Television series “Ivory Tower.”
Funded projects combine artistic merit, artistic experimentation, and educational benefit to undergraduates. They must also provoke a ripple effect within the University, involving the undergraduate population and providing visibility for their artistic efforts.
OfA, which administers the grants, will also offer monies for projects taking place during fall semester 2008. The deadline for OfA grant applications for projects occurring in the fall is May 7. For further information, visit http://www.fas.harvard.edu/ofa.
Arts First Andean dance showcase, “Movimiento Peruano/Amerindia,” Gabriela Pena ’08: OfA Grant for a performance of the traditional saya dance.
Arts First Dance Destival 2008, Crimson Dance Team, Samantha Yu ’11: OfA Grant for the dance troupe’s presentation of routines that incorporate elements of jazz, funk, gymnastics, and ballet.
Harvard Ballet Company performance, Kristin Smith ’11: OfA Grant for a dance performance featuring new work by choreographer Claudia Schreier ’10.
Arts First art in progress, Tuesday Magazine, Andrea Jonas ’08: OfA Grant for a display of works of art and poetry seen at different stages of their production.
Arts First performance, Harvard Sunday Jazz Band, Gregory Ciraulo ’09: OfA Grant for a performance during the Arts First picnic featuring the music of Thad Jones.
Arts First performance, “Highlights from the Harvard Pops Orchestra,” Yuan Liu ’09: OfA Grant for the Harvard Pops’ annual Arts First exhibition concert, featuring student-composed film scores and popular pieces from past concerts.
Chamber music concert, Brattle Street Chamber Players, Julia Glenn ’11: OfA Grant for the performance of string chamber ensemble music, including a student-written composition.
Chamber winds, Harvard Wind Ensemble, Veronika Bordas ’10: OfA Grant for a performance of an assortment of chamber works for wind instruments.
“Harvard Brass Strikes Back!” David Daniels ’09: OfA Grant for a journey through the film music of John Williams from movies including “Harry Potter,” “Jurassic Park,” and “Star Wars.”
“La Creation du Monde,” Aram Demirjian ’08: OfA Grant for a presentation of Darius Milhaud’s ballet music, which combines French neo-classicism with American jazz, by an 18-member conducted chamber ensemble.
Arts First performance, Mozart Society Orchestra, Julia Ye ’10: OfA Grant for the annual Arts First performance by the orchestra.
“Music of the Spheres,” Holden Chamber Ensemble, James Goldschmidt ’09: OfA Grant for a program performed by the ensemble exploring the mathematics of music as employed by composers over the centuries.
Arts First performance, Poulenc Chamber Ensemble, John Kapusta ’09: OfA Grant for the performance of Francis Poulenc’s “Le Bal Masque” for baritone and chamber ensemble.
Sea of Reeds, Anthony Delaney ’08: OfA Grant for a clarinet quintet performance featuring a selection of classical and modern works.
Pieces for a versatile flute, Harvard University Flute Ensemble, Beatrice Liem ’11: OfA Grant for the flute ensemble’s annual concert, featuring pieces by Vivaldi, Telemann, Bach, and Boismoitier.
The Harvard Undergraduate Drummers (THUD), David Kopelman ’09: OfA Grant for a percussion showcase including a “Stomp”-inspired piece and an updated version of THUD’s signature CUPS piece.
Immediate Gratification Players’ dinner party show, Brian Fithian ’10: OfA Grant for a completely improvised dinner party with audience participation.
“Respectably French!” Ho Tuan ’09: OfA Grant for the production of a sketch comedy television series.
Sunken Garden Children’s Theater, Alison Rich ’09: OfA Grant for a kid-friendly, 40-minute original production in the Radcliffe Sunken Garden.
“Ivory Tower” production and premiere, Harvard-Radcliffe Television, Antonio Hernandez ’06: OfA Grant for the production and screening of an episode of America’s oldest college soap opera.
“paper.me dolls,” Kristy Carpenter ’10: OfA Grant for an interactive installation featuring life-size cardboard paper dolls that people can dress up.
“Lunch: A Monument,” Mark Davis ’09: OfA Grant for a public art piece featuring an ordinary sack lunch blown to gargantuan proportions.
Mather House rehabilitated mug project, Darryl Cooper ’08: OfA Grant sponsoring a mug-painting project that brings together art and environmental sustainability.
“Through Their Eyes: Global Children’s Perspectives on Peace,” Emina Kobiljar ’10: OfA Grant for an exhibition of artwork created by children in Bosnia and Kashmir on the theme of peace in workshops led by Harvard undergraduates.
The Office for the Arts at Harvard (OfA) supports student engagement in the arts and serves the University in its commitment to the arts. Through its programs and services, the OfA fosters student art-making, connects students to accomplished artists, integrates the arts into University life, and partners with local, national, and international constituencies.
© 2008 The President and Fellows of Harvard College