KENNESAW, Ga. | Jan 21, 2020

Repertoire showcases talent and variety of offerings

Kennesaw State University (KSU) is offering the community an arts-filled spring semester with performances, exhibitions, and research forums spanning all genres. From special guest speakers and performances in music, theatre, and dance, to festivals in theatre and art and design, KSU’s College of the Arts’ lineup will impress patrons of all artistic interests.

Kicking off the spring 2020 semester is the highly anticipated dance performance “Moon Dust” by the Department of Dance and KSU Dance Company. In collaboration with the College of Computing and Software Engineering, this concert features a unique intersection between arts and technology, with performances January 30-31 and February 1. The Department of Dance also has special performances by new partner Terminus Modern Ballet Theatre presenting “Modern Myths” March 6-7. Rounding out the semester will be the Student Dance Concert on April 24-25, highlighting original student works over the 2019-2020 academic year.

The School of Music has a jam-packed semester of performances, starting with the 14th annual Collage Concert on February 15. Showcasing soloists, chamber groups, and ensembles represented by over 200 SOM students, this performance is one of Music’s major fundraising events of the academic year. Other concerts not to miss include ArtsKSU Presents performances by Afro-Cuban jazz artist Brenda Navarrete on March 21 and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra on April 17.

Students in the Department of Theatre and Performance Studies will be flexing their acting, design, and production skills with several performances over the course of the spring semester. Guest artist and poet Minton Sparks will perform in her self-titled production February 6-8.  Next, students will present “The Normal Heart,” a story based on true events during the early stages of the AIDS epidemic in America; performances are February 18-23.

In March, plan to see Shakespeare in an entirely different way: the Q Brothers will bring their wildly popular “Othello: the Remix” to the Stillwell Theater March 12-14. Shakespeare himself would have relished this original work fusing hip hop and classic theatre.

The School of Art and Design (SOAAD) will be celebrating visual arts over the course of the semester. As part of KSU’s “Year of Cuba,” student work will be exhibited February 20 to March 13 in “Cuban Superheroes,” delving into Cuban cultural deities and their superhero qualities.

If you want to learn more about getting a degree in art and design, attend the Open Studio event hosted by SOAAD on February 27. Prospective students may see classes in sessions, meet professors, tour the facilities, and even have their art portfolios reviewed. Finally, bring the entire family to the free Spring Arts Festival on March 21. The Festival features an Artists Market, activities, and demonstrations for all ages.

The School of Art and Design’s Zuckerman Museum of Art (ZMA) will host two exhibitions this semester in collaboration with Clark Atlanta University Art Museum: “Unbound” in the East Galleries and “Looming Chaos” in the Mortin Galleries. On display from January 25 to May 10, the exhibitions will open with a free reception on January 25 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.; light refreshments will be served. “Unbound” explores the continued legacy of black artists utilizing abstraction as a nonconformist visual language and a lens through which social and political realties can be understood. “Looming Chaos” is an exhibition of Zipporah Camille Thompson’s work exploring the ideas of destruction and chaos. As always, ZMA exhibitions are free and open to the public.

New this year is a special research forum featuring a free lecture on the human brain and art. As part of the 2019-2020 Research in the Arts series, the College of the Arts will host guest lecturer Dr. Anjan Chatterjee on January 28, 2020. This intriguing talk, “The Aesthetic Brain,” asks “What makes us appreciate beautiful art? Is art an essential part of being human?”

The College of the Arts invites the community to enjoy these events, exhibitions, and performances in the spring semester. For more information, please visit arts.kennesaw.edu. To purchase tickets, please visit ticketing.kennesaw.edu. No tickets are required for free events.

--Kathie Beckett and Lauren Richmond