Smith College Office for the Arts Plans First Smith Arts Day

On Saturday April 13, the Smith Office for the Arts (SOFA) presents the first Smith Arts Day, a day-long celebration of the artistic and creative community at Smith College, featuring exhibitions, performances, workshops, art-making activities and more. The festival will kick off on Friday night, April 12 with the Smith College Museum of Art’s Second Friday from 4–8 p.m., followed by a full roster of events on Saturday from 10 a.m.–9 p.m. Most events are free and open to the public. Full details can be found at www.smith.edu/SmithArtsDay.

Leigh Fagin assumed the inaugural role of director of the Smith Office for the Arts last fall and started envisioning Smith Arts Day as a way to highlight work already happening in the arts on campus. Upon arrival at Smith, Fagin found that the arts permeate campus life—from department led exhibitions, music ensembles, theatre and dance productions to student arts organizations, from cross-disciplinary making spaces to informal craft gatherings, from guest artists to novices. Raising the visibility of these activities is one of SOFA’s mandates, along with fostering collaborations and elevating the role that the arts play in a Smith education. President Sarah Willie-LeBreton is a staunch advocate for the arts. “I have been thrilled to discover that the arts are flourishing here at Smith,” she said “Across the College, in formal and casual settings, the arts challenge students and bring them joy while helping to build a curious and compassionate campus community. I am delighted that Smith Arts Day will celebrate the wide-ranging creative work of students, faculty, and staff.”

Fagin chose April 13 for the first Arts Day because there were a number of performances and events already planned that she could build upon. She then invited the Smith community to propose activities. “One of my favorite parts of planning Smith Arts Day is that there was a very natural flow of ideas that came in through an open call,” Fagin said. “The day is not meant to be a comprehensive look at everything, but a snapshot of the kinds of activities that make the arts at Smith unique.” The result is almost 40 events and exhibitions—a mix of works in progress, performances, workshops, open rehearsals, installations, art-making activities, and even some dance parties. Participants can take a tap class, make prints from Lego, see theatre lights focused, try bell-ringing, make a collage bookmark, and contribute to a community mural. Attendees can take in special installations and ongoing exhibitions that explore the intersection of art with other humanities and the sciences. Audiences can engage with student performances at the Senior Dance Concert, the Iva Dee Hiatt Memorial Choral Concert, Smith Shakes production of Romeo & Juliet, and 10-minute plays by the Student Theatre Committee.

Almost all of the events are free to attend and participate, with a few events being first-come, first-served due to space limitations such as classes and workshops. Full details and schedule can be found at www.smith.edu/SmithArtsDay. “I want students to explore their community in new ways, to make and create in spaces they don’t necessarily think to visit, and for the community around Smith to see how accessible the arts at Smith can be.” Says Fagin “The day is a great access point to engage with the arts at Smith, whether you think of yourself as an artist or not.”

Special thanks to the Jean and David W. Wallace Foundation, especially Mary Strizek and Anne Juge, Ashley Garrett and Alan Jones, Richard & Sharonjean Leeds, and the Jeanann Gray Dunlap Foundation for their support.