Spotlight on the Arts Enters Its 6th Year

When UGA started its Spotlight on the Arts festival, it was a much smaller affair, but last year about 23,000 people attended its events. The festival runs November 1 – 12, with events in the literary, performing and visual arts happening all over the UGA campus. Today (November 2) brings the Student Spotlight, on the Tate Student Center Plaza, with theatrical and musical groups performing every 15 minutes until after 4 p.m. It's a great chance to see all the things students in the arts are doing on campus.

Of course, the museum has many events scheduled as part of Spotlight, including the first film in our Americans in Paris film series, "An American in Paris," tonight at 7 p.m. in the M. Smith Griffith Auditorium. Come experience Vincente Minnelli's lavish musical on the big screen, as Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron sing and dance their way around Paris.

Friday, November 3, brings one of our Morning Mindfulness sessions at 9:30 a.m. These free guided mindfulness meditation sessions, held every other Friday during the school year, include a variety of instructor-led meditation, movement and mindfulness techniques. No experience or special clothing is necessary, and we provide meditation pillows or yoga mats. (Reservations are encouraged; please contact 706.542.0448 or sagekincaid@uga.edu. Funded in part by the Hemera Foundation.)

We have no special events planned for this Saturday, November 4, when UGA plays South Carolina at home at 3:30 p.m., but we will be open, as we are every home game Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. And Sunday, November 5, at 3 p.m., we'll have a docent-led tour of highlights from the permanent collection. We'll have another tour Wednesday, November 8, at 2 p.m.

On Tuesday, November 7, at 10 a.m., we'll have the latest in our series of Toddler Tuesdays, with a special tour, story time in the galleries and art activities just for little ones. This free, 40-minute program is designed for families with children ages 18 months to 3 years. Space is limited, and registration is full for this session, but you can email sagekincaid@uga.edu or call 706-542-0448 to be placed on the waiting list. 

Toddler Tuesday in action

From November 1 – 7, we're hosting the poster competition part of the 4 minutes, 33 seconds: Spotlight on Scholarship event, in our education resource center, just off the lobby. Stop by to see student research in the arts, then attend the in-person competition in our auditorium on Tuesday, November 7, at 7 p.m., where students have 4 minutes and 33 seconds to present their research and win cash prizes.

Teen Studio attendees will make photography collages

The evening of Thursday, November 9, will be one of our busiest times, with both Teen Studio and Student Night. This edition of the Teen Studio program focuses on the Mickalene Thomas exhibition and runs from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Teens ages 13 – 18 are invited to this studio-based workshop led by local artist and educator Kristen Bach. The group will spend time in the galleries exploring the work of contemporary artist Mickalene Thomas in the exhibition "Muse: Mickalene Thomas Photographs and tête-à-tête" before creating their own mixed-media works of art using photography and collage. This program is free and includes a pizza dinner, but space is limited. Email sagekincaid@uga.edu or call 706-542-0448 to reserve a spot. 

Student Night is open to all UGA students, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Titled "Exposure: Race, Gender & Sexuality," it also focuses on the Mickalene Thomas exhibition. Thomas’ work focuses on the experience of African American women and the resulting work is vibrant and larger than life— definitely a must see. Come to see the exhibition, then stay for the Polaroid photo booth, collaging, button making, WUOG dj and local eats. Student Night is generously sponsored by the UGA Parents Leadership Council and the Friends of the Georgia Museum of Art. 

Finally, Saturday, November 11, is an away game, which means it's time for the Spotlight on the Arts Family Day. In addition to the museum's monthly Family Day, which runs from 10 a.m. to noon and focuses on color as a theme, and creative writing activities taking place in the museum's education resource center in the afternoon, you can also bring your little ones to the Saturday Morning Club at Hodgson Concert Hall in the Performing Arts Center, an instrument petting zoo at the Community Music School in the Hugh Hodgson School of Music (plus performances by Community Music School attendees), dance performances (inside the music school) and an art carnival all over the Lamar Dodd School of Art. The Taqueria 1785 food truck will be on hand from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

For details on all of these events and the dozens of others all over campus, visit http://arts.uga.edu/spotlightuga2017/.