Tyler Junior College has announced its 9th annual Arts Fest, to be held throughout the month of April on the TJC main campus.
The festival is a collaboration of “The Bell Tower Arts Journal,” International Day, Tyler Museum of Art, and various TJC departments including art, dance, music and theatre.
Student involvement is key to the festival’s success; and each year, a competition is held among TJC students, to create an original Arts Festival logo. This year’s winner was Jaclyn Walker, a sophomore game and simulation development major from Chandler.
The festival will offer performances, exhibits, guest speakers and more, at various times and locations across the TJC campus and at the Tyler Museum of Art. All events are open to the public, but tickets are required for some performances.
TJC’s 31st annual International Day will be held Tuesday, April 18, in the Apache Rooms of Rogers Student Center. In addition to an up-close look at music, food and customs from around the world, the event will also include an opportunity for visitors to renew or apply for U.S. passports.
A Lunch on the Lawn concert series, with free performances by TJC music groups, will be held at noon each Wednesday in front of the Rogers Palmer Performing Arts Center.
Scheduled performers include:
• April 5: Guitar, piano and string ensembles
• April 12: Harmony Vocal Jazz and Steel Pan Ensemble
• April 19: Jazz Ensembles
• April 26: Touch of Gold and Drumline
“April has always been our busiest time of year, in terms of the sheer volume of arts events happening on campus, so it made sense for us to package it and name it Arts Fest,” said Lara K. Smith, professor/chair of the TJC Departments of Communication Studies and Theatre and Arts Fest director.
Smith continued, “We love having company on our beautiful campus — and Arts Fest is a great time to pay us a visit and take in the many talents offered by our students and faculty.”
The festival offers works from each of the areas of TJC’s Cultural Arts District, including musicians, singers, dance, art and a theatre production.
A few of the festival’s featured events include:
• April 14-16: TJC Academy of Dance presents “Cinderella”
• April 18: International Day
• April 24: Speech and Debate Team Showcase
• April 26: Thunderdome Art Competition
• April 26-29: Theatre TJC presents “Metamorphoses”
For a complete listing of events and times, go to TJC.edu/ArtsFest.