January 16, 2017 (Jackson, Miss.) - The arts are thriving at Belhaven University, and this semester will feature some of the best productions, concerts and exhibitions, happening right in the heart of Jackson. Our students and faculty spend countless hours refining their craft to showcase their talents in plays, dances, music, poetry, gallery exhibits and more.
The Arts Ablaze Calendar has a complete listing of the many art events along with the time, place and information.All of the events are open to the public, family friendly and many of the performances are free.
Browse through the upcoming Arts Ablaze Spring 2017 events and join us as we celebrate the arts:
January 21, 2017
GRAPHIC DESIGN
DEPARTMENT STUDENT SHOW
BITSY IRBY VISUAL ARTS AND DANCE CENTER,
ART GALLERY
The annual Graphic Design Department student show is a collection of the best work of the year. This is a juried exhibition in which judges from many leading design studios and various advertising agencies choose the work you will see in the show. This show will include various print, packaging, web/multi-media and brand design exploration. Complimentary admission.
FEBRUARY 10-11, 2017
DANCE MINISTRY ENSEMBLE
FRIDAY & SATURDAY, 7:30 PM
BITSY IRBY VISUAL ARTS AND
DANCE CENTER STUDIO THEATRE
The Dance Ministry Ensemble and members of DOXA present a selection of original dances created by guest artists and dance faculty aimed to encourage and inspire the spirit of all who attend. General admission $10; seniors/students $5. Complimentary admission for Belhaven students, faculty, staff and their immediate families. Doors open thirty minutes prior to each concert.
FEBRUARY 11
ALUMNA VOICE & FACULTY PIANO RECITAL
Grace Anna Lane, Soprano
Dr. Stephen Sachs, Piano
SATURDAY, 7:30 PM, CONCERT HALL
The current Administrative Assistant for the Music Department, Grace Anna Lane has continued her vocal study, has performed with Mississippi Opera and is the vocal instructor at DC Guitar Studio in Gluckstadt. Dr. Stephen Sachs frequently performs at Belhaven University and with the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra at Thalia Mara Hall.Complimentary admission. Doors open at 7 p.m.
FEBRUARY 17-18, 22-25, 2017
MAYFAIR MA CHÉRE
WRITTEN BY JOSEPH FROST
DIRECTED BY JOSEPH FROST
FRIDAY - SATURDAY, WEDNESDAY - SATURDAY, 7:30 PM
SATURDAY MATINEES FEBRUARY 18 & 25, 2 PM, BLACKBOX THEATRE
This WORLD PREMIERE is a hilarious addition to the world of The Mayfair Affair. Mayfair Ma Chère tells the story of Jack and Moira as they elope to the French Quarter of New Orleans, navigating the muddy waters with misfit krewe of a would-be smuggler, a desperate missionary, a crusty sea captain, a cajun learning to cook, a first-time thief, a masquerading widow, a cursed valet, an unclaimed mail-order bride and a recherché exotic jewel. Tall-tales, mayhem and mistaken identities make for one rattling streetcar ride-but as they say in the Crescent City: “Laissez les bons temps rouler!”
Admission $10; seniors/students $5. Complimentary admission for Belhaven students, faculty, staff and their immediate families. Doors open thirty minutes prior to each performance.
FEBRUARY 24, 2017
SENIOR DANCE RESEARCH PRESENTATIONS
FRIDAY, 6:30 PM
BITSY IRBY VISUAL ARTS AND DANCE CENTER STUDIO THEATRE
Senior students pursuing Bachelor of Arts degrees in Dance present an evening of scholarly presentations emphasizing concentrated dance studies and research.Complimentary admission.
FEBRUARY 25
MUSIC FACULTY CONCERT
SATURDAY, 7:30 PM, CONCERT HALL
Belhaven University's professional music faculty display mastery of their craft in this varied recital which will be a delight to the ear and food for the soul. Complimentary admission. Doors open at 7 p.m.
MARCH 3
GUEST PIANO RECITAL
Dr. Stephen Wilber
FRIDAY, 7:30 PM, CONCERT HALL
Dr. Stephen Wilber is a Professor of Music at Lee University and has been hailed for the “freshness and refinement” of his playing and for his “force, imagination, feelings, and lyricism.” Dr. Wilber has performed in solo and concerto engagements throughout Europe and the United States. The centerpiece of this recital will be Rachmaninoff's Variations on a Theme of Corelli, Op. 42. Music by Bach and Brahms will also be featured. Complimentary admission. Doors open at 7 p.m.
MARCH 3-4, 2017
BFA DANCE CONCERTS
FRIDAY-SATURDAY, 7:30 PM
BITSY IRBY VISUAL ARTS AND DANCE CENTER STUDIO THEATRE
Senior students pursuing Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees in Dance and members of DOXA present a selection of original and innovative choreographic works. General admission $10, seniors/students $5. Complimentary admission for Belhaven students, faculty, staff and their immediate families. Doors open thirty minutes prior to each concert.
MARCH 6, 2017
READING: WILLIAM WRIGHT
VISITING WRITER SERIES,
MONDAY, 5:00 - 6:30 PM
STUDENT CENTER, THEATER
Visiting Writer William Wright is the author of eight poetry collections and the editor of eight anthologies of contemporary southern poetry. His books include Tree Heresies (Mercer University Press, 2015), Night Field Anecdote (Louisiana Literature Press, 2011), Bledsoe (Texas Review Press, 2011) and Dark Orchard (Texas Review Press, 2005), winner of the Breakthrough Poetry Prize. Wright has published poetry in The Kenyon Review, Oxford American, The Antioch Review, Shenandoah and Southern Poetry Review. He has served as assistant editor for Shenandoah and currently teaches in the low-residency MFA Program in Creative Writing at Reinhardt University.Complimentary admission/open to the public.
MARCH 24, 2017
READING: THE BEST OF BELHAVEN'S WRITERS
STUDENT READING SERIES,
FRIDAY, 6:00 - 7:30 PM
STUDENT CENTER THEATER
Students currently enrolled in the BFA Program in Creative Writing at Belhaven University will read from their works-in-progress. Representing many states and several countries, these students have enrolled at Belhaven because of their passion for writing and devotion to craft. Readings will include fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction and scripts for screen and stage. Upon graduation, Belhaven's Creative Writers will join of group of alumni who have published novels, won national poetry prizes and secured positions with prestigious presses and institutions of higher education. Complimentary admission/open to the public/reception to follow.
MARCH 24
STRINGS & ORCHESTRA CONCERT
FRIDAY, 7:30 PM, CONCERT HALL
Come and enjoy a night showcasing brilliant string solos, chamber groups and the BU Symphony Orchestra featuring outstanding Belhaven string students. Complimentary admission. Doors open at 7 p.m.
MARCH 25
ALL-STATE STRINGS CONCERT
SATURDAY, 3:00 PM, CONCERT HALL
Mississippi's best high school string students present the results of two intensive days of rehearsal and study. Complimentary admission. Doors open at 2:30 p.m.
MARCH 28
PRESTON CHAMBER MUSIC SERIES:
AN EVENING OF DIAMONDS II
Shellie Brown, Violin
TUESDAY, 7:30 PM, CONCERT HALL
Alumna Shellie Brown returns to the Belhaven stage as part of the Preston Chamber Music Series. Complimentary admission. Doors open at 7 p.m.
MARCH 30 - APRIL 1, 2017
SKETCHING THE SOUL
WRITTEN BY JACQUELINE LYNCH
DIRECTED BY DR. ELISSA SARTWELL
THURSDAY - SATURDAY, 7:30 PM,
BARBER AUDITORIUM
Chelsea Logan is an artist struggling with the conflict between her growing celebrity and her Amish upbringing, which she left behind to pursue her ambition and which she neglected to mention to Mike (her boyfriend), new friends and colleagues. The past and present, celebrity and spiritually come to a head one frenetic weekend when her younger sister Sarah arrives unexpectedly. Chelsea must explain her sister and the lifestyle she kept a secret to Mike, an attorney struggling with his own ethical priorities, and to Maureen Nash, an aggressive journalist who arrives with a photographer for an interview (during which Chelsea, with a rather un-Amish-like attitude, pummels the photographer into surrendering the film he has shot of Sarah!) Sarah and Mike together help Chelsea to accept and acknowledge the power of her Amish heritage and to move toward a future she had not expected. General admission $10, seniors/students $5. Complimentary admission for Belhaven students, faculty, staff and their immediate families. Doors open thirty minutes prior to each performance.
MARCH 31 - APRIL 1, 7-8, 2017
SPRING DANCE CONCERT
BELHAVEN UNIVERSITY DANCE ENSEMBLE
BITSY IRBY VISUAL ARTS AND
DANCE CENTER STUDIO THEATRE
FRIDAY & SATURDAY,
MARCH 31 & APRIL 1, 7:30 PM
FRIDAY & SATURDAY, APRIL 7 & 8, 7:30 PM
A showcase of choreography by dance faculty and guest artists, presented by the Belhaven University Dance Ensemble and members of DOXA. Styles include classical and contemporary ballet and modern dance. General admission $10, seniors/students $5. Complimentary admission for Belhaven students, faculty, staff and their immediate families. Doors open thirty minutes prior to each concert.
APRIL 1
ELLIS DUO PIANO COMPETITION
SATURDAY, 8:00 AM, CONCERT HALL
The Ellis Piano Duo Competition is sponsored by the National Federation of Music Clubs (NFMC) and is open to American citizens between 18 and 38 years of age. This is a significant opportunity for American duo-pianists to gain recognition as well as coveted prizes including First Prize of $12,000, Second Prize of $4,000 the Abild American Music Award, $1,000 for the best performance of American music and up to two years of concert bookings through NFMC. Belhaven University is proud to once again host this prestigious competition. Complimentary admission. Doors open at 7 a.m.
APRIL 1, 2017
STUDENT INVITATIONAL ART EXHIBITION
OPENING RECEPTION SATURDAY, 4/1, 2:00-4:00 PM
EXHIBITED MONDAY-FRIDAY, 10:00 AM-6:00 PM
OR BY APPT., BITSY IRBY VISUAL ARTS AND
DANCE CENTER, ART GALLERY
This annual juried exhibition of student works highlights a wide range of styles and media including drawing, painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture and mixed media. This exhibition has always been one of our most festive and popular openings. Complimentary admission.
APRIL 8
FILM PRODUCTION SHOWCASE
SATURDAY, 7:00 PM, BARBER AUDITORIUM
This is the inaugural event of Belhaven's new Film Production department! Come witness this fun, celebratory showcase of student projects completed during the 2016-2017 school year. Complimentary admission. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
APRIL 11, 2017
STUDENT COMPOSERS
CONCERT XVIII
TUESDAY, 7:30 PM, CONCERT HALL
The Composers Forum invites you to an interactive showcase of engaging new music by Belhaven student composers. The adventure of bringing new musical designs to life continues as the composers and their fellow performers open windows into their creative worlds. Complimentary admission. Doors open at 7 p.m.
APRIL 21-22, 25-29, 2017
THE MUSIC MAN
BOOK, LYRICS, & MUSIC BY MEREDITH WILLSON
DIRECTED BY DR. DAVID S. SOLLISH
Friday-Saturday, Tuesday-Saturday, 7:30pm
SATURDAY MATINEES, APRIL 22 & 29, 2 PM
BLACKBOX THEATRE
By turns wicked, funny, warm, romantic and touching, The Music Man is family entertainment at its best. Meredith Willson's six-time, Tony Award winning musical comedy has been entertaining audiences since 1957 and is a family-friendly story to be shared with every generation. The Music Man follows fast-talking traveling salesman Harold Hill as he cons the people of River City, Iowa into buying instruments and uniforms for a boys' band he vows to organize-this despite the fact he doesn't know a trombone from a treble clef. His plans to skip town with the cash are foiled when he falls for Marian the librarian, who transforms him into a respectable citizen by curtain's fall. General admission $10, seniors/students $5. Complimentary admission for Belhaven students, faculty, staff and their immediate families. Doors open thirty minutes prior to each performance.
APRIL 20, 2017
INSTRUMENTAL ARTS CONCERT
THURSDAY, 7:30 PM, CONCERT HALL
Come and experience the new and unique timbres of the Wind Ensemble as they revisit the works of traditional composers and move to the always exciting contemporary avenue and perform some of the newer music in the small ensemble repertoire. You will hear everything from Baroque to 20th-century music. In short, IT'S GONNA BE FUN! Complimentary admission. Doors open at 7 p.m.
APRIL 24
CHORAL FESTIVAL CONCERT
MONDAY, 7:30 PM, CONCERT HALL
Members of local high school choirs including the Jackson Academy concert and show choirs under the direction of Katie Shores along with the choral forces of Murrah High School under the direction of Pierrdro Gallion will join with the Belhaven Choir for an evening of music not to be missed. Each group will offer unique selections and then will combine to form a single chorus of voices united to celebrate the power of music. Complimentary admission. Doors open at 7 p.m.
APRIL 24, 2017
COMPOSERS' ORCHESTRAL
READING SESSION
MONDAY, 5:30 PM, TRUSTMARK GRAND HALL,
MISSISSIPPI MUSEUM OF ART
Mississippi Symphony Orchestra performs, in an open forum, the new orchestral compositions of chosen college and university student composers from Belhaven University, Mississippi College and Jackson State University. Complimentary admission. Doors open at 5 p.m.
MAY 1, 2017
BEST OF BELHAVEN II
MONDAY, 7:30 PM, CONCERT HALL
The Music Department presents the most outstanding student performances of the semester on one concert. Musical variety and excellence are the gifts from our student performers to you. Complimentary admission. Doors open at 7 p.m.
MAY 2
CHORAL ARTS CONCERT
“Songs for Slaying Giants”
TUESDAY, 7:30 PM, CONCERT HALL
“David...Son of Jesse...The victorious slayer of Goliath...”
He would be Israel's greatest king. He was also her greatest lyricist. The Belhaven Concert Choir and Chorale under the direction of Mr. Christopher Phillips, along with student instrumentalists, will present an evening of Psalms-from Mozart's transcendent setting of Psalm 117 to John Rutter's exquisite and tranquil setting of Psalm 23. The evening will also include the premiere of several new settings of particular Psalms. Complimentary admission. Doors open at 7 p.m.