The UW-Madison administration hopes to promote awareness of the arts by naming the 2010-2011 academic year the Year of the Arts. This distinction comes after last year's designation as the Year of the Humanities.
The initiation celebration for the Year of the Arts will be held throughout campus September 16. The occasion will precede a year dedicated to promoting awareness of the arts, consisting of more than 300 campus events, performances, exhibits, publications and speakers, most of which will be free.
In addition to displaying student work, the university will highlight alumni who have worked in the arts. UW graduate and Acadamy Award-winning documentarian Errol Morris will visit campus for a lecture and viewing of his films.
The Year of the Arts initiative is organized by the Arts Institute, a combination of departments within the College of Letters & Science, the School of Education and the School of Human Ecology.
The goal for the year is ""to inspire, engage and celebrate"" the arts, as well as facilitate collaboration between art disciplines and integrate the UW campus with the Madison public, according to UW administrators.
The kick-off event will include numerous student performances, art displays and a parade from East Campus Mall to the Memorial Union. To conclude the parade, Chancellor Biddy Martin and NEA chair Rocco Landesman will speak about the importance of the arts.
Angela Richardson, Year of the Arts coordinator, said the year's events should open people's minds to art.
""The diversity of the events is meant to show students the possibilities of who they might become even if they are not studying the arts right now, to really get people thinking about what is happening around them, and consider their own pursuit,"" Richardson said.
Chancellor Biddy Martin believes the arts have benefited the university and should be recognized for their contribution to the community.
""Throughout the university's history, the arts have provided richness, depth, diversity and insight to the entire campus community. It is fitting that we take time to reflect on the importance of the arts and their impact on us as individuals and as a community,"" Martin said in a statement.
Richardson believes the Year of the Arts will positively affect the community.
""By year's end, we, the public, gain a deeper sense and appreciation of what Madison has and how the campus ties into its legacy of the arts,"" Richardson said.
