Campus Connection

ArtsFest to return April 24-27 — with a sharper focus on student artists

Student artistry will be the star of the show during ArtsFest, the UW-La Crosse School of Visual & Performing Arts’ signature event. 

Running April 24-27, ArtsFest is an annual celebration of artistic achievement at UWL, featuring musical and theatrical productions, art exhibitions, and more.

While previous iterations of ArtsFest, formerly called Creative Imperatives, included presentations by accomplished guest artists, this year’s event has been restructured to keep student creations in the spotlight. A series of ArtsFest Advance! events earlier this spring brought guest artists to campus to share their work with students and the broader community, clearing the stage for students on ArtsFest weekend.

“Inviting guest artists to campus throughout the spring made scheduling and travel significantly easier, but it also allowed us to let ArtsFest weekend be a celebration of student achievement and creativity, and we’re thrilled about that,” says Pete Rydberg, director of UWL’s School of Visual & Performing Arts. “Each of our departments — Art, Music and Theatre & Dance — have one or two signature events that are huge draws in their own right. We want to make sure that people can attend the events that interest them rather than having to pick between competing events.” 

Signature events for this year’s festival include “Exit Strategies,” the Senior Art Exhibition, the musical Cabaret from the Department of Theatre & Dance, and concerts by UWL’s jazz orchestra and ensemble, symphony orchestra, and treble chorus. 

A full list of events can be found on the ArtsFest website. 

For student artists preparing to embark on their careers, ArtsFest offers an opportunity to gain experience not only creating art but presenting it to a broad and diverse audience. 

ArtsFest also provides the community a chance to visit campus at a time when spring weather and ample activity make for a welcoming atmosphere. 

Rydberg hopes the enthusiasm around this year’s event will be higher than ever. 

“By this time in the year, students are releasing the tension and anxiety of the first half of the semester, shaking off winter and looking forward to opportunities for their creative centers to be fulfilled before the end of the semester,” he says. “It’s good for our students, and it also reaches the community when people are eager to get out of the house and enjoy themselves. We’re excited to welcome them back to campus, with everything blooming and full of life, and reconnect over the great work of our students.”