Campus Connection

The 4th annual Creative Imperatives festival kicks off on Monday

Through art, music, discussion and more, the La Crosse community can explore the meaning of identity during the UWL Creative Imperatives festival. The 4^th annual event, which is organized by the School of Arts and Communication, is using the theme “Identity Matters.” The event runs from Monday, Feb. 27 through Wednesday, March 1. The three-day festival features a series of workshops, performances, exhibits and presentations from UWL students, faculty, staff and others. This year’s featured guests include:

• Karen Olivo, a Tony award winning actress who is currently starring in the Chicago production of Hamilton.
• Brandon Ridenour, a musician who has performed with the National Symphony Orchestra, the Canadian Brass, the New York Philharmonic, and as a soloist at Carnegie Hall.
• Kirstin Cronn-Mills, an award-winning author for her book, “Beautiful Music for Ugly Children.”
• CeCe McDonald, a prison-reform activist who identifies as African-American and transgender. McDonald is the winner of the 2014 Bayard Rustin Civil Rights Award.

Creative imperatives also features several other events and displays, including student research and creative work display. One of those projects is a crocheted coral reef that has been under construction for a year. https://youtu.be/lmHV__bE7FE The full schedule is available online. Creative Imperatives events are free and open to the public. The Creative Imperatives festival is possible through the support of the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse College of Liberal Studies.