SRU’s 13th Annual Kaleidoscope Arts Festival opens the eyes of the community. The festival will showcase the talents of various Slippery Rock students in the areas of music, dance, theatre and visual arts as well as the talents of nationally and internationally renowned guest performers and artists.
Now in its 13th year, the Kaleidoscope Festival is an opportunity for the Slippery Rock community to be reminded of the art that is around us.
Dr. Colleen Reilly, assistant professor in the SRU theatre department and director of the festival, said this year’s festival has much in store for the community.
“The festival invites students and faculty to reflect on their many connections to Slippery Rock University, to the Slippery Rock community, to Western PA, to their hometowns, and to the places that they will go as they continue their lifelong learning,” Reilly said.
The festival is scheduled to begin this week, running from April 15 and ending May 4. In all, 27 events are scheduled to take place over the next month with an event almost every day.
One of the first events, scheduled for April 16 at 7:30 pm in Swope Music Hall, is a musical performance from Blisstaken, a three-piece poetry/jazz performance group. Poetry is read allowed as jazz saxophone and guitar are played as an accompaniment, creating a unique atmosphere to relax and enjoy the performance.
Not only scheduled to give a lecture on April 23 at 5 p.m. in the Behavioral Science Building, Nikki Rosato will also be conducting interviews of people living in the Slippery Rock community, inquiring about their geographic origins. Interviews will take place from April 23 to April 26 in the Painting Studio in Art Building I. She will be creating a cut-out map and combining all of the profiles into one large “Connections” piece that will be revealed April 26 at the Macoskey Center.
Keeping on track with the theme of culture, the Cleveland Chinese Music Ensemble will be performing classical and folk music with traditional Chinese instruments. The event, co-sponsored by the International Arts and Culture Series and the Chinese Culture Association, will take place April 27 at 3 p.m. in Swope Music Hall.
“It is a part of the mission of the festival to be as inclusive as possible,” Reilly said.
With partnerships from such organizations as the Hispanic/Latino Culture Series, the President’s Commission for Disability Issues and the Frederick Douglass Society, the festival is widely inclusive.
The Kaleidoscope Festival will be partnering with the Robert A. Macoskey Center for Sustainable Systems Education and Research to celebrate Earth Day. Scheduled for April 26 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., the family oriented celebration will feature arts and crafts, music and games as well as Earth-friendly demonstrations from local sustainable vendors.
With events that include the public, according to Dr. Reilly, SRU is able to connect with the community.
On May 1, Reid Davenport, a wheelchair-bound man suffering from cerebral palsy will screen his award-winning documentary, “The Wheelchair Diaries: One Step Up”, detailing his experience with the issue of accessibility in Europe. The film will be screened at 5:30 p.m. in Vincent Science Center 105.
The final day of the festival will close with a children’s workshop followed by a performance from The Jammin’ Divas. Performing both contemporary and traditional folk music, the group spreads the joy of music by sharing the stories of various cultures through song. The performance will take place May 4 at 4 p.m. in the University Union.
“The Kaleidoscope Festival gives students, faculty and community members an opportunity for everyone at SRU and the surrounding community to come together and celebrate the arts,” Reilly said “We are all moving so fast as we sprint to the end of the semester, and Kaleidoscope provides an opportunity to take a deep breath and appreciate the world around (and within) each and every one of us.”
