On Saturday, March 30, a broad array of artwork and demonstrations by students will be on display during the fifth annual Art Awakening. The event is free to attend and aims to showcase the creative talent that the Binghamton community has to offer.
The event will be hosted by the Alpha Delta Phi Society, a gender-inclusive fraternity on campus focused on literature and arts. The event is not exclusive to members of the fraternity, as students and community members alike are able to attend or submit artwork.
Sam Mure, a member of the planning committee for Art Awakening and a junior majoring in English, emphasized the event’s aim to provide a space for the creative work of diverse communities and empower the voices of marginalized groups.
“Perspective was our main goal,” Mure said. “We want everyone’s voice to be heard and we want everyone’s vision to be seen.”
While last year’s Art Awakening was held in Downtown Binghamton at the Southern Tier Incubator, Alpha Delta Phi chose to hold this year’s event on campus with the intent of making it easier for students without transportation to attend.
Rachel Quinn, president of BU’s Alpha Delta Phi chapter and a senior majoring in philosophy, politics and law, stated that she was glad that the event has moved back on campus to a place that fits the needs of the artists and performers.
“I’m really excited that we’re going to be not only in a central location on-campus but in a space that’s already devoted to art,” Quinn said.
The art on display will be wide-ranging in genres, including both conventional fine art such as drawings and paintings to musical performances, stand-up comedy and multiple interactive demonstrations. The planning committee made a deliberate effort to ensure that attendees would have a wide variety of activities to enjoy. In addition to artwork and demonstrations, the event will also feature tables from student clubs and organizations such as the Production and Mixing club and the Mental Health Outreach Peer Educators (M-HOPE), an advocacy group that aims to educate the student community about mental health resources.
Quinn said that the planning committee has been focused on promoting the event to non-Phi members, both to attend and to submit work.
“I would say that one of the biggest hurdles we face every year is getting people to submit their art, just because people who create are in every space on campus,” she said. “Moving forward, something we’re focusing on is how do we find people who we haven’t already connected with who are incredibly talented.”
Art Awakening does not turn down any student artwork that is appropriate to display, giving artists who might not have much experience in their fields an opportunity to share their work publicly for the first time. Mure stated that this was part of the spirit of the event.
“It’s not a competition or anything like that,” Mure said. “That’s an important part for me.”
Nicole Chapko, a member of the Art Awakening planning committee and a junior majoring in biology, submitted her own artwork. She said that part of what makes Art Awakening unique is its inclusivity across majors and disciplines.
“Binghamton has a very big liberal arts program, but a lot of the time, the events for liberal arts students are confined to them,” she said. “Art Awakening is for everyone.”
For attendees, Art Awakening is sure to provide a diverse program of artistic expression, as well as an opportunity to meet with a variety of clubs who are tabling. For those who submitted work, like Chapko, it’s a chance to show their talents to the broader community.
“I’m really excited to participate in the spirit of taking pride in my work, and getting to share that with the other artists around me,” Chapko said. “To just kind of participate in that atmosphere of taking pride in everybody’s work and everybody’s growth as an artist.”
Art Awakening will take place from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the courtyard and on the second floor of the Fine Arts Building.