River Campus Arts Festival returns with day of children's activities, visual arts, writing, performances and exhibits

Southeast Missouri State University will celebrate its second annual community River Campus Summer Arts Festival from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 20 with a performance of "Seussical" the musical capping the day's events.

More than 1,200 attended last year's inaugural festival. This year's event will feature live music; dance; theatrical performances; magic; visual arts displays; hands-on, family-friendly art-expression activities; museum exhibitions; an art walk; and plein-air painting, according to a news release from the university.

"The community festival is free and open to all ages in the entire region," Rhonda Weller-Stilson, director of the Earl and Margie Holland School of Visual and Performing Arts and associate dean of the College of Liberal Arts, said in the release.

"We did not know what to expect attendancewise last year. We were thrilled with the turnout and expect even more guests this year," she said.

"There is something for everyone of all ages. We encourage families and art lovers to make a day of it. Food service has been expanded by Chartwells to two locations, but people are also able to bring a picnic basket and enjoy the park," Weller-Stilson said.

Expanded lineup

Hilary Peterson leads a Broadway Jazz dance demonstration June 21 at the River Campus Summer Arts Festival in Cape Girardeau. (Fred Lynch)

The River Campus Summer Arts Festival lineup is expanded from last year. Entertainment will run continually throughout the day. Included are the Suzuki players, magician Rob Huff, Mr. Saxophone, Steve Schaffner, Jazz Trio 440's, the Jerry Ford Combo and Barefoot on Sunday.

Children's art activities will be available all day, including face painting and hands-on activities in the children's art tent. The Avenue of Art competition will be back for a second year, with a new special category for creating Dr. Seuss art.

Artists of all ages may participate in creating chalk art.

Art booths will include demonstrations and art for sale. Ceramics students will demonstrate their craft, and printmaking students will offer a workshop. Also represented will be Justin Miller and Louise Bodenheimer of the Southeast Department of Art; Southeast art students; and multiple professional artists who will have booths available.

In the southwest parking lot, the Southeast Explorer mobile museum will showcase a United States history exhibit, and the River City Rodders will display antique and hot-rod cars.

Theater and dance offerings

Cinda and Cheyenne Porter listen to Justin Miller discuss oil painting, with a workshop painting by Andrea Talley on display, on June 21 at the River Campus Summer Arts Festival in Cape Girardeau. (Fred Lynch)

Bart Williams of the Southeast Department of Theatre and Dance will present a stage-combat exhibition of Quarterstaff fighting at 3 p.m. outdoors in the Seminary Quad.

In the Cultural Arts Center Atrium, the River City Players will return this year to perform "Sleuth" by Anthony Shaffer. In the Cultural Arts Center, room 144, Lynn Moore of the Southeast Department of Human Environmental Studies will host a workshop on repurposing T-shirts.

Dance performances from Dance Consortium members will be in the Bedell Performance Hall. Dance workshops will take place in both dance studios throughout the day, including country western dances by Irene's Country Dances featuring Irene Reynolds; Irish Dance from the Dance Center; Princess Ballet featuring Alyssa Alger; hip-hop featuring Hannah Wolf from the Dance Center; Zumba; Southeast Jazz; and Broadway Jazz featuring Hilary Peterson of the Southeast Department of Theatre and Dance.

Three high-school camps will participate, including theater performances by members of the acting laboratory camp in the Rust Flexible Theatre; the vocal boot camp concert performance titled "Sing Out!" with high-school students performing in the Shuck Recital Hall; and a percussion camp in the Kenneth and Jeanine Dobbins River Campus Center Rehearsal Hall, room 120, and the Cultural Arts Center, room 155.

Hands-on activities

Connor Nickell toots a cornet as his mother, Mindi Nickell, watches with Kevin Hampton in the art tent June 21 at the River Campus Summer Arts Festival in Cape Girardeau. (Fred Lynch)

Visitors can make bookmarks with Leah McAlister of Kent Library in the Seminary Building Arts Resource Center. Dr. Seuss Story time will be led by McAlister in the Arts Resource Center, with a variety of Dr. Seuss stories read throughout the day.

Captured Moments, a writing workshop, will be led by James Brubaker and Dan Crocker of the Southeast Department of English at 1:30 p.m. in the Arts Resource Center. Captured Moments will involve writing poetry and flash (short-short) prose that uses specific details and imagery to communicate a moment or moments in participants' lives. Participants are asked to bring a photo, on paper or their phone, or a memory, which they will use to complete their own writing work. A reading of the works will follow the workshop.

Visual arts

Morgan Nickell adds a splash of color to the collaborative weaving June 21 in the art tent at the River Campus Summer Arts Festival in Cape Girardeau. (Fred Lynch)

The Crisp Museum and the River Campus Art Gallery both will be open for visitors. An exhibit of work created during the university's Summer Art Academy will be displayed in the gallery. In Crisp Museum, the biennial faculty exhibition will be on display.

The Crisp Museum is sponsoring a plein-air competition. Cash prizes will be awarded, and art will be displayed in the museum.

A musical instrument petting zoo will be in the Dobbins Center hallway. Face painting will be in the Dobbins Center lobby.

'Seussical,' the musical

The all-day event will close with a performance of "Seussical" the musical at 7:30 p.m. in the Rust Flexible Theatre. Tickets may be purchased by contacting the River Campus box office in the Cultural Arts Center, 518 S. Fountain St., weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., by calling 651-2265 or by visiting RiverCampusEvents.com.

Because last year's musical "Nunsense" sold out six of its eight performances, the run for "Seussical" has been extended to 10 performances.

Pertinent address:

518 S. Fountain St., Cape Girardeau, Mo.