In 2007, the River Campus opened as the home of the Holland School of Visual and Performing Arts. Through four seasons, the Department of Theatre and Dance, Department of Music and Department of Art have stretched their legs, raised their voices and colored their canvas.
The River Campus -- and the departments it houses -- is throwing a celebration to kick off its fifth season from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday. Dance, music, theater and art students will perform various versions of their respective crafts.
"We are going to be all over this campus. All over it," said Rhonda Weller-Stilson, director of Holland School and associate dean of the college of liberal arts.
Each venue will host performances in 20 minute intervals starting at 1 p.m. Performers will break for 20 minutes to mingle and allow people to visit the atrium where departments have set up face painting, a musical petting zoo and information tables.
"It's a celebration," said Bob Cerchio, assistant director of the River Campus. "It's also hoping to get people in here who haven't ever been."
SE Live offers this quick guide to the campus and most of what it has to offer.
The campus will be crawling with performers, so expect to see more than what's listed here.
Seating for: 205
You're likely to see: Chamber music or solo recitals
What you'll see Saturday: Piano and voice vignettes
The room originally served as the seminary chapel. When the university renovated the Seminary Building, designers kept the original stained glass windows and left the original rafters exposed, creating a lofty, colorful room to hear the likes of Schumann, Gershwin and Handel.
You're likely to see: solo or group art exhibits from students and faculty or edgy new artists
What you'll see Saturday: Kristina Arnold, "A World Unto Itself"
Southeast art students display here as well as national artists like William H. Thielen, Glenn Williams and now, Kristina Arnold's installation. The blank room transforms with each new exhibit as artists fill it with their creations.
Capacity: 952
You're likely to see: Touring Broadway shows, large student-produced musicals and plays, and concerts from the symphony or university bands
What you'll see Saturday: short performances from upcoming productions and the backstage work in the scene and costume shops
The quality of the theater demands quality performances from students at Southeast, who rarely disappoint.
Seating for: 200
You're likely to see: Student plays
What you'll see Saturday: dances, scenes and solo performances by students
The adaptable theater lends itself to experimental, avant-garde shows like "Coyote Ugly" while leaving open the possibility for traditional works like "To Kill a Mockingbird."
You're likely to see: A stationary museum display describing Southeast Missouri's history and an art gallery with internationally known artists and exhibitions
What you'll see Saturday: "The Floating World: Ukiyo-e Prints from the Lauren Rogers Museum of Art" and a cello ensemble in the museum
The Crossroads Gallery has static exhibits of the lives of indigenous Southeast Missourians, the Mississippi River and contemporary events like the Sharecropper's Strike, teaching visitors about the area's rich history.
The Crisp Museum Art Gallery educates visitors on art they would normally have to travel to Chicago, St. Louis or Memphis, Tenn., to see. The gallery has held exhibits from Jackson Pollock's contemporary art to Nathan Sawaya's Lego sculptures. But the gallery also hosts a high school exhibit each year, giving local students their time in a professional gallery.
You're likely to see: A class of dance students stretching, learning new moves or perfecting choreography
What you'll see Saturday: Excerpts from new dances and performances of old ones
Students or visitors walking down the hallway to the art studios on the lower level can observe whatever ballet, ballroom or modern dance students are performing. The studio's sprung floor protects dancers' knees and legs by allowing some bounce.
You're likely to see: A small speech or private reception
What you'll see Saturday: Southeast jazz combos
Exhibiting artists from the Crisp or River Campus art galleries speak in the large meeting room about their craft, and musicians fresh off the stage mingle with audience members.
You're likely to see: Students walking and statues
What you'll see Saturday: Stage combat demonstrations
The Department of Theatre and Dance couldn't contain itself to stages and costume shops. Dr. Rob Dillon, professor of theater history, acting and stage combat, will lead students in a stage combat demonstration. Come see the effort and training Southeast actors endure to make a fight look real.
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