Students at Ouachita are encouraged to support their peers’ endeavors and talents by attending art shows, Ouachita-produced plays and music events hosted by Ouachita. Through the Arts Engagement program, students attend events in return for credit hours toward their time here.
Students are required to attend three Arts Engagement events each year: an art exhibit, a theatrical production and a band or choir event. For students that attend Ouachita for four years, they will need 12 total Arts Engagement credits. For those that attend only two years, six credits are needed.
“The arts are a way to escape for a bit into different worlds, to see things from a different perspective, to be moved by tangible beauty and so much more. Arts Engagement is like a scavenger hunt where the prize is the experience itself,” said Adam Wheat, the director of Fine Arts Engagement at Ouachita.
Tickets for Ouachita theatrical productions are available at the OBU box office, which is located in Verser Theatre, or they can be reserved online. Students receive free tickets, another incentive to complete their credits.
In order to be counted present at Arts Engagement events, students need to have their school IDs scanned before and after the performance. For art exhibits and shows, students must write a short message on something they enjoyed, as well as document their school ID number.
“Think of it as an opportunity to broaden your horizons, have a good time with your friends and support your fellow Ouachitonians’ creative work,” Wheat said.
Once students reach the classification of a junior at Ouachita, they become eligible for classes within the Arts Engagement menu of the course catalog. Seniors enroll in the Arts Engagement series, a one-hour course that provides an exit survey on student’s interactions with the Arts Engagement program. After the exit survey, records are checked to ensure the student has completed the initial Arts Engagement survey, the total required events and the Arts Engagement class.
For those who feel they may be behind, fear not, this semester still has a handful of events left. There will be musical events on November 17-21, December 2-3 and December 5 and 6. There are no remaining theater events for this semester, but students who have missed out will still be eligible for their credit next semester, so be on the lookout for Ouachita theater productions. The final art exhibit of the year is currently underway and will go until December 2.
For more information or to fill out the survey for Arts Engagement, visit www.obu.edu/finearts/arts-engagement.
– By Will Blase, Staff Writer
