Spotlight on the Arts festival celebrates the arts at UGA

The Ecotones perform at the Tate Center for the 2023 Spotlight on the Arts. (Peter Frey/UGA)

By Hannah Gallant/UGA Today

This November, the visual, literary and performing arts take center stage at the University of Georgia with more than 50 events and exhibitions during the 13th annual Spotlight on the Arts festival.

Highlights of the monthlong festival include the fifth annual Dodd Market, a concert by Grammy Award-winning violin soloist Maxim Vengerov, a UGA Theatre production of Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5” and a performance by the genre-defying Silkroad Ensemble led by award-winning composer and multi-instrumentalist Rhiannon Giddens. Also featured is the Emerging Choreographer’s Showcase by the department of dance and an artist talk and Signature Lecture by visual artist Micah Cash.

“Spotlight on the Arts provides an opportunity to highlight the breadth and excellence of arts programming and scholarship at the University of Georgia,” said S. Jack Hu, the university’s senior vice president for academic affairs and provost. “The richness of arts and humanities at UGA is a vital part of our legacy as the birthplace of public higher education in America.”

Many Spotlight events are free or discounted for students, and all are welcome. A complete schedule of events for Spotlight on the Arts 2024 is available at arts.uga.edu.

The festival kicks off with a photography exhibit in the College of Environment and Design’s Circle Gallery on Nov. 3 and performances from the Hugh Hodgson School of Music’s Jazz Ensembles I and II on Nov. 4.

From a student night at the Georgia Museum of Art and a poetry reading to a dance sampler and an opera gala, the festival continues with a full schedule of events. The Georgia Museum of Art’s Spotlight on the Arts Family Day on Nov. 9 centers the theme of coming home. The event is sponsored by NEA Big Read, a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest, and includes the Little Characters Theater Troupe performing scenes from featured book “Show Way” by Jacqueline Woodson.

On Nov. 13 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., student performers and artists will fill the outdoor stage at Tate Plaza for Student Spotlight. For the first time this year, the annual showcase will feature art for sale by UGA students in addition to performances.

The festival continues with events including a performance by the Chinese Music Ensemble, the University of Georgia Press’ annual book sale, a visiting artist lecture by photographer Kelli Connell and Spotlight on the Arts Trivia Night.

Student research in the arts takes the spotlight on Nov. 21 at the 4 Minutes, 33 Seconds Contest. This live research competition gives 10 students a chance to present their research on the visual, literary and performing arts.

The month ends with events including the opening reception for the Lamar Dodd School of Art’s fall 2024 BFA Exit Exhibition on Nov. 22 and the UGA African American Choral Ensemble’s fall concert on Nov. 25.

During Spotlight on the Arts, there will also be eight ongoing exhibitions hosted by the Georgia Museum of Art and the Willson Center for Humanities and Arts. These exhibitions range in theme from “Waffle House Vistas” by visual artist Micah Cash to “Joel Sternfeld: When It Changed” depicting photographs of the 2005 United Nations Climate Change Conference. In response, “The Artist as Witness” exhibit highlights the impacted landscapes and surreal scenes of our changing environments.

UGA advertising student Merritt Helton won the second annual Spotlight Student Design Competition. (Submitted photo)

The custom 2024 Spotlight on the Arts design was created by UGA advertising student Merritt Helton, winner of the second annual Spotlight Student Design Competition. Her design will be on the festival T-shirts as well as limited-edition giveaways at various Spotlight events throughout November.

Spotlight on the Arts is coordinated by the UGA Arts Council, a group representing the performing, visual and literary arts, as well as interdisciplinary academic units on campus.

“The Arts Council members and schools, colleges and units across campus put significant time and care into organizing the annual Spotlight on the Arts festival,” said Jeanette Taylor, the university’s vice provost for academic affairs and chair of the UGA Arts Council. “I am grateful for their commitment, and I hope Spotlight on the Arts inspires celebration and engagement with the arts at UGA throughout the year.”

Members of the UGA Arts Council include representatives from the Office of the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, College of Environment and Design, creative writing program, department of dance, department of theatre and film studies, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, Georgia Museum of Art, The Georgia Review, Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, Hugh Hodgson School of Music, UGA Arts Collaborative, Lamar Dodd School of Art, Mary Frances Early College of Education, Performing Arts Center, University of Georgia Press, UGA Libraries and the Willson Center for Humanities and Arts.

To celebrate the arts and humanities at UGA beyond November, visit the events calendar on the Arts Council website. In March 2025, the UGA Humanities Council will present the third annual Humanities Festival highlighting the richness and diversity of research and practice in the humanities at UGA.