River Campus Summer Arts Festival Announces June 17 Event Lineup
06/07/2017

Southeast Missouri State University’s 2017 River Campus has announced its event lineup for its fourth annual full-day Community Summer Arts Festival June 17. The day’s events are scheduled for 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and will feature live music, dance and theatrical performances, magic, visual arts displays, hands-on family-friendly art experiential activities, museum exhibitions, musical instruments and animal petting zoos, creative writing workshops, an art walk, and other hands-on activities throughout the River Campus. The event is free and open to all ages in the entire region. “There is something for everyone of all ages,” said Rhonda Weller-Stilson, associate dean of the College of Liberal Arts and director of the Earl and Margie Holland School of Visual and Performing Arts. “We encourage families and art lovers to make a day of it. Food by Chartwells is available for purchase, and people may bring a picnic. The festival represents our commitment to community outreach, showcases the work of professional artists from our region, and gives the community an opportunity to see what occurs at the River Campus. We are excited to reach out to a diverse population and kids of all ages.” In addition to arts activities galore, this year’s festival will include two free performances of “Dear Edwina Jr.” on the Donald C. Bedell Performance Hall stage at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Both performances are open to the public and will not require ticket purchases. The musical is about a 13-year-old problem solver Edwina.  She dishes out advice with the help of her friends. “What’s even more fun about this offering is that the cast will be 10- to 15-year-old children from our community performing for children. We’ve had great success with our kids performing for kids during the festival,” said Weller-Stilson. “We can’t wait to see what they do this year.  There is so much young talent in the area.” Also on the Bedell stage at 12:30 p.m. will be dance performances by the Dance Consortium and Dance Intensive Camp. Outdoor entertainment will be provided by the Southeast Missouri Music Academy’s Suzuki Players, Chestnut Mountain Gang, Steve Schaffner and Derrick Irwin, Mike Renick, the Jerry Ford Combo and Jonathan Patterson Food and drinks will be available all day at an outdoor Chartwells booth on the back patio of the Cultural Arts Center, at St. Vincent’s Commons in the Kenneth and Jeanine Dobbins River Campus Center and from Kona Ice, Dexter Queen and Melting Company food trucks. Those interested in dance are invited to visit the dance studios in both the Cultural Arts Center and the Dobbins Center where a variety of styles will be on display, including Aerial Arts, Jazz, Country Western, Buti Yoga, Swing, Zumba, Contemporary Dance, Dance Intensive Studio Performance and Princess Ballet. Art studios and booths will offer demonstrations, art for sale, printmaking T-shirts and a photo booth multimedia center. Faculty member Justin Miller will demonstrate his craft in the painting studio as will Louise Bodenheimer in the Art Studio. Local artist Craig Thomas will coordinate an “Avenue of Art” where chalk drawings may be created. He will even create his own chalk drawing for the festival. A magician will perform, and art activities, including a Spray Paint Galaxy and tattoos for kids will be available all day. The Southeast Explorer, the University’s mobile museum, will be on display with its “Missouri’s First Inhabitants” exhibit, and the Lazy L Safari petting zoo will be on hand for animal lovers to enjoy. Outdoor play areas will be available in the seminary quad, including bouncy houses and an art and geometry activity. The Cultural Arts Center will have community theatre performances, including Robert Scott’s “All by Myself” by the River City Players and another by Erin Schloss and the Girl Scouts. The Biennial Faculty Exhibition will be on display in the Rosemary Berkel and Harry L. Crisp II Museum. Participants in the Percussion Camp will performance a drum set and hand drumming demonstration twice during the day and masks can be created in the Cultural Arts Center Costume Shop. Other activities will include bookmark making, story time with Leah McAllister and a writing workshop by Dr. James Brubaker and Dr. Dan Crocker in the Arts Resource Center. KRCU Radio will offer the opportunity for visitors to record their personal stories to build connections with the people of southeast Missouri and to share the value of listening in a program titled “Dear Heartland.” Artists of all ages are invited to join in an interactive coloring mural in the River Campus Art Gallery, where Button Zen tangles for tweens also will be held. Participants in the Vocal Arts Book Camp will perform “Sing Out!” twice during the day, and Ivas John will perform Cool Jazz and guitar in the Robert F. and Gertrude L. Shuck Music Recital Hall. In the Dobbins Center, visitors are invited to Acting Laboratory Camp performances, stage combat exhibitions, performances by the Steel Drum Band and Percussion Ensemble, color changing chemical quilts and molecular sculpture building, a musical instrument petting zoo and an agriculture station. Capping the day’s events will be a performance of “Greater Tuna” at 7:30 p.m. in the Wendy Kurka Rust Flexible Theatre. Tickets are $20 for adults and $18 for senior citizens. Tickets are on sale now and may be purchased by contacting the River Campus Box Office, located in the Cultural Arts Center, 518 S. Fountain St., weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., by calling (573) 651-2265 or by visiting www.RiverCampusEvents.com. Festival sponsors include Drury Hotels, the Isle Casino Cape Girardeau, US Bank, the Earl and Margie Holland School of Visual and Performing Arts, Southeast Missouri State University, City of Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation, 573 Magazine, Rust Communications, KGMO, Ameren Missouri, KBSI, KRCU, Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitors Bureau, iluvlocalplaces, Don and Jo Anne Dickerson, Cape Noon Optimist Club, Cape Rotary Club, the Rosemary Berkel and Harry L. Crisp II Museum, and the University’s Departments of Art and Music and The Conservatory of Theatre and Dance. Partners include the Arts Council of Southeast Missouri, Old Town Cape and the United Way. The full River Campus summer Arts Festival lineup is as follows: Outdoor Areas: Entertainment Stage: 10 a.m.                                                  Suzuki Players (Music Academy) 10:30 a.m.                                            Magician Rob Huff 11 a.m.                                                  Chestnut Mountain Gang – Folk 11:30a.m.                                             Steve Schaffner & Derrick Irwin – Americana Noon                                                      Magician Rob Huff 12:30p.m.                                             Chestnut Mountain Gang – Folk 1 p.m.                                                     Steve Schaffner & Derrick Irwin – Americana 1:30p.m.                                                 Mike Renick – Contemporary 2 p.m.                                                     Jerry Ford Combo – Jazz 2:30 p.m.                                               Jonathan Patterson – Accordion 3 p.m.                                                     Mike Renick – Contemporary 3:30p.m.                                                 Jonathan Patterson – Accordion 4 p.m.                                                     Jerry Ford Combo – Jazz Magician: 10 a.m-5 p.m.                                       Rob Huff will roam except for 10:30 a.m. and noon show Art Tent: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.                                       Art activities and rub on tattoos for kids all day 10 a.m.-5 p.m.                                      Spray paint Galaxy – Cub Scout Pack 4020 Avenue of Art: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.                                      Artists of all ages will participate in creating chalk art Craig Thomas will create a piece for the festival Explorer RV in Southwest Parking Lot: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.                                      “Missouri’s First Inhabitants” exhibit Interactive Yard: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.                                      Lazy L Safari Petting Zoo Art Studios and Booths: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Demonstrations and art for sale Ceramics students’ demonstration Printmaking T-shirts Justin Miller in painting studio Louise Bodenheimer in art studio Photo booth Multimedia Center and Arts Guild “You Aren’t Really Here?” Community Booths: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.                                      Multiple community groups will have activities Food and Drinks: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.                                      Chartwells booth outdoors on the back patio 10 a.m.-5 p.m.                                      Kona Ice Truck Dexter Queen Food Truck Melting Co. Food Truck Outdoors Play Areas in Seminary Quad:  10 a.m.-5 p.m.                                      Moon Walkers – Bouncy houses and obstacle course 10 a.m.5 p.m.                                       Art and Geometry (Tammy Randolph and bubbles) Cultural Arts Center:  Atrium and Community Theatre:  10 a.m.-noon                                        All by Myself by Robert Scott River City Players Cultural Art Center Atrium 10 a.m.-5 p.m.                                      Girl scouts and Erin Schloss 10a.m.-5 p.m.                                       Southeast Missouri State University Admissions – Erica Ury Crisp Museum: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.                                      Biennial Faculty exhibit Rust Flexible Theatre: 7:30 p.m.                                               Production of Greater Tuna Bedell Stage: 10 a.m.                                                  Production of Dear Edwina Jr. 12:30 p.m.                                             Dance performances by Dance Consortium/Dance Intensive Camp 3 p.m.                                                     Production of Dear Edwina Jr. Dance Studio CAC157: 10 a.m.                                                   Aerial Arts Performance (The Edge, Your Fitness Advantage) 11:15 a.m.                                              Kids Aerial (Mindy Held –The Edge, Your Fitness Advantage) 12 p.m.                                                   Jazz Dance (Jessica Parra) 1:45 p.m.                                                Country Western (Irene Reynolds –Irene’s Country Dancers) 2:30 p.m.                                                Buti Yoga (Chelsea Aldrich – The Edge, Your Fitness Studio) 3:15 p.m.                                                Aerial Arts Performance (The Edge, Your Fitness Studio) CAC 155 Rehearsal Room: 11:30 a.m.                                             Percussion Camp – Drum Set and Hand Drumming Demonstration 3 p.m.                                                     Percussion Camp – Drum Set and Hand Drumming Demonstration CAC 144 Costume Shop: 10a.m.-5 p.m.                                       Mask making with Deana Luetkenhaus Seminary Building: Arts Resource Center: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.                                      Bookmark making 10:45a.m.                                              Story time with Leah McAllister Noon                                                      Story time with Leah McAllister 1:30 p.m.                                               “Using and Writing About Popular Culture in Fiction and Poetry” writing workshop with Dr. James Brubaker and Dr. Dan Crocker Writing about popular culture is always a risky proposition. From legal issues, to audience familiarity, to the risk of tying a work to a specific moment in time, many writers choose to avoid popular culture entirely in their writing. But as the speed of media and culture has increased, popular culture has become part of the daily fabric of our lives. Thus, if we're to write about living in this world, it's becoming increasingly important to sometimes. Write popular culture into our fiction and poetry. This writing session will explore some examples of writing that includes and is about popular culture, discuss strategies for writing about pop culture, and then walk writers through a process of drafting, receiving feedback, and revising, with an eye towards generating a piece of writing about popular culture. 3:45 p.m.                                               Story time with Leah McAllister Practice Room: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. KRCU – “Dear Heartland” the recording of personal stories to build connections with the people of Southeast Missouri and to share the value of listening.  For participants, it will be their “diary” -- an opportunity to reflect and to look back on the moments in their lives. River Campus Art Gallery: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.                                      Summer Fun: An experiential and interactive coloring mural designed with all ages in mind and Postcards to Go 11 a.m.                                                   Button Zen tangles for tweens 2 p.m.                                                     Button Zen tangles for tweens Shuck Recital Hall: 11 a.m.                                                  Vocal Arts Boot Camp Performance “Sing Out!” 1:30 p.m.                                               Vocal Arts Boot Camp Performance “Sing Out!” 3 p.m.                                                     Ivas John – Cool Jazz/Guitar 4 p.m.                                                     Southeast Sings  Dobbins Center:  Acting/Directing Studio: 10:30 a.m.                                             Acting Laboratory Camp Performance 1 p.m.                                                     Acting Laboratory Camp Performance 3 p.m.                                                     Stage Combat Exhibition – Bart Williams 4 p.m.                                                    Stage Combat Exhibition – Bart Williams Dobbins Center Rehearsal Hall 120: 10 a.m.                                                  Percussion Camp – Steel Drum Band and Percussion Ensemble 2 p.m.                                                     Percussion Camp – Steel Drum Band and Percussion Ensemble Dobbins Center Hallway: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.                                      Musical Instrument Petting Zoo 10 a.m.-5 p.m.                                      Center for Regional History – Adam Criblez Atrium of Dobbins Center: 10am.-5 p.m.                                        Color Changing Chemical Quilts and Molecular Sculpture Building- Chemistry (Rachel Morgan Theall and Alpha Chi Sigma) 10a.m.-5 p.m.                                       Agriculture station – Julie Weathers and Missy LaPlant Dobbins Center Gallery: 10a.m.-5 p.m. RCC 119 Dance Studio: 11 a.m.                                                    Swing Dance (Dan Beeson – Cape Ballroom) 11:45 a.m.                                              Zumba (Jessica Lopez) 1:45 p.m.                                               Contemporary Dance (Thomas Proctor -Ashleyliane Dance Company) 2:30 p.m.                                              The Conservatory Dance Intensive Studio Performance 3:15 p.m.                                               Princess Ballet (Ashley Stettes & Emilia Schempp – Southeast Dance) 4 p.m.                                                     Jazz Dance (Jessica Carlson – Leverage Dance Theatre) Food and Drinks: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.                                      Chartwells at St. Vincent’s Commons