The fifth annual Arts Open House was held on Thursday for students to explore all forms of artistic disciplines. The theme for this years “A Taste of the Arts” was sweets, and many booths offered cupcakes, candies and teas. | Emily S. Chambers/The Daily Cougar
Students were in for a treat Thursday morning at the fifth annual Arts Open House, “A Taste of the Arts,” held at the Fine Arts District on campus.
The Arts Open House serves as a taste test for all that UH Arts has to offer, from music and literature to arts and dance. Academic organizations showed off their new or relatively unknown programs, such as professor and writer Mat Johnson’s comic writing class and The Honors College’s Creative Work minor. Music students performed, improv students gave shows and writers with the University’s literary magazine “Glass Mountain” gave readings.
“The purpose of ‘A Taste of the Arts’ is to celebrate all the arts programs at UH and really highlight the different things that happen in the different artistic disciplines, including (the) visual, performing, literary and interdisciplinary arts,” said Meera Bowman-Johnson, assistant director of marketing for UH Arts.
“All of the arts programs have a lot to offer. Students work very hard and are very talented and put on performances and exhibitions throughout out the year. Rarely do we all get together at one time to express creativity in the same place.”
This year’s theme was sweets, and the festival put out all the stops, as many booths offered cupcakes and teas hosted by Cafe 101 and The Nook Cafe, while another table hosted a full candy bar.
“Both are really great places for artistic expression, in that artists and writers have always loved coffee houses. We wanted to make sure that The Nook was part of this event to let art students and the general UH student body know that that’s a good place to get together, share ideas and do late-night studying,” Bowman-Johnson said.
Outside organizations had tables as well, such as the Museum of Fine Arts Houston, which provided students with information about the museum and let students enter to win a chance to attend an exclusive afterparty.
“I’m here to engage the student body and (let them) know about the programming and the exhibitions,” said Whit Bones, external engagement liaison with MFAH.
“There’s a long standing partnership with the University of Houston in general and the Museum of Fine Arts; (they are) two big cultural institutions, (so) it makes sense that we work with each other.”
The goal of the event was to get students aware of arts on campus, and many said that’s exactly what it did.
“(My friend and I) were in drama when we were in high school, so we love the arts. It’s not just about painting … there’s so much to it,” said nutrition sophomore Leanna Ajurre.
“Before I did the whole theater stuff I used to think art was just, ‘Oh it’s just a painting,’ but when you really get into it, it’s a whole different level; there’s so much variety to it. This (event) is exposing that.”
