This fall UH has the honor of participating in 45 Days: Exploring the Arts, the collaborated artistic effort that is taking place across Houston. It is 45 days geared at art lovers and locals showcasing more than 40 arts organizations, galleries, artists and restaurants with the flare that Houston is known for. The UH community and general public are invited to campus to experience a range of artistic performances running until Oct. 18 as part of the UH Arts initiative’s contribution to the campaign. Marketing and Communication Assistant Director, Meera Bowman-Johnson, who is actively involved in 45 Days: Exploring the Arts, gives us insight on the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences’s contribution and the talent expected from our very own artistic colony on campus.
TC: Why is CLASS involved in this event?
Johnson: UH Arts is comprised of all the visual, literary, performing, interdisciplinary arts as well as architecture and design — all disciplines that are part of CLASS at UH. the highlight of the fall arts season is Red Block Bash 2014, co-sponsored by UH Arts and the Blaffer Art Museum Students Association. Set to take place on Oct. 9 from 4 to 8 p.m., this free interactive art open house will feature live performances, free food, art-making activities and food trucks in the newly-landscaped Grove between the Moores School of Music and Blaffer Art Museum.
TC: This being UH’s first time, who exactly will be participating in the event?
Johnson: Yes, this is the first time that UH Arts and CLASS has been involved with the campaign and we are honored and excited to be part of it. In one way or another, every arts-related program on campus is participating this year. From the performances taking place during the 45 day period to architectural displays that will be featured at the Red Block Bash, every creative entity within CLASS is involved in the 45 Days campaign on some level. It’s an exciting time to introduce the entire city the creativity that exists on our campus.
TC: Is there anything particularly interesting about the event you would like students to know about?
Johnson: Historically, the UH Arts initiative and the BAMSA have held separate fall art making events in the Fine Arts Courtyard behind Blaffer Art Museum and in the green space between Moores School of Music and the museum. This year, to celebrate the newly landscaped green space, now called The Grove, UH Arts and BAMSA have joined forces to produce a free outdoor festival that encompasses the best of the arts at UH. It is really going to be a festive celebration of the creativity of our students and programs, complete with live performances, free food, art-making and food trucks for the dinner crowd. The UH community and the community at large now have a beautiful outdoor space, complete with an outdoor stage, right in our own backyard. What (better) time to introduce the public to it than at a festive outdoor celebration of culture and creativity? As Houstonians take in all of the cultural attractions throughout this 45 Day period, the will also discover that there’s an entire world of artistic expression on our campus located a short drive from downtown.
TC: Is there incentive to attend this event besides being purely art lovers?
Johnson: Absolutely! No matter what you’re majoring in everyone has creativity. We’re all born with it, but sometimes along the way, our passion for making and appreciating art becomes discouraged. A celebration like the Red Block Bash exists to help remind students, faculty, staff and the general public that we all possess the capacity to create and appreciate the arts. It is our hope that students will realize that innate creativity not only exists it’s something to be excited about.
