COLUMN: Middle Georgia State University’s 2022 Arts Festival highlights student talent

Middle Georgia State University’s 2022 Arts Festival remains underway with much to still see, hear and do on both MGA’s Macon and Cochran campuses.

The spring festival, the 20th–plus such festival in one guise or another at the school, is hosted by MGA’s School of Arts and Letters with activities running through April 21.

This year’s festival affords MGA the opportunity to show off the university, its student talents and to bring expert performers and others to the campus to inspire, entertain and help build bonds not only among students but beyond campus bounds into the wider Middle Georgia community.

As such, all activities are free and open to the public.

“The festival’s underlying theme is ‘Moving Forward,’” said Mary Wearn, dean of the School of Arts and Letters and professor of English. “It’s a reflection of the historical moment we’re in as we learn from and move forward from the COVID-19 pandemic and the racial and social upheavals and strides we’ve seen in the last couple of years. It’s about getting back into our lives and being next to one another in positive, uplifting ways.”

Wearn stressed not every event or artwork presented adheres strictly to conveying that message but that “Moving Forward” carries the spirit of the festival and the role art can play.

Festival activities include the visual arts, music, literature, theater, film and more. Some events that have come and gone include literature panel discussions on topics like recovery literature and tales of progress, a workshop on art journaling, a clay Raku firing demonstration, screening of films such as “Minding the Gap” and “Who is Dayani Cristal?,” plays like “The Shape of Things,” and performances of vocal, jazz, harp and other musical varieties.

Of course, the student art show at the Macon campus is finished there with works now on display at the Cochran campus’ Peacock Gallery. Now that the weather map has cleared, it’s a nice drive down to Cochran to see the exhibit and grab lunch. It’s less than 45-minute away.

A sketch of coming festival events on the Macon campus at 100 University Parkway includes:

• An MGA Percussion Ensemble Concert, April 12 at 7:30 p.m., in the Arts Complex Theatre

• An outdoor concert featuring famed jazz trombonist Wycliffe Gordon, April 14 at 7:30 p.m., in the MGA Arts Complex Theater

• A showing of “Daniel and Nate,” April 14 at 2 p.m., in MGA’s math auditorium. “Daniel and Nate” is a short documentary produced by MGA film professor Lauren Cater that was featured at the Miami Film Festival and Big Sky Documentary Film Festival about young caregivers

• MGA’s Commercial Combos and Jazz Ensemble Outdoor Concert, April 21, at 5:30 p.m., in the SLC amphitheater

• MGA Student Film Showcase, April 21 at 2 p.m., in the math auditorium featuring short films made by MGA student filmmakers

For more on festival events as well as similar events at MGA throughout the year, visit mga.edu/arts-letters and select “Cultural Events” down the right-hand menu.

“Everything about the festival aligns with the School of Arts and Letters’ mission to provide broad access to arts and humanities education that promotes creativity, elevates culture, encourages the pursuit of happiness and prepares intellectually agile citizens to serve our communities and the creative economy of Georgia,” Wearn said. “At the same time, it also aligns with our strategic imperatives to become an engine of culture on our campuses and in the wider community and to build community both on campus and between the school and the Middle Georgia community.”

Founded in the 1970s as Macon Junior College, the campus was seen as a place where even students rarely stayed beyond class times. As its name changes have reflected its growing status toward becoming a university, that conception no longer fits.

“We have a university imperative to generate engagement on our campuses among students and in our wider community,” Wearn said. “We are not a downtown university so it’s a little more difficult for people to realize.”

Wearn is an avid proponent of liberal arts education, unusual maybe because she changed careers from a solid, science and technology career as an engineer to one in the liberal arts and now as an educator. She said where once people wondered what you could actually do with a liberal arts degree, now liberal arts professionals have a place not only as creative artists and performers but their skills are in high demand in business, government and other areas.

“To begin with, students these days are hungry for a real connection to things and the humanities and liberal arts provide that,” Wearn said. “They’re fundamental to our enjoyment of life. But now, people in the business arena are saying the fuel of Georgia’s economic growth is in the creativity that fuels the state’s creative economy.”

She said the schools’ media communications programs and degrees are a good example and include but go beyond fields like film and TV production or people’s enjoyment of galleries.

“Even people outside the arts or film production in industry and areas of government and commerce say they need people who can grab a camera and create a film track, produce graphics and art, and, above all, think creatively. In light of this, we work very hard preparing our students and showing them paths between the arts and real jobs in the real world. Their work may bring the enjoyment and delight that are natural in the arts but they may be finding their careers in IT, industry, government or helping businesses solve problems creatively.”

Wearn stressed the school historically has served much of Middle Georgia and the state’s underserved population from its Macon and Cochran campuses which were combined as one school in 2012. Campus locations now include sites in Warner Robins, Dublin and Eastman.

All that should be kept in mind when taking advantage of and enjoying the festival and future cultural MGA offerings.

A few other highlights on tap in days ahead include:

• “Footloose,” a free showing of the 1980s hit film presented by the Macon Film Festival in Washington Park, 1150 Magnolia St., as part of its ongoing “Movies in My Park” series. It starts at 7 p.m.
• “The Roommate,” presented as part of Theatre Macon’s Stage 2 Series. Tickets are $15 with Friday and Saturday’s shows at 8 p.m. and Sunday’s at 2:30. www.theatremacon.com
• The Magnolia Soap Box Derby is back for 2022 and runs Saturday starting at 10 a.m. on Magnolia Street. It’s free to watch and food trucks, music and family-fun opportunities are on hand throughout the racing day. www.magnoliaderby.com
• The Heather Gillis Band is at Grant’s Lounge Saturday, 576 Poplar St., starting at 9 p.m. and Storytellers Macon will be spinning tales about “Getting to the Finish” at Grant’s April 12 with doors open at 6:30 p.m. for socializing and the show at 7 p.m. www.historicgrants.com, www.storytellersmacon.org

Contact writer Michael W. Pannell at mwpannell@gmail.com.

This story was originally published April 8, 2022 at 7:00 AM.