Wexner Center for the Arts welcomes back students

Elizabeth Tzagournis
Thu, 22 Sep 2016 16:53:58 +0000
Arts & Life, Fine Arts, News, black mountain college, election, fall student party, Jeni's, leap before you look, the wex, wexner center for the arts

Students enjoy food and entertainment at the 2015 Wexner Center for the Arts Fall Student Party. Credit: Lantern File Photo

The Wexner Center for the Arts is hosting its annual Fall Student Party on Friday night.

Students can take in the Wex’s new exhibit “Leap Before You Look: Black Mountain College 1933-1957.” Admission to the galleries is always free for students, but additionally, the event will offer free pizza and Jeni’s ice cream, giveaways and a screening of the comedy cult classic “Election,” starring Reese Witherspoon.

The Fall Student Party drew thousands of students last year and the Wex staff anticipates this year to be the same, said Clara Davison, a second-year in business and arts management and development assistant at the Wex. She said students interested in attending should bring their BuckIDs and arrive early.

“There was a line basically all the way down the Wex plaza to High (Street) and I think they wound up having 1500 or 2000 students in the Wex last year,” Davison said. “(It) was incredible to see that kind of turnout and just how excited everyone was to be there.”

In addition to the free food and film showing, there will be performances scattered around the galleries of the Wex. Performances will include dances and a cello ensemble. Davison said the presence of live performers alongside the art pieces will heighten the experience of being in the gallery.

“They really wanted to engage different facets of the arts, not just the visual,” she said.

The Fall Student Party is one of the many events that the Wex offers, said Eric Meiring, a fourth-year in art history and an education intern at the Wex. He said the Wex is more than simply an art museum, noting that many students simply may not realize all the center has to offer.

“The Wex is such a hidden gem on campus,” Davison said. “We all walk past it every day. It’s easy to forget that the Wex is a significant art museum.”

Davison said the Wex is the only Midwestern venue showcasing the “Leap Before You Look” exhibit.?

“This is really the first comprehensive exhibition on a liberal arts college that was formed in North Carolina,” said Marisa Espe, the education assistant at the Wex. “Some of the most important and innovative artists, poets (and) musicians came out of this college and we’re really excited to have it and share it with university audiences at a school as big as OSU.”

Espe said she hopes the event spurs more student participation in all the public programming the Wex offers. There are internship and volunteer opportunities available to anyone interested in getting more involved, she said.

The Fall Student Party is set to begin at 9 p.m. in the Wex and is free for all students. “Election” will be shown at 10 p.m. in Mershon Auditorium.