For the fourth time, the College of Liberal Arts hosted ArtsFair – a community engagement event that gives children the opportunity to engage in interactive art activities. The event was open on Saturday, Dec. 1 from 9 a.m. to noon. Admission was $5 per person.
With 175 registered attendees, this was the most attended ArtsFair in the event’s history.
Started by the College of Liberal Arts in 2011, ArtsFair was, “born from the notion that we wanted to be able to offer some sort of experience for the community that would be very child-accessible,” said Jennie Buckwalter, an assistant dean for the College of Liberal Arts, who organized ArtsFair.
ArtsFair is a collaborate effort shared between Wright State faculty, staff and students, who all play a role in putting the different activities together, according to Buckwalter.
“It’s just a way for us to play an active role in our community, give families something fun to do and to give our students a fun outlet to get to be really hands-on and get to interact very directly with their audiences,” Buckwalter said.
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ArtsFair attendees had a wide variety of activities to engage with, including face painting, artist demonstrations, music and theatre performances, dancing and acting. Wright State faculty and students put together a performance of The Lion King which the attendees got to not only watch, but also take part in, according to Buckwalter.
“We wanted to make sure this was an opportunity for kids and their families to watch some arts entertainment but to also have a very hands-on experience as well,” Buckwalter said.
Wright State also hosts a number of art events that are planned for an adult audience, such as the Arts Gala which is held annually in April. “It is important to us that we also connect with the younger generation in our community as a way to provide them some exposure to the arts,” Buckwalter said.
