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Arts al Fresco<\/EM><\/P><\/TD><\/TR><\/TABLE><\/P> Born from the idea to spotlight students\u2019 artistic talent, \u201cArts in April\u201d will make its inaugural debut on the Delta State University campus this spring. The Delta State Special Programs Committee will sponsor a month-long festival of events, all specifically focused to showcase student soloists, ensembles, artists and writers. <\/P> \u201cArts in April\u201d will launch, Monday, April 3 at noon with \u201cArts al Fresco.\u201d To take place outside Holcomb-Norwood Hall, weather permitting, \u201cArts al Fresco\u201d will feature spontaneous painting and musical improvisation by students in reaction to an original student poem. The public is invited to bring a lunch and watch the artists\u2019 work evolve as they interact and inspire each other.<\/P> The event\u2019s calendar also includes a duo of lunchtime lectures, beginning Monday, April 10 at noon on the second floor of the H.L. Nowell Union on campus. Malcolm White, Director of the Mississippi Arts Commission, will keynote an arts forum, with presentations and performances to be made by Delta State students. <\/P> On Tuesday, April 18 at 12:15 p.m. in the art history lecture room of Holcomb-Norwood Hall, Dr. Douglas Lewis, distinguished art historian and curator for Sculpture and Decorative Arts at the National Gallery in Washington DC for over 30 years, will present, \u201cMississippi\u2019s \u2018Surprising\u2019 Architecture,\u201d detailing the architectural legacy of the Magnolia State. The month-long festival will culminate, Sunday, April 30 at 3 p.m. in the Bologna Performing Arts Center on campus with a musical extravaganza featuring the choirs of Delta State, the University of Southern Mississippi and the University of Mississippi. The three choirs along with the orchestra from USM will perform three masterworks for choir and orchestra. This concert will be followed by a gala reception sponsored by the Special Programs Committee. <\/P> All events are open to the public and many are free of charge, with a complimentary coffee bar and light desserts to be provided at all indoor events.<\/P>
\u201cArts in April\u201d will also include a reading of student authors whose works will be published in this year\u2019s student literary anthology, \u201cThe Confidante.\u201d The event is scheduled for Monday, April 24 at 7 p.m. on the second floor lobby of the H.L. Nowell Union. <\/P>