Arts Alive SDSU Announces Fall 2018 Signature Events

Arts Alive SDSU has announced its fall 2018 signature events, a series of performing and visual arts events throughout the semester. These events showcase a wide range of high-quality arts programs available at San Diego State University. 

“Arts are an integral part of a comprehensive university education,” said Eric Smigel, chair of Arts Alive SDSU. “Faculty, students and staff in all academic disciplines are engaged in creative research. These signature events are a way of inviting them to participate in a rich conversation that addresses themes relevant to contemporary culture.”

The signature events provide ambitious, entertaining and critically thought-provoking arts programming to SDSU and the community. Last year, 14,508 individuals attended Arts Alive SDSU events.

Signature events for fall 2018 include offerings in film, art, theatre, dance, musical theatre, jazz, choral, and orchestra. Information and a link to tickets for all SDSU events can be found at artsalive.sdsu.edu. 

Calendar of Signature Events

Gallery Exhibition: Tom Loeser: Please Please Please 
Saturday, August 4 through Sunday, October 28
SDSU Downtown Gallery
Free Admission

Featuring more than 20 works of art, this exhibition showcases Tom Loeser’s investigation of unconventional furniture forms and his exploration of works on paper. Accessible and entertaining, Loeser’s innovative furniture and craft works display a playful quality. 

Film: Best of the Best Film Fest
Thursday, September 13 and Friday, September 14 
Don Powell Theatre
Tickets: $10

This faculty curated, two-evening program features a variety of fiction and documentary short films created by students. Each evening’s program is distinct and features a blend of new and recent past work.

Theatre: The Glaspell Project
Friday, September 28 through Sunday, October 7
Experimental Theatre
Tickets: $20/$17

Directed by Randy Reinholz and featuring two one-act plays by Susan Glaspell, “The Glaspell Project” touches on social justice themes that continue to hound contemporary culture. “Trifles” (1916) was inspired by a murder trial, and “Woman’s Honor” (1918) is a satirical comedy. 

Music: Chamber Music Showcase
Sunday, October 21
San Diego Central Library
Free Admission

The SDSU School of Music and Dance and the San Diego Public Library present a dazzling live chamber music program showcasing the rising talent of SDSU's student chamber music ensembles in the Neil Morgan Auditorium of the downtown library.

Art: A Conversation with Nick Cave, moderated by Edward Goldman
Thursday, October 25
Copley Auditorium at San Diego Museum of Art Free for SDSU students with ID; $10 general

Contemporary artist Nick Cave works between the visual and performing arts, and is best known for his series of “Soundsuits,” a series of fantastic creations that conceal gender, race, and class while telling stories through dance and movement. This intimate conversation offers a unique opportunity to hear Cave address topics such as racism and gun violence.

Music: SDSU Jazz Ensemble with Special Guest Ernie Watts
Thursday, October 25
Smith Recital Hall
Tickets: $20/$15/$10

The acclaimed SDSU Jazz Ensemble, under the direction of Bill Yeager, performs with special guest artist Ernie Watts. A jazz and rhythm and blues saxophonist, Watts is a two-time Grammy Award winner who has been playing saxophone for more than 50 years.

Theatre: Más
Friday, November 2 through Sunday, November 11
Experimental Theatre
Tickets: $20/$17

Directed by Peter Cirino, this docudrama engages the audience in the debates around the passage in 2010 of Arizona House Bill 2281, following the dismantling of the Tucson Unified School District’s Mexican American Studies program. The play balances poetry and reenactment to capture the soul of the movement while telling the story of a contemporary community. 

Gallery Exhibition: I Love to Ride My Bicycle Saturday, November 10 through Sunday, January 27
SDSU Downtown Gallery
Free Admission

Since their invention in 1817, bicycles have affected the progress of culture and technology, and have influenced the work of visual artists, as well. “I Love to Ride My Bicycle” will present contemporary bicycle-based artworks in a variety of media and formats in recognition of the historic and ongoing significance of two-wheeled human-powered vehicles.

Opera: Flight 
Friday, November 16 through Sunday, November 18
Smith Recital Hall
Tickets: $20/$15/$10

“Flight” is inspired by the true story of an Iranian refugee who lived at the Charles de Gaulle airport for several years. This is the premiere performance under the direction of Alan E. Hicks, director of opera theatre for the San Diego Opera and the SDSU of Music and Dance. 

Musical Theatre Mega Concert: Leonard Bernstein's Mass
Thursday, December 6 through Sunday, December 9
Don Powell Theatre
Tickets: $20/$17

Composed by Leonard Bernstein and with additional text and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and Paul Simon, “Mass: A Theatre Piece for Singers, Players and Dancers” is a part of the Bernstein Centennial Celebration. The third “mega concert” collaboration at SDSU, this innovative production will feature over 200 participants for an epic evening of music and theatrical performance. 

Arts Alive SDSU provides opportunities for students, faculty and staff to engage in the arts as an integral part of a comprehensive education that promotes creative research, interdisciplinary collaboration, professional innovation and personal enrichment on campus and in the community.