By Emma Rodgers
Daily Bruin Contributor
Students who were previously modest poets, musicians or
film-addicts will surface from anonymity into the glory of what may
be an opportunity to shine in artistic fame.
Marking the birth of interdisciplinary artistic expression at
UCLA, the first UCLA Day for Art will take over Westwood Plaza, the
Kerckhoff Grand Salon, Ackerman Grand Ballroom and the Ackerman 2nd
Floor lounge between noon and 5 p.m. today.
As a program sponsored by the Undergraduates for Art, the
project began with third-year student Jennifer Wang’s desire
to provide all students with a forum for artistic expression.
After receiving a surprisingly large student response to the
prospect of a creative writing publication, the English and
economics student realized that something needed to be done for
students interested in the arts.
“I just threw the idea out to a bunch of people,”
Wang said, nonchalantly. “Doris Lok and Richard Castiel
responded, we registered as a student group, and (UCLA Day for Art)
happened.”
However, nonchalance cannot be credited for turning what began
as a three-person team into a committee of about 13 students and
more than 40 artists. The Day for Art has been in the works since
last December and committee members plan to extend the event into
an annual UCLA affair.
“I think the important thing is that it is a forum for any
student. You don’t have to be an expert or even specializing
in this as your goal in life. If you have an interest in art,
it’s an outlet for you,” third-year Richard Castiel,
head of the film committee, said.
Not only will the Day for Art offer non-professional artists the
opportunity to actually display their work and to communicate their
messages to a larger community, but it will also provide UCLA
students with a unique artistic escape in between classes.
From Westwood Plaza to Kerckhoff, the UCLA campus will be
transformed into an artistic bazaar. Pop and rock music, taiko
drumming and a performance art piece will be shown on Bruin Plaza
between noon and 1 p.m. Visual arts will be displayed in the
Ackerman 2nd Floor Lounge between noon and 5 p.m.. The project
will, essentially, serve as a bridge between both artistic genres
and campus disciplines.
“The people who are submitting are not actually art majors
and it’s so great to get that response,” said Rosette
Gonzales, a third-year international development studies
student.
Contributing painters range from chemistry students to art
history students, even including a UCLA doctor. Such diversity and
enthusiastic response from all facets of the community highlights
the importance of the event.
Poets will take the stage between noon and 2 p.m. in the
Kerckhoff Grand Salon while short films, rap, instrumental and
opera music will fill the Ackerman Grand Ballroom.
Even students who never got around to submitting their work will
be granted the spotlight in the hour of Open Mike at the Kerckhoff
Grand Salon from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.
The event is a celebration of the unifying nature of creativity
and, in the wake of the political strife and controversy of the
USAC elections, the project will provide an inspirational
breather.
“One of my oil paintings shows the clash between inner
spirituality and the outer material world and is about finding
balance in your life. I think the message is really relevant to a
lot of students and their lives at UCLA,” said second-year
art contributor Amy Cheng.
Cheng is not the only student artist taking advantage of the Day
for Art as a means of communicating a personal message to the UCLA
community. Contributor Shriva Ghodsi is a graduating sociology
major who has been painting recreationally for the past two years.
Hesitant to dedicate herself to what she considers the restrictive
format of art classes, she said the Day for Art provided her with
the opportunity to display her work to her peers without feeling
limited by a classroom curriculum.
“The emotions and feelings I have inside come out through
the paint. (One of my paintings) is a picture of a face smoking
with a yellow bird in one eye and objects piled on the
figure’s head,” Ghodsi said.
“(The painting) represents what’s going on in my
life in the sense that things have been piling up as I adjust to
the routine here. The cigarette signifies my smoking in the routine
of everyday life. However, the yellow bird represents hope and
sanity, showing that there is hope inside,” Ghodsi
continued.
The universality of Ghodsi’s theme speaks to the UCLA
community as every student copes with the routine of daily life and
the stress of the inevitable onslaught of finals week. Just as she
wishes to convey hope with bird imagery, so do the Undergrads for
Art hope to offer students the freedom to release their energy and
to communicate a positive message artistically.
Coupled with passionate artists and the determination of
committee heads, the infant project promises to grow from a 24-hour
event into a permanent aspect of the university.
“We think that the Art major is restrictive in that you
can’t take classes unless you’re a major,” Wang
said. “We’re going to work with the department next
year to try and get them to help us out with some events so that
people who aren’t majors can still learn about art and have
that outlet,” she added.
The project is still in its developmental stages and the
committee welcomes those interested to attend the reception today
at 3 p.m. in the Kerckhoff Grand Salon.
“We’ve actually had to turn people away who have
recently volunteered to help, saying that they didn’t hear
about the event until now,” Wang said. “I even received
one e-mail exclaiming, “˜I’ve been waiting four years
for this to happen.’ My response to these people is: join us
next year. It’ll be even bigger and better.”