Sacramento State professors and students have been working together to bring creative art, emotive music and original performances on stage for the 16th annual Festival of the Arts on March 11-15.

“Basically, what we’re doing is getting all of the arts programs together and they are scheduling events all within four days,” Jeffrey Mason, dean of the College Arts and Letters, said. “It’s an unbeatable concentration of things happening.”

Sac State’s Art, Design, English, Music and Theatre and Dance departments are all participating together to give the public a chance to view and enjoy interesting events that are taking place on campus.

The Festival of the Arts was created by Sac State’s art departments about 15 years ago and has been celebrated every spring since.

“I think it would be something interesting for students to come and see,” said Kate Millsap, administrative support assistant. “They will get to see what professors do as well.”

Those works highlighted during The Festival of the Arts will include:

? The musical “42nd Street,” which will be performed by the theater department at 8 p.m. on March 14 in Shasta Hall.

According to the theater department, the musical, choreographed and directed by theater and dance professor Ed Brazo, is about a young chorus girl from a small town who becomes a Broadway star.

? Sacramento’s Dangerous Lorraines Dance Theater will also be performing during the same time as the musical. They will be repeating their performance the next night as well, just in case anyone misses it the first time. The Dangerous Lorraines Dance will take place in Solano Hall 1010.

If both of these events don’t satisfy your lust for music, don’t worry. The Los Angeles Quartet will be gracing Sac State with their talent on March 12 in Capistrano Hall. According to laq.com, they are known as the “creators of the unique synthesis of world music and contemporary styles.” The show will be from 7:30 p.m. to about 9:30 p.m.

“The festival is important because Sac State and the Sacramento community can come and see all the arts – music, theater, dance, sculpting – they can see it live,” music professor Lorna Peters said.

Other music performances include:

? Sac State’s Jazz Ensemble with special guest Dave Pietro, who will be playing the saxophone, and Indian classical music by Anuradha Sridhar, a violinist will be playing at 8 p.m. on March 13 in the Recital Hall. Anuradha Sridhar will be wrapping up the festival with her recital on at 8 p.m. on March 15 in the Recital Hall as well.

? Brian Evenson, fiction writer, will be kicking off the festival with a free reading at 6:30 p.m. on March 11. Other free readings throughout the festival include poet Amy Gerstler, memoirist Dinah Lenney and three Sac State students who will all be reading from their own work. All the readings will be in the library.

? Lecturers at the festival will be architect Lawrence Scarpa and artist Richard Jackson.

“I assume they will be explaining what they do,” Mason said.

All the music performances at the festival require an entrance fee. However, students attending the events will be given a discount.

The Festival of the Arts does offer free events as well so don’t be alarmed. All the readings and lectures at the festival are completely free of charge.

The faculty art exhibition in the library gallery will be showcased from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on March 14. This year, there is a big Latino art exhibition that will feature the La Raza Galleria Posada and many of the Royal Chicano Air Force’s work.

The RCAF is an art activist group that is internationally known. They are involved in art and politics and are known for their murals and posters. They are still an active group with members such as artist Xico Gonzalez.

The late art professor Ricardo Favela was a founding member of the RCAF. He also helped in designing the fountain “Symbiosis” on campus in memory to the former mayor Joe Serna and his wife Isabel Serna-Hernandez. This year, an art history symposium will be dedicated in Favela’s memory.

“In fact, every time you go into the library, by the circulation desk you’ll see posters by the RCAF donated by Ricardo Favela,” said Catherine Turrill, European art professor and colleague of Favela’s.

Favela got his master’s degree in art from Sac State and returned to teach as a full-time Barrio art professor in 1998 after Jose Montoya, another art professor, retired.

“When Jose Montoya retired, we looked for someone who would teach the Barrio arts program, which is one of the most important parts of the arts,” Turrill said.

Barrio art originated from a neighborhood known as the Barrio, Turrill said.

Favela passed away last July but his artwork will be remembered at Sac State. Favela’s artwork includes ceramic sculpting, silk screens and posters.

“He was a very generous person – generous with his time, generous with his students, just generous and humble. He was a very important member of the local arts community,” Turrill said. “He was a founding member of this international art group.”

The Festival of the Arts will be a great way to learn more about what Favela did and see his work. It will also be interesting to see different talents and have the opportunity to see what the arts departments at Sac State have to offer.

“It’s the best chance to see what we do all in one weekend,” Mason said.

Typhani Yang can be reached at [email protected]