The College of Arts and Letters is bridging culture and community with its week-long Festival of the Arts event that will showcase art, music and family fun.

“We’re doing the event to promote the arts on campus and off campus,” said development and external relations coordinator for the College of Arts and Letters Catherine Labbe. “We’re trying to bring our students out for the whole week and all their activities.”

The one week event is geared toward bringing students, community and alumni to Sacramento State through a Family Funday Sunday, which will highlight the art of students and conversations with Sac State graduates previously cast in the musical performance “Cabaret,” as well as musical guest artist Steve Turre, a “Saturday Night Live” band member and former Sac State student who will be performing April 17.

“We want to bring all of our alumni back to campus and entertain them for the day and remind them, you know, where they’ve come from and everything that we do here on campus,” Labbe said.

Communication studies major Brad Kajiwara, who is head of the planning and management team for the Festival of the Arts, said he is excited to see Turre live.

“I have seen videos of (Turre). I have heard recordings and he’s quite amazing. So I’m looking forward to watching that performance,” Kajiwara said.

Festival of the Arts guests can also expect alumni poetry reading later in the week.

 Labbe said people who appreciate the arts and seek different kinds of cultural events usually attend, but the Funday is a way to broaden the kinds of attendees.

“We felt that the festival was wonderful but there wasn’t a specific event geared toward bringing the community to campus so this was kind of a way that we think we can accomplish that,” Labbe said.

Labbe said the Funday is specifically used as an open house.

“We’re going to have our building here open, galleries open for the day, music by student bands, a ceramics sale – all sorts of different things,” Labbe said.

Senior communication studies major Elvia Medina – also part of the planning and management team – said the event is an opportunity for students to showcase their creativity.

“I’m really excited for the event – just to see what other students have been working so hard for and just to see it come together,” Medina said.

Senior ceramics major Michelle Haas said the ceramic pieces she has made at Sac State will be debuted at the festival.

“I’m really looking forward to all the different majors getting together and kind of like making awareness for Sac State’s art program,” Haas said. “I’m just really excited to see how that all intertwines.”

Among other artist lecturers throughout week, Labbe said a guest artist ceramicist will do a live demonstration and Dance Space Sacramento dancers will be coming for the Funday.

In addition, Medina said the Funday also includes an art walk, a place where attendees can create their own music, a kid zone in the Quad, and free ice cream.

“Leatherby’s is actually coming and offering us free ice cream which is exciting,” Medina said. 

Labbe said students are looking forward to Sacramento Mobile Foods Events (SactoMoFo) at the Funday.

“We’re having the mobile food trucks here so they get excited about food all the time, which is understandable,” Labbe said.

Labbe said building an excitement that is outside of what you do everyday and being able to experience and appreciate what other people do is what the College is trying to bring about with the event.

“The theory in the College of Arts and Letters is that the arts offer a kind of well-rounded student and person,” Labbe said. “The idea is that you have an education, but that also includes cultural experiences that contribute to the person who you are so when you leave campus, you’re open minded – you’re interested in different things around you.”

The Festival of the Arts will be held at Sac State April 12-17.