NEWS: ARTE GRAS VIII: COSTUMES FOR THEATRE

 Arté Gras VIII: Costumes for Theatre

WHO: Weber State University and Universe City

WHAT: Arté Gras VIII: Costumes for Theatre by Weber State Costume Designers

WHEN: February 1-28, Opening Friday, Feb 1 at 5:00PM;
              Regular Hours: Mon-Sat 8:00AM-9:00PM and Sundays 1:00-9:00PM

WHERE: Shepherd Union Gallery, Shepherd Union Building, WSU, Ogden campus

Weber State University Department of Performing Arts theatre costumes will be the featured art during the month of February in the Shepherd Union Gallery, Shepherd Union Building, WSU Ogden campus. Opening night will be held in conjunction with Downtown Ogden’s First Friday Art Stroll, Friday, February 1. The exhibit will open at 5pm on February 1. Regular gallery hours will be Fridays, 5:00-8:00 and Saturdays, (NEW HOURS) 1:00-6:00 pm. This exhibit acknowledges Mardi Gras, a traditional celebration that includes costumes and masks, observed this year on Tuesday, February 12th.

Theatre costumes include WSU faculty Catherine Zublin’s Crocodile from WSU’s “Peter Pan” and WSU student Tyler Banks’s Centaur from “Xanadu,” as well as costumes designed by faculty, adjunct and student designers including Jean-Louise England, Phillip Lowe, Shelby Page. All of the costumes have been constructed by WSU students in the Costume Studio, managed by Jean-Louise England.

Also included will be renderings for Weber’s spring productions, “Will Rogers Follies” by Zublin (opening Feb 7) and “The Comedy of Oedipus” by Kelsey Nichols (opening Mar 22). Dozens of 12” x 18” posters will feature archival photos from WSU productions with scenes from the shows with final costumes, sets and dramatic lighting, putting the costumes in context.

This is the eighth annual costume exhibit presented by Universe City (U C) in conjunction with the WSU Department of Performing Arts. U C (you see) was a family owned and operated art center at 2556 Washington Boulevard in Ogden. The gallery participated in the First Friday Art Stroll for almost 80 First Fridays, featuring local artists, most of whom were Weber State University alumni, faculty or students. 

In addition to visual arts, U C presented many music, theatre and poetry events as well as other A&H (arts and humanities) and environmental issues meetings. Many off-campus WSU events were also held at U C. The gallery closed in July 2011. This January, the gallery went “on the road,” offering the first of three exhibits in the Shepherd Union Gallery. “Arté Gras VIII” is the February show. “Material Evidence: WSU Sculpture Student Work” is scheduled for March. Caril Jennings, Marketing Director for Universe City, as well as the WSU Department of Performing Arts, will be retiring from WSU at the end of spring semester and is enjoying these opportunities to share her passion for the visual AND performing arts as she wraps up her time at Weber State.

For more information about this exhibit contact Caril Jennings, crjennings@weber.edu.