Published on July 23, 2021 by Ashley Smith  
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Samford University’s School of the Arts is rolling out the red carpet this fall to welcome patrons back to campus to enjoy events in person.   Performances and exhibits will take place in the Art Gallery, Brock Recital Hall, Wright Center, Reid Chapel, Hodges Chapel, Bolding Studio and Harrison Theatre.  Theatre patrons will benefit from upgraded accessible seating and performance enhancements as a result of renovations in Harrison Theatre this summer.  Additionally, the School of the Arts will be celebrating 15-year anniversaries of Brock Recital Hall and the Bonnie Bolding Studio.

“The School of the Arts is excited to have you back in our spaces and cheering for our students.  It is important to our students to have visible support from our community, and we have a tremendous season planned. We encourage our friends to come back to campus and enjoy the talent of our faculty, students and guest artists,” said Joe Hopkins, dean of the School of the Arts.

The Patty McDonald Faculty Gala will open our season on September 14 at 7:30 p.m. in Brock Recital Hall.  The Division of Music will host numerous student, ensemble and faculty recitals throughout the fall and spring. Music and worship services and concerts will feature the A Cappella Choir choral vespers in Hodges Chapel along with Worship Exchange guests, Samford Worship Team services and Worship Arts Ensemble concerts. The new Commercial Music Ensemble will debut this fall. The Dr. Chandler and Jane Paris Smith Opera Series will include Opera Workshops in November and The Magic Flute  in April 2022. The full calendar is available at Samford.edu/arts/events. 

The Department of Theatre and Dance will begin its season with the Emma Taylor Theatre for Youth production of The Wind in the Willows Oct. 1-3.  The Michael J. and Mary Anne Freeman Theatre and Dance Series will feature two fall productions.  Lynn Nottage’s Crumbs from the Table of Joy will be performed October 28-31.  Musical theatre students will present the holiday favorite, A Christmas Carol, December 2-5 in the Wright Center. The spring line-up includes The Laramie Project  and the Annual Dance Concert in February.

The Art Gallery will also host a combination of exhibits highlighting guest artists and student work.  The Clarence Brooks Art & Design Series was established this year to pay tribute to Brooks, a Samford alumnus and former Chair of the School of the Arts Advisory Board. The first exhibit will be Matter & Spirit, Sept. 1-Oct. 7,  which includes works by exceptional Chinese and American artists. Samford professor Scott Fisk is a part of this multi-cultural project that explores Christianity in art. Tad Gloeckler, Professor of Art at the University of Georgia, will be the featured guest artist from Oct. 19-Nov. 19.  Student work will be presented at the close of the semester and will be available for viewing at the December commencement.  Spring shows will include work by art and design faculty, artist Jamaal Barber, and the annual juried student show.

The annual Davis Architects Guest Artist Series will feature artists in the spring of 2022.  Pianist Misha Dichter, violinist Rachel Barton Pine, Invoke and Sandbox Percussion will be on campus to perform as well as work with students in masterclasses.  This series is co-sponsored by the Birmingham Chamber Music Society.

For the most up to date listings and ticket information visit samford.edu/arts/events.

 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 6,101 students from 45 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.