The Eclectic Live, an event dedicated to showcasing the talents and artwork of students on the UWG campus, is set to take place on Sept. 15 at 7 p.m. in the Amp Theater in Carrollton. Though this is the first year for this type of event, Tommy Cox, professor of theater and director of the College of Arts and Humanities School of the Arts (SOTA) is in high hopes that this will become a yearly ritual.
The Eclectic, which is a yearly publication run entirely by student staff and student submissions of creative literary pieces and artwork, is the main inspiration behind this event. Katie Chaple, published poet, UWG professor and advisor for the Eclectic since fall 2007, said that she hopes to “share with the community what we do in SOTA…the Eclectic is a coalescence of fine work our students create, and we want to invite the larger community to experience a taste of what our students produce and craft – work which is already an inspiration to the campus and the faculty at UWG”.
Chaple, alongside Cox, hopes to promote for the Eclectic, SOTA and the UWG artistic community as a whole. The talents that will be provided during the event are entirely chosen by the faculty in Arts and Humanities. “We look through the Eclectic of the previous year and we reach out to those artists and ask if they would like to perform in the showcase… this is the most collaborative thing that we have done on campus in 15 years,” said Cox.
The event is free to attend and open to the community, however they are encouraging the attendees to purchase and decorate a table where they can enjoy the show. At the end of the night, the group with the best dressed table will win a prize. There will be a variety show with several performances from the UWG marching band, poetry and short story readings from previous submissions in the Eclectic, short performances from the theater company, as well as films. They hope that the money they receive from the event will help to raise money for the arts and humanities department, providing money for student scholarships, study abroad programs, and the Eclectic. Sponsors from around the Carrollton community have stepped up to help support the event, and their logos and businesses will be promoted throughout the night. Local radio station, KISS 102.7, will also be in attendance, giving away contest prizes.
Students and community are encouraged to arrive to the event early in order to enjoy the festival type atmosphere and restaurants located around the square before the show starts.
