The Student Government's Arts Council worked with various on-campus arts organizations to create their launch event, the Spring Arts Festival, which they held last week.
The week's events included everything from a Department of Performing Arts production to choral performances and a networking opportunity with a Warner Brothers talent agent. The festival lasted from March 28 to yesterday, according to the SG Web site.
Barron John Weyerhaeuser, Arts Council chair, said the festival had multiple goals.
"We wanted to have some programming to kick the arts council off," he said. "It celebrates the arts at AU."
SG President Joe Vidulich said he was not only pleased with the outcome of the festival, but also how inexpensive the event cost.
"For a first time festival, I thought it was very good," he said. "They put on this great event for under $3,000."
It's not always easy being an arts organization on AU's campus, Weyerhaeuser said.
"A lot of the time having your event as an arts organization on campus is difficult," he said.
Weyerhaeuser said he created the arts council to help remedy this problem.
"My mission is to have an ongoing presence for arts advocacy. I think it's an integral part of a liberal arts education," he said.
Vidulich said Weyerhaeuser has done a great job as the Arts Council's first chairman.
"I was very proud about the work that Barron and his committee did," he said. "Barron has risen above the bureaucracy. He's brought an air of civility."
Weyerhaeuser said he was pleased with the festival.
"Most events were well attended," he said. "I would call it a definite success."
The Arts Council is required to hold the festival each year, since that was placed in the legislation that created the council, Weyerhaeuser said.
"It's in the bylaws for the Student Government for the Arts Council Chair to hold an annual spring arts festival."
Though Weyerhaeuser is a senior, he said he hopes his successor expands the event.
"I would like to see it expand to having artists on the quad to sell their art and to have student art up in some of the academic buildings," he said.
Vidulich said he was glad Weyerhaeuser made the event permanent.
"I'm glad it's going to be around for the long haul," he said.
Weyerhaeuser said the Arts Council doesn't have any more major events planned for the remainder of the year, but will be co-sponsoring "The West Wing" star Martin Sheen's Kennedy Political Union speech next Monday.
