As part of this year's History Through the Arts exhibit, student artists and performers from diverse backgrounds will showcase their work at 7 tonight in Heritage Hall.
Corey Brisseau (junior-biology and health and human development) is the main organizer for this year's event, which has been sponsored by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) for the past three or four years, he said.
The event is a chance for students to experience a wide variety of artistic expression and witness the effects of art across various cultures, Brisseau said.
From 7 to 8 p.m., Brisseau said there will be food available to guests and the artistic showcase will be open for viewing. The art will include everything from paintings, graphic art and modeling, to clay figurines and origami, he added.
Some students who will display their work have had pieces previously displayed in locations throughout the campus, he added.
Juliet Orji (senior-information sciences and technology) has not had art previously exhibited but will be displaying several of her pencil drawings and paintings in this year's History Through the Arts.
"I'm so excited because I have never been a part of this kind of event before," she said.
Orji said her art is more of a hobby and she only entered her work following advice from a friend who heard they were looking for entries for History Through the Arts.
"I've been to the museums and I've seen the art in the HUB, but I've never been to an event that had drawings and paintings and all the other art forms too before, so this is new for me," she said.
From 8 to 10 p.m. the focus of the event will shift to performances of various media. Brisseau said several students will sing, dance and read poetry for the audience. Others will perform acts of tribute to artists such as Maya Angelou and Stevie Wonder, he added.
"I would encourage everyone to come because it's a great opportunity to see how art has played an important part in many peoples' lives for many years," Brisseau said.
