I certainly didn't when I applied to UCSD, and I came in as a Media major!
The arts are quite vivid and alive at our high tech science school. In fact, many projects created at UCSD employ the new techniques developed in our more well known departments to further push the boundaries of what one can do with an artistic mind. And once a year, during the Admit day festivities in May, the graduate students in our MFA program throw open the doors to their studios and allow the public to step into the middle of their work. This, the Open Studios presentation, is one of many opportunities you, as a UCSD student, will have to look into something that may be completely outside of your norm. The best part is, most of it is free or discounted for you. Along with the graduate work on campus, we are surrounded with student and professional art. Different rooms in Price Center East and West display student art year round (I actually had a gallery one quarter! Think of this opportunity for artists!), ranging from photography and paintings to digital projection work to 3d sculptural installations. The University Art Gallery located in Mandeville Hall in Muir College features shows from currently practicing artists year round and is free to visit for all UCSD students. Some of the best new artists in their fields visit UCSD to show their work here and often stay around to give talks about their work or their process.
If you're more interested in the performance side of the arts, have no fear. UCSD is outfitted with multiple performance spaces, including the more traditional, like Mandeville Auditorium (which we will probably be visiting during orientation!) and the Theodore and Adele Shank theatre, as well as the contemporary, like the Loft and Price Center courtyard. Furthermore, the theatre and dance department partners with the La Jolla Playhouse (located in Revelle!), which has premiered and featured some of the finest off-broadway shows of the last 60 years. Sticking to the advancement of student careers and projects, the theatre and dance department produces and puts on a show case of choreography and projects at least once a quarter, in which the graduate students and best of the undergraduates create, direct, and perform their works on full-fledged stage for the public. All of these theatre and dance opportunities are available to us at UCSD students for a highly discounted student price, which is awesome.
Last but certainly not least, I want to introduce you to UCSD's artpwr program. The ArtPower! group "engages diverse audiences through vibrant, challenging, multi-disciplinary performances by emerging and renowned international artists. Through extensive partnerships, ArtPower! provides exciting opportunities for research, participation, and creation of new work, igniting powerful dialogue between artists, students, scholars and the community. " Essentially, they bring high powered artists in the fields of music, dance, theatre, writing, film, and visual art to UCSD to perform and interact with students and the public through UCSD. Some of their upcoming shows include Steve Martin (yes, the actor and musician!), the Wonderland international contemporary dance festival, a student film festival, and multiple beautiful string quartets. If you're in mind to broaden your cultural horizons, you couldn't do much better than to pay close attention to the artpwr website, and keep up with their 2010-2011 season brochure.
With that, I leave you to your summer, be it full of the arts or expressly avoiding them. Just remember, regardless of what you plan to major in or surround yourself with in our fantastic San Diego school, the arts bring innovation and creative thinking. Engage and expand!
Love! Emma, Transfer Orientation Leader for GROUP Se7en!
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