(10:25 a.m. March 13)
UPDATE — event canceled: Following evolving guidance from the CSU Chancellor’s Office as well as state and local public health agencies regarding the COVID-19 situation, the Arts in Motion event and all events in the Arts in MotionShowcase that had been scheduled for March 22 to 28 have been canceled. The University is evaluating near-term events and meetings on a case-by-case basis for a determination of any potential cancellation or postponement.

(Original story below)

The Fresno State College of Arts and Humanities inaugural Arts in Motion Showcase is a weeklong series of events celebrating students, their passions and accomplishments.

Every year at Arts in Motion, the college will highlight its scholarship recipients and students of distinction — two of whom are named the college’s Undergraduate and Graduate Dean’s Medalists. This annual event allows parents, faculty and generous donors to celebrate the excellence of our talented and diverse student body.

For the first time, the Arts in Motion Showcase will allow the community to experience a wide range of the college’s intellectual and artistic pursuits. From performing and visual arts to debate and professional development, this new showcase highlights each of the college’s nine departments and the Armenian Studies program. All of the events are open to the public, and most are free of charge.

The Arts in Motion Showcase is sponsored by The Fresno Bee and KFSR Radio.

For questions or special accommodations, please call 559.278.5803 or email benjaminkirk@csufresno.edu. Parking is $5 Monday through Friday and free on weekends after 4 p.m. Friday through Sunday evening.

Arts in Motion Showcase Events

University Theatre presents “Detroit ‘67”

  • 2 p.m. Sunday, March 22 and 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, March 24 to 28 at the Dennis and Cheryl Woods Theatre.
  • Tickets are $17 general, $15 seniors, alumni, military, faculty and staff and $10 for students.
  • In 1967 Detroit, Motown music is getting the party started, and Chelle and her brother, Lank, are making ends meet by turning their basement into an after-hours joint. But when a mysterious woman finds her way into their lives, their pent-up feelings erupt, so does their city, and they find themselves caught in the middle of the ’67 riots.

Armenian Studies Program 32nd Annual Banquet

  • 5 p.m. Sunday, March 22 at the Fort Washington Country Club.
  • Tickets are $50 general, $25 for students and available by calling 559.278.2669.
  • The banquet will honor the Leon S. Peters Foundation and recognize Arnold and Dianne Gazarian on the 30th anniversary of the Haig and Isabel Berberian Endowed Chair in Armenian Studies. Graduating seniors minoring in Armenian Studies and the program’s scholarship recipients will also be recognized.

The Laureate Lab Visual Wordist Studio presents: A Sudden Making/Reading

  • 3:30 p.m. Monday, March 23 at the Henry Madden Library, Room 1110.
  • Laureate Lab Visual Wordist Studio fellows will lead a free experimental workshop to generate and create sudden art and writing. The creative work that is generated will then be presented as a reading and performance by fellows and participants.

Learn Portuguese through Brazilian dance

  • 7 p.m. Monday, March 23 at Peters Business, Room 194.
  • A night of Brazilian dance and language learning. Learn basic Portuguese introductions — useful phrases and dance-themed language — while you learn different Brazilian dance moves. This free event is fun for all ages.

Taking Sides: Student Debate

  • 7 p.m. Monday, March 23, at Peters Business, Room 191.
  • Fresno State communication students will take sides in a debate over federal investment in alternative energy sources. Following the debate, audience members are encouraged to participate through comments and questions.

Advertising and Public Relations Day

  • 9 a.m. Tuesday, March 24 at Peters Business, Room 191.
  • Designed for professional development and student enrichment, the first session will focus on social media influencers and the power of personal branding online. The second session at 11 a.m. will look at the changes being made to the Department of Media, Communications and Journalism’s (MCJ) Public Relations curriculum. In the third session at 12:45 p.m., keynote speaker Dave Martin, CEO Nettra Media, will talk on “YouTube, Google Search and More: Elevating Your Brand’s Online Visibility and Influence.”

U.S. Young People’s Poet Laureate Naomi Shihab Nye at the Young Writers Conference

  • 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, March 25 at the Satellite Student Union.
  • Named U.S. Young People’s Poet Laureate by the Poetry Foundation in 2019, Naomi Shihab Nye is a self-described wandering poet who has spent 40 years traveling the world to lead writing workshops and inspire writers of all ages.

Big Bands at Fresno State featuring Chuck Manning

  • 8 p.m. Wednesday, March 25 at the Concert Hall.
  • Tickets are $15 general, $10 seniors and employees, and $5 for students.
  • A longtime veteran of the Los Angeles jazz scene, saxophonist Chuck Manning will join the Fresno State Jazz Orchestra and Jazz Ensemble for a swinging good time at the Fresno State Concert Hall.

Student Film Screening

  • 5 p.m. Thursday, March 26 at Peters Business, Room 191.
  • A free curated showcase of Media, Communications and Journalism student-made films.

World Cultures Celebration

  • 5:30 p.m. Thursday, March 26 at Music 127 (next to the Concert Hall).
  • Nine student clubs in the Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures (MCLL) department will gather for a free evening of language, music, dance and a celebration of cultures.

Voicing Ideas

  • 2 p.m. Thursday, March 26 at Peters Business, Room 194.
  • In this free competitive, faculty-reviewed event, philosophy student papers of scholarly distinction are presented in a friendly, engaging forum that promotes dialogue and critical reflection on topics in philosophy and religious studies.

Interior Design Student Show

  • 5 p.m. Friday, March 27 at Phebe Conley Gallery.
  • An opening reception to a weeklong exhibition, the students of the Interior Design program present their concepts of space and imagine how people interact with them.

“Anbessa” CineCulture screening

  • 5:30 p.m. Friday, March 27 at the Peters Education Center Auditorium (in the Student Recreation Center).
  • “Anbessa” director Mo Scarpelli of Italy will participate in a discussion with the audience following the screening.
  • Ten-year-old Asalif and his mother have been displaced from their farmland on the outskirts of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, by the construction of a condominium. As they watch the buildings take shape, they are reminded that their country’s dream of progress is not for them. Caught between the ancient and the new, Asalif navigates modernization on his own terms. By becoming a lion (anbessa), he can fight back against the forces outside of his control.

Arts in Motion

  • 2 p.m. Saturday, March 28, at the Concert Hall.
  • An awards show style event which recognizes and celebrates scholarship recipients, donors, students of distinction and Dean’s Medalists for the College of Arts and Humanities. The ceremony is followed by a reception at the Conley Art Gallery courtyard.