According to Ian Cannon ’26, you can't have culture without art, and you can’t have art without culture. Cannon, who serves as co-president of Bryant’s Arts Council alongside Jacob Balga ’26, is one of the many individuals working to put together this year’s Arts Weekend, which will run from April 25 through April 27. Returning for its second year, the three-day celebration will feature a variety of engaging performances from arts groups across campus.
“The arts have always had the power to foster community and bring people together,” says William Robatzek ’24, general manager of WJMF Radio and member of Bryant’s Arts Council. “Celebrating arts on campus not only showcases the incredible talents of our student body but provides a place for students in the audience to come together and enjoy a showcase of talents.”
Sponsored by the College of Arts and Sciences, Cannon and Balga say the Arts Council consists of representatives from the campus’ arts clubs and meets weekly in the Art Barn to lend support to arts-based groups. This year’s Arts Weekend events are as follows:
Thursday
Thrive Gala (5 to 8 p.m. in Bello Grand Hall)
Friday
Bryant Singers soloists (2:20 to 2:50 p.m. on Koffler Lawn)
Dave Flame DJ set (2:55 to 3:25 p.m. on Koffler Lawn)
The Bottom Line (3:35 to 3:55 p.m. on Koffler Lawn)
Holi celebration (4 to 5 p.m. on Koffler Lawn)
Bryant Jazz Ensemble (5:05 to 6:30 p.m. on Koffler Lawn)
Advanced Evolution Dance Team Showcase (7 to 8:30 p.m. in Janikies Auditorium)
Saturday
Derby Days (11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Fisher Lawn)
Arts Club showcase (3:30 to 4:30 p.m. on Koffler Lawn)
Thrive photobooth (5 to 6 p.m. on Koffler Lawn)
Raffle drawing and closing ceremony (6:15 p.m. by Fisher Fireside)
Throughout Arts Weekend, the Arts Council will hold multiple raffles, hand out merchandise, and bring in a variety of food trucks. Attendees can win gift card prizes at each event and collect an additional raffle ticket at every event they attend to be entered into a larger raffle that will be drawn on Saturday.
Balga, who’s particularly excited for the Holi celebration, notes that Arts Weekend also helps to foster recruitment for the arts-based clubs.
“We hope to make people aware of the arts and different activities on campus and get them inspired to try something new,” says Balga. “You don’t really need much experience with most of these clubs — you can just hop on and join.”
