March 28, 2024

USU Eastern Arts are under appreciated Eastern campus

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How embarrassing that USU Eastern, who has almost 245 full-time benefited employees plus hundreds of part-time employees and over 1,500 students, cannot support the arts on this campus.
The administration, faculty and staff continue to harp about getting more students to attend this great college. Where are some of the administrators, faculty and staff when it comes to supporting the students who are already here? And why do the students already here not support their fellow classmates?
On Saturday, Nov. 23, at the theatre production of “The Real Inspector Hound,” 47 people were in the audience. The Saturday before, 18 people were in the audience. The play was well acted, the scenery was well designed, everything the theatre department accomplished in that production was near perfect. Corey Ewan, Ph.D., directed the play and Brent Innes designed the set. So where were the employees and students from this campus to support the theatre faculty and students by attending the production at one of the six nights it was shown? Admission for students is only $1.
Ewan said, “A problem we have is that the arts are not everyone’s cup of Postum, this combined with the loss of the marquee have made it a bit more challenging to bring people in.  
“We are still struggling with the problem of advertising.  On campus is great, off campus we have some businesses that do not allow us to post in their store (Wal-Mart-I guess it’s better to host events where people run the risk of getting killed than to promote local events where you are safer.  Sorry, I guess I am just an apologist.)
“I recognize the issue/problem, but am at a loss as to a solution.  We are recruiting our guts out.  We are choosing shows that may have a broader appeal; i.e., Les Miserables, Peter Pan, The Merchant of Vegas next season.  We will just keep doing the quality we can and serving our core audiences.
“By asking others to support the theatre, I need to be better at supporting not only the arts, but all-campus events.”
Each month, Gallery East curator Noel Carmack brings to campus a new exhibit. He hosts an open house to meet the artist/s. The numbers of people who visit Gallery East each month are dismal with anywhere between 40-60 people signing the guest registrar.
As Carmack wrote in an email, “It depends on the public’s familiarity or interest with the artist and their work. Naturally, most exhibits by local artists are visited by more people than artists from the Salt Lake area or Provo. We have several faculty members who have been longtime supporters of the gallery, including our chancellor.”