Highlights from Spring Arts Festival 2018

Manchester Community College held its Spring Arts Festival Friday, May 11. The festival opened the Student Visual Art Exhibition and featured vocal and instrumental performances of MCC music students, according to the event’s program.

The festival began at 6:30 p.m. with art exhibitions in the Arts, Sciences and Technology building and musical performances in the SBM Charitable Foundation Auditorium. Artwork displayed by students included unconventional designs and materials, including metal welded together into heads of a lion and elephant (pictured below). The metal was cold rolled steel with designs based off sketches, said creator and MCC Entrepreneurship major Noah Bartron.

 

 

Bartron, who took the class because he needed an art elective for his major, said he never had an interest in creating art until taking sculpting classes at MCC.

“The 2 1/2 years of sculpture has been, by far, the most passionate thing I have ever done,” said Bartron.

 

In the SBM Auditorium, music performances also went well for MCC Madrigal and Chorale singers, which included “Contique de Jean Racine” and “Tantum Ergo op. 65 no. 2” by Gabriel Faure and “He’ll Make a Way” by Byron J. Smith. Music major Kevin Huynh, a tenor, said singers rehearsed the songs since the beginning of the semester and he loved working with them.

“We are all friends,” said Huynh.

Music major Claudia Diaz, trombonist with the MCC Jazz Ensemble, said jazz professor Larry Gareau encouraged her to pursue music as a major and the class challenged her performance abilities.

“I learned a lot about my skill and knowledge as a musician,” said Diaz. “It’s good to challenge musicians.”

The art exhibition will be in the Newspace Gallery May 11-August 15.  The gallery operates Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and 12-4 p.m. on Saturdays. For more information, contact Susan Classen-Sullivan at sclassensullivan@mcc.commnet.edu or 860-512-2693.