As the 2025 spring semester unfolds, the U of A is set to showcase an exciting lineup of performances that celebrate music, art and theatre.

From group performances to visiting quartets and thought-provoking plays, the Faulkner Performing Arts Center, the U of A Fine Arts Theatre and galleries in the School of Art will offer a season full of events to entertain and inspire.  

Music Performances and events

The Department of Music kicked off the spring season with their Black Music Symposium, which was held on Feb. 7. The symposium included a full day of events ranging from lectures to performances from visiting musicians, and was headlined by local rap artist BAANG. 

The Department of Music will also host its spring Jazz Festival April 15-19. The Jazz Festival is co-hosted by the department and the Arkansas Center for Black Music. This year, saxophonist and flautist Steve Wilson will be the artist-in-residence for the 2025 Jazz Festival. Wilson will also be the artist-in-residence for the Northwest Arkansas Jazz All-Star Program, a program catered towards high school students. Wilson’s visit is made possible by the Moye Family Jazz Residency program and its partnership with the Northwest Arkansas Jazz Society.  

The Jazz Festival will boast multiple performances and events, including: 

• April 15: A performance from the U of A Jazz ensemble at the Union Theatre on campus.
• April 16: All-day performances from local and school jazz ensembles, and at 7:30 p.m., a performance from Steve Wilson and the U of A Jazz Orchestra at the FPAC.
• April 17: At 7:30 p.m., a performance by Steve Wilson and U of A Jazz faculty at the Music Depot in Rogers.
• April 18: A jazz workshop on campus at the U of A.
• April 19: A 7:30 p.m. performance from Steve Wilson along with the faculty and students of the U of A, at the Thaden School in Bentonville.  

Other notable performances hosted by the Department of Music and the FPAC happening throughout the 2025 spring semester include:  

• Accent Faculty Concert Series at the FPAC, Feb. 3-18 
  This series showcases esteemed faculty members who demonstrate mastery of their respective musical instruments:
  • Cory Mixdorf on trombone and Miroslava Panayotova on piano – Feb. 3 
  • Jake Herzog on guitar – Feb. 4 
  • Katey Jahnke on horn – Feb. 10
  • Melanie Ferrabone on bassoon – Feb. 18 
• Guest Artist Series at the FPAC, Feb. 21  
  Recital for piano duo Wei-Han Su and Hye Jung Hong 
• Special performance from comedian Mike Paramore at the FPAC, Feb. 27. Paramore, visiting comedian, will debut his show about being your normal, average, funny guy.
• SHE: Festival of Women in Music at the FPAC, March 14-16  
  • This festival, presented annually in March, Women’s History Month, celebrates the artistry and contributions of women in music. SHE includes performances, lectures and masterclasses, and it features performances by faculty, students and guest artists. 
• Exposed: A Ballet on the Trails at the FPAC, May 3  
  Based on a journey and photographs taken by Brent Umphlett, this ballet showcases the harsh reality of nature. It shows how life can change when we expose ourselves to new situations and relationships.  
• More events include multiple student recitals and performances with dates to be determined. For more details, see the full event calendar listing at music.uark.edu/events

Theatre Performances and events

The U of A Department of Theatre will produce Silent Sky by playwright Laura Gunderson. The play tells the true story of 19th-century astronomer Henrietta Leavitt and explores society in a time when women were not so highly regarded.

With lots of music and math, the play isn’t one to be missed. The show is directed by Sarah Behrend-Wilcox and will be performed from Feb. 14-23 at the University Theatre in the Fine Arts Center.  

Other theatre performances produced by this spring by the Department of Theatre include: 

• The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, April 11–19, Global Campus Theatre 
  A show about six tweens competing in the spelling championship of a lifetime. The show is based on the book by Rachel Shenkin with music and lyrics by William Finn. Conceived by Rebecca Feldman and directed by Morgan Hicks.
• Continuum: Dance Concert, April 25–27, University Theatre at the Fine Arts Center 
  A concert celebrating the U of A’s dance program, this show blends the past, present and future of the U of A’s dance history.
• More events hosted by the Department of Theatre can be found here: theatre.uark.edu/productions.

School of art exhibits and events

The U of A School of Art, established in 2017, has an exciting season full of new art and artistic events to showcase and debut. The School of Art will host events focused on the Center for Art as a Lived Experience, graphic design, art history and art education. The events range from exhibitions to symposiums, with contributions from undergraduate students, graduate students and visiting artists.  

February

• The Center for Art as a Lived Experience presents Resounding Sovereign Expressions: Resurgent Indigenuity in Ozark Arts Practice and Scholarship, a workshop with a variety of events. The four-day event will take place at the Studio and Design Center and Mount Sequoyah from Feb. 27 to March 2.
• The Graphic Design Program will collaborate with Canopy NWA to host the exhibition An Anthropology of Belonging, in the Design Clinic at the Studio and Design Center from Feb. 28 to March 15.

March

• The Art History Program will host the 25th annual Arkansas Undergraduate Symposium at the Fine Arts Center. Undergraduates from across the state will come to present their art and research. It will take place on March 6-7.
• The School of Art will host a Conversation in Paint: Art, Health and Wealth workshop in collaboration with Diana Rubi Galindo, M.Des. graduate student, and Audrey Vega, M.A. graduate student. The workshop will take place on March 12.  

April

• The Art History Program, in collaboration with the Honors College, African and African American Studies, Medieval and Renaissance Studies and Department of History, will host a film screening of We Were Here: The Untold History of Black Africans in the Renaissance Europe with the film’s director Fred Kudjo Kuwornu on Thursday, April 3, in G. David Gearhart Hall. 
• The Art Education Program will host a symposium with Gloria Wilson as a keynote speaker. The symposium is titled “Grounded in Place, United in Practice: Reimagining Art Education through Collective Approaches,” and will take place April 10-12 at the Fine Arts Center. 
• The Studio Art B.F.A. exhibition will feature graduating seniors’ work and will take place at the Studio and Design Center from April 28 to May 9.  

May

• The School of Art will hold a Spring Market, featuring artwork available for purchase. It will take place at the Studio and Design Center on May 3.
• The School of Art will hold a Senior Showcase, highlighting graduating seniors on May 8.  

For more information on the performances, including specific dates and times, visit faulkner.uark.edu/events, art.uark.edu and theatre.uark.edu/productions. You can also purchase or reserve tickets for these events on these websites, as needed.

Information compiled and organized by Isabella Sotlar.

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