Missouri State University’s Department of Art and Design announces the BFA in Art Senior Exhibition is on view at the Brick City Gallery.
The exhibition is open April 22-May 2 and ends with the First Friday Art Walk May 2 from 6-9 p.m. Visitors can enjoy a range of artworks, including drawing, sculpture, metal work and new media.
The event is free and open to the public.
[Read more…] about BFA in Art Senior Exhibition now on view at Brick City Gallery
Missouri State University’s Department of Theatre and Dance wraps up the 2024-25 season with its annual Spring Dance Concert.
Titled “Collaboration,” the concert continues this year’s theme of “Connection.” It will feature a variety of both student and faculty choreographed performances.
This year’s concert is coordinated by Associate Professor of Dance Azaria Hogans.
Evening showtimes are 7:30 p.m. April 24-26. Matinee showtime is 2:30 p.m. April 27. All performances will be held in Coger Theatre in Craig Hall.
Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for students/seniors. Special advance rates are available for students with an MSU ID.
Using an interdisciplinary approach, the concert emphasizes connecting dance with different disciplines, Hogans said. “Every work that will be on the stage has some element of interdisciplinary exploration. This ranges from collaborations with animators to costume construction to STEM concepts and processes.”
Hogans is excited about how audiences will experience the performances.
“Even if an audience member does not know a lot about dance, they will be able to appreciate the interdisciplinary connections made in this concert,” she said. “[They] will be able to see concepts, ideas and maybe even themselves represented in the works.”
[Read more…] about “Collaboration” reveals hard work and big dreams of Missouri State dance students
Kenzi Seay, a senior criminology and criminal justice major, has organized the Kids Donation Drive in coordination with the Greene County Family Justice Center (FJC).
Seay is collecting donations until April 14. The organization is asking for toys, books or children’s hygiene products.
Collections boxes will be available across campus until April 7. A collection box will remain in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice main office (Strong Hall, Room 207) until April 14.
But even after April 14, people can still help out.
“The Family Justice Center is always collecting donations for victims of domestic violence,” Seay said. “They also have volunteer opportunities, if you’d like to help in a hands-on way.”
According to senior instructor Caryn Saxon, the Kids Donation Drive was entirely Seay’s initiative and serves as an excellent example of Missouri State’s public affairs mission.
“I could not be more impressed and proud of Kenzi’s work on this,” Saxon noted. “She observed a problem, created a solution and then took action to make her vision a reality. Through her efforts, she is spreading awareness about FJC while also giving others a way to contribute to their mission.”
Seay volunteers at FJC and also interns with its partner agency, Legal Services of Southern Missouri. She began volunteering in October 2024 and started her internship in January 2025. Her duties include answering phones, clerical work and intake interviews.
“It’s a really interesting experience working as both an intern and volunteer in different parts of the building because I am able to see the process from start to finish in different roles,” she noted.
[Read more…] about Kids Donation Drive for local center runs through April 14
Missouri State University’s Department of Political Science and Philosophy will once again host its “Conversation Series” April 9 with “Trump’s America: A Nation at a Crossroads?”
The event will begin at 4 p.m. in Glass Hall, Room 101, with refreshments served at 3:30 p.m. It is free and open to the public.
Two influential authors and educators, a Democrat and a Republican, will discuss Donald Trump’s electoral victory and presidency. What does it mean for, and about, America, and why did he win?
The two speakers will conduct a civil conversation based on their knowledge of, and long experience in, American politics. [Read more…] about Political Science and Philosophy department’s Conversation Series continues April 9
Missouri State University’s Department of Theatre and Dance continues the 2024-2025 season with its production of “Blue Stockings.”
Professor Sarah Wiggin directs the turn-of-the-century period piece, written by Jessica Swale.
Show times are 7:30 p.m. April 3-5 and April 6 at 2:30 p.m.
Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for students/seniors. Special advance rates are available for students with an MSU ID.
All performances will be held in Coger Theatre Craig Hall.
Set in 1896 England at Cambridge University’s Girton College, “Blue Stockings” is the story of four female students. Cambridge was a pioneer in offering university-level education to women.
In 1896, though, while women could be educated, they could not earn a degree. The play’s young heroines hope to change that.
Consequently, “Blue Stockings” explores a powerful moment in the history of women’s education. As the woman suffrage movement takes place in the background, the women struggle to gain acceptance among their male peers while confronting their own insecurities.
“The play emphasizes the value of education and encourages audiences to think critically about societal structures and injustices,” Wiggin said. “It challenges audiences to reflect on the progress made in women’s rights while acknowledging the work that still needs to be done.”
With humor and authenticity, the play addresses themes such as equality, education and fighting for one’s beliefs. “I hope the audience will be pleasantly surprised by the comedy in a play tackling such serious subject matter,” Wiggin said.
Meanwhile, although the stage setting is minimalist, “the costumes are period (1896) and should be quite stunning,” she added. “The cast is doing excellent work, and I am very excited to see all the elements come together.”
Wiggin believes audiences will find the themes in “Blue Stockings” to be relevant and universal.
“Despite being set in the past, the play raises issues that resonate with contemporary struggles for gender equality and access to education,” she said.
“I expect the audience will see that the kinds of dreams the characters have are shared by them: love, education, a place to belong.”
