Throughout the school year, Eastern University offers an array of opportunities to experience the arts. With vocal concerts, band concerts, senior showcases, plays, musicals, open mic nights, dance showcases and marching band performances, there is always something on campus to inspire and entertain students.
These performances aren’t just entertainment: they are a way for students, faculty, and community members to celebrate creativity, collaboration and a love of the arts.
But the arts don’t stop at Eastern’s border.
Eastern provides easy access to different locations that celebrate the arts. A quick ride to Philadelphia can get you to the Philadelphia Symphony or the Philadelphia Arts Museum. Both are popular places to enjoy professional musicians and artists for an evening. If you want something bigger, a nice train ride into New York City can get you to the Metropolitan Museum of the Arts, to the heart of Broadway or countless smaller venues that show all forms of artistic experiences. Local places nearby also provide a vast source of arts that can get you to theaters, museums, dance shows, and so much more.
Many students at Eastern enjoy this proximity to popular art scenes in order to fuel artistic dreams and explore off campus. Katheryn Nichols, a Music Education Major, enjoys seeing symphony orchestras with her father outside of school and sharing her passion for music on her Instagram page. In her free time, Nichols enjoys playing around on the piano or with her voice. Nichols said, “You really just be catching me in the piano lab playing random chords and learning songs and just singing for fun. That’s really therapeutic for me.”
Musical Theater Major Catherine Smith loves seeing the glittery lights of Broadway. Shows like &Juliet, Frozen and Chicago have left an impression of her. Smith sees these as a reminder of the dream she is pursuing. “My middle school took us to see Wicked on Broadway,” Smith reminisced, “Which, as one can imagine, was life changing for an 11-year-old. It was then that I realized I wanted to pursue musical theatre!”
On the visual arts side, Psychology and Theater major Bailey Gutelius enjoys exploring Philadelphia’s art scene with jewelry making classes and art museums. These events complement her artistic side well but also pose a fun challenge depending on what she chooses. Gutelius said, “Once in a while I will receive an email, but the events I have attended are usually from a flyer I saw.”
Whether on or off campus, there are so many ways to get inspired by the arts. With easy access to the art scene and a thriving arts program on campus, there is never a shortage of ways to engage with the arts no matter your major or interests. As Nichols said, “Join Marching Band, join University Choir, support the arts!”