The ETSU Mary B. Martin School of the Arts Showcase returns to the Grand Hall March 10 for an incredible celebration of student talent.
From music and movement to visual storytelling, this showcase offers the audience a glimpse into the passion, discipline, and creativity driving the next generation of artists.
Audiences can expect performances and presentations from every department inside the Mary B. Martin School of the Arts, including Music; Theatre & Dance; Art & Design; Film & Media Studies; Creative Writing; Storytelling; and Bluegrass, Old-Time, and Roots Music.
What sets this year’s showcase apart from its predecessor is its careful curation, bringing large-ensemble music, intimate solo performances, movement, and spoken word into an evening of artistic perspectives in conversation with one another.
“The pacing and variety are intentional”, stated Dr. Steph Frye-Clark, director of the Mary B. Martin School of the Arts and associate professor in the Department of Music. “We want the audience to experience the full breadth of creativity happening in our school, all in one evening, and to leave with a sense of how these disciplines inform and inspire one another.”
When the Mary B. Martin School of the Arts were initially formed, the biggest guiding question that all departments had was “how do we function as a school, not just as a collection of departments and programs?”
The inaugural showcase served as a definitive answer, making exceptional student work across multiple disciplines visible, together.
This year, the showcase intends to expand on this vision behind the theme of “The Anthropocene Reviewed Through Art: Stories of what we love, what we’ve lost, and what we choose to remember.”
Inspired by this year’s campus read, The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green, this theme challenges students to consider what they believe is worth noticing, what is worth mourning, and even what is worth carrying forward.
“Art gives us a way to process complexity”, stated Frye-Clark. “The result is work that speaks to shared human experiences and that is very much at the heart of this Showcase.”
That shared human focus has resonated not only onstage, but also with the students whose work brings the Showcase to life.
Many performers have already stated that the showcase feels like a moment where their work will be seen, not just within their individual program, but within the larger artistic community of the school and community.
For many this is professional-level experience, performing in a major venue, working within a curated program, and engaging with a public audience beyond campus.
Dr. Frye-Clark encourages audiences to come with curiosity and generosity, allowing the works to meet them where they are.
“This Showcase is about stories:, ” stated Frye-Clark. “My hope is that everyone leaves having recognized a piece of their own story somewhere in the lobby or on the stage.”
Dr. Frye-Clark stated that this event couldn’t be possible without the hard work of the students, the incredible faculty and staff, and the incredible support of the community.
This showcase is completely open and free to the public.
