Courtesy photos.
CAMARILLO — College students across Southern California are invited to attend College Night at the Getty on Monday, April 29 from 6 to 9 p.m.
This year’s College Night theme, “Dreaming in Color” celebrates the science and art of color; the color in our dreams; and the possibilities for a more colorful future. The only requirement for admission is a college student ID card.
The annual event that blends fine art and college culture at the world class Los Angeles art museum is arranged through a collaboration with the Getty and several Southern California universities, including CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI).
“The idea of College Night is to create an environment where students feel comfortable to come to the museum and there are other activities going on that don’t normally happen. It’s ice-breaking so the students come back to the museum,” said Professor of Art History Irina D. Costache, Ph.D., who teaches a class called “The Museum.”
Planning and coordinating College Night was the semester-long project of the students who took the class, which was open to students of all majors. They worked on all aspects of the event, dividing into four groups: documentation, marketing, content and evaluation.
To give the students a sense of everything that goes into a major event with a world-renowned museum, the marketing group got the word out through social media, fliers and word of mouth.
The documentation group was in charge of collecting photos and tracking progress on the event planning process and the evaluation group developed a survey that that the students will take on the night of the event in order to give them valuable feedback about College Night. Those in the content group came up with activities and specialty items to reflect the theme of color.
“We had tabletop ideas to large, inflatable ideas,” said Art History major Melody Goebel. “One of the projects that was approved by the Getty was our design for glow-in-the-dark buttons. There is also an activity where students can create colored images with their brain waves.”
The students also came up with the idea for a wall of projections and art animation created by college students from around Southern California.
The night will feature free food, a cash bar, music from deejay Kronika accompanied by TV and film editor Travis Flournoy’s live projections.
There will be an original performance by Contra-Tiempo Dance Theater, and a “design-your-own-screen-printed bookmark” activity using images and words inspired by poet Walt Whitman and Oscar Rejlander, often referred to as the “Father of Art Photography.”
Museum tours will take place all night. Currently on view are favorite Getty masterpieces such as Van Gogh’s Irises, Rembrandt’s An Old Man in Military Costume, and a special installation marking the 500th anniversary of Leonardo da Vinci’s death.
Business major Grigori Mikayelyan, a member of the marketing group, said the organizers expect 2,000 guests, but have drawn as many as 3,000 at past College Nights. Like any event of its size, the planning was not always easy or without challenges, which is what makes The Museum class a valuable experience for all the students who planned the evening, Costache said.
“It is understanding an institution in a very real way. It’s not a book, it’s not an essay, it’s a real life experience,” Costache said. “It is students from different majors working together, coming together and realizing that in the end, life is about collaboration.”
For more information visit: http://www.getty.edu/education/college/collegenight.html.
About California State University Channel Islands: http://www.getty.edu/education/college/collegenight.html (CSUCI) is reimagining higher education for a new generation and era. We are an innovative higher education institution that enables students to succeed and thrive – serving as an engine for social and economic vitality that provides the intellectual resources necessary for a thriving democracy. With more than 7,000 students, 1,200 employees and 14,000 alumni, CSUCI is poised to grow in size and distinction, while maintaining one of the most student-focused learning environments in public higher education. Connect with and learn more by visiting www.csuci.edu or CSUCI’s Social Media.