New Integrated Evening of Arts Elegantly Showcases Campus Creativity and Talent

Ebb & Flow: An Integrated and Interactive Evening of Arts brought students and faculty from creative disciplines together on Nov. 5 in Mueller Leadership Hall for the first event of its kind.

The Churchill Singers, Westminster’s Performing Arts Club, the English department, and the Museum Studies program joined forces for a casual gathering with family and friends. Dr. Jeremy Reed, Assistant Professor of English, says the event gave privately creative students the chance to take center stage.

“Creativity is often discussed as a solitary activity — a writer at their desk or a musician practicing alone — and those are important aspects of becoming better at an art form, but students in the arts also need to practice the public-facing aspect of sharing their work with an audience,” he explains.

Reed is the current faculty advisor for the College’s long-running creative writing publication, Janus magazine. A few of his students performed original poetry and essays during the event.

One of those students is Shelby Weathers, ’24 IND, an English major from Fulton, Missouri, who says this event and a similar but smaller gathering during the Alumni Weekend last spring are helping her gain confidence.

“I don’t often get to see my readers’ reactions or have much of a chance to share my work outside of the classroom in an interactive space, and I can get stuck in my little bubble,” Weathers says. “Moments like this are very special to me and my development as an artist.”

In addition to Reed’s students, members of Dr. Nate Leonard’s Performing Arts Club performed segments of plays they wrote and directed themselves. Dr. Nichol Allen’s Museum Studies students created the ambiance for the event by constructing an interactive display in Mueller Leadership Hall. Backdrops of the sky and clouds, complete with twinkle lights, allowed guests the opportunity to take selfies while mingling. The Churchill Singers, under the direction of Dr. Natasia Sexton, rounded out the evening by performing four pieces.

Sexton says the event was a success.

“Collaboration is challenging, but it can result in experiences that are deeper, richer, and more vibrant than they would be otherwise,” she reflects. “I feel like Ebb & Flow illustrates the opportunities that are available when we take time to work together, and I can’t wait to do this again.”