Art Beat - Wucf

ArtsFest is a 10-day celebration of local arts & culture and all events are free. The festival opens United Arts annual fundraising campaign. For information, see Red Chair Project.com or get a brochure at any Bank of America branch.

The Metropolitan Opera's Live in HD Series continues this Saturday, Feb. 7 with Anna Netrebko in Lucia di Lammermoor. It's at the Altamonte AMC, AMC Pleasure Island, Pointe Orlando and Regal Cinema Waterford Lakes. Radio broadcasts can also be heard here on 89.9 WUCF and enjoy live opera here with Orlando Opera's next production opening Feb. 20.Also this Saturday at 8pm is the next concert in UCF's Internationial Piano Series, with Pascal Amoyel. 

The Region 4 Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival gets underway this week and for the first time, a student-written and student-directed play has been accepted. Saviours: A Modern Day Parable was written by Christopher Metz and Kyle Adkins and is directed and produced by Jessy Grossman. Today's Arts Calendar Events - Night & Day: the Songs of Cole Porter; UCF Student Jazz Ensembles; and a Tribute to Benny Goodman. For others, see Red Chair Project.com

The latest issue of The Florida Review just came out - the national literary journal is published by the UCF English Department, and edited by Jocelyn Bartkevicius. It's available from their website or at Amazon.comToday's Arts Calendar Events - Colours of Courage and Historic Bok Sanctuary. For others, see Red Chair Project.com

PlayFest - The Harriet Lake Festival of New Plays - runs now through Feb. 1 at the Orlando Shakespeare Theatre. The event features 14 brand new plays, including The Chimes, a workshop that features mostly UCF students and faculty.  Tonight (Wed, 1/28), Oscar-winner Olympia Dukakis will give a master class for UCF graduate students and the public may attend - for tickets call 407-447-1700.Calendar: see Upcoming UCF Cultural Events

PlayFest - The Harriet Lake Festival of New Plays - runs now through Feb. 1 at the Orlando Shakespeare Theatre. The event features 14 brand new plays in readings, workshops and full productions. Oscar-winner Olympia Dukakis is featured in a reading and a master class. For tickets call 407-447-1700.Calendar: see Upcoming UCF Cultural Events

Operatic soprano Monica Yunus has been an Artist-in-Residence this week, courtesy of the Bach Festival and the Marilyn Horne Foundation. She performed in schools around Central Florida and will give a recital tonight at 7pm at Rollins College. One of America's promising young artists, Yunus is involved in humanitarian work and is the co-director of Sing For Hope.For today's Arts Calendar Events...see Red Chair Project.com

UCF Conservatory Theatre presents Smokey Joe's Cafe, running through Feb. 1st. The musical review, directed by Brian Verson, features classic rock & pop songs by Lieber & Stoller. Shows often sell-out, so contact the Box Office at 407-823-1500.

Otronicon is at the Orlando Science Center through Tuesday, Jan. 20. The festival celebrates the science - and art - of the video game industry.For other cultural events, visit Red Chair Project.

More of my conversation with UCF President John Hitt. Learn more about university initiatives and awards: Center for Emerging MediaAwards for Civic EngagementUCF 40th Anniversary

John Hitt became UCF's 4th president in 1992 and from the beginning, partnership was one of his major goals. On today's ArtBeat, Hitt talks about the importance of partnership and some of the cultural partnerships UCF has with the Central Florida community.

A look at CREATE - UCF's Center for Research and Education in Arts, Technology and Entertainment.  Director Stella Sung fosters project-based initiatives that bring together faculty, students and the business community.

Update - An extra performance has been added on Saturday, January 17 at 8pm.Parallel Lives tells the story of two writers - a black man and a white woman - who grew up in segregated Central Florida during the final days of the Jim Crow era. This play follows them as they confront the effects of their divided world. Performances are Jan. 9-11 at the Garden Theatre.

Last fall, Orlando Repertory Theatre won a major award from Bank of America. Directors Gene Columbus and Jeff Revels talk about it. The Rep is a professional theatre for young audiences, in partnership with UCF.

Former UCF professor Mary Palmer is now a consultant for education and the arts. She is working with teachers at Grand Avenue Primary School on how to integrate the arts into their classroom, thanks to a partnership between the Orange County Arts Education Center and the Orlando Magic.

Monday is the last day to see Expressions of China, an exhibit of photographs taken by UCF students who were part of the ChinaVine project. The exhibit is at the Burnett Honors College.

Light Up UCF brings outdoor ice skating, lights and holiday movies to the UCF Arena. You can spend New Year's Eve there, skating and enjoying 2 holiday movies at 6pm, 8pm and 10pm, and a New Year's Countdown at Midngiht. Skating continues through Sunday.

From the archives - our September story on ChinaVine.org, a project that sent UCF students to China to make documentary films on the countries ancient folk arts. There's also a photography exhibit currently on display at the Burnett Honors College, through Monday, Jan. 5.

The Maitland Art Center offers classes, workshops, rotating exhibits - and a natural retreat in the midst of busy downtown Maitland. Explore the fantasy architecture of Andre Smith.