The second of three historic cultural events for UNCW’s Year of the Arts takes place Thursday, January 25th – Sunday, January 28th when UNCW celebrates the official inauguration of the Cultural Arts Building, the university's new academic, exhibit and performance venue for Art, Music and Theatre.

The four-day inaugural celebration will feature special performances and exhibits in each of the new state-of-the-art venues, including the Art Gallery, Recital Hall, SRO (Black Box) and Mainstage Theatre.

In addition to tours of the new facilities, highlights of the weekend include a retrospective of works by the nationally-renowned Wilmington artist Claude Howell in the Art Gallery, Tom Stoppard's 15-Minute Hamlet in the Proscenium Theatre and Original One-Act Plays in the SRO, and a line-up of special musical guests in the Recital Hall, including pianist Andreas Klein, the Winard Harper Sextet with Department of Music alumnus Shaun Mahoney, and the Ciompi Quartet and Vocal Arts Ensemble.

This special weekend of events is part of a year-long celebration of the arts on campus.  UNCW’s Year of the Arts kicked off in September with the re-opening of a newly renovated Kenan Auditorium and performance of Mood Indigo: A Tribute to Duke Ellington.  It will conclude in July, 2007 with Carolina Ballet’s new Summer Dance Residency and a premiere performance by the internationally acclaimed ensemble

Cultural Arts Building Grand Opening Events:

Thursday, January 25
UNCW Board of Trustees Private Reception
6 pm - 8:30 pm

Friday, January 26

IN THE ART GALLERY....
"The Art of Claude Howell"
Presented by the UNCW Department of Art & Art History
A retrospective of works by the acclaimed Wilmington artist
6:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Free and open to the public
For more information call the Department of Art & Art History (910) 962-3440 or click here.

IN THE THEATRES...
Tom Stoppard's 15-Minute Hamlet
Presented by the UNCW Theatre Program
7:00 pm in the Mainstage Theatre
Tickets are not required for this free performance

"Original One-Act Plays"
Original one-act plays written & directed by students from the UNCW Theatre Program & Department of Creative Writing
7:30 pm in the SRO / Black Box
Tickets are not required for this free performance

IN THE RECITAL HALL...
Andreas Klein, piano
Presented by the UNCW Department of Music
7:30 pm in the Cultural Arts Building Recital Hall
Post-concert dessert reception to follow in the main lobby
$5 general admission / UNCW students free with valid ID
Advance tickets available at the Kenan Auditorium Box Office 910-962-3500
To find out more information about this concert and to find out about the Master Class with Andreas Klein click here.

Saturday, January 27

IN THE ART GALLERY....
The Art of Claude Howell
Presented by the UNCW Department of Art & Art History
A retrospective of works by the acclaimed Wilmington artist
6:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Free and open to the public
For more information call the Department of Art & Art History (910) 962-3440 or click here.

IN THE THEATRES...
Tom Stoppard's 15-Minute Hamlet
Presented by the UNCW Theatre Program
7:00 pm in the Mainstage Theatre
Tickets are not required for this free performance

"Original One-Act Plays"
Original one-act plays written & directed by students from the UNCW Theatre Program & Department of Creative Writing
7:30 pm in the SRO / Black Box
Tickets are not required for this free performance
For more information call the UNCW Theatre Program (910) 962-2061

IN THE RECITAL HALL...
The Winard Harper Sextet
Presented by the UNCW Department of Music
7:30 pm in the Cultural Arts Building Recital Hall
Post-concert dessert reception to follow in the main lobby
$5 general admission / UNCW students free with valid ID
Advance tickets available at the Kenan Auditorium Box Office 910-962-3500
To find out more information about this concert and to find out about the Master Class with Winard Harper and alum Benny Hill click here.

Sunday, January 28
Chamber Music Wilmington presents "Awakening"
An hour-long multi-media concert featuring the intriguing works of Arvo Paert, Peteris Vasks and Urma Sisask.
Featuring Duke University’s Ciompi Quartet and Vocal Arts Ensemble, with flutist Elizabeth
Ransom, guitarist Joseph Pecoraro, pianist Barbara McKenzie, and multi-media presentation by filmmaker Adam Alphin.

7:30 pm in the Cultural Arts Building Recital Hall*
$25 general admission
Advance tickets available at the Kenan Auditorium Box Office 910-962-3500
To find out more information about this event click here.

*At 6:00 pm, all ticket holders are invited to join UNCW & Chamber Music Wilmington for a pre-concert wine & cheese reception.

For a complete calendar of cultural arts events at UNCW click here.

For directions to the new Cultural Arts Building and an interactive campus map click here.