The audience waited with anticipation for the music to start as dancers stood ready for their cue on NW Campus’s new stage. This was the moment everyone was waiting for, especially after years of adapting to temporary learning spaces.
The performance was just one example of how the campus chose to showcase its reconstructed buildings, NW02 and NW03.
The Visual and Performing Arts Open House was held March 26, following the reopening of its facilities in January. After the initial reconstruction phase in mid-2023, students from every department were finally invited back to experience live presentations and activities in their permanent home.
“We just moved in here, so we want people to know about us and what we offer,” NW Director Chair of Visual and Performing Arts Benson Lee said. “And because we are here to serve the community, we don’t want to be the best hidden secret. We want to open it and then, ‘Hey guys, just come, and we’re here to serve you.’”
NW students from various departments engaged in live demonstrations, including ceramics wheel throwing, a dance performance and a music Tiny Desk Concert performed by a student-led ensemble.
Instructional Associate Damek Salazar also hosted a theater demonstration, showing faculty and students how a Computer Numerical Control machine works by carving wood that featured NW’s 50th anniversary logo.
During the remodel, students in acting, dancing, music and art classes were forced to move to other buildings. Brooklyn Espinoza, a NW vocal performance student, recalled how the music and fire departments had to share space, which often created challenges, particularly regarding the practice rooms.
“Scheduling was hard for lessons,” Espinoza said. “We only had three practice rooms in the old building. Now we have 12. It’s just more open and makes it easier for every student to get the maximum productivity.”
Liam Ball, who became an apprentice company member of the Mosaic Dance Project this semester, said that the open house was an important way to showcase student work and encourage others to join the program. Beyond just highlighting current students from the departments, this event encouraged those from all over campus to explore new interests.
NW psychology student Yamari Sanders, an active member of the Clay Club, is one such student. After participating in the Open House, Sanders is now looking for ways to get into the music department.
“I think it’s good for the students to get more into hobbies and things that they would probably never put their time into,” Sanders said.
Although the fine arts are sometimes overlooked in academic settings, Lee argued that investing time and money is important, which is why events like the open house are essential.
“You go to movie theater, where is the film coming from? It’s the producer, the acting, the scenic design,” he said. “Everything back there, someone has to train them.”
