April is for the Arts! 5 UAB events you need to check out

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At UAB’s College of Arts and Sciences, April is for the Arts. From April 10-20, several of the College’s departments and programs—English, Music, Art and Art History, Theatre and Media Studies—will be hosting a wide variety of events to showcase student and faculty work for “Arts Week 2024.”

Read on to learn more about these events and how you can participate.

UAB Department of Theatre — Sister Act

From in-house productions to statewide touring groups, students within UAB’s Department of Theatre have a range of opportunities to explore and share their talents. Since 1971, the Department has produced over 200 full-length productions—usually featuring a cast solely made up of UAB students.

Throughout April, the Department of Theatre will be performing “Sister Act” at Red Mountain Theatre. Based on the 1992 movie with Whoopi Goldberg, “Sister Act” is a feel-good musical comedy that follows the story of a flamboyant disco diva who disguises herself as a nun after witnessing a murder. This is one performance you won’t want to miss.

• What: Sister Act
• When: April 5-21, 2024
• Where: Red Mountain Theatre, 1600 3rd Ave S, Birmingham, AL 35233
• Cost: $49+ | Discounts for children ages 2-12

UAB Department of Music — UAB Opera

The UAB Department of Music has distinguished itself as one of the premier educational centers for burgeoning artists in the southeast—in fact, it is the first program in Alabama to be designated an All-Steinway School by famed piano maker Steinway & Sons.

In April, the Opera program will celebrate its full post-pandemic return with two exciting productions.

“The UAB Opera was the last of our Department of Music programs to fully return after the pandemic. Last spring, we presented opera scenes with piano, and in the fall, we performed two one-act comic operas, again with piano. 

On April 19 at 7:30PM and April 20 at 2:30PM, UAB Opera will present Gilbert and Sullivan’s Trial By Jury and Gisela in Her Bathtub by Neil Weisensel in the Sirote Theatre—their first full production with an orchestra since November of 2019.”

Patrick Evans, Professor and Chair, Department of Music

• What: UAB Opera presents Gisela in her Bathtub by Neil Weisensel and Trial by Jury by Gilbert and Sullivan
• When: Friday, April 19, 7:30PM and Saturday, April 20, 2:30PM
• Where: Morris K. Sirote Theatre at the Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center, 1200 10th Ave S, Birmingham, AL 35294
• Cost: $15 general public; $10 UAB employees + senior citizens; FREE for UAB, other college + high school students

UAB Department of English — Mersmann Poetry Awards

At the UAB Department of English, nationally and internationally known faculty are sharing their expertise with students looking to hone their mastery of the English language.

On Wednesday, April 10, the Department’s creative writing program is hosting the Mersmann Poetry Awards—an annual award show recognizing readings of poetry. Students will read both their own work and/or poems by another poet. Plus, Hero Doughnuts will be provided!

 “Students at the Mersmann Awards can read anything they want—their own poem, someone else’s poem. What matters is getting up to the mic, trying out their voice and speaking some poetry into the world.”

Alison Chapman, Professor and Chair, UAB Department of English

• What: The Mersmann Poetry Awards
• When: Wednesday, April 10, 2:00-3:30PM
• Where: University Hall 2010, 1402 10th Ave S, Birmingham, Alabama 35294
• Cost: FREE

UAB Department of Art and Art History — 2024 BFA Exhibition

Accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design, the UAB Department of Art and Art History provides students with the tools and experience they need to express themselves through creative and innovative mediums.

Each year, the Department’s BFA Exhibition is a chance for the public to view the work of some of UAB’s most talented artists.

“The Annual BFA Exhibition represents the capstone for students who have worked over the past four years to develop and hone their technical and conceptual problem-solving skills in a specialized museum setting.

We are happy to partner with our friends at AEIVA who help to serve our educational mission, offering students a professional experience the same as any international artist who would visit and exhibit with us. 

Our students are poised, with refined expertise, as they move successfully to the next stage of their career be it the job market or continued education seeking advanced degrees.”

Rich Gere, Professor and Chair, Department of Art and Art History

• What: 2024 BFA Exhibition
• When: Tuesday-Saturday through April 27, Noon to 5PM
• Where: Abroms-Engel Institute for the Visual Arts, 1221 10th Avenue South, Birmingham, AL 35205
• Cost: FREE

UAB Department of History — Media and Film Open House

The Department of History’s Media Studies program helps students use media as a means to share a message in a responsible and impactful way. As part of the curriculum, Media Studies students often collaborate with local nonprofits and neighborhood organizations to tell powerful stories about the Birmingham community.

“I have been teaching documentary filmmaking for over 20 years, and I never get bored. There are so many stories to tell in Birmingham! The students are deeply connected to the issues that face us today, and they are interested in understanding how we got here and who is working to move us into a better future.”

Michele Forman, Director, Media Studies Program

On April 17, the Department will host a Media and Film Open House at UAB where attendees can learn about the course from faculty and see examples of students’ work.

• What: Media and Film Open House
• When: Wednesday, April 17, 2:00-4:00PM
• Where: Media Commons 334 at Heritage Hall, 1401 University Blvd, Birmingham, AL 35233
• Cost: FREE

And that’s not all!

“We have 8 short documentaries slated to premiere on Wednesday, April 24 at 7PM at the McWane Science Center IMAX, which is the 24^th annual year we have been screening the upper-level documentaries there!”

Michele Forman, Director, Media Studies Program

Learn more about the UAB Digital City Screening at McWane Science Center.

Planning to attend these events at the UAB College of Arts and Sciences? Tag @uabcas to let them know!

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