THE UNIVERSITY of Virginia's Culbreth Theatre is located off Rugby Road, but it's easy to miss the center of drama amidst the disarray and squalor of the construction site that envelops it. Passers-by on the sidewalk can barely see the building, and unless one had made a previous journey to the theater it would be all but invisible to the students and residents of Rugby Road.
I was at the theater one evening last week for the University Drama Department's production of Hedda Gabler, and though I did not have too much trouble finding the place because I had been to classes there throughout the semester, Culbreth is so inconspicuous that a large percentage of the student population here at the university never notice the building itself and the productions it houses. A lack of awareness of the Arts Dollars program exacerbates this problem. The program is of sound intent, but suffers from a lack of exposure. As a result, many events on campus that students would enjoy drift by under the radar, hidden to the student body like the hidden Culbreth Theater.
The intentions of the Arts Dollars program can be understood by its structure. Each full-time student is allotted 60 Arts Dollars as well as an additional 15 Arts Dollars specifically designated for use at Virginia Film Festival events. The dollars are linked to the student's I.D. card and number and are replenished at the outset of each academic year in return for a tuition expense. The program "tries to encourage students to learn about all types of arts," says Jill Hartz, the Director of the University Art Museum. "We're interested in assuring that future generations have an appreciation for the arts as well."
The music, drama and art departments, as well as the University Art Museum and the Virginia Film Festival all recognize the program, ensuring that even the most discerning of students can find an event or two throughout each semester that piques his or her artistic curiosity. The Virginia Film Festival, which is taking place throughout this upcoming weekend, is just one of the many artistic options the Arts Dollars program make accessible to full-time students at the University. Even in the case of popular events such as the film festival, many students seem unaware of their ability to access them.
Publicity is crucial in any field; without widespread interest, even the best product in the world will fail to be appreciated. The Arts Dollars program here at the University suffers from just such a lack of awareness amongst the student body it attempts to serve. Before taking a drama course this semester, I was completely unaware that there were 60 Arts Dollars just sitting on my student I.D. card collecting artistic dust. It often takes mandatory experience with one of the departments involved in the arts at the university to alert students to these under-appreciated funds. "I completely forgot about those [Arts Dollars] until after it was too late to use them... I don't know if I've ever used any of mine," said Stephanie Garcia, a second-year in the college. In the past, Garcia admits she has even purchased tickets to events to which Arts Dollars apply.
It is incredibly easy to pay for tickets with Arts Dollars; at the Culbreth Theater, I was able to reserve a seat with just a phone call to give the box office my student I.D. number, and at places like the museum it is even easier. The problem lies not in the process, but rather in the publicity. Students who know about Arts Dollars are able to take full advantage of the benefits of the program, but while the student body remains unfamiliar with the program, it will continue to go under-utilized.
If the Arts Dollars program is going to avoid obscurity, there needs to be a greater significance given to both Arts Dollars and to the events it serves. Departments involved in the arts should require students to attend concerts and plays where Arts Dollars apply in an effort to expose a larger portion of the population to the advantages of the program. The Arts Dollars program should also be a major point of discussion within coming first-year students. Departments should constantly attempt to alert students to upcoming events on campus; posters, flyers, and even advertising are all means by which the Arts Dollars advantage can be brought to the forefront.
"If The Cavalier Daily ran a page each day listing the upcoming events at which students could use Arts Dollars," suggests Hartz, "the arts would be on students' minds more regularly than they are." Students that understand the program from the beginning of their careers here at the University are more likely to gain the most from the benefits Arts Dollars offer. If the program and the departments it serves can secure greater interest and understanding amongst students, the artistic community will gain prominence rather than obscurity on campus. The student body, too, will reap the benefits of more available culture.
Dave Infante's column appears Fridays in The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at dinfante@cavalierdaily.com.
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