The Arts at WT Subscription Drive Opens; Six Exclusive Events Offered

Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, cchandler@wtamu.edu

CANYON, Texas — Memberships are available now for West Texas A&M University’s exclusive society of arts supporters.

Now in its 15th year, The Arts at WT: A Subscription Series offers special access to the best that WT’s Sybil B. Harrington College of Fine Arts and Humanities has to offer.

“We welcome you to come be a part of The Arts at WT and experience the remarkable talents of students and faculty of the Sybil B. Harrington College of Fine Arts and Humanities,” said Dr. Dan Peterson, dean. “Events offer members the opportunity to enjoy amazing performances, insightful discussions and more while supporting the programs that make them possible.”

Membership is only $300 for two, which offers exclusive admission for two at six concerts, dance recitals, lectures and art exhibitions throughout the year, as well as access to private receptions, cocktail buffets and more. Individual memberships are available for $150.

Subscribing to The Arts at WT helps ensure that mission continues by providing funds for four endowed scholarships, for special events and for purchases of essential equipment and supplies, Peterson said.

Arts subscribers receive admission for two to each of the season’s special events:

• Opera Cowgirls (7 p.m. Oct. 3, Jack B. Kelley Student Center Legacy Hall): This dinner-theatre experience will, for a third consecutive year, feature the genre-bending music of this nationally touring ensemble, which includes WT’s own Sarah Beckham-Turner, assistant professor of music. A reception will begin at 6 p.m.
• “The Language of the Cottonwoods: A Dialogue on the Plains and Sense of Place” (7 p.m. Nov. 7, Legacy Hall): Clay S. Jenkinson, host of “The Thomas Jefferson Hour” and winner of National Endowment of the Humanities Charles Frankel Prize, will speak for the Garry L. Nall Lecture in Western Studies for the Center for the Study of the American West. A reception will begin at 6 p.m. in Mary Moody Northen Hall atrium.
• “Music of the Christmas Season” (4 p.m. Dec. 8, Northen Recital Hall): Subscribers will get guaranteed admission to WT’s annual holiday concert, which is always performed to sold-out audiences. This year, the WT Choirs and Symphony Orchestra will be joined by members of WT Dance for an aerial silks performance. A reception will begin at 2 p.m. in Legacy Hall.
• “Illumination” (7 p.m. Feb. 6, Legacy Hall): WT Dance’s spring extravaganza will feature a combination of choreography and state-of-the-art projections. A reception will begin at 6 p.m.
• “Art for the People” (6 p.m. March 20, location TBD): This event will shine a spotlight on the recent mural projects in the region through the lens of the history of mural painting and public art, including the Hoodoo Mural Festival, Blank Spaces and WT’s own Rural Mural Project.
• “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” (7:30 p.m. May 1, Branding Iron Theatre): WT Theatre will stage this early classic by Stephen Sondheim, combining the structure of timeless Roman comedies with the energy of vaudeville performances. A reception will begin at 6 p.m. in the Hazel Kelley Wilson Grand Lobby in the Sybil B. Harrington Fine Arts Complex.

For information or to subscribe, visit The Arts at WT website or call 806-651-2777.

Fostering an appreciation for the arts is a key mission of the University’s long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

That plan is fueled by the historic One West comprehensive fundraising campaign, which reached its initial $125 million goal 18 months after publicly launching in September 2021. The campaign’s new goal is to reach $175 million by 2025; currently, it has raised nearly $160 million.

About West Texas A&M University

WT is located in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. WT, a Hispanic Serving Institution since 2016, boasts an enrollment of about 10,000 and offers 59 undergraduate degree programs and more than 40 graduate degrees, including two doctoral degrees. The University is also home to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, the largest history museum in the state and the home of one of the Southwest’s finest art collections. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 14 men’s and women’s athletics programs.

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