The University of Maine at Farmington’s annual Arts Week celebration is scheduled to run Monday to Saturday, April 18-23.

Art Week events will feature student work in the visual, performing and literary arts; music performances; and artist talks. A National Science Foundation Study found a direct line from arts and culture to innovative thinking, one of the top 10 soft skills employers seek, according to a news release from the university.

All events are free and open to the public.

Arts Night events will run from 4 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 19, and will take place in several university venues. This special night of events is a prelude to the university-wide symposium, which takes place on Wednesday, April 20.

• Pixel Hunter Student Film & Animation Festival, 7 p.m. Monday, April 18, Emery Community Arts Center, Academy Street.
A collection of experimental short films and animations created by UMF students. These films are not rated, and may contain adult language or content.

• A Concert of Improvised Music (Arts Night), 4 p.m. Tuesday, April 19, Nordica Auditorium, UMF Merrill Hall, 224 Main St.
A selection of improvised music will be composed on the spot by UMF students.

• “Cirque du Surreal” — Surrealist Fashion Show and Micro-Salon (Arts Night), 5 p.m. Tuesday, April 19, Emery Community Arts Center, and UMF Art Gallery, 246 Main St.
A presentation of artwork and a live runway fashion show by the students of Elizabeth Olbert’s ART224A-Surrealism: The Permanent Revolution class.

• Performing Arts Senior Project Presentations (Arts Night), 6-8:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 19, Emery Community Arts Center
As a prelude to Symposium Day, Arts Night will highlight performing arts senior projects. The day will feature back-to-back artistic, sound, cultural and theatrical presentations at the Emery Community Arts Center immediately following the announcement of the Grote Scholarship award at 6 p.m. and continuing into the evening.

Eli Mowry from Kennebunk will discuss his directing project — “Senior Prom” by Robert Means.

Mollie Smith from Farmington will present her costume design project — “Ever After.”

Charity Webster from Dixfield will present a live music performance of original composition “My Children — Imagination to Life.”

Tristan Huntoon from Madrid Township will present a live music performance of original composition “The Sublimity of Metal.”

Simoane Lowell from Belgrade will present a performance reading of original poems “This is a Title if You Want it to Be.”

Audrey Bradbury from Farmington will present an original performance “Have Felt.”

• “Who We Are, What We Do”: Senior Exhibition Artist Talks, 1-3 p.m. Wednesday, April 20, Emery Community Arts Center and UMF Art Gallery
Seniors in the Visual Arts Program will discuss their senior art show. This exhibit represents the culmination of their capstone research and features Alan Baker from Etna, New Hampshire; Abigail Cloutier from New Gloucester, Theo Estêvão from Old Orchard Beach; Audrey Keith from Chesterville, Drew Monteith from York; Aaron Montell from Gardiner; Emma Pierce from Gorham; Alexis Ramee from Troy; and Alexus Valeriani from Portland. Each student will discuss the concepts they have explored and topics that inform and shape their work which range from environmental activism, surrealism and horror to issues of identity, diversity, equality and personal growth.

• A Reading by the Students in Advanced Fiction, 4 p.m. Wednesday, April 20, Emery Community Arts Center
The students in the current semester of Advanced Fiction Writing will each read a three-minute excerpt from a work-in-progress. Throughout April, the students will facilitate their own “Portrait of the Artist” workshop in which they describe a source of inspiration (visual art, music and film) before presenting their fiction. For this symposium event, each student will choose a projected image to accompany their reading.

Participating students include: Ava Anderson from McCamey, Texas; Theo Cerami from Holderness, New Hampshire; Carrie Close from Farmington; Josh Hoffman from Augusta; Karly Jacklin from Mount Vernon, Ohio; Anastasia Mertz from Reno, Nevada; Elliot Morelli-Wolfe from Hebron, Connecticut; Ally Pickarts from Littleton, Colorado; Em Platt from Sunapee, New Hampshire; Terri Potvin from Jay; Jocelyn Royalty from New Haven, Connecticut; Katie Sewell from Saco; Campbell Tankersley from Bowdoinham; Amy Wiggins from Norridgewock; and Jared Wood from Greene.

• An Evening of Performance, 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday, April 21 and 22, Emery Community Arts Center

A Performance of Actors in Monologue (selected monologues from Advanced Acting).

Senior Prom — a one act play by Robert Means and directed by Eli Mowry.

Students from Advanced Acting Perform Monologues and “Senior Prom” — a one act play by Robert Mearns and directed by Eli Mowry in a project for Advanced Directing.

UMF Chorus Performance, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 23, Nordica Auditorium, Merrill Hall
Doors will open at 7:10 p.m. The performance is free and open to the public. The UMF chorus will sing a cappella contemporary choral works from all over the world including England, Newfoundland, Brazil and the United States. The UMF Chorus will conclude the concert with a performance of Stephen Sondheim’s Broadway Musical, “Sweeney Todd.”

For the university’s current COVID-19 policy for visitors, go to maine.edu.

Arts Week is sponsored by the UMF Division of the Arts. For more information, contact Ann Bartges, director of the UMF Emery Community Arts Center, at ann.bartges@maine.edu or 207-778-7461.