Each year, Columbia hosts an annual urban arts festival, Manifest, to showcase the graduating student’s and alumni’s body of work. The six-day-long celebration will include Industry Night and will culminate with Manifest and senior graduation parties to bring the creative community of the college together.

An informational meeting was held on Dec. 1 to discuss the plans for the 2010 commencement week. The meeting was held in the Film Row Cinema of the 1104 Center, 1104 S. Wabash Ave., and featured design contest winner, Landry Miller, faculty and staff members along with Student Government Association’s President Jessica Valerio.

Mark Kelly, vice president of Student Affairs, said he believes the college has a sacred responsibility to showcase graduating student work and Manifest is the perfect way to do so.

“We need to be connecting graduating students to professionals, show their wonderful talents and give them a forum where they come together,” Kelly said. “We want to send our graduating students out with a bang and we want to make sure as they leave the Columbia community, they have this unique experience.”

However, the weeklong events don’t just cater to graduating seniors.  Alumni events will also be held. Some of the events include an a bazaar where former students can exhibit or sell their work, an alumni lounge and an alumni reception to make sure that they still feel at home within the community. Kelly said these events are held to ensure the alums feel reconnected to the community and that creative spirit remains part of the creative nation of alumni.

Industry Night, hosted by the Portfolio Center,  will begin May 13, 2010. The event will give the graduating students a chance to present their portfolios, hand out their resumes and business cards and network with working professionals in their field. Tim Long, the executive director of Career Initiatives and director of the Portfolio Center, said this year’s Industry Night will work a bit differently than last year’s.

Long said that unlike previous years, this year the event will take place over the course of three days starting on May 11.   Industry Night’s premiere events will showcase performances by students in dance, musical theater and theater and a reception will follow their performances. The second night will be hosted in the new Media Production Center and will showcase work by the Film and Video Department along with the Television and Broadcast Journalism departments.  The final night will feature a reception for all industry guests and will hold panel discussions and portfolio reviews by professionals.

Bruce Sheridan, chair of the Film and Video Department, said that he is eager to use the new Media Production Center for the upcoming events to show the students’ work.

“Two things we need to introduce to industry are clear,” Sheridan said. “We need to display the grounding that the students get at this school, which is deeper than any trade school education, and emphasize that our students are by definition, ‘creative.’ Whether they are a director, producer or sound recorder, whatever it is they’re doing is a creative enterprise.”

Each year, students are asked to vote for an artist to design the manifest T-shirts. Landry Miller, a graphic design major, had a new vision for this year’s design. Unlike before, the students will get a chance to collaborate with him and give suggestions as to what they want to see in order to make the event what is really is about: the students.

“This idea is to get as many people involved as we can so that it’s more difficult to point the finger at one person, and to keep it as interactive as we can,” Miller said. “If you still don’t like it, then maybe it’s your fault,” he joked.

Miller conceptualized developing shapes and a color palette so the design can be customizable for anyone who wants to involve themselves.

Landry said how the design is going to be executed will change. He said that although small things like color scheme will change, the approach will remain the same. He asked attendees if they have any ideas to make the process more interactive or any other input they have to contact him.

Jessica Valerio reflected on when she was considering her decision as to whether or not to apply to Columbia. She said that as soon as she saw the two-minute Manifest video, she knew she wanted to be a part of the community.

“Manifest is one guaranteed event students can tangibly see their role and influence on the art world and visually place themselves in working environment,” Valerio said. “The support of faculty, staff, the administration and the people that have walked us through our college experience is truly critical in helping us celebrate that role, leading us off into our own state.” a director, producer or sound recorder, whatever it is they’re doing is a creative enterprise.”

Each year,  students are asked to vote for an artist to design the Manifest T-shirts. Landry Miller, a graphic design major, had a new vision for this year’s design. Unlike before, the students will get a chance to collaborate with him and give suggestions as to what they want to see in order to make the event what it is really is about: the students.

“This idea is to get as many people involved as we can so that it’s more difficult to point the finger at one person, and to keep it as interactive as we can,” Miller said. “If you still don’t like it, then maybe it’s your fault,” he joked.

Miller conceptualized developing shapes and a color palette so the design can be customizable for anyone who wants to involve themselves in the designing.

Landry said how the design is going to be executed will change. He said that although small things like color scheme will change, the approach will remain the same. He asked attendees if they have any ideas to make the process more interactive or any other input they have to contact him.

Valerio reflected on when she was considering her decision as to whether or not to apply to Columbia.  She said that as soon as she saw the two-minute Manifest video, she knew she wanted to be a part of the community.

“Manifest is one guaranteed event students can tangibly see their role and influence on the art world and visually place themselves in a working environment,” Valerio said. “The support of faculty, staff, the administration and the people that have walked us through our college experience is truly critical in helping us celebrate that role, leading us off into our own state.”

For more information on Manifest or any of the week’s events, visit Colum.edu/Manifest.