Columbia will officially close out the 2024-25 school year with its annual Manifest Arts Festival on Friday, May 16, a day filled with excitement, pride and emotional reflection as students celebrate their creativity and hard work.
The all-day event happens at the end of every spring semester and showcases graduating senior and graduate student work. It is open to all campus members, as well as their friends and families, to bring together a community that celebrates Columbia’s creativity.
Over 80 student-led events will take place across campus this year, including performances, exhibitions, club activations and an outdoor festival featuring various student groups.
The 2025 Manifest theme is “Imagine,” with decorations and designs created by Frankie Buente, this year’s creative director. Buente, a senior interdisciplinary production major, has primarily worked in art and design freelancing for a “very long time” since they were in eighth grade.
Buente will also showcase their own work at this year’s festival with a six-minute-long film titled “Roots,” which will be screened on the first floor of 916 S. Wabash Ave.
“I like the idea of Columbia being a fun place, like it’s a creative place and I think that’s really essential,” Buente said. “I wanted it to be a blast. It’s got to be something that makes people feel good.”
There will also be film screenings on the eighth and third floor of 1104 S. Wabash, including BFA thesis short films.
All Manifest guests are required to have a wristband, which can be picked up at one of three check-in stations located at 623 S. Wabash Ave., the Student Center and 1104 S. Wabash Ave.
Last year, there were four outdoor locations, including the lots on East Balbo Street and South Wabash Avenue, which served as the main lot. However, at this year’s celebration there are only three outdoor spaces: the Imaginarium at East Balbo Street and South State Street, the main lot next to the Student Center at 722 S. Wabash Ave. and the Garden at East 11th Street and South Wabash Avenue.
The Imaginarium will feature music, a mocktail bar and activities for festival goers. Manifest Mainstage can be found in the main lot, which will host a kick-off at 1pm, Class of 2025 shirt pick-up, student performances, photo booth and the headliner at 7pm. The Garden will have live music, hot dogs and a presentation from the School of Visual Arts.
Twelve campus buildings will also host events throughout the day from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
In 2024, there was also a street performer’s location on the corner of 9th Street and South Wabash Avenue. However, this will not be included at this year’s festival.
Last year, as the college faced a growing financial crisis, former president and CEO Kwang-Wu Kim said Columbia would need to downsize events like Manifest, Convocation and future commencement ceremonies in order to help address a $38 million deficit at the time, as previously reported by the Chronicle.
As a result, student organization booths moved from an outdoor location at Manifest to the fourth and fifth floors of the Student Center this year, similar to Convocation.
Jenna Davis, Student Government Association president and a junior fine arts major, said that although the student government association will still be present this year, their set-up would be a little different due to spacing issues.
“All SGA is doing is speaking on the stage and kind of opening it up,” she said. “We do not have a table activation this year. We wanted to give that space to other smaller orgs so they can show off all that they’ve done this year.”
Davis said that she is excited the day has finally come, and she is looking forward to seeing everything the clubs have put together for the celebration.
“Manifest is like nothing else,” she said. “It isn’t possible without all the students…their hard work pays off and is really appreciated.”
Asian Alliance will host a boba and chill table at the Student Center on the fourth floor. Alexis De Ocampo, a junior advertising major and the community director and upcoming vice president of Asian Alliance, said there will be a couple flavors of drinks to choose from in addition to different flavors of popping boba and mochi.
De Ocampo said that ever since the organization’s rebrand and hiatus from October 2024 to earlier this year, Manifest is their opportunity to make themselves known to other students and ask for any of their insight or feedback.
De Ocampo said students don’t have to be Asian or Asian American to come visit the Asian Alliance table. She said she just wants students to say hi and get to know the organization a little better. “It’s a day to celebrate yourself,” De Ocampo said. “That’s the point of Manifest, and we really hope that people are willing to come by and say hi.”
Mario Jimenez, a senior photography major and the past president of the Latino Alliance, said that this year, the group has partnered with the Latin faculty alliance and TRIO to collaborate on a bigger, more impactful project.
“We are collaborating to put on a student and faculty Latin art showcase,” Jimenez said.
The idea is for the exhibit to be a celebration of the art they have accomplished over the past year and hope to “inspire future students.”
“The Latin community is strong and present here in Columbia, we haven’t gone anywhere,” Jimenez said. “We’re still gonna make art, even though there’s an administration targeting undocumented groups of people.”
Morgan Johnson, a senior illustration major, said she feels emotional about this being her last Manifest and is looking forward to attending the 10th annual ILLO Awards showcase, a ceremony for illustration majors.
“We acknowledge each other’s achievements, and it’s all really sweet,” Johnson said.
Johnson has their work titled “A Meal to Die For” on display on 916 S. Wabash Ave. as part of the windows exhibition. After seeing it up close for the first time, they said it brought happy tears to their eyes.
“It’s a big achievement for me,” they said. “I’m very grateful that I was able to participate in this project.”
Antonio Canino, a sophomore illustration major, said that he’s “pretty hype” about the festival. While he didn’t get the chance to go last year, he said he had seen all the activities and events.
“I’m eager to see what the students have been doing and cooking up,” Canino said. “I like the wonder of it, being able to just walk in blind and be surprised and amazed.”
A program of Manifest events can be found inside the May print issue of the Chronicle, available at newsstands in every campus building.
Additional reporting by Morgan Kromer
Copy edited by Matt Brady
