Holiday cheer: Celebrate 50th Noel Night with the College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts

The 50th annual Noel Night returns Saturday, Dec. 7. The College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts are among several Wayne State University schools, colleges and divisions hosting events and activities across campus. Photograph by Julianne Lindsey.

From dance and theatre performances to the wonderful Winter Art and Retail Market, Wayne State University's College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts' programs will be on full display during the 50th Annual Noel Night.

Students, staff and alumni will engage the community on Saturday, Dec. 7, with a variety of events, activities and performances. Throughout campus, Noel Night provides the perfect backdrop for an evening packed with performances and other holiday experiences with family and friends.

Noel Night is an open house of the Midtown Detroit and Cultural Center districts that celebrates diverse holiday traditions amid the state’s premier arts and cultural institutions, historic churches, galleries, and a growing circle of small businesses. The annual holiday event is produced by Midtown Detroit, Inc., a nonprofit planning and development organization that supports the physical maintenance and revitalization of the Midtown Detroit and New Center neighborhoods.

Below is a complete list and details of all the Noel Night happenings presented by the James Pearson Duffy Department of Art, Art History, and Design, the Department of Music and the Maggie Allesee Department of Theatre and Dance.

Winter Art and Retail Market (WARM)

The Winter Art and Retail Market (WARM) is a fun and festive pop-up holiday marketplace featuring student vendors from the Department of Art, Art History, and Design. Stop in and shop to support Wayne State ceramics, industrial design, and graphic design students.

Location: WSU Welcome Center (42 W. Warren Avenue)
Time: 5-10 p.m.

Drawing and Painting Open House

The Department of Art, Art History, and Design will open their Drawing and Painting studios to the public with student works on display.

Location: Room 3141, Old Main (4841 Cass Avenue)
Time: 5-8 p.m.

Department of Music presents concertante strings and choir

The Department of Music presents a string orchestra performing Corelli's Christmas concerto, while a small choir will sing carols such as "The First Noel," "Joy to the World," "Oh Christmas Tree," "Silent Night," and more arranged for string orchestra and choir. Audience participation is welcome.

Location: Schaver Music Recital Hall (480 West Hancock Street)
Time: 7:30 p.m.

Echoes from the Rust art exhibition

The exhibit Echoes from the Rust traces the artistic lineages of the Rust Belt as it re-emerges from a time of fracture following corporate abandonment and economic decline. This group exhibition features pieces made by artists with lived experiences in Detroit and Pittsburgh, two post-industrial titans.

Location: Elaine L. Jacob Gallery (480 West Hancock Street)
Time: 5-10 p.m.

December Dance Concert (All ages)

Come witness this fall's collective works of students, faculty, and guest artists Dec. 7 at the Hilberry Gateway with the annual December Dance Concert. This concert is suitable for the entire family, and features an array of dance styles and music to be enjoyed. Tickets and more information can be found here.

Location: Hilberry Gateway - STAGE (4715 Cass Avenue)
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Cost: $17-27

Company One - "WEaving TrUSt" (All ages)

Company One dance productions create a lively experience using contemporary dance choreography, narration, technology, and music. Each program features the choreography of company dancers, local artists, and esteemed national guest artists.

This season, Artistic Director Lisa Rose LaMarre Wilmot collaborated with the cast and guest choreographers, Uri Mercury and Maddy Petz, to develop "WEaving TrUSt," an original show based on the theme of weaving.

The work will be premiered Dec. 7 during Noel Night and then touring to local K12 schools in the New Year. Tickets are on a Pay-What-You-Can-Basis up to $20. Get yours today!

Location: Hilberry Gateway - STAGE (4715 Cass Avenue)
Time: 4 p.m.
Cost: Pay what you can

Theatre and Dance at Wayne presents Ntozake Shange's "for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf" (Recommended for ages 16+)

Filled with passion, humor, and raw honesty, legendary playwright/poet Ntozake Shange's form-changing choreopoem tells the stories of seven Black women using poetry, song and movement. With unflinching honesty and emotion, each woman voices her survival story of having to exist in a world shaped by sexism and racism. Read the full release and get your tickets today.

Location: Hilberry Gateway - STUDIO (4715 Cass Avenue)
Time: 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Cost: $15-25

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