Music blasting from speakers and the smell of hot dogs on the grill drew students to the courtyard of Dudley Hall during Fine Arts Day Thursday last week.
Held by the School of Architecture and the American Institute of Architecture Students, Fine Arts Day invited students of various majors, including architecture, graphic design, industrial design, interior design, art, music and theater, to eat and socialize between classes, while selling tickets to the Beaux Arts Ball.
The Ball, a Mardi Gras Masquerade, was Tuesday from 8 p.m. until closing at SkyBar Cafe.
"Being an architecture major gets hectic, so there's not much time to party and hang out," said Aldo Rubil, sophomore in architecture. "But, when there is (time), we take advantage of it."
As designated disc jockey for the event, Rubil selected songs--some early '90s alternative rock, including selections by The Red Hot Chili Peppers and others--and took requests from students around the courtyard.
"I like to play dance music that lets everybody have a good time," Rubil said.
Chad Pryor, architecture thesis student, said he has attended Fine Arts Day in the past, even when it lasted a whole week.
"I come for the food, the support, to see other people's work and to enjoy being outside," Pryor said.
Eating a chocolate glazed doughnut, Pryor said he became interested in architecture while helping his father with landscaping.
"I decided I didn't want to do manual work for the rest of my life, so I got into the art part of the business instead," Pryor said.
In previous years, the event lasted a week with different activities each day, said Kristy Swann, AIAS president and senior in architecture.
"The first year, (this event) was kind of an afterthought and was thrown together," Swann said. "It was spread out all over campus." The hot dogs and project displays have been a part of the event since the beginning, but the music and centralized location were added this year, Swann said.
Fine Arts Week has been condensed into a single day and location to encourage more student participation, Swann said.
"I appreciate the art behind architecture," Swann said. "(Art) is my true passion because it's a way to control the environment you're in." First time participant Sierra Atkinson attended Fine Arts Day with her boyfriend, an architecture major. "I like
Fine Arts Day because it's interesting to see projects and things the design majors have done," said Atkinson, senior in Spanish.
Spending many hours working on projects in the studio, students in these majors rarely have time to visit with each other, Swann said.
"I like everyone being out here because we usually don't get to see each other in one setting," Swann said. "We're usually in our own little corners."
Students who purchased tickets to the upcoming Beaux Arts Ball were entered in a drawing for door prizes.
"We're trying to reincorporate (Fine Arts Day's) basis as a celebration of the arts by getting students of all majors involved," Swann said.
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