Arts And Entertainment

On a busy corner in downtown Arcata, redwood trees are sprouting from the sidewalk, foxes cavort, and a blue whale soars overhead.

Many Native communities throughout the world historically recognize and honor gender diversity. In some communities, LGBTQ+ individuals and those who embrace masculinity and femininity are revered as Two-Spirit.

What began 10 years ago as an idea turned into ideaFest. Cal Poly Humboldt’s annual extravaganza showcases hundreds of research and creative projects from students, staff, and faculty over the past year.

Students of ceramics arts are busy preparing for a whirlwind weekend, April 28-29, at the California Conference for the Advancement of Ceramic Arts (CCACA), a prestigious gathering of students and renowned artists in Davis, California.

Two ongoing exhibits showcase this year’s graduating Art students’ works. The exhibitions showcase the achievements of Humboldt’s graduating Art majors and minors, as well as graduating Bachelor of Fine Art majors.

Ghosts, mystery and curiosity—these spooky phenomena are explored in the original play Curious Company, which Humboldt students created, and performed at local high schools.  

CouRaGeouS Cuentos will be hosting an in-person celebration for Volume 6 on Monday, April 24 from 4-6 p.m. at the Native Forum (BSS 162) at Cal Poly Humboldt. There will be live readings, music, raffles, food, refreshments, and more.

The Humboldt Int’l Film Festival, the world’s oldest student-run film festival, returns to full in-person screenings this year.

The oldest book on campus has survived the Reformation, the Renaissance, and several wars and revolutions, finally finding its home at the Cal Poly Humboldt Library.

This issue of Cal Poly Humboldt’s multilingual literary magazine seeks to break the taboo of sex with a collection of diverse voices celebrating sex, gender, and intimacy.

The event is a cultural sharing of traditional California tribal dance and songs. It is acknowledgment of the sacred lands of the Wiyot people on which the campus is built. And, it honors the culture of California Native American tribes.

Films are a catalyst for change. They can affect animal and human rights, destigmatize disease, and ignite social movements. Harnessing this power motivates Cal Poly Humboldt Film students to drive social change and amplify voices, including their own.

Cal Poly Humboldt’s Goudi’ni Native American Arts Gallery presents LAND BACK: Artwork of Ka'ila Farrell-Smith, a visual artist, writer and activist located in Modoc Point, Oregon. Featuring paintings and traditional Indigenous art practices, she explores the space between the Indigenous and western paradigms.

The Department of Dance, Music & Theatre at Cal Poly Humboldt and Associated Students presents “Radium Girls” written by D.W. Gregory and directed by James Peck. Opening night is March 24 at 7:30 p.m. at the John Van Duzer Theatre.

Cal Poly Humboldt presents Fiesta Folklórica on Friday, March 3 and Saturday, March 4 at 7 p.m,. and Sunday, March 5 at 2 p.m. in Gist Hall Theatre.

Cal Poly Humboldt presents the “Welcome to Spring Semester” recital, an evening of wide-ranging music, with performances by faculty and alumni, on Saturday, Feb. 4 at 8 p.m. in Fulkerson Recital Hall.

"My Black Is…" features nine artists from the Humboldt county area, showcased at Cal Poly Humboldt’s Reese Bullen Gallery. The exhibit will run from Nov. 2 to Dec. 3. The public is invited to visit the gallery during open hours.

The Department of Dance, Music, & Theatre at Cal Poly Humboldt presents “She Kills Monsters” written by Qui Nguyen and directed by Sarah Peters Gonzales, opening Oct. 21 at 7:30 p.m. at the John Van Duzer Theatre.

The Humboldt Symphony and conductor Garrick Woods will perform with two winners of last semester’s Concerto/Aria Competition on Sunday, May 8 at 2 p.m. in Fulkerson Recital Hall.

To honor the Wiyot land where Cal Poly Humboldt sits, the University officially renamed its student union the Gutswurrak Student Activities Center in a ceremony at the building on campus. 

Compelling films from around the world will be featured in the 55th annual Humboldt Int’l Film Festival, billed as the longest student-run film fest in the world.

In a unique fusion of music and poetry, Cal Poly Humboldt is hosting “Sana, Sana: Hope and Healing for Latinx Communities in Times of Precarity.” The free performance on Sunday, April 24 is inspired by a poetry contest on the theme of hope and healing in Latinx communities. 

The Cal Poly Humboldt Guitar Ensemble and friends will play Friday, April 15 at 8 p.m. in Fulkerson Recital Hall. The concert includes a variety of musical styles and ensembles, including a guitar octet playing an arrangement of Monteverdi's “Orfeo,” a banjo trio performing old-time clawhammer banjo, performance poetry with guitar and marimba, and the much-anticipated return of the school’s newest ensemble, Mariachi de Humboldt.

The Cal Poly Humboldt Percussion Ensemble and World Percussion Group will perform on Saturday, April 16 at 8 p.m. in Fulkerson Recital Hall.

Crow's Side of the Tale: Life & Art of Rick Bartow opened this week at the Cal Poly Humboldt Goudi'ni Native American Arts Gallery.