Columbia’s annual festival in the South Loop features hundreds of free public programs with live music, dance, and art exhibitions—all created and curated by more than 2,000 student artists.

CHICAGO—April 29, 2019. Rising hip-hop star Kweku Collins will headline the Manifest Urban Arts Festival, Columbia College Chicago’s iconic South Loop student-run arts celebration, on Friday, May 10 at 6 p.m. The day-long event will span the Wabash Arts Corridor from 9th to 11th Streets.

Collins released his acclaimed album Nat Love at the age of 19, performed at Pitchfork Music Festival last year, and recently completed a national tour with musical artist Joseph Chilliams following the release of Collins’ Grey album. The Evanston native is the latest in Chicago’s history of young rap talents.

Manifest returns to the South Loop, offering a free celebration of the creative arts. Attendees will experience an array of engaging, thought-provoking, and interactive programs including live bands and DJs, gallery exhibitions, dance and theatre performances, fashion exhibitions, and more created and curated by Columbia student artists.

For more information and the most up-to-date programming, visit manifest.colum.edu/schedule.

MANIFEST FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:

Documenting Truth in an Era of “Fake News”
12-9 p.m. at 1104 S. Wabash Ave., 8th floor
Senior photojournalism students present photographs and film trailers that showcase their reporting and visual talents in documenting truth at a time when it—and the people who seek it—are under attack. This is the inaugural showcase for Columbia’s photojournalism majors.

MFA Art and Art History Thesis Exhibition
12-8 p.m. at the Glass Curtain Gallery, 1104 S. Wabash Ave., 1st floor
Explore the works of MFA candidates in Columbia’s Interdisciplinary Arts and Media and Interdisciplinary Book and Paper Arts programs in this thesis exhibition representing the culmination of three-plus years’ worth of work for each artist. The exhibition includes books, prints, drawings, textiles, sculptures, photography, sound, projections, and installation works by artists Lynn Elam, Willa Goettling, Colleen McCulla, Mirjana Ursulesku, and Phil Worfel.

ShopColumbia
12-8 p.m. at 619 S. Wabash Ave.
Shop for one-of-a-kind creations made by Columbia’s students, alumni, faculty, and staff during extended hours for Manifest. ShopColumbia has represented Columbia artists for 10 years, fostering the sales of their professional work and providing an environment to hone the process of presenting, marketing, and selling original works to the public.

Original Fashion Exhibition
12-7:30 p.m. at Stage Two, 618 S. Michigan Ave., 2nd floor
Graduating Fashion Studies students showcase their stunning final works in this fashion exhibition, featuring a dozen original garment designs on platforms throughout the space, with coordinating thematic props designed by fashion merchandise and business students.

Manifest Kick-Off Celebration
1-1:30 p.m. at the Manifest Mainstage, Wabash Avenue and 11th Street
Manifest begins with live music, performance art, and theatrical spectacle at the Manifest Mainstage area, featuring DJ Foxsatton, special guest speakers, and Manifest song winner Charlie Curtis-Beard performing his original anthem “Greatness Underneath.”

Food Truck Social
1-6 p.m. along Wabash Avenue between 9th and 11th Streets
Grab a bite to eat between programs at some of Chicago’s most beloved food trucks, including Piko Street, Dornermen, Happy Lobster, and Beavers Donuts.

ManiFresh Hip-Hop Celebration
1:30-5:30 p.m. at HAUS event space, 623 S. Wabash Ave., 1st floor
ManiFresh is a hip-hop festival and community arts celebration showcasing the work of students in Columbia’s Hip-Hop Studies program, as well as alumni and community members, featuring performances, cyphers, demos, presentations, and much more.

Through a Dog’s Eyes
2-7 p.m. in the alley behind 623 S. Wabash, from Harrison Street to Balbo Drive
Guests are encouraged to bring their furry friends to “Through a Dog’s Eyes,” a dog-focused multimedia exhibition that features ten Columbia artists exploring how dogs and humans see the world differently. Artworks will be on display and activities include an interactive mirror for dogs and a Dog Photo Booth from 3-5 p.m. where guest photos will be processed into “dog vision.”

Afrofuturist Playwriting and Speculative Drama
2-3 p.m. at the Sheldon Patinkin Theater, 72 E. 11th St., Basement
A showcase of student-written work including readings from the Afrofuturist Playwriting and Speculative Drama playwrights, in the genre recently popularized by Black Panther.

Stage Combat
2-2:45 p.m. at the Courtyard Theater, 72 E. 11th St., 1st floor
Student fighters and fight choreographers present heart-stopping theatrical battle scenes ranging from broadswords to daggers.

Music Ensemble Performances
2-7:30 p.m. at the Conaway Center, 1104 S. Wabash Ave., 1st floor
The Music Department proudly presents its top ensembles, which will perform in stylistically diverse genres including R&B, pop rock, jazz, gospel and fusion. Original student compositions will be featured. Human Bloom and Oby, bands featuring Columbia alumni, headline in the evening.

33rd Annual Animation Showcase
4-7 p.m. in Film Row Cinema, 1104 S. Wabash Ave., 8th floor
This annual screening showcases animated shorts, from their conception to the presentation of their final forms. BFA Solo and Animation Production Studio films at various stages of production along with a wide variety of examples from the Animation Program will be shown.

Columbia College Chicago is a private, nonprofit college offering a distinctive curriculum that blends creative and media arts, liberal arts, and business for nearly 7,000 students in more than 100 undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Dedicated to academic excellence and long-term career success, Columbia College Chicago creates a dynamic, challenging, and collaborative space for students who experience the world through a creative lens. For more information, visit www.colum.edu.

 

MEDIA INQUIRIES

Elizabeth Neukirch
Silverman Group
Elizabeth@silvermangroupchicago.com
312-932-9950

Lambrini Lukidis
Columbia College Chicago
llukidis@colum.edu
O: 312-369-8695 C: 616-808-7378

• Students
• Manifest

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