Lights, Camera, Action!

By Tina Douglas

Melissa Lowe has been the Faculty Fellow Arts Coordinator since 1998. Melissa helps to bring the performing arts to students served by the Faculty Fellows program. With the help and support of her Faculty Fellows colleagues, Melissa finds ways to make tickets affordable to students and their Faculty Fellows, as well as coordinate presentations and discussions with artists and faculty colleagues.

Melissa works with The School of Music, The School of Dance, and the School of Theatre Arts, as well as UAPresents, to determine which upcoming event discounts can be extended to students and their Faculty Fellows. Every year Melissa publishes a catalog for the Faculty Fellows comprised of upcoming performances. These events include dance performances, concerts, plays, visiting artists and scholars' lectures, exhibitions, back stage tours, gallery openings, and dress rehearsals. Some event costs have been as low as $2.50, (and some are even free!) for students, thanks to Melissa's efforts.

Melissa is constantly "seeking out events in arts", that she can present to students; these events are a vehicle to attract students in to the arts and give them a chance to experience new things. Many students are caught up in their studies and don't have an opportunity to see performances, so this program encourages students to enrich their cultural experiences. These arts events provide much more than entertainment – they help to stimulate creativity, expand students' horizons, and add color and vibrancy to their lives.

Thank you to Melissa Lowe, a Faculty Fellow who is constantly working to find ways to get students interested in the arts and providing the opportunities for them and their Faculty Fellows to experience some of the creative and uplifting qualities that the arts offer.