Arts matter at McMaster University
Natalie Timperio
Senior InsideOut Editor
The week of Feb. 27 to March 2 marked McMaster’s annual celebration of Arts Matter Week. Organized by the McMaster Humanities Society (MHS) and the faculty of Humanities, the Week provided an opportunity for McMaster students to showcase some of its musical and artistic talents.
The week began with a wine and cheese reception, where students and professors alike came together to enjoy music and art. Some of the events that followed included Open Mic Night as Westdale’s My Dog Joe’s and a multimedia exhibit in Lyons Media Centre. The Week was wrapped up with a TwelvEighty pub night.
The Week “was an overwhelming success,” said Lisa Bifano, President of the MHS. “We surpassed our expectations and made history as the most successful Arts Matter Week the MHS has ever organized.”
While the Week concluded on a formidable note, celebrating McMaster’s art scene need not end with Arts Matter Week.
“The arts at McMaster are so diverse. With a variety of musical, theatrical and literary groups, students from all disciplines are able to appreciate and immerse themselves in a pool of knowledge and sensory experience,” Bifano said.
The arts provide an experience like none other at Mac. The creative nature of the arts presents students with a unique yet collective experience. “The arts scene helps to foster a sense of community. Plays, concert, exhibits all bring people together in order to appreciate something common to us all,” explained Bifano.
While we all may not possess artistic talents ourselves, be it the lack of oratory ability or the lack of an imaginative mind, “everyone can appreciate the arts, even if they are unskilled in it themselves.
They can come to watch, listen and look to try to appreciate others’ talent, even if the medium is completely foreign to that audience member.
Enjoyment of the arts is a commonality between individuals ... which expands the boundaries of human knowledge,” Bifano added.
McMaster’s arts community allows students a healthy getaway from the trials of higher education while still providing an opportunity for students to learn in a way that, arguably, cannot be done in a formal school setting.
“The arts help students to not only appreciate the entertainment value but to challenge oneself to think deeper and determine a greater significance,” Bifano said.
The arts are also responsible for fostering a certain culture at Mac. Where diversity of education may at times be lacking in our day-to-day, school- and work-run lives, McMaster offers a niche for a variety of thoughts as well as experiences to take form.
Far from having run its course with the conclusion of Arts Matter Week, the arts scene at McMaster is sure to thrive in coming years. “I look forward to continuing these types of initiatives next year. I would love to see even greater participation and collaboration within the faculty of Humanities,” Bifano said.
