May 5, 1998 Contact John R. Crosiar (541) 346-3135 EUGENE--Families and arts lovers of all ages are invited to the first-ever Campus Arts Faire on Saturday, May 23, at the University of Oregon. The Memorial Day weekend event will showcase a broad range of arts media--from visual and performing arts to literary and cultural explorations. "All of us in the campus arts community are enthusiastic about being able to introduce our talented and creative students, faculty and staff to the community at large," says Anne Dhu McLucas, School of Music dean and chair of the University Arts Group which conceived and spearheaded the event. "We've wanted for a long time to host an event such as the Campus Arts Faire, and I wholeheartedly encourage arts lovers of all ages to join us for an exciting afternoon." Starting at noon and continuing until 5 p.m., Arts Faire hosts at a central information booth located near the Pioneer Mother on the lawn at the corner of Johnson Lane and University Street will offer free maps and schedules of the day's events as well as brochures and ticket information for upcoming campus arts seasons. Drawings will be held for free tickets to performances in the fall. Throughout the afternoon, kids of all ages can make rain sticks and pictographs at the UO Museum of Natural History, create a community chalkboard at the Museum of Art or take in a wacky performance by Absolut Improv, a group of student actors at University Theatre. Other activities available for drop-in visits include exhibitions at the LaVerne Krause and Adell McMillan art galleries, a display of theater costumes and scenic designs at Villard Hall, docent-led museum tours and gallery talks, a traditional Japanese tea ceremony in the Museum of Art's Throne Room, and jazz performances in the grassy amphitheater north of the School of Music. Throughout the afternoon will be lessons in dancing the rumba, merengue, waltz, fox-trot and swing by members of the Oregon Ballroom Dance Club; demonstrations of wood block printmaking and copper plate etching by fine arts students and faculty; Dance Africa performances from South Africa, Tonga and Brazil; readings of poetry and prose; guided tours of trees on campus; an informal mini-concert by student dancers; and lessons on playing a tune on a recorder. At 2 p.m. in the Alumni Lounge at Gerlinger Hall, 1468 University St., Gary Stroutsos of Seattle will talk about and demonstrate the Native American flute. He composed and performed the music for Ken Burns' Public Broadcasting Service documentary about the explorers Lewis and Clark. Filling the air will be world premieres of seven or eight new pieces by the Pacific Rim Gamelan, the university's Balinese percussion orchestra; internationally acclaimed mezzo-soprano Milagro Vargas, joined by pianist Victor Steinhardt, will present a 2 p.m. recital in Beall Hall; and musicians will perform assorted chamber music as well as selected pieces with gospel singer Julia Neufeld from her recent compact disc. Wrapping up Campus Arts Faire events will be a pair of theatrical performances with paid admissions at Villard Hall. At 5 p.m. in the Pocket Theatre, a student collective will perform "Brown Bag Lunch." Suggested donation is $1. At 8 p.m., University Theatre will present William Shakespeare's "Two Gentlemen of Verona." Tickets are $9 for the general public; $7 for senior citizens, UO faculty and staff and non-UO students; and $4.50 for UO students. Free parking will be available during the Campus Arts Faire in university lots at various places around campus. Metered spaces, however, will be enforced. For the latest information about the Campus Arts Faire, call GuardLine from a Touch-Tone phone at 485-2000, ext. 2787, for a 24-hour taped message; on the Internet, browse http://darkwing. uoregon.edu/~uocomm/artsfaire/; or call Jeffrey Jane Knoche, (541) 346-5885. -30- #P-2216/A&E