Abstract

In conjunction with the New Britain Museum of American Art, Central Connecticut State University established a committee of professors to investigate the development of a unified arts night at the museum. The purpose of the UMC Collaborative was to unite the university, museum, and the community to celebrate diversity of cultures and the diversity of CCSU student’s visions within the context of the museum collection. The first annual “CCSU Night at the Museum” presented student works from CCSU departments including: Art; Communication; English; History; Latin American Studies; Modern Languages; Music; Teacher Education; Theatre; Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies; and the Graphics/School of Technology. A local urban elementary school presented their drumline titled, “Hot Stixx” and dancers from a local New Britain boys and girls club performed, integrating the concept of musicality of African Americans in relation to the Thomas Hart Benton murals. The CCSU Night at the Museum began at the university campus with a mural bus tour highlighting murals on campus, around the local community and culminating at the NBMAA. This presentation will articulate the development of the UMC Collaborative, and present student artifacts and performances related to Benton (1932) murals, “Arts of life in America,” past to present.