Campus groups put Arts First

(Saving money is only secondary)

Edgar Degas, Sur la scène (On Stage III), 1877. Etching, 3 3/4 x 4 7/8″. Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum, Washington University in St. Louis. University purchase, Yalem Fund, 2005.

Whether it’s Edgar Degas sketching ballerinas or Lou Reed singing about “Romeo and Juliette,” the arts don’t exist in a vacuum. Lines get blurred, influences get shared, inspirations get gloriously tangled.

This fall, four Washington University in St. Louis cultural areas have banded together to create Arts First, a multidisciplinary, campuswide subscription package.

It works like this: For $40, students, faculty and staff may purchase an Arts First card, which provides admittance to four campus events over the next year.

Che Malambo brings Argentine dance to Edison Nov. 22.

These include a special, members-only tour at the Mildred Kemper Art Museum Oct. 11, as well as one event of their choice from Edison Theatre, one event from the Department of Music in Arts & Sciences and one event from the Performing Arts Department, also in Arts & Sciences.

“Washington University boasts some of St. Louis’ finest cultural resources,” said Charlie Robin, executive director of Edison Theatre. “For new students, Arts First provides a great introduction to four of them — as well as a nice potential savings for current friends and supporters from across campus.”

Arts First cards can be purchased at the Edison Theatre Box Office or through the First Year Center website. For more information or a list of eligible events, visit the Arts First website or call (314) 935-6543.

Actor and playwright Stephen Lang — perhaps best known for his role as Col. Quaritch in Avatar — brings Beyond Glory, an unflinching portrait of the real lives behind stories of military heroism, to Edison Nov. 16.