Stop, look, listen — and make your own art — at 2007 Arts Night Out!

UW-Madison’s Arts Night Out! 2007 has something certain to inspire and enchant everyone.

On Saturday, Oct. 13, attendees can enjoy poetry and hip-hop theater from international spoken word stars at "Passin’ the Mic: Talking Gods and Lyrical Legacies"; attend a class of ballroom basics; see photographs that document children in Belfast, Lebanon and Central America and meet the photographer at a special reception; and create their own masterpieces at the art department’s open house.

Special family-friendly events will release the creative spirit in budding artists of all ages. In one glorious day and night, artists, performers and organizations from across campus invite people to experience the arts, from traditional to cutting edge, and at no charge.

Arts Night Out!, the UW–Madison campus arts festival, presents an array of arts programming that is regularly offered by campus galleries, theaters, and music and arts groups on a single day. From 11 a.m.-midnight, participants can immerse themselves in exhibitions, performances of all kinds, films, demonstrations, receptions and more — and all are free.

Participants in the day of eclectic, artistic adventure can rediscover 1930s radio drama with a performance of "The Water Engine" by David Mamet, which will be broadcast live on Wisconsin Public Radio’s "Old Time Radio Drama"; attend Dynamic Elements, a multimedia experience that blends live music, visual images, processed sounds and prerecorded material; and watch and listen to students in the First Wave Spoken Words and Urban Arts Learning Community as they bust out their poetic voices and movement in performance.

Programs to thrill the young and young at heart include a theater workshop for the whole family at the Welcome Center — complete with ice cream treats, a tour of an exhibit at the Chazen Museum of Art followed by a session where participants will draw their own masterpiece from their imaginations, and the chance to work with art education students and faculty at the art department’s open house. The department open house also presents student, faculty and alumni exhibits, a family-friendly metals event and demonstrations of printmaking and ceramics.

This year, Arts Night Out! includes events with a literary bent as part of the Wisconsin Book Festival. Students in the master of fine arts program will talk about how why they write poetry and discuss the craft of writing. A screening of "The Milagro Beanfield War," based on the novel with the same name, complements its inclusion at the festival.

Arts Night Out! is sponsored by campus arts departments and organizations, Visitor and Information Programs and the UW–Madison Arts Institute. For information, a full schedule of events and connections, call 608-263-2400 or stop by the Campus Information Center in the Red Gym on Langdon Street or the Welcome Center at 21 N. Park St.

The arts at UW–Madison are rich in tradition and continue to lead the way in excellence and innovation. The university’s first gallery was built in 1877 and today the university’s art galleries, museums, libraries and working presses educate students and welcome visitors. The university offers a dazzling array of more than 1,500 performing arts events each year. These events often have reasonable ticket prices or are even free, providing an opportunity for families, students and community members to experience high-quality performing arts without the high prices.