JILLIAN BORROWMAN

There is no better way to forget about the cold of winter than by getting dressed up and heading out for an evening of drinks, food and artistic appreciation with We The Artists’ fine arts showcase.

Three years ago the University of Saskatchewan began striving for greater community engagement. This push sparked the three student associations of Music, Drama and Visual Arts — led by presidents Mitchell Bonokoski, Adam Naismith and Emma Anderson, respectively — to come together to create We The Artists, a collaborative association of students in the fine arts.

The event started as a way to connect fine arts students to off-campus communities and show the students’ artistic works to the public. The hope was that through coming together as an artistic community there would be a stronger sense of fellowship created both on and off-campus.

Fast-forward three years and We The Artists has grown into an annual showcase with increasing size and reach. Every year there is a display of visual artworks and a program of musical and theatrical acts.

As We The Artists has grown so has the goal of the event. The new mandate aims at enriching the arts in Saskatoon and encouraging “like-minded individuals and groups to remain here and aid in shaping the cultural map of the city’s future.”

Nevin Buehler, Stephen Davis and the rest of the Jared Tehse Trio will perform at We the Artists.

There have been a number of changes to the program thanks to the commitment of this year’s We The Artists executive board. The 2014 event will be held at the O’Brians Event Center, which boasts a formal stage. There has also been a reworking of the general setup for the evening so that more focus can be placed on the individual acts and displays.

This year’s program will include stage combat, an original spoken word piece, student-written sketch comedy, an ensemble jazz band and Spanish guitar with vocals, among others. The night will also see a live-action painting crafted by U of S artists Jordan Bulgis and Floranne St. Amand, who will collaborate on the piece over the course of the evening. The painting will be auctioned off at the end of the event.

In addition to the acts there will be special U of S alumni speakers in attendance including Heather Morrison, Zachari Logan and Chris Kelly.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for people to grab a drink and peruse the artwork, with the formal program starting at 7:30 p.m. and running for approximately an hour and a half.

Festivities will continue with appetizers provided by Picknic’s Catering, live music  from the Jared Tehse Trio, a cash bar and further enjoyment of the arts until 11:00.

The event is semi-formal, so feel free to don your cocktail dress or dinner jacket. Tickets are $20 for students or seniors and $25 for general admission.

O’Brians Event Centre hosts We The Artists on Saturday, Feb 1. Tickets are available in the U of S Arts Tunnel from 10 am – 3 pm until Jan. 31 or online at obrianseventcentre.ca