A new event is arriving on campus sooner than you think.
The Programming and Activities Board will host the first Third Thursday this week inside the Memorial Union on the Tempe campus. The event will run from the north plaza to Hayden Lawn and will host not only food and vendors, but on-display student art, live music and performances from student bands and groups.
The event derives its name from the First Friday art show held in downtown Phoenix each month, Riggs Brown, vice president of union programs for PAB and Third Thursdays creator, said. However, he explained that the event is also an experiment.
With his apparent enthusiasm for the project, Brown said that the event took a year’s worth of planning to come to fruition. He believes it will be an opportunity for students to come in and display what they do in a more open space.
“I’m a big fan of the First Fridays that downtown Phoenix does, and I thought, ‘Well, why not give students that same platform here on campus?’" Brown said.
The first official Third Thursday is happening NEXT WEEK! Come hang out with PAB and USG outside the MU next Thursday...
Posted by ASU Programming and Activities Board - Tempe on Friday, February 12, 2016
Brown collaborated with Felix Herbst, USG Senator for the Herberger School of Art, over that year to bring the project together. The two have been friends since freshman year, and their positions helped move the project along.
"I actually didn't know (Brown) worked for PAB for a while," Herbst said. "He approached me about doing a sort of First Fridays but on campus. I kind of had that idea on my own as well, so it just worked really well."
The two also drew ideas from street fairs to incorporate those sensibilities into the event.
"All of the stuff you see down there in downtown, the quality of work?" Herbst said. "We have just as much of that here."
Student art groups, such as DC Unplugged, will be making an appearance at the event to display their creations and wares. On the performance side, Brown said several University-based music groups will be in attendance to display their talents as well, including the a capella group The Devil Clefs. Smaller bands, including local trio JPC, will perform, too.
Brown said he wishes to gradually expand Third Thursdays if the first event goes smoothly, and if so, hopes to see it stretch out to the other campuses.
Photography and art education major Megan Smith said she thinks the idea of the the event is great, considering its a place for student art.
"We're doing a lot of work, and we're kind of far back on the campus," Smith said. "If you're not walking by and you're not looking in the museums, people won't say, 'Oh, what're they doing?' Since it's at the MU and that's a huge place for students, people will say, 'OK, lets stop and look how they're doing this.'"
For the first 200 people to make it out to Third Thursday's debut, PAB will be handing out free Chipotle burritos.
Related Links:
PAB teams up with local salon to collect donations for Locks of Love
PAB Downtown Welcomes Pride Week
Reach the reporter at Damion.Julien-Rohman@asu.edu or follow @legendpenguin on Twitter
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