More than 1,500 people converged on Harvard Yard this weekend to celebrate the third annual Arts First festival.
This year's event was unusual in the large number of non-Harvard enthusiasts it attracted, according to organizers and participants.
Katherine Kinderman, a public relations officer who was in charge of the event, said yesterday that the large non-Harvard crowd showed the success the University has had in making the arts fair a community oriented festival.
"There's a lot of talent out there," Kinderman remarked of Harvard students, "I think that it's really a goal to make this a community arts festival devoted to introducing people to the talent at Harvard."
Although Kinderman said there was no way to measure the exact number of those who enjoyed the dozens of arts events across campus, she estimated the crowd presence to be between 2,000 and 2,500.
She said the University fed approximately 1,500 students and community members at a barbecue in the Sever Quad Saturday, and she concluded that attendance at the festival was several hundred more.
The Harvard Sunday Jazz Band performed at the barbecue, which was preceded by the Arts First parade led by local and national celebrities.
Jack Lemmon '47, who received the first Harvard Arts Medal, joined Cambridge Mayor Kenneth E. Reeves '72 and an originator of Arts First, John Lithgow '67, to lead a procession with the Harvard University Band and student performers.
Kinderman said Lemmon, who seemed to truly enjoy the weekend and the attention he received from the Harvard and Cambridge communities, helped to make the weekend a success.
"I think the fact that Jack Lemmon was here and that we had our first arts medal [contributed to the weekend success]," she said.
Students who participated in or attended the events said they were delighted by the large number of Katherine Y. King '97, co-leader of theAsian-American Dance Troupe, took part in a danceperformance festival at Lowell Lecture Hall onSaturday afternoon. King said she enjoyed watchingthe other student performers. Dance groups ranged from the Harvard-RadcliffeBallroom Dance Club, to the Mainly Jazz Company tothe Asian-American Dance Troupe, King said. "It was exciting to be with all of the otherdancers and to see the different types of dance,"she said. "There was ballroom and that is ofcourse completely different from Chinese dancing,"she said. King estimated that between 500 and 1,000people attended the dance performances, whichranged over a four hour period. Among the dancefestival spectators were Lithgow and Lemmon,observers said. Lemmon also attended a student performance of"A Street Car Named Desire" Saturday night at theAggasiz Theater starring Jordanna M. Brodsky '98as Stella, Nick Gordon '95-'96, as Stanley andEsme Howard '94-'95 as Blanche. Tennessee Williams' tale of Louisiana in the1940's received a standing ovation from thedelighted crowd. Lithgow contributed to the festivities byintroducing Thursday's opening performance of "TheLiving," the Harvard-Radcliffe Dramatic Club'sfirst Visiting Director project. Other weekend highlights included a variety ofhands-on activities designed for those of allages. Jennifer 8. Lee '98, who is a Crimson editor,said she participated in the Chinese culturalcraft workshop help in Boylston Hall on Saturday. The event was attended by children and adultsfrom the Cambridge and Harvard community, Leesaid. Others who helped to organize the event saidtheir hard work paid off in a smoothly run day ofperformances and exhibits. Sheila J. Crawford '97 said she helped to setup for the musical performances in the Puseylibrary gallery. Crawford, who had not previouslybeen involved in the arts at Harvard, said shevolunteered to help after enjoying her experiencesat the festival last year. "I called and volunteered and they gave me theposition," she explained. Crawford says she mayvolunteer again because "everything went reallysmoothly."
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