Various forms and expressions of art took over DePauw’s campus from April 22 to 26, as the DePauw Art Walk presented a week full of exhibitions, performances and community events highlighting student creativity. Each day featured a full schedule open to the community.
Kicking off the week, the Senior Exhibition started on April 22 and will continue to run until May 16. Located in the Richard E. Peeler Art Center, this exhibition includes art pieces from senior thesis projects, including art made of multiple mediums such as oil paint, acrylic, spackle, textile, vinyl, ceramic, monitors, tablets, inks, digital prints and more.
The diversity in materials is not the only aspect that varies between the artworks: The difference in stories and background exudes through the visuals.
Artist Ella Jones ‘26 combined her computer science and design studies background with her artistic talent to create a multimedia project that involved a physical mood board with a digital website called “Mood,” where you can create your own digital mood board. This intersection of fields is a manifestation of the liberal arts spirit and is a way to showcase both academic and creative abilities.
After an eventful Thursday, Friday featured the Primavera Latina dance showcase by La Fuerza Latina, DePauw’s Latin dance group. The showcase highlighted numerous dance styles from multiple Latin American countries, such as bachata, reggaeton, folklorico, tribalera and salsa.
The showcase also included performances from IU Ballet Folklorico, a traditional Mexican dance group from Indiana University, and Spades, a band created by DePauw students. A poem was written and presented by Daniela Chavez-Corzo ‘27 as well.
Rafeal Calderón ‘28, a member of La Fuerza and co-choreographer of “La Cumbia Tribalera,” the fifth dance of the showcase, detailed what it was like to collaborate with Metzli Hernandez Villalba ‘28 on the dance.
“Creating choreography for the showcase with Metzli was so much fun. Coming together from two different states in Mexico and mixing our different styles of dancing into one common dance, tribalera,” Calderón said.
“Our choreography allowed for cultural roots to be shown with such a short dance. That’s what the showcase is about, exploring them at different roots across many music genres across Latin America and the Caribbean,” he further shared.
Saturday included the bulk of the events, beginning with performances by Sakura Kusano ‘27, Noah Hood ‘28 and Spades. These all took place during the Community Showcase in the Union Building living room at 11 a.m. The showcase also incorporated DePauw artists and local businesses.
The day continued at 4 p.m. with a percussion ensemble concert with Adjunct Assistant Professor of Percussion Ming Hui Kuo in Kresge Auditorium. This was followed by a dance showcase at 6 p.m. featuring dance groups B4U and X-Cell, step team Elite Precizion and a classical performance by Madhurima Roy Chowdhury.
At the same time, the comedy showcase was held in the Union Building by the Comedy Club.
The night concluded with a film screening by the DePauw film club and a theater showcase by Alpha Psi Omega, Duzer Du.
The Art Walk wrapped up on Sunday, April 26, with the Earth Day 5K, a concert by the Symphonic Band and two senior recitals.
The Earth Day 5K was held at the DePauw Nature Park, starting at 2 p.m. Attendees could apply online or in person to reduce the paper trail and waste from the event. The organizers encouraged everyone to bring their own water bottles, and the bibs for the runners were made out of compostable materials with seeds in them, so one could plant their own bib after the run. Trails were marked throughout the park with flour in the shape of arrows to avoid using paints or other harmful materials.
Sophia Rosenthall ‘28 and Adeline Miller ‘28 both ran the 5K and collaborated on a poster design featured along the trail.
“We made posters in our conservation bio class where we picked a critical issue that threatens the environment and used Canva to make a printable poster,” said Rosenthall. “Our poster was about saving local pollinators with the message, ‘Spray less Grow More,’ encouraging growth and less usage of pesticides.”
She continued, “Running the 5K was a great way to get involved and see the work us and our classmates did to make the posters. Overall, it was a really great experience and way to spread awareness.”
The trail featured multiple posters spread out throughout the entire race, which all featured eye-catching designs and important messages. They included topics such as reef bleaching, as well as the impact of artificial intelligence on the environment and local habitats such as the wetlands. The race concluded with a musical performance by Evelyn Croy ‘28, who sang at the Mimi Roland Welcome and Activities Center as people ran past the finish line.
The Art Walk is an opportunity to express oneself and one’s culture, bringing people together — audience and participants alike — to form a community around art, creativity and a common love of appreciating the world and global connection.
