Arts Lounge gets people talking

Topics ranging from blockbuster films to poetry to campus events are fair game in the Arts Lounge, an Arts at Michigan virtual venue for students and faculty to discuss anything and everything art-related.

Launched after spring break, the Arts Lounge, at www3.arts.umich.edu/lounge, is an online discussion forum that strives to get people talking about new things in the world of art.

"It's a great way to informally connect with students and faculty," says Erin Leichtenstein, Web assistant for Arts at Michigan. In partnership with the Office of New Student Programs, the Arts Lounge will be featured in orientation brochures as a way for incoming freshmen to connect with others who have similar interests.

"Faculty members should encourage their students to do this," says Leichtenstein. "Many people don't even know about Arts at Michigan until their professor tells them about it in a class."

"One of the great things about the University of Michigan, and Ann Arbor in general, is all the amazing cultural arts opportunities," says Alicia Mandac, a social work major. "The Arts at Michigan Arts Lounge is the perfect way to get connected and keep up to date with what's going on in the community."

Started in 1999, Arts at Michigan functions to integrate the undergraduate experience with the arts. It provides funding and grants for both faculty and student programs, distributes a weekly e-newsletter, supplies a listing of campus events and sponsors a number of programs revolving around the arts. Its most popular program, The Culture Bus, is a series of bus trips for U-M students and staff to art and cultural venues in the Detroit metropolitan and surrounding areas.

Leichtenstein hopes that the Arts Lounge will become a popular place for people to discuss the events and programs provided by Arts at Michigan. "We want to discourage posting just event listings, since Arts Info already does that. It would be great to see people making suggestions and discussing the places they visited through Culture Bus, for example."

Leichtenstein also hopes that advice about classes will become part of the message board. "People will be able to discuss their experience in a certain class and professors can give suggestions as to which of their classes to take."

The Arts Lounge currently is looking for weekly and biweekly bloggers to initiate discussion on the message boards. Applications are available online at www.arts.umich.edu.

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