Embracing the arts
Most birthday celebrations don’t include 100 music, dance, theater, and multimedia events in a dozen venues featuring more than 1,000 performers. But then, this was no ordinary birthday. It was the 20th anniversary of Harvard’s Arts First festival, presented last weekend by the Office for the Arts at Harvard (OFA) and the Office of Governing Boards. And without a doubt, there was something for everyone. At Widener Library, crowds stopped to admire and contribute to the public art installation “Interspecies Invitational,” a giant triangular web created by students under the guidance of artist Nancy Selvage, former director of the OFA Ceramics Program. At night, “Slow Dancing,” a video installation by David Michalek, was projected on the library’s façade, drawing crowds awed by the mesmerizing sight of bodies whirling, twirling, and kicking in hyper-slow-motion. Facebook and Twitter comments summed up the experience: “Beautiful”; “a perfect contemplative period”; “nothing short of breathtaking.” Saturday’s Dance Festival at Lowell...