Attendees walk the red carpet at the 2025 Griffon Film Festival.

April 24, 2026–���߲����� students will present a wide variety of video projects at two film festivals. The ���߲����� Cronkite Film Festival will be held at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, April 30, in the Kemper Recital Hall, Spratt Hall room 101. The 11th annual Griffon Film Festival will be held at 6 p.m. Friday, May 1 at the Trail Theatre, 111 N. 9th Street in downtown St. Joseph. Both events are free and open to the public.

Cronkite Film Festival

The ���߲����� Cronkite Film Festival is sponsored by the Department of Communication. It focuses on non-fiction storytelling, showcasing newscasts, sportscasts, individual packages, promos, social media campaign videos and a long documentary. The films were created in digital videography, Griffon Media, social media branding and multimedia storytelling classes throughout the 2025-2026 school year.

Griffon Film Festival

The Griffon Film Festival features work by cinematic arts and digital animation students over the academic year. Projects include short narrative fiction, commercials, public service announcements, industrial/educational films, experimental films, traditional animation, 3D computer animation and student game design. Doors open at 5 p.m. for a meet-and-greet and pictures on the red carpet and the awards show starts at 6 and runs until 10 p.m. The first 100 attendees will receive a free small bag of popcorn.

���߲����� is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. ���߲����� is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .

April 16, 2026–The ���߲����� School of Fine Arts and the MWSU Arts Society present the ���߲����� Fine Arts Showcase from 4 to 6 p.m. Friday, April 24 in the Potter Hall Theater. The showcase is free and open to the public.��

The showcase will feature an open house and tours of the newly renovated facilities in Potter Hall. Take in the Senior Art Exhibit in the Drew Brown Art Gallery, explore updated spaces like the digital animation suite and graphic design lab, and enjoy light refreshments in the Dr. George S. Richmond Student Collaboration Center. Along the way you’ll have the opportunity to connect with ���߲����� students and experience the creativity that fills these spaces.

Reservations are encouraged but not required. Please call Jennifer Vanourney at 816-271-5910 or email jvanourney@missouriwestern.edu by April 20.��

���߲����� is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. ���߲����� is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .��

Apr 12, 2026–���߲�����’s annual President’s Concert will feature a performance of Antonio Vivaldi’s “Gloria” by the ���߲����� Chamber Choir in collaboration with The Choral Experience at 4 p.m. Sunday, April 12 at First Presbyterian Church, 301 N. 7th Street in downtown St. Joseph. The concert, presented by the ���߲����� Arts Society, is free and open to the public.��

The concert will bring together ���߲����� students and professional choral artists in a shared performance of one of the most celebrated works in the choral repertoire.��

“Vivaldi’s ‘Gloria’ is known for its vibrant energy, lyrical beauty and dramatic contrasts, making it a cornerstone of Baroque sacred music,” said Dr. Paul Dease, director of choral studies. “This collaboration highlights ���߲�����’s commitment to high-impact learning through performance, allowing students to engage in professional-level music-making while strengthening the University’s role as a cultural leader in the region.”

���߲����� Arts Society members who register in advance get preferred seating and an invitation to post concert reception. To register go to . To learn more about the ���߲����� Arts Society go to .��

���߲����� is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. ���߲����� is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .

March 27, 2026–The School of Fine Arts at ���߲����� will host an opening reception for the Spring Senior Exhibition from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, April 3 at the Drew Brown Art Gallery in Potter Hall. The reception is free and open to the public.

This year’s exhibit is a culmination of student work from graduating graphic design and digital animation students, and photography from art and journalism students.��

“We’re thrilled to again have a student-focused exhibit that showcases selected applied learning projects throughout their academic careers. This exhibit highlights their creative talent, conceptual ideas, technical proficiencies, and a broad range of problem-solving solutions. It’s also an opportunity to socialize with students and observe their range of skill sets as our industries evolve, adapt, and continue to prosper,” said Matt Hepworth, associate professor and director of the B.F.A. Graphic Design program.

The exhibition will be on display weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. through May 1.

���߲����� is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. ���߲����� is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .

Feb. 12, 2026–The University Gallery at ���߲����� is hosting an exhibition titled “Horizons” through May 1. An opening reception will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 19 in the gallery, located in Spratt Hall room 211. The exhibition and reception are free and open to the public.��

“Horizons” brings together a selection of printmakers from the Eickhorst Print Collection to explore the line where the earth meets the sky—a boundary that is simultaneously physical, metaphorical, and deeply psychological. The exhibition investigates the horizon not merely as a landscape feature, but as a site of potential, transition, and limitation. The landscapes in this exhibition explore the genre of the landscape in many diverse ways, challenging the viewer to look beyond the literal horizon.

The Eickhorst Print Collection is more than 1,000 art prints collected by Dr. William Eickhorst, professor emeritus, who served on ���߲�����’s art faculty for 28 years. The University Gallery was established in 2018 to house the collection. The gallery in Spratt Hall is open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

���߲����� is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. ���߲����� is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .��

Feb. 11–The music program in the ���߲����� School of Fine Arts will host the 19th Annual Jazz Festival starting at 8 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 12.��

The festival has grown from four bands attending in its first year, 2007, to this year’s 18 school groups performing in Blum 219 and the Fulkerson Center. Each ensemble performs for the adjudicators, receiving recorded and written critiques of the performance from the clinicians. Immediately following each band’s performance, clinicians will give a 25 to 40 minute clinic for the band, discussing and working on specific areas of their performance.��

“The primary focus and commitment of this festival is making this an educational and musical experience for students and directors alike,” said Bob Long, director of jazz studies.

The festival concludes with a short concert by the ���߲����� Jazz Ensemble and guest artist, trombonist David Dickey, which is made possible by a grant from the ���߲����� Arts Society.

The festival begins at 8:00 a.m. with school ensemble performances and concludes with the ���߲����� Jazz Ensemble performing at 6:30 p.m. in the Fulkerson Center. The public is invited to attend this full day of jazz. There is no admission charge for the day.

For more information, contact Bob Long at 816-244-5840 or long@missouriwestern.edu.��

���߲����� is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. ���߲����� is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .��

Nov. 21, 2025–���߲�����’s Cinematic Arts Program presents a clinical talk by Jeremiah Lafleur at 2:30 p.m Thursday, Dec. 4 in the Bebe and Crosby Kemper Recital Hall located in Leah Spratt Hall room 101.

Lafleur is the assistant director of marketing and recruitment for community and workforce development at Southern Utah University, where he helps connect people with opportunities, through video, storytelling and design.

This is part of a series of clinician speaking events sponsored by the Cinematic Arts Program at ���߲�����. As an example of applied learning, this clinic provides people the opportunity to hear from and interact with working professionals in the film and media arts production entertainment industry.

The talk is free and open to the public.

���߲����� is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. ���߲����� is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .

Nov. 14, 2025–���߲�����’s Cinematic Arts Program presents a clinical talk by Mark David Christenson at 2:30 p.m Thursday, Nov. 20 in the Bebe and Crosby Kemper Recital Hall located in Leah Spratt Hall room 101.

is an actor, director, podcaster and live improv performer in Los Angeles with appearances on stage and in television and film.

This is part of a series of clinician speaking events sponsored by the Cinematic Arts Program at ���߲�����. As an example of applied learning, this clinic provides people the opportunity to hear from and interact with working professionals in the film and media arts production entertainment industry.

The talk is free and open to the public.

���߲����� is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. ���߲����� is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .

Nov. 12, 2025–The jazz program of the ���߲����� School of Fine Arts will present its annual fall jazz concert at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday Nov. 18 in the Potter Theater.��

The concert will feature a performance by the ���߲����� Jazz Ensemble. The theme of the concert is A Little of This and a Little of That. The Jazz Ensemble will showcase classic works by arranger and writer Sammy Nestico, who was a long collaborator with the Count Basie Orchestra. Along with classics, the ensemble will perform newer works by some of today’s contemporary composers, including Ellen Rowe, Professor of Jazz at the University of Michigan, and Kris Berg, international best-selling composer and arranger.

The concert is free and open to the public. Members of the community are invited to an evening of great jazz with the Missouri Western Jazz Program.��

The Jazz Ensemble will also be performing on Saturday, Nov. 22 as part of the North West District MMEA All-District Jazz concert. The concert will also be on the Missouri Western campus in Potter Theater, sharing the stage with the junior high and high school All-District jazz groups. This concert will start at 5:00 p.m.��

For more information on either event, please contact Bob Long, Director of Jazz Studies at 816-244-5840 or via email at long@missouriwestern.edu.

���߲����� is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. ���߲����� is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .

Nov. 12, 2025–���߲�����’s School of Fine Arts will host its Fall 2025 Honor Choir Concert, at 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 20, in the Fulkerson Center.

More than 300 middle and high school singers from across northwest Missouri and the greater Kansas City region will join voices for the concert featuring two ensembles: the Middle School Honor Choir, conducted by Jazz Rucker, director of choirs at Staley High School, and the High School Honor Choir, led by Dr. Paul Dease, director of choral activities at ���߲�����.

Rucker is widely respected for his inspiring leadership, innovative rehearsal techniques and ability to bring out the best in young singers. His dynamic energy and artistry make him one of Missouri’s most engaging choral clinicians.

Dr. Dease, director of ���߲�����’s choral program, expressed his enthusiasm for the event.

“This concert represents the very best of what choral music can do—bringing together hundreds of young people from across the region to make something beautiful and meaningful together,” said Dr. Dease. “We’re thrilled to welcome Jazz Rucker to campus and to give these students a day of artistry, inspiration and community through song.”

The event is free and open to the public.

���߲����� is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. ���߲����� is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .