Event supplies smorgasbord of artistic activities

Musicians, poets, artists, mushroom growers and more will come together this weekend for the second annual Smorgasbord, a weekend of arts and education organized by a group of Athens residents and Ohio University students.

“We want to put on these artistic events that hopefully everyone can enjoy,” said Sonja Mata, an Ohio University student who both organized the weekend and will be performing during it. “Our tagline is ‘Community Action through the Arts.’ We want the arts to branch out.”

The weekend will feature a mixture of performances and workshops, all culminating in a potluck picnic on Sunday afternoon. Although the event is free, donations are encouraged and all proceeds will go to Community Food Initiatives in Athens. CFI is a local non-profit that is fighting food security through education and donations to food banks. The goal of this weekend, however, is also about building community through the arts.

“The arts need to branch out because the arts, especially at OU, are really self-sufficient,” Mata said. “Theater majors go to theater shows, dance majors go to dance shows, and etc. I want to see people who have no idea what any of this stuff could be to come and experience it.”

Mata emphasized that the weekend will feature many different art forms, including a short play. Randy Brosse, a recent OU graduate, will present “The Programmed Life” tonight at Union Arts, 15 W. Union St. Brosse’s first play takes a humorous look at reality TV and is based on the popular show The Jersey Shore. The six main characters are five Italian men and one girl, yet all six roles are filled by men and none are Italian.

“I’ve put a lot into this, both a lot of money and a lot of time,” Brosse said. “I learned a lot the hard way. As a writer, I’m okay. As a producer, I’m incapable. Yet my unending optimism has seen me through this, and this weekend is a great opportunity.”

Tomorrow afternoon will feature six workshops on a wide range on topics, from DIY cosmetics to photography to online information security to home mushroom growing. Both tonight and tomorrow evenings, an array of musicians, poets, musicians, dancers and filmmakers will display their work. The weekend features something for everyone, and Mata said the day of workshops is the aspect of the weekend she is looking forward to the most.

“It’s really a smorgasbord in itself,” Mata said. “There’s really a bit of everything. I mean, we have our DJ for tonight doing a workshop on online security. He is already the epitome of a smorgasbord of talents. We tried to get it all.”

Mata said she feels confident that people from Athens will come out to the event, but she said she is also hoping that a lot of OU students come as well. Last year, Mata said she met several people who had not known much about the event, and she hopes that happens again this weekend.

“My goal is to at least meet a handful of people where this is their first art thing they’ve gone to, or where they say, ‘hey, I just saw a flyer and decided to come,’” Mata said. “We’re nervous, but we really care about the arts and the people in this event, and we really want people to come experience that with us.”

Mata said the hope is that the first two days can help people feel more comfortable and connected, allowing Sunday’s picnic to really build a community.

“This weekend really has the potential to be incredible and to bring people together,” Mata said. “It’s an eclectic group of people coming out for an eclectic collection of art.”

If You Go:

What: ‘Knew’ by Sonja Mata

When: 7 tonight

Where: Union Arts, 15 W. Union St.