The University of Illinois is about to see a burst of the arts on campus and anyone is invited to experience it. On November 6, The Krannert Center Ambassadors, a marketing and outreach time comprised of students, will be hosting Push4Art, a free arts-based pop-up event open to anyone on campus.

The organizers of the event include Krannert Student Ambassadors Maddy Kleiner, Christine Millins and Cassie Quemeneur. As Krannert Student Ambassadors, they focus on promoting Krannert shows and familiarizing U of I students with the Krannert Center. “We do a lot of marketing and outreach and try and spread the word about Krannert since it’s so far into Urbana,” said Kleiner.

“We also market the $10 student ticket, so any show you go to is $10 or less as a student.” They also host events and activities like Krannert at the Ike which happens toward the end of the year, and, of course, Push4Art, which features the talent of students right here on campus.

“We reach out to acapella groups, dance groups, improv groups, monologues, written work and really anybody who wants to perform, we invite,” said Kleiner. This way a variety of talent can be presented and students’ work can be viewed and promoted.

Though the Krannert Center Ambassadors are hosting this Push4Art, the event is taking place at the SDRP, or the lobby of the Ike, which is a really great space for the event, say Kleiner, Millins and Quemeneur. “There’s such a huge student population that lives over there and they’re so far from Krannert Center,” says Kleiner.

Millins notes that this event is a great way for students to experience the arts without having to go too much out of their way to do so. There are also a lot of freshmen who live by the Ike, so Push4Art is a great way to show freshmen what different clubs and activities they can be involved in.

“This is a really good way to promote different groups’ shows to people, especially freshmen who might have no idea who they are.” By getting a taste of what these groups do, freshmen might get a better idea of what they do and might even decide it’s something they’re interested in being involved in.

Push4Art is also a great way to experience the arts if you’re not necessarily studying that area, but want to incorporate the arts into your life. “I’m a business major, so I’m kind of sometimes really far away from that world, so I like combining my soon to be marketing background with theater and showing people that there’s a lot out there that you don’t get to see,” Millins said.

Even people who aren’t really into or aren’t too familiar with the arts can get something out of the Push4Art event. “It can give you new perspectives,” Millins says. “You might think you know everything. You might think, ‘Oh, I don’t like the arts, or I don’t like dance,’ but you could come and see this and it’ll be absolutely new.”

Kleiner adds that Push4Art is also a way to support the arts while enjoying a unique showcase at the same time. “The arts are really important,” Kleiner said. “It grows your mind and can give you a little break.”

This is how the event works. People simply show up and push the Push4Art button (hence, push for art) and one of the groups will come out and perform, explains Kleiner. “It’s not exactly a flash mob, but literally a pop-up event,” she says.

As for what groups and individuals to expect at the event, the Krannert Center Ambassadors are keeping that information top secret until the event. “It’s definitely a surprise,” they collectively said.