Manifest Arts Festival was made by Columbia students for Columbia students.
"Manifest Arts Festival is the showcase of what Columbia students have been doing for either the past year or maybe even the past four years," said Sara-Beth Ramsey, Columbia senior and festival Creative Director. "There's an incredible emphasis on the seniors and everything they've accomplished."
She said the festival, taking place Saturday, features work across a wide variety of mediums and is "a way the school gets introduced to itself."
"There will be music acts that are students performing on stage," she said. "There'll be countless films and animated short films showing. There'll be fashion shows and entrepreneurship presentations."
Julie Lucas
She said attendees will also notice giant nine-foot-tall illustration pieces in the windows of most buildings.
All of the art and performances center around the festival's theme, which this year, is Kaleidoscope.
"The theme, visually, was about showcasing how all of us come together to create one giant picture," Ramsey said. "On a broader context, it's about how we are all from such different disciplines or cultures or practices, and we still all find a way to exist, and we're a stronger, better, readier group for it."
This year, Manifest celebrates its 25th anniversary.
Ramsey said the goal is to continue to foster and uplift the next generation of Chicago creatives.
Julie Lucas
"Pretty soon, they'll be the ones telling the story," she said. "If you come to the Manifest Arts Festival, you can be the first in line to meet the next big thing."
She said Manifest reassures her about the future of the creative community and hopes others take that away from the festival, too.
"I hope people leave knowing what I know every day here at Columbia, and that is that the future is in good hands," she said.
Manifest is open to everyone, but registration is required for entry via Eventbrite.
