Duke Arts Weekend is Underway!

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Last night, Duke Arts weekend was kicked off by the one-man show Through the Night — a showcase both for the star, Daniel Beaty, and the director, Duke alumnus Charles Randolph-Wright. Alumni working in the arts will be on hand for other events as well, including a dinner on Friday and career development panels on Saturday. Both are free but registration is required — check out the schedule, and then check here to see if last-minute signups are still possible. It will be a great chance for students to connect with alums who know the ins and outs of the art world.

The heart and soul of Duke Arts Weekend, though, is the art of present-day Duke students, and the Bryan Center has come alive with it. Upstairs, you can feast your eyes on pieces submitted by over 50 members of the community. The exhibition was officially opened at 2 PM on Friday, and everything will be taken down on Sunday. Select pieces will return for a longer run in the Brown gallery. But a dazzling array of subjects, styles and sensibilities have come together in this show, and this weekend is your only chance to experience the full effect. And wouldn't you know it? Along with the painters and photographers, there are also poets.

On Saturday morning, students from Y.E. Smith Elementary School in Durham will be on hand to present pictures they made after visiting the Nasher museum's exhibit Picasso and the Allure of Language. In addition to the pleasure and satisfaction that people at Duke get from making and sharing art, it's a great vehicle for community outreach, and this school project makes a concrete link between that local concern and the work of national and international significance that's brought to us by the Nasher.

Students working in other media will also be featured this weekend in the Bryan center.

• Friday at 8PM, Duke University's official Latin dance troupe, Sabrosura, will liven things up with a show. There will be musical performances, as well.

• Saturday between 2 and 5 PM, in Griffith theater, a compilation of film and video work by Duke students will be screened.