The University of Georgia will celebrate the visual, literary and performing arts with more than 40 events and exhibitions in November during the 14th annual Spotlight on the Arts festival.

Highlights of the monthlong festival include the fifth annual Dodd Market, the Annual Holiday Concert by Hugh Hodgson School of Music, a UGA Theatre production of “Evil Dead: The Musical” and a concert by the Branford Marsalis Quartet, featuring renowned saxophonist Branford Marsalis. Also showcased are the Student Choreography Concert by the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences’ department of dance and poetry readings by celebrated poets including a former poet laureate of Los Angeles and a MacArthur Fellow.

“Spotlight on the Arts is an incredible opportunity to celebrate the creative and scholarly work of faculty and students at the University of Georgia,” said Benjamin C. Ayers, senior vice president for academic affairs and provost. “The arts and humanities enrich our campus, encourage critical thinking and promote social connections. I encourage students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends of the university to join this exciting celebration.”

Many Spotlight events are free or discounted for students, and all are welcome. A complete schedule of events for Spotlight on the Arts 2025 is available at arts.uga.edu.

On Nov. 5 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., student performers will showcase their talents by performing on the outdoor stage at Tate Plaza for Student Spotlight.

The Georgia Museum of Art’s Spotlight on the Arts Family Day on Nov. 8 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. highlights the exhibition “The Stars That Guide Us” by Inuit artist asinnajaq and the work of native artists in its collection. Visitors can enjoy hands-on activities and make their own take-home art project inspired by Indigenous traditions.

A select group of students will showcase their research on Nov. 17 from 4 – 6 p.m. at the 4 Minutes, 33 Seconds Contest. This live research competition allows the students four minutes and 33 seconds to present their research related to the visual, literary or performing arts.

During Spotlight on the Arts, there will also be several ongoing exhibitions hosted by the Georgia Museum of Art, the Lamar Dodd School of Art and the Athenaeum. These exhibitions range in theme from “Looking Through a Sewn Sky: Rachel B. Hayes” by textile-based artist Rachel B. Hayes to “Aidan Koch: Mountain Tongue” that depicts a mountain as the agent of a deconstructed comic story.

The custom 2025 Spotlight on the Arts design was created by UGA art student Mazzy Beyer, winner of the third annual Spotlight Student Design Competition. Her design will be on the festival T-shirts as well as limited-edition giveaways at various Spotlight events throughout November.

Spotlight on the Arts is coordinated annually by the UGA Arts Council, a group representing the performing, visual and literary arts, as well as interdisciplinary academic units on campus.

“Members of the Arts Council and schools, colleges and units across campus are eager to show the world the depth and breadth of their creative work,” said Elizabeth Weeks, the university’s interim vice provost for academic affairs, associate provost for faculty affairs and chair of the UGA Arts Council. “Coordinating a festival of this magnitude takes much preparation on the part of the council members and units. I appreciate their hard work and invite the campus community to celebrate the arts during the festival and throughout the year.”

Members of the UGA Arts Council include representatives from the Office of the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, College of Environment and Design, creative writing program, department of dance, department of theatre and film studies, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, Georgia Museum of Art, The Georgia Review, Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, Hugh Hodgson School of Music, UGA Arts Collaborative, Lamar Dodd School of Art, Mary Frances Early College of Education, Performing Arts Center, University of Georgia Press, UGA Libraries and the Willson Center for Humanities and Arts.

Discover more of UGA’s arts and humanities events, exhibitions and programs throughout the year by visiting the events calendar on the Arts Council website. In March 2026, the UGA Humanities Council will present the fourth annual Humanities Festival showcasing UGA’s robust scholarship in the humanities.