Imagine 6-foot-tall Memorial Union Terrace chairs fantastically transformed by local artists. Or a cross-cultural performance of Chinese, Korean and African dance. Or strings, sambas and sound waves echoing through Mills Hall.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison invites the public to experience these artistic events and many more through Arts Night Out! Scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 20, Arts Night Out! provides an opportunity to immerse yourself in campus arts offerings in every discipline—from faculty art exhibits to theatrical performances to the cinematic origins of kung fu flicks. This evening of sound, vision and live performance begins at 4 p.m., and many events are free or have special discounts for students.

The arts at UW-Madison are rich in tradition and continue to lead the way in excellence and innovation. The university's first gallery was built in 1877 and today, university art galleries, museums, libraries and presses welcome students and visitors. The university offers an array of more than 1,500 performing arts events each year, from traditional to cutting-edge, homegrown to global.

Arts Night Out! is sponsored by campus arts organizations and departments, the Campus Information and Visitor Center, and the UW-Madison Arts Institute. For more information, visit www.arts.wisc.edu, call the Visitor Center at (608) 263-2400, stop at the Red Gym (716 Langdon St.) for a brochure, or call the telephone numbers listed below for specific events.

Schedule of events for Arts Night Out!

Regional Art, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
One hundred and fifty artworks selected from regional shows throughout Wisconsin make up the Wisconsin Regional Art Program's annual statewide exhibit. Since 1940, WRAP has encouraged creative growth for nonprofessional artists. Pyle Center, 702 Langdon St., www.dcs.wisc.edu/lsa/art/wrap/ or (608) 263-6322.

Terrace Chairs on the Town, 4-9 p.m. (reception at 6 p.m.)
Don't miss the first public unveiling of works from the "Terrace Chairs on the Town," a special exhibit in honor of the Memorial Union's 75th anniversary. After this showing, chairs will be displayed at various campus and community locations through summer 2004. Memorial Union, 800 Langdon St., www.union.wisc.edu/75 or (608) 265-3000.

Dancing—Live at Five!, 5-7 p.m.
Experience the exhilaration and excitement of live dance in the Margaret H'Doubler Performance Space, the finest dance venue in town. A free, one-hour concert featuring modern and cross-cultural works includes Chinese, Korean and African dance by Dance Program faculty, staff and students. Meet choreographers Jin-Wen Yu, Peggy Choy and others at a talk-back immediately following the performance. Free admission. Lathrop Hall, 1050 University Ave., www.education.wisc.edu/dance or (608) 262-2353.

Patterns of Creative Work, 6-8 p.m.
The Gallery of Design hosts a reception for an exhibition of work by seven faculty and academic staff artists of the Environment, Textiles and Design Department including Diane Sheehan, Sonya Clark, Jennifer Angus, and Beth Blahut, textiles; and Roberto Rengel, Wei Dong, Mark Nelson, interior design and visualization. Wei Dong will also demonstrate the ancient art of Chinese brush painting. Mark Nelson's jazz band, the Neltones, provides live music for the event. Gallery of Design, School of Human Ecology, 1300 Linden Dr., www.sohe.wisc.edu/depts/gallery or (608)262-8815.

Treasures, Tunes and Treats, 7-8:30 p.m.
Enjoy refreshments, New Orleans blues and jazz piano by John Chimes, and other activities while you explore the Elvehjem Museum of Art. The Elvehjem's galleries are filled with art from around the world and throughout history. View a temporary exhibition of prints by contemporary artist Jim Dine and work by local photographer Zane Williams. Free admission. Elvehjem Museum, 800 University Ave., www.lvm.wisc.edu, (608) 263-2246.

Wisconsin's Most Accomplished Artists, 7-8:30 p.m.
Joan Rothfuss, curator of the permanent collection at the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, curates an exhibit of Wisconsin's most accomplished artists. The exhibition includes Wisconsin painters, sculptors and artists in all media, including those featured in the 2003 Wisconsin Artists Biennial. Wisconsin Union Galleries, Memorial Union, 800 Langdon St., www.union.wisc.edu/art or (608) 265-3000.

Cinematheque, 7:30 p.m.
If you think kung fu films begin with Bruce Lee and end with "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," Cinematheque's double feature presentation will inspire you to rethink the genre. Directed by two of the most imaginative filmmakers in the history of Chinese cinema, "Intimate Confessions of a Chinese Courtesan" (1972) and "Blood Brothers" (1973) showcase the graceful, artistic feats of filmmaking that have since influenced directors from Hollywood to France to Japan. Presented in Mandarin dialogue with English subtitles. Free admission. 4070 Vilas Hall, 821 University Ave., cinema.wisc.edu, (608) 262-2277.

Points of Emphasis, 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.
Join us for an innovative multimedia performance art/dance event featuring UW dancers and local acoustic band Middlewood. Two 45-minute performances explore the uses of technology in performance, focusing on the relationship between the live performers and their technological support. An informal presentation with video previews of the upcoming Union Theater and Theater Arts Committee's season follows each performance. Free admission. Wisconsin Union Theater, 800 Langdon St., (608) 262-2201.

Bon Appetit! And Other Tasty Morsels, 7:30 p.m.
An evening of two short operas (sung in English) and a one-act play which are all seen through the lens of television. In "Bon Appetit!," Lee Hoiby sets the text of Julia Child to music and creates a roller coaster ride of musical and culinary fun. Jeffery Hatcher's "Downtown" takes a hilarious sketch-comedy style look at three New York arts-crowd writers as they wait for their time to come. Dominick Argento's "A Water Bird Talk," based upon Chekov's "On the Harmfulness of Tobacco," follows a frustrated middle-aged man as he is forced to give a lecture on water fowl at the request of his overbearing wife. Directed by Brian R. Bizzell. Tickets, $16; UW Students with valid ID, $12. Hemsley Theatre, Vilas Hall, 821 University Ave., (608) 262-1500.

Suite Adventure, 8 p.m.
The School of Music shines a spotlight on four accomplished student groups in this sampler of musical scenes. Hitch to the harmonies of the Madrigal Singers, soar with the sambas of the World Percussion Ensemble, raft through the raptures of the Galena String Quartet and surf on the sound waves of the Concert Band. Free admission. Mills Concert Hall, Mosse Humanities Building, 455 N. Park St., www.wisc.edu/music, (608) 263-9485.

No Place Where—Stand and Stare, 8-11 p.m.
Enjoy site-integrated works created by students, faculty and alumni from the Department of Art. "No Place Where" investigates our relationship with the concrete condition of courtyards, corridors, hallways and stairwells within and around the Mosse Humanities building. Indulge yourself in a night of sound, vision and live performance as you experience this concrete site in a new light. Department of Art, Mosse Humanities Building, 455 N. Park St.