Entertainment

POSTED: Tuesday, Apr. 17, 2007

WWU’s wealth of artistry easily found

The fine arts are well represented in a day trip to Western Washington University. The campus is rich with entertaining and enlightening activities — from its nationally recognized collection of outdoor sculptures to the Performing Arts Center’s flair for the dramatic.

What’s there: Two art galleries, an outdoor sculpture collection, the Performing Arts Center.

Who will enjoy it: Adults, families and out-of-towners.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

How to get there: Take I-5 to Exit 252. From the south, take a left off the exit and then left again onto Samish Way; from the north, take a right onto Samish Way. Follow signs to the Bill McDonald Parkway. Continue on Bill McDonald Parkway, then take a right onto South College Drive.

Parking: A right at South College Drive will take you to the gravel C-lot parking lots on either side of the street. Parking is free after 5 p.m. daily and on weekends. For a parking permit or information, stop at the south campus Visitor Center, open Monday-Friday from 7:15 a.m.- 8 p.m.

Plan to stay: Two to three hours. The galleries are in close proximity at the north end of campus but the outdoor sculptures are scattered across the entire campus. Walking may be a little strenuous for some and there are more stairs and hills toward the south end of campus.

DINING

Dining opportunities abound on Samish Way and in Sehome Village near Western’s campus. Food is also sold on campus in the Viking Union Market and Café and the Miller Market, both open Monday-Thursday 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m. and Fridays, 7:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. On weekends, the Viking Union Market and Café is open from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. and the Miller Market is open from noon-5 p.m.

International House of Pancakes (IHOP), 3619 Byron St., 715-1461; 6 a.m.- 11 p.m., Sunday-Thursday, open 24 hours Friday and Saturday.

Lunch: Robeks Fruit Smoothies and Healthy Eats in Sehome Village, 402 36th St., 714-0808; 7:30 a.m.- 8 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Sunday. Or try Boomer’s Drive-In for burgers and fries, 310 N. Samish Way, 647-2666; 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Dinner: Busara Thai Cuisine in Sehome Village, 404 36th St., 734-8088; 11:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m., Monday-Saturday, noon-9 p.m. Sunday. Or try Kyoto Steakhouse and Sushi Bar, 115 N. Samish Way, 756-0058, 4-9 p.m. daily.

FOUR THINGS TO DO

1. Western Gallery

Location: Western Washington University, Fine Arts Complex, located on the campus across from Carver Gym, 650- 3900

Hours: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday- Friday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Wednesday, noon-4 p.m. Saturday, closed Sunday. Admission: Free

The Western Gallery uses its 4,380 square feet of space to showcase historical, contemporary and experimental exhibitions. The Gallery’s current exhibits run until March 10 and include: “Through the Kaleidoscope: Reflections on Identity Construction in the Al and Vera Leese Collection” and “Coffin Makers of Ghana.”

2. Viking Union Gallery

Location: Western Washington University, Viking Union, room 507, 650-6534.

Hours: 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday- Friday. Admission: Free.

The Viking Union Gallery is a student-curated gallery that focuses on contributing student and regional artists. It strives to create an innovative space that places student work side-byside with emerging artists on the national and international art scene. The gallery’s current exhibit “The Skin I’m In: Reclaiming Images of Ourselves” displays work that redefines body image through art.

3. Outdoor Sculpture Collection

Location: Throughout Western Washington University campus

Hours: dawn-dusk

Admission: Free

Western Washington University is nationally known as a pioneer of art in the daily environment of the university community. Its Outdoor Sculpture Collection is peppered throughout the campus. The collection of 29 sculptures represents works from 1960 to the present in various media, including wood, metal and stone. A guide to each piece can be found on the gallery’s Web site: western gallery.wwu.edu/sculpture.sht ml.

4. Western Opera Studio: “Gianni Schicchi”

Location: Western Washington University, Performing Arts Center Mainstage Theatre, 650- 3787.

Hours: 8 p.m., tonight through Saturday.

Admission: $8 student, seniors and youth; $10 adults.

Tickets: Available at the WWU’s box office, 650-6146, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday and one hour prior to performance. Or go to www.tickets.wwu.edu Western Department of Music’s Opera Studio presents Giacomo Puccini’s dark comedy “Gianni Schicchi.” The oneact opera tells the tale of young love, a dead man’s will and his family’s struggle to acquire his estate after they hear he has left all his money to a local monastery.