Once each fall, the UCF School of Visual Arts & Design stages an open house so the public can see the level of work that’s being done by its students and faculty.
This year’s fifth annual Art Knight! on Friday, November 6, from 6 to 9 p.m., will offer yet another look into the SVAD status quo with displays of newly completed pieces and demonstrations of disciplines ranging from sculpture to animation. Art students and teachers will be available to answer questions, and there’ll be live music, food and drink.
Additional features will include a “Creative Clash” in which attendees of all ages rush to create murals in marker on oversize panels. (It’s a competition that you may have seen at UCF Celebrates the Arts, which happens every spring at Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts.)
Art Knight! 2026 will also coincide with the closing reception for the Fall SVAD Faculty Exhibition in the nearby UCF Art Gallery. The exhibition will spotlight faculty creations in such genres as painting, printmaking and digital art.
And outside in the parking lot, between the Visual Arts Building and Colbourn Hall, the UCF Alumni Association will partner with the SVAD for a tented “Book Nook” that will showcase the output of former students who have gone on to become published writers.
This year will mark the first Art Knight! produced under the leadership of Dr. Keri Watson, the new director of SVAD who also teaches art history. She calls the event “an opportunity to celebrate our students, recognize their accomplishments and introduce the next generation of artists and designers to the creative community they can find at SVAD.”
While there’s no charge to attend, advance reservations are accepted. And, given that turnout last year was in the neighborhood of 1,500, pre-booking might not be a bad idea. After all, you don’t want the Knight to get away from you.
UCF is located at 4000 Central Florida Boulevard, Orlando. For more information, call or visit the website.
