LU News: Arts and Culture

Lamar University’s Cardinal Jazz Orchestra will celebrate the swing era with a free concert Sept. 22 featuring big band classics, Beaumont jazz history and performances by LU students and faculty.

Lamar University’s Department of Theatre and Dance will present Tim Blake Nelson’s “Eye of God,” directed by Caitlin Parker, Sept. 10-20 in the Studio Theatre. 

Judge John Stevens and his wife, Marcia, donated a rare original Frank Trost photograph of the 1901 Lucas Gusher to Lamar University's Spindletop Boomtown Museum, preserving a pivotal piece of Southeast Texas and energy industry history for future generations.

A student-produced short film written by Lamar University student Heather Harmon and directed by Adam Baeza has been accepted into three film festivals, highlighting the filmmakers' emerging talent and the university's growing film production program.

The Dishman Art Museum is featuring two summer exhibitions that celebrate Lamar University alumni and the broader campus artistic community through works exploring creativity, resilience and belonging.

Lamar University Department of Art and Design students continued a 45-year tradition by successfully completing a collaborative 750-pound iron pour, blending art, science, and hands-on training with support from faculty and visiting artists.

Lamar University College of Fine Arts and Communication will celebrate Dean Golden Wright’s 20-year tenure with a retrospective dance concert featuring students, alumni, and two decades of his choreography.

Lamar Opera Theatre will present Le Nozze di Figaro, a comedic opera by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, on April 24 at Lamar University, featuring student performers in a free public performance.

Lamar University’s Department of Theatre and Dance will present its annual “Dance Unleashed” concert April 24–25 at 7:30 p.m., with an additional 2 p.m. matinee April 25 in the University Theatre.

The Department of Communication and Media will host its Student Film Showcase on Thursday, April 23 at the Jefferson Theatre.

Lamar University’s Department of Theatre and Dance will present “Next Draft: Student Works Series,” a multi-day showcase of original student-created theater running April 9–11 at 7:30 p.m. with a 2 p.m. matinee on April 12 in the Studio Theatre, and is open to the public.

The Lamar University College of Fine Arts and Communication will host a screening of “The Melody Maids Movie” on Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026, followed by a question-and-answer session with director Kai Jai Conner.

The Lamar University Department of Theatre and Dance will open its spring season with “Middletown,” with performances scheduled for Feb. 19–21 at 7:30 p.m. and Feb. 22 at 2 p.m.

The Lamar University Wind Ensemble has been invited to perform at the prestigious 2026 Texas Music Educators Association Clinic/Convention, marking its 12th appearance at the event and celebrating the ensemble’s excellence with a free local preview concert ahead of the statewide performance.