A celebration of creativity and collaboration

By Mary Raha

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Arizona State University’s Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts hosted its annual Herberger Institute Day on March 4, 2025, bringing together more than 700 faculty, staff and students for a day of immersive learning, collaboration and creative exploration. The Institute also welcomed members of the ASU community and 165 prospective high school students from Chandler Unified School District for this event. More than 70 workshops, performances and interactive experiences invited participants to explore artistic innovation and interdisciplinary collaboration.

“My first Herberger Institute Day was a terrific experience,” said Renée Cheng, dean of the Herberger Institute Dean and ASU senior vice provost. “The day is a reflection of the incredibly vibrant community across the Institute, and I’m inspired by how focused we all are — students, faculty and staff — on having a positive impact on the world.”

The day began with a vibrant block party, setting an energetic tone for the festivities. Attendees enjoyed a free meal, live DJ performances and interactive games. “There was a lot of good music, a lot of people up and dancing,” said music performance major GianCarlo Lay. “I even did some dancing myself — it was tons of fun.”

“Herberger Institute Day has been one of my favorite days at ASU,” said Melita Belgrave, associate dean for culture and access at the Herberger Institute. “I really enjoy having a day where we celebrate joy in design and the arts. I enjoy seeing people engaged in design and art making experiences — and of course, the vibe that is the Block Party.”

Following the block party, attendees participated in workshops covering topics from digital media and storytelling to visual arts and performance.

One notable workshop encouraged participants to reflect on the significance of art in their lives and translate their responses into movement. “We were asked why the arts are important to us,” Lay said. “I believe art transcends language barriers, allowing free and expressive communication. We highlighted key words from our responses and created movements based on them — it was a really cool experience.”

The event also emphasized interdisciplinary collaboration, allowing students from various majors to connect and share experiences. Theater acting and digital marketing major Nya Salahdeen appreciated the opportunity to engage with peers from different disciplines. “As a theater acting major, I don’t really get to spend a lot of time with dance majors,” she said, “so it was really exciting to branch out and meet so many people.”

Participants also had the chance to explore the ASU Art Museum, which offered drop-in tours of open galleries and a hands-on paper doll workshop inspired by the “Jose Villalobos: Rough Rider” exhibition. 

Throughout the day, workshops, discussions and performances reinforced the importance of creative exploration. Lay said future attendees should focus on select workshops to maximize the benefit. “Pick a few workshops you want to do and really focus on them rather than trying to do everything,” he said. “You’ll get more out of it if you take the time to connect with the people there.”

Reflecting on the experience, Salahdeen expressed her enthusiasm: “I would most 100% recommend Herberger Institute Day because it is just so big—an explosion of creativity all in one day.”

For more information on upcoming Herberger Institute events, visit the Herberger Institute’s events page.

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A version of this story originally appeared in ASU News.
Photos by Laura Segall and Emily Hanaokoa.
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