Join us for an exciting evening of music, dance, food and fun at the American Celebration Opening Night!

American Celebration is a spectacular live song-and-dance stage show produced by Chapman University students and faculty. Celebrating its 28th anniversary, American Celebration Opening Night has grown to be one of the county fundraising events. Proceeds contribute to the Chapman Scholarship Fund.

The event will be held at the Chapman Auditorium in Memorial Hall. Tickets to Opening Night are $45 and include a dessert reception with student performers after the show.

Seating is reserved and tickets will be mailed. Group seating requests must be made by October 15. This event sells out every year, so please buy your tickets early. Doors open at 7 p.m. Show begins at 8 p.m. Guest parking is available in the Lastinger Parking Structure (off Walnut Avenue).

2009 Alumni Lifetime Achievement in the Arts Award

Michael Reafsnyder '92

Michael Reafsnyder received his bachelor of arts in studio art at Chapman University and his master of arts at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, Calif.

He has had solo exhibitions at Western Project in Culver City, California; Blum and Poe in Los Angeles, California; W.C.C.A in Singapore; Uplands Gallery in Melbourne, Australia and Galleria Marta Cervera in Madrid, Spain. His paintings have been in group shows in Los Angeles at Black Dragon Society, Mandarin and Manny Silverman Gallery, Portland Museum of Art and Laguna Museum of Art, as well as in Frankfurt, Germany and Bologna, Italy.

In 2005, Michael presented a solo exhibition of his paintings from 2002 to 2005 at Las Vegas Art Museum, curated by Libby Lumpkin. His work is in numerous public and private collections, including the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Museum of Contemporary Art-San Diego, Laguna Art Museum and the Portland Art Museum. Michael lives and works in Southern California.