FARMINGTON – An Arts Night and automobile orchestra performance highlight the University of Maine at Farmington’s 11th annual Michael D. Wilson Symposium on Tuesday and Wednesday.

An evening of artistic events offered by students, faculty and staff begins the symposium on Tuesday. Original musical, dance and theater performances, student art and a senior art show will be offered from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Organized by the UMF Ministry of Experimental Arts, events will take place in Nordica Auditorium, Art Gallery and Alumni Theater.

The automobile orchestra performance takes place on Wednesday with two 15-minute performances planned for 5 and 5:30 p.m. in the parking lot on High Street.

The horns, doors, radios, revving engines and warning bells of 35 cars in a 90-foot circle will play a piece of music, “Incarnation,” composed and conducted by Philip Carlsen, UMF professor of music.

The first two years, Carlsen placed cars in different locations for an antiphonal effect – tossing musical ideas back and forth from one parking lot to another, he said. Then he realized drivers in distant lots were away from the main action and he wanted each participant to have an equal experience.

This year, the 35 vehicles will be placed in a circle from which he will figure out ways to best play the piece. Moving to the High Street lot provides a more public location. The cars will be in the circle throughout the day, piquing the interest of people passing by.

Many of the car performers are not trained musicians and there is no rehearsal.

“I like the challenge of writing a piece that can be performed successfully with no rehearsal. We’ll see how it goes! That’s one reason there are two performances. The first can be a kind of rehearsal for the second. Visually, this should be a spectacular event,” he said Friday.

The car performance completes a day full of student presentations showcasing the independent research and work of nearly 400 students in collaboration with their mentors.

Throughout the school year, students undertake the creation and development of projects and more in-depth research, which are then exhibited and shared with the community through the day of symposium. These include papers, oral and poster presentations, original student readings, art gallery exhibits and performances.

Presentations are held from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at various sites on campus and are free and open to the public. A complete listing of events is available at www.umf.maine.edu/campus/docs/SymposiumProgram2009.pdf

The event is supported by a gift from Michael and Susan Angelides, in honor of their friend Michael D. Wilson, UMF class of 1976.

Featured among Wednesday exhibits will be projects by the 2008-09 Michael D. Wilson Scholars and Fellows, recognized by the university’s Undergraduate Research Council as some of UMF’s best students. These will be exhibited in Thomas Auditorium in Preble Hall.