It is the 20th year for Arts Extravaganza (ArtsX)! It began as an open-house event at the Fine Arts Center to showcase the work of the faculty and students in the School of Art at Bowling Green State University. As the event gained a following, musical and dance performances were added, and the planning committee expanded to encompass the arts university wide—the School of Art, the College of Musical Arts, the Department of Theatre and Film, and the Creative Writing Program.

Other contributing departments and programs are University Libraries and the Arts Village Learning Community. ArtsX has also included architecture, interior design, and other areas that have arts touchstones. Student organization involvement at the extravaganza grew, filling the Fine Arts Center. The opening of BGSU's Wolfe Center added performance and exhibition space, enabling larger installations and performances of visiting artists.

As the event expanded, an annual theme was instituted, beginning with Carnivale in 2012 and Wonderland in 2013. Highlights included the Holiday Xtravaganza! concert in 2013, as well as Cinema Optique, in which the 250 feet of the Wolfe Center exterior wall was transformed into a 3D-Projection-Mapped architectural wonder. 2014’s internationally known visiting artist Erwin Redl celebrated a Year of Light. In 2015, BGSU alumnus Mr. Marvel showcased Extraordinary Possibilities. 2016 saw the return of Erin Garber-Pearson and Montana Miller, aerial storytellers familiar to Northwest Ohio, for Volanti: Seeking Unknown Heights. Guests were encouraged in 2017 to Make Believe with MadCap Puppet Theatre, in 2018 to Let the Arts Move You with Verb Ballets, and in 2019 to Experience the Magic with Stuart MacDonald. The 2020 pandemic challenged us to reimagine ArtsX as a virtual event, inviting artists to share their Dreams and Stories through online galleries. Our excitement of returning to a live event in 2021 was expressed through the theme, Here We Go! We explored the art of science and the science of art in 2022 with Experiment and experienced how art moves us intellectually, emotionally and socially in 2023 with Movement.

While ArtsX is several times the size of its original version, it remains a grassroots-style event produced by a cadre of BGSU faculty, staff and student volunteers. The event has increase collaboration among the arts on campus, in turn raising the arts’ profile at the university and within the community.