Ken Jeong Kicks Off a Year of Arts

Ken Jeong, who graduated from Duke in 1990, returns to work with students as part of Duke Arts Opening Week.

Duke alumnus Ken Jeong kicked off an opening week of arts events across campus Tuesday by joining members of a Duke student improv group in a boisterous comedy routine on the Plaza. Jeong later took part in the Duke Arts Block Party for students on Campus Drive.

The showcase of major artists and Duke arts groups engaged the university community in the arts at the very start of the semester and highlighted the important role arts play at the university.

Ken Jeong, trying to look intimidating, stands very, very close to a much taller man in sun glasses and a beard.

The celebration continued later Tuesday at a block party on Campus Drive featuring Sonny Miles and Duke student music groups.

The luminous and majestic “Birdmen” puppets of the Close-Act Theatre performed at the block party. They’ll appear on East and West Campus later in the week.
A bearded man in a black vest, lit by green lights behind him, leans into a microphone while singing and playing guitar
Sonny Miles
Students stand in a semi-circle singing with one student singing in front.
Rhythm & Blue performs Disturbia (OPB Rihanna) with Rena Ouyang as the soloist
Two young women, at a table covered with arts supplies, smile and show their arts tiles on which they have just painted funny cows. One tile has a smiling cow face and the other the cow's behind, tail and udder.
Painting cows on tiles!
  • Vice Provost for the Arts John Brown and Ken Jeong served as MCs
  • Ken Jeong takes selfies with students
Three, white "birdmen" puppets walk in a circle on the street in front of a crowd of students at the Rubenstein Arts Center

Ken Jeong and the Duke Arts Block Party are part of the Duke Arts Opening Week