College o and Perf
ANNUAL REPORT
2022–23
Colleg and Pe
Annual Report 2022–23 cvpa.gmu.edu
Clockwise from the top: Students performing during the collaborative Come Sunday event, photo by Will Martinez; Full story on pages 4–5 Center: Nrityagram Dance Ensemble in collaboration with Chitrasena Dance Company with Mason's School of Dance, photo by Mengxia Zhou; Full Story on pages 8–9 Lower Left: Students working in the Green Studio adjacent to the Art and Design Building, photo provided by Mark Cooley; Full story on pages 6–7
FEATURE STORIES A CONTEMPORARY COMPOSER FUELS A NEW MASON COLLABORATION ECOART CLASS INSPIRES STUDENTS BY BRINGING TOGETHER THE SOCIAL AND NATURAL WORLDS ARTISTS-IN-RESIDENCE ENGAGE ON MASON CAMPUSES AND BEYOND MASON STUDENTS USE DIGITAL STORYTELLING FOR COMMUNITY CHANGE MASON HOSTS INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON DIGITAL THERAPEUTICS VICKI SALMON'S LEGACY OF SERVICE AT MASON
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Purks Endowment Grant Winners and Research Grants
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Published Works
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Faculty and Staff Awards and Notable Accomplishments
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Graduation and Enrollment
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CVPA Stories
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Current Student and Alumni Achievements
27 Financials and Giving 28
Endowments
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Donors
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Mason Arts Leadership
Take a walk with me through Mason Arts. From Harris Theatre on the north to Art and Design on the south, from the Music/Theater Building on the east to the Center for the Arts and Holton Plaza/ Mason Pond Lawn on the west, all of the major Fairfax Campus artistic assets of the College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA) are within about a ten-minute walk of each other. We’ve taken to calling it the "Arts District," and before long I’m betting you’ll be seeing that term on Google Maps. I walk this district a lot, because it reaffirms my notion that there’s something special going on here. I stroll through the deLaski Performing Arts building, where an orchestra rehearses and students huddle over scores; I move through the Dance wing and see forms leaping and twirling in one studio to live percussion, and next door, ballet barres and a classical pianist. Crossing a little bridge to the Music/Theater Building, the studios and classrooms of the Peterson Performing Arts Teaching Center host private lessons and acting classes (and my own directing class on Friday afternoons). Downstairs I look in on an amazing studio where students from many programs learn about sound as technology and art. Across the way, Film students work on post-production refinements of their work in beautiful edit suites. A five-minute walk takes me to the Art and Design building, one of Mason’s architectural gems, and a beehive of creative energy. There’s a stunning exhibition in the Gillespie Gallery of Art, and student work from classes in many forms adorns the walls and hallways. Computer games are being born in state-of-the-art labs. And the out-of-doors is our canvas too, where the Green Studio offers a literal living laboratory and monumental sculpture projects take shape. The walking tour is on my mind as I read through this Annual Report, which offers its own kind of tour (with a lower step count). I invite you to take a stroll through its pages and imagine, stop by stop, the excitement that we feel on site here every day, generated by the artists and scholars (students, faculty, staff, and guest artists), dedicated volunteers, and an engaged community that, together, make CVPA sing. Cheers,
Rick Davis Dean, College of Visual and Performing Arts
MASON ARTS 2022–23 ANNUAL REPORT 3
STORIED CULTURE
A CONTEMPORARY COMPOSER FUELS A NEW MASON COLLABORATION Growing up in the Black church, Assistant Professor of Music and Director of Concert Bands, William L. Lake, Jr., deeply understands the power of music and movement. After hearing Come Sunday by composer Omar Thomas, Lake dreamed of bringing this work to life with movement, uniting the George Mason University Bands and the School of Dance. Working on this project created a unique opportunity for students and an authentic, expansive cultural experience for the Mason community. Also having grown up in "the Southern Black church," Associate Professor of Dance, Lawrence M. Jackson created and directed the original choreography for this project, reflecting on his upbringing and research into African diasporic dance forms. Both relatively new to Mason, Jackson and Lake began working on this idea at the end of the fall 2022 semester. Building a vocabulary for the dancers allowed Jackson's students to explore the storied culture of the Black church and develop an understanding of the movements that reflect the energy and history of these spaces and traditions. "Most of these dancers have never had the experience of working alongside live musicians. I'm excited for them to experience the unique energy of the wind symphony and adapt in the moment," Jackson shared. The musicians also expanded their understanding with this performance. "The jazz and gospel musical vocabulary [was] foreign to my students," said Lake. "It's inspiring to see how invested our students are in something that they realize is new and different. My hope is that through music and collaborations, my students have a gateway to appreciate cultures different than their own," Lake added. This collaboration came to life onstage at the Center for the Arts on Mason's Fairfax Campus on February 28, 2023, and was later released digitally on Mason Arts Amplified. Jackson and Lake are optimistic that this is just the beginning of collaborations between Mason's School of Dance and Dewberry School of Music. A senior from the School of Dance resonates in the joy of performing live with the Mason Symphony Orchestra, photo by Will Martinez
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Students perform during the collaborative Come Sunday event, photo by Will Martinez
Lake dreamed of bringing this work to life with movement, uniting the George Mason University Bands and the School of Dance. MASON ARTS 2022–23 ANNUAL REPORT 5
INTERCONNECTEDNESS OF WORLDS
ECOART CLASS INSPIRES STUDENTS BY BRINGING TOGETHER THE SOCIAL AND NATURAL WORLDS As a movement and concept, ecological art or eco art, stretches back decades. AVT 385: EcoArt has been part of George Mason University's School of Art since 2010, thanks to Mark Cooley, associate professor and director of new media. "The whole concept of eco art is understanding the interconnectedness of our social world and our natural world," said Cooley. The Green Studio, founded and directed by Cooley, is an outdoor eco art studio, located on the grounds of Mason's Art and Design Building, which gives students a space to create environmental artworks. AVT 385: EcoArt is one of Mason's Green Leaf courses, designed to incorporate sustainability and its practices across the curriculum. The course contains five areas for students to create their own projects around: activism, overconsumption, growing, foraging, and environmental remediation. The 20 students enrolled in the course during spring 2023 came from a variety of majors. Cooley provides his students with examples of different interdisciplinary artists to show them ways to create nontraditional art. "There are so many creative pursuits. Of course, there are the traditional 'fine arts' painting, sculpture and so on, but there's also a whole lot more, photography, video, landscape design, cooking, foraging, farming," said Cooley, whose own interdisciplinary creative work ranges from gallery installations, permaculture design, documentary and experimental film, and music composition. Senior Robin Jay Macielinski, an art and visual technology major concentrating on new media, said he was inspired by an artist they studied in class who used natural dyes and pigments for his EcoArt project. Other student projects included a marketing-based presentation on water and soil quality and remediation surrounding the Flint Water Crisis. "Art is about the relationship of the self to the outside world," said Cooley. "I wanted to get creative thinkers involved with environmental issues to work toward recognizing some of the problems and perhaps offering some creative solutions for the future." Displaying their Patriot pride, students work together to bring sustainable art to life, photo by Mark Cooley
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Eco-art students posing together as they re-shape the Green Studio, photo by Mark Cooley
Art is about the relationship of the self to the outside world. MARK COOLEY, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR AND DIRECTOR OF NEW MEDIA
MASON ARTS 2022–23 ANNUAL REPORT 7
INNOVATIVE AND DISTINCTIVE
Clockwise from the top: Nrityagram Dance Ensemble in collaboration with Chitrasena Dance Company with School of Dance class, photo by Mengxia Zhou; Indigenous Enterprise masterclass with Dewberry School of Music class, photo by Evan Cantwell; Silkroad Ensemble with Women and Gender Studies class, photo by Gabriel Celeste
ARTISTS-IN-RESIDENCE ENGAGE ON MASON CAMPUSES AND BEYOND Each year several artists and ensembles, chosen for their distinctive and innovative artistic voices, are invited to make Mason their home for a residency in partnership with its performing arts centers. Launched during the 2019–20 season, the Mason Artist-in-Residence program connects artists appearing at the Center for the Arts and the Hylton Performing Arts Center with on-and off-campus communities. During the 2022–23 season, Nrityagram Dance Ensemble in collaboration with Chitrasena Dance Company, Silkroad Ensemble, Terrance Simien and the Zydeco Experience, and Indigenous Enterprise expanded their impact in the Mason community. Nrityagram Dance Ensemble of India and Sri Lanka's Chitrasena Dance Company participated in 10 events over the course of a week, including a lecture/demonstration with fourth-graders at Hunters Woods Elementary School. Members from the group also hosted a movement-based workshop and discussion with George Mason University's Sri Lankan Student Association and multiple masterclasses with the Computer Game Design program, School of Dance, and Dewberry School of Music. Terrance Simien & the Zydeco Experience spent a full week introducing southern Louisiana Creole culture and Zydeco music to more than 2,000 community members, including Arts Management and Folklore classes at Mason as well as students at multiple Prince William County schools. The GRAMMY Award-winning Silkroad Ensemble debuted their newest program, Uplifted Voices, at the Center for the Arts on January 29, launching their multi-year participation as a Mason Artist-in-Residence, with three activities on January 30 for Mason students as well as Fairfax Academy Music and Technology high school students. Concluding the 2022–23 season at the Center for the Arts, Indigenous Enterprise spent a week at Mason, hosting a lecture/demonstration with the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI), and a lecture/demonstration with kindergarten, first-, and second-grade classes at Laurel Ridge Elementary School.
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[The] Nrityagram Dance Ensemble in collaboration with Chitrasena Dance Company, Silkroad Ensemble, and Indigenous Enterprise explored multiple opportunities to expand their impact in the Mason community.
MASON ARTS 2022–23 ANNUAL REPORT 9
SOCIAL CHANGE
MASON STUDENTS USE DIGITAL STORYTELLING FOR COMMUNITY CHANGE When George Mason University students sign up for Video Production for Social Change, they take what they learn in a traditional classroom setting and use it to make an impact in their community. "It's such a unique experience as a student, particularly a production student, to get hands-on, realworld experience working with a client," said Peabody Award-winning filmmaker and Mason Adjunct Professor Rebekah Wingert-Jabi, who taught the Film and Video Studies (FAVS) course in fall 2022. "The course is open to everyone," said Wingert-Jabi, and no prerequisite courses are required. The class works with a different local partner each semester, and students create videos based on their organization's mission statement. Their most recent partner was the nonprofit organization Cornerstones, which serves families and individuals in need of housing, food, finances, and childcare assistance, in addition to other necessities. "I'm just really proud to know that Mason students within this department are community advocates by heart," said Margaret Anne Lara, Cornerstones vice president of marketing and communications. "Each production spotlighted an emerging challenge faced by families living along the Dulles corridor region—affordable housing, food insufficiency, economic security, and resiliency for children and families—as well as how Cornerstones' faith-based community partners make a meaningful impact through their support of our organization," said Lara. "I was also impressed with the technical expertise of these talented young filmmakers. The final products were well received by our Board of Directors and staff and have already been used as part of our fundraising and communications and marketing outreach." After the class, two Mason students were hired as Cornerstones interns. "The responsibilities of this internship are much greater than anything I've had prior to it, but after taking this course I'm ready to take on those responsibilities," said senior film and video studies major, Blake Smith. "It was incredibly beneficial, not only for developing my own professional skills, and also knowing what is expected of me from employers. Opposite page: Film students work together to enhance the efforts of Cornerstones, photo by Rebekah Wingert-Jabi
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Each production spotlighted an emerging challenge faced by families... affordable housing, food insufficiency, economic security, and resiliency for children and families. MARGARET ANNE LARAMASON, CORNERSTONES VICE PRESIDENT OF MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS
MASON ARTS 2022–23 ANNUAL REPORT 11
GAMES FOR GOOD
MASON HOSTS INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON DIGITAL THERAPEUTICS George Mason University's Computer Game Design program and Mason Korea partner NCSoft hosted a symposium at Mason Square in November 2022 to advance the development and use of Digital Therapeutics. Digital Therapeutics, also known as DTx, is an emerging type of evidence-based medical therapy that uses qualified software programs to prevent, manage, or treat medical conditions. "DTx products in development or already on the market can help treat diabetes, provide oncology treatment and management, and address neuropsychiatric disorders including anxiety, depression, and substance use disorder," said John P. Doran, a Mason Korea computer game design instructor. Virginia Serious Game Institute (VSGI), under the College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA), is a major force for interdisciplinary research on DTx that aims to support the entrepreneurial goals of students through serious game technology. Their motto for DTx is "games for good." The symposium welcomed many guests who use DTx in their respective medical and/or software development fields. Speakers touched on an array of topics regarding the pros and cons of utilizing DTx. "There are still some challenges to DTx that must be addressed as well, such as patient data privacy and sharing," said Stephen Varga, MD, director of trauma education and simulation at Inova Fairfax Hospital and assistant professor of medical education at University of Virginia School of Medicine. "These are all things that are going to pose challenges when you present these digital health options to physicians as to how you're going to protect the patient's identity moving forward," Varga said. "In just a few short years, DTx has become an exciting, creative, and competitive new field and frontier. We're also seeing more openness to DTx being covered by various health plans," said Doran. He added, "As pandemic anxiety and depression continue to harm people's mental health, DTx are more important than ever before." Mason faculty and industry experts present and participate in the symposium, photos provided by Mason's Computer Game Design program
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Envisioning the future of medicine and patient care through digital therapeutics, photo by iStockphoto.com
In just a few short years, DTx has become an exciting, creative, and competitive new field and frontier. JOHN P. DORAN, MASON KOREA COMPUTER GAME DESIGN INSTRUCTOR
MASON ARTS 2022–23 ANNUAL REPORT 13
ENCOURAGING GROWTH
VICKI SALMON'S LEGACY OF SERVICE AT MASON Victoria (Vicki) N. Salmon (D.A. '97) and her husband, John J. Salmon, appreciate the tremendous growth taking place in the College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA), which is why they have established a bequest to help future CVPA students reach their full potential. Both Vicki and John are firstgeneration college graduates who recognize how George Mason University nurtures students, especially in the arts, encouraging them to become creative, knowledgeable, thoughtful citizens. "CVPA students witness how academics and arts blend to sharpen and enhance our views of the human condition," Vicki says. After earning her doctorate, Vicki worked for the Higher Education Program for several years before being named associate dean, College of Visual and Performing Arts. In that role, she created seven graduate programs, working with faculty and students for more than eight years. When she retired in 2014, CVPA established the Victoria N. Salmon Outstanding Graduate Student Award in her honor. More recently, Vicki has been teaching in the Arts Management Program and joined the Mason Arts board, where she has been the chairperson since 2019. In October 2022, Vicki received the Alumni Service Award from the university at the annual Celebration of Distinction, honoring outstanding alumni, faculty members, and students. John, meanwhile, is retired from a law career that included serving as chief counsel for the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means. In addition to their planned gift, Vicki and John have been regular sponsors of current CVPA programs, including ARTS by George! Their charitable bequest will support student scholarships and contribute to future renovations for the Center for the Arts. Their goal is to share the joy of learning and exploring with future student artists, creative scholars, instructors, and their communities while keeping the arts alive for all to appreciate. Dean Rick Davis and Vicki N. Salmon at ARTS by George!, photo by Cable Risdon
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Vicki N. Salmon and John Salmon at Arts by George!, photo by Cable Risdon
CVPA students witness how academics and arts blend to sharpen and enhance our views of the human condition. VICKI N. SALMON
MASON ARTS 2022–23 ANNUAL REPORT 15
PURKS ENDOWMENT AND RESEARCH GRANTS
Robert K. Purks Faculty Enrichment Endowment The College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA) is proud to encourage the continued creative development and expansion of our faculty, offering them time and resources to pursue the interests that energize them beyond their classrooms. Established in 2018 by Robert Purks, a long-time Mason Arts Board member and supporter, The Robert K. Purks Faculty Enrichment Endowment provides perpetual support to further the research and creative activity of faculty in the College.
Grant Winners Emily Green, Music Developing an anthology of early Black music from the results of a multi-year research project into a collected work ready for wider publication
Stephanie Benassi, Art Expanding a multi-part body of work (Money, Power, Rank: The Measure of All Things) by creating new component pieces that explore themes currently present in the work
Julie Grosche, Art Traveling to Yugoslavia and Serbia for research in support of and the creation of a new video art piece
Jonathan Bisesi, Music Supporting the professional development of young artists via programming and engagement opportunities organized by the Network for Diversity in Concert Percussion G. Chesler, Film and Video Studies Continuing production on a documentary film exploring the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on transgender people in the United States Christopher d'Amboise, Dance Creating and installing a permanent Window Wall system in one of the dance studios on Mason's Fairfax Campus Robert Farr, Film and Video Studies Completing a book on the work and cinematic legacy of Sidney Drew and Gladys Rankin, and then Sidney Drew and Lucile McVey, pioneers of comedic performance styles on stage and screen Photos counterclockwise from top middle: Stephanie Benassi, Art; Jonathan Biesi, Music; Christopher d'Amboise, Dance; Ben Steger, Film and Video Studies; June Huang, Music; Emily Green, Music; G. Chelser, Film and Video Studies, photos provided by subjects
June Huang, Music Continuing pedagogical research around deepening citizenship skills through making music, and creating a new faculty/ student performance ensemble that explores the effect of power dynamics on musical output Ben Steger, Film and Video Studies Finishing post-production on a 10-episode documentary series on global community through the universal language of music, the power of story, and funding the submission of the first five episodes to national film festivals Heather Green, Art Attending two national conferences on literary translation and publishing to share her own publications and research, and enhancing Mason's industry connections in support of a new minor in the School of Art
Research Grants Center for the Arts Great Performances at Mason: Nrityagram Dance Ensemble and Chitrasena Dance Company National Endowment for the Arts, Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation's ArtsCONNECT program Hylton Performing Arts Center American Roots Series: Terrance Simien and the Zydeco Experience Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation's ArtsCONNECT program School of Theater 1,001 Plays, Virginia Humanities Grant 16 MASON ARTS 2022–23 ANNUAL REPORT
PUBLISHED WORKS
Published Works for 2022–23 Academic Year
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David Porter, Music Released his new solo album Music in the Mist, released and pressed by Mark Records, showcasing the tuba's extreme facility and range, with the track "Concerto for Tuba," composed by Anthony O'Toole, a Dewberry School of Music alumus
May Santiago, Film and Video Studies Submitted her essay film La Ausencia to a special issue of MAI: Feminism and Visual Culture, devoted to women filmmakers working in global horror cinema; shot by FAVS Technical Manager Andrew Jorgensen, the film explores the concepts of horror and gender within Puerto Rico's film and colonial history
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Seth Hudson, Computer Game Design Published his new book, Approaching a Pedagogy of Game Writing, which examines the practices of writers in the AAA video game industry, to provide a model for game writing pedagogy that highlights the roles and skills utilized by these innovative storytellers
Carole Rosenstein, Arts Management Published the second edition of her textbook Understanding Cultural Policy, in addition to her paper "Cultural Policy Archetypes Revisited: Two New Models" SA
Contributed a chapter entitled, "Male Ageing and Retribution in Contemporary Action Thrillers," to the new book Ageing Masculinities in Contemporary European and Anglophone Cinema
Shawn Purcell, Music Released his new recording 180 on Origin Records, which takes a deep dive into the classic tradition of the organ trio, in addition to two new ebooks, 180 Guitar Solos Transcribed and 180 Original Jazz Compositions
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Tommy Britt, Film and Video Studies Published his journal article, "Le musicien et le studio d'enregistrement: perspectives satiriques au cinéma et à la télévision," in Savoirs en prisme, No. 16: La figure du musicien au cinéma
Zackery Pride, Music Published the article "Why I Serve with Music" in the School Band and Orchestra Magazine, in which he shares his heartfelt story about his decision to join the Army Band after witnessing the September 11 attacks; Pride currently serves in The U.S. Army Band "Pershing's Own" and has performed internationally for deployed service members
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Samirah Alkassim, Film and Video Studies Co-edited a new anthology textbook, Global Horror: Hybridity and Alterity in Transnational Horror Film; contributed a chapter to the text, which challenges students to reconsider horror films through the lenses of transnational cinema, evolving technologies, and decolonial approaches to the genre
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FACULTY AND STAFF AWARDS AND NOTABLE ACCOMPLISHMENTS
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Victor Provost, Music Received the Adjunct Faculty Teaching Excellence Award from the Stearns Center for Teaching and Learning in April S
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Michael Nickens, Green Machine Recognized by Mason Athletics in honor of Black and African Heritage Month during the Mason men’s basketball game vs. Massachusetts on February 1 at EagleBank Arena
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Greg Grimsby, Computer Game Design Received the 2023 Online Teaching Excellence Award from the Stearns Center for Teaching and Learning in April
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Mason Faculty and Staff Awards
Notable Faculty and Staff Accomplishments Samirah Alkassim, Film and Video Studies Presented Looking Through the Archive Effect: Three Documentaries from 1970s Lebanon on the "Arab Filmmakers on the Move: Films, Discourses, Support, and Transnational Reception" panel at the Middle East Studies Association Conference in Denver
James Casey, Computer Game Design Led a seminar in September on The Evolution of Content Creation through Game Technology
Co-organized a panel for the Society for Cinema and Media Studies (SCMS) Conference in Denver in April
Hans Charles, Film and Video Studies Worked as the cinematographer on the 2022 documentary miniseries, We Need to Talk About Cosby, which was nominated for four Emmy Awards, a Critics Choice Documentary Award, and many other awards
Monica L. Bellais, Film and Video Studies Elected to a third Council term for the Writers Guild of America, East
Worked as a cinematographer on the CW show, All-American: Homecoming, which was renewed for Season 2
Tina Beveridge, Charles Ciorba, Angela Ammerman, Dennis Edelbrock, Matt Trkula, Music Shared research and presented sessions at the Virginia Music Educators Association (VMEA) Conference in November
Zoë Charlton, Art Wrist Bands (Spirit Squad Series), 2021, and Blue Flip-Flops (Immortal Series) acquired as part of the permanent collection of the Baltimore Museum of Art in June
Djola Branner, Theater Presented his lecture Real Characters, Imagined Events: Celebrities and Historic Figures as Fodder for the Stage as part of the Provost’s Vision Series Tommy Britt, Film and Video Studies Won Best Short Script at the 2022 Chicago Screenplay Awards for his screenplay, Lab Partners Jim Carroll, Music Received the Orpheus Award on behalf of Phi Mu Alpha, an award given to a person who has significantly and lastingly contributed to the cause of music in America
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Permanent Change of Station (2022) presented as part of the "A Movement in Every Direction: Legacies of the Great Migration" exhibition at Brooklyn Museum from March to June Charles Ciorba, Tina Beveridge, Angela Ammerman, William L. Lake, Jr., and Dennis Edelbrock, Music Presented research and lectured at the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) National Conference in November Rick Davis, Dean, College of Visual and Performing Arts Presented The 100th Meridian Project: Chronicle of a Drought Foreseen during this year's RiverRun Festival at the Kennedy Center
FACULTY AND STAFF AWARDS AND NOTABLE ACCOMPLISHMENTS
June Huang, David Porter, Music Performed with presenting ensembles at the Virginia Music Educators Association (VMEA) Conference in November
Niyati Dhokai, Veterans and the Arts Chaired the panel, "Speaking for Ourselves: Neurodivergent Perspectives on Music and Neurodiversity," at the International Conference of the International Association for Music and Medicine (IAMM) in Athens, Greece, in the summer
Nikyatu Jusu, Film and Video Studies Won "Best Independent Film" at the African American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) Awards and the "Someone to Watch Award" at the Independent Spirit Awards
Khady Kamara, Arts Management Named as the first executive director of The Perelman Performing Arts Center at the World Trade Center.
Named a Momentum Fellow at Sundance, the program of Women at Sundance is designed to support mid-career storytellers from historically marginalized communities who recently achieved a noteworthy accomplishment
Dennis Edelbrock, Music Showcased Mason's Trumpet Ensemble and his work at Mason during a featured television segment by WUSA 9
Featured in The New Black Film Canon for her film Nanny, 75 greatest movies by Black directors, a project by NPR and Slate Magazine, selected by a panel of filmmakers, scholars, and critics
Ed Fraedrich, John Kocur, Xavier Perez, Music Presented the panel discussion Flipping the Switch: Classical and Jazz at the International Saxophone Symposium, hosted by the U.S. Navy Band at the George Mason University Fairfax Campus on January 14
Completed a distribution deal for her multi-awardwinning film Nanny, which premiered in theaters on November 23rd and was available to stream via Amazon's Prime Video as of December 16th
Chawky Frenn, Art Presented his lecture WE THE PEOPLE: For Show or For Sure? as part of Peace Week Spring 2023, organized by the Carter School for Peace and Conflict Analysis and Resolution
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Cynthia Fuchs, Film and Video Studies Served as a juror for this year's D.C. Shorts Film Festival, which ran in person and virtually in September
Peter H. Kimball, Film and Video Studies Premiered his new short film, Millstone, supported by a Robert K. Purks Faculty Enrichment Fund grant, at Slamdance Film Festival in January
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John Kocur, Darden Purcell, and Jim Carroll, Music Led Mason Jazz Camp in June hosting more than 60 students of all levels enrolled in an intensive and inclusive program
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Kevin McDonald, Music Presented a clinic on "Big Band Bass and Drums" at the Jazz Education Network National Conference (JEN) in Orlando, Florida, in January
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June Huang, Angela Ammerman, Music Presented several sessions at the American String Teachers Association National Conference in Florida in March; Ammerman accepted on behalf of VASTA (Virginia String Teacher Association) the Most Improved Chapter Award
Anthony Maiello, Music Received the Charles E. Lutton Man of Music award at the Phi Mu Alfa Sinfonia convention in St. Louis in July
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June Huang, Music Presented Teaching Sight-Reading Skills at the Virginia Music Teachers Association (VMTA) Conference in October and at the national ASTA Conference in Orlando, Florida, in March
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KJ Mohr, Film and Video Studies Guest curated the "Recent Films from Spain" film series at the National Gallery of Art in fall 2022, programmed in conjunction with the exhibition "Sargent and Spain"
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FACULTY AND STAFF AWARDS AND NOTABLE ACCOMPLISHMENTS
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Carole Rosenstein, Arts Management Invited to join the Arts and the Market's Editorial Advisory Board, a journal dedicated to publishing high-quality and original contemporary research addressing issues related to the intersection of arts and the market and audience research
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Julianna Nickel, Music Performed with Julie McDonald, Doctoral Flute student, and Bora Lee, pianist in a "low flutes" program at Flute World 2023, the conference of the National Flute Association in August; also presented two workshops: a technique and warm-up routine and a workshop on extended techniques
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Chaired a panel and presented her research at the 12th International Conference on Cultural Policy Research in Antwerp, Belgium in September AS
Chaired the Scientific Committee for the 2023 CCA Biennial Research Conference from the Center for Cultural Affairs at Indiana University Bloomington
David Porter, Mark Jenkins, Music Conducted the performance of the George Mason University Tuba-Euphonium Ensemble (GMUTEE) at the U.S. Army Band Tuba-Euphonium Conference in February for an international audience Jessica Powell Eig, Music Participated in a recording project for Scott Ordway's choral opera, The Outer Edge of Youth; the album was considered for a Grammy Award in the Classical Solo Vocal category Victor Provost, Music Led and performed with the Mason Steel Pan Ensemble in Trinidad and Tobago with Hadco Phase II Pan Groove in February in the annual Panorama semifinals competition, the largest steel pan event in the world Darden Purcell, Music Led the Mason Jazz Vocal Ensemble to a win of a DOWNBEAT Student Music Award for "Large Vocal Jazz Ensemble–Undergraduate College Outstanding Performance," considered the most notable award in jazz education Wanda Raimundi-Ortiz, Art Selected by Tribeca Festival and CHANEL as one of the artists to participate in the 2023 Artist Awards Program as part of the 2023 Tribeca Festival 20 MASON ARTS 2022–23 ANNUAL REPORT
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May Santiago, Film and Video Studies Curated the "Horrorspiria Presents: Queer Fears" film screenings at Suns Cinema in D.C. in October
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Justin Plakas, Art and Film and Video Studies Shared his work in an exhibition titled It’ll Do Till It Gets Here... at Levee Contemporary
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Michael Nickens, Bobby Lacy II Green Machine Led the ensemble during their featured performance at the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) National Conference in November
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Sang Nam, Computer Game Design Selected as a Fulbright Specialist Scholar to pursue game design and development in Tunisia
Received a full scholarship to attend a week-long Videographic Methods and Practices workshop at Bowdoin College in July Presented part of her PhD research at this year's Mason Graduate Interdisciplinary Conference on March 31, hosted by the Graduate and Professional Student Association (GAPSA), Graduate Student Life, and Graduate Education, an office of the Provost Russell Santos, Film and Video Studies Hired as a Local 700 Union Editor, editing the upcoming special, Hip Hop Nutcracker which premiered on Disney + in late 2022, as his first project Anjuli M. Singh, Film and Video Studies Gave a series of public talks on film history for the Loudoun County Public Library Benjamin Steger, Film and Video Studies Hosted a work-in-progress screening and discussion at The Neptune Room in Washington, D.C. Episodes of his documentary series, Vibrations, featured the music of Bali, Indonesia Lisa Thrasher, Film and Video Studies Hosted a film screening of El Mahal and Blue at Suns Cinema in Washington D.C. as part of their "A Night of Shorts" program
GRADUATION AND ENROLLMENT
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STUDENTS MAJORING IN CVPA PROGRAMS
Karalee Dawn MacKay, Arts Management Program director and spring 2023 graduates, photo by Ron Ron Aira, George Mason University
FALL '21
TOTAL
FALL '22
532 63 75 170 385 311 148 45
556 49 69 181 378 301 133 49
1,729
1,717
Art Arts Management Dance Film and Video Studies Computer Game Design Music Theater Other
MASON ARTS 2022–23 ANNUAL REPORT 21
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CVPA STORIES
Arts Management Explores Across the Pond Once More
The Road to the End, a world-premiere play written by Mason student Bella Panciocco and directed by Megan Lederman, with original compositions by Brett Womack, was selected to premiere during spring 2023 in Mason's School of Theater's schedule. In the play, with huge life changes on the horizon, Henry and his father embark on one last adventure to the Grand Canyon. Along the way, the two rediscover old memories while making new ones. This play, simultaneously retrospective and forward-looking, reveals roads to healing and bridges generations. Intrigued by the opportunities presented by a never-before-seen work, School of Theater and the newly established digital programming team collaborated to professionally record, mix, and edit the work into a fully realized digital production, released on Mason Arts Amplified. Tapping into talent across the college, Mason Film students supported the digital production, stepping in as camera operators and crew.
In June 2023, for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began, the Arts Management program resumed its international experiences. A staple of the program's offerings, students previously explored various parts of the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Ireland, and much of the United Kingdom, making connections with their peers and exploring international practices and issues. This year, Karalee Dawn Mackay, director of the Arts Management program, accompanied 11 students on a two-week trip, concentrated in Galway and Dublin, Ireland. Students met fellow arts professionals, toured venues, and attended events and performances with, Galway International Arts Festival, Abbey Theatre, Irish Writers Centre, Project Art CentreDublin, Irish World Academy of Music and Dance, Irish Traditional Music Archive, Údarás na Gaeltachta, National Gallery of Ireland, and the National Museum of Ireland. During the trip, students focused on exploring economic drivers in the arts, marketing and community outreach, policy and fundraising strategies, national identity and cultural heritage issues, the Basic Income for the Arts pilot program, and day-to-day arts management challenges. OA D
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22 MASON ARTS 2022–23 ANNUAL REPORT
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At the peak of her career, Julianna Nickel, an adjunct professor of flute and two-time recipient of Mason's Distinguished Teacher of the Year award (2017 and 2019), began experiencing immobility when she picked up her instrument. After spending two years working with neurologists, Nickel was diagnosed with a rare neurological condition: focal dystonia, which has no known treatment. Refusing to give up on her musical career, which began at age 11, Nickel treated the symptoms with Botox injections, regaining about 80 percent of her previous abilities. Then, through a clinical study with the National Institute of Health, Nickel underwent successful surgery and now plays with the help of an electrode in her brain and a battery in her chest. Determined to continue making a difference, Nickel mentors her students, hosts a Facebook page dedicated solely to focal dystonia, and makes time to talk to others facing similar physical challenges.
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Overcoming a Rare Neurological Condition to Continue Playing the Flute
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World-Premiere Play Debuts in Person and in Full Digital Production
CVPA STORIES
Freshman Art Major is Runner Up in Social Activism Art Contest
Dance major Joshua Dias (B.A. '26) began performing at the age of four, taking his first steps on his path to Mason, where he started as a freshman in fall 2022. Two of Dias's childhood dance teachers and mentors, Kim Rishi and Jamie Howes, are alumni of Mason's School of Dance. The training and experiences Rishi and Howes received at Mason's School of Dance shaped their teaching style, which in turn prepared their students for the rigorous and exceptional degree program offered at Mason. Dias studied with Howes for four years and has taken a lot of her professional guidance to heart. "Mason is the right fit for me because the dance program is incredible and as professional as it gets," said Dias. Howes is currently the director of dance at Charles J. Colgan Sr. High School for Fine and Performing Arts in Prince William County, where she and Dias first met.
For this year's MLK Evening of Reflection on January 30—sponsored by the Center for Culture, Equity, and Empowerment—Mason illustrators, painters, and graphic designers of all backgrounds responded to the call for works in the MLK Art Competition. Artists worked to the theme of Lighting the Pathway: Renewing, Reviving, Restoring, and Remembering the Dream. Anna Simakova, a freshman art and visual technology major, originally from Moscow and now living in Vienna, Virginia, was the contest's runner-up with her painting, On the Edge of the World. The painting depicts a little girl holding a balloon, symbolizing endless possibilities. "I focused my attention on the central object," Simakova said, "highlighting that the girl enters this life stage alone and the whole universe is open for her. She is small, fragile and as light as a balloon, but she fearlessly pursues her dream."
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Freshman Dance Major Chooses Mason with Alumni Guidance
The students' enthusiasm, talent, and infectious energy left an unforgettable mark on the iconic White House south lawn.
Green Machine Rocks at the White House Easter Egg Roll The Green Machine, Mason's beloved and renowned pep band, took the party to a whole new level when they performed at the White House on April 10. The White House Easter Egg Roll is an annual highlight for families in the D.C.-area, and includes games, storytime, and live entertainment in addition to the traditional Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn. This incredible opportunity for the ensemble came about thanks to their outstanding performance for the Department of Education's Special Projects Division. The students' enthusiasm, talent, and infectious energy left an unforgettable mark on the iconic White House south lawn. "Our students are engaged, enthusiastic, and dedicated. This performance, however, required another level of preparation, not only in a musical sense but in a professional sense. Our students demonstrated admirably that they were ready to perform in a venue that required punctuality, poise, and responsibility," said Matthew Dievendorf, assistant director of education, research, and audio production for the Green Machine.
MASON ARTS 2022–23 ANNUAL REPORT 23
CURRENT STUDENT AND ALUMNI ACHIEVEMENTS AN JU M EG NA
Young Alumni Commissioning Project Award Winners Juan Megna, Music 2023 Young Alumni Commissioning Project Award winner including $5,000 in commissioning support; the award will fund Trailblazer, an album of original compositions that will build a dialogue between jazz and Afro-Brazilian genres
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Mohammed Saffouri, Film and Video Studies and Megan Arnold with Mike Rose and Hannah Looney, Film and Video Studies 2023 Young Alumni Artistic Support Grant winners including $2,000 in unrestricted support; Saffouri's award will fund the development of his first narrative feature film, a deeply personal story about the experience and perseverance of a Muslim-American immigrant woman in the United States; Arnold, Rose, and Looney's award will support the creation of Momentum/Memoriam, an experimental music video that explores and contextualizes the group’s grief over the loss of their late collaborator and Mason alum, Jason Cortez (Film, 2015) M
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Carlehr Swanson, Music and Kyle Finnegan, Film and Video Studies 2023 Young Alumni Creative Development Award winners including $3,000 in commissioning support; Swanson's award will fund Growing Pains, an extended play record of original music combining jazz, R&B, and gospel; Finnegan's award will fund his new documentary film, exploring the complicated role of MSG (monosodium glutamate) in the United States, as influenced by pervasive misinformation and the uniting love of food across cultures
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Current Student and Alumni Achievements Jessica Barraclough, Michael Burgos, and Adelina Mitchell, Theater Nominated for 2023 Helen Hayes Awards for their performances in Xanadu (Workhouse Arts Center), Fade (Unexpected Stage Company), and The Music Man (Olney Theatre Center) Yves Beneche, Film and Video Studies Program Wrote and directed the narrative short Bwa Kayiman which screened at the LA Film Festival in March 2023 Paul Bernfeld, Green Machine Joined the Washington Commanders Marching Band in May 2022, one of the oldest marching bands in the history of the NFL, founded originally in 1937
24 MASON ARTS 2022–23 ANNUAL REPORT
Dominique Bianco, Kevin Elam, and Connor Holdridge, Music Selected as "Strathmore Artists in Residence" Class of 2023 Ryan Braaten, Arts Management Accepted a new role as Manager of Industry Relations at Berklee College of Music Brianna Camp, Art Illustrated the book Bubble, Bubble, Bubble, Splash!, written by Megan Fitzharris and published by Rocket Science Productions, LLC (pictured on opposite page) Juliana Cardine and Anissa Clay Zelaya, Music Selected as 2023 National Semifinalists in the prestigious National Association Teachers of Singing (NATS) Competition
CURRENT STUDENT AND ALUMNI ACHIEVEMENTS
Rhianna Cockrell, Music Co-founded the New Muses Project (a collective that aims to encourage justice-focused radical curiosity in classical music by providing a streamlined database that is free and open to the public as well as other initiatives) and now serves as its administrative director Danielle Comer, Arts Management Accepted a new role for the National League of Cities as the Conference Logistics Coordinator, leaving her previous position as artistic operation assistant manager with the Washington National Opera Alonzo Conyers with Elissa Padula, L.J. Garcia, Daniel Taylor, Film and Video Studies Won a Capital Emmy Student Production Award 2021– 2022 for Non-Fiction-Short Form with Conyers’s film Dessana, supported by Padula, Garcia, and Taylor
Mirella Guzman-Escobar, Art Interned with House Creative Services, chief administrative officer at the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington D.C. during summer 2022 Carl Holmquist, Music Composed the piece Commonwealth Fanfare, which was performed as a featured new work by the Mason Wind Symphony and Symphonic Band in October 2022 Teresa Jenkins, Music Chosen as a member of Conservatory Orchestra and Conservatory Wind Symphony as the only 1st year master's student selected for the academic year at the University of Missouri, Kansas City
Jasmine Copeland, Music Released her first extended play (EP), Blossom in 2023
Lisette Joo, Michael Pagan, Elaine Hopkins, Andrew Bell, and Alexandra Kowalski, Music Performed as members of Mason’s 5-2-5 Woodwind Quintet at the Virginia Music Educators Association (VMEA) convention in November 2022
Mark Evans, Music Performed and was interviewed on Virginia This Morning on CBS news in September 2022
Anthony Khong, Arts Management Accepted a new role as the choir director for the Washington Metropolitan Gamer Symphony Orchestra
Eduardo Fajardo, Music Performed in a guest artist masterclass as one of three selected winners at the 50th anniversary National Flute Association (NFA) Convention in August 2022
Annette Lee and Alyssa Cabassa, Music Selected to be participants in the 2023 National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) Summer Music Institute, a nationally competitive program
Catherine (Kitty) Fields, Music Secured a distribution agreement for two of her original compositions through C. Alan Publications
Steven Luu, Art Collaborated with 28 artists, including veterans, Mason students, alumni, and community members at Mason's School of Art to create two large abstract public murals, which were installed at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and at Dulles International Airport
Ben Freedman, An Tran, and Will Zuniga, Music Attended the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) show, the annual global music products trade show, in Anaheim, CA in April 2023 and received the NAMM President’s Innovation Award
Tyler Lyon, Film and Video Studies Served as an adjunct faculty in Film, TV, and Video Production at Roanoke College, while operating the Grandin Theatre Film Lab in Roanoke, VA, where his students' films screened at three Oscar-qualifying film festivals in high school categories in 2022 M
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Shawn Malangyaon and Daniel Taylor, Film and Video Studies Selected for inclusion in the D.C. Shorts Film Festival as part of the Homegrown Showcase with their respective films, Tri-Hard and Untitled Mom Doc
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Zack Gross, Film and Video Studies Highlighted in VoyageBaltimore Magazine in January 2023 with his production company Hand Me Down Films
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Jasmine Gates, Film and Video Studies Won a Capital Emmy Student Production Award 2021–2022 for Fiction-Short Form with her film What We Leave Behind
MASON ARTS 2022–23 ANNUAL REPORT 25
CURRENT STUDENT AND ALUMNI ACHIEVEMENTS AM A AY
CC Millbrandt, Dance Moved to Kigali, Rwanda to teach dance at School of Leadership Afghanistan (SOLA), a boarding school for refugee Afghan girls
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Jaelin Mitchell, Music Received the Social Action and Awareness Award from Mason’s Black Excellence Gala AL IC
Cristian Perez, Music Assumed the position of executive director of Mason Music Productions in July 2022
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Michelle A. Smith, Steven Luu, CJ Davis, Adrian Scalzo, and Tessie Van Dyke, Art Showcased their work in Edges of What I Feel, Featuring the Healing Artists Collective, a new exhibition at Mason Exhibitions Arlington that opened in June 2023
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Ryan Phillips, Theater Served as the magic coordinator for the production of The Tempest at Round House Theatre, working directly with Teller (of legendary magic duo Penn and Teller), and was also the understudy for the role of Ariel
Evelyn Simpson Currenton, Music Featured on the PBS Special The Magic of Spirituals as part of Black History Month in February 2023
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Elisa Pritchard, Arts Management Opened Roxbury Art and Wellness in downtown Fredericksburg as the founder and exceutive director, a new enterprise based on her capstone project Traci Reynolds, Art Highlighted by the Washington Post for her work to raise awareness about the impact of incarceration on women and girls through her mixed-media piece Weep Sister Sing Maggie Rodgers and Rebecca Wahls, Theater Collaborated on a new musical, this old haunt, which debuted at Carnegie Mellon University Alicia Rodriguez, Film and Video Studies Program Selected to participate in the Cinematographer's Lab with PANO and AbelCine in New York City and is working on a feature-length documentary about a Palestinian-American family and their diasporic experience David Roth, Green Machine Awarded The Green Machine Ensembles Distinguished Alumni Award at the annual 2022 Celebration of Distinction from the Mason Alumni Association Carina Santillán, Art Completed her first mural in the South Entrance of Manassas Mall over summer 2022 Ocie Shaquán Banks, Music Joined the National Children's Chorus in Washington, D.C. as an associate conductor
26 MASON ARTS 2022–23 ANNUAL REPORT
Ivania Stack, Theater Awarded College of Visual and Performing Arts Thomas W. Iszard IV Distinguished Alumni Award at the annual 2022 Celebration of Distinction from the Mason Alumni Association Dylan Toms, Music Cast in Into the Woods at Signature Theatre and received rave reviews from critics and audiences alike Amaya Thomas, Emerald Desire (Green Machine), and Tatianna Robinson, Dance (minor) Received the Black Artist Award from Mason’s Black Excellence Gala Andrew Velez, Music Performed on trumpet for one of NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts, supporting artist Jessie Reyez, in September 2022 Randy Ward, MeHaley Babich, and Annamarie Bollino, Music Each gave research presentations as part of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) National Conference in November 2022 Teri White, Arts Management Accepted the role of president and CEO of the Charlotte Museum of History Abbey Winiger, Dance Hired as a dance programming apprentice at New York City Center Rosemary (Rosie) Wright, Music Won first place in her division of the 2022 Virginia National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) Vocal Competition, which was her 3rd consecutive win at this annual event
FINANCIALS AND GIVING
CVPA OPERATING REVENUE BY SOURCE FY22–23 Tuition
58%
State Appropriation
21%
Student Fees
17%
Tickets/Rentals
4%
CVPA OPERATING REVENUE BY AREA FY22–23 Academic Programs
73%
Center for the Arts
12%
Hylton Performing Arts Center
8%
Mason Community Arts Academy
3%
Green Machine
2%
Virginia Serious Game Institute
1%
Mason Game and Technology Academy
1%
TOTAL DONATIONS
ENDOWMENT FUNDS RAISED:
$4,067,820
$290,871 MASON ARTS 2022–23 ANNUAL REPORT 27
ENDOWMENTS
Legacy Giving Mason Arts acknowledges the forward-looking generosity of the following individuals who have established legacy gifts to support the future of Mason Arts.
John S. Aler, III • Mr. Ronald A. Boykin • Thomas Michael Brawley • Agnes M. Brown Mr. and Mrs. Sidney O. Dewberry • Ruth A. Eaves • Stevie and Gardner Gillespie Linda E. Gramlich • Lee-Ann Heflin • Charles and Shirley Joyce • Jerry Long, in memory of Pat Long Carol Mattusch • Mark D. Monson in honor of Nancy G. Monson • Mary Ballard Postma and Hans Postma Ms. Elizabeth C. Price and Mr. Mike Brown • Shirley B. Rice • Jeffrey and Shawn Robertson Adrienne Bryant Dr. Victoria N. Salmon and Mr. John J. Salmon • Gary and Diane Schnurrpusch • Darlene M. Scott • • • Godwin, Steven Golsch, and Inge Wekerle Steiner Leo and Linda Stoltz Mildred E. Tasker Violette Thouvenin • Annie Bolger at ARTS by George!, Daniel Tucciarone and Thomas Sabal Captain Robert Warakomsky, USCG (Ret.) photo by Cable Risdon and Patricia Warakomsky James L. and Barbara W. White
Scholarships and Programming Endowments Mason Arts acknowledges the forwardlooking generosity of the following individuals and organizations that have established scholarship and programming endowments in the college. Grace Aitel Award Endowment (Strings) Ms. Susan Aitel and Mr. Jonathan Goldman, 2020 The Beck Foundation Scholarship for Computer Game Design The Beck Foundation, 2018 Dr. Barry and Velma Berkey Music Scholarship Endowment Dr. Barry Berkey and Mrs. Velma Berkey, 2004 John S. and Judith T. Bland Memorial Scholarship Endowment (Vocal Studies) Mrs. Robyn David and multiple donors, 1989 Dr. Sam di Bonaventura Memorial Scholarship Endowment (Strings) Ms. Darlene M. Scott, 1999 Jean Carrington Cook Piano Scholarship Endowment (Piano) C. Barrie Cook, M.D., 1995 Lucy C. Church Scholarship Endowment (Vocal Studies) Mr. and Mrs. Randolph W. Church, 2003 de Laski Scholarship Endowment (Music, Dance, Theater) deLaski Family Foundation, 2001 The Paul and Jenny Ebert Horn Studies Scholarship Endowment Paul and Jenny Ebert, 2019 Emerging Artists Scholarship Endowment Linda E. Gramlich, 2019 Fairfax Spotlight on the Arts Scholarship in Music for the Mason Community Arts Academy, 2004 Fairfax Spotlight on the Arts—Ruth Haycock Endowed Scholarship in Piano The Honorable Jane Woods and Fairfax Spotlight on the Arts and multiple donors, 2006 Fairfax Spotlight on the Arts—Spotlight Scholarship for the Arts, 2005 Fairfax Spotlight on the Arts—The Thomas Galen Scott Memorial in Music Education, 2015 Gillespie Scholarship Endowment Gardner and Stevie Gillespie, 2019
28 MASON ARTS 2022-23 ANNUAL REPORT
Goldman Family Scholarship Endowment Jonathan Goldman, 2023 Geoffrey Gonyo Memorial Scholarship Endowment John and Jean Gonyo, 2022 Sholom and Pearl Hendin Music Scholarship Endowment Linda and Harlan Harber, 2022 Heritage Chair in Arts and Cultural Criticism Endowment Multiple Arts Gala Committee Donors, 1986 Heritage Chair in Music Endowment Multiple Arts Gala Committee Donors, 1992 Hylton Performing Arts Center Endowment Multiple donors, 2006 George W. Johnson Endowment and Joanne Ferris Johnson Scholarship Dr. and Mrs. George W. Johnson, 1996 Joanne Johnson Dance Scholarship Endowment Dr. and Mrs. George W. Johnson, 2005 Joseph M. Kanyan Music Scholarship Endowment Multiple Donors, 2002 Kidd/Stearns Dance Talent Scholarship Endowment Ms. Donna L. Kidd and Dr. Peter N. Stearns, 2018 Howard Vincent Kurtz Theater Scholarship Endowment Professor Howard Vincent Kurtz and friends, 2008 Kathleen A. Lieder and Lloyd C. Fell Student Scholarship Endowment in Music Performance/Vocal Studies Dr. and Mrs. Alan G. Merten, 2006 The Patricia A. Long Scholarship Endowment (Jazz Studies) Jerry Long, in memory of Pat Long, 2018 Anthony J. Maiello Music Endowed Scholarship Fund Anthony J. Maiello and multiple donors, 2016 Linda Garner Miller Scholarship Endowment (Dance) Ms. Elizabeth Price and Mr. J. Michael Brown, 2002 Mack and Paulette Miller Theater Scholarship Endowment Mack and Paulette Miller, 2019 Dr. Linda Apple Monson Music Endowment Fund Multiple Donors, 2011 Dr. Linda Apple Monson Scholars Endowed Fund Mr. and Mrs. Sidney O. Dewberry, and multiple donors, 2018 Nancy G. Monson Scholarship Endowment for the Visual Arts Mr. Mark D. Monson, 2013
Joey Noufal Endowed Scholarship (Art) Vicky Noufal, Martha Engle and Reid Herlihy, and friends and family, 2017 Mildred Elaine Tetsell Parker Scholarship Endowment (Vocal Studies), 2004 Peterson Excellence Endowed Fund for the Arts Peterson Family Foundation, 2015 Peterson Family Endowed Scholarship in the Vocal Arts Peterson Family Foundation, 2015 Peterson Family Foundation Scholarship Endowment (Music) Carolyn and Milt Peterson, 2000 Elizabeth "Buffy" Price Dance Scholarship Endowment Ms. Elizabeth C. Price and Mr. Mike Brown, 2020 Robert K. Purks Faculty Enrichment Endowment Robert K. Purks, 2017 Carol M. Robinson and Peter R. Barcher, PhD Scholarship Endowment (Vocal Studies) Peter R. Barcher, PhD and multiple donors, 2015 Pamela A. Roe Music Scholarship Endowment (Athletic Bands) David and Pamela Roe, 2008 Noah J. Seidenberg Scholarship Endowment (Art) Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Seidenberg, 2006 Mary Sherman Scholarship for Art Endowment Mary Sherman, 2022 Stanley J. Sherman Scholarship for Music Education Endowment Mary Sherman, 2022 Joseph D. Shirk Memorial Music Scholarship Endowment Mrs. Jean E. Shirk and multiple donors, 2000 Brower "BC" Spransy Memorial Scholarship Endowment (Theater) Martha Engle and Samantha W. Engle Price, 2019 Shirley Udelson Memorial Scholarship Endowment (Music Composition) Mr. Michael E. Udelson, 1997 The Captain Robert Warakomsky, USCG (Ret.) and Patricia Warakomsky Music Scholarship Fund Robert and Patricia Warakomsky, 2018 Wells Fargo Arts Endowment Wachovia Foundation, 1993
DONORS Mason Arts expresses its sincerest gratitude to the following donors who made generous gifts in support of our programs and students from July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2023.
$1,000,000+
Peterson Family Foundation
$100,000+
Susan J. Aitel and Jonathan Goldman Estate of Lee-Ann Heflin F. H. Furr Evelyn M. Kiley Dr. Victoria N. Salmon and Mr. John J. Salmon Seeley Foundation Walter and Janice Smith Bob and Pat Warakomsky
$25,000–$99,999
Blu Cuisine, LLC Compton and Duling, L.C. Mr. and Mrs. Sidney O. Dewberry* Joyce P. Goche-Grimes Jacqueline B. Mars Mary Sherman John S. Aler, III* Amazon Web Services John and Jean Gonyo Linda and Harlan Harber Patricia and Evans Mandes Robert K. Purks Sandy Spring Bank Diane and Gary Schnurrpusch Dr. Peter N. Stearns and Ms. Donna L. Kidd
$10,000–$24,999
The Albertsons Companies Foundation Alliant Wealth Advisors Mrs. Lillian B. Ballard Penny M. Barrows Pat and Pat Carroll Lavern J. Chatman Lucy C. Church City of Manassas The Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area and Andrew and Jennifer Flagel Rick Davis and Julie Thompson Didlake, Inc. Randall Edwards Steven Golsch and Jim Nedohon* Insight Wealth Management, Inc. John and Tracie Jacquemin Bill Karlson Mary Lechter and Kevin Murray Legal Services of Northern Virginia Jerry Long The Mather Gerald and Paula McNichols Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation Mack and Paulette Miller Miller Toyota Scion Matthew Morris and Shelby Olson Tamara Nall National Endowment for the Arts Rick and Phoebe Peterson Mark and Dawn Roddy Woodleigh Chase *deceased
$5,000–$9,999
Ronald and Anne Abramson Helen and Bill Ackerman Susan M. Bardenhagen Mrs. Velma Berkey Annie and John Bolger Sharon and Robert Buchanan Sheyna Burt Carney Foundation Dominion Energy ECU Communications Fairfax Spotlight on the Arts, Inc. Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Hamerschlag Holladay Properties Nancy Jean-Louis Mr. Edward Jones Micron Technology, Inc. Diane and Tim Naughton NOVEC Odin, Feldman and Pittleman, PC Don and Sonja Palomaki Robert and Ida Portland Charles and Eileen Ricks Sentara Healthcare Dr. Glenn E. Smith Stanley Martin Companies, Inc. Eloise C. Stinger Annabelle and David Stone Todos, Inc. John H. Foote and Rosamond Tompkins Daniel Tucciarone and Thomas Sabal United Bank, Inc. UVA Health Prince William Medical Center Van Metre Companies Foundation, Inc. Wall Foundation Walsh Colucci Lubeley Walsh PC John and Ann Wheeler Janice Sutera Wolfe and James Wolfe
$2,500–$4,999
Jan and Peter Alten Anonymous Art Fraud Insights, LLC Vanessa M. Blair-Lewis Dianne and Gerard Blais Kristina Bouweiri Michael Brown and Elizabeth Price Judy Canyock Donald Coulter and Rosemary Enright Peter Dickinson and Katie Largent Brian and Bebe Drummond Dr. Kimberly K. Eby and Dr. José M. Cortina George Mason University Foundation, Inc. Stevie and Gardner Gillespie Molly Grimsley Guitar & Accessories Marketing Association Hardy Insurance Agency, Inc. Steven and Kelly Harms Dr. Joy R. Hughes and Mr. Kenneth Lee Barbara Jacksier and Everett Chasen Kearney & Company, Brian Kearney and Nicole McQueen Clara and John Kelly Bryan and Rochelle Kidd Michael and Linda Kostrzewa Dr. and Mrs. Christopher Leet Linda and Buford Lewis Kimberly Macedo Dr. Carol C. Mattusch and Dr. Richard S. Mason Kathleen McKay Val S. McWhorter Willy Meaux
Meridian Financial Partners Linda and Phillip Miller Vince and Carolyn Modugno Mark D. Monson Julia Morelli and Dan Rainey Susan and Michael Murphy Martin and Kristina Nohe Jay and Sally O'Brien David T. Petersen J.P. Phaup and Paula Martino The Presser Foundation Richard and Susan Rabil Norma Jean Reck Shirley B. Rice Richard W. Averill Foundation Jaehee Seo Sheron and Richard Seraydarian Mark and Merrill Shugoll Mark and Andrea Silverman Ms. Marilyn T. Smith Leo and Linda Stoltz Isaac W.K. Thweatt Vanderpool, Frostick & Nishanian Verizon Foundation Maura and Ed Weiner Douglas Whipple and Gabriella Kardos Debra Wisniewski Youth for Tomorrow Mary and Edward Zigo III
$1,000–$2,499
Mr. Robert Anderson III Anonymous Dee and Kathy Bailey Dr. Peter R. Barcher Bob and Terry Barnes Dr. Robert and Mrs. Sheryl Bass Linda L. Beckman Jim and Sally Bennett Nadine Bishop Susan E. Blackwell Dr. Reinhardt H. Bodenbender and Sharon L. Wagnitz, RN Jerry Bridges and Sally Turner Leah and Bill Brogdon Brown Advisory Zofia A. Burr Jean E. Callahan City of Fairfax Foundation for the Arts Joseph and Jocelyn Colao Community Foundation for Northern Virginia/ John and Nina S. Toups Charitable Fund Paula B. Compton Jacqueline and David Connor Sandra Cummins-Haid and Allen Haid Mary Jane Daly Gabbay Louis Delair, Jr. Hannah DeLotto Peter and Sally DiGiovanni AJ and Joan Driscoll Charles and Eileen Duggan Dr. Bernadette Dunham and Raymond Petryshyn Chris and Julia Eppard Peter and Lenore Farrell Gerald Ivan Fees Mr. and Mrs. Ronald D. Fleming Wendy Frieman and David E. Johnson* Suzanne and Edward Gaffney Anne Garnier Linda and Shelly Gersten Kay and John Gilbert Steve and Donna Gladis Kim S. Golanski MASON ARTS 2022-23 ANNUAL REPORT 29
DONORS
William and Jacqueline A. Gravell John and Tammy Hanks Mr. Ronald A. Harris Doris and Stanley Harrison Secretary William and Cynthia Hazel Alan and Mary Beth Hemer Hunton Andrews Kurth, LLP Dr. Jolanda Janczewski and CJ McAllister Mel and Carla Jaranson JL Tree Service, Inc. Shirley A. Joyce Joseph and Virginia Kanyan Eileen E. Kennedy Carol Merchant Kirby and Peter Kirby Kishimoto Gordon Dalaya, PC Kenneth Knarr Hilary Kurland Kevin M. Lastorino and Denise Kitay Marthe M. Latinville-Pace John T. Lewis Lockton Companies Drs. Nance Lucas and Pam Patterson Greg and Sherry Mason Susan and Glen McCarthy John and Margaret McMichael Donald E. Metz Drs. Keith and Linda Apple Monson Amy and Robert Moore Catherine and Johnny Morgan Douglas and Laura Newton NFP Christine M. O'Hare Peter Pantuso Delbert Parks Mr. and Mrs. Rexford G. Parr T he Honorable J. Chapman Petersen and Mrs. Sharon K. Petersen Pledgeling Foundation Mary Ballard Postma PWCPS Education Foundation, Inc. Quantum Search Partners Mr. and Mrs. William Reeder Susanne and William Reid Lola C. Reinsch Gina and Paul Rice Curtis and Lynn Robb Sam Rockman Steven T. Rolander and Dru Ann Rolander Mary and D'Arcy Roper Roberta Roumel Melanie L. Sams and Thomas Sulek Charlotte and Arnold Saslowsky Stephen and Cynthia Sayers Ken and Joanne Schoonover William and Pamela Sebesky Marcus Silva Mindy K. Sims Todd and Jenn Skiles Judith and Donald Smith Mr. and Mrs. Kosmo Tatalias Craig and Lori Thomas Richard and Wenda Travers Dr. James Trefil and Dr. Wanda O'Brien-Trefil Ednamae and John Trevey Rhonda and Michael Troutman Eric and Karen Ullman Mikki Van Wyk
30 MASON ARTS 2022–23 ANNUAL REPORT
Keith Taylor and Bernadine Victor-Taylor Roy and Margaret Wagner Ernie and Diane Wakeham Sally and Ken Wall Ed and Maria Ward Gregory and Nicole Washington Sherry Watkins Lisa E. Weaver Joan R. White Janet L. Wilson Adam J. Winsler, PhD and Kathy Preisinger Rachel and Jon Wist Michael and DiAnne Wood Nancy and Thomas Zacharczyk
$500–$999
John and Toni Acton Mary Aldacushion Mr. and Mrs. Gary Allen Mr. Jerry Archer and Mrs. Kim T. Archer Dr. Sylvia Auton and Forrest Hanvey Mark S. Barbaro Lance Basher Jo Anne Bitner Nicole and Kenneth Bland Samuel and Patricia Boglio Patrick and Catherine Boinest William and Brenda Boston Brendan D. Brown Edward S. Cameron Elizabeth Cantrell Louis and Gail Chmura Gary and Francoise Cohen Donald and Joyce Connery Joseph and Margaret Contrucci Louis and Patricia D'Alessandro David and Karen Duncan DWF Claims USA, LLC Ronald and Shirley Edwards Enterprise Database Corporation David E. Feldman, Esq. Kay and John Ferguson Brianna and Mike Fillion Mr. William J. Forster The Foundation for Music Education Rachel Freedman Alan J. Friedman Ms. Virginia McGehee Friend Jeanne and Dale Gaddy Barbara Ghadban Dr. Mark R. Ginsberg and Dr. Elaine Anderson Catherine Gledhill Brandon Glyck Christina Grabus Susan Graziano Teresa and John Groupe Renate and James Guilford Lee and Lily Gunn Thomas and Lovey Hammel, Employment Enterprises, Inc. George and K. Lenore Hart Jason Hickman and Sarah Pitkin HireGround, Inc. Mary and David Hisey LaCountiss S. Hopkins Erika M. Horton Dr. Denise Hunnell and Mr. John Hunnell Inge Wekerle Steiner Living Trust
Iron Mountain Data Centers Ms. Kristin Johnsen-Neshati and Mr. Amin Neshati Reuben and Deborah Johnson Craig and Joyce Johnston Hedwig and Moses Kamai Maryam and Hamid Kasmai John A.C. Keith Gary and Vicki Kirkbride Tim Kissler Peter and Patricia Kuch Edward Kussy Alicia Macleod Joseph Magalski, Leanna Giancarlo, and Nadia Donald and Karen Majeske John Maney Stephanie and Kenneth Marcus Thomas and Pamela Maskey Jim Perry and Ann Mason Ms. Pamela A. Matthews Mr. David McCormack and Lisa McLeod Carol and Robert McGinnis Mr. Michael A. Mescher Mr. Charles E. Meyer Mike and Sara Middleton Jeffrey and Patricia Miller Fernando R. Miralles-Wilhelm and Monica Barboza Pamela Montgomery Mimi Moyer and David Frieden Vazrik and Nunik Nishanian Mary and Christopher Nugent NVM Contractors, Inc. Cass and Lisa Panciocco William and Sandra Pate Jon and Anne Peterson Elizabeth Portland and Thomas Toce Karen J. Reedy Joan and Patrick Reilly Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Reiner Ms. Cheryl A. Toth Lawrence Roffenbender and Bonnie Loadman Jennifer B. Rose Mr. David E. Roth Jayshree A. Sarma Karen and Christopher Scheer Eugene Schied Arthur and Sylvia Schmalz William Schneider Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Seidenberg Louise I. Shelley Kathleen and George Shultz Charles and Moo-Lan Silver Smileworks Orthodontics Erika Spalding and Damien Giese Zuzana and Joe Steen Kristina and Thomas Sturgis Robert Sweeney Ms. Diana Van Broekhoven Mr. Marion M. Wall Kenneth and Tobi Walsh George and Marty Whipple Whitlock Wealth Sidney Williams Diane C. Wilson James Young *deceased
MASON ARTS LEADERSHIP
Mason Arts Board Victoria N. Salmon, Chair Steven Golsch, Vice Chair Annie Bolger, Treasurer J oe Catalano, Immediate Past Chair J. Michael Brown Paul Burke Lavern Chatman
Gardner Gillespie Sharon Gottlieb Molly Grimsley Kelly Harms Charniele Herring Jolanda N. Janczewski Nancy Jean-Louis So Lim
Colette Loll Kimberly Macedo John Mason Val McWhorter Paulette Miller Ida Portland Robert K. Purks Mark Shugoll
Jay Speer Matthew Tait Anika Tené Isaac W.K. Thweatt Edward Weiner Mary Zigo
Ex-Officio Members Djola Branner Director, School of Theater
Jennifer Disano Osher Lifelong Learning Institute
L. Whitman Brown Chief Business Officer, CVPA
Cynthia Fuchs Interim Director, Film and Video Studies
James Casey Director, Virginia Serious Game Institute
Adrienne Bryant Godwin Director of Programming
Zoë Charlton Interim Co-Director, School of Art
Jonathan Goldman Faculty Arts Club
Rick Davis Dean, CVPA Executive Director, Hylton Performing Arts Center
Susan Graziano Director, CVPA Development
Karalee Dawn Director, Arts Management Program Jenna Day Mason Community Arts Advisory Board Niyati Dhokai Director, Veterans and the Arts Initiative
Molly Grimsley CVPA Alumni Chapter Linda Harber President, Friends of Music Kristin Johnsen-Neshati Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs & International Programs
Mary Lechter Executive Director, Mason Community Arts Academy Mack Miller President Emeritus, Friends of Theater Linda Monson Director, Dewberry School of Music Sang Nam Director, Computer Game Design Program Karen Reedy Director, School of Dance Don Starr Interim Co-Director, School of Art Eloise Stinger President, Friends of the Center for the Arts Julie Thompson Executive Director, Center for the Arts
Hylton Performing Arts Center Executive Board Sheyna Burt, Chair Joyce Connery, Vice Chair Rick Davis, Secretary Jatin Ambegaonkar Shaun Anderson Heather Aram Sheryl Bass Phillip Bongiorno Ron Carmichael Dawn Davis Seth Hendler-Voss Jason Hickman
Deb Jewell Denis McPhail Krista Newton Kris Nohe Rene Stewart O'Neal Pat Pate Amy Tanner Ann B. Wheeler Randall Edwards, Emeritus C arol Merchant Kirby, Emeritus
Hylton Performing Arts Center's Jacquemin Family Foundation Rehearsal Hall and Harris Theatre MASON ARTS 2022–23 ANNUAL REPORT 31
College of Visual and Performing Arts 4400 University Drive, MS 4C1 Fairfax, Virginia 22030
703-993-8877 • cvpa.gmu.edu