VIRES Spring 2023 - The Arts Issue

Each year, Seminoles around the world unite for 24 hours of giving, supporting projects and programs across campus that impact our students and university.

The Moment

The Florida State University School of Theatre transported spectators during their 2021-2022 season to the world of newsboys and muckrakers in old world New York City. In their production of Disney’s “Newsies,” publishing giant Joseph Pulitzer raises newspaper prices at the newsies’ expense, so Jack Kelly and his fellow paper kids take action. Based on the real-life Newsboy Strike of 1899, the show engulfs viewers in the fight for a livable wage between the children selling newspapers on the street and publishers, Joseph Pulitzer of the New York World and William Randolph Hearst of the New York Journal.

Pictured from L to R: Francesca Alfano as Bowery Beauty 1, Amanda Lee (B.F.A. ’22) as Medda Larkin and Julia Swann (B.F.A. ’22) as Bowery Beauty 2, perform in “Newsies” at FSU’s Richard G. Fallon Theatre.

VIRES

Spring 2023 Volume 15, Issue 1

An award-winning biannual publication of the Florida State University Alumni Association. Named after the first torch in the university seal, VIRES represents strength of all kinds: physical, mental and moral.

A SPECIAL LETTER FROM President Richard McCulllough

PUBLISHER

Julie Decker

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Janecia Britt (B.A. ’17)

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

Nia Michel (B.A. ’22)

DESIGNER

Lindsey Masterson

CONTRIBUTORS

Anna Prentiss (B.A. ’09)

Ashlee Barrett (M.A ’13)

Brenna Miller

Emily Clemons MacMillan (B.A. ’17)

Jaime Rager (M.P.A. ‘16)

Jessica Comas (M.F.A. ’04)

Kelli Gemmer B.A. ’14 M.S. ’18)

Lily Chailosky (B.A. ’22)

Marina Brown

Nikki Morse (B.A. ’16, M.A. ’19)

Ola Wlusek

Quentin England (B.S. ’21)

PHOTOGRAPHY

Bill Lax (B.S. ‘90)

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On the Cover

In this issue, we invite you to look inside the frame of FSU and see the creativity, joy and power of its arts programs, faculty, students and alumni.

Cover artwork by Lindsey Masterson

alumni.fsu.edu

Pictured above, the “Unconquered” mural sits at the north entrance of Seminole Hall on the FSU Panama City campus. Painted by artist Taylor Shaw, the art is a proud representation of the spirit, creativity and dynamic energy of FSU’s students and faculty. The murals are a product of beautification efforts spearheaded by admissions officer Mia Bennett (B.S. ‘20).

(B.A. ’14, M.S. ’18)

Clothes That Tell a Story

PAGE 50

Inside

By Marina Brown

Spaces of Expression

From

By Janecia Britt (B.A. ’17), Quentin England (B.S. ’21), Nia Michel (B.A. ’22)

I’m so pleased to introduce this special issue of Vires, which is devoted to Florida State University’s excellence in the arts. FSU’s rich tradition in the arts dates to the late 19th century when the West Florida Seminary — now FSU — offered classes in music, drawing and painting. Today, our programs in dance, film, music, theatre, interior architecture, and design and the fine arts are among the best in the world, offering arts education comparable to leading conservatories. Our faculty include worldrenowned scholars, creators and educators, and many of our students go on to become leaders and visionaries in the arts world.

Among the highlights:

• The College of Music is the third largest university based music program in the nation with one of the most comprehensive programs of study in music.

• The College of Motion Picture Arts ranks No. 14 on The Hollywood Reporter’s list of the Top 25 American Film Schools.

• The College of Fine Arts is home to nationally ranked programs:

› The Department of Interior Architecture and Design program consistently ranks in the Top 10 in the nation.

› The School of Theatre ranks No. 19 in The Hollywood Reporter’s Top 25 drama schools worldwide.

› The School of Dance houses the Maggie Allesee National Center for Choreography — the first national center for choreography in the world located at a major research institution — and operates from one of the premier dance facilities in the United States.

FSU also has long played an important role in sharing the performing arts with the community. In 1921, the Florida State College for Women began an Artist Series that has evolved into what we now know as Opening Nights. This year, First Lady Jai Vartikar is serving as honorary chair of Opening Nights as the performing arts series celebrates 25 years of bringing world-class artists to FSU, connecting diverse audiences and enriching the entire community.

In addition to Opening Nights, FSU hosts a wide variety of performances, recitals, exhibitions and events on campus that showcase the power of the arts. We are home to several museums and galleries on campus and the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota, which, as the State Art Museum of Florida, houses one of the most preeminent art and cultural collections in the United States. Our longstanding relationship with the Asolo Repertory Theatre in Sarasota produces some of the country’s most highly regarded professional artists through the FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training.

The First Lady and I have always had a deep appreciation for the arts, and we are so proud of Florida State University’s reputation for excellence in both the arts and the sciences. We recognize the importance of promoting and celebrating this university as a place of innovation and discovery as well as profound scholarship and artistic creation.

In this edition of Vires, you’ll read about FSU’s artistic influence abroad and meet alumni who are award-winning interior designers, artists, authors and sculptors. You’ll get an inside look at FSU’s theatre, dance and opera costume shops as well as exciting updates from Dean of the College of Music Todd Queen and Opening Nights Director Jennifer Wright.

Please enjoy this special issue, and I encourage you to take in a show or exhibit the next time you visit. I appreciate everything you do to support the arts at FSU and all of our outstanding programs. Your generosity, commitment and engagement through alumni networks and other activities have helped FSU become one of the Top 20 public universities in the nation. Together, we can lift this university that we all love even higher.

Thank you and Go Noles!

Richard McCullough President,

The FSU Alumni Association thanks their Corporate Partners

Florida State University

The arts have a power unlike any other.

FSU President Richard McCullough @PresMcCullough

“One of the best parts of being president of FSU is meeting our amazing students. To kick off my second year, I’ll be sharing some of my #FSUPicsWithPres. I enjoyed meeting FSU students Elle Schutte and Caylie Bussey on Westcott Plaza!”

See more #FSUPicsWithPres by following President Richard McCullough on Twitter @PresMcCullough

@fsualumni

When Lois Lee Porter (B.S. ’53) heard that her alma maters were going head-to-head in the Cheez-It Bowl, she knew she had to be there! She shared that although she attended both FSU and the University of Oklahoma, she was “going to be a Nole forever” and couldn’t imagine cheering for any other team.

#SeminolesForever

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@FSUAlumni Youtube.com/FSUAlumni

vires@alumni.fsu.edu

Matthew Roberts (B.S. ’06) from New York City, New York SocialNoles

Ira Handelsman (B.S. ’84) in response to a New York Times article about Rhodes Scholar, former Florida State football player and current Harvard neurosurgery resident, Myron Rolle (B.S. ’08, M.D. ’17).

A great role model for what a student-athlete can achieve in life. He has had success on all levels of life. I congratulate you for all of your hard work and dedication. Go Noles!

“Thank you, FSU Alumni Association! Join Social Noles today, share FSU content, gain points and win prizes!”

FSU College of Motion Picture Arts Continues to Rise Among the Best Film Schools in the Nation

By Anna Prentiss (B.A. ’09), Lily Chailosky (B.A. ’22)

Florida State University’s College of Motion Picture Arts has climbed to No. 14, up one spot from last year, on The Hollywood Reporter’s list of the Top 25 American Film Schools.

Recognized as one of the entertainment industry’s premier publications, The Hollywood Reporter measures film schools on the success of their alumni, reputation among film professionals and the quality of faculty, facilities and filmmaking equipment.

Reb Braddock (M.F.A. ’91), dean of the College of Motion Picture Arts, said the rise in the rankings demonstrates the college’s commitment to preparing aspiring filmmakers for success in the entertainment industry.

“We are so proud of our film school family, especially our great alumni who are out there working in every aspect of the movie business,” Braddock said. “They are the real reason why The Hollywood Reporter continues to recognize FSU as a force in our industry.”

The publication cited the college’s training initiatives, tight-knit alumni network and affordability as key factors in distinguishing it as one of the nation’s most prestigious film schools.

The College of Motion Picture Arts is also noted as having one of the finest production facilities in the world, dedicated exclusively to motion picture education. The college functions as an industry-grade production studio, with writers’ rooms, sound stages, post-production suites, animation labs, screening rooms and more.

Its Torchlight Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship educates students in current and emerging business practices of the industry and seeks to provide students with internship opportunities to gain in-depth experience in these areas, which helps with the postgraduation transition into Hollywood.

The film school created a $10,000 Torchlight Diverse Voices in Cinema Grant to amplify the voices of alumni who seek to overcome injustice through the power of

storytelling and hopes to open the application this year. The college is also establishing a second Equity Scholarship that supports first-year students of color.

“These initiatives, along with our annual faculty and staff workshops and diversity events, are continuing our efforts to promote a feeling of inclusion for students of all backgrounds,” Braddock said.

The Torchlight Center also provides opportunities for faculty members to produce their creative work. Notable faculty productions include: “Rachel,” a new feature film by professor Victor Nunez; documentary “Courtroom 3H,” directed by professor Antonio Mendez Esparza; and two documentaries produced by professor Valerie

Scoon, “Invisible History: Middle Florida’s Hidden Roots” and “Daring Women Doctors: Physicians in the 19th Century.”

Noted as one of the most affordable film schools by The Hollywood Reporter, the College of Motion Picture Arts has ensured that tuition covers core production costs of all students’ films, including but not limited to industry-standard camera/sound equipment, lights and electric, production vehicles, catering/craft service, a professional post-production facility and entry fees/expenses for finished student work shown at film festivals. GO

Graduate students have benefited from the college’s production facilities, noted among the world’s finest.

STUDENT AND ALUMNI SUCCESS

Taylor Ross (B.F.A. ’21), Chase Davis (B.F.A. ’21), Costa Karalis (B.F.A. ’21) and Jack Owen were invited to screen their films at the Cannes Film Festival last spring. Alex McFry (M.F.A. ’19) and William Stead (B.F.A. ’20) received the same opportunity at the 2021 Cannes.

2021 also saw Skylar Theis (B.F.A. ’21) and Will O’Neal as semifinalists in the Student Oscar Documentary competition, and in 2022, a student documentary directed by Ryan Joiner and Landon Watford was a semifinalist in the same competition.

In 2019, Shae Demandt (B.F.A. ’20), an animation and digital arts major, won a Student Academy Award and became one of only 19 student filmmakers from around the world to earn that honor.

As for FSU alumni, that list is getting longer, too. In addition to Oscar winners Barry Jenkins (B.F.A. ’03, B.A. ’03), Adele Romanski (B.F.A. ’04) and Jonathan King (M.F.A. ’92), other successful graduates include:

• Marvel Studios executive producer Stephen Broussard (M.F.A. ’03), who worked on “Iron Man 3,” “Captain America: The First Avenger” and “The Incredible Hulk”

• Melissa Carter Newman (M.F.A. ’96), showrunner of “Stargirl,” “Queen Sugar” and current executive producer of the series, “The Cleaning Lady.”

• Wes Ball (B.F.A. ’02), director of the “Maze Runner” movies.

• Allison Carter (B.F.A. ’04), producer of “Zola,” “American Honey” and “The Dinner.”

• Ali Bell (B.F.A ’99), executive producer of “Baywatch” and “Ghostbusters: Answer the Call.”

Florida State University’s nationally ranked College of Motion Picture Arts prepares aspiring filmmakers such as graduate student Emma Francis (B.A. ’20) for success in the entertainment industry.

FSU Libraries Unveils Art in the Library Program

By Nikki Morse (B.A. ’16, M.A. ’19)

Last fall, Florida State University Libraries hosted its first student artist exhibition at the Paul Dirac Science Library as part of its new Art in the Library program.

The exhibit, titled “People I Know,” featured a collection of paintings by William Rowe (B.F.A. ’22), a graduate student in the FSU Department of Art Education. “My paintings are snapshots of my home life, brief moments that are filtered through recollection and brushwork,” Rowe said. Rowe was the first student selected to participate in the program.

The Art in the Library program aims to enrich the library environment as an aesthetic and academic space. It debuted in Fall 2021 featuring prints by Karl Zerbe, a former professor of Art at FSU, on display in the Robert Manning Strozier Library.

“Art in the Library at FSU Libraries is interested in and invested in bringing the visual and performing arts into the library environment,” said Leah Sherman (B.A. ’10, M.A. ’12, M.S. ’16), visual and performing arts librarian and chair of Art in the Library. “It enriches the library experience for our visitors,

stimulates creative thought and practice among our researchers and engages the broader audience of makers, creators and performers across our campus.”

“People I Know” was the start of a continued effort to bring art into library spaces on campus and further provide opportunities for FSU students to exhibit their work in a public space. Rowe’s exhibit was on view at the Dirac Library throughout the entirety of the fall semester.

The Art in the Library program opened the spring semester with “The Sum of Many Spaces: Landscape Photography and the Sense of Self” also at the Dirac Library.

In “The Sum of Many Spaces,” two student artists express their own sense of place and self through different global yet site-specific expressions.

Danielle Wirsansky (B.A. ’16, M.A. ’18) documents Israel from the dual perspective of Israeli citizen, and orachat la’regah, or “a visitor that comes only for a moment.” Wirsansky is currently pursuing a doctorate in History and her photography focuses on storytelling and themes of anemoia, a longing for a time or place which you’ve never known, may never know and that is always changing.

Similarly, Gizem Solmaz (M.S. ’21) presents place as hometown landscapes, past and present, by capturing the night sky over Ankara, Turkey and Tallahassee. Solmaz is also a doctoral candidate, studying Curriculum and Instruction. Her astrophotography is meant to represent deep feelings digested in space, allowing her to express her own feelings in the moment of artistic creation.

“The Sum of Many Spaces” will remain open at the Dirac library through the end of the spring 2023 semester.

“People I Know” featured a collection of recent paintings by William Rowe (B.F.A. ’22), a graduate student in the FSU Department of Art Education.

FSU Dance Students Return to Paris this Summer

By Jamie Rager (M.P.A ’16)

After a three-year hiatus, Florida State University’s Dance in Paris program will return to the “City of Light” this summer. The program offers students a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to engage in world-class performances, dance classes and create their own dance films.

“We are very excited for our Dance in Paris program to be up and running again,” said Anjali Austin, chair of the School of Dance. “Paris is one of the most exciting places for students to study technique and dance film, and this program offers incredible opportunities for our students to challenge themselves as dancers while immersing themselves in a different culture.”

This year’s program is led by assistant professor Kehinde Ishangi (M.F.A. ’07), whose personal experience living in France informs her ability to lead students through the month- long program.

“After earning my degree from FSU’s School of Dance in 2007, I relocated to France, where I lived for four years as a dance artist. It brings me immense joy to share the magnificent city of Paris with program participants,” said Ishangi. “Aspiring dance artists wishing to make

an impact on the field of dance must have international exposure. This program  is a doorway to their success.”

Alumni of the program, like Olivia Hopkins (B.F.A. ’20), celebrate their time in Paris as transformative in their practice and pivotal in their careers. “The Dance in Paris International Program was an immersive and enriching experience that added a whole other level to my college dance career,” said Hopkins.

“The program took me out of my element and placed me in an environment where I could learn in a new, creative and hands-on way. I was able to experience different art cultures that broadened my knowledge base and taught me to think, perform and live differently.”

The itinerary for the month-long course includes a ballet performance at the Palais Garnier or Opéra Bastille, a guided walking tour of Montmartre, visits to famous Parisian museums such as the Louvre and much more. Students will live in comfortable

accommodations at the Cité Universitaire, an international campus built and maintained by countries from all over the world.

The program is enhanced academically with topics in 17th century ballet history and the development of the Paris Opera Ballet. The Impressionists with emphasis on artists inspired by dancers, the Diaghilev period and American artists – Josephine Baker and Isadora Duncan – who lived in Paris for extended periods and greatly influenced 20th Century dance history, will also be covered.

The program is open to FSU Dance majors, dance majors from other universities and non-dance majors at FSU with an advanced-intermediate level of dance technique.

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The program experience is enhanced with topics in 17th century ballet history and the development of the Paris Opera Ballet.

FSU School of Theatre to Present at International Showcase

By Anna Prentiss (B.A. ’09), Jamie Rager (M.P.A. ’16)

Florida State University was chosen out of dozens of universities across the country as the build site to represent the United States of America at the Prague Quadrennial of Performance Design and Space due to the exceptional capabilities, facilities and resources of its theatre program.

Known as “the Olympics of performance design,” the Prague Quadrennial of Performance Design and Space hosts tens of thousands of designers, scholars and professionals from around the globe. The two designs constructed at FSU will represent the United States on the global stage in the Czech Republic this June.

The build team, led by Jim Lile, associate professor of technical production, is made

up of eight FSU School of Theatre technical production graduate students and several theatre faculty members.

Both FSU entries make prominent use of recycled and repurposed materials, a point that was important to the designers. The national exhibit is built from “heart of pine” floorboards from a 1923 house in Gainesville, and the emerging exhibit is built from steel, local white oak lumber and printed banners.

The build team will travel with the structures to ensure they are assembled properly on-site. For many members, this will be their first time traveling internationally.

The structures will be on display from March 15-18 at the United States Institute for Theatre Technology national conference in St. Louis, Missouri, before being shipped to Prague for the Quadrennial.

HELP

FSU’S TEAM TRAVEL TO PRAGUE TO REPRESENT  THE UNITED STATES

FSU Selects  Alumna as  University’s First Chief  Marketing  Officer

By Amy Farnum-Patronis

This January, President Richard McCullough announced the selection of Susannah WesleyAhlschwede (B.S. ’05) as the university’s inaugural Chief Marketing Officer following a national search. She began her position on February 13, 2023.

Wesley-Ahlschwede is a Florida native, as well as an FSU alumna who has spent her career building brands and reputations for some of the world’s largest global companies including American Airlines, Ford Motor Company, Shell, Porsche, Nissan and Takeda.

“This is an exciting hire for the university, and I believe Susannah will bring a fresh perspective to help Florida State tell our story and advance our brand,” McCullough said.

In this newly created position, WesleyAhlschwede collaborates with academic and administrative leaders to provide overall vision and strategic leadership to all university marketing. She will ultimately help realize FSU’s goals, leveraging the university’s

many strengths to create, implement and maintain a clear, coordinated and unique brand strategy. This strategy will target internal and external stakeholders and elevate Florida State to new heights in national and international distinction.

“FSU is a powerhouse with incredible students, faculty, staff, alumni, donors, community and fans, and I’m excited for the future as we work to become a top 15 university and elevate our reputation in research, academics and innovation,” WesleyAhlschwede said. “My time at FSU shaped who I am today, and I’m excited to now be a partner with our world-class team.”

Michael Brady, the Bob Sasser Professor and Director for the Rockwood School of Marketing in the College of Business, chaired the search, which was conducted by search firm, Berkhemer Clayton.

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FSU Unveils Seminole Tribe of Florida Member’s Artwork in New Student Union

By Alice Maxwell, Janecia Britt (B.A. ’17)

This winter, an acrylic painting by accomplished artist and Seminole Tribe of Florida member Erica Deitz was installed and now adorns a highly visible 24-foot-high by 16-foot-wide area in the new FSU Student Union.

Born on the Winnebago Indian Reservation, Deitz is a member of the Seminole Tribe of Florida on her mother’s side and Winnebago and Ojibway heritage on her father’s side. Her work offers an Indigenous perspective in various art mediums in a way that is accessible to a broad audience.

Deitz describes the artwork commissioned by the FSU Division of Student Affairs as “a representation of Osceola’s vision to see his people live freely and prosper all under the guidance

of his forefathers and medicine men.”

The painting depicts iconic Seminole chief Osceola looking down from the clouds with other Seminole leaders behind him such as Micanopy, Wildcat, Sam Jones and Billy Bowlegs. Deitz’s aimed for her painting to portray Osceola’s priority being the safety of his people as they were all integral to the tribe’s survival.

“As I create my art, I put all of the energy from my ancestors, their traditional teachings and their culture into each painting,” Deitz said. “This is my way of keeping the spirit of my ancestors alive. I am honored to share my artwork with the Florida State University campus community.”

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Deitz, is seen above working on the acrylic painting that now adorns a 24-foothigh by 16-footwide area in the new FSU Student Union.

The Dedman College of Hospitality Celebrates 75 Years

By Ashlee Barrett (M.A ’13)

This October around 300 alumni, faculty and staff gathered to celebrate the Dedman College of Hospitality’s 75th anniversary. The event took place last October at the Dunlap Champions Club and included presentations of the 2022 scholarship recipients, Emerging Professional awards and the inaugural induction into the newly established Hall of Fame.

Formerly known as the Alumnus of The Year, the Hall of Fame celebrates individuals who embody the qualities that make the Dedman College of Hospitality an unparalleled place to

learn. Inductees have excelled in their careers and have made significant contributions to the college’s mission.

Sponsored by Legends Hospitality, the event also raised more than $41,000 for the Dedman’s student scholarship fund through a silent auction.

Three alumni were selected for the 2022 Emerging Professional Award, which recognizes Dedman alumni who have graduated in the past 10 years and have shown outstanding professional growth and a commitment to the hospitality industry.

The Dedman College of Hospitality conducts its 75th Anniversary Gala on Friday, Oct. 21, at the Dunlap Champions Club.

Those honorees are: Matt Cahill (B.S. ’13), head golf professional at the prestigious Seminole golf Club, which consistently ranks amongst the top golf courses in the nation.

Alyssa Nelson (B.S. ’14), vice president and manager for JP Morgan Chase’s Southeast regional client centers.

Olivia Weston (B.S. ’13), regional vice president for Waffle House. Weston is responsible for 26 restaurants in three states, with 35 managers and well over 400 associates working under her direction.

Previous recipients of the Alumnus of the Year were also inducted into the Hall of Fame. Of the 28 past awardees, 12 inductees were in attendance: Jim Riscigno (B.S. ’66), Ken Creely (B.S. ’66), Chris Borders (B.S. ’75), Jeff O’Hara (B.S. ’89), Bill Wagner (B.S. ’67), Cyd Bougae (B.S. ’75), Anne Hamilton (B.S. ’79), Joe Douglas (B.S. ’83), Carol Dover (B.S. ’78), Janine Budzius (B.S. ’86), Brian Ford (B.S. ’89) and Tony Leung (B.S. ’68).

Nancy and Robert H. Dedman Sr. were announced as the 2022 Hall of Fame inductees. Dedman Sr., who passed away in 2002, was the founder of Dallas-based ClubCorp, a leading operator of golf courses,

private clubs and resorts. His ambition for success was clear early on in life. At just 18, he set a goal to make $50 million by age 50 and give $1 million a year to charity. Dedman would end up going above and beyond this goal.

In 1999, the Dedman Foundation donated $7 million, later matched by the State of Florida, to the department of hospitality administration and to establish the Dedman Endowment in Hospitality at Florida State University. In 2001, the department became the Dedman School of Hospitality.

“The Dedmans’ support has been

instrumental in the college’s success,” said Don Farr (Ph.D. ’14), dean of the Dedman College of Hospitality. “Their generosity provides resources needed for us to continuously improve the quality of education. Thanks to Nancy and Robert, we are a Top 5 hospitality and tourism program in the nation.”

WATCH HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE LAST 75 YEARS

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Student scholarship recipients take the stage after being honored.

Dean Don Farr (Ph.D. ’14) with Olivia Weston (B.S. ’13) and Alyssa Nelson (B.S. ’14), honorees of the 2022 Emerging Professional Award

Florida State University Ranked Among World’s Top 25 College Drama Programs

By Anna Prentiss

Florida State University ranks No. 19 in The Hollywood Reporter’s top 25 drama schools worldwide, reaffirming the School of Theatre as a mainstay in the publication’s annual list of best schools for an acting degree.

The recognition adds to a long list of honors the university has received over the years.

“We are thrilled to be included in The Hollywood Reporter’s top 25 programs yet again,” said Brad Brock (M.S. ’16, Ed.D. ’14), director of the School of Theatre. “Our main goal is to provide our students with the comprehensive training they need to build a career. Recognition like this, along with the accomplishments of our alumni, shows that we are succeeding in this mission.”

The publication attributed a “creative reset at many of the world’s best drama programs” to the pandemic and said its staff consulted with educators, alumni and industry executives to compile its annual rankings.

“We are incredibly proud to see the School of Theatre ranked among the best college drama programs in the world,” said James Frazier (B.S. ’91, M.F.A. ’94), dean of the College of Fine Arts. “The consistent recognition of our theatre programs is a testament to the hard work of our faculty and staff and the incredible talent and determination of our students and alumni.”

FSU’s theatre programs immerse students in a repertoire of skills that prepare them for professional careers both on and off screen as well as on stage.

The School of Theatre offers graduate programs focusing on costume design, directing, technical production, theatre management, theatre and performance research and a Master of Fine Arts in Acting offered through the FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training in Sarasota. Only 12 students are chosen annually for this program, which combines rigorous classroom training with guest artist workshops and professional production experience through its partnership with Florida’s largest Equity theatre, Asolo Repertory Theatre.

“Working with FSU’s MFA acting students at the conservatory since 2006, I think it is excellent to see our program recognized in this way,” said Andrei Malaev-Babel, director of the conservatory. “I consider it our job to help our students become better artists and to help them become professionals who can bring positive change to the world. We all did this together.”

FSU also offers three undergraduate programs: a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre, a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting and a Bachelor of Fine Arts or Bachelor of Music in Music Theatre, which is offered jointly with FSU’s College of Music.

(B.A. ’09), Jamie Rager (M.P.A ’16)

Danielle Charboneau (B.F.A ’22), Emma Katz and Lexi McCain (B.F.A ’22) perform in the School of Theatre’s 2022 performance of Roger and Hammerstein’s Cinderella.

“The partnership between the FSU School of Theatre and College of Music provides students with a unique opportunity to learn all aspects of the musical theatre profession from worldclass artists and teachers,” said Todd Queen, dean of the College of Music.

“Our music theatre program is unique in that we are very small, so students receive a lot of individual attention and guidance throughout their training,” said Alisa Hauser, an assistant professor of music theatre. “Students have many opportunities each year to perform in musicals, plays, dance concerts, operas and student films.”

“Our network of alumni is extensive and exemplifies a true FSU community of support for our students and program,” said Kate Gelabert (B.F.A. ’75, M.F.A. ’78), an associate professor who has served as director of

music theatre since 1986. “Through the talents and cooperation of the faculty and staff from the School of Theatre, College of Music, School of Dance and College of Motion Picture Arts, we are able to offer our students a top-level training experience.”

By encouraging students to move confidently between their talent, potential and professional endeavors, FSU has produced successful alumni who span all corners of the acting world, including 2003 BFA acting alumna Mekia Cox (B.Mus. ’03), who played Nyla Harper in ABC’s “The Rookie”; 2008 MFA acting alumnus Juan Javier-Cardenas (M.F.A. ’08), who stars in HBO’s family comedy “Gordita Chronicles”; and recent musical theatre graduate Ramone Nelson (B.F.A. ’21), who made his Broadway debut last year in “MJ the Musical.”

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Patricia Delorey, Professor of Voice and Dialects, worked with Naire Poole (M.F.A. ’21).

Photo by Hannah Levite.

Ringling Museum Acquires

Native American Artist Jessica Osceola’s Self Portraits

By Ola Wlusek, Keith D. and Linda L. Monda, curator of Modern and Contemporary Art

Earlier this year, The Ringling Museum in Sarasota, Florida, made a significant acquisition by purchasing a work by a Native American artist Jessica Osceola. Osceola’s self-portrait triptych, or three-panel artworks, in clay titled Portrait One, Portrait Two and Portrait Three marks the first work by a Seminole artist to enter the Museum’s collection of modern and contemporary art. The acquisition demonstrates the Museum’s commitment to acknowledging Indigenous imagination and honoring Native visual sovereignty to build a relationship with the Seminole, Miccosukee and mixed-heritage artistic community in Florida.

A member of The Seminole Tribe of Florida, Jessica Osceola is based on her ancestral land near Estero, Fla., where she is pursuing her art practice in an outdoor studio. Osceola grew up in her great-grandmother’s Seminole Indian village in Naples, Fla.. After receiving her liberal arts degree from the Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU), Osceola attended the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, California, where she obtained an MFA in Sculpture in 2016.

Since 2017, Osceola has held the position of an adjunct art professor at FGCU. She also teaches ceramics, woodcarving and photography workshops for The Seminole Tribe of Florida.

Her multidisciplinary work explores themes of selfrepresentation, identity, her hybrid culture and notions of home and belonging. Osceola explores the complexities of ancestry and representation in her ceramic work, specifically her own Native American and hybrid identity. Her bas-relief selfportraits in clay represent the multifaceted aspects of her life, such as societal expectations, roles associated with motherhood, and her Seminole and Irish heritage.

The triptych is inspired by a series of black-and-white selfies Osceola took in the bathroom mirror with her camera. A loosely bound coiffure arranged on top of her head alludes to

the traditional Seminole headdress achieved by positioning a semicircular crown of cloth-covered cardboard at the front of the head and then wrapping it with hair. Her necklace symbolizes a woman’s economic independence while referencing the rise of trade after the Seminole Wars when an emphasis on personal adornments correlated with the exchange of imported goods, such as glass beads from Italy and Czechoslovakia.

“My perspective and experience with two cultures are reflected in the subtle imagery of color, gesture and appearance that defines the girl in the portraits. A hint of nudity and eye contact refers to a Western-based society but reflects an Indigenous

physical appearance,” said Osceola. Her process involves sourcing natural materials, including clay from the earth, which she then molds and cuts into—the clay slabs offer support for the various carving tools.

“Using clay, I can sculpt and transform the pliable medium into a permanent, distinct, human image. My work is in the ancient technique of bas-relief, where layers of images on a flat panel create illusion and depth. Using myself as the subject, I can reveal a hidden layer furthering my exploration and understanding of multicultural identity and human influence.”

The Ringling Magazine, vol. 11, no. 3, Oct - Dec, 2022, p. 4 – 5.

Jessica Osceola (Seminole/Irish, born 1984), Portrait One, Portrait Two, and Portrait Three, 2017, Bas-relief ceramic, 19 7/8 × 12 3/8 × 13/16 in. Collection of The John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art, Florida State University, Museum purchase with the support of Daniel J. Denton Florida Art Acquisition Fund, 2022, 2022.8.1-3

Jessica Osceola stands near some of her bas-relief sculptures at “Thirty- One”, her 2017 MFA exhibition at Florida Gulf Coast University’s ArtLab Gallery.

Photo by Beverly Bidney/The Seminole Tribune

EDITOR’S NOTE

Last issue, in the article “FSU Celebrates 60th Anniversary of Integration” by Sarah Dinkins (B.A. ’21), Ta-Tanisha Southall and Mary Clare Swan, we neglected to note the impactful presence of Rev. Dr. Paul Lionel Puryear Sr. during the university’s integration of students and faculty. In 1970, Puryear became the first African American administrator at Florida State University and served as provost of the social sciences and law school. We at VIRES Magazine sincerely apologize for this oversight and are grateful to Ms. Doby Flowers (B.S. ‘71, M.S. ‘73) for reminding us that we must never forget his story and impact on the Black student experience at FSU.

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FOOTBALL

CHEEZ-IT BOWL CHAMPIONS

FSU Football took home the Cheez-it Bowl Championship after defeating the University of Oklahoma with a final score of 35-32. The Noles closed the season 103, marking the program’s 25th ten-win season and 29th bowl victory.

“FSU is a special place to play and coach college football. It’s about the people. It truly is. Who we represent, what we stand for, that’s what makes Florida State special.” - Football Head Coach Mike Norvell

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VOLLEYBALL

FSU Volleyball finished the season 19-10, tallying 11 total wins in ACC play and has now won 10 or more conference matches in 17 seasons, dating back to 2005.

@FSUVolleyball

@FSU_Volleyball

CROSS COUNTRY

NCAA CHAMPIONS

FSU finished 18th at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Cross Country Championship, becoming the 13th Cross Country team in FSU history to finish in the top 20 at the NCAA Championship.

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CHEERLEADING NATIONAL CHAMPIONS

Florida State’s coed cheerleading team won the UCA National Championship held in Orlando, Florida. 2023 was FSU’s first UCA National Championship competition and the first for an FSU co-ed team. The last time FSU cheerleading took home a national championship was in the all-girl division at NCA nationals in 1997.

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SOCCER ACC CHAMPIONS

The No. 5 Florida State soccer team beat No. 2 North Carolina 2-1 to win its third consecutive ACC Championship. This is the Seminoles’ ninth ACC Championship in the last 12 seasons, with FSU winning the ACC title each of the previous nine times they’ve played in it. The 2022 team marks the third time FSU Women’s Soccer won both the regular season and ACC Tournament Championships.

@FSUSoccer @nolesoccer

The School of Theatre

Most might not know that FSU’s undergraduate Music Theatre Program is a joint program offered through the College of Music and the School of Theatre. As one of the top-tier theatre training programs in the nation, it is a highly competitive program that prepares talented students from around the country for a professional career on the stage.

Students are offered a comprehensive curriculum with courses in theatre, music and dance to provide them with the training and skills necessary to meet the demands of a challenging industry. In addition to coursework, students have various opportunities to perform each year, including two musicals each season. Graduating seniors in the Music Theatre program also have the opportunity to participate in a Senior Showcase each spring in New York City. Students perform during the showcase for directors, talent agents and casting directors from all over the United States.

Through the years, the FSU School of Theatre has also maintained a strong reputation in the Tallahassee community and beyond for its studentrun productions that stun viewers with professional quality performances, dance, music, costumes and staging.

WATCH NOW

gonol.es/TheatreOnline

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Faculty Voices

By Nia Michel (B.A. ’22)

What is the future of Arts Education at FSU and the global arts community?

People are coming to more fully understand the centrality of arts to human expression and experience. As we expand what we think of as the role and place of the arts in society, we will endeavor to intentionally incorporate artists and artful ways of seeing, thinking and doing toward innovatively tackling challenges of every kind.”

James Frazier (B.S. ’91, M.F.A. ’94), dean of the College of Fine Arts

The future of Arts Education at FSU and for a global community of artists is making art that functions as an accessible bridge through which people of all backgrounds can traverse and meaningfully connect and engage with others. Through digital platforms and in-person spaces, the arts create and maintain community and expand one’s perspective. Art should be where one feels at home and can discover new things.”

Jenna Gerdsen, postdoctoral scholar in Theatre and Performance Research at the School of Theatre

The FSU community remains resilient and stands as an oasis for artists to be true to themselves without censure. In the broader view, I remain encouraged by how technical progress, social healing and personal expression will shift the balance of power. As an artist and educator, I am excited to participate in the emergence of new tools for artists based in machine learning. Looking forward, artificial intelligence will empower artists and aesthetic disruption in ways quite similar to the invention of photography.”

Keith Roberson, associate professor in the Department of Art

Arts Education is a staple of FSU, with a lineage and legacy of visionary educators. These individuals pioneered high standards for teaching and training in creative art forms akin to their respective professions. Such expectations remain today with heightened rigor oriented to developing leaders in our prospective fields. With this, I anticipate the future of Arts Education will continue to enhance inter and multi-disciplinary collaborations to unearth new processes and creations, expand on technological advances as it cultivates new resources in art and art making and preserve the value of physical humanitarian engagements within local, national and global communities as a means toward the future of cultural acceptance.”

I dream of a future in which the centrality of my discipline among the humanities will be acknowledged, its uniqueness encouraged and its practice deemed foundational. I dream of a future in which we can teach students in larger numbers that a civilization without art fails to be a civilization, and that art in the present withers when unnourished by a dialogue with art in the past, in all its historical instantiations. I dream of a future in which we religiously preserve and honor the artistic creations of all our past civilizations, including our contemporary one, which one day will also become part of human history.”

Lorenzo Pericolo, Vincent V. and Agatha Thursby professor and chair of the Department of Art History

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Have a question you’d like to ask Florida State’s faculty?

EMAIL vires@alumni.fsu.edu

Anjali

Austin, professor, department chair and graduate program director in the School of Dance

All this work is grounded in building and maintaining a strong sense of community, one of three core values guiding the college’s strategic vision for the next few years.

Dr. Todd Queen Dean of the College of Music

By Emily Clemons MacMillan (B.A. ’17)

When Todd Queen considered leaving his role at Louisiana State University to become dean at the Florida State University College of Music, there were a few specific factors that attracted him to the role. FSU has long had a top notch music school and currently offers one of the best music education programs in the world.

If you add in outstanding partnerships with the Colleges of Fine Arts, oversight of the world-renowned Marching Chiefs and a wealth of talented faculty and staff, it’s easy to see why Queen accepted the job. Ultimately, however, it wasn’t the prestige, the accolades or the talent that sold him on the role—it was the community, both at the University and in Tallahassee.

“We had never been to Tallahassee before, but when we visited during the pandemic, we really fell in love with the city,” Queen said. “And Florida State happens to have a tremendous College of Music in a great, top-20 university!”

The university community has always felt like home to Queen. As a firstgeneration college student at Brigham Young University, he felt so at home in the university setting that he decided he never wanted to leave. After finishing at BYU as a performance major, he earned his Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees at the Eastman School of Music.

He then began his career at Colorado State University as assistant professor of voice and director of the Colorado State Opera Theatre, working his way to chair of the Department of Music, Theatre and Dance in the College of Liberal Arts.

In his next role as dean and Penniman family professor of music at the LSU College of Music & Dramatic Arts, he updated the undergraduate curriculum to meet the needs of modern artists by including courses on entrepreneurship and arts leadership. He also led the college in a $60 million fundraising campaign that included a $4 million gift, the largest in the college’s history.

Queen isn’t slowing down, he’s got big plans for FSU as well. One such plan is a major building update that will be transformational to the College of Music, including 35,000 additional square feet for the Housewright Music Building. But he wants College of Music alumni not to worry—he assures that the new plans will not impact the beloved tree that anchors the courtyard.

He also intends to work with band directors Patrick Dunnigan, David Plack and Chandler Wilson to apply some of his learnings from LSU’s Tiger Marching Band and enhance the gameday experience with the Marching Chiefs.

All this work is grounded in building and maintaining a strong sense of community, one of three core values guiding the college’s strategic vision for the next few years.

“This FSU family thing that we all talk about is real,” Queen said. “You know, you always want to leave a place better than you found it, and it was already pretty great. So I have a lot of work to do!”

BRIDGING FLORENCE FLORIDA STATE

FSU INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS’ STRONG RELATIONSHIP WITH FLORENCE

By Kelli Gemmer (B.A. ’14, M.S. ’18)

The relationship between Florida State University and Florence, Italy, flows deep, and it all began at the circus.

It was the summer of 1964 and student performers in the FSU Flying High Circus were on tour throughout Greece, Spain, France and Italy. The then Dean of Student Affairs Roscoe “Ross” Oglesby and Literature Professor Conrad “Gene” Tanzy, who accompanied the students, admired the city’s rich history as the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance.

Florida State and Italian officials arranged performances outside of Florence in the ancient Roman theater. It was here during these performances — as alumni recall — that the vision for an FSU program in Florence was born.

In 1966, the university launched the FSUadministered pilot program in Florence and Tanzy established the Hotel Capri as the first FSU Florence Study Center. That fall, 120 students, six faculty members and Tanzy, as program director, arrived in Florence for the seven-month program.

Just two months after their arrival, tragedy struck the city. The Arno River flooded Florence, leaving mud and debris in its wake. The city

suffered tremendous damage and museums, archives and libraries were covered in mud.

Instead of heading home to Tallahassee, FSU students and faculty responded to the citywide call for volunteers to assist in recovery efforts and helped save important works of art damaged by the flood. The city’s residents dubbed them, along with other international students, “Gli Angeli del Fango,” or “Mud Angels.”

The Mud Angels paved the way for the Florence program to exist in its form today. In 2016, the program celebrated its 50th anniversary and honored over 60 alumni and the Mud Angels who returned to the study center for the anniversary of the flood, and a reunion, where they were celebrated by current students.

Today, the FSU Florence program offers four sessions throughout the year and a wide range of class curricula including art history, hospitality, humanities, Italian language and civilization, history, political science, mathematics, business, entrepreneurship, fashion design, photography and drawing. The program also provides students with the opportunity to use the city as the classroom and become immersed in daily Florence life and culture.

STUDY CENTER UNDERGOES RENOVATION AND RESTORATION

In the heart of the historical downtown of the city sits the site of the new FSU Florence program Study Center. Housed in the recently renovated 16th century Palazzo Bagnesi, the historic 37,000-square-foot palace is located on Via de Neri, one of the busiest streets of historical Florence.

The FSU Florence program purchased the historic building in 2019 and began renovations on the building that summer. The site opened as the new FSU Florence Study Center in January 2021.

“After hosting programs in Florence for over 55 years, the completion of the Bagnesi Palace gave FSU our first permanent home in the city,” said Louisa Blenman (M.S. ’94, MBA ’12), Associate Director of FSU International Programs.

The nearly 500-year-old building dates to the time of Michelangelo. Its design preserves the Renaissance character of the architecture while containing innovative features such as a glass-ceiling library, state-of-the-art fashion and media labs, as well as a Tuscan-style tasting and learning kitchen.

The third floor includes shared apartments for the 24 students who participate each semester in the Florence Immersion Living and Learning Community, which aims to build leadership, service and Italian language skills while enriching the study abroad experience.

“When I was abroad, I was part of the first group of students that got to experience the new palace, which is equipped with a library, cooking lab, media lab, fashion studio and even has its own cafe inside,” said Alex Lackovic, a junior at FSU majoring in retail entrepreneurship. “I was able to partake in pasta-making classes, 2D and 3D art classes, wine and olive oil tasting, ItaliaNoles magazine meetings, and attend fun program events that FSU Florence would host!”

The new infrastructure of the Palazzo provides students with an immersive experience while maintaining connection with FSU’s history in Florence. Its location downtown enables students to experience the historic city sights and explore art.

“What I think students find most appealing about the study center is that they can learn and congregate within an Italian Renaissance architectural context, but in an environment, which is sort of a mini-FSU campus abroad with modern amenities,” said Frank Nero (B.A. ’94), director of the FSU Florence Program from 2016 through 2022.

International Programs staff worked closely with partners at FSU including University Libraries, who

University Libraries was instrumental in assisting with plans for the Palazzo’s renovation. Having the library as the central feature of the study center reinforces, physically and symbolically, that learning is at the heart of FSU Florence.

provided support throughout the planning, renovation and implementation of new systems, and Information Technology Services, who helped ensure the technology infrastructure and local relationships provided the necessary environment and resources for students and faculty.

“Our team has also done a fabulous job of incorporating mementos and artwork throughout the building,” said Blenman. “One of our professors, Alan Pascuzzi, created three beautiful bronze statues that are the personification of Vires, Artes and Mores.”

There are also photos, a plaque and a statue representing and honoring the program’s beloved Mud Angels, said Blenman. One of the study center’s most prominent works of art is a magnificent mural, which illustrates the relationship between Florence and FSU, painted by alumnus Michael Rosato (B.A. ’83).

“All of these works of art provide beautiful context for our current students,” said Blenman. “It helps them understand the history and culture of our program and the important role it plays in the life of the university.”

A MURAL TO BRIDGE TWO CITIES

Located in the library of the palace was a large, blank wall — the perfect canvas. Nero, Florence’s program director at the time, knew that this wall would not only be a great work of art, but also a way to educate current students in the program about mural painting. He reached out to

The mural not only illustrates the relationship between Florence and FSU but served as an opportunity to teach students the processes of mural painting.

alumnus Michael Rosato (B.A. ’83), who participated in the FSU Florence program in 1981. Rosato is an internationally acclaimed muralist, whose mural of Harriet Tubman at the Harriet Tubman Museum and Educational Center in Cambridge, Maryland, went viral in 2019.

After speaking with Nero, Rosato interviewed with Blenman and International Programs Director James “Jim” Pitts and shared his perspective as an alumnus of the Florence program. Rosato was deeply impacted by his time in Florence and shared that he has been carrying the experience with him since he was there in 1981. “My experience in the program was phenomenal because it completely changed the direction of my life,” he said.

And so, Rosato was enlisted to paint a mural in the newly redesigned Palazzo Bagnesi, teach mural art to students in the

2022 Summer Session 2 Florence program and instruct a drawing class. International Programs staff envisioned that the mural could teach Florentine visitors about Florida and Florida State, while simultaneously informing FSU’s community of students and faculty about Florence.

“Florence, Italy, and Tallahassee, Florida, each have a story,” said Rosato. “There are things within those two stories that can relate to each other.” He also considered that he would be teaching students how to paint. “I thought, ‘I’ll design it so that there will be several elements within the mural that each student can paint and focus on.’”

Identifying the symbolic interweaving connection of the two cultures and two cities, Rosato broke the mural down into five or six elements on each side that depicted these symbols: Westcott Plaza and the Florida Capitol building, and the Palazzo Vecchio;

In 2016, Breanna Bruner (B.A. ’18) produced a mini documentary that accounts the lives of FSU students and faculty who studied on FSU’s first-ever study abroad program in Florence, Italy, in 1966. “Mud Angels Recovered: FSU's First Year in Florence” was produced with the support of the John W. Day III Undergraduate Research Award through an FSU IDEA grant. The documentary, which includes interviews with several FSU Florence alumni, was later screened at the San Diego Italian Film Festival in 2021.

MUD ANGELS RECOVERED: FSU’S FIRST YEAR IN FLORENCE

The mural is approximately 16 feet in length and 18 feet in height. Within an illusionistic loggia, it depicts significant buildings and objects, along with flora and fauna specific to Tallahassee and Florence.

the Italian wolf and the Florida panther; and the Florentine lily and the Florida orange blossom. In the middle, the Ponte Vecchio over the Arno River bridges the two artistic realms and illustrates the relationship between the two cities.

“The array of symbols and connections are seemingly limitless,” said Nero. “In the foreground of the middle arch is a monumental depiction of Renegade, a representation of the dynamism and power of our students and alumni as they navigate between Florida and Florence and move forward into the future. Above Renegade in the vault of the middle arch is a depiction of Galileo’s heliocentric solar system; it is a reminder that FSU students will take what they learned and experienced during their time abroad in Florence out with them into the world for the rest of their lives, making it a better place.”

Last July, the FSU Florence program hosted an event unveiling the new mural in the study center’s courtyard. More than 100 individuals attended the special event, including Nero,

representatives from the Florence government, U.S. Consul General Ragini Gupta, Pitts, Rosato and the students who took part in painting the mural.

“It was ultra-special because there were 12 students that helped paint it that had such ownership and pride in what they contributed,” said Rosato.

“It was great for the students who worked on it to feel the sense of accomplishment that comes with the unveiling and the response from the people looking at it. They were part of something really special that will be in Florence for a very long time at the university.”

Being in Florence and immersed with the students made Rosato fill with pride for his alma mater, both FSU and the Florence program. “To be able to come back after 41 years and not just share my expertise and craft, but to teach students in my favorite city in the world, was full circle. It was an incredible experience — a bucket list situation,” said Rosato.

CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF CETAMURA

In 1973, FSU students began excavation and research at Cetamura del Chianti as part of an archaeology course in the FSU Florence Program administered through the Department of Classics.

“The students would go out for a long weekend and live in very rough conditions in tents, and then would come back to Florence from Monday to Thursday for their regular classes in Italian, Art History, Music, etc.,” said Nancy de Grummond, director of FSU Excavations, M. Lynette Thompson research professor of classics and distinguished research professor at FSU.

This model continued until 1978 when — at de Grummond’s recommendation — the FSU Cetamura Field School began, providing a work model in which the students would be majors in archaeology committed to digging in the field. The excavations and research continue today as a unit in FSU International Programs in collaboration with the Florence program. This year,

FSU Excavations celebrates the 50th anniversary of Cetamura and the opening of its accompanying museum in Chianti, Italy.

Cetamura Del Chianti is a handson program that puts students in the midst of an archaeological dig on a hilltop in rural Tuscany. The program allows the interactive opportunity to excavate artifacts, study stratigraphy and learn how to process their finds.

“Hundreds of students have had the opportunity to work in the field, the lab and to tour sites and museums in Italy,” said de Grummond. “Many have also been given research assignments and have created significant studies of the material excavated, often contributing entries to exhibition catalogs for the numerous shows on Cetamura.”

Among the facilities at the new Florence Study Center is a handson lab for students to learn about archaeological conservation. Last fall, Nora Marosi, professor for archaeology and conservation at FSU, taught the first course in

Research

by faculty and students of Florida State

University has been conducted at Cetamura del Chianti since the opening of the site in 1973.

archaeological conservation at the study center. “Marosi has been the conservator for Cetamura for over 20 years, but she was at another university until now,” said de Grummond. “This initiative represents yet another way in which the bond between FSU Florence and the Cetamura program remains strong.”

In 2018, FSU partnered with the Municipality of Gaiole in Chianti to open the Origins of Chianti Museum to house and display artifacts from Cetamura. Students will examine artifacts that are destined for the museum and take part in planning the new exhibits. The museum, which is located approximately 9 kilometers from the site, is projected to open during the 50th anniversary.

To kick off the anniversary, the program held a Cetamura Excavations 50th Anniversary Wine Tasting Fundraiser at the FSU Alumni Center last fall. Additional 50th anniversary celebrations include lectures, exhibitions and a VIP trip to Italy to experience the site in person.

“We plan to have a VIP week from June 4-10 in which enthusiastic supporters of Cetamura will be invited to tour the FSU Florence Study Center, which will include a visit to its Fine Arts Gallery to see a show on the history of FSU’s archaeological work,” said de Grummond. The visitors will also hear a lecture from Patrick Rowe (M.A. ’79, Ph.D. ’89) on his recollections of life as a student at FSU and in Florence and Cetamura in the 1970s.

For more information on the 50th anniversary events, visit gonol. es/Cetamura50.

THE LASTING IMPACT ON ALUMNI

The FSU Florence Program has been providing life-changing experiences for alumni since the Mud Angels first studied in Florence that historic inaugural year.

Rosato’s experience in Florence changed the trajectory of his career. Never having had an art class, he originally planned to join ROTC and become a fighter pilot. It all started, quite literally, with a sign. One day, while on his way to class, Rosato noticed a Study Abroad sign with an arrow pointing up. Heeding a professor’s advice to “go out and experience the world around him,” he followed the sign upstairs to investigate. Mesmerized by the books and posters of London and Florence, he knew that was where he wanted to be.

Rosato described the specific moment in Florence when his passion for art began. The program’s instructors took the students to Rome to experience the history and art. “I remember we went to St. Peter’s Basilica, and I walked by the Michelangelo Pietà and it stopped me dead in my tracks. I still feel it today when I think about it. It was so powerful, so beautiful, that it brought a tear to my eye. It was one of those moments, where you’re not aware of it at the time, but it was an important moment.”

When Rosato returned from Florence, he knew that all he wanted to do was pursue that feeling he had while standing in front of Michelangelo’s Pietà. “It’s because of Florence that I do what I do today,” said Rosato. “That experience connected me to my purpose.”

Reflecting on his time as a student in the Florence program, Nero said, “To somehow build upon the experiences we had as Florence program students when we were young and open to new experiences and realities — not so much

to replicate them, but to actually enhance  them every successive semester — for me has been the underlying guiding light.”

The heroic efforts of the Mud Angels in 1966 created a special relationship between FSU and Florence that has grown stronger over the years and continues to grow with

current and future students. Lackovic, who studied at Florence before the artwork was completed in the study center, said, “I hope to make it back to Florence soon and see the murals, plaques and statues they have made for the study center and its alumni that have highlighted how FSU has integrated and thrived in Florence!”

The program exposes students to some of the greatest artists and thinkers of the Renaissance who lived and worked in Florence, like Dante, Leonardo da Vinci, Machiavelli, Michelangelo and Galileo.

COMING UP

Grammy award- winning country music star Emmylou-Harris will grace the Opening Nights stage this March.

Ruby Diamond Concert Hall will surely erupt with laughter as guests enjoy the jokes and musings of acclaimed TV late-night show host, stand-up comedian and author Jay Leno.

This April, German piano geniuses Andreas Kern and Paul Cibis go head-to-head, enchanting audience members with a variety of classical pieces, and with the use of voting cards the audience decides the winner of their Piano Battle.

Most people don’t realize that FSU has been presenting professional, world-class performing arts for more than 100 years, dating back to the early 1900s.

Jennifer J. Wright Director of Opening Nights

By Emily Clemons MacMillan (B.A. ’17)

Since 1997, Opening Nights has drawn a curated, lauded selection of artists to Florida State’s campus year after year. Jennifer J. Wright started as the program’s director in the summer of 2022 and has wasted no time in crafting a bold vision for Opening Nights. A marketing and communications pro by trade, this lifelong arts lover is ready to take the beloved program to the next level.

1

WHAT BROUGHT YOU TO FLORIDA STATE?

It was the incredible opportunity to lead Florida State University’s professional performing arts series. Opening Nights is such a cherished and unique program, an FSU arts bridge to the public. While we operate on campus, we have the ability to go into the community and bring arts to the people. I think that’s critical.

2

WHAT EXCITES YOU ABOUT OPENING NIGHTS?

I love the fact that Opening Nights has a long and rich history at Florida State. Most people don’t realize that FSU has been presenting professional, world-class performing arts for more than 100 years, dating back to the early 1900s.That in and of itself is a testament to FSU’s commitment to the performing arts. Opening Nights is a dearly loved program and I feel honored to be a part of it.

3HOW HAS YOUR FIRST YEAR BEEN GOING?

It’s going wonderfully. I’m learning a lot and my focus so far has been getting to know the community, university leaders, our patrons and supporters. I’ve also been adjusting to my life here in Tallahassee; it’s such a wonderful city, very warm and welcoming.

4DO YOU HAVE ANY BIG PLANS FOR THE PROGRAM?

I do—I can tell you that my intent is to build upon the legacy of success that has already been established and to deepen our impact through greater community and campus partnerships, arts education, family programming and more exciting, world class performances.

5WHAT ACTS ARE YOU MOST EXCITED ABOUT THIS SEASON?

I’m excited about all of them, honestly, because they’re all excellent! This February, we hosted Meklit, an Ethiopian American jazz singer, who has such amazing talent. Coming up, I’m really excited about Emmylou Harris, who is a legend, and Jay Leno, too— that’s going to be a very special evening.

6HOW DID YOU GET INTO THE ARTS?

I’ve been involved one way or another most of my life. The arts were a big part of my childhood; I took eight years of piano lessons, among other things. As a young adult, I didn’t know you could make a career in the arts if you weren’t on stage. I made that discovery later by working in a marketing capacity for a performing arts organization. There’s an entire industry of well-paying jobs that are built around the performing arts. We deliver this message to students all the time.

7 WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST ACCOMPLISHMENT?

I’m very proud of the education that I achieved on my own, and everything I’ve accomplished in my career so far. But there’s still so much ahead for me, which is exciting!

8TELL US SOMETHING UNEXPECTED ABOUT YOU?

I am a first-generation American on my mother’s side. She was born and raised in France and immigrated to the U.S. in the 1960's. My mom’s story allowed me to grow up with a deep appreciation for cultural differences. She is also a great French cook!

9WHO INSPIRES YOU?

I don’t have to look much further than the FSU campus to see so many people, both students and faculty, who are working hard to better their lives, their communities and the world.

10WHAT KIND OF MARK DO YOU WANT TO LEAVE ON FLORIDA STATE?

I want to take Opening Nights to the next level. When I think about what that means, I tie it back to the mission of Florida State University. What more can we be doing through our mission of Opening Nights to demonstrate the value of the arts and make a greater impact on our community? These are the things I think about as we continue our commitment to excellence in the performing arts while creating attractive programming for the community.

LEARN MORE openingnights.fsu.edu

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FSU PANAMA CITY

ASCENDING TO NEW HEIGHTS

ASCENDING TO NEW HEIGHTS

ASCENDING TO NEW HEIGHTS

FSU Panama City has been a longstanding beacon in the Bay County and North Florida communities. With its continued outreach into the community, FSU Panama City has proven time and time again to be a valuable resource across a multitude of effects. Many outreach programs have developed at FSU Panama City and continue to inspire and aid amongst a variety of topics, including the push to drive career and technical education back into the spotlight.

FSU Panama City has been a longstanding beacon in the Bay County and North Florida communities. With its continued outreach into the community, FSU Panama City has proven time and time again to be a valuable resource across a multitude of effects. Many outreach programs have developed at FSU Panama City and continue to inspire and aid amongst a variety of topics, including the push to drive career and technical education back into the spotlight.

ASCENT

FSU Panama City has been a longstanding beacon in the Bay County and North Florida communities. With its continued outreach into the community, FSU Panama City has proven time and time again to be a valuable resource across a multitude of effects. Many outreach programs have developed at FSU Panama City and continue to inspire and aid amongst a variety of topics, including the push to drive career and technical education back into the spotlight.

A joint program between SkillStorm and FSU, “Upskill Together”, provides one free course (for each paid course) for a learner with demonstrated financial need, with a focus on supporting women, veterans, and others from groups that are historically underrepresented in the tech industry. So if you build your skills through a SkillStorm course, FSU is able to provide the course for free to a deserving student.

A joint program between SkillStorm and FSU, “Upskill Together”, provides one free course (for each paid course) for a learner with demonstrated financial need, with a focus on supporting women, veterans, and others from groups that are historically underrepresented in the tech industry. So if you build your skills through a SkillStorm course, FSU is able to provide the course for free to a deserving student.

A joint program between SkillStorm and FSU, “Upskill Together”, provides one free course (for each paid course) for a learner with demonstrated financial need, with a focus on supporting women, veterans, and others from groups that are historically underrepresented in the tech industry. So if you build your skills through a SkillStorm course, FSU is able to provide the course for free to a deserving student.

ASCENT

ASCENT

The ASCENT program has blossomed at the Florida State University Panama City campus. ASCENT stands for Advancing Science and Career Education in New Technologies and the ASCENT team is making good on that promise. The program is a 23-million-dollar effort. Funded by Triumph Gulf Coast and Florida State University this outreach program seeks to increase the number of technical certifications in the areas that were impacted by the 2010 BP oil spill. An integral part of the ASCENT mission is to provide opportunities for technology and career education for a variety of audiences including students, teachers, professionals, military personnel, employers, and many more. To jump start professional development, ASCENT has partnered with the provider SkillStorm to provide certifications for the residents of North Florida, waterfront counties at little to no cost. This partnership with the tech talent accelerator provides an opportunity to implement technology-based courses for professionals, students, and alumni to advance their careers. The partnership with SkillStorm also provides another benefit to FSU alumni/students. The opportunity to help FSU students build their skills whenever you build your own.

The ASCENT program has blossomed at the Florida State University Panama City campus. ASCENT stands for Advancing Science and Career Education in New Technologies and the ASCENT team is making good on that promise. The program is a 23-million-dollar effort. Funded by Triumph Gulf Coast and Florida State University this outreach program seeks to increase the number of technical certifications in the areas that were impacted by the 2010 BP oil spill. An integral part of the ASCENT mission is to provide opportunities for technology and career education for a variety of audiences including students, teachers, professionals, military personnel, employers, and many more. To jump start professional development, ASCENT has partnered with the provider SkillStorm to provide certifications for the residents of North Florida, waterfront counties at little to no cost. This partnership with the tech talent accelerator provides an opportunity to implement technology-based courses for professionals, students, and alumni to advance their careers. The partnership with SkillStorm also provides another benefit to FSU alumni/students. The opportunity to help FSU students build their skills whenever you build your own.

The ASCENT program has blossomed at the Florida State University Panama City campus. ASCENT stands for Advancing Science and Career Education in New Technologies and the ASCENT team is making good on that promise. The program is a 23-million-dollar effort. Funded by Triumph Gulf Coast and Florida State University this outreach program seeks to increase the number of technical certifications in the areas that were impacted by the 2010 BP oil spill. An integral part of the ASCENT mission is to provide opportunities for technology and career education for a variety of audiences including students, teachers, professionals, military personnel, employers, and many more. To jump start professional development, ASCENT has partnered with the provider SkillStorm to provide certifications for the residents of North Florida, waterfront counties at little to no cost. This partnership with the tech talent accelerator provides an opportunity to implement technology-based courses for professionals, students, and alumni to advance their careers. The partnership with SkillStorm also provides another benefit to FSU alumni/students. The opportunity to help FSU students build their skills whenever you build your own.

“Training more professionals who can fill the demand for emerging technologies is a benefit to our community, region, and state,” said Randy Hanna, Dean of FSU Panama City. “SkillStorm further enhances these objectives by providing additional training opportunities to meet these critical needs in Northwest Florida. We’re grateful for the opportunity to work with them and Triumph Gulf Coast to strengthen the region’s tech workforce.”

“Training more professionals who can fill the demand for emerging technologies is a benefit to our community, region, and state,” said Randy Hanna, Dean of FSU Panama City. “SkillStorm further enhances these objectives by providing additional training opportunities to meet these critical needs in Northwest Florida. We’re grateful for the opportunity to work with them and Triumph Gulf Coast to strengthen the region’s tech workforce.”

By bridging the gap in career and technical education, ASCENT believes that the Florida Panhandle will be rejuvenated and able to better support a diversified set of careers such as cybersecurity, marketing, and IT, amongst others. The ASCENT program has direct benefits for anyone looking to garner career and technical education certifications or training to further their career objectives. The unique application of the ASCENT program is the ability to identify needs across the markets such as employee training, professional development, and increased personal marketability. If you are interested in seeing how ASCENT can benefit you, visit www.pc.fsu.edu/ASCENT today!

“Training more professionals who can fill the demand for emerging technologies is a benefit to our community, region, and state,” said Randy Hanna, Dean of FSU Panama City. “SkillStorm further enhances these objectives by providing additional training opportunities to meet these critical needs in Northwest Florida. We’re grateful for the opportunity to work with them and Triumph Gulf Coast to strengthen the region’s tech workforce.”

By bridging the gap in career and technical education, ASCENT believes that the Florida Panhandle will be rejuvenated and able to better support a diversified set of careers such as cybersecurity, marketing, and IT, amongst others. The ASCENT program has direct benefits for anyone looking to garner career and technical education certifications or training to further their career objectives. The unique application of the ASCENT program is the ability to identify needs across the markets such as employee training, professional development, and increased personal marketability. If you are interested in seeing how ASCENT can benefit you, visit www.pc.fsu.edu/ASCENT today!

By bridging the gap in career and technical education, ASCENT believes that the Florida Panhandle will be rejuvenated and able to better support a diversified set of careers such as cybersecurity, marketing, and IT, amongst others. The ASCENT program has direct benefits for anyone looking to garner career and technical education certifications or training to further their career objectives. The unique application of the ASCENT program is the ability to identify needs across the markets such as employee training, professional development, and increased personal marketability. If you are interested in seeing how ASCENT can benefit you, visit www.pc.fsu.edu/ASCENT today!

SCAN ME

SCAN ME

SCAN ME

FLORIDA STATE UNIVERISTY PANAMA CITY

Dancing through the Ages

A pioneer and leader among college dance programs, the Florida State University School of Dance has a strong tradition of excellence and remains at the center for the creation, reconstruction and production of outstanding dance repertory, ranging from traditional classical choreography to contemporary original works. With a passion for combining exceptional artistic training and a liberal arts education, the program’s graduates go on to be dancers, teachers, scholars and leaders across various disciplines in the United States and abroad.

The School of Dance is also home to internationally recognized dance research center, the Maggie Allesee National Center for Choreography (MANCC), the first national center for choreography in the world located in a major research institution. The Center offers unparalleled opportunities for contemporary choreographers to hone their artistic practice and develop new work inside a creative community and for students to observe professional artists as they engage in projects while in residence.

This year, the School celebrates 90 years of dance and 60 years of offering a professional dance degree at Florida State University. To honor that legacy, we look back on almost a century of expression, movement and art at FSU.

30's

40's 50's 60's

In addition to the School of Dance’s 60 and 90-year anniversaries, the arts at FSU will celebrate several other special anniversaries in the 2023-2024 academic year, including 50 years of Interior Architecture & Design and 50 years of the FSU/Asolo Conservatory. They hope you will join them in celebrating these milestones.

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Femina Perfecta

The legacy and impact of women in the Florida State University’s College of Music

By Brenna Miller, College of Music

In celebration of Women’s History Month, the College of Music at Florida State University reflects on over 120 years of achievement by their students, faculty and alumni. As one of the original four academic units of the university, they are known to have talented women at the helm driving innovation and leading the charge in the areas of education, performance, research and entrepreneurship.

Ella Scoble Opperman (M.M. '44) was the first dean of music for the Florida State College for Women, a role she held from 1911 until her retirement in 1944. Her 33-year tenure witnessed important growth in program offerings as well as exceptional musical and academic talent. Opperman was a pianist and organist and held many leadership roles in accreditation and professional music organizations. This skillset served as a benchmark for faculty and students. Having paved the way for future musicians and reflecting on

Ella Scoble Opperman (M.M. '44) was an influential figure in the development of music in higher education at Florida State University and nationally.

her hopes for the School of Music, Opperman wrote in 1945, “there is every reason to believe that it will continue progressive[ly] and become a great leader in the development of music for our young people.” Audience members are reminded of her influence as they enjoy hundreds of concerts annually in the Kuersteiner Building’s Opperman Music Hall. The college continues to set the example for excellence and leadership in music education in America and garner recognition as one of the best music programs in the nation.

Woven throughout the history of the college, are women, who remained at the forefront of innovation and attainment as faculty members, students and alumni.

Ellen Taaffe Zwilich (B.M. ’60, M.M. ’62), a Marie Kraft Distinguished Professor in music composition, attended FSU, and was active in all aspects of the school including the FSU Marching Chiefs. After receiving her degree, she went on to study at the Juilliard Performing Arts Conservatory and earned the first Doctor of Musical Arts in composition. She is now widely regarded as one of America’s leading composers. In 1983, She became the first woman to win the coveted Pulitzer Prize in Music. She has also received a prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship and four Grammy Award nominations.

The exceptional learning environment is also a launching board for students to excel and craft impressive careers for themselves in the music and performance industry after graduation. Jazmin Ghent (B.M.E. ’13), majored in music education, but her entrepreneurial spirit led her to pursue a career as a jazz musician. Now, six of her singles have landed in the

Ellen Taaffe Zwilich (B.M. ’60, M.M. ’62) is a Marie Krafft Distinguished Professor at FSU and widely considered to be one of America’s leading composers.

Billboard Music Top 5 and she was awarded a 2019 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Jazz Album. FSU continues to lead in placement of women graduates to university teaching positions across the nation, including Devan Moore (MME ’16, Ph.D. ’22) as a band director at Oklahoma State University, Morgan Luttig (Ph.D. ’22), director of Choral Activities at the University of Alabama and Dawn Iwamasa (Ph.D. ’19), a music therapy professor at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Not to mention Julia Baumanis (B.M.E. ’10, M.M. ’16, Ph.D. ’19), the assistant director of bands at Rutgers and the first female band director in the University’s history.

The university's athletic bands, concert bands and symphony orchestras are leaders in their respective fields and set the example for many music programs across the country. This spring,

WOMEN IN MUSIC

Award-winning jazz musician, Jazmin Ghent (B.M.E. ’13) was awarded the 2019 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Jazz Album.

Renowned chamber musician, Shannon Thomas is also an associate professor of violin at FSU and gives master classes throughout the United States and abroad.

the University Symphony Orchestra (USO) under the direction of Alexander Jiménez (M.M. ’88, M.M.E. ‘’90, D.M. ’99) will continue the College’s tradition of celebrating women pioneers in music. The USO will tour the state of Florida, the Dominican Republic and feature Violin Concerto No.2 by Florence Beatrice Price, the first African-American woman to have a symphonic composition played by a major American orchestra. Shannon Thomas, Assistant Professor of Violin at FSU will join the USO as a featured soloist in performances in Sarasota, Orlando’s new Steinmetz Hall and several performances in the Dominican Republic.

Students are also impressive in their leadership and innovation in their personal musical artistry

The Florida State University Marching Chiefs head drum major Samantha Maltagliati (B.M.E '22) and assistant drum major Konaka Palmer greet fellow chiefs as they enter Doak Campbell Stadium.

and in the professional arena. The College’s 21st Century initiative offers students entrepreneurial experience and incubation through coursework and real-world projects using provided funds and community support. One such enterprise, HERo, works to connect women in the music industry and share women’s accomplishments in music. Project leader and doctoral student Darrian Lee (M.M. ’22) leads a collaborative team that mirrors private enterprise and philanthropic organizations including leadership, assessment metrics and job evaluation. The group also creates podcasts, performances and events that share music by women composers, and is currently planning a national conference that will celebrate and foster collaboration between women in music. The event is set to be held at FSU’s Tallahassee Campus in May of 2023.

The FSU College of Music remains a force, driven by the contribution, support and success of women both inside and outside of the classroom. With a storied legacy and tradition of excellence, the College celebrates their history and continuation of world-class music education.

LEARN MORE music.fsu.edu

THAT Clothes

Inside FSU’s Costume Shops

BY MARINA BROWN

Florida State University is renowned for its role in educating performing arts students through its School of Dance and School of Theatre in the College of Fine Arts and in the College of Music, its Opera Department. The university is not only interested in these young artists’ abilities to execute steps, remember a line or hit a note, but more, it is about preparing aspirants for the stage — a public, magical space, where illusion becomes a reality.

Yet, neither they - singers, dancers, actors or musicians - get to the stage without help. Certainly, from the stage managers and lighting to the musicians and sound engineers, it takes many hands to put together a performance. However, every stage performer will tell you that it is the costume, the outer layer of a character in which they slip into, that allows them to truly transform.

School of Dance costume creator and former dancer, Cricket Mannheimer (B.F.A ’81, M.S. ’94) says, “It is the intersection with character, movement and skin which is only complete when we pull on that costume.” And with the hundreds of bodices, corsets, tuxedos, tutus and sometimes just a leotard in which to roll across the floor, the costume designers at FSU make possible the incredible live stage performances presented by students to the community each year.

FSU is home to three costume shops. Each of them are different; with its own personality. And depending on where they are in the performance schedule, the level of energy will run high—or higher.

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TELL A Story

THEATRE

At the time of my visit, the Theatre costume designers are at a fever pitch. One of the six shows a year is being readied, and in the narrow but highceilinged studio, students sit at sewing machines, pin fabric onto full-size forms, cut patterns and maybe even daydream of their future careers for the stage, film or TV.

The School of Theatre offers a degree in Costume Design with students working 20 hours a week in the costume shop and taking classes in design, sewing, patternmaking, costume history and crafting (making shoes, fans or parasols) as well as learning to paint, dye, distress and screen-print fabric.

Jackie Armit is an assistant professor of Costume Technology, and Sarah Jahnke (M.F.A.’15) operates as the Costume Shop manager. Armit points to what appears to be a dress form “wearing” a couture-level, silk-lined woolen suit. Even the buttonholes are edged with silk. Beside her, manager Jahnke picks up a leather “baldric,” a waist-holder for a sword. It is finely handtooled with designs. “We go to the trouble of such detail and perfection because it tells the actor about the character,” says Armit. “Though the audience may not see it per se, they will “see it” in the actor’s performance.”

Seeming part “Project Runway'' with the excitement of creation, and part artisan atelier, Master of Fine Arts student Asher Lipscomb and senior Alex Huynh move from table to table sewing tiny stitches, cutting patterns for a pair of pants and fitting a sweater onto a form beside a swank blue ball gown. Elsewhere, other students prepare for a children’s production as they stuff a half-dozen dragon tails and craft evil ears. “My dream is to open my own fashion business one day,” beams Huynh. “Cocktail dresses and ball gowns…” he says with conviction. And you believe him.

Above, Colleen Muscha’s costume illustrations for FSU Opera productions “Cosi Fan Tutti,” “Werther,” and FSU Theatre’s production of “Sweeney Todd.”

Through a small back door in Montgomery Hall is the expansive costume shop for the School of Dance. Currie Leggoe, its manager, has overseen costuming here at FSU for nearly 35 years.

Three presentations make up the upcoming evening for Leggoe, two of them with costumes designed and “built” by her. “We rented the long blue tutus for “Serenade,” a version of Balanchine’s original, but all of the other costumes were made here.” She glances around at the cutting tables, the three sewing machines, other machines set up with just one color thread and “serging” machines to keep hems in place. Leggoe smiles and notes that between the racks is more or less contemporary clothing that can be altered or redesigned for a given dance piece. She sometimes, as for this performance, “raids” commercial stores. “Forever 21 was a big help!”

In a downstairs costume archive are hundreds of other pieces of apparel that can be resurrected or reused, plus six file cabinets holding patterns for new garments. Leggoe measures and, with awe, says, “Right here, we have 15-foot racks

covering 290 linear feet…all filled with costumes.”

Leggoe, the choreographers and dancers work closely together. “Often I don’t work from a pattern but have the dance designer show me what he or she wants—the flow, the emotion they want to evoke, and also, if there is a partner involved, if there is floor work, if the dancer goes up-sidedown,” she laughs.

Working with choreographers like School of Dance department chair Anjali Austin and other teachers and students, she uses her skills at designing, dying, sewing or reimagining costumes for Evening of Dance, Days of Dance and at least three MFA performances. “Our budget isn’t large,” she says, “but our imagination is huge.”

Above, longtime FSU costumer Currie Leggoe gives direction. Below a showcase of the inventive choreography and diverse performance talent of the university’s students and faculty. LEARN MORE dance.fsu.edu

Left, FSU’s 2018 production of “The Addams Family" and associate professor of Costume Technology, Jacki Armit, works with a student.

OPERA

LUCY HO'S WORKSHOP

Julia Matteson Bradley (B.F.A. ’00, M.F.A. ’12), costume shop manager, laughs at the suggestion that the Opera costume shop in the College of Music is the “Golden Child” of campus costume ateliers.

Beside her, assistant manager Christina Marullo (M.F.A. ’12), notes, however, that here there are only two of them. Together, they design, drape, cut and stitch upwards of 300 costumes for each performance. A recent production of “Figaro” had 350 different costumes created. “La Boheme” had even more.

And with all of the singers in the three to four mainstage operas and one to two “outreach” performances each year, the two shared the difference in creating costumes for opera singers—those who must expand their chests and swell their throats. “Well,” says Marullo, “We use spiral boning for corsets that expand a bit. And I keep bands of lace 3” apart, so they won’t tear. For the men, we always use elastic thread on buttons around their necks.” A singer passing through the workshop laughs, “When I would sing high notes wearing a tie, I could always feel it riding up and down if I’d forgotten to loosen the knot.” Other accommodations unseen by the audience are the way heavy costumes weighing up to 20 pounds, are virtually suspended on

corsets and underskirts, while most of the men wear suspenders for their pants.

My visit with them fell on the afternoon after the last performance of “Figaro,” and the labyrinth of 8 tiny rooms in which the pair work looks like a tornado may have hit. While 18th-century brocade jackets covered in gold lace hang in place, other fabrics, shoes and blousy shirts are scattered here and there. Tricorn hats, women’s shawls and several “bum-rolls” (like bustles) lay across tables and chairs. The two managers seem to sigh in the afterglow of the performance—and let their thoughts drift back to other postshow moments—the ones spent with mentor and costume icon Lucy Ho.

“I worked with Lucy just before she retired,” says Bradley. “She came to FSU when her late husband accepted a professor of anthropology position. Lucy, who would go on to open almost a dozen Asian restaurants, also worked here for 45 years, since the beginning of the workshop. She knew they were making costumes on a shoestring then and offered to help. She was a wonderful designer.” Bradley takes a breath and smiles. “Lucy would bring in a rolling cart of food, maybe a wok and a rice cooker, and she would set up food for everyone. There would sometimes be 40 people in this little space, eating, sewing and laughing together. And how she could sew. Lucy would draw a pattern directly onto the fabric… and cut it! She was that sure!”

From left to right: Students perform in a 2012 opera production of “Cosi Fan Tutti,” Lucy Ho poses with costumes designed for the FSU Opera. On the opposite page, College of Music doctorate student Blythe Reed-Banks (M.M. ’20) performs as Countess Almaviva in the FSU’s Opera’s production of "Le Nozze di Figaro."

These days, Ho is retired and divides her time between Japan, Taiwan and her home in Tallahassee. Although, she’s also known to pop over to Florence to see a production from the FSU Opera Department or jet to London or Lucca, Italy.

She no longer stitches or pleats at the shop, but the legacy of her work, kindness and gorgeous and dramatic costumes live on, inspiring her former colleagues and a new generation of creators.

When you watch one of the many Florida State University productions, enjoy the magnificent talents of the dancers, actors and singers but also the busy hands, creative minds and dedication of those staying up late to add just one more ruffle or a hat’s feather to bring authenticity across the footlights to you.

Our budget isnt large...but our imagination is huge.

Anjali Austin

School of Dance Department Chair

SPACES OF Expression

As our culture and education systems increase science, technology, engineering and math learning opportunities, the arts remain vital in helping students develop creativity, ingenuity, communication and performance skills that assist them throughout their education and career.

By Janecia Britt (B.A. ’17), Quentin England (B.S.

Nia

Florida State University students have this opportunity for development in a multitude of methods. One of the most interesting facets of expression being the many museums and galleries that exist to support student and faculty artwork. Here, we share with you spaces on and off FSU’s main campus that are playing an instrumental role in cultivating the next generation of artists.

Museum of Fine Arts

The Florida State University Museum of Fine Arts (MoFA) connects FSU and the broader community to the arts. In addition to maintaining a permanent collection of over 6,000 objects, the MoFA presents exhibitions of historical and contemporary art works that contribute meaningfully to the scholarship and conversations that sustain the civic and intellectual life of our campus, city and region. By introducing diverse audiences to the integral roles that art and culture play in shaping the world, MoFA aims to foster collaboration, creativity and critical engagement.

The FSU MoFA is a member of Florida Association of Museums, Florida Art Museum Directors’ Association, Florida Cultural Action Alliance, Southeastern Museums’ Conference and accredited by the American Alliance of Museums.

The museum is free to the public and located on FSU’s Tallahassee campus.

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’21),

Michel (B.A. ’22)

A look at the FSU galleries, museums and archives that are creating space for learning, preservation, expression and artistry.

William Johnston Building Gallery

The William Johnston Building (WJB) Gallery is an 1100-square-foot exhibition space shared and managed by several departments of Florida State University’s College of Fine Arts: Art, Art Education, Art History, Interior Architecture & Design, Dance, Theatre and the Museum of Fine Arts.

The glass-walled gallery stretches the length of the central five-story atrium in the Johnston Building, providing rich natural lighting and secure but vivid public exposure for exhibitions. Faculty and students develop showings in consultation with a gallery committee of representatives from each department and the Museum of Fine Arts. Previous shows have included extended displays

of student-designed furniture, shortterm one-artist openings, semester-long curatorial projects and one-night dance performances.

WJB is located on FSU’s main campus and is home to the departments of Interior Architecture + Design, Art Education, Art History and the School of Art & Design’s library and gallery. It holds classrooms, studios, a critique space and computer labs, most available with 24/7 swipe access for majors. Hundreds of students pass through the Johnston’s iconic Gothic style doors into its modern interior and marvel in the displays and exhibitions as they go about their day.

The gallery is free to the public and located on FSU’s Tallahassee campus.

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Working Method

Contemporary Gallery

The Working Method Contemporary (WMC) is a dedicated gallery space for Master of Fine Art students. The program is composed of approximately thirty graduate students pursuing a Studio Art degree. The gallery operates as an alternative, non-traditional space dedicated to showing recent works, as well as collaborations, by students currently enrolled in the program.

On select Fridays, the gallery opens a new exhibition for the public to explore. These exhibitions include painting, sculpture, photography, ceramics, video works, installations and performance art. WMC also offers a platform for the students to participate in the art world at large.

Students explored the tradition of still life in the William Johnston Gallery exhibition titled “Life Framed: Everyday Objects and the Still Life.”

While the building, located in the Carnaghi Arts Building on FSU’s main campus, is provided to the graduates by the university, WMC is run by student volunteers, who are responsible for maintenance, publicity and day-to-day gallery functions. The primary source of support for the gallery comes from donations and fundraising activities initiated by the students themselves.

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Phyllis Straus Gallery

The Phyllis Straus Gallery, also located in the Carnaghi Arts Building, is a space for students to engage in the making of visual cultures, innovations, experimentation and expression through exhibitions and events in contemporary art. Through juried and group exhibitions — as well as solo student shows made by appointment — Bachelor of Fine Arts students are given the opportunity to submit their work for potential selection in upcoming shows.

Upon acceptance, works by these artists go on display, accompanied by publication and press for the exhibition. Surrounding student exhibitions, collective events from artists, poets, musicians and likeminded creative individuals also take place. The gallery emphasizes community to help provide a richer investment in learning and idea-sharing.

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FSU Heritage Museum

Florida State University’s Heritage Museum, located in the Werkmeister Reading Room in Dodd Hall, displays photographs, ephemera and artifacts documenting the long and storied history of FSU.

Dodd Hall was built in 1923 and served as the library for the Florida State College for Women, and subsequently FSU until the Robert Manning Strozier Library was built in 1956. It was named for William George Dodd, who joined the FSCW faculty in 1910. After the library moved into Strozier, WFSU housed its studio there. In 1985, the Claude and Mildred Pepper Library opened in Dodd Hall and remained there until the library moved to the newly built Pepper Center in 1998.

Named for Professor William H. & Dr. Lucyle T. Werkmeister, the Werkmeister Humanities Reading Room opened as a quiet space for students to study. In 1997, the Werkmeister Window, a stained-glass window designed by Professor Emeritus Ivan Johnson and crafted by Bob and Jo Ann Bischoff, was installed. The window took over 10 years to build and contains

over 10,000 individual pieces. The FSU Master Craftsman Studio continues to create and install commemorative stained-glass windows in the Werkmeister Reading Room.

Students, alumni and the general public are encouraged to visit the space and immerse themselves in the stories of the past and present.

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The Ringling Museum

The Ringling, the State Art Museum of Florida, is home to one of the preeminent art and cultural collections in the United States and administered by Florida State University. It features a historic mansion, art museum, circus museum, historic theater, conservation center, arboretum and reference library, situated on 66 acres of spectacular bayfront property in Sarasota, Fla.

The Ringling serves as the legacy of John and Mable Ringling – a place of art, architecture and circus in an environment

Below, student artwork sits on display. At right, The John and Mable Ringling Museum’s Center for Asian Art, designed by Machado Silvetti.

that inspires, educates and entertains. John Ringling was one of the five brothers who owned and operated “The Greatest Show on Earth.” His success with the circus and entrepreneurial skills helped to make him, in the Roaring Twenties, one of the richest men in America. Ringling opened the Museum of Art to the public in 1931, two years after the death of his beloved wife Mable, saying he hoped it would “promote education and art appreciation, especially among our young people.” Five years later, upon his death, Ringling bequeathed it to the people of Florida.

In 2000, the state passed on governance of the museum to FSU. Since then, the museum has rapidly expanded to include the John M. McKay Visitors Pavilion, the Circus Museum Tibbals Learning Center and a state-of-theart Education Center with offices and an art library that has become an essential resource for scholars, educators and students.

The crowning touch, the Searing Wing, provides more than

20,000 square feet of exhibition space capable of accommodating up to four exhibitions at a time. Joseph’s Coat, a Skyspace by modern master James Turrell, became part of the Museum’s permanent collection in 2011 and in 2013, the David F. Bolger Playspace opened. Made possible by the Bolger Foundation, the Playspace was designed to engage visitors of all ages and abilities in spontaneous play, creating for families and school groups a place to gather and enjoy their visit.

Three years later, the Ting Tsung and Wei Fong Chao Center for Asian Art opened which aims to engage the public in understanding and appreciating Asian history and society through exhibitions, programs and publications.

Today, the Ringling ranks among the largest and most prestigious university arts complexes in the world.

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Counterclockwise, The Ringling’s William G. and Marie Selby Foundation Grand Hall in the Center for Asian Art, the Ca’ d’Zan or “House of John” and the Ringling Museum of the American Circus.

Museum Studies

FSU has a unique Museum and Cultural Heritage Studies Master of Arts program that encourages emerging scholars to think critically about the role, use and display of art and material culture while preparing them for future careers within the museum and heritage sectors.

In addition, FSU offers the Specialized Study in Museum Theory and Practice program which enables Classical Archaeology or Classics master’s level students to apply the knowledge gained from their disciplinary studies to the museum field. Undergraduate students also have the opportunity to receive a minor in Museum Studies.

After completing six museum and art history courses in Tallahassee during the first year of study, students in the Master of Arts Program in Museum and Cultural Heritage Studies may apply to spend their second full year of study at the Ringling Museum, combining professional coursework and internship. The program also provides insight into and training for museum careers through practical work experience not available in most academic settings.

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The Museum Studies program provides students with a solid theoretical and practical foundation emphasizing ethics, community engagement and culturally responsive museum practices.

Tony Tiger (Sac and Fox/Seminole/Muscogee [Creek], b. 1964), Mvskoke Boys, 2020. Etching, ink, serigraph hand-painted acrylic on paper, 12 × 14 in. Private collection. Courtesy of the artist.

About

THE FSU ALUMNI ASSOCIATION serves the university’s close to 390,000 living alumni, including our almost 24,000 members. As a member-based organization, we are thankful for the continued support and contributions from our Alumni Association members and donors. Being a member makes a resounding statement of commitment to the university, fellow alumni and the students who will soon join the ranks of the alumni family. Our programs, events and services do more than bring alumni together to share memories and good times. They strengthen our university’s traditions and the Seminole spirit that resides in every graduate of Florida State University. Whether an alumnus, parent, friend or fan of FSU, we’re all #SeminolesForever.

OUR GOALS

1. Connecting the university’s growing network of close to 390,000 living alumni

2. Fostering alumni engagement through events, services and programming

3. Highlighting and sharing alumni success stories with the community

4. Supporting students and future alumni through programs and scholarships

LEARN MORE alumni.fsu.edu

GIVE TODAY gonol.es/Give2FSUAA

The FSU Alumni Association staff joined the university in welcoming 3,175 graduates into the alumni family last fall at the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center.

Florida State University Alumni Association

National Board of Directors

THE NATIONAL BOARD OF DIRECTORS is the chief governing body of the FSU Alumni Association and represents the interests of the association’s members and constituents. The board is composed of a group of distinguished alumni and staff who give back to the university with their time and talent, to support Alumni Association initiatives.

VIEW MEMBER BIOS

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Board of Directors

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Dazi Lenoir (B.A. ’02, M.S. ’03), Chair

Staci Cross (B.S. ’04)

Susan Delgado (B.S. ’91, M.Acc.’92)

2023

SAA President

The Association welcomes Jodane Mowatt to the National Board of Directors.

Mowatt began her term as president of the Student Alumni Association (SAA) in January 2023.

Mowatt is heavily involved on campus, including roles as director of outreach for the FSU Student Foundation and co-chair of Women in the NAACP. Originally from Jamaica, Mowatt is a junior pursuing a major in political science at the College of Social Sciences and Public Policy at FSU.

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Jeanne Curtin (B.S. ’92, M.B.A. ’99, J.D. ‘01), Vice Chair

Jeffrey D. Boykins (B.S. ’92, M.S. ’93), Secretary

Colleen Dean (B.S. ’02), Treasurer

Scott Wiegand (B.M. ’90), Immediate Past Chair

Demi Cabrera (B.S. ’12), Board of Trustees Chair Designee

Julie Decker, Alumni Association President & CEO

Marla Vickers (M.A. ‘00), FSU Presidential Designee

Les Akers (B.S. ’73)

Melinda Benton (B.S. ’77, M.S. ’78)

Robyn Metcalf (B.S.W. ’13, M.S.W. ’15, M.P.A. ’15)

Javi Borges (B.S. ’97)

Chris Bosler (B.S. ’83)

Tanya Bower (J.D. ’96)

Cyd Bougae (B.S. ’75)

Mahogany Campbell (B.S. ’02)

Eleanor Connan (B.S. ’63)

Kyle R. Doney (B.S. ’07), Seminole Tribe of Florida Designee

Ebo Entsuah (B.S. ’16, J.M. ’20)

Ashley Folladori (B.S. ’04)

Glen Hallowell (B.S. ’09)

Zach Heng (B.S. ’07)

Cecil Howard (B.S. ’81)

Ramiro Inguanzo (B.S. ’91, M.P.A. ’94)

Altony Lee (B.S. ’02)

Shannon Libbert (B.S. ’93, M.P.A. ’97)

Benjamin McKay (B.S. ’91)

Jeanne Miller (J.D. ’95)

Ahli Moore (B.S. ’93, M.S. ’95)

Joe Paul (B.S. ’02)

Cameron Pennant (B.S. ’15, M.P.A. ’17)

Alexander Quince (B.S. ’92)

Anne Smith (B.S. ’87)

Linda Smith (B.A. ’69, M.A. ’71, Ph. D ’09)

Michael Stephens (B.S. ’91)

Jodane Mowatt, FSU Student Alumni Association President

Joshua Tyler (B.S. ’02)

Jessica Washington (B.A. ’04)

Jodane Mowatt

THANK YOU THE FINE ART

Florida State University students are grateful to generous donors who have provided funds for their scholarship, research or other academic opportunities. Some incredibly creative students took the art of thank you to a new level—expressing their gratitude in these pieces, presented to their benefactors in place of a traditional thank you note.

A university’s future depends on the generosity of today’s dedicated supporters. An important and easy way to help Florida State University is through your will, trust or retirement plans. Contact the FSU Foundation’s Office of Gift and Estate Planning at (850) 644-0753 or giftplanning@foundation.fsu.edu to learn more and confirm FSU’s place in your estate plans. You can also find us at gonol.es/planmygift .

5 Questions with Marla Vickers (M.A. ’00)

Vice President for University

Advancement and President of the FSU Foundation

Meet Marla Vickers, an accomplished development professional with more than 20 years of experience in higher education at some of the nation’s elite universities. In her role, Vickers leads Florida State’s fundraising, alumni relations, advancement services and real estate giving and works closely with Seminole Boosters.

1. WHAT DREW YOU TO WORK IN HIGHER EDUCATION?

My love of education and my desire to support mission driven institutions.

2. WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF PROFESSIONALLY?

I’ve had the opportunity to work at such incredible universities and engage with alumni in many inspiring ways, culminating with my return to my alma mater—FSU.

3. WHAT ABOUT FSU EXCITES YOU RIGHT NOW?

I am excited by a universal commitment to excellence that I feel, see and experience every day, alongside discovering a significant amount of potential to advance our great university.

4. WHAT CAN ALUMNI DO TO HELP ADVANCE THE MISSION OF FSU?

Share their personal FSU stories and advocate for the university as ambassadors in their city, state, region and globally. Alumni can also support FSU as volunteer leaders, donors, mentors and in a multitude of other ways that promote FSU’s mission.

QUICK QUESTIONS

FAVORITE PLACE ON CAMPUS?

The canopy walk between Bellamy and the Student Union

WHAT IS YOUR ULTIMATE COMFORT MEAL?

Spaghetti and garlic bread

WHAT ARE THREE THINGS ON YOUR BUCKET LIST (THINGS YOU WANT TO ACCOMPLISH OR EXPERIENCE IN YOUR LIFETIME?

1. Learn sign language

2. Travel to Australia and have an adventure in the Outback.

3. Complete my doctorate

5. WHAT’S ONE THING READERS WOULD BE SURPRISED TO KNOW ABOUT YOU?

I am a singer, songwriter and musician. In the past, I’ve even enjoyed fronting my own band in several cities.

LEARN MORE foundation.fsu.edu

GIVE TODAY give.fsu.edu

WHAT IS ONE THING YOU CAN’T GO A DAY WITHOUT? Exercise

WHAT’S THE BEST CAREER ADVICE YOU EVER RECEIVED?

Build yourself a “Personal Board of Directors.” It should include mentors, former bosses, colleagues, friends and others. It’s essential to have people who you can learn from professionally and who can help guide your career both supportively and constructively.

Alumni Programming

The Alumni Association hosts events, awards and programs annually to engage alumni around the world and strengthen the Seminole spirit that resides in every FSU graduate. From Tallahassee to New Orleans, the Association is thrilled to be back on the road bringing exciting programming to our alumni and friends in Florida

1. Guests get hype at the Noles in Nola Official Tailgate for the FSU vs. LSU game.

2. Guests pose for a picture at the Noles in Nola Official Welcome Party.

3. Hans Hassell, associate professor and director of the FSU Institute of Politics, speaks at our November post-election panel discussion.

4. FSUAA Directors enjoy the atmosphere at the Noles in Nola Welcome Party

5. Balloons set the vibe of our Noles in Nola events.

6. Our post-election panelists pose with FSU Alumni Association president and CEO Julie Decker.

and beyond.

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11. Guests pose in the photo booth at the Noles in Nola Welcome Party.

12. Seminole Clubs scholarship recipients enjoy a reception during Leadership Weekend.

7. Leaders and members gather together during the Seminole Clubs Leadership Weekend.

8 and 9. Guests and groups enjoy the festivities of our Noles in Nola weekend.

10. President and CEO Julie Decker enjoys fun with Atlanta Seminole Club president Jeff Amilcar (B.S. ‘12) and guest at the Noles in Nola Tailgate.

Student Alumni Association

The Student Alumni Association (SAA) is a student organization that fosters spirit, tradition and pride throughout the university. Comprised of current undergraduate and graduate students, SAA provides activities and programs that assist its almost 2,500 members in their development as leaders, scholars and future alumni. The FSU Alumni Association supports SAA’s membership, activities and events such as the annual Traditions BBQ, Homecoming Parade and Court, Countdown to Graduation and more.

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Facebook.com/FSUAA

@fsu_saa

@fsu_saa

Clockwise, 2022 Homecoming Chief Alexander Chang and Princess Abril Hunter pose on the field. SAA leadership gets silly at their NC State game-watch party. 2021 and 2022 Homecoming Chief and Princesses pose with Seminole Tribe of Florida representatives. 2001 Homecoming Princess and chair of the FSU Alumni Association National Board of Directors, Dazi Lenoir, speaks with the 2022 Homecoming Court. A candid shot of SAA members at their game-watch party.

Save Date the

SAVE THE DATE FOR AN AMAZING WEEKEND THIS SPRING!

Due to inclement weather we weren’t able to celebrate Florida State University’s 74th annual Homecoming last fall. We’re excited to announce that we’ll be honoring our annual Young Alumni Awards, Alumni Awards and celebrating the 60th anniversary of Integration with the National Black Alumni’s Sankofa recognition ceremonies. We hope you’ll join us in honoring the accomplishments of our alumni, faculty and students.

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APRIL 13, 2023

• Young Alumni Awards

APRIL 14, 2023

• Circle of Gold Reception

• Alumni Awards Gala

APRIL 15, 2023

• National Black Alumni

Sankofa Recognition Breakfast

• National Black Alumni

Sankofa Emeriti Campus Tours

• FSU Spring Game

APRIL 16, 2023

• National Black Alumni Awards & Scholarship Ceremony

Seminole Clubs

THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION’S NETWORK OF SEMINOLE CLUBS® AND CHAPTERS unite alumni, friends and fans of FSU in certain geographic areas, fostering a continued bond of collegiate fellowship and connection to Florida State University. Volunteerdriven and alumni-oriented, they offer year-round programming and alumni engagement opportunities throughout the country such as game-watching parties and networking events.

The Rockies

Phoenix

Greater Pensacola

Dolortie

San Antonio

Manatee

GAME WATCH PARTIES

Getting involved in a Seminole Club or Chapter is a great way to connect with fellow alumni and the FSU community, no matter where you are. Many clubs and chapters host game-watch parties throughout the fall and many have long-standing partnerships with local bars and restaurants. Take a look at a few of our Seminole Clubs and Chapters who gathered this season to cheer on our Noles!

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Facebook.com/SeminoleClubs

@seminoleclubs Find

New York

Orlando Hampton Roads

Sacramento

Join the FSU ALUMNI ASSOCIATION WINE CLUB

Wine club members enjoy quarterly shipments of award-winning wines featuring FSU-inspired labels.

JOIN TODAY at bit.ly/FSUWineClub

SPECIAL DISCOUNTS FOR MEMBERS OF THE FSU ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

Seminole 100

The Florida State University Seminole 100 List is an annual list that recognizes the fastest-growing businesses owned or managed by FSU alumni and represents some of the most innovative and profitable companies in the U.S.

The FSU Seminole 100 is powered by the Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship in partnership with the FSU Alumni Association. The top 100 fastest-growing FSU alumni-owned or led businesses are recognized at a celebration each year on FSU’s campus, during which each company learns their numerical ranking and receives their award. This event

recognizes and honors FSU’s entrepreneurs and allows them to share valuable business insights with each other.

The 2023 Seminole 100 list includes companies from several industries such as construction, finance, legal, marketing and realty. Of this year’s 100 companies, 80 are based within the state of Florida and a total of 12 U.S. states are represented as part of the 2023 Seminole 100. Honorees and their

businesses were celebrated this February at the FSU Student Union.

To qualify for the Seminole 100, a company must have operated for at least three years and generated revenue. In addition, the business must have been owned or led by an FSU alumnus for three consecutive years prior to applying.

Nominations for the 2024 Seminole 100 are currently open on seminole100.fsu.edu Applications will open on May 1 and be accepted through July 23, 2023.

Networks

ALUMNI NETWORKS

Our volunteer-led Alumni Networks serve FSU’s diverse alumni population and create avenues for alumni and students to connect with one another through meaningful programming and scholarships for students.

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The eight alumni affinity networks include:

• Emeritus Alumni Society (EAS)

• FSU Asian American Alumni Network

• FSU Hispanic/Latinx Alumni Network (HLAN)

• Jewish Alumni Network (JAN)

• FSU National Black Alumni (FSU BA)

• FSU Pride Alumni Network

• Veterans Alumni Society

• Young Alumni Network

1. The Pride Network Board of Directors gather together at their networking reception at the It’s A Lot Like Falling In Love exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts.

2. The Young Alumni Council and the Tampa Seminole Club partnered together for their second annual Young Alumni Weekend last summer.

3. The Emeriti Alumni Society gathers for the 22nd Annual Emeriti Luncheon in Panama City, Florida.

4. Guests enjoy refreshments and camaraderie at the Pride Network reception.

5. National Black Alumni President Ahli Moore speaks at the university’s recognition ceremony for the 60th anniversary of Integration.

6. The FSU Veterans Network celebrates 75 years at the military appreciate game on Bobby Bowden field.

7. Black Alumni Network Members enjoy a ceremony to celebrate beloved FSU staff member, Ms. Killings.

FUN FACT

Echoes

It’s been 50 years since humans last walked on the Moon. Now, one of our very own is on the front lines preparing NASA’s return.

The FSU Alumni Association is proud to share that we’ve expanded our podcast to a video series format hosted on YouTube. This series aims to bring you closer to the university you love and provide a deeper dive into the stories of our alumni, students, faculty and staff.

Our first episode highlights alumnus Jeremy Graeber (B.S. ’96), the assistant launch director and chief of the Test, Launch and Recovery Operations Branch within the Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) Program at NASA’s John F. Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.

Graeber, an alumnus of the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, joined NASA in 2004 as a NASA test director in the Launch and Landing Division. Prior to the retirement of the Space Shuttle Program, he was one of four certified NASA test directors responsible for leading the shuttle team in planning, scheduling and executing the shuttle launch countdown.

Recently, Graeber has been an instrumental part of the Artemis program, a series of ongoing space missions run by NASA. Three Artemis missions are currently in progress: Artemis 1, an uncrewed test flight completed 11 December which circled and flew past the Moon; Artemis 2, a crewed flight beyond the Moon, which will take humans the furthest they’ve ever been in space; and Artemis 3, which will land the first female astronaut and first astronaut of color on the Moon, and involve spending a week performing scientific studies on the lunar surface. Artemis 3 will be the US space agency’s first crewed Moon landing mission since Apollo 17 in 1972.

Artemis I, formerly Exploration Mission-1, was an uncrewed Moon-orbiting mission. As the first major spaceflight of NASA’s Artemis program, Artemis 1 marked the return of the agency to lunar exploration originally begun as the Apollo program decades earlier. We spoke with Graeber ahead of the November 16 Artemis I launch and are thrilled to show you an inside look into a Nole at NASA.

WATCH JEREMY’S EPISODE NOW

LEARN MORE alumni.fsu.edu/echoes

NEVER MISS AN EPISODE, subscribe to our YouTube Channel

WATCH NOW gonol.es/WatchEchoesNow

Artemis

is the mythological Greek goddess of the Moon and twin sister of Apollo.

DON’T MISS SEASON 3 OF ECHOES: THE VIDEO SERIES

Thank You

to Our Newest LIFE MEMBERS

The following alumni and friends recently* became Life Members of the FSU Alumni Association. Their support creates opportunities for our students, alumni and members who are and will always be #SeminolesForever. Find out more about alumni membership: alumni.fsu.edu/join.

Ms. Nikki D. Abels (B.S. ’71) and Mr. Robert A. Abels

Dr. Jay J. Boda (M.F.A.’15, Ph.D. ’20) and Mr. Pedro A. Acosta

The Honorable Kevin M. Carrico (B.S. ’05)

Mrs. Sarah Ann Dailey (B.A. ’63)

Ms. Karen Sandefur D’Avanzo (B.S.N. ’95)

Mrs. Molly C. Davidson (B.S. ’00)

Mr. George Davis (A.A. ’84, B.S. ’86)

Ms. Amanda L. Davis (B.S. ’18)

Mrs. Vanessa A. De La Llama (B.A. ’09)

Mr. Ralph A. DeVitto, Jr. (B.A. ’80) and Ms. Lisa Kane Devitto (J.D. ’86, J.D. ’87)

Mrs. Charlotte C. Dison (B.S. ’63)

Ms. Ashley L. Dockery (B.S. ’10)

Mr. Alexander M. Douglas (B.S. ’09, M.S. ’11) and Mrs. Jessica J. Douglas (B.S. ’10)

Mr. Richard C. Dreggors (B.S. ’87)

Mrs. Kerri J. Evans (A.A. ’85, B.S. ’86)

Mr. Chad C. Henderson (B.S. ’01) and Mrs. Brooke E. Henderson (B.S. ’05)

Mr. Caleb G. Hinton (B.S. ’13, J.D. ’17) and Mrs. Lindsey N. Ortiz (J.D. ’17)

Ms. Jane Hoffman (B.S. ’12)

Dr. Jacqueline M. Jermyn (B.S. ’17, M.S. ’19)

Ms. Taylor Kibler (attending)

Mrs. Stephanie D. Kimbrough (A.A. ’02, B.S. ’04) and Mr. Wendell E. Kimbrough, II

Mr. Kevin T. Lambert (attending)

Mrs. Taylor E. Lear (B.A. ’12) and Mr. Drew A. Lear

Mr. Cecil R Lopez (B.S. ’72) and Mrs. Mary Kay Lopez

Ms. Erinn I. Lyden (attending)

Mr. Brian A. Manty (B.S. ’66) and Mrs. Barbara A. Manty (B.S. ’65)

Mrs. Treva J. Marshall (B.S. ’92) and Mr. Scott A. Marshall (A.A. ’90, B.S. ’92)

Mr. Thomas Misteli, Esq. (B.S. ’05) and Ms. Michele Duchock

Mr. David K. Mullin (B.S. ’06, B.S. ’06)

Mrs. Sharon B. Pierce (B.S. ’72)

Mr. Stephen C. Schmidt (B.S. ’70)

Dr. Henry B. Sirgo (M.S. ’73, Ph.D. ’76)

Mr. Nicholas M. Smith (B.S. ’21)

Mr. Samuel P. Stafford, II (B.A. ’72) and Ms. Jenna B. Stafford

Mr. Clint B. Strauch (B.S. ’86) and Ms. Alexa B. Strauch

Mr. Derek D. Stross (A.A. ’94, B.S. ’97) and Mrs. Claire L. Stross (A.A. ’94, B.S. ’96, M.S. ’98)

Mr. Nicholas D. Wagner (attending)

Dr. Ursula K. Weiss, Ph.D. (B.S. ’03, B.A. ’03, M.S.’ 07, Ph.D. ’12)

Ms. Cheryl A. Young (B.S. ’03) and Dr. William E. Young (B.S. ’61, M.S. ’62)

Ms. Sarah Zug (attending)

*This list includes individuals who joined the FSU Alumni Association as Life Members between July 1 and December 31, 2022.

Dorothy Flory Holroyd (MME ‘54)

After a rich career as an educator and musician, FSU alumna and orchestra teacher Dorothy Flory Holroyd (MME ’54) will have a permanent honor at the FSU College of Music.

The Dorothy Flory Holroyd Ensemble Room will stand as a tribute to her vision and commitment to music education; both have had a lasting impact on her students. A trained violinist before falling in love with the viola, Flory Holroyd started her career in the late 1950s as the director of Florida High’s Orchestra and Orchestra Club. Now, decades later, one of her former students is making a $1 million gift to the College of Music in her honor.

“It is amazing to know that sixty-five years after Dorothy taught at Florida High, she continues to inspire her students,” said Todd Queen, dean of the College of Music. “This heartwarming gift is a testament to the power of education and how one single teacher can positively affect so many.”

Over five decades, Flory Holroyd taught hundreds of string students, many of whom would later fill principal chairs in district, regional and state orchestras. More than a music teacher, Flory Holroyd taught theory and technique with life lessons sprinkled throughout. Not to mention laughter, her students say, recalling the pranks she would often play in their classroom. Flory Holroyd hoped her students would see music for its gift, bringing joy, color and beauty into their lives.

Flory Holroyd was also a successful performer, having spent time as a principal violist for the York Symphony and the Colonial String Quartet. Now retired at 92, she continues to play her beloved viola within the orchestra at her church in York, Pennsylvania.

The generous gift comes from Dorothy’s former violin student Jim Miller. Miller was the inaugural president of Florida High’s Orchestra Club, which Flory Holroyd founded and directed in 1957. The club was one of many talented music groups at the high school but noted as the “most outstanding” for public performance.

“I am truly overwhelmed with this honor,” Flory Holroyd said at the news of the gift. “I was so touched when Jim called and said he had thought of me often. I guess one never knows how much a teacher influences their students.”

The gift will allow the College of Music to make acoustic improvements and other renovations to its large ensemble room and improve additional rehearsal spaces in the Housewright Music Building, benefiting current and future generations of music students and instructors.

“I trust the Ensemble Room will be a valuable resource to FSU music students,” Flory Holroyd said. “I am indeed honored by his kind and generous gift.”

Miller said, “Dorothy took me to my first opera in 1955. I’m still going and ever more grateful. Music and Botany at Florida High shaped my life.”

Miller and Flory Holroyd will celebrate the gift with their families at an upcoming reunion on FSU’s campus and Goodwood Museum and Gardens in Tallahassee.

The

List Book

Treat your-shelf to a few books written by FSU alumni.

By Nia Michel (B.A. ’22), Janecia Britt (B.A. ’17)

FICTION Long Time Gone

by Anne Meisenzahl (M.F.A ’09)

College of Arts and Sciences – Creative Writing

Based on Anne Meisenzahl’s thirty- five-year career in adult education, “Long Time Gone” follows the story of Grace, a writing teacher in Los Angeles. The novel follows Grace on a journey into the Catholic Church of her childhood, where she confronts her troubled past and unlocks its many secrets, finds love in unexpected places and cultivates a renewed spirituality.

Published by Touchpoint Press

MEMOIR

The Crane Wife

by CJ Hauser (Ph.D. ’16)

College of Arts and Sciences – Creative Writing

“The Crane Wife” expands upon CJ Hauser’s viral Paris Review essay of the same name. In it, she retraces her and her family’s romantic past, explores the narrative of romantic love we are taught, tell ourselves and how to rewrite those narratives. This memoir in essays provides a frank and funny look at love, intimacy and self in the twenty-first century.

Published by Doubleday Books

Available at the FSU Bookstore

NON-FICTION Front Toward Enemy: War, Veterans and the Homefront

by Daniel R. Green (M.S. ’99)

College of Social Sciences and Public Policy –International Affairs

Daniel Green’s “Front Toward Enemy” provides a unique perspective on veterans’ transitions after returning from war service. Green uses his experiences with war, having served five military and civilian tours in Afghanistan and Iraq and sociological and other professional perspectives to bridge the gap between war veterans and their fellow citizens.

Published by Rowman & Littlefield

CHILDREN

‘Til Tomorrow, Tallahassee

by Angelo Standriff (B.S. ’15), Bryce Browning (B.S. ’16), Cory Anderson (B.S. ’14), Evan Ernst (B.S. ’14), Jonathan Bursevich, Kyle Kashuck (B.S. ’13) and Zack Ernst (B.S. ’14)

College of Arts and Sciences, College of Business, College of Education

An easy-to-read bedtime story, “‘Til Tomorrow Tallahassee,” takes readers through iconic locations and events while sharing the joy of the Seminole spirit. The authors are a group of close friends who shared their college years at FSU and hope to pass on their love for their alma mater to the next generation.

Published by Mbk Publishing

POETRY

Blood Vinyls by Yolanda J. Franklin (B.S. ’97, Ph.D. ’17)

College of Education –English Education, College of Arts and Sciences – Creative Writing

In “Blood Vinyls,” Yolanda Franklin organizes her poems as tracks, each track as a theme to illuminate her intimate portrayal of womanhood in the black South. Her work provides an edgy discography of Florida living and reveals a distinctive aspect of southern history and its customs that stem from the legacies of slavery and beyond.

Published by Anhinga Press

SCIENCE-FICTION

Expiration Date by Mikaela  Bender (B.A. ’19)

College of Arts and Sciences –Editing, Writing and Media

Created by Mikaela Bender, “Expiration Date” is set in a dystopian future where all members of society have a certain amount of time to live at birth — represented by an imprint in their arms. Bender’s novel follows a girl named Iris who is “expired” but didn’t die at her preordained time. Iris quickly becomes a target of the enigmatic Society, which rules the people and decides who runs out of time and when.

Filmmaker Kristen Brancaccio won the visual adaptation rights to collaborate with SYFY, Tongal and Wattpad in bringing Bender’s creation to life.

Published on Wattpad.com

YOUNG ADULT

Robin and Her Misfits by Kelly Ann Jacobson (Ph.D.’21)

College of Arts and Sciences –Creative Writing

Kelly Ann Jacobson, the author of the award-winning LGBTQ+ young adult novel Tink and Wendy, is back with another diverse twist on a popular legend. In this complete re-imagining of the Robin Hood legend, the “merry men” are a roving gang of fiercely unique queer female bikers, street racers, and bandits, whose leader, Robin, drives them from a life of greed to a pledge to “steal from the rich” and give back to queer girls in need of help.

Published by Three Rooms Press

While many of the novels above can be purchased on Amazon, we encourage you to call your local bookstore, the FSU bookstore or check out Bookshop.org which donates their profits to independent bookstores across the United States, United Kingdom and Spain.

Do you know an alumni author? Let us know!

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Noles by Design

The FSU Department of Interior Architecture & Design celebrates their 2023 Alumni Award honorees.

By Janecia Britt (B.A. ’17), Jessica Comas (M.F.A. ’04)

Housed in the William Johnston Building, the FSU Department of Interior Architecture & Design has a long history of offering students the knowledge and skills to create and design functional, safe, equitable and beautiful spaces. The last 40 years have seen thousands of alumni graduate from the program and go on to create significant impacts in the field of design and interiors. To celebrate these achievements, each year the department selects notable alumni to receive its Alumni Awards. Nomination for the 2024 Alumni Awards will open this summer.

2023 INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN ALUMNI AWARDS

DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARD

Dionne Jefferson (B.S. ’98)

Vice President of Design and Project Management for Premium Brands, Marriott International Washington D.C.

With over 25 years of expertise in hospitality design, Dionne Jefferson sits at the center of execution for brand, development and operational points of view, leading Marriott’s global design studio for premium classic brands: Sheraton, Delta, Gaylord and Marriott hotels. An interior designer by trade, Dionne joined Marriott International in 1998 and has held various roles across the company’s full and select service segments. She appears regularly as a speaker on trends in the hospitality industry, including a 2018 panel at AVIXA, an audiovisual trade association, on leveraging digital technology to redefine the guest experience. Last year, Jefferson served as a guest speaker and panelist at the 2022 NEWH, the Hospitality Industry Network’s Leadership Conference and as a Hospitality Design Magazine’s awards judge.

2023 DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD

Brandi Markiewicz (B.S. ’02)

Managing Partner, CI Group Inc.

Orlando, Florida

Brandi Markiewicz has served as a volunteer leader for many local charities and business communities as president of the Downtown Orlando Partnership, Leadership Orlando Class 96, and appeared on Orlando Business Journal’s 2019 40 Under 40 list. Her dedication to the design industry extends far beyond her job, notably to the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) – Central Florida Chapter. She has also held positions on several boards and committees, including the Champion for Children Foundation, Nemours Children’s Hospital Gala and the Cannonball Kids’ Cancer Foundation auction committee.

EMERGING ALUMNI AWARDS

Chandler Bonney (B.S. ’07)

Director of Real Estate and Workplace Services, Dropbox

San Diego, California

Chandler Bonney has been instrumental in shifting file hosting service Dropbox to a “virtual-first” firm that encourages and promotes collaboration and creativity. Before joining Dropbox in 2019, Bonney was a senior interior designer for AECOM, an infrastructure consulting firm. She is NCIDQ*-certified, a licensed interior designer, a graduate of the Dropbox Leadership Program from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business and a U.S. Green Building Council certified Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Accredited Professional, which distinguishes those with advanced knowledge in green building.

Lauren Czarniecki (B.A. ’09)

Founder & Principal, Czar Interiors

Delray Beach, Florida

Lauren Czarniecki is the founder and Principal designer of Czar Interiors, based in Palm Beach, Fla. A residential and hospitality interior designer, Lauren Czarniecki’s projects include homes in Southern California, South Florida, Southampton and Michigan. Her work was featured in Palm Beach Illustrated, Modern Luxury Interiors, Arts&Culture Magazine and Design Magazine’s “Women in Design’’ book. The NCIDQ*-certified and licensed interior designer received the 2019 Stars of Design “Stars on the Rise” award from the Design Center of the Americas.

*NCIDQ Certification is the industry’s recognized indicator of proficiency in interior design principles and a designer’s commitment to the profession.

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When I was at FSU, my mentor and History of Interiors professor, Karen Myers (M.S. ’79), opened my eyes to all the different facets of Interior Design. Before her class, I didn’t realize that interior designers were involved in not only architecture and furniture selections, but also in decorative arts like china and flatware selections.”

- Lauren Czarniecki (B.S. ’09)

The CI Group transformed Carroll Bradford Roofing’s Baldwin Park office into a space that emphasizes togetherness, fun and collaboration.

Above, the Marriott Bethesda Downtown lobby at Marriott Headquarters and right, two images of Dropbox Studios’ reimagined collaboration spaces.

Paul Joachim

(B.F.A. ’94)

Chocolatier and chocolate artist

By Janecia Britt (B.A. ’17)

In 2006, Paul Joachim (B.F.A. ’94) called a friend from his college days at Florida State University and said, “Someday, I’m going to create an actual sculpture from cake.” Four years later, he was invited to Food Network’s “Food Network Challenge” and won the competition. But before becoming a sculptor full-time with a booming career, he was just a an FSU graduate looking for his purpose.

After graduating from FSU with a degree in Studio Art, Joachim got a job as a graphic designer. Working as a freelance illustrator and then opening his own web-design business, he slowly realized that something was missing in his life. Fine Art. Something clicked when he realized that his self-expression was generated from a passion for food and cooking. Over time, chocolate became his medium for self-expression and communication.

Since then, Joachim or “The Chocolate Genius,” has sculpted for museums, galleries, and events across the US, South America, Central America, Canada and Australia. He’s been a guest on national TV shows, such as CBS’ “The Talk,” Australia’s “TODAY” show, Food Network’s “Outrageous Chocolate,”

A&E’s “Shipping Wars” and Hallmark’s “Home & Family” talk show.

“When chocolate is discovered as a medium for selfexpression and communication, I witness people transform in front of my eyes,” said Joachim. “Audience members at my live sculpting events or participants in our virtual tastings and classes often shift from skepticism to wonderment within minutes.”

Despite national accolades, his time at FSU still inspires Joachim today.” The FSU Bachelor of Fine Arts program developed my ability to think beyond conventional constructs—giving me access to a world of clarity, vision and future thinking,” said Joachim. “My degree developed my skills to turn abstract concepts into wellcommunicated, tangible, visual works of art. The professors gave

me the personal space to develop unrestrained self-expression that has contributed to a highly successful career as a sculptor and performer.”

What’s next for “The Chocolate Genius?” Teaching others about the importance and achievability of global sustainability. “I’m focusing the next stage of my career on social entrepreneurship,” said Joachim. “There are around 6 billion cacao trees worldwide which make for a large and impactful footprint on our global ecosystem. Bringing my passion to heirloom cacao preservation is an incredible opportunity to connect with others, transform their perceptions of what is possible and preserve and protect the earth.”

Universal Studios commissioned Joachim to help promote their new Toothsome Chocolate Factory on National Chocolate Day, created an incredible chocolate replica of their building, a beautiful minion, the Universal globe and King Kong all out of chocolate.

Sharon Norwood

(M.F.A. ’18)

Artist whose work spans several media, including painting and ceramic.

By Jamie Rager (M.P.A ’16), Janecia Britt (B.A. ’17)

Artist Sharon Norwood (M.F.A.’18) is known for pairing curly lines with historical objects, creating works that speak to issues of race, gender, beauty, class and labor.

Norwood’s artwork uses the simplest of forms, the line, to explore incredibly complex topics and, she hopes, to spark deep and meaningful conversations.

“I’d say my work centers around the line,” Norwood explained. “For me, the line becomes a metaphor—a stand-in for the black figure. I associate my curly black hair with this one simple representation. I would often draw my hair as these curly lines.”

At first, Norwood was unsure whether or not others would recognize her simple figures as black hair, but they did. The curly lines have resonated with a wide variety of audiences, and this theme continues to feature prominently throughout her work.

“I also see the line as a democratic space,” she said. “No one owns the line, and anyone can draw it. All you need is a pencil and paper.”

Her use of porcelain is intentional. “Porcelain has long been revered as a highbrow material,” and likened it to racial purity,” said Norwood. “I was inspired to subvert this supremacist narrative that is at odds with my sense of identity.”

“Guess who’s coming to dinner or rather tea” is an attempt to question domestic spaces of exclusion and speaks to the history of blacks employed as domestics. I wanted to highlight the presence and absence of black bodies in

Counterclockwise:

This Side of Eternity (Tryptic), 2021, Sharon Norwood (M.F.A. ’18) has had several pieces of her artwork acquired by museums like this teacup set and finally Sharon in her studio. Photo courtesy of the Gardiner Museum of Art

these historical settings,” told Norwood to the literary journal, “Obsidian: Literature & Arts in the African Diaspora.”

“These beautiful objects are littered with the curly line, which cannot be removed. There is an immediate reaction, physical and emotional questioning; the viewer is challenged to reflect on their relationship to the objects.”

Last summer, the Museums at Washington & Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, acquired eight of Norwood’s pieces from her solo exhibition, “The Root of The Matter.” She is the first living black artist to be exhibited in the museum and the second female black artist to be featured in the museum’s collection, which includes 12,000 contemporary and historical objects.

“I’m very excited that Washington and Lee were inspired to acquire this work,” said Norwood. “This is a very fitting location for the pieces; for me, it’s a big deal that these pieces are living in a space

where students can engage with them.”

Her piece “Stand Tall Soldier” was also acquired into the permanent collection at the National Museum for Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C.

Norwood was also recently signed by Mayten’s, a gallery in Ontario, Canada, which aims to foster connection within art and bring impactful experiences with contemporary art to the public.

Norwood credits FSU’s Master of Fine Arts program and faculty with helping her to find direction for her work and hone her skills as an artist.

“The MFA program made a real difference in my practice,” she said. “The way the program is set up helps you develop your ideas and push them to the next level. My experience in art school informed me of the greater importance of art in the world and how it shapes culture and identity. ”

Naomi Franquiz

(B.F.A. ’13)

Illustrator and comic book artist

By Janecia Britt (B.A. ’17)

Naomi “Franq” Franquiz’s (B.F.A. ‘13) love for comics started as a child. She’d use printer paper and sketchbooks to make comic strips, to tell the stories in her head. But it wasn’t until she left Florida State University that she decided to continue telling her story in that medium. “I didn’t start my career as a freelance illustrator and comic book artist right after school,” said Franquiz. “My time at FSU gave me a lot of valuable skills and relationships, much of which I expanded on and continued to strengthen after graduation. At the time, I knew what I wanted to do: I wanted to illustrate stories, but I didn’t yet know exactly how.”

She may not have known how she wanted to tell her stories, but she told them anyway. “I made some small, short comics to share online and started using platforms like Tumblr and Twitter to network and meet other artists,” said Franquiz. “I submitted my work to art anthologies and comic anthologies (Power & Magic: A Queer Witch Anthology was the first). An editor from BOOM! Box saw my work on Twitter and had me do test pages for a couple of different series.” While she didn’t get those first few jobs, it did get her noticed, and when she did character designs for “Misfit City,” they hired her to draw the short series.

Her perspective and voice as an illustrator and comic book artist began to take shape. Focusing on diverse and inclusive character-driven narratives, Franquiz is now known for her expressive character work and exploring concepts such as found family, identity and independence. She is also deeply invested in creating characters and telling stories that positively represent the LGBTQ+ community.

“LGBTQ relationships and characters are often kept out of youth-oriented media because they’re considered “adult,” said Franquiz. “Kids who share

those identities need to see themselves represented in the media they consume at every age. I want comics and media to show the world that queer people aren’t a sad monolith. We can have a fantasy adventure or get into nonsense shenanigans.”

Since FSU, Franquiz has made quite a name for herself. Even making her Marvel debut with The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl (2015) #4 and BITCH PLANET: TRIPLE FEATURE for Image Comics and more. She’s illustrated for Dark Horse plus multiple small press anthologies. Franquiz has also provided covers for several titles, including “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Barbalien: Red Planet” and “Lumberjanes.” She’s currently working on a graphic novel for First Second and has signed a deal with MacMillan Publishers for another titled MAGUS MINOR.

She credits her education at FSU for giving her the tools to turn her passion into a career. “I’m thankful for being privileged with a college education from FSU, and more so for the skills, I left there with.”

And her advice for other young people who are interested in comic art? Just do it. “Make comics! Do a quick journal webcomic, draw comics in your sketchbook or post four-panel shenanigans on Tumblr or Twitter,” said Franquiz. “Make that story you keep telling yourself you’re not good enough to make yet. I guarantee you it’s the fastest way to improve and also the best way to find an audience and attract potential employers. Make comics, tell your stories.”

Counterclockwise, Cover illustration by Franquiz, for Issue 1 of “Tales From Harrow County: Death’s Choir,” a mini-series from the creators of the original “Harrow County” series, a headshot of Naomi “Franq” Franquiz and at right, their variant illustration done for BOOM! Studios’ “Buffy the Vampire Slayer series.

Donald Guevara

(M.F.A. ’22)

Glitch artist and montage sculpturist

By Jaime Rager (M.P.A. ’16), Janecia Britt (B.A. ’17)

Donald Guevara’s (M.F.A ’22) perspective shift came early. “At the age of five, I was adopted into a Congolese immigrant family with my mother, an ex-nun, by my side,” said Guevara. “This early introduction into contradiction, change, cultural differences and amalgamation and the complexities of race and gender drive the work I create.”

Their work is primarily collage-based, combining drawings, found objects and video to create colorful and thoughtprovoking vignettes. Images are selected, cut apart and reformulated to create a new image that holds a code and context away from, yet still inherently attached, to the original images. Many of the pieces include elements from trading cards, featuring fictional creatures such as Pokémon, Digimon and real-life human athletes.

“This body of work stems from childhood and explores what we value,” said Guevara.

“Some of these images of Pokémon or Digimon can be worth enormous amounts of money. These creatures can never tear their ACL, but athletes can. Their cards can diminish rapidly from one year to the next just because of an injury.”

While his work explores much of his upbringing, their college career propelled them into the limelight. During their time as an MFA student at Florida State University, Guevara worked as a drawing instructor of undergraduate students and was selected for the Excellence in the Visual Arts Award and the Jim Boone Endowed Scholarship. While their time together in person was limited by the COVID-19 pandemic, Guevara attributes his success to the relationships he built with his MFA cohort.

“My time at FSU prepared me for this moment,” said Guevara. “The MFA program brings together people with vastly different stories and experiences and encourages us to communicate, work off each other and grow. Whether we agreed with each other or not, we all cared about each other and worked to help each other. Having a taste of this collaboration drove me to apply to NXTHVN.”

NXTVN is a ten-month fellowship program based in New Haven, Connecticut. Each year, only seven artists and two curators are selected from a highly competitive pool to participate in the program, designed to accelerate the next generation’s careers and foster the retention

Guevara’s work is primarily collagebased, combining drawings, found objects and often video to create colorful and thoughtprovoking vignettes.

Pictured, Guevara’s art titled “Hold Me Love Me.” Right: “Big Stomp What”

of professional art talent. Guevara is currently participating in the program as a Studio Fellow.

Guevara also credits the Art Department’s faculty, including Lilian Garcia-Roig, chair of FSU’s Department of Art, for preparing him for a successful career in the arts.

“My professors were honest about how to make a living in the arts,” said Guevara. “The process can be secretive and selective, but they try to illuminate it, showing us how to apply for grants and fellowships, get exposure and effectively share our work — not showing us from a distance, but sharing their own experiences with us.”

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Class Notes

social media to reunite the colonel’s estranged family. Invisible was a semi-finalist in the 26th Annual Fade In Awards and the 2020 NYC Screenwriting Competition. It earned a silver award in the 2022 LGBT UNBORDERED Film Festival as well.

William “Bill” Sims Curry (B.S. ’67) published the third edition of his book, “Contracting for Services in State and Local Government Agencies: Best Practices in Public Procurement” and received a Textbook Excellence Award from the Textbook and Academic Authors Association.

Mark Ferguson (B.S. ’80), owner of Ferg’s Sports Bar in Saint Petersburg, Florida, celebrated a 30-year anniversary of the sports bar last fall. Patrons describe the bar as an asset to the community in Tampa Bay, hosting fundraising events, game watch parties and Pinellas Seminole Club leader meetings at the facility.

Steven J. Rothman (B.S. ’81, J.D. ’85) was inducted as president of the American Board of Trial Advocates’ Palm Beach Chapter at the Annual Judicial Recognition and Awards Ceremony. Rothman, a Florida Bar Board Certified Civil Trial attorney, has previously served as a board member, vice president and president-elect of the local chapter.

Film School community liaison Dave Schmeling (Ph.D. ’81), with writing partner David Pasquarelli, received the “Best Script” Award from the Los Angeles Independent Film Channel for the pair’s feature “Invisible,” a tale about a tough 70-yearold retired colonel in the care of a gender-fluid 15-year-old court-referred felon who uses

Kennesaw State University president Kathy Schwaig has named Jim Sabourin (B.S. ‘83) to the newly created position of vice president of marketing and communications. Sabourin has more than 30 years of experience in the corporate and higher education sectors and previously served Louisiana State University as vice president for communications and university relations.

James “Jim” L. Erb (B.S. ’82) was named a 2022 Top Financial Security Professional and Best-inState Wealth Advisor in the state of Florida by Forbes. Erb has over 40 years of experience in the financial services industry.

Markenzy Lapointe (B.S. ’93, J.D. ’99) was confirmed by the United States Senate as the U.S. attorney for South Florida, making him the first Haitian American lawyer to serve in the region’s most powerful federal law enforcement position. Lapointe, a former U.S. Marine and federal prosecutor, was nominated by U.S. President Joe Biden for the position, which is responsible for directing roughly 250 prosecutors in a district extending from Key West to Fort Pierce.

Calvin Mercer (Ph.D. ’83) and his coauthor, Tracy Trothen, received the “Prize for Books Suitable for a Professional Audience” award from the International Society for Science and Religion (ISSR) for their book, “Religion and the Technological Future: An Introduction to Biohacking, Artificial Intelligence, and Transhumanism (Palgrave Macmillan).” The annual award, which includes a monetary prize and travel to a celebratory meeting of the Society, is funded by the Templeton World Charity Foundation.

Chief creative officer Pat McKinney (B.S. ’87), was promoted to a partner of the second-generation leadership team at the Dalton Agency, an award-winning full-service brand and communications agency operating in Jacksonville, Atlanta and Nashville.

Paul Hull (M.P.A. ’92) was recognized by the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) in honor of his work advocating for cancer-fighting public policies. During his tenure, Hull has ensured historic wins in Florida such as modernizing the Florida Clean Indoor Air Act in 2003, creating a state cancer research program in 2006 and passing a $1 per pack increase in Florida’s cigarette tax in 2009.

“Palmetto Pioneers: The Emigrants” was published by Cindy Roe Littlejohn (B.S. ’92, M.S. ’94, Ph.D. ’97). The non-fiction book is the first of a series of three books with the first delving into how seven-year-old Mary Walker followed her family into the Florida wilderness almost two hundred years ago.

Choreographer, dancer and installation artist Nia Love (M.F.A.’92) was awarded the Herb Alpert Award in the Arts, which recognizes risk-taking mid-career artists working in the fields of dance, film, music, theatre and the visual arts. Based in New York City,

Love is known for her spiritual relationships to movement and performance, as well as her personal work that is critical of structural racism and examines the role of women in dance through her poetry, movement and art. Legal firm GrayRobinson announced Lucia Leoni (B.A. ’95), as an associate in three of the legal firm’s Florida offices. Leoni brings experience handling litigation and appellate matters, and regularly prepares complex motions for summary judgment and appellate briefs. Dylan Hooper (B.S. ’12) has joined GrayRobinson as counsel in the Litigation section of the firm’s Orlando office. Hooper focuses on complex business and construction litigation and has extensive trial experience. Thomas Philpot (J.D. ’11) joined GrayRobinson’s Tallahassee office as a shareholder of the National Alcohol Beverage Practice. Philpot will support market participants in navigating regulatory channels and advancing competitive business plans in Florida and across the nation.

Lana A. Olson (B.S. ’95) was named president of DRI Olson. Olson is DRI’s fifth woman president in the organization’s history.

With more than 16,000 members, DRI is the largest international membership organization of attorneys defending the interests of businesses and individuals in civil litigation. Olson has worked to broaden the organization’s membership, influence on the legal industry and revolutionize the organization’s charitable and lawyer self-care initiatives.

Montego Glover (B.F.A. ’96) will be performing as The Witch in the extended revival of “Into the Woods” on Broadway. Glover’s starring roles on stage have ranged from Felicia Farrell in

the original Broadway cast of “Memphis” to Angelica Schuyler in the Chicago company of “Hamilton.”

Erin Cleghorn (B.S. ’97) was named director of development at the North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh, North Carolina. Cleghorn has over 20 years of experience in fundraising and annual giving, membership acquisition and retention programs, non-profit marketing, data management, media communications, television production and radio broadcasting.

Juan R. Guardia (B.S. ’97, M.S. ’01), assistant vice president for student affairs and dean of students, for the University of Cincinnati, was selected as a 2023 NASPA Pillar of the Profession. The NASPA Foundation recognizes a series of distinguished individuals who have served as leaders, teachers and scholars in student affairs and higher education. Guardia also serves FSU as a member of the Fraternity & Sorority Life Advisory Council. Filmmaker and host, Catovia Milton Rayner (B.S. ’98, M.S.W. ’02) is a cultural anthropologist, sociologist, social worker and historian. Her recent work on the web docuseries ‘BIPOC In America’ highlights modern African diaspora and Latinx history makers in Central and South Florida and focuses on bringing awareness to the Black Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) perspective in American culture. The series, BIPOC In America returns with a three-season lineup featuring Krystal HallShivers (M.S.W. ’99).

Joni Tevis (B.A. ‘98) won her second Pushcart Prize, for her essay titled “If Your Dreams Don’t Scare You,”

Class Notes

on the history of hazing experiences, including her own. The Pushcart Prizes award best poetry, short fiction and essays published in smaller literary journals and magazines in the United States. The essay will appear along with other winners in the Pushcart Prize XLVII: Best of the Small Presses 2023 edition.

Mario Caserta (B.S. ’99) launched Fancy House Visual Effects, a new VFX studio, and O’Keeffe: One Hundred Flowers, an immersive experience based on the artwork of Georgia O’Keeffe. His body of work includes broadcast design and compositing work for Cartoon Network, the launch of the Boomerang Network and live TV. His Flame work includes FedEx, SAP, GE, Mercedes, Visa and Microsoft.

Theresa Garvin Yong (B.A. ’99) published her first book, “Money Moves: This Is Not a Get-Rich-Quick Scheme! It’s a Conversation About Money” with Balboa Press. The book is promoted as a resource for everyday people who want to get a handle on their finances.

Maria Caruso (B.F.A. ’00) recently performed her “Metamorphosis” at the Lyric Theatre in London’s West End. Unlike traditional dance performances, Metamorphosis is an autobiographical dance solo that offers complex and deep storytelling through movement.

Jen Atkins (M.A. ’03, Ph.D. ’08), associate professor at the FSU School of Dance, is currently serving as a Fulbright Roving Scholar for upper secondary schools in Norway through Fall 2023. Atkins will travel throughout Norway, teaching workshops to students and teachers focusing on American culture, history and dance.

Award-winning director

Barry Jenkins (B.A. ’03, B.F.A. ’03) will helm Mufasa: The Lion King. Set for a 2024 release, the film, a prequel to The Lion King, explores the origins of the late king of Pride Rock, Mufasa. Jenkins, a producer and director, is best known for his work on The Underground Railroad (2021), If Beale Street Could Talk (2018) and Moonlight (2016).

Elise Ramer (B.A. ’03), APR, CPRC, was appointed to vice president of media relations for Premier Sotheby’s International Realty. In this role, Ramer’s responsibilities include obtaining highvisibility listings as well as recruitment and retention efforts for the real estate company. She was also named on the 2022 Top Women in Public Relations list by PRNews Magazine.

Jo-Anna Nieves (B.S. ’05, J.D. ’09) was recognized by Super Lawyers Magazine for the past six years of her legal work, earning the distinction of “Rising Star,” which is given to no more than 2.5% of attorneys in each state. Based in Oakland, CA, Nieves started The Nieves Law Firm to help restore the reputation of those caught in California’s criminal justice system. The firm is also recognized on the FSU 2023 Seminole 100 List.

Kelsey Fowler (B.F.A. ’06), set decorator for “The Barbarian and the Troll,” series, has been nominated for a Children and Family Emmy. The children’s show follows Evan, a bridge troll in search of adventure and Brendar, a fierce female warrior, on a quest to defeat the evil demon who has imprisoned her brother.

Casey Terrell (M.B.A. ’11), chief marketing officer for Krystal Restaurants, was named a Top 50 Franchise CMO Gamechanger by Entrepreneur. This is the first time that the publication has released this list featuring the most influential marketers in franchising. Terrell has extensive food and beverage

marketing experience with notable brands, including Focus Brands, AnheuserBusch, Le Pain Quotidien, Outback Steakhouse and Burger King.

Matt Silva (M.F.A. ’14) was named executive director of the Delaware Theatre Company (DTC) located in Wilmington, Delaware. DTC is Delaware’s premier professional theatre, presenting a diverse five-show season of plays, musicals, new works and the classics and is the only theatre in the state developing new shows for Broadway.

Director and producer

Whitney Clinkscales (M.F.A. ’16), was accepted into the Disney General Entertainment Directing Program, one of the longest running programs of its kind in the television industry. Clinkscales has helmed commercial campaigns for ABC, Cadillac, Billboard, FX, Disney+, Disney Channel and more. In partnership with participating Disney series, this year’s program will commit episodes to directors on the following shows:

“BUNK’D,” “The Chi,” “General Hospital,” “The Good Doctor,” “The Rookie,” “Single Drunk Female” and “The Villains of Valley View.”

“Gush,” a painting by Elise Thompson (M.F.A. ’16), will be included in the Soft Times Gallery’s

exhibit, “Crimson Tide,” an interactive, color-themed exhibit that focuses primarily on red artworks in a color palette and demonstrates the visual impact of the color. Soft Times Gallery is a contemporary gallery in San Francisco, California. That hosts monthly art exhibitions showcasing emerging artists.

Sean Asher (B.S. ’18) has joined Curley & Pynn Public Relations Management as the firm’s newest communications strategist. Previously Asher was the assistant director of strategic communication at the University of Central Florida Athletics department and worked as a media relations coordinator for USA Baseball.

Charlie Farrell (B.S. ‘18, M.A. ‘22) was named the 2022-2024 Romare Bearden Graduate Museum Fellow at the Saint Louis Art Museum. The Romare Bearden Fellowship is nationally renowned as one of the oldest and most robust museum programs in the country, dedicated to increasing diversity among professional staff in the museum field.

Sahara Lyon (B.A. ’20, M.A. ’22) was appointed as the arts education manager for COCA, the Tallahassee Council on Culture & Arts. Lyon will promote and create arts education programming in Tallahassee – writing newsletters, creating social

media content and working closely with the community through events and outreach.

Jennifer Baez (Ph.D. ’21) accepted a tenure-track position at the School of Art + Art History + Design at the University of Washington in Seattle. Baez specializes in the visual and material culture of colonial Latin America and the African diaspora, with a focus on the Caribbean in the eighteenth century. Her research is on miracleworking icons and traditions, and she is especially interested in how origin stories, historical memory and collective subjectivities were formed in the extractive Black Atlantic geographies.

A 2022 Bachelor of Fine Arts thesis project titled “Girlhood” by Jaelyn Ellis (B.F.A.’22) was selected for screening in a selection of shorts in the “Women Behind the Camera” series presented by the Voices Film Programme in London, United Kingdom. “Girlhood” is a snapshot of teenage social life and evolution. Ellis directs and produces movies for and about black girls, specifically coming of age and horror stories that explore femininity and sexuality.

“They Flew Like Blackbirds,” by Shannon Sutherland (M.F.A. ’22) was selected as one of the five winners of the Gotham Film & Media Institute’s third annual Student Short Film Showcase, in partnership with Focus Features and JetBlue. The film was also selected for screening at the Toronto Black Film Festival. Sutherland’s work explore grief, loneliness and the black female experience through magical realist means.

In Memoriam

The FSU Alumni Association mourns the passing of Maggie Acheson Allese (B.A. ’49), who passed away in January of 2023 at 94. Allesee attended the Florida State College for Women in the middle of its transition to a co-educational university. She became FSU’s first head cheerleader and the first woman to earn a varsity letter. Allesee was a tireless supporter of the arts with a rich history of philanthropy to FSU, most notably, the $1.5 million endowment of the Maggie Allesee National Center for Choreography. The center is one of only two choreographic centers of its kind and solidified FSU’s School of Dance as a premiere academic program and source of dance research. An avid Seminole fan and ardent supporter of her alma mater, Allesee could be seen at Homecoming each year donning her original cheerleading uniform. In 2013 FSU honored Allesee with a Doctor of Humane Letters degree for her support of dance innovation and research. In addition to her years of support for FSU, Allesee donated millions throughout her lifetime to several causes close to her heart resulting in a remarkable portfolio of giving and community involvement that garnered national honors.

Born and raised in Indiana, Jim Oler (B.S. ’56, M.S. ’58) had an incredible basketball career at Florida State University. Postgraduation, he went on to have an equally impressive, record-setting coaching career at Brevard Junior College, Brevard Community College and Eastern Florida State College. Though Oler passed away in 1989, he will be inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame this March.

Sixth-generation Floridian, Thomas “Tommy” Alvin Waits (B.S. ’56), passed away last November. After graduating from Florida State University, President Robert Strozier offered Waits a directorship of the FSU Office of Alumni Affairs. After his tenure, Waits built a successful career as a professional executive, culminating in being president and CEO of the Florida Hotel and Motel Association. For his service to Florida tourism, he was appointed in 2002 to the Florida Tourism Hall of Fame and memorialized with a bronze plaque in the State Capital Building.

John J. Zilles (B.M. ’57) passed away last October. He was an avid reader of Vires and exceptionally proud of FSU and his musical education from the College of Music. Throughout his life, he was a steward of the arts, particularly in community theater, various choral groups and the St. Petersburg Opera, in St. Petersburg, Fla.. Zilles sang and volunteered in the St. Pete Opera for over ten years, and he and his wife Maureen also opened their home to visiting artists.

George Newall (B.M. ’60) passed away last December. Newall was the last surviving creator of the beloved “Schoolhouse Rock” series, which ran intermittently from 1973 to 2009. The children’s program was known for its inspiring ability to use catchy music and quirky animation to teach viewers history, grammar, math, civics and science. Among the show’s perennial favorite songs were “Conjunction Junction,” “Three Is a Magic Number,” “Interjection!”; and Newall’s “Unpack Your

Adjectives.” The show spawned many books, recordings and live singalong shows, won four Emmy Awards and is set to celebrate its 50th anniversary this year. Newall is survived by his wife, Lisa Chapman Maxwell, stepson, Lake Wolosker and his three sisters.

Susan D. Lazzell (B.A. ’64) passed away last October. Lazzell worked as a professional artist and spent many years as a counselor for teenagers in local detention facilities. She shared her talent with the children of the Ormond Beach area for several years as she painted props, signs and created special effects for Vacation Bible School. Lazzell loved animals, such as her Siamese cats, and often created portraits of her friends’ pets.

Jean M. Heaton (Ph.D. ’71) passed away at the Pacifica Senior Living-Riverside, where she had been a resident for over a decade. Heaton was a dedicated teacher who loved children and had a long career as an early childhood educator.

Michael A. Muchow (B.S. ’96, M.S. ’98), of Tucker, Georgia, passed away last March. Muchow was known as a kind, giving and gentle soul who loved his work, teaching blind and visually impaired children.

You Answered We Asked

“What makes you most proud to be an Alumni of FSU?”

“I’m proud of the culture, academics and great experience I had at FSU.”

Alexa Girard (B.S. ’22), Hopkin, Massachusetts

“The internationally renowned program and professors I studied under and the collegial spirit of students and faculty in the Instructional Systems Design program.”

Karen Shader (M.S. ’83, Ph.D. ’90), Virginia Beach, Virginia

“The legacy of everyone in our family attending such an incredible institution of learning.” Janet Fenn (B.S. ’82), Atlanta, Georgia

“The campus is beautiful, and I am so appreciative that the new buildings maintain the same style of architecture.”

Karen Bradley (BME ’69), Tallahassee, Florida

“The progress the school has made in national rankings in multiple categories.”

Robert Bethea (J.D. ’80), Jacksonville, Florida

Favorite memory at FSU?

“My years at FSU were some of the happiest of my life. I especially remember the wonderful scents of autumn

on our campus during earlymorning walks to class.”

Mary Suzanna Vásquez (B.A. ’64), Davidson, North Carolina

“Dance Marathon always sticks out for me. Being a dancer was amazing; I remember feeling connected to a greater purpose during that event.” Heather MacDonald ( B.S. ’13, M.S. ’19), Pensacola, Florida

“Before everyone started having kids and the logistics of life got in the way, my friends and I would drive up to Tallahassee for a football game every year. Those yearly tailgates with my friends as we got older would remind me that FSU was such a special place to me and why I hope my children someday choose to be a part of this university.”

Rodney Vance (B.S. ’08), Winter Park, Florida

“Meeting my wife, being on the baseball team, meeting friends and fraternity brothers and beating Florida for the first time in football.” Hubert “Clay” Gooch, Jr. (B.S. ’65), Avon Park, Florida

“There are simply too many to count, but I love the everyday memories that were made sitting on the couch in my sorority house watching “Days of Our Lives” with my sisters.” Autumn Beck Blackledge (B.S. ’98, J.D. ’01), Pensacola, Florida

What advice would you give to first-year students?

“Take a wide variety of courses and don’t pigeonhole yourself into a major too early.” Robert Bethea (J.D. ’80), Jacksonville, Florida

“Jump all in! Do the market, join clubs and intramurals, talk to your classmates and be a part of the community. You get out what you put in. Learn about yourself and others as much as you do your major.” Natalie E. Blackwell (B.S. ’00), Chattanooga, Tennessee

“Jump in with both feet. Enjoy your total experience. FSU was my safe place when home wasn’t always safe and I treasure my years there.” Kathleen Pendell Milliner (B.S. ’70), St. Augustine, Florida

“Don’t be afraid to reach out to friends when times get hard and befriend your roommates! Also, pay attention in class and don’t be afraid to be a nerd; it pays off.” Elese Volker (B.S. ’18, M.A. ’21), New York, New York

“Use the FSU arena to create your vision — whether it’s in or outside of yourself. FSU is the safe space to launch your dreams.” Gregg McBride (B.S. ’86), Seattle, Washington

Last issue we asked: What makes  FSU unique?

Patricia Welch Arnao (B.S. ’62) of Bluffton, South Carolina said “From the diverse student population, high graduation rate, beautiful campus, our fabulous Marching Chiefs, Flying High Circus and of course, when Chief Osceola and renegade ride down our home field to plant the spear. Unique? FSU is that and more!”

TALK TO US

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Parting Shot

THE FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY ORCHESTRA program aims to give students a dynamic musical experience characterized by high standards, collegiality and a sense of purpose and service to the community. There are three Florida State University Orchestras: the University Symphony for graduate and upper-division students, the Philharmonia for undergraduate students and the Sinfonia for non-music majors. The FSU Orchestras enjoy a strong following in our university community, locally and regionally.

Pictured, the University Philharmonia’s concertmaster tunes the orchestra before a packed performance in Ruby Diamond Concert Hall.