BU Theatre Center (Opening 2017).
Go Big (or go…) You’ve heard it a million times before: start small. But why start small when you’re in a vast community bursting at the seams with big ideas and abundant enthusiasm? Suffice to say, small isn’t our thing. This year, we’re putting the pedal to the metal, building colossal new spaces, playing gig after gig, collaborating on plays and prints, and contributing our two cents* to this world. Around here, we start with art, but then we go bigger. Let’s do this. *Okay, maybe a few more than two.
IN THIS ISSUE volume two, issue one 01 06–07
Go Big (or go...)
Fall Events
08
02
Charged Conversations
Acting the Part
855 Commonwealth Avenue Boston, MA 02215
09
03
Blood Sisters
Curtain Call Collaborations 10
Doctor's Orders
11
04
Hardest Working Band
Designing Community
11
05
Behind the Baton
Queen of Skiffle 12 Overdrive
2
SPARK
Charged Conversations BUAG explores the fluidity and complexity of identity in three upcoming shows. by Brooke Yarborough
In the twenty-first century, it is now common to confront shifting Martine Gutierrez, Real Dolls (Raquel 1), 2013; Archival inkjet print, 8x12" (image), 12x16" (paper) each. Edition of 10.
paradigms in cultural identity, as well as race, gender, and sexuality. The digital age has brought with it a myriad of opportunities for breaking down traditional binaries, a creative process well-suited to contemporary artists who are eager to advocate for social change. Boston University Art Galleries, headed by Artistic Director Lynne Cooney and Managing Director Josh Buckno, have programmed a season around the thematic framework of “performing visibilities” engaging in this sometimes provocative conversation: unveiling the work of artists whose work challenges the viewer to consider the politics of being seen; forcing us to reflect on who we are...and how we are perceived.
Ebony G. Patterson, Where We Found Them (detail), 2014; Cotton, plastic, lace, glitter, and mixed media. Courtesy of the artist and Monique Meloche Gallery, IL. Commissioned by the John Michael Kohler Arts Center.
The galleries are excited to present a series of exhibitions that respond to our contemporary moment. “It has always been our interest for the galleries to work together thematically; to create connecting threads through all of the exhibitions,” says Cooney. “‘Performing Visibilities’ offers a useful interpretative lens and curatorial framework in which to approach the exhibition season.” September 2016 Ebony G. Patterson: Dead Treez September 23–December 4 808 Gallery When Managing Director Josh Buckno first saw the work of Jamaican-born artist Ebony G. Patterson, he knew immediately he wanted to bring her work to Boston. “Monique Meloche
October 2016 Martine Gutierrez: True Story October 4–December 10 Faye G., Jo, and James Stone Gallery
Gallery from Chicago had a booth at the Untitled Art Fair in Miami, and I couldn’t help but be struck by the raw
True Story presents video and photographic work from
emotional power of the work: an installation of fifty full-
Martine Gutierrez, a Brooklyn-based performance artist
sized coffins, ornately decorated and brightly patterned,”
who regularly crosses the constructed boundaries of gender
says Buckno of the earlier work, created by Patterson to
identity. Her body of work is diverse and eclectic, reaching
address death, mourning, and visibility.
across the full spectrum of the creative world. “Gutierrez explores gender through idioms of popular media,” says
“Patterson’s work is visually and conceptually provocative,”
Cooney of the multi-media artist. “She also composes music,
says Lynne Cooney, Artistic Director. “And the artist herself
and just released a new EP, “Blame the Rain.’” She has also
is gaining visibility in the art world. In the past year, Dead
risen to prominence in fashion.
Treez has been shown at the Museum of Art and Design in
Spring 2017 Occupancies 808 Gallery and Faye G., Jo, and James Stone Gallery In the spring, the BU Art Galleries will present a group
New York City, receiving critical acclaim by The New York
Drawn to her androgynous personae, Yves Saint Laurent
exhibition curated by Cooney herself linking to complimentary
Times and attracting the attention of São Paulo Biennial
tapped Gutierrez for its 2012 Cruise Collection, using her
themes. Through artistic acts and artworks from over 20 artists and
organizers, which opens later this month in Brazil.”
then unreleased single, “Hands Up,” as soundscape for
across two galleries, Occupancies seeks to explore how individual
the runway show. Since then, Gutierrez has attracted the
and collective bodies create, negotiate, and inhabit space.
Originally curated by Karen Patterson for the John Michael
attention of several other fashion powerhouses including
Kohler Arts Center in Wisconsin, Dead Treez is a raw and
Christian Dior and Acne Studios.
complex meditation on the presiding systemic racism found
“Like Ebony and Martine, the artists involved are responding to our current cultural and political climate,” continues Cooney
in Jamaica and the United States in the form of an elegy for
Curated by Jordan Karney Chaim, PhD candidate in the
of the exhibition that will reflect upon the confluence of the
children that suffered violent deaths; Jamaican girls killed
Department of Art and Architecture and Raymond and
personal and the political; how individuals advocate and
for attracting male attention in Kingston, and the police
Margaret Horowitz Foundation Fellow in American Art,
articulate their identities.
killings of Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Florida, and Tamir
much of Gutierrez’s work is about losing personal individuality.
Rice in Cleveland, Ohio.
She explores gender as a fluid medium, and looks to the
Initiated as a meditation on and response to recent political
audience to create the dialogue. “In a recent photographic
demonstrations, public assemblies, forms of non-violent
Employing the bling and flamboyance of Jamaican
series, Real Dolls, Martine used her own body to break down
resistance, and many other individual and collective acts
dancehall culture, figures and tapestries are adorned with
constructions of gender, asking the audience to consider
against systemic injustices, the exhibition will assemble artists
colorful baubles, glitter, and children’s toys, provoking
‘Who is the real girl?’” says Karney.
working in all media and using formal, representational,
contemplation into what it means to be a child of color and
conceptual, and performative strategies to direct our
carefully considering the link between adverse perceptions
In each of her projects, Gutierrez casts herself in different
of black children in underserved communities and the
roles—from pop star, to Italian heiress, to exotic dancer.
resulting casualty of youthful innocence.
“While her characters appear familiar, they are not
Cooney hopes viewers “consider the body as both performed
representations of reality; rather, they are hyperbolized
and demarcated through four intersecting and mutually
“The exhibition will feature one large-scale installation,”
manifestations of feminine glamour, desire, and sexuality,”
interacting frameworks—the political body, the archival body,
adds Buckno, “as well as several floor pieces that serve
adds Karney. “Her work, always narrative, calls attention to
the mediated body, and the absent body—to articulate, assert,
in many respects as memorials for those who have been
the fictions that surround and define us—those we internalize
advocate, and activate corporeal presence as responses to
victims of some sort of violence.”
through daily life and those we create for ourselves.”
current social, cultural, and political conditions.”
awareness to the movement of the body in and through space.
VOLUME TWO, ISSUE ONE
3
Curtain Call Collaborations BU playwrights and directors take center stage at Boston Playwrights’ Theatre. by Brooke Yarborough
The Director, Adam Kassim
Long considered the home of new plays in Boston,
For Yeh, writing about an icon of art and design hasn’t
Boston Playwrights’ Theatre (BPT) has dedicated itself to
come without its challenges. “I had been considering
supporting the development, production, and promotion
the idea of writing about her [Lin] for a long time, but
This February, BPT will present The Honey Trap,
of new works for the stage for more than three decades.
was hesitant because she is a public figure, and it felt
written by playwriting student Leo McGann, and
Now in its 35 season, BPT continues to offer new,
too intrusive,” says Yeh. “But, after seeing her at BU,
directed by MFA Directing candidate (and School of
innovative work from emerging voices in the theatre.
I decided she is too amazing not to write about. She
Theatre Production Manager) Adam Kassim. Centered
seems so confident. It’s hard to imagine she ever
on the ethno-nationalist conflict in Northern Ireland,
doubted herself as an artist.”
The Honey Trap is the story of Dave, a former British
th
This season, as part of the new BU New Play Initiative, BPT shall present five BU MFA playwrights. The
soldier, who must confront old unhealed wounds that
initiative, a commitment from the School of Theatre
At first, Yeh was reluctant to have Lin as the main
to support the collaborative creation of new work,
character of the piece. It was only when she hit
provides playwrights, directors, designers, and actors
the development phase that she felt encouraged
For Kassim, the first step of directing is to find a way in,
with a variety of developmental opportunities, and
by her professors and peers to push the play in a
and for him, the concept of memory and its faultiness
the freedom to workshop their productions on campus,
more biographical direction. “Lin is the one who
was of particular interest. “The play itself is about
utilizing the creativity of the rehearsal room.
has something to lose,” adds Yeh. “She is the most
finding justice,” says Kassim. “It’s about finding revenge,
interesting character from the audience perspective.”
and coming to terms with your complicity in an event.
This sort of collaboration is the heart of the MFA
send him back to Belfast in search of answers and revenge.
It’s about memory and how you choose to remember
Playwriting degree program—a niche program of BU’s
In working with 3 year MFA Directing candidate
things.” He was also drawn to the shifting timeline of
Graduate School of Arts & Sciences and College
Kelly Galvin to develop Memorial, Yeh discovered the
the play, which takes place in both 1979 and present day.
of Fine Arts (CFA) that accepts only four to five students
ability of directors to see plays from a very different
“This play references a tumultuous time where violence
every two years. MFA playwrights work hand-in-hand
perspective. “She has just been instrumental in the
and factional fighting were parts of daily life. In many
with actors, directors, and designers from the School
development of the play,” says Yeh of Galvin. “It’s hard
ways, the piece feels very topical in 2016.”
of Theatre and the professional theater community
as a playwright to see things differently. Directors
throughout the creative process.
live outside of it, and can really observe and provide
McGann’s play has already won acclaim. Earlier this
feedback and recommendations. It is very much her
year, McGann received the KCACTF National Partners
play as it is mine.”
of the American Theater Playwriting Award. For its
Collaboration is also critical to the mission of BPT
rd
and CFA. Just last year, BPT and the Boston Center
debut at BPT, Kassim finds that the collaborative process
for American Performance (BCAP), the professional
Memorial runs October 13–23
allows the Director and Playwright to test material live,
extension of BU’s School of Theatre, partnered to bring
at Boston Playwrights’ Theatre.
ironing out kinks and improving the flow. “The great
works from two acclaimed Boston playwrights to
thing about working with Leo is that I can show him
the stage: Robert Brustein’s Exposed and Michael
a problematic scene in real time,” adds Kassim. “This
Hammond’s Uncle Jack.
process gives us both tangible material to react to.”
The Playwright, Livian Yeh
As they move towards the final (performed) iteration of the play, Kassim and McGann have developed new and
Opening the BPT season is Memorial, a new play
supportive language to allow them to encourage each
by Kennedy Center American College Theater
other while accepting each other's feedback. As Kassim
Festival (KCACTF) Paul Stephen Lim Playwriting
says, “Any artistic collaboration won’t be fruitful if it
Award co-recipient Livian Yeh. Memorial offers an
isn’t grounded in honesty. You can’t skirt around the
introspective glimpse into the trials and triumphs
issues or worry about hurt feelings. At the end of the
of architect and artist Maya Lin while designing
day, it’s so great to be able to turn to the playwright in
the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington,
the room and ask, ‘what did you mean by that?’”
D.C. Set in 1979, the playwright was drawn to her protagonist after attending a talk given by Lin at
The Honey Trap runs February 16–26
BU’s George Sherman Union in fall 2015. Inspired
at Boston Playwrights’ Theatre.
by Lin’s story and encouraged by the faculty, Yeh felt compelled to bring this story of adversity and accomplishment to the theater. For Yeh, “Lin’s story is one of believing in yourself, but Memorial is a story that is larger than Lin—it is about art, and the identity of this country.”
2016-2017 New Play Initiative Productions Tickets available at bostonplaywrights.org
October 13–23
December 8–18
February 16–26
March 23–April 2
April 20–30
Memorial
Faithless
The Honey Trap
Franklin
Every Piece of Me
by Livian Yeh Directed by Kelly Galvin
by Andrew Joseph Clarke Directed by Stephen Pick
by Leo McGann Directed by Adam Kassim
by Samantha Noble Directed by Stephanie LeBolt
by Mary Conroy Directed by Zohar Fuller
4
SPARK
The Hardest Working Band in Boston Talking Hockey, Hollywood, and Time Management, with the leaders of BU Bands. by Emily Wade
deeply embedded in the University landscape, they
of Music alum Eytan Wurman (CFA’10, CAS’10), who was
are also a face of BU around the city, performing at
working to reestablish a marching band program for the
Fenway Park, Faneuil Hall, and on the Esplanade.
school. The partnership has included student-to-student
“We can go just about anywhere. We’ll be playing
mentoring, a used instrument gift program, and several
a rowdy pre-game party outside Boston Garden one
performances at English High football games and Boston
night, and performing at a white-tie soirée at
University athletic events.
President Brown’s home the next,” says Goldberg.
“It’s a big sibling, little sibling relationship,” says
“We’re so honored to be the on-the-road ambassadors
Goldberg. “We just ended the school year with them.
for BU and the College of Fine Arts,” adds Goldberg.
Our summer Scarlet Band went over, they learned one of our songs, we learned one of theirs, they had their
BU Bands has also had opportunities to extend their Aaron Goldberg and Mike Barsano have a kinetic
reach far beyond the city. In 2014, the Marching Band
energy that is infectious. As the leaders of BU Athletic
made its second silver screen appearance in Black
Bands and University Ensembles, they spend every day
Mass, the Whitey Bulger biopic starring Johnny Depp
knowing that the next performance is always around
and Benedict Cumberbatch. “We get calls all the time,
the corner, or down the street.
but getting one from Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank,
drumline, we had our percussion group, and at the end of the school day, the students streamed out of the building and we performed as they cheered. It was amazing.” For Goldberg and Barsano, the popularity of the band programs across the University and city is rewarding,
California, well that was a huge honor,” says Goldberg. “For many years, we’ve been called the hardest
The Marching Band has also gotten the chance to
working band in college athletics,” says Goldberg,
perform onstage with Foster the People, and most
Director of BU Athletic Bands.
recently with The Dropkick Murphys on their song
but there’s an ever bigger motivation for excellence: the student performers themselves. “We always have conversations about who we serve,” says Goldberg. “It always comes down to the fact that we’re here for
“I'm Shipping Up to Boston.” Goldberg laughs, “From
the students. In turn, those band members serve the
The numbers are remarkable: last year, the bands held
this Boston kid’s perspective, that was a dream come
over 125 performances, and were viewed by nearly
true.” He adds, “Every band student graduates with a
a quarter of a million people. “I have not encountered
great extracurricular experience, and a great story to tell.”
University by producing a product that is extremely high-
a band program that does as much as we do,” says Barsano, Manager of University-wide Ensembles. “We’re performing 46 to 50 weeks a year.” Goldberg adds, “But for us, BU Bands is about more than just socializing and school pride...for us, it’s an opportunity to be the outward face of music at Boston University.” And the bands get a lot of face time. On any given Friday night, Pep Band is playing for 7,000 cheering fans at a hockey game, or a packed gym for basketball, and they always have room for another performance. “When Aaron came onboard five years ago, BU Bands began supporting Women’s Ice Hockey,” says Barsano. “We’ve made a real effort to celebrate all sports at the University equally, which is great.” It’s not just the number of performances that impresses; it’s also the scope. BU Bands is composed of nine ensembles containing several hundred students representing nearly every University major and college. Pep Band plays for every accepted student open house, and nearly 1,000 people a week during summer orientation sessions. Though the Bands are
BU Bands By the Numbers Background photo by Natasha Moustache.
quality.” For some students, music making also means schedule juggling. “Not long ago, I spoke with one of our section leaders," says Goldberg. “He’s a neuroscience
We're a big strong band program
major and he’s in five University ensembles. I took him aside and asked him how he manages to find the time—
at a big strong university.
his response was, “‘I need these ensembles...otherwise I’d be in the lab 24 hours a day,’” Barsano adds. “None of
This fun often serves a bigger purpose. BU Bands is
these students have to be in these ensembles. They do
also a training ground for future music educators in
this for the love of performing.”
the College of Fine Arts. Classes like Marching Band Pedagogy* serve to teach Music Education students how
Though their schedules are intense, Goldberg and
to be Band Directors by making the students members
Barsano feel lucky to lead a program that is beloved
of the marching band for a semester. This course, which
and respected. “Some other schools of music around
features a mix of experiential and classroom learning,
the country demonize their athletic band programs,
gives students a full range of skills from show design to
but at BU we feel so supported and promoted because
starting a parent booster group, making them attractive
we serve the University so well by performing at a
candidates for a career in band directing. Ensembles
very high level,” says Goldberg. He continues, “For me,
like the Boston University Big Bands serve music majors
personally, it’s about the students first and foremost.
interested in Jazz performance and education.
BU students do everything at a higher level. We push these students hard, but they push themselves harder."
As the School of Music’s most visible off-campus ensemble, the Marching Band also serves the community
“It never ends,” Goldberg chuckles, “in a good way.”
in palpable ways through its partnership with The English High School in Jamaica Plain. Now in its third year, the partnership began when Goldberg reached out to School
140
80
30
PEP BAND
MARCHING BAND
SCARLET BAND
25
7
21
BIG BANDS (EACH)
3 JAZZ COMBOS
PERCUSSION
14
60
55
COLOR GUARD
CONCERT BAND
ORCHESTRA
*A class so fascinating that we’ll be writing a full-length feature for the next issue of Spark.
PERFORMANCES PER YEAR PEOPLE PER YEAR
2
MOVIE CAMEOS
2003 MYSTIC RIVER
2014 BLACK MASS
VOLUME TWO, ISSUE ONE
5
Ken-David Masur: Behind the Baton Five Questions with the Assistant Conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. by Brooke Yarborough
From a personal standpoint, can you tell us how classical music continues to be relevant and vital in the 21st century?
Growing up, the idea of music as entertainment was You have conducted concerts all around the world. Can you
non-existent for me. I see music as being at the heart
tell us what makes Symphony Hall in Boston and Ozawa Hall
of how the community I live in connects on an intimate
at the Tanglewood Music Center such inspiring places?
level. Music has the power to bring order, and gives
There are countless reasons why artists are inspired by these architectural masterpieces. Symphony Hall and Ozawa Hall boast some of the best acoustics in the world, creating an intimate experience that gives a performance immediacy and warmth. Both venues are filled with a “special aura” from all of the great
us moments to make sense of the world around us. It gives us immediate joy and satisfaction, and the needed consolation and healing in the most devastating moments. Music gives us community when there is isolation, and it makes us contemplate our ideas and build our imagination like nothing else can.
artists that have performed there, the countless premieres that have taken place, and the historical
What advice would you offer to students as they
significance of their surroundings.
look toward 21st century careers in classical music?
The spirit of earlier performances endures—every
I would tell them to make sure they love music and are
event in these buildings feels as though it will be special
unafraid of the process of becoming a professional
somehow because the music that resounds today is
musician. This includes a good amount of mistakes,
somehow connected with that of the past.
failures, and rejections. If they unconditionally serve the music by finding joy in the process, they can look
In your opinion, why is it important for School of Music and BU Tanglewood Institute students to experience performing
for ways to relate their art to the people around them regardless of where they are in their careers.
at Symphony Hall and Ozawa Hall?
When you tap into that joy, your music can be unleashed To know that you’re stepping onto the same stage as
with not only excellence, but with the sincerity of your
artists you admire, past or present, gives you a sense
performance. Musicians need to stay constantly curious
of respect, inspiration, and wonder. Performing in these
and open to new sounds and ideas, and be on the lookout
spaces gives the younger generation the experience
for music that wants to be found, new and old. It’s such
of having the same viewpoint from one of the great
a gift to be a musician today—in any capacity whether
stages as a professional musician, and gives them the
as performer, teacher, entrepreneur, ambassador—and
opportunity to perform in front of a large audience.
to allow great music to build our character as well as the community around us.
In your role as conductor, having worked with some of the most seasoned musicians in the world, how do you adapt your style for student musicians?
I’m not sure I “adapt” per se, because it’s ultimately about conveying the spirit of the music, but I am of course aware of some of the challenges for preprofessional musicians in getting to the highest level of performance. Students at this stage of their artistic lives need to experiment with style, from baroque to contemporary music, to convey a great range and “vocabulary” of music character and expressiveness on their instruments, and to understand what a piece needs both mentally and physically. Honestly, it is not much different than what I look for in any other situation.
Ken-David Masur (BUTI’96) is the Assistant Conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and studied conducting primarily with his father, Kurt Masur. A Gram mynominated producer, Ken-David also serves together with his wife, Melinda Lee Masur, as Artistic Director of the Chelsea Music Festival, lauded by The New York Times as a “gem of a series.” An alum of the Boston University Tanglewood Institute, the premier summer program for aspiring high-school age musicians, Masur conducted the 50th Anniversary Celebration concert in Lenox, MA, this past summer, and will lead the BU Symphony Orchestra in the performance of Joseph Haydn’s Symphony No. 95 in c minor, Paul Hindemith’s Mathis der Maler Symphony, and Béla Bártok’s Concerto for Orchestra (November 21) at Symphony Hall. Background photo by Beth Ross Buckley.
9/28 + 11/16
Boston University Chamber Orchestra September 28, 8pm Performing works by Felix Mendelssohn, Ottorino Respighi, and Ludwig van Beethoven. Tsai Performance Center • Neal Hampton, conductor November 16, 8pm Performing works by Béla Bartók, Manuel de Falla, and Roberto Gerhard. Tsai Performance Center Neal Hampton, conductor, with Student Conductors
9/29
Telling New Stories September 29, 2pm Workshop with comic book artist Joel Christian Gill (CFA’04) whose celebrated graphic novel Strange Fruit, Uncelebrated Narratives from Black History brings to light nine little-known African American stories. Presented in collaboration with the Department of African American Studies, the workshop will be followed by a panel discussion moderated by Dr. Mary Anne Boelskevy on African American Storytelling in Sequential Art. African American Studies Center
10/13 — 10/23
Memorial
Livian Yeh, playwright • Kelly G
“untraditional” memorial is sel
Vietnam veterans on the Nation
old Maya Lin finds herself defe
and even her own parents. A B
co-produced by Boston Playwri
and the Graduate School of Arts Theatre • Ticketing Code: NPI
10/14 — 10/28
20th Annual Fring
Hydrogen Jukebox Composed af
composer and Beat poet Allen Gi
Ginsberg’s poetry come together
the 1950s–80s that touches on m
issues. Philip Glass, composer • A
and Matthew Larson, music dire
Mad Forest (A Play from Roman
turmoil focusing on two familie
September
9/30 + 10/18 + 11/30
9/6 — 10/2
Center for New Music
The Werther Project A semi-sta
September 30, 8pm Sound Icon performs works by Rick Burkhardt
score that concentrates on the i
and Richard Carrick, as well as Fred Lerdahl’s Time After Time,
poet Werther, Charlotte, and Al
culminating one of two residencies with the American composer
readings from the original text.
and music theorist. CFA Concert Hall
Édouard Blau, Paul Milliet, and
2016 Fall Student Showcase Featuring work by undergraduate students in painting, sculpture, graphic design, and printmaking. Commonwealth Gallery + Stone Gallery
9/20
September 20, 5pm Piano Conference and Performance.
November 30, 8pm JACK Quartet performs works by Iannis Xenakis,
CFA Concert Hall
Erin Gee, Hannah Lash, and Horatiu Radulescu. CFA Concert Hall
September 21, 8pm Grammy Award-winning string quartet comprised of Peter Zazofsky (violin), Lucia Lin (violin), Steven Ansell (viola), and Michael Reynolds (cello). Tsai Performance Center
9/22 + 9/27 + 11/15
Music Faculty Recital Series September 22, 8pm Composer and pianist Rodney Lister with faculty guests perform vocal music by Virgil Thomson in celebration of the 100th Anniversary of his birth. Tsai Performance Center September 27, 8pm Violist Michelle LaCourse performs
Jerrold Pope and Allison Voth, d
by Steve Reich, Tristan Murail, Fausto Romitelli, and Davide Ianni. CFA Concert Hall
Muir String Quartet
Caryl Churchill, playwright • Ju
William Lumpkin, music direct October 18, 8pm Electric guitarist Giacomo Baldelli performs works
Center for Beethoven Research
9/21
totalitarian regime and what ha
Fringe Festival performances
& Lane-Comley Studio 210 • T
October 10/4
The Price of Memory Film screening presented in conjunction with Ebony G. Patterson: Dead Treez. CFA Concert Hall • 7pm
10/6 + 11/17
Boston University Wind Ensemble October 6, 8pm Performing works by Charles Rochester Young, John Harbison, John Plant, Peter Graham, and Ingolf Dahl. Tsai Performance Center • David Martins, conductor
chamber music masterworks. Tsai Performance Center November 17, 8pm Performing works by Paul Hindemith,
10/14 — 12/11
Martine Gutierre
Using various media idioms suc
photography, and music videos,
imagery explores the constructi
her projects, the Brooklyn-based
different roles—from pop star, t
While her characters appear fam
of reality; rather, they are hyper
glamour, desire, and sexuality. O
(in conversation with curator Jo 6-8pm • Stone Gallery
10/14 — 12/11
JR Uretsky: Wha
Looking to Sara Ahmed’s writin
the effects of pain and melanch
puppetry combined with etherea
November 15, 8pm Pianist David Kopp performs works
Justin Casinghino, Anthony Iannaccone, and Frank Ticheli.
by Milton Babbitt and Arthur Berger. Tsai Performance Center
Tsai Performance Center • David Martins, conductor
9/23 — 12/4
10/8 — 10/30
Ebony G. Patterson: Dead Treez
Good
Contemporary Pe Lecture Series: J
An immersive meditation on Jamaica’s dancehall culture, Dead
CP Taylor, playwright • Jim Petosa, director In 1930s Germany,
Constantly pushing the bounda
Treez showcases mixed-media installations and jacquard-woven
Professor John Halder (Michael Kaye (CFA’95’99)), draws the
materials and methods, 76-year
photo tapestries that explore class, gender, and race through the lens
attention of the Nazi Party with his novel on compassionate
to the burgeoning tendency of “
of popular culture, social media, dress, and personal adornment.
euthanasia. Despite the pleadings of his Jewish friend Maurice
which embeds social issues wit
Opening Reception: September 23, 6-7:30pm • 808 Gallery
(Tim Spears (CFA’06,’16)) John is tempted by the changing worlds
10/17
Jacob Sleeper Auditorium • 6:30
around him. An expressionist play that poses questions all too
9/26 + 10/25
Boston University Symphony Orchestra September 26, 8pm Performing works by Johannes Brahms, Jean Sibelius, and Dmitri Shostakovich. Tsai Performance Center • Stefan Asbury, conductor October 25, 8pm Performing works by Maurice Ravel, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Tsai Performance Center • Ching-Chun Lai, conductor
familiar in today’s politics. Co-produced by New Repertory Theatre and Boston Center for American Performance. • Arsenal Center for the Arts • Ticketing Code: New Rep/BCAP
10/20 — 10/26
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are
Tom Stoppard, playwright • Ste
The fabulously inventive tale of
view of the bewildered Rosencr
characters in Shakespeare’s ma
Galvin, playwright When her
lected to commemorate fallen
nal Mall in Washington, D.C., 21-year-
ending it to veterans, the US Congress,
BU New Play Initiative production
ights’ Theatre, CFA School of Theatre,
ts & Sciences. • Boston Playwrights’
ge Festival
fter a chance meeting between the
insberg, Glass’s minimalist style and
r to create a portrait of America from
many of America’s enduring social
Ticket Information 10/21
Concert Band, All Campus Orchestra, + Big Band October 21, 8pm University ensembles come together for annual Parents’ Weekend concert. CFA Concert Hall
10/21
Baltimore Kirsten Greenidge, playwright In this encore performance of
aged presentation of Massenet’s lush
intense drama between the troubled
lbert combined with narrations and
. Jules Massenet, composer
d Georges Hartmann, librettists
tor • Nathan Troup, stage director
dramaturgists
s held at Boston University Theatre
Ticketing Code: Fringe
ez: True Story
bostonplaywrights.org • 866.811.4111
Fringe $7 general admission; $3.50 CFA Membership; free with BU ID at the door, day of performance, subject to availability. bostontheatrescene.com • 617.933.8600
American Performance and New Repertory Theatre • Boston University Theatre • Ticketing Code: New Rep/CRC
New Rep/CRC $20 general admission; $15 BU Community
10/22 — 10/23
Clay Hopper, director 90-minute renderings of Nathaniel
udy Braha, director
NPI $30 general admission; $15 CFA Membership; $10 students.
diverse college students. Co-produced by the Boston Center for
nia) An incisive portrait of society in
appens when the regime collapses.
Members and BU Community. newrep.org • 617.923.8487
complexity of racism from the perspectives of eight culturally
Romeo and Juliet and The Scarlet Letter
es to reveal what life is like under a
New Rep/BCAP $25–59 with discounts available to CFA
this BU New Play Initiative production, Greenidge explores the
ectors • Emily Ranii, stage director
Allen Ginsberg, librettist • Allison Voth
All events are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted. Visit bu.edu/cfa/events for more details.
and BU Alumni, CFA Students, and groups (10+); $10 CFA Membership, New Rep Subscribers, BU Friends & Family; free with BU ID at the door, day of performance, subject to availability. bostontheatrescene.com • 617.933.8600
Hawthorne and William Shakespeare’s classics. Boston University Theatre • Ticketing Code: New Rep/CRC
10/28
When Patients Heal You
Venues Boston University Art Galleries
October 28, 7pm Arts|Lab presents music by patients of the Department of Neurology at Boston Medical Center. CFA Concert Hall
808 Gallery 808 Commonwealth Avenue
November
Commonwealth Gallery 855 Commonwealth Avenue
11/7
Faye G., Jo, and James Stone Gallery 855 Commonwealth Avenue
Panel discussion presented in conjunction with Martine Gutierrez:
The Annex 855 Commonwealth Avenue
Exhibiting Gender True Story. Stone Gallery • 2pm
ch as classic Hollywood film, fashion
, Gutierrez’s hauntingly seductive
ion of gender and self. In each of
d performance artist casts herself in
to Italian heiress, to exotic dancer.
miliar, they are not representations
rbolized manifestations of feminine
Opening Reception + Artist Talk
ordan Karney Chaim): October 13,
at I Found Out There
ngs on queer grief, Uretsky explores
holia on the body through monstrous
al video and emotional song. The Annex
erspectives Jack Whitten
aries of a medium through innovative
r-old Whitten is a major forerunner
“Social Abstraction” in American art,
thin personal modes of expression.
0pm
d e Dead
ephen Pick, director
f Hamlet as told from the worm’s-eye
rantz and Guildenstern, two minor
asterpiece. TheatreLab@855
11/11
Arts and Ideas in Action Artists, business leaders, scientists, academics, and students come together for a symposium highlighting activity at the intersection of Art + Business + Social Impact. Presented in collaboration with the Questrom School of Business Center for Entrepreneurship, the BUzz Lab, and the BU Arts Initiative, the morning session will include mini-presentations with Boston-based ventures that exemplify the creative economy, followed by Design Thinking workshops in the afternoon. Graphic Design Studio
11/14
Printmaking Lecture: Sister Sheila Flynn Founder of the Kopanang Community Trust for women in South Africa affected by HIV/AIDS, Sister Sheila shares the story and mission of the organization that provides a sustainable way forward generating income through handmade embroidery, clothing, wall hangings, and bags. Book Arts Studio • 6pm
11/21
BU Symphony Orchestra November 21, 8pm Performing Joseph Haydn’s Symphony No. 95 in c minor, Paul Hindemith’s Mathis der Maler, and Béla Bártok’s Concerto for Orchestra. Symphony Hall • Ken-David Masur, Guest Conductor
11/30
Contemporary Perspectives Lecture Series: Jeffrey Gibson Native American artist Gibson blends his cultural heritage with geometric abstraction in vibrant richly detailed sculptures, paintings, and installations. Jacob Sleeper Auditorium • 6:30pm
Boston University Performance + Lecture Venues African American Studies Center 138 Mountfort Street, Brookline Arsenal Center for the Arts 321 Arsenal Street, Watertown Boston Playwrights' Theatre 949 Commonwealth Avenue Boston University Theatre & Lane Comley Studio 210 264 Huntington Avenue CFA Concert Hall 855 Commonwealth Avenue Graphic Design Studio and Book Arts Studio 808 Commonwealth Avenue, 4th floor Jacob Sleeper Auditorium 871 Commonwealth Avenue TheatreLab@855 855 Commonwealth Avenue Tsai Performance Center 685 Commonwealth Avenue
8
SPARK
Acting the Part McCaela Donovan on the new BU Theatre Complex, advice for students, and more. by Brooke Yarborough & Emily Wade
You’re opening a New Theatre
Can you talk a bit about how the Professional Theatre
because you’re local. There are pros and cons, but a lot
complex, opening in 2017…
Initiative (PTI) serves as a training ground for students?
of students have been staying because they are making
Yes! We’re very excited! I’m a bit anxious
PTI is great for the students, and something that makes
that we’re going to have so many applications,
our programs stand out. Theatre is very process-oriented,
that we’ll be overwhelmed! This year, we had 1,200
and our students have an innate sense of that, but it’s also
applications for the Performance side of the program...
about allowing them to be exposed to the professional
the most we’ve ever had...
theater community while they are here with us. This encourages a variety of voices and experiences.
That sounds like a good problem…
good connections and building their resumes before going to a bigger city where they have to hoof it. So, it’s important for students to have realworld experience beyond the typical Acting or Performance training.
Absolutely. Our training is heavily process focused, In the past two years alone, we’ve had current
but there is also another side of what our students will
performance students cast at Central Square Theater,
encounter when they leave us. It is important for them
Actors’ Shakespeare Project, Company One, and
to have a resource to talk about union affiliations like
ArtsEmerson, and have had design and production
Actors’ Equity and Screen Actors Guild, how to read a
students employed at Gloucester Stage Company and
contract and speak with an agent or casting director,
American Repertory Theater (ART), just to name a few.
or to discuss graduate school. Because all of our faculty
I think the program will likely just get more selective.
This is on top of endless internship and employment
and staff are working professionals, I encourage
In the past few years, our programs have gotten more
opportunities we help connect them with.
the students to use us as a resource to ask us these
(laughs) Definitely! With the new theatre, and the increase in applications, does School of Theatre think they will be accepting more students?
competitive. But recruitment is the most enjoyable
questions that extend beyond the classroom and into the
part of this job for me. You get to meet all these really
Diversity of experience is so important.
fascinating people, and see what a generation’s voice is.
Things like Music Theatre…
What do they look for in a student?
The Music Theatre concentration has had a huge bump. All of the classes for next semester are not only full, but
First, it’s important to get a sense of their energy in
overloaded. And a lot of our alums are working in Music
the space. So much about how we recruit at BU is about
Theatre. Most of our alums who went to Showcase in NYC
discovering who they are as a person, not just their skill
this year got calls for Hamilton right out of Showcase.
level. We see many incredibly talented students, but everyone in our program must also understand
We have so many theater companies in this city.
the importance of the ensemble. A lot of the time,
Do you think there are things that make the Boston
we can get that sense from the way we conduct our
market more attractive to students, than going to
auditions and portfolio reviews.
New York or Chicago?
That means a lot of auditions…
Yes, well I think that because of PTI, they’ve had the
logistical side of the lifestyle of an artist. Professional development in an education environment is incredibly important. It is not useful for us to simply place them in an internship, but to teach them how to develop ownership over their trajectory and not be afraid to reach out to possible collaborators. Through PTI and working alongside our faculty, BU School of Theatre students and alums are artistic creators and generators, not simply people who consume and execute. That is why students choose to study with us, and why the majority of alums are successfully making a life for themselves in the field.
chance to develop connections, so they know how to
Yes. It’s a lot to go through. We also get about 25-30
navigate the system here. Our students always know
School of Theatre Assistant Director McCaela Donovan is an
video submissions, and conduct 200-300 design and
when auditions are happening. And they get to meet
Elliot Norton and IRNE award-winning actress, theater educator,
portfolio interviews as well. The rest we see in person.
people. Our students meet Artistic Directors through
and audition coach. She is also a founding member of Bridge
I am in every city for every session. And then,
Mary Buck and Judy Braha’s classes. I would say
depending on who is available from the faculty, I have
that most students, if they get an opportunity out
one to two other people with me. I alone probably see at
of Showcase, they’ll go to New York right away. But
least half of the auditions myself. I love it. I could do it all
there’s also a lot of New York contacts that you can
day. I think it’s really fun.
meet here, contacts that you wouldn’t meet in New York
McCaela’s top 6 pieces of advice for students building a life in theater:
1 2
3
Stay Hungry. Always know that you can do more. Stay a step ahead. You can’t get complacent. You have to work for yourself. You are your best advocate. You have to develop collaborators so you can help each other. When you’re young, you feel like you have to say ‘yes’ to everything and everyone, and sometimes that’s a good thing, but also— don’t lose yourself. If you stand up for yourself respectfully, people will take you more seriously.
Be Approachable. I always tell students when they audition to ‘Be cool.’ I don’t mean being too cool for school, but being comfortable with yourself, and affable and approachable. People will respond to friendliness and warmth.
Repertory Theatre of Boston.
4 5 6
Find your artistic soulmates! Go to opening nights! Don’t be afraid to talk to people. Think strategically about how you can collaborate on projects big and small. Know the places that make you happy. Big cities aren’t for everyone. Theater is a vast community. Find the place that’s right for you. Keep your own work going. It’s important to keep the professional/business aspects of theater in mind, but it’s also so important to be creatively fulfilled and keep developing your own work.
Photos courtesy of McCaela Donovan.
VOLUME TWO, ISSUE ONE
Blood Sisters The ties that bind artisans from South Africa with Printmakers from BU. by Brooke Yarborough
While President Nelson Mandela’s democratic election in 1994 marked
as a tool for change. “Printmaking has a huge history in South Africa as an
the end of political apartheid in South Africa, disparities in income, life
instrument for social justice,” says Cornell. “During the apartheid, censorship
expectancy, land ownership, and education prevail, leaving a nation divided
laws banned painters and sculptors from doing political work. But nobody
both socially and economically. A quarter of the population is unemployed,
really knew what printmaking was [except for printmakers themselves]—
living on less than $2.00 a day. Crime and violence are part of everyday life.
it was really under the radar. That is where the powerful protest art was created for decades.”
Inadequate access to health care and education means that one in five adults are HIV positive, along with 200,000 children under the age of 15; three
“Printmakers have the essential ability to reproduce their images,”
times that many are orphaned as a result of the virus. “You may think [the
says Joshua Brennan, Technical Associate and Lecturer in Printmaking,
AIDS epidemic] has receded,” says Deborah Cornell, Head of the Printmaking
“You can get your message out there because you can print it a thousand times.
Department at Boston University. “But it really hasn’t. There are still great
If you make one painting and it gets censored, there goes your message.”
challenges associated with it, like accessing treatment. It’s a very difficult life. There are no jobs for victims. They haven’t had the opportunity to develop skills.”
Last fall, Sister Sheila and award-winning children’s book illustrator Ashley Bryan facilitated a workshop with printmaking students, soliciting
While on mission in Tsukane, a small township just 30 miles southeast of
and reviewing initial drawings from program participants for future use
Johannesburg, Dominican nun and artist Sister Sheila Flynn saw firsthand the
by Kopanang artists.
ravages of the pandemic and was driven to create a work-oriented program to support HIV/AIDS victims and their families. Founded in 2001, the Kopanang
Following that initial workshop, Cornell and Brennan hosted two
Community Trust operates as a self-help collective, employing more than fifty
additional workshops on creating linoleum block prints based on the
women from surrounding townships, many of whom who have lost entire
drawings the students had created. By the end of January, the students
families to the disease and who must now care for extended family groups.
sent the prints to Africa where Kopanang Trust members created embroideries from the students’ designs.
Designed to give the women a sustainable path through skills, training, and empowerment, the Trust teaches the women to make embroideries, beaded
In April the School of Visual Arts hosted a fundraising event, selling
jewelry, handcrafted bags, and wall hangings. “She [Sister Sheila] decided that
the finished embroideries and raising over one thousand dollars for the
she didn’t want to simply hand out help to these women,” adds Cornell. “She
Kopanang Trust. Through Sister Sheila, students also had the opportunity
wanted to teach them to make things so that they could help themselves.”
to make a special connection to the women who were working on the embroidered pieces, passing messages between artists and artisans.
Perhaps more importantly, women at the Kopanang are able to find solace
“They [the women] were very inspired by our students, just as our students
from the burdens of their everyday lives; forming sisterly bonds that provide
were inspired by them,” adds Brennan. “They sent cards to each student they
emotional support as they confront individual realities of struggle and
worked with. Our students were so touched to receive these handwritten
sickness. “Even in the signs of death, there are symbols of hope,” says Sister
notes. Some of the women loved the designs so much that they made two
Sheila. “That is what AIDS is teaching us: what it means to truly care for
to three embroideries in different colors.”
one another, and what truly matters. Even with all of the materialism that abounds, what really matters is people and relationships.”
Cornell and Brennan hope to continue working with the women at the Kopanang Trust, and are looking forward to future collaborations
For nearly ten years, Boston University School of Visual Arts has welcomed
following Sister Sheila’s visit this fall.
Sister Sheila as she spreads awareness of the Trust and South Africa’s ongoing struggles with AIDS. In recognition of World AIDS Day, Sister Sheila
Sister Sheila will give a lecture to Printmaking students on November 14th at 6pm
has offered printmaking workshops to Visual Arts students, and the school
in the Book Arts Studio at 808 Commonwealth Avenue, Room 404R. All are welcome to
and the printmaking students have hosted a sale of Kopanang goods at the
attend. For more information on the Kopanang Community Trust, please visit kopanang.org.
George Sherman Union. For Cornell, these events speak to the power of art
Julianna Katz (CFA’16) cutting an image into a linoleum block.
Ashley Bryan with Sister Sheila at BU, Fall 2015.
9
10
SPARK
When Moisès Fernández Via (CFA’11) first stepped onto the Boston University Medical Campus (BUMC) in 2012, he found an unparalleled, textured ecosystem and immediately recognized the potential to create a laboratory examining the role of art in society. Four years later, the Director of Arts|Lab @ Med Campus (A|L) continues to be inspired by the everyday interactions of a community that is in many ways a microcosm of greater Boston.
Just what the Doctor Ordered
to write for the first time, learning English at a rate of five words per month. For the last
Arts|Lab brings art to the heart of the BU Medical Campus.
session, A|L students developed a creative game through a project called Words using music to represent five experiences related to the words, inviting the women to work together to solve the musical puzzle. “It is a better way
by Brooke Yarborough
to do an exam,” says Fernández Via. “It’s an open-ended and creative way to remind us that words have meanings, and those meanings represent experiences that can be felt.” More importantly, the project facilitates conversations between the women, forcing them to speak,
“That richness expresses truth and reality,”
further supporting their English skills.
says Fernández Via, of the campus that is home to BU’s Schools of Medicine, Public Health,
In another project, A|L Artist in Residence,
and Dental Medicine, as well the ten thousand
Julianna Katz (CFA’16) worked with women
physicians, nurses, residents, faculty, staff, and
in the program to create illustrations for
students who comprise Boston Medical Center
My Dreams, a book of their personal journeys
(BMC), not to mention the one million patients
that was published as a culmination of
who are treated there each year. “There are
a yearlong project of writing their stories.
very few places that are truthful to what society is, that are not just partial representations—few
Not all A|L projects are able to employ a
places where there is absolutely everything
different point of view, creating a dialogue with their
working together for the same purpose, and
unborn children through song.
two-way approach. Through Presents, staff and social workers at BMC have the ability to request a
that makes it a very special place.”
visit to a room or a patient from a growing network The model the students developed is built on
of thirty “artists-on-call.” The artist first visits the
Over the years, what started as an outreach project
inspiration—a musician might ask the mother to write
patient, and then returns with an artistic gift in just
between CFA and BUMC has developed into an
a letter to their child; for others it might be an image
48 hours. “The first visit is just a personal encounter,”
experiment in artistic reciprocity where volunteer
or a memory that inspired them. From there, a text
says Fernández Via. “There is no art involved, just
artists and musicians transform their individual ability
is developed, and the music begins to emerge almost
a visit from a student, who tries to sense what is
into collective opportunities. “[At BMC] The artists are
spontaneously with the artists translating the mother’s
happening to make their assessment.” From that
there not to entertain, not for paternalistic justifications,
memories or musings into a melody. “We apply basic
point, the student makes a verbal commitment to
not because people are sick, not to make something better,
models of traditional sound,” says Fernández Via.
the patient to return within 48 hours with an artistic
but just to be part of this society.”
“There is a set of tools for the students to draw from.
gift. “That is very important,” adds Fernández Via
For example, the musician may ask a question musically,
remembering a patient who had been in the hospital
The A|L model represents a unique approach to the
and the mother will sing the answer.” The music
for a month with no visitors. “It can give the patient
presence of artists in the clinical setting. The work
students are instrumental in starting the journey, but
a huge morale boost.”
the artists do at BMC eschews traditional art therapy
once there is a musical shape, the mother can continue
approaches in favor of a distinctive formula aimed
on her own creating a sense of ownership.
at creating productive dialogue between the arts and
Looking forward, Fernández Via and A|L advisors hope to apply components of traditional research into their
healthcare. A|L students apply art and creativity
“I think the story of what we do is much more about
work. “The research component has always been part of
through a process known as Artistic Intervention—
individuals connecting, differing realities in dialogue,
the goal, something I planned to infuse once we actually
an Art Cart created by Artist-in-Residence Taylor
creating a context of true communication between
had the projects in place,” says Fernández Via, who plans
Mortell (CFA’16) that provides patients in the
very different groups through a variety of forms,”
to explore the link between creativity and public safety
Pediatric Emergency Department with guided artistic
add Fernández Via. “But the human component is key.
in the coming year. Though it is only hypothesis at this point,
experiences, Poetry Readings during Chemotherapy
The arts become an instrument to facilitate something.
Fernández Via believes that Music at the Heart of BMC,
treatments, or Waiting, a series of carefully planned
It is about seeing, and being seen.”
a series of public lobby concerts at BMC, will directly
musical performances in the Emergency Department
promote public safety within the space. He hopes to
waiting room. “Our work is extremely experimental,”
Other artistic interventions invite people to reorient
says Fernández Via. “The students work to understand
their senses. Silence, a series of curated music performances
how they can use what they know to serve a particular
in the Surgical Unit, aims to reduce unnecessary noises
Fernández Via’s goal is not for A|L students to
need. There are no rules and no mistakes. Yet the artist’s
in a busy hospital. The soothing music helps staff work
transform the medical campus. He wants these artists
sensitivity plays a critical role in how to fill the space,
mindfully, aiding in patients' rest and recovery.
to belong to the campus. “It is much more than bringing
to understand and anticipate what is needed at
prove that “bringing music brings safer public spaces.”
what we do here [CFA] to there [BMC]. It is not about While the majority of projects take place at BMC, A|L
transforming a hospital into a gallery or concert hall.
students have worked with Boston Health Care for the
It is about artists impacting patients without the demand
Projects like Lullaby have a lot to do with this
Homeless, the Solomon Carter Fuller Mental Health Center,
of becoming a doctor. It is about the idea that an artist
sensitivity. Co-created by Ensemble-in-Residence Palaver
Rosie’s Place, and other independent institutions and
can belong to a hospital. That is really the goal.”
Strings, Lullaby is a series of student-led workshops for
shelters that are part of or proximate to BUMC.
a particular moment in time.”
young mothers who are at-risk or in difficult situations.
On October 28th at 7pm, Arts|Lab will present When Patients
The workshops offer patients the opportunity to relate
At Rosie’s Place, A|L students work with women in the
Heal You, a special presentation of music created by patients
to the idea of motherhood and pregnancy from a very
English Literacy program, many of whom are learning
of the Department of Neurology, in the CFA Concert Hall.
Arts|Lab By the Numbers
72% 52
INCREASE IN ARTISTIC PROGRAMMING AT BUMC EVENTS PER SEASON
102 20
CFA STUDENT ARTISTS
7
PATIENTARTISTS
BUMC STUDENTS
6
BUMC STAFF & FACULTY
VOLUME TWO, ISSUE ONE
11
Designing a Community New space means exciting possibilities for Graduate Graphic Design Program. by Brooke Yarborough
Photo by Brooke Yarborough.
Queen of Skiffle Marshall Lambert (CFA’15), alumna of the BU Graduate Graphic Design program and Spark designer, introduces her new nomadic design practice: Studio Skiffle. After graduating with your MFA, you began working with metaLAB (at) Harvard. How has your time at the
Crisp white walls. Sun-drenched space. Panoramic
adds Amend. This fall, the School of Visual Arts will
views of the Charles. 13,000 square feet. A new
launch a 1-year post-baccalaureate program in Graphic
agency? Not exactly. A new classroom? Not quite.
Design, with the option for students to continue into
This is Boston University’s new state-of-the-art
the MFA program. "There is an increasing demand to
Graphic Design space—a professional graphic
innovate and expand our Graphic Design offerings," says
design studio and classroom in one.
Jeannette Guillemin, Director of the School of Visual Arts. “The new studio space allows us to do just that.”
Located on the fourth floor of the historic Fuller building, the new space is large enough to hold up to
“The new studio completely sets us apart,” adds Coogan,
sixty students. It includes dedicated studios for eight
who believes the space will attract more students, making
faculty members, three modular classrooms, and a
the program even more competitive. “I don’t know of any
dual workspace perfect for hosting workshops and
other program with this caliber of studio space."
events. “The idea is to allow our creative community of artists in multiple disciplines to work together,
The space also gives students convenient access to the
fostering, and hopefully enhancing, everyone’s artistic
College’s Photography studios. "The goal is to centralize
ability,” says John Amend, Assistant Dean of Finance and
where students access equipment," says McElroy, who
Administration for the College. Alston Purvis, Chair of
plans to make DSLR cameras and lighting kits more
the Graphic Design Department agrees. “I always try to
accessible for the students. The studio will also have the
encourage the students to work on campus. It is great
latest in design and fabrication equipment, including 3-D
At some point I began thinking about how musical artists go
that they have their own space to interact with other
Print technology, large format print and scan capability,
on tour to share their music, and photographers and artists
students in the program.”
and vinyl cutters for use in the creation of large-scale
lab inspired the path for your new design practice? metaLAB is a family of humble, curious, and creative misfits who get to come in every day to create, think, explore, and dream together. Spending time in that type of open environment has inspired me to really take pride and ownership of my creative ideas and run with them.
typography, including signs. Looking forward, Guillemin
share their work in galleries. But what does it mean—what could it mean—for a designer to go on tour? What might it
Graphic Design professor Kristen Coogan expects to see an
envisions a space that will serve as a resource to those
mean to share work and skills in a non-static environment?
immediate change in student experience. “The new space
across the University, as well as the city of Boston.
How could interacting with different people and
is a real showpiece for the program. For the students,
environments influence my studio work and art practice?
I suspect it will aid in elevating their work, creating a forum
On November 11, the School of Visual Arts will host
for collaborative discourse and symbiotic interaction.”
Arts and Ideas in Action, a symposium highlighting
I've enjoyed three years in Boston, but I'll be relocating to
the intersection of Arts + Business + Social Impact.
Colorado for a bit this fall, and we'll see where Skiffle takes me from there! I spent a bit of this summer visiting and
The new space also marks a strategic move for the
Sponsored in part by the BU Arts Initiative, and in
hiking around Alaska and Oregon, and I can't wait to explore
Graphic Design graduate program at the College,
partnership with the Questrom School of Business Center
more of the West. Something I'm really looking forward to
which has been geographically separated from the
for Entrepreneurship and the BUzz Lab, the School
is performing pop–up bookmaking and conditional design
graduate painting and sculpture programs for many
has invited local artists, business leaders, and thought
workshops out of the trunk and surrounding space of my
years. According to Madeline McElroy, Graphic Design
partners, including David Delmar (CFA’06), Founder of
car! I love meeting new people and sharing skills, so the
Technical Associate, “The new space allows for a
Resilient Coders, Susan Rodgerson, Executive Director
pop–up workshops are going to be a lot of fun and will
collective cohesion between the programs.” In addition
of Artists for Humanity, and Liz Powers, Co-Founder of
be an important addition to my creative practice.
to proximity, which will allow for rich collaborations
ArtLifting, for a full day exploring the impact of art and
I've practiced freelance work through graduate school and in
between graduate students of all disciplines, the space
creativity in business.
addition to my full time jobs over the last ten years, so I'm very
has other tangible benefits. With a modern design and a
excited to dedicate my energy to focusing soley on buildling
clean and minimalistic aesthetic, the new studio features
“We’ve reached out to thought leaders to conceptualize
and promoting Studio Skiffle while also being able to focus on
an open layout intended to mimic the surroundings of
what the day might look like,” says Guillemin, who is
other creative curiosities and outputs, like the workshops.
a professional workspace. “For graduate students, it is
organizing the symposium. “We are considering the
especially important to have experience in a real-life
challenges and possibilities, looking at arts organizations,
environment,” McElroy says. “We have a responsibility
as well as hybrid models of art and business that are
to bridge the gap between academia and the professional
sustainable from an economic perspective.”
What other creative outputs are you interested in exploring and spending more time with? For the last few years there have been a few characters
world, and in graphic design, students learn by doing. The
I've been writing stories about and creating illustrations
only way to get better is by showing work and opening it
Open to the Boston community, the morning session
around—one is a French marshmallow named Hooky Hands,
up to critique. This new space facilitates just the sort of
will bring in artists and art advocate speakers for short
constructive verbal communication that will help students
presentations, while the afternoon will pivot to Design
grow as designers.”
Thinking workshops to focus on idea generation.
The new studios are located on the same floor as the
“The goal is to deepen from the idea to the action
College’s Printmaking facilities, which include one of the
phase,” continues Guillemin, “To consider the role of
last remaining letterpress machines in Boston, as well as
the arts in leading innovation, and how BU can be an
dedicated studios for lithography, silk screening, etching,
incubator of this type of thinking.”
and another is The Girl with Long Bangs. They crept into my subconscious and I've been haunted by them in the best way. I'm so enthusiastic to get them more exposure and attention, and I've also been working on a travel entertainment book for designers that I'm hoping to produce late this fall. One last question: What in the world is a "skiffle?" Skiffle is a genre of music often played using improvised
and digital printmaking. “This is a great opportunity
instruments—which pairs perfectly with my improvisational
for Graphic Design and Printmaking students to work
For Purvis, who has served on the design faculty
together,” says Amend who recognizes the importance
since 1981, these developments offer an exciting new
of also educating students in handmade arts in an
opportunity to further burnish the department’s deeply
ever-growing digital landscape.
respected program. “Graphic design,” he says, “changes
and experimental design methodology. Lonnie Donegan was known as the King of Skiffle, and I'll be playing both new and old skiffle music from my car during the pop–up gallery space and workshops! Skiffle is also a super fun and memorable word. No one is ever too familiar with it, and I really enjoy hearing what folks think it means before I tell them.
every six months. While the same principles always apply, "This new space makes it possible to expand our
you have to keep up with what is current.”
enrollment in the Graduate Graphic Design program,"
For more information on Studio Skiffle and Marshall's curiosities, visit StudioSkiffle.com. Background photo by Emily Wade.
Overdrive Distinguished Alumni Awards
Watch It Live!
Join us as we honor:
The new BU Theatre Center is taking shape here on the Charles River campus.
» Joel Christian Gill (SVA’04), Graphic Novelist, Strange Fruit
When complete, the building will feature a state-of-the-art multi-functional
» Beth Morrison (SOM’94), Creative Producer, Beth Morrison Projects
studio theatre with a full complement of support spaces and design labs for
» Peter Paige (SOT’91), Co-Creator and Executive Producer, The Fosters
teaching and producing student theatre. This vast (over 75,000 gross square feet) complex will greatly enhance the center of the campus by uniting the College’s acclaimed Theatre program on Commonwealth Avenue.
Learn more at bu.edu/alumniweekend September 30, 5:30–7:30pm • Trustee Ballroom, 9th Floor, One Silber Way
Can’t wait for Fall 2017? Tune into the live webcam at bu.edu/facilities/project/boston-university-theatre-center.
Joel Christian Gill
Beth Morrison
Peter Paige
BU Theatre Center (Opening Fall 2017).
Celebrating 50 Years of BU Tanglewood Institute
Remembering Phyllis Curtin
By far the highlight of the CFA summer was the BUTI 50th Anniversary Celebration on August 6th at Seiji Ozawa Hall.
BU College of Fine Arts and the Howard Gotlieb
Emceed by Lauren Ambrose (BUTI’94,’95) of Six Feet Under and The X-Files, and conducted by Boston Symphony
Archival Research Center invite you to join us
Orchestra Assistant Conductor Ken-David Masur (BUTI’96), students and faculty from BUTI’s Young Artists Programs
as we celebrate the remarkable life and legacy of
and alumni guest artists from across the country came together to celebrate the legacy of BUTI. Program highlights
Dean Emerita Phyllis Curtin. Through music, words,
included the world premieres of Nico Muhly’s (BUTI’96,’97) Pulses, Cycles, Clouds, and Timo Andres’ (BUTI’00,’01)
and imagery, we will reflect on the work, reach,
Land Lines, both commissioned especially for the anniversary. Following the event Dean ad interim Lynne Allen
and spirit of an exquisite artist, a gifted teacher,
and Executive Director Hilary Respass announced the establishment of the Phyllis Hoffman Scholarship Fund in
and a masterful leader. October 1, 5:30pm (with
recognition of the longtime former Artistic Director at a reception emceed by WGBH Radio Host Ron Della Chiesa.
reception to follow) • Tsai Performance Center
Photo by Natasha Moustache.
Photo courtesy of the Met Opera Archive.
Experience the innovative talent of the next generation of theatre, music, and visual artists when you purchase a CFA Membership! $25 per household entitles membership holders to unlimited half-price tickets to all CFA events held at the Boston University Theatre, Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA, Boston Playwrights’ Theatre, and Symphony Hall. Become a CFA Membership holder today by calling the Boston Theatre Scene Box Office at 617.933.8600.
Congrats to the Spark team for winning a 2016 UCDA Design Award of Excellence! Spark Editorial Team volume two, issue one CREATIVE DIRECTION + DESIGN Studio Skiffle EXECUTIVE EDITOR Brooke Yarborough ART DIRECTION Brooke Yarborough, Emily Wade INTERVIEWS + ARTICLES Brooke Yarborough, Emily Wade COMMUNICATIONS Laurel Homer, Brooke Yarborough, and Emily Wade