CONNECTIONS College of Fine Arts Fall 2021 Edition
DISTINGUISHED TEACHER 2020-2021 Each year, the Dean’s Ofce invites students in COFA to vote for one of its faculty members who has made a lasting impression on them through teaching. Te recipient of the College’s Distinguished Teacher of the Year for 2020-2021 was announced at the frst faculty meeting of the fall semester. Congratulations to Dr. Sherry Ford, chair of the Department of Communication.
On the cover: From left, top row: Michael and Sue Meadows Black Box Theatre, Barbara Sloan Costume Technology Lab; middle row: exterior view of the Center for the Arts, Poole Art Gallery; bottom row: DiscoverShelby Theatre.
Join Us for the Center for the Arts Grand Opening and Ribbon Cuting Ceremony Thursday, Nov. 18, 2021, at 3:30 p.m. Center for the Arts 900 Oak Street Montevallo, AL 35115 Light hors d’oeuvres will be served. Tours will begin immediately following the ceremony. RSVP by Nov. 8 to Dianne Kyzer at 205-665-6215 or kyzerdc@montevallo.edu. Please contact 205-665-6250 or dss@montevallo.edu at least one week prior to event to request disability-related accommodations. montevallo.edu/disabilityaccess
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Center for the Arts Ribbon-cutting, Stage Dedication is Nov. 18
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he UM College of Fine Arts will hold an official ribbon-cutting ceremony and stage dedication for the state-of-the-art Center for the Arts on Thursday, Nov. 18, at 3:30 p.m. During the event, which will be held at the Center for the Arts at the intersection of Oak Street and North Boundary Street, attendees will receive a Center for the Arts commemorative gift and light refreshments will be served. The 36,750-square-foot teaching and learning “collaboratory” opened to students in August 2020, and is unique among collegiate arts facilities in the state of Alabama. While each of the college’s academic disciplines are spread out across multiple buildings on the UM campus, the Center invites students to work on projects and productions in interdisciplinary teams and collaborations. The Center serves students in the College of Fine Arts’ departments of art, communication, music and theatre. It also serves as a prime resource for the Montevallo community and Shelby County. The collaboratory features two immersive performance venues that can serve cross-platform interdisciplinary collaborations in theatre, music, filmmaking, dance and special events, an art gallery, an open hospitality space, a market for food items, a digital fabrication lab, design labs with animation software, multiple classrooms, vocal performance rehearsal rooms, a dance studio, production shops, a public pocket park, a sculpture garden, an outdoor commons area and theatre faculty and college offices. During the Nov. 18 ceremony, the University will also unveil the Rebecca J. Luker Stage in the DiscoverShelby Theatre honoring the memory of alum Rebecca Luker. A 1984 Fine Arts graduate, Luker, who died Dec. 23, 2020, led a lengthy and distinguished career as a Broadway and television actress and musical theatre star. The ceremony will include a brief video honoring Luker, the unveiling of a permanent display in the Keller Lobby featuring her Tony Award nomination for “Show Boat” and the Alabama Legislature resolution commemorating her impact on the state and the presentation of the official Rebecca J. Luker Stage logo.
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Lu Rebecca J.
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NEW INTERIM CHAIRPERSONS IN COFA Dean Steve Peters is pleased to announce the appointment of two new interim chairpersons in the College of Fine Arts. Dr. Lori Ardovino (pictured far left), professor of music, was selected in June to serve as interim chair of the Department of Music. Ardovino joined the faculty of the Department of Music in 1995. She holds bachelor of music and bachelor of arts degrees from Minnesota State University-Moorhead, a master’s degree from Michigan State University and a doctorate from Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. She teaches clarinet, saxophone and woodwind methods and ensembles and is an active composer. Emily Gill (pictured above right), associate professor of theatre, was selected to serve as interim chair of the Department of Theatre, effective July 1. A member of the Theatre faculty since 2009, Gill specializes in costume and makeup design and technology. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Rollins College and a master’s degree from the University of Georgia. Her areas of research and creative interest include digital applications that bridge character design for live and virtual environments, immersive experience design, intersections of movement and visual elements in performance and metacognitive theories as they apply to collaborative aesthetic design for storytelling.
WELCOME TO COFA The College of Fine Arts Dean’s Office is very pleased to announce that Christine Soria is its new administrative assistant. Soria joins the Dean’s Office after spending the last four and a half years with the Department of Communication Science and Disorders where she served as the administrative and graduate program assistant. A 2012 graduate of the University of Montevallo, she expects to complete her MBA degree in 2022.
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Broadcast Studio Renamed in Jordan’s Memory
The broadcast studio in Strong Hall has been renamed the “Andy Jordan Broadcast Studio” thanks to an anonymous gift in memory of Jordan. A plaque has been placed outside the studio space that reads, “The Andy Jordan Broadcast Studio is named in memory of Mr. Andy Jordan ’00 ‘Looking good, Gold Side!’” The Andy Jordan Broadcast Studio will serve to honor the memory of a man who was wellloved among his friends and throughout the UM family. “Andy had the most infectious personality and was a friend to everyone he met,” Keith Shoemaker ’98 said of Jordan. “He loved Montevallo and was involved in every possible way during his time there. His mark on our campus is indelible and this dedication will be a symbol of his light
on our tiny part of the world here at Montevallo.” Jordan was heavily involved on campus during his time as a student, and left a lasting legacy on campus. “Andy Jordan was the person who could brighten your day and make you smile even on the most stressful of days,” said Tiffany Bunt ’00, MBA ’13, director of UM Alumni Affairs. “His smile lit up a room as soon as he entered. Whether he was working as entertainment editor of The Alabamian, planning events for the National Broadcasting Society, working on a group assignment for a mass communication class, involved in a project with AKL, working with SGA or leading the Gold Side to victory during College Night; his involvement made the University of Montevallo a better place. His friendship and encouragement assured you that you belonged at Montevallo! As a former classmate and forever friend, I am proud to know that his legacy will live on in the Department of Communication.” Strong Hall is a modern, state-of-the-art facility serving the University’s Department of Communication. The 5,700-square-foot facility houses UM’s Mass Communication and Communication Studies programs. The building features a master control room, production studios and editing rooms, computer labs, department offices and the highlight of the space, the broadcast studio.
UM Establishes New Scholarship for Performing Arts Students The University has established an annual scholarship to benefit students in the College of Fine Arts and College of Arts and Sciences thanks to a generous donation from the Cromeans Foundation. The Cromeans Foundation was established in 2020 by Gray Cromeans of Orange Beach in honor of his parents, Mary Ann and Joe Cromeans and his late brother Randall. Through the Foundation, Cromeans works to advance the fields of medicine and the arts by providing
scholarships to juniors and seniors at universities throughout the South. A $35,000 gift from the Foundation will be split equally between the two UM colleges, and will support the Joe and Mary Ann Cromeans Scholarship to be awarded to deserving juniors and seniors in the colleges whose studies focus on a pre-professional medical curriculum or the performing arts. The scholarships will cover the costs of tuition, books and fees.
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FALL SEASON at a glance Fall 2021 — Free and ticketed events Details: montevallo.edu/cfa Tickets: montevallotickets.universitytickets.com Season information: montevallo.edu/performances-and-events Locations: Center for the Arts: Rebecca J. Luker Stage in the DiscoverShelby Theatre, Michael and Sue Meadows Black Box Theatre, Poole Art Gallery Davis Hall: LeBaron Recital Hall Bloch Hall: The Gallery at Bloch Hall
SEPTEMBER
Sept. 9- Oct. 20
Department of Art Faculty Show Sept. 9, Opening Reception, 4 to 6 p.m. Runs through Oct. 29, weekdays, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Poole Art Gallery
Sept. 13
Department of Music Faculty Recital Dr. Laurie Middaugh, chamber music 7:30 p.m., LeBaron Recital Hall
Sept. 20
LeBaron Trio Concert Melanie Williams, soprano; Dr. Lori Ardovino, clarinet; Dr. Laurie Middaugh, piano; 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. LeBaron Recital Hall
Sept. 21
Department of Music Faculty Recital Dr. Joseph Ardovino, trumpet; Dr. Laurie Middaugh, piano; 7:30 to 8:30 p.m., LeBaron Recital Hall
Sept. 27
L’Histoire du Tango M. Brent Williams, violin; Warren Samples, cello; Brad Whitfield, clarinet; Dr. Eun-Hee Park, piano; 2 p.m., LeBaron Recital Hall
OCTOBER
Oct. 5-6 “As You Like It” and 8-10 By William Shakespeare; directed and adapted by Marcus Lane; 7 p.m., Center for the Arts
▲ Michael Willett, Untitled (April 2018); Living space floor sweepings from April 2018, acrylic matte medium on canvas; 30" x 30"; 2019.
Oct. 18
Concert Choir and University Chorus 7:30 to 8:30 p.m., LeBaron Recital Hall
Oct. 21
Wind Ensemble Concert Directed by Dr. Joseph Ardovino; 7:30 to 8:30 p.m., Rebecca J. Luker Stage in the DiscoverShelby Theatre
Oct. 24- Nov. 4
Department of Art Student Pop Up Show Student manager: Ann Grace Askelson Weekdays 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., The Gallery at Bloch Hall
Oct. 28- Dec. 2
The Crucible Project Kenneth Baskin, Richard Hirsch, Scott Meyer, Michael Rogers; Gallery Talk: Oct. 28, 4 to 6 p.m.; Poole Art Gallery
Oct. 28
Communication Studies (COMS) Senior Showcase 1 to 3 p.m., Strong Hall
Oct. 29
Exploring Mass Communication Day 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Strong Hall
▲ Kenneth Basking, Richard Hirsch and Scott Meyer collaboration from The Crucible Project.
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“The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical” Book by Joe Tracz; Music and lyrics by Rob Rokicki; Adapted from the book “The Lightning Thief” by Rick Riordan. “The Lightning Thief” is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals. Nov. 18-20, 7:30 p.m.; Nov. 21, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Rebecca J. Luker Stage in the DiscoverShelby Theatre An Alabama premiere! This high-energy musical is based on the popular book series Percy Jackson and the Olympians, where Percy, the son of Poseidon, embarks on an epic quest to recover Zeus’ lightning bolt and save the world from monsters and destruction.
NOVEMBER Nov. 4-7
Devised Theatre Production 7:30 p.m., Michael and Sue Meadows Black Box Theatre
Guest Artist: Gail Levinksky, Nov. 6 saxophone 7:30 to 8:30 p.m., LeBaron Recital Hall Nov. 7
Single Reed Symposium Concert 3 p.m., LeBaron Recital Hall
Nov. 7- Dec. 3
Department of Art Senior BFA Exhibitions Nov. 7-18: Kate Mosley, Ashlin Mullenix, Aleksander Medenica; Nov. 21-Dec. 2: Megan Boddie, William Wallace Weekdays 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., The Gallery at Bloch Hall
Nov. 11
Jazz Band Directed by Dr. Joseph Ardovino; 7:30 to 8:30 p.m., Rebecca J. Luker Stage in the DiscoverShelby Theatre
▲ Anna Grace Askelson, Self-Portrait; painting and collage, 2020.
Nov. 22
Laurel Martin, soprano, Senior Recital 7:30 p.m., LeBaron Recital Hall
Nov. 29
Student New Music Concert 7:30 p.m., LeBaron Recital Hall
Nov. 30
A Montevallo Choral Christmas 7:30 to 8:30 p.m., Lucille Ryals Thompson Colonial Chapel, American Village
DECEMBER
Dec. 2
Wind Ensemble Directed by Dr. Joseph Ardovino; 7:30 p.m., Rebecca J. Luker Stage in the DiscoverShelby Theatre
Nov. 12-13 Opera Scenes Directed by Dr. Charles Wood; 7:30 p.m., LeBaron Recital Hall Nov. 13
Joint Senior Recital: Taylor Holley, saxophone; Maria Pearce, piano 2 p.m., LeBaron Recital Hall
Senior Recital: Joe Ardovino Jr., Nov. 14 trumpet 3 p.m., LeBaron Recital Hall Nov. 15
▲ University Chorus, photograph taken in December 2018.
If you would like to receive our monthly email COFA Calendar of Performances, contact us at cfa@montevallo.edu or call 205-665-6663.
Instrumental Chamber Ensembles 7:30 to 8:30 p.m., LeBaron Recital Hall
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1 Mass Comm student Logan Hare and instructor Daniel Vest prepare for the Music and Mass Comm collaboration for the Percussion Ensemble in Strong Hall; 2 Mass Comm instructor Daniel Vest and student Wesley Hyde work the audio production board for the Music Department’s performance by the Brass Quintet in Strong Hall; 3 Mass Comm student Sierra Goodner looks through the viewfinder of her camera while capturing the Music Department’s Brass Quintet performance in Strong Hall; 4 Mass Comm student Ethan Honaker runs the jib camera for the Music Department’s Brass Quintet performance in Strong Hall.
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