3 minute read
SPRING
Fine And Performing Arts
Hooray for Hollywood
Students And Alumni Connect At Networking Dinner
Students and alumni alike were the beneficiaries of networking magic last fall when students from the Johnny Carson Center for Emerging Media Arts program traveled to Hollywood, California, to attend the Infinity Festival, described as the place where Hollywood meets Silicon Valley.
“We got to see this amazing immersive theater piece by Alterea called Stardust,” said Olli Jenkins, a junior emerging media arts major from Lincoln. “It was so refreshing and empathetic. I got to connect with their CEO a day later at the Infinity Festival and talking about the process was incredibly inspiring. I loved networking and engaging alongside my peers. Being in an environment full of professionals and students in our field reminded me of how talented and ahead of the curve we all are.”
Attending the Infinity Festival gave students an idea of what emerging media are being explored currently in the industry.
“My favorite session held at the Infinity Festival presented on AI-generated art and its potential uses in concept design, photo and video,” Hannah Pedersen, a junior emerging media arts major, said. “While I don’t have much experience in AI-generation, I think it is an innovative medium I’d like to explore in the future.”
Kicking off the week was a special L.A. Connectors Dinner, organized by the Nebraska Coast Connection and the Nebraska Alumni Association. Students were matched one-on-one with Hollywood professionals from Nebraska and area alumni.
“The event was purposeful in matching students with professional alumni working in a similar field,” said Kirstin Swanson Wilder (’89), with the Nebraska Alumni Association, who helped organize the dinner. “Participants were matched ahead of time and given bios on their assigned dinner companion. The professionals were thrilled to be in a room with students from Nebraska and to share their Hollywood experiences.”
Andrew Stewart (’08), vice president of strategic communications at 42West, had dinner with emerging media arts senior Abby Hall. “We talked about what it means to be intentional in your choices, how to be and think strategically about your own career path, but also the importance of embracing your mistakes,” Stewart said.
Jenkins was paired at the dinner with Ted Schilowitz, a futurist at Paramount and a member of the Carson Center’s Advisory Council.
“My dream career is creative direction and worldbuilding,” Jenkins said. “I felt like I saw a clearer pathway to success after talking with (Schilowitz). Plus, meeting someone so high-profile, yet so downto-earth reassured me that putting the work in and being authentic are the qualities that matter most.”
Pedersen was paired with musical theatre writer, director and producer Ryan Bergmann.
“We had a fabulous time discussing the potential of 3D projections to be used within an interactive theatre space,” she said. “During the dinner, I also got to network with other professionals connected to Nebraska.”
Erica Larsen-Dockray, an experimental artist and entrepreneur who co-founded the Calibraska Arts Initiative and is a member of the Carson Center Advisory Council, was paired with emerging media arts senior AmunRa Jordan at the dinner.
“The dinner was very special for me because it brought together my favorite groups of people. The energy was solid gold,” Larsen-Dockray said, “Community is one of the most important resources one can have, especially in the arts and entertainment industry.”
—Kathe Andersen
Architecture
Diverse Designers
Shipping Container Houses Collaborative Display
Bringing more awareness to design diversity across Nebraska, the College of Architecture hosted Say It Loud, a traveling exhibition featuring diverse designers — including two current students and 24 alumni.
RDG Planning & Design, Pascale Sablan, Beyond the Built Environment and McCarthy Building Companies partnered to bring the Say It Loud traveling exhibition to Nebraska. The collaboration transformed a 20-foot shipping container into a Diverse Designers Library exhibit that showcases the work, quotes and video interviews of 45 Nebraska-based designers.
“We were excited to bring the Say It Loud exhibition to UNL’s campus and support the Beyond the Built Environment mission to engage community through architecture to advocate equitable, reflectively diverse environments,” said David Karle, director of the architecture program. “We are proud that several alums and students have projects in the exhibit, and we hoped the exhibition brought awareness, fostered dialogue and supported the diverse designers who shape our built environment.”
The goal of the initiative is to raise up minority groups of professionals who work in the built environment. Architects, contractors, engineers, interior designers, landscape architects and planners who identify as a woman and/or a Black, Indigenous, person of color from across Nebraska have submitted work for the traveling exhibit.
“RDG’s collaboration with Pascale and Beyond the Built Environment is helping elevate the work of historically underrepresented individuals in our industry,” said Benjamin Kroll, RDG partner and architect. “We all have the power to positively impact the world around us, and we hope that by highlighting women and BIPOC designers, the next generation of design professionals will be empowered to go out and make their own unique mark.”
Visitors could use QR codes to interact with the exhibit and learn more about featured designers, as well as vote for their favorite designer. A virtual online resource library allowed visitors to expand their knowledge about design diversity and serves as a gateway of information for those interested in the design profession.
Kerry McCullough-Vondrak
