Edge - Spring 2014 by The University of the Arts

THE MAGAZINE OF

edge THE UNIVERSITY OF THE ARTS

SPRING 2014

NIJEL TAYLOR ’14 (Graphic Design) Sean T. Buffington president

Lucille Hughes publisher vice president for advancement

Paul F. H ealy editor associate vice president of university communications

Benjamin Brotman BFA ’13 art director & designer

James Maurer production manager

Dana Rodriguez contributing editor

contributing photographers

contributing writers

Takashi Aoyama ’14 Steve Belkowitz Morgan Beye ’14 K evin Bond ’14 Ben Brotman BFA ’13 Jason C hen BFA ’08 K ennedy D ickerson ’14 R achel D wyer CJ H arker ’14 Molly K amuyu ’14 Becca M enichetti ’14 Connie M ichael K athryn R aines BFA ’08

A nisa H aidary Paul H ealy Sara M ac Donald Dana Rodriguez L iz Saccardi Joanna Sung M ira Zergani

cover image

K ris Strawser MFA ’12 (Studio A rt) Study for A lphaville postmaster : send address changes to: Edge c/o University Communications, The University of the Arts 320 S. Broad St., Philadelphia, PA 19102

edge, Volume 1, Number 13 Edge is the magazine of the University of the Arts. Readers are encouraged to submit ideas for original articles about University students, faculty and alumni; advancements in arts and arts education; and visual, performing and media arts. The submission of artwork for reproduction is also encouraged. Please include contact information when submitting art. Unless requested, artwork will not be returned. Please send all comments, kudos and criticisms to: Edge c/o University Communications, Letters to the Editor, 320 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102; or email news@uarts.edu.

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THE CONVERGENCE OF MEMORY 2013 Digital/Print

FROM THE PRESIDENT The University of the Arts’ new curriculum emphasizes collaboration among artists and across disciplines. We’ve seen exciting innovations in the classroom as a result: new teamtaught courses, degree programs that enable students to explore opportunities outside the major, and student projects that involve contributors from several fields. In recent issues of Edge, we’ve shared some of these academic partnerships with you.

More importantly, they are working with partners for whom the project will have real implications, measurable effects on individuals and organizations. These experiences help students understand that the work of artists and designers can make a difference in the world—for good or for ill. In this issue of Edge, we take a look at several of those partnerships: from the Ira Brind School of Theater Arts helping an award-winning theater company to premiere cutting-edge new works to Animation classes producing educational videos for the Chemical Heritage Foundation Museum; from Graphic Design students helping to unravel the Philadelphia Parking Authority’s parking-signage systems to Dance students touching the lives of individuals at senior living centers through movement.

But collaboration doesn’t stop at the University’s colonnaded front entrance; faculty and students are reaching outside the University to partner with external artists, community groups, other colleges and universities, and businesses. Sometimes, entire courses are organized around these partnerships; in other cases, students and faculty are devising specific projects with outside collaborators. The objectives of these partnerships are varied too. In some cases, the University is As always, I hope you enjoy this edition of Edge. Your serving a specific need the partner has articulated; in other feedback and your ideas are welcome and encouraged. cases, we’re working together with the partner to create something entirely new. Warm regards, Whatever the nature of the partnership, though, our students benefit from getting outside the classroom and studio, working on projects with real-world complexity— not to mention hard deadlines and resource limitations!

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Sean T. Buffington

TABLE OF CONTENTS

MAKING A DIFFERENCE, TOGETHER 11

FROM CHAOS TO CLARITY

INNOVATION AT THE 11th HOUR

TELLING THE TALE WITH FAIRIES AND GOLD

LASTING IMAGES

FROM NOTHING, COMES MUSIC

ART UNLEASHED YEAR FIVE

FROM THE ARCHIVES

27 UARTS NEWS 31 ADVANCEMENT 33 ALUMNI NOTES 47 IN MEMORIAM

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Illustration by K ATE O’HARA ’14 (Illustration)

MAKING A DIFFERENCE, TOGETHER UARTS PARTNERS WITH A WIDE R ANGE OF ORGANIZATIONS AND COMMUNITIES

At any given moment, there is hardly a corner of the city of Philadelphia—and many places beyond—where you won’t find University of the Arts students engaging and collaborating with organizations, companies and communities. Students and their faculty are bringing their skills and creativity to bear to solve challenges, develop beneficial tools and resources, create work of extraordinary beauty, and even change lives for the better. The number of those mutually beneficial collaborations between UArts and external entities is lengthy and growing, according to Provost Kirk E. Pillow. He says that expanding students’ perspectives beyond the classroom, providing practical experience, developing interaction, communication and improvisation skills, and making a positive impact in the community are all key themes built into UArts’ innovative academic plan.

“For the outside partners, the exceptional work our students do for them can have a lasting impact … a Graphic Design class redesigned the City of Philadelphia’s confusing parkingkiosk signage.”

“There are a number of things of value in those kinds of engagements,” says Pillow. “Our BFA is a professional degree intended to provide students a general liberal education, but also to focus training in a particular creative field. Having opportunities then to engage with professionals and clients in those fields out in the real world of work—sometimes with high-stakes expectations and time frames—is important preparation for our students and simultaneously provides a tangible benefit to those external organizations and communities.”

University of the Arts President Sean T. Buffington says these collaborations between UArts programs and external organizations offer significant benefits to both partners. “For the students,” he says, “the ‘real world’ experience, and particularly the expectations of professional-level quality that partner organizations have, will serve students extremely well as they move through their professional lives. “And for the outside partners, the exceptional work our students do for them can have a lasting impact,” he adds. Examples are many: a Graphic Design class completely redesigned the City of Philadelphia’s confusing parkingkiosk signage; a Photography class shot all of the images for the Academy of Natural Sciences’ annual report. According to Catherine Kodat, dean of the Division of Liberal Arts, “These partnerships also provide the opportunity to demonstrate the importance of the arts in solving problems facing organizations and communities. What our students are doing is different from the kinds of service learning you generally see in higher ed—it’s often eye-popping,” she says. “It demonstrates the positive changes that can happen through the approach that artists and designers take to problem solving.”

And those engagements are voluminous, ranging from performing arts students interning at virtually every theater and dance company in Philadelphia (read about the innovative work that Ira Brind School of Theater Arts students are doing with the 11th Hour Theatre Company on page 13), to photography students shooting assignments for NBA team the Philadelphia 76ers and financial services giant SEI (see page 19), and everything in between.

MOLLY K AMUYU ’14 BECCA MENICHETTI ’14

Photography students shot a variety of images for the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers and financial services giant SEI.

That’s especially true of community engagement with organizations serving underserved populations in Philadelphia. One example is the new NEUARTS (Neighborhood Engagement/UArts) program collaboratively led by Liberal Arts Associate Professor Anna Beresin and Photography Senior Lecturer Lindsay Sparagana BFA ’06 (Photography). Launching this fall, the program is designed to develop long-term relationships with nonprofit organizations in the Point Breeze section of Philadelphia and to engage with them in after-school programs to bring fine arts, design, performing arts and media experiences to that underserved neighborhood. “The Philadelphia public schools are in a terrible financial situation,” says Beresin. “In Point Breeze, an elementary school that I’ve worked with in the past has been closed, and these kids have so little—they have absolutely no materials to play with, for example, not even sidewalk chalk. “This new program is designed in part to counter the severe cuts in arts funding in the schools, but also to whet the appetites of young children for the arts,” she says. “This can create a waterfall effect, with our students helping to open the eyes of these elementary school students. That can change a community and change lives. It’s a powerful experience for everyone involved.” Assistant Dean of Liberal Arts Connie Michael, also a School of Dance faculty member, agrees. Each semester she brings Dance students to local senior centers to provide dance classes, and they also work with individuals with intellectual, developmental and other disabilities. “You see the seniors come alive with the music and the movement,” she says. “Those with dementia or Alzheimer’s especially. Many of the seniors are socially isolated and this engages them with younger people. And working with individuals with disabilities opens our students’ eyes to new possibilities in dance, like dance therapy, and although they start out timidly, they learn not to be afraid of differences.”

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UArts Dance students bring the benefits of movement to local senior living centers.

CONNIE MICHAEL

“This new program ... can whet the appetites of young children for the arts, with our students helping to open the eyes of these elementary school students. That can change a community and change lives.”

The response of students involved in these external partnerships is overwhelmingly positive. Kaitlin Till ’14 (Animation), for one, says her class’s experience creating two unique educational videos for Philadelphia’s Chemical Heritage Foundation Museum that explain science in an accessible and enjoyable way was “so beneficial. We learned how to collaborate with a real client and we were able to create something high quality that was of real value to the museum.” (See page 17 for more on the project). Provost Pillow says that response is typical. “If it’s a well-defined project or experience, what we hear back from students is, ‘Wow, this is one of the best things I’ve done this year, this has really affirmed for me why I wanted to get into this field.’” He smiles. “Then they want to do one of those every semester.”

School funding cuts in Philadelphia create challenges that a new UArts outreach program aims to address. 8

Featured Faculty Artist Professor MARK CAMPBELL BFA â&#x20AC;&#x2122;90 (Sculpture)

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CONFLATION/LIVING ABOVE THE STORE BLUE-RED 2008–2012 Sculpture/Digital Prints Original installation in collaboration with PETER ROSE and ANTHONY ANGELICOLA BFA ’08 (Film)

FROM CHAOS TO CLARITY

BEN BROTMAN ’13

PROFESSOR JOEL K ATZ’S ‘DESIGN FOR UNDERSTANDING’ STUDENTS HELP ORGANIZATIONS COMMUNICATE BETTER

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MAKING A DIFFERENCE, TOGETHER FROM CHAOS TO CLARITY

Here’s the challenge: You know that if your city’s sports teams lose consistently, their fans are probably overweight … but how do you explain that to people? That’s one of the more interesting conundrums that students in Graphic Design Adjunct Professor Joel Katz’s Design for Understanding course have come up against in their work developing information design solutions for external clients. Information design, in a nutshell, is the presentation of information in such a way that the audience understands it quickly and effectively. “It’s about communicating content, not about appearance,” says Katz. Past projects have included redesigning the Philadelphia Parking Authority’s confusing street signage, developing a visual patient-safety and quality improvement “scorecard” for the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and recommending design changes in the City’s election ballot. “I’ve been offering the class for the past six years, five projects per semester, collaborating with clients I call ‘hosts,’” he says. “Every year has a more interesting flavor.” This is the second year that Katz’s classes are working via Skype with INSEAD in Fontainebleau, France, what he terms “the French Wharton School of Business,” partnering with a professor whose latest study shows a correlation between cities with losing sports teams and overweight residents. Another group of students is collaborating with Tom Mayes, deputy general counsel for the National Preservation Trust in Washington, D.C., to develop a website that communicates “why old things matter.” “I’ve been very much informed by how the students see the project themselves—how they group and process the reasons old places matter on their own,” says Mayes. “As the site has started to come together, I’m delighted by how visually interesting and engaging it is. It’s fascinating to see my work transformed into a communication tool that is primarily graphic and interactive.”

In the Philadelphia Parking Authority (PPA) project, for example, students were asked to deal with the communications chaos of new parking signs that had became virtually illegible in response to new regulations designed to keep commuters from monopolizing on-street parking spaces. The students responded to the complicated information sets by developing a uniform typographic system and color palette to create a rational hierarchy, which the PPA implemented.

“Each individual knows what he or she is thinking, but being able to articulate that vision can be a challenge.” Katz says that collaborating in teams to work for an outside client is also a new experience for many students and it requires that they learn certain skills, such as communication in a group dynamic, to be more efficient and effective. “Each individual knows what he or she is thinking, but being able to articulate that vision can be a challenge.” Katz sends a message about the value of collaboration to his students, saying, in part, “You are in teams to learn— how to collaborate in a shared venture, how to respect and integrate differing points of view, how to talk to each other meaningfully, how to reach consensus, how to share understanding, how to help each other out, to learn how, in short, to work as part of a team.” And, he adds, “You’re going to have to do that for the rest of your life. You may as well start now.” Spain

Katz says the goal of these projects is to bridge the transition between school and life after graduation. “They’re often very different. In school, students have only their instructor to satisfy; there are broad expectations and the focus is on the process. For the hosts, ‘real life’ results are what count.”

Italy

Cyprus

Above: Students redesigned the Philadelphia Parking Authority’s confusing parkingsignage system. Before (top); after (bottom). Opposite: Graphic Design Adjunct Professor Joel Katz talks with students in his ‘Design for Understanding’ class. Below: Student-designed graphic information elements from a partnership with Colgate University archaeologist Albert Zimmerman.

The Spread of Agriculture *Map skewed to aid in visualization of the change in rate of spread

1400 km

800 yrs

1400 km 5,400 Cal BC

2000 yrs 6,200 Cal BC

7,200 Cal BC

8,200 Cal BC

INNOVATION AT THE 11th HOUR

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PHOTO BY PL ATE 3 PHOTOGR APHY

THE COLLEGE OF PERFORMING ARTS PARTNERS WITH AN INNOVATIVE THEATER COMPANY

MAKING A DIFFERENCE, TOGETHER INNOVATION AT THE 11th HOUR

“It seems like every production that we do, UArts students or alumni are always in them,” says Steve Pacek, co-founder with alumna Megan O’Brien BFA ’05 (Applied Theater Arts) and her brother Michael of Philadelphia’s award-winning 11th Hour Theatre Company. “They’re a local talent base that really fits with the type of musicals 11th Hour performs,” says Pacek. “We want to push limits and take risks, and UArts Theater students and alumni have a cutting-edge sensibility. They just want to roll up their sleeves and get involved in everything. They’ve acted, directed, done stage design and tech, been assistant stage managers—it’s run the gamut. And now we’ve created a more formalized partnership with UArts that we’re really excited about.”

“UArts Theater students and alumni have a cutting-edge sensibility. They just want to roll up their sleeves and get involved in everything.” Earlier this year, 11th Hour presented a developmental workshop of “Field Hockey Hot,” a new musical by award -winning composer/lyricist/librettist Michael Ogborn. It was the first time the show was presented anywhere in the world—and it featured an all-UArts student cast. “That’s a great opportunity for the students because they’re the very first actors to play those characters,” says Pacek. “And working with the director, they get to interactively build them from the ground up, a skill set they can take with them throughout their careers.” And Pacek adds that because of the “29-hour reading contract” structure of the workshops, it allows the company to afford to present more workshops of innovative original work. “Because there’s no time to waste, everyone has to throw themselves into it, and that’s what the students do.” UArts College of Performing Arts Dean K Williams says the exciting collaboration with 11th Hour is representative of the approach of UArts’ schools of Theater, Music and

Dance. “These opportunities allow our students to watch and participate in the development of major new works,” she says. “There are just so many examples. Our faculty and students have partnered with the renowned Pig Iron Theatre Company, our Dance program with top dance companies and schools in Vienna and Paris, and our Music students are playing with professional ensembles across the city.” Joanna Settle, director of the Ira Brind School of Theater Arts, agrees. “The concept is one of plurality,” she says. “The more of these opportunities we can provide our young artists to broaden their perspectives, the more tools we can give them to help them find their own artistic voice. The suggestion that there’s only one way to make art is of no value here. We want students to develop their own ways to approach a script, and through that plurality of perspectives and experiences, they’ll do that in their own unique fashions.” One exceptional opportunity Brind School students had scheduled this spring was the residency of Tony, Obie and Drama Desk Award-winning playwright Stew. Settle is directing two new plays by Stew and they were both workshopped with UArts students—with some unique twists. “In this case, any student could read a role, and what’s really exciting in his process is that Stew writes in the morning, rehearses in the afternoon, then takes that and writes again the next morning. That brings the students right into the middle of the conceptual process.”

Above: (L-r) Steve Pacek, alumnus David Raphaely share the stage in the 11th Hour Theatre production of Bombitty. Opposite: (L-r) Alumnae Laura Catlaw, Janet Rowley and Colleen Hazlet O’Brien star in The Wonderettes. Below: Promotional photo for 11th Hour Theatre production of Rooms, starring (l-r) alumna Alex Keiper and Michael Phillip O’Brien.

And as Steve Pacek of 11th Hour Theatre confirms, that’s right where UArts students want to be. “UArts kids tend to be more willing to throw themselves into it—singing, acting, dancing, the whole thing,” he says. “They edit themselves less, which is great for the creative process. Our work requires eclectic individuals with a broad range, so we’re super excited about growing our partnership with UArts.” According to Williams and Settle, you can count on that.

Featured Faculty Artist Professor DAVID GRAHAM BFA â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;76 (Photography)

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WILDWOOD, NEW JERSEY, 2004 photography

TELLING THE TALE WITH FAIRIES AND GOLD ANIMATION STUDENTS HELP BRING SCIENCE TO LIFE AT A MUSEUM

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MAKING A DIFFERENCE, TOGETHER TELLING THE TALE WITH FAIRIES AND GOLD

What’s the most effective means to explain objects from a science museum in a way the average person could understand? If you said “fairies,” you’re on the right track. “That was the assignment my class had in a project with the Chemical Heritage Foundation in Philadelphia,” says Animation Professor John Serpentelli BFA ’91 (Film/Animation), MAT ’93 (Art Education). “They needed a way to make the science easily understandable, and we saw the opportunity as a great one for our students to take their classroom experience and work on a project for an institution in the community.” The Chemical Heritage Foundation Museum features permanent and changing exhibits that explore the world of chemistry and the role science plays in the modern world. “The Foundation was rebranding and had this need,” says Serpentelli. “So we agreed on two objects—a 17th-century painting of an alchemist and an 1887 book that used fairies to explain science to children. We divided the students into two teams, assigned roles such as production manager and client liaison, and they got started.” The students first video, “Real Fairy Folks,” is an imaginative interpretation of chemical reactions explained through the use of fairies as the chemical elements. It’s based on the book Real Fairy Folks or The Fairyland of Chemistry by Lucy Rider Meyer. Fairies were very popular in the culture of that time and would appeal to its children. “The Alchemist in His Laboratory,” the second video, offers a tour of the painting to explain the various objects found in an alchemist’s laboratory, what the objects mean and how they were used. “We didn’t know what to expect from the collaboration,” says the Foundation’s Michal Meyer, who is working with another of Serpentelli’s classes now. “What surprised me about the students’ work is how much care and attention they paid to getting the period costumes right. They researched the time period in which the book was made—what did fairies look like in the 19th century? And they designed their fairies to complement that look, while not being a copy. “I see that same care being paid to the visual details in the two animations currently in production,” he says. “One is on ballooning in the 19th century—we have a collection of ballooning postcards—and the other is on the Bakelizer, a machine that produced commercial quantities of the first totally synthetic plastic, Bakelite.”

Working with a real client presented a great learning opportunity, according to Serpentelli. “Beyond the challenge of trying to communicate obtuse scientific writing in an accessible way,” he says, “the students had to learn to listen to the client’s requests, determine what was possible and make a case for their vision—especially when the client might be asking for something that can’t be delivered. That’s a critical lesson: make your case effectively and hope the client sees it your way.” Senior Amanda Bautista ’14 (Animation) says, “The best part was seeing them get excited about what we made each week. It was very much a collaboration between the clients and our group—the trust that developed was a rewarding thing.”

“What surprised me about the students’ work is how much care and attention they paid to getting the period costumes right.”

Above: Animation students work on video projects for the Chemical Heritage Foundation Museum. Opposite and below: Stills from the studentcreated animated video Real Fairy Folks.

But it wasn’t necessarily easy. “I don’t think we anticipated the organization of the workload,” says Kaitlin Till ’14 (Animation), also a senior. “Scheduling our time and managing the pieces of the project could be more complicated than actually doing the work. There were so many moving parts. We just learned from our mistakes and kept getting better.” “Students had to direct professional voice talent, decide what level of humor should be incorporated into the pieces, and make decisions about aesthetics and complexity,” says Serpentelli. “It was really amazing to see.” Meyer is excited to be continuing the partnership. “The animations add something lighthearted to what can sometimes be treated too seriously—science,” he says. “There’s no reason we can’t sometimes take a richly visual and slightly lighthearted, yet still respectful, approach to science.” Watch “Real Fairy Folks” at uarts.edu/fairyfolks and “The Alchemist in His Laboratory” at uarts.edu/alchemist.

LASTING IMAGES

KEVIN BOND â&#x20AC;&#x2122;14

PHOTOGR APHY STUDENTS PARTNER WITH SPORTS TEAMS, MUSEUMS AND OTHERS TO CAPTURE EXTR AORDINARY IMAGES

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MAKING A DIFFERENCE, TOGETHER LASTING IMAGES

“When I came to UArts, the school was looking for a working photographer to help make the experience for the students as real as possible,” Proud says. “One of the ways we’ve done that is to work directly with outside organizations on projects they want to do. Our students are always excited to get out and experience the ‘real world.’” She smiles. “It’s exciting and also challenging—at times it may feel to them a little like being pushed off a cliff.” Proud says that SEI was looking for help in “beefing up their library of images for marketing materials—print, web and social media. They asked for shots of their campus, which is beautiful, and of people, both in groups and individually.” For the 76ers, Proud’s students had several different assignments, one group shooting a youth “basketball carnival” at the historic Palestra arena, a second capturing the experience of a 76ers game from the fans’ perspective. A third team of students was assigned a “Hoops Around the City” project, in which they created artistic images of basketball hoops across Philadelphia, from professional baskets on the Sixers’ home court, to decaying hoops on neighborhood courts in West Philadelphia: indoor, outdoor, neighborhood rec centers, college courts and every setting in between.

KENNEDY DICKERSON ’14

SEI’s Dana Grosser says that the firm—renowned for a corporate culture unique in its industry—recently updated its brand to create a different look and feel. “The new brand better represents SEI’s innovative culture and thinking,” she says. “It’s very egalitarian for a financial services firm.” And she means that. SEI has a sprawling 90-acre campus where its CEO, Alfred West, has no office, no secretary and no parking spot, and whose desk is situated on the main work floor in the midst of many of his 2,500 employees. Executive titles aren’t used much except on business cards. And don’t ask for the key to the executive washroom; there isn’t one. One feature SEI does boast, however, is being the home of the West Collection, one of the largest private art collections in the country. Begun by West and his daughter, Paige, in 1996, approximately 1,200 of its works are on display on the firm’s campus at any one time. Each year, the prestigious West Prize is awarded to an emerging artist whose work is deemed challenging and inventive. Proud’s students are also photographing images from the collection as part of their project, which she says offers important lessons about specific aspects of being a professional photographer. “As with any art collection, there are a lot of parameters around shooting individual pieces,” she says. “In many cases, the artists hold the rights to images of the work, and that’s something the students haven’t had to deal with before. This assignment covers so many bases: contracts, image uses, model releases and more.”

Opposite and left: Images taken by faculty member Barbara Proud’s Professional Photography students as part of a collaboration with the Philadelphia 76ers. Above and below: Student photographs taken at the headquarters of innovative financial services giant SEI.

Grosser says SEI was looking for a match for its unique culture. “We really wanted to find photography students with cutting-edge, youthful perspectives to come here and experience us, to see how we do things and to come back to us with innovative ideas for presenting that uniqueness visually.”

R ACHEL DW YER ’14

TAK ASHI AOYAMA ’14

For the past eight years, Photography faculty member Barbara Proud’s Professional Photography classes have been capturing amazing images for a wide range of organizations in the community—from Philadelphia’s Academy of Natural Sciences, for which Proud’s students photographed the museum’s live animals for an exhibition, posters and other materials, and then shot all the images for its annual report, to the homeless agency Project HOME and the magazine Out and About. This year, her class is teaming up with financial services heavyweight SEI and the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers.

“These collaborations are so valuable for our students,” says Proud. “They learn how to communicate with real clients in a professional setting, how to interact with them and others, and how to try to meet everyone’s needs. They’re really learning how to work and behave as professionals while meeting a real need for the client.”

UARTS MUSIC EDUCATION GR ADS CREATE AWARD-WINNING PROGR AMS ON A SHOESTRING

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PHOTOS PROVIDED BY CHRIS ARGER AKIS

FROM NOTHING, COMES MUSIC

ALUMNI PROFILE FROM NOTHING, COMES MUSIC

How do you create an award-winning school music program on a $100 annual budget? That’s not a trick question. Chris Argerakis MAT ’08 (Music Education) did just that, and the accolades for his Andrew Jackson School music program keep rolling in, despite continuing severe budget cuts across the Philadelphia School District. Most notably, the South Philadelphia K-8 school’s rock band, called Home, has been invited to play at events ranging from news conferences by Philadelphia’s mayor to national teacher’s conferences. “Our rock band program has grown by leaps and bounds over the past four years,” says Argerakis, who is also a senior lecturer in UArts’ School of Music. “When I came to the school five years ago, there was no program at all. Over that period, I’ve been able to partner with a number of organizations to get more than $30,000 worth of instruments and materials donated to build a thriving program.” For Beth Sokolowski, head of the University’s Music Education program, the innovative contributions of Argerakis and other Music Ed alumni are indeed a reflection of key partnerships. One that plays a critical role in their development as teachers is the collaboration between UArts and the schools in which the student teachers gain their experience. “We have relationships with many, many schools across the region, and we pair the students with really good, experienced teachers as mentors, a critical component of a teacher’s development,” she says. “They learn so much from these excellent teachers. And it’s a two-way partnership. Our student teachers bring energy and knowledge of their own to the classrooms and to the students.” Argerakis describes his student teaching experience as “incredible. The teachers were amazing,” he says. “Educationally, I worked with great teachers who really strived to implement their lessons for the kids, and that’s something I’ve carried with me.” Those foundations have held him in good stead, but his student teaching placement—in one of the wealthiest communities in New Jersey—was a world away from Andrew Jackson Elementary. He was shocked at the scarcity of resources when he arrived at his first professional teaching job in the budget-battered school in South Philadelphia.

“I had one piano in the room, that’s it, and was teaching nine grade levels,” he says. “One thing I learned in grad school at UArts was that you’re not going to get your dream job right away. I came to Music Ed later than most, though, having already worked in L.A. scoring films and recording, so I was old enough and mature enough to realize that, despite the many setbacks as I was facing, I could make the choice to work to make this my dream job.” And go to work he did. Argerakis knew that his musical skill set and passion were the rock and roll he’d been playing since he was a kid, and with a school administration that left him wide latitude, he developed a rockbased curriculum and began reaching out to instrument manufacturer Hoshino USA (makers of Ibanez guitars and Tama drums), and foundations such as Little Kids Rock and Musicopia that support similar programs in underfunded schools. The resources his program had been missing began arriving. “Now, guitars line the walls of our music room and we have really high-end drum sets, cables, tuners, amps, you name it,” he says. “It looks like a Sam Ash music store. These partnerships have taken time and a lot of persistence to develop, and as we’ve been more and more successful, the community has also gotten involved.”

Opposite and top: Alumnus and music teacher Chris Argerakis and his award-winning elementary school rock band. Below: Home, Jackson School’s rock band, plays at a national teachers’ conference.

“Successful” is putting it mildly. His rock band has performed at Philadelphia’s Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts and Wilma Theatre, the Atlantic City Convention Center, and the American Federation for Teachers’ national conference in Washington, D.C. It has been profiled by media outlets including The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Philadelphia Daily News and NBC-10 TV, and Argerakis has brought in professional musicians—like members of the rock band the Hooters—as visiting instructors. “We see it all the time,” says Sokolowski. “Some of the most innovative teaching is happening in schools with the fewest resources. Necessity really can be the mother of invention.” And for Argerakis and his rocking band, their innovations mean the hits just keep on coming.

Featured Student Artists perform CARRIE THE MUSICAL (Musical Theater)

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directed by ROBERT PHILLIP SMITH ‘14 (Directing, Playwriting & Production) choreographed by SAVANAH KNECHEL ’15 (Directing, Playwriting & Production)

JASON CHEN

’08

& music directed by MIKE PACIFICO ’16 (Composition)

2014 ART UNLEASHED CELEBRATES EVENT’S FIFTH ANNIVERSARY IN STYLE

CJ HARKER ’14

$360,000 R AISED FOR SCHOLARSHIPS

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2014 ART UNLEASHED CELEBRATES EVENT’S FIFTH ANNIVERSARY IN STYLE

4.9 — 4.15

The highlight of the event was the Preview Party, which kicked off what was a full seven days of sales. Attendance records were broken, with more than 750 guests enjoying a festive evening featuring superb artwork, food and drink, and entertainment by students from the UArts Schools of Music and Dance. “What a great way to kick off the fifth anniversary of this event, which does so much to support young artists,” says Lucie Hughes, vice president for Advancement. “Each year, this is truly one of the most enjoyable and exciting art-related events in the Philadelphia region, and its impact on student artists is significant.” Art Unleashed is the University’s largest fundraiser, raising money and connecting art collectors and enthusiasts with both emerging and established artists. Showcased this year was the work of two noted UArts alumni: celebrated fine artist Dorothy (Dotty) Attie BFA ’59 (Art Education) and renowned jeweler and sculptor Hratch Babikian BFA ’83 (Jewelry).

BEN BROTMAN ’13

The University of the Arts celebrated the fifth anniversary of the Art Unleashed exhibition and sale April 9–15, with Hamilton Hall bursting at the seams with artwork by talented alumni, faculty and student artists. More than 1,000 pieces of art by almost 400 artists were on display, and more than $360,000 was raised for scholarships for talented young artists.

MORGAN BEYE ’14

d art leashe un 5 – ear y

In addition, Art Unleashed 2014 featured several new elements, including the first Neighborhood Appreciation Day on Saturday, April 12. Residents of the neighborhoods surrounding UArts were specially invited to the event, at which exclusive radio sponsor More FM’s “Street Crew” set up shop on the sidewalk, playing music and offering giveaways. The day also featured a book sale and signing by faculty and alumni authors, with all proceeds benefitting scholarships. As was the case the previous year, Philadelphia’s Fox 29 TV was Art Unleashed’s exclusive television sponsor and partnered with UArts to promote the event by broadcasting live from Hamilton Hall on the morning of the big Preview Party. The station also promoted the event on its morning news program—including Fox 29 personalities wearing jewelry from the sale on the air, student Angela Rio ’14 (Illustration) creating a 3-D version of the station’s logo during the broadcast, and lessons for a Fox 29 reporter in welding in the UArts Metals shop and in playing bucket drums complements of the “Rumble” ensemble. Such a large event has many moving parts and could not have been as successful if not for the hard work of the 2014 Art Unleashed Committee. Particular thanks go to Committee chairs Cathy Coate, Margie Honickman, Susan Lipson, Laurie Phillips BFA ’77 (Painting/Drawing) and Diane Dalto Woosnam.

KENNEDY DICKERSON ’14

Preparations are already underway for Art Unleashed 2015. Stay tuned for the announcement of the dates of the event.

UARTS NEWS AROUND CAMPUS Joanna Settle Is New Director of Brind School

Above: Joanna Settle takes the reins of the Ira Brind School of Theater Arts. Top right: Cynthia Nourse Thompson, incoming director of MFA in Book Arts/ Printmaking and Studio Art programs. Bottom right: pen•man•ship by Helen Lee.

The University of the Arts has appointed Joanna Settle as the new director of the Ira Brind School of Theater Arts. Settle, a freelance theater director and educator, began her new post in January. A graduate of the Juilliard School’s directing program, Settle has directed and taught at undergraduate and graduate theater programs at the Juilliard School, Bard College, Cornell University and Brown/Trinity MFA. In 2014, Settle will also direct two world premiere musicals by Tony and Obie Award-winning playwright Stew and his partner, Heidi Rodewald: “Family Album” at Oregon Shakespeare Festival and “The Total Bent” at the Public Theater. Settle served as the artistic director of Shakespeare on the Sound in Connecticut from 2009 to 2012, and from 1998 to 2004, she was the artistic director of Chicago’s Division 13 Productions.

School of Art Director and Associate Professor Mark Campbell BFA ’90 (Sculpture) will serve as dean of the College of Art, Media & Design for the 2014-15 academic year, effective June 1, 2014. Current CAMD Dean Christopher Sharrock will step down at the conclusion of the current academic year. Campbell, who was co-chair of the University’s Foundation program from 2003 to 2011, has received two Pennsylvania Council on the Arts Fellowships, a National Endowment for the Arts Project Grant and has twice been a Pew Fellowship Discipline Award winner.

The inaugural Irvin Borowsky Prize in Glass Arts has been awarded to artist, designer, educator and glassblower Helen Lee. The $5,000 award is given to an artist whose vision and skills are advancing contemporary glass art and is made possible by a substantial gift from University of the Arts Trustees Irvin J. Borowsky and his wife, Laurie Wagman. As part of the prize, Lee presented a special lecture at UArts in March.

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The University of the Arts and Peirce College recently announced a strategic educational partnership to add greater depth to their educational offerings and better prepare students for the current job market. Peirce is offering select business courses to UArts students seeking to bolster their business background, while UArts has opened specific courses to Peirce students. This partnership allows Peirce and UArts to combine their resources and rich traditions and leverage their respective strengths to better serve students.

Cynthia Nourse Thompson Named Director of MFA Programs The University of the Arts has appointed Cynthia Nourse Thompson as director of the MFA programs in Book Arts/ Printmaking and Studio Art. She will begin her new role on June 1, 2014. Thompson joins UArts from the University of Arkansas, where she is currently curator and director of exhibitions as well as an associate professor.

Mark Campbell Named Dean of CAMD for 2014–15

Inaugural Borowsky Prize in Glass Arts Awarded to Helen Lee

UArts, Peirce College Form Strategic Partnership

UArts Launches New ‘Quick Takes’ Video Series UArts recently kicked off a new series of short videos called “Quick Takes,” promoting our programs and what the University has to offer to prospective students. Featured programs include Animation, CAMD Core Studies, Industrial Design, Film & Video and Dance. More videos are currently in the works.

WHAT’S NEW STUDENT NEWS 14 Illustrators Accepted Into Top Competition The prestigious Society of Illustrators has selected 18 works by 14 current UArts Illustration students and 2013 graduates for its annual student competition. Only 300 works were chosen from almost 9,000 entries submitted by students from around the world. More than $50,000 in scholarships are awarded and the Museum of American Illustration displays the students’ original artwork. Winners were not available at press time (check the September issue of Edge). The nominees are seniors Meredith Bentley, Elizabeth Garvey, Anna Heigh, Sun Kim, Hey Min Kim, Jimin Lee, Brian McQuilkin, Rebecca Syracuse and Jessica Welhaf, and 2013 Illustration grads Alex Bond, Rita Carroll, David Curtis, Kristen Fritsch and Gregory Wright.

Radio Station Features First Single by Student-Run Record Label Philadelphia radio station WXPN FM featured a special Valentine’s Day download of “Eyes 4 U,” a reimagined version of the r&b classic “I Only Have Eyes For You” by alumna Kate Faust BM ’11 (Vocal Performance). The song was the first single released by UArts’ student-run record label 4 Pillars Music Group, the latest project launched by students in the University’s Music Business, Entrepreneurship & Technology program, along with the 4 Pillars marketing agency, WRTZ online radio and other endeavors.

Industrial Design Senior Featured in Influential Design Magazine E-WAT, an electronic water bottle designed by student WenHua Zhang ’14 (Industrial Design), was featured in Yanko Design, the world’s most popular and influential online design magazine. Developed in Zhang’s senior studio under the guidance of ID professors Anthony Guido and Jennifer Goettner, E-WAT uses sensor technology to monitor a person’s hydration and water consumption.

Sculpture Students’ Work on Display at Philadelphia Flower Show Works by 12 students in Interdisciplinary Fine Arts Associate Professor Michael Grothusen’s Introduction to Sculpture class were selected to be shown in the 185th Philadelphia Flower Show, the world’s largest indoor flower exhibition, as part of a competition involving top floral designers that fit the show’s theme: “ARTiculture—Where Art Meets Horticulture.” Students created works in metal to be judged for display at the event. The selected works were used as sources of inspiration for the competition. An estimated 230,000 people attended this year’s show. The Sculpture students participating were senior Robert Haskell, juniors Pat O’Riordan and Joshua Pohlig, and sophomores Ed Graziano, Allyson Gallagher and Stefan Vlahovic. Craft & Material Studies seniors Tom Kelly, Mott Feibusch, Carly Fleming, Liz Colyar and Maggie Magill, and junior Carley Mayhew also participated.

UArts Photographers Named ‘Artists on the Rise’ Al Dia, the leading Spanish-language newspaper, recently named student Marcus Branch ’14 (Photography), faculty member/alum Jordan Baumgarten BFA ’06 (Photography) and alumna Kelsey Martin BFA ’13 (Photography) “Artists on the Rise” in Philadelphia. They are among the eight young artists that Al Dia says have “followed the path set by their dreams—not someone else’s—and it has worked.”

Above: Alumna Kate Faust. Below: Sculpture students Allyson Gallagher and Ed Graziano. Bottom: Cover of Al Dia newspaper. Bottom left: Water bottle by ID student WenHua Zhang.

‘Philadelphia Daily News’ Lauds Brind School Student Ira Brind School of Theater Arts student Steven Burke ’17 (Musical Theater) and his Norristown, Pa.-based theater company New Cavern Productions were featured in the January 24 issue of the Philadelphia Daily News. Burke, who is New Cavern’s founder and producing artistic director, began the company to get more millennials interested and involved in performing arts.

UARTS NEWS FACULTY NEWS Professor’s Novel Named B&N ‘Discover Great New Writers’ Selection The Blessings by Liberal Arts Assistant Professor and Creative Writing Program Director Elise Juska has been named a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers selection for Summer 2014. Released on May 6 from Grand Central Publishing, Juska’s latest novel received advanced praise from several award-winning authors, as well as a starred review in Publisher’s Weekly.

Music Professor/Alum Plays with Boston Symphony Orchestra

Top: Cover of The Watermelon Seed by alumnus Greg Pizzoli. Above: Creative Writing Director Elise Juska’s new novel, The Blessings. Below: Alumnus Joseph Pillari.

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Music Assistant Professor and alumnus Matt Gallagher MM ’01 (Jazz Studies) was chosen by the Boston Symphony Orchestra to play lead trumpet for several unique performances of “West Side Story.” The film was shown with the instrumental sound stripped out and the Orchestra providing the instrumental soundtrack live. Gallagher has been invited to perform in similar concerts with the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.

Children’s Book by Faculty Member/Alum Wins Geisel Medal   The Watermelon Seed, a children’s book written and illustrated by Printmaking Lecturer Greg Pizzoli MFA ’09 (Book Arts/Printmaking), has won the 2014 Geisel Award for the most distinguished American book for beginning readers. This prestigious award is given annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association. A true picture book gem, The Watermelon Seed has received praise from The New York Times, Booklist and Kirkus Reviews, as well as starred reviews in the School Library Journal and Publisher’s Weekly, which called it “an expert debut.”

CPA Faculty, Staff Are BroadwayWorld Philadelphia Award Winners Ira Brind School of Theater Arts faculty member Dirk Durossette and College of Performing Arts staff member Troy Martin-O’Shia topped the list of winners for the 2013 BroadwayWorld Philadelphia Awards, announced by BroadwayWorld.com, the No. 1 website for Broadway, theater and live entertainment around the world. Martin-O’Shia took home the award for Best Lighting Design for “Spamalot,” while Durossette won Best Set Design for “Lend Me a Tenor.”

Liberal Arts Professor Releases New Book Liberal Arts Associate Professor Anna Beresin has just released a new book titled The Art of Play: Recess and the Practice of Invention on Temple University Press. The book features interviews with UArts faculty in dance, music, theater, design, fine arts and film. Proceeds are being donated to Recess Access, a play and art advocacy program for public school children.

Faculty/Alum Featured in ‘Metalsmith’ Magazine Craft & Material Studies shop supervisor, Continuing Studies professor and alumnus Joe Pillari BFA ’08 (Crafts) was featured in Metalsmith magazine’s winter issue. His photorealistic enameling drew the attention of the publication, which praises him for his meticulous work ethic, technical skill and eye for humanistic imagery. The story calls Pillari’s technical expertise “mind-boggling; his poignant pictorials touch the heart ... Despite his tender age, Pillari is an old-school artist-craftsman.”

School of Art Professor Is Visiting Scholar in Rome School of Art Associate Professor Mary Phelan recently returned from a residency as a Visiting Scholar at the American Academy in Rome, where she was researching visual narrative structures in early maps. Phelan, who teaches in the Interdisciplinary Fine Arts and MFA in Book Arts/ Printmaking programs at UArts, is using the prestigious two-week residency as a resource for her work.

WHAT’S NEW ALUMNI NEWS Alumnus Jared Leto Wins Oscar for ‘Dallas Buyers Club’; Alum Robert Covelman Served as Film’s Set Decorator Former UArts student Jared Leto ’93 was named Best Supporting Actor for his role in “Dallas Buyers Club” at the 86th annual Academy Awards, held March 2 in Los Angeles. He added the Oscar statuette to his Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild wins for his indelible portrayal of Rayon, a transgender woman dying of AIDS in the film. The actor, musician, singer and songwriter dropped 40 pounds to play the award-winning role. In addition, UArts alumnus Robert Covelman BFA ’76 (Painting) was the set decorator on “Dallas Buyers Club.” Covelman has also worked on films including “Silent House,” “The Squid and the Whale,” “Big Night,” “A Mighty Wind” and “Margin Call.”

Graphic Design Alumni Awarded AIGA Medal Ken Carbone BFA ’73 (Graphic Design) and Leslie Smolan BFA ’75 (Graphic Design), founding partners of the renowned design firm Carbone Smolan Agency (CSA), have been awarded the prestigious AIGA Medal, the highest honor of the design profession. “I am thrilled and humbled to be included in such an esteemed group of design heroes, mentors and friends,” said Carbone, who is also CSA’s chief creative director. “It is a career milestone that recognizes decades of hard work. And, to share this moment with Leslie makes the medal even more memorable.”

BBQ Restaurants Earn Alum James Beard Award Nomination Dan Delaney BFA ’08 (Multimedia) [now Design, Art & Technology], owner of the hot New York City restaurants BrisketTown and SmokeLine, was named a semi-finalist in the prestigious James Beard Awards in the Rising Star Chef category. The awards are the highest honor for food and beverage professionals working in North America. Delaney, an aficionado of Central Texas-style barbeque, opened his hugely successful BrisketTown restaurant in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, in 2012, followed in 2013 by his Manhattan location, SmokeLine, on the High Line in Chelsea.

Fine Arts Alumni Selected for 2014 Whitney Biennial Dave McKenzie BFA ’00 (Printmaking) and Dan Walsh BFA ’83 (Painting) have been selected to exhibit in the 2014 Whitney Biennial, the country’s best-known survey of cutting-edge American art. This year’s Biennial will take place March 7 through May 25 at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City. McKenzie’s work was previously on display in “Radical Presence: Black Performance in Contemporary Art,” the first comprehensive survey of more than five decades of performance art by black visual artists. Walsh is known for paintings that exude a quirky brand of minimalism, employing linear geometry while at the same time subverting it with irregularly drawn shapes, inconstant lines and a pervasive wit.

Golden Arts Reunion The Class of 1963 met on Saturday, October 19, 2013, as part of Family and Alumni Weekend for their Golden Arts Reunion celebrating their 50th reunion. The Class of 1963 was the first class to earn a bachelor of fine arts degree from what was the Philadelphia College of Art. Alumni returned to the steps of Broad and Pine to enjoy lunch, a slideshow by University archivist Sara MacDonald and a brief tour of the University. The Office of Alumni & Parent Relations thanks Roxanne Spatocco BFA ’63 (Fashion Design) for her efforts as Reunion Chair. Class of 1963 alumni attendees included Gerald Becker BFA ’63 (Illustration), Joan Calabrese BFA ’63 (Fashion Illustration), Charles Essig BFA ’63 (Illustration), Rosalyn Goldstein BFA ’63 (Fashion Design), Frank Grobelny BFA ’63 (Illustration), Robert Hunsicker BFA ’63 (Advertising Design), Marilyn Kauff BFA ’63 (Fashion Design), Patricia Kent BFA ’63 (Illustration), Barbara Lember BFA ’63 (Photography), Louis Marrani BFA ’63 (Illustration), Evelyn McLaurin ’63 (Piano), John Nebesney BFA ’63 (Illustration) and Arlene Wolf BFA ’63 (Fashion Illustration).

Top left: Oscar winner Jared Leto. Top right: Alumni at Golden Arts Reunion. If you are a member of the Class of 1964, we are looking for a Reunion Chair volunteer. Please contact the Office of Alumni and Parent Relations at alumni@uarts.edu or (215) 717-6149. Above: Alumnus Dan Delaney, James Beard Award nominee. Below: Alumni Leslie Smolan and Ken Carbone, AIGA Medal winners.

UArts Alumni Welcome Joanna Settle The University of the Arts Alumni Association recently welcomed Joanna Settle, the new director of the Ira Brind School of Theater Arts, to the UArts community with receptions in New York City and Los Angeles. New York City alumni gathered at Azya Wine and Chocolate Bar on January 26 and alumni from the Los Angeles area met at the Phoenix on February 2 to reconnect with each other, hear from Joanna about her plans for the school, and share their ideas for future alumni programs.

DAVE JACKSON

ADVANCEMENT Parent Giving Boosts Annual Fund

Young Alumni Challenge: Double Your Gift to the Annual Fund

The road to art school is not for the faint of heart. It takes passion, determination and courage—and that’s just from the parents! UArts stands for rigor and experimentalism, for tradition and innovation, and for discipline and boundary crossing. Parents of UArts students know the University’s high standards for academic and artistic excellence. But the UArts experience extends far beyond the studio or classroom—and includes advising and support services, entrepreneurship and leadership development programs, and a network of caring professionals. Faculty and staff work tirelessly to support every student’s personal growth, both on campus and beyond. Last fall, Trustee Sonny Mandell challenged parents to help grow the Annual Fund. His challenge—to match new and increased donations—has inspired a 22 percent increase in parent giving over last year and 13 percent increase in the number of gifts. “Every year, we give a donation to the Fund for UArts in honor of our son, Tim Sexton BFA ’09 (Animation), and his wife, Kelly Sexton BFA ’09 (Animation), write Kevin and Karen Murphy P ’09. “We are blessed to be in a position to see our children happy and gainfully employed and now we are able to give back a little.”

DAVE JACKSON

“We’ve been really impressed with UArts’ curriculum and are pleased to support such a wonderful program,” according to Annmarie Lockhart and Maxwell Riggsbee P ’17. “It’s incredible watching our daughter grow as an artist and as a person.” UArts is committed to inspiring, educating and preparing innovative artists and creative leaders for the 21st century. Your contribution to the Annual Fund enables UArts to enhance the learning environment for our students, attract and retain top professional artists as faculty and mentors, and provide much-needed scholarship support. We are grateful to the many parents who have gone above and beyond by supporting these efforts with a donation to the Annual Fund. If you would like to help us meet the Mandell Challenge, please contact Liz Saccardi, director of the Annual Fund, at 215-717-6141 or at esaccardi@uarts.edu.

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UArts Trustee Seymour “Sonny” Mandell is helping the University raise its fundraising bar once again by issuing a challenge to our young alumni donors with a little help from alumnus TJ Walsh BFA ’07 (Graphic Design) [pictured above]. Thanks to a new challenge made by the Samuel P. Mandell Foundation, all gifts to the Annual Fund from those who graduated from UArts in the last 10 years will be matched one to one, doubling the value of their contribution. When Walsh heard about the challenge, he put out a call to his fellow graduates, asking them to step up and become the next generation of support for young artists today. Walsh serves on the Alumni Council, with a focus on mentoring current students and engaging the school’s alumni to maintain a connection to the University community. “UArts is where I learned how to be an artist, in every sense of the word,” he says. “I am proud to give back to UArts in order to help continue the legacy of collaboration and support. I am eager to lend a helping hand to an artist I have not yet met, who is journeying along the same path I did 10 years ago.” The Annual Fund provides critical scholarship dollars and funding for services to more than 90 percent of UArts students. This challenge will assist the University in its commitment to making sure that qualified, talented students are not turned away because of their financial circumstances. Double the value of your contribution by making a gift today. Contact Liz Saccardi, director of the Annual Fund, at 215-717-6141 for more information.

The Lenfest Foundation: Supporting Young Artists in Philadelphia

PECO Supports Arts Entrepreneurs

A new grant from the Lenfest Foundation will establish the Arts Fellows Program, a new initiative of the Pre-College Programs at the University of the Arts. Lenfest Foundation funds will support the University’s efforts to provide sustained extracurricular arts engagement programming to high school students in some of Philadelphia’s most underserved schools. “The Lenfest Foundation has recognized the great academic and social value of extracurricular arts programming; the Arts Fellows Program ensures that talented art students in Philadelphia are given the resources they need for future academic and artistic success,” says Erin Elman, dean of Continuing Studies.

The Corzo Center for the Creative Economy at the University of the Arts is delighted to welcome energy company PECO as its newest corporate sponsor. The Center’s “Open Office Hours Supported by PECO” offers free, one-on-one consulting for creative arts businesses.

A total of 40 Arts Fellows will be recruited each semester and will receive tuition-free admission to the University’s Pre-College Saturday School program in the fall and spring for up to three years. The Arts Fellows also receive art supplies each semester at no cost, tokens, field trips to local cultural institutions, mentoring and arts academic guidance, and a concluding event is held each spring where student work is shared and celebrated in a public forum. The University extends its deepest appreciation to the Lenfest Foundation for supporting this important program that fills the gap left by depleted resources for arts education across the city. If you are interested in learning more about how you can help, please contact Mira Zergani, assistant vice president of Development, at 215-717-6505 or at mzergani@uarts.edu.

JASON CHEN

’08

SUPPORTING UARTS

Corzo Center for the Creative Economy at the University of the Arts

Office hours connect creative arts entrepreneurs to free lawyers, entrepreneurs, accountants, marketers and business leaders. At any stage of business development, individuals may make an appointment to discuss ideas, strategies and tactics with local specialists. Topics include accounting, business strategy, grant writing, marketing, pricing and merchandising, press relations, intellectual property and more. The Corzo Center for the Creative Economy at the University of the Arts links creative arts, business and innovation. Formed to keep art where it belongs—central to society and an economy that requires ideas and imagination—the Center is guided by the belief that entrepreneurship is both a form of business innovation and a form of public and social action. Its programs are shaped to provide artists, performers and media makers the tools they need to control their economic lives.

Above: Summer Institute student working in a drawing class. Below left and right: Top-level theater and music experiences are part of the Summer Institute program.

The Corzo Center believes strongly that artists and media makers need to know the value of what they create, and for that reason, it has shaped its programs to give them the tools they will need to control their economic lives.

STEVE BELKOWITZ

JASON CHEN

’08

For more information about “Open Office Hours Supported by PECO,” visit corzocenter.uarts.edu.

ALUMNI NOTES 1940s

1960s

Lila Oliver Asher DIPL ’43 (Advertising Design) had a solo exhibition at the Washington Printmakers Gallery titled “A Life with Line” from October 30 to December 1, 2013.

Alvin Sher BFA ’64 (Sculpture) exhibited his sculptures at the Sculptors Guild in Brooklyn.

1950s Philip Jamison BFA ’50 (Illustration) and six other West Chester, Pa., individuals were honored as the first inductees for the borough’s new Walk of Fame. Each honoree is being featured on a bronze plaque that will be installed in an area around town that is significant to the honoree. Jamison, a noted watercolorist, will have his plaque installed near the Chester County Art Association. In addition, Jamison’s work was featured in a solo exhibition titled “Philip Jamison and His Collection,” November 4 - December 13, 2013, in the new gallery at the E. O. Bull Center for the Arts at West Chester University. The show featured 20 of Jamison’s own paintings and some 70 works from his collection of West Chester-area and other notable artists. Herb Snitzer BFA ’57 (Photography) opened the Herb Snitzer Fine Art Photography Gallery on March 22, 2014, in St. Petersburg, Fla. More info at herbsnitzer.com. Ronne Arnold BFA ’59 (Dance) received the prestigious lifetime achievement award at the Australian Dance Awards. The award honors the achievements of an outstanding senior figure in the Australian dance community who has dedicated at least 40 years to dance as a performer, choreographer, advocate, educator, administrator or visionary. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Arnold attended the Philadelphia Dance Academy and went to Australia in 1960 with the touring cast of “West Side Story.” Arnold went on to teach jazz and modern dance. He choreographed the dance sequences for shows at Sydney’s famous nightclub, Chequers. At that time, international cabaret acts included Dionne Warwick and Liza Minnelli. Arnold founded the Contemporary Dance Company of Australia in 1967. As for teaching, he was the academic course director at National Aboriginal and Islander Skills Development Association College in Sydney from 1986 to 2003. He also taught at Wesley Institute, a professional performing arts college in Sydney.

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Ivan Barnett BFA ’69 (Illustration) had a solo exhibition December 6 - 29, 2013, at Patina Gallery in Santa Fe, N.M.

Dan Dailey BFA ’69 (Crafts) was featured in Philadelphia’s Wexler Gallery exhibition at Art Palm Beach. Toni Silber-Delerive BFA ’69 (Painting/Drawing) received an Honorable Mention from My Art Contest’s “Abstracts 2013” for her piece “Interchange with Garden” and a Spe-

cial Merit Award from Light, Time & Space Gallery in its “Seasons Art” exhibition for her piece “Atlantic City.” Her piece “Traffic Circle” was selected for “Manhattan Arts, Small Art - Big Impact,” an international juried online exhibition. Silber-Delerive also participated in “Postcards from the Edge,” an art-postcard sale benefiting Visual AIDs, an arts organization devoted to HIV prevention and AIDS awareness. More info at tonisart.com.

1970s Mary Bangs BFA ’70 (Painting) had her work in Central Booking Gallery’s “Medicine” exhibition. Central Booking Gallery is an interdisciplinary space in NYC focusing on artists’ books and their integration into the larger art world with exhibitions on art and science, a quarterly magazine and related programming. Howard Goldberg BFA ’71 (Film) writes, “I just recently finished a new feature film called ‘Jake Squared,’ which stars Elias Koteas, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Virginia Madsen, Jane Seymour and Mike Vogel (‘Under the Dome’). ‘Jake Squared’ recently premiered to great reviews and a reception at the Raindance Film Festival in London, and we were just the opening night film at the Big Apple Film Festival in New York. More festivals and international and domestic release to follow. ‘Jake Squared’ is a surreal comedy about a guy whose problems increase exponentially when younger versions of himself blast into his life and try to solve his romantic problems.” Patricia Moss-Vreeland BFA ’72 (Painting) published a book called A Place for Memory, Where Art and Science Meet, which expands upon her successful exhibition at the University City Science Center’s “Art-in-Science” series. She

also hosted a book talk that was part of the DesignPhiladelphia Festival. Joan Osborne BFA ’74 (Art Education) had work in “Art of Ink in America 2013/2014: Gesture and Beyond,” a special exhibition opening at the Godwin-Ternbach Museum from November 21 to December 30, 2013. The show featured new works by Art of Ink in America Society (AIAS) members and included approximately 50 pieces by 32 members and five invited artists. Osborne has been a member of AIAS for many years. It is an international group of Asian and Asian-influenced calligraphers who exhibit in museums, college galleries and art centers across the U.S. and abroad. Ruth Wolf BFA ’74 (Painting) had her “NAMES” exhibit presented by ArtWorks, Trenton, N.J.’s visual arts center.

David Graham BFA ’76 (Photography) had a solo exhibition in Philadelphia at Gallery 339 titled “Thirty-Five Years / 35 Pictures.” Joseph Sweeney BFA ’76 (Painting) exhibited his work in Newman & Saunders Galleries’ “Familiar Faces … Faraway Places,” a group exhibition showing the travel paintings of four Main Line-area artists, December 8, 2013 - January 4, 2014. The approximately 40 pieces documented the artists’ recent travels and sojourns in Bermuda, Ireland, France, Italy and around the U.S. Karen Benson BFA ’77 (Graphic Design) had her entry to Philly Photo Day chosen to be on a billboard in Philadelphia for the month of January 2014. She also had pieces in an exhibit at the Philadelphia Airport from January to June 2014 and had three photos chosen to be in “Photography 33” at Perkins Center of the Arts in Moorestown, N.J., February through March 2014. Sheldon H. Krevit BFA ’77 (Painting) had his one-man show on display at the Jay Etkin Gallery in Santa Fe, N.M. His work was reviewed by THE Magazine. More info at sheldonkrevit.com. Dennis Wasko BM ’79 (Trumpet); Tony DeSantis BM ’85 (Trumpet); Chris Farr BM ’94 (Saxophone), MAT ’95 (Music Education); Mike Cemprola BM ’06 (Saxophone), MM ’07 (Jazz Studies); Jarred Antonacci BM ’09 (Trumpet); and Mark Allen BM ’10 (Saxophone), MM ’11 (Jazz Studies) are members of the Philadelphia Jazz Orchestra. The 17-member orchestra debuted in January 2014 at a gala emceed by Bill Cosby, with Wynton Marsalis in attendance.

Jeffrey Stern BFA ’75 (Film) won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series for his work on the hit HBO series “Boardwalk Empire.” Stern, an assistant professor of professional practice at the University of Miami School of Communication, was the dialogue editor on the winning team. He has served as a filmmaker in residence at the North Carolina School of the Arts and as an adjunct professor at the New School in New York City. Stern has worked on more than 100 films, including “The Original Kings of Comedy,” “School of Rock,” “Silence of the Lambs,” “Goodfellas,” “The Untouchables,” “American Splendor,” “Chicago” and “The Cove,” which won the Academy Award for best feature-length documentary in 2009. Stern was previously nominated for an Emmy for his work on “Boardwalk Empire” in 2012 and for the documentary “Joni Mitchell: A Woman of Heart and Mind.”

Opposite top: Alvin Sher Opposite left: Philip Jamison Opposite bottom: Ronne Arnold Top: Karen Benson Left: Jeffrey Stern Below: Debra Levie Bottom left: Joseph Sweeney

1980s Debra Levie BFA ’80 (Photography) exhibited at the Patty Turner Center in Deerfield, Ill., in November 2013 with work from her series “Orphan Tears,” which includes black-and-white photographs that are photograms. Levie’s work is in private and museum collections including the Art Institute of Chicago. Countless photographs have been exhibited in galleries and published in traditional print and electronic media. She teaches photography at Columbia College Chicago and delivers art history presentations to many adult communities in the area. James Rauchman MA ’80 (Art Education) married Paul Eric Hertz on November 2, 2013, in the James Room at Barnard College in New York. Hertz is a biology professor at Barnard and Rauchman is a painter. Their wedding was featured in The New York Times. Pat Setzer BM ’80 (Guitar) is the new dean of Humanities and Social Sciences at Cuyamaca Community College in El Cajon, Calif. His term began in January 2014.

Debra Valencia BFA ’81 (Graphic Design) is an awardwinning graphic designer and is involved with the art of business for design. She teaches at the Otis School of Design and at Art Center and hosted a workshop titled “Art Center at Night Course: Introduction to Surface Design.” Marianne Estornell BFA ’84 (Illustration) was recently hired as a teacher in the education department at the Harwood Museum of Art in Taos, N.M.

Top: Michael Wolf Right: Doug Bucci Bottom: Erik Brubaker Opposite top: Seth Greenberg Opposite left: Ryan Cobourn Opposite bottom left: David Fehr Opposite bottom right: Ben Dibble

Michael Wolf BFA ’84 (Wood) had two sculptures featured in “Emrupt” at Leigh Wen Fine Art Gallery in Chelsea in NYC. Rosalind Sutkowski BFA ’84 (Photography) had a solo exhibition titled “Simulated Fijnschilderij: Where Old Masters and Technology Meet” in Drexel University’s Rincliffe Gallery, January 10 - March 14, 2014. Tony Award winner LaChanze ’86 (Jazz Dance) performed Diana Ross selections at Morgan’s Cabaret at the Prince Music Theater in January 2014. Ron Elowitz BS ’86 (Industrial Design) recently left his position leading retail-based customer experience design efforts at Benjamin Moore & Co. to accept the position of director of in-store merchandising and operations for the Retail Strategy & Execution Group at Samsung Electronics America in Ridgefield Park, N.J. Elowitz will be leading a team of design professionals and project managers charged with developing a multi-year, holistic vision related to presenting the Samsung brand and its product portfolio in retail environments throughout North America. Pat Lyons BFA ’87 (Painting) is the founder and director of Oasis, a program that benefits about 150 people a year with intellectual or developmental delays or mental health diagnoses. The program offers personal instruction in art, technology, literacy and life skills. The program is run by Resources for Human Development, a nonprofit that serves people of all abilities in 14 states and is funded through a mix of fee-for-service payments, grants and private donations. The program was featured in The Philadelphia Inquirer. Lyons has worked with intellectually disabled individuals and art since 1996. Amy Wenslow BFA ’87 (Jewelry) has created multimilliondollar products for over 22 years that have been sold by QVC, Wal-Mart, Lowe’s, Amazon, the Home Depot and Michael’s. She is currently the CEO of Products to Profits and just taught “Building Desire, Creativity & Business” in the Next Level Business Builder Intensive in Orange County, Calif.

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Troy McLaughlin BM ’89 (Jazz Performance) is performing, teaching and choreographing in Vancouver, Canada, with his performing arts family. He premiered a commissioned tap piece for SoDanca in November 2013.

1990s Jenna Goldberg BFA ’90 (Illustration) teaches a course in furniture making at the Rhode Island School of Design. She is one of 39 furniture makers whose work was featured in the prestigious Fuller Craft Museum’s exhibit “Made in Massachusetts: Studio Furniture of the Bay State.” Erin Patrice Bennett BS ’92 (Industrial Design) was recently a MINIusa official correspondent at the L.A. Auto Show and at the 2014 new MINI launch party in Los Angeles, where she interviewed MINI owner Tony Hawk and MINI Head of Design Anders Warming. She is the owner of GigglechickInteractive.com, which continues to be the web design company for comedians such as David Alan Grier. Andreas Luescher MFA ’93 (Architectural Design) is a professor of Architecture and Environmental Design at the Bowling Green State University in Ohio and had his second book The Architect’s Guide to Effective Self-Presentation released by Routledge Publishing.

Doug Bucci BFA ’94 (Crafts) has work in “Out of Hand: Materializing the Postdigital,” October 16, 2013 - July 6, 2014, at the Museum of Arts and Design in New York. Erik Brubaker BFA ’95 (Wood) and Rebecca Brubaker BFA ’95 (Sculpture) created the dioramas for the “Dena’inaq Huch’ulyeshi” exhibition at the Anchorage Museum.

Susan Moloney BFA ’96 (Painting) is a found objects/ mixed-media artist and is a member of the Dumpster Divers of Philadelphia collective. She has a gift for rescuing discarded dolls and antiques. Her work was part of fall and holiday exhibitions at the JAM Gallery in Malvern, Pa., through February 2, 2014. More info moloneyart.com. Tiffany (Weigel) Bartok BFA ’97 (Musical Theater) produced the film “Fall to Rise,” starring Desmond Richardson, Katherine Crockett and Daphne Rubin-Vega. Michele Kishita BFA ’97 (Painting), MFA ’10 (Painting) exhibited work in “Dialogue in Color” at the Drawing Room Gallery in Connecticut from January 16 to March 17, 2014, and in “Paper Work” at the Trenton City Museum from November 17, 2013, to January 5, 2014. Hannah Tsapatoris MacLeod BFA ’97 (Musical Theater) directed “Julia Caesar” through her theater company Naked Feet Theatrical Productions at the Rotunda in Philadelphia on March 14, 2013. All the genders were switched: the male roles were read by some of Philadelphia’s strongest actresses and the two female roles were played by two great Philly actors. More info at nakedfeetproductions.com.

Seth Greenberg BM ’99 (Guitar) completed his MA and Ph.D. at the Claremont Graduate University in Classical Guitar Performance and Musicology, respectively. His first book, Billy Bean: The Life and Music of a Jazz Guitar Legend, was published by Midoriyama Publishing. The two-volume book is a biography and complete catalog of the introverted guitarist’s autograph manuscripts. Garrett Hendricks BFA ’99 (Musical Theater) recently shot an episode of “Unforgettable” and just wrapped a feature film called “Uncaged.” He plays a dangerous criminal whose wife falls for a kid who turns out to be a werewolf. Cornelius Jones Jr. BFA ’99 (Musical Theater) was a featured performer and guest speaker for his debut poetic memoir and one-man show “Shadows & Lights” at Virginia Tech’s HIV/AIDS health and awareness week. Jones lives in Los Angeles and is working on his second book, while building and bridging a strong community of yogis and artists as a certified yoga and barre method instructor. More info at corneliusjonesjr.com. Clifton Walker III BFA ’99 (Musical Theater) recently performed jazz, pop and musical theater songs as part of the African Continuum Theater Company’s Cabaret series “J’s Jook Joint” in Washington, D.C. Next, he participated in a workshop of the musical “Freedom’s Song” with director/ choreographer Jeff Calhoun (“Newsies,” “Big River”) at the historic Ford’s Theatre.

2000s Ryan Cobourn BFA ’99 (Painting) exhibited his work at the Nancy Margolis Gallery in New York from December 12, 2013, to February 1, 2014.

David Fehr BFA ’99 (Acting) is the co-founder of Linchpin Theatre in Chicago. The first show, “King John,” opened in November 2013. Linchpin Theatre strives to create and inspire a new theater-going audience by producing accessible and dynamic productions featuring imaginative artists, terrific scripts and clear storytelling. In addition, Linchpin endeavors to encourage young artists and theatergoers through educational outreach and classes in the Chicago community. More info at linchpintheatre.com.

Ben Dibble BFA ’00 (Musical Theater) starred in “The Story of My Life” at Delaware Theatre Company, alongside Tony nominee Rob McClure. Brad Loekle BFA ’00 (Musical Theater) is currently enjoying his fifth year on the TruTV series “World’s Dumbest.” He is also a principal writer for Joan Rivers on the E! Network’s “Fashion Police.” With Atlantis Events and RSVP Vacations, he’s been able to tour the world performing on exclusive cruises and resort events for the LGBT community. Atlantis and RSVP are the largest private charter travel groups in the world, and with them, Loekle has performed in over 30 countries on five continents. When not abroad, Loekle tours extensively with his stand up. Wynter Spears BFA ’00 (Musical Theater) gave her inaugural stand-up comedy performance at the Hollywood Improv on November 16, 2013. Jen Woodhouse BFA ’00 (Musical Theater) is busy wrangling two toddlers, ages 3 and 1. Her family strives to live a healthy lifestyle, and she is swept up in cloth diapering, making homemade baby food, feeding her family with local,

whole foods and cutting out processed foods! She recently dove headfirst into the world of DIY and began building her own furniture. More info at jenwoodhouse.com. Michael “Ras Mikey C” Courtney BFA ’01 (Dance) is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in Arts Practice Research at the Irish World Academy at the University of Limerick in Ireland. He recently completed an MA in Ethnochoreology at the same university.

Top: Wynter Spears Right: Jay Smith Below: Siobhan Vivian Opposite top: Rob Bigwood Opposite bottom: Steve Messanger

Katherine Lin McNamee BFA ’01 (Musical Theater) is now in her fifth year as the assistant company manager of the Broadway production of “The Phantom of the Opera.” Past ACM credits include “Legally Blonde” on Broadway, “The Wiz” at City Center and “Wicked” in Chicago. She also continues her work as a committee member of the Broadway Green Alliance, now in its fifth year of making Broadway, Off Broadway and the road more eco-friendly. More info at broadwaygreen.com. Wi Moto Nyoka BFA ’01 (Musical Theater) had her piece “The Last Days of Kartika” added to the lineup of the Couch TV network, which started on February 12, 2014. She is one of the new vocalists with ASE Dance Theater Collective and is very excited to be working on such interactive work. She was also in “Black Wall Street” produced by Shades of Truth Theater, which opened February 15, 2014.

Rebecca Gilbert MFA ’02 (Book Arts/Printmaking), Marisha Simons MFA ’03 (Book Arts/Printmaking), Julia Blaukopf BFA ’06 (Photography) and Sun Young Kang MFA ’07 (Book Arts/Printmaking) exhibited work in the Center for Emerging Visual Artists’ Holiday Pop-Up Shop. The shop included prints, original artwork, wearables, home goods and other handmade items. Purchases benefited the participating artists and CFEVA’s programming. Larry Hamilton BFA ’02 (Musical Theater) recently jumped into the photographer seat and works with different modeling agencies in the city. He is happy to offer an online discount for headshots or modeling portraits to the UArts network at bluephotonyc.com. In March, Hamilton earned his real estate license, so he will also be available to help anyone hunting for a new apartment. Contact him at larry@larry-hamilton.com. Oronde Kairi Johnson ’02 (Illustration) paints under the name Kairi Johnson and was invited by the New York Art Expo to show his work to buyers from around the world. Steve Messenger BFA ’02 (Painting/Drawing) writes, “I am a working artist with a studio at 319 North 11th Street in Philadelphia. I’m still represented by Bucks County Gallery of Fine Art and I was recently accepted into 440 Gallery’s annual ‘Small Works Show’ in Brooklyn for the third time.”

Marc Spaulding BFA ’01 (Ballet) was a cast member of “Aladdin and His Winter Wish,” December 11 - 29, 2013, at the Pasadena Playhouse. Lucas Steele BFA ’01 (Musical Theater) starred as Anatole in the Off-Broadway production of “Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812” through March 2, 2014. Plans to film the show are underway. Siobhan Vivian BFA ’01 (Writing for Film & Television) is the author of the young adult novel The List, which was recently optioned by MTV for television development by Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower) and Liz Maccie (“Make It or Break It”). Jared Cowan BFA ’02 (Film & Video) writes, “Since graduating, I’ve been working as a camera operator and have shot many documentaries and docu-series for networks such as Discovery, History and National Geographic, just to name a few. In 2012 and 2013, I made a big jump and started working more as a director of photography. I just finished shooting a new Travel Channel series, which was totally fulfilling because getting to work and travel is an amazing privilege. Also, I was very proud to have shot a medical documentary for Discovery called ‘The Girl with Half a Face.’ It not only deals with a rare medical condition, but also addresses bullying in schools. It has been a critical success.” More info at jaredcowanphotography.com.

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Jay Smith BFA ’02 (Multimedia) is the founder and CEO of Livid Instruments, a boutique maker of electronic music instruments and an innovator for new music products. Livid recently released the Guitar Wing, a wireless 3D MIDI controller that fits almost any guitar or bass. Smith was also the keynote speaker at the Technology for Music Education conference in February 2014. More info at guitarwing.com. Rachelle Smith BFA ’02 (Photography) is the photographer behind Speaking OUT: Queer Youth in Focus, published by PM Press and Reach and Teach Publications. It is a photographic essay told from the perspective of young people identifying as queer. “Speaking OUT” is an award-winning, nationally and internationally shown and published body of work. These images have been published in magazines such as the Advocate, School Library Journal, Curve,

Girlfriends and Out, and showcased by the Human Rights Campaign, National Public Radio, Public Television and the U.S. Department of Education. The work continues to show in galleries, universities, youth centers and churches around the world. Christopher Totten BFA ’02 (Musical Theater) is currently in his final semester as a graduate student at NYU Steinhardt, where he is an MA candidate in Educational Theatre in Colleges and Communities. He appeared as Joseph Surface in Richard Brinsley Sheridan’s “School for Scandal” at the Provincetown Playhouse, performed in conjunction with NYU Steinhardt in late February/March 2014. Totten is also working with the New Victory Theatre’s LabWorks program, also in conjunction with NYU Steinhardt, to help spearhead a new graduate-level experience for future students interested in creating innovative theater for young audiences. Tara Bruno BFA ’03 (Musical Theater) recently launched a career in commercial voiceovers and is excited about the possibilities ahead. She’s also fallen in love with the craft of acting again and is studying at the Karl Bury Studio. Bruno was accepted into a workshop where she studied under legendary teacher, Larry Moss. Tyler Davidson BFA ’03 (Musical Theater) is living in Manhattan with Hilary, his wife of three years. He has been teaching special education in NYC for the past seven years and runs his own private tutoring practice as well. Though no longer auditioning professionally, he stays involved in music and theater through the NYC Urban Assembly Arts Project, a group that teaches music, theater and dance to inner-city students. Davidson also directs the musical at his school every year. He continues to race sailboats professionally throughout the U.S. Dana Michael BFA ’03 (Musical Theater) is a film and media producer in the Philadelphia area who is dedicated to connecting artists and promoting area standards. She is an active member and outreach liaison for SAG-AFTRA, PIFVA and the Producers Association of Philadelphia. Michael’s goal is to grow the Philadelphia market and enable it to flourish as a professional industry contender. Michael organized a “Navigating SAG-AFTRA Contracts” workshop in February, featuring speakers from the local and national offices, which was sponsored by the Greater Philadelphia Film Office, PIFVA, PAP and PhillyCam. She has worked on a feature film titled “Ardmore Junction” by Brian Gallagher, which starred UArts alumnus Davy Raphaely BFA ’01 (Acting). She also produced projects with Get-Kinetic and ran marketing for the reoccurring short film festival at the Troc and the Philly Philm Phunction at the United Republican Club. Her next feature, “Describing the Moon,” is in pre-production.

Rob Bigwood BFA ’04 (Graphic Design) was filmed for the show “Game of Arms” on AMC, which aired in February 2014. His wife, Candy Bigwood BFA ’05 (Graphic Design), writes, “He’s a main character (it’s a reality show) and he’s a professional arm wrestler, and we have been filmed together numerous times as well as on his own and competing. I know it’s not specific to our degrees in GD, but it’s really awesome, and we talk about how we met in school.” Marianne Dages BFA ’04 (Photography) had her work titled “Due North” at Crane Arts in Philadelphia. The exhibition featured the work of 26 Icelandic and American artists. She presented a series of letterpress prints made in 2013 that explore pictographic modes of communication. Jeremiah Downes BFA ’04 (Musical Theater) recently performed an evening of his original words and music, “Highways and Daydreams,” with UArts alumni Janet Rowley BFA ’09 (Musical Theater), Larry Hamilton BFA ’02 (Musical Theater) and Sarah Bolt BFA ’03 (Musical Theater) at the Duplex in NYC and again this winter at Tavern on Camac in Philadelphia with Rowley and Evan Frace ’15 (Musical Theater). On February 24, 2014, Rob Tucker BFA ’04 (Musical Theater), Colleen Hazlett BFA ’04 (Musical Theater), Lorraine Cink BFA ’04 (Musical Theater), Laura Catlaw BFA ’06 (Musical Theater) and Downes reunited after 10 years to recreate the roles they performed in the UArts production of “Merrily We Roll Along” as a fundraising event for New Theater Collective. Downes just entered his second year as the headlining talent and music director/entertainment manager at the Walnut Street Supper Club in Center City Philadelphia, where he has been since its inception. Jonathan Shade BFA ’04 (Musical Theater) performed as the lead singer in a group of eight on Silversea’s official world cruise through April 2014, where he traveled from Los Angeles to Barcelona. More info at jonathanshade.com. A. Rosalie Kenny BFA ’05 (Film) writes, “I have started my own business! Using skills I learned in bookbinding and freshman Foundation, I have created a line of Gift-a-Day boxes that can be used as a countdown or ‘countup’ to a variety of special events, including birthdays, anniversaries, holidays and baby showers. The only line currently available is for Valentine’s Day, but I look forward to expanding, hopefully with the help of a Corzo Center grant!”

Nicole Styer BFA ’05 (Crafts) is co-founder of K.Nicole, a clothing collection that debuted at New York Fashion Week on February 9, 2014. Styer is also the owner of N.R.S. Boutique, a clothing and accessory shop in South Philadelphia. The collection offers jackets, pants, dresses and jumpsuits. The centerpieces of the Fall/Winter 2013 collection stand in the 16th century-inspired jackets, all of which are seamed with the finest velvets and paisley textiles. Jordan Baumgarten BFA ’06 (Photography) had one of his images featured in Bloomberg Businessweek in an article about President Obama’s proposed Promise Zones in West Philadelphia. He also shot a photo story for American Express about a barbershop in Harlem. He had an exhibition in March with Keith Yahrling BFA ’08 (Photography) and Gabe Angemi at Gravy Studios in Philadelphia. He is also a faculty member in the UArts Photography department.

Jessica Jenkins BFA ’06 (Illustration), MA ’12 (Museum Communication) recently became the manager of marketing and public relations at the Delaware Art Museum. Additionally, she is an active member of the cultural community in the Brandywine Valley, serving on the Brandywine Museums & Gardens Alliance, a consortium of 11 gardens, museums and historic sites. Jenkins serves on the board for the Chris White Community Development Corporation, a nonprofit organization in Wilmington, Del., that seeks to cultivate a thriving art community through affordable artist housing and innovative collaborations. She also recently joined the board for the Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums as the Delaware chapter representative. Lisa Kazmer BFA ’06 (Modern Dance) received her 200hour yoga teaching certification from OM Yoga Center in NYC after graduating from UArts. Since then, she has immersed herself in the practice, traveled to India to study yoga and has acquired over 5,000 hours of hands-on teaching experience. After seven years of living, working and thriving in New York City, Lisa has recently relocated to Hong Kong and is continuing to share her love of teaching yoga. More info at LisaDevi.com.

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Mary Scholz BFA ’06 (Musical Theater) released her first full-length album The Girl You Thought You Knew on February 18, 2014. The release was celebrated with a show on February 22, 2014, at Bar Lubitsch in Hollywood, followed by a three-month tour of the United States. More info at maryscholz.com. Jayne Surrena BFA ’06 (Painting), MAT ’10 (Visual Arts) exhibited her work in “Fictional Memoirs” at the James Oliver Gallery in Philadelphia, November 9 - December 9, 2013. Molly Marie Walsh BFA ’06 (Musical Theater) had a wonderful first year in the U.K. She appeared as Mrs. Crachit in the U.K. premiere of Alan Menken’s “A Christmas Carol” at the Tabard Theatre in London. She is now working with the Peter Sheldrake Agency and still making music with her husband. More info at mollymariewalsh.com. Ginny Wehrmeister BFA ’06 (Musical Theater) married her best friend of 12 years, Joel Roster, on October 26, 2013, at the beautiful Town Hall Theatre in Lafayette, Calif. In the midst of planning their wedding, Wehrmeister was teaching theater full-time between Town Hall Theatre and CalShakes. Quickly following the wedding, the newlyweds were off for two beautiful weeks in Maui! When they returned, all her teaching projects quickly went into performances and Wehrmeister went into rehearsals for “A Christmas Carol” with Center Rep, playing opposite her husband in the role of Mrs. Fred. In the new year, a new semester of classes quickly began and Wehrmeister and her husband started rehearsals for the East Bay premiere of “Les Miserables,” which opened in March at the Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek, Calif. Sara Bakken BFA ’07 (Crafts) had her work exhibited in “Source of Inspiration” at the MUSE Gallery in Philadelphia from December 4 - 29, 2013. Kelli Barrett BFA ’07 (Musical Theater) got engaged in July 2013 to actor Jarrod Spector. She recently filmed episode 413 of “Blue Bloods.” Barrett has been working on the new musical “Piece of My Heart” for the past five years, and the project just received another workshop in preparation for its summer run at Signature Theater Off-Broadway. In February 2014, she began a workshop of Steve Martin’s new musical “Bright Star” in the role of Margo. Mara Jill Herman BFA ’07 (Musical Theater) appeared at 54 below in “1 Night Only: A Hanukkah Jamboree” by Rob Shapiro. She had a blast celebrating “Thanksgivikkuh” on stage! She recorded vocals on “Evergreen” by Peter Mills and Cara Reichel for Prospect Theatre Company’s holiday video. Herman returned to NYU to work on four 15-minute musicals. Her book So You Wanna Be A Superstar?

celebrated its first birthday in the fall and is available for purchase online and in major bookstores. She was a resident advisor for YoungArts’ regional program this March in Los Angeles. Between auditions, you can find her at the Genius Bar at the Apple Store on West 14th Street in Manhattan.

Alex Keiper BFA ’07 (Musical Theater) just closed “Sideways Stories from Wayside School,” the Arden’s winter children’s show. Next, Keiper played Daisy in “Side Show” as part of 11th Hour’s “Next Step” concert series. In

Matthew Mastronardi BFA ’07 (Musical Theater) recently appeared in “A Christmas Carol” and “Alexander Who’s Not, Not, Not, Not, Not, Not Going to Move” at the Walnut Street Theatre. Next, he was in the world premiere of “Grimms’ Juniper Tree” with the Renegade Company. Mastronardi then appeared in “Side Show,” which marks his third concert reading with 11th Hour Theatre Company’s “Next Step” concert series. After that, he is excited to be a part of Act II Playhouse’s production of “Man of LaMancha” directed by UArts faculty member Aaron Cromie. Mastronardi is currently a teaching artist at the Arden Theatre Company helping shape young musical theater minds. Andre Darnell Myers BFA ’07 (Musical Theater) kicked off 2014 by filming another Grammy’s commercial. He then shot a commercial for Lincoln and a music video starring recording artist Aloe Blacc. Myers is currently rehearsing and filming a video that will be on Carnival Cruise Lines in its new ’60s show. Myers released his new single in March.

March, she began rehearsals for the new play “Down Past Passyunk” at InterAct Theater Co. with Brian Cowden

BFA ’07 (Acting). And finally, she’ll return to the Arden at the end of the season to play Marie in their new production of “Incorruptible” with Michael Doherty BFA ’10

(Musical Theater). She’s thrilled to have a season full of

Artie Sievers BFA ’07 (Musical Theater) writes a serial that appears on his website titled “The Pelaawi Playhouse Summer Season of 1988,” all about the ’80s, high school and—of course—musical theater. More info at artiesievers.com.

Opposite top: Nicole Styer Opposite left: Jordan Baumgarten Opposite bottom: Mara Jill Herman Left: Alex Keiper

working with UArts pals!

Kevin Korn BM ’07 (Music Composition) was selected as the first new agent in 10 years at Gorfaine/Schwartz Agency, a Los Angeles composing agency. He represents composers, artists and music supervisors for film, TV and video games. Since 2011, he has signed composers including Joseph Trapanese (“Tron,” “Oblivion”), Steven Price (“Gravity,” “The World’s End”) and Jóhann Jóhannsson (“Prisoners”). Korn was named one of Hollywood’s “New Leaders” by Variety.

Jeremy Lardieri BFA ’07 (Musical Theater) will join SAG-AFTRA with his new role in the web series “Eat the Rabbit.” He is a soloist in the Pink Pig Ballet Company

Phoebe Silva BFA ’07 (Musical Theater) has been breaking in her electric violin, stepping in as a sub fiddle player with the all-girl country/rock cover band Your Ex-Girlfriends. They rang in the new year by headlining at Hill Country in NYC. Silva also played at Stage 72 on February 7, 2014, with singer/songwriters Sadie and Stephanie Keller. Silva also appeared in “Bound for Broadway” at the Underground Lounge. She also worked as a stand-in on a promo shoot for “Orange Is the New Black.” Silva was in Vaclav Havel’s “The Pig,” which ran March 6 - 29, 2014, at 3LD Art & Technology Center. She continues to develop her custom and repurposed jewelry design business. More info at 3ldnyc.org.

with fellow UArts alumna Erika Wasko BFA ’10 (Musical

Theater) and they are getting ready for their shows in

June. Lardieri continues to work as an adjunct professor of Dance at St. Joseph’s College in Brooklyn. His album and voice demos are now available on SoundCloud.com and he

Brett Stoelker BFA ’07 (Musical Theater) is a cast member of the national tour of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” with Richard Cerato BFA ’08 (Musical Theater).

is currently working on his sophomore album Fork Left.

Oliver Lidert BFA ’07 (Musical Theater) spent a year with the original cast of the “The Book of Mormon” in London’s West End after completing his run in “The Lion King.” He is now moving on to Regents Park Open Air Theatre to perform in “Porgy and Bess.” Lidert also launched his new theater company, the West End Cabaret Company, which had its first sold-out performance of “The Songs I’ll Never Sing” at the newly built St. James Theatre. The company is also working on three new shows for the fall and beyond. More info at wecabaret.com.

Heather Woodward BFA ’07 (Musical Theater) is a writer and performer for the iO West Mainstage team DJ Faucet, performing improve the first Sunday of every month. DJ Faucet recently performed at the Chicago Sketchfest, and Woodward’s most recent sketch written for iO West, “Abilify Re-Dubbed,” was featured on the front page of Funny Or Die! Woodward also performed with one of the premiere student teams at the Groundlings Theatre and is performing regularly around Hollywood with her long-form improv teams Davenport, Tiger Beat and the Lady Jammers. More info at IHateTheOtherHeatherWoodwards.com.

Right: Christina Perri Below: James Lincke Opposite right: Daniel Fishel Opposite bottom: Nick Costa

Alex Bechtel BFA ’08 (Musical Theater) is the lead artist and director of his original play “The West,” which played March 26 - 30, 2014, in Philadelphia. Bechtel also composed music/sound design for Enchantment Theatre Company’s “The Fisherman and the Flounder,” appears as actor/music director/composer in 1812 Productions’ “This Is the Week That Is,” and composed original music for Shakespeare in Clark Park’s epic 150-person “Henry IV.” In non-theater news, Bechtel and his partner, Annie Wilson, just got engaged and are planning a summer 2015 wedding. Kyra Bromberg BFA ’08 (Musical Theater) performed as a lead singer in “Christmas at the New Huntington” at New Huntington Supper Club in Huntington, Ind. She is back in NYC and taking several classes, including a sketch-writing class at Upright Citizens Brigade. She continues her work with Village Playback Theatre, an applied theater improvisational company, where she is an artistic partner, playing mostly private shows. Mat Burrow BFA ’08 (Musical Theater) is currently performing on Celebrity Cruise Line’s ship, the Equinox.

who complete and pass Digital Arts 1,2,3 and take a job placement NOCTI ‘Visual Communications and Multimedia Design’ exam receive three matriculated credits with Gloucester Community College. This is part of a CTE Perkins Program. Next, as seniors, students can submit an AP2D portfolio through the college board for an additional three credits.” Lauren Miller BFA ’08 (Musical Theater) recently produced “Shotz,” the 10-minute play series from Amios, a NYC theater company. Each month, six playwrights have two weeks to write short plays based on a theme. The erotica-themed “Voulez Vous Coucher Avec Shotz” premiered on December 2, 2013, at the Kraine Theatre. She also directed “Reservations” by Jeffrey Fischer-Smith, which was a finalist in the Long Island City One Act Festival at the Secret Theatre, featuring Michael Linden BFA ’10 (Musical Theater) and Rachel Radenberg BFA ’07 (Acting). “Reservations” was recorded and published in Qu literary magazine. Miller continues her work with TACT/The Actors Company Theatre and has received a new position as its outreach coordinator. She looks forward to producing her 4th annual newTACTics New Play Festival at TACT in June 2014.

Sean Elias BFA ’08 (Musical Theater) appeared in “Footloose” alongside Bethany McCall BFA ’13 (Musical Theater) at the Eagle Theater in New Jersey. Elias appeared in “The Homo Poe Show,” a queering/adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe’s classics with Baltimore’s Iron Crow Theatre. Elias also booked the Baltimore Shakespeare Factory’s summer main stage production of “Much Ado About Nothing.” He finished two teaching artist residencies at the Auburn School and the Compass Academy through his employment with Center Stage in Baltimore. In addition, the Auburn School invited Elias back to lead its staff of 40 through an arts education-training program during its professional development day in Washington, D.C. Emily (Kirkwood) Hopkins BFA ’08 (Musical Theater) just finished working as Bryce Dallas Howard’s stunt double for the upcoming film “Pant Suits.”

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James Lincke BFA ’08 (Illustration) exhibited his work at the First Friday “Comics and Illustration Showcase” at Art Space Lansdowne in November 2013.

Christina Perri ’08 (Communication) sang her new single “Human” on the “Today Show.” The song is from her latest album Head or Heart.

Amanda Miduski BFA ’08 (Printmaking) wrote, “I am currently a tenured full-time high school art teacher for Delsea Regional High School in Gloucester County, N.J. I teach a freshman foundation art course, Illustration and Design, Digital Photography, Animation, and Advanced Placement Two-Dimensional Art. I was dedicated to improving the program that was given to me when I was hired. Students entered classes without prerequisites, class sizes were small and it felt like the program was on the brink of collapse. I wanted to make my courses more than ‘an art class.’ Since my first year, I completely rewrote all curriculum. Students

Moses Rodrigues BFA ’08 (Musical Theater) played the lead role in “It’s a Wonderful Life” at the Garland Theater in Maryland. Kate Schwarz BFA ’08 (Musical Theater) recently appeared on the fourth season of NBC’s “The Sing-Off” with her a cappella group, Element. The all-female group just launched an EP. More info at elementvocals.com. Max Vasapoli BFA ’08 (Musical Theater) is a seasoned marketing, public relations and communications consultant

in the Philadelphia theater and dance industry. He has served as marketing director of Off Broad Street Theatre Consortium, on-site coordinator for Cirque Du Soleil’s “Totem,” front-of-house assistant at the Arden Theatre Company and marketing associate for Theatre Exile. Vasapoli is a supernumerary captain and teaching artist with Opera Philadelphia, where he was seen in the Opera On the Mall broadcasts of “Carmen” and “Nabucco,” the Pulitzer Prize-winning opera “Silent Night,” and on local news segments like CBS Philly’s “Love the Arts in Philadelphia,” “6ABC Loves the Arts” and WHYY’s “Friday Arts.” Vasapoli spoke at UArts in Jacqueline Goldfinger’s Technology & Theater class and will discuss the challenges of design and development for his new mobile app created for Philly’s independent theater companies. He has also worked on Curtis Opera Theatre’s “Dialogue of the Carmelites” at the Kimmel Center. Rob Ambrose BFA ’09 (Multimedia) is an applications developer with Paragon Technology Solutions, Inc. Ambrose provides web and mobile development, UI design and client direction. He has completed works for several commercial banks and payment processors, both domestic and international, and is approaching his fifth anniversary with the company. Ambrose became a permanent resident of Philadelphia shortly after graduation. More info at robambrose.com. Justin Bryant BFA ’09 (Ballet) recently moved to L.A. and was immediately signed to Bloc Talent Agency. Joey Contreras BFA ’09 (Musical Theater) recently gave two shows at Rockwood Music Hall, visited the University of Oklahoma and made a fun appearance at the A.C.T Young Conservatory Homecoming in San Francisco. Contreras released his new Broadway Dreams Foundation benefit single “Constellation,” featuring Adrienne Warren (“Bring It On”) and a host of Broadway performers and students. Proceeds support students pursuing an education in musical theater writing. Playbill.com premiered the official video and Kristin Chenoweth even tweeted about it! Contreras made his L.A. concert debut at the Rockwell: Table and Stage in February 2014. He also continues to work on his follow-up album Young Kind of Love, which is scheduled to drop by the end of July. He is currently developing a new musical to be workshopped with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln later this year.

Nick Costa BM ’09 (Percussion), MAT ’10 (Music Education) was profiled by Entertwine.net as a “Rising Artist.” He has played for over 16 years as part of multiple music/percussion ensembles and regularly participates in music-related charity work with kids in downtown Philadelphia. Costa says, “When I was at UArts in Philly, the other students used to call me the ‘rock guy’ because almost all the groups I performed in prior to college were rock. UArts uses Jazz Studies as their core curriculum for performance majors, so I gained an appetite for that too. Right now, I enjoy playing pop/punk, rock, jazz and even hip-hop/R&B/pocket drumming.” He began working with underprivileged children while he was at UArts, teaching bucket drumming. Through bucket-drumming workshops, Costa helps students learn music, motor skills, communication skills and critical-thinking skills. He is a music teacher for the School District of Philadelphia, teaching percussion via bucket drumming and will start a similar ensemble at Villanova University. Sally Eckhoff MFA ’09 (Studio Art), a UArts MFA faculty member, has published a book titled f*ck art (let’s dance). The memoir chronicles 10 years in New York City and one young painter’s crusade to make that place her own. Daniel Fishel BFA ’09 (Illustration) recently illustrated book covers for two Nick Hornby titles by McSweeney’s Publishing. Brad Greer BFA ’09 (Musical Theater) toured with “The Broadway Boys” this winter and is diving into the world of digital music with the hopes of writing/producing an album of his own music. Nick Park BFA ’09 (Musical Theater) was cast in “Fiddler on the Roof” at the Virginia Repertory Theatre from November 21, 2013, to January 12, 2014. Meg Hubbarth Steiner BFA ’09 (Musical Theater) moved to Austin, Texas, in October 2009 and married Marc Steiner. They had a beautiful baby girl, Lily Elizabeth Steiner, in June 2012. Steiner has been a music director and instructor at a performing arts studio, PAIYH (Put Art In Your Heart) Dance Studios, since January 2011 and recently left to pursue acting and music full-time. She spent summer 2013 teaching theater to international high school students at the Leysin American School’s Summer in Switzerland and will return to the position this upcoming summer. Her stage credits include “W;t,” “Two Gentlemen of Verona,” “Hair” (City Theatre Company) and “Footloose” (Zilker Theatre); choreographer and assistant director for “Edges, Baby”; the pre-Broadway workshop of “National Pastime” (Austin Theatre Project); and an upcoming production of “Assassins,” where she’ll be playing Squeaky Fromme (Soubrette Productions). Additionally, Steiner served on the B. Iden Payne Committee, where she was responsible for helping

to recognize and support outstanding theater in the Austin community. In her spare time, she dabbles in maternity, engagement and boudoir photography, and takes as many ballet boot camp classes as possible.

Below: Veronica Cianfrano Opposite: Nancy Gail Ring

Ryan Touhey BFA ’09 (Musical Theater) worked on Brecht’s “Mother Courage & Her Children,” now running at Arena Stage in Washington, D.C., starring Kathleen Turner. Last fall, he music directed “Parade” at Arden Theatre Company, starring Brind alumni Ben Dibble BFA ’00 (Musical Theater) and Alex Keiper BFA ’07 (Musical Theater), and went on to music direct “Cinderella: A Musical Panto” at People’s Light & Theatre Co. featuring Brind school alumnus Alex Bechtel BFA ’08 (Musical Theater). He was the music director/arranger for “Faust” with the REP at the University of Delaware and is the music director of “Little Shop of Horrors” at Bristol Riverside Theatre. Ambe Williams BFA ’09 (Musical Theater) feels that 2014 has already been a great transition year for her as she recently moved to Williamsburg, Brooklyn, in New York City. Davon Williams BFA ’09 (Acting) made his stand-up debut at the legendary Comedy Store, which has hosted comedians such as Jay Leno and Jim Carrey and continues to be a venue for upcoming talent. He also participated in the Actors Equity Association’s staged reading of the new musical comedy “Down on the Pharm,” was in Pasadena Playhouse’s “Song of Paradise” and participated in a reading of “Part of the Plan,” the Dan Fogelberg musical.

2010s Laura Ahrens BFA ’10 (Musical Theater) moved to Boston in September 2013 to teach yoga full-time. She also leads retreats in the U.S. and abroad, most recently in Mexico. Photos of Ahrens were published in an issue of Yoga Journal Russia. More info at ahrensyoga.com. Blake Olivia Austin BFA ’10 (Musical Theater) has spent three years traveling and living all over the U.S., looking to reconnect to nature and her singer-songwriter roots. She currently lives in Denver, Colo., and is writing and recording her first solo album with an anticipated release for the upcoming Christmas season. Blake is also the lead singer for a party band, playing the Denver bar scene, wedding receptions, birthday parties and other events. Veronica Cianfrano MFA ’10 (Painting) had a solo exhibition titled “Heavy Hands” at Salon 1522 in Philadelphia in December 2013. Cianfrano is a Philadelphia-based multimedia artist who has been examining “the communication breakdown” through photographic images and memories of her familial ties and through our current reliance on digital communication. This exhibition served as

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a display for these vignettes of examination whether it is through memory decay, new meanings found in old footage or the effects of the news media on our state of mind. True to Cianfrano’s style, the exhibition featured a film screening as well as a varying collection of sculptures, assemblages, drawings and paintings, all of which invite the viewer in for an intimate discussion about memory. More info at veronicacianfrano.com. Michael Doherty BFA ’10 (Musical Theater) is back on the East Coast after spending the last half of 2013 working on “Ragtime” and “A Christmas Carol” out at the Milwaukee Repertory Theater. He choreographed for “A Night of Scene” at St. Joe’s Prep in Philadelphia and is currently a teaching artist for the Arden Theatre Company. He performed in “Musical of Musicals: The Musical” at Montgomery Theater in Souderton and ends the season with “Incorruptible” at the Arden, alongside fellow alumna Alex Keiper BFA ’07 (Musical Theater). Annissa M. Gultom MA ’10 (Museum Communication) came to the UArts Museum Studies program as a Fulbright Scholar. She was recently named director of Museum Kain in Bali, Indonesia. Mariel Letourneau BFA ’10 (Musical Theater) was in “Ragtime” in West Orange, N.J., with Pleasant Valley Productions as Evelyn Nesbit. She opened the premiere of the interactive dinner show “Pirate of the Carob Bean” in Bethlehem, Pa., March through April 2014. Letourneau was accepted into the Rockettes’ Summer Intensive once again and looks forward to attending in June. She continues to teach dance, voice and drama with Alex Diaz BFA ’80 (Applied Theater Arts) at Bergen Performing Arts Center in Englewood, N.J., and she started taking voice lessons with the one and only Neal Tracy! Michael Linden BFA ’10 (Musical Theater) closed “Miss Saigon” at North Shore Music Theater and participated in the reading of the musical “Junk” with music by Grammy Award-winning band Brainpool. This was followed by a performance at 54 Below in “Songs by Ridiculously Talented Composers and Lyricists You Probably Don’t Know But Should” hosted by William Finn and featuring a song by Joey Contreras BFA ’09 (Musical Theater). After that, Linden played the role of John in a reading of the musical “Clouds Are Pillows for the Moon” by Ty Defoe and Tidtaya Sotuke. He returned to 54 Below to sing the music of Josh Freilich and made his directing debut at 54 Below with the show “This Is 30” starring Erica Lustig. On February 9, 2014, he performed alongside a star-studded cast in a concert honoring composer William Finn at Merkin Concert Hall. Greg Nix BFA ’10 (Musical Theater) is back in Los Angeles after spending the fall in Philadelphia, co-creating and

performing in 1812 Productions’ vaudeville show “The Big Time.” He was admitted to the Upright Citizens Brigade’s Advanced Study program, where he will continue to study improv and sketch comedy, and he is now hosting a weekly improv show in L.A. with his team, Johnny Law. More info at facebook.com/johnnylaw. Clare O’Malley BFA ’10 (Musical Theater) appeared in “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike” at Philadelphia Theater Company from March 21 to April 20, 2014. Dan O’Neil BFA ’10 (Musical Theater) is the artistic assistant at the Arden Theatre Company in Old City, Philadelphia. He handles company management and assists with casting, producing, audience engagement and anything else the artistic department handles. He’s loving the opportunity to see and work with a wide array of Brind School alumni and current students! Chris Pappas BFA ’10 (Musical Theater) works at the 2nd Stage Box office and launched a new podcast called “Not Really My Scene,” where two theater kids at heart interview artists of all types to find out about their personal creative processes and collaborations. The other half of the podcast is called “Is it Canon?” For these episodes, Pappas and Ian Schneebly BFA ’13 (Musical Theater) will watch “gay” films and decide whether they are worthy enough of being ‘’Gay Canon.” Pappas also performed his one-man storytelling show “Jump” at the PIT this past fall and highlights are up on YouTube.

Nancy Gail Ring MFA ’10 (Painting) was awarded artist-in-residence studios at the Ucross Foundation in Ucross, Wyo., in August 2013 and at I-park in East Haddam, Conn., in July 2013. She also exhibited work in “The Gift Box,” an invitational group exhibition at 73 See Gallery in Montclair, N.J., in November 2013 and had a solo exhibition at the same gallery in December 2013 titled “Everyone I’ve Ever Fed.” She currently works full-time as an art educator specializing in art integration at Far Brook School in Short Hills, N.J. Samantha Stoltzfus BFA ’10 (Musical Theater) is a company actor with Hawaii-based theater company Honolulu Theatre for Youth. She has toured the island of Oahu (“Sort It Out”) and performed the original works “Icarus Fights the Minotaur” and “Grinds: The Story of Food in Hawai’i.” She also performed as a vocalist in the “Aha Aina Luau” with the Royal Hawaiian Hotel in Waikiki. In addition, she is part of the performing vocalist group the Liberty Bells, who perform for tourist events, primarily on the U.S.S. Missouri at Pearl Harbor. On February 14, 2014, she performed as a vocalist for the event “One Billion Rising” in Honolulu (Magic Island), an event to bring awareness to end violence against woman and children. In June, she will return to Iolani Private School (Oahu) to teach musical theater performance to grades 1-4. Allen Weaver BFA ’10 (Musical Theater) recently performed with Broadway Barkada for its annual Valentine’s Day concert “So This Is Love” at the Drom, directed by Billy Bustamante BFA ’04 (Musical Theater). He has also been participating in Broadway Barkada’s benefit performances, which have been helping Typhoon Haiyan relief efforts and Doctors Without Borders. Carrie Bauer BFA ’11 (Musical Theater) played Antonia and Maria in the spring production of “Man of La Mancha” at Pembroke Pines Theatre of the Performing Arts in Pembroke Pines, Fla. Vinny Celeiro BFA ’11 (Musical Theater) can still be seen as Nomi SAS every Monday in “Gypsies” at Xes Lounge on 24th Street and 7th Avenue in NYC. Starting in February, SAS began hosting a special “Rupaul’s Drag Race” viewing party before each performance. On March 10, SAS hosted a special senior showcase edition of “Gypsies” to celebrate UArts’ Class of 2014. Check @doyounomisas on Instagram for more performance updates.

Jacqueline Real BFA ’10 (Musical Theater) is in pre-production for her short film “How Far.” Real wears multiple hats for this film as executive producer, director, writer and actor. The creative team just had a successful event in NYC. They exceeded their goal to fund the film through their FundAnything campaign.

Elizabeth Giovino BFA ’11 (Musical Theater) teaches “Mommy and Me” music and play classes for youngsters (birth to 5 years old) at Gymborees all over Manhattan. She was recently chosen to represent the NYC team in a weekly “Manhattan Minute” on Pinterest and YouTube, where she demonstrates baby massage used in her “Level 1 Play and Learn” class for infants.

Top: Lorenzo Buffa Bottom: Andrew Carroll

Jessie Holder BFA ’11 (Musical Theater) worked at the Rutgers Summer Acting Conservatory at the Mason Gross School for the Arts in summer 2013. She then played the role of Juliet in “Romeo and Juliet” with the Poetics Theatre Collective in NYC. Holder also participated in the first industry reading of Lindsay Bytof’s “The Handmaid’s Tale,” adapted from the novel by Margaret Atwood. Holder is thrilled to announce her engagement to John Tourtellotte! They will be marrying in the fall and have relocated to Knoxville, Tenn., with the intention of teaching, performing and founding the Knoxville Classical Theatre. Adam Hostler BFA ’11 (Musical Theater) was cast in the Off-Broadway show “Thank You for Being a Friend: The Golden Girls Musical” in the role of Blanche at the Laurie Beechman Theater through February 12, 2014. Ashlyn Stoner Kindberg BFA ’11 (Musical Theater) is busy recording a series of audiobooks for the YA trilogy The Princess Sisters. Kindberg just signed a contract to voice Taboo! The Hidden Culture of a Red Light, which uncovers the truth behind the myth of the infamous red-light district of Lahore, Pakistan. She continues to do commercial voiceovers, having recently recorded a jingle for Deer Run Winery and a promo video for GreenCE.com. In other news, the film Kindberg produced, “Sing Over Me,” premiered on February 28, 2014. More info at singovermemovie.com. Lukas Poost BFA ’11 (Musical Theater) has been keeping busy with theater-related projects including a quick contract with Theatreworks, where he earned the right to pay his union dues (and the good stuff that comes with it, of course). Poost is currently spending the rest of the winter in sunny Florida rehearsing for a cruise contract that will take him abroad until September. He’s excited to get another chance to explore more of our beautiful planet as he sails the Caribbean and the Mediterranean seas. Matteo Scammell BFA ’11 (Acting) played Trip Wyeth in “Other Desert Cities,” which ran at the Walnut Street Theatre from January 14 to March 2, 2014. Scammell was the lead in 11th Hour Theatre Co.’s 2011 production “Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson,” directed by Kate Gavin, who also directed “Other Desert Cities.” In addition to acting, he is also a band member of Red 40 and the Last Groovement. Scammell was featured in the South Philly Review on February 6, 2014. Michelle Vezijl BFA ’11 (Musical Theater) is back in New York City after the release of Drink Me Up’s four-song EP and music video. Their music video for “So Be It” has almost 25,000 views on YouTube and won Best Music Video at the Los Angeles International Film Festival. Vezijl’s most recent project, “Ovum,” is due out this fall. More info at drinkmeup.net.

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Lorenzo Buffa BS ’12 (Industrial Design) creates all-wood watches from teak and bamboo, silverheart and maple, and makore and red sanders. Buffa and his Analog Watch Co. put the project on Kickstarter hoping for $10,000 and reached over $73,000. Because of his crowdfunding effort, he was able to secure a store in Philadelphia’s East Passyunk neighborhood. Buffa explains, “The ‘Carpenter Collection’ is the first collection of wooden wristwatches that feature an all-natural flexible and pliable wooden strap. We’re trying to capture the watch collectors, the fashionistas and the eco-friendly, eco-conscious market.” An experienced wood worker, Buffa is a recent recipient of a grant from the University’s Corzo Center for the Creative Economy and was a participant in GoodCompany Ventures 2013 “Startup Accelerator.”

Andrew Carroll BFA ’12 (Acting), Adam Hoyak BFA ’13 (Musical Theater), Brandon Pierce BFA ’12 (Acting) and Mary Beth Shrader BFA ’13 (Acting) were cast members of “No Reservations” at the Adrienne Theatre in Philadelphia, November 26 - December 15, 2013. “No Reservations” is a modern retelling of the Nativity satirizing our celebrity-obsessed and media-saturated culture. “No Reservations” was presented by Philadelphia Non-Profit Advertising Agency, a local foundation supporting arts and culture initiatives in the Delaware Valley, with the goal of promoting and developing promising young artists and their work.

Brendan Dalton BFA ’12 (Musical Theater) completed an extensive, eight-week training session with Blue Man Group. The training is for possible replacements for venues in Las Vegas, Orlando, Boston or Chicago. Erin Fleming BFA ’12 (Musical Theater) is a cast member of the 2nd National/1st International Tour of “Bring It On: The Musical” playing the role of Twig! Chanel Karimkhani BFA ’12 (Musical Theater) was in the regional premiere of Michael John LaChiusa’s “See What I Wanna See” with Ignite Theatre Company in Denver, Colo., February 14 - March 9, 2014. Nicole Kinzel BFA ’12 (Musical Theater) finished the premiere of “The Journey: A New Indie Musical” in Boca Raton, Fla., and was a cast member of “Spamalot” at Actors’ Playhouse in Miami. Brittany Kvitko BFA ’12 (Musical Theater) calls Philadelphia her home and worked at Walnut Street Theatre last season as an extra and understudy in “An Ideal Husband.” She played multiple roles in the Philadelphia Fringe show “Better Than Broadway” with fellow classmate Sarah Spangenberg BFA ’12 (Musical Theater). Kvitko played Marion Clegg in Caryl Churchill’s “Owners,” mounted by Inversion Theatre Company. Jarrod Markman BFA ’12 (Musical Theater) finished assistant directing “Water by the Spoonful” under nationally acclaimed director Lucie Tiberghien at the Arden Theatre. He also devised a piece through Simpatico Theatre Project that pulls all of its text straight from Philadelphia Craigslist and facilitated the development of six solo shows through the Simpatico SoLow Incubator. This spring, he assisted Seth Rozin on the world premiere of “Ritu Comes Home” at InterAct.

Vince Tampio MM ’12 (Jazz Studies) wrote, “I recently wrapped production on my first full-length solo album ‘Syzygy.’ Not only did I compose, arrange and perform on the majority of the instruments, but I also served as executive producer, audio engineer and graphic designer. Plus, I created the artwork, which was photographed by Billy Harvey ’15 (Graphic Design). ‘Syzygy’ is an instrumental narrative comprising diverse musical genres including Jazz, rhumba, reggae, fusion and alternative rock.” Ali Wetzel BFA ’12 (Musical Theater) started her second year of Meisner training at John DeSotelle Studio in Midtown Manhattan. She appeared in Mark Hooker’s new work “The Miss Longview Texas Drag Pageant,” playing Tamera, a drama teacher. Afterwards, Wetzel appeared in the Winter Play Festival at the Brick Theater in Brooklyn in a new play called “Satellites.” She also worked on a play called “New Light Shine” at her Meisner and will tackle the role of Suzy in “Wait Until Dark” this fall. Joey Bermudez BFA ’13 (Musical Theater) appeared in Opera Naples’ production of “The Medium” as Toby. More info at joeybermudez.com. Dan Kiernan BFA ’13 (Musical Theater) appeared in “The Callback” at 54 Below. He also reunited with his cast of Lippa’s “The Wild Party” and performed at the 2013 Philadelphia Theater Celebration in Philly. This past Christmas season, Keirnan appeared at 11th Hour Theatre Company’s “Holiday Extravaganza.” Last summer, he completed a run of “Next to Normal” as Henry with Bootless Stageworks and played Roger in “Grease” at the Eldorado Hotel & Casino in Nevada. More info at dankiernan.com. Camille Trinka BFA ’13 (Musical Theater) is living in Astoria, Queens. She graduated in May and is working as a nanny, taking classes and auditioning.

Sam Nagel BFA ’12 (Musical Theater) played Nicky/ Trekkie Monster/Bad Idea Bear in the Philadelphia premiere of “Avenue Q” with Mazeppa Productions. He then spent four months at the Media Theatre, appearing in “Spamalot” and as Zebulun in “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.” He finished a workshop of a brand-new musical by Michael Ogborn (“Tulipomania”), produced by 11th Hour Theatre Company. Nagel continues to work steadily as a photographer in Philadelphia. More info at samnagelphotography.com. Meghan Seaman BFA ’12 (Musical Theater) is a resident of NYC after performing in Boston for the last year. She spends her days auditioning, working out and exploring the city in which she’s always wanted to live. Grateful for the UArts alumni network, Seaman is enjoying every moment. More info at kickNYCballchange.wordpress.com.

In Memoriam HELEN GAMBERG LILIENFELD

tivals with her scissors and black velvet paper. In addition to her husband, Clayton is survived by two sons, a daughter, six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Helen Gamberg Lilienfeld ’39 (Illustration) passed away on January 24, 2014. She married Jacob Lilienfeld after graduation and resided in West and Northeast Philadelphia with their two children. She worked as a school librarian at the Richmond School in Philadelphia. She moved in May 2010 to Stamford, Conn. She is survived by a son, brother, three grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Josephine Ardizzi DIPL ’50 (Illustration) passed away on January 3, 2014. She was a World War II Sergeant of the U.S. Strategic Bombing Survey in London. She is survived by a son, a daughter, two sisters, and many nieces and nephews.

JOANNE SEYBOLD HASTINGS

ROBERT BERNHARD

Joanne Seybold Hastings CERT ’43 (Costume Design) passed away on December 17, 2013. Her career was in interior design with the DuPont Company in Wilmington, Del., specializing in advertising and display. In addition to designing interiors for the Hotel du Pont, she also designed for the DuPont executive offices, Longwood Gardens and many residences. Her career in the arts allowed her to serve on several boards, including the Philadelphia College of Art, the Delaware Art Center in Wilmington and the Rehoboth Art League. Her interests included golf, gourmet cooking, travel, and the French language and culture. Her husband of over 40 years was Edward C. Hastings. In 1997, they established the Hastings Heart Care Center at Bebee Hospital in Lewes, Del. Hastings moved to Sarasota, Fla., in 2001 after her husband’s passing. She is survived by a sister, nephews and a niece.

Robert Bernhard DIPL ’50 (Interior Design) passed away on November 13, 2013. He was the partner of Charles F. Reim for 62 years and is survived by seven nephews and nieces and their numerous grandchildren. After serving in World War II, he received art training at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia and began his own decorating business in 1959. By 1970, however, he changed to working in miniatures rather than full size under the name of Dolphin Originals. He focused on creating miniature furniture, custom-built room boxes and dollhouses. For many years, he taught classes and sold his work at the Philadelphia Miniature Show. He is known for perfecting the technique of making miniature wicker pieces and for his decorative custom finishes, elegant parquet floors and beautifully proportioned room boxes. His work is featured in many museums throughout the country and in various private collections and miniature publications.

MARJORIE FLETCHER THOMSON BOWDEN Marjorie Fletcher Thomson Bowden DIPL ’48 (Fashion illustration) passed away on January 8, 2014. After graduation, she worked for an advertising firm in Center City. She then went on to teach art at the Stevens’ School in Chestnut Hill. Bowden was an avid historian for over 50 years. As a charter member of Penn’s Grant chapter of Colonial Dames 17th Century, she served as their president and was an active participant and board member in the National Society Colonial Dames, the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Pennsylvania Society of New England Women. She was also involved in the Radnor School District, with contributions to the PTA and Radnor Scholarship Fund. With a lifelong commitment to art education, she also served as a volunteer for the Philadelphia Museum’s “Art Goes to School” program. She was the mother of four, grandmother of seven and married to Frank J. Bowden Jr. for 47 years before his passing.

HELENE CLAYTON Helene Clayton CERT ’48 (Interior Design) passed away on November 7, 2013. She was the beloved wife of Harry B. Clayton for nearly 62 years. Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., she attended the Philadelphia Institute of Industrial Arts and worked for various companies over the years in mechanical detailing. Clayton was most excited when she was cutting silhouettes and was often seen at fairs and fes-

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JOSEPHINE ARDIZZ

WILLIAM G. RIDGWAY III William G. Ridgway III BS ’54 (Industrial Design) passed away on November 18, 2013. He was a retired designer at Rohm & Haas and proudly served his country in the U.S. Naval Reserves before attending the Philadelphia College of Art. He enjoyed doing yard work and gardening at home. Husband of the late Joan Ridgway, he is survived by three sons and daughters-in-law; a daughter and son-inlaw; brother, sister and brother-in-law; his sister-in-law; 10 grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.

NORMA RIEGER Norma Rieger BFA ’59 (Fashion Design) passed away on November 11, 2013. She was a homemaker, a former member of the Glen Ridge Country Club and a Girl Scout leader in Glen Ridge for many years. Her hobbies were sewing and crocheting. Rieger is survived by her husband, her four children, a brother and four grandchildren.

JIMMY AMADIE Jimmy Amadie BM ’66 (Piano) passed away on December 10, 2013. He was a Philadelphia jazz pianist and teacher who battled through severe tendinitis to return to the stage after a 44-year absence for a concert at the Philadelphia Art Museum in 2011. WHYY recorded the concert and it will become Amadie’s ninth album. He stopped playing

in the early ’60s and fought against the paralysis and pain to produce eight albums over the years. Amadie played in his early years with some of the best jazz musicians of the day and was also a highly revered teacher and the author of two well-regarded books on jazz technique. He taught at Villanova University and at the Philadelphia Musical Academy, now UArts’ College of Performing Arts, among others. He is survived by his wife, sister and brother.

MARJORIE NODELMAN-NIEDRINGHAUS Marjorie Nodelman-Niedringhaus BFA ’73 (Painting) passed away on January 27, 2014. After she earned her bachelor’s degree from the Philadelphia College of Art, she went on to obtain a Master of Fine Arts degree from Yale University in 1975. In 1975, she moved to San Diego and began a professional career in painting and sculpture for the next 17 years. She worked with paint and canvas, vinyl and thread, wood and nail guns, and steel and reinforced concrete. In 1992, Nodelman-Niedringhaus remarried and moved to the Los Angeles area to embark on a second career as a social worker, obtaining a Master of Social Work from California State University at San Bernardino. For the next 12 years, she worked as a clinical social worker for the County of San Bernardino and then as a psychiatric social worker for the State of California. During this period, she continued to grow as an artist, exploring conceptions of interior space in the design of her home environment, working with paint and walls, earth and plants, colored objects and furniture, always with love and affection. She is survived by her husband, sister and brother-in-law, and nieces and nephew.

DANIEL CAMAROTE Daniel Camarote BFA ’78 (Crafts) passed away on December 13, 2013. He was a self-employed commercial developer and throughout his life, he accomplished many things through commercial development and real estate investment. He is remembered as a great father, husband and son who lived every aspect of his life to the fullest. Survivors include his wife, children, mother and sister.

AMY K. LANGE Amy K. Lange BFA ’91 (Photography) passed away on November 25, 2013. Lange was the Shelby County Schools 2012-13 Teacher of the Year. She taught art at Millington Central High School for nearly a decade. She was an accomplished photographer, graphic designer and painter, as well as an outstanding educator who generously shared her knowledge and expertise with young students, student teachers and her peers. She was a strong advocate for her students, started the AP Art program and founded the Art Honor Society Scholarship fund. This led to many of her students being accepted at top colleges and universities all over the country and receiving generous grants and scholarships. Her high school students’ art was also featured on billboards in New York City and collections

showcased at the Memphis International Airport. After receiving her degree at UArts, she earned a master’s degree from the University of Memphis, where she was pursuing her doctoral in Instructional Design and Technology. She was also an integral part of the Millington Arts Council. Her sister and fellow alumna Holly Lange BFA ’93 (Film) wrote, “In the fall of 1989, I began my college career at the University of the Arts. I was lucky enough to join my sister, Amy, then starting her junior year in Photography. I was a terrified freshman, with no idea what I wanted to do. She had it all figured out. She showed me the ropes and we spent our time at 333 Broad Street, she on the 3rd floor and me on the 4th. By sophomore year, I joined Amy on her floor and started my major in Film & Animation, not wanting to yet again be accused of copying her by majoring in Photography. But film became my passion, and Amy and I took turns being each other’s models and actresses for our various projects. The only difference was that I had to sit still and she had to move around … while I muddled my way through freshman Foundation classes, Amy was excelling at photography. She loved non-silver techniques and various forms of double printing and color printing. This was before the days of digital, and I recall she used to sweet talk her classmates into developing her black-andwhite film. She had a love of Ilford paper, color slides and the smell of the dark room, and was far too tough to use the tongs in the stop bath. By senior year, she decided to challenge herself and go back to black-and-white photography and make a series of ‘perfect’ photographs, with every shade of gray from the brightest white to the darkest black. She succeeded and won an award for her still life photos of white 3-D geometric shapes. They were beautiful in their simplicity and yet artfully complete.” Lange is survived by her father, mother, step-mother, step-brother, sisters, step-sister, niece and nephew.

LIZBETH STEWART GRUSKIN Professor Emerita Lizbeth Stewart Gruskin, who taught ceramics for 30 years at the University of the Arts, passed away on June 24, 2013. She graduated in 1971 from Moore College of Art with a bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts. She was a Philadelphia artist whose ceramic animal sculptures were exhibited internationally. Her work has been shown at the Philadelphia Museum of Art; the American Craft Museum in New York; the International Ceramics Exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in Oslo, Norway; the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum; and the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia. Stewart was also the recipient of an artist’s fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts and an individual fellowship from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts. The UArts Craft & Material Studies program held a memorial gathering in February in Hamilton Hall, where an exhibition of her work was on view in the President’s Office suite. Stewart is survived by her husband, a son and a nephew.

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FROM THE ARCHIVES UNIVERSITY OF THE ARTS LIBR ARIES AND ARCHIVES

This previously unmarked, unidentified photograph (left) in the UArts Archives has finally been identified, not through archival research but by an alumnus wondering if there were any photos in the archives of the Broad and Pine streets building (Philadelphia College of Art, or PCA, at the time) draped in black. Johnny Jackson BFA ’73 (Wood) had contacted the Office of Alumni Relations, which put him in touch with me. I knew immediately what he was looking for, as the photograph had long been a source of frustration: Was it from the Vietnam era? What had happened? Was the entire school involved or was this someone’s art piece? It was Johnny Jackson’s piece and part of a much bigger story. Jackson wrote:

Opposite: Hamilton Hall draped in black as a protest of the 1970 Kent State shootings. Below and right: UArts (then PCA) student work featured in the Kent State University exhibition.

“On May 4, 1970, in Kent, Ohio, Kent State University students demonstrating against the escalation of the war in Vietnam were fired upon by the Ohio National Guard. Four were killed: Allison Krause, Jeffrey Miller, Sandra Scheuer and William Schroeder. Nine were also wounded. It was a horrendous tragedy. I was finishing my junior year as a Wood major studying under Dan Jackson (no relation). The event hit me hard, and though I knew none of the students personally who were slain or injured, Kent was four short miles from where I grew up in Hudson, Ohio, so I felt compelled to do something in a show of solidarity. I drew up some quick sketches and researched material prices and submitted the project to the College for approval. Graciously, they gave me immediate permission and allotted the budget. I still have the sketches and costs breakdown in a drawing book. At the same time, a commemorative medallion was being fabricated by my classmates in the Jewelry department – Chris Darway BFA ’70, Julia Claus BFA ’70 and Jacqueline Ott BFA ’70 – intended to be presented to Kent State as soon as completed. The end result was stunning. My Wood major classmate, Jonathan Bonner BFA ’71 (Wood), and I collaborated to make the presentation box to house the medallion, and off it went with Julia Claus to Kent State in early June.”

All this information has come our way because Kent State University (KSU) is planning an exhibition titled “Response: Selected Works from the May 4th Collection,” which will open April 15, 2014, in KSU’s Michener Gallery. All of the work in the exhibit was donated to the KSU School of Art in response to the May 4, 1970, shootings. The gallery owns about 40 pieces donated in memory of the slain students, but the pieces from the PCA students were the earliest and, according to Victoria Bocchicchino, the KSU exhibit organizer, therefore seem to truly represent an immediate response. The exhibit is part of the KSU Democracy Symposium in April 2014, which will include a lecture by documentary filmmaker Ken Burns. On a lighter note, many alumni may remember that Johnny Jackson and classmates Chris Darway and Paul Messing formed the school band Johnny’s Dance Band. Their first gig was at the Beaux Arts Ball on Halloween in 1968. Johnny’s Dance Band went on to record three albums for RCA from 1977 to 1981. Chris and Johnny have also served as PCA/UArts faculty.

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