Edge -Winter 2014

the magazine of

The U ni v er sit y

A rt s

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w i n t e r 2014

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j o h n s i n g l e t a r y ’ 1 5 (photography)

S e a n T. B u f f i n g t o n president

L u c i ll e H u g h e s publisher v i c e p r e s i d e n t f o r a dva n c e m e n t

Pau l F. H e a ly editor associate vice president of universit y communications

E l y ss e R i c c i B FA ’ 0 8 art director & designer Ja mes M aurer production

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D a n a R o dr i g u e z contributing

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contributing photographers

M o r g a n B e y e ’ 14 L o u C a lt a b i a n o B FA ’ 1 0 R u b e n C h a m o rr o ’ 1 5 J a s o n C h e n B FA ’ 0 8 Roman Cho R a c h e l D i sp e n z a ’ 1 6 Dav e J a c k s o n contributing

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K y r a B r o m b e r g B FA ’ 0 8 A n isa H a i da ry Pau l H e a ly M a r a J i ll H e r m a n B FA ’ 0 7 Megan Ritchie D a n a R o dr i g u e z cover

J i m M a k i n s B FA ’ 6 8 M i c h a e l M c A ll i st e r MI D ’ 0 2 W i ll M c H a l e MI D ’ 1 0 C l i n t S o r e n B FA ’ 1 3 J o sh S t e w a rt ’ 1 4 M a tth e w T a r o s k y B S ’ 0 7

L i z S a c c a rd i K r i st e n S c a tt o n D a m i e n S h e m b e l B FA ’ 0 7 Joa n na Su ng M ira Zergani Kevin Zimmerman

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D a n W a lsh B FA ’ 8 3 (painting) T o a s t , 2 0 1 2 acrylic on canvas 55 x 90 in. © Dan Walsh. Courtesy Paula Cooper Gallery, New York.

D a n W a lsh B FA ’ 8 3 ( P a i n t i n g ) has been selected to exhibit in the 2014 Whitney Biennial, the prestigious survey of the latest developments in American art. postmaster

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The University of the Arts 320 S. Broad St., Philadelphia, PA 19102 edge, Volume 1, Number 12 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.

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l i v e s t o c k d i p t y c h 2013 Archival Pigment Prints

For art and artists, globalization has similarly been a two-edged sword. Artists can speak to and learn from one another, share ideas and materials, and even collaborate together on projects across vast distances. New kinds of partnerships and new forms of art can grow and have arisen out of globalization.

And the scope of an artist’s concerns has amplified exponentially.

But risks abound: some have observed a creeping “sameness” that is afflicting contemporary artmaking in many disciplines. And Western artists, in particular, have been guilty of exporting their assumptions with their art, creating a new cultural imperialism under which non-Western artmakers have chafed. Finally, the growth of a global art market has made visual art, at least, into a luxury product instead of a node in a rich discussion about society, history, and meaning.

These observations only scratch the surface, of course.

“Globalization” is a profoundly complex set of forces, motivations, and effects that cannot be simply reduced to good or bad. Nor can it be ignored. A university dedicated to artmaking in all (or most!) of its forms must engage with the phenomena of globalization and, more importantly, prepare its students—aspiring artmakers—to do so.

UArts in recent years has built a variety of programs intended to introduce students to the challenges and opportunities represented by globalization. In this issue of Edge magazine, we explore some of the programs and profile some of the students and alumni who have taken advantage of them.

From Dance students performing with their counterparts at schools in Vienna and Paris to Industrial Design students and faculty working on design projects with villagers in rural Kenya, from a Sculpture professor teaching college instructors in Beijing to students from across all disciplines studying abroad, the movement of creative and artistic “capital” to and from the University creates a dynamic environment. That culture of international sharing and learning provides students a broader and deeper perspective vital to their development and their post-graduation success as artists, designers and writers in such an interconnected world. j a s o n c h e n ’08

As the world has become more integrated, art and artmaking have become increasingly “globalized.” The effects of globalization—in culture, in politics, in communications, and in business and the economy, as well as in the arts—have been mixed: the global standard of living has generally improved, but the distance between rich and poor in most places has widened; democratic movements have been launched—aided by communications technologies— but those same technologies have also aided governments seeking to suppress dissent; cultural phenomena—whether commercially or individually produced—can reach every corner of the planet rapidly but can also swamp and, over time, obscure or erase important local cultural practices.

I hope that you enjoy this issue of Edge, and I encourage you to send us your thoughts about what you’ve read, as well as any suggestions you may have for topics you would like to see us address in future issues.

Warm regards,

S e a n T. B u f f i n g t o n

table of contents

Featured : International Reach, Global Impact

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14

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A Better Village

by Design

Harnessing the Wind

International Swing

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The Pottery Path : Tokoname

All the World’s a Stage

Global Transformations

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52

Q & A: Kelsey Ludwig

Damien Skinner

From the Arc hives :

32 UAr t s News 36 Suppor ting UAr t s 4 3 Alumni Notes 50 In Memoriam

Student Artwork in School Publications

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Illustration by k a y l a m i l l e r b f a ’ 1 3 (illustration)

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International Reach, Global Impact The Globalization of an Arts Education In recent years, the trend toward internationalization in curricula and in the student experience at schools of art and design has helped students gain a broader perspective on their work and on their relationship to the world. A number of pieces make up that puzzle: the growth of study-abroad opportunities; faculty-led, course-related trips overseas; faculty members studying, working or teaching in other countries, bringing new ideas and approaches back with them; and increases in the number of international students on campuses, enriching the cultural life of the community (see profile of Music senior K y e S u n K i m ’ 1 4 on page 16).

“It’s more than devising various study-abroad trips and piecemeal international recruitment efforts,” he says. “Globalizing a university in a systematic way involves a lot of things—who we recruit, both students and faculty, what we teach and why, where we’re sending students and faculty to study or teach abroad and why. It’s about how all of these elements fit into the curriculum and the creative and ethical ethos we’re working to cultivate.”

An example of that vision made manifest is the Industrial Design program’s outreach efforts in rural Kenya (see related story on page 12). Faculty members M i c h a e l McAllister MID ’02 (Industrial D e s i g n ) and W i l l McHale MID ’10 ( I n du s t r i a l D e s i g n ) took seven students to Ndabibi, a small rural village in a desperately poor part of the country, for a 10-day visit.

McAllister says the project’s participants worked to help the villagers find and implement solutions to a wide range of fundamental issues they face, the answers to which we take for granted here. Each student was focused on a project that had been developed in their classes, ranging from simple water filtration systems, to low-water-use hand-washing programs, to addressing the deep social taboos and the subsequent health issues related to girls and menstruation.

C oll e ge s a re gl obal izi n g bec au se school s u nder st a nd a nd v a lue t he i mpa ct of mu lt iple p e r s p e c t ive s on st udent a nd u n iver s it y g row t h.

Provost K i r k E .

P i ll o w says colleges and universities are globalizing their offerings because the market demands it— students want, and even expect, access to those experiences, both on campus and abroad— but most importantly because schools understand and value the impact of multiple perspectives on both student development and the enrichment of academic programs.

“Our students are hungry to connect with their peers from other cultures; they’re hungry for new cultural and social experiences. They believe strongly that it’s vital to their development as artists. We match up an American student with each international student as a firstyear mentor, and it helps the international students to connect, to make an American friend and to adjust to life here. But our American students get just as much out of it—learning firsthand about another culture, feeling pride in introducing their student to the U.S. and to Philadelphia. For many, it serves as a catalyst for them to study abroad later.”

-Mara Flamm, director of International Student Services

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f e at u r e : i n t e r n at i o n a l r e ac h , g l o b a l i m pac t

The Industrial Design program is not alone in its outreach to the underserved in Africa. T e r e s a U n s e l d , associate professor of Art & Design Education, and four graduate students spent this past June in Abor, Ghana, as part of Unseld’s Ghana Independent Study course. The course provides service-learning experiences in planning, implementing and evaluating art programs and curricula for children—including those with special needs—in an international setting. The team worked with orphans, disabled children and students in Abor Senior High School’s art department.

The School of Dance has jumped into the arena of international educational experiences with both feet. According to School Director D o n n a F a y e B u r c h f i e l d , to do otherwise would be a disservice to her students. “We ask our students, ‘How far can you reach?’ The center of the dance universe has always been and continues to be New York City, but today, some of the most important contemporary dance influences are in Europe,” she says. “And one of the most amazing young choreographers right now is based in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. So to prepare students for the global world of dance they’ll enter when they leave UArts, it’s important that they experience it, both in our curriculum and in person.”

This past spring, students visited top schools of dance in Vienna and Paris, studying, performing and living with students from the host institutions.

“Having the opportunity to stay with the host students was an amazing thing for them,” says Burchfield. “They made friends for life and found out these students weren’t all that different from them.” She says that UArts has worked to help its young dancers see how far they can reach, geographically, artistically and personally. “Last summer, we took students to the Festival d’Avignon in France; our students have been the only Americans accepted into the Arsenale della Danza at the Venice Biennale; and another student was accepted to study in Antwerp this spring. We’ve brought top choreographers, teachers and scholars here from across the globe as visiting artists to try to bring a broader perspective to our students as part of their studies.”

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UArts faculty members are also continuously expanding their own experiences and knowledge in order to bring new approaches back into their classroom. One is Sculpture Professor L a u r a F r a z u r e B F A ’ 8 6 ( S c u l p t u r e ) , who traveled to Beijing each of the past two summers to teach anatomy-based sculpture, which varies from the Chinese “from the surface in” approach, first to graduate students and most recently to sculpture professors from across China. “They don’t teach anatomy in the same ways—they don’t approach it in a sculptural way, they approach it in a two-dimensional way. It’s sort of ‘geometricizing’ the volumes and finding the anatomy that’s present on the surface. They wanted to learn the Western approach. The approach that I teach is pretty unique—it’s a combination of geometric proportional blocks that get truncated to become more organic and naturalistic, and then the muscles are built from the inside out.”

Frazure says the experience of teaching in China has changed the way she approaches her classes at UArts. “I used to lecture, then in the afternoon the students would work. I would let them work through their paces and I wouldn’t lecture at all; they would have to acquire the information.

Now I’ve gotten to a sort of a middle ground because of my experience in China—talking while demonstrating, showing them the actual technique of modeling as they work.

“And the idea of the Chinese instructors I taught going back and teaching anatomy the way we do here at UArts, hopefully revolutionizing the way they approach the figure in their work across the country, that’s pretty amazing.”

Provost Pillow says that the cumulative effect— on student artists and faculty alike—of these and other international projects is immensely valuable.

“These experiences can be life changing and help students and faculty deepen as creative thinkers and makers.”

UArts Dance students studied and performed with students from top dance schools in Paris and Vienna during a trip this past year.

“The University of the Arts has had the privilege of welcoming more and more international students into our institution over the last decade, and this is certainly the case in our design programs. We feel that these questions regarding the practice of design in different cultural and geographical contexts is absolutely relevant to our current student body and their future engagement with the design field. We want to impress upon people how difficult, how sensitive it is to enter into different parts of the world as designers, especially in the developing world, given the larger context of global and cultural politics. But even with all of these complex issues, we continue to hope that it is possible for designers working abroad to add value to what people around the world are already doing to change their situations, to learn together with others and to support them in their desires and needs.�

- Jeremy Beaudry, director, Master of Industrial Design program

Sculpture faculty member Laura Frazure teaching anatomy-based sculpture to college art professors in Beijing, China.

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feature d facult y artist

d i a n e p e p e (CAMD Core / Interdisciplinary Fine Arts)

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(left) n u o v o i 2012 Drawing

(right) n u o v o i i 2012 Layered Cut Paper Collage, Drawings

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news feature

A Better Village

by Design

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news feature a be t te r vi ll age by d e s i gn

Student C hr i st i n a S t e f a n ’ 1 4 ( I n d u str i a l D e s i g n ) addressed hygiene in her project, in particular the importance of hand washing to health, using a low-water system—an important consideration in a community where almost no homes have running water. “We designed a teaching packet on daily hygiene,” she says, “and a booklet, which we consider a prototype, and we printed and took it to the village for their feedback.”

Fellow ID senior K e ls e y H a g e m a n ’s project focused on drying food so that it can be preserved for the lean months. UArts students helped villagers build a food dryer using materials local to Ndabibi, assembling a solar dryer using three discarded milk crates, a plastic sheet, a few branches and some string.

“We recently received an email that the dryer is in good use,” says McAllister. “It said, ‘Our crops did very well this year. The solar dryer is drying so many things, even herbs, tree seeds and meat!!!’”

w i l l m c h a l e ’10

One project that delved into a deep social issue in rural Kenya was by S a r a h S a n t o ’ 1 4 ( I n d u str i a l D e s i g n ) . “We designed a set of cards that would help open up conversation around the deeply taboo topic of menstruation,” says Santo. “Girls who get their periods are made fun of at school, so they go home and miss their classes. They also have almost no access to feminine hygiene products, so their health can end up at risk. I talked with girls in local schools and with women in the Ndabibi market. All the research we did ahead of time set us up well to be able to approach this extremely sensitive cultural subject to ensure that our work didn’t actually create any issues.”

According to McAllister, the Kenya program came to be because UArts Trustee B i ll G a st B FA ’ 6 8 ( G r a ph i c D e s i g n ) and his wife, V i v i a n G a st B FA ’ 6 3 ( F a sh i o n D e s i g n ) , had a niece in the Peace Corps who had visited Josphat Macharia, the Kenyan who would become the host for McAllister, McHale and their students. “Their niece came home and told them ‘You have to go meet this man,’ and they did. They were so impressed with what he was doing to introduce sustainable farming to his region of Kenya and with the support system he had created for the villages around him, that they invited him here on a fundraising tour. We had him speak to our students and the relationship began.”

Santo says the experience has helped her to “let go of hesitancies in my design work. When I had to interview village elders in the town square, I was freaking out at first,” she says, “especially because my first interview was with the village chief. But despite the language barrier, we had an enlightening conversation about our cultures. This entire experience helped me recognize the possibilities of personal growth, if you just let go of your preconceived notions.”

(left) UArts Industrial Design students participate in a community event with villagers from Ndabibi, Kenya. (below) Industrial Design students (left to right) Kelsey Hageman, Kaija Hazirjian, Katheryn Hooven, Josphat Macharia (partner in Ndabibi), Marli Washington and Christina Stefan speak with Ndadibi residents in the village square.

She sees the program as a logical extension of the work done in her classroom back in Philadelphia. “The only way to actually test the validity of the projects we designed at UArts, based on all of our research, was to bring them to Ndabibi.”

m i c h a e l m c a l l i s t e r ’02

Seven Industrial Design students and two faculty members spent 10 memorable days this past summer a world away from Philadelphia, working with villagers in Ndabibi in rural Kenya. ID Program Director M i c h a e l M c A ll i st e r MI D ’ 0 2 ( I n d u str i a l D e s i g n ) led the trip, along with Senior Lecturer W i ll M c H a l e MI D ’ 1 0 ( I n d u str i a l D e s i g n ) . The focus of the group was on working with the villagers to introduce simple and sustainable solutions to problems the Kenyans face in their daily lives. Prior to their trip, the students worked in a studio class, doing extensive research on those problems and on Kenyan village culture, and designing potential answers to the issues confronting the residents of Ndabibi.

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profile

Harnessing the Wind

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i n t e r n at i o n a l r e ac h , g l o b a l i m pac t harnessing the wind m at t h e w ta r o s k y b s ’07

Equal par ts creativity, pragmatism and the mentality of a doer.

The desire to give something back to the world can be a strong one; for M a tth e w T a r o s k y B S ’ 0 7 ( I n d u str i a l D e s i g n ) , it involved going all the way to a small rural village in Peru and applying his know-how to building a wind turbine out of used materials to help deliver much-needed electricity to a the farming community.

The project was part of a program called the Good Sabbatical

by Tarosky’s company, the Guild. “I worked with Architecture for Humanity where they’re building a school in a small village called Piedritas,” he says. “The school has the only electricity in the village and I saw this as a chance to use my full background in design.” The goal of Tarosky’s project was to explore ways to harness the wind that blows off the nearby Pacific Ocean to generate electricity. “During my five weeks in Peru, I built three wind turbine prototypes. One of the prototypes generated electricity and is now in the hands of Teodoro, my driver, expert material locator and now, friend.”

(left) Children in Piedritas, Peru, play near a wind-turbine prototype built by UArts alumnus Matthew Tarosky to generate electricity for the village. (above) Tarosky meets with village residents.

Tarosky says Teodoro could seemingly find anything if you gave him an hour to call around to his family and friends. “We would call and ask him for magnets, velcro, PVC pipes, ball bearings and clamps and he would deliver,” says Tarosky. “It’s incredible how the networks of people take the place of Amazon.com or [manufacturing supply company] McMaster-Carr.”

m a t t h e w t a r o s k y ’07

According to Tarosky, his Peruvian project bears a striking resemblance to his days at UArts. “I intended to be a painter when I was a freshman but happened to take the Industrial Design elective,” he says. “Our project in that class was to build a lamp out of parts we found from a trip to Home Depot. We had $50 to spend and one hour to locate and purchase our parts. In a week or two, we presented finished working lamps in a dark room at UArts.

“If you replace Home Depot for a vast Peruvian junk yard and Philadelphia for a desert village on the equator, the process was literally the same,” he says. “Putting together a seemingly random assortment of pieces found in the world to make something functional and utilitarian, and maybe beautiful, depending on who’s looking at it. This process requires equal parts creativity, pragmatism and the mentality of a doer—a maker, a fabricator— all things in my bag of tricks I use as a designer in New York where I design and build objects and experiences for clients, and what I took with me to a village a hemisphere away. The processes and projects I experienced in ID at UArts definitely cultivated this type of creatively pragmatic thinking I use every day at Guild.”

Taroksy says that the project posed three critical design challenges. “First, the people of Piedritas are farmers and don’t make a lot of money, so the device has to be inexpensive,” he says. “Second, materials are extremely hard to come by, especially new materials.

Sourcing was easiest with used and discarded materials, which added a lot of time and the need for ingenuity. And third, I had never built a wind turbine before, so I was learning as I went. Research and experimentation—UArts-cultivated skills—played a big role, and I would say the whole trip turned out to be a large R+D process.”

Tarosky says he’s eager to go on another sabbatical down the line. “I actually might go back to Peru and visit the school again. The people were so amazing and the kids got involved as soon as I got there. We formed some pretty strong bonds.”

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r a c h e l d i s p e n z a ’16

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International Swing

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i n t e r n at i o n a l r e ac h , g l o b a l i m pac t international swing k y e - s u n k i m ’14

K y e - S u n K i m ’ 1 4 ( I n str u m e n t a l P e r f o r m a n c e ) glides quietly into the room, a shy smile appearing as she introduces herself. But as the petite senior Piano major from South Korea starts to talk about how as a young girl growing up in South Korea, she became obsessed with that most American of art forms, jazz music, her enthusiasm bursts through.

(left) Kye-Sun Kim rehearses with the “Z” Big Band.

“When I was in middle school, I went to a fancy restaurant and they were playing great songs like ‘Fly Me to the Moon,’ ‘Moon River’ and ‘Misty,’” she says, “and I had no idea that music was jazz. However, I was really interested in American pop tunes, especially R&B and hip-hop stuff.

“I was just so into that music—I was a rapper, believe it or not,” she laughs. “I was hanging around clubs to listen to many kinds of music, and then I heard a man who played so passionately on the piano. It turned out to be a famous tune, ‘52nd Street.’ It was really mind-blowing and exciting.”

Kim says there are many similarities between the jazz that’s played in Seoul and the version that’s played on Broad Street. “It’s not so different playing jazz in Korea or the U.S.,” she says, “because every jazz player thinks ‘jazz is jazz—it has to swing.’ ” But she adds that growing up in the culture that gave birth to the genre has its advantages. “It can be similar to an American singing a traditional Korean folk song—it’s harder for the singer to touch Koreans’ feelings deeply. In order to have a great feel for jazz, many musicians in Korea really study and they transcribe lots and lots of standard jazz music. But it’s challenging.”

Not a challenge Kim couldn’t overcome, and then some, according to School of Music Director M a r c D i c c i a n i B M ’ 7 5 ( P e r c u ss i o n ) . “I clearly remember her audition—she made an immediate and lasting impression on me,” he says. “She played very enthusiastically with great confidence, and her playing evidenced advanced musicality and maturity. I knew she would thrive in our program, and by her second year, she was performing in one of our showcase ensembles where she was a featured soloist.”

Kim said a turning point in adapting to her new environment was the first time she played in a group setting with other students. “I was sweating because I was so nervous and I did not want to mess up the music. Amazingly, there was no problem at all. Everybody listened carefully to each other, and even when a person made a mistake, they all cooperated and just made music.”

Jazz is jazz— it has to swing.

Dicciani says Kim is exactly the kind of music student UArts is looking for. “Students like Kye-Sun come to us because they want choice, options and diversity in a music program where individuality is encouraged and nurtured,” he says. “Kye-Sun has always been an extremely conscientious, positive, emotional and enthusiastic person who displays her feelings when she plays and in everything that she does.”

And she shows that enthusiasm when she talks confidently of her plans for the future. “I want to play music professionally in the U.S. after I graduate,” she says. “And I definitely want to release an album.”

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featured alumni artist

j o h n s o u t e r b f a ’ 1 2 (crafts)

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s u n s h i n e 2011 Glazed Porcelain

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news feature

The Pottery Path: Tokoname

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news feature t h e p o t t e ry pat h : t o ko n a m e

For more than 1,200 years, the town of Tokoname in the southern Aichi Prefecture has been a crucial site for the production of Japanese pottery. Tokoname-style teapots—small, red unglazed vessels—are found throughout Japan and are used both in formal ceremonies and everyday consumption. In addition to teapots, Tokoname potters also produce contemporary art from local clay, and during the last 20 years, partly as a result of affordable housing and low cost of living, the town has become a buzzing center where many young artists have chosen to begin their careers.

photos by j i m m a k i n s ’68

The Pottery Study in Tokoname program, designed and coordinated by UArts Craft & Material Studies Professor J i m M a k i n s B FA ’ 6 8 ( A rt E d u c a t i o n ) , was created to introduce American ceramics students to the culture of Japan and to enable them to work with individuals who primarily earn their living as artists.

Thirteen UArts students travelled to Tokoname in the summer of 2012, where they spent 45 days studying under Japanese potters, learning about different techniques, clays and glazes. The students also had access to studio space 24 hours a day, seven days a week and were able to gain valuable perspective into the life of working ceramic artists.

Throughout the program, students followed a schedule brimming with projects, trips, visits and lectures from local artists, and even lessons in the Japanese art of flower arranging. “I wanted [the students] to have an experience in another country working with other materials and just understanding a different culture and a different way of making things,” says Makins. The point of the trip was to experience the Japanese culture and way of life, and to “learn techniques and apply them to [the students’] own vision.” He hoped that in learning a new method in creating, the students would “ingest it, digest it, assimilate that and have it come out as [their] own.”

(opposite page) UArts Craft & Material Studies students in Professor Jim Makins’ studio in Tokoname, Japan. (left) Pottery being fired using traditional Tokoname techniques.

Makins’ students spent much of their time at the Kyouei-Gama complex, originally the site of a sewer pipe factory that was then converted to studio space, a gallery and a ceramic art school.

They learned invaluable and timeless lessons in patience as they worked in shifts through kiln firings that lasted several days, and also gained insight into the physical and psychological challenges of making art for one’s livelihood.

A final exhibit took place in the old kiln at the complex, a massive structure that was once used to fire sewer pipe.

“We have our own style,” asserted one student at the final exhibit in Tokoname, “but we’ve learned so much.” More than just new techniques and methods in pottery, the students expressed having learned a great deal about the culture of Japan and its people and “how much care they put into everything they do.” These are lessons that could not have been learned in a classroom and goes to the heart of what Makins hoped to achieve by creating this program. By living in a foreign country and working with local artists and teachers, the students had a unique opportunity to see themselves and their own work just a little bit differently—perhaps just enough to grow that much more as individuals and as the artists they are working to become.

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All the World’s a Stage

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i n t e r n at i o n a l r e ac h , g l o b a l i m pac t a l l t h e w o r l d’s a s tag e o l i ve r l i d e r t b fa ’07

O l i v e r L i d e rt B FA ’ 0 7 ( M u s i c a l T h e a t e r ) may have been born and raised in Doylestown, Pa., but his life had an international influence from the start.

Not knowing is a very exciting place to be.

With a Polish father, Jamaican mother and British-born sisters, Lidert spent his youth globetrotting just to visit family and friends.

Once he graduated from the University of the Arts, he truly went intercontinental.

(top left) Oliver Lidert (left) Scene from The Book of Mormon in London’s West End.

Lidert moved to London, motivated by the country’s vibrant theater industry and the proximity to his parents, who live in Poland, and enrolled at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama to earn his MA in Music Theatre. He saw the advanced degree as a way to expand his job prospects if performance opportunities were rare, a concern that seems unfounded now.

courtesy v i s u a l e y e s u k

Upon graduating, Lidert was cast in Disney’s “The Lion King” on London’s West End and he’s been working steadily since, currently performing in the original West End cast of the award-winning musical “The Book of Mormon.” And he’s continuing his education, pursuing a Ph.D. in Theater Arts and Afro-American Aesthetics. “I feel there is a lot of work to be done in the U.K., particularly in reference to ethnic performance.

Moving beyond racial and cultural stereotypes and expectations is crucial to creating theater that speaks to a diverse 21st-century audience,” he says.

Despite his success as a performer, directing and producing are Lidert’s true passions. Those behind-the-scenes positions allow him to explore his unique heritage in ways that performing pre-written roles cannot. “An integrated international world is on the horizon and it’s time we start acknowledging this progression,” says Lidert, who cites London’s status as an international hub as one of his favorite things about his adopted home.

While Lidert, who has also performed in France, isn’t ruling out a return to the U.S. someday, he says Australia is more likely his next stop. “It is wonderful that performing as a profession is so transferable,” he says. “There is a demand for theater, in English, across the world.”

Because of these opportunities and his belief that immersion in another culture helps one learn and grow, Lidert encourages young artists to travel internationally whenever possible. He is, however, mum on what he wishes he knew before he embarked on his own adventures, evoking the advice that Ira Brind School of Theater Arts Associate Professor Johnnie Hobbs, Jr., the former head of the UArts Acting program, gives to all of his freshman students: “Not knowing is a very exciting place to be.”

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Global Transformations

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i n t e r n at i o n a l r e ac h , g l o b a l i m pac t global transformations m o h a m m e d k a z e m m f a ’12

Animated by a sense of harmony.

A native of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, M o h a m m e d K a z e m MFA ’ 1 2 ( S t u d i o A rt ) is an internationally recognized conceptual artist whose work touches on a wide range of changes occurring across the globe and explores abstract ideas about the body, movement, space and the natural elements. The sole representative of the UAE in this year’s Venice Biennale, his entry is an engaging video and GPS installation of his ongoing series “Directions,” in which the viewer stands at the center of a room surrounded by a moving projection of the sea.

He offers Edge some thoughts on his artistic experiences at UArts and across the globe.

Th e Wo r k “My work is related to the global transformations that are occurring today in the social, political and natural environments. Through my work, I reflect on the multiple events around me and raise issues closely related to specific aspects that have affected my personal biography, such as the changes in the UAE or situations I have experienced through my travels internationally.”

courtesy m o h a m m e d k a z e m ’12

T h e P h i l a d e lph i a E x p e r i e n c e “I first had the chance to be an artist-in-residence at UArts in 2010. There I met Joe Girandola, the former head of the MFA program, who promoted the collaboration and the exchange between the UArts students and the Middle Eastern art scene. Together we organized the participation of a dozen artists enrolled in the MFA program into the Emirates Fine Arts Society Annual Exhibition at the Sharjah Museum in 2011. This collaboration was further developed in 2012 when two MFA students were invited to Dubai for a two-month residency.”

(above) Tongue, 1994. Nine from a series of 45 gelatin silver prints mounted on five corrugated boards; 43 x 43 cm each board, overall dimensions variable. (opposite page) Directions (Triangle), 2009. Aluminum and LED light, 88 x 214 x 3 cm.

Th e Ve n i c e B i e n n a l e “My work presented in Venice is a long-term project started in 2002, then developed in 2005, and has finally come to its full realization in 2013. I often work on projects that I develop over the course of several years. Obviously, this shapes the work in a way that can slightly vary, and external elements are also involved and can be integrated.”

I n t e r n a t i o n a l A rt i st i c D e v e l o p m e n t “As an artist from the Middle East, Europe and the U.S. still present the opportunity of a wide cultural offer, which is extremely profitable to the growth of an artist in terms of being exposed to a multitude of different stimuli. This is slowly but steadily changing also in the UAE, although the cultural and social limitations still make it preferable for young artists to travel and see a variety of artistic expressions.”

T e c h n o l o g y a n d th e A rt i st “Technology is indeed a valuable tool for approaching a multitude of different artistic and cultural experiences. Nevertheless, the actual physical interaction with other environments remains, in my opinion, an irreplaceable experience as one is exposed to and immersed in a different cultural context at large.”

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profile

Q & A: Kelsey Ludwig

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i n t e r n at i o n a l r e ac h , g l o b a l i m pac t q & a k e l s e y l u d w i g ’14

UArts’ “Dance Study Cycles” is an innovative project for professional experience in preparation for careers and advanced study in dance. Recognizing the need for contemporary programs of study with the capacity for young artists to experience national and international exchanges in dance, the program is designed specifically for advanced undergraduate students or recent graduates seeking to build new networks across geographies.

Dance student Kelsey Ludwig

K e ls e y L u dw i g ’ 1 4 ( D a n c e ) took part in an international dance immersion this past summer at the Festival d’Avignon in France and she talks to Edge about that experience.

The power of per formance is universal.

Edge: While at the Avignon Festival, you saw performances by companies that rarely tour in the U.S. How did that experience influence your approach to your own art?

Kelsey Ludwig: It opened my eyes to a new realm of possibilities in live performance. The last show we saw was “Place du Marché 76”

by Jan Lauwers/Needcompany. With a unique blending of genres and mediums, the entire show was so surreal. Each member of the cast shifted between the roles of actor, dancer, musician and narrator throughout the show.

Aside from that, each of the performers was bilingual and would switch rapidly between French and English while being subtitled accordingly.

It was like nothing I had ever seen before, and I now feel that my perception of what dance is has evolved to understand that it can incorporate all aspects of performance.

c l i n t s o r e n ’13

And sitting through a number of two- to four-hour shows that contained no dialogue that I could follow, I was forced to shift my focus towards other aspects of the production, such as the costuming, set design, lighting and sound.

As a result of those experiences, I find myself paying much more attention to those environmental details in my own work.

E: In what ways has that new focus changed your work?

KL: In many of my past dance works, I focused much more on the content and movement, without fully considering the aesthetic and environment that it creates.

Now, as a part of my senior degree project, I am working to develop a more in-depth production that incorporates multiple mediums and creates this type of immersive environment. I am collaborating with other dancers, musicians, artists and designers to achieve things I could not have done on my own.

The final work will be exhibited in March at Gallery One. E: What was the most valuable lesson you brought back with you from this experience?

KL: I realized that the power of performance is universal and that it is important to view as much work as possible in as many places as possible. Since the trip, I have experienced a new open-mindedness to all niches of performance.

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news feature

Damien Skinner As an extension of Skinner’s workshop, students created jewelry from a wide range of found items gathered across the city.

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news feature

B y M i m z y S e r o t - S h o r e B FA ’ 1 5 ( C r a f t & M a t e r i a l S t u d i e s : J e w e lr y / M e t a ls )

D a m i a n S k i n n e r , renowned New Zealand writer, contemporary jewelry critic and editor of the new book Contemporary Jewelry in Perspective, recently led a workshop for students in the UArts Jewelry/Metals program. His intent was to reshape the way makers think about the concept of jewelry. He challenged our ideas about the fundamentals of our craft, made us take a second look at concepts we had always accepted automatically and encouraged us to recognize the limitations of our workspace as well as the institution in which it is contained. He did all this without once touching a piece of metal, a gemstone or a soldering torch.

Directing us to stand in a circle, Skinner instructed students to look into the eyes of the people on either side of them. Thus he created the links in the chain for the first “necklace” we made that day, smashing our literal interpretation of the word “jewelry.” This opened the potential for our craft in infinite directions. We learned that we do not have to accept limits and suppositions, and perhaps most importantly, we began to understand how to detect these subtle boundaries while exploring how we might break through them.

Skinner also pointed out that the very rooms in which we work in are arbitrary workstations, appointed for us by the institution in which we study. Skinner encouraged us to recognize that our jeweler’s benches and soldering stations are among the subtle chains anchoring us to an imposed point of view. He insisted that inspiration and ideas come from our experiences in life outside the studio— our workstations are the world and are as limitless as our minds. He also pointed out that our creativity and our options are severely constrained by our curriculum and assignments. It was an interesting experience to be gathered inside the UArts metals studio, questioning the impact that the institution itself has on our reality.

As the day progressed, Skinner continued to challenge our ideas about scale, presentation and context. He asked us to think about what jewelry does—not only for us, but also to us. We learned that it was our responsibility as makers to consider these things as we work.

We also learned the importance of understanding the difference between “good” craftsmanship and “appropriate” craftsmanship.

For our final project in the workshop, we were sent out into the city to gather items we might use as the basis for a future jewelry project.

From straws to stones, leaves to flowers, bits of discarded metal to dismembered doll parts and even the carcass of a decapitated bird, we produced a dizzying array of objects from various places in our environment. Methodically, Skinner went from collection to collection, asking questions, analyzing and encouraging us to think in new ways about the groupings and the items themselves.

No object was too mundane or grotesque, no grouping too simple. Skinner showed us that literally everything around us was worthy of thought and consideration. He implored us to explore connections between things, to ask ourselves why we would pick one thing above another, why we would pass over something else and why we would go to one place but not another. The motto of the day was not only to question everything, but also to question our questions.

Following the workshop, Skinner gave a lecture to the public about Contemporary Jewelry in Perspective, which amplified what we had learned from him that morning. He pointed out that in these days of globalization and the Internet, most of the audience for craft will never actually experience craft objects in person.

Viewers will only see a photograph, a video or a similar representation of what we make.

He asked makers to consider their presentation carefully, insisting that presentation was every bit as important as the work produced. He touched upon the ways a piece might be perceived differently in different environments.

photos by k e n y a n o v i a k

damien skinner

(above) Piece by Rebecca Kolodziejczak ‘17 (CAMD) made of found objects, rusted steel and steel wire. (opposite page) Piece by Eun Sam Lim ‘16 (Graphic Design) made of found objects strung on nylon cord.

In addition, Skinner shared with us works by some important craftspeople from around the world and confounded us when we realized that none of us knew about them at all. He explained that this was due to the biases of those who write about craft and the severe impact those writers have on our industry. Skinner impressed upon us that those who harness the power of the written word get to decide who in the craft world thrives and who is assigned to anonymous oblivion. Choosing how to engage in this issue is a conundrum we all face, but getting us to see the problem in the first place is an important step.

Throughout the day, Skinner worked with us to illuminate issues that exist outside the current boundaries of our consciousness. To say that it was enlightening would be an understatement. His work with us will continue to influence how we approach our creative practices and how we perceive and relate to our realities as makers and as human beings.

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featured student artist

s t e v e n a p i c e l l o ’ 1 4 (dance)

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t h e r a t t l i n g o f a m i r r o r Performed in l a u n c h : s o m e t h i n g c o l l e c t i v e

r u b e n c h a m o r r o ’15

Choreographed by M a r y G r a c e M c N a ll y 2013 Performance

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UArts News

(right) Interactive parasol exhibit (below) Author Joyce Carol Oates

Around Campus Visiting Writers Series Launches with Reading

by Joyce Carol Oates

dave jackso n

The Creative Writing program’s new Visiting Writers Series launched this fall with a reading, Q&A session and book signing by National Book Award winner and bestselling author Joyce Carol Oates. The inaugural event was co-sponsored by The American Poetry Review. The series also featured readings by poet Cole Swensen, author Laura van den Berg and cartoonist Scott McCloud, who will speak this April.

‘CITYWIDE’ Exhibit Features UArts Alumni, Faculty, Staff This past November, more than 25 artist-run collectives joined forces to present CITYWIDE, a month-long celebration of Philadelphia contemporary art that featured a long list of alumni, faculty and staff whose work was showcased during the exhibition. The “massive collaboration” included a publication and featured performances, panel discussions, gallery openings and other programming in a variety of venues across the city.

Renowned experimental stop-motion animators and UArts alumni T i m o th y Q u a y B FA ’ 6 9 ( I ll u str a t i o n ) and S t e ph e n Q u a y B FA ’ 6 9 ( F i l m ) , better known as the Quay Brothers, returned to the University of the Arts in November to premiere their new film “[UN]MISTAKEN HANDS: EX-VOTO F. H.” The evening in the Arts Bank Theater opened with a screening of the Quays’ adaptation of Stanislaw Lem’s “Maska,” followed by the premiere of their new film and ending with a Q&A with the Quays. “[UN] MISTAKEN HANDS: EX-VOTO F. H.” revolves around the work and life of Uruguayan pianist and writer Felisberto Hernández, who is often referred to as “the father of magic realism” and with whose work the Quay Brothers share an affinity.

Interactive Installation Provides Dramatic Backdrop for Museum Studies Symposium Solmssen Court was the site of a dramatic installation created by the Flux Foundation of San Francisco featuring dozens of white parasols suspended from the top of the glass-enclosed space. Erected as part of the Museum Studies-sponsored symposium titled “Collaborative Approaches | Meaningful Experiences,” the interactive exhibit was on display through the end of October.

UArts Hosts Stage at Philly Street Fest

m o r g a n b e y e ’14

UArts Dance students entertain the crowd at the Midtown Village Fall Festival.

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Pioneering Animators/ Alumni the Quay Brothers Return to Premiere New Film

As part of the 8th annual Midtown Village Fall Festival held October 6, 2013, the University of the Arts hosted a stage on the corner of Broad and Chestnut streets featuring various performances by students and alumni from the College of Performing Arts. School of Music performances included the Rumble bucket-drum ensemble, the

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(below) Jazz Ensemble (left to right) Nick Lombardelli, Sam Greenfield, Jacob Manny, Ken Mesmer

Student News

The School of Dance partnered with nonprofit contemporary dance organization Chez Bushwick as part of a field study exchange program for UArts students and alumni to present their choreography in a two-night performance series hosted at the Center for Performance Research last November in Brooklyn, N.Y. Selected students and alumni included K a tr i n a A t k i n B FA ’ 1 3 ( D a n c e ) , M a r c C r o u s i ll a t B FA ’ 1 3 ( D a n c e ) , A n n M a r i e G o v e r B FA ’ 1 3 ( Da n c e) , B r e n da n H o g g ’ 14 ( Da n c e) , A m a n d a K m e tt ’ P e n dr y B FA ’ 1 3 ( D a n c e ) , K e ls e y L u dw i g ’ 1 4 ( D a n c e ) , C h e ls e a P a l o m b a r o ’ 1 5 ( D a n c e ) and A r i e ll e P i n a ’ 1 4 ( D a n c e ) .

UArts Music Students Chosen for Top Collegiate Jazz Ensemble For the third consecutive year, a group of UArts Music students have been chosen to perform with the prestigious Mid-Atlantic Collegiate Jazz Orchestra, recognized as the premier honors jazz orchestra in the region. Performing are Instrumental Performance majors K e n n y M e s m e r ’ 1 4 ( Tru m p e t) , J a k e M a n n y ’ 14 ( Tru m p e t) , N i c k L o m b a rd e ll i ’ 1 5 ( T r o m b o n e ) and S a m G r e e n f i e ld ’ 1 4 ( S a x o ph o n e ) . Selected as alternates were C hr i s W e lt e ’ 1 4 ( S a x o ph o n e ) , E v a n K i l g o r e ’ 1 5 ( S a x o ph o n e ) and F r a n k R e i n ’ 1 6 ( C o m p o s i t i o n ) .

All students are members of the “Z” Big Band, directed by School of Music faculty member and alumnus M a tt G a ll a g h e r MM ’ 0 1 ( J a z z St u d i e s).

Photo Senior Interns at New York Fashion Week M o r g a n B e y e ’ 1 4 ( P h o t o g r a p h y ) spent the beginning of September in New York City shooting runway shows at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, the fashion industry’s premier event. Beye, who is the UArts chapter president of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, interned for Schiffer Publishing, where she was hired to photograph collections by top designers to be published in the forthcoming SFP Lookbook: Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Spring 2014 Collections.

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Dance Students, Recent Alumni Selected for Innovative Exchange Program

rachel dispenza

Rick Kerber Tribute Band and the “Z” Big Band, as well as a variety of other music ensembles. The Ira Brind School of Theater Arts presented two showcases, while dancers from the School of Dance performed a piece titled “Xhibition.”

(bottom) COLLAB contest-winning table design by Industrial Design student Justin Martin.

UArts Students Take 1st and 3rd Prizes in Philadelphia Museum of Art Design Contest J u st i n M a rt i n ’ 1 5 ( I n d u str i a l D e s i g n ) took home first place and K e v i n B o g a n ’ 1 4 (C r a f t & M at e r i a l St u d i e s : Wo o d) was named the third-place winner in the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s 2013 Collab Student Design Competition. The annual contest provides a unique opportunity for regional university students to experience competition outside the classroom and to receive valuable feedback from nationally recognized industry leaders. This year, students were challenged to create a table and to find inspiration for its design either from science, technology, nature or the arts.

Martin’s winning design offers a social cooking experience by integrating induction technology into the table surface.

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The Laundry Punch Bag, a three-in-one hamper, workout and transporter created by Master Lecturer J a s o n L e m p i e r i MI D ’ 0 4 ( I n d u str i a l D e s i g n ) , was named a Professional Notable winner in the prestigious Core77 Design Awards in the Soft Goods category. Lempieri’s clever product, produced by British retailer SuckUK LTD, was featured on the “Today Show,” on numerous design blogs and is available online at Urban Outfitters.

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School of Music alumnus and Senior Lecturer J a s o n C h u o n g B M ’ 0 8 ( P e r c u ss i o n ) , MA T ’ 0 9 ( M u s i c E d u c a t i o n ) is one of 50 teachers profiled in American Teacher: Heroes in the Classroom, a new book that shines a spotlight on one of the most unsung yet critically important professions in the world. Chuong, who teaches in the University’s MAT in Music Education program, is also a full-time itinerant class instrumental music teacher for the School District of Philadelphia, where he teaches grades 3-12 in some of the city’s most challenging neighborhoods.

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ID Faculty Member Wins Core77 Design Award

(above) Cover of Liberal Arts faculty member Sebastian Agudelo’s new book of poetry, Each Chartered Street. (right) Photo of Music alumnus and faculty member Jason Chuong from the book American Teacher: Heroes in the Classroom.

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University Professor Camille Paglia Weighs In on Miley Cyrus in ‘Time’ Magazine University Professor of Humanities & Media Studies C a m i ll e P a g l i a was featured in Time magazine, weighing in on singer Miley Cyrus’s controversial MTV Video Music Awards performance this summer. In the piece, she blasts Cyrus and bemoans the state of pop music today, wondering, “How could American pop have gotten this bad?” The article, titled “Miley Cyrus, Go Back to School,” was also featured on the Drudge Report.

Art Ed Professor Wins Prestigious Award Art & Design Education Professor B a rb a r a S u pl e e received a 2013 Outstanding Higher Education Art Educator Award from the Pennsylvania Art Education Association (PAEA). The prestigious award was presented during the PAEA’s annual conference held October 18–20 in Bethlehem, Pa. In 2002, Suplee was awarded the PAEA’s Pennsylvania Art Educator of the Year Award. She is also the recipient of a Getty Fellowship from the Getty Center for Education in the Arts, the National Art Education Association’s first Beverly Levett Gerber Special Needs Art Educator Lifetime Achievement Award and the University’s 2008 Richard C. von Hess Faculty Prize.

School of Film Lecturer Featured on Cover of ‘Philadelphia Weekly’ Film & Video Senior Lecturer M a o r i H o l m e s is the “New Face of Indie Film,” according to a cover story in the July 31, 2013, issue of Philadelphia Weekly. The feature article spotlights the filmmaker’s BlackStar Film Festival, a celebration of cinema focused on work by and about people of African descent, which was held in August.

The festival was also featured in The Philadelphia Tribune, on 6ABC.com and on the Greater Philadelphia Film Office blog. roman cho

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School of Music Faculty Member Is ‘Classroom Hero’

Liberal Arts Professor Releases Book of Poetry

Making IT: Recent Alumni Works 2003–2013

Liberal Arts Adjunct Associate Professor S e b a st i a n A g u d e l o recently released his second book titled Each Chartered Street (Saturnalia Books), a collection of poetry that engages documentary poetics to dissect an inner city neighborhood and explore the social, political and economic tensions and affinities as well as search for the humanness of living together.

Agudelo, who is also the author of the Saturnalia Books Poetry Prize-winning book To the Bone, gave a reading from his new book this fall.

“Making IT: Alumni Works ’ 03–’13,” a juried exhibition of works by recent alumni, was on display October 10 –26, 2013, in Hamilton Hall.

Nearly 130 works were submitted by UArts alumni from the classes of 2003 through 2013, including undergraduate and graduate alumni. This was the first year the exhibit included an invitational portion, which featured invited artists M i c h e l e K i sh i t a B FA ’ 9 7 ( P a i n t i n g ) , MFA ’ 1 0 ( P a i n t i n g ) and J o h n S o u t e r B FA ’ 1 2 ( C r a f ts ) , whose work was on display in Arronson Gallery. The 33 selected works created a coherent and innovative exhibition, showcasing the excellence and artistic diversity of our recent alumni. The “Making IT” jury included alumna and faculty member S h e ll e y S p e c t o r B FA ’ 9 4 ( F i n e A rts ) ; alumnae Ve r o n i c a C i a n f r a n o MFA ’ 1 0 ( P a i n t i n g ) and J e ss i c a C l a r k MFA ’ 1 0 ( P a i n t i n g ) , co-founders and curators at CHER (CHampions of Empty Rooms); alumnus and faculty member J o rd a n R o c k f o rd B FA ’ 0 0 ( P h o t o g r a ph y ) ; student S y d n e y A n dr e ws ’ 1 5 ( M u lt i d i s c i pl i n a r y F i n e A rts ) , president of Gallery One; and Christopher Sharrock, dean of the College of Art, Media & Design.

Animation World Network Showcases Faculty Member’s Film “The Stressful Adventures of Boxhead and Roundhead” by Animation Master Lecturer E ll i o t C o w a n was featured on “The Miscweant” blog on Animation World Network, the world’s leading source of animation industry news. The animated film also features characters by Animation seniors K a r a S a n k u s , A m a n d a B a u t i st a , M e l i ss a C h i l k o t o ws k y , S h a n n o n C o n n o r and A n n e l i s e W i ll i a m s . Cowen also served as a juror for the 2013 Ottawa International Animation Festival, which took place September 18–22 in Canada.

Alumni News Acting Class of 1987 Reunion Alumni from the first class of the Ira Brind School of Theater Arts at the University of the Arts gathered in September for a reunion dinner to reconnect with each other and former faculty members. The reunion included a student rehearsal of “Spring Awakening,” a student-guided tour of the current Brind School facilities and a dinner in Hamilton Hall.

j o s h s t e w a r t ’14

uarts news

Welcome reception for Family & Alumni Weekend.

Family and Alumni Weekend Family and Alumni Weekend was held in late October and provided an opportunity for alumni, parents and families to connect—or reconnect— with the UArts community. The weekend was filled with special events, including the President’s and “Making IT” receptions, Golden Arts Reunion, Retirement Celebration Luncheon for longtime music faculty member D r . D o n a l d C h i t t u m B M ’ 5 6 ( M u s i c P e r f o r m a n c e ) , MM ’57 (Mus ic P e r for m a nc e), DM ’63 ( T h e o r y ) , student performances and faculty workshops.

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Supporting UArts Saturday Arts Lab—Fall Into the Arts Fair Presented by TD Charitable Foundation

(top) Mira Zergani, assistant Vice President of Development, with Dominique Goss, vice president and community relations manager, TD Bank. (above & right) Saturday Arts Lab students and their parents at Fall Into the Arts Fair presented by TD Charitable Foundation.

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For more than a decade, TD Charitable Foundation has generously supported the University’s Saturday Arts Lab (SAL), a program that offers children in grades K-8 extracurricular learning opportunities in the visual arts, drawing, two- and three-dimensional design, and technology. TD Charitable Foundation’s support has ensured that SAL offerings are extended to schoolchildren across the greater Philadelphia region without regard to their families’ ability to pay the price of tuition. During the past decade, literally hundreds of K-8 students have taken part in the SAL program due to the TD Charitable Foundation’s generosity and commitment to arts education. This year, the University was pleased to recognize TD’s special support of the program with a 2013-2014 kick-off event on September 21, 2013. “Fall Into the Arts Presented by TD Charitable Foundation” welcomed children ages 5-12 and their families for a Saturday morning filled with fun and inspiring artmaking activities. Nearly 100 guests tried their hand at cartooning and button-making, painting and sculpting, bookmaking and printing, and creating their own self-portraits. Raffles, refreshments and free giveaways made the first-ever TD Charitable Foundation Fall Into the Arts Saturday Arts Lab Fair an informative and smashing success. Special support for the event was also provided by Blick Art Materials.

Scholarship Spotlight : Windgate Scholarship Fund Established by the Windgate Foundation in 2005, the Windgate Foundation Scholarship Fund at the University of the Arts supports talented students studying in any of the University’s Craft & Material Studies program disciplines, including Metals, Wood, Fibers, Ceramics and Glass. This endowed scholarship fund has supported more than 56 students over the past seven years, each one selected for the prestigious scholarship based on their talents and vision. The Windgate Foundation Scholarship Fund ensures that these woodworkers, ceramicists, jewelry makers, and glass and fiber artists are provided the means by which to hone the unique skill sets that create truly visionary artists and craftspeople. The Windgate Foundation, located in Siloam Springs, Ark., is a staunch supporter of art and craft education in organizations across the United States. The University of the Arts is deeply grateful to the Windgate Foundation for its commitment to the crafts disciplines, its significant investment in the University’s talented Craft & Material Studies students, and its recognition of and appreciation for the important role of crafts in the American arts tradition.

lou caltabiano

’10

a dva n c e m e n t

(left) The Windgate Scholarship Fund helps to fund UArts Craft & Material Studies.

jason chen

’08

(below) W.W. Smith Charitable Trust scholarships benefit students from across UArts colleges and disciplines.

W.W. Smith Charitable Trust For 25 years, the W.W. Smith Charitable Trust has supported undergraduates at the University of the Arts with annual scholarship grants for students from Philadelphia, Bucks, Montgomery, Chester, Delaware and Camden counties. Scholarship recipients may pursue any discipline of their choosing, but must exhibit academic and artistic excellence in their fields.

This year, 13 young artists—studying everything from photography and illustration to vocal studies and drum performance—were named W.W. Smith Scholars, and the University is honored by the Trust’s support of these talented young people.

At the recent biennial reception for W.W. Smith Scholars at the University of the Arts, grant administrator Michelle Montgomery remarked, “It is always a great delight to meet the students receiving the scholarship funds. The W.W. Smith Scholars are talented and deserving of financial aid and I know that Mr. Smith’s legacy of helping those who want to further their education and make a difference in the world is being continued.”

The W.W. Smith Charitable Trust was founded by the late William Wikoff Smith, who made his fortune in oil.

Today, the Trust funds medical research, basic needs of food, clothing and shelter for needy young and elderly, and undergraduate scholarships. Every year, the Trust supports scholarship funding at a diverse set of 30 pre-selected local colleges and universities. The Trust’s longtime generous investment in higher education in the Greater Philadelphia region helps to make the Delaware Valley a more attractive and productive place in which to study, work and live. The University of the Arts is proud to be counted among the fortunate recipients of the W.W. Smith Charitable Trust’s investment and is grateful for the opportunity every year to bestow these scholarships to a new crop of talented and deserving young artists.

— For more information about our scholarship program, please contact M i r a Z e r g a n i , assistant vp of Development, at 215-717-6505 or mzergani@uarts.edu.

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Sydney Rockefeller “Being in the art world is just an extraordinary place to be,” says S y d n e y R o c k e f e ll e r B FA ’ 6 6 ( P a i n t i n g ) . Currently serving as chair of the board of the Great Harbor Maritime Museum in Maine, Rockefeller’s life is infused with art and creation, and she credits UArts for setting her along her path. “PCA, as we still call it, was a very important place for me,” Rockefeller explains, using the old moniker “Philadelphia College of Art” to refer to the University of the Arts. “It opened up my eyes to what the world is really about.” She recalls riveting art history lectures with F. Louis Finkelstein and speaks animatedly about “the excitement you can get having wonderful teachers.”

Being in the ar t world is just an ex traordinary place to be.

In her current role at the museum, she uses her background in the arts to help inform her decisions as she puts exhibits together and assists with “Look to Learn, Learn to Look,” a program for children that promotes discovery and creation through the exploration of neighboring islands. For a recent project, the children made artwork out of what she calls “detritus” and other items they had found on one of their trips, fusing two of Rockefeller’s passions: environmental stewardship and art.

Rockefeller is also an active member of her community, serving as vice president of the board of the Island Housing Trust, a nonprofit organization whose aim is to create affordable housing on Mount Desert Island. The trust was recently given 10 acres of land upon which six houses were then built so that people working on the island could also afford to live there. She speaks passionately about where she lives, her home for the past 14 years. She enjoys the collaborative nature of the various projects she is involved in and still makes art—art that, very simply, she “just wants to make.”

A member of the Haviland Society, which recognizes dedicated benefactors who make annual leadership gifts to the University, Rockefeller also recently increased her gift to participate in the Mandell Challenge for the second consecutive year. She explains that living in Maine makes it difficult to be as involved in the University as she wants to be, but she has strong feelings about being able to help others receive the quality of education she was able to receive, especially encouraging young students in this digital age to “keep drawing,” a skill that she feels is crucial in the artistic learning process.

When asked why she chose to increase her gift this year, Rockefeller states without hesitation, “The school completely changed my life.” Now in giving back to the University, she helps to safeguard the education of a new generation of students and helps make sure that all qualified students, regardless of financial circumstance, can have access to a degree in the arts.

Portrait of Sydney Rockefeller, by Sheila Prentice Rauch.

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So Nice, He Challenged Us Twice

jason chen

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supporting uarts

(above, left and below) Services for students from across the University benefit from Annual Fund donations matched through the Samuel P. Mandell Challenge Grant.

Last year, UArts was the beneficiary of a $50,000 Challenge Grant made by Trustee S o n n y M a n d e ll and the Samuel P. Mandell Foundation. Thanks to their generosity and the support of our alumni, parents and friends, over $110,000 in new and increased donations were made to the University’s Annual Fund.

Our longtime trustee has challenged the University again.

This year, the Samuel P. Mandell Foundation has offered another $50,000 Challenge Grant to help grow specific groups of donors to the Annual Fund including parents, new Haviland Society members and young alumni.

UArts parents can feel confident supporting the Annual Fund knowing that it supports student services, classroom maintenance and student scholarships. And this year, all of their donations will be doubled by the Challenge Grant.

Members of the Haviland Society represent dedicated benefactors who make annual gifts in amounts of $1,000 or more. They ensure that the University remains one of the region’s and nation’s most vital forces for new artistic talent in visual arts, performing arts, and media and communications. Members of the Haviland Society will be invited to special events, including gallery talks, lectures and behind-the-scenes tours, enjoy reserved seating at performances, and receive tuition discounts on Continuing Education courses. Haviland members will also be invited to a dinner at the home of University President Sean T. Buffington in the Spring. Each new Haviland-level gift will be matched dollar for dollar by the second Mandell Challenge, resulting in a truly transformative gift to the Annual Fund.

Last year, young alumni donors stepped up to the Mandell Challenge in a big way! Building on that momentum, the foundation has challenged this next generation of donors to continue supporting the Annual Fund. Every donation from an alumnus who graduated in the last 10 years will be doubled. UArts young alumni know the value of a great arts education—now it’s time for them to step forward and help a current student receive that same gift.

The Samuel P. Mandell Foundation continues to champion our efforts to continue to expand and strengthen the University’s Annual Fund, and we remain grateful for their vision and leadership.

— For more information or to make a gift, please contact L i z S a c c a rd i , director of the Annual Fund, at 215-717-6141 or esaccardi@uarts.edu.

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featured student artists

s t u d e n t s p e r f o r m s p r i n g a w a k e n i n g (musical theater)

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r u b e n c h a m o r r o ’15

s p r i n g a w a k e n i n g Directed by R i c k S t o ppl e w o rth Choreographed by K a r e n G e t z 2013 Performance

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4.9 — 4.15

d art leashe un 5 – ear y

320 South Broad Street Philadelphia, PA 19102

Art Unleashed 2014 4.9 — 4.15 – Celebrating its 5th Anniversary! This extraordinary event helps raise money to support scholarships for young artists at the University of the Arts with an exhibition and sale of artwork from talented students, faculty and alumni. From cutting-edge contemporary jewelry, to ceramics, photography, crafts, furniture, painting, sculpture and illustration, Art Unleashed showcases the finest work from established and emerging artists.

– Preview Party Preview the work/ Wednesday April 9 Buy tickets online Valet Parking uarts.edu/artunleashed Admission Charge – Public Sale Thursday April 10 — Tuesday April 15 Free Admission – Dorrance Hamilton Hall 320 South Broad Street Philadelphia PA

Non Profit Org US Postage PAID Philadelphia, PA Permit No. 1103

4.9 — 4.15

d art leashe un 5 – ear y

save the date

Alumni Notes

d art leashe un – ear 5 y

4.9 — 4.

15 Non Profit Org US Postage PAID Philadelphia, PA Permit No. 1103

Share your news with us for the next issue of Edge! Send a short note about your recent projects, upcoming exhibitions and performances, and accomplishments to alumni@uarts.edu.

High-res images can also be included and will be printed as space allows.

Alumni Notes

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S o n i a G e t c ht o f f B FA ’ 5 0 ( P a i n t i n g ) was awarded the Lee Krasner Award for Lifetime Achievement from the Pollock Krasner Foundation. This award is by nomination only and is given in recognition of a lifetime of artistic achievement. The Foundation’s mission is to aid individuals who have worked as professional artists over a significant period of time and it distributes grants to artists with artistic merit and demonstrable financial need.

(left to right) Work by Franklin Fretz Ted Didden Work by Toni SilberDelerive

Franklin Fretz DIPL ’ 5 3 ( A d v e rt i s i n g D e s i g n ) had his woodcut and wood-engraved handprints accepted into the 2012 and 2013 “Art of the State” juried exhi-

bitions at the State Museum of Pennsylvania. His piece “Pacific Beach Stones” was selected for the 2013 show and “Spitsticker Searching Pear Annual-Rings” was selected for the 2012 show.

D o r e e L o s c h i avo D I P L ’ 5 5 ( F i b e rs ) had her work as part of the Media Fine Arts & Crafts Festival in Pennsylvania on September 29, 2013.

R a lph S c hl e g e l B FA ’ 5 7 ( I ll u str a t i o n ) is an editorial cartoonist. He had a show at the Mercer County Library in New Jersey, where his 57 works featured editorial cartoons about state and national politics and illustrations for publications such as U.S. News and World Report, The New York Times, Business Week and Reader’s Digest. He retired two years ago after creating more than 1,500 editorial cartoons for the Times of Trenton. Schlegel and his wife, Sharon, live in Yardley and they have a grown daughter, Vickie.

P e t e r P a o n e B FA ’ 5 8 ( A rt E d u c a t i o n ) had an exhibition at the Woodmere Art Museum titled “Wild Flowers: Paintings and Drawings by Peter Paone” from September 28, 2013, to January 19, 2014. The exhibition consisted of flowerand nature-based paintings and drawings created throughout his 30-year career.

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F r a n k S t e ph e n s CE R T ’ 6 1 ( A d v e rt i s i n g D e s i g n ) had a show called “Honoring My Heritage: A Retrospective” from October 17 to December 5, 2013, at the Connelly Center Art Gallery at Villanova University in Pennsylvania.

ated in Italy and Greece. “These paintings are the beginning of a new journey in my artistic work.

To be immersed in the places I have studied and dreamed of for years, actually walking around in Athens, Crete and Florence has been amazing. My journeys have given me a sense of traveling through time, where I felt the energy coming from civilizations that have existed for hundreds of years,” she wrote.

I v a n B a r n e tt B FA ’ 6 9 ( I l l u str a t i o n ) is the director of the Patina Gallery in New Mexico. “Abstraction” is Barnett’s sixth Patina exhibition and the latest in a career that spans more than four decades. It ran December 6-29, 2013, and presented his most recent mobiles and photographs from a trip to China in 2012. Barnett has been active in the field of craft since 1972 and his works reside in the New Mexico Museum of Art and the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe, N.M.

T e dd D i dd e n B M ’ 6 6 ( P i a n o ) joined the Asbury United Methodist church as organist and choir director in October 2013.

He has extensive experience as a church organist and choir director and was recently the organist at Valley Forge Military Academy. His duties at Asbury include selecting and performing music, as well as rehearsing and conducting the choir.

D o r i s G r e y B FA ’ 6 7 ( F i n e A rts ) opened a one-person show at Drexel University’s Marks Intercultural Center featuring landscape paintings and portraits cre-

T o n i S i lb e r - D e l e r i v e B FA ’69 ( Pa i n t i n g / D r aw i n g) had her work “Midtown NYC

(left to right) Work by Paul W. McKay KaDee Strickland with husband, actor Jason Behr

K i m V a rd e m a n B FA ’ 9 6 ( P h o t o g r a ph y ) is now a digital production manager for Turner Broadcasting.

Rooftop” showcased by ARTslant New York. Her work “View from Macu Tower” was selected for Curate NYC, a month-long, citywide festival of art exhibitions and a permanent online showcase of New York City artists.

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Michele K i sh i t a B FA ’ 9 7 ( P a i n t i n g ) , MFA ’ 1 0 ( P a i n t i n g ) has work in an exhibition titled “Dialogue in Color” at the Drawing Room Gallery in Connecticut from January 16 to March 17, 2014. Her work was also in the exhibit “Paper Work” at the Trenton City Museum in New Jersey from November 17, 2013, to January 5, 2014. In October 2013, she was an invited artist at “Making IT: Alumni Works ’03–’13,” a juried exhibition of work by recent UArts alumni.

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Michael B i e ll o B FA ’ 7 3 ( C r a f ts ) is the lyricist for “Marry Harry,” a show exploring ideas about family, loyalty, marriage, love and finding one’s path in life. The main character, Harry, is an aspiring chef who sings a song titled “Lidia” to his idol, chef Lidia Bastianich, who came to a July performance, praised the show and had her picture taken with the cast. The show was presented as part of the New York Musical Theatre Festival in July 2013.

S h e ld o n H . K r e v i t B FA ’ 7 7 ( P a i n t i n g ) had a oneman show at the Jay Etkin Gallery in Santa Fe, N.M., titled “Golden: Paintings and Works in Various Media,” which was on display October 2-30, 2013.

He was the subject of a feature article in the October issue of THE Magazine. More info at themagazineonline.com.

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A n n a F o e r B FA ’ 8 0 ( F i b e rs / T e x t i l e s ) had a collage “Pe’ah: From the Corners of Our Fields” in the Circle Gallery

of the Maryland Federation of Art in Annapolis. It shows how a field of solar panels relates to a command in the Torah. It was in the show “American Landscapes” from August 23 to September 15, 2013. Foer also had work in “Disconnect,” a national, juried show at the Target Gallery in the Torpedo Factory in Alexandria, Va. The show ran from October 5 to November 3, 2013, and her two collages examined how new technologies and social media affect our personal relationships.

E ll e n M . S o f f e r B FA ’ 8 1 ( P a i n t i n g ) is working on a series called “Shimmer.”

It is composed of what she calls “marks and less shapes.” More info at ellensoffer.com.

D a v i d W r i g ht B FA ’ 8 1 ( C e r a m i c s ) is teaching art at Rancocas Valley Regional High School in Mount Holly, N.J. Chip Br ay B FA ’82 ( G r a ph i c D e s i g n ) is employed by RockTenn Merchandising Displays as a senior designer of POP displays and packaging.

Work by Jennifer E. Renshaw

P a u l W . M c K a y B FA ’ 8 4 ( S c u lpt u r e ) has donated his sculpture “Maestro” to the Charlotte Symphony Guild. He has exhibited this year at Hart Witzen Gallery, N.C.; Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art, Ga.; Welborn Gallery, N.C.; Yadkin Cultural Arts Center, N.C.; Amsterdam Whitney Gallery, N.Y.; and the Visual Art & Wine Festival at Morgan Ridge Vineyards, N.C.

N a n W o ll m a n B FA ’ 8 6 ( C e r a m i c s ) was a participating artist in the 6th Semi-Annual Fundraiser and Art Auction at Avenue 50 Studios in Los Angeles.

K i m b e rl e y B u rs i c B FA ’ 9 2 ( P r i n t m a k i n g ) had an exhibition of recent paintings on paper at the Hill Center in Washington, D.C., from September 6 to November 3, 2013.

S t u a rt N e ts k y MA T ’ 8 7 ( A rt E d u c a t i o n ) had a solo exhibition at Bridgette Mayer Gallery in Philadelphia titled “Stuart Netsky: A Leopard Doesn’t Change Her Spots” from September 5 to October 5, 2013.

G a r y J o s e ph C o h e n B FA ’ 9 2 ( P h o t o g r a ph y ) has been serving as a national park ranger at the Badlands National Park in South Dakota within the Teacher-Ranger-Teacher program. His duties include developing curriculum for the national park service, mentoring student interns from the Pine Ridge Reservation, interpreting the park’s natural and cultural resources to a wide audience, and running/participating

R e g i n a B a rth m a i e r B FA ’ 8 9 ( P r i n t m a k i n g ) , MA ’ 0 3 ( A rt E d u c a t i o n ) had artwork accepted into “Absolutely Abstract,” a juried exhibition

at the Philadelphia Sketch Club in August 2013.

J a m e s D a ll a s MM ’ 8 9 ( C o m p o s i t i o n ) was appointed orchestra personnel manager for the Naples Philharmonic Orchestra. A classical musician, educator and manager, Dallas served on the Percussive Arts Society’s orchestral planning committee for six years and was a featured clinician for the Society in Orlando, Columbus and Nashville. He has performed with the Philadelphia Orchestra and Delaware Symphony, along with numerous Broadway show tours, commercial pop artists, ballets and opera productions.

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J e n n i f e r C h i lds B FA ’ 9 0 ( A c t i n g ) wrote and directed “It’s My Party: The Women and Comedy Project” by 1812 Productions of which Childs is a founder. The play was nominated for the Brown Martin Philadelphia Award, which seeks to honor plays that best lead audiences to a better understanding of the unique experience of particular segments of the global community, as part of the Philadelphia Barrymore Awards for Excellence in Theatre.

M a rsh a H e y dt B M ’ 9 1 ( S a x o ph o n e ) headlined the Chestertown Jazz Festival in Maryland in September 2013.

Heydt’s alto sax stylings have been heard on two CDs with her band Project of Love. Heydt also makes frequent live performances in New York City and in jazz festivals around the nation.

in a variety of public programs.

He initiated the program three years ago at the Calhoun School in Manhattan—the Calhoun/ Badlands Endeavor: An expeditionary, experiential-based, cultural exchange between Calhoun, the Badlands National Park and the Red Cloud Indian School. He was also featured on the Badlands National Park’s Facebook page during Fossil Friday.

G u y D o n o v a n B FA ’ 9 3 ( A n i m a t i o n ) and L o r i n d a D o n o v a n B FA ’ 9 3 ( F i l m ) currently live in North Dakota with their daughter for Guy’s job.

They both have debut novels that are available as e-books: Children of Earth by Lorinda Donovan and The Forgotten Princess of Mona by Guy Donovan.

K i m b e rl e y L y l e s - F o l k m a n MA T ’ 9 3 ( A rt E d u c a t i o n ) graduated in June 2013 from Drexel University with a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership & Learning Technologies. Her research is in the areas of visual thinking and visual learning. She teaches advertising and design at an arts college, as well as represents a company as a vice president of advertising and marketing under her company Advermediadesign.

J e n n i f e r E . R e n sh a w B FA ’ 9 4 ( I ll u str a t i o n ) had her oil on panel work “Portrait of Sean” featured at the National Portrait Gallery in London.

K a D e e S tr i c k l a n d B FA ’ 9 8 ( T h e a t e r ) and her husband, actor Jason Behr, welcomed their first child, son Atticus, on October 17, 2013, in Los Angeles. Strickland formerly starred on the television show “Private Practice.”

G e o f f B e a tt y B FA ’ 9 9 ( A n i m a t i o n ) was recently hired to spearhead the new Interactive and Motion Animation major at Moore College of Art and Design in Philadelphia.

L au r i e D or a n B FA ’ 99 ( P a i n t i n g ) taught at St. Elizabeth High School in Wilmington, Del., and in September 2013, started at Philadelphia Performing Arts Charter High School.

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B e n D i bbl e B FA ’ 0 0 ( A c t i ng), A l e x K e i p e r B FA ’07 (Musical Th e at e r) and R y a n T o u h e y B FA ’ 0 9 ( M u s i c a l T h e a t e r ) were part of the Arden Theatre’s “Parade,” chronicling the true story of Leo Frank, a Jewish factory manager accused of murdering a young girl in 1913 Atlanta. The show ran from September 26 to November 3, 2013. Dibble and Keiper are cast members and Dibble stars as Leo Frank. Touhey is music director at the Arden Theatre.

D a v e M c K e n z i e B FA ’ 0 0 ( P r i n t m a k i n g ) and J a y s o n M u ss o n B FA ’ 0 2 ( P h o t o g r a ph y ) are featured artists in “Radical Presence: Black Performance in Contemporary Art,” presented in NYU’s Grey Art Gallery (September 10–December 7, 2013) and at the Studio Museum in Harlem (November 14, 2013–March 9, 2014).

C a rr i e G a lbr a i th MFA ’ 0 1 ( B o o k A rts / P r i n t m a k i n g ) spoke at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco and was invited to speak at the University of Colorado in Denver and the San Francisco Art Institute. She had a book signing at IMPerFECT Gallery in Germantown, Pa.

(left to right) Work by Dan Mandel James Lincke with actor Bryan Cranston

D a n M a n d e l B FA ’ 0 1 ( T h e a t e r ) is the creator of “Dan Vs.,” which recently finished airing its third season. The show won a Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Directing in an Animated Program and was nominated in the categories of Outstanding Special Class Animated Program and Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program.

Nicole F e ll e r - J o h n s o n B FA ’ 0 2 ( C r a f ts ) was one of three winners in Vogue Knitting magazine’s Zealana Design Contest. “[I] worked for years as a glassblower before I turned to knitting. I’ve designed for boutiques, creating bespoke pieces for exclusive clients. My patterns have been published in several places online, and I’ve written articles about yarn and pattern selection,” she told the magazine in its Fall 2013 issue.

S t e v e M e ss e n g e r B FA ’ 0 2 ( P a i n t i n g / D r a w i n g ) had an open studio and exhibition in August 2013 in Philadelphia featuring new work.

J o sh L a m o n ’ 0 3 ( M u s i c a l T h e a t e r ) was a cast member in Second Stage Theatre’s production of “Little Miss Sunshine,” which opened on November 14, 2013. He played Buddy, who is a co-host of the Little Miss Sunshine pageant. Lamon has also been in Broadway productions of “Hair” and “Elf.”

A l e x a n dr e a P i z z a B FA ’ 0 3 ( C r a f ts ) is currently serving as a member of the board of directors for the North Carolina Preservation Consortium. She is the preservation specialist for Belmont Abbey College in the Charlotte area. She is responsible for the preventive care and conservation of the college’s rare book collection. (left to right) Joseph Aniska Work by Kay Healy

J o s e ph A n i s k a B FA ’ 0 4 ( A c t i n g ) was featured on HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire” for 10 episodes as Agent Stan Sawicki.

T a ll i a B r i n s o n B FA ’ 0 4 ( M u s i c a l T h e a t e r ) was a cast member in “The Book of Mormon” at the Bank of America Theatre in Chicago through October 6, 2013.

J o sh L a wr e n c e B M ’ 0 4 ( M u s i c P e r f o r m a n c e ) is a rising jazz trumpet star, composer and performer who has recorded with Erykah Badu and Boyz II Men and performs regularly in Philadelphia and New York City.

He teaches jazz trumpet at Drexel University and UArts. He released an album titled “One Night in Atlanta” in September 2013. More info at joshlawrencejazz.com.

J o A r m e n i o x B FA ’ 0 5 ( M u s i c a l T h e a t e r ) was cast in the current season of HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire” as Alma Pastor.

C o n c e tt a B a rb e r a B FA ’ 0 5 ( P h o t o g r a ph y ) was the curator of “Ephemera!” presented by the Philadelphia Cartoonist Society (PCS) and Library Company of Philadelphia (LCP).

The show featured works by PCS members inspired by LCP’s extensive collection of historical ephemera. Established in 1997, PCS is a group of cartoonists living and working in Philadelphia with nearly 100 members, including 30 active artists. PCS supports creative collaboration and networking among its members and focuses on charitable work with children and local nonprofits. The show featured the work of other UArts alumni, including C hr i st i a n P a t c h e ll B FA ’ 9 5 ( I ll u str a t i o n ) , M e l i ss a L o m a x B FA ’ 9 7 ( I l l u str a t i o n ) , C hr i st i n e L a rs e n B FA ’ 0 4 ( I ll u str a t i o n ) , E a m o n D o u g h e rt y B FA ’ 0 7 ( I ll u str a t i o n ) and T i m D u r n i n g B FA ’ 0 8 ( I ll u str a t i o n ) .

J u l i J a c k s o n B FA ’ 0 5 ( F i l m ) was writer, director and producer on her first feature film “45RPM,” described as “a dark comedy that extends the world of the classic American road movie into multiple mediums while exploring rich Southern history.”

M i c h e ll e McKeone BS ’ 0 5 ( C o m m u n i c a t i o n ) is the founder of Autism Expressed, named Best Startup of the Year at Philly’s Geek Awards. Autism Expressed strives to bring attention and advocacy to improving opportunities for learners in today’s technology-driven landscape. Hosted by Geekadelphia and the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, the Philadelphia Geek Awards hon-

or local game developers, comic book artists, social media marketers, and the arts and culture community.

M e g a n O ’ B r i e n B FA ’ 0 5 ( A ppl i e d T h e a t e r A rts ) is the founder of the 11th Hour Theatre Company, which was recently named the winner of the June and Steve Wolfson Award for an Evolving Theatre as part of the Barrymore Awards for Excellence in Theatre. The new $10,000 award recognizes and rewards the creativity, growth and excellence of evolving theaters in the Philadelphia region.

J o n a th a n R o dr i g u e z B FA ’05 (Musical Th e at e r) was a cast member in “The Buddy Holly Story” from June 20 to August 25, 2013, at New Theatre Restaurant in Kansas City.

M a r a J i ll H e r m a n B FA ’ 0 7 ( M u s i c a l T h e a t e r ) had recent cabaret endeavors including a performance at 54 Below, the Duplex and Don’t Tell Mama.

She also had the wonderful honor of being the resident advisor for YoungArts NYC. She has also been working hard on all things social media related to her first book So You Wanna Be A Superstar?

A lison LeBlanc K irchman B FA ’ 0 7 ( P h o t o g r a ph y ) writes, “Currently, I am working for a publishing company as an in-house photographer photographing products and projects for an array of hobby magazines.

I also do the retouching, color corrections and Photoshop work on the images. I also do freelance work for a few local studios (weddings, retouching, etc.).”

L a r i ss a L o v e j o y B M ’ 0 7 ( V o i c e ) has a band called Shades of Blue. She is also starting her sixth season as a soloist and section leader at Grace Church in Nutley, N.J. More info about Shades of Blue at facebook.com/TSOBBofficialpage.

C hr i s A r g e r a k i s B M ’ 9 4 ( P e r c u ss i o n ) , MA T ’ 0 8 ( M u s i c E d u c a t i o n ) teaches music at the Andrew Jackson Public School in South Philly where he has built a program to provide a practical music education in the last five years on a budget of $100 for the year. Prior to teaching, Argerakis lived in Los Angeles and worked on film scores. His class is designed around performance and the students play guitars.

Since the school could not afford to provide instruments, Argerakis turned to online resources and started a fundraiser for his students. He secured 30 guitars,

donated by individual vendors, nonprofits and local companies.

The students have formed a band as part of the class. It started as a small guitar ensemble with eight students and now consists of 11 students, who have adopted the new group name, HOME. R i c h a rd C e r a t o B FA ’ 0 8 ( M u s i c a l T h e a t e r ) made his Broadway debut in “Soul Doctor,” which played at Circle In the Square Theater in NYC. Jason Ch uong BM ’08 ( P e r c u ss i o n ) , MA T ’ 0 9 ( M u s i c E d u c a t i o n ) is featured in the book American Teacher: Heroes in the Classroom

by Katrina Fried, with a foreword

by Parker J. Palmer.

through art. Healy creates largescale screenprints of furniture based on images she found online from her childhood and most recently, a series created based on other people’s descriptions of their childhood homes. Through her art, Healy investigates themes of transience and the search for stability in an ever-changing world. Her work explores how an object as mundane as a plastic salad spinner can embody vivid memories of people, events and periods of someone’s life. In direct contrast with Healy’s nostalgic impulses, working with screenprints enables her to let go of the pieces and spread them throughout the community.

P h i l J a c k s o n B FA ’ 0 8 ( P h o t o g r a ph y ) has a new project, “When the Cactus Is in Bloom.” It consists of 35mm photos accompanied by handwritten musings on life, liberty and what it means to follow the tangled sunsets west. He recently had a photography installation for the Shortwave/Sundays show at the Free Candy Gallery in New York.

Jackson also worked with Cheryl Dunn in Oakland for a week to film her ongoing documentary project on Creative Growth, an art center where adults with mental and/or physical disabilities make art all day, every day.

J a m e s L i n c k e B FA ’ 0 8 ( I ll u str a t i o n ) recently met and gifted artwork to actor Bry-

an Cranston of “Breaking Bad” fame. Lincke met him in Cambridge, Mass., after seeing his new play “All the Way.” He created a mini-sketchbook featuring a variety of “Heisen-WHO?” characters for Cranston. He was also on the “Katie Couric Show” in June 2013 when he was pulled on stage by Kevin Costner during a “Man of Steel” feature for his Jimmy Olsen character attire.

A n dy Oleck B FA ’08 ( F i l m & V i d e o ) has been living in Los Angeles for the past five years working in television, promotional, short films and live events. He recently made a time-lapse of the historic IMAX upgrade to the main auditorium of the TCL (formerly Grauman’s)

T r e v o r Y o u n g B FA ’ 0 6 ( P a i n t i n g ) had his first solo show in the Detroit area from October 26 to November 30, 2013, at the David Klein Gallery, featuring a collection of 12 pieces titled “Torque.” In the series of oil landscapes, Young captures night visions of everyday places, which he refers to as “nonplaces”—places such as gas stations, airports, highways and convenience stores.

E l y s e A u lt B FA ’ 0 7 ( M u s i c a l T h e a t e r ) is a casting director in Los Angeles at Cornwell Casting and recently cast the show “Millionaire Matchmaker.”

K a y H e a l y MFA ’ 0 8 ( B o o k A rts / P r i n t m a k i n g ) was one of three artists whose works were included in Philadelphia’s Fleisher Art Memorial Wind Challenge.

The Wind Challenge Exhibition Series is an annual juried competition that is committed to enriching and expanding people’s lives

Chinese Theatre. More info at youtu.be/FHWWR-UT5-U. L a u r e n P a l m e r i B FA ’ 0 8 ( M u s i c a l T h e a t e r ) was a cast member in “Funny Girl” at the Skyline Theatre Company in New Jersey October 11–13, 2013.

(right) Work by Keith Yahrling

B r i a n St o n e B S ’11 ( C o m m u n i c a t i o n ) is producing two shows for the National Geographic Channel: “Doomsday Preppers,” which is the highest-rated show in the network’s history, and “Doomsday Castle.”

K e i th Y a hrl i n g B FA ’ 0 8 ( P h o t o g r a ph y ) was featured in Dodho Magazine, an online photography magazine. Yahrling, a photographer living and working in Philadelphia, received his MFA in Photography from the Rhode Island School of Design in 2013. He recently exhibited work at ClampArt Gallery in New York City, the Gelman Gallery in Providence, R.I., and the Visual Studies Workshop in Rochester, N.Y. He was recently selected as a 2013 Critical Mass Finalist for his series “For the Revolution.” The series of photographs features the geographic area of the original 13 colonies and encompasses the ways Americans currently define their individual notions of freedom and the impact those decisions have on the contemporary landscape.

and Velocity Dance Center (Seattle), and taught master classes in Lancaster, Pa., Ridgefield, Conn., Ashburn, Va., and Alexandria, Va. D a v o n W i ll i a m s B FA ’ 0 9 (Ac t i ng) recently filmed a commercial for Campbell’s Chunky Soup campaign for Canadian audiences as well as a commercial for Delta College. He was also in “Tango Macbeth,” an official selection of the African Diaspora International Film Festival in August 2013. He is the founder of the Nova D Arts Collective, consisting of artists and leaders who create practical art to examine our culture. They have produced three shows, two residences and hosted two artist showcases.

2010

(left to right) Work by Morgan Jamison Jamison Forman

M o r g a n J a m i s o n B FA ’ 0 9 ( C r a f ts ) is the designer of “Old Blood,” a jewelry collection that has been at 30th Street Craft Market and Brooklyn Flea Philly, among other craft markets. She started her collection last year and is based out of West Philly. More info at etsy.com/shop/OldBlood.

Sarah Rene B FA ’09 ( P a i n t i n g ) had a drawing featured in Michael Coston’s book Casualties of Freedom. She also designed a brochure for Red Barn Arts with T a n i a O ’ D o n n e l l M AT ’ 0 3 ( V i s u a l A r t s ) .

A ll i s o n S a l e B FA ’ 0 9 ( D a n c e ) is a new dance faculty member at the Ridgefield Conservatory of Dance in Connecticut.

She is a NYC-based freelance artist and is touring with Seattle-based company zoe|juniper, dancing in New York and Philadelphia with Dance Iquail, and performing installation art with Gabriel Forestieri’s Project Limb.

She will perform in the Metropolitan Opera’s production of “Prince Igor” this winter. She has been teaching contemporary, ballet and jazz for the past three years at Dance Dimensions in New Milford, N.J. She has also taught adult classes at Peridance Capezio Center (NYC), Koresh Dance Company (Philadelphia)

s

V i c t o r i a B a rl e tt a B FA ’ 1 0 ( P h o t o g r a ph y ) is currently the studio client manager for a photography and film studio located in Jersey City called Parlay Studios. They have clients that range from high-fashion photography, celebrities, catalogue, music videos and commercials.

Jamison Forman B FA ’ 10 (M u s i c a l Th e at e r) was reviewed by The Philadelphia Inquirer for his role in the new Commonwealth Classic Theatre production “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged).” Critic David Patrick Stearns wrote, “The best material goes to Jamison Foreman, and he makes the most of it, playing the title role of Hamlet, among other things, often starting any given theatrical paragraph by playing the role for real (and well) before the disruptive comedy sets in.

Foreman’s vocal and charismatic resources suggest a genuine Hamlet in the making (assuming he’s not too busy writing his next musical—the young UArts grad does things like that).” Forman also co-starred

in “Devotedly, Sincerely Yours: The Story of the USO,” chronicling a courageous female singer in the USO who risks her life to entertain American troops overseas during World War II. Angela G u th m i ll e r B FA ’ 1 0 ( B a ll e t ) was featured in a Philly Fringe show called “Bricolage,” which premiered two New York-based dance companies, Megan Lynn/ Asterial Dance and Catie Cuan Dance in Philadelphia.

J i m L e o n a rd B FA ’ 1 0 ( I ll u str a t i o n ) writes, “Currently, I am working in marketing for CertainTeed. I do everything from social media to Photoshop and customer interactions.”

A n dr e w R i n a ld i MA T ’10 (Mus ic E duc at ion) won the National Pioneer of Teaching Award from Public School Options. He works at Agora Cyber Charter School.

M i g u e l C o B FA ’ 1 1 ( I l l u str a t i o n ) is a Philadelphia-based illustrator. He had a show at Chapterhouse Café & Gallery in South Philly in October 2013. The show also featured the work of Z a c h B a e z B FA ’ 1 1 ( I ll u str a t i o n ) and Illustration faculty member E l e a n o r G r o s c h .

R ay Dav i s B FA ’11 (Film & V i d e o ) and I s a a c R u th B FA ’ 1 2 ( F i l m & V i d e o ) are collaborating on an independent film titled “Stomping Ground” with UArts Professor D a v i d G r e e n b e r g . They want to build critical interest in the local independent film scene.

They love the art and working with equally passionate filmmakers. They are shooting here in Philly, using an all-Philly crew (written/directed by David Greenberg) and producing the whole project. Greenberg wrote the script as an experiment in efficient, economical filmmaking and it is seen in the project.

Erin McGee F e rr e ll CE R T ’11 (Con t i n ui n g E d u c a t i o n ) describes her niche as combining performance and visual arts with tourism industries. She opened a “Philadelphia Architectural Oil Painting” show that ran October 4-26, 2013, at the Philadelphia Open Studio Tours.

Y u n j u n g K a n g B FA ’ 1 2 ( C r a f ts ) and D o t V i l e B FA ’ 1 3 ( C r a f ts ) had their work in “The Textile Show” at the Art Factory. The annual textile art exhibition in Paterson, N.J., ran from September 28 to November 16, 2013. It was designed to celebrate Paterson’s rich textile heritage and showcase the talents of domestic and international emerging and established textile-based artists. “The Textile Show” was a collection of temporary exhibitions, site-specific installations, runway-style fashion shows and live performances.

The exhibit coincided with Fashion Week in New York City and “Interwoven Globe: The Worldwide Textile Trade, 1500–1800” at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. E l i z a b e th R u ss e ll MFA ’12 (Museum Exhibition P l a n n i n g & D e s i g n ) is a freelance exhibit designer for Gecko Group, a graphic and exhibit design firm in West Chester, Pa.

Ozlem Ekinci BS ’13 ( I n d u str i a l D e s i g n ) is currently interning at Studio Ouruse New York as a product designer.

A n n - M a r i e G o v e r B FA ’ 1 3 ( D a n c e ) , K a tr i n a A t k i n B FA ’ 1 3 ( D a n c e ) and A l e ss a n dr a D e ll e G r o tt i B FA ’ 1 3 ( G r a ph i c D e s i g n ) were in a show titled the “Roots” at the Philadelphia Fringe Festival.

L e i g h a K a t o B FA ’ 1 3 ( M u s i c a l T h e a t e r ) was cast in the Philadelphia Theatre Company’s production of “4,000 Miles,” which opened on October 11, 2013.

M a tt M c A n dr e w B M ’13 ( Vo c a l Perform a n c e ) and ILL Doots performed at the M Room in Philadelphia in October 2013 in a show featuring current UArts School of Music students and alumni.

In Memoriam

William Byrne Knoble

Wallace H. Robinson W a ll a c e H . R o b i n s o n ’ 4 6 ( P a i n t i n g ) of Washington, D.C., passed away on August 17, 2013, at the age of 93 and was given full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery.

W i ll i a m B y r n e K n o bl e B FA ’ 7 0 ( C e r a m i c s ) passed away on September 23, 2013. For 40 years, Knoble was a fulltime potter and owner of Red Truck Pottery in Chestertown, N.Y. During his career, he served on the New York State Council of the Arts grants panel, the Town of Chester zoning board, the Chester Public Library board and the St. Lawrence County Arts Council panel and he worked with other community and arts organizations. In recent years, he operated Red Truck Farm in Old De Kalb and was working toward a Bachelor of Science in Geology from St. Lawrence University. Knoble was passionate about the Adirondacks. He was a skier, a sailor, an orchardist and photographer. He is survived by his wife, two daughters and two grandchildren.

Christopher D. Pratt

John Lee Wade, Sr. J o h n L e e W a d e , S r . B FA ’ 6 5 ( A rt E d u c a t i o n ) was the first African-American art professor at Temple University and was founding member of Brandywine Workshop. He passed away on October 7, 2013. From an early age, Wade always loved to draw, and his family encouraged and nurtured his talents.

While at the Philadelphia College of Art (now the University of the Arts), he studied under Paul Keene, a mentor and professor.

Wade served during the Vietnam War as a cartographer for secret services for two years. After the service, he graduated from the Philadelphia College of Art and went on to the Tyler School of Art at Temple to earn his Masters of Education degree in 1966 and Master of Fine Arts degree in 1968. Upon graduation, he was hired as the first African-American instructor in Temple’s Art department, where he later became a full-tenured professor. He taught as a professor for 42 years until his retirement in 2009.

For over 20 years, he held his Saturday Seminar for free, which encouraged minority students to stay in school and not drop out.

Wade brought successful African-American professional artists to speak to the students and encourage them by sharing with them their own personal stories of struggles and successes. In the various courses he taught, he gave all his students a solid artistic foundation of techniques, but also wanted them to develop their own styles as artists. Throughout his career as an artist, Wade won many awards and his work is in many public collections and exhibitions. He is survived by his wife of 52 years, a son and daughter, grandchildren and many other family members.

Roberta Maria Vullo R o b e rt a M a r i a V u ll o B FA ’ 6 7 ( F i n e A rts ) passed away on June 6, 2013. She lived in Phoenix, Ariz., as a local artist for 42 years. She is survived by her brother and his family, many cousins in Pennsylvania, and her best friends.

C hr i st o ph e r D . P r a tt B FA ’ 8 5 ( P a i n t i n g ) passed away on September 29, 2013, in Philadelphia. He was the beloved husband of Chala Sargent Pratt, M.D., for 21 years and is survived by two children. He loved fly fishing, deer and duck hunting, and playing the guitar with his children.

Caitlin Gilmour C a i tl i n G i l m o u r B S ’ 9 9 ( I n d u str i a l D e s i g n ) passed away on April 7, 2013. She moved to California in 2009 and will be remembered for her artistic talent, sharp wit and keen intelligence. She is survived by her husband, daughter, parents and stepfather.

Doris Staffel Malarkey D o r i s S t a f f e l M a l a r k e y , a renowned painter and important teacher, passed away on September 13, 2013. She grew up in Brooklyn and started drawing at the young age of 3. Mark Rothko was her elementary school art teacher and remained a friend and mentor. Staffel studied at the Tyler School of Art and attended graduate school at Iowa University. From 1957 to 1990, she taught at the Philadelphia College of Art (now the University of the Arts) where she was an influential teacher who had a profound effect on generations of young painters. From 1950 to the last few weeks of her life, Staffel was dedicated to maintaining a vital studio practice. Her work was exhibited in solo and group exhibitions nationally and in the Philadelphia area. Her artistic legacy was the subject of a 2012 career retrospective at the Woodmere Art Museum titled “Doris Staffel: Painter, Teacher.”

Legacy Jill Felix Colton Longtime Board of Trustees member J i l l F e l i x C o l t o n passed away September 16, 2013, at the age of 69. A memorial service was held at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, at which University of the Arts President S e a n T .

B u ff i n g t o n delivered the following remarks.

in public view; they aren’t afraid to be vulnerable, to offer—to us, their audience, and to their fellow artists—the gift of empathy and affection. That was Jill. Unafraid to display feeling and belief and opinion. Never anything but exactly who she was.

Jill served on the Board of the University of the Arts for 11 years. In that time, she sat on our executive committee, chaired our building and grounds committee and led the revitalization of our major fundraising event, Art Unleashed. She brought to our board some 30 years of experience as a shaper of cities—not only Philadelphia but cities across Europe and Asia.

The other side of the artist’s generosity and openness, of course, is toughness and rigor. Because they take so much risk and offer so much, they don’t have a lot of patience for vanity or pretense or flattery. They sit back—arms folded—until they’ve sized you up. That was Jill too. Tough-minded. Smart. Clear and honest in her judgment and her feedback. Jill passed our artist’s test. And I think we passed hers. We saw in each other kindred spirits. That kinship didn’t manifest itself in paint or clay or choreography or music—though Jill loved those things. One had only to step inside her home or walk with her through a student exhibition to see her devotion to artists and their work.

She was formidable. I probably should have been afraid! But when I arrived at the University six years ago, I knew none of that. All I knew was that I was in an unfamiliar city, confronting the daunting task of leading an institution I barely knew. And there was Jill—not as a Board member, not as a respected leader in real estate, not as a former CEO of the Science Center—just a friend offering dinner at something called a BYO. She and Neal took me to one of their favorites—Salt and Pepper—that quickly became one of my favorites too.

Over dinner, we talked about the University, I’m sure. We must have. But I don’t remember that. What I remember is talking about the Philly food scene—which Neal and Jill were passionate about. I remember talking about my mom who was caring for a spouse with a terminal illness—as Neal and Jill had both done; I remember Jill offering to talk to my mom—something my mother needed desperately as my father entered the later stages of his struggle with MS. I remember a dinner that went late as we talked about Philly and leadership and food and the arts—a dinner that lasted through a few bottles of wine. (Thank heaven Neal and Jill brought them since I was new to the BYO scene and hadn’t thought to bring anything along!). What I remember was dinner with a friend—not a Board member or a business leader. Which was odd since I had only just met these two wonderful, loving, committed people. But that was the feeling I had instantly.

That was a feeling Jill and Neal created—and not just in me, I think, but in everyone: a feeling of immediate belonging, of welcome, of being at home among friends.

And I think that’s why we loved Jill at the University of the Arts—and it may be why Jill cared so passionately about the University. We loved Jill because at her very core, in her heart, she was one of us.

You see, Jill was a truth-teller. She was real. She was open and generous. She was loving. Jill was, in her way, in the way that mattered most, an artist. Artists, after all, abhor falsehood; they prize authenticity; they give—of their talent and skill, yes—but more, they give themselves, they put their hopes and fears and dreams out

But Jill’s kinship with this community manifested itself most clearly in an attitude toward living, toward relationships, toward communication that was fundamentally creative and open, nourishing and generous. Like the artists who make up our community, Jill was utterly and completely real. She was never anything but herself.

I think she was an artist in spirit, in her soul. And we loved her for that.

And we will miss her. We will miss her daily presence, the joy she brought with her into a room, her wry sense of humor, her frankness and keen intelligence. We will miss the immediacy of Jill in our lives. She will continue to be a real presence in our memory and in our hearts.

And she will continue to make a difference in the lives of the artists she loved and who loved her back. Jill’s final demonstration of kinship with the brilliant, authentic, committed young artists of our University is the Jill Felix Colton Memorial Scholarship, which will provide critical financial support to the most needy among our most talented students.

Jill’s Scholars will be a palpable, immediate manifestation of her spirit. Together with our memories and our love for her, the Scholars will carry Jill and Jill’s legacy forward. In everything they make and do, in every performance they give, Jill will be present. And I think she will be smiling.

Thank you Jill. We love you. We miss you.

Jill’s family has established the Jill Felix Colton Memorial Scholarship at the University of the Arts to honor her long service as a trustee and her contributions to Philadelphia and its creative community. Donations may be mailed to the UArts Advancement Office at 320 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102, or made online at uarts.edu/donatenow.

d art leashe un – ear 5 y

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From the Archives :

Student Artwork in School Publications

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from the archives student art work in school publications

One of the best parts about leafing through the old school catalogs and annual reports is looking at the reproductions of student artwork, something that the Pennsylvania Museum & School of Industrial Art (PMSIA, today’s College of Art, Media & Design) started doing with the 1885­– 86 school catalog. Student work was also selected as cover art for the Bulletin of the Pennsylvania Museum (now the Philadelphia Museum of Art Bulletin) up until 1917, and many of the pieces selected for inclusion had earned school awards.

Student­- designed tail pieces (the little graphics used to indicate the end of a section or article) were used in the catalogs, annual reports and bulletins to lovely effect.

Seeing artistic style changes and curriculum changes through the years is another fun aspect of the illustrations. A page from the 1938­– 39 school catalog shows student work in the stagecraft classes: set design, costume design, and puppetry. Stagecraft was taught from about 1934 to 1951, and has reappeared in the UArts curriculum as part of the Theater Design & Technology major, although we don’t believe they’ve brought back puppetry yet. The Advertising Design program illustration from 1937­– 38 shows the influence of PMSIA instructor Alexey Brodovitch, who brought his unique modern sensibility to the school and later had a much wider influence through his work at Harper’s Bazaar.

Although it’s difficult to represent the work of performing arts students in photographs, we are pleased to include a brief representation of music, theater and dance from the 2002­– 03 UArts viewbook.

— Please remember that the older school catalogs, annual reports, commencement programs, and even some of the old PMSIA bulletins have been digitized and are freely available on the Internet Archive at archive.org/details/uarts.

Do you have favorite memories from your college days that you think would make a good “From the Archives” feature? Would you like to see more about the buildings and the campus? Things that aren’t there anymore? A focus on a particular year or event? We are always more than happy to receive your photographs, provided you can send or scan a set of high-resolution images; we’d need more than one for an article.

If you have questions or comments about this article, or would like to send your memories and photographs along, please contact Sara MacDonald, Public Services Librarian, at smacdonald@uarts.edu.

(top) PMSIA Bulletin October 1905.

Cover art by student Carl W. Muhly. (above) Student work in stagecraft from the 1938-39 school catalog. (left) Design for an oilcloth rug by student Cora Warren, used in the 1890-91 PMSIA catalog.

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