Edge - Winter 2017

The Universit y of the Ar ts 320 South Broad Street Philadelphia, PA 19102

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

the magazine of

the magazine of

CE L E B R AT E S 140 Y E A R S

Wi n t e r 2 0 1 7

T HE U NIV E R S I T Y OF T HE ARTS

Wi n t e r 2 0 1 7

T HE M A KE R ’ S M OM E NT

Edge18_final-12-15-16.crw2.indd 1

n o.18

uarts.edu

1

12/19/16 7:34 AM

David Yager President Josephine Burri Publisher Vice President for Advancement Paul F. Healy Editor Associate Vice President for University Communications Designers Rich Cossentino BFA ‘06 (Graphic Design) Ryan Penn BFA ‘12 (Graphic Design)

Contributing Writers Paul F. Healy Sara MacDonald Sima Rabinowitz Megan Ritchie Jooste TJ Walsh BFA ’07 (Graphic Design)

Contributing Photographers CJ Harker BFA ’14 (Photography) Phillip Gabriel Photography Ken Yanoviak

Postmaster: send address changes to:

Edge c/o University Communications The University of the Arts 320 S. Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102 Edge, Volume 1, Number 18 Edge is the magazine of the University of the Arts. Readers are encouraged to submit ideas for original articles about University students, faculty and alumni; advancements in arts and arts education; and visual, performing and media arts. The submission of artwork for reproduction is also encouraged. Please include contact information when submitting art. Unless requested, artwork will not be returned.

Please send all comments, kudos and criticisms to: Edge c/o University Communications, Letters to the Editor, 320 S. Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102; or email news@uarts.edu.

2

edge

Joe Bliss MFA ’14 (Studio Art)

The Registry 2015

acrylic,

5’

x

6’

3

FROM T HE PRESIDEN T In every generation, it’s the makers—artists, designers, performers—who lead the way.

They help us understand what it means to be human, solve complex problems, sustain communities, and transform the way we experience the world and relate to each other.

Every day in the life of an artist is a maker’s moment.

In 1876 when the Pennsylvania Museum and School of Industrial Art was founded, its Board could not have foreseen that, today as “UArts,” it would be the only university of the arts in the United States, and one of only two private colleges in the country dedicated to undergraduate education in the visual, performing, and literary arts and design. The 140-year path from then to now has been marked by an amazing array of faculty and students, and what a thrill it is to celebrate their achievements for the entirety of this academic year.

I came to UArts one year ago because I respected the University’s long history of maker’s moments.

The University’s faculty, students and alumni have demonstrated, and will continue to demonstrate, the power and impact of the maker’s perspective.

Artists are the brave, unconventional thinkers who ask the hard questions and never question the need to think in unexpected and imaginative ways.

4

edge

As an artist myself, and an educator, entrepreneur and consumer of the arts, I am invested in, and dedicated to, our University as the center of our city’s—and the nation’s—most creative community. We will continue to shape citizen-artists who are contributing to and leading artistic, academic and commercial enterprises all over the world, and setting trends and influencing our region, the nation and the future of the arts.

Please join me in celebrating 140 years of making art, creating change and changing what it means to create. It is truly UArts’ moment to shine.

David Yager president

TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S

PA G E 6

T HE M A K ER ’ S MOM EN T PA G E 8

IN AUGU R AT ION A ND 14 0 G A L A PA G E 16

WH AT ’ S IN A N A M E? PA G E 3 0

BACK TO T HE FU T U RE

24 UArts News 36 Supporting UArts 38 Alumni Notes 50 In Memoriam

5

THE MAKER ’S MOMENT

UA RTS CEL EB R AT ES I TS 14 0T H A NNI V ERSA RY This is an exciting time for the University of the Arts, as we celebrate the University’s 140th Anniversary.

Through Commencement in May 2017, UArts is honoring our impressive past while moving forward with President David Yager’s dynamic vision for the institution’s future.

The University of the Arts has a long history of excellence and innovation. Since 1876, UArts faculty, students and alumni have been leaders in the creative expression of political and cultural thought, commerce and design; serving beauty, challenging the status quo and stimulating new ways of looking at and influencing our world.

The University of the Arts we celebrate today evolved from two century-old institutions: the Philadelphia College of Art (PCA) and Philadelphia College of the Performing Arts (PCPA).

PCA was established as part of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Together, they were originally known as the Pennsylvania Museum and School of Industrial Art, created in response to the growing interest in art and art education stirred by the country’s Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. In 1949, PCA changed its name to the Philadelphia Museum School of Art,

6

edge

reflecting expanded programs that trained artists in a variety of areas. The school received accreditation as a college in 1959, and in 1964, it separated from the Museum to become the Philadelphia College of Art. The performing arts programs of the University of the Arts also date back to the 1870s, when three graduates of Germany’s Leipzig Conservatory opened the Philadelphia Musical Academy, one of the first European-style conservatories of music in America.

The Academy became an independent college of music in 1950, one of only eight institutions in the nation to offer four-year Bachelor of Music degrees.

The school changed its name to the Philadelphia College of Performing Arts (PCPA) in 1976. One year later, the Philadelphia Dance Academy became part of PCPA and, in 1983, the School of Theater was created, achieving the college’s ideal combination of dance, music and theater arts.

In 1985, PCA and PCPA merged to become the Philadelphia Colleges of the Arts, a collaboration bringing the institution one step closer to becoming the nation’s first comprehensive arts university. After being granted university status in 1987, the University of the Arts became the largest institution of its kind in the nation, offering programs in design, fine arts, media arts, crafts, music, dance and theater.

In 1996, the University added a third academic division, the College of Media & Communication, which merged with the College of Art & Design in 2011 to become the College of Art, Media & Design.

The founding of the Pennsylvania Museum and School of Industrial Art in 1876 reflected the desire of leading Philadelphians for the nation to take its place as a world leader in manufacturing and design.

The launch of the Philadelphia Musical Academy also reflected the determination to make Philadelphia an internationally recognized, cosmopolitan, sophisticated city. Both efforts came to fruition, and UArts has played a role every step along the way.

“In each of its iterations, this institution has been focused on innovation and creating the future rather than waiting for it to happen,” says UArts President David Yager. “UArts has been a driver of change, a thought leader, a center of artistic innovation for 140 years, leading the way in responding to and anticipating the challenges of a world shifting with increasing speed.

“What truly makes this place remarkable is its continuous commitment to excellence and to a culture of creativity, collaboration, passion and experimentation,” he says. “At every point in its history, it has been a crucible helping to forge the many generations of bold and original thinkers who have passed through its doors.”

Something special is happening at 140 years, with forces converging to create a distinctly exciting moment in the arc of the institution’s journey.

Those factors include the explosion of the creative economy in Philadelphia, the nation and across the world; UArts’ position as the only private arts university in the United States offering visual, performing and liberal arts, design and creative writing; the University’s unique interdisciplinary culture of both artistic rigor and experimentation; a new president whose own experience exemplifies the University’s unique vision of creative individuals bringing their skills and innovative thinking to bear on a broad range of disciplines and fields; and increased international programming, outreach and engagement as globalization increases at a breakneck pace.

As the school’s early days in response to the needs of a burgeoning industrial revolution were very much a reflection of their time, so too is its current mission to provide creative capital to a world hungry for unconventional thinkers. Standing on the shoulders of decades of thought leaders and an empowering Philadelphia arts community, UArts continues to define and redefine the role of the citizen artist.

As has been the case for 14 decades, the people of UArts continue shaping artistic endeavor, influencing the workplace and driving global conversations. At the University’s 140th Anniversary, this is a uniquely UArts moment—the Maker’s Moment.

7

UA RTS IN AUGUR AT ES PRESIDEN T DAV ID YAGER, HOL DS 14 0T H A NNI V ERSA RY GA L A The University of the Arts kicked off the celebration of our 140th Anniversary in style, presenting a 140th Anniversary Gala followed by the Inauguration of President David Yager.

8

edge

9

IN AUGUR AT ION OF PRESIDEN T DAV ID YAGER In a unique and dynamic ceremony that also featured dance, theater and musical performances, the University inaugurated President David Yager on Monday, Oct. 17. The ceremony was held at the Merriam Theater. In his address, President Yager asked the audience to close their eyes and imagine a University of the Arts of the future, one that is the most provocative, imaginative, entrepreneurial, socially engaged, authentic and influential school of the arts in the country.

“Mark today in your calendar, as we celebrate 140 years and this inauguration. We are standing at the threshold of something new… the University of the Arts will be what it has always been—distinctive and bold—and it will be like something we have never seen before. Because that is our obligation— and our passion—as artists and makers.”

In addition, honorary doctor of fine arts degrees were awarded to Stan Lee, the Marvel Comics legend; Ron Yerxa, a film producer known for the Oscar-nominated Nebraska, as well as Little Miss Sunshine and Cold Mountain; and Freeman Hrabowski III, prominent American educator and president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). The ceremony also included greetings and congratulations by Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney, who declared the day “UArts Day” in the city of Philadelphia.

The ceremony featured two performances by students from the School of Dance, the Ira Brind School of Theater Arts and the School of Music’s “Z” Big Band with vocalist Liz Radigonda, an assistant professor of Music. A raucous and joyous WhoaFat, an alumni New Orleans jazz band, led the procession and recession to and from Hamilton Hall.

10

edge

11

14 0T H A NNI V ERSA RY GA L A On Sunday, Oct. 16 at the Hyatt at the Bellevue, more than 400 guests attended the Gala, a highenergy evening that wove together musical and theatrical performances, awards and remarks to create an impactful evening honoring the University’s history and its exciting future.

Performances included dancers, musicians, visual artists and actors from the University of the Arts community, and a special set by Tony and Grammy award-winning actor and singer, Leslie Odom, Jr. Most well-known for his role as ‘Aaron Burr’ in the Broadway sensation Hamilton, Philadelphia native Odom performed songs from the musical and a series of jazz standards.

President Yager took the opportunity to announce an exciting development, for UArts’ Glass program and for the University as a whole—our first-ever endowed chair, the Effron Family Chair in Glass, made possible by the generosity of Trustee Brian Effron and his wife, Sherry.

12

edge

13

14 0T H A NNI V ERSA RY GA L A CON T’ D.

14

edge

15

UA RTS 14 0: WH AT’ S IN A N A ME?

by Sara MacDonald, Public Services Librarian

The 140th anniversary year is a perfect time to take a look back at the institutions that would merge and change names over the course of 140 years to form the University of the Arts as it exists today. Since the UArts College of Art, Media & Design has the most name changes (seven), we’ll start with the visual arts and look at the performing arts in an upcoming issue.

1876

PENNS Y LVA NI A M USEU M A ND SCHOOL OF IN DUS TR I A L A R T On February 26, 1876, the founders of the Pennsylvania Museum and School of Industrial Art (PMSIA) received a charter from the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas. Preparing to take advantage of the Centennial International Exhibition (a World’s Fair trade show of its day) held that summer in Philadelphia, the PMSIA founders planned to purchase the finest examples of manufactured goods on display at the Centennial. They would stock their new museum with these items and the museum would serve as a study collection for the school, also helping — in a 19th-century way of thinking — to elevate the taste of the public. PMSIA’s first logo, a near-replica of Pennsylvania’s flag and seal, is compelling evidence of PMSIA’s vision of its importance to the city and the state.

Philadelphia in 1876 was one of the largest manufacturing cities in the world, but many American manufacturers felt that their goods looked shoddy in comparison to European goods. These Philadelphians wanted to improve their competitive edge through industrial art education training that would result in betterlooking products. After the Centennial closed, the PMSIA museum took over Memorial Hall, which had served as the Centennial’s art gallery, and the PMSIA school opened in 1877 at Broad and Vine (yes, Vine). Though never housed in the

16

edge

same building, the museum (today’s Philadelphia Museum of Art) and the school (today’s UArts College of Art, Media & Design) were one institution until 1964.

Philadelphia University also had its beginnings at PMSIA as the Philadelphia Textile School.

Philadelphia’s largest 19th-century industry was textiles and the textile school was part of PMSIA from 1883 until 1949. The south side of Hamilton Hall at one time was filled with Jacquard looms, chemistry labs and power machinery.

The first PMSIA logo, used on the 1901 annual report, was a near-replica of the 1876 Pennsylvania coat of arms. Later the logo became circular but retained its similarity to the state’s.

1938

1949

The first name change occurred in 1938 when the PMSIA museum changed its name to Philadelphia Museum of Art, while the school retained its longer name, Philadelphia Museum School of Industrial Art. Although the Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMA) had had a very industrial beginning, complete with exhibits on mining and metallurgy, the gift to PMA in 1893 of the Wilstach Collection of 155 paintings effected a change of collecting focus at the museum toward the fine arts. (For an excellent overview of this change, read “A Legacy of Crafts” by Darrel Sewell in Crafting a Legacy: Contemporary American Crafts in the Philadelphia Museum of Art).

With the dropping of the word “industrial” from the name of the school, one presumes a major shift from industrial art training to more of a fine arts focus, but in fact the curriculum changed very little at that point, and nothing is said in the school catalogs or annual reports about the name change.

PMSIA had always offered drawing, painting and sculpture (called modelling), and many early students had fine arts careers rather than careers in industry. The 1949-50 school catalog states that “the aim of the School of Industrial Art is to provide the experience and sound training underlying artistic creation; to guide the student in developing his taste, his aesthetic appreciation; to direct his creative ability along individual lines … The dominant idea for which the School stands, is the best in Design and Composition, to which is added a thorough training in Drawing and Painting and the study of Color and Line. Thus technical training is developed with the view to its being the vehicle for expressing ideas.” The only real difference between this and the 1929-30 catalog is that the earlier catalog adds “as related to Industrial or Applied Art.”

PHIL A DELPHI A M USEU M SCHO OL OF IN DUS TR I A L A R T

The 1893-94 PMSIA catalog included this floor plan, showing the Textile School in the south wing and the Art School in the north wing.

PHIL A DELPHI A M USEU M SCHO OL OF A R T

This circa-1920s photo has mock-up lettering on 320 South Broad Street showing the two schools.

17

1959

1964

Although the school had been able to grant college degrees for almost 20 years before 1959, this name change marks the granting of accreditation from the Middle States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools. PMSIA’s four-year teacher education program had been considered the equivalent of a college degree since 1916, allowing PMSIA graduates to get teaching positions in Philadelphia public schools, and in 1931-32, PMSIA had established arrangements with the University of Pennsylvania (and later Temple University) for a cooperative five-year course leading to a BFA from UPenn. Accreditation was nevertheless an important step in the history of the art school.

At last we reach PCA! 1964 marks the corporate separation of the art school from the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Although always one institution and one administration, the museum and the school had never been in the same neighborhood, much less the same building.

PHIL A DELPHI A M USEU M COLLEGE OF A R T

PHIL A DELPHI A COLLEGE OF A R T (P C A )

Philadelphia College of Art annual report for 1964-66

School catalog, 1957-59, with a cover photo by Sol Mednick. Catalog designed by Raymond A. Ballinger BFA ’31 (Advertising Design).

18

edge

1985

1987

In 1983, the Philadelphia College of the Performing Arts (PCPA) came under the management of PCA. According to a 1983 Philadelphia Inquirer newspaper article, a merger of the neighboring Broad Street institutions had first been discussed in the 1960s, but by 1983, PCPA was in financial distress and the merger was officially acknowledged with the 1985 name change. The merger occurred and operated under the PCA charter and PCPA was legally dissolved, though its legacy certainly lives on in our performing arts programs and our alumni.

This happy day, the result of the granting of university status by the Pennsylvania Secretary of Education, was marked with a convocation on October 27, 1987, and, of course, a festive march up Broad Street to the Shubert (now the Merriam) Theater. Faculty members Bill Daley and Richard Reinhardt BFA ’47 (Art Education) led the procession, and board members Dorrance H. Hamilton, John W. Merriam, Howard A. Wolf and Sam S. McKeel were awarded honorary degrees.

PHIL A DELPHI A COLLEGE S OF THE A R T S

THE U NI V ER SIT Y OF THE A R T S

Interestingly, in the PMSIA 1880 annual report, the author remarked in his report on the speakers at the school’s closing exercises that “the great need for the foundation of a popular system of industrial art education being laid in the public schools was ably shown by these speakers, and one pointed out how it might be possible, building on this foundation, for the several institutions in this city conducting schools of fine, industrial or mechanic art to unite in constructing a scheme of higher education that would fulfill all the requirements of a university of the arts.”

New lettering, 1987. The final name change (so far).

Questions or comments? Contact Sara at smacdonald@uarts.edu.

Professor Richard H. Reinhardt BFA ’47 (Art Education) [faculty emeritus, former dean and alumnus] crafts the University of the Arts’ mace in preparation for the 1987 convocation.

19

Featured Alumni Artist Megan Angolia BFA ’13 (Craft + Material Studies)

20

edge

Three’s a Crowd 2016 t e r r a

c o t ta , gl a z e , und e r gl a z e , chin a pa in t s

21

Featured Student Artist Zach Manbeck ’18 (Illustration)

22

edge

Liar, Liar 2016 g o u a c h e

a nd d i g i ta l

23

UA RTS NE WS A ROU ND C A MPUS 4 New Trustees Elected to UArts Board The University of the Arts recently announced the election of four new members to its Board of Trustees. They include UArts alumni Judson Aaron BM ’81 (Saxophone) and Karin Copeland BS ’83 (Industrial Design), education volunteer Patricia Fowler, and attorney Anthony Kyriakakis. Aaron is a partner at the law firm Conrad O’Brien, where he is chair of the White Collar and Government Investigations practice. He welcomed the class of 2016 to the Alumni Association at the University’s 138th Commencement ceremony held last May. Copeland currently serves as the executive director of the Arts + Business Council and vice president for the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce.

Fowler, who served as co-chair of the University’s 2016 Art Unleashed Exhibition & Sale, holds volunteer leadership positions at several non-profit educational organizations, including the Women’s Leadership Council at Brown University, her alma mater. Kyriakakis is a lawyer at Dilworth Paxson LLP, where he represents and counsels corporations and individuals as a member of the firm’s Litigation department and the White Collar/Corporate Investigations Practice Group.

24

edge

UArts Only U.S. School Invited to World-Renowned Paris Summer Dance Program

The School of Dance received a prestigious invitation to “Camping 2016,” the Centre National de la Danse’s international showcase and workshop held in Paris, France, last June. The invitation marked the first time in the history of the workshop that an American school was selected for this important event. UArts, which ranked No. 4 on College Magazine’s list of the Top 10 Schools for Dance, was among 16 of the world’s top dance centers to receive the coveted invite and performed a piece by dance artist and UArts guest choreographer Netta Yerushalmy as part of the showcase.

UArts Welcomes New Director of First-Year Writing Program UArts welcomed Emily Mattingly as director of the First-Year Writing program, in fall 2016.

She is also an assistant professor in the Division of Liberal Arts. Mattingly comes to UArts from the University of California, Riverside, where she served as coordinator of the Graduate Writing Center.

She was also a lecturer in La Salle University’s Department of English and the director for the Delaware College of Art and Design’s Writing Center.

Mattingly earned a PhD in English from UC Riverside and an MA in Cultural and Literary Studies from Kansas State University. She is currently at work on a book project that examines how filmmakers, writers and artists reimagine childhood to construct radical visions of aging. She is also working on articles about contemporary queer cinema, girlhood in graphic novels, and aging and friendship in American sitcoms. Mattingly succeeds Christa DiMarco, who did capable and distinguished service as director of First-Year Writing since 2009.

DiMarco continues as a full-time faculty member of the Liberal Arts Division.

Illustration Majors Awarded Scholarships from Society of Illustrators

S T U DEN T NE WS

‘Z’ Big Band Named Best in the U.S. by ‘DownBeat’; Ensemble’s Saxophonist Top Soloist at Jazz Festival

For the second consecutive year, the University of the Arts’ “Z” Big Band was recognized as one of the best in the nation. Led by Assistant Professor Matt Gallagher MM ’01 (Jazz Studies), the School of Music student band was named the top college large jazz ensemble in the 2016 DownBeat Magazine Student Music Awards, considered the most prestigious awards in jazz education.

In addition, rising senior Henry Tirfe ’17 (Saxophone) was named an Outstanding Soloist at the 46th Next Generation Jazz Festival, a prestigious competition presented by the world-renowned Monterey Jazz Festival featuring top college and high school jazz ensembles from across the country.

Tirfe performed with the “Z” Big Band, which was named a finalist in the Next Generation’s College Big Band Division.

UArts student Lizzy O’Donnell ’17 (Illustration) has been named the 2016 Zankel Scholar by the Society of Illustrators. This prestigious $10,000 scholarship is given to the best junior-level illustrator in the country. O’Donnell, who was hand picked by the Illustration program for the competition, was chosen as the winner based on her portfolio of work, writing and a personal interview. Congratulations also go to junior Shannon Ryan ’18 (Illustration) and recent graduate Molly Egan BFA ’15 (Illustration), named the “best of the best” in this year’s Society of Illustrators’ Student Scholarship Competition.

Egan took home a $1,000 scholarship, while Ryan was awarded a $500 prize. Their original artwork was on display in the 2016 Student Scholarship Exhibit at the Museum of American Illustration in New York from May 10 through June 4, along with 10 other finalists from UArts included in this year’s prestigious competition.

UArts ID and Jefferson Occupational Therapy Students Design Toys for Disabled Children Industrial Design students at the University of the Arts collaborated with Occupational Therapy students from Thomas Jefferson University to design prototype toys and games for children living with physical, mental and cognitive disabilities.

After completing a three-week design intensive, the students broke out into 12 teams, each of which was given a fictional narrative about a child with a traumatic injury or disability. Held in the University’s Levitt Auditorium, the teams had 10 minutes to pitch their ideas in a Shark Tank-style presentation to a panel of university professors. Now in its fourth year, this unique partnership caught the attention of local TV and radio including Fox29, 6ABC Action News, KYW Newsradio and CBSPhilly.

Creative Writing Awards First Stephen Berg Scholarship The Creative Writing program announced the first recipient of the Stephen Berg Scholarship as Katelynn Mirra ’19 (Creative Writing).

This annual scholarship is intended to support the continued creative development of a sophomore Creative Writing major studying poetry. The scholarship was named in memory of Stephen Berg, the long-serving faculty member and American Poetry Review founder who passed away in 2014.

25

UArts Students Spruce Up Street Corners with Imaginative Works of Art Students at the University of the Arts brought a new vision of public art to the sidewalks of Center City’s Washington Square West neighborhood with original illustrations that have transformed the area’s unsightly street-corner utility boxes. As part of an independent project that began in 2015, designs were printed on vinyl coverings and fitted to 18 new brown boxes, including two in front of Hamilton Hall. The installation process began in May in coordination with the Washington Square West Civic Association.

Music Student Wins Emerging Artists Award Congratulations to student drummer John Venezia ’17 (Instrumental Performance), who was named one of five 2016 Emerging Artists by the Catherine R. and Anthony A. Clifton Foundation.

The rising senior was hand picked by the University’s School of Music to receive the $5,000 scholarship, which was presented during a concert ceremony held May 11 at the Kimmel Center. The annual Emerging Artists Awards honor exceptional and talented students who represent the future of the performing arts.

FACU LT Y NE WS Faculty/Alumna Named a 2016 Guggenheim Fellow Faculty member Eileen Neff BFA ’72 (Painting), who has taught in both the undergraduate and graduate programs at UArts, was named a 2016 Guggenheim Fellow in the photography field of study. The UArts alumna was among the 178 Guggenheim Fellows chosen from a group of nearly 3,000 applicants in the Foundation’s 92nd competition. Neff is also the recipient of a Pew Fellowship in the Arts, National Endowment for the Arts Grant, Pennsylvania Council on the Arts Fellowship and Leeway Foundation Artist Grant. Her work is currently represented by Bridgette Mayer Gallery in Philadelphia and Bruce Silverstein Gallery in New York City.

Photo Professor Wins Book Award, Gets Invited to White House Photography Adjunct Associate Professor Barbara Proud was named a 2016 Independent Publisher Book Award gold medalist in the Gay/Lesbian/Bi/ Trans Non-Fiction category for her photo book First Comes Love: Portraits of Enduring LGBTQ Relationships (Soleil Press). The awards are intended to bring increased recognition to the thousands of exemplary independent, university and selfpublished titles released each year. In addition, Proud was invited to the White House for a reception in June celebrating Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month, for which President Barack Obama recently signed a proclamation.

26

edge

Faculty/Alumni Awarded 2016 Pew Grant, Fellowship Congratulations to faculty/alumni Kyle “JustSole” Clark CERT ’06 (Dance) and Andrea Clearfield MM ’84 (Piano), who are among the 2016 Pew Center for Arts & Heritage grant recipients. Clark was awarded a $60,000 Performance Grant for his project “The Life of a Just Sole,” while Clearfield received a $75,000 Pew Fellowship for her work as a composer.

Congratulations also go to MFA in Devised Performance program partner Pig Iron Theatre Company, which was awarded a $300,000 Performance Grant for its new symphonic theater hybrid A Period of Animate Existence. The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage is a multidisciplinary grant maker and hub for knowledge sharing, dedicated to fostering a vibrant cultural community in Greater Philadelphia.

Bike Racks by Faculty/Alum Installed in Rittenhouse Square Gilded Gates, a series of ironwork bicycle racks designed by alumnus and Master Lecturer Jason Lempieri MID ’04 (Industrial Design), were recently installed in Philadelphia’s renowned Rittenhouse Square. Commissioned by the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, Gilded Gates celebrates Philly’s legendary ironwork while providing security for bikes. The painted metallic gold, water-jet cut filigree set inside the solid black frame showcases the city’s ironwork legacy and reinforces the historical urban value and site contexuality of the project. A self-described catalyst, Lempieri investigates subversion, history and collective memory in his work. He is the founder of RethinkTANK llc, a multidisciplinary design and research studio that takes a macro approach to “post-industrial” design issues.

Faculty, Alumnae Among ‘Emerging Visual Artist’ Fellows, Finalists Associate Professor and Director of the Fibers program Mi-Kyoung Lee MFA ’96 (Book Arts + Printmaking) was named a 2016 Visual Artist Fellow by the Center for Emerging Visual Artists (CFEVA). In addition, Visiting Assistant Professor and alumna Julianna Foster MFA ’06 (Book Arts + Printmaking) and alumna Andrea Krupp BFA ’84 (Printmaking) were among six CFEVA Fellowship finalists. The Visual Artist Fellowship is designed to help artists in the Philadelphia area reach new levels in their artistic and professional practice.

27

A LU MNI NE WS Alumni Participate in DNC’s ‘Donkeys Around Town’ Program In celebration of the Democratic National Convention held July 25-28 in Philadelphia, 57 fiberglass donkeys were created representing the 50 states, Washington, D.C., and the six U.S. territories. The donkeys, the symbol of the Democratic Party, were on display throughout the city. Several of them were painted by UArts alumni, including Katie Haire BFA ’10 (Illustration), MAT ’11 (Visual Arts), who created the New York and Montana donkeys; Barbara Sosson BFA ’71 (Painting), who took on Iowa and Texas; and recent grad Collin Scott BFA ’16 (Multidisciplinary Fine Arts), who created the Mississippi and Ohio donkeys.

Alumnae Featured in Beyoncé Video, Super Bowl Performance Work by alumna and Ivorian designer Loza Maléombho BFA ’06 (Animation) is featured in Beyoncé’s “Formation” video, one of the most talked about music videos of 2016. The piece, worn by one of the dancers, is inspired by traditional masks from the northern region of the Côte d’Ivoire, where she spent part of her childhood. Maléombho is a designer at Abidjan-based fashion label Okayafrica, which did a write up on her on its website, okayafrica.com. Also featured with Beyoncé were alumnae Abrielle Sanders BFA ’14 (Dance) and Brittanie Alexander BFA ’12 (Dance), who performed with the Grammy-winning r&b artist during her Super Bowl 50 half-time show. This is the second time that Sanders has performed with Beyoncé; she also recently performed with Jason Derulo on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

28

edge

Photo Alumna Is Art Sanctuary’s Legacy Award Recipient Photo historian, author, educator and alumna Deborah Willis BFA ’75 (Photography) was honored at Art Sanctuary’s Celebration of Black Arts Legacy Awards Ceremony & Show on May 20 at Philadelphia’s New Freedom Theatre. Willis received the Award for Excellence in Visual Literacy.

The Legacy Awards, a highlight of the creative community space’s month-long Celebration of Black Arts Festival, recognize phenomenal contributors to black literature, art and community.

Work by Recent Grad Featured in Smithsonian Craft Show, Exhibits Work by Colin Pezzano BFA ’14 (Wood) was featured in the 2016 Smithsonian Craft Show, which took place April 21-24 at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. The show is widely regarded as the country’s most prestigious juried show and sale of fine American craft. Pezzano, who is a 2014 Windgate Fellowship recipient, was also featured in the Philadelphia Furniture Show and in a group exhibit at the Hunterdon Art Museum in Clinton, N.J., titled Discomfort: Experiments in Furniture, Function and Form, which ran through May 8.

MASS MoCA Exhibit by Printmaking Alum in ‘New York Times,’ ‘Philly Mag’ Free Roses, a major solo exhibition by UArts alumnus Alex Da Corte BFA ’05 (Printmaking) on display at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA) through January 2017, was featured in the The New York Times and Philadelphia Magazine, which called him “Philly’s Rock Star of Art.” Da Corte, who has become “highly sought-after in recent years for a riotous post-post-Pop sensibility,” has transformed MASS MoCA’s galleries into a “ravishing and terrifying” environment of sculpture and video installations.

YA Novel by UArts Alumna Reaches No. 2 on ‘NYT Book Review’ List The List, a book by UArts alumna and recent Visiting Writers Series speaker Siobhan Vivian BFA ’01 (Writing for Film + Television), reached the No. 2 spot on The New York Times Book Review’s Young Adult E-Book list last spring. The popular novel was also optioned for television by MTV. Her other books include A Little Friendly Advice, Same Difference, Not That Kind of Girl and The Last Boy and Girl in the World, which was released in April to critical acclaim from Publisher’s Weekly, School Library Journal, VOYA and the Junior Library Guild.

New York Times bestselling author Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower) had this to say: “A transcendent love story, as profoundly moving as it is fun. This is Siobhan Vivian’s finest hour.”

Theater Alum, LGBT Youth Advocate Releases First Book Host, author, public speaker and youth advocate Jeffrey Marsh BFA ’99 (Musical Theater) has released his first book, How To Be You, published by Penguin Random House in August. The LGBT icon, who is a featured writer for The Huffington Post and Medium, has more than a quarter billion views across social media. Marsh’s message of inclusion has been featured in The New York Times; O, The Oprah Magazine; Vine; Mashable; BuzzFeed; and many other platforms, while his live, sold-out musical and speaking performances have wowed audiences at numerous venues. In 2015, Marsh was named the official red carpet correspondent for both MTV/Logo and GLSEN, and he is a precept facilitator in the Soto Zen tradition of Buddhism. More information at jeffreymarsh.com.

Animation Alum Screens Student Film That Inspired ‘Billy & Mandy’ Series Eight years before the Emmy Award-winning series The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy debuted on the Cartoon Network, Adam Maxwell Burton BFA ’96 (Animation), aka Maxwell Atoms, created a short during his junior year at the University of the Arts. That UArts student film, titled Billy and Mandy in: Trepanation of the Skull and You, was the inspiration for the dark animated comedy and was screened for the very first time last April at the Tromanimation Film Festival held in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Recent Grad Wins ‘3x3 Illustration Annual’ Merit Award Congratulations to recent grad Corey Brickley BFA ’15 (Illustration), whose piece for Huffington Post Highline on gun control in prisons earned him a prestigious merit award from 3x3 Magazine’s Illustration Annual No. 13. The longform article, titled “The Shooting Gallery: When Correctional Officers Carry Shotguns, the Result is Death and Mayhem,” featured seven of Brickley’s motion-enabled illustrations.

29

30

edge

BACK TO THE FUTURE An inventive alum bets on hand-delivered messages in the digital age.

31

Creatives keep creating. That’s just what they do.

When last we checked in on Daniel Kushner BS ‘01 (Industrial Design), he was making waves in the music industry with MONO, the music case and accessories company he founded in 2007, whose Vertigo guitar case nabbed a Silver IDEA award from the Industrial Design Society of America. He was raising three children with his wife in California, and playing alongside her in their band Yeah, Sure, Whatever. And a new venture, Pixinote, was still just a brainstorm.

Today, with MONO flourishing, Kushner’s moved on to focus on Pixinote.

Now available on the iPhone and Android app stores, his newest project allows users to create and mail printed photo messages right from their phones or tablets – much like the dozens of messages we send each day online. But these messages are ones that you can feel, touch and hang on your refrigerator. They arrive in mailboxes, not inboxes.

“MONO has its own heartbeat and a great team,” Kushner says about embarking on this new enterprise. “I felt strongly that I wanted to take the opportunity to address another need, one that is perhaps more deep-seated and more broad – to look at how we build relationships and connect with each other in the digital age.”

32

edge

“This is an interesting moment for me,” Kushner continues. “My professional circle totally understands MONO and how I fit into MONO, but many of them don’t quite understand how that path leads to Pixinote: ‘Why would you be a product designer and move into this space?’”

But he’s excited by the idea of “giving birth to a brand, not just a product,” and sees Pixinote as a natural step in the progression of his personal and professional inquiry into the role of design and artifacts in the human experience.

“I never liked the idea of having a ‘thumbprint’” Kushner says. “For many designers, that’s a professional goal – you can line up everything they’ve done and see the connection because of some signature element or style. I never wanted that; I see design as a way to adapt completely to a particular environment, using found objects whenever possible.” Kushner says he wants to develop empathy and create something that is unique to each product’s context. “In that way, Pixinote represents the next stepping stone on my creative path. Superficially you may not see the natural progression from MONO, but from a process standpoint, this product recognizes an empty void in our social lives.”

33

34

edge

This newest venture is a manifestation of Kushner’s philosophy on the power of physical artifacts in strengthening our relationships with the people around us. Pixinote, he explains, is “reintroducing some evidence of connectivity into our physical world.

“Digital artifacts are free, and fast, which is great, but the notion that everything will become digital has already been debunked in so many industries,” he says. “It’s really gratifying to use a pencil on a notebook, for example. We forget that we are sensory beings. Reading a paperback book is always going to be a multisensory experience. A tablet may deliver the content, but humans are much more complex than that.” Kushner says that as a designer, he knew he wanted to do something that has the scalability of an app but with a physical component. “I love crafting physical experiences that are multisensory,” he says.

The format of a Pixinote is one that should be familiar to most of us: a combination of image and text much like the posts we create on Snapchat, Instagram and Facebook. “That’s how we create and consume information now,” Kushner says. Pixinote is meant to reflect how we communicate today.”

Pixinote is not only a progression in the evolution of Kushner’s design philosophy, but also represents a next step in his entrepreneurial journey. He launched MONO to create products for musicians, but Pixinote is an experience that nearly everyone can engage in. And that is an intentional element of Kushner’s approach to this phase of his career — to create something that touches more lives in more ways.

35

SU PPORT ING UA RTS Donor Profile: A Fine Legacy Ruth Fine BFA ’62 (General Arts/ Printmaking) gave her first gift to the University—$10 in 1970—less than 10 years after earning her degree and just a few years into a remarkable career as an artist, curator and art historian that has contributed in unquantifiable ways to the arts. But Ruth’s enduring connection to the University began long before that. In fact, you could say that UArts has always been part of her life.

Ruth’s mother, Miriam Brown, a prolific painter and poet, graduated from the Pennsylvania Museum and School of Industrial Art (PMSIA, now UArts) in 1935. As a junior high school student, Ruth attended Pre-College Saturday School, receiving a Certificate of Merit in 1956. And she taught in the Printmaking and Foundation departments from 1965 through 1969. In 1988, at the time of her husband Larry Day’s retirement from teaching at the Philadelphia College of Art (now UArts) for more than 30 years, a scholarship was established in his honor, to which Ruth has contributed annually. Day’s work continues to demonstrate the significance of painting as a vibrant medium, and the Larry Day Scholarship has been awarded to 30 students.

“It’s more important now than ever to support arts education,” Ruth says. “Art helps us understand what it means to be human and to persevere, especially in challenging times like these.”

Ruth never shies away from a challenge. Upon retiring after four decades organizing historymaking exhibitions at the National Gallery in Washington, D.C., she returned to Philadelphia, was curator of the Procession: The Art of Norman Lewis exhibition, currently being circulated by its organizer, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, and is now focused on the formation of the Larry Day Art Trust, which will distribute gifts of Day’s art to museums internationally. Through the decades, she has continued her studio work, in recent years making artist’s books, prints and drawing.

While not one to dwell on the past, Ruth’s memories of her years studying on Broad Street are vivid.

“I loved every minute. I was in the best place.”

She is particularly grateful for the “strong, visible presence” of women on the faculty. Ruth says she is lucky to have had parents who encouraged pursuit of the arts and to have attended a school that supported originality. Her advice to young artists: “Find your own voice. Your own hand. Your unique contribution.” She has unquestionably demonstrated a deft, original hand in bringing to light the unique contributions of American artists and in enlivening and invigorating both the history and future of our University.

UArts is immensely grateful for longtime donors like Ruth. To learn more about giving to the University or to make a contribution, visit uarts.edu/giving.

36

edge

William M. King Charitable Foundation Gives $75,000 to Endow Jazz Scholarship The University of the Arts is the grateful recipient of a $75,000 grant from the William M. King Charitable Foundation to endow a scholarship for African-American students studying jazz.

In the spirit of its benefactor, Dr. William M. King (1927–2007), the William M. King Charitable Foundation supports organizations and causes that seek to enrich the quality of life for AfricanAmericans and other underserved audiences.

“We try very hard to make contributions to causes that were meaningful to Doc during his lifetime,” says Foundation Trustee Mira Zergani. Supporting a jazz scholar at UArts is a tribute to Dr. King’s love of jazz music and its Philadelphia roots, as well as his absolute commitment to higher education, especially for those with limited access to financial resources.

Philadelphia native and UArts junior Mervin Toussaint ’18 (Instrumental Performance) is the deserving recipient of the inaugural William M. King Scholarship. School of Music Director Micah Jones MM ’99 (Jazz Studies) says, “We are immeasurably grateful for the generous contribution from the William M. King Foundation.

Dr. King’s foundation has chosen to support the legacy of a music deeply rooted in our AfricanAmerican history, and our students and curriculum, whose mission is to study its foundations to prepare students to be innovators and leaders.”

The University’s School of Music is home to 400 students studying Jazz Performance, Composition, and Music Business, Entrepreneurship + Technology. With 40 ensembles ranging from jazz trios and big bands to rock and hip-hop groups, jazz is the vehicle that allows students to expand their technique and musicianship to be versatile performers. Through the discipline of this amazing and ever-expanding art form, students can aspire to pursue any direction they choose. That is the hope for Mervin with the support of the William M. King Charitable Foundation.

37

A LU M NI NOT ES

1960 s

1950 s Brownstein Group Founder and Chairman Berny Brownstein DIPL ’57 (Advertising Design) has added “muralist” to an illustrious list of names he has been called over his 60-year career that includes “King of Broad Street” and “Dean of Philadelphia Advertising.” Brownstein’s first-ever mural was unveiled in July at the corner of 23rd and Sansom Streets in Center City thanks to the Mural Arts Program of Philadelphia, which began as an anti-graffiti network in 1984 and has grown to be the nation’s largest public art program. The piece, titled Wild Tuscan Lillies, was first painted by Brownstein during a visit to Tuscany over 10 years ago. The Mural Arts Program artist, Nathaniel D. Lee BFA ’04 (Illustration), is also a UArts alum.

Suzanne Horvitz BFA ’59 (Art Education), MAT ’72 (Art Education) opened Deep Waters, a dreamlike installation of sculpture and works on glass with Robert Roesch at Legend Galleries in Philadelphia. The show ran May through June 2016.

Judith Jamison ’64 (Dance) was welcomed by First Lady Michelle Obama for a dance workshop at the White House for young girls. Jamison served for 21 years as the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater’s artistic director and was a star dancer at Alvin Ailey for 15 years prior to that.

Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney declared July 19, 2016, “Jerry Pinkney Day” in honor of awardwinning children’s book illustrator/author and UArts Silver Star Outstanding Alumni Award recipient Jerry Pinkney DIPL ’60 (Advertising Design).

UArts joined the Free Library of Philadelphia, SafeKidsStories.com, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the Mayor’s Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy to celebrate an event-filled day that began with a proclamation at City Hall. This honor followed an unprecedented dual recognition of Pinkney’s work from the American Library Association: the 2016 Coretta Scott King-Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement and the 2016 Laura Ingalls Wilder Award.

1970 s Patricia Moss-Vreeland BFA ’72 (Painting) had a solo exhibit titled A Place for Memory: Where Art and Science Meet as part of the 25th Anniversary of Neuroscience at Trinity College in Hartford, Conn.

Marcie (Reidich) Wyrobeck BFA ’75 (Illustration) exhibited in Art Florida 2016, juried by Irvin M. Lippman, director of the Boca Raton Museum of Art.

38

edge

Terry Wolfson-Tighe BFA ’78 (Painting) has been busy showing her fabric art paintings in the Easton/Bethlehem, Pa., area. In June 2016, WolfsonTighe had an exhibit in the Bethlehem Rotunda Show presented by the Bethlehem Fine Arts Commission.

1990 s “Material Body,” a photo by 2016 UArts President’s Award recipient Kathleen Greco BS ’79 (Industrial Design), MFA ’15 (Studio Art), was included in Ceres 12th National Juried Exhibition, an annual exhibit curated by Guggenheim Museum Assistant Curator Carmen del Valle Hermo, and in the international juried exhibition A Point of View: Contemporary Photography, curated by Mitra Abbaspour, former associate curator in the department of Photography at the Museum of Modern Art. Greco’s photo titled “Anatomically Correct” was selected for the Peace Among the Savages AKA The Gun Show exhibition, juried by Amos Eno Gallery director Mary Gagler.

198 0 s Piper Shepard BFA ’85 (Fibers), a 2016 Art Unleashed Spotlight Artist and a 2015 UArts Silver Star Alumni Award recipient, was recently named a Japan Creative Artist Fellow 2016 by the Japan U.S. Friendship Commission. Shepard has been a faculty member and chair of the Fibers program at Maryland Institute College of Art for over 20 years. Her work is in the permanent collections of the Baltimore Museum of Art and the Museum of Arts and Design in New York, among others.

Jill Cucci-Smith MAT ’94 (Art Education) founded a private New Jersey art school: The Barn Studio and Gallery. The Barn holds classes and gallery shows in a nearly 300-year-old barn located just outside of Ocean City, N.J., that was featured in the July 2015 issue of Ocean City Magazine. Cucci-Smith helps high school art students successfully prepare portfolios for UArts and other colleges. People of all ages can take classes in painting, mixed media and kids classes. She is dedicated to educating the local community with quality art classes and exhibition opportunities. The Barn supports local and visiting artists with solo, member and juried shows. CucciSmith’s personal work has been shown throughout the tri-state area.

This February, Raasa Leela de Montebello BFA ’95 (Theater) launched her project, Portable Story Series, a short story writing contest that takes place three times a year. Writers have two months to submit stories, and then a winner and five runnersup are announced. This unique contest takes the winning manuscripts, and instead of posting them online or in print form, turns them into audio pieces with a professional narrator. The winner also receives $250 or 75 percent of the submission fees, whichever is greater. The story is then posted online as a free download. And with each contest, Portable Story Series features three charities or nonprofit organizations that are doing vital work in the world.

People are encouraged to contribute to one or more of the featured causes when they download the winning story.

39

Katya Roelse BFA ’97 (Musical Theater) is a freelance fashion designer and teacher. She has a master’s degree in Fashion Design from Drexel University, where she earned the Lilly Pulitzer Award for Most Creative Graduate Collection. She has worked in costume, eveningwear, tailoring, menswear, sportswear and workwear. Today, Roelse teaches design at the University of Delaware, consults for apparel companies dedicated to sustainability and writes a blog about her fashion experiences at daydreamdressup. com. In 2015, she was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to Madrid to lecture on sustainability, trend forecasting and branding.

Deidre Finnegan BFA ’96 (Musical Theater) is thrilled to get back on stage and behind the scenes with many new opportunities after taking a fiveyear hiatus from theater. She recently wrote and performed a cabaret, You’d Be Surprised. This past March, she was a featured dancer in a Philly-based charity competition, Dancing for Our Future Stars, at the Crystal Tea Room. This summer, she performed with Mazeppa Productions as Woman #1 in Closer Than Ever. Finnegan is also the lead singer in the rock band Traction, as well as a busy church soloist.

She is currently choreographing and directing at Cheltenham High School. She lives in Glenside with her husband and three children. Up next, Finnegan will appear in Michael Ogborn’s new musical The Three Maries, directed by UArts faculty and alum Peter John Rios BFA ’96 (Musical Theater).

Seth Kramer BFA ’96 (Film + Video) was awarded the EarthVision Environment Feature Award at the Santa Cruz Film Festival for his documentary The Anthropologist. The film, which premiered at the Doc NYC Festival in November 2015 and was screened at the UN Climate Change Conference held in Paris in December, looks at climate change through the lens of two anthropologists. Kramer’s other awardwinning films include The Linguists, The New Recruits and Evocateur: The Morton Downey Jr. Movie.

Peter John Rios BFA ’96 (Musical Theater) just started his fifth year teaching tap at UArts, which has grown from offering two levels to five different levels from beginner to advanced. This December, Rios will direct/choreograph the new Michael Ogborn musical The Three Maries, which will have its premiere at the Prince Theatre and feature Deidre Finnegan BFA ’96 (Musical Theater). Next year, Rios will direct/choreograph Spamalot! for the Candlelight Theatre.

40

edge

Hannah Tsapatoris MacLeod BFA ’97 (Musical Theater) just finished a one-year sabbatical replacement position at the Crefeld School in Philadelphia teaching theater and dance. Having recently launched her new website yoga4everyone. biz, she is building her workday and private yoga classes, as well as teaching at Healing Arts Collective on South Street in Philly. Her theater company, Naked Feet Productions, helped to create a new theater festival called The Bridge that debuted last April at the Rotunda in West Philly. The mission of The Bridge is to “create dialogue and explore perspectives around race, diversity and bias.”

Larissa Velez Jackson BFA ’98 (Dance) received a 2016 Foundation for Contemporary Arts grant. The $40,000 award will support her choreographic work.

Cornelius Jones BFA ’99 (Musical Theater) recently appeared as Donkey in Shrek with Moonlight Stage Productions and just booked a day player role on ABC’s The Fosters. He also raised $2,145 for the October 11 AIDS Walk in LA. Paul Zdepski BFA ’99 (Illustration) had a show at the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley in Winchester, Va., titled Corporal Punishment, which focused on digital illustration and comics. The exhibit was a humorous series of comic art influenced by the artist’s remembrances of making do within a family of seven kids.

20 0 0 s Jaclyn Bashoff BFA ’00 (Writing for Film + Television) is the producer of Trouble, an indie comedy-drama from writer/director Theresa Rebeck, the creator of NBC’s Smash. Angelica Huston and Bill Pullman play a feuding brother and sister whose differences entangle the fate of an old friend, played

by David Morse. The film is in pre-production for a 2017 release.

This winter, Brad Loekle BFA ’00 (Musical Theater), star of the hit TruTV series World’s Dumbest, will release his first book titled My Big Gay Life: A Fairy’s Tale. Loekle, who was Joan Rivers’ personal writer for E!’s Fashion Police, has appeared on NBC’s The Last Comic Standing and as a guest on VH1, MTV, Oxygen and LOGO. There’s Too Many of These Crows, an animated film by Morgan Miller BFA ’00 (Film), was named the first-place winner in the independent film category at the 47th ASIFA-East Animation Festival held April 24, 2016, in Sweden.

Dana Rossi BFA ’00 (Musical Theater) is an associate producer at NBC News/Peacock Productions. She is also the creator and producer of The Soundtrack Series, the music-based podcast that The A.V. Club called “superb” and Time Out New York called “one of the ten best podcasts in New York.”

Wynter Spears BFA ’00 (Musical Theater) was on the dais for the birthday roast of fellow UArts alum Ted Biaselli BFA ’99 (Theater) on July 9, 2015. Wynter also opened for Jeff Garlin of ABC’s The Goldbergs at Flappers Comedy Club in Burbank, Calif., on May 29, 2015.

Katherine McNamee BFA ’01 (Musical Theater) has been working in Broadway company management since 2003. Past credits as assistant company manager include Legally Blonde (Broadway and national tour), The Wiz at Encores! City Center and Wicked (Chicago company). She has been the associate company manager for The Phantom of the Opera on Broadway since 2009. McNamee is a full union member of ATPAM. She is very active with the Broadway Green Alliance, helping to make the Great White Way eco-friendly. She also puts her musical theater education to use once a year and lends her voice (along with the cast of Phantom) to the Phantom track on Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS’ annual holiday CD, Carols for a Cure. Her voice can be heard on volumes 12, 13, 14, 15 and 17, which will release this holiday season. She lives in Forest Hills, N.Y., with her two adorable kitties, Phantom and Pas De Chat.

Anna Bogatin BFA ’02 (Painting + Drawing) recently had two solo exhibitions. The first, Into the Mystic, ran October through December 2015 at Larry Becker Contemporary Art in Philadelphia.

The successful show received a lot of attention, was reviewed by Edith Newhall of The Philadelphia Inquirer and was the topic of a panel by artcritical. com at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.

The second exhibit, New Paintings, was on display from May to July 2016 at the Holly Johnson Gallery in Dallas and showcased Bogatin’s new work, which is based on observations of nature and precise digital studies made from photographs of nature.

Michael Drolet BFA ’02 (Musical Theater) is currently in his sixth year of performing in the national tour of Wicked. Prior to that, he was seen in the Broadway company as well as the Los Angeles company, where he played the role of Boq. Other credits include the national tour of Saturday Night Fever as Vinnie, Dorset Theatre Festival’s production of Peter Pan (title role), Disneyland’s premiere of Snow White: An Enchanting Musical as Dopey, Palace Theatre’s production of Of Mice and Men as Curly, Opera Grand Rapids’ production of West Side Story as A-rab, Fulton Opera House’s world premiere of Cyrano and on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

41

Christopher Totten BFA ’02 (Musical Theater) is the public relations associate at the New Victory Theater, a project of “The New 42nd Street,” where he is continuing his work promoting “Theater for Young Audiences and Families” and “Theater for the Very Young.” He recently completed a very successful and eventful year at New York City Children’s Theater (formerly Making Books Sing) as an education apprentice and teaching artist. He continues to advocate for the intrinsic impact the arts have in human development.

Lauren Cozza BFA ’03 (Musical Theater) is in rehearsals for the ensemble of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

This past year, she choreographed Legally Blonde Jr. and Aristocats for the Watertown Lyric Theater youth program. Cozza is also a freelance dance teacher, yoga teacher and choreographer, and owns and operates a very fun part-time business with Rodan + Fields.

Michael Gatto BFA ‘03 (Acting) teaches theater at Kent State University at Stark and the University of Mount Union. He is also the co-creator and camp director of the Performing Arts Summer Spectacular, a unique six-week summer camp for middle and high school students.

Actress and alumna Miriam Hyman BFA ’03 (Acting) is among the 2016 recipients of grants from the Leonore Annenberg Fellowship Fund for the Performing and Visual Arts. The grant provides up to $50,000 per year for up to two years to help early career artists.

Billy Bustamante BFA ’04 (Musical Theater) recently performed in the Broadway revival of The King and I at Lincoln Center. He went on for many ensemble tracks and did a week performing the role of Lun Tha. He then left The King and I to pursue some directing adventures. He just choreographed Man of La Mancha at Cape Fear Regional Theatre in North Carolina. Next up, he will direct The Adding Machine for B-Side Productions in NYC. Jeremiah Downes BFA ’04 (Musical Theater) began his second year as assistant professor of Musical Theater at Emory & Henry College this fall. Since his appointment, he has spearheaded the development of a new BFA program that was implemented this fall; is responsible for bringing Tony Award nominee Liz Callaway and Broadway actress Lisa Brescia to campus for performances and master classes; has been awarded a grant from the college for the development and writing of a theater for young audiences musical; served as music director for The Spitfire Grill; and directed A Funny Thing Happened on 42

Edge18_final-12-16-16.newfile.indd 42

the Way to the Forum, the first musical performed in the college’s brand new center for the arts. He enjoyed a revival concert production of his revue Highways and Daydreams this past July at the Biello Martin Studio in Philadelphia, featuring Evan Frace BFA ’15 (Musical Theater), Dan Callahan and Dean Schweiger. He worked on a fundraising campaign and concept album during the summer of 2016. He continues to work on the launch of Get Real: The Broadway Training Center, an online and on-site training forum for aspiring and professional musical theater performers (with a roster of faculty that reads like a who’s who of UArts alums and faculty). This fall, Downes was scheduled to present workshops at the Virginia Theatre Association’s annual conference in performance and contemporary commercial vocal technique. In October, he was slated to perform in a concert at Emory & Henry College.

Tony Giruzzi BFA ’04 (Musical Theater) is a fulltime properties artisan at BBProps in Little Falls, N.J., designing and fabricating props and scenic elements for Broadway. Productions include the revival of Fiddler on the Roof, Amazing Grace, Cabaret, Duck Commander (Las Vegas), the revival of Les Misérables, Cinderella, Newsies, Matilda and the revival of Jekyll and Hyde.

A monograph of work by Mark Havens MID ’04 (Industrial Design) titled Out of Season has been published by Booth-Clibborn Editions. It was released in Europe in June and in the U.S. by Abrams Books in August. The work is the result of a 10-year exploration of the vanishing mid-century modern architecture of Wildwood, N.J. Reception thus far in Europe has been quite positive, with features in The Guardian, The British Journal of Photography and Wallpaper Magazine.

Matthew Hultgren BFA ’04 (Musical Theater) earned his MFA this May in Voice & Speech Pedagogy from ART at Harvard University/Moscow Art Theater.

He is also a teaching fellow and voice/dialect coach for ART, Harvard Drama Clubs and Tufts University.

This summer, he taught a workshop in dialects and vocal improv at Northwestern University in Chicago.

edge

12/19/16 8:10 AM

Caitlin Perkins MFA ’04 (Book Arts + Printmaking), a staff member in the University’s Division of Continuing Studies, was featured on Tiny House Hunting on the FYI Network.

S**t Bug, the new album by Lindsey Baker BFA ’05 (Photography), MFA ’11 (Sculpture), aka Guts Club, was reviewed by Spin magazine. The album was released on July 1 by Moderate Fidelity Records. This is the second release for the New Orleans-based lo-fi folk singer and video artist.

Nichole Kanney BFA ’05 (Writing for Film + Television) won the Family/Animation category at the 2016 Nashville Film Festival for her short film Fridge Mates.

Philly Touch Tours, an organization co-founded by alumna Trish Maunder MA ’06 (Art Education) that provides cultural accessibility tours for the visually impaired (like Maunder’s daughter, Katie, who is blind), was featured on NBC Nightly News last July. The story focused on the “Insights into Ancient Egypt” tour at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archeology and Anthropology. Local coverage includes NewsWorks, NPR and CBS3, with stories focusing on a two-hour tour of Philadelphia’s famous Italian Market, where Maunder led a group through the shops of various cheese, meat, fresh pasta and chocolate vendors.

Mary Scholz BFA ’06 (Musical Theater) spent the majority of the past year and a half on the road, completing multiple U.S. tours, as well as her first European tour. She would like to say a special thank you to all of the UArts alumni who came out to the shows, showed her around their cities or hosted her while she was in town. She is currently in Los Angeles, writing new music and working in film production, and went be back on the road on the West Coast in November.

Kelli Barrett BFA ’07 (Musical Theater) recently starred as Lara in Dr. Zhivago on Broadway.

She is currently working on This Is Dedicated: Music’s Greatest Marriages with her husband, Jarrod Spector. The newly married Broadway veterans are often asked what it’s like to be married to a fellow artist. Bringing to life the greatest songs birthed from the greatest marriages, the two attempt to answer the question: “From Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil to Alan and Marilyn Bergman, and from Sonny and Cher to Beyoncé and Jay-Z, the themes of love, heartbreak, triumph and despair infuse not only these incredible songs, but also the storied partnerships themselves.

The night celebrates marriage as the powerful force behind this timeless music and tackles the difficult questions by keeping it all together.”

Mara Jill Herman BFA ’07 (Musical Theater) was one of eight finalists in the New York Musical Festival’s Next Broadway Sensation and was a soloist in the NYMF/ASCAP showcase, hosted by Tony-nominated composer Michael John LaChiusa.

Recent readings include Anne of Green Gables and Railroad. She appeared in Prospect Theater Company’s Women Making Musicals gala and musicalized the coke-snorting Amber Waves from Boogie Nights for a BMI presentation. This summer, Herman originated the role of Mademoiselle in Plath at the New York International Fringe Festival. More recently, she won a Vocal Performance Award from the William Haralson Competition. This winter, she will serve as assistant head resident advisor in Miami and next spring, she will be head resident advisor in New York for the National YoungArts Foundation. This upcoming season marks six years of an ongoing commitment to her favorite organization!

43

Edge18_final-12-16-16.newfile.indd 43

12/19/16 8:10 AM

Matthew Mastronardi BFA ’07 (Musical Theater) recently music directed and played Ferdinand, the King of Navarre in Revolution Shakespeare’s production of Love’s Labour’s Lost.

Next up, he can be seen in Shakespeare/Poe: A Night of Readings from The Dark Side with Delaware Shakespeare Festival. This past summer, Mastronardi co-taught and music directed the Middle School Musical Theatre Camp at the Arden Theatre Company.

He and Alex Keiper BFA ’07 (Musical Theater) created A & M Studios, coaching professional and aspiring musical theater artists out of their home.

Also, this summer marked their inaugural showcase featuring several of their students at the Arden Theatre Company’s Hamilton Family Arts Center.

This winter, Mastronardi appeared in A Christmas Carol for the seventh year in a row at the Walnut Street Theatre. In the spring, he will make his equity debut as Ted in the Walnut Street Theatre’s production of Peter and the Starcatcher.

Andre Myers ’07 (Musical Theater) is currently touring the world with the Australian Sway Pole Company’s A Cirque/Circus Spectacle, where he gets to soar and fly 25 feet in the air. Earlier this year, he shot international commercials and print ads for Alcatel (International Phone Company) and Yogueta Play-pops (Yogurt Lollipops). His TV show, Cheetah In August, recently premiered on Vimeo and On Demand.

Michael O’Bryan BM ’07 (Vocal Performance) was featured in the online magazine Flying Kite for his work as a coordinator for the Trauma Informed Care Initiative, a program of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Eastern Pennsylvania District in partnership with the Sanctuary Institute, the leading trauma care and capacity-building training institute in the country. O’Bryan is working to bring a sense of security to Strawberry Mansion in North Philadelphia.

A new window air conditioner developed

by Philly-based Likuma Laboratories, whose team includes UArts alumnus Devin Sidell BS ’07 (Industrial Design), was featured in The Philadelphia Inquirer in an article titled “Can this Philly company revolutionize the window air conditioner?” Likuma’s crowdfunding campaigns raised over $3 million, making them one of the most successful campaigns in Philadelphia.

44

Edge18_final-12-16-16.newfile.indd 44

edge

Heather Woodward BFA ’07 (Musical Theater) currently resides in Los Angeles and “performs comedy everywhere.” She can be seen every Monday night at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater with the Harold team ROCOCO. In addition to UCB Harold night, Woodward can be seen as Nancy Kerrigan in UCB’s long-running Tonya Harding: The Musical and as Sage in Van Gogh Dating. Outside of UCB, Woodward is a writer for the ABC Digital sketch show Paper Dolls, a proud member of the LA branch of the national award-winning children’s comedy and education company the Story Pirates, a director of the iO West Main Stage sketch team Sidekick, and a writer/performer on the iO West Main Stage sketch team the Mutiny. Additionally, she’s been in roughly a thousand internet videos for channels like FunnyorDie, College Humor, Buzzfeed and Fine Brothers Entertainment. She can also be heard on an episode of Improv4Humans with Matt Besser on Earwolf.

Kyra Bromberg BFA ’08 (Musical Theater) is writing and performing with her indie sketch groups, Parade Grounds and We Spoon. This is her fifth season with Village Playback Theatre (VPT) with whom she has traveled to Montreal and Kansas to perform. VPT has been awarded an NEA grant to teach and perform playback with adults who have chronic mental illness.

Mat Burrow BFA ’08 (Musical Theater) was recently featured in Parlour Tricks’ new music video Broken Hearts/Bones, directed by Dani Brandwein. He is also currently working on his next comedy video which was set to release this fall, titled Bonded.

Artie Sievers BFA ’07 (Musical Theater) is still writing young adult fiction, spending his days managing the box office at Second Stage Theatre. He is also currently providing the music for a new musical, The Goree Girls, still in its baby phase after a very successful first reading in July.

12/19/16 8:10 AM

Juggling Wolf, a Philadelphia-based animation studio founded by UArts alumni Jason Chen BFA ’08 (Animation), Ian Foster BFA ’08 (Animation) and Mirina Gvozdeva BFA ’08 (Animation), was featured in HAHA magazine last May. Lauren Miller BFA ’08 (Musical Theater) recently produced her fifth newTACTics New Play Festival at TACT/The Actors Company Theatre, which developed and presented The Gravedigger’s Lullaby

by Jeff Talbott, Laugh by Beth Henley, Summer of ’63 by York Walker (which she also directed) and The Art of Bad Men by Vincent Delaney. In June, she directed the world premiere of Happy by Liz Thaler in F*ckFest, a sex-positive play festival held at the Brick Theater in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Miller is proud to share that she has been named new artistic director at In Extremis Theater Company, which produced Happy. In July, she directed a reading of Don Gio by Josh Pangbourn for Wide Eyed Productions featuring a performance from Allen Weaver BFA ’10 (Musical Theater). Miller currently works fulltime as the individual giving manager at the Irish Repertory Theatre.

Kristen Solecki BFA ’08 (Illustration) has worked with clients such as West Elm (patterns and spot illustration), the Local Palate (food illustrations) and set artwork for the television show Mad Men. She is curating a 40-artist exhibit with book artist Kris Westerson at the beautiful City Gallery in Charleston, S.C., titled On & Off the Page, which opened in September 2016. The show highlights the relationship between the art of story and the art of the book.

Amanda Foy BFA ’09 (Jazz Dance) is the assistant director for Old Bridge School of Dance in New Jersey.

After entering the audition scene and performing with select companies in New York City, she pursued her passion for teaching and choreographing. Her creativity and choreography have won her many first place, highest adjudications and specialty awards.

Foy is currently the recipient of seven separate choreography awards. In addition to her teachings and a knack for physical fitness, she became certified in the Pure Barre technique, instructing for the Pure Barre Manalapan studio.

Brad Greer BFA ’09 (Musical Theater) has been lucky enough to play Emmett in Legally Blonde at Virginia Musical Theatre, Marius in Les Misérables at Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival and was part of the workshop cast of World of Tenors Unleashed. He continues to tour with The Broadway Boys between other jobs, and recently sang in concerts for Joey Contreras BFA ’09 (Musical Theater), Michael Mott, Matt Vinson and Matte O’Brien, and Koomin & Dimond. In November, Greer was scheduled to hit the road with the first national tour of The Bridges of Madison County.

Bobby Rosenstock MFA ’09 (Book Arts + Printmaking) was featured on an episode of Broad & High, a PBS series on Ohio Public Television.

He is the proprietor of JustAJar Design and Press in Marietta, Ohio. Rosenstock prints for a number of clients, including Jack Daniels Whiskey, Philly’s Academy of Natural Sciences, Lucinda Williams, Taj Mahal, the Flaming Lips and many more musicians, breweries and small businesses in and around Ohio.

Ryan Touhey BFA ’09 (Musical Theater) spent the past year working on Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Darlene Love’s new album, Introducing Darlene Love, produced by E Street Band guitarist Steve Van Zandt and Columbia Records. This coming season, he will work on Sheryl Crow’s new musical Diner directed by Kathleen Marshall at Delaware Theatre Company; music direct and orchestrate Michael Ogborn’s new musical The Three Maries; and in the spring, music direct The Secret Garden at Arden Theatre Company. He was recently nominated for a Barrymore Award for Outstanding Music Direction for Ragtime at Bristol Riverside Theatre.

Faculty/alumna Mallory Weston BFA ’09 (Craft + Material Studies) was included in an article titled “Don’t Be Boring” in Metalsmith magazine this past spring.

45

Edge18_final-12-16-16.newfile.indd 45

12/19/16 8:10 AM

2010 s

Laura Ahrens BFA ’10 (Musical Theater) is a fulltime yoga teacher and entrepreneur in Boston.

She co-created and co-owns the yoga teacher training school the New School of Yogic Arts, a Yoga Alliance recognized and registered school that is currently in session and at capacity. She leads retreats worldwide, including Mexico, Costa Rica, Miami and Colorado in 2016.

Blake Austin BFA ’10 (Musical Theater) currently resides in Philadelphia where she is actively pursuing her career as a singer/songwriter.

After releasing her debut solo EP Famous this past spring, Austin has been back to the grindstone preparing for her full album release. All five songs from Famous can be streamed or downloaded on iTunes, Spotify and Soundcloud. Other pursuits include performance coaching for all ages, with a focus on confidence building, being recklessly yourself, and owning your inner light on and off stage.

Michael Doherty BFA ’10 (Musical Theater) was described by The Philadelphia Inquirer as “one of the city’s most reliable young talents” for his performance in Theatre Horizon’s production of Fully Committed, a one-man comedy that had the UArts grad playing 36 separate roles. The show ran May 12 through June 5.

46

Edge18_final-12-16-16.newfile.indd 46

Abdiel Jacobsen BFA ’10 (Modern Dance) has been promoted to principal dancer at Martha Graham Dance Company. The Cote d’Ivoire native joined the company in 2011 and performs in lead roles of Graham’s repertory, as well as in works by Nacho Duato, Robert Wilson, Sonya Tayeh, Luca Veggetti, Andonis Foniadakis, Michelle Dorrance, Larry Keigwin, Doug Varone, Richard Move and Bulareyaung Pagarlava. Jacobsen partnered with Diana Vishneva in Errand into the Maze as part of the company’s gala in 2012. He is also a professional competitive ballroom and Latin dancer/ instructor, and a guest artist with the Cecilia Marta Dance Company.

Ashlyn Kindberg BFA ’10 (Musical Theater) has been busy with a multitude of voiceover projects.

Most recently, she recorded promo voiceovers for Deaf West Theatre, feature film He Named Me Malala, Schick & Skintimate’s “Rock Your Legs/Pitch Perfect 2” campaign, and for the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Turkey. Kindberg also appeared on screen in a recent Yankee Candle commercial. Lastly, she is in early development as producer on a feature film based on the book The Cross and the Switchblade.

edge

12/19/16 8:10 AM

Mariel Letourneau BFA ’10 (Musical Theater) lives in Rutherford, N.J., and has been actively performing and choreographing. Over the summer, she collaborated on a production of Honk! with London director Jordan Murphy at Stagedoor Manor. This November, they brought Howard Goodall and Charles Hart’s The Dreaming, a musical adaptation of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, to the Chain Theatre in New York.

Greg Nix BFA ’10 (Musical Theater) is officially a Hollywood insider: He recently started working at Nickelodeon Animation Studio as the coordinator of social and connected content. That’s a pretty fancy way of saying he writes tweets and stuff.

He also frequently writes and performs at the UCB Theatre in Los Angeles with several improv teams and a monthly sketch show. He invites you to come check out LA because it’s almost definitely better than wherever you live now.

Dan O’Neil BFA ’10 (Musical Theater) left the Arden Theatre Company this spring and is now working freelance in Philadelphia as a director and producer. This year, he directed the undergrads at Villanova in Merrily We Roll Along; assistant directed To The Moon at 1812 Productions; was the festival box office manager for the Fringe Festival; and is currently on the road as the producer on a statewide tour of School Play, a documentary theater piece about public education and school funding (schoolplaypa. org). Up next: assistant directing This Is The Week That Is with 1812 Productions.

Chris Pappas BFA ’10 (Musical Theater) has been living in Brooklyn for the last four years and is loving it! Pappas runs a monthly alternative comedy show at Pete’s Candy Store called the All-Stars of Comedy, as well as performing all over the city. His cabaret, A Homosexual’s Guide to Love and International Travel, was an official selection for QueerCom at The PIT and featured UArts alums Samantha Stoltzfus BFA ’10 (Musical Theater) and Allen Weaver BFA ’10 (Musical Theater).

Work by Matt R. Phillips BFA ’10 (Craft + Material Studies) and Scott Kip BFA ’99 (Craft + Material Studies) was included in the SnydermanWorks Galleries exhibition The Edifice. The show examined the history, significance and personality of buildings.

Edge18_final-12-16-16.newfile.indd 47

Kimberly Roberto BFA ’10 (Writing for Film + Television) has been named creative executive of live action and creative affairs at DC Entertainment (Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash); she was previously coordinator at the CW Network in the current programming department.

Samantha Lee Stoltzfus BFA ’10 (Musical Theater) will be featured this November in an original musical titled Astronaut Love Show at the Kraine Theatre in NYC. She will also be a part of a concert in November performing songs from the original musical Cheeseburger Deluxe (formally Avarice). She recently returned from Vancouver, Canada, with the international touring production of Burlesque to Broadway as Gracie. Stoltzfus returned to the Big Apple last year with a ton of exciting of new projects, sassy cabarets, music collaborations and the occasional set building projects for the Fringe Festival.

Elizabeth Giovino BFA ’11 (Musical Theater) is working at Building Bridges preschool in Brooklyn as a music teacher and loving it! She is developing a fun music program incorporating storytelling and movement.

Adam Hostler BFA ’11 (Musical Theater) is producing and starring in a new web series titled 5 to 9, a comedy about gay nightlife in New York City.

Keep your eyes and ears open for the release of the pilot episode.

Greg Laucella BFA ’11 (Musical Theater) recently performed for Disney Cruise Line (DCL) on the Disney Wonder featured as Simba in The Golden Mickeys. He hopes to continue his relationship with DCL in the future.

Marv Mack BFA ’11 (Graphic Design), who recently released his first full-length album titled Golden Band Aids, was featured in the March 15 issue of the PhillyVoice. Although the Philly rapper admits he initially went to UArts to appease his mom, he says, “I’m definitely happy that I did.”

Lorenzo Buffa BS ’12 (Industrial Design), owner of Analog Watch Co., Philadelphia’s premier boutique watch brand, has partnered with the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education to offer homeless and transitioning youth and their families free access to experience and learn about the natural world. A portion of each watch sold from Analog’s Classic Collection will help fund the Center’s programming. The Schuylkill Center joins a growing list of nature-focused non-profits that are advancing their core missions with the support of Analog’s “Inspired by Nature” ethos.

47

12/19/16 8:10 AM

Brendan Dalton BFA ’12 (Musical Theater) has officially joined the New York cast of Blue Man Group, after performing in Orlando and Chicago for the past year. While performing in Florida, he also shot a commercial for Checkers/Rally’s, and had the opportunity to write and record a full-length album with his friend under the name Radio Silence.

Since then, he’s started playing piano for an online recording studio and has continued to release his solo music under the name Fox in the Fold.

Chanel Karimkhani BFA ’12 (Musical Theater) recently played one of her dream roles of Kate Monster in Avenue Q and Nellie in the Aurora Fox production of Jekyll and Hyde, for which she also played cello with the orchestra. Karimkhani is very excited to be playing Kimmia in the world premiere of the new musical Book Face, in which she finally gets to play an Iranian on stage. After that premiere, she was excited to join Boulder Dinner Theatre for its holiday run of The Addam’s Family as an ensemble member and Morticia understudy.

Dan Kiernan BFA ’13 (Musical Theater) worked as director and vocal coach for SoLuna Studio during the 2014-2015 season on Long Island. He starred as Sammy in his first feature film Disco and returned to Philly to appear in 11th Hour Theater Company’s Dogfight as Gibbs. He is currently travelling around the Caribbean as the lead singer for Royal Caribbean aboard the Enchantment of the Seas.

Camille Trinka BFA ’13 (Musical Theater) is currently living in Portland, Ore. She is teaching at a children’s theater and working as an actor at professional theater companies in the Portland area.

This winter, she is excited to play Princess Fiona in Shrek at Northwest Children’s Theater.

Jarrod Markman BFA ’12 (Musical Theater) is now Fringe Festival coordinator at FringeArts and associate artist director at Simpatico Theatre Project.

He will be directing the world premiere of Time Is on Our Side by R. Eric Thomas for Simpatico at their new home at the Drake next spring.

Daishyana Richardson BM ’12 (Vocal Performance) currently lives in Japan and has taught at an international school for the past two years. She plans to return to the States soon to pursue her master’s degree in Music Education.

Meghan Seaman BFA ’12 (Musical Theater) just finished the national tour of Annie as the Star to Be and Lily St. Regis. She then moved to California and filmed the first four episodes of a new sitcom.

When the PA asked her if she was SAG, she replied, “No! I’m happy!” And that’s how she accidentally went SAG-AFRTA. In February, she will proudly become Meghan Rose.

Dot Vile BFA ’13 (Fibers + Textile Studies) was interviewed in and featured on the cover of the Spring 2016 issue of A Women’s Thing!, the women’s magazine that is redefining women’s magazines.

Takashi Aoyama BFA ’14 (Photography), a Tokyo-based Getty Images photographer, was featured in The Week, a magazine that highlights the best of the U.S. and international media. His series takes a behind-the-scenes look inside the bustling Tsukiji fish market, also known as “Japan’s Kitchen.”

Kevin Wright BFA ’12 (Writing for Film + Television) moves from Perfect Storm Entertainment to Marvel Studios (Ironman, X-Men, Captain America), where he has been named feature film production and development manager.

48

Edge18_final-12-16-16.newfile.indd 48

edge

12/19/16 8:10 AM

Sebastian Borror BS ’14 (Industrial Design) worked with the Franklin’s Paine Skatepark Fund over the last year, helping to build a new skatepark at a playground in Southwest Philadelphia.

The ribbon cutting was held July 1, 2016. Borror was involved in every step of the process, from community engagement events and fundraising, to working with local government and Philadelphia Parks and Recreation.

C.J. Celeiro BFA ’14 (Musical Theater) has performed in Xanadu with Mazeppa Productions, Neverman with Nightmares in Neverland with Fringe Arts, and Tea for Two in the Get Into Our Shorts!

Festival with PDC and Painted Bride. His full-length play, [rapture play], received a workshop and reading with IATI Theater’s Cimientos New Play Development program in New York. Celeiro also served as web designer and social media consultant for the premier Women’s Film Festival: Showcasing the Bad Ass Side of Women. He worked as kid wrangler and literary assistant for Philadelphia Theatre Company’s spring 2015 productions and workshops. Currently, Celeiro is performing in High Society at the Walnut Street Theatre and next up, The Fastest Clock in the Universe with BrainSpunk Theater. In December 2014, he proposed to his longtime girlfriend, Amanda Buck, to which she happily accepted. They plan to marry in Philadelphia in spring 2017.

Cody Freeman BFA ’14 (Musical Theater) toured 49 states in the U.S., as well as Japan, Guam, South Korea and Singapore teaching an hour-long musical to 65 kids in just one week with the Missoula Children’s Theater.

Sue Carrie Drummond MFA ’15 (Book Arts + Printmaking) was awarded the Women’s Studio Workshop Artists Book Residency from the College Book Art Association. Drummond will produce a limited-edition artist’s book during the eight-week residency in Rosendale, N.Y. Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, the oldest internationally acclaimed summer dance festival in the United States, featured performances by UArts alumni Gary Reagan BFA ’15 (Dance), Richard Villaverde ’14 (Ballet) and Gary W. Jeter, II BFA ’03 (Ballet), who is also a Dance faculty member.

Alaina Wis BFA ’15 (Musical Theater) relocated to Hong Kong to work as a fulltime principal vocalist for “Mickey and the Wondrous Book” at Hong Kong Disneyland.

Daesh Girl, a senior thesis film by Abdul Almutairi BFA ’16 (Film + Video), screened as part of the Muslimish Conference, a safe, supportive and open-minded environment for the exchange of thoughts and ideas among current and former Muslims.

Sarah Galante BFA ’16 (Directing, Playwriting + Production) was named a 201617 McKnight Playwrights Center Core Apprentice, one of only three from across the country to be selected. She was also the sole undergraduate student named to the prestigious program.

Zach Kononov BFA ’14 (Musical Theater) has been living in New York City for a little over a year and in April, he completed a successful run with 50 Shades! The Musical Parody. This fall, Kononov joined the cast of the national tour of How the Grinch Stole Christmas as Grandpa Who. Aaron Bell BFA ’15 (Musical Theater) moved to North Philly and recently worked on Hands Up, a new play commissioned by the New Black Fest at Flashpoint Theatre Company. He had a blast as a country-singing glow onion in Bitter Homes and Gardens, a devised “caba-play” with Bearded Ladies Cabaret. Bell also worked on James Ijames’ new play Miz Martha and read the lead role in Stew and Heidi Rodewald’s new musical The Total Bent in UArts’ Polyphone Festival. Bell reprised his role in The Total Bent for a subsequent reading in New York this summer. This fall, he was scheduled to reprise his role in Bitter Homes and Gardens at Washington College in Chestertown, Md.

Edge18_final-12-16-16.newfile.indd 49

Evan Wilson BFA ’16 (Theater Design + Technology) recently completed a light mural in South Philadelphia with former lighting design professor Drew Billiau. The installation, titled Electric Street, received quite a bit of buzz, with coverage in Gizmodo, The Philadelphia Inquirer and Philadelphia Magazine, among others.

Wilson served as associate lighting designer, responsible for engineering and designing the lights and control system.

49

12/19/16 8:10 AM

In Memoriam Alumni Joseph J. Bulinkis

Richard M. Brady, Jr.

Joseph J. Bulinkis BFA ’52 (Industrial Design) of West Chester, Pa., died in Reston, Va., on January 1, 2013, after a short illness. He was born September 30, 1924, in Philadelphia and since 1997, lived in West Chester. Bulinkis served with the U.S. Army 20th Air Force in the Pacific Theater during World War II. After his honorable discharge, he graduated from the Philadelphia Museum School of Industrial Art (PMSIA, now UArts) and worked in his field until his retirement as senior engineer in 1987. During his career, he was credited with designing the first shoulderheld commercial video camera, assessing space suit and spacevehicle-control interface ergonomics, and co-authoring papers and patents as a consultant for NASA. He also taught design in the evening division of PMSIA. Bulinkis was a home workshop enthusiast, artist and photographer, creating children’s toys, kaleidoscopes, clocks, as well as watercolors, oil paintings and stained-glass pieces for family and friends. He was an avid private pilot and was proud to receive his seaplane pilot’s rating at age 70.

Richard “Dick” M. Brady, Jr. BFA ’57 (Art Education), 88, of Bethlehem, Pa., formerly of Allendale, N.J., and Carlisle, Pa., passed away on May 12, 2016. Born in Easton, Pa., to the late Richard M. Brady, Sr. and Mary “Mae” G. (Prendergast) Brady, he was also the stepson of the late Mary (Reynolds) Brady. A U.S. Air Force veteran of the Korean War, he graduated from the Philadelphia College of Art (now UArts) and from Temple University with an M.Ed. He was a high school art teacher for 31 years at Mountain Lakes High School, Bernards High School and Northern Highlands Regional High School, all in New Jersey.

George A. Freyer George A. Freyer BFA ’52 (Graphic Design), 88, died at his home in Philadelphia on March 4, 2016. A graduate of Girard College and the Philadelphia College of Art (now UArts), he was preceded in death by his wife, Juliet Stacks. Freyer was the beloved uncle of Kathy Hipple and Holly Friel, and great uncle of Stephanie, Elizabeth and Alex. As requested, his remains were donated to the Humanity Gifts Registry for medical education and research.

Sidney Taylor Sidney Taylor BFA ’57 (Art Education) passed away on December 8, 2015. After receiving his BFA from UArts, Taylor taught in Pennsylvania for eight years before becoming the television specialist for the school district in Willingboro, N.J., for 20 years. Following his retirement, Taylor was an adjunct professor of Television Communications at Burlington County College for four years. He was the television executive project director for the Bicentennial New Jersey Past and Present. Taylor was involved in many organizations throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey. He was a lecturer on and a descendant of Harriet Ross Tubman. He was an author, journalist and pursued his love of art, music and theater. As president of the African-American Historical & Cultural Society of Bucks County in Bristol, Pa., he was instrumental in the fundraising project for the Harriet Ross Tubman Monument, which stands on the banks of the Delaware in the Riverfront Park in Bristol.

Samuel S. Street Samuel S. Street DIPL ’58 (Advertising Design) passed away on June 23, 2015. He was a well-known artist in Sheridan, Wyo., and will be remembered as the “Painter of Main Street” for his colorful paintings of downtown Sheridan. He exhibited his work throughout the country. His business career included many leadership roles in the cable TV industry, including at Viacom, United Cable TV and many independent cable companies. He assisted with the formation of cable network Showtime and the Lifetime channel.

50

edge

Joseph Tiberino

John Dougherty

Joseph Tiberino BFA ’60 (Illustration), patriarch of a family known to many as the “West Philly Wyeths,” died on February 19, 2016. He was 77. The prolific artist was married to Ellen Powell Tiberino, the late doyenne of African-American art, and was the father of four. The family’s Powelton Village home included art studios and the Ellen Powell Tiberino Memorial Museum, founded in 1999, seven years after its namesake’s death from cancer at age 54. Tiberino and his wife worked in a variety of mediums, including drawing, oil and watercolor painting, mixed-media murals, and mosaics. His work has been shown in numerous exhibitions around the country, including at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the African-American Museum in Philadelphia. Tiberino owned the Bacchanal, an artistic hotspot located at 13th and South Streets from 1980 to 1992. In the 2015 documentary, Tiberino, he described how the family transformed their home into a museum that houses not only their work, but also the works of more than 30 other artists. This hidden oasis of art is, in some circles, considered the epicenter of the art community that has contributed to the cultural vibrancy of Philadelphia and inspired artists throughout the region. Like his late wife, Tiberino created art until his final days. His last public work was a portrait of Pope Francis done during the pope’s 2015 visit to Philadelphia and was displayed at the Ellen Powell Tiberino Memorial Museum.

John Dougherty BFA ’71 (Painting) passed away on February 5, 2016, following an illness. After receiving his BFA, he worked many years at UArts when it was still the Philadelphia College of Art as the assistant director of Admissions, then became director of Admissions at the Atlanta College of Art. Later in life, Dougherty went on to have careers in real estate and finally became a social worker for the City of Philadelphia before he retired. Upon graduation from the University of the Arts, Dougherty won the Miriam Cantor Award for the Highest Accomplishment in Painting.

His son, Josh Dougherty BM ’01 (Instrumental Performance), MM ’03 (Jazz Studies), also graduated from UArts.

Edward Frascella Edward Frascella BFA ’62 (Dimensional Design) of Cherry Hill, N.J., passed away on April 1, 2016. He was born and raised in Philadelphia, where he attended Overbrook High School. He enjoyed spending summers in Wildwood, N.J., where he worked at a shooting gallery on the boardwalk. Frascella went on to graduate from the Philadelphia College of Art (now UArts) and taught ceramics and photography in Cherry Hill. He enjoyed the arts and photography, inspiring many students to further their careers in this field. He enjoyed his retirement working on his beach house, mentoring others in ceramics at the Ocean City (N.J.) Community Center, and spending time with family and friends. Frascella was the beloved husband of Josephine for 20 years; loving father of Kenneth, Fleur and Isabelle; and adoring grandfather of Paris, Harry and Sydney.

51

The Universit y of the Ar ts 320 South Broad Street Philadelphia, PA 19102

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

the magazine of

edge

TH E UN I V E RSIT Y O F TH E A R T S

edge t h e m a g a z i n e o f THE UNIVERSIT Y OF THE ARTS

CE L E B R AT E S 140 Y E A R S

Wi n t e r 2 0 1 7

T HE U NIV E R S I T Y OF T HE A RT S

Wi n t e r 2 0 1 7

T HE M A KE R ’ S M OM E NT

n o.18

uarts.edu

1