|
verge the e-newsletter of the university of the arts
|
A Centennial Celebration: The Evolution of Museum Studies in the U.S.
The University will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the first class in curatorship at the Pennsylvania Museum and School of Industrial Art (a predecessor institution of the University of the Arts, pictured right) in 1908, with a special reception from 6:30 - 10 p.m. on May 3 in the Levitt Auditorium of Gershman Hall. The centennial celebration is being held in conjunction with the 2009 annual meeting and expo of the American Association of Museums in Philadelphia.
As part of the festivities, the University will honor former faculty member and museum pioneer Portia Hamilton Sperr for her commitment and contributions to museum studies, museum education, early childhood education and advancement of the museum field. The founder of Philadelphia's Please Touch Museum as well as the Greene Towne Montessori preschool, Sperr was instrumental in creating the University's Museum Education Program and spearheaded the innovative Philadelphia program "Museums in the Life of the City." She will receive an honorary doctorate of fine arts at the University's commencement ceremony in May.
At the May 3 event, Marjorie Schwarzer, professor and chair of the John F. Kennedy University Museum Studies Program and author of Riches, Radicals and Rivals: 100 Years of Museums in America, will make the presentation "Heart, Soul, Passion: A Brief Tour of Museum Studies and How it Came to Be." University of the Arts President Sean Buffington and Nancy Kolb, president and CEO of the Please Touch Museum, will make introductions. To purchase tickets ($30, but free for Museum Studies students) or RSVP, contact Jennifer Gin at 215-717-6299 by April 27.
|
Inaugural Art Expo/Sale Raises Nearly $100K
The University's inaugural Art Expo/Sale brought together nearly 300 pieces of art from more than 200 university students, faculty and alumni, and raised nearly $100,000 for the University's Promising Young Artists Scholarship Fund. The event featured artwork in book arts, ceramics, fibers, glass, metals/jewelry, wood, illustration, painting, photography, printmaking and sculpture. Sculpture senior Kristin Kind sold five of her "In Herself" pieces (right), in which dolls were sealed inside 20-inch high bottles filled with water.
"I was very pleased with this event," said University of the Arts President Sean T. Buffington. "The Expo/Sale was a great success, from the number of participating artists, to the hundreds of attendees and buyers who turned out, and especially in the extraordinary quality of the student, faculty and alumni work. I look forward to it becoming an annual celebration of the visual work of this community."
Special thanks go to John Middleton, Marguerite and Gerry Lenfest, and Elizabeth Moran for their generous support of this event. University trustees Ira Brind and Eleanor Davis co-chaired the Expo/Sale. The organizing committee comprised trustees Daniel K. Fitzpatrick, Norma Klorfine and Thomas M. Miles, along with Suzanne Naples, Caroline Wischmann, Crafts faculty member Sharon Church, Fine Arts faculty member Jeanne Jaffe and Snyderman Gallery Director Bruce Hoffman.
The University's Promising Young Artists Scholarship Fund plays an important role in financially supporting the University's most talented and deserving students. Donor generosity assists these students in continuing their work and achieving their artistic goals. For more information on the Art Expo/Sale, or if you are interested in becoming a sponsor of the 2010 event, please call Karen Rosenberg, director of special events, at 215-717- 6143.
|
|
'Richard Amsel: A Retrospective' at Rosenwald-Wolf Gallery
To mark the acquisition of the more than 500-piece collection of illustrations and sketches of alumnus Richard Amsel (right), the University of the Arts will present "Richard Amsel: A Retrospective" at the Rosenwald-Wolf Gallery April 15 - May 14. The native Philadelphian created some of the most iconic entertainment-related imagery of the 20th century, including numerous TV Guide covers and movie posters for such films as "Raiders of the Lost Ark" (photo, top left). Read more.
|
ID Senior Wins Industrial Design Society of America National Merit Award
Industrial Design senior Liana Kalushner was selected as an Industrial Design Society of America (IDSA) National Merit Award winner at the IDSA Northeast District Conference. Chosen from nine finalists, her winning presentation of four innovative projects earned her a three-year IDSA membership and an invitation to the society's international conference and education symposium being held in September in Miami. Judged on scope of work, quality of work, quality of thought, visual presentation and verbal presentation, Kalushner made her presentation about her projects Kick It Can: Turning Boredom into Productive Play (above), Urban Dating Guide: Gaining Insight Through Dog Breeds, Greensgrow: Model Urban Farm, and Petro Free: Breast Milk Pump and Bottle Filter System.
|
Musical Theater Showcase in NYC
On March 9, 2009, more than 30 University of the Arts Theater Arts students and several dozen alumni joined four faculty members and invited guests at the Actors Movement Studio in New York City, for the first official University of the Arts Musical Theater showcase in 10 years. The day began with an insightful clinic led by Eric Woodall from Tara Rubin Casting, continued over a networking lunch, and featured two alumni panels -- one a mock audition, the other focused on helping graduates survive their first years in New York City. In the late afternoon and evening, Musical Theater seniors (above) presented performances of their Senior Showcase to a capacity crowd of theater industry representatives, alumni, students, friends, family and assorted well-wishers. View photos.
|
 Alum Jason Blake Wins National Contest for Emerging Photographers
2006 Photography graduate Jason Blake won Digital Photo Pro Magazine's Third Annual Emerging Pro Photo Competition with his image "Brothel" (right), which explores the power of the sexes. Blake earned $10,000 as the grand prize winner. Read more.
|
Multimedia Senior Earns 'Risin g Star' from Philly Ad Club
Multimedia senior Marquis Mosley is the latest College of Media and Communication student to earn "Rising Star" accolades from the Philly Ad Club. Specializing in motion graphics and sound design, Mosely creates title sequences, independent music videos and scores for short films and Web-based television shows. A fan of short fiction writing and interactive design, Mosely is designing an animated storybook based on an original urban fairytale.
|
Foundation Assistant Professor Grothusen's Work Featured at Philadelphia International A irport
"At touchdown and takeoff, I heard a fly buzz," an installation (right) by Foundation Assistant Professor Michael Grothusen, is on display at the Philadelphia International Airport's Terminal A-West through June. The piece is a sculptural installation inspired by an Emily Dickinson poem and the everyday sublime experience of air travel. Passers-by see a double layer of black screen on the interior of the case that creates a Moiré effect, an interference pattern created when two grids are overlaid at an angle or when they are slightly different mesh sizes. The carefully balanced board in the interior slowly rises and falls when gently tapped by the arm of the electric motor. Read more.
|
Photo Senior Julia Mead Wins Olympus Camera Contest
Photo senior Julia Mead has been selected as the winner of an Olympus camera-sponsored contest in which she and nine classmates were videotaped reality television-style snapping images and testing the features of the Olympus E-30 DSLR camera during a three-day whirlwind tour of Philadelphia. Mead's winning image, a portrait of classmate Victor Rodriguez Jr. (photo, top right) taken on the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, was selected for its captivating subject matter, composition, lighting and effective use of the E-30's soft focus filter. Read more.
|
Follow the University of the Arts on Facebook and Twitter 
The best way to stay up-to-date with news and events at the University of the Arts is to become a fan of the University on Facebook, the online social networking Web site, or become a "follower" on the micro-blogging utility Twitter. Registration is required for both of these sites. |
|
|
|
|
|
