• The 2009 US News & World Report Visual Arts and Design rankings have just been released and VCUarts is once again ranked as the #1 public university school of arts and design in the country. Click here for all our ranking information.

• Murry DePillars, who spent nearly 25 years at VCU School of the Arts - 19 of those years as dean, shaping the school significantly - passed away May 31. A memorial service will be held Saturday, June 21 at noon at the Allix B. James Chapel, 1500 N. Lombardy St., on the campus of Virginia Union University in Richmond.

• Ledelle Moe, Sculpture MFA alumna, wins the 2008 Kreeger Museum Artist Award and $20,000 prize.

• VCU Jazz alumnus/saxophonist/composer/bandleader Samson Trinh is among the diverse group of artists chosen as the Independent Music Awards (IMAs) Vox Populi winners.

• Theatre alumni Court Watson and Hilary Noxon, both from Chesapeake, and both scenic designers, have worked on shows that are nominated for a Tony award. Watson worked on the set design for Cry-Baby and Noxon was part of In the Heights, each nominated for Best Musical as well as other categories.

• Kinetic Imaging Assistant Professor Stephen Vitiello will have his second solo exhibition (sound) in Los Angeles July 10 through August 30. The exhibition Duets will at McKunst, 6086 Comey Avenue, Los Angeles. Opening reception is July 19, 6-8pm. It includes collaborations with Julie Mehretu and Tony Oursler.

• Dance alumnus Jason Somma is featured as part of the Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative.

• Craft/Material Studies News:
Sarah Holden (BFA) received a full scholarship to the MFA metals program at UW- Milwaukee.
Kari Scott (BFA) received a full scholarship to the MFA program in Fiber at Tyler School of Art and Temple University.

Graduate student, Jon Sutter, has his work included in the recently published book,  Studio Furniture of the Renwick Gallery: Smithsonian American Art Museum by Oscar Fitzgerald. Travis Townsend (MFA) received another award this year from the  Virginia A. Groot Foundation.

• Interior Design alumna, Tammy Lippman, who works for Hickok Cole Architects in Washington, DC, has won a 2008 NAIOP MD/DC Award of Excellence for Best First Floor Use and was a published in Home & Design Magazine.

• Two students from Fashion Design and Merchandising have received awards from AATCC. The competition received 140 entries from 25 institutions. Jessica Lee won 2nd place in the Apparel Design Category, Fabric Design category and Casey Bianco took 2nd place in the Apparel Design Category, Product Design. Casey also won a trip to Bradfor, England to compete for the Society of Dyers and Colourists Global Design Competition. Their projects were from Associate Professor Kristin Caskey's Fall Patterned Object class.

• Music News:
Trombone alumnus Terry Baber's company, Brokenslide Music, has published a book for trombonists by Harry Rios titled "Caribbean Duets 1." Baber is Director of Operations for Wizard Connection and trombonist with the Orlando House of Blues.

Alumnus and adjunct faculty member Taylor Barnett (B.M. 2002, M.M. 2004) recently celebrated the release of his debut CD "For Someone." The disc, which features the Taylor Barnett 10-tet performing his original compositions and arrangements received a four star review in Style Weekly. The disc also featured a host of VCU Music alumni including co-producer and guitarist Trey Pollard (B.M. 2005), trombonist Bryan Hooten (M.M. 2006), saxophonist Jason Scott (B.M. 1998), and pianist Ryan Corbitt (B.M. 2004).

• Photography and Film student Jenne Jones has won first place and Sara D'Eugenio has won third place in the national MyShot08™! Photo Contest. Sophomores Arlie Trowbridge and Marion Brafford will be published in Studio Visit Magazine Fall 2008. VCU has the most entries and received Best in Show. Studio Visit Magazine is a new series of art books that present in each edition the work of 150 artists who are selected by professional curators from thousands of entrants.

Photography and Film faculty member, Jake Dodd will have his documentary "Nunna Mia e la Barca, screened at the Rosebud Film & Video Festival on June 14 at the Rosslyn Spectrum Theater in Arlington, VA.

• Communication Arts Professor Robert Meganck won Best in Show from the 14th Exhibition of the Illustrators Club of Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia. He and his work are also featured in the Washington Post.