News: August / September, 2008
• The 2009 US News & World Report Visual Arts and Design rankings have 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.
• Tara Donovan (1999 VCUarts MFA) has been awarded a $500,000 MacArthur Foundation "Genuis" award. Read about her in the New York Times. Ms. Donovan is the third VCUarts graduate in five years to receive this prestigious award. The others are Teresita Fernandez (2005) and Daisy Youngblood (2003). Congratulations!
• Rex Richardson, associate professor in the Department of Music and Yamaha trumpet artist, will be appearing on Yamaha posters across the country and will be part of a new Carl Fischer Publications book created for trumpet students.
• Faculty news from the Department of Craft/Material Studies
Susie Ganch's work is on the cover of the most recent Metalsmith Magazine ( Vol. 28, No.3) and inside there is a seven page full color article about her work. She recently returned from the opening of the “Women of Metal” exhibition at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. September 20-25, Susie will head to the Bay Area for the Kick Off of Radical Jewelry Makeover. She was also invited to give a lecture at the Metal Arts Symposium in Seattle Washington October 17-19.
Susan Iverson had her work featured in full color in the Tampa Bay News in an article on the American Tapestry Biennial and Handweavers Guild of America Conference being held in Florida.
Jack Wax has been asked to give a keynote address at the conference, "Identifying European Contemporary Glass through tradition, culture and technology" in September in Bornholm, Denmark
Natalya Pinchuk recently returned from the opening of her solo show at Galerie Rob Koudijs in Amsterdam, Netherlands
Sonya Clark has a solo exhibit, Loose Strands, Tight Knots at the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore, MD through September 21. She is heading off to give a lecture at the Walters Museum on her solo exhibit Loose Strands, Tight Knots September 13. Her work can also be seen at the Second Lives exhibit at the Museum of Arts and Design in NYC September 27.
Aaron McIntosh was selected to participate in an exhibit at the biennial symposium of the Textile Society of America. The exhibit is titled "Tattered Cultures, Mended Histories," and will be on display from Sept. 6- 28, 2008 at the Art Academy of Honolulu.
Debbie Quick has her work included in a group exhibit through October 4 at the FFAI Gallery in Cincinnati, OH.
Lydia Thompson is participating in a Ceramics Symposium titled, "Shared Journeys" Chinese/American Ceramic Art and Education" scheduled for October 22-November 2 located in Jingdezhen, China.
• Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar honored three of its faculty members on September 15 with Distinguished Achievement Awards. Recipients are Halim Choueiry, Assistant Professor of Graphic Design, Robin Featherston, Assistant Professor of English and Peter Martin, Assistant Professor of Graphic Design.
• The September issue of Art in America includes mentions of five artists with VCUarts connections - Howrad Rissatti, Karley Klopfenstein, Matt Spahr, Travis Townsend and Eric Sall.
• Kinetic Imaging had two representatives in the recent New Media Symposium at Sewanee (The University of the South). Assistant Professor Stephen Vitiello and MFA student Althea Georgelas exhibited along with Greg Pond August 29 and 30.
• Ledelle Moe, Sculpture MFA alumna, wins the 2008 Kreeger Museum Artist Award and $20,000 prize.
• Rachele Riley, VCUarts MFA alumna and former Kinetic Imaging faculty member has just had her design for the Ann Agee Exhibition brochure (done for VCUart Department of Sculpture + Extended Media) selected from more than 20,000 entrants in Print Magazine's Regional Design Annual.
• The joint effort by VCU Theatre and Internal Medicine to help improve bedside manner has received one of four annual VCU School of Medicine awards for Educational Innovation.
• 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.
