Points of Pride lists faculty, student and alumni achievements. It is accumulated and produced three times a year, generally in January, March, and October.
Grants and Awards
The Hixson-Lied Advisory Board, created to review and react to requests for enhancement funding support from income of the Hixson-Lied endowment to benefit the Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts and its affiliated organizations, approved its first set of allocations at its Oct. 25 meeting. Sixteen projects received funding. See the complete listing of approved expenditures.
Eddie Dominguez, Assistant Professor of Art, received a $50,000 grant from the Albuquerque Community Foundation for his public art project at Washington Middle School in Albuquerque.
The School of Music's opera production, "The Bohemian Girl" won four awards at the Waterford International Festival of Light Opera in September. Dawn Pawlewski won best female singer; Bret Howsden won Best Male Singer; Brandon Dean won best choral presentation, and "The Bohemian Girl" won best operetta. A positive review of the production appeared in the Munster Express on Oct. 4. A preview appeared in the Sept. 26 Belfast (Northern Ireland) Telegraph.
The School of Music's opera production, "Street Scene" has been chosen a winner in Division II of the National Opera Association Opera Production Competition in December. The opera was produced in the fall of 2001, staged by William Shomos, Director of Opera, and conducted by Tyler White, Director of Orchestra. This is the second time that Shomos and the UNL Opera production staff have captured the NOA award ("Cosi fan tutte," performed in the spring of 1999, also won.)
Friends of Arts Are Basic has been awarded a $3,774 grant from Lincoln Benefit Life insurance company that will allow AAB to organize two exhibitions and receptions to honor the work of Wood Lake, Neb., photographer and sixth grader Jason Combs. The first exhibition and reception will be held in Wood Lake; the second will be at the Great Plains Art Collection.
A to Z Printing received the Heartland Print Gallery Gold Award in October for their work on art-inspired trading cards created as an educational program for students by the Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery and Nebraska Art Association (NAA). The award, presented in the "Miscellaneous 5+ Color" category, is the first for A to Z Printing, a locally owned printing company.
The Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery Docent Program was given the Nebraska Museums Association Award of Merit at the association's annual conference in October. In its 38th year, the Sheldon Docent Program continues to enrich lives of University of Nebraska-Lincoln students, the Lincoln community and the state of Nebraska through instruction, research and service. Annually, docents provide tours for more than 14,000 visitors.
Faculty
Scott Anderson, Associate Professor of Trombone, performed this fall as principal, assistant principal and second trombone with the Minnesota Orchestra on three different concert series. Anderson also performed with the Omaha Symphony on two concert series programs. Solo performances include the Ballade for Trombone and Wind Ensemble by Frank Martin with the ACC Heartland of America Band at the Nebraska Music Educators Conference and a solo recital on campus. The Nebraska Trombone Ensemble, directed by Anderson, was invited to perform at the Nebraska Music Educators Conference on November 22. The group premiered Composerin-Residence Randall Snyder's arrangement of the music of Stephen Foster in "From a Distant Past." In addition, the ensemble was invited to perform a holiday concert in the Haymarket and was one of the featured ensembles in the Christmas Festival Concert at Christ Lutheran Church in Lincoln.
John Bailey, Larson Professor of Flute, was elected President-elect of the National Flute Association at its annual convention in August. He becomes President of the 6000-member association in November 2003.
Paul Barnes, Associate Professor of Piano and Co-Chair of the Piano Area, gave the world premier performance of "Ancient Keys," a piano concerto by Victoria Bond based on a Greek Orthodox chant. He premiered the work, which received a standing ovation, with the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra on November 4 in Indianapolis. Barnes then traveled to Bratislava, Slovakia, to perform and record with the Slovak Radio Orchestra. He performed in an "American Music Concert" on November 21 and then recorded two Gershwin concertos, as well as "Ancient Keys." The upcoming CD will also include the newly commissioned piano concerto by Philip Glass to commemorate the Lewis and Clark bicentennial.
Peter Bouffard, Lecturer of Guitar, and Associate Professor of Double Bass and Jazz Performance Rusty White, double bass, performed with a local drummer and saxophonist October 27 at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. This was Bouffard's third and final doctoral recital. He expects to receive the DMA in Jazz Studies and Guitar Performance in May 2003.
Santiago Cal, Assistant Professor of Art, was featured in the article "Zero: Starting from Scratch" the October-December 2002 issue of Art Nexus.
Diane Cawein, Associate Professor of Clarinet, visited the Florida State University School of Music in late October where she gave three masterclasses and performed as clarinet soloist on two selections with the FSU Wind Orchestra. Cawein premiered the clarinet and wind ensemble version of "CaweinLair" by Mark Schultz, a work originally commissioned as a clarinet and piano composition for the 2001 NMTA Convention. In addition to this premiere performance, Cawein also performed as E-flat clarinet soloist on Luigi Bassi's "Gran Duetto Concertante" for two clarinets and wind ensemble.
Mark Clinton, Associate Professor of Piano and Co-Chair of the Piano Area, appeared as guest soloist with the Concert Artists of Baltimore Orchestra, under the direction of Maestro Edward Polochick, on November 23. The chief music critic of the Baltimore Sun praised the performance of Grieg's Piano Concerto in A minor, saying that "Clinton and Polochick largely eschewed sentiment in favor of crisp, bold attacks and strong tension. The drive and security of Clinton's pianism paid off handsomely."
Carolee Curtright, Professor Emeritus of Music, directed the Lincoln Public Schools Middle School Choral Festival on November 12 with over 400 middle school students from 10 Middle Schools participating.
Larson Professor of Organ and Music Theory/History Quentin Faulkner's article, "More Than Meets the Eye: Slurs and Metrical Ambiguities in Bach's 'Prelude and Fugue in E-Flat' (BWV 552)," was published in the October 2002 issue of the American Organist magazine. The article is slated to be reprinted in the British journal Organists' Review.
Lisa Fusillo, Professor of Dance, gave a presentation and master class at the Yamazaki Academy in Shizouka, Japan in November. She has organized and facilitated a series of guest artist residencies for Dance Division during the Fall 2002: Kim Robards of the Kim Robards Dance Company (Denver); Kennet Oberly former Artistic Director of Ballet Iowa and former dancer with the Stuttgart and Bejart Ballet companies; Rhythm McCarthy, professor of dance at Southwest Missouri State University and former professional dancer with North Carolina Dance Theatre; and Dadisi Sanyika, West African drummer and dancer. Fusillo is directing, rehearsing and preparing all the choreographic works set by each of the artists for the Dance Gala 2003 February 28-March 2. Fusillo presented a lecture-demonstration of modern dance to the annual UNL Emeriti Faculty luncheon with eight dance students performing. Fusillo's CD titled "Backstage: Music for the Ballet Class" is being released December 2002. She is listed in the Marquis Who's Who of American Women for 2002.
Larry Lusk, Founding Dean and Professor Emeritus of Music, released his CD, "Favorite Romantic Encores" in October, created for the Friends of Lied as a fund-raising venture to benefit the Lied Center for Performing Arts. The CD is available at the Lied Center Box Office and administrative offices.
Albie Micklich, Assistant Professor of Bassoon, performed Mozart's Bassoon Concerto with the Lincoln Symphony Orchestra on November 5. Micklich was also featured in a UNL faculty recital September 22 with Associate Professor of Clarinet Diane Cawein, Assistant Professor of Piano Nicole Narboni and Associate Professor of Piano Mark Clinton.
The Moran Woodwind Quintet (John Bailey, flute; William McMullen, Oboe; Diane Cawein, clarinet; Allen French, horn; and Albie Micklich, bassoon) gave a recital and masterclasses at Missouri Western State College in St. Joseph, Missouri in November.
Glenn Nierman, Steinhart Professor and Chair of Music Education and Interim School of Music Associate Director, is beginning work on the editorship (with Patricia Shand of the University of Toronto) of papers from the 2000 and 2002 International Society of Music Education Music in Schools and Teacher Education Seminars.
Audun Ravnan, Professor Emeritus of Music, received the Teacher of the Year Award from the Nebraska Music Teacher Association in October. He was also named a "Foundation Fellow" by the National Music Teachers Association.
Scribante Professor of Organ George Ritchie's latest 2-CD set of recordings in his ongoing series surveying the complete organ works of J.S. Bach has recently been reviewed in The American Organist and in the British journal The Organ. Reviewer Paul Aldridge wrote in The American Organist about J.S. Bach Organ Works: Vol. V, Orgelbuchlein Plus: "Opening this magnificent volume can be likened to opening a gift of superior confections. One wishes to overindulge, and it is easy to do so. This is not a gift to be enjoyed all at once. Rather, it is to be savored over time, conserved for moments when the requisite attention can be devoted to it...." In The Organ, reviewer David Baker wrote: "(Ritchie's) technique, phrasing and articulation are immaculate. Nor is he afraid to experiment with the many colors of the organ, much as Bach himself must have done." Released on the Raven label, the recording may be obtained in Room 122, Westbrook Music Building.
Patrick Rowan, Professor Emeritus of Art, was selected to exhibit his sculptures, "Father and Son" at the Art Center in Steamboat Springs, Colo., national juried exhibition entitled "Indoor Art." His large, carved wood sculptures have also been installed as a permanent addition at the Lied Center for the Fine and Performing Arts at Creighton University in Omaha.
Tyler White, Associate Professor of Music and Director of Orchestral Activities, recently completed the motet De Profundis, commissioned by Sacred Arts Council Lincoln. The work will be premiered Spring 2003, by Dulces Voces. Also, on Dec 7, the Lincoln Symphony, along with UNL Men's Varsity Chorus and the Collegiate Chorale, premiered his choral/orchestral work "From Heaven Above: A Holiday Prelude after J. S. Bach and Otto Nicolai," which he conducted.
Sandra Williams, Assistant Professor of Art, along with two of her students, Russell Meyer and Krista Robbins, are featured in the December UCARE (Undergraduate Creative Activities and Research Experiences) Newsletter, which can be found athttp://www.unl.edu/ucare/decembernews.pdf.
Students
Kate Bingaman (MFA) received two Gold Awards and a Silver Award for her work in the recent American Institute of Graphic Arts student competition. Denise Brady (MFA) received a Silver Award for her book, issued to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Prairie Schooner last October, in the professional category of the same competition.
Dennis DeWald (BM) and Jason Faas (DMA) have won positions in the Plymouth Brass ensemble of First-Plymouth Congregational Church in Lincoln.
Heather Hernandez (DMA) received the Verna Ross Orndorff Grant for Career Performance. The annual grant of $2,000 is awarded to a member of Sigma Alpha Iota, a women's international music fraternity, to assist an outstanding young performance artist who is preparing for a concert career.
Marcus Oatis (BM flute) won the Music Teacher's National Association (MTNA) Nebraska State Woodwind Collegiate Competition in October. The Narom Woodwind Quintet (Alyssa Johnson (BME), flute; Lindsay Wiley (BM), oboe; Jake Wallace (BA), clarinet; Gina Goettl (BA), horn; and Kelly Ludgate (BME), bassoon) won the state's Collegiate Chamber Music Competition. Both Oatis and the Quintet will be competing at the regional level in Sioux Falls, SD, in January.
Bryant Scott (BA) performed with the Nebraska Jazz Orchestra this fall.
Ten Dance Division students performed "Waves Against Sand" by Kim Robards and "Soliloquy" (with guest dancer Jennifer Dunn) for the two gala performances November 15-16 at the Kansas Dance Festival.
Seven UNL photography undergraduate students had photographs selected for the Midwest Society for Photographic Education Student Photo Exhibition Oct. 29-Nov. 29 at the Urban Institute for Contemporary Art in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Stacey Eggers (BA), Sara Fuller, Heather Glenboski (2 photos), Elizabeth Kallstrom, Megan Ludwickson (BFA), Bradley Peters, and Austin Skiles (2 photos, BFA) entered and were accepted for the show. The exhibition was juried by a panel of student photographers. Glenboski, a senior BFA art student from Bellevue, Neb., received a Third Place Award. Peters, a senior BA psychology student from Columbus, Neb., received an Honorable Mention Award.
Alumni
Kyle Avery (BME 2002) is teaching public school in Logan, Iowa.
A theatrical production, "Today Marks the Beginning," which tells the story of people responding to the AIDS epidemic in Africa and is based on Karen Blessen's (BFA 1973) Dallas Morning News story, "Faces of a Plague: An Artist's Journey into the Heart of a Deadly Epidemic," will be performed December 16-17 at the Rotunda theatre in Dallas.
Allison Fox (BFA 2002) is working as a visual display specialist in Omaha.
Kevin Fullerton (MM 2002) is teaching and performing as a freelance trombonist in Kansas City, Missouri.
Ryan Johnston (BA Theatre Arts 1999) appeared in a featured role in an episode of The District on CBS-TV on November 2.
Aaron Misenheimer (MM 2002) is teaching trombone students in Denton, Texas.
Richard Moses (BFA 1959) had an exhibition entitled "Collage-Assemblage" at the Gallery 9 in Lincoln October 30-December 1.
Andy Strain (BA 2001) performed on a new CD by John Kenney in Germany.
Affiliates
Arts Are Basic: Simeon Dist. 5 East hosted Arts Are Basic for Cherry County rural schools 101, 178, and 5 West on October 29. Professional artist and choreographer, Rhea Gill, from Doane College, introduced the basics of dance to the students, while AAB Director Kit Voorhees discussed the relationship of arts and dance to the migration of students' families to Nebraska. Each school district presented a dance they had choreographed previously, which was critiqued by the artist.
The Mary Riepma Ross Media Arts Center opens formally next semester. In December, Barco technicians installed the new digital electronic projector. It is the first and only installation of a projector of this kind at any university in the entire world, and there are only 160 of these machines installed in theaters in the world. The new Mary Riepma Ross Media Arts Center features two screens, state-of-the-art technology (including a surround sound system donated by Dolby), a research library and film storage archive, offices, and a concessions stand featuring coffee equipment donated by The Mill. There are two theaters. One, which seats a little less than 250, has been named The Joseph H. Cooper Theater, in honor of Joseph Cooper, founder of the Cooper Theater Company and the Cooper Foundation. The Cooper Foundation made a significant gift to the University of Nebraska Foundation to benefit the Mary Riepma Ross Media Arts Center building fund. The other seats slightly more than 100. The new center had a grand opening December 10 with the benefit premiere of "About Schmidt" by Omaha native Alexander Payne.
The Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery rehabilitation project is coming to a close. Sheldon will reopen February 14-15. At present, new compact storage systems are being installed in our basement storage area, made possible by the receipt of a $50,000 grant from the Institute for Museum and Library Services. Terry Nygren has joined the staff as Development Director, a position that is being supported by a three-year grant from the Woods Charitable Fund, Inc., matched by the University of Nebraska Foundation. Lincoln Community Foundation has awarded the Nebraska Art Association $11,555 to support the installation of a Learning Center and Welcome Desk at the Sheldon.
Curator Dan Siedell had his Ed Ruscha exhibition catalogue review published in the summer 2002 Great Plains Quarterly, and a review of Sybil Kantor's "Alfred Barr and the Intellectual Origins of the Museum of Modern Art" published in CAA reviews. In October, Administrator PJ Jacobs and Curator of Education Karen Janovy attended the Nebraska Museums Association annual meeting in Omaha; Janovy also represented the Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery at the Nebraska Art Teachers Association fall conference and board meeting in Hastings.
Statewide Exhibition Coordinator Sharon Gustafson gave a presentation on "Early Nebraska Women Artists" at the Museum of Nebraska Art in Kearney on October 4. "Torn Notebook: The Creative Process" closed its statewide tour at Cornerstone Bank in York (September 3-27) and at the Norfolk Arts Center (September 29-November 1). This year's exhibition, "Town and Country" debuted at the Hotel Pawnee-Crystal Ballroom in North Platte (October 8-November 8) and is presently on view at the Holdrege Public Library.
Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery docents presented tours for 1,599 students from eight Lincoln public elementary and middle schools in October.