VCUArts and Manhattan

Virginia arts organizations and artists wowed Manhattan at a weekend of events sponsored by major Virginia arts groups and donors, including an impressive New York debut for the Richmond Ballet. On April 8, Governor Mark Warner sponsored a gala reception for Virginia artists and major donors at the Whitney Museum of American Art. VCU School of the Arts alumni and faculty far outnumbered those from other state institutions. VCU’s established luminaries and new stars included painters Judith Godwin, ‘52BFA and Stephen Clark ‘79BFA, and sculpture graduates Mike Asente ‘82BFA, Monique Luchetti ‘81BFA, Wayne Hodge ‘99BFA, and Chris Kasper ‘00BFA. They helped spotlight Virginia art and artists working and performing in the City and in Virginia.

VCU students shared the spotlight as well. Director Antonio Garcia and five VCU Jazz student musicians performed at the reception. VCU Music Chair John Guthmiller and flautists performed for an exclusive dinner that followed at the Frick Collection.

Pupil by Elizabeth King 1987-90 Porcelain, glass eyes, carved wood (Swiss pear), brass Half life-size: dimensions can vary; all joints are movable

VCU sculpture graduate students have received 2 of 4 national Jacob K. Javits Fellowships in 2005 in studio art. Angela White was ranked number one and John Henry Blatter number two.

The Javits Fellowship program provides financial assistance to students who have demonstrated superior academic ability and achievement; exceptional promise; and financial need to undertake graduate study leading to a doctoral degree or a master's degree in which the master's degree is the terminal highest degree in the selected field of study.

The Department of Education awards fellowships in selected fields of study of the arts, humanities and social sciences. The average award in 2005 is $41,774

Bonnie Collura, ‘94 BFA in Sculpture, has received a 2005 Guggenheim Fellowship. Ms. Collura is an artist in Brooklyn and Adjunct Professor of Sculpture at Rhode Island School of Design and University of the Arts. VCUarts Professor Elizabeth King was a recipient in 2002 and alumna Teresita Fernandez, ’92 MFA in Sculpture, has also received a Guggenheim Fellowship.

Guggenheim Fellowships are grants made to advanced professionals in the fields of natural sciences, social sciences, humanities, and creative arts who have a significant record of exhibition or performance of their work.

Guggenheim Fellowships are granted with few conditions as they are intended to provide Fellows with blocks of time in which they can work with as much creative freedom as possible.

The April 2005 issue of ART FORUM named two VCU sculpture graduates as Top 10 Young Artists: SunTek Chung, ’98 BFA, and Brad McCallum, ‘89 BFA. See the full article at http://www.artforum.com/inprint/id=8609

Three recent Skowhegan Sculpture Fellowships have gone to VCU artists – grad student Gabe Bennett in 2004, grad student David Herbert and Kai Vierstra, ’04 MFA, in 2005. This prestigious program accepts fewer than 5% of its applicants.

Fernando Mastrangelo MFA Thesis Exhibition 2004 (detail)

The Master of Fine Arts Thesis Exhibition at VCU’s Anderson Gallery is the final requirement for students earning a masters degree in the fine arts and design departments at VCU. Each of the participating artists will exhibit work representing the culmination of their 2 year masters program in one of the following: painting, printmaking, sculpture, communication arts and design, crafts, photography, or interior design. "These exhibitions provide an excellent opportunity for viewers to invest in up-and-coming artists, as many of the pieces on view will be for sale," said Amy Moorefield, assistant director and curator of collections for the Anderson Gallery.

VCU's Anderson Gallery, 907 1/2 W. Franklin Street, Master of Fine Arts Thesis Exhibitions: Round 1 -- April 22-May 1 with opening reception on April 22 at 5 pm. Round 2 -- May 6-15 with opening reception on May 6 at 5 pm.

Fashion Department

The VCU Department of Fashion Design & Merchandising will present its annual fashion show at the newly renovated VCU Student Commons, 907 Floyd Avenue, at 8 p.m. on Friday, May 6. “Elements” will present unprecedented levels of creativity and energy, on behalf of both the students and faculty involved. This year’s show will feature eleven segments, all of which have a central focus on nature and design elements translated into fashion – including silk loungewear inspired by water, a linen “energy” collection, and a “bark” sportswear segment.

Elements will showcase student designs that have been created during the academic year. Featured designs were selected by a jury of fashion professionals, based on creativity, theme, and execution. All are invited. To purchase tickets please call the department office at 804.828.1699. Tickets wil be sold on a first come, first served basis at $35 for preferred seating and $25 for general admission, and in the past have sold out well before the evening of the show.

Theatre Department

On May 2 and 16, VCU Theatre graduating performance majors will present the annual Senior Showcase at the Theatre Building in Chicago and on the campus of Catholic University in Washington, D.C. Each fall semester graduating VCU seniors are auditioned to be accepted into the VCU Senior Showcase. This is a tremendous opportunity for these students to network with potential employers and promote their talent. Under the direction of senior class acting instructor, Lorri Lindberg, the cast of the showcase creates an evening of scenes and songs to be presented to national and regional talent and casting directors of theatre, television and film companies in those areas.

Last year’s showcases, held in New York City and D.C., were astounding successes, yielding excellent employment opportunities for those graduating seniors. D.C.’s Signature Theatre expressed great interest in Tori Ulrich, Alanna Wilson and Clifton Duncan (who was cast in a production that next spring), and Sarah Anderson and Heather Burgher were asked to join the stable of young actors on CBS’s Guiding Light.

This year’s showcase cast promises to be even more successful as VCU ventures into the film, television and theatre families. Student participants include Toni Bradford, Anna Irby, Zak Angel, Corey Spruill, Matt Shofner, Amy Lollo, Marcus Kenyadi, Lakesha Walker, Ben Hill, Kimberly Weeda, Sabrina Walker, C. Sean Piereman, Molly Archuletta and TJ Fix, along with senior production managers Julia Jolly, Carolyn Christenson and Lizzie Oderwald, and accompanist Gerron Atkinson.

Fashion Department - Qatar

While cities such as Paris, London, Milan, and New York are traditionally regarded as the fashion capitals of the world, these days the unique style of Australian designers Pam Easton and Lydia Pearson makes that concept outdated. The Easton Pearson label has been described as clothes with a soul; clothes with a style that challenges all boundaries and accepts no barriers. Transforming Traditions will be on view April 13 through May 30, 2005 at the Gallery of Art, VCU School of the Arts in Qatar. Honesty. Vulnerability. Parity. VCUQ presents Transforming Traditions, a fashion collection based on the traditional styles of indigenous communities.

Pamela Easton and Lydia Pearson, Australian designers, who have been working together for the past twenty years, described themselves as kindred spirits. The two women share an inimitable infatuation for the faded refinement and eccentricity of vintage clothes. After meeting and deciding to write down and exchange their aspirations the two women embarked together on an ingenious journey through the indigenous influences on fashion. Together they create contemporary clothing that has the reminiscent romance and delicate embossing of vintage dresses. The designers say that their clothes do not necessarily represent a trend, but rather an interpretation of a trend that is set by the buyer.

Precious Lovell, curator for the exhibition and assistant professor in the Fashion Design Department at VCUQ states: “Transforming Traditions is about fusing the past and the present through good design. It is an exhibition of the clothing label Easton Pearson and their utilization of traditional techniques and cultural sensibilities as stimuli for many of their contemporary collections”. The Easton Pearson Show is of particular importance in Qatar, where the drive for modernity leaves space to protect the traditional customs of the past, including the clothes worn. The exhibition has been designed by senior students from the Communication Design Program at VCUQ, under the guidance of assistant professor Pornprapha Phatanateacha who teaches Exhibition and Environmental Graphics. The catalogue was designed by VCUQ alumna, Dana Adhab. The showcase presents a true collaboration between designers and university.

Today, Easton Pearson has more than 70 international clients in 25 countries, ranging from Norway to Saudi Arabia, with Italy and the US as their biggest markets. Their designs are now sold in stores such as Belinda in Sydney, Husk in Melbourne, Brown’s and The Cross in London, L’Eclaireur in Paris, Biffi and Banner in Milan, Barney’s in Tokyo, Lane Crawford in Hong Kong, Bergdorf Goodman in New York and Dhosa Workshop in San Francisco.