Mark Newport ME AND THE GUYS | 2005 | Photo injet print, Ed/8 | 13” x 19” Image courtesy the Artist and Greg Kucera Gallery, Seattle

TRANSFORMER features dynamic work by artists who address issues of role-playing, gender and identity through employing alter egos in their work.

TRANSFORMER pulls together a diverse selection of artists whose work tangles with the possibilities of personality and appearance, racial and sexual stereotype, role-playing and reality. Featuring the work of the artist collective FEAST, Mark Newport, McCallum & Tarry, and Annie Schap, each artist employs various strategies to assume different roles, ranging from the subtle to the extreme. From Clark Kent’s phone-booth mutation and Princess Diana of Themyscira’s transformation into Wonder Woman to Oscar Wilde's character Dorian Gray, the alter ego has undeniable allure and functions as a visual strategy to manifest and masquerade our desires. TRANSFORMER is curated by Amy Moorefield, VCUarts Anderson Gallery’s Assistant Director and Curator. The exhibition runs June 15 – August 11, 2007.  For more information visit http://www.pubinfo.vcu.edu/artweb/gallery/upcoming/upcoming_info.html.

As the school year winds down, the summer heats up at VCUarts as interesting programs provide opportunities for middle, high school and post-baccalaureate students.

The VCU Music Summer String Camp is a week-long day camp for middle & high school students interested in violin, viola, cello & bass. Professional musicians and music educators will conduct master classes, run sectionals and teach private lessons. Students will be immersed in music by playing in chamber ensembles, orchestra, learning about improvisation & jazz, practicing in new and exciting ways and listening to faculty performances. Held at the Maggie Walker Governor’s School, the camp runs July 8-14, 2007. For more information please visit http://www.pubinfo.vcu.edu/artweb/music/orch/camp/index.htm

The VCUarts Summer Intensive residency program offers high school students an opportunity to explore their interests in the fine arts, design arts or performing arts by promoting cross-disciplinary approaches to creative activity. It also imparts practical knowledge and skills to prepare performing artists for college auditions and visual artists for the creation of their application portfolios.

Christine Llewellyn, the mother of theatre student who participated last summer, explained, “The program was better than any educational consultant I could have hired. The three weeks at the Summer Intensive clarified my daughter’s passion for acting and her full-time contact with the course instructors erased her doubts about a potential career in performance. As a parent, I could not have asked for anything more from a program. Kate acquired skills from professionals, had the opportunity to spend three weeks clarifying her college major, and made friends with young adults who share her passion."

The program dates are July 8–27, 2007 and additional information is available at http://www.pubinfo.vcu.edu/artweb/test/html/summer.asp?id=7

The Summer Studio Program for sculptors, painters and printmakers who hold an undergraduate degree is sponsored by the Departments of Painting and Printmaking & Sculpture + Extended Media. The program fosters the development of professional attitudes and skills with an emphasis on individual investigation. It provides students with an opportunity for intensive studio practice at an advanced level within a community of talented and motivated artists in an 8-week, non-credit, post-baccalaureate residency program. Summer Studio Program participants are expected to develop independent voices, demonstrate comprehensive awareness of historical, contemporary, and critical issues, and articulate ideas both visually and verbally. In addition to studio work, the program includes seminars, workshops, visiting artist lectures, individual and group critiques, field trips and an on-campus exhibition. Additional information is available at http://www.vcu.edu/arts/PDF/SummerStudio_0607.pdf

L. Wayne Batty, the longest-serving faculty member at VCU and Virginia’s longest-serving employee, is retiring from the Department of Music after 58 years.

During his tenure, Mr. Batty taught voice and directed the Madrigalists and from 1959 to 1970 served as department chair.  He has directed and staged over 1,000 opera and musical theater productions in Virginia. For 12 years, he was lieutenant governor of the Virginia chapter of the National Association of Teachers of Singing. He was honored with the prestigious Cultural Laureate Award of Virginia. In 1999, as Mr. Batty celebrated his 50th year of teaching at VCU, he was awarded VCU's Presidential Medallion. His dedication and inspiration are reflected in the professional success of his many students.
Read more about his career in the Richmond Times-Dispatch article found at http://www.timesdispatch.com/cva/ric/news.apx.-content-articles-RTD-2007-05-21-0150.html

So Inclined | Denise Bibro Gallery | June 16 to July 14

Recent MFA Graduates from VCU’s Department of Painting & Printmaking.  Artists include Saul Becker, Jorge Benitez, Calvin Burton, Jason Coates, Jared Lindsay Clark, Lauren Clay, Mike Erickson, Heather Harvey, Rachel Hayes, Andy Kozlowski, Joseph McSpadden, Eric Sall, Jody Schwab, Marian Brunn Smith and Randy Toy.   The gallery is located at 529 West 20th, Arts Building, 4th Floor, New York, NY.  Phone 212-647-7030.
http://www.artnet.com/denisebibrofineart.html

More Fresh Meat | Kim Foster Gallery | June 16 to July 28

Recent MFA Graduates from VCU’s Department of Sculpture + Extended Media.  Artists include Allison P. Andrews, Taylor Baldwin, John Henry Blatter, Nathan Carder, Ross Steven Caudill, Derek Cote, Miriam Ellen Ewers, Christina Angela Fisher, David Herbert, Janelle Iglesias, Benjamin S. Jones, AJ Liberto, Rosemarie Padovano, Matt Spahr and Angela White.  The gallery is located at 529 West 20th, Arts Building, Ground Floor, New York, NY.  Phone 212-229-0044.
http://www.kimfostergallery.com/

And closer to home you can find work by recent MFA graduates featured in Almost Famous II at Reynolds Gallery. Artists include Lauren Clay and Bruce Wilhelm of the Department of Painting & Printmaking; James Kearns, Sarah Mizer, and Kazue Taguchi of the Department of Craft/Material Studies; and Amy Vaughters of the Department of Photography & Film. This is an impressive group of artists whose work varies in size and medium and lends itself to an intriguing exhibit. While in the early stages of their careers, these artists are already garnering attention through local and national exhibits.  This fall Kazue Taguchi MFA 07 will take his work to Spain for an international solo exhibit at the Museo de Arte en Vidrio de Alcorcon.  Reynolds Gallery is located at 1514 West Main Street in Richmond and the exhibition runs June 1 – August 1, 2007.

Reynolds Gallery www.reynoldsgallery.com
Lauren Clay www.doublefluff.com
Amy Vaughters www.amyvaughters.com
Bruce Wilhelm www.brucewilhelm.com

Ever wonder what VCUarts’ graduates do once they get their degrees?  Now you have the opportunity to find out by exploring the web pages of some of our alumni.  Links can be found on the VCUarts website at www.vcu.edu/arts/alumni_and_friends/alumni_webpages.html. 

This list is in the early stages of development and is constantly being updated as more alumni submit their information for inclusion.  If you would like to have your link posted here, please let us know via e-mail to mmitchell@vcu.edu.