ACCAD Opens its Doors

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The Advanced Computing Center for the Arts and Design (ACCAD) hosts its annual Open House on Friday, May 16, 4-7 pm. All are welcome for a fun, interactive self-guided tour. Visitors will observe state-of-the-art computer animation and digital media performances, plus meet the artists and designers who created them -- ACCAD's graduate students, faculty and staff. ACCAD is engaged in developing new graphics technologies, evolving the art of digital storytelling, collaborating with researchers to visualize scientific discovery and more. The event is free. ACCAD is on west campus at 1224 Kinnear Rd; parking is available in the (north) OSU lot 4-7 pm. (Image is a still from an animated short film, The Fox and the Grapes, by Iuri Lioi with lighting and compositing by Sucheta Bhatawadekar.)

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The School of Music and Columbus Percussion have teamed up to bring critically acclaimed jazz drummer and bandleader Jeff Hamilton and his trio to Columbus on Tuesday, May 13, at 7:30 pm in Hughes Auditorium. The concert is a fundraiser for OSU Jazz Studies, with tickets available at the door for $8 students and $15 adults. Hamilton is widely regarded as one of the finest jazz drummers in the world, and has played with such jazz legends as Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie, Natalie Cole Woody Herman, Ray Brown and more. He is currently touring with Diana Krall. Call 292-0789 for details.

The Department of Theatre presents Working: A Musical by Stephen Schwartz May 15-23 in Thurber Theatre. Based on the best-selling book of interviwes with American workers by Studs Terkel, the play explores the American workday through the eyes of 26 workers who meet in a subway station. According to director Christopher Roche, though Working wasn't commercially successful in its Broadway run in the '70s, it has an incredibly huge cult following. For more details and tickets, call 292-2295. (Photo: theatre student Akil Babb appears as Working character Mike Dillard.)

A summer exhibition at the OSU Urban Arts Space has extended its deadline for entries until May 23. What Time is This Place seeks 6-10 artists of all disciplines to discuss "place" as an emblem of past, present and future time, through the creation of site-responsive and time-specific work. The exhibition will open July 10. For details and an application, click here.

During his May 1 and 2 visit to campus, noted alumnus Steve Martino -- director of 20th Century Fox's animated feature film Horton Hears a Who! -- met with students in Design (above) and at ACCAD. He also presented a free public presentation about animating the Dr. Seuss film.

Ohio State and the University of Alabama (UA) have embarked on an exchange program. OSU representatives including Margaret Wyszomirski (Art Ed), Kelly Stevelt Kaser (OSU Urban Arts Space) and Rick Livingston (Humanities) visited UA in April to explore its "Creative Campus" -- a student-centered organization devoted to the promotion of creativity and collaboration. One of the student founders of Creative Campus is Kristi Wilcox who is now working toward a master's in Arts Policy and Administration at Ohio State. Next fall, UA will visit OSU to explore that master's program in Art Education. Click here for an article about the visit.

Ohio State Fair seeks art entries! There's a call for entries out for the Ohio State Fair Fine Arts Exhibition, funded by the Ohio Arts Council and Ohio Expositions Commission. The exhibition is open to Ohio artists and typically awards more than $15,000. The exhibition includes more than 300 works of art in all mediums and disciplines and draws more than 34,000 visitors during the fair. Deadline is June 7.

30 MFA Artists Downtown

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The OSU Urban Arts Space presents the inaugural group MFA Thesis Exhibition through May 22 at the OSU Urban Arts Space in the historic Lazarus building in downtown Columbus. The exhibition features work by all 30 graduating master of fine arts (MFA) students in the Department of Art, with works in painting & drawing, printmaking, ceramics, art & technology, glass, photography and sculpture. A reception that's free and open to all is planned for Saturday, May 10, 6-9 pm, at the OSU Urban Arts Space, 50 W. Town St. For more details go to the web. (Artwork above by Kumasi Barnett.)

Notable News

Kevin Tavin (Art Education) has been honored with a Fulbright Senior Specialist Award. Tavin will spend three weeks at the University of Art and Design in Helsinki as a Fulbright senior specialist in education. He will work with grad students on an intensive course on contemporary knowledge of visual culture in art education and take part in a docatoral student seminar. He'll visit classrooms, work with students and faculty and will give lectures throughout the department. Tavin also will visit local art institutions, museums and a local school to learn about Finnish art education. Congratulations!

The School of Music remembers Michael Davis, violin, in a memorial concert Monday, May 5, at 8 pm in Weigel Auditorium. Davis taught violin at OSU from 1976 to 2004 and returned as an emeritus professor in 2006. He died of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease) on March 2. The concert will be performed by Nelson Harper, piano; OSU School of Music faculty; and several former students and colleagues from the Columbus Symphony and ProMusica. The concert is free. Call 292-0789 for information.

Check out the annual Mother's Day Glass and Ceramics Sale! OSU art students will be selling a wide variety of glass and ceramics items -- including plates, cups, hand-blown vases, jewelry, paperweights and more -- Thurs, May 8, and Fri, May 9, 9 am-6:30 pm in Hopkins Hall Lobby.

The OSU Urban Arts Space announces free programs for the month of May. Check them out here.

Students in the School of Music are organizing an event Saturday, May 10, to show support for the Columbus Symphony. Matthew Brahms and Julianne Akins (Music) are planning an evening out for 160-200 students and faculty. For $15, the package includes tickets to the last Classical concert of the year, a SymphonySTRONG wrist band, "passion" t-shirt and a chance to meet-and greet Maestro Junichi Hirokami and symphony musicians after the concert at the After Five lounge, where music will be provided by OSU jazz musicians. Transportation provided by CABS buses, which will leave the School of Music at 7:15 pm. For details, go to the web. The event is supported by the OSU School of Music, College of the Arts and Colleges of the Arts and Sciences.

Robert Ladislas Derr's (Art) video installation in Theory + Practice at Gallery Aferro in Newark, NJ, April 19-May 17, was mentioned in an April 29 review in a blog by L. Craig Schoonmaker. In addition, one of Ladislas Derr's videos is being screened in California -- in San Jose, San Francisco and Santa Cruz -- this month as part of The Show Starts on the Sidewalk, an exhbition that is part of Intervene! Interrupt! Rethinking Art as Social Practice (University of California, Santa Cruz).

Undergraduate student Rachael Moore (Art Education) has been honored with the John Mount Academic Excellence Award, which is presented to one outstanding senior who began studies at the OSU Newark campus and completed course work at the Columbus campus.

The Fresh A.I.R. (Artists in Recovery) Gallery in Columbus presents Admission by Jennifer Eisenhauer (Art Education) May 7-30 with a free opening reception May 7, 5:30-7 pm. The artist's installation (above) traces the intersections of historical and contemporary experiences that come to define a person's identity as a mental health consumer, client and/or psychiatric survivor. Fresh A.I.R. Gallery is at 131 N High St in Columbus, and is operated by Southeast Inc.

Dance Downtown: 10 Years Strong

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The Department of Dance heads to the heart of the city May 1-3 for the 10th anniversary of its playful, powerful and provocative show, Dance Downtown 2008. The shows, at the Riffe Center's Capitol Theatre, feature the work of four internationally acclaimed choreographers, three of whom were recent guest artists at Ohio State -- Tania Isaac, Amy Raymond and Ming-Lung Yang -- along with a work by Anna Sokolow. The show will be presented at 8 pm each evening with an additional 3 pm matinee on Saturday. Above, OSU dancers James Graham and Yen-Fang Yu.

Notable News

Noted alumnus Steve Martino -- director of 20th Century Fox's animated feature film Horton Hears a Who! -- will visit campus Thursday May 1 and Friday May 2 to work with students and give a public presentation. Martino earned degrees from Design and Art Education, and studied at ACCAD. Martino’s public presentation is Thursday, May 1, at 4:30 pm in Page Hall, room 10. The free event will include behind-the-scenes footage related to animating the film and how the directors translated Dr. Seuss’s images to 3D designs. He’ll discuss the film’s special effects development and the use of radiosity in lighting and rendering. Photo courtesy of Blue Sky Studios. Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears A Who! TM & c 2008 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation.

Check it out! Our Dean Karen Bell is featured on a new OSU "Do Something Great" video feature on Ohio State's website. In the feature, Art City, she talks about the OSU Urban Arts Space.

Eight graduate students from the College of the Arts -- 7 from History of Art and 1 from Music -- were invited to present their research in the Arts Division of the 22nd Annual Edward F. Hayes Graduate Research Forum on April 12, according to Charles Massey Jr (Art), who served as an abstract judge. Students (and their awards) were Angela Anderson, Alicia East (2nd place award), Julia Fischer (first place), Sarah Getzelman, Lauran Whitworth, Carrie Wills (third place) and Yanfei Zhu, all from History of Art, and Brandon Hollihan, Music. Other judges from the college were James Arnold (Design) and Pheoris West (Art).

Five College of the Arts students have been awarded $500 grants from the Undergraduate Student Govenment Academic Enrichment Grant program. They are Rachel Alto and Vera Cremeans (Music), Laura Bradigan and Benjamin Newman (Art) and Meagan Grund (Dance). Congrats!

All College of the Arts alumni are invited to our Alumni Society's 2008 General Alumni Meeting and Gallery Reception at the new OSU Urban Arts Space in the historic Lazarus building Thursday, May 15, 5-6:30 pm. On view -- Master of Fine Arts: Thesis Exhibition
featuring the artwork of 30 MFA students from all areas in the Department of Art. The evening will include alumni gathering and vote on board officers (5:30 pm), gallery talk by Sergio Soave, chair, Art, and Michael Mercil, professor of art (5:45 pm), self-guided tours with current MFA exhibitors, a Student Glass Club sale and refreshments. The evening is hosted by Karen Bell, dean, and Mary Hickey, Arts Alumni Society president. RSVP by May 12 to (614) 292-5171. Click for details and parking information.

Hours have expanded at the OSU Urban Arts Space. New hours are 11 am to 6 pm Tuesday through Saturday, with extended hours on Thursday to 8 pm.

New free public programs have also been announced at the OSU Urban Arts Space, including lunchtime discussions and after-work discussions and performances. Check them out here.

There's still time to fill out the Greater Columbus Arts Council's Artspace Project survey -- a study about a potential arts community in downtown Columbus. The online survey is available until May 20.

A solo exhibition of new work by Ryan Agnew (Art) called Going to Sheep opens May 2 at the Root Art Center in Mt Vernon, OH, and continues through May 30.

Kevin Tavin (Art Education) has one article and one commentary essay appearing in the most recent issue of Studies in Art Education. the article -- Scopic regime chanage: The war of terror, visual cutlure and art education -- was co-written with OSU grad student John Derby.

Scot Olson -- one of the MFA students whose work is among those featured in the MFA exhibition that opens at the OSU Urban Arts Space April 28 --also has a debut show in New York City at Taxter & Spengemann in Chelsea. Plus, Olson's work was included in an April 19 New York Times article, "Is Painting Small the Next Big Thing?"

Honey Stop the Car!

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Drivers and pedestrians on Front Street and the now-closed Town Street downtown are being confronted with a huge work of public art staring at them from the windows of the former Lazarus building and commanding them to QUICK HONEY STOP THE CAR! The 10.5 by 55 foot vinyl sign is an artwork by master of fine arts (MFA) student Herb Vincent Peterson (Art). The piece, which was installed April 11, will remain in the historic building’s windows indefinitely, and was developed for the exterior of the same building that houses the OSU Urban Arts Space. Peterson says QUICK HONEY STOP THE CAR! explores and combines the relationship between design and art. “I love the impact the words make on the side of the building," he says. "It really draws you in. Despite its scale, the idea to 'stop the car!' on a street that is unavailable to cars is quite humorous. It’s also interesting to see the multiple interpretations that have already begun – maybe we need to stop the car to look at art and what’s happening at the OSU Urban Arts Space.”

Notable News

The Department of Dance's Black Dance Alliance was invited to be a part of the performing arts assembly series at City Year's 2008 Spring Break Camp in Columbus. Camp City Year was held at Windsor Elementary School and focused on World Cultures, according to Melanye White Dixon (Dance). Student members of the Black Dance Alliance -- DeAngelo Blanchard, Erika Harris, Aureyl Pitts and Robyn Young -- performed a spiritual dance work and conducted a movement session with the campers in grades kindergarten to third grade. In the photo above, DeAngelo Blanchard (in back of room), who choreographed the dance, watches as Aureyl Pitts (dancer in back), Erika Harris and Robyn Young perform for the youngsters.

American mime Gregg Goldston will present a talk-back forum open to all at 3:30 pm April 24 in Roy Bowen Theatre, Drake Performance Center. During the event, Goldston will perform a selection of his solo works that show the unique elements that form the art of modern mime. He will talk about the history of mime, his years with Marcel Marceau and lessons learned from performing a wordless art for more than 30 years. Theatre and dance grad students from his residency classes will also present works they've developed. For info, call 292-5821.

The School of Music presents the third Zoe and Jack Johnstone Woodwind Master Series, featuring the clarinet, April 30-May 3. Special guest for the event is D. Stanley Hasty, celebrated artist and professor emeritus at the Eastman School of Music. The series includes an opening concert with Kenneth John Grant (right) and members of the Columbus Symphony at 8 pm April 30 along with master classes, discussions and workshops. Other highlights include the renowned Verdehr Trio performing the premiere of Rhapsody for clarinet, violin and piano, composed by alumnus Daniel Perttu and commissioned by the Johnstone Fund for New Music. For complete details, go to the web.

A video installation by Robert Ladislas Derr (Art) is being exhibited in Theory + Practice at Gallery Aferro in Newark, NJ, April 19-May 17.

Allyson Morgan, a 2004 BA alum from Theatre, has her debut today (April 21) on the soap opera As The World Turns at 2 pm on CBS. She has three scenes as the "sick babysitter".

Last month, nine dance students performed Anna Sokolow's 1968 choreographic work, Steps of Silence, in New York City in the "Sharing the Legacy Project: Works from 1960-1980". The work will be featured in the OSU Dance Downtown concert May 1-3 at the Riffe Center's Capitol Theatre, according to Valarie Mockabee (Dance). Pictured below is the student cast working with Lorry May, director of the Anna Sokolow Foundation.
A play running in Chicago in June involves three OSU Theatre alums and two students. North, which will be presented June 5-22 at the American Theater Company in Chicago, features MFA student Kal Pool, PhD student Chris Roche and alumna Christina Ritter as cast members; alumna Jennifer Schlueter as director and alum Brad Steinmetz as scenery and lighting designer. The play, which explores the charged meeting between Anne Morrow Lindbergh and author Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, was created by the for/word company.

Special Guest Conductor!

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The OSU Symphony Orchestra welcomed a special guest conductor for a two-hour rehearsal on Tuesday, April 8 -- Columbus Symphony music director Junichi Hirokami, who was invited by Marshall Haddock (Music) to rehearse Brahms Symphony No. 4. According to students, his energy was amazing and he offered great stories to get the sounds he wanted from the orchestra. For example, he wanted the timpani to play like King Kong.

Notable News

Too smart! Many of you guessed correctly that last week's photo was of climbing holds, designed by Tony Reynaldo (Design). The holds -- on exhibit in the third floor hallway of Hopkins Hall -- represent a landmark for Reynaldo, who has been designing climbing holds since 1997 when he studied with noted designer Louie Anderson in LA. After mastering the ergonomic, aesthetic and engineering aspects of climbing holds, he freelanced for companies and created some of the most recognized designs in the industry. Millions of his hold designs are used in climbing gyms and fitness centers around the world. In 2005 Reynaldo signed an exclusive contract with Crater Holds Inc, and last November he created his 2,000th climbing hold design -- a landmark in the outdoor industry. His goal by the end of 2008 is to create his 3,000th hold design!


Industrial design alumnus Ron Mason -- who lives in Pickerington -- played a big role in creating the new comedy film Smart People, which stars Dennis Quaid and Ellen Page. Mason served as art director for the movie, which was shot in Pittsburgh, and discussed his job designing the atmosphere and "settings" for movies in the Columbus Dispatch.

Photographs by Tony Mendoza (Art) will be featured in The Bob Show, an exhibition that opened Saturday, April 12, at the Chelsea Galleria in Miami, FL. The exhibition runs through May 6. On April 18 the gallery and the Humane Society of Greater Miami will host "Wagging the Dog: An Art for Animals Benefit" 6:30-8:30 pm.

The School of Music presents the 25th annual Central Ohio Flute Association Festival -- featuring guest artist Renee Siebert -- on Saturday (April 19) from 8 am to 5 pm in Weigel Auditorium. Siebert, second flutist with the New York Philharmonic, will present a 1:15 pm concert of sonatas by JS Bach and Martinu accompanied by Gary Hammond. Other activities include a masterclass with Siebert, the Marshall University Fife and Drum Corp and the OSU Fifes and Drums, exhibits, a flute choir concert (at 10:30 am) and more. For details, go to the website.

In the upcoming June issue of AmericanStyle Magazine, Columbus is heralded as the 10th "Top Arts Destination" among US cities. The national magazine ranks cities based on their public art, gallery offerings and institutional arts, according to reader polls.

Terry Barrett (Art Education) will speak at the 2008 Beijing International Festival of Photography this summer, with a talk about "appreciating the diversity of photographs."