2023-2024 ArtsKSU Magazine

TABLE of CONTENTS

magazine

2023-2024

Editor

Kathie Beckett

Graphic Designers

Adelin Roosekrans

Joshua Stone

Writers

Kathie Beckett

Kendall Chamberlain

Photographers

Casey Gardner Ford

Lauren Liz Photography

Christina Masaad

Mary-Kathryn Lopez

Brooke Marier

Interim Dean, College of the Arts

Harrison Long

Associate Dean, College of the Arts

Peter Fielding

Interim Associate Dean, College of the Arts

Leslie J. Blackwell

Director, School of Art and Design

Geo Sipp

Chair, Department of Dance

Marsha Barsky

Interim Director, Dr. Bobbie Bailey

School of Music

Julia Bullard

Chair, Department of Theatre and Performance Studies

Chuck Meacham

ArtsKSU Magazine is published by the College of the Arts at Kennesaw State University, 1200 Chastain Road, Suite 304, Kennesaw, GA 30144. Copyright 2024.

Front cover: Artwork courtesy of School of Art and Design student Maddie Smith.

Dean's Welcome Message

List of Donors

Endowments and Scholarships

Art & Design: Holiday Artist Market

Dance: “Double Exposure”

Theatre: “Sweat”

Music: Imani Winds

Theatre: “A BKBX Frankenstein”

Zuckerman Museum: “{UNDER}flow”

Zuckerman Museum: “Nirvana”

Theatre: “Once on This Island: The Musical”

Dance: Alumna joins NYC Ballet

Dance: New Choreography in “Sage”

Theatre: Alumna Mack Scales

Music: Holiday Concert

2023 Gala Raises Funds

Arts Research Presentation

Graphic Design Virtual Exhibition

Music: Band of Other Brothers

Dance: BODYTRAFFIC

Zuckerman Museum Celebrates Ten Years

Theatre: “Reefer Madness”

Music: Harlem Quartet

Spring Arts Festival

Art Educator Renews Passion for Teaching

Fall 2023 Animation Virtual Exhibition

Theatre: “Pride and Prejudice”

KSU Alumna presents Artwork

KSU Theatre Alumna

Dance: "LuminAI"

Robert Geer: In Memoriam

Ariyana Tillman

A Message from the DEAN

The 2023-2024 academic year was highly successful for the College of the Arts (COTA). We celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Bernard A. Zuckerman Museum of Art with a special exhibition, Reflections: Honoring the Past, Celebrating the Future, Ten Years of the Zuckerman Museum of Art. We also increased enrollment, supported student success, forged external partnerships, and expanded our facilities. Our award-winning faculty published, performed, and exhibited on the national and international levels, and at the 2023 Arts KSU Gala, we announced nearly $2 million in revenue, scholarships, and bequests.

In support of KSU’s institutional focus on community engagement, Arts KSU produced over 170 exhibitions, performances, and public lectures. We welcomed over 39,000 patrons to live events and via our virtual platform, setting attendance records for the third consecutive year! Our professional presenting season featured nationally acclaimed artists like Amani Winds, Bodytraffic, Broken Box Mime, and David Antonio Cruz. We marked a third successful year for both the Pomare-Connor and the Windgate artist residency programs, and we partnered with Global Education to produce joyful programming for KSU’s Year of Senegal. Most of all, we celebrated our outstanding students who performed, danced, presented, and exhibited their work with beauty, skill, power, and passion.

This year we also mourned the loss of COTA’s beloved friend and benefactor, Robert S. Geer. A passionate visual artist, musician, and arts patron, Bob left this world just a few weeks shy of his 100th birthday. His remarkable life remains a source of inspiration to our community.

The arts are inherently about community, collaboration, and reflection. It is with deep gratitude that I recognize the many partners, patrons, colleagues, and friends who support our mission and COTA’s upward trajectory.

Dr. Harrison Long Interim Dean, College of the Arts

ThankYou

Continued support from friends, faculty, staff, alumni, patrons, and parents has enabled ArtsKSU to reach a greater level of excellence and attract top-notch undergraduate and graduate students. The College of the Arts remains a leader in arts higher education thanks to the charitable gifts we receive from our generous donors. At ArtsKSU, donors truly make all the difference.

Gifts during calendar year 2023:

$250,000+

Emily Bourne Grigsby

$100,000+

Alivia Kazer Lipson

Sharon Lea Strong Estate

$50,000

Jim and Ann Wallace

Windgate Foundation

$25,000+

D. Russell Clayton

Dieu Donne

Camillus and Tracy Graham

Wendy Lerner

Dee Peterson-Wise

Ivan Pulinkala

Don Vellek

$10,000+

Estate of Ruth Laxon

Rockley Family Foundation

Katherine Scott

Mohawk Industries, Inc.

Trent and LaSona Turk

$5000+

William and Nina Beddingfield, III

Jerry and Jean Cooper

Joan Harrell

Michael Harris

HRS of Georgia, LLC

Pamela Hubby

Barbara Hughes

Teresa Joyce

Dorothy Keith

Kennesaw State University Research and Service Foundation

Joe Meeks

James and Elizabeth Rhodes

Jerry and Linda Richman

Tom Sands

Jon and Taylor Tuggle

Horace and Susan White

Vickie Zuffoletti

$2,500+

Cobb Travel & Tourism

Maureen Dinges

Jo Ann Durham and Leo Perras

Harrison and Melanie Long

Nathaniel Allen Long

Larry and Peggy Lord

Greater Marietta Music Teacher Association

Mark Page

Subhi Sherwell and Laura Bodell-Sherwell

$1,000+

14th Modern Street & Vintage Home

Diane Alexander

Marcie Anthone

Floyd Atteberry

Bagwell College of Education

Balloons Over Georgia

M. Scott and Jenny Bryant

William and Shelley Elder

Lorna Handy

Barry and Sylvia Hyman

James Johnson and Marilyn Nolan-Johnson

Larry Johnson

Joe LaBouff

Bob and Janet Limyansky

Douglas Margison

Tom Martin

Chris and Robin Mathis

Rachel Mercer

Judy Miller

Panoply Dresses

John and Maureen Patton

Norman and Lindy Radow

James Rhoden

Michael Riesen

Carole Roach

Benno Rothschild

James and Marianna Rothschild

Geo Sipp

Smiling Cross Inc.

Snowbird Mountain Lodge

The Standard Club

Tim Ste. Marie

Vishnu Suppiramaniam

Sweetwater Sound, LLC

Suzanne Tucker

Lana Wachniak and William Wallace

Alice and Kenneth Walker

J. David Watkins

Alice Welden

Timothy A. Wilkerson, Sr. and Ms. Camille Y. Wilkerson

Suzie Siegel Zuckerman

$500+

Lucas Artadi

Atlanta Ballet Inc.

Atlanta Botanical Garden

Sherri Barrett

Marsha Barsky

Robert Barsky

Kathie Beckett

Leslie and Karmen Blackwell

Blue Sky Cabin Retreats

Carol Blumberg

Robert Bonstein

Brookton Furniture

Julia Bullard

Chick Fil-A at Chastain Road

City Springs Theatre Company

Melodie Clayton

Cobb EMC Foundation

Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre

Consulate General of Israel

Terrance and Rebecca Coursey

Marianne Crew

Dance Force, Inc.

Chris Dowden

Melissa Driver

Jim and Cecelia Dunn

Chris Dziejowski

Embassy Suites Hotel

Peter Fielding

John and Britt Fleck

Georgia Crown Distributing Co.

Georgia Music Teachers Association, Inc.

Leonard and Helen Goreham

Ricky Greenwell

Nigel and LaToya Harris

Greg Kerns

Lonnie and Cheryl Love

Ronald and Cheryl Matson

Sherrel and Julianne McClure

Shane McDonald

Chuck Meacham

Marilyn Nolan-Johnson

McCree O'Kelley

Mr. and Mrs. Paul Pendergrass

Carolyn Perry

James and Sarah Rechsteiner

Lindsay Riesen

Catherine Riley

Tobin and Liane Rockley

Kelly Smith

Jerey Speed-Schwartz

Chris Syllaba

Tau Beta Sigma

Andrea Taylor

Paige Thompson

Brenda Tilghman

Renee Torobin

Frank Walsh

Rachel Watson

Ryan Witt

Patricia Ziegler

$250+

Dee Bland

C & S Seafood & Oyster Bar

Pat Chilton

Tina Daly

Fly Fishing International

Teresa Fortner

Clara Fryer

Lava Team Sales LLC

Dennis and Martha Moore

Justin Pettigrew

Raimondi & Associates, LLC

Linda Sheffield

Square Threads

Michele Swann

$1-$249

Alliance Theatre

Vima Alvarez

Lydia Alverson

Atlanta Magic Theater

Emily Atkeison

Jasmine Avecilla

Siler Ayers

Peter Bade

Matthew Bailey

Kimberly Balila

Lindsay Ballard

Cole Ballew

James Barket

Brian and Jessica Barton

Sensational Baskets

Seth and Myra Bates

Doug and Lisa Bauer

Madeline Beck

ThankYou

DONORS

Julia Becker

Mason Black

Stuart Blencoe

Eli and Angela Boice

Eli Boice

Wesley and Britany Booth

Samantha Boswell

Garett Brackett

Craig Brasco

Yul and Toni Bray

Courtney Brennan

Harold Brody

Marilyn Brooks

Za’Kiya Brown

Harrison Brown

Steve Bryson

Syed Bukhari

David Burns

Charlie and Debbie Butler

Joseph and Rose Camillo

Dawn Carlson

Robert Carpenter

Jim Cassella

Brentley Cauthen

Sandee Chamberlain

Virgil Cheatham and Tomina Schwenke

Ruth’s Chris Steak House

Joseph Christley

David Clark

Bobbi Clayton

Austin Coker

Edward and Donna Colebeck

Nancy Conley

David Cooper

Crispina Ristorante & Pizzeria

Chelsie Culp

Siobhan Cummins

Ethan David

Maddie David

Amy Davis

James Davis, Jr.

Krista Dennison

Connor Densmore

Emily Diaz

Alex Dohany

Melody Donamire

Chaz Dooley

James Down

Trey Downey

Christiann Downing

Raymond Durr

Mykalea Earnhardt

Juan Enriquez

Mary Fertitta

Jon Finer

Adam Firment

Marcus and Angela Floyd

Fox Theatre

Annabeth Fox

Charleston Fox

Christopher Fox

Kevin Franz

Isaac Freedman

Stephen Frix

Joe Gallagher

Kya Garibaldi

Brian Garsh

Colby Geil

Georgia State University

Adjoa Goodman

Taylor Gordon

Natasha Habers

Tobin Hagler

Renae Hale

Jennifer Hardy

Wyl Harrison

Jodie Hart

Chiquita Hawthorne

Lindsey Herrin

Travis Highfield

Yvette Hogan

AJ Howard

Abby Howell

Peter Hriso

Zhen-Huan Lu and Ming Chen

Donna Huiet

Milad Jabbari

Angela Jackson

Ashleah Jackson

Cheryl Jacoby

Theresa Johnson

Brian Jones

Emily Kaman

Jeremy Kariuki

David Kehler

Jim and Julie Kimball

John King

Stan Kirk

Christen Knight

Bobbi Kornblit

Karen Kornweibel and Daniel Newcomer

Lynn Kunkel

Lauren Kutch

Mariana Laufer

Zoe Laux

Caitlin Leamon

Franklin Leiter

Joel De Lima

Doug Lindsey

Louis Livingston

Cynthia Lollis

Kevin De Long

Maddy Long

Loraine Lowder

Kadi Maples

Michael Maples

Julie Martin

Mr. and Mrs. Caric Martin

Christina Massad

Nick Massaroni

Robin Mathis

Jacob and Shelby Matthews

Daniel McDonald

Karen McDonald

Shane McDonald Studios

Wesley McDonald

Michael McGehee

Timothy McGowan

David and Benita McKoy

Robert McTyre

Bianca Miller

Joshua Miller

Alex Ming

Eileen Moremen

Jacob Morgan

Natalia Murina

Janet Nash

Christopher Neuenschwander

Kamsiyochukwu Okezie-Okeke

Charlotte O'Neal

Paul Orlando

William Paden

Painting After School

Edward Parker

Zac Pasmanick

George and Traci Penrod

Meyer Perlstein

Tanner Peters

Kahlil Phillips

Hazem Rashed-Ali

Rachel Ray

Will Renfro

Evan Rice

Tonya Riddick

De’Ametrein Robinson

Don Robson

Janet Rountree

Jim Sabourin

Ashley Sellers

Renae Sheldon

Collin Sheppard

Laurence Sherr

Avital Shimon

Tom and Elizabeth Shinall

Eartha Sims

Samuel Skelton

Joshua Smith

Alison Sola

Marcus Sosebee

Matt and Laura Southern

Harrison Spradlin and Margaret Fordham

Jacqueline Springfield

Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Street

Matthew Strotman

Rachel Sturdivant

James Summers

David and Robyn Tatu

Dave and Jackie Tester

Elizabeth Thomas

Cynthia Thompson

Amber Tubbs

Jeff and Anissa Vega

Patrick Vickers

John Warren and Laura Najarian

Andrew Watson

Adam Waugh

Todd Wedge

Evan Welch

Elizabeth Wenzel

Danile Wheeler

Jordon White

Claudia Wilburn

Diane Willey

Jan Wilson

Abigail Woodward

Jessie Yardman

Greg Ziomek

The College of the Arts wishes to recognize donors who have made contributions toward transformational multi-year pledges:

Acworth Cultural Arts

D. Russell Clayton

Dr. John and Linda Cooke

Emily Bourne Grigsby

Jerry and Linda Richman

Karen Robinson and Richard Garner

Don Vellek

Frank Walsh

The Windgate Foundation

Endowments & Scholarships

10 for 10 Annual Music Scholarship

Acworth Cultural Arts Endowed Scholarship for the College of the Arts

Alice Lennie Glover Music Scholarship

Annual Dance (Choreography) Scholarship

April Conaway Endowed Scholarship

Arts Dean’s Endowed Scholarship

Athos Menaboni Art Fund

Athos Menaboni Art Research Scholarship

Athos Menaboni Endowment Fund

Athos Menaboni Gallery

Atlanta Steinway Society Annual Scholarship

Atlanta Steinway Society Endowed Scholarship

Audrey and Jack Morgan Music Scholarship in Music

Audrey Bailey Morgan Distinguished Endowed Dean’s Chair in the College of the Arts

Austin Burruss Endowment

Austin Burruss Endowment: College of the Arts

Auta Lopes Endowed Scholarship for the College of the Arts

Ayokunle Odeleye Minority Endowed Arts Scholarship

Barbara Jane Swindell Endowed Scholarship in Visual Arts

Barry and Sylvia Hyman Endowed Art Scholarship

Beauregard/Vellek Endowed Scholarship for Marching Band

Betty and Joel Siegel Theatre Scholarship

Black and Gold Scholar College of the Arts

Brian Miller Memorial Music Award

Cam and Marti Graham Theatre and Performances Studies

Cam and Tracy Graham Endowed Scholarship

Cam Graham Theatre & Performance Studies Theatre Internship

Cheryl and Ron Baer Endowed Scholarship in Theatre and Performance Studies

Cobb County Music Teachers’ Annual Scholarship

College of the Arts Annual General Scholarship

College of the Arts Annual Senior Dance Scholarship

College of the Arts Dance Scholarship

College of the Arts Scholarship in Music

College of the Arts Scholarship in Theatre and Performance Studies

College of the Arts Visual Arts Scholarship

Cup of Kindness Scholarship

Cynthia Feldberg Endowed Piano Scholarship

Don Freeman Clayton Theater Scholarship

Don Russell Clayton Digital Arts Scholarship

Don Russell Clayton Music Scholarship

Don Russell Clayton School of Art and Design Scholarship

Don Russ Music Scholarship

Dorothy G. Keith Endowed Scholarship for Visual Arts

Dorothy G. Keith Endowed Scholarship for Vocal Performance

Dr. Bobbie Bailey Endowed Music Scholarship

Dr. Leslie J Blackwell Annual Scholarship in Choral Music

Dr. Mary Ursits Endowed Scholarship for the School of Art and Design

Dr. Oral L. Moses Endowed Scholarship

Elo Pomare-Glen Conner Choreographic Residency Endowment

Emily Bourne Grigsby Visual Arts Scholarship

Eric and Gwendolyn Brooker Endowed Voice Scholarship

Flo Bruns Memorial/Women’s Commerce Club Scholarship

Florence B. Beddingfield Memorial Art Scholarship

Frank O. Walsh Endowed Program Support for Printmaking

Fred D. Bentley Sr. Scholarship (Visual Arts)

Geraldine Barmore Clayton Music Scholarship

Glenn Hollingsworth, Jr. Endowed Scholarship (Music)

Glenn Hollingsworth, Jr. Endowed Scholarship (Theatre)

Glenn Hollingsworth, Jr. Endowed Scholarship (Visual Arts)

Gretchen Van Roy Voice Endowed Scholarship

H. Fred Rodenhausen Endowed Music Scholarship

Harold R. Wise, Jr. Endowed Scholarship for the Bailey School of Music

J. David Watkins Annual Scholarship in Piano

J. David Watkins Endowed Scholarship in Piano Performance

James and Cecelia Dunn Endowed Art Scholarship

James Gregory Endowed Scholarship

James P. Smith Memorial Art Scholarship

James T. Anderson, Jr. Scholarship (College of the Arts)

James T. Weis Endowed Scholarship for the College of the Arts

Jeanette and George Pulinkala Leadership in Dance Scholarship

Jimmy Mays and Valerie Whittlesey-Mays Scholarship for the Arts

Jim Wallace Theater and Performance Art Fund

Joan Harrell Annual Dance Scholarship

Jo Ann Durham Arts Endowed Scholarship (Dance)

Jo Ann Durham Endowed Arts Scholarship (Music)

Interested in supporting scholarships? Please email Kay Peninger, kpeninge@kennesaw.edu.

Jo Ann Durham Endowed Arts Scholarship (Theatre and Performance Studies)

Jo Ann Durham Endowed Arts Scholarship (Visual Arts)

Joe Daniell Music Fund

John and Linda Cooke Scholarship for Violin

John and Linda Cooke String Quartet Scholars

John Collar South Cobb Rotary Arts Scholarship

John Gentile Performance Studies Endowed Scholarship

John Gentile Performance Studies Scholarship

Joseph D. Meeks Music Endowed Scholarship

Julia Clayton Gresham College of the Arts Scholarship

June Boykin Tindall Dance Scholarship

Karen Robinson Endowed Scholarship for Theatre & Performance

Katherine A. Scott Endowed Music Scholarship

Kennesaw State University Community & Alumni Choir Choral Scholarship

KSU Annual Flourish Dance Scholarship

KSU Annual Flourish Music Scholarship

KSU Annual Flourish Theater and Performance Studies Scholarship

KSU Annual Flourish Visual Arts Scholarship

KSU Dance Clinic Scholarship

KSU Music Clinic Annual Scholarship

KSU Theatre and Performance Arts Clinic Scholarship

KSU Visual Arts Clinic

Lillias B. Prillaman Visual Arts Endowed Scholarship

Lipson Family Percussion Endowment

Mandy Krasner Memorial Endowed Scholarship

Manny Beauregard & Don Vellek Endowed Scholarship for Theatre & Performance Studies

Marching Owls Band General Scholarship

Martha Thompson Dinos Music Performance

Scholarship honoring Dean Emeritus Joseph Meeks

Marti M. Graham Memorial Endowed Dance Scholarship

Mary and Bruce Clayton Family Scholarship in Honor of Sam Skelton

Mattie Borders Proctor Endowed Scholarship for Instrumentalists

Mattie Borders Proctor Fellowship Endowment

Michael Edwin Lipps II Memorial Arts Endowed Scholarship

Music Department Endowed Scholarship

Nick S. Labroff Memorial Endowed Piano and Voice Scholarship

Onyx Theater Endowment

Oral Moses Endowed Voice Scholarship

Pamela J. Hubby Endowed Scholarship for the College of the Arts

Pomare-Connor Memorial Endowed Fund for Dance

R. Wayne Gibson Annual Music Scholarship

R. Wayne Gibson Endowed Piano & Voice Scholarship

Robert and Alivia Lipson Endowed Arts Scholarship (Music)

Robert and Cheryl Moultrie Endowed Arts Scholarship (Visual Arts)

Robert Sherer LGBTQ+ Visual Arts Scholarship

Ronald and Cheryl Matson Endowed Scholarship

Sam Wilhoit Jazz Endowed Scholarship in Music

School of Music Annual Scholarship

School of Music Outreach Scholarship

Sharon Lea Strong Endowment for Steinway Pianos & Sharon Lea Strong Gift for Instrument Care

Susan and Horace White Annual Music Scholarship

Ted and Roberta Griffin Visual Arts Scholarship

Tena E. Redding Endowed Arts Scholarship

Terri and Jeff Wigley Marching Owls Scholarship

Theatre and Performance Studies Annual Scholarship

Theatre and Performance Studies Faculty Benefit

Performance Study Abroad Scholarship

The Byk-Girardot Family Scholarship

The Color Spot, Inc. Endowed Fund

The Jerry & Linda Richman Family Endowed Scholarship of Music

The Lana Wachniak and William Wallace Today’s Promise Endowed Scholarship

The LaSona and Trent Turk Endowed Scholarship for the College of the Arts

The Malone Endowed Music Scholarship

Thomson Salter-Salova King Foundation Scholarship

Valerie Dibble Endowed Scholarship in honor of Frank Walsh and James Montgomery

Virginia Tumlin Endowed Music Scholarship

Visual Arts Endowed Scholarship

Visual Arts Studies Abroad Scholarship Fund

Wachovia Endowed Theatre Scholarship

Wendy Lerner Endowed Scholarship for the Bailey School of Music

Youth Bands of Atlanta Scholarship

School of Art and Design Students Host Inaugural Holiday Artist Market

By Kathie Beckett

Art aficionados snag one-of-a-kind gifts, support students

Students from Kennesaw State University’s School of Art and Design hosted the inaugural 2023 Holiday Artist Market on Friday, Dec. 1, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Visual Arts Building on the Kennesaw campus. Free and open to the public, the Holiday Artist Market featured a wide array of handcrafted items available for purchase, all made by students.

Supported by both the School of Art and Design and the Spring Arts Festival Committee, the unique marketplace offered art lovers the opportunity to snag some great holiday gifts while also supporting students. Shoppers found something for almost every budget, from soaps to small paintings.

Artwork for sale included pottery, art prints, stickers, plushies, and comics. Tote bags, jewelry, 3D prints, digital prints, paintings, and illustrations

from about 50 artists and at least three art clubs were also for sale.

The Makerspace Collective (from the Sculpture concentration) sold 3D sculptures, toys, and trinkets, while the KSU Mudslingers (from the Ceramics concentration) offered ceramic bowls and more. The Close-Knit Club (from the Textile and Surface Design concentration) presented a variety of textile goods for purchase, including dyed and printed bags and pouches, crocheted dolls, and jewelry.

The Artist Market was very well received, and will be repeated in 2024.

“This is a great opportunity for our talented students to sell their works, and we heard a lot of positive feedback,” said Geo Sipp, Director of the School of Art and Design. 

The 2023 Holiday Artist Market was so successful that it will be offered again in 2024. Photo: Mary-Kathryn Lopez.

Jaliyah Brantley, Digital illustration

Salmah Repole, Handmade ceramic bowl

Ning Sun, Handmde soap

Melanie Vivirito, Inspirational stickers

Camila Peña, Ceramic cups and platter

Bryanna Walker, Mini swan painting

Department of Dance Presents World Premieres in “Double Exposure”

By Kathie Beckett

Generous donation supports new choreographic voices

Summer activities in the South may slow down a bit because of the heat and humidity, but that’s not the case at Kennesaw State University’s Department of Dance. It was a very busy summer, thanks to the Eleo Pomare– Glen Conner Choreographic Residency program. Two choreographers spent a hot July working with dancers and creating two new works.

Competition for the residency spots was also heated. Department of Dance Chair Marsha Barsky explains, “This year marks the program's third year, and the application pool was quite competitive, with applicants spanning the globe.”

Lior Lazarof (Israel) and Nicola Wills (Belgium/ Australia) were selected as the Eleo Pomare–Glen Conner Choreographic Residency recipients for summer 2023. Arriving on a steamy July 3, the two ambitious artists kept busy creating original works in collaboration with Dance students. The works were then performed August 25-26 in “Double Exposure,” opening the 2023-2024 season for DanceKSU.

The Choreographic Residency is a unique program for both the dancers and the choreographers. Lazarof says that it has been great to work with such a large group of students.

“I knew from the start that I would be able to make a big production with ten dancers. It has been great to have the studio space, to have lighting, costume design, and production, the theater space, really, the whole package! It’s so nice to have everything we need,” she says.

Wills works in a company in Belgium and doesn’t have the time at home “to create such a long piece with such a big group. This opportunity at

KSU gave me the time to make creations, to have an allocated amount of time to create while also teaching young people who are hungry and enthusiastic."

She points out that the KSU students are quick to learn and open minded. “The students here have been open, especially when the rep is unfamiliar, yet they are still generous in their attention and what they want to offer,” explains Wills.

Lazarof explains that students have influenced her work by “the things the students offer into the space, their personalities, how they act and react to each other in the studio, even to how differently they took a task from what I meant…it all makes for a more interesting piece; and often develops into a new idea.”

Barsky has watched the exciting progress of the choreographers and students over the summer, culminating in two world premieres presented in “Double Exposure.” She says, “I am thrilled that we can foster new works by groundbreaking artists through the Pomare/Connor Choreographic Residency program. Nicola and Lior were the perfect fit for our students. Their research, collaborative process, and choreographic approach provided invaluable experiences for students.” 

Dance students Core'a Batey (left), Hadiyah Glover (center), Jordan Carter (right); image by Christina Masaad.

Dance students Emily Barton (left) and Zoey Daniels (center); image by Christina Masaad.

Department of Theatre & Performance Studies presents “Sweat”

By Kathie Beckett

"Sweat"

examines collision of race, class, and friendship at pivotal time in America

Kennesaw State University’s Department of Theatre and Performance Studies (TPS) presented Lynn Nottage’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play “Sweat” in the Onyx Theater October 3-8, 2023. The Pulitzer Prize Board selected “Sweat” in 2017 because it was “…a nuanced yet powerful drama that reminds audiences of the stacked deck still facing workers searching for the American dream.”

Fighting to Stay Afloat

Filled with warm humor and tremendous heart, “Sweat” is about a group of friends who have spent their lives sharing drinks, secrets, and laughs while working together in a factory. But when layoffs and picket lines begin to chip away at their trust, the friends find themselves pitted against each other in a heart-wrenching fight to stay afloat. For two and a half years, Nottage extensively interviewed Reading residents; in 2011, a report ranked Reading as the poorest city in the nation.

A Stacked Deck

Jacqueline Springfield, Director and TPS Assistant Professor of Acting, explained that “people all over the world—but especially Americans—felt the same way, that they’ve been sold something that, at the end, came not to be true for them.”

The Struggle is Real

Nottage was surprised at how much struggling she encountered in manufacturing towns, explained Tom Fish, TPS Assistant Professor and “Sweat” Dramaturg. “This is important because it led to the great recession—and so much was based on the lie that ‘this is the prosperity you can have if you work hard'—but corporate greed was running to the bank and ended up catching all of America.”

A Personal Journey

Costume designer Amanda Mattes can relate; her grandfather worked at Bethlehem Steel, which closed in 2002, and her aunt Vicky (affectionately called Aunt Tori) worked on the assembly line at Mack Truck outside of Reading. The play is a personal journey for Mattes, and Aunt Tori was the inspiration for the character Tracy. “The play is about clashing and the loss of solidary, the loss of support that you felt from your country. Aunt Tori was a victim as her father couldn’t afford to pay for college, so she worked in a trade as she was paid more; she was very blue collar but a very hard worker,” explains Mattes.

American Dream or Nightmare?

In Reading, Nottage began to dwell on the fact that a lot of people felt disenfranchised and were struggling economically. What they had been told was the American dream—if you strive for it—was turning out to be a nightmare. “People talked about Reading in the past tense; there was this real sense that hope had been lost,” said Springfield, yet “the story itself is a brilliant examination of how we got to where we are now and why it’s still relevant. The themes and characters will resonate with a large portion of our audience as they are compelling and familiar.”

Disenfranchised, Left and Right

Fish said that the final stage direction “refers to the actors being in ‘fractured togetherness’ and that resonates today, as both the political right and left both feel very disenfranchised. We hope to create a dialogue because we don’t have a simple solution.”

TPS students Reggie Icilien (left) and Kevin Ward (right).

Springfield added that the play “doesn’t answer any questions but asks if we can find solutions. This is important—for both patrons and students—to have that discussion.”

Student-Driven Production

The fully staged production in the Onyx Theater featured a cast of eight student plus understudies, as well as student designers in set, sound, and lighting. Springfield explained that the “students in the cast range from first year to seniors; some are acting, and some are musical theatre. We like to provide a broad range of activities for our students as a learning experience with many performance opportunities.”

Students Can Relate

Mattes worked with two student assistants on the costume designs. Toggling between 2000 and 2008, the students researched fashion as it jumped from “Y2K Vintage” to “Recession Core,” seen in muted tones and less fabric, giving rise to the birth of the skinny jeans. Mattes explains that many of the students were born after 2000, but “they understand the stress now as college students, often

watching grants, scholarships, and wages disappear right in front of them.”

Learning Opportunity

Springfield noted that it was an incredible learning opportunity for the students.“What history has led us to is now our current political and economic situation, so it gives the students context for what is happening today. The characters are complex, and I’ve seen such growth in these students.”

TPS student Anna Wooley.

TPS students, left to right: Eileen Moyo, Dave Martin, Anna Wooley, and Olivia Williams. Images by Casey Ford.

Kennesaw State University Bailey School of Music hosts Grammy-nominated Imani Winds

By Kathie Beckett

The ensemble has inspired audiences of all ages and backgrounds.

Kennesaw State University’s Bailey School of Music (BSOM) hosted Imani Winds, the twice Grammy-nominated ensemble, on Friday, Sept. 29, 2023. A part of the ArtsKSU Presenting Series, the concert kicked off the BSOM's 2023-2024 ArtsKSU series.

Imani Winds has led both a revolution and an evolution of the wind quintet over two decades of music making. Through dynamic playing, adventurous programming, imaginative collaborations, and multiple outreach endeavors, the ensemble has inspired audiences of all ages and backgrounds.

“The Imani Winds are a renowned group of performing artists. Experts on their instruments, the artists compromise one of the best professional woodwind quintets in the world. They are incredible role models through both their artistry as performers, as well as through their advocacy for equity and inclusivity in the arts,” said Dr. Julia Bullard, Interim Director of the Bailey School of Music.

Imani Winds performed their program, “Black and Brown II: A Celebration of Composers of Color.” The performance included several original works written specifically for the ensemble.

The ensemble’s repertory embraces traditional chamber music repertoire, and newly commissioned works from voices that reflect historical events and the times in which we currently live. Recent projects include a Jessie Montgomery composition inspired by her greatgrandfather’s migration from the American South to the North, socially conscious music by Andy Akiho, reflecting on mass incarceration, and a work by Carlos Simon celebrating iconic figures of the African American community.

They regularly perform in prominent venues including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and the Kennedy Center and have a presence at festivals such as Chamber Music Northwest, Chautauqua Institution and Banff Centre. Their international presence includes concerts throughout Asia, Brazil, Australia, England, New Zealand, and Europe.

Members of Imani Winds also led a 90-minute masterclass (open to the public) the day before the performance. Patrons were also invited to stay after the masterclasses for a meet-and-greet reception with ensemble members and Bailey School of Music students.

“The masterclasses and the reception to follow were great opportunities for our KSU students and supporters in the community to interact with these dynamic musicians. It was an enjoyable evening,” said Bullard. 

Imani Winds; image courtesy of the artists.

“The signature contribution of this group [is] a technical ease with extravagant gestures, intense production of sound, and the daring expressive liberties that come only after musicians have developed a sixth sense of ensemble-bonding. Imani’s got it all.

—

Philadelphia Inquirer

“

Imani Winds performing Jason Moran: Cane Mvt I-Togo to Natchitoches

Imani Winds; image courtesy of the artists.

Department of Theatre hosts Broken Box Mime Theater in “A BKBX Frankenstein”

By Kathie Beckett Retelling of "Frankenstein" a contemporary delight

Kennesaw State University’s Department of Theatre and Performance Studies (TPS) hosted Broken Box Mime Theater in the Stillwell Theater for a limited engagement of “A BKBX Frankenstein” on Sept. 8-, 2023.

Physical Theatre

Based out of New York City, Broken Box Mime Theater (BKBX) is a contemporary physical theatre company that tells original stories. The actors rely solely on their bodies and the audience’s imagination.

Artistic Director and Associate Professor Amanda Wansa Morgan says that physical theatre is important because “it’s a unique and innovative way of storytelling that goes back centuries but is

rarely used today. It allows us to think outside the box, literally, on how we digest stories.”

Modern Monsters

Made for adventurous audience members ages 12+, the show remixed and riffed on the themes found in Mary Shelley’s gothic horror classic: technology, creation, and modern monsters. Stitching together a mix of favorite restaged repertoire with a new cast and fresh interstitials, “A BKBX Frankenstein” was a contemporary delight on an ancient form of storytelling.

Sci-Fi Cinema

The show’s centerpiece was BKBX’s ode to sci-fi cinema, “Starship Excelsior,” which brought a new space opera twist to that famous moment when

Broken Box Mime Theater’s mission is to activate the imaginations of our audiences, contemporize the art of mime, and remind us all of the power of simple storytelling. Image courtesy of BKBX.

creator and creation meet for the first time. Even without the words “It's alive,” audiences left buzzing with new ideas about the dangers of creation, hubris, and what is out of our control.

Igniting Imaginations

Morgan explained that when audiences watch a story told without words, it allows for more freedom in interpretation and “each audience member can fill in the gaps and ignite their own imaginations. It’s emotionally impactful when patrons are forced to digest information in a way that stimulates the visual sense.”

Visually Stimulating

In “Automatic,” five actors stimulated the visual sense as they performed a trance-like, dancelike ritual disassembling and assembling a rifle in perfect unison. The work called on overlapping themes of our hunger for fear, our desire for safety, our idolatry of weaponry, and our comfort in ritual.

Absurdly Comedic

A playful—albeit gory—take on the monster of our pop-culture machine, “Boyz Side” was one of the more absurd comedic offerings. It moved from a boy band in mid-choreography to a striptease that, quite literally, cut to the bone.

Playing in Class

During a two-week residency, students in TPS were able to take advantage of BKBX’s performance and educational offerings. The company also assisted TPS students in devising and producing their own show, including original design elements. 

Frankenstein cast members; image courtesy of BKBX.

School of Art and Design’s Bernard A. Zuckerman Museum of Art: “{UNDER}flow”

By Kathie Beckett

School of Art and Design’s Zuckerman Museum showcases

exhibition of work from Afro-Caribbean artists

Kennesaw State University’s Bernard A. Zuckerman Museum of Art (ZMA), a unit of the School of Art and Design, presented “{UNDER}flow,” an exhibition featuring the work of five internationally celebrated Afro-Caribbean artists.

Curated by Cynthia Nourse Thompson, Associate Professor of Fine Art and Director of Curatorial Affairs at the ZMA, the dynamic exhibition ran Aug. 29 to Dec. 9, 2023.

Celebrating Afro-Caribbean Artists

On display at the Don Russell Clayton Gallery in the ZMA, the group exhibition—and associated educational programming—celebrated the work of María Magdalena Campos-Pons, Josué Azor, Firelei Báez, David Antonio Cruz, and Didier William.

Valuable Discussions

Thompson said, “It is my hope that introducing new regional audiences to these important contemporary artists will prompt valuable discussions regarding conceptions of history, cultural geography, race, gender, and identity.”

Fluidity and Struggle

Underflow, another term for the word undercurrent, serves to metaphorically suggest underlying themes of fluidity and struggle. Examples of these themes include power and control, diasporic experiences, perceived histories, and sexuality.

Just Below the Surface

These themes often lie just below the surface—both visually and conceptually—in the works presented, thus unifying them in compelling ways.

Personal Perspectives

Although these artists share mutual geography, each artist uniquely addressed their own personal affiliations with place and memory as presented through figuration, abstraction, and realism. Moreover, a shared interest in the representation of the body—and the contentious relations it introduces between subject and power—positioned viewers to consider their own perspectives. This was particularly true when placed under the eye of a confrontational gaze.

Educational Programming

As part of the ZMA’s mission to offer educational programming, exhibiting artist David Antonio Cruz presented a lecture about his work on Oct. 8 as part of Atlanta Art Week. The artist spoke about his artistic practices and discuss his paintings currently on view in “{UNDER}flow.” 

Cynthia Nourse Thompson is an Associate Professor of Fine Art and Director of Curatorial Affairs at the Zuckerman Museum of Art.

Didier William, Baptism: We Cannot Drown Nou Beni, 2022. Acrylic, ink, and wood carving on panel. Courtesy of Benjamin Blad.

Firelei Báez, Fragrant with dawn and dew, 2018. Acrylic and ink on Yupo paper. 30 x 25 1/2 inches. Image courtesy of the artist and James Cohan, New York.

Kennesaw State exhibits work of artist Polly Apfelbaum in “Nirvana”

By Kathie Beckett

School of Art and Design’s Bernard A. Zuckerman Museum featured artist known for "fallen paintings"

Kennesaw State University’s Bernard A. Zuckerman Museum of Art (ZMA), a unit of the School of Art and Design, presented“Nirvana” Oct. 3 to Dec. 9, 2023. The exhibition, featuring the work of Polly Apfelbaum, was curated by Cynthia Nourse Thompson, Associate Professor of Fine Art and Director of Curatorial Affairs at the ZMA.

“Fallen Paintings”

“Nirvana” featured large-scale installations of ceramics, prints, and textiles by the contemporary American artist who has held exhibitions all over the world. Known for her use of gallery floor space, Apfelbaum’s work is often described as “fallen paintings.”

In a 2022 interview, she explained to Collectors Agenda that the term “fallen paintings,” first used by Kurt Varnadoe in the 1990s, was “such a suggestive phrase that I have picked it up – both the physicality of something collapsed, fallen onto the floor, but it also has the connotation of a ‘fallen’ woman, or a ‘fallen’ angel.”

Art, Craft, and Design Intersect

The artist is known for combining a variety of media with vibrant saturated colors and patterns to obscure the lines between painting, installation, sculpture, and everyday object. Apfelbaum actively interrogates the boundaries between art, craft, and design.

Christian Dior-Inspired

“Rainbow Nirvana Houndstooth,” a two-panel rug originally created for a group exhibition by Dior at the Grand Palais in Paris, exemplifies this best. This work blends the French fashion house’s signature houndstooth pattern with the artist’s own palette scheme, creating a monumental work that viewers are invited to directly become part of—by standing upon it.The exhibition at the ZMA marked the first time the rug has been exhibited in the U.S.

Prints + Rug Together

Apfelbaum was intrigued that Christian Dior was a gallerist before he was a fashion designer, and, in 2019, she participated in the third edition of Dior’s Lady Art Project. In addition to her recently created textiles, a suite of six woodblock prints titled “Hudson River Valley Nirvana” will be exhibited. The prints continue to play with an expanded spectrum of colors and complement the large-scale rug on view, marking the first time these works have been displayed together.

Essential Materials from Home

The work of Apfelbaum is framed by wider political contexts and the legacy of post-war American art. She chooses materials that are usually found in the domestic realm—such as textiles and ceramics— and emphasizes their essential qualities, especially color, and texture. In this way, Apfelbaum assumes a political and feminist position, challenging hierarchies in cultural practice.

Polly Apfelbaum, Rainbow Nirvana Houndstooth, 2013. Hand dyed handwoven wool, cotton. Courtesy of the artist and Frith Street Gallery, London.

KSU’s Theatre & Performance Studies presented “Once on This Island: The Musical”

By Kathie Beckett

Tony Award-winning musical at Kennesaw State bursts to life with Afro-Caribbean rhythms

The Department of Theatre and Performance Studies (TPS) presented the Tony Award-winning musical “Once on This Island: The Musical” in the Stillwell Theater on Nov. 2-12, 2023.

Written by Lynn Ahrens, with music by Stephen Flaherty, the musical is the universal tale of Ti Moune, a fearless peasant girl in search of her place in the world, and ready to risk it all for love. Guided by the mighty island gods, Ti Moune sets out on a remarkable journey to reunite with the man who captured her heart. With the power to inspire and heal, the story is simply, beautifully told.

Director and Guest Artist

Kayce Denise, a full-time teacher at Central Gwinnett High School in Lawrenceville, Ga., appreciates the importance of the storytelling basis, as it “comes from the people. Sometimes, stories have been taken away from their culture, erased, or given a different perspective."

She continued, "This story tends to lean towards the people of that [particular] place, and the characters can own their stories, share those stories, keep the story

going. This is why we can continue; we have the person who keeps the history going. That’s why it’s important."

“We’re bringing stories to life—it’s the center of what we do in TPS—and we expose ourselves to how storytelling can occur,” said Amanda Wansa Morgan, Artistic Director, Coordinator of Musical Theatre, and Associate Professor of Theatre and Performance Studies.

“Once on This Island: The Musical” starts with a presentday event, and then ventures into a story within a story,. “The musical starts with a literal storm, and examines what communities do to recover, and how people in those communities keep their stories alive,” added Morgan.

Theatre student Ebony Golden (Acting, 2025) was also trying to keep the stories alive in her role as dramaturg under Tom Fish, Assistant Professor of Theatre and Resident Dramaturg. Her favorite song from the robust score was “Why We Tell the Story,” because “it’s a wonderful, beautiful song, and, at the end of the day, we should be telling our stories, we have to take ownership over who is telling our stories—and not allow people to change it and make it into their own story.”

Once on This Island: The Musical. All images by Casey Ford.

Golden and her team examined many issues from the musical that are still current today, including colonialism, colorism, and environmental concerns.

The dramaturgical team also delved into the AfroCaribbean culture and community, including what’s it’s like to live and work in the community, and how hurricanes can be an influence in their daily lives. They reviewed even small details of how produce is sold, or items traded, and how food and spirituality play into the culture, particularly of Haiti, home to the characters.

“We shared our research with the actors, including information on the gods—the puppeteers of the show—and the influence of the gods that may impact the storytellers alongside the women and men of Haiti,” says Golden.

Some of the students were of Caribbean descent, and Golden asked them to bring in information about their own families.The storytellers then used the collective information to develop their characters, whether through spoken word or music.

The musical score came to life with Afro-Caribbean rhythms and instruments, accomplished with a live band and strong vocal power from the ensemble. “We had a live band—a combination of Bailey School of Music students and professionals—and it was a lot of fun,” says Morgan.

Percussion played a large role in the show, provided by guest artist Imani Quinoñes, a student at Berkley College of Music. (Her father is one of Atlanta’s premiere Latin jazz percussionists.)

In addition to a large cast of 30 actors, including understudies, the student company was comprised of musicians, tech crew members, costume, lighting, and set designers, and dramaturgical and choreography assistants.

Angela Harris, Executive Artistic Director of Dance Canvas, Inc., and past guest lecturer for KSU’s Department of Dance, brought the dance choreography to the stage, and it wasn't extra or merely icing on top. Rather, Harris explained that dance was“intrinsic to the story. People are moving when words are not enough,” she said. Before working on the musical, Harris researched Afro-Caribbean traditional dance. Next, she had a lot of conversations with the cast.

She told them not to think about performing for the audience, but instead to bring the audience into the story. "That's hard, but I would rather have the audience looking in and feeling like they are watching this story emerge. It’s a different way of approaching movement and choreography, as is storytelling,” she added.

Denise asks, “Why do we go see ‘Beauty and the Beast’ or ‘Peter Pan?’ We can live vicariously through these characters. These young people had a blast! Unleash the dragons! We laid this out for people to consume. It was beautiful.”

Morgan added that there was “so much joy inherent in this production, this life-affirming celebration of Afro-Caribbean life. Above everything else is relationships. Our students are full of joy, and we were excited to have the opportunity to share it.”

New York City Ballet hires Kennesaw State Dance Alumna

By Kendall Chamberlain

Angelina Pellini prefers being behind the scenes vs. performing on stage

KSU Dance alumna Angelina Pellini told her senior seminar class that her ultimate career goal was to be stage manager for a Balanchine-based ballet company. Now, only a short few years later, Pellini is living her wildest dreams as the Assistant Stage Manager for the prestigious New York City Ballet.

She knew she wanted to do something with dance but wasn’t sure that it needed to be performing. She chose Kennesaw State University Department of Dance specifically for the Bachelor of Arts in Dance program and the flexibility it afforded her beyond the act of performing itself.

“I think students enter a department of dance and pursue a major in dance with probably a narrow understanding of what’s possible for their career,” said Marsha Barsky, Chair of the Department of Dance. “Angelina’s success is a testament to what really is possible for a career for dancers.”

Pellini discovered her love of production during her first semester when she worked as stage crew for the fall show. It was there where she connected with her mentor, KSU faculty member David J Tatu.

“If it weren’t for David, I don’t know that I would have focused on production,” Pellini said. “He really showed me its value, and that’s what made me want to do it.”

She explained that Ivan Pulinkala, KSU’s Provost and founder of the KSU Dance program, also emphasized the value of production through the program’s culture.

She explained, "Dr. Pulinkala did a really good job of presenting production in a way that made

it important and not a career to be cast aside or an undesirable field…He painted it in a way that was always promoting production as a worthy art form,” Pellini said.

She took Tatu's Dance Production class at KSU, and then sought more opportunities on the production side of dance. She led student teams, worked as a student assistant for the department, and served as the production stage manager for her senior capstone.

“She saw that this was a way where she could be a part of the show and not be on stage and be just as important to the success of the production,” Tatu said. “She was always a leader in the department…She was always the one running the show.”

Pellini feels that stage managing is the closest thing to performing. She sees it as the heart of the

Angelina Pellini; image courtesy of Dance Atlanta.

She was always the one running the show.

— David J Tatu

show, experiencing the same exhilaration and excitement as if she were performing onstage.

The first professional show she ever called was for KSU alumnus John Welker’s newly launched company, Terminus Modern Ballet Theatre.

She explained, “I was lucky to be working with such talented dancers at such a young age. I feel like in a lot of ways I grew up with that organization."

She added,"I am still close to all the founding members of Terminus Modern Ballet Theatre, and those early performances are some of my fondest memories."

“McCree O’Kelley, who was the Interim Chair [of KSU Dance] at the time, was, aside from David, the most influential person I met at KSU. His style is very much influenced by the New York City Ballet, and a lot of what I know about the New York City Ballet and Balanchine rep— and the love I have for that style of ballet— made me want to work there in particular because of him,” she added.

“This is the pinnacle of ballet for me,” Pellini said. “I’ll close the fall season with my favorite ballet of all time, and with some of my favorite dancers of all time. I get to watch ballet for a living. There’s nothing better.” 

Angelina Pellini is living her wildest dream as the Assistant Stage Manager for the prestigious New York City Ballet.

Kennesaw State University Department of Dance presents Original Choreography in “Sage”

By Kathie Beckett

Four choreographers develop widely diverse works

Kennesaw State University Department of Dance presented “Sage" on Nov. 10-11, 2023, featuring innovative works by four experienced choreographers. Dance students in KSU Dance Company learned the choreography all semester prior to presenting the works.

The four choreographers—KSU Provost Ivan Pulinkala, two faculty members and a guest artist from Senegal—drew from their wide experience and collective wisdom in “Sage.” They each hailed from a different country of origin, offering a unique look at the influence of culture and the wisdom of experience on dance.

“Sage” allowed students to work in “a very international way,” said Marsha Barsky, Chair of the Department of Dance. “It’s another way that KSU is expanding our mission to help students experience diverse perspectives on dance making.”

In the case of Senegalese choreographer Pape Ibrahima Ndiaye (a.k.a. Kaolack), the students learned a style of dance in “Borders” that is universal and contemporary, but unique to him—his own dance vocabulary.

Assistant Professor Dasha Chapman—who worked closely with the Office of Global Education to bring the innovative choreographer to KSU for the Year of Senegal—taught the students alongside Kaolack. “Most of these dancers were unfamiliar with the African dance vocabulary” and Chapman said they worked hard to learn “the new vocabulary...so they may bring to it a sense of self.”

“Borders” featured a broad range of 15 dancers from every level of their college career. When selecting the dancers for the work, he “embraced the dancers and their differences, without reservation, embodying the spirit of generosity

and hospitality for which the Senegalese people are known,” said Shae Smith, Global Education’s Director of Community Engagement and Outreach.

The choreography for “ECOSYS” is based on an exploration of the science behind the development of an ecosystem. Pulinkala choreographed the interface of the performers and video as a representation of the biotic and abiotic structures within an ecosystem.The work evolves through the stages of nudation, invasion, co-action, reaction and climax to metaphorically reflect life's journey.

Pulinkala founded KSU’s Dance department in 2005. When not choreographing or teaching, he may be found in Kennesaw Hall in his dual role as Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs for KSU.

It was an exciting opportunity for students to “work with the Provost—to demystify these rarefied roles in academia—and develop a relationship with him in a collaborative way,” said Barsky.

In “Vessels,” the dancers and Assistant Professor Autumn Eckman worked collaboratively to answer the question “where do contemporary dance and classical ballet intersect?” The resulting piece centered around “bringing out their unique nature as dancers, as vessels of light, playing off these young dancers’ potential, and their amazing ability to move and carve out space,” explained Eckman.

Lisa K. Lock, Artistic Director and Assistant Professor of Dance, has spent ten years teaching dance at KSU. Her piece, “Chasing Shadows,” is particularly poignant as she has announced her plans to retire at the end of this academic year. She explains that “time is ticking away, under our feet, so my work is structured around time passing. It’s abstract: chasing, freezing, and warping time.” 

“ Time is ticking away, under our feet, so my work is structured around time passing.

- Lisa Lock

“

Catherine Hooker; image by Lauren Liz.

Lighting the Stage : Theatre Alumna Mack Scales

By Kendall Chamberlain

Theatre alumna credits KSU for post-grad success

Every new job is an adventure for Mackenzie "Mack" Scales, a Kennesaw State University (KSU) alumna and lighting designer/electrician. As a graduate of KSU’s Department of Theatre and Performance Studies (TPS) with a concentration in Design/Tech, Scales has taken her education and training to the professional world, from local theaters to the neon lights of Broadway.

Only a couple weeks before graduating from KSU, Scales signed on to work as the assistant lighting designer for the production of "Water for Elephants" at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta. Now, with various local projects under her belt since graduation, she is making her own Broadway debut of that very same show.

Scales credits KSU and TPS as a fundamental element of being prepared for her field. She directly correlates her participation in the program with her post-graduate success and says that “all of [her] connections, design influence, and professional relationships branched out from the interpersonal relationships [she] made at KSU.”

“While I was at KSU, I connected with many professionals who offered me hands-on learning opportunities that directly aligned with the practices that I would be carrying out in the professional world,” Scales says. “Within all of these opportunities, I was able to work closely with professors and staff who became my close mentors and encouraged and supported my interests and goals.”

Knowing that her mentors had confidence in her ability to succeed “reaffirmed my choice and commitment to KSU.” She served as both lighting and scenic designer for many KSU productions. These positions were “excellent learning moments to grasp the skills necessary to hold those positions outside of school,” explains Scales.

Former faculty members Brandon Bagwell and Pamela Rodriguez-Montero were highly influential

in her education, as they helped to expand her creativity and confidence “farther than I ever thought possible. I was also strongly guided by Chuck Meacham and Amanda Wansa Morgan, who always made themselves available, even if it was just for silly advice or fun conversation.”

Scales also recognizes her peers, fellow shop workers, and TPS staff for making her KSU experience so impactful and meaningful. Staff members with a significant impact on Scales’ career include Steven Love, Daniel Terry, and Brittany Johnson.

She stresses that the “people made the experience so worth it! The moments that stick out to me most from my time at KSU were the times that all the students’ collective hard work came to fruition with a successful day of work, or the opening night of a show.”

Staying busy with both local and KSU projects, Scales remains a part of the KSU community, even after graduating. This KSU Owl can't wait to fly to New York to light up her next project: on Broadway! 

Alumna Mackenzie "Mack" Scales

Theatre alumna Mackenzie "Mack" Scales has been actively working in the professional world since graduation.

Scales designed the lighting in KSU's "Wondrous Strange." Image by Casey Ford.

Scales designed the lighting for the hit musical "RENT" at KSU. Image by Casey Ford.

Kennesaw State Bailey School of Music presents Holiday Concert

By Kathie Beckett

Music included holiday classics plus big works from classical canon

Kennesaw State University’s Bailey School of Music presented the 2023 Holiday Concert honoring Robert S. “Bob” Geer, a distinguished benefactor, on Dec. 2, 2023. An annual tradition, the concert featured over 200 KSU students and faculty performing as part of the Choirs, Wind Ensemble, and Symphony Orchestra.

This year’s lineup included holiday classics and big works from the classical canon. It also included music from some famous holiday movies, like a medley of songs from the popular children’s movie “Frozen" and Tchaikovsky’s “Pas De Deux” from the Nutcracker.

Julia Bullard, Interim Director of the Bailey School of Music, said that it was like a “celebratory, endof-semester holiday party! We were so excited to share this special, seasonal music with our community.”

It was hard for patrons not to dance to Kevin Phillip Johnson’s “Children, Go Where I Send Thee,” featuring the KSU Chamber Singers and Percussion Ensemble. Other selections included “Greensleeves” and “Mary, Did You Know?” Bullard said that “Mary, Did You Know” has become “very popular, and it is a wonderful arrangement. There was really something for everyone at this concert.”

In a lively rendition of David Eddleman’s “Bidi Bom” for Hanukkah, the combined choirs were accompanied by the marimba. Each half of the program featured choirs, KSU Wind Ensemble, and the KSU Symphony Orchestra.

Director of Orchestra Studies and Associate Professor of Music Nathaniel F. Parker explained that the selections for choirs “represented a wide

range of styles, from sacred and secular holiday traditions both new and old. One fun highlight was ‘Jingle Bells Forever,’ written in the style of Sousa’s famous march, ‘Stars and Stripes Forever.’”

The Wind Ensemble performed the 1948 edition of “Sleigh Ride” from Leroy Anderson, in dedication to Robert S. “Bob” Geer, a transformational benefactor for the College of the Arts.

“Bob grew up with a passion for the arts, particularly art, dance, and music. In fact, during the Great Depression, his family paid for his piano lessons with products from their farm. We were pleased to be able to honor Bob with this concert, and to dedicate ‘Sleigh Ride’ to him,” said Harrison Long, Interim Dean of the College of the Arts.

While it wasn't a wonderland of snow in Georgia, that didn't stop residents from gliding along with a song of a wintry fairy land. The warm venue, Morgan Concert Hall in the Dr. Bobbie Bailey & Family Performance Center, was festively decorated, and patrons even wore holiday attire. 

Baily School of Music's Holiday Concert has become a traditional All images by Lauren Liz.

traditional favorite.

Kennesaw State ArtsKSU 2023 Gala Raises Funds for Scholarships, Programming

By Kathie Beckett

Over 200 patrons attended the formal ArtsKSU Gala at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre

Kennesaw State University College of the Arts welcomed over 200 patrons to the 2023 ArtsKSU Gala, held Oct. 14 at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. The event raised over $1,910,000 to support student scholarships and programming, including $800,000 in new endowed scholarship funds and a bequest of $1,070,000 to name the Emily Grigsby and Athos Menaboni galleries at Chastain Pointe.

The Emily Grigsby Gallery will primarily exhibit student work while the Athos Menaboni Gallery will exhibit Menaboni works from the collection of the Zuckerman Museum of Art, a unit of the School of Art and Design. Harrison Long, Interim Dean of the College of the Arts, said, “We are overwhelmed and deeply grateful for the generous support. These contributions will positively impact the lives of students within the College of the Arts.

As patrons arrived, they walked a red carpet generously provided by sponsor Mohawk Group and were greeted by student “paparazzi” from the Department of Theatre and Performance Studies. Once inside the venue, guests were entertained by Department of Dance students sporting peacock feathers while performing in the atrium, in a bit of foreshadowing for the upcoming performance by the KSU Dance Company.

Before dinner, guests listened to the Bailey School of Music’s KSU Jazz Quartet, under the direction of Sam Skelton and Trey Wright. Guests then bid on the silent auction items, ranging from original artworks to wine baskets, to a balloon ride and an in-home chef experience.

Next, students from the cast of “Once on This Island,” directed by Amanda Wansa Morgan, kicked off the main program with an Afro-Caribbean

musical beat. Music played throughout the meal, featuring the KSU Brass Ensemble, directed by Paul Dickinson, and an unusual, moving piano duet by students Hannah Mullenix and Jake Daron. The School of Art and Design’s alumna Wendy Mitchell designed the table runners for the evening, mentored by Amanda Britton of the Textiles and Design program.

The live auction, led by Tarryn and Jason Troutman of Auction Horizons, featured a once-in-a-lifetime trip to South Africa, alongside Instagram-worthy trips to the beautiful North Georgia mountains. After the live auction, patrons watched the KSU Dance Company perform innovative choreography by faculty Lisa K. Lock and Autumn Eckman. The evening ended with a rousing, crowd-pleasing rendition of Jai Ho! from “Slumdog Millionaire,” performed by the KSU Chamber Singers and KSU Percussion Ensemble, directed by John Lawless and conducted by Leslie Blackwell.

All four units of the College of the Arts were involved in the ArtsKSU Gala, the largest scholarship fundraising event of the year.

All images by Lauren Liz.

Photo by Lauren Liz.

“ “

We are overwhelmed and deeply grateful for the generous support. These contributions will positively impact the lives of students within the College of the Arts.

- Harrison Long

Long said, “I am so thankful to the College of the Arts faculty, staff and students who donated their time, talent, expertise, and artistry to make the 2023 ArtsKSU Gala a success. I also want to acknowledge the College of the Arts Ambassadors who worked so diligently to make this event possible. These volunteers are entrepreneurs, philanthropists, and business leaders who are passionate about the arts at KSU and who commit a significant amount of time and energy to support the College of the Arts and its mission.”

Over the past two years, the College of the Arts has awarded 150 Gala Scholarships. Long explained that the Gala Scholarships “help hard-working students take better advantage of the precious and formative time they spend with us. Many of our high-achieving students come from humble beginnings, so they balance part-time jobs on top of challenging academic schedules. Gala scholarships often make the difference between staying in school or dropping out, or they afford the student a few extra hours every week to rehearse, paint, write, or practice an instrument.” 

OUR SPONSORS

ArtsKSU Title Sponsor

Mohawk Industries

Conductor Sponsors

Bill and Nina Beddingfield

Jerry and Jean Cooper

HRS of GA, LLC

Paige Thompson Realtor/ Atlanta Communities

Artist Sponsors

Bagwell College of Education

KSU Research and Service Foundation

Director Sponsors

Cobb Travel & Tourism

Crane Elder Law

Cam and Tracy Graham

Steinway Pianos

Riesen Ranch LLC

Choreographer Sponsor

Consulate General of Israel to the Southeastern United States

DanceMax Dancewear

Smile Productions

Sweetwater Sound

Conductor Sponsors

Bill and Nina Beddingfield

Pam Hubby

Teresa Joyce

Harrison Long

Joe Meeks

Jerry and Linda Richman

Tom Sands

Auta Lopes-Thomas

Trent and LaSona Turk

Don Vellek

Susan White

Thank you

Lava Team Sales

COLLEGE of the ARTS AMBASSADORS

Bill Beddingfield

Paige Bullard

Jean Cooper

Jerry Cooper

Kim Franz

Pam Hubby

Auta Lopes-Thomas

Joe Meeks

Christopher Morgan

Mark Page

Jerry Richman

Tom Sands

LaSona Turk

Trent Turk

Don Vellek

Susan White

Photo by Lauren Liz.

Research in the Arts presented by Kennesaw State College of the Arts Undergraduates

By Kathie Beckett

Student research spans wide range of topics across all ArtsKSU units

Kennesaw State University undergraduate students from the College of the Arts (COTA) presented their research in Oct., 2023, in the ArtsKSU Research Forum, coordinated by the College of the Arts Council for Undergraduate Research (CUR). The research represented all four units of COTA, including the School of Art and Design, the Bailey School of Music, the Department of Theatre and Performance Studies, and the Department of Dance.

In alignment with the mission of Kennesaw State’s Office of Undergraduate Research, the College of the Arts seeks to promote highquality undergraduate student-faculty collaborative research and scholarship, and to make research an integral part of the undergraduate experience.

The undergraduate research projects are mentored by a faculty or staff member with expertise in the research methods of the discipline. The project should make a unique contribution to the literature in the student’s field, and it is strongly encouraged that the student present or publish the project.

Introduced by Associate Dean Dr. Peter Fielding, three students presented their research in the Ruth Zuckerman Atrium at the Bernard A. Zuckerman Museum of Art; the presentation was also live streamed via ArtsKSU Virtual.

Fielding said, "Our ArtsKSU Undergraduate Research Forum’s serve as a focal point to celebrate the breadth of student scholarship across the college.”

The subjects ranged from a popular turn-of-the century opera to crosscultural connections between Anime and Lo-fi Hip Hop to an “Off the Grid” anthology series. Simon Kawasaki, a sophomore in the Bailey School of Music studying Music Theory, presented his research on “Cio-CioSan and the World: The History of Puccini’s ‘Madama Butterfly.’” Kawasaki was mentored by Dr. Edward Eanes.

Ben Holmes, a senior in the Department of Theatre and Performance Studies with a Design/ Tech concentration, presented “The Cross-Cultural Connection between Anime and Lo-fi Hip Hop.” Holmes was mentored by Dr. Tom Fish. Aria Leinberger, a senior in the School of Art and Design concentrating in Sequential Art, presented “Off the Grid: A Graphic Novel Anthology,” focusing on marginalized communities. Leinberger was mentored by Professor Joseph Karg.

Art and Design student

Aria Leinberger (top), Theatre and Performance Studies student Ben Holmes (middle), Music student Simon Kawasaki (bottom). Images by Mary-Kathryn Lopez.

Two students presented their research via video, including an examination of the legendary composer Stephen Sondheim's "Assassins" and a look into how Loïe Fuller’s “Serpentine Dance” forever impacted how dancers obtain copyrights.

Amber Solana, a sophomore in the Department of Dance with a double major in dance (modern concentration) and marketing, presented “Choreographic Copyrights: The Case of Fuller v. Bemis.” Solana was mentored by Professor Dasha Chapman. James Doster, a sophomore majoring in Theatre and Performance Studies with a concentration in Musical Theatre, presented “Stephen Sondheim’s ‘Assassins,’ An All-American Review.” Doster was mentored by Dr. Jim Davis.

The ArtsKSU Undergraduate Research Forum assists in increasing student participation in undergraduate scholarship, creative activity, and applied learning experiences.

Students can present their work at academic conferences such as the KSU Symposium of Student Scholars or the National Conference on Undergraduate Research, the largest conference of its kind in the U.S., which was held at KSU in spring 2019. Students may complete their research journey by sharing their projects in the Kennesaw Journal of Undergraduate Research, an online peer-reviewed scholarly journal. 

“

“ The College of the Arts seeks to promote highquality undergraduate student-faculty collaborative research and scholarship, and to make research an integral part of the undergraduate experience.

Dance student Amber Solana

Theatre and Performance Studies student James Doster

Graphic Design Virtual Exhibition, Fall 2023

By Kathie Beckett

Graduating seniors showcase their work

Students in Prof. Kristine Kim's Art4980

Senior Portfolio class exhibited their graphic design work in a virtual exhibition. A total of 21 students shared their work, ranging from a new design for Knotty Pretzel bags to a rebranding campaign for the classic men's line of Old Spice colognes.

Graduating seniors from the School of Art and Design, Graphic Communications, included:

Peter Allen

Natalie Amella

Bethany Bean

Olivia Bonniwell

Jaliyah Brantley

Audra Chang

Alicia Corbitt

Thien Dang

Destiny Easley

Charlotte Eaton

Charles Jordan

Miranda Litkea

Kiana Melendez

Myranda Mills

Emily Molander

Emily Schuvart

Natalie Vinelli

Miriam Wagner

Claire Waters

EJ Weathers

Kindall Wright

Jaliyah Brantley, Adrian Frutiger Z-Fold, 2022

Kiana Melendez, Cryptid Curiosity Business card, 2023

Claire Waters, Poster and invitation, 2023

Kiana Melendez, Coeio, Infinity Burial, 2022

Jaliyah Brantley, Coffee Brand/ Coffee Bean Bag, 2022

Jan Tschichold, Z-fold, 2022. This z-fold introduces Jan Tschichold and his font Sabon.

Band of Other Brothers performs at Bailey School of Music

By Kathie Beckett

Jazz fusion supergroup improvised innovative and eclectic jazz music

Kennesaw State University’s Bailey School of Music welcomed saxophonist Jeff Coffin (Dave Matthews Band, Bela Fleck & the Flecktones) and his Band of Other Brothers on Jan. 19, 2024.

The cross-genre supergroup blends a variety of influences: the gritty South of the Allman Brothers, the funk of James Brown, the eerie melodies of Pink Floyd, and the improvisation of The Grateful Dead.

Besides Coffin, musicians performing at KSU with the Band included drummer Jordan Perlson, keyboardist Chris Walters, bassist Felix Pastorius, and guitarist Nir Felder. The jazz fusion group relies on their network of skilled musicians to collaborate in creating innovative—and often eclectic—jazz music. The changing lineup of musicians keeps the music fresh, but Coffin and Felder are almost always on stage with the Band.

In an interview with the Band’s label, Ear Up Records, on the 2021 release of Look Up!, Felder said, “I still can't believe I get to be in a band with these heroes of mine,” says Felder.

“Here's to many more with this brilliant group of musicians I am so proud to get to call my brothers.”

The comradery and mutual respect for each other’s abilities provide a strong foundation for the band’s music and flexible repertory.

For the Jan. 19 performance, for example, the evening’s works were announced from the stage. Coffin and other band members also participated in masterclasses with Bailey School of Music students.

Interim Assistant Director Dr. Nathaniel F. Parker described the international, all-star jazz

quintet’s time at KSU. He said, “During their time on campus, these world-class musicians first engaged our students in masterclasses. Then, both our students and the public experienced their artistry on stage in Morgan Hall.”

Coffin continues to be recognized for his musical passion, his deep commitment to music education, and his tireless dedication to improvisational music, which he teaches at Vanderbilt University. He has written numerous music books and is a Yamaha Performing Artist and Clinician and a JodyJazz Artist. 

Jordan Perslon; image from Melophy.

Jeff Coffin; image by Rodrigo Simas.

Nir Felder; image from Felder's Instagram. Chris Walter; image from Cheekwood.

Felix Pastorius; image from Pastorius' Facebook.

BODYTRAFFIC performs at KSU Department of Dance

By Kathie Beckett

Repertory company is known for diverse voices that embody the best of current works

Kennesaw State University Department of Dance hosted Los Angeles-based BODYTRAFFIC on Jan. 26-27, 2024, at the KSU Dance Theater on the Marietta campus. The repertory company featured the work of internationally acclaimed choreographers, including Ohad Naharin, Kyle Abraham, Sidra Bell, Arthur Pita, Micaela Taylor, Fernando Magadan, Matthew Neenan, and Hofesh Shechter.

In pursuit of the most challenging, original, and diverse choreography in the field, BODYTRAFFIC has made waves from coast to coast with its far-reaching appeal. Artistic Director Tina Finkelman Berkett leads a masterful troupe, all nimble interpreters of each choreographers’ distinct vision. Surprising and unforgettable, BODYTRAFFIC is “one of the most talked about companies nationwide” (Los Angeles Times).

Chair of the Department of Dance Marsha Barsky says that, as a repertory company, BODYTRAFFIC features “highly virtuosic and very adaptable dancers. The have the ability to work with a lot of different approaches and styles, and that ties in nicely with our mission to train a well-rounded dancer.”

Students also had the opportunity to learn from company members in the week prior to the performances.

“We were really excited about the mini residency,” says Barsky. “BODYTRAFFIC has such versatile and well-rounded dancers, and our students benefited from their time at KSU.”

During the residency, company members met with classes and taught improvisation, modern, and even an Afro-Cuban class. They also met with senior students to discuss what life is like as a professional dancer in Los Angeles. “It was a unique time for students to connect with the company, and it deepened their experience when they saw the performance,” added Barsky.

Assistant Professor of Dance and Interim Artistic Director Lisa K. Lock agreed. She said, “The company members are close in age to our students, so they brought a lot to the table. Since BODYTRAFFIC commissions different choreographers, their program was very diverse, artistically. It’s not just the same kind of work—it has a wider breadth.”

The program selected for KSU included "Snap," "Recurrence," and "A Million Voices." Through their educational outreach efforts, BODYTRAFFIC seeks to elevate dance beyond an art form to a mode of exploration and celebration of ideas and spirit through movement. 

BODYTRAFFIC members Tiare Keeno (left) and Alana Jones (right); images from BODYTRAFFIC

(left to right) BODYTRAFFIC members Jordyn Santiago, Joan Rodriguez, Ty Morrison, Pedro Garcia, and Kate Garcia

Bernard A. Zuckerman Museum of Art Celebrates Ten Years with Exhibition

By Kathie Beckett

Honoring the Past and Celebrating the Future at the ZMA

Kennesaw State University’s Bernard A. Zuckerman Museum of Art (ZMA), a unit of the School of Art and Design, celebrated its 10th anniversary with a special exhibition: “Reflections: Honoring the Past, Celebrating the Future, Ten Years of the Zuckerman Museum of Art.” Curated by Cynthia Nourse Thompson, Associate Professor of Fine Art and Director of Curatorial Affairs at the ZMA, the free exhibition opened Jan. 25, 2024.

Featuring a thoughtful and careful selection of works from the Museum’s permanent collection, “Reflections” expanded upon the Museum’s mission. It was a compelling lens: re-contextualizing and interweaving disciplines and diverse narratives to engage multiple audiences in the celebration of its ten-year anniversary. The collection would not be what it is today without donors who realized the need and value of art to serve the educational needs of KSU. As such, one section of the gallery was devoted to showcasing works by major donors to the Zuckerman Museum.

Finally, exciting, new acquisitions to the KSU permanent collection were on display. Guests gained insight into the current focus on developing the collection and saw how new works helped to expand the dialogue.

Over a year ago, staff members proposed that such an exhibition could be an integral part of the 2023-2024 season. Geo Sipp, Director of the School of Art and Design and Professor of Art, thought it was a brilliant idea. The decision to move forward with the exhibition was easy, but selecting the artwork to

feature—from thousands of fabulous pieces— was not as easy.

Sipp said, “Several people were involved with making the decisions on what art to include. Cynthia Thompson, with her capacity to acquire works on paper collections, has created a truly exceptional visual narrative, honoring the legacy of our original donors, and introducing us to the future potential of the museum,” he said.

Since opening in 2014, the ZMA has served as a vital academic resource and cultural center for students, faculty, and members of the community. The Museum was originally conceived by stakeholders as a means of bridging the university’s approximately 7,000-piece permanent collection and the thematic programming of its two expansive modern galleries.

Today, the ZMA supports and enhances internal and external communities through public programs, service activities, and leadership. Its intentionally collaborative environment encourages intellectual and artistic exchange by delivering meaningful content, dynamic programming, and experiential learning engagement opportunities. 

“

Thompson, with her capacity to acquire works on paper collections, has created a truly exceptional visual narrative, honoring the legacy of our original donors.

“ Cynthia

Shane McDonald, Bernard Zuckerman, 2013, oil on canvas

“ Reefer Madness Department of Theatre & Performance Studies

By Kathie Beckett

Tongue-in-cheek look at the hysteria caused when clean-cut kids fall prey to marijuana

Kennesaw State University’s Department of Theatre and Performance Studies (TPS) presented the raucous musical comedy "Reefer Madness" in the Onyx Theater Feb. 1318, 2024.

Blast from the Past

Inspired by the original 1936 film of the same name, "Reefer Madnes" follows clean-cut kids on a downward spiral filled with evil jazz music, sex, and violence. It was the perfect performance for patrons who wanted to laugh a lot and feel good when they left the theater; it’s also still relevant as many states are still wrestling with marijuana legalization issues today.

Reefer Madness; all images by Casey Ford.

Student Maisy Winn, who plays Mary, is a junior concentrating in Musical Theatre, and she also enjoyed the diverse music. She initially thought the music would only be silly and fun, but it was actually “complex and beautiful if you take the time to sit and listen. It touches on a lot of different eras of music in the theatre. Getting to explore all those different sounds through the rehearsal process has been a real treat!”

Fearmongering

Prof. Fish’ dramaturgy students got a treat, too, when they rediscovered the original film while doing their research. “When the students rediscovered the original film, it was hysterical,” Fish said. The original 1936 film is a morality/propaganda film about the dangers of marijuana. In the 1930s, “marijuana was feared more than heroin. There was a lot of fearmongering…and this concept of moral panic easily gave way to widespread fear,” explained Fish. He noted that fearmongering can apply to almost anything, including issues like immigration or politics. Ellis added that when you “watch the absurdity of the story and realize that what you see in this musical [actually] happens every day—that people or governments are trying to control other people’s choices through fear—well, there’s an absurdity behind it.”

Moral Panic

Søren Tucker, a junior with a Musical Theatre concentration who plays the Lecturer, hoped that patrons would leave the theater striving to avoid the “moral panic” seen in the show.

He said, “While we exaggerate the fears of Americans in the 1930s, not much has changed in the sense that certain ideas and individuals are still being used to fearmonger. At the end of the show, the Lecturer says, ‘when

danger’s near, exploit their fear.’ Modern America is reflected in the show, and I hope audience members don't fall victim to the same sort of moral panic.”

Silly Fun

Winn offered that one may engage with "Reefer Madness" on several levels. “If a person wants to lean in and engage, they can take the time to really think about propaganda and moral panic. And, if a person needs a break from how hard the world is right now, they can come in and enjoy the silly visuals, the comedy, and the stunning music. The show offers something for everyone to take away.” 

New York-based Harlem Quartet performs at Kennesaw State University

By Kendall Chamberlain

Performance is part of “Moving Forward, Together: Black History Month Festival"

Kennesaw State University’s Bailey School of Music hostedt the New York-based ensemble Harlem Quartet on Feb. 16, 2024.

As part of the ArtsKSU Presents series, the concert was a highlight of the “Moving Forward, Together: Black History Month Festival.”

At the recent GRAMMY Awards, the Harlem Quartet won best classical compendium for “Passion for Bach and Coltrane,” an oratorio by Jeffrey Scott that draws on classical and jazz, according to The New York Times.

They were also hailed by GRAMMY-winning woodwind virtuoso Ted Nash of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, who declared in the May 2018 "Playbill" article, “Harlem Quartet is one of the greatest string quartets I have ever heard. They can play anything.”

They can also play for anyone, having performed for esteemed audiences worldwide, including President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama at the White House. The group has also been featured on WNBC, CNN, NBC’s Today Show, WQXR-FM, and the NewsHour with Jim Lehrer.

Interim Assistant Director of the Dr. Bobbie Bailey School of Music Dr. Nathaniel F. Parker says, “We were thrilled to welcome Harlem Quartet to campus. Their international level artistry, coupled with their dedication to promoting diversity in classical music, represents an important paradigm for all young musicians."

Currently the quartet-in-residence at the John J. Cali School of Music and the Royal College of Music in London, the ensemble seeks to “advance diversity in classical music, engaging young and new audiences through the discovery and

presentation of varied repertoire that includes works by composers of color.”

Their performance featured pieces by artists from historically underrepresented populations in concert music including Black, Latin American, and female composers.

“Our own students performed for members of the quartet during Thursday evening masterclasses. On Friday, the public was invited to experience their engaging program featuring works written by composers from typically underrepresented groups,” Parker added.

The Harlem Quartet made their public debut in 2006 at Carnegie Hall and has since embraced their mission of bringing classical music to inner-city school children.

The ensemble offers diverse programming that combines traditional string quartet pieces with jazz, Latin, and contemporary works, and they seek collaboration with musicians across various genres, including jazz and classical music. The ensemble also prioritizes residency activity and educational outreach opportunities. 

“

“ Their international level artistry, coupled with their dedication to promoting diversity in classical music, represents an important paradigm for all young musicians.

- Dr. Nathaniel F. Parker

Harlem Quartet members attend a Symposium for KSU's Bailey School of Music students. Image: Brooke Marier.

School of Art and Design hosts Spring Arts Festival

By Kendall Chamberlain

Festival offered art patrons various visual arts activities

Kennesaw State University’s School of Art and Design hosted the annual Spring Arts Festival on March 23, 2024 at the Chastain Pointe Studios on the Kennesaw campus.The event was free and open to the public.

Assistant Director of the KSU School of Art and Design Craig Brasco said, “We were thrilled to host the Spring Arts Festival once again. We welcomed back several of our previous guest artists, including a blacksmith, a glass blower, and two wonderful chalk artists. We also had numerous School of Art and Design faculty conducting a variety of artistic workshops

and demonstrations.”The festival offered art aficionados the chance to engage in various visual arts activities. Activities included workshops and demonstrations in both 3-dimensional and 2-dimensional media led by guest artists and KSU faculty members.

The sessions included soft sculpture, printmaking, drawing, painting, Korean mulberry paper bookmarks, quick set resin art (with glitter), inclusive art, photo collage, and more.

Public and private schools in the surrounding community were encouraged to participate in the annual Pin-Up show. This show invited young

artists and students to showcase their work and submit them for judging in one of five categories: elementary, middle, high school, community, and Art from the Heart. Teachers submitted up to 10 works per school to be displayed and judged for various awards. Any media that could be mounted to a bulletin board/wall with no more than four push pins (provided by the Festival) was allowed.

The festival also included the always popular Artist’s Market. Brasco notes that the Market featured nearly 70 current and former KSU students who were showcasing and selling their art.

The event was held at Chastain Pointe 115 Studio, which houses the studios for KSU’s Drawing, Painting, and Printmaking programs. It also contains distinct working areas for book arts, intaglio, letterpress, lithography, papermaking, relief, and serigraphy. Attendees could also see these spaces in action through the workshops, demonstrations, and Market.

This year, free swag bags were given to all attendees. Food trucks provided some delicious food options.

“We always look forward to seeing the community as we celebrate the visual arts at KSU, and this year was no different. I hope that everyone will come out again next year," Brasco said. 

All images by Mary-Kathryn Lopez.

Chalk Artist Jessi Queen

Art Educator Renews Passion for Teaching with M.A. Degree

By Kendall Chamberlain

Teacher Jenni Horne enjoys a deeper connection with students

KSU alumna Jenni Horne renewed her passion for teaching art by completing a master’s degree in art education through Kennesaw State University’s M.A., Art and Design program, housed in the School of Art and Design in the College of the Arts.

After years of teaching high school, Horne now enjoys a deeper level of connection with her art students in her current role as a Limited-Term Lecturer of Painting at the University of West Georgia. She credits the unique program with directly leading her to this “dream job.”

The studio-based approach of the degree, as well as the fully online format, piqued her interest. She’s always been a studio artist and believes that “part of being an art teacher is being an active artist.”

“Everything we did was [centered] around art,” Horne says. “I saw a spark and [saw my peers] excited about making art again. [This program] invigorated a lot of people with their personal studio practice.”

Horne experienced this same revitalization after feeling overwhelmed from teaching during the Coronavirus pandemic. She was excited and inspired by the opportunities and welcomed the “prospect of growing as an artist and invigorating my own artistic practice through this new educational opportunity.”

One of Horne’s most impactful experiences of this program was the completion of her Capstone alongside peer and coworker, Erin Teets. Together, they completed a series of collaborative art pieces and presented them as an exhibit entitled “The Third Person.” Horne emphasized the isolating nature of art, claiming that “as an artist, you’re kind of a loner…[it’s just] you and your studio time,” but this experience offered an element of communication and community that Horne had never before experienced in her own studio practice.

“All the research we completed gave me new insight into why I create what I do. I took the time to really dig and find a narrative that shares a more vulnerable side,” Horne says. “My work is mostly reflective of my role as a mother-artist. Even as a teacher, I find myself in the role of mother. It’s in my nature to nurture students … to love them where they are and to find a way to connect them to their own narrative.”

Horne’s work itself is largely a reflection of her motherhood journey and “the gentleness of being a mother.” Her paintings reflect this theme, as does her approach to teaching. She seeks to provide comfort for her students, claiming that “You can make an impact if you just listen,” and she seeks to call them higher in their own artistic practices. She enjoys encouraging her students and providing

“insight into what it can look like to be a practicing, full-time artist.” During her time as a graduate student, she experienced the same level of insight and inspiration from KSU faculty.

“Dr. [Diana] Gregory made an impression on me. It’s hard to describe in words, but there was something about her—and the way she inspired me—to think differently about teaching and about my place in the world as an educator,” Horne says. “Dr. [Jenevieve] Goss [also] had me really reflect interpersonally. Some of her lessons made me realize why I’m such a successful teacher and artist. She had us digging—they all did.”

Horne adds that Goss had “a beautiful way of inspiring and teaching us.”

Goss explains that each group of students is different and brings something unique to the table. “My teaching style stems directly from first getting to know my students. Each module evolves and changes according to what I am seeing and hearing from my students as they create work and respond to readings and videos.”

Goss also appreciates the practice-based approach of this program, and believes, like Horne, that “sometimes, as art teachers, we are so involved in what our students are making that we don’t take the time to create our own art.”

Horne joked that “teachers can be the worst students,” but through this program, not only did she excel as a student, but she also grew to be an even better teacher.

“The whole program challenged my thinking as an educator and artist. The teaching style of each professor really had me thinking about how I interact with students and how I present content. Now, as a college professor, I teach in a deeper, more layered style.” Horne says. “What I gained was glorious insight, which I am now using to create artwork which is truly breathtaking and layered in meaning.” 

Jenni Horne and Erin Teets, The Third Person

Animation Virtual Exhibition, Fall 2023

By Kathie Beckett

Enjoy animation from Prof. Chamberlain's Fall 2023 class!

Ten students from Professor Sandee Chamberlain's Fall 2023 Animation class are exhibiting their animation work virtually. To see the complete exhibition, visit ArtsKSU.com.

Featured students:

Nick Burseth

Angelique Cooper

Cathy Estes

Vahid Fusung

Marisol Griffiths

Hannah Lanehart

Quincy Montgomery

Kaitlin Morton

Albert Nguyen

Jenny Nguyen

Nick Bursetht

Nick Burseth: Stills of Boog, Zombella, and Winndixie

Jenny Nguyen: Environmental background of a lotus pond, based on the style of Rebecca Sugars Steven Universe

Marisol Griffiths: Emerald green Skink, "Fiji," Black Tree Skink, "Fern," and Forest Background

Vahid Fusung: Concept process showing design choices

Comical Adaption of “Pride and Prejudice” performed at Kennesaw State University

By Kathie Beckett

Jane Austen’s classic novel is delightfully and hilariously reimagined for a new era

Kennesaw State University’s Department of Theatre and Performance Studies (TPS) presented “Pride and Prejudice” in the Stillwell Theater March 28 - April 7, 2024. The performance of literature’s greatest tale of latent love had never felt so theatrical—or so full of life—than it did in this effervescent adaptation.

Based on the novel by Jane Austen, this adaptation by Kate Hamil promises that it’s “not your grandmother’s Austen!” Director and TPS Professor Marlon A. Burnley described the adaptation as written for today—even a bit wacky and kooky—and different from Austen’s version. In fact, he explains, “Jane Austen might clutch her pearls at what some of the characters say.” The characters are “not what we’re used to, but don’t worry, Mrs. Bennett is still crazy,” he added.

Mrs. Bennett may still be crazy, but patronsl enjoyed watching her antics. Audience members “were in for a ride,” says student Amanda

Maame Blankson, a senior in TPS who played Mrs. Bennett. Her favorite part of the role was that she got to “play with movement and tone, and, surprise, surprise, I got to dance!” Anytime there was a ballroom scene, she immediately did “a really fun chant that got the audience hyped all the way up!”

But it wasn't just laughs that audiences took away: there was also an underlying message or two. TPS senior Kristian Martinez, who played Mr. Bennett, explained that one reminder from the play was “always standing up for what you believe. Throughout the show, you saw that, even though each character is different, and they all have different beliefs, they could still coexist and come together.”

Burnley hoped to break audience expectations right from the start. “The throughline of the play is that you shouldn’t have expectations, as they are meant to be broken. Audiences may have

Cast of Pride and Prejudice; image courtesy of Casey Ford

walked in expecting something [familiar], and they were surprised, and then they continued to look for surprises in the work.”

The play also commented on gender and identity. Hamil noted that people are welcome to play opposite genders—it was written that way—and the actors should play the characters as themselves. Burnley explained that Hamil was “making commentary in the moment” and was very specific that no one should deepen or raise their voice, but rather play the character as themselves. Burnley was particularly interested in how the diverse cast members fit themselves in the Austen world, as this play is usually not represented in that way. Austen may not have minded, as she was, after all, writing and commenting on the time in which she lived.

“No matter who you are, or where you’re from, we are all the same; we are people,” offered Martinez.

The play “showcased being true to who you are, and [if you do that,] then everything true will come back to whom you are!”

“Our cast is a troupe of actors who wants to take classical works and show them in their own way. Working with these students brought so much joy and energy to the process,” explained Burnley. 

Emily Sinatra, Mr. and Mrs. Bennett concept sketches

Theatre students Amanda Maame Blankson (left) and Kristian Martinez (right) as Mr. and Mrs. Bennet; image courtesy of Casey Ford.

KSU Alumna Uses Papermaking to Communicate Traumatic Experiences

By Kendall Chamberlain

Elementary visual arts teacher Patsy Rausch turns passion into healing vehicle

Elementary visual arts teacher and KSU alumna Patsy Rausch embraces the chaos of elementary school because she knows she has a higher purpose. This realization led her to pursue the School of Art and Design’s Master of Arts in Art and Design (MAAD) degree.

Rausch describes her average school day as “a controlled chaotic cacophony of water spills, lost glue stick caps…paint laden hands, pastel smudged faces, profoundly inspiring passions for the color red and rainbows, nuanced frustration, an abundance of silliness, astonishing Art, and TONS of hugs.”

She sees her role as something more, though.

“Am I teaching art through all this? Absolutely, but it’s with the realization that my true goal is to create a safe space for artistic exploration, celebrate risk, and cultivate an awareness of the significance of art in their ever-evolving personal landscape,” Rausch said.

She wanted to find a way to turn her passion for papermaking into a vehicle for healing. But she was an art teacher–not an art therapist– so she was not sure how to connect the two. When she found the fully online program with a focus in Arts Education, Rausch felt that this program could serve as that connection.

When Rausch was assigned a thesis as the culminating element of the degree program, she “took a leap of faith” and chose to focus on the potential for art—specifically hand papermaking—to communicate traumatic experiences.

For her thesis, Rausch worked with a group of fifth graders at her school. During the COVID-19 pandemic, these students picked up cotton bags filled with school supplies so that they could complete their distance-learning activities each week. For both the students and the teachers, these bags later became a symbol of depression and anxiety, and they served as a reminder of the difficult ways in which the pandemic affected them all.

Rausch worked with these students to turn these bags that once served as a source of pain and isolation into something beautiful: journals. She had the students write their feelings toward the bags on them with a permanent marker. When the bags were later pulped and made into paper, the result was always a bright, brilliant color, despite the amount of marker on them.

“I said to them, ‘That’s kind of like you guys. You made it through this. Your resilience, your courage, that’s you. You went from this anger, this

Patsy Rausch, Sod & Sun

fear, this uncertainty to where you are now. You have this beautiful bound journal where you can start all new and all fresh,’” Rausch said.

This experience helped Rausch “tap into the minds of [her] students,” and she saw the impact of creativity on their healing process.

“I looked at my students with more patience, more grace, and more appreciation for everything they had been through,” Rausch said. “And yet they’re still here and putting their creativity out there after a period of such vulnerability for them.”

The MAAD program also helped to broaden her own perspective as an artist.

“Dr. Jenevieve Goss, who taught Media Arts, opened a window into a world of diverse and contemporary artists who were not on my radar, but whom I now follow,” Rausch said. “She also extended my intellect to accept media arts as a conceivable art form, including performance art as innovative social expression.”

Goss believes that performance art “opens up avenues for expression that cannot be represented in any other way.” She assigned a performance art piece that Rausch, along with most of the class, was initially intimidated by but later appreciated. This step out of Rausch’s comfort zone helped her to further appreciate the “celebrated risk” that she often preaches to her own students.

“Patsy is an unbelievably compassionate, committed, and inspired teacher,” Goss said. “She is always looking for new ways to connect with her students and create spaces for growth and exploration both visually and emotionally. She embraces the beauty in her students and the value they bring to the classroom. She is a natural born teacher and brought so much insight and creative exploration to the program.”

Rausch now uses her papermaking studio as both an educational tool and an “art therapy appendage.” She trains teachers to use the studio and loans it to them to use with their students. Rausch also shares how the studio fits into STEAM curriculums. Additionally, she works with marginalized communities seeking innovative support by helping them find strength and healing through papermaking.

“This program permitted me not only the catalyst to move in a direction I wanted to, but also the courage to keep moving confidently and with conviction. It’s as if KSU gave [me] permission to take that leap.” 

Patsy Rausch, Inspired by Nature

Patsy Rausch, 5 a.m. Light

No Stage is Too Small for KSU Theatre Alumna

By Kendall Chamberlain

Musical theatre actress L’Oreal Roaché cherishes overlooked moments of performing

No role is ever too small for KSU alumna L’Oreal Roaché, whether she is performing on a cruise line, a national tour, or at a local cabaret. The former Department of Theatre and Performance Studies (TPS) student cherishes the moments that audiences may never see and the performances that some may consider small.

Roaché tried various other extracurricular activities growing up, but she always went back to musical theater. It was her calling. When she began to look for a college to call home, she found herself on KSU’s campus for a tour. It was then that she fell in love with the campus and theatre program.

Roaché performed in various mainstage shows through the TPS program, but she found that her most memorable moments weren’t necessarily onstage. They were behind the scenes and in the classroom.

“[These experiences] gave me the freedom.. of creating art,” Roaché said. “It helped me take myself out of the box… Those are my favorite performances, even though they are the ones that people will never hear about.”

Roaché has a love for the process, and she learned that “when you do the work, the product shines through.” This was a value instilled in her by her professors, who were all actively working in the professional theater world alongside teaching at KSU.

The summer before she enrolled at KSU, Roaché attended the Summer Arts Intensive for Musical Theatre. It was at this intensive that she connected with her mentor and TPS faculty member and Coordinator of Musical Theatre, Amanda Wansa Morgan.

Morgan taught Roaché that “being good isn’t good enough” and that who you are matters so much more than what you can do in the theatre space.

Roaché holds Morgan’s advice close to heart and is passionate about being a positive force in her industry, as well as inspiring fellow performers of faith to embrace that side of themselves.

“I just want to say– especially to artists of faith– that even if it doesn’t always seem possible, to just be you in that space,” Roaché said. “Be the Jesus in your cast and be steadfast in that.”

Only four years out of the TPS program, Roaché has amassed an impressive resumé of experiences. She sailed the world performing as Anne Boleyn in the Norwegian Cruise Lines production of “Six the Musical,” and she is currently touring the country as Lisa with the nationally touring production of “Mamma Mia!”

True to form, though, her favorite professional experience to date was something much closer to home.

L’Oreal Roaché; image by Patrick Marcigliano

During the Covid-19 pandemic, theaters were “being really, really creative, which was inspiring,” as they sought out ways to remain open safely, according to Roaché. She joined the cast of the Jennie T. Andersen Theater’s Drive-In Cabaret performances and embraced an atypical setup.

Provided by Cobb County, the stage was a semitruck that would pull out into a fully functioning stage, and the audience set up chairs or watched from their cars to be able to still enjoy the theater while remaining socially distant. This creative way of performing really inspired Roaché, and it is one of her most meaningful performances.

“What people consider smaller roles or contracts really meant a lot and formed me,” Roaché said. “[They] taught me that anything is possible.”

The “anything” that Roaché refers to spans many stages and genres of musical theatre. She accomplished her dream of performing on a cruise ship and is now fulfilling her next dream: a national tour.

Moving from city to city can be exhausting, but the tour life is fulfilling to Roaché as she connects with people in places across the country. She didn’t know just how much she loved to travel until she began this tour.

“I love hearing people’s dreams and encouraging them,” Roaché said. “And there’s something about the joy ['Mamma Mia'] brings to people…seeing people joyful is a serotonin blast for me for three straight hours.”

Roaché has already accomplished several of her dreams, and she remains curious and excited for what comes next. She doesn’t rush the future, though, and remains very next-step oriented. Whatever role she is in, she works to embrace the fullness of that experience and continue to become the best performer, and person, possible.

“When people see you being kind when you don’t want to be or keep going when you don’t feel like you have the strength– it changes people, and it changes environments.” Roaché said. “It changes you, too.”

L’Oreal Roaché as Ella in Ella Enchanted; image by Patrick Marcigliano

Artificial Intelligence and Kennesaw State Dance Perform Together in “LuminAI…”

By Kathie Beckett

KSU, Georgia Tech combined forces in

world’s first human/AI

improvised dance performance

Kennesaw State University Department of Dance, in collaboration with Georgia Institute of Technology, presented “LuminAI: A Performance Collaboration of Dance and AI” on May 3, 2024. The free performance was the first time that artificial intelligence—in the form of an avatar projected onto a screen—will improvise movement along with human dance partners.

Funded in part by NSF Grant 2123597, the performance is the culmination of three years of work by Brian Magerko at Georgia Institution of Technology (GT) and Andrea Knowlton at KSU’s Department of Dance (KSU).

Magerko, who heads the Expressive Machinery Lab at GT, explains that the avatar (a.k.a. agent) learns how to dance by dancing with humans.

humor. The avatar is full of color in its design, and sometimes motion trails linger from its limbs,” she explains. While some students took to the task right away, a few others had to warm up to the idea of dancing with a machine.

They had plenty of time to do so, though: Knowlton brought the software into the spring Dance Improvisation class. Students then helped train the avatar; it was an interesting way to create improvisational material.

“

Using complex open pose software, the agent first segments users’ motion into gestures. After learning the gestures, the agent reasons about them using two different kinds of learning knowledge. The agent then uses this new knowledge to choose a relevant response to display or, in this case, to perform. In essence, the avatar is improvising alongside the human dancer. In real time, the avatar reacts and plays off human movements to determine its own movements.

Knowlton, Associate Professor of Dance at KSU, says that some of the results have been unexpected and, occasionally, even funny.

“Sometimes, the agent responses to the human are not exactly what you would expect—because it isn’t a human—so it can bring elements of surprise and

“ Sometimes, the agent responses to the human are not exactly what you would expect— because it isn't a human—so it can bring elements of surprise and humor.

- Andrea Knowlton

After extensive training, the avatar becomes a digital partner who can respond to human movement with its own artificially intelligent power. “In this performance, we are using AI to respond to human movement, and actually co-create together, in the moment,” emphasizes Knowlton.

The line between human and non-human is blurred in this unique performance. Researchers hope that it will spur participants to examine their relationships with AI-based technology and how it can be expressive, social, and playful. 

LuminAI

A Performance Collaboration of Dance & A.I.

In Memoriam: Philanthropist Robert “Bob” Geer

By Kathie Beckett

The College of the Arts at Kennesaw State University mourns the loss of donor Mr. Robert S. “Bob” Geer, who passed away March 28, 2024, a few weeks shy of turning 100.

In October 2022, Mr. Geer announced a transformational commitment: the College of the Arts would be the recipient of the Geer Family Estate.

Giving to the arts was a natural path for Mr. Geer, as music and the arts always played a large role in his family, even when times were hard. His family was affected by the Great Depression, and Mr. Geer’s piano lessons were, at one point, paid for through vegetables or molasses from the family farm.

In the evenings, his grandmother, mother, and aunt would often draw, using a piece of cooled charcoal from the fire, while young Bobby paid close attention, resulting in his lifelong passion for pen and ink drawings.

After serving as an office clerk during World War II, Mr. Geer enjoyed a remarkable career at Norfolk Southern. He started as the president’s personal assistant and worked his way up to head the marketing division of the railroad conglomerate.

Along the way, he married the love of his life, Mary, and they had a son, Robert, Jr. After numerous promotions and transfers across the country, the family settled in Atlanta. He retired in 1985 and enjoyed travelling and volunteering with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and the Atlanta Steinway Society.

When invited to speak to ArtsKSU students at an event in 2021, he encouraged the students to “keep going, don’t give up. Reach out and help one another and do it with love.” Afterwards, numerous “young people came up to me and said, ‘Oh, I’ll never forget your comments, and I’ll try to do what you say,’” he recalled. After that experience, Mr. Geer made the decision to gift his estate to the College of the Arts.

Mr. Geer explained that he wanted to do something worthwhile with his money, “not just for my family, but for a lot of people for years to come. I want to help somebody, and I’m just as happy as I can be. I don’t want people patting me on the back and saying how wonderful I am. I’m just a hardworking, redheaded country boy.”

His desire was to use the gift to build one of the largest arts facilities in the Southeast, while also allowing the Geer family legacy to live on forever at Kennesaw State University.

He said, “The Geer family—Mary, Robert Jr., and I—will always be looking down with love and joy on every student who benefits from our gift. God bless you all!” 

Robert Geer; image by Joshua Stone

“

“ I want to help somebody, and I’m just as happy as I can be. I don’t want people patting me on the back and saying how wonderful I am. I’m just a hard-working, redheaded country boy.

- Robert S. Geer

Jazz Singer Finds Her Place in the Musical Conversation

By Kendall Chamberlain

KSU Alumna Auriyan Tillman tells her story through music

Ever since the first moment KSU Jazz Performance Alumna Auriyan Tillman shared her voice with the world, she has never stopped. Whether it is performing for a gig, a corporate band, or a congregation, Tillman uses her gift to connect with audiences and share her story.

Tillman first performed alongside her mom in her second grade talent show. The two sang “Wind Beneath My Wings” and received a standing ovation. It was at that moment that she knew she wanted to perform for the rest of her life.

She later attended Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School to focus on vocal performance and there found herself drawn specifically to jazz music. Tillman was the first ever junior to be accepted into their Jazz Band, a program typically made up of seniors, and she fell in love with the genre.

“Jazz is life. When I listen to jazz, it’s timeless. I can tell what the world was like for them then because of the sounds and the music,” Tillman

said. “It just allows you to be free and to not overthink music. I think a lot of times, as artists, we can overthink it instead of just letting it flow out of us naturally… [but when it flows is] when it connects more to the audience.”

Tillman feels that attending KSU was the best decision she ever made. She doesn’t believe she would be where she is now if it weren’t for this program and its classes such as Combo, a smaller ensemble experience. This class helped her to “really truly find [her] voice” and express herself creatively.

“KSU gave me the challenges I needed to grow and to learn, and it gave me the right performances I needed to find my voice and [find] what it is that I add to the jazz conversation.”

What Tillman adds is a passion for telling one’s story and living out your truth. She values being yourself, and she finds that music allows her to be creatively free in embracing who she is. This idea of embracing oneself and ignoring the world’s judgment is a core theme of her upcoming debut album.

When she was younger, she wrote songs, and she has returned to the art as an adult with plans to release her first album Fall of this year.

Tillman believes that “music is the most powerful when it’s coming from a true, authentic place,” and that belief is mirrored in her songwriting. Her writing process is a deeply personal one, drawing from her life experiences, spiritual journey, and emotional influences.

“Before I create, I like to invite God in to take over, and from there, whatever the song is about–I like to, in a sense, time travel and go back to

that place and [remember] whatever emotions I was feeling at that moment of my life, or in that time of my life,” Tillman said. “It can be really hard, but also it allows me to heal from things that were traumatic–like being in love and then losing it and not being with that person anymore.”

Tillman juggles her writing with her gigs around Atlanta, performances with corporate bands, and her full-time role as a worship leader at Northbrook United Methodist Church.

Though she has always been a deeply spiritual person and sang in her church’s choir growing up, she never in a million years saw herself becoming a worship leader. Since taking the role in July 2023, though, she feels that she has grown in many ways and been stretched as an artist and performer.

“Ever since I have graduated, there have been many times when I have thought about giving up,” Tillman

said. “But what keeps me going is that, this gift I have, I’ve got to share it with the world. I believe that God didn’t just give me this voice for no reason, or to just sit on it, so I have to tell my story with it.”

It is this belief of a greater purpose that keeps her going, and it is also the advice that she offers to aspiring performers like herself.

“Don’t give up. I know that it can be tough, but your voice needs to be heard, your story needs to be heard,” Tillman said. “You don’t know who may need to hear it, who may be struggling and going through the same thing you’re going through, and just needs to hear how you have overcome it.” s  needs to hear how you have overcome it.”

MEMBER

MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS

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ENJOY A VARIETY OF BENEFITS, INCLUDING:

Single Membership: $25

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*Some exclusions apply.

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Want to learn more? Contact Kay Peninger kpeninge@kennesaw.edu

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College of the Arts

LEADERSHIP

Dr. Harrison Long, Interim Dean

Dr. Peter Fielding, Associate Dean

Dr. Leslie J. Blackwell, Interim Associate Dean

Prof. Geo Sipp, Director, School of Art & Design

Prof. Marsha Barsky, Chair, Department of Dance

Dr. Julia Bullard, Interim Director, Bailey School of Music

Prof. Chuck Meacham, Chair, Department of Theatre & Performance Studies

AMBASSADORS

Bill Beddingfield

Jean Cooper

Jerry Cooper

Kim Franz

Pam Hubby

Joe Meeks

Mark Page

Jerry Richman

Tom Sands

LaSona Turk

Trent Turk

Don Vellek

Susan White