CAM Magazine | Fall 2019, First Edition

Meet the Marketing Team Dean of the College Ronald E. Shields Assistant to the Dean Weslie Gray Marketing Coordinator Bri Smith Graphic Design Intern Chris McKnight Photography Intern Kacie Ging Contributing Writers Emily Davis Kacie Ging Hannah Haney Wes Hamilton Julia May Bri Smith Layout & Design Bri Smith Editors Bri Smith Julia May

CAM Media Like or follow us on social media to stay up-to-date with what’s happening at CAM! For questions or concerns contact us at: marketing@shsu.edu.

The College of Arts & Media is proud to reveal the new four-story, 71,500-square-foot Art Complex.

The complex houses all Department of Art programs

College of Arts & Media

including: photography, painting, printmaking, drawing,

@shsu_cam

art education and history, graphic design, animation,

@shsucam

sculpture, ceramics and the W.A.S.H. program.

Turn to page 10 for more on the Art Complex.

College of Arts & Media

Board of Regents The Texas State University System Brian McCall, Chancellor William F. Scott, Chairman, Nederland David Montagne, Vice Chairman, Beaumont Charlie Amato, Regent, San Antonio Duke Austin, Regent, Houston Garry Crain, Regent, The Hills Dr. Veronica Muzquiz Edwards, Regent, San Antonio Don Flores, Regent, El Paso Nicki Harle, Regent, Baird Alan L. Tinsley, Regent, Madisonville Katey McCall, Student Regent, Orange

Are you an SHSU student, faculty or alum (or graduate) who would like to be featured in our next issue? Contact us at marketing@shsu.edu for a chance to be in the 2020 CAM Magazine.

Dance Department Costume Designer Barry Doss

Bill Watrous Jazz Festival

Talent & Passion

SPAMILTON

The Drone

Welcome To The New College of Arts & Media

Department Of Art

Department Of Mass Communication

Department Of Theatre & Musical Theatre

CAM In The Community

Department Of Dance

School Of Music

To The Donors

LETTER FROM THE DEAN

This is a wonderful time to be a part of Sam Houston State University, particularly as an administrator and faculty member in the College of Arts & Media. As dean of the College, I’m delighted to announce a year of celebrations as we applaud our ten years of identity as a College at SHSU and our new College name.

Formerly known as the College of Fine Arts and Mass Communication, the new name acknowledges disciplinary shifts, as well as expanded vocational pathways for our students. In addition, I find it inspiring to consider what “CAM” can mean (beyond the simple designation of our College name). For me, CAM references those attributes that underscore our institutional values, a shorthand statement of what our College strives to be: Creative, Active and Meaningful to communities—CAM. This is also a wonderful time to have a relationship with our College—as a faculty or staff member, student or alumnus, or a friend or supporter—as we prepare to move into new

and freshly renovated spaces. At first, I was surprised to see the photograph that had been selected for my portrait to accompany this letter in the first edition of the College of Arts & Media magazine. However, on second thought, I suspect during the past year I’ve spent a fair amount of time in these “working clothes” to balance out my more formal attire (coat and tie) as a working dean (from the recital hall to the professional spaces of administration, from academic conferences and performance spaces, to the construction site, and beyond)!

Yes, the past year has seen major renovations in our theatre spaces, the David and Grettle Payne Concert Hall, and in the open space across the street.

Also, if you haven’t heard, we are opening and occupying a new building this fall to house the SHSU Department of Art—a splendid 71,500-square-foot structure featuring specially designed spaces for animation, graphic design, 3-D and 2-D instruction (painting, drawing,

sculpture, woodworking, ceramics, metalwork), art history, and art education. The two new gallery spaces will exhibit student work and invited curated shows, as well as featured items from our expanding University Collection of Art. As I have watched the construction of this beautiful Art Complex from my office window, I have been humbled by the University and donor support that provided resources for the project.

After many years of planning, dreaming and visualizing, we now have a new functional and inspirational home for our art family and guests.

And finally, while reviewing the content for this first issue of the College of Arts & Media Magazine, I am again reminded of the power of education to impact lives and the value of our faculty and staff, who help launch fulfilling careers and contribute to transformational moments for our students. I share the following pages with you as testament to who we are, what we have been doing, and what we aspire to be.

The beginning is now.

Dr. Ronald E. Shields Dean of the College of Arts & Media

2 Letter from the Dean

Coming Soon: A Grand Celebration Mark your calendar for Sept. 27, 2019, when the recently renamed College of Arts & Media hosts Prelude — an exciting evening of fun and entertainment celebrating the college’s new name and the accomplishments of each of the departments within the college.

Among the featured events will be public access to the brand new 71,500-square-foot Art Complex, the showing of the award-winning short film, “The Drone,” and the announcement of the college Legacy Award.

Also included are performances, presentations, exhibitions, and displays taking place simultaneously throughout the James and Nancy Gaertner Performing Arts Center and the Art Complex.

Prelude admission is complimentary & open to the public.

A celebration of the arts at SHSU. The College of Arts & Media

During the past decade, as the application of digital technologies within the fields of study has increased the potential and demand for students trained in the arts and in media, many universities, including Sam Houston State, have recognized the value of better identifying the administrative units housing these programs.

SHSU arts and media graduates not only include educators and performers, but also music therapists, stage managers, computer animators, choreographers, web designers, graphics experts, public information officers, and the list goes on.

Recognizing that exciting transformations have occurred within the five departments of the College of Fine Arts and Mass Communication since its establishment in 2011, the college’s name has been changed to the College of Arts & Media, effective Sept. 1, 2019.

6 College of Arts & Media

Along with the name change, and to reflect the energy of the college’s programs, the branding tag line is “Creative—Active—Meaningful,” using the first letters of its new name.

president from 1908 to 1937, authorized academic credit for those who worked on the Houstonian, participated in drama, or were members of the orchestra, band or choral club.

Throughout the university’s 140-year history, the arts and media have been a critical part of SHSU’s development and growth. From supporting the teacher education curriculum and recording campus activities to offering their own successful undergraduate and graduate degree programs, each of the five entities— art, dance, mass communication, music, theatre and musical theatre—has earned national and international recognition in recent years.

Although dancing was discouraged in the “Rules Governing Rooming and Boarding of Students” in 1919, by 1939 official school dances were occurring as often as twice a week. Shortly after World War II, dance classes were added to the women’s physical education program.

Although the school was specifically established in 1879 for teacher training and did not initially offer courses in the arts, the first Sam Houston students often spent their leisure hours producing and attending theatricals, music performances and chorale ensembles in Austin Hall.

It wasn’t long, however, until courses in music and art were included as part of the teacher education curriculum, when the school offered drawing and voice training.

Two music groups were organized in 1913— an orchestra for men and a Glee Club for both men and women. A volunteer student band accompanied the Glee Club.

Students produced the first Alcalde yearbook in 1910 and the Houstonian newspaper three years later.

Recognizing that student involvement in extracurricular activities was important for the development of a well-rounded education, Harry F. Estill, who served as

During the 1960s, academic departments at Sam Houston State became “schools.” Journalism fell under the School of Business and Applied Arts; art, music and drama were in the School of Fine Arts; and dance remained a part of physical education under the School of Education.

As the journalism field demanded better educated professionals to go into the workforce, the administration turned its attention to strengthening the programs. One of those steps included the establishment of the School of Communications in 1965.

A milestone for the university took place in the early 1970s, when KSHU Channel 7 broadcast its first taped two-hour television program in black and white. The radio/television/film program set up a 10-watt FM radio station in the Peabody Library building, and in 1988, SHSU built a new tower, increasing the radio’s power to 3,000 watts.

In 1981, school officials reduced the number of academic colleges from seven to four and added a School of Library Science. The College of Humanities, College of Science and College

of Fine Arts were consolidated into a single College of Arts and Sciences.

By 1999, the College of Arts and Sciences was home to a diverse group of departments which included: art, biological sciences, chemistry, English and foreign languages, geography and geology, history, mathematical and information sciences, music, physics, political science, public communication, sociology, and theatre and dance. In addition, the college oversaw the operation of the Pre-Professional Studies Division tasked with preparing students for additional education and careers in the medical sciences. Sixty percent of SHSU’s entire faculty were in that one college.

As part of an overall administrative restructuring in 2004, the university added a fifth academic unit, the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, relocating several programs from the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Education into the new college.

Additional restructuring occurred in 2009, when the university’s enrollment soared, and the College of Arts and Sciences was divided into two colleges—the College of Fine Arts and Mass Communication and the College of Sciences.

As of 2019, a number of buildings dedicated to producing researchers, educators, and other professionals in the arts and media now occupy prominent places on campus. With state-of-the-art facilities, renewed energy, and a world of possibilities ahead, it is time for the old College of Fine Arts and Mass Communication to have a new name.

Welcome to the College of Arts & Media! ■ - Julia May

Take a look at the history of the arts at SHSU!

SHSU was established for teacher training with the first Sam Houston students spending leisure hours producing and attending theatricals, music performances and chorale ensembles in Austin Hall

10 CAM Art Complex

ARTCOMPLEX After more than 100 years of being in a

Since 1882, art classes have been taught

turn-of-the-century rooming house, an

variety of sometimes unusual locations,

in Austin Hall, Old Main, the Industrial

old frame house on Avenue J in town, the

programs in the SHSU Department of

Arts Building, Estill Library, Country

Estill Classroom Building, and temporary

Art now have their own home in a new

Campus, a woodworking building, the

metal buildings on the outer fringe of the

four-level, technology-enhanced building.

Graphic Arts Building, a renovated

university’s main site.

The new 71,500-square-foot building is located across Bobby K. Marks Drive from the University Theatre Center and is a component of the SHSU arts district, which also features the James and Nancy Gaertner Performing Arts Center and the Music Building, as well as the University Theatre Center.

Artist Yvonne Domenge visits the site for her upcoming art piece “Escultora” that has been created for the Art Complex courtyard.

The facility will house the university’s visual arts programs, including It’s not hard to understand why Department of Art Chair Michael Henderson has looked forward to this fall, perhaps more than any other.

spaces be designed to be open and filled with light in order to encourage students and faculty to cross boundaries, exchange ideas, and to interact with each other.”

“Over the past 15 years, the department has grown to include a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree program in animation, the BFA in photography, and the Workshop in Art Studio and History (W.A.S.H.) program— our expanded and innovative foundations program,” he said. “These three new programs have been housed in facilities several blocks away from our existing art buildings and the BFA programs in studio art and graphic design.

Pieces by international, award-winning sculptors Yvonne Domenge and Margo Sawyer are displayed on the main level where an art gallery will be accessible to guests and inviting to the community.

“The new Art Complex will allow all of these programs to be in the same building and for faculty and students to interact and collaborate with greater ease and efficiency,” he said.

Henderson anticipates that the new building will help increase energy and creativity among those involved in the programs.

“I am excited to see cross disciplinary interactions that the new complex will stimulate,” he said. “We asked that the

“When students and visitors approach the entrances to the new art building, they will immediately see beautifully designed gallery spaces,” said Ron Shields, dean of the College of Arts & Media. “I am confident that SHSU art students will be inspired by these public spaces and the classrooms, studios and workshops that support them throughout the building.

faculty offices, gallery space, classrooms, seminar rooms, and studios for painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, graphic design, animation, ceramics, sculpture, art education, and history.

Exterior features include an entry sculpture courtyard, a gallery garden, and working courtyards

“I am also confident that this building will bridge the campus with the community through enhanced accessibility and programming,” he added. “My gratitude grows each and every day as I think about what this building will mean for our students during their time at Sam Houston State University.” ■ - Julia May

for sculpture, the W.A.S.H. program and ceramics.

Wells saw an opportunity to use her passion for visual art as a means of making an impact with children in need and began her partnership with the Hospitality House.

Each week, hundreds of families travel to Huntsville to visit loved ones in one of the nine area prisons. Art Against the Odds is a program that Wells and SHSU students developed for those families.

EDIEWELLS

Impacting The Community Through Art

A

rt is a powerful tool when put in the right place at the right time. Art is engaging, inspiring and can stimulate a community in unspoken ways while also transforming lives through creativity. Art is one of the many reasons why Edie Wells is athis recipient year’s recipient of the David of the Payne David Payne Academic Academic Community Community Engagement Engagement AwardAward as a part as of a part the 2018 of the 2018Excellence Faculty Faculty Excellence Awards atAwards Sam Houston at Sam Houston State. State.

Wells, clinical assistant professor in the Department of Art, has embraced her role in the community by working with the Huntsville Hospitality House, a non-profit organization that provides food and shelter for those visiting incarcerated relatives. The home also serves as a place where children can come together and share a common bond through art.

12 CAM in the Community

Each week, hundreds of families travel to Huntsville to visit loved ones in one of the nine area prisons. Art Against the Odds is a program that Wells and SHSU students developed for those families. The program offers a space where people can unburden themselves during their trip to see family.

“No matter how tired or busy I am, after spending time at the Hospitality House, I feel grateful and happy,” said Wells. “The house is a place where everyone feels welcome and safe.

It is not about a product, but more the experience, giving each person a chance to express themselves creatively.”

Wells stood out from other ACE Award nominees because of the number of families benefiting from her efforts and those of her students.

“By providing opportunities for artistic expression, Edie and her students have impacted many lives of all ages,” one nominator said. “SHSU students not only learn art techniques themselves, but also how to teach and help the children become good artists. And most importantly, we see emotional healing take place as these family members of incarcerated loved ones express themselves through art.”

“

No matter how tired or busy I am, after spending time at the Hospitality House, I feel grateful and happy.

“

Children whose parents are incarcerated face many challenges. The emotional trauma that can occur and the difficulties of a disrupted family life are only compounded by the social stigma they often face with having a parent in prison. The art they create together helps the families talk about their concerns and pain in a nonjudgmental environment.

art against the odds a creative community for loved ones of the incarcerated

artagainsttheodds.org

“When I first moved to Huntsville, I didn’t know anything about the prison community,” Wells said. “I found statistics, through the National Institute of Corrections, which indicate that without intervention, children of incarcerated parents are six to eight times more likely to become involved in a criminal lifestyle.”

Wells saw an opportunity to use her passion for visual art as a means of making an impact with children in need and began her partnership with the Hospitality House. What started seven years ago as an occasional weekend initiative soon turned into a larger community effort, with Sam Houston State students volunteering their time and artistic talent to interact with children staying at the house.

Through Academic Community Engagement courses at SHSU, Wells has overseen dozens of students’ involvement in the program, giving them the chance to mentor children and become an integral part of their lives through art.

“The students have a big influence on the kids because they are close to their age and set such a good example,” Wells said. “It’s great for the kids to meet students who are going to college.”

The award reviewers were also impressed by the truly transformational impacts of art as a form of therapeutic expression, from the families, the SHSU students and the community partner Hospitality House. Wells is humbled to see her work in the community appreciated.

Art Education students who wish to become art teachers in the Texas Public School system also benefit from programs like Art Against the Odds. It is one of many programs where students have art faculty who will supervise their student teaching and help prepare them for the certification exam.

“It is a perfect mix of applying what they have learned in class with teaching students in the community,” said Wells.

Through the donations and support of the community, Art Against the Odds has expanded to include a new art studio at the Hospitality House.

“When I first started, we were creating art on the kitchen table after dinner, but now we have this beautiful art studio created by artist Dan Phillips and many volunteers,” Wells said. “The studio is very typical of Dan’s style, very whimsical with a wine cork wall where we hang the art and CDs on the ceiling and a beautiful mosaic floor with all sorts of animals and creatures. It’s a wonderful, playful space.”

Wells is hopeful that this award will continue to raise awareness about the needs of families with incarcerated loved ones and the great work of the Hospitality House. She welcomes SHSU faculty, staff and students interested in participating with her through Art Against the Odds. ■ - Wes Hamilton, Today@Sam

14 Department of Art

ART Located in a modern four-level, technologyenhanced complex that opened in 2019, the Department of Art encourages and promotes independent, original, creative, and critical thinking skills to prepare students for careers in the visual arts. With access to contemporary digital labs and studios in painting, sculpture, ceramics, printmaking, and photography, students can explore new theories and refine techniques that will help them compete in the job market. Along with studio art, the department offers dynamic and innovative programs in photography, graphic design and animation, as well as a recently approved Master of Fine Arts degree in art and social practices.

Graphic Film Supports Women In STEM With the trend of graphic design on the rise, the Department of Art at Sam Houston State University is making its mark on the industry in 2019. The department brought home the award for Best Group Project at The National Student Show and Conference in Dallas in March. This accomplishment follows the announcement of the program being named Top Ten Graphic Design School Programs in Texas for 2019 by Animation Career Review.

With advisement from Assistant Professor of Graphic Design Cesar Rivera, four students, Precious Lord, Ayana Atha, Guadalupe Martinez-Urbina, and Brandie Lafleur, were awarded for their short motion graphic film “Girls Who Code.” The short animation sheds light on the percent of women who currently hold computer science positions. The short film was created with hopes to start a movement to improve the amount of tech-related jobs held by women in the future.

can do anything, even code, is an important message to share to everybody.”

Six projects out of the 52 that were submitted were selected for the show in Dallas, which is the first time SHSU has had this many student pieces in the show, doubling last year’s submission.

Lord’s work has been accepted into the show for two consecutive years.

“When the project got accepted, I felt honored to be included in such a talented collection of students,” she said. “When it was announced at the Gala that my group won the project, I was in complete shock I almost cried.

So much hard work, sacrifices and dedication went into creating this motion graphic. In that moment, I felt like it all paid off. It felt so good to be awarded for our work.” ■

“‘Girls Who Code’ was a project that was very important to me,” said Lord. “I believe that teaching girls that they

Animation Graduate Selected For Cartoon Network’s First Training Program Jazzlyn Weaver, a 2016 graduate of SHSU’s computer animation program, was recently selected by Cartoon Network Studios in Burbank, Calif. as one of six artists for its inaugural Storyboard Artist Training Program.

Weaver is one of more than 2,000 artists who submitted for the program, which is a paid educational course designed to expand career opportunities for up-andcoming creative talent.

Art Professor Published Education goes further than the walls of a classroom.

For professor Melissa Mednicov, her teaching expands into her scholarship.

Melissa Mednicov, assistant professor of art history, has been published by Routledge, the world’s leading academic publisher in the humanities and social sciences. Routledge publishes thousands of books and journals each year, serving scholars, instructors and professional communities worldwide.

Mednicov’s book Pop Art and Popular Music: Jukebox Modernism, published June 2018, offers an interdisciplinary approach to pop art scholarship through a recuperation of popular music into art historical understandings of the movement. ■

During the 12-week course, the young artists worked alongside Cartoon Network employees to gain firsthand television storyboarding experiences. They also received direct mentorship and training in a hands-on environment to help them refine their writing and storyboarding techniques.

Weaver’s previous experience includes work as a 2D artist and storyboard artist for the Universal Phoenix Group and EsianMail, where she created and directed comedic advertisement. She attended the 2016 UCLA Film & Television Summer Institute and was awarded a Certificate of Completion in Creative Producing. She has worked as a freelance artist since 2014.

The Channelview native has also volunteered as a face painter/caricature artist for First North Shore Community Baptist Church in Houston at the Star of Hope Homeless Shelter. ■ - Julia May

16 Talent & Passion

Work by Emily Peacock

When a passion for one’s craft

puts a piece of her heart into the

is combined with talent, years of

work, as three Sam Houston State

study, hard work, and a little bit of

University Department of Art

experimentation, the result can be so

faculty members have done in their

remarkable, that the creative product

recent creative endeavors, which

is acclaimed in far-reaching areas.

are being recognized regionally,

This is especially true when the artist

nationally and internationally.

Emily Peacock, who teaches in the photography program, has spent the summer expanding her work first shown in “smother” (with a lower case “s”), which was featured in a solo exhibition at the Jonathan Hopson Gallery in Houston earlier this year. The new exhibition will be on display at the Art Museum of Southeast Texas in Beaumont beginning Dec. 13, 2019.

All of Peacock’s work produced during the last decade has involved deeply personal themes in her life. A previous project, the “Soft Diet” series was created while she was taking care of her terminally ill mother. Many of the images are actual snapshots from her childhood with items that were placed on top to “ruin” the photos.

She re-photographed the snapshots, which were now symbolic of how her mother’s photo albums—the accumulation of reminders of past times—would no longer have the same meaning and be ruined when she was no longer alive.

The “smother” project features images portraying Peacock’s experience with post-partum anxiety and depression after the birth of her son.

Jessica Simorte, who teaches within the art department’s W.A.S.H. program, relies on her observation and interest in topophilia, a unique and strong bond that people have with place.

The animation program’s Melissa Glasscock has seen her “Music of Love” featured in 11 national and international film festivals since its debut in 2017, and it’s still making the rounds on the festival circuit.

“I think if my work is going to be about place and interiors, as well as the specificity and phenomenology of space, then it demands that I am an observant person,” she said. “While the work is not rooted in realism in that I’m not trying to depict a particular location, I think it’s important that I connect to the curiosity about a place, while also keeping a tight commitment to what the space feels like and how it’s impacting myself and others.”

In addition to being named an official selection by a panel of jurors which includes producers, directors, and other professionals in the film and animation industry, the short was named a finalist for Best Animated Film at the 2017 Alternative Film Festival in Toronto and was a nominee for Best Animated Short Award at the Move Me Productions Film Festival of Belgium in Antwerp.

Her art has been featured recently in Art Maze Mag, based in the United Kingdom, and New American Paintings— “the” publication for contemporary painters.

“When you are in school, you are introduced to New American Paintings, and I remember checking it out from the library and looking through the pages,” she said.

“They do a wonderful job of featuring a diverse body of artists and work.”

The size of Simorte’s acrylic paintings chosen by the magazines are small by some standards. They measure 8 by 6 inches and are mostly on raw canvas and occasionally paper.

“I would do things like stand over his crib and watch him breathe,” she said. “I had irrational fears, and I thought that I needed to take measures to the extreme such as not going anywhere or letting anyone come over because I was fearful that they would bring germs. I felt as if I should ‘smother’ him with protection.”

“I was really challenged a few years ago to see how small I could push the work while maintaining the sense of strength and integrity,” Simorte said. “I think it’s really interesting to go against this trope that still exists in the art world that everything should be of a certain size to be of a certain value. Perhaps things are changing but there is still this prioritization of large-scale work in the painting community, especially if you are thinking in the context of a sale or maybe a museum purchase or gallery show.”

Peacock’s images show her wearing hazard suits, representing her taking precaution against an unsafe environment, shot on velvet backgrounds.

“When you have a child and you embrace all the craziness that comes into your life because of that one event, it’s like you become a member of this unique parenting club of people who have children,” she said. “Before, you didn’t meet the criteria to be a member of the club, and you had absolutely no idea what it was like to be a part of this group. But once you have a child, you are automatically granted membership, and you find that you are loving it.”

The characters in “Music of Love” demonstrate a variety of emotions in their facial expressions and perform a number of dance movements.

“For the dance moves I had to do a lot of research which included watching a good bit of dance footage online,” Glasscock said. “I also watched many hours of the ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ television show. I even asked a couple of my students who were good dancers to dance and do specific dance moves like a dip while I shot reference footage.”

When it came to facial expressions, Glasscock herself was the model for the most part.

“It has a similar feel of Renaissance paintings, but the photography is obviously very contemporary with the modern-day, plastic, safety suits,” she said. “For my work, I like there to be a little bit of mix of high and low art, but also a little bit of humor. Although my irrational fears were very real to me, it’s absurd to actually wear a safety suit all the time.”

The exhibition at the Art Museum of Southeast Texas will not only include Peacock’s photographic images but will also include videos and sculptures relating to her adjustment to motherhood and how her life changed when her baby was born.

Another one of her short films—this one about the life of Gen. Sam Houston—has been an official selection in eight film festivals and won the Best Animated Film Award in the West Texas Film Festival. Glasscock worked with two of her students, Lee Contreras and Oranda Dillard, over a 10-week period, to research, animate and produce “Sam Houston: A Texas Hero.” In one festival in which the film was selected, there were more than 1,900 submissions and only 14 were chosen.

“A lot of my reference material involved being silly and making different expressions while filming myself,” she said.

“However, if I’m making work about really intimate spaces, sometimes very minute and often ignored facets of interiors, it feels appropriate to create tiny paintings that can potentially go on to collectors and live in tiny spaces within their homes,” she said.

All of her work that has been featured in the magazines are abstraction. She often utilizes something she calls “good color/bad color” and pushes color that might have unique or unusual combinations.

“I rely a lot on line and pattern in my work,” she said. “I think the pattern is a nod to interiors with line portraying the architecture of a space.”

And how long will she continue to produce the small images?

“It truly is a labor of love,” she said. “I’m just pushing these little paintings until I can’t stand it anymore. Right now, I’m still in love with the body of work.”

Her main focus is human interaction and her goal as an animator is to create what is known in animation circles as “believable character performance.”

“I try to convey emotions through my characters,” she said.

“Even though they are not real people, I try to portray them as breathing, thinking and feeling beings.”

Because of her strong background as a violinist she often uses music and dance as an inspiration to create interaction between her characters. In fact, growing up she assumed that she would choose a career in the field of music.

However, while attending college at the University of Central Florida in Orlando, she had an opportunity to observe some of the behind-the-scenes work in the animated production of Disney-Pixar’s “Finding Nemo,” and she has never looked back.

“I found out that animation was taught at my school, and at that moment, I decided I was going to start taking art classes and assemble a portfolio to get into the animation program,” she said. “And it has all worked out.” ■

20 Art Graduate Program

Sam Houston State University will be offering a new Master of Fine Arts degree program in art and social practice beginning in the fall 2020 semester.

“The new program will emphasize art practices that engage audiences through community-based projects and interactions,” said Michael Henderson, chair of the Department of Art. The program will be housed in SHSU’s Natural Science and Art Research Center located in the former Huntsville High School building, which includes spaces for graduate studios, galleries and a meeting room for art education and community art activities.

SHSU alumnus David Adickes, known to many in the area as the artist who created the 67-foot-tall statue of Gen. Sam Houston on Interstate 45 south of Huntsville, is the previous owner of the old high school. After investing in some

structural work and converting the school gymnasium into a museum and art gallery for displaying his paintings and other works, he sold the 80,000-square-foot structure to the university in 2018.

“The acquisition of the old Huntsville High School building was perfect for our new graduate program,” said Henderson.

“The location of the building, off the main campus and in the center of Huntsville, will provide opportunities for graduate students to develop community-based art projects, art education students to interact with students in the public schools, and for the department to have art exhibitions that are easily accessible to the community.

“The gallery exhibition space in the former high school will supplement the galleries in the new Art Complex and hopefully encourage members of the community to venture onto campus to visit our light-filled galleries and beautiful new spaces.”■ - Julia May

22 Department of Dance

Photography | Lynn Lane

DANCE The Department of Dance has a distinguished history of excellence in preparing performers, educators, choreographers, and arts advocates for exciting and rewarding careers in dance.

Located in the beautiful James and Nancy Gaertner Performing Arts Center, the program offers a state-of-the-art dance theatre, four studios, a dance technology lab, and a fully-equipped Pilates studio in a vibrant and stimulating environment that inspires creativity and self-expression. The department offers an intensive curriculum leading to both the Bachelor and Master of Fine Arts degrees, as well as an allencompassing guest artist series. A leader among college dance programs, the Department of Dance has consistently been recognized for outstanding choreography and performance at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

Dance Professor One Of Three Selected for Prestigious Residency Assistant Professor of Dance Joshua Manculich was recently selected to participate in the Whim W’Him Seattle Contemporary Dance Company for a creative residency.

choreographers and helps support the company’s mission to provide a platform centered around choreography and dance for artists to explore their craft through collaboration.

Under the direction of Olivier Wevers, the company sought out emerging as well as established choreographers to help with the creation of works for the company’s fifth “Choreographic Shindig 2019.”

Selected choreographers attended a three to four-week summer residency located in Seattle at the Erickson Theatre where they created original dance pieces with the Whim W’Him dancers.

With a rigorous competitive application process, close to 200 choreographers submitted for the chance to choreograph with the prestigious company. Out of these applicants only three where selected, Manculich being one.

As a second-year assistant professor at SHSU, Manculich uses his skills to help shape the future of young and emerging choreographers, making him an ideal choice for the opportunity.

“I had to enter three pieces of my own work (via Vimeo) that I have choreographed in the past two years and include a proposal of the work I would make on Whim W’him,” Manculich said. “This Seattle-based company is an emerging national and now internationally recognized dance company.

Unique to this competition, is that the dancers pick the three choreographers. Often artistic directors have this opportunity. I feel honored that of the two hundred dancemakers who applied, I am one of three.”

“As an assistant professor here I am continually asking my students to consider what dance can do for the community – to consider that we are non-verbal communicators. At Sam, I get to not only make and workshop my own work, but also guide the maturation and finding of new young choreographers. I am biased but I have to say SHSU dance has an incredible amount of creative talent and future dance-makers within its walls,” Manculich said. ■

The event, created in 2015, encompasses three world-premiere contemporary dance creations by selected

Photography | Lynn Lane

Dance Department Represents SHSU at ACDA For the past decade the Department of Dance has represented Sam Houston State University at the American College Dance Association SouthCentral Regional Conference. This year the department’s talent and hard work paid off when both works submitted were selected to perform at the ACDA’s gala concert.

Faculty members Andy and Dionne Noble’s performance piece “Furniture not included,” as well as graduate student Evelyn Toh’s “Ballad of Assassins,” represented SHSU in the adjudicated

concert series, while undergraduate student Luke Smith’s “Phalanx” was presented during the informal concert.

Approximately 48 dance works were featured in the concert series over the span of five concerts. With three adjudicators representing professionals within the field of dance, 10 to 12 pieces were then selected to be showcased in the gala concert.

“There is not a year since I started here in 2009 that one, if not both, of our works have made

the gala selection,” said Assistant Professor of Dance Dionne Noble.

In the past three years, the Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival has selected dance works from the national festival to be presented in its prestigious “Inside/Out” series. Out of the three years of the series, SHSU’s Department of Dance has been selected twice. ■

CAM: What is your favorite part about designing costumes for SHSU? BD: The Dance Spectrum Concert that features faculty choreographic work each semester, along with the fact that SHSU has its own Dance Theatre and Dance Costume Shop sets the bar very high in terms of production value for dance. I like the fact that we have high expectations for professional quality work within the Department of Dance at Sam Houston State. Having come from a professional background spanning more than 25 years working in the industries of costume and wardrobe with some 15 years in NYC on Broadway, I’m not interested in “watering down” the work or the process for the students. I’m proud of the fact that we do professional quality work in the university setting, and with the support of CAM, I have been able to set up the DCS with industry standard machinery, equipment and supplies to create dance costumes that meet the same standards.

CAM: Where did you draw your inspiration from when designing for “A Wynne Home Alice”?

BD: Primarily I went to the original source – Lewis Carroll’s first publication which features the illustrations of Sir John Tenniel (prior to the famous release, Carroll himself did an original set of drawings for the first manuscript, but when it went to print he knew illustration was not his great talent, so Tenniel was employed). Beyond that, I researched additional illustrations from the many publications that have been released in the 150 plus years since the first iconic London publication in 1865, by Macmillan. Since that time, at least 19 other artist illustrators have created fully published versions of Alice’s dreamlike journey “down the rabbit-hole.”

Using the illustrations from the original as a through-line, and many others from different sources, I created a collage from which to pull a variety of images, silhouettes and “fashion details” - for example, the “grow-tuck” pleats at the hem of Alice’s blue dress.

It takes three performers inside to create the effect of the costume when Alice encounters the Caterpillar smoking its hookah on the psychedelic mushroom.

As I began to explore the more fantastical characters, I brought in theatrical elements of design, particularly focusing on dance-ability, such as the famous unitards in the musical CATS for the Cheshire Cat, and the bodysuits of Cirque De Soleil for the Caterpillar, as well as some traditional Japanese puppetry techniques to create fantastical effects – like the Cheshire Cat’s enormous head appearing in the sky. This is done with a puzzle like series of pieces that emerge on long extension staffs carried by dancers that eventually fit together to form an enormous mask floating above the playing space. I tried to avoid recreating anything specifically “like” the Disney animated classic or Tim Burton’s recent hit film. For my Queen of Hearts, I turned to historic references of Queen Elizabeth for a more authentic silhouette, and featuring a heart-shaped coiffure for the wig design which my mother, a hair stylist for over 30 years now, has created. My goal was to capture the iconic imagery of each character but with a sense of authenticity. The result is very Barry Doss Design.

This production is intended to be an annual spring event at the Wynne Home, so I’ve taken into account longevity and alterability with this set of costumes. And because Dana Nicolay’s production is immersive, and will happen outdoors in the gardens, I took my fabrics a step further and decided to use more theatrical textiles such as lurex crushed panne velvet. I also used sequined and metallic goods so the sunlight will bring a dream-like, sparkling effect to

26 Dance Department Costume Designer Barry Doss

the surfaces of the fantasy characters, as with Carnival and even Mardis Gras costumes.

For the Tea Party featuring the Mad Hatter, March Hare, Dormouse, and also the White Rabbit, I’ve employed some pretty luxe faux furs, raw silks and bold silk plaids for a more traditional texture with beautiful sheen. I was fortunate enough to shop the fabrics in NYC last summer at a couple of my favorite vendors, so the fabric choices really have my stamp on them.

CAM: Which costume was your favorite to create?

BD: Alice’s blue dress and white pinafore. Nineteenth century dresses utilized a simple approach for full dresses and ball gowns. A technique called cartridge pleating that dates back to the Elizabethan era, along with other pleating and gathering techniques, would often take goods in their rectilinear form and gather them to the waists of bodices. The more fabric (or longer the piece) gathered, the fuller the skirt. The problem with this technique for dance costume, is that skirts like this don’t move beautifully and have a tendency to “lamp-shade” instead of open up and “twirl” when the dancer turns. Dresses in the 20th century, particularly after 1947 when Dior invented the “New Look,” are cut circularly, or in gores (triangular pie-shaped pieces), and move better with a rippling effect. I re-engineered the patterning to accommodate the full look of the 19th century girls’ skirt with petticoat and bustlette, but cut in gores. I then recreated the look of the grow tucks at the hem by cutting a strip on the bias (45 degrees which can be manipulated into a curve), and pleating it. I then attached the pleated piece to the bottom of the circular skirt, gathered the waist with deep, period looking knife pleats, and installed the skirt to the traditional style bodice (which features spandex side panels for ease of movement). This results in an authentic period style dress that moves like a dance costume. The fullness is quite notable as well, cut almost as a double circle, and with a skirt that measures over nine yards around the hem. It’s quite beautiful, moves with great fluidity, and is a costume I would not hesitate to put on the Broadway stage.

There are also a lot of tiny details. For instance at the collar and in the pinafore I incorporated a lot of trim and even pin tucks, specifically for the intimate nature of the immersion experience. Audience members will view this costume in performance at close range, and I want them to always be surprised at the “little discoveries” they can find in its finer details, making it fantastical in small, unexpected ways. There’s a lot of ribbon work and different types of eyelet lace bordering the apron, and even rows of little embroidered daisies trimming the bib of the collar that would never be seen as more than texture from stage, but with immersion interaction…they will. It all comes together in the way I wanted to portray young Alice, as an “eccentric little parlor diva.” She is a quirky character after all, and she never leaves the audience’s eyes. The costume needs to be extra-special to sustain their visual interest.

CAM: Which costume was the most challenging to create?

BD: The Caterpillar! It takes three performers inside to create the effect of the costume when Alice encounters the Caterpillar on the psychedelic mushroom smoking its hookah.

It also required intense collaboration with scenic artist and carpenter Craig Brossman and technical director Bryan Ealey, as the costume is actually interactive with the scenic element of the mushroom. The costume also features soft sculpture elements, an upholstery style fabric covering, and a telescoping effect that results in it fully standing, revealing three sets of legs (or arms in this case with dancers). It’s old-school puppetry theatre; people will clearly see how it is done, but with a little suspension of disbelief. It’s quite fun, particularly for children.

CAM: What is the average time frame for creating costumes with this much detail?

BD: Hundreds of hours, both in linear time and even more so in “man-hours.” I try not to focus on this aspect too much, unless it’s a budgetary concern. Otherwise, I stay the course until the final creation emerges, and I try to avoid unnecessary pitfalls. Many years of doing this work have created a sixth sense in me that sees certain impossibilities from a distance, or just unwise ideas or decisions regarding process. It can be very stressful at times, but it is also a fulfilling experience and a joyful journey. As a designer and crafts person, I love the magical part of witnessing something beautiful emerge from where before there was nothing but an idea, a sketch and some materials. I feel fortunate to be able to do what I love so much. That’s what keeps me focused on the creativity and on top of the logistics, time frame and production schedule. Adrenaline and caffeine help, too. ■

Workshop Nurtures New Generation Of Dance Writers Photography | Lynn Lane

Jared Doster, a former graduate teaching assistant and graduate of the Department of Dance, has taken the dance world by storm with his choreography of “Umbilic.” “Umbilic” was selected as one of the performance pieces at Jacob’s Pillow last year, following Doster’s recognition for Outstanding Student Choreography at the 2018 National College Dance Festival in Washington, D.C. Jacob’s Pillow is acclaimed worldwide as a “hub and mecca of dancing” (TIME Magazine), “one of America’s most precious cultural assets” (Mikhail Baryshnikov), and “the dance center of the nation” (The New York Times). Each year thousands from the United States and all around the world visit this festival, which encompasses over 50 dance companies. ■

SHSU dance alumnus Luke Smith is one of eight individuals selected to participate in the American College Dance Association’s first writer’s workshop for the Institute of Dance Journalism and Advocacy. This workshop brings in a new generation of expert dance writers who can build excitement, motivate people into theaters and evaluate the art.

“Participants of the institute not only learn critical thinking and writing, they also gain an understanding of a variety of communication modes, positioning them to be ideal writers and advocates for dance in the future,” said Diane DeFries, executive director of ACDA. “It was an honor to represent Sam Houston State University at the 2018 Institute for Dance Journalism and Advocacy at the National College Dance Festival in Washington, D.C.,” Smith said. “Learning how to refine my skills as a writer and to broaden my knowledge of the collegiate dance world was highly fruitful, and I am so grateful for the opportunity to be in the presence of other students, faculty and professionals who see the value in dance and who are passionate about sharing it with others through performance, choreography and text.”

Smith’s essay that was submitted for the workshop was entitled, “Peeping [at] Thom.” It covered the dancing of Thom Yorke, the singer and songwriter of the band Radiohead. The video “Lotus Flower,” choreographed by Wayne McGregor, was the focus of Smith’s writing.

“Watching Thom Yorke dance is akin to reading his diary,” Smith said. “While his modus operandi of choice is expression through lyrics, he nevertheless has remarkable facility and moves in a way that is both highly individualistic and immediately relatable.”

stream

IDJA is modeled after the successful Institute for Theater Journalism and Advocacy, run by Mark Charney at the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival. The pilot project of the institute took place during the National College Dance Festival at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. ■

The Department of Dance celebrates 10

years of

performing at ACDA with two performance pieces, “Furniture not included” and “Ballad of Assassins,” selected for the ACDA South-Central Gala in 2019.

SHSU Support Helps Student Take On The World All the world’s a stage for senior dance major Adam Rech. Thanks to the help of the Gilman Scholarship and supportive staff at Sam Houston State University, Rech was given the opportunity to study abroad for five months in Israel with the Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Program.

The program offers dance students from across the globe the opportunity to engage in professional and academic dance training while studying with and living among some of the most elite teachers, choreographers and dancers from one of the world’s leading dance companies. Rech is the first student from SHSU and the first male to represent a Texas university in the competitive program.

“When I first got to SHSU, I heard whispers of a new teaching style of contemporary dance originating out of Israel. I started doing my own research on Israeli dance companies, looked up videos of different repertoire on YouTube, and found Israeli dance classes in the United States,” Rech said. “This led me to learning about a company called Batsheva and the new dance style, Gaga, created by the company’s old artistic director Ohad Naharin. I started to learn everything I could about the style. The more I discovered about a small portion of the Israeli dance community, the more interested I became in other Israeli dance companies.”

For Rech, auditioning and being accepted to the program was the easiest part of the experience. Finding funding and earning approval to travel overseas proved to be the most difficult hurdle.

“This would not have been possible without the help of Malin Hilmerson, from the SHSU Office of International Programs.

She helped me with everything from filling out paperwork, finding scholarships, researching travel clearances, to sending invoices to the state department. There were a lot of different people I had to speak to and get signed approval from to make it all possible,” Rech said. “A great deal of preparing for the study abroad was stating my case and purpose and waiting anywhere from a few weeks to a few months for approval. It was scary knowing that at any point, someone could say no to one of my requests and shut the entire process down.”

Rech credits SHSU for igniting his curiosity in cross-cultural experiences and perspectives.

“Sam gave me the opportunity to explore every avenue. The dance department challenged me in learning how to be a versatile artist and independent thinker. Not only did I learn how to move, I learned how to choreograph, film and write about dance,” Rech said. “Every piece I performed at Sam Houston State had its own distinct style. It was great getting to explore so many different avenues, and I think that’s part of what helped stem my curiosity in exploring dance in other parts of the world.” ■ - Hannah Haney, Today@Sam

30 Department of Mass Communication

MASS COMM

Bringing Raw Emotion To The Screen Losing a loved one can understandably be a challenging and devastating chapter in an individual’s life. SHSU alumnus Richard Dillon Glass has recently taken on the project of conveying these feelings of loss through his short film “The Burden of Choice.”

One of the most popular majors at Sam Houston State University, the mass communication program offers an

The story, featuring students and alumni from SHSU’s College of Arts & Media, follows a young man who takes a dark and destructive path while coping with the loss of someone very close to him.

Glass hopes viewers take away an important message from this film—despite the unbearable pain and struggling we face, we have a reason for existing.

intense and exciting pathway into the fast paced and ever changing world of mass media. Students pursuing degrees in public relations, telecommunications, multi platform journalism, film, media management, sales, and advertising will find a learning environment in a familylike atmosphere which promotes a variety of experiences both inside and outside the classroom. The Department of Mass

“We all have a purpose in this world,” said Glass. “No amount of pain and struggles will change the fact that our lives matter; we are worth it. You might not know what it is right now or maybe you lost sight of it due to life throwing you curve ball after curve ball, but you always have and always will have a purpose in this world. We must choose to continue on, to fight for and seek out our purpose.” ■

Communication provides opportunities for future media professionals to work on an award-winning student newspaper, a 24-hour student radio station, a student-

Mass Communication Professor Goes To Hollywood

operated community television station, and participate in a Spanish-language television

Elisa Herrmann, assistant professor of mass

newscast. In addition to a graduate

communication at SHSU, was selected

certificate in health communication and

to participate in the Television Academy

public relations, the department was

Foundation’s 2018 Faculty Seminar Program.

recently approved to offer the Master of

Members of the Television Academy

Fine Arts in digital media production and

selected just 25 professors from colleges and universities nationwide to participate in the

Master of Arts degree in digital media.

prestigious program. ■ - Wes Hamilton, Today@Sam

Football Is Female March 8 is International Women’s Day and to celebrate, Today@Sam met with alumna Lainie Fritz, a KPRC sports reporter and anchor. Read to learn more about her career path, advice, and how she’s challenging the stereotypes that limit women and girls in the sports industry.

T@S: How did you get involved in your profession?

LF: I first had the inspiration to become a sports reporter as a young kid around age 11 or 12. My dad is a college football coach so that world was all I knew. The wife of another coach on my dad’s staff suggested to me that I should be a sideline reporter when I grew up since I already knew the sport so well. After that moment I never looked back. In high school I participated in radio speaking with the debate team to start gaining experience in writing scripts and delivering news with my voice. I then went to Sam Houston State where I was able to really get

hands-on experience with broadcasting.

At the time, my dad Willie was the head football coach at SHSU. He suggested that I get involved with Bearkat Sports Network, so I began putting together stories for the website with help from Jason Barfield, associate athletic director of media relations.

It was a really fun time in my life, and I’m very grateful to have gone to a university that gave me so much freedom as well as the opportunity to have hands-on experience, which is critical.

T@S: What do you enjoy about your profession?

LF: The thing I enjoy most about my profession is the constant change of pace. You never know what each day will hold and no two days are ever the same. I love getting out in the community of Houston, meeting so many inspiring people and having the chance to share their stories with the KPRC viewers.

Rarely am I stuck at a desk working. It’s a very active and social work setting which makes it fun!

T@S: In your opinion, what does the future look like for women in sports?

LF: The future for women in sports is VERY bright! I’m so proud as I look around the industry and see women achieving more than ever and earning the respect they’ve always deserved within sports. I’ve found that the men in sports whether it be coaches, athletes, trainers etc. are for the most part very accepting of women and their ability to do the same job as men. There’s nothing we can’t do! ■ - Hannah Haney, Today@Sam

The film program of the Department of Mass Communication at Sam Houston State University has soared to new heights with the release of its short film “The Drone.”

Written by noted film producer John McLaughlin, who was a nominee for a BAFTA Award for his work on the Oscar-nominated and critically acclaimed “Black Swan,” the film follows a small humanized quad copter who is simply trying to fit in.

“The main character is around the age of a freshman in college,” said Wojciech Lorenc, associate professor of mass communication and director and cinematographer of the project.

“He has a hard time finding himself. He goes to a fictional, unnamed university in the beginning of the film and can’t seem to fit in with a group of friends.

Later in the film, he comes to Sam Houston State University and discovers the College of Arts & Media,” he said.

“That is when everything changes and improves for him.”

The quirky film is a reflection of the feelings many students have about starting to college.

“All students to a certain extent have that anxiety of ‘Will I fit in?’ The fact that the character is a drone— essentially a tiny robot—heightens the idea that he feels different from everyone else, even though other characters interact with him as if he were human,” Lorenc said.

The mass communication department purchased a pair of drones in 2018 in conjunction with the production of the short film. Lorenc and Marcus Funk, assistant professor of mass communication, were formally trained and became licensed to fly the drones.

Funk was the primary drone pilot.

“It was a lot of fun,” Funk said. “We were flying with cutting-edge technology, which is not a perk common to many universities.”

With appropriate training and practice, the use of a drone to capture footage gives audiences a different view of a story that could significantly enhance the projects of student filmmakers, as well as develop additional job skills for media students.

“As a journalist, I see tremendous possibilities in drone technology,” said Funk. “It allows an innovative bird’s eye view of breaking news that really resonates with people. There’s also a great deal of potential for filmmakers.”

The film has been created with the expectation that this type of technology can further strengthen the film teachings at Sam Houston State.

“We plan to use it for recruitment,” said Lorenc. “Everybody who worked on the crew of ‘The Drone’ was either a student, faculty or staff member of SHSU. We want to show future students that we are capable of making award-winning films in our program.”

The department’s ultimate goal with producing the film was to help students create outstanding resumés to use right out of the gate in their job searches.

“Work on ‘The Drone’ and other projects like it look impressive on the resumés of our graduating film students. This is especially true if our students can mention that the film they worked on was accepted to multiple film festivals and won awards. This is exactly what we strive for,” said Lorenc.

With short films such as “The Drone” and others that are in the works, SHSU is creating a strong name for itself at film festivals all over the globe.

“We want Sam Houston State University to have a presence at the best film festivals in the U.S. and internationally,” Lorenc said. “Every time our film plays at a festival, somebody out there makes a mental note that SHSU filmmakers make good films. The best way to build a successful film program is to develop a reputation for making great films.” ■

When Bernadette Brown attended SHSU in the 1990s, there was no student chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists on campus for her to join. In fact, she did not become involved with the association until her second TV job after graduation.

However, since becoming a member, she has been actively involved and has played a crucial role in the success of the past two NABJ Convention and Career Fairs.

Since starting with CNN Newsource, she has moved up through the ranks and currently serves as manager of the team responsible for gathering news in all the United States and Canada and producing content back out to their affiliate base. The 1,100 affiliate partners include local television stations, FM radio network stations, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, newspapers, and digital-only platforms, among others.

Last year, Brown was asked by fellow SHSU grad and NABJ convention chair Eva Gray Coleman to be executive producer for all the special programs at the annual meeting in Detroit.

This year, Coleman served once again as one of the co-chairs of the annual convention taking place in Miami in August, and she asked Brown to serve as a co-chair of the program committee, which involved much more preparation ahead of time.

“Having been a member of NABJ and a convention attendee for so many years really helps in identifying the type of programming that is desired,” Brown said. “Members attend to refresh their careers and help them with professional growth and development; but it’s also like a big family reunion. So, in addition to making the programs informative and educational, you want to include some fun as well.”

The committee was charged with making sure there was a good balance of programming to cover the entire membership, which includes print journalists, broadcast journalists, experienced journalists, journalists just beginning their careers, and student journalists.

“We wanted to address all the different tracts such as advocacy, the changing landscape of the business, innovation, technology, photography—everything that our members need in terms of developing and growing in their careers,” she said.

Brown said she is especially proud of how NABJ has focused its efforts on entry-level journalists and even high school journalists.

“We have huge high school track as well as a college track,” she said. “Each year, they report on the news of the convention even before it starts. At the convention itself, they have their own news room and a large team of student reporters.

“I really want them to succeed,” Brown said, “and because one of my job responsibilities is hiring, I often see a need for improvement when young applicants interview for a position and even in some of the things that they do before they get to an interview.”

She offers this advice for students while they are still in school: cultivate relationships.

“Many times, students go to their local chapter meetings on campus or they go to the convention and career fair and meet all these great people and successful journalists in the industry. They get their business cards and then do nothing.”

“My advice is to have a plan for how you are going to build a relationship with that professional. It cannot be that you only go to someone when you need them,” she said.

“Know up front what you are working toward and be specific about what you are asking.”

“If you say, ‘I’m looking for a mentor’ or ‘I’d like for you to look at my resumé and give me feedback,’ you are more likely to get a response that will help you in the future,” she said. “And be ready for a ‘no’ answer, because people are busy. But when they do say ‘yes,’ be sure you follow up and follow through.

Also, don’t be afraid to offer ways to help, particularly with technology and news trends among young people.” ■

36 School of Music

MUSIC Devoted to the study and practice of music in all forms, the School of Music gives students an opportunity to receive close, personal attention, and interact with a community of internationally recognized performers, scholars and educators. With a Bachelor of Music degree, majors can specialize in a variety of areas involving music education, performance and composition. The Bachelor of Music Therapy degree curriculum prepares

Photography | Rothko Chapel/Runaway Productions Photo Credit | Christian Cruz

students to sit for music therapy board certification and practice as professional

Music Professor Releases CD

musical therapists. The Master of Music

School of Music faculty member John Lane has recently been published in Gramophone, the world’s most prestigious classical music magazine, for a review on his recent CD, “Peter Garland: The Landscape Scrolls.”

degree is available in performance, conducting, composition, music therapy, musicology, and collaborative piano. A Master of Arts degree is available in band studies, as well. Home to the prestigious Bill Watrous Jazz Festival and the Bearkat Marching Band, the School of Music provides exceptional performing experiences

“...the sequence has a rise to sheer joy and fall that justifies its 50-minute length,” said Laurence Vittes, Gramophone contributor. ■

in distinguished vocal and instrumental ensembles and jazz and chamber groups,

Music Student Brings Home First Place From Art Song Competition Each spring semester the School of Music at Sam Houston State University hosts the Art Song Competition to promote student singer and collaborative pianist achievement in the performance of song literature. This event, created to promote degree studies at SHSU, encompasses vocal and collaborative piano student artists who perform their selected repertoire in front of a panel of judges.

Each participant is required to prepare three art songs, which include one foreign language art song, one English art song and one language of the student’s choosing.

which are often presented to the public in the acoustically-enhanced, 800-seat David and Grettle Payne Concert Hall.

Among several talented participants, student Christian Cruz took home first place after many months of preparation and collaboration with professor Tony Boutte and pianist Saule Garcia. ■

Students See Success At Singing Competition Students in the School of Music at Sam Houston State University recently participated in the Texoma National Association of Teachers of Singing regional competition and conference, bringing home successful results.

“The chance to sing for feedback from other voice professionals is an important growth opportunity for our students,” said Voice Area Coordinator Nicole Asel. “To see concepts that students are working on weekly in their applied lessons supported and sometimes explained in a different way from judges can often provide a light bulb moment in the student’s development.”

Texoma NATS is known as the largest association of teachers of singing in the world, which offers a variety of experiences to its members. Students of NATS members have access to such benefits as student auditions, giving them an opportunity to compete at a regional level.

“The chance to attend an educational conference, demonstrate collegial support and get feedback from regional voice professionals was such an enormous educational opportunity,” said Asel. “I am so grateful to work at an institution that values experiences like this for our students.”

Each year Texoma NATS presents a guest artist in recital.

This year Metropolitan Opera soprano Marjorie Owens was the featured guest.

“Ms. Owens is a dramatic soprano, so her repertoire of Wagner and Strauss gave the students a chance to hear a voice and repertoire that they are not normally exposed to.

After that experience they were excited to become more involved in the opera offerings at SHSU,” said Asel.

The School of Music had an impressive showing this year with eight semi-finalists and one finalist, Aron Olivares, who placed fourth in his category for freshman men out of 540 students competing in this region. Within the senior women category, out of 20 semi-finalists, three of those finalists included SHSU students.

“It has been an exhilarating experience at NATS and I am surprised that I was chosen as a finalist,” said Olivares. “To any upcoming students, don’t let the label of freshman deter you from leaving your mark on this school. These kinds of achievements might not seem much, but the experience is the real achievement. The world is your stage and the sun is your spotlight. All it needs is your voice.” ■

38 Bill Watrous Jazz Festival

Photography | John Dugan

In addition to continuing the tradition of showcasing notable performances by national and international guests, the 9th Annual SHSU Bill Watrous Jazz Festival was a memorial tribute to Watrous, who died last year at the age of 79.

Watrous was celebrated during his life as one of the “world’s most respected trombonists,” and was known for his “crisp and graceful playing,” the New York Times wrote at the time of his death.

The festival, held each spring at Sam Houston State University, is a competitive, educational event in which high school and intermediate school jazz bands perform at 30-minute intervals throughout the day. Participating ensembles receive critique sheets and master classes from nationally renowned jazz educators.

“In addition, we offered newly created, hourly clinics for the students, teachers and enthusiasts alike,” said Aric Schneller, director of jazz studies at SHSU and artistic director of the festival. “This was a very special educational enhancement to this year’s festival.”

Judges award first, second and third place in each of the school categories and select outstanding soloists and musicians.

To honor Watrous’s memory, the invited international guest trombonists, Vincent Gardner, Andre Hayward, Jeff Martin, and Sean Nelson, donated their performance fees to help support the newly created Bill Watrous Endowed Jazz Scholarship.

“Their incredible generosity, along with the efforts of many donors, has almost completed the amount of the seed money required to endow this special scholarship that will support our future jazz students and honor the legacy of Bill Watrous,” Schneller said.

“The event offers performance and education at its finest. It takes a tremendous amount of time and commitment to make it successful,” he said. “We could not put on a festival of this distinction without the support of our SHSU jazz students. They are the absolute best!” ■ - Julia May

Photography | Ashley Nicholoson

William Russell Watrous III (June 8, 1939 – July 2, 2018) was introduced to the jazz trombone at an early age by his father (also a trombonist) and has been described as “One of the most gifted and naturally talented trombonists to have ever lived.” He was also one of the finest bop-oriented trombonists of the past 40 years who became virtually a legend in the world of trombone players and jazz enthusiasts the world over. Possessing a beautiful singing-tone and remarkable technique, Watrous was always in high-demand in the studios of Los Angeles and as a featured soloist in the United States and abroad.

Watrous’s father introduced him to music before the age of five, and he played in traditional jazz bands as a teenager and studied with Herbie Nichols while in the military. Watrous made his debut with Billy Butterfield and was one of the trombonists in Kai Winding’s groups during 1962 –1967. He was a busy New York-based studio musician during the 1960s, working and recording with Quincy Jones, Maynard Ferguson, Johnny Richards and Woody Herman; playing in the television band for Merv Griffin’s show (1965 –1968); and working on the staff of CBS (1967–1969). After playing with the jazz-rock group Ten Wheel Drive in 1971, Watrous led his own big band (the Manhattan Wildlife Refuge) during 1973–1977, recording two superb albums for Columbia. After moving to Los Angeles in the late 1970s, Watrous continued working in the studios, appearing at jazz parties, playing in local clubs, and leading an occasional big band. He has recorded as a leader for Columbia, Famous Door, Soundwings, GNP Crescendo, and with his late 1990s big band for Double-Time.

With the blessings of Bill and Maryann Watrous and Sam Houston State University, the SHSU Bill Watrous Jazz Festival became a reality in 2011.

Especially since Bill’s recent passing, it is all our hope that this festival will continue to grow and keep the art of jazz alive and well for many years to come by creating an endowment to support visiting artists, create scholarships, and continue the great traditions of education and service that Mr. Watrous held so dear. ■ - Scott Yanow & Aric Schneller

42 Department of Theatre & Musical Theatre

THEATRE & MUSICAL THEATRE The Department of Theatre and Musical Theatre offers passionate and dedicated students a multitude of exciting and creative resources to refine their talents and skills.

Students can participate in acting, directing, technical theatre, costume, lighting and set design, stage makeup, stage management,

Music Theatre Major Cast At The Alley Theatre

theatre history, and dramatic theory and criticism, all while receiving an outstanding university education and intense training to excel and thrive in the performing arts.

Additionally, musical theatre majors take

Performing in a real theatre setting as a student can open many doors, while also providing the necessary tools towards discovering who a student is as an actor. For senior musical theatre major Cameron Khalil Stokes, this was the case when he auditioned and was cast as Valentine in the Alley Theatre Shakespeare production of “Twelfth Night.”

classes in voice, musicianship and dance. With

Stokes performed in the production of “Elf ” at the Queensbury Theatre in Houston

the university’s close proximity to Houston,

during December 2018. He performed alongside Sam Houston State University alumni:

all theatre and musical theatre majors have

Shanae’a Moore, Stephen Pavalock, Holland Vavra, Brittany Halen, Amanda Marie

opportunities to interact with well-known

Parker, Nathan Wilson, Preston Andrews and Chris King.

theatre companies and professionals in a major market. SHSU theatre and musical theatre alumni have found success in Broadway

“Being at the Alley was an amazing experience, I think it was something I needed as an actor in my journey,” said Stokes. “I really had only done musical theatre for the past couple of years. I hadn’t really done any plays, especially not Shakespeare. It was amazing

productions, film, television, theatrical set

to immerse myself in acting and telling the story without any help. I didn’t have music

design and choreography.

to help me or dance to help me, I kind of just had to live in the moment and convey that message. I think that was one of the most honest experiences I’ve had in the rehearsal process and on stage in a long time.” ■

Students Take Awards For Design/Technology, Stage Management When it comes to being a theatre and musical theatre student at Sam Houston State University, not all of the action takes place on the stage under bright lights.

Some very talented students are at SHSU for the amazing opportunities taking place behind the scenes, from stage management and scenic design, to the technology used within a production. For nine design/technology and stage management students, their hard work and skills were recognized in the spring at the 2019 Southwest-United States Institute for Theatre Technology competition.

The Southwest-USITT is a non-profit organization with the goal of promoting theatre design, technology and education, through providing opportunities for students to compete among other college students in areas of design, sound and media.

Photography | Lexi Renfro

One SHSU student, Jessica Hightower was able to show off her skills at USITT in technology for the production “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time.”

“My design for this show took me on an interesting path,” said Hightower. “I had never worked with projections or media before so there was a fast learning curve. I learned a lot about technology including two programing softwares, how to create large scale imagery, and how different programs ‘talk’ to one another. This process also helped me in a sort of case study of line, color and texture—all of which are important elements to scenic design, which is my emphasis.”

Fifty students along with five Department of Theatre and Musical Theatre faculty attended the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival for Region VI in February. In addition to the unique designs presented by the theatre and musical theatre program, the department was invited to perform their production of “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time.” ■

Theatre, Musical Theatre Department Continues To Produce Stars Sam Houston State University theatre and musical theatre alumni Adrian Lopez and Dominic Pecikonis are making huge strides in their young careers. The two were recently cast in the musical “Spamilton: An American Parody,” which takes a comedic look at the Broadway hit “Hamilton.”

“Spamilton” is a spoof that pokes fun at the writer of “Hamilton,” Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton, and theatre itself. The show is on national tour through the first week in September with performances in Cleveland, Las Vegas, Boston, Houston, Phoenix and Tampa.

Lopez and Pecikonis both landed prominent roles in the production. Lopez plays the lead as Miranda and Hamilton. Pecikonis plays Daveed Digs.

“It was such a learning process having to portray someone who is real and not just a fictional character,” said Pecikonis. “I had to learn his mannerisms and vocal habits and then make them even bigger.”

From working together on shows like “Peter and the Star Catcher” at SHSU, to both finding their way to New York on Broadway, Lopez and Pecikonis have become especially close.

“Having Adrian with me is like having a family member; a brother,” said Pecikonis. “We’re both experiencing this for the first time, and I feel so lucky to have a familiar face to enjoy it with.”

The transition from college to Broadway happened quickly for both Lopez and Pecikonis. Lopez graduated from SHSU in fall 2018 and found himself in New York a short while later. Pecikonis, a graduate of spring 2018, described the transition from graduation to “Spamilton” as “a whirlwind.”

“Right after graduation I went into working regionally but moving to New York and starting ‘Spamilton’ really challenged me to stay out of my own head and to be okay with being pushed out of my comfort zone,” said Pecikonis. “College can become a safe bubble, but once you graduate you suddenly have to find a way to lift yourself up every day, make your own routine, and continue to train even after graduation.”

Pecikonis is grateful for how his time at SHSU prepared him for the demands of Broadway. The most important lesson he took away from college was how to take care of his body and voice, mentioning how he still uses the same warm ups.

“We do eight shows a week, never leave the stage, and are traveling constantly.

With that demand plus all the different climates, I feel lucky to know how to navigate my voice and body in order to do my job,” said Pecikonis.

For more information about the tour, visit spamilton.com. ■ - Kacie Ging

44 SPAMILTON

Photography | Roger Mastroianni

Photo Credit | Adrian Lopez

Photo Credit | Adrian Lopez

Photo Credit | Adrian Lopez

The College of Arts & Media has had a great 2018-2019 school year. Check out some of the top events and posts from the past year!

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College of Arts & Media

To Our Donors

B

ecause of the incredible generosity of our donors, the College of Arts & Media is able to provide exceptional opportunities that prepare and educate students for professional success and keep programs within the College at the forefront of innovation through scholarships, an inspirational and talented faculty, and beautiful state-of-the-art facilities. The faculty, staff and students are deeply grateful for the support we receive from our benefactors and the partnership we have with each individual.“Thank You” to the following for your contributions.

{ January through December 2018 donors listed below} Mr. and Mrs. Richard L. Adams Mr. and Mrs. Garrett Adams Mr. Randal L. Adams Mr. and Mrs. Jim Albiston Mr. and Mrs. J. M. Alderson II Mr. and Mrs. Marcus J. Allen Mr. Christopher D. Allen Mr. and Mrs. Grant E. Almquist Dr. and Mrs. Martin F. Amorous Mr. Evan B. Anderson Mrs. Brenda F. Anderson Rees Mr. Christopher A. Arcos Ms. Jamie D. Arlt Mrs. Holly D. Arnold Ms. Nicole E. Asel Mrs. Christine Audibeart Mr. and Mrs. William L. Atkins Mr. B. Kelley Barber Mr. and Mrs. Aaron P. Barry Mr. William A. Bartlett Ms. B. Jean Bawden Mr. and Mrs. Billy Beason Mr. and Mrs. Gary W. Beck Ms. Gayla D. Belt Mr. and Mrs. Dale L. Benke Mr. Wayne Bennett Mr. and Mrs. Hector Bilocura Mr. Kelby G. Blackard Mr. Stephen M. Blank Ms. Coralie Blount Ms. M. Kate Borcherding Ms. Rasika N. Borse Ms. Daphne L. Bottos Mr. and Mrs. Maurice L. Bresenhan, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. David Bretz Mr. and Mrs. Sid Brockman Mr. and Mrs. Craig T. Brossman Ms. Carol A. Brown Mr. Samuel R. Burnes

50 Donors

Mr. and Mrs. Charles W. Caillouet Ms. Deanna Calderon Ms. Catherine A. Calloway Dr. and Mrs. Rodney M. Cannon Mr. Scott Card and Dr. Patricia P. Card Mr. and Mrs. Chuck Cermak Mr. and Mrs. John B. Christensen Ms. Mary N. Church Mrs. Jane W. Click Dr. Kevin M. Clifton Mr. and Mrs. Bryan L. Collier Dr. Robert E. and Paula L. Coons Mr. A. J. Cortez Mrs. Julie A. Stone Cortez Ms. Marie C. Cotten Mrs. Rebecca A. Covell Mr. and Mrs. John Crystal Dr. and Mrs. Paul M. Culp, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Milton Dahlke Dr. and Mrs. Robert N. Daniel Mr. Rod Danielson Mrs. Robin J. Davidson Dr. Edwin S. Davis Dr. and Mrs. Thomas F. Davis Ms. Alexandria N. Davis Ms. Krystal M. Davis Mr. and Mrs. John M. Dawson Mrs. Lynda C. Dawson Mr. and Mrs. Henry W. Dedek Mr. Kelly DeHay Mr. and Mrs. Antonio DeLeon Ms. Helen C. Delmar-Smith Dr. Peggy A. DeMers Mr. and Mrs. David J. Deveau Mr. Michael G. Dickson Ms. Catherine E. Duhon Mr. and Mrs. James Dunham Ms. Patricia Duran Mr. Bryan Ealey

Dr. Richard F. Eglsaer Mr. David C. Epps Mrs. Eleanor Evans Mr. and Mrs. Jack L. Fields Mr. and Mrs. Andrew A. Filson Mr. and Mrs. Justin M. Finch Mrs. Rebecca L. Finley Mr. David L. Finney Mr. and Mrs. Dean R. Fishburn Mr. John B. Foerster Ms. Mona Forsyth Mr. and Mrs. Michael D. Foster Ms. Susan R. Fowler Ms. Nancy Franklin Mr. and Mrs. Norman Freemen Mrs. Linda S. Freund Dr. and Mrs. Charles M. Friel Ms. Dorothy Fulton Mr. William L. Furr Mr. Thomas W. Fusselman, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. John D. Garvin Mr. Ricky B. Gast Ms. Caitlyn R. J. Gastonguay Mr. and Mrs. Mark Gates Mr. and Mrs. Philip P. Gerbino Mr. Brian Gibbs Dr. Naomi K. Gjevre Mrs. Glenda L. Goehrs Mr. and Mrs. Marvin E. Gorley Mrs. Weslie R. Gray Mr. and Mrs. Eric L. Grimes Mr. Robert S. Grubbs Ms. Mariah H. Gutierrez Mr. Bruce D. Hall Mr. and Mrs. David M. Hammonds Mrs. Kristina S. Hanssen COL and Mrs. Paul E. Harbison Mr. and Mrs. Michael H. Harper Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Harris

Ms. Cynthia H. Harris Ms. Claire L. Hart-Palumbo Ms. Penelope A. Hasekoester Mr. and Mrs. Henry B. Haskell Mrs. Karla J. Haynes Mr. Michael H. Henderson Mr. and Mrs. Keith Hermes Mr. and Mrs. Brian Herrera Mrs. Elizabeth R. Hibbison Ms. Malin S. Hilmersson Dr. Gary Anthony Hilsher Mr. and Mrs. Mark L. Holly Mr. Frank R. Holmes Dr. Maria A. Holmes Mr. and Mrs. Eric Horne Dr. and Mrs. Robert W. Horton Dr. and Mrs. Henry E. Howey Mr. John M. Hoyt Dr. Dana G. Hoyt Ms. Patricia J. Hudgins Mr. Marcus J. Hughes Mr. Ben Hughes Mr. Harold A. Hurry Mrs. Donna D. Hutcherson Mr. and Mrs. Samuel R. Irwin Mr. and Mrs. Clifford P. Isaacs Mr. Jacob A. Ishee Mr. Shohei Iwahama Mr. and Dr. Jerry E. Jackson Ms. Alexandra D. Jackson Mrs. Cathy L. Jaeger Mr. Edward F. Janecka Dr. and Mrs. Keith E. Jenkins Dr. Richard W. Jenkins, Jr. Ms. Dorothy W. Jensen Mr. and Mrs. Randal E. Jones Ms. Barbara A. Kaminska Mr. and Mrs. Myron S. Karner Mr. and Mrs. Richard C. Kelpen

Dr. Peter K. Kempter Ms. Kathy G. Kernek Mrs. Britney R. Ketkoski Ms. Emily T. Kim Ms. Dianna Kim Mr. and Mrs. Kurtis A. Koch Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth C. Kosub Mr. Richard O. Kosuowei Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth W. Krock Mr. Freeman J. Kropik Dr. Angela E. Kropik Mr. Marvin L. Lamb Mrs. Barbara A. Landry Dr. and Mrs. Robert A. Lane Mr. and Mrs. James C. Lanier III Mr. Wesley Lawrence Mr. and Mrs. Ralls Lee Ms. Heather Limmer Mr. and Mrs. Jon P. Lorenzen Mrs. Laura E. Love Mrs. Mary A. Lynch Mr. Joshua P. Manculich Mr. Robert M. Maninger Ms. Paty Mason Mr. and Mrs. John A. May Mr. Seth T. McAdow Mr. and Mrs. Austin B. McComb, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Cory McGregory Dr. and Mrs. Matthew McInturf Mr. Dan O. McLean COL and Mrs. John A. McManners Dr. Sharon A. Lynch Mr. Kenneth D. Meador Ms. Charlotte A. Meador Dr. Melissa L. Mednicov Mr. and Mrs. Jose M. Mendez Mrs. Mary M. Migliozzi-Chambers Dr. and Mrs. Brian Miller Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Miller

Mr. Tudor Mitroi Mr. Richard W. Moffit Mr. Terrence R. Mollendor Mrs. Carolyn D. Moore Dr. and Mrs. Edward M. Morin Mr. and Mrs. Charles R. Moser Mr. and Mrs. Steven Mullis Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin D. Murdock Mr. and Mrs. Brian A. Murphy Ms. Sandra L. Murphy Mr. Jeff S. Narsh Mr. and Mrs. Ken Neal Mr. and Mrs. Craig Nettuno Mrs. Alice P. Newland Mr. and Mrs. Dana E. Nicolay Mr. and Mrs. Andrew M. Noble Mr. C. Kelley Osborn Mr. and Mrs. R. Ben Osborne COL and Mrs. Lee T. Overby Ms. Gradylene J. Pate Mr. Glenn M. Payne Dr. and Mrs. David E. Payne Mr. and Mrs. Greg Pellegrino Mr. Christopher Perez Mr. and Mrs. Richard Pena Mr. Tom B. Perry, Jr. Mrs. Ellen P. Happe Phillips Mr. Terry Phillips Dr. Javier A. Pinell Mr. and Mrs. C. Eugene Pipes Dr. Scott D. Plugge Ms. Jennifer K. Pontius Mr. Thomas C. Prior Mr. Ben A. Pruitt Dr. Daughn L. Pruitt Mr. and Mrs. Donald T. Rascoe Ms. Debra A. Rawlins Mrs. Nelda A. Reyes Ms. Mireya Reyna

Mr. and Mrs. Stephen E. Richardson Mr. and Mrs. William Riddell Mr. and Mrs. Eric Rivers Mr. and Mrs. Alan Roberson Mr. and Mrs. J. Clark Roberts Mr. Aubrey L. Rodgers III Ms. Glenda F. Rogers Ms. Deborah G. Ross Antoine Mr. Peter H. Roussel Mr. Larry D. Routh Mr. James E. Rust Mrs. Roberta C. Sage Mr. and Mrs. Ahmad W. Samadzai Dr. and Mrs. E. Wesley Sanders Mr. Travis D. Schiebel Mr. Aric L. Schneller Ms. Emily J. Schulze Ms. Sherry L. Semander Mr. and Mrs. W. Doug Shaw Mrs. Margaret A. Shepherd Mr. and Mrs. Todd C. Sherman Dr. Ronald E. Shields Mr. Terry D. Shields Mr. Tony R. Shipp Mr. Donald C. Shorter Mr. and Mrs. J. Micah Slaughter Dr. B. Carol Smith Ms. Zenna Smith, Ph.D. Mr. and Mrs. Clay L. Smith Mr. and Mrs. Arthur E. Smith, Jr. Ms. Chelsea K. Smith Dr. and Mrs. Victor E. Sower Rev. Hughey B. Spinks Mr. David E. Stanley Mr. Matthew J. Stepan Ms. Trina F. Stiefer Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Stoker Mr. and Mrs. Barry G. Stubbs Ms. Melissa A. Stubbs

Mr. Masahito Sugihara Ms. Hannah E. Talton Mr. and Mrs. Brian Tave Mr. and Mrs. Jesus Tellez Ms. Marcia L. Thompson Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth A. Thompson Mrs. Renee Thompson Ms. Sandra P. Trevino Mr. and Mrs. Richard K. Tubbs Ms. Carolyn Tucker Mrs. Laura E. Vanecek Ms. Argelia Vera Dr. W. Anthony Watkins III Ms. Vicki S. Wehmeyer Mrs. Edith C. Wells Ms. C. Lynne Werner Mr. and Mrs. Cliff M. West, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Stuart West Ms. Marilynn Westney Dr. Chris F. White Mr. and Mrs. Robert B. Whiteley Dr. Grant Wiedenfeld Dr. Linda J. Wiley Mr. and Mrs. Walter Wilkerson Mr. Frederick B. Williams Shirley Williams-Ford Mr. and Mrs. Daniel M. Wilson Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Wilson Mr. Garrett E. Withers Mr. James M. Wolfe Mr. and Mrs. Andrew M. Wroth Mrs. Nellie J. Yarotsky

COLLEGE OF ARTS & MEDIA

www.shsu.edu/cam 936.294.2340 cam@shsu.edu

CREATIVITY Imagination in action.

VISION Learning together to advance arts & media for the benefit of our communities.

College of Arts & Media shsu_cam @shsucam

SAM HOUSTON STATE UNIVERSITY

Located in Huntsville, Texas, the College of Arts & Media at SHSU is home to five departments: the Department of Art, Department of Dance, Department of Mass Communication, Department of Theatre & Musical Theatre and the School of Music.

COLLEGE OF ARTS & MEDIA *2017-2018

DEPARTMENTS BY ENROLLMENT [OUT OF 100%]

43%

First Generation Students

70%

Working employment status within one year after graduation

College of Arts & Media Office of the Dean Box 2393, Huntsville, TX 77340-2393