College of Communication, Fine Arts and Media | 15 Year Anniversary

The College of Communication, Fine Arts and Media Celebrating Milestones 2005-2020

WELCOME TO OUR

CFAMILY

The College of Communication, Fine Arts and Media (CFAM) at the University of Nebraska at Omaha has produced and performed an exciting array of accomplishments and events over the past 15 years - more than any other college on campus. Our rich and diverse history of fostering, cultivating, and hosting some of the best talent in Omaha helps us continue to lead as the creative heart of UNO. We are proud to present the following highlighted achievements, which represent the creativity, ambition, and Maverick spirit of CFAM. CFAM combines the School of the Arts, the School of Communication, the School of Music, and media, including KVNO radio and UNO TV, into one group fueled by innovation and ingenuity. Each of these focus areas is built on rich tradition, with a diverse array of courses led by a nationally-known faculty of artists, performers, writers, and scholars.

With the creation of the college, Robert Welk served as Interim Dean for the 2005-2006 academic year. A national search resulted in the hiring of Gail F. Baker as the first Dean. Dr. Baker served as CFAM Dean from 2006 to 2017.

We are dedicated to inspiring the creative expression and cultural growth of all of our students. Art and Art History, Communication Studies, Journalism and Media Communication, Music, Theatre and Creative Writing all provide unmatched opportunities, skill development and meaningful experiences for every student while preparing them for their professional fields.

I invite you to create your future with us and learn how a degree from one of our programs can put you on a successful path. You are also invited to attend our theatre and musical performances, gallery exhibitions, readings, and other creative events throughout the year.

I look forward to seeing you on campus.

Sincerely,

Michael L. Hilt, Ph.D. Dean, College of Communication, Fine Arts and Media Professor of Communication

We are a college of creators, and we would enjoy answering any questions you have. Drop us an email at cfam@unomaha.edu or visit cfam.unomaha.edu

The Formation of the School of the Arts

MFA in Writing Concurrence Portfolio Collaboration

Theatre Group Performed at Scotland’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival

Samuel Bak Art Exhibition

Art and Art History, Theatre, and the Writer’s Workshop combined in 2015 to create the School of the Arts, a center for innovative growth and achievement. The University of Nebraska at Omaha is the only university within a 400-mile radius to blend these powerhouses into a single entity and encourage the fusion of multidisciplinary vision. This configuration gives students the ability to travel across curriculums to discover their own voices and express themselves. The School of the Arts, housed in a building named after former Chancellor Del Weber and his wife Lou Ann, celebrates the human spirit through emerging technologies, collaboration, and evocative creation in all its forms.

UNO announced Concurrence in 2019, an annual, limited edition fine art portfolio as a collaboration between Book Arts, Printmaking, Graphic Design, and the Master’s of Fine Arts in Writing. Each literary piece featured in the portfolio is paired with complementary imagery produced using various printmaking media on looseleaf sheets. Students involved work with faculty on a variety of tasks including typographic design, typesetting, letterpress printing, image design, and other aspects of production.

The first volume was organized by Professor Emeritus Bonnie O’Connell and Writing Coordinator Kevin Clouther and published by the UNO Fine Arts Press in 2019. Concurrence Vol. II, organized

by Clouther and Project Coordinator Chelsea Herman, builds on this collaboration, featuring text by UNO Writers Workshop alumni as well as handmade paper, imagery, presswork, and binding by current students and faculty.

“Little Wars,” an original piece exploring the root of human conflict and our desire to “make war,” is a short theatre piece entirely written and performed

by UNO students. After its first Omaha tour, the deeply physical and emotional show made its way to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland, where it was shown alongside over 10,000 other performers and 3,000 displays.

Performers took this opportunity abroad to celebrate their creative achievement as well as soak in the Scottish culture.

World-renowned artist and Holocaust survivor Samuel Bak brought decades’ worth of his art and storied experience to UNO’s Art Gallery from September to November 2019 for the exhibition “Witness: The Art of Samuel Bak.” The pieces have previously been displayed in major museums and galleries around the globe, blending his life as a Jewish man throughout the years with realistic yet surreal images, technical skill, and thoughtful questions about what it means to survive.

Bak also participated in a conversational workshop about equality, art, and narrative, as well as several days of programming about human rights and discussions of his work and the Holocaust. More than 4,500 visitors attended the exhibition of 70 paintings, including more than 2,000 high school and middle school students.

S CHOOL OF T HE AR T S

Additional School of the Arts 2005-2020 highlights

THEATRE’S CONNECTION SERIES

MFA in Writing Program The low-residency program, which began in 2005, is an innovative way to balance the rigors of a Master of Fine Arts in Writing with four 16-week semesters and five 10-day face-to-face residencies at the Lied Lodge and Conference Center in Nebraska City. Nationally-recognized mentors are assigned to each student and guide them through the process as they earn their degree, with concentrations in Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, Young Adult, Poetry, Playwriting, or Screenwriting.

The residency combines craft and theory where students attend lectures, workshops, and readings of original work.

Students are introduced to a variety of artistic concepts and practical writing techniques in a mixture of literary activities. Students are encouraged to explore event offerings and network with mentors in all genres.

A collaboration with The Great Plains Theatre Festival and Union for Contemporary Art, in coordination with Watie White’s “100 People” exhibition at the Criss Library Osborne Family Gallery and UNO Gallery. In the quest to inspire theatre which fosters community dialogue, UNO started the “Theatre Connections Series” in 2019 for a new, empathetic perspective on contemporary conditions. Each year, UNO Theatre dedicates one show as a collaboration with different creative organizations from across the nation like The Great Plains Theatre Conference and Union for Contemporary Art. WATIE WHITE’S “100 PEOPLE” EXHIBIT

The exhibition, which was held in January 2020, integrated another bastion of the community, as Watie White’s “100 People” project was displayed at the UNO Art Gallery. This collection identified and represented 100 different Omaha community leaders in a striking woodcut style as murals throughout the metropolitan area. As this public exhibit was shown, UNO students performed “Blood at the Root,” a play based on six real-life Black students who were racially targeted in 2006. These two art exhibitions echoed poignant, meaningful conversations about our world through creative ability and innovation.

BENSON THEATRE PROJECT

CFAM partnered with The Benson Theatre in a historic building renovation. The project has been raising funds since 2012 to reopen as a 2,910 square-foot event venue that can be booked for workshops,

seminars, fundraisers, creative performances, private events, and more. UNO’s College of Communication, Fine Arts and Media is one of over 70 community partnerships which have contributed to revive this space and breathe new life into it with forms of art, dance, theatre, film, music, the spoken word, and visual arts. The theatre opened mid-2020.

OMAHA HORSES OF HONOR

The Horses of Honor project, including eight different horses and one K-9 sculpture in bronze, was designed to recognize and honor Omaha’s fallen police officers. This recognizable landmark, near the Weber Fine Arts Building, was created by Omaha artist Trudy Swanson.

UNO art professor Jave Yoshimoto was also invited to take part in the project.

Jave’s piece commemorates Greg Hamill, an officer who passed away from influenza complications in 2014. While Jave’s sculpture was intended for display near the Weber Fine Arts Building, the positive reaction was so strong that it now sits outside the Omaha police central headquarters.

HELP KEEP THE ARTS ALIVE IN THE FUTURE You can help support the arts in the College of Communication, Fine Arts and Media through the University of Nebraska Foundation School of the Arts Excellence Fund #01143170 Learn more at nufoundation.org

WHY THE ARTS MATTER CLASS

Why the Arts Matter: CFAM’s first deliberately multi-disciplinary class launched in 2017, giving students the opportunity to delve into Communication, Music, Art, Theatre, and Creative Writing simultaneously, to explore the way that creation and creativity foster connection.

[ arts.unomaha.edu ]

MavForensics Enjoys Decade of Success

MavRadio & UNO TV

High School Media Conference

Students nationwide choose the University of Nebraska at Omaha for the chance to be a part of UNO’s award-winning speech team: MavForensics. In 2019, MavForensics celebrated its tenth consecutive finish as one of the Top Ten teams in the country at the American Forensics Association’s National Tournament. Students on the team have earned eight national championships in more than half of the events offered, and Director Abbie Syrek and Assistant Director Cameron Logsdon have each been awarded National Best New Coach Awards (2011 and 2015). Syrek has also been awarded UNO Advisor of the Year (2017) and the Nebraska Intercollegiate Forensics Association’s Distinguished Service Award (2017).

The Interstate Oratory competition, the oldest public speaking competition in North America, selects representatives from each state to compete.

UNO students can get a taste of broadcasting through MavRadio and UNO TV. Founded in 1997 as KBLZ, MavRadio has always been student-run, taking on its new name in 2008. MavRadio is joined by UNO TV, an outlet that operates and produces content for the Omaha Production Center for Nebraska Educational Telecommunications (NET) Television, which broadcasts statewide. UNO TV also provides local educational programming for The Knowledge Network (TKN) of Greater Omaha.

The real-world practice is valuable experience for students who want to pursue their passion in broadcasting and media careers.

For more than sixty years, UNO has provided opportunities for high school students across the metropolitan area to learn and be recognized for excellence in journalism. Graphic design, print, and broadcast journalism are all represented in the annual High School Media Conference, which brings together talented young people and area professionals for a day of collaboration and commendation. Hundreds of students are recognized each year in diverse areas ranging from Best Short-Form Audio to Best Cartoon for an impressive display of talent and dedication to their craft.

S CHOOL OF C OMMUNIC AT ION

For the last 15 years, Nebraska has sent representatives from UNO. Seven students from this university have also been named to the prestigious All-American team, which recognizes their competitive and academic success, as well as their community involvement.

As a Division I institution, UNO fosters excellence in education, advocacy, diversity, and performance in forensics – and has for decades.

Top 10 Team in Nation 10 Consecutive Seasons 8 Individual National Champions Nebraska Team State Champions 2011, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 7 All-Americans

Additional School of Communication 2005-2020 highlights

KEEPING CURRICULUM CURRENT

The School of Communication strengthened its Broadcasting degree by adding it to the Journalism program. Students can now earn a degree while majoring in either Communication Studies or Journalism and Media Communication to better serve the constant evolution of today’s fast-moving field.

CREATION OF NEW COURSES

UNO TV Upgrades to 4K In 2018, UNO TV modernized its equipment and became the most up-to-date studio on campus. This upgrade thoroughly revitalized the TV studio, which had been outfitted with decades-old fixtures. The old equipment meant students could only produce dated, standard-definition programs, which typically have black pillars on either side of the screen to make the picture fit newer televisions. The new equipment includes three new Black Magic 4K studio cameras and HD lenses, two smaller “rafter cam” cameras, a Black Magic video switcher, Ross Video System Expression graphics system, and Ross Inception newsroom management and scripting system.

The conversion to a new studio was funded entirely by $130,000 in grants from the Nebraska Broadcasters Association; The Knowledge Network, a coalition of five Omaha-area schools which airs programming locally; and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

As communicating with other people becomes increasingly fast-paced and essential to success, we must change the way we view education in the field. In order to constantly grow and offer the best possible education to our students, the school created five new areas of emphasis for Communication Studies majors: • Instructional communication and corporate training • Intercultural communication and diversity • Interpersonal communication and conflict management • Organizational communication and leadership

• Rhetoric and public culture

AWARD WINNING FACULTY AND STUDENTS

School of Communication students continue to be recognized for excellence in the communications field, (setting a new record with 17 awards in 2019) across groups like the Public Relations Student Society of America chapter (PRSSA), the student-run MaverickPR, the UNO Ad Club, as well as seniors completing various Capstone courses in Communications.

Students earned numerous local, regional and national accolades, some of which included: The Dr. F. H. Teahan Outstanding PRSSA Chapter award. The outstanding chapter must demonstrate new ideas, establish strong leadership, and exhibit excellence in every single category, including development, diversity, service, and online presence.

The PRSSA Gold Key Award, which was created in 1983, is the highest individual honor which can be given to PRSSA members, and recognizes exceptional academic excellence in public relations and leadership in PRSSA. For winning a Gold Key, students are recognized at the PRSSA National Conference each year.

YOU CAN SUPPORT THE SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATION You can help support the arts in the College of Communication, Fine Arts and Media through the University of Nebraska Foundation School of Communication Excellence Fund #01024990 Learn more at nufoundation.org

These focus areas, in addition to new courses like Perspectives in Communication, broaden the scope of education and guide students to specific disciplines and prospective work environments. Giving students the opportunity to hone their skills in niches like these creates talented graduates.

[ unomaha.edu/college-of-communication-fine-arts-and-media/communication ]

Strauss Performing Arts Renovation and Additions

Formation of the School of Music

The Willis A. and Janet S. Strauss Performing Arts Center, the hub of musical creativity at UNO, was modernized in 2019 with the completion of a 25,000-square-foot addition to the building. The renovated concert hall, named after former Chancellor John Christensen and his wife Jan, recording tracking room, collaborative piano rehearsal laboratory, percussion studio, and teaching studios were designed to be acoustically isolated and to provide a top-of-the-line academic experience for UNO students, arts patrons, and guests.

Shortly after the first phase was finished, a second renovation project was announced, privately funded by an anonymous donor. The focal point of the new renovation is construction of a grand entrance, visible from the street and serving as an invitation for

The Department of Music became the School of Music in 2015, when CFAM came together to create a larger whole. With ever-changing technology, innovation, and major renovations to the entire Strauss Performing Arts Building, this component is a haven for musically creative students and faculty across campus. New facilities, leadership, and degrees have helped to shape the School of Music into its own impressive accomplishment within the last decade.

S CHOOL OF MUSIC

both music students and members of the Omaha community.

All 27 practice rooms will be remodeled to improve soundproofing, a computer lab space and an additional classroom will be added, and the floor on the first level will be smoothed to ease transportation of musical instruments. The second phase of renovation is expected to be finished mid-2021.

Some of the new features include • 422 seat concert hall • 100 seat recital hall • Recording control room/classroom • Recording isolation room for drumset • Recording isolation room for vocals • Piano studio and piano practice rooms • Music education percussion studio • Five chamber music rehearsal rooms

Jazz Major Education Continues to Grow UNO’s jazz program continues to be a regional leader in jazz education.

The annual UNO Great Plains Jazz Festival has grown to become one of the biggest educational jazz events in the Midwest, attracting more than 50 school jazz bands from Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota, and Missouri. The festival features nationally renowned clinicians and world-class jazz musicians performing with the UNO Jazz Ensemble and Combo.

In 2020, the UNO Jazz Combo was the first UNO ensemble to be selected by an internationally competitive audition process to perform at the Jazz Education Network Conference in New Orleans, which is one of the highest honors that can be bestowed on a collegiate jazz ensemble.

Additional School of Music 2005-2020 highlights

TOURING THE WORLD

Over the past 15 years, the UNO School of Music has completed 16 international music tours with various performing ensembles. UNO’s International Studies and Programs’ contacts with thirty sister universities, combined with the Omaha Sister Cities Association have made it possible for these ensembles to travel to 15 countries on 3 different continents. They represent UNO and the School of Music, while making long-lasting relationships and having once-in-a-lifetime experiences International Concert Series Over the past 15 years, the UNO School of Music has completed 16 international music tours with various performing ensembles. UNO’s International Studies and Programs’ contacts with thirty sister universities combined with the Omaha Sister Cities Association have made it possible for these ensembles to travel to 15 countries in 3 different continents as they represent UNO and the School of Music, while making long-lasting relationships and having once-in-a-lifetime experiences.

Our dedication to international music doesn’t stop with trips abroad the School of Music has celebrated three seasons of its International Concert Series, which brings talented musicians from across the globe to the UNO stage.

These concerts are open to the community, which strengthens engagement as well as offering the chance to hear new and exciting styles and genres of music from experts in the field.

ESTABLISHMENT OF BOCH FESTIVAL

More than 300 high school students from across Nebraska and the Midwest come to UNO for the annual BOCH (Band, Orchestra, and Choir Honor) Festival.

The festival was founded in 2007 as a way to combine these ensembles into one collaborative event.

A rigorous audition process curates groups of talented young musicians, who are given the opportunity to work with UNO Music faculty and students, as well as guest clinicians in both masterclass and rehearsal settings for the weekend. The BOCH Festival Bands include the Honor Wind Ensemble, Honor Band, Honor Orchestra, and Honor Choir.

ENTREPRENEURIAL STUDIES MAJOR

UNO music students can now major in Entrepreneurial Studies. They learn how to prosper on the business side of the music industry with a well-rounded curriculum designed to explore everything from theory to the technology needed for success in a contemporary environment.

CAMPS EARN RECOGNITION

UNO’s summer jazz camp has received national press in publications such as Downbeat Magazine and the Jazz Education Network Journal.

Additional camps and festivals that attracted the regions top young musicians included: • Show Choir • Middle School Honor Choir • Woodwind Day • Brass Day • Piano Day • String Olympics • All-State Choral and Orchestra

HELP KEEP THE MUSIC PLAYING IN THE FUTURE You can help support the arts in the College of Communication, Fine Arts and Media through the University of Nebraska Foundation Friends of UNO School of Music Fund #01139050 Learn more at nufoundation.org

BA DEGREE ADDED

As our School of Music continues to grow and innovate within the field, UNO created a Bachelor of Arts in Music and four concentrations within: Music Studies, Music Entrepreneurial Studies, Music Technology, and Jazz Studies.

[ music.unomaha.edu ]

D Marion Marsh Brown Lecture Series

Nebraska native, teacher, and writer, Marion Marsh Brown was recognized as a Legendary Woman of UNO in 2015, as an alum who made lifelong contributions to the school and community. She was first published at only ten years old and went on to write hundreds of stories, receive prestigious accolades including the Sower Award, and live a life filled with a love for literature.

In 2016, her family created another tribute to her memory with the Marion Marsh Brown Lecture Series, which hosts renowned authors on the UNO campus each spring to read their work. Visting authors included John Grisham, Cheryl Strayed, Lee Child, andS.Nicholas Sparks who graced the ce (2425 67th Street) stage to celebrate reading, writing, ents.unomaha.edu/leechild and the ways in which their work changes lives.

Photo credit: Sigrid Estrada

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MAHA

Interdisciplinary Medical Humanities Major

Mark Gilbert’s joint appointment in Medical Humanities and Studio Art

KVNO Radio Classical Radio 90.7fm

The medical field is often presented as the opposite to the arts – logical fact with no room for creativity or emotion.

In 2019, UNO joined a growing field that purposely and purposefully merges the two – Medical Humanities, providing a holistic approach to health and medicine that starts with what it means to be human.

At the end of the first year, there were more than 40 Medical Humanities majors and more than 140 students with minors in the field. CFAM’s partnership with the College of Arts & Sciences has shaped the collaborative effort to lead advances in curriculum, exhibition, performance, and community outreach for a contemporary academic offering.

The new Medical Humanities curriculum at UNO is bolstered by driven scholars and faculty members, including internationally-recognized Dr. Mark Gilbert. His work as artist in residence at the Royal London Hospital in England brought him into the lives of patients and healthcare workers alike. He collaborated with a maxilla facial surgeon to bring their stories to light in a 2018 exhibition named “Portraits of Care, Art, and Medicine.”

Apart from his pioneering activism and specialty in the field, Gilbert will also teach a section of MEDH 1000: Introduction to Medical Humanities. This joint appointment in Medical Humanities and Studio Art helps to bridge the gap between disciplines while allowing students in separate degree programs to benefit from his expertise.

KVNO Radio went on the air August 27, 1972 in the old Storz mansion. In 2005, it was brought into the College of Communication, Fine Arts, and Media, which gave the station the stability to develop and grow. August 2022 will mark an incredible 50 years on the air, enriching the lives of Omahans with both traditional and contemporary classics.

KVNO’s Classical Kids program, which recognizes young Omaha musicians, began in 2002 and has honored more than 200 children aged 7-13 whose musical efforts exemplify the value and richness of the arts. Starting in 2021, the winners will also receive a scholarship to be used toward music lessons, camps, or instruments to further encourage their creativity.

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C OLLEGE OF C OMMUNIC AT IO N, FINE AR T S AND MEDI A

[ cfam.unomaha.edu ] You can help support CFAM through the University of Nebraska Foundation’s College of Communication, Fine Arts and Media’s UNO Fund #01049580. Learn more at nufoundation.org

Five Unique Facilities. One Creative College

The School of Communication is located in the Arts & Sciences Building at 222 University Drive East

CFAM15 is published by the College of Communication, Fine Arts and Media Contributing Editors Michael L. Hilt, Ph.D. Dean, College of Communication, Fine Arts and Media Copy Meredith Warren CFAM Administrative Assistant

Gail Baker, CFAM’s Dean Emeritus The creation of the College of Communication, Fine Arts and Media led to the introduction of Gail F. Baker, Ph.D. as the first Dean of CFAM. Dr. Baker was CFAM Dean as well as the Executive Associate to the Chancellor from 2006 to 2017.

Her background in journalism and communication helped her to lead in academic settings, but in media as well.

She is the winner of four Emmy Awards for Excellence in Documentary Writing and Producing.

Her ambition, drive, and passion for excellence helped mold CFAM into the creative center of campus. Baker’s personal influence on the CFAM staff and faculty was also positive – every annual retreat, she raffled off her famous homemade cakes. Gail is currently serving as Provost and Vice President at the University of San Diego in California.

The School of the Arts is located in the Del and Lou Ann Weber Building at 6505 University Drive South

The School of the Arts Sculpture and Ceramic Studio is located at 6405 University Drive South

The School of Music is located in the Janet A. and Willis S. Strauss Performing Arts Center at 6305 University Drive North

Art Direction/Design Randy Mattley CFAM Communication Photography University Communications Rebecca Gratz HDR Randy Mattley University Archives The Special Collections Staff

The University of Nebraska does not discriminate based on race, color, ethnicity, national origin, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, and/or political affiliation in its programs, activities, or employment. @UNOCFAM

#UNOCFAM

The College of Public Affairs and Community Service Building at 6320 Maverick Plaza is home to KVNO Radio, MavRadio and UNOTV 07.2020

UNIVERSIT Y OF NEBRASK A AT OMAHA COLLEGE OF COMMUNICATION, FINE ARTS AND MEDIA 6505 University Drive South | Omaha, NE 68182 | cfam.unomaha.edu