Studio '22

STUDIO '22

T H E O F F I C I A L M A G A Z I N E O F T H E U N I V E R S I T Y O F U TA H C O L L E G E O F F I N E A R T S

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From pupil to master

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Art + Land

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Inclusion in the CFA

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Students working for justice

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Annual Report thanks College of Fine Arts contributors

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uch art is made to depict our relationship with our world. Whether from a feeling, a memory, a vision, or hope — the art we make often expresses how we relate to others, to ourselves, and our surroundings. It reflects our perceptions. Our love. Our dissent.

There, too, is an art to the act of relating genuinely and positively to others and our environments. Each of us is in a constant state of learning when it comes to how we interact with those in our midst, and how our presence impacts the spaces and places we go.

In the CFA, we take on that practice of relating with great sincerity.

Because when we think of our ability to learn, share, and work — which involves risk, humility, and bravery — we understand how deeply important it is that people know they belong.

Our ability to succeed is significantly impacted by our relationships to the people around us. Acceptance builds trust. Trust builds courage. Courage can make great art.

In these stories, you will discover art that depicts our relationship to land, our relationships to our bodies, to our colleagues, to our careers, and to our understandings of our own identities.

We hope you, too, find ways to relate to this work and our stories. ■

JOHN W. SCHEIB

Dean, College of Fine Arts

LETTER from the DEAN

STUDIO / 2022

'22 THE PL ACE WHERE DILIGENCE AND EXCELLENCE BECOME INFLUENCE

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stARTers / This is the story of five alumni from the College of Fine Arts who were once the pupils and have now become the masters, highlighting their forays into arts teaching.

NEITHER HERE NOR THERE / Four faculty members from across the college came together to create a part-theatre, part-film story called “Liminal,” and the process has been as good as the product.

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SYSTEMIC INCLUSION / The College of Fine Arts just completed a year-long project aimed at providing education and dialogue opportunities to faculty and staff around inclusion and equity.

BELONGING / From issues of representation and inclusion to equity and diversity, students across the college are committed to making positive change.

“Re-search” Photo: Doug Tolman

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EXPLORING BOUNDARIES, QUESTIONING OWNERSHIP /

Photo: University Marketing & Communications

Each of us connects to the world and land around us differently; see these five artists’ representations of their relationships with their surroundings.

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EXPANDING OPPORTUNITY / By bringing in renowned guest artists (some of whom are alumni) with diverse backgrounds, the School of Dance is increasing representation in the studios.

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GUEST ARTISTS & SCHOLARS / In addition to the impact of our renowned faculty, students in the College of Fine Arts benefit from the multitude of guest artists and scholars brought to campus each year.

ARMED WITH POSSIBILITY / School of Music students have long sought to become entrepreneurs in their fields; now there’s a certificate for that.

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SLAMDANCE FAMILY JEWELS / The connection between the Slamdance Film Festival and the Department of Film & Media Arts is a boon for both. Read how.

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ANNUAL REPORT /

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CONTRIBUTORS + THANKS

TAKING HER SHOT / School of Music’s Elizabeth Craft has studied modern musicals since before Lin-Manuel Miranda made them cool again and sees them as more than entertainment, but reflections of our time.

HOME IS WHERE THE ART IS / Peter and Cathie Meldrum are ensuring future generations will have magical memories in the Einar Neilsen Fieldhouse like they did, but this time with a brand-new theatre.

It is with overwhelming gratitude that we name those who fuel the continued success of the College of Fine Arts with their generosity and philanthropy.

TABLE of CONTENTS

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Photo: Leann Anderson

Photo: Tori Duhaime

Adam Eskelson (blue), Chad Zielinski (orange), Misa Oga Hansen (green),

Juliana Vorkink Martin (pink), Jordan Nelson (yellow)

By Emeri Fetzer

If you were a child who loved the arts, chances are you remember your teacher.

Maybe they lit the fire that made you take your art seriously, encouraging you to pursue the next challenge year after year. Maybe you found a new piece of you within their classroom walls. Perhaps you went on to pursue something entirely different. Still, they are the background of your favorite memory — waiting in the wings, counting you in, guiding your hand, sharpening your tools.

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M

Photo courtesy of Adam Eskelson

any of Utah’s extraordinary arts educators Students don’t often end up in art classes because studied at the University of Utah College of they are required. They choose it. Eskelson sees this as Fine Arts. Our alumni now foster the next generation an advantage — an opportunity to plant a seed that just of creative minds, grasping both the privilege and might last a lifetime. “Sometimes art classes are the the responsibility of their work. Whether within the only ones kids enjoy or excel in,” he said. “Particularly hustle of public schools, or in private studios, they up into high school, these classes keep kids coming. If encourage young people to grow both as artists and those opportunities go away, the dropout rate rises.” as well-rounded individuals.

A musician since the age of five, Eskelson initially U School of Music alumnus Adam Eskelson pursued a degree in vocal performance. His penchant (’98) supervises all arts programming for Salt Lake for teaching crept in around his second year, and he City School District. Having spent 10 years in the switched to music education. “My parents instilled the classroom at Hillside Middle School teaching choral value of education in me and my siblings,” he shared. and orchestral music, he moved into administration “Of the eight of us, six have education degrees.” eight years ago. Each year when he trains new arts The value of prioritizing art in curriculum, he says, educators, he reminds them of this: is undeniable. A favorite quote by John Quincy Adams “We’re here today because we love our art form, is his guiding light: “I have to study politics and war so and believe that it shaped us and played a significant that my sons can study mathematics, commerce and part in the people we have become. Let’s remember agriculture, so their sons can study poetry, painting that our job is to plant and cultivate that love in our and music.” He explained: “Almost everything we students. We are in a unique role where we teach have learned from other cultures and civilizations content that taps into the creative side of kids. Let’s throughout history comes from studying their art forms. be sure to inspire kids to love what we do so that they It’s how we understand what they valued. We want to will choose to continue.” cultivate that in kids in our time, too.” ■

Adam Eskelson

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Photo courtesy of Jordan Nelson

“My highest priorities for my students are imagination, movement, character, and body and voice.”

Jordan Nelson and students

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ordan Nelson (’09,’20) is an alumna of both the U Department of Theatre, and the nationally-ranked Master of Arts Teaching in Fine Arts program (MATFA), of which she was a member of the first cohort.

She now teaches theater at Midvale Elementary where she will connect with 700+ students at some point during the year. At the end of the MAT-FA program, Assistant Dean for Arts Education & Community Engagement, Kelby McIntyre-Martinez suggested that Nelson take a look at Midvale. “[Kelby] said she thought they could use my energy,” Nelson said. “I didn’t even think about another school.”

Growing up in small-town Wyoming, she did not have wide access to the arts as a kid. She remembers being surprised when her fifth-grade teacher brought a guitar to class. “She’d have us write blues songs about being 10 years old,” she said. “She would encourage us to be creative with our projects. I still remember a song I wrote about Washington state to the tune of ‘Under The Boardwalk.’”

She was involved in theatre as she grew up, but it was a professor in her first year of college in Wyoming that cracked open the possibility of teaching. When she transferred to the U two years

later, she was determined to follow that path. During her two short years in the program, she took advantage of every opportunity — assisting Youth Theatre at the U, conducting a classroom project with Professor Xan Johnson, working in technical aspects of productions, and studying abroad to London.

After graduation, Nelson was the Executive Director of Casper Children’s Theatre back in Wyoming for seven years. The MAT-FA program is what called her back to Utah. “I really wanted a master’s specifically in teaching fine arts. The program was so hands-on. They really wanted to work with what we had and make us better teachers.”

Nelson’s classroom is ultimately a safe space for play, where students can take risks and unfold at their own pace.

“My highest priorities for my students are imagination, movement, character, and body and voice,” she explained. “I am working on life skills through theatre skills. So, character is on and off stage. We work on controlling our bodies and voices, validating emotions, and understanding everyone has a unique story. And if we were successful people in my classroom, we had a great day.” ■

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Chad Zielinski, Mata Ortiz Pottery

Workshop at Granger High School

“Your art form is not just working with media—you are using your skill set to inform others to create art successfully, and find their voice. Art education really is its own art form.”

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ellow MAT-FA alum Chad Zielinski (’20) sought out the program to further sharpen his teaching skills.

Originally from Florida, he never expected to find such security and fulfillment in the career. “I graduated during the recession, when all art electives were being cut drastically. Secondary art teaching in Utah is a much safer career than I ever would have expected. I am lucky to be one of four art teachers at my school — it is part of the common core.”

Zielinski teaches ceramics, sculpture, and 3-D design at Kearns High School. His classes fill up so quickly that they had to enroll additional course periods. He doesn’t mind.

“They come in all shapes and walks of life. Sometimes we cry together, we jump for joy when someone gets an awesome opportunity,” Zielinski said. “Having the intimate space of the art studio to work with kids brings out their stories like no other classroom.”

Zielinski acknowledges, like so many arts educators, that it is not enough to be a good artist. Being a practitioner is one expertise, and teaching is another.

Both require equal attention.

“Your art form is not just working with media — you are using your skill set to inform others to create art successfully, and find their voice. Art education really is its own art form,” he said.

Of the many students that come through his classroom, a few may just go on to pursue art professionally. One is already making and selling work online, and just received a scholarship and portfolio review. Another completed a beautiful piece inspired by her family’s immigration story, and it was accepted in the state show. Zielinski’s pride is evident. But his focus is always process over product.

“It’s icing on the cake when you can get a nice result,” he said.

With a reverence for lifelong learning, Zielinski’s classroom is about mutual growth.

“I realized it’s ok to not be a total expert, if you are willing to learn along with your students. Not only will you learn about the medium, but if you treat the environment cooperatively, you’ll learn more from them than just the curriculum. That’s what keeps me coming back every day.” ■

Photo courtesy of Chad Zielinski

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“As a young student and aspiring dancer, I know that my personal performance in class was significantly influenced by my teacher’s energy and behavior.”

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Photo courtesy of Misa Oga Hansen

Youth America Grand Prix accolades

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eyond the school day, students receive invaluable guidance in private studios across the valley. It is often in their extracurricular pursuit of the arts that students build the foundation of their adulthood.

U School of Dance alumna Misa Oga Hansen (’13,’19) is Owner and Director of MOGA Conservatory of Dance in North Salt Lake. She holds an MFA in Ballet as well as a BFA in Ballet Pedagogy and Performance, and a minor in Child Development.

Oga Hansen is deeply intentional about the classroom environment, dedicated to making a space where students can thrive. This stems from her own training experiences. “As a young student and aspiring dancer, I know that my personal performance in class was significantly influenced by my teacher’s energy and behavior,” she said. “I believe productive learning is fostered in a positive and mindful classroom. I believe in a student-centered environment. I aim to deliver open and generous energy into every class that I teach — to offer students the space to approach their work with confidence and authority.”

Oga Hansen is an American Ballet Theatre Certified teacher whose students regularly receive awards at prestigious international ballet competitions such as Youth America Grand Prix and Prix de Lausanne. While she aspires to help each of her students reach their highest potential in the form, she never loses sight of them as individuals.

She believes in arts education not just as a vehicle to make successful artists, but to make successful people. “I teach my ballet students to be intelligent, to think critically, to pay attention to detail, and to be articulate, thoughtful, responsible, and strong,” she said. “The qualities that we admire in human beings, such as honesty, courage, wisdom, creativity, and compassion, are the qualities that we value and nurture in the arts. I am confident that through the arts, students can learn and connect with themselves, with other individuals, and with the wider world.” ■

Photo: Leann Anderson

Juliana Vorkink Martin

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uliana Vorkink Martin (’12), Owner and Director of West Point Ballet Academy, earned her BFA in Ballet with an emphasis in teaching at the U School of Dance.

She attributes the roots of her teaching philosophy to her undergraduate mentors, specifically professor Maggie Wright Tesch. Like Oga Hansen, she earned certification from American Ballet Theatre’s National Training Curriculum, a pedagogy that is deeply respected worldwide.

While the quality of training in pure, classical ballet is paramount to Vorkink Martin, broadening access is also top of mind.

“We’re cultivating a program where people feel like ballet is accessible and approachable — one for someone who is on a pre-professional track with ambitions of dancing professionally, as well as your average three-yearold who is dreaming of being a ballerina, and everything in the middle, including beginning adults,” she said.

Particularly in the last years of the pandemic, it is crystal clear that nothing can replace the growth that takes place in-person in a dance studio.

“Arts education is crucial, and particularly in the studio for ballet, because you have that beautiful relationship with the dancer. You can tell when they begin to get it — you build off their energy. You can see in their eyes that they are connecting with you,” she explained.

It is no surprise that individuals who grew up with the arts reflect positively not just on the hard skills they gained, but the experiences that built their confidence, independence, commitment, and connection.

“We’re really trying to train humans how to think critically, how to be responsible, how to show up to class and be ready to go, how to be committed to something you love,” Vorkink Martin said.

That’s an invaluable beginning, no matter the medium. ■

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The making of the portmanteau transmedia work “Liminal” 10 STUDIO / 2022

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“Liminal” Company

Photo: Todd Collins

By Marina Gomberg

Our brains take comfort in categorizing the world’s chaos into neatly labeled boxes. Maybe it’s because we like having our spaces clearly defined and our questions thoroughly answered. Or maybe it’s because we are wired to wonder, to be curious, and to seek understanding.

In other words, perhaps the joy is achieving the end result, and perhaps the height of pleasure is actually the act of getting there.

The process through which the four primary creators of the project “Liminal” have undergone demonstrates this very possibility. The depth of respect, flexibility, support, and faith that Film & Media Arts’ Assistant Professors (and twin sisters) Miriam and Sonia Albert-Sobrino shared with Theatre Assistant Professors Alexandra Harbold and Robert Scott Smith was nearly tangible during the conversation about this collaboration. The process of making, for them, has been everything.

Together, they decided to take on the challenge of creating a new portmanteau transmedia work: a story told one part via theatrical production and the other part through film, where both pieces stand alone while complementing and contextualizing the other.

The story itself is one that mirrors both the process of making it and the professors’ modus operandi.

“Our research and our work is liminal,” Sonia said.

“What we do can’t be put in a box — it’s fluid.”

In the show, a cosmic event has brought together an unlikely crew who ultimately seek to understand their place and circumstance. One person’s body hasn’t made it completely into this unknown, new space, and is suspended between what they can see and whatever else is out there. With an arm stuck in the wall, they are physically part of what is holding up everything else.

The sisters’ love of horror scratched an itch Smith had felt for some time. And though there is some violence, disembodiment, and death in the show, it’s rich in comedic value and moments of well-timed levity.

The professors’ shared vision of the story itself and how it would be told took many a fluid turn as they responded to the pulls of life, their teaching responsibilities, and all of it happening during a global pandemic. Their suspension of typical conventions was emblematic of the work they produced. “‘Resilience’ is a word that keeps coming to mind,” Harbold said as the four discussed the shift from having the film and theatre pieces released simultaneously

Photo: Todd Collins

Nicolas Bianchi and the Shadows

Toby Okhimamhe, Serena Collins and Caleb Hunt

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to sequentially, because the film portion is still in production. “The fluidity of this project has patterned out. And the ability to recognize the needs to pivot have actually been gifts in the creative process.”

Smith spoke of the same benefits of being adaptive.

“The show doesn’t always need to go on,” he said (and the sound of a mic dropping could be heard somewhere in the distance). “By slowing down this process, giving it time to breathe, saturate, and grow, we both broke the mold for what it looks like to make art in a typically deadline-driven environment and it allowed us to ultimately be creating something with even greater potential.”

The plan, as of the time of the interview anyway, was to premiere “Liminal,” the play in spring of 2022 (which it did to great acclaim) and to complete the film portion the following year, allowing it the space and time to be shown on the film festival circuit before mounting both again, together, perhaps even in a higher profile environment.

Harbold and Smith’s production company, Flying Bobcat Theatrical Laboratory, took the lead on the making of the theatre work, and had the benefit of

Photo: Todd Collins

playwright Brandon Ngo’s writing and Troy Duetsch’s work transforming it into a stage play.

And while the film portion of this work will be completed second, Miriam and Sonia, the Also Sisters, were intimately involved in the conception of the original story, as was the cast itself who, through an audition process that involved devising the piece

That empowered involvement from the cast early on in the process was crucial to its success as pieces and players had to shift due to extenuating circumstances and safety protocols.

“Even if a cast member had to change roles or an understudy stepped up,” Miriam described. “Because everyone had been so invested from the beginning, those shifts felt smooth and people seemed willing and able to adjust. Despite its challenges, this has been one of the most rewarding and exciting projects we’ve done in years.”

Her pride is shared.

“This has been such a collaborative force and an almost nomadic art form,” Harbold said, smiling.

“It has made me so proud of our students, of whom we’ve asked a lot, and of ourselves that despite it all, we’ve stayed buoyant.”

In honor of the ongoing and two-pronged nature of this project, we plan to follow this piece with a second story in Studio ’23 highlighting the film component of “Liminal.” ▪

THE SHOW DOESN’T ALWAYS NEED TO GO ON together, got to shape the narrative in significant ways.

During the auditions, the directors split up the actors into small assigned groups and gave them three prompts and 15 minutes to process. They then brought the actors back group by group and gave them 15 more minutes to share out what ideas had emerged. Many of their ideas acted as seeds that were sown into what ended up being the final theatre product.

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EXPLORING BOUNDARIE QUESTI OWNER

By Julia Lyon

Artists create works connecting Land, Body, and Place

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(Left page)“un common”

By Alec Bang & Douglas Tolman,

Inkjet on Photo Paper, 2020

(Right page) “Battlegrounds,”

By Wendy Wischer is a multi-media

Photo: Wendy Wischer

G ES IONING RSHIP

A baby waits in the womb.

A woman in white runs away. And bullets smash into a “Private Property” sign in Wendy Wischer’s new multimedia work, “Battlegrounds.”

Comparing land ownership, management, and policy to the ownership, management, and policies around women’s bodies, the installation reflects its moment of creation. The conflict over land management and the fight over a woman’s right to choose filled the news.

“I noticed that it was the same kind of language in several ways,” recalled Wischer, Associate Professor of Sculpture Intermedia in the University of Utah Department of Art & Art History. “And it’s often the same men making the decisions about both.”

Wischer is among a community of faculty, alumni, and graduate students at the University of Utah exploring the connections between the body and the land. A recent show titled “LAND BODY” at Ogden Contemporary Arts featured her art as well as pieces by Assistant Professor Jaclyn Wright, Associate Professor Al Denyer, and other female artists working in Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona.

exhibition that compares land

ownership, management, and policy with the ownership, management,

and policies around women’s bodies, addressing some of the conflict and

controversy among those who set out to stake claims.

“Hopefully people walk away with how complex this is,” Wischer said of the exhibit. “There isn’t just one way of approaching it — it’s almost as diverse as looking at land in the West to begin with.”

Multiple video clips weave together in Wischer’s “Battlegrounds,” but the artist delved into different mediums and messages in her other works in the show.

“The Insecurity of Shape Shifting,” her digital drawings, show the former and current boundaries of Bear’s Ears and Grand Staircase Escalante, both national monuments in Southern Utah. The art reflects the ongoing controversy around the stewardship of these significant landscapes.

Wright’s work in the Ogden show touched on many of the same themes as Wischer’s: “The eco-feminist perspective — particularly the language around nature that is intersecting with the female body — that’s been used for hundreds of years to oppress women,” the Assistant Professor of Photography & Digital Imaging said.

She exhibited a still from a video piece and a double panel of dye sublimation prints on aluminum. Both reference target shooting sites in Utah’s West Desert where people have shot and abandoned an array of large household items from dishwashers to refrigerators.

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Photo: Amelia Walchli

“I am interested in acknowledging the absurdity of how people are treating these spaces,” said Wright, who has lived in Utah for three and a half years. “My first encounter with these spaces was that this is incredibly traumatic and horrible.”

She is also part of the art, wearing a bodysuit with a clay pigeon bikini, her face hidden by a target.

“The reality is a lot of people who are shooting guns happen to be white people, so there is this [assumption of] inherent privilege and entitlement that I see dating back to manifest destiny: ‘This is our land and I can do whatever I want on it,’” Wright explained. “This is at the expense of other histories.”

Photo: Wendy Wischer

ourland land’ ‘ This This isisour

(Above) “Untitled (Studio Targets)”

By Jaclyn Wright, Archival inkjet print,

2021

(Right page, at top) “Ridgeline,”

By Al Denyer, cotton thread, 72X32",

2021

(Right page, at bottom): “(in)habit”

By Alec Bang & Douglas Tolman, Lake

Salt, 2021

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The body suit is symbolic and Wright says it’s “another layer of white skin meant to speak to that innate, inherent privilege.”

The breadth in the Ogden show — from the materials to the artists’ approaches — reflects how complex issues related to land can be.

“There’s no black and white way to talk about it,” Wright said. “The exhibition does a good job at complicating the narrative in the ways that it is complicated.”

Associate Professor of Painting and Drawing Denyer used line as a unifying form in her piece “Ridgeline.” This work, consisting of thread and yarn, has a traditional aesthetic often associated with feminine arts and crafts practices.

“Ridgeline” directly references the view from the Pipeline Trail in Millcreek Canyon. At six feet long, the work is comprised of multiple blue lengths of thread hanging down at different lengths. The frayed end of each thread, when viewed from a distance, creates the illusion of a hard line.

“I’m intrigued by how our brains translate and simplify form in space, especially in our understanding of large-scale landscapes,” she said.

This theme of place and belonging in the American West was the focus of a graduate critique course that Denyer taught in the spring of 2021. This collaborative project was funded with a Collections Engagement Grant, jointly awarded by the Utah Museum of Fine Arts and the J. Willard Marriott Library Special Collections.

MFA students embarked on individual projects after researching in library archives, museum collections, and their own studios to examine how artists from the past portrayed and created their identities in reaction to their environment.

“The project brought together students from all disciplines of our MFA program to work on the same research question,” Denyer said. “Students authored their own research plan for the two collections, and utilized their area of specialty in creating completed artworks in response to their findings.”

During the course, Denyer created her own new works: a series of drawings inspired by Howard Stansbury’s 1849 survey of the Salt Lake Valley. Using Google Earth, she located his triangulation points, allowing her to record the landscape in a contemporary way.

“A Sense of Place” was shown in the Gittins Gallery in February and will be on exhibit at the Utah Cultural Celebration Center in December.

Doug Tolman (’20) and Alec Bang (’20), both University of Utah BFA graduates, also explored their connection to the land in a recent show titled “[in]land” at Finch Lane Gallery.

“My personal art practice is intended to foster a reciprocal sense of belonging and responsibility to the land in people who view or interact with my work,” said Tolman, who is now an MFA student.

The main piece in the show was a seven-foot-tall pile of salt. Weighing about 3,500 pounds, the salt was purchased from a company that mines at the Great Salt Lake. Tolman views the piles of salt commonly seen at the lake as unintentional, monumental earthworks.

“They’re a direct representation of us mistreating the land, but also they’re beautiful,” he said.

When the artists first started planning the exhibit, Bang wanted to focus on who has access to the land — he was from a family of immigrants and now he was seeing other immigrants denied access to his country.

“We do have a responsibility as people born into the system to talk about the system from which we directly benefit and which oppresses others,” Bang said.

Across the towering salt pile at the gallery was the charred remains of a dining set. The artists had wrapped a table and chairs in barbed wire and lit them on fire.

“We saw the dining set as a symbol of traditional western values,” Tolman said. “The barbed wire — in the same way it tore about the West — it’s holding it together by keeping the pasture separate from the protected areas.”

Bang explained further.

“While burning the dining set, we portrayed a version of our ancestors sitting as the other half went up in flames,” he said. “We asked ourselves who has a seat at the table as decisions are made which affect all who live on this land — and noticed that although our half was not yet on fire, it soon would be.” ▪

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Photo: Todd Collins

OPPORT OPPOR T Two dancers transition through movements in guest artist and alumnus Bashaun Williams’ piece “The Next Chapter” which Williams described as being “about transitions.

Transitions in life, transitions from one place to another, any and all ideas of what transitioning to something else can be.”

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Y TUNITY TUNIT How guest artists are providing new choreography and new perspectives.

WRITTEN BY

J L ulia

yon

When Kevin Thomas came to the School of Dance as a guest artist this winter, students benefited from more than his years dancing principal ballet roles and expert teaching skills.

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“When the kids see a reflection of themselves on stage, that’s when they know this is for them and they can do this.”

For many students, he also looks different than they do — and Thomas thinks that’s a good thing.

“It gives them another perspective,” he said. “And it makes them feel ballet is for everyone — it’s not just for one particular race that owns the rights.”

Thomas is among the guest artists teaching students and providing new perspective at a time when the School of Dance is reflecting on its past and exploring its future.

Bringing in these professionals allows students to benefit from their unique experiences and imagine their own potential after graduation.

A co-founder of Memphis-based Collage Dance, Thomas is helping nurture a new generation of dancers at the Collage conservatory and breaking new ground with its professional company.

“When the kids see a reflection of themselves on stage, that’s when they know this is for them and they can do this,” he said.

Born in Trinidad and Tobago, Thomas grew up in Canada where he felt his career was limited because of his race. As a principal dancer with the San Jose Cleveland Ballet, he excelled.

And when he joined the prestigious Dance Theatre of Harlem (DTH), Thomas had a realization.

“Being on a stage of dancers that looked like me… I finally started liking myself as a dancer of color,” Thomas said.

His experience made him realize the country needed more companies like DTH, companies that could give young dancers role models. He believes Collage Dance is fulfilling that mission, while growing and diversifying ballet.

The School of Dance had already entered a period of self-reflection when Natalie Desch was hired as an Assistant Professor in 2019.

“Is this a place of inclusion where anybody can come?” she recalled of the discussion.

“Are we really considering there are other ways of moving and stories that should be told that we need to give space for?”

Photo: Maggie Wright Tesch

Guest artist Kevin Thomas, Director of Collage Dance Collective and former dancer with Dance Theater of

Harlem, leading students in a masterclass for the Utah

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Ballet Summer Intensive.

She sees change happening now and change coming in the future.

“I think we’ve all not understood the systemic racism that has permeated this country and every aspect of it including our field of professional dance and the arts,” Desch said.

Thomas, who has taught School of Dance’s summer intensives for the past five years, has noticed an increase in students of color in the Utah summer program. He has also been struck by some of the instructions he received over the past few years: partner men with men and women and women, not just men and women — as is traditional in ballet.

The world is changing and so is dance.

Natosha Washington (’04), a School of Dance graduate who returned as a guest artist this spring, has used her choreographic voice to address injustice in America.

In 2018, the death of a relative gunned down by police officers in Georgia moved her to create “Say Their Names,” performed by Repertory Dance Theatre.

A modern dance choreographer based in Salt Lake City, Washington teaches dance at West High School where the representation of diverse communities in Utah shows up in her students that are Latinx, Polynesian, Asian, Black, African, and Indian among many other diverse backgrounds.

“Because of that, I feel like it’s really important to make sure that students are getting classes that they can relate to in terms of movement,” Washington said. “We don’t just teach Eurocentric dance forms here — we give them as much as possible in terms of bringing in guests as well.”

Originally from Georgia, Washington came to Utah 22 years ago and noted there was much less diversity. “I could go weeks without seeing another Black person,” Washington recalled.

Her time at the School of Dance was “amazing,” but few people of color were on the faculty — a reality still true today which makes Washington’s presence incredibly important, although not the comprehensive solution to the problem the School of Dance is working toward. One of those faculty members was Kaye Richards, an incredible mentor and teacher.

“When I did my homework, I would sit outside Kaye Richards’ door… she would invite me in,” Washington remembered. “She was someone who looked like me, who I knew had stories like me.”

“It’s not that I don’t think students of color won’t go talk with a teacher who is White,” she said.

“Representation breaks down barriers that are hard for a student to break through.”

Washington explained her philosophy about the impact dance can have.

“I’m passionate about dance, but I’m more passionate about building community through it,” she said. “Making sure that students get to interact, feel seen, heard, and valued no matter what their backgrounds are.”

Bashaun Williams (’11), also a School of Dance graduate, embraces a process that many in ballet would consider unorthodox.

When he set new choreography on University of Utah ballet students as a guest artist last fall, they listened to a mix of hip hop, gospel, movie soundtracks, Kanye West, and more during rehearsal.

“With my movement style, since I do have a ballet background, I draw from that foundation — but I like to consider myself more of a ninja,” he said. “I try to blend those styles together. One thing I really like to do is throw on hip hop music when we’re in the process and see how that changes the approach to the movement.”

The name of the piece he created became “The Next Chapter.” After 10 years with Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company, he felt like he was at a major transition in his life and career.

He hopes that he showed the School of Dance students what it’s like to choreograph an original work, something he rarely got to do as a student. Williams is a strong believer in collaboration.

He remembers how, as a dancer with RirieWoodbury, being part of the process was when he learned the most. As a highly experienced dancer now, he knows that trial and error and finding solutions to movement problems are valuable tools.

“It might for the first couple of days feel like we’re playing around,” he said of his work with the students.

“But then, after we have all the vocabulary we need, we can sit down and pick out all the right words to write the story.”

And what was the result?

“I would call every dance I make a ballet even if what you’re watching isn’t what you would consider ballet,” Williams said. "It's never about the actual steps.

It’s about the feeling the dancers bring to them.” ■

Photo: Todd Collins

Guest artist and alumna Natosha

Washington in rehearsal with the cast

of her premiere work “The World In Reverse,” which Washington said

visually explores the thought that,

“every night I dream of a place. A world that was made for me. I’m beginning to lose faith in dreams.”

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Armed with

POSSIBILITY

A look at the new Music Entrepreneurship Certificate

By Marina Gomberg

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It’s

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one thing to know how to perform music beautifully; it’s a different art completely knowing how to turn that music into money.

While it can seem crude to think about monetizing something so pure, for future professional musicians, it’s a vital part of their education and preparation for entering the workforce.

That’s why the University of Utah School of Music has long provided mentorship, classes, and practical opportunities to learn about the business side of music making. But with the ever-changing landscape of the professional arts industries due to a number of economic factors, the school is taking this offering up an octave with its new Music Entrepreneurship Certificate.

The 21-credit certificate program is both a formalization and expansion of curriculum in this vein, and it comes at a time when students are eager as ever to see how they can make their careers out of their passions. It includes an internship, applied entrepreneurship, career development courses, and courses from David Eccles School of Business.

This new development was the brainchild of two synergistic and dedicated professors.

“I come at this from two angles,” said voice Professor, professional opera singer and co-creator of the certificate program, Kirstin Chávez. “First, I was once a music student in college who wanted, but did not get, this education. Secondly, we can’t count on the traditional establishment to work for our students in the ways that it has worked for those who came before them.”

She’s referring to how the recession, pandemic, and other economic influences changed the ways many major arts organizations hire their talent. When funds became more scarce, the playbook shifted.

In her Applied Entrepreneurship course, Chávez teaches marketing, finances, business planning, and other practical skills necessary to succeed as a freelance artist. And in addition to that, her course gets at the heart of entrepreneurialism.

“We want our students to know how to succeed through traditional paths, and we also want them to know how to expand what success looks like for professional artists,” she said. “I tell my students they can use the system, but to not let that be their only avenue to express their art. I want them to be willing to make something that doesn’t exist and to not rely on the establishment to dictate their careers.”

The pivot from structured, more linear thinking to boundaryless possibility can be really challenging for musicians — right up until they break through and feel the freedom.

“The Applied Entrepreneurship for Musicians class with Professor Chávez was, in my opinion, one of the most eye opening and helpful classes thus far,” described music student Merinda Christensen,

who will be the first to graduate with the Music Entrepreneurship Certificate in spring 2022. “I was really able to learn the value of my degree and have more comfort as I prepare to graduate.”

Speaking of preparations, Christensen has already landed a job with Opera Mississippi thanks to a connection made in Chávez’s class when guest speaker Stacey Trenteseaux, OM’s current Executive Director, came to Utah to speak to the class.

With Christensen having expedited her studies to complete the certificate by the time she was slated to gradate, she will be the first and only graduate in spring 2022, with two others in her pilot cohort who will follow her lead.

Though, not all music students have landed jobs before graduation.

“We know that some students graduate and say ‘now what?’” said Professor (Lecturer) Vedrana Subotic, co-creator of the certificate program and President and Music Director of the Intermezzo Chamber Music Series. “And this certificate program helps promote a more proactive student culture, one where they understand possibilities before they get their diploma.”

In her two Professional Development courses, which she has taught for roughly 13 years now, Subotic focuses on career development in both theoretical ways and through practical applications. Her courses started out just being offered to piano students, but the demand for this education inspired the school to open them up to all music majors in the last five years.

Subotic’s course’s popularity was recognized in 2018 by the institution when she was given a University of Utah Career & Professional Development Faculty Award.

And for good reason.

“Vedrana Subotic’s Career Development for Musicians course was unlike any I have ever taken before. With a classroom environment built on collaboration, discussion, and an unparalleled sharing of ideas and knowledge, paired with a direct connection

…we can’t count o establishment to w in the ways that it those who came be

to real-world, industry specific experience, this course is vital to the development of a modern musician,” said BMU student Chet Rhodes. “The concepts taught in this course span across disciplines, and affects all aspects of a student’s life. The lessons I learned in this class are indispensable and completely transformative, and I will value them for the entirety of my career.”

In her courses, she focuses on fundraising, marketing and media relations, how to utilize technology and media to grow a fan base, and additional financial education around retirement funds and taxes.

When Chávez arrived at the University of Utah in 2016, Subotic said their combined passion for this kind of curriculum was infectious and their synergy was what brought this certificate program to life.

“We had the foundation already there, and with Kirstin’s new energy, things clicked. It was a mind meld. It just made sense.”

The two rely heavily on their own professional experiences and have supplemented that with more formal education on the topics they teach. Subotic has had the chance to learn from and with industry leaders like Noa Kageyama from Julliard, and Angela Beeching, who wrote the gold standard textbook called “Beyond Talent.”

Chávez, who had already worked in the financial industry earlier in her life, went back to school at the U, got her Certificate of Financial Planning and is now a licensed and registered Financial Planner — knowledge she now passes on to her students.

“It doesn’t feel like teaching as much as it feels like sharing this vital information,” Chávez described. “And I could tell that the students realized how vital it was.”

So, while the School of Music at the U has always produced sensational musicians, now, more than ever, as Chávez says, “we’re arming them with professional possibility.” ■

n the traditional ork for our students has worked for efore them.

Photo: University Marketing & Communications

Kirstin Chàvez (left) and Vedrana Subotic (right)

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Photo courtesy of Leila Salari

BY MERRITT MECHAM Filmmaker Steve Markle (left) with Leila Salari (right).

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W

hen University of Utah alum Leila Salari (‘21)began their journey into the film industry, they struggled to feel confident in their pursuits.

“I used to have a lot of imposter syndrome around being a filmmaker and pursuing art as a career,” they said.

But when they worked as a festival assistant at Slamdance 2020, Salari was thrown into a community of filmmakers who were genuinely excited to build connection. One film director sought Salari out at the end of the festival to express high praise of their work.

“That moment sticks with me still to this day,” Salari said. “It made me feel like my imposter syndrome just went away and that I actually did have a chance at being in this industry. I attribute that moment as a real turning point for me in both my life and my film career.”

Photo courtesy of Rahul Barkley

Slamdance was founded in 1995 by a group of filmmakers who wanted to foster an independent community that could showcase true filmmaking risks, rather than depend on institutions mired in the Hollywood system.

Since 2016, Professors Miriam and Sonia AlbertSobrino, known professionally as the Also Sisters, have spearheaded a collaboration between the festival and the U’s Department of Film & Media Arts. Their goal has been to connect students with the festival, where they can participate in critical roles and kickstart their professional careers.

“Slamdance really champions independent film and DIY filmmaking,” said the Also Sisters. “They are focused on giving voice to filmmakers who seek to Slamdance staff members David Benavente and Ryan Broussard speak with Slamdance alumni Chelsea Christer and innovate rather than repeat a formula.”

Jessica Farrell sharing experience and advice for emerging filmmakers.

On Slamdance’s side, working with U students our students not only get to learn how a festival operates, strengthens the festival’s ties to Utah. but also do that in a very welcoming setting,” said the “Slamdance’s connection to the U is important to Also Sisters. our wellbeing and much valued,” stated Peter Baxter, This welcoming atmosphere is affirmed in the Co-Founder and President of the festival. “We in turn festival’s “Unstoppable” showcase, which features work provide students hands-on experience in creating an annual festival for filmmakers who change our cultural from filmmakers with disabilities, and is programmed future. It’s truly a wonderful relationship and it’s one of entirely by disabled artists.

Barkley mentioned that many of the Festival Assistants the things I love most about the festival.” this year worked on captioning Q&A sessions with the It’s that hands-on experience the festival provides filmmakers. He said that although it requires a significant for students that makes this collaboration truly unique. investment of time, it’s worth it because it’s “an effort to Rather than taking tickets or acting as crowd control, further exemplify Slamdance’s message of accessibility.” students have the opportunity to be deeply involved in Andrew Patrick Nelson, PhD, Chair of the Department the festival. of Film & Media Arts, looks forward to continuing this This year, alum Rahul Barkley (‘21) worked as a PR relationship.

Coordinator for the festival after he’d been a Festival “Slamdance is one of the department’s closest partners Assistant as a student. It was a big job that had him working with press materials, social media, filmmakers, in the community, and certainly the partner most closely aligned with our own goal of supporting cutting edge film journalists, and PR firms. As a filmmaker, he feels and media making,” he said. “We’re proud to support it.” more ready than ever to promote his next film.

As for Salari, they’re already looking forward to next “Being Slamdance’s PR Coordinator has really emphasized the importance of marketing and promoting year’s Slamdance: “I get excited every fall when the festival comes around again!” ▪ your film,” he said. Other students and alumni have worked as Festival Assistants, Production Coordinators, and as Editors and Directors for Slamdance TV. “Seeing our students lead critical roles and feeling so empowered by being given a voice has been the most incredible reward of this experience thus far,” the Also Sisters expressed.

For their part, students and alumni feel the same way about the Also Sisters and the classes they took in preparation for these roles. Salari emphasized that the Also Sisters’ Producing and Directing course “really taught [them] a lot about filmmaking and the business of film.”

Barkley felt similarly: “The insight on postproduction that I attained from the Sisters helped me understand just exactly what my role as PR Coordinator would entail.”

This learning environment continues as current students work at Slamdance.

“Peter Baxter and the Slamdance family are great at creating a positive learning environment in which

“ SEEING OUR STUDENTS lead CRITICAL ROLES AND FEELING SO EMPOWERED BY BEING given a voice HAS BEEN THE MOST incredible reward OF THIS EXPERIENCE THUS FAR.”

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Photo: University Marketing & Communications

TAKING

BY JULIA LYON

W O H S I T F AR C H T E B A Z I L E R O S E F R P T N A T S I A RE T W E R A H T L A C I S UM N A C I RE M A F O Y R O T S I H E T G N I T R

W

hen Elizabeth Craft started studying musicals, “Cohan was the Miranda of his day,” she said. the subject wasn’t exactly cool. “Hamilton” had The funny thing, Craft explained, is that he has become yet to electrify the nation with its hip hop-influenced known as this quintessentially patriotic American — but tale of an American outsider. was also descended from Irish immigrants at a time when But Craft noticed someone many people did not: Linsome people perceived the Irish as undesirable citizens.

Manuel Miranda, a newcomer on the Broadway scene who, “So when he got on stage and sang ‘I’m a Yankee at the time of her graduate school research, was working Doodle Dandy,’ audiences — many of them — would on a then little-known show called “In the Heights.” have known he was Irish,” she said. “That was cocky Miranda was young, of Puerto Rican descent, and and transgressive, the kind of move claiming cultural would break the rules of Broadway with socially relevant citizenship that we see Miranda doing in playing storylines, racially diverse casting, and innovative Alexander Hamilton.” marketing techniques. His energy and vision would Instead of hip hop, it was ragtime that Cohan catapult him into American mainstream culture at brought to the musical theater of his era, helping it a time when race and diversity were becoming hotly become a mainstream “American” musical sound. contested issues.

Unlike for some musicologists, many of Craft’s “Musical theater is a genre and art form that very research subjects are alive today and revolutionizing much speaks to the present cultural moment,” said musical theatre in real time. In the fall of 2019, she Craft, an Assistant Professor of Musicology at the interviewed arranger and orchestrator Alex Lacamoire, University of Utah School of Music. who is also a music director, music producer, and Her insight into Miranda’s importance made keyboardist. That conversation is a chapter in a book her one of the earliest scholars to publish on on musical arrangement studies scheduled to be him and his shows. Her timing was right. Now released this year.

Craft is continuing to explore his impact and his His work is evidence of how collaborative musicals collaborators along with another, earlier musical really are, Craft explained. great: George M. Cohan.

Miranda might not sound like, well, Miranda if it For a long time, the American musical had weren’t for his consistent collaborations with Lacamoire, seemed stale. A reprise of past successes and she said. The two teamed up for both “In the Heights” uninspiring safe bets without much future. and “Hamilton.” Lacamoire’s job was to take Miranda’s Some had sounded the death knell of the art melodies and flesh them out instrumentally. form.

Craft’s lengthy interview with Lacamoire reveals the Scholars didn’t study musicals. They influence of pop and rock music on Lacamoire’s style and weren’t opera or so-called “legitimate” theatre. how he’s embraced technology.

People thought they were too commercial or “He’s helped bring the sound of Broadway into the entertainment-oriented to be taken seriously, 21st century,” Craft said. One example of that was weaving Craft explained. hip hop into “Hamilton.” Lacamoire helped shape the “I kind of reject highbrow/lowbrow distinctions when musical’s texture, making choices about whether to use it comes to what’s worthy of scholarly study,” she said. acoustic instruments, machines like synthesizers, or both.

“Just because something is commercially popular As Broadway music evolves, scholarship on musical doesn’t mean it’s not aesthetically valuable.” theatre is changing rapidly.

Millions of Americans obviously agree with her.

“It’s exploding,” Craft said. “So much is being written.”

“The musical hadn’t been hitting Billboard charts When she looks to the past, one challenge is tracking like this since ‘Hair,’ and suddenly ‘Hamilton’ is on the down historic scripts and scores. They weren’t always rap charts,” she said. “It made the musical culturally published. No one imagined that one day they’d be relevant to a degree it hadn’t been for decades.” important to researchers.

Miranda isn’t the first musical theater creator to have “And some aren’t performed anymore and shouldn’t such an outsized impact on Broadway. Craft is writing be in their current form because they’re racially a book on the multi-talented Cohan, perhaps best inappropriate and culturally dated,” she explained. remembered for his songs “The Yankee Doodle Boy” As Craft realized early on, these shows were and are and “You’re a Grand Old Flag.” so much more than just entertainment. They reflect their Cohan was a performer, playwright, lyricist, and time: what was funny, what was acceptable, and what composer who created more than 50 shows. He was also happened when people broke the rules. a major celebrity and a master of self-promotion who “It tells us something about American history,” she said. harnessed the power of the media.

Alexander Hamilton would probably agree. ▪

“Musical theater is a genre and art form that very much speaks to the present cultural moment…”

(Left) Assistant Professor Elizabeth Craft

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“It is so wonderful to be able to get to know other people from other departments and to see how hard we are all working to be more inclusive and equitable.” – Sarah Shippobotham

E

quity, diversity, and inclusion education in professional environments can be a formidable undertaking. Each of us is on our own journey of understanding, unlearning, and growing, so developing curriculum for the whole is complex. How can we find ways to meet people where they are and move everyone forward in synchronicity — no matter their starting points?

This was the task the University of Utah College of Fine Arts newly-established Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Committee was charged with after the ratification of the CFA’s 5-year strategic plan.

In addition to the JEDI work woven throughout the entire strategic plan, the committee’s goal was outlined as a two-pronged approach that included the facilitation of educational opportunities and dialogues for CFA faculty and staff members.

With that, the new committee, comprised of faculty and staff members from each academic unit and the Dean’s Office along with three students, was off and running. After a collaborative and comprehensive vetting process for a partner to develop and facilitate these offerings, the group chose Nimisha Barton, PhD, an EDI practitioner, educator, and historian.

Crackling could be heard. Sparks? Magic was about to happen.

In a series of synergistic meetings over the course of several months, Barton and the JEDI Committee dreamt up a yearlong series of virtual events they called the “Inclusion in the CFA” series. Bookended by opening and closing sessions that offered holistic approaches to increasing cultural understanding, the series offered five thematic workshops on specific issues identified by the CFA community as important and interesting.

It also included on online module that detailed the changing demographics of students across the nation, at the U and more specifically in the College of Fine Arts.

After a collegewide survey, the issues and topics deemed most desirable to tackle were: Inclusive Teaching in the Traditional Learning Environment, Initiating and Facilitating Challenging Dialogues in Learning Environments, Interpersonal Power Dynamics Among Colleagues, One-on-One Teaching Interactions, and Representation in the Arts.

“Early sessions offered faculty easy-to-implement inclusive classroom practices and provided both staff and faculty with the tools necessary to have challenging identity-related conversations in our politically polarized world,” Barton described.

And to better inform the customized curriculum she was developing, Barton conducted textural interviews

Photo courtesy of Nimisha Barton, PhD

with the leaders of each academic unit in the College of Fine Arts, along with individuals from each unit who represented staff and various ranks of faculty. These interviews, aimed at better understanding the unique nuances to each academic unit and their industries, illuminated the places where our progress is further along than others.

The committee also conducted a survey among CFA students about belonging and safety to better inform the two final thematic workshops that more directly related to the student experience.

“As we have progressed through the academic year, we have begun to ask larger, more significant questions about the fine arts — specifically, how its culture and traditions might exclude some students, depriving the field more generally of diverse voices and perspectives, “Barton noted. “As we close the series, CFA staff and faculty now have not only the requisite tools to create a more inclusive CFA where all students can feel a sense of belonging, but they also have a deeper understanding of how power creates systemic inequality in the college and what part they can play to work towards educational equity.”

And the information will serve us well. Given our national history which begs for more informed and compassionate interactions, this work is only becoming more important. Additionally, we learned in our changing demographics module that the 2020 U.S. Census shows we already have a more diverse country than ever before. Those demographic trends suggest that by 2045, our country is going to be what’s called a majority-minority society.

The time for change is now. And we’re committed to it. ■ 31

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How CFA students are creating space for all

By Marina Gomberg

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Photo: Todd Collins

“By having a more inclusive society, we get to hear EVERY story with all its beauty and flaws. Every day I fight for a reality with more color, more nuance, and more possibility.” ⟶ Jordan Boge (Left) Theatre student Ash Goodwin in the Babcock Theatre with her service dog, Juno.

“What I say, the tools I bring to the table, the way I interact with people are all a part of breaking production norms within the arts,” Film & Media Arts MFA alum Jordan Boge said. “It’s less about what art I am making, and more about the power I reclaim as I enter spaces. What I say and do in my everyday work is a means of tangible change. The everyday decisions I make to be more equitable add up and are a way I am in constant pursuit of abolishing oppressive systems.”

Theatre teaching student Ash Goodwin spent over 250 hours researching disabilities in theatre as she wrote and produced the play, “The Not Broken Monologues” which explored the disabled experience

Photo: Leila Salari

U

niversity of Utah College of Fine Arts students working to make their disciplines more equitable, inclusive, and accessible carry equal parts hope and responsibility.

When you speak with them, you can feel the fire of a generation armed with information and visions of deeper senses of belonging. The heat makes it abundantly clear just how seriously committed they are to making real change.

There are students across the entire college doing this work on micro and macro levels, organized and individual. We had the chance to speak with some from the Departments of Film & Media Arts and Theatre.

“We are the future,” T Pullen, senior in Theatre’s Musical Theatre Program said, acknowledging it’s their paths they are clearing with this important work.

Pullen is particularly focused on inclusion and representation as they relate to gender identity and gender expansiveness. Having been in the program now for some time, Pullen has seen incredible progress among both the students and the faculty in the awareness, acceptance, and inclusion of identities that might differ from our traditional binary notions of gender. That shift has been a profoundly positive one, they say, that allows everyone to be their authentic selves.

Seeing representations of their identities on stages and screens is a driver for other students in the college, as well, many who grew up not seeing their histories, cultures, or stories reflected back at them from the media they would consume.

“I was inspired to work toward bringing diversity into film because I grew up seeing none of it,” said Abraham Francis, third year film production major. “If I saw a version of Legolas as a transgender man as a child, I would not have been nearly as afraid to come out and live as myself.”

Film & Media Arts student and 2022 Outstanding Senior Yein Ji takes on this responsibility as well. As she works on films, she poses certain questions to herself.

“It can be hard to notice the lack of diversity, but that’s the first step,” she said. “The next movie you watch, song you listen to, media you consume, think of the representation. Is this character a stereotype? Is it inclusive? Are people of color strategically placed just to check the diversity box? Is this character’s sexuality their main purpose in the media?”

In fact, several of these students are using their personal experiences to inform what art they make and even how they go about making it.

Yein Ji (right) checks the exposure of the room before filming the shot with Cayden

Turnbow (left) who is directing Deborah Ingabile (middle).

through a lens of grief and acceptance. She joined the department’s Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) committee to bring the perspective and voice of students with disabilities.

For Goodwin, access to learning about the arts is as important as the arts themselves. While some may have felt disconnected from their learning environments during the pandemic, for example, Goodwin noted how remote learning actually leveled the playing field for all students. It’s her hope that online lectures and other pieces of remote learning will remain in play even after their public safety necessity might not persist.

“The nature of theatre and live art is to be flexible and adaptive,” Goodwin said. “We have the tools necessary for our profession and we just need to put them into practice when it comes to people as well.”

Aathaven Tharmarajah, a senior in the musical theatre program, agrees and sees this work as a matter of necessity. He had sat on the college-wide JEDI Committee before joining the department’s, and has brought a critical eye toward racial equity and representation in the arts. He described the last several years of work in this realm as a rollercoaster, but is excited by what he sees as progress in academia that has outpaced that of the professional world.

“We often look up to the professional world, Broadway for example, when we’re really the ones bringing the change,” he said. “As we look to address these challenges, we shouldn’t look anywhere but within ourselves.” ▪ 33

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Guest Artists Guest Artist & Scholars

At the University of Utah College of Fine Arts, students learn from some of the top faculty in the country. But that is not all; each semester, each academic unit brings to campus world-renowned artists who offer master classes, give public lectures, screen films, host discussions, and ultimately deepen exploration into all areas of study. During the past year alone, these artists were brought to campus to share their knowledge and expertise with us.

Art & Art History Maria Thereza • Alves Daniel • Campbell Blight • Amy Cutler • Lisk Feng Rick Griffiths • Del Harrow • Lisa Jarret • Nathan Meltz • Charo Oquet ­ — For nearly twenty-five years, Amy Cutler has produced enigmatic, narrative works of art in which internalized emotions, societal observations, and complex ideas are transformed into visual metaphors. Best known for her exquisitely detailed drawings and paintings on paper depicting anthropomorphized objects, animals, and female characters engaged in impossible tasks and unlikely situations. Despite their fictionalized settings, the drawings are often inspired by Cutler’s own experiences and anxieties, which she brilliantly transforms into allegorical scenarios that resonate with emotional depth and humor. Cutler also uses a diverse range of mediums. Her first major sculptural work, "Alterations," was commissioned, exhibited, and acquired by the Museo Nacional Centrode Arte Reina Sofía, Madrid in 2007.

Theatre Aubrey Adams-McMillan • Austin Archer • Daniel Beecher • Roger Benington Drew Bielinski • Claudia Escobar • C.J. Greer • Errik Hood • Gerry McIntyre Seth Miller • John Cameron Mitchell • Nicole Perry • Marilyn Melissa Salguero DeMone Seraphin • Jason Spelbring • Adam D-F Stevens • Beatrice Thomas Jo Winiarski • General McArthur Hambrick ­— General McArthur Hambrick studied at American Ballet Theatre, Dance Theatre of Harlem, and the Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre School. He was a soloist with the Fort Worth Ballet, Hartford Ballet, and Dancers Unlimited in Dallas, Texas. He was a member of Minnesota Dance Theatre in Minneapolis, under the artistic direction of Lise Houlton, where he was awarded the 1999 McKnight Fellowship for his achievements in the dance community. He was also the recipient of the 2001 Natalie Skelton Achievement Award and the 2001 Wyoming Arts Council’s Performing Arts Fellowship. His musical theatre credits include both the Broadway and National touring companies of “Cats,” “Miss Saigon,” and “Phantom of the Opera.” Professor Hambrick is the founder and director of the Joyful Noise Choral Ensemble of Fort Worth, Texas. He is currently Associate Professor of Dance at West Virginia University.

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Dance Ephrat Asherie • LAJAMARTIN • Kevin Thomas • Chung-Lin Tseng Mike Tyus • Natosha Washington • Bashaun William — Mr. Chung-Lin Tseng is the founding Artistic Director of Ballet Frontier of Texas. His productions of Ballet Frontier’s “Nutcracker” and “Pinocchio” gained the company recognition with the “StarTelegram” and “D-Magazine” as one of the best productions in the Dallas, Fort Worth area. In July 2017, Mr. Tseng’s choreographic work was presented at a Gala performance in Seoul, South Korea, gaining the recognition of an international audience. Tseng performed as a principal dancer under the direction of Ben Stevenson and Benjamin Houk. In 2000, Mr. Tseng won the Achievement Award awarded by the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. He has enjoyed teaching the Dallas Black Dance Theatre since September 2007.

Music Boris Berman • Judy Bowers • The Castrucci Project • Victoria Chiang • Tamar Diesendruck Vadim Gluzman • Alban Gerhardt • Lauren Hunt • Alex Iles • International Guitar Night Dexter Kennedy • Renata Knific • Thu Le • Paul Miller (DJ Spooky) • Graeme Mutchler Christopher O’Riley • Brad Ottesen • Bradley Palmer • Lalo Reinhardt • Daniel Ryan David Salness • Matthew Santa • Gregory Sauer • Philip Setzer • Luca Stricagnoli Suzanne Stumpf • Transient Canvas • Jim “Kimo” West • Ka-wai Yu — Universally recognized among today’s top performing artists, Vadim Gluzman brings to life the glorious violinistic tradition of the 19th and 20th centuries. Gluzman’s wide repertoire embraces new music and his performances are heard around the world through live broadcasts and a striking catalogue of award-winning recordings exclusively for the BIS label. Accolades for his extensive discography include the Diapason d’Or of the Year, “Gramophone’s” Editor’s Choice, “Classica” magazine’s Choc de Classica award, and Disc of the Month by “The Strad,” “BBC Music Magazine,” and ClassicFM.

Film & Media Arts Paul Benton • Cynthia Chandler • Kelli Dillon • DJ Spooky • Nicole Docta Jean Kawahara • Robert Michoian • Sara Newens • Marti Noxon • Nico Opper Rajal Pitroda • Ken Schneider • Dan Timmons • Holly Tucket — Paul D. Miller, aka DJ Spooky, is a composer, multimedia artist, and writer whose work immerses audiences in a blend of genres, global culture, and environmental and social issues. Miller has collaborated with an array of recording artists, including Metallica, Chuck D, Steve Reich, and Yoko Ono. His 2018 album, “DJ Spooky Presents: Phantom Dancehall,” debuted at #3 on Billboard Reggae.

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Peter & Cathie Meldrum

Photo courtesy Cathie Meldrum

Peter and Cathie Meldrum

By Emeri Fetzer 36

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“The arts, whether the symphony, ballet, or museums, enrich the community and make people want to stay.”

When an opportunity arose to build a modern, 375seat theatre within the renovation of the historic Einar Nielsen Fieldhouse, Pete jumped in with both feet. The vision for the project emerged from a pressing need for a dedicated space for student productions, specifically in the Department of Theatre’s growing Musical Theatre Program. To be shared with Pioneer Theatre Company, the Meldrum Theatre also allows for deeper collaboration between students and working professionals.

The lead $4.5M gift from the Meldrum Foundation allowed the College of Fine Arts to begin to dream of the possibilities of the new proscenium theatre. And now, it is set for completion at the end of this year.

It is icing on the cake that the Meldrum Theatre will live within a beloved campus landmark, one that Cathie remembers fondly from her time at the U. From basketball games to drill team practice, both she and Pete made lasting memories in the Fieldhouse. Like so many, Cathie is grateful that the building will see a second life.

Because of the generosity and leadership of the Meldrums, students will rehearse, design, and perform without space limitations. But they aren’t the only ones who will benefit. In the Meldrum Theatre, arts lovers statewide gain a beautiful new venue where they can enjoy quality productions. In short, the Meldrum family continues to work to make Utah a place people love to call home.

“We loved going to the theatre,” Cathie Meldrum said.

“We’d bring guests, and get tickets for family, who would also bring guests — and just like that, it spreads. There are so many places in our state to see the arts now. We are very hopeful the community will see the value in this project.” ▪

Aerial photo of the Einar Nielsen Fieldhouse Photo: University Marketing & Communications

A

community cannot thrive without the arts.

For Peter (BCH ’70, MBA ’74) and Cathie Meldrum (BS ’69), this was and remains an enduring conviction — one that drives extraordinary commitment to arts and culture in Utah.

“My dad really believed that wherever you lived and worked — you should help make that community vibrant. The arts, whether the symphony, ballet, or museums, enrich the community and make people want to stay,” son Chris Meldrum explained.

Pete was the co-founder and CEO of Myriad Genetics in Salt Lake City. Before his passing in 2018, he lent his time and brilliance to many local arts organizations including Pioneer Theatre Company, Ballet West, and the U College of Fine Arts Advisory Board.

His advocacy for local arts programming extended to his own company. Knowing that employees of Myriad Genetics would benefit from experiencing Utah arts, he established a company cost-sharing program that would allow families to regularly access performances.

The Meldrums established the Grace Durkee Meldrum Endowed Scholarship in the Department of Art & Art History in honor of Pete’s mother who was an avid painter. They also made possible Pioneer Theatre Company’s Meldrum House, a dedicated space for housing acclaimed guest actors, directors, and designers who travel to collaborate with the company. Arts & Culture remain one of the three core pillars of the Meldrum Foundation’s priorities, alongside Education and Humanitarian Aid. One gift in particular will change the lives of students pursuing theatre at the U.

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Guest Artist Thank You

Connoisseur

T

HE faculty, staff, and especially the students in the College of Fine Arts thank our generous donors for their contributions to the College and its five academic units from January 1, 2021, through December 31, 2021.

Their incredible generosity has enhanced education, empowered many, and inspired us all.

$25,000 +

ArtWorks For Kids Dr. Karen Miller and John Ballard Sandi Behnken Kenneth P. and Sally Rich Burbidge Foundation I Susan D. Burton Marital Trust Fiora Dal Canto Community Trust of Utah Lawrence T. and Janet T. Dee Foundation Kem C. and Carolyn B. Gardner Lee A. and Audrey M. Hollaar The Huntsman Foundation Meldrum Foundation George and Nancy Melling James R. and Nanette S. Michie Foundation Jim Michie and Judy Condie John and Marcia Price Family Foundation Beverley Taylor Sorenson Foundation Roger H. and Colleen K. Thompson Foundation Anonymous

If you’re interested in supporting the work of the College of Fine Arts and its academic units, visit finearts.utah.edu

Patron

$2,500–$4,999

Rodney* and Mitzi Brady, PhD The Rodney Brady Family Foundation Kenneth P. and Sally Rich Burbidge Foundation II R. Harold Burton Foundation The Castle Foundation Lisa Marie Chaufty and Miguel Chuaqui, PhD Genevieve Christianson and Shane Larson Eric and Lisa Evans Darla Gill and Pieter Unema J. Chris and Sandra Hemmersmeier Elizabeth S. Hunter Emma Eccles Jones Foundation Donald and Mary Lloyd James Macken Wayne and Robyn Petty, JD The Presser Foundation Princeton Area Community Foundation W. Gary and Darcy Sandberg John W. and Amy Scheib, PhD Robert W. Stringham, CPA and Michelle Michie Anthony R. Wallin, MD and Jennifer Price-Wallin

Scott and Lesli Rice Anne W & Michael* Riffey Byron Russell, LLC Jean Sabatine Krystkowiak Seven Seventeenth Street Storage Center L.C. Sarah A. Shippobotham Edgar and Joanne Thompson, PhD Luc Vanier and Kathy Johnson John and Martha Veranth Brandon and Christie Walker Bailey Wilson Boyd Winterton* and Bonnie Winterton, PhD*

thank yo Aficionado

$10,000–$24,999

Brent and Bonnie Jean Beesley Foundation Dick and Timmy Burton Foundation Community Foundation of Utah Susan Gaskill Gordon L. and Connie R. Hanks The E.D. Mariani Family Trust Dick and Nancy Marriott Nancy Peery Marriott Foundation Roger Miller The Sorenson Legacy Foundation W. Mack & Julia S. Watkins Foundation Trust E. Art Woolston and Connie Jo Hepworth-Woolston

Benefactor

$5,000–$9,999

Robert W Baird & Co. Inc. M. Lynn Bennion Foundation E.J* and Nan* Bird The E.J. Bird Foundation The Brass Ring Foundation Edward L. Burton Foundation Marian A. Connelly-Jones Kent C. DiFiore, MD and Martha H. DiFiore, MD Jesse and Virginia Fox, MD Robert and Mary D. Gilchrist Mary Lou Hansen Susan Stoddard Heiner and Blake T. Heiner Chuck and Kathie Horman Gary Jones and Marian Connelly-Jones Thomas* and Sarah Kurrus, MD Ronald and Sally Larkin, MD Bill and Robin Larson Merit Medical Systems, Inc. Rowena Merrill Herbert I. & Elsa B. Michael Foundation Melinda Nordeng George and Laurie Ralphs Salt Lake City Arts Council Foundation Lou Turilli Paul and Marilyn Whitehead, MD EA and CJ Woolston Family Trust

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Advocate

$1,000–$2,499

Ira Belcove and Elizabeth Marcus John and Elizabeth Bennion, PhD Earle* and Linda Bevins III Sandra F. Brock Radney and Sally Brown Susan Burke Kenneth J. and Kristina F. Burton Leah Caldwell Charities Aid Foundation of America Stephanie Chipley Thomas D. and Joanne A. Coppin Oscar and Ashley Cranz Ashby S. and Anne Cullimore Decker Andrew and Allison De Camara Michael and Sheila Deputy Paul Dorgan Jerome and Abby Fiat Leslie P. and John G. Francis Frontstream Ralph and Rosetta Gochnour June Harral Craig* and Gretchen Jackson Raymond James Charitable Endowment Fund Dave and Kimberly Johnson Thomas M. and Jamie N. Love Andrea Lunsford Angelica Matinkah, MAR Nathan Murray Mark and Anne Pace Donald and Kathy Pedersen, PhD Andy and Zelie Pforzheimer Frank and Patricia Pignanelli Sarah Projansky, PhD and Kent Ono, PhD

Friend

$1–$999

Kurt and Michelle Addison Grant and Maria Ahn Ron and Dalia* Allen Ed and Janice Andersen Michael and Diane Anderson David Andreason Arkansas Community Foundation Craig and Michelle Armstrong Drew and Allison Armstrong Thomas and Sidney Armstrong Robert Averett and Alice Greenhalgh Averett BAE Systems Christine Baczek David Baida Robert and Maria Baldwin, DMA Dirk and Deborah Balfanz Stephanie Ballantyne John Ballenot and Susan Reinhard Frederick and Alice Barber Jake and Devon Barnes Tucker Barsketis Cindy Barrus LaMar Barrus, Jr. Marcy Beatty Denise Bégué The Benevity Community Impact Fund Wayne and Sandra Bennett Martin and Mary Anne Berzins, PhD Amber Bielinski Gerard Black Nansi Wattenburg Bohne Patti Bollenbaugh Michelle Boots Richard and Carol Borgmeier Robert and Vicki Bourns Janet Bowersox Ambrynn Bowman Ira and Nancy* Boyer Michael and Jennifer Boyle Blake Bratcher and Kyle Adcock Jerry and Diana Bratcher Sue Brekke Robert Breault and Julia Haywood-Breault Angela Brimhall

Ellen Bromberg Jereme Brooks Joan Cooper Brown Scott and Sarah Brown Ulrich and Lise Brunhart Halley Bruno Nathan Buchanan and Justin Knight William Buchanan Colin and Leslie Buck Diane Burke Deb Calbane Craig Caldwell Ruth B. Cannon Family Trust J B Carger Sarah Carlquist, JD Sean Carter John and Penelope Caywood CENGAGE Learning Ferdinand J. Chabot Bethany Chaney Paul Chaus Nicholas Cheek-O’Donnell and Sydney Cheek O’Donnell, PhD Roseann Cherenson Jamie Chinn Ashley Chin-Mark James Chipman Michael and Kristina Christopherson Lee Chung Gary* and Gwen Church Jeff Clapp and Diane Malloy Randy and Tamralynn Clark Wendy Colesano Mick and Lisa Conlin Bri Cooley Joseph and Julie Cooley Linda Corley Robert and Lindsey Cosson John Costa, DMA and Julie Wright Costa Jenny Costello Thomas Costello Alice Cox Timothy and Karla Cox Robb Cundick Antonio Cutillo, MD and Maria Cutillo, MD Austin and Hannah Davis Maria Delongy Kimberly Deneris Clarisa Depari Natalie Desch Mark and Sherri Detweiler John Diehl and Gabrielle Lynch Diehl Chad Dilley and Leo Martins Gregory and Joy DiCenso, JD Christopher Donley Richard and Suzy Dooley David Dornan and Marilou Kundmueller William Doty and Mary Prater Doty, PhD Richard and Kristin Douglas Dalton and Joanna Driggers Richard and Jude Mollenhauer Duesterhaus Ivonna Earnest Tanja Easson Eastern Arts Society ECS Publishing Corp.

David Eggers and Eric Sciotto Shellie M. and Eric N. Eide David K. and Jennifer Ehlers Jr. Jennifer Elder Patty Elliott Darci Engen Elaine Englehardt, PhD Christian Erben Darrell and Ruth Erickson Claudia Escobar Daniel H. Evans Dick and Susan Evans Joseph Evans Ronald Fairbanks Laure Fajardo, MD Kimberly Feldman Matthew and Pamela Fellerhoff William Ferry Jr. David and Marsha Fetzer Laja Field

ou

Thomas and Rebecca Flanagan Karen Ferguson Christopher and Jenna Flood Robert and Virginia Folson Edward Folts Ariana Fonzo Landon and Ashley Freter Jack Frey Susan Gabriel Anne Van Gelder Sarah B. George and Richard L. Ford David and Barbara Gill Vincent Giordano Thor Gjelsteen and Millah Nikkel Dale and April Goddard Allan Godwin Elenor and Marina Gomberg James Gordon Romas Grazhees Brian Grzybowski, P.E. and Deborah Bilder, MD Brendan M. and Jennifer Guiliano Claudia Restrepo Guzman, DMA Tom Hagemeyer and Kristin Kieft William Hagen Douglas N. Halbe Kristine Halverson Jette Halladay, PhD David and Charlotte Hamblin Jennifer Hannock Larry Hancock Eric and Pamela Handman Rodney and Mary Handy, PhD Hugh Hanson Armond Harris Jr. Caitlyn Harris Samuel Harris Ellen Harrison Brian Hartmann Matthew Harvey January Held Catherine Heiner Jerry Hewes Paul and Leora Hewitt Rebecca Hickox Higginson, Morrell, And Hatch, P.C. Holly Hilton Sarah Hollenberg, PhD Patrick Holmes Stephen Hodson Victoria Holmes Linda Hopewell Kerri Hopkins Jeffrey Horne Jack Hoskins Jeffrey and Renae Hoskins Mike and Merrie Hoskins Kylie Howard Dr. Dianne Howe Richard and Deborah Hoyt Jeanne Huelskamp Satu Hummasti Michael and Susan Huff, PhD Shirley Hughes Cortney Hurst Sybil D Huskey & Mike Lavine Jackman Music Corporation Thomas* and Jennifer Jackson Clay and Patrice Jensen Douglas Jensen Setsuko Makino Jensen George Johnson Mica Johnson Xan Johnson Benjamin Johnston Elyse Jost Michael Kalm, MD and Janet Mann* Santhosh Karanth, PhD and Giliyarp Holla Gerald and Sandra Katz John and Janet Kazwell Eric and Becky Keeney Seth and Angela Keeton Russell Kelly and Karineh Hovsepian Sheila Kelly TK and Wendy Kelly Robert and Leigh King

Carman* and Carolyn Kipp, JD Douglas and Julie Kirchner Robert Klimaj and Sue Higginson Klimaj Marsha Knight Joseph* and Kathleen Knowlton, PhD Gary and Kristine Kolbeck Angela Kourtoglou Stanley and Eileen Kraczek Hasko Kramer and Justine Sheedy-Kramer Sandra and Layne A. Kresser Eric Kruman, Esq. and Susan Gillis-Kruman Tyler Kunz Matthew and Lorraine Larson Paul and Sharon Larson Scott Larson and Jennifer Larson, DMA Michael Leatham Elizabeth Leckie, PhD Brian Ledbetter Elizabeth Lee Christopher and Paula Lee Kristina Lenzi Mary Liggett Alexis Lilley Michael Lisonbee and Helen Nichols Kristin Liszkowski Alacia Loveland Glen and Judy Loveland Jean-Louis Loveridge Robert Loynd Farrell* and Donna Lundquist Mark Macey Elise Mackelprant David J. Magidson* Mara Magistad Andrea Gossels Maguire Duncan Maio, JD and Kristen Westmoreland Rachel Malaga Bridget Unice Malin Walter Mason, JD Steve Mathews Ronald and Colleen Maxfield Sydney May Cynthia Maybeck Cassandra and Barlow Mayfield Paul and Alison Mayfield

“Supporting the U of U College of Fine Arts over the last 25 years has enriched our lives in so many ways. The Arts express feelings, emotions, beauty, and wisdom in ways that truly touch one’s soul. We have had the honor of meeting young budding artists as they strive and learn and create in their chosen disciplines. We have had the pleasure of being invited to attend musical presentations, dance performances, art exhibits, plays, and innovative films. We have learned so much about the students’ dreams and about their chosen crafts. The opportunity to be a part of helping these young artists achieve their dreams has filled our hearts with great joy.”

Gordon and Connie Hanks

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Jaye Maynard McClure Daniel McConkie Brian and Katherine McCoy Dylan McCullough Kenneth Mccullough Maureen McGill Maynard and Ann McLaughlin Christine McMillan Tevan McPeak Brodie Mead Shawna Melton David Mervis and Donna Musarra Meredith Metzger, PhD Mervin E. and Glenda Meyer Darwin Millett III J. Ross and Donna Milley, MD, PhD

“We often make sense of our lives through the arts, yet these most important disciplines are underfunded today.

By supporting the College of Fine Arts and the Department of Theatre, we help send students into the world with tools to elevate all our lives.”

Dr. Karen Miller and John Ballard

Tats* and Jeanette Misaka Louis A. and Deborah Moench Russ Montague and Jeanine Davis Eric and Emilee Morgan Kim Morris and Rheba Vetter, PhD Wendy Morris Emily Mostue Taylor Mott Joseph and Lara Mullen Steve and Melonie Murray Jay and Sandhya Narasipura Eileen Nelis Mariellen Nelis Tom Nelis Andrea Nelson Craig Nelson and Stephen Greene Jacob and Catherine Nelson Gregory Nielsen Wilma Odell David Oehler, PhD Tyler Oliphant, DMA Aaron Olson James and Cathy Osborne Cecelia Otto Timothy and Holly Parrish Susanne and John Parsons Christy Patton Christopher and Gabriela Pavia Joseph Pedersen Bill and Gayle Pepper Tom Pepper and Patricia Comitini John Peterson Joshua Petersen Kelly Peterson and Carmen Harris Adam Pfost Gregory and Erin Pike Connie Plato Brent Podosek Les Pollert Sharon Popielews Michael and Yvonne Purcell, USAF George A. Raine Jack B. and Itah W. Rampton

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Christopher and Jill Randall Ladawn Reece John Reeves Natalie Regan Steve Reiber, PhD and Gayle Reiber, PhD Laura Rice Melonie Rieck Robert and Suzanne Rieter James I. Riley and Amy C. O’Donnell Riley Susanna Risser Lynda Roberts John and Barbara Robeson Margo Robins Jeffrey Robinson Giovanni Rodriquez and Laura Pratt Steven Roens, DMA and Cheryl Hart Heather Rogers Darci Rollins Rodney Romane and Stephanie Shannon Margaret Rorke, PhD Raymond* and Patricia Rubley Jr. Marijane Rushing Anthony Sams and Heather Thomas Yonn and Ana Samuels Jeffrey Sawaya Richard Scharine Rhonda Schiegel Giovanna L. Schmeil David and Shalee Schmidt Brent Schneider and Kim Blackett Mark and Mary V. Schneider Jonathan and Susan Schofield Jamie and Stephanie Schuette Mike and Brenda Schultz Patricia Schultz Julie Schwartz David and Maureen Scott Michael and Marianne Seare Select Equity Group Foundation Gregory and Janet Shaw Stephen Sheppard and Kay Oehler, PhD Camille Sheridan Isabel Shimanski Stephanie Shotorbani Alexander and Alla Shustorovich David and Cheryl Simpson Kenneth and Linda* Simpson Nadia Sine Reshma Singh Jody and Maureen Skinner Tawnya Sluka Robert and Suzanne Smart Grant Smith, PhD James and Marion Smith Robert Smith Anne Marie Robson Smock Stephen Snow and Kathleen Snow, PhD Ryan Southwick Mel* and Sandy Sowerby Lesli Spencer Venus Stafford Wayne and Judith Starker Sydney Stephan Carolyn Stephens Robert and Debbie Stevens J. Michael Stewart Teresa Stilley Michael J. and Carolyn Stransky Emily Stromness Andrew & Alice Bassler Sullivan Paul* and Tan Summers, MD Geoffrey Sutyak Aaron Swenson Swen and Aimee Swenson, JD Philip and Nichole Swink Joanna Tarantola Diana D. Taylor Michelle Taylor Sherrie Taylor Stephen and Debra Taylor Herta and Lee S.* Teitelbaum Dennis and Margaret Tesch Abirami Tharmarajah Sivakumaran and Rajani Tharmarajah David Thompson

Jennifer Thompson Wendy Thompson Brittany Timpson Sue Tredennick Larissa Trout Julianne Turner Josephine Vandenburg Brenda Vanderweil John and Dana Vandover Kenneth Verdoia and Carol Verdoia, JD Nicole Vernon Rebecca Vernon David Senior Visbal Rollie Wagstaff Mandy Walker Richard Walsh and Carolyn Hunter Walsh Jon and Jackie Ward Michael and Meghan Wall Stephen and Elizabeth Warner Mary Weaver Ron and Trish Weeks Wilfred Weeks, Jr. Nancy West Jennifer Weiler Frank and Janell Weinstock Thomas Welsh, PhD and Sue Carpenter Keith West Gage Williams Ken and LeAnna Willmore West Willmore Douglas Wilson Chris and Grace Winston Lawrence and Maida Withers James Wong Trevor Wright and Katie Bevans Erin Yanagisawa Gary and Carolyn Yurkovich Heather Zampier Anonymous

*Denotes donors who are deceased

“My time at the University of Utah would not have been a reality for me if not for my mentors and professors who encouraged and guided me. As critically important was the financial support that I received from generous scholarship donors and various community organizations. No donation is too small to make a difference in a young student’s life. By making a gift, you let a student know how valued their education is and how much you care for their present and future.”

Angie Matinkhah, Fine Arts Advisory Board Member

contributors

Editor-in-Chief Marina Gomberg is the University of Utah College of Fine Arts Director of Communications + Marketing and an award-winning lifestyle columnist for The Salt Lake Tribune.

On the Cover

Writers

Front cover: “Tantalus-Salt” by V. Kim Martinez, 2021 48”x36” Flashe on Canvas attached to wood panel

Emeri Fetzer has a decade’s experience writing about the arts. She is a Communications Specialist and Grant Writer for the College of Fine Arts. Before her current role, Emeri was a professional dancer in NYC. When she is not at the CFA, she is in the mountains with her husband Jason and daughter Sylvie.

Back cover: “​​Tantalus-Skull Valley” by V. Kim Martinez, 2020 48”x36” Flashe on Canvas attached to wood panel About the Artist: Painting and Drawing Professor, V. Kim Martinez, is the Chair of the Department of Art & Art History and a 2021 recipient of the Governor's Mansion Artist Award. These works of hers were exhibited in the faculty show at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts.

In her words: “‘Tantalus’ is based on my experiences walking through communities that have been impacted by industrial waste. Walking within the margins of this rigid space allowed me the capacity to perceive others in myriad ways, all of which are now dependent not on preconception but on circumstances and experiences. Walking becomes a metaphor for communication, the transfer of meaning from one place to another, isolating pieces of information, repeating them, changing scale, altering and highlighting color, and in doing so, revealing the hidden structures of environmental injustice that can persuade our thoughts and maintain power structures. Walking allows me to question people I encounter, providing me with new questions that directly inform the paintings.

I regard the fundamental tenant of a painting is to ask a question and then allow the viewer the freedom to formulate an infinite number of responses. I define situations in space; they are not literal but rather intellectual concepts. The paintings reflect structural and textural metaphors. For me, the definition of space is predicated on human presence and initiative. Formally, my material application is firmly controlled; this technique indicates a somber attempt at objectivity.”

Julia Lyon loves to write about ordinary people doing amazing things whether it’s dancers, artists or kids discovering dinosaurs in their own backyard. Her debut children’s nonfiction book, “A Dinosaur Named Ruth,” was published by Simon & Schuster in 2021. When she’s not on deadline, you can find her strumming her ukulele and singing to her three kids.

Merritt Mecham holds an MFA in Writing for Film and Television from Emerson College. Her work has been featured on RogerEbert.Com, in The Female Gaze by Turner Classic Movies host Alicia Malone, and on Bright Wall/Dark Room, where she is a regular contributor.

Visit finearts.utah.edu to learn more about what we’re up to and to find the digital version of this magazine with enhanced content.

Editorial Board

Special Thanks

Dean John W. Scheib Miriam Albert-Sobrino Kirstin Chavez Natalie Desch Emeri Fetzer Marina Gomberg Cami Sheridan Xi Zhang

Devon Barnes Denise Begue Blake Bratcher Tyler Kunz Sheri Jardine Samantha Matsukawa Aaron Asano Swenson Design by modern8

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