Uni Ink Issue #1

Issue No. 1

Spring 2017

UNI-INK WILLIAM PATERSON UNIVERSITY ARTS MAGAZINE

Circle Mirror Transformation A look into one of the most anticipated plays of the semester

The Growth of WP’s Facilities The history and growth of the WP Art Department

Celebrating Brave New Radio

How the award-winning radio station of WPU will conquer college radio Photo: Tim Miller

Editor’s Letter Issue No. 1 Spring 2017 Before coming to William Paterson for graduate school, I attended a very small, private, liberal arts college in Pennsylvania. Five times the size, I was eager to see what this public university nestled in the mountains and half an hour from New York City would add to my personal and professional development.

In my quest to receive my Masters in Business at William Paterson, one of my personal goals was to ensure I didn’t lose touch with my artistic side. My undergraduate degree was comprised of English and Photography and I’ve been playing the clarinet since elementary school. Art has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember and college is where I truly developed a deep curiosity and appreciation for all forms of art. Naturally, I joined and eventually became the Assistant Editor at my campus’ arts magazine. So, before I was even accepted, I remember looking online at the different clubs and organizations at William Paterson and was shocked to not find an arts magazine. That night, I decided that if I was accepted for graduate school, I was going to start one myself.

Once I was here, I started doubting how feasible this goal of mine was. Being that my area of study had no overlap with this mission, I knew that everything I did to make this magazine come to life would be 100% on my own time and would require an enormous amount of work, especially having no connection to any English, Communications, or Art majors. My program has its own campus, completely separate from where the arts at William Paterson lived. So, without the support of my friends, colleagues, coworkers, professors, and now eboard members, this magazine would not exist.

William Paterson has so many art hubs all centered around different forms of art.

Coming in as a new student, I wanted to be connected to all of them, which I found very difficult because I wasn’t here to study those things. This motivated me even more -- I wanted this arts magazine to highlight and celebrate the arts and create a unified hub where people of all interests could come together. Since then, I wish I could admit that it’s been all smooth sailing, but I am always reassured that the hard work we’ve put into creating and growing this organization is worth it by the praise and appreciation we get after every article. My hope is that this magazine grows to encourage collaboration and brings artists together to learn from one another.

I thank everyone who has supported this organization so far and hope that those of you reading this will spread the word, so Uni-Ink can live on and continue to grow in order to strengthen the amazing artistic community here at William Paterson University long after I’m gone.

Samantha Shank MBA ‘17 Editor-In-Chief

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Staff Samantha Shank Editor-In-Chief Geneva Fucci Assistant Editor Marla Cassenti Publicist Faith Boonstra Recording Secretary Miles Franco Financial Advisor Jaclyn Antonacci Staff Advisor Joelle Filippi Blog Contributor Tim Miller Photographer Gina Rajeckas Writer Emely Santos Photographer & Layout Deniz Zengin Writer @WPUniInk @Uni.Ink @Uni_Ink UniInkBlog.wordpress.com

Table Of Contents 2

Editor’s Letter

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Table Of Contents & Acknowledgements

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Collage! 2017

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Circle Mirror Transformation

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The Growth Of WP’s Art Facilities

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Celebrating Brave New Radio An exclusive look into the

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Student Feature: Monika Rybak

A Behind-The-Scenes Interview With Professor Beal, The Director

award-winning Best College/University Station for more than 10,000 students enrolled

A C K N O W L E D G E M E N T S Uni-Ink would like to thank the following people for their support and assistance bringing this first issue to life Jaclyn Antonacci, Uni-Ink Advisor Jerry Beal, Theatre Professor, College Of Arts And Communications Laura Brader, Drew-Rogers Printing Kristen Evangelista, Director, University Galleries Emily Johnsen, University Galleries Elaine Lorenz, Art Professor, College Of Arts And Communications Rob Quicke, General Manager, Brave New Radio Michael Rees, Director, Center For New Art Heidi Rempel, Visual Resources Center Sharon Ryan, Alumni Relations Tristan Tosh, Campus Activities Bob Wolk, David and Lorraine Cheng Library Ling Xiao, Center For Chinese Art Pioneer Yearbook William Paterson SGA

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On March 3, Shea auditorium was filled with the eager families and friends of William Paterson music students, all joined together to support the performers of Collage! 2017. This fantastic annual show was developed to raise funds for music department scholarships and lay the foundation for future generations of music students.

Collage!

By Gina Rajeckas

COLLAGE! 2017 With the intention of giving audience members a ‘snapshot’ of the musical talent at William Paterson, the show highlighted all areas of the Music Department, featuring performances from the Jazz, Classical, Pop, Music Management, SEA, and Music Studies majors through ensembles like the Chamber Wind Ensemble, the Concert Choir, the Pop Music Ensemble, and the Jazz Orchestra.

The students and faculty performed flawlessly. Song selections ranged from classical etudes and sonatas to a full band rendition of the 1980’s hit, “Rosanna,” all of which were well received by the audience members.

Watching students of all 4

music oriented majors come Overall, Collage! 2017 was a success together on stage for a greater among music students, beloved purpose was truly inspiring. faculty, and supportive audience members. Everyone shared a Everyone, regardless of age, major, memorable night celebrating the or musical style, worked together talent spanning William Paterson

“Everyone, regardless of age, major, or musical style, worked together to create a memorable night of music.” to create a memorable night of music. The most powerful moment of the evening was the last piece, Phil Collins’ “Take Me Home”, performed by a full chorus and band.

Their voices and instruments filled the stage with power and resonance.

University’s music department.

In the end, the benefit concert raised about $6,000 for Music Department scholarships! All for a worthy cause, Collage! was an amazing concert and should make every WPU student proud to be a pioneer.

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“Circle Mirror Transformation” A Behind-The-Scenes Interview with Professor Beal, The Director

Written By: Faith Boonstra At William Paterson, there are normally two plays that are performed during each of the fall and spring semesters. For this spring semester, one of the plays is “Circle Mirror Transformation” by Annie Baker. I sat down with Professor Jerry Beal of the Communications/Theater Department to find out a little more about this play, why he chose it, and what we are to expect from it.

Faith: So, right off the bat, why did you choose this play? What stood out about it?

Beal: The writer, her name is Annie Baker, she’s a very hot, young playwright, and I had seen two of her plays.

And they both just totally blew me away. THIS preceded both of them, and put her on the map, but I had

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never seen it. And, so, I looked at it, and I didn’t finish reading it because I said, ‘There are five characters.’ And you look at the ages; 60, 55, 49, and I said, ‘Well that’s…. you know.’ And I kept coming back to it circumstantially, and I finally said, ‘Just read the damn play.’ And I read it, and I said, ‘Oh my god.’ I said, ‘Okay, can we forget about these ages?’ Not alter the ages, but just, you know, take out any reference to them? There’s only a couple. And I gave it to my stage manager who was my stage manager last year. She’s a student, honors student; she’s really smart. She read it and she says, ‘Well, I think it’s fine. Couple of references here and there you can eliminate, but I think it’s fine.’ And then, once we started working on it, one of the gals in it, Sam Damario, this is her third show, she said, ‘You know, I loved the other two scripts. This one’s really, really…’

It’s, basically what it is, it’s a community

theater or community center adult acting class in Vermont. It’s five weeks, you know, that’s all it is. It’s a carpenter, it’s just a ‘Yeah, let’s do a five week acting class.’ That’s it. And you do all these exercises, which a lot of students know what they are already ‘cause they do them. But what happens within the five weeks, it’s like it’s so ‘whoa’ that that can happen. And hopefully we do it right, but by the fourth week, you’re sitting there and you’re hanging. And there are long pauses. There are blackouts after every single scene which is a totally un-Beal like play. You know I hate that kind of stuff as a rule. But in this case, ooh yeah, it’s part of the progression of it. So yeah. That’s what it is.

Faith: So, that leads into this next question, how are you approaching directing for this? How do you feel the cast is approaching this?

one scene late in the play where Marti, who runs it, hands out slips of paper.

‘I want everybody to write one secret that nobody knows about you.’ ‘What if we pick our own?’ ‘It’s okay. Nobody else will know.’ And so they all pick one, [and] things are read, and everybody is just sitting around, and only the person about whom it is knows that it is them.

So, like in one case, ‘I may have been abused as a child.’ There’s five people here, and one of them wrote that! Isn’t that amazing? Annie Baker, she knows how to write.

Faith: This is about the space you are performing in. You are doing it in Shea as opposed to the Black Box Theatre?

Beal: It’s so umm…personal. I picked these five people cause they could relate to them age aside. Do you know what I mean? Like, say I was playing the one woman who was supposed to be 55 which [she’s] not playing it like she’s 55. It’s not the age, it’s the, you know, that kinda thing. And her husband is supposed to be 60! Aside from forgetting that, it’s just the whole feel and the fact that they feel married.

Somehow, I think it’s working. I think it’s really working. So that said, how am I approaching it? I mean, I feel like somehow for a play like this, I’m doing much less. I’m just rolling out the ball and letting them play. Do you know what I mean? It’s just because; I told them today. I actually had to leave for 15 minutes and go to a meeting, and I came back right in the middle of it, and I said ‘I just think each night is gonna be different.’ Because it’s just that kind of a play. You’ll be in character, but by being in character, different things [come], cause everybody’s listening.

There’s a total ensemble. Everybody’s listening to everybody. Everybody is on stage almost all the time. Yeah, I feel like I’m…well I could be wrong, and they might tell you otherwise, but I feel like I’m present less. Well I mean I’ve said a lot for it, but I just (makes hand motion) ‘Go, go, go, go, go.’

Faith: Just letting them loose?

Beal: Just letting them loose and

seeing what happens. I can see today already, they’re really starting to own it.

Faith: And this show is at the beginning of April.

Beal: This show is at the beginning of April. I was a little worried, because she’s a very precise writer. Even though there’s improvisation in there. And there’s one scene where she says, ‘Okay, here’s the improv, but you can do it however you want to do it.’ Even though, you have that freedom, she writes from…like at the beginning, whenever you see dah, dah, dah, dah, dah, for a pause, it means a two second pause. If it says long silence, then it could be five or longer. At one point, there’s a 45 second pause before somebody walks in. It’s scary.

It’s very precise. That’s what the actors are [doing]. They’re not freaked at all.

They’re really starting to get it. But that’s what they’re learning: to find it and to trust it. There’s a lot of silence and there’s a lot of subtext going on, and that’s why the answer to how am I approaching it [is] that I’m just letting them go because subtext is something that I don’t think you direct all that easily. It’s like, ‘What are you really thinking?’ What’s really going on?

There are scenes when they are sitting around in a circle, and they’re doing an exercise, and it looks like a harmless exercise. But, underneath it all, something is [going on]. I mean, there’s

Beal: Yup. In Shea. Oh, you don’t know this. We are bringing the audience onto the stage. Now I’m saying this in spite of the fact that [Shea] is like dah, dah, dah, dah. But, at this point I don’t think [they’ll] pull it back from us unless [they] see a set-up there that [they] don’t like. But the hope of it is that the audience will be sitting [on-stage]. No one’s going to sit in the real [seats].

They’ll be sitting on the stage, and it’s gonna be on two sides. So, audience (hand motions) over here and audience over here. And on the other two sides, there’s two walls cause it’s supposed to be a dance studio. So, there will be two walls, big walls, and one of them is going to have a mirror on it.

I’m just so excited and can’t wait to see what everything’s gonna look like.

Faith: So, you definitely think that the Shea space will be more useful than Black Box? Beal: Well, that’s funny because that was part of the grief they were giving us. ‘Why don’t you just use the Black Box?’ The set designer and I, we like this idea. We think this is much cooler and there is more space there. The Black Box just doesn’t have quite enough space. There’s not enough chairs to…you know they’re sitting in a circle. And the Black Box, there’s, well you know the Black Box. There’s a limited amount of [space] and we need a little more. And I just like the idea of having design on two sides

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and plus two walls in here, so in terms of staging, I don’t know when we get in there…eeehhh ‘I’m gonna move over here. Go for it.’ Whereas the Black Box doesn’t lend itself to that quite as much and I think if we did the same kind of scene in the Black Box, I don’t think there would be a physical meaning to it.

Faith: This is not so much relating to the play, but Hunziker is getting gutted next semester…

Beal: Starting this summer, I believe, they’re starting to gut it for a year. And they’re just up…I mean, they’re gutting it, they’re just renovating.

‘Why do people become actors?’

Cause they want to be somebody else? And who they are being otherwise? So, who knows? People watching this, I mean, I think actors watching this who’ve done these exercises [will think], ‘Oh my god, oh my god, yeah,’ but then you have the Experiencing Theatre class where she’s having them read the play and do some of these exercises. So, I don’t know. And then parents, I don’t know. Like, there’s a married couple in the play, so who knows? It just seems increasingly that there’s so much in here that’s relatable to all kind of people that I don’t think

Who would’ve thought something like that? And hopefully, just the idea of people on the stage, sitting right on top of them while they’re doing this is appealing to all of us.

there’s one or two or three things that I can answer that people are going to take away from this.

just by the nature of it, it’s written in such a way that’s so unusual… like with the blackouts. By the end, by the fourth or fifth week of this class, an hour into the show, people are waiting for a blackout. They’ll be able to say, ‘It’s not too many blackouts. I want a blackout coming up here,’ because it’s a progression of time, it’s a progression of events.

Faith: Wow. Now, my last question, I know you spilled a lot about the play, but without any other spoilers, is there anything we should be on the lookout for?

Beal: Uh, no, I don’t really think so. I mean, I think it’s kind of [a] play where it just, it’s gonna suck you in or not, and hopefully it will suck everybody in. But

Faith: So, what are [your plans]?

Beal: Shea. Yeah, everything will be in Shea. See, the idea of sitting the audience on the stage, he made that offer to us as of next year when I thought, ‘Hey, I like that idea and it works fine for this play, so why wait until next year?’

Now that doesn’t necessarily mean that I’ll do that cause I might pick a play or two that is better having them in the real seats in Shea. We’ll find out. We’ll see.

Faith: So, back to the play, what do you think the audience will take away as the theme of this play?

Beal: Damned if I know. (Laughs) I mean, I think it’s one of those plays where everybody will take something else from it because it’s so…I mean one of the things the actors are saying is they just find it so relatable. Small town Vermont, a 60, 55, and a 49 year old group of people among the emits are finding it very relatable. What does that say? You know what I mean? Because…like, example, we had the five secrets, right? Well that’s one secret, but then there come others. There’s like (nodding) ‘Uh huh, uh huh, I get it, I get it, I get it’, and then what happens in the play, each person at one point in the play gets up and speaks as if they were one of the others. So, a male gets up and says, “Hi, my name’s Theresa.

I’m 35 years old. I’m an actress in….”

See finding out all this stuff about these people and it’s like everybody,

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Faith: It’s just a wide variety.

Beal: I believe so, and maybe among other [things], the power of theatre.

The fact that this is an acting class and all this stuff is coming out of that. And also, the fact that as a piece of theatre, just read [or performed], it’s totally different from anything you’re likely to see. And so, people who either have seen a lot of theatre or who maybe have seen no theatre, will look at this and say, (places hand on chin) ‘Wow.’

Faith: Wow, I’m excited for it.

Beal: Yeah!

The Growth Of WP’s Art Facilities

By: Samantha Shank

exhibition spaces, opportunities, open house alongside celebrations and resources to enable anyone of the renaming of the school.

Did you know that William Paterson the ability to learn and appreciate University was originally founded the arts, regardless of major. University Galleries Later in 1979, the University as Paterson State College and began Ben Shahn Galleries were designed by the art solely as a teacher’s college? Since Ben Shahn is one of the main art department faculty and established that founding in 1855, William Paterson University has continued to buildings and is located on the main within Ben Shahn Hall. When you expand into a magnificent university campus. The building was originally first walk into Ben Shahn Hall, the with a growing number of specialized named after Lithuanian-American first gallery to your right is the South facilities catering to a wide variety of artist Ben Shahn who passed away the Gallery. This gallery features solo student interests. Over this time, the same year that the building was being and thematic exhibitions. Public university has paid special attention constructed, in 1969. The building programs like artist talks and panel to many specialized interests, opened in the fall of 1972 as Ben discussions are often held here as well. with fine arts being no exception. Shahn Hall and became the home Unknown to many of those outside for the new Arts Department. The Then, if you exit the back of the William Paterson’s art community, building was officially named and South Gallery, you can find your way the university has a plethora of dedicated at the 1971 Spring semester to a hall leading to the East Gallery.

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ideal for showing video and smaller art works for a more intimate viewer experience. Sometimes, this space will be used in conjunction with the South Gallery or all the galleries, in order to host larger exhibitions.

Finally, the Court Gallery, located in the very center of Ben Shahn Hall was originally an open-air atrium. The original exhibition spaces were just the East and South Galleries. Later in the 1980’s the atrium was roofed and became the Court Gallery. The architecture of this space is similar to the South Gallery and because of the Court Gallery’s unique design, it is often used for site-specific installations. Originally intended to

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allow sunlight in, in order to sustain plant life, the University Galleries make sure to take advantage of the beautiful natural lighting. The Court Gallery has an interior structure comprised of 4 adjoining walls with open corners. The structure and the overall architecture of the gallery is complimented by a skylight ceiling which creates interesting lighting changes throughout the day. The casting of shadows, unique to the time of day, create many different experiences for viewing artwork.

Though, special care must be taken to ensure that exposure to light doesn’t alter or damage the works in any way.

Originally named the Ben Shahn Galleries, the name was changed to

the University Galleries about 6 years ago. Today, the University Galleries serve as a cultural resource for William Paterson University and the general community and is overseen by Gallery Director Kirsten Evangelista.

The gallery staff also includes Gallery Manager Emily Johnsen, Visual Resources Curator Heidi Rempel, Graduate Assistant Meghan DeMora, Student Assistants Jacob Eppinger and Jacquelyn Portillo, and Gallery Intern Anna Arcuri.

Overall, the University Galleries present an average of 8 exhibitions a year; 4 in the Fall semester and 4 in the Spring, each lasting for about 8 weeks.

Each year the University Galleries

present a faculty art exhibition and a student art association exhibition.

Admission to all exhibitions and events, and the University Galleries are free and open to the general public. They are open Monday through Friday from 10am to 5pm and on select Sundays for events like artist talks or exhibition openings.

The University Galleries present the work of professional artists with a focus on new Jersey-based artists.

Though, once a year, the University Galleries host the Student Art Association’s annual exhibition. Any William Paterson student is allowed to submit work for consideration, regardless of major, as long as they register as a member of the Student

Art Association, a student led group. Each year, the show is juried by three different art department faculty members who award select students. This year, the show is scheduled for April 3 - May 12, 2017.

Center For Chinese Art

Also inside Ben Shahn Hall, is the Center for Chinese Art, which is dedicated to preserving and sharing the artistic heritage of China and integrating its rich tradition into the William Paterson curriculum.

The center also hopes to spread that appreciation out further to the state of New Jersey in order to cultivate a deeper understanding between the United States and China. The Center

for Chinese Art was established at William Paterson in the Fall of 2009.

Funded by generations contributions from Margaret Lam and David Yen, the Center for Chinese Art introduces Chinese culture and art to the university. The Center for Chinese Art allows students the opportunity to view authentic Chinese Art, but also to draw upon its philosophy and incorporate its techniques into their own art, in order to more effectively participate in the increasingly global world of visual arts. The center does this through offering classes, symposiums, art exhibitions, trips, artist talks, and study abroad programs.

The Center for Chinese Art works with the University Galleries and

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Power Art Center Galleries in order to hold exhibitions on campus.

The center showcases unique, high quality productions of internationally renowned artists, William Paterson faculty, and student artists. The center typically holds 1-2 exhibitions and 4-7 events a semester. Director, Professor Zhiyuan Cong is on sabbatical this semester, but there are plans for next Fall! Their office in Ben Shahn Hall also serves as a space for small solo exhibitions and a mini library. The Center for Chinese Art will also work with private galleries in NYC, NJ, and China to hold exhibitions, all in the effort to grow appreciation for Chinese art and culture. Subsequently, with these exhibitions, a catalogue with an introduction to the exhibition themes and interpretive essays on the history, culture, and arts of the period or region is published in both English and Chinese.

Academically, the Department of Art’s curriculum already has offered past classes like Chinese Ink Painting and Chinese Painting and Seal Carving, but soon there will be the addition of more classes, such as, Chinese Woodblock Printing, Chinese Calligraphy, and Chinese Art History and Theory. There is also their Summer Art in China

program, which provides students with the opportunity to participate in an organized study tour that focuses on viewing and investigating the complexities of China through the lens of visual art. This program gives students the opportunity to study with Chinese artists and lecturers living in China. At the conclusion of the trip, students and faculty produce a book featuring essays and photographs of the art, culture, history and content of China’s cultural institutions. The center also focuses on producing and publishing many original books.

Overall, the Center for Chinese Art has been granted an impressive list of awards ranging from the Gold Award for the Summer Art in China Study Abroad Program to the 24th Annual

Award for Publication Excellence Competition from Communications Concepts, and Director Zhiyuan Cong has been granted the Chinese Cultural Ambassador Award from the New Jersey ChineseAmerican Chamber of Commerce.

Visual Resources Center

In addition to the great physical spaces at WP, the University has also grown an impressive art archive. The Visual Resources Collection has been developing a digital image collection for the purpose of utilizing it as a resource in the classroom and for student and faculty research, focusing on art and architecture. So, not only can you access ARTstor through the Cheng Library, but the Visual Resource Center has a collection of over 7,000 images with more to be added within the next year. The center all assists with assistance with researching images, training in using large format, high-resolution scanners to capwture images for papers and presentations, as well as assistance with copyright and Fair Use concerns regarding the use of images in papers and presentations to both faculty and students.

Power Arts

Separate from Ben Shahn Hall and slightly off the main campus is the Power Arts Building. Different from Ben Shahn that has computer labs for digital arts and classrooms for art history, Power Arts is home of what people like to call the ‘dirty arts’; like sculpture, woodworking, ceramics, and photography. The building also houses the drama department’s set design studio. The University purchased the building on Power Ave. and renovated it to house art classrooms and have ample space for supplies and equipment.

The department made the move in 2000 and left the bottom floor of Ben Shahn Hall to the Athletics Department, so they’d be in close proximity to the athletic fields.

Power Art Center Galleries

Within Power Arts is two gallery spaces; the Main Gallery, which is a big open foyer immediately through the main entrance of the building, and the Annex Gallery adjacent to the main gallery. These galleries display student art, while the University Galleries bring in art from outside artists. One of the shows put on each year is called ArtStart, where a high school, art faculty member curates work from their students to display at Power Arts. The rest of the time, both galleries are populated by group shows of student work, curated by faculty members. The shows generally focus on a certain form of art or show works that resulted from a specific class.

In addition, there are student thesis shows by both MFA and BFA students. The MFA students will hold thesis shows throughout the year and twice a year there are BFA

shows highlighting the work of graduating seniors. These various exhibitions all run for approximately 3 weeks. All are welcome and invited to see these exhibitions and are free to do so any time the building is open.

Center for New Art

Power Arts is also home to the Center for New Art, which can be describes as an intersection of art, science, and technology. The inception of this artistic hub began with David Haxton’s founding of the Center for Computer Art and Animation at William Paterson back in the 1980’s. The first educational facility of its kind in New Jersey, the Center allowed students to utilize computers as a medium for animation and art.

With the appointment of Director Michael Rees in 2009, the name was changed to the Center for New Art. Since then, the Center has grown to host visiting artist lectures, artist

residencies, and impressive new programming and equipment. The Center for New Art now offers numerous 3D printers, a 7-axis KUKA robot for subtractive carving, a 36x24 automatic laser cutter, three 3D scanners, software like Delcam Powermill, Cinema 4D, and Pixologic Zbrush, and so much more, all for students to learn and utilize.

The Center for New Art contains immense value with its wealth of contemporary technology, the opportunity for students to work with artists in the micro residency program, and the incredible artist lectures and talks by various visiting artists.

Overall, Paterson State College has come a long way to become the William Paterson University that it is today. The University offers a wide array of resources and opportunities for anyone interested in fine arts, regardless of major.

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An exclusive look into

C E L E B R A T I N G BRAVE N E W RADIO

the awardwinning Best College/ University Station for more than 10,000 students enrolled.

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through their web streaming station.

One of their most wellknown events is called Brave-a- thon, where they host a 24 hour broadcast with 15 local bands and artists on both their website and television. It is one of their biggest events and occurs annually every spring semester.

Brave New Radio is William Paterson University’s ongoing radio station. Recently, the station was named Best College Radio Station in the U.S. by the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System.

They have been nominated for four years out of the last five, and now this is their first time winning the award since 2013.

“It feels like we’ve been recognized for what we’ve been doing all along”, Rob Quicke, general manager of

Brave New says, in regards to winning the award.

The radio station, founded in 1967, has been going on for about 50 years altogether. It started out as a closed-circuit, on campus service and expanded to FM in 1988, with this upcoming year being their 30th anniversary.

They have been going strong for decades and now serve Passaic, Bergen, Morris, and Essex counties via FM broadcasting, and serve worldwide

“It feels like we’ve been recognized for what we’ve been doing all along” “We’re all about supporting New Jersey artists”, Rob Quicke mentioned when speaking of the music Brave New Radio supports. In general, the radio station plays every genre of music.

They have helped

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“We’re all about supporting New Jersey artists”

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bands reach major started them out.”, The station is also audiences and expand Quicke says about the looking to grow and do things that other their following. band. stations haven’t Three years ago, Brave New may be done before. Last they had a now well- successful now, but year, they had their known pop punk their path doesn’t stop first international band called The Front at their award. Before conference in Finland, Bottoms come to the station became which could bring their lounge to do an national, they were some international acoustic session and a regional, Jersey- recognition.

“We a barbeque. “They’re based program. want to continue really good guys and Now that they are a doing things that no they support college national radio station one has ever done radio... Even though with impressive before” Quicke says in they have gotten recognition, they are response to the future more successful, they aiming to earn an even of Brave New Radio. never forget that it larger international was college radio that reputation.

by Deniz Zengin

Student Feature: Spring 2017 Name: Monika Rybak Class Year: Freshman, Class of 2020 Major: Psychology & Art Minor

above Confections Acrylic, sculpting clay, and high gloss varnish 14”x22” right Dermatosiophobia Acrylic paint 16”x22”

What made you decide to become me that art is supposed to be fun, an artist? and not this super-serious task.

I also owe the declaration of my I didn’t really have a defining art minor to Professor Holle. moment that made me say “I In a lecture, he told us to not want to be an artist”. It was always fight ourselves and give in to a hobby and a way for me to our passions. I love psychology, express myself. I was in art clubs but I also love art. I couldn’t in middle school and continued lie to myself and not pursue a to take classes in high school. relationship with art. His words I drew all the time at home, changed my outlook on life, and created small masterpieces specifically how I am in control in the margins of notebooks at of mine. For me to be who I am, school. Even in college, I try I had to further my studies in art. to fit in moments where I can unwind and focus on an art piece. What different mediums do you use?

Who/what are your inspirations (both artistic and not)?

I have dabbled in most mediums.

I have done pieces in soft and I was heavily influenced by my oil pastels, oil paints, pencil, mother and my high school art charcoal, pen, ink, acrylic teachers. My mother also has an paints, digital art, gouache, art artistic flair and I was fascinated markers, colored pencils and by it. She of course, encouraged my personal favorite watercolor. me to take advanced art classes and supported everything I did. In your submissions, you My high school teachers really seem to focus a lot on hands, pushed me to try new things and is there a reason for this? experiment with art. My Painting and Drawing teacher, Mrs. Wezyk I wish I had a more intelligent inspired me to take risks in art and answer for this, but I just like to have fun with it. She taught drawing hands. It’s a subject

that can be easily photographed by myself, and the shapes are just familiar to me.

Can you explain your creative processes? What inspires you and what do your projects normally look like, start to finish?

It’s hard to pinpoint a precise source of inspiration. It kind of just comes to me, either in dreams or throughout my day. If I have an idea for a project, I usually write down the idea so it doesn’t escape

research online or if it’s possible I’ll take reference photos myself.

For example, I was recently playing with the idea of painting a scene of the ocean, specifically when a wave reaches the shore.

So, I dragged a friend along and took photos of the water, the beach houses for future projects, and so on. If I can’t take photos myself, I look online of course. When I’m really into an idea, I work on it until I’m finished. I’m definitely guilty of pulling all nighters just to work on a piece, or procrastinating doing other homework just to draw some sort of sketch.

Would you say that where you grew up manifests itself in your work at all? (If so, where did you grow up and how?)

I don’t think it really shows up in my work. I was born in Poland, and moved to New Jersey when I was young. I lived in Newark for a short time, but eventually grew up in Bridgewater.

What is your favorite piece that you’ve created?

I’m particularly proud of the candy self-portrait that I submitted.

It was one of my later pieces that I made in high school, and it just captures how far I’ve progressed.

Are there any art blogs or magazine you go to when you need an ‘art fix’?

I absolutely love checking out Instagram and Tumblr for new and old artists. I can always find an interesting artist’s page where I can learn a new trick or two revolving around a new medium. top right Kenophobia Acrylic 14”x18”

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What’s your remedy for ‘writers block’?

Truthfully, ‘writer’s block’ makes me so frustrated that I just need to

take a break from art. There is no easy remedy for this, but I find that just observing the scenes around me can help inspire me. Sometimes, leaving art alone can be the best solution. In lieu of drawing, I’ll end up reading books or listening to music. I also found that paying attention to the minute details of objects, either organic or not, can plant some sort of idea in my head.

the opportunity to work with it, and experiment would be something I would probably enjoy.

What drew you to come to WP?

I really like the psychology program here. It was far away from home, but not too far away. WP made sense to me financially as well. I also did not know a single person from my high school that Do you have a favorite medium was coming here, so I thought it or a medium you’d like to try that would be a good opportunity to you haven’t already? meet new people and I was right!

I’ve made some unforgettable conMy favorite medium is watercol- nections with interesting groups of or. I have been working with that people, whom I’m very grateful for. medium the longest as well. I would like to try ceramics/sculpt- What do you see yourself doing ing again. It’s something that I was after graduation? never truly good at, and having

After graduation, I will be working my head off to get into a graduate program to get a Master’s degree, and then a PsyD, so I can become a clinical psychologist. I will, of course, never stop painting and drawing. Art has been deeply woven into my life, without it I wouldn’t be the person I am.

I have done pieces that reflect my love for psychology. In a series of 12 paintings I tracked certain phobias that fascinated me. These pieces were done in my AP Studio Art class in high school, for my concentration portion of the class. Some of the pieces portrayed the actual phobia, while some explored how a Do you see psychology and art person with a certain phobia may meshing together? Whether it be feel, and so on. I have toyed with pieces having underlying psycho- the idea of using art therapy as a logical themes or using your art clinical psychologist in the future. in your practice as a clinical psyWhat project are you currently chologist in the future? Maybe even an art therapist? excited about?

Currently, I am working on a few “commissions” from friends and family. However, what I am truly excited about is a series of projects concerning the Fibonacci Sequence. I was inspired by a lecture about Descartes and his observation of how math is in everything, which got me thinking about fractals and golden ratios and so on. The actual concept is still in the works, but I’m interested about where this takes me.

below Dinosaur Pencil, graphite sticks, and charcoal 8”x22” Arachnophobia Watercolor 8”x12” back cover Abyss Watercolor 12”x14”

Your new series of projects seems fascinating, do you have a website or online portfolio where we can check back to hopefully see these manifest? It’d also be great to see more of your work.

Unfortunately, I do not have a website, but I do track most of my works on Instagram and Tumblr. If anyone wants to see my other finished pieces, or just sketches, they can look me up: @monikarybak_ (instagram) and @somebuddy-else (tumblr).

Can you give us a little ‘inside the artist’s mind’ explanation of one of your favorite works?

The piece on the back cover, is titled “Abyss”. I created it for my series on Phobias. It not only shows the phobia of drowning, or water, but it also captures how phobias can affect someone’s life.

A phobia takes over your life, and it can make you feel as if you’re drowning. This rings true for many people who have symptoms of mental disorders as well; they can feel overwhelmed and alone.

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