College of Arts & Communication at UW-Whitewater

Guest post by Michael Flanagan, Crossman Gallery Director

Hello Everyone –

Our team of faculty members and one student from UW-Whitewater has just returned from our workshops in Oaxaca.  As usual, Charles Cottle took the lead in making arrangements for our workshops and living arrangements.  Professor Max White and I completed the instructional side of the visit.

We were hosted by Maestro Juan Alcázar at the Galeria La Mano Mágica (The Magic Hand Gallery) in the city center and spent two weeks there.  Max White, along with second year art student Irasema Villarreal, worked with a group of about a dozen artists.  Max taught the students a variety of monotype processes in a technically and artistically demanding series.  Irasema provided Spanish language translations and produced artwork herself.

I taught the museum studies (museografia) portion of the workshop with about 8 students participating.  I brought artwork from the collection at UW-Whitewater and Max provided a number of prints by advanced students, including Irasema, along with examples of her own work.  After a few days of lectures, the students got to form into two working groups and began planning the exhibition that was to take place in the two galleries of Galeria Mano Magica.  Students used the works from UW-Whitewater to form a basic concept and then we went on to borrow works from Galeria Mano Magica as well as from the well regarded print studio at Taller Rufino Tamayo to complete the exhibit.  Each group selected 15 prints for display.  As part of the process, the works were mounted and framed, then installed in the gallery.  Students were also required to write a didactic panel, create a show title, write letters to the lenders and provide specifics for the exhibit labels.

The show opened with a reception on Friday, August 5, and the students in both classes were acknowledged with certificates of achievement signed by representatives from the galleries and workshop sponsors.  A second, public reception was held Saturday evening where guests from the community, other artists and media representatives came to view the exhibit and monotype prints from both workshops.

We were pleased with the outcome of the exhibits and workshops and have been invited back again next year.

As part of the relationship with our colleagues in Oaxaca, two shows will be mounted at UW-Whitewater this fall.  One, Sobreviviendo: Manejese con Cuidado (Surviving: Handle with Care) is a portfolio of prints created by 28 artists from Oaxaca under the direction of Maestro Juan Alcazar that portrays the endangered animals in the region.  Those prints will be on display in the Crossman Gallery in September.

The second exhibit, Viva Oaxaca, will display the results of the monotype workshop as well as examples of creative work by Max White, Michael Flanagan, Charles Cottle and Irasema Villarreal that were produced during our time in Oaxaca.  That exhibit will be on display in the Fiskum Gallery, located in the University Center, also during September.

Finally, arrangements are being finalized for the visit to the UW-Whitewater campus by Maestro Juan Alcázar, Maestro Manuel Matus and staff members from Taller Juan Alcázar.  These visits will coincide with the opening receptions for the exhibits and presentations and workshops on campus.  Please watch the campus news for additional information about the exhibits and workshops.  There will also be postings on the Crossman Gallery site.

Best wishes,
Michael Flanagan
Director, Crossman Gallery
http://blogs.uww.edu/crossman/

The Music Department at UW-Whitewater has created a website allowing users to not only hear a variety of music, but to support the Music Department scholarship fund.

Benjamin Whitcomb, Music Department faculty, and Eric Sheffield, Director of the Arts Media Center and Technology Coordinator for the College of Arts and Communication, have created the website, http://uwwmusic.bandcamp.com/, a location where music will be made available for downloading. Downloading the music is technically free – however donations are encouraged. These donations will provide music scholarships for the students at UW-Whitewater.

This endeavor started when Whitcomb approached Sheffield wondering how to release department recordings online. Bandcamp, an online music store used for promoting artists, worked perfectly for this project because it gives the highest percentage of proceeds from the donations back to the seller. The purposes of this site are promotional and fundraising because it allows students and faculty the ability to market their music, and all the donations from Bandcamp will be put towards music scholarship funds for current and prospective students.

Currently featured at http://uwwmusic.bandcamp.com/ is the UW-Whitewater “Eclectic Strings” album. It contains 11 tracks, representing a wide variety of styles, by professional bands that include UW-W alumni. This collection showcases the skills and accomplishments of our alumni.

New music will continue to be made available to download at http://uwwmusic.bandcamp.com/ – remember donations support student scholarships – so please donate if you enjoy UW-Whitewater’s music offerings.

Career Workshop with UW-Whitewater alumnus Nathanael May

When: Friday, April 15, 1:10 p.m.  Where: CA 6

Dr. May has forged a multi-faceted career in music. As a festival producer, concert organizer, publicity guru, recording artist, adjudicator, professor, and performing pianist, he seeks to open doors for young musicians in today’s competitive environment. Come see where your career can take you in the field of music!

Nathanael will be presented with the Recent Outstanding Alumni Award at Founder’s Day on Saturday, April 16, 2011.

Additional information about Nathanael can be found http://www.missouriwestern.edu/music/May.asp

Eric Appleton, a member and professor of the Theatre/Dance Department faculty, just added another success to his already accomplished career as a playwright.

His new play, Among the Squirrels, is a play within a documentary of naturalist David Attenborough as he explores the changing lives of Topher and Vicki within the indigenous Chicago goth/industrial scene. The host, David Attenborough, watches Topher adapt to the challenges of a new environment, and look for answers among the squirrels.

The world première of Among the Squirrels opens Friday, February 11 at 7:30pm at the Gorilla Tango Theatre in Chicago’s Bucktown followed by five additional performances.  For tickets or more information on Among the Squirrels visit Gorilla Tango’s website www.gorillatango.com.

Following the world première, the Milwaukee Chamber Theatre will present a stage reading of Among the Squirrels as part of their Montgomery Davis Play Development Series.  The reading will be Monday, March 7^th at 7:30pm.    Additional information can be found on their website.

In addition to Among the Squirrels, Eric Appleton has written many other plays of which two have been published- Fish and Furious.

Besides teaching and writing, Eric Appleton is a scenic designer for the Theatre/Dance Department.  His recent scenic designs include Inspecting Carol, Speech and Debate, The Provok’d Wife, Urinetown! and The Ladies of the Camellias. Prior to UW Whitewater, Eric Appleton was at Niagara University and freelanced as a designer in Chicago and Milwaukee for companies such as Milwaukee Chamber Theatre and The Bailiwick Repertory Theatre.

UW-Whitewater Theatre/Dance students are heading to Michigan State University in Lansing, MI to attend the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival Region III (KC/ACTF) event January 4 – 8, 2011.  KC/ACTF is a national theatre program involving 18,000 students from colleges and universities nationwide, which has served as a catalyst for improving the quality of college theatre in the United States. The KC/ACTF has grown into a network of more than 600 academic institutions throughout the country, where theatre departments and student artists showcase their work and receive outside assessment by KC/ACTF respondents.   Additional information about the KC/ACTF Region III Festival can be found at http://www.kcactf3.org/index.htm

KC/ACTF regional festivals hold auditions for the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarships.  These scholarships are made possible by the generosity of the late Irene Ryan who is best remembered for her portrayal of the lovable and feisty ‘Granny Clampett’ in The Beverly Hillbillies.  All student actors from both Participating and Associate productions are eligible for consideration for these $500 regional scholarships.  The Foundation and KC/ACTF also bring the regional scholarship winners and their acting partners from each of the eight regions to Washington, D.C., to take part in an “Evening of Scenes” during the KC/ACTF national festival.

The design, technical and management students also have an opportunity to showcase their work through a several avenues and are eligible for a number of awards including: Regional Design Projects, Barbizon Award, Alcone Makeup Award, KC/ACTF Sound Design Award, National Stage Management Fellowship, Tech Olympics and more.

UW-Whitewater students participating in this year’s festival include Irene Ryan nominees:  Eric Boldger, Chris Gonyo, John Lichtwalt, Samantha Markham, Andrew Muwonge , Shantelle Szyper, Chris Tate.  Their acting partners and extras include: Allison Blair , Joe Cordes, Marcus Cunningham, Zach Kunde, Kristine Larimore, Jacob Lesh, Jason Rohn , Aly Ruge and Sarah Stokes.   Design and management students who are attending include: Carole Alt, Kyle Higgins, Zach Johnson, Joe McDonnell, Erin Quist, Dan Smeiska, Eric Vigo, Alyssa Windell.    Tracey Lyons and Eric Appleton, both faculty members at UW-Whitewater are also attending the festival.

For more information about the UW-Whitewater Theatre/Dance Department, visit their website at http://uww.edu/cac/theatre.

Professor Sam Martino will be awarded a 2010 College Media Distinguished Adviser Award for his work on the Royal Purple.  A lecturer in the Communication Department, Sam Martino works closely with students focusing on media management and reporting.  He also spearheaded the Royal Purple efforts to become a multi-media publication – giving them an online presence through their website, using video and still photography as well as social media.  Martino has worked in the industry over 50 years, spending 28 years as a reporter/bureau chief and suburban editor at the Milwaukee Journal and as a reporter for different areas in Milwaukee.  He was adviser for the Royal Purple newspaper for six years and recently relinquished the position to Kyle Geissler.

Martino is receiving his award from College Media Advisers, Inc. (CMA).  CMA has been working since 1954 to help improve media operations for student media professionals.  CMA communicates with media organizations and education associations on local, state and national levels.  “Their mission is to educate and inform advisors about their roles in serving students and about the teaching, advising and production of collegiate media.”

Martino received his award at the National CMA Convention held in Louisville, KY on Thursday, October 28. UW-Whitewater congratulates Sam Martino on this outstanding national award!

UW-Whitewater music faculty members Frank Hanson and Linda Kimball performed at the 2010 Scottish International Festival of Trumpets in Elgin, Scotland in June. Frank and Linda were invited to perform on the conference, and prepared a program of 20th century chamber music for trumpet, horn and piano by American and French composers. They were joined by Scottish pianist Isobel Burnie for their program, which included works by Eric Ewazen, David Bilger, Pierick Houdy, and Sharon Davis.  The concert was performed in beautiful St. Giles Church in the city center of Elgin. The Scottish International Festival of Trumpets featured trumpet artists from the United States, Scotland, England, Italy, and Singapore. Frank (trumpet) and Linda (horn) have has been members of the UWW music faculty since 1983. After the conference Frank and Linda (who are husband and wife) enjoyed a vacation in Scotland with their two sons, visiting Lanark, Edinburgh, Inverness, and many of the towns and villages in the northern Highlands and coastal Moray region of Scotland.  http://facstaff.uww.edu/hansonf

Mark McPhail has been named dean of the College of Arts and Communication at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, Provost Beverly Kopper announced on June 15,2010.

He is a professor of communication and has served as chair of the Division of Corporate Communications and Public Affairs in the Meadows School of the Arts at Southern Methodist University, Dallas.

Kopper said she is delighted that McPhail will serve as the next dean of the College of Arts and Communication.

“Dr. McPhail has a deep commitment to undergraduate and graduate education, academic excellence and inclusiveness,’’ she said. “He brings to the position a well-established record of administrative leadership and collaborative and interdisciplinary scholarship.”

McPhail said he is looking forward to beginning his new job July 1 at UW-Whitewater.

“I was very impressed with the fact the website features not only diversity but also integrity as a core value of the university,” he said.

He received his Ph.D. in rhetorical and cultural studies from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, where his dissertation was titled “The Language of Racism: A Contemporary Rhetorical Analysis.”

McPhail earned his master’s degree in performance studies from Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill. He holds a bachelor’s degree in secondary education from Emerson College, Boston.

He has held previous administrative positions at Miami University of Ohio, Oxford, Ohio; the University of Utah, Salt Lake City; the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor; and Emerson College.

A poet and photographer, McPhail also enjoys scuba diving, bicycling and martial arts.

Kopper thanked Richard Haven for his outstanding service as interim dean of the College of Arts and Communication. “I am very grateful for the leadership Dr. Haven provided for the college and the dedication and commitment he has for the college, university and community,” she said