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UVU to offer Bachelor of Science in Art Education degree beginning this fall
Utah Valley University has received approval for an Art Education program. The Utah State Board of Regents authorized the University to offer the Bachelor of Science degree program on June 24.
The degree is a four-year program, with an additional semester of student teaching. The goal of the program is to help students prepare to teach visual arts in secondary schools.
"We are thrilled to add an art education degree to the others offered in the department. Student interest in this degree has been increasing over the past four years and recent surveys conducted indicated that demand was quite high — much higher than we anticipated,” associate dean of UVU’s School of the Arts, Steve Bule said. “Many individuals worked hard to prepare the documentation. We appreciate the input received regarding the proposal and we are very grateful to those who approved it at the state level."
With the addition of the art education degree, the School of Arts now offers teaching degrees in all of its departments, including Dance, Music and Theatre. Patrick Jones, dean of the School of the Arts, explained that providing an education degree among all of their departments creates a needed resource not only in schools, but throughout the community as well.
“The art education program resonates with the university’s mission of being engaged with the community. This degree program helps us provide a needed resource for the communities of the valley, as well as throughout Utah,” Jones said. “The education students receive in the program will not only prepare them to teach in secondary schools, but also in a variety of settings such as community centers, correctional facilities, and senior centers."
The degree program will become active and welcome its first students in the upcoming fall 2010 semester.
Ballroom Team on Dancing with the Stars
It's official! The Utah Valley University Ballroom Dance Company Touring Team will perform a Showpiece routine live on ABC's Dancing with the Stars, The Results Show!
We will be competing against Rutgers University.
Show your support by watching on Tuesday, May 18 on ABC by voting and telling your friends to vote. If we win we have a chance of returning on May 25 for the season finale results show.
It will be filmed live at the ABC Studios in Hollywood/Fairfax on Tuesday, May 18th.
Wild Night! Jazz Ensemble and Wind Symphony Concert
Utah Valley University’s Department of Music presents, “Wild Night!” the final concert of the Jazz Ensemble and Wind Symphony on Thursday, April 22 at 7:00 p.m. in the Ragan Theater.
This concert will be the final performance from the Jazz Ensemble before they begin a short tour that culminates at the Greeley Jazz Festival, held at the University of Northern Colorado on April 24.
The Wind Symphony will perform music by Jean Sibelius, Norman Dello Joio, Frank Ticheli, Michael Torke, and Henry Fillomore.
Both ensembles are lead by Dr. James Colonna, Director of Bands at Utah Valley University.
Tickets are $5 and can be purchased at Campus Connection: 801-863-8797 or at the door.
Contact Dr. Colonna for interviews and more information at 801-863-6188.
For more information about the Department of Music visit, www.uvu.edu/music
Synergy Dance Concert | Captivate
Utah Valley University’s Synergy Dance Company presents Captivate April 8th at 4:30 pm and 7:30 pm in UVU’s Ragan Theater. Tickets for the general public are $6; students, faculty, and staff $5. Tickets are available at Campus Connection at 801-863-8797.
For one night only, join Synergy Dance Company for a vibrant performance of contemporary dance by students, faculty and guest artists. The evening includes a unique collection of choreography rich with movement that explores reflections of individuality, eclectic and rhythmic moments, and abstraction of human relationships. The performance offers a diverse array of evocative textures and tones.
Of note, guest artist John Corsa created a stark and poignant piece that dissects the visceral and delicate layers of the human condition. Former Doug Varone dancer Daniel Charon demonstrates his compelling choreographic style with a stunning athletic trio. Charon’s work highlights the harsh but beautiful dissonance found in the world of nature.
Dance faculty, Angela Banchero-Kelleher and Amy Markgraf-Jacobson’s will showcase their original choreography, A Sense of Place. This organic and powerful dance is based on a sense of place, architecture, and community at Utah Valley University and was recently performed at the American College Dance Festival.
Captivate will also feature student choreography and dance for camera from Synergy company members as they showcase their multifaceted abilities as artists.
Join UVU’s Synergy Dance Company for a clever, inspired, and physical evening of dance. For more information about Synergy Dance Company contact Amy Markgraf Jacobson at 801-863-6394, amy.markgraf@uvu.edu. For more information on the Department of Dance at UVU, see uvu.edu/dance
Chamber Music Festival
The Utah Valley University Department of Music and the Park City Chamber Music Society have joined forces for their first annual Spring Chamber Music Festival. Featuring outstanding guest artists pianist Michael Gurt, cellist Denise Djokic, clarinetist Russell Harlow and violinist Dara Morales, the week-long festival will include four public concerts, open rehearsals, master classes and chamber music coaching. Throughout the week the Festival will present chamber works by Mozart, Copland, Poulence, Dvorak, Schickele, Haydn, Faure, Shostakovich and Arensky. Concerts will be presented on campus at Utah Valley University, at Sundance Resort and in Park City at Temple Har Shalom. Funding and support for the festival are being provided by Steinway Pianos, Daynes Music, Utah Valley University and the Park City Chamber Music Society.
Each Festival concert will be preceded by a 30-minute Young Artist Performance by the chamber music students from Utah Valley University. The concert dates and times (including the 30-minute Young Artist Pre-Concert Performances) are as follows:
April 5, 6:30 pm GT416 at Utah Valley University
April 7, 6:30 pm at Centre Stage, Utah Valley University
April 10, 2:30 pm in the Rehearsal Hall, Sundance Resort
April 11, 2:30 pm at Temple Har Shalom on the outskirts of Park City
Admission is $5.00 for students and UVU faculty, $10 for Seniors 62+ and $15 Regular Admission. Seating is open and tickets will be available at the door 30 minutes prior to each start time.
For updated information on the master class and open rehearsal times, please visit the Park City Chamber Music Society website at http://www.pcmusicfestival.com
For more information, please email chmusic@pcmusicfestival.com
UVU Presents Exciting New Translation of Henrik Ibsen’s ‘A Doll House’.
Utah Valley University’s Department of Theatrical Arts presents its final main stage show of the 2009-10 season: a new translation of the highly acclaimed and controversial, “A Doll House” by Henrik Ibsen. The production will open on March 25 and play through April 10 at 7:30pm (excluding Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday) in the Noorda Theatre. In addition there will be one matinee for school groups on Thursday, April 8 at 10 a.m.
“A Doll House” is the first modern realistic drama written. It came as quite a shock to audiences then and still creates a stir with audiences now. Ibsen often wrote about “taboo topics,” airing out people’s “dirty laundry.” In “A Doll House” he criticizes marital norms of the time and the way husbands and wives treat each other. This play is considered to be one of the first feminist plays written, showing the strength of women and what they can accomplish, as main character, Nora, puts it “…to sit and work and make money. It was almost like I was a man.”
In this production Ibsen’s classic gets a modern day lift with a new American translation by BYU playwright professor Eric Samuelson. A more modern setting, the play is set in a small town in Minnesota during the 1950’s, a boom time for the U.S., these characters come alive like never before.
Samuelson served an LDS Church mission to Norway and also comes from Nordic ancestry. He has taken this classic and translated it to be in the simple language of the people. The simplicity of it allows the audience to get involved with the story and enables a lighter mood. “I know that most people don’t think of Ibsen as fun,” says director James Arrington the creator of the Farley Family Reunion, “but we have mined ‘A Doll House’ for comic potential and have found fertile ground. It is fun!”
Tickets to “A Doll House” may be purchased by calling (801) 863-PLAY or online at www.uvu.edu/theatre. UVU Theatre and its season are supported by the UVU School of the Arts.
CONTEMPORARY DANCE ENSEMBLE | Structures
Utah Valley University’s Contemporary Dance Ensemble presents “Structures,” March 4-6, 2010 at 7:30pm in the Ragan Theater, featuring works of artistic director Doris Hudson de Trujillo, and nationally and internationally acclaimed guest choreographers: Todd Allen, Charlotte Boye-Christensen, Monica Campbell, Heather Colledge Gray, Stephen Koester, and Titos Sompa.
“Structures” relates to the physical and abstract aspects of human life and interaction. The works within the concert reflect each choreographer’s unique point of view and connections to the concept. Founded in 2006 by Associate Professor of Dance Doris Hudson de Trujillo, Contemporary Dance Ensemble is a pre-professional level modern dance company at UVU.
Doris Hudson-Trujillo’s new work, “On The Other Side,” explores our propensity as a society to build defensive walls. This work was conceived as the wall between Mexico and the United States was erected, and further informed during CDE’s recent tour to Spain. The work is rich with imagery and dynamic motion.
“Bridge,” choreographed by Ririe-Woodbury’s Artistic Director, Charlotte Boye-Christensen, features guest performances by Joe Blake, Juan Carlos-Claudio and Wilson Domingues. The work creates a frequently crossed line of division between men and women resulting in a variety of physical entanglements.
Stephen Koester, Associate Professor of Dance at the University of Utah and former Co-Artistic Director of Creach/Koester, an all male dance company based in New York City, has choreographed a work set to the music of Robert Mendoza, structured largely around the concept of a tag team duet.
“Untethered,” a new work by Monica Campbell uses a set that defines and structures space. The work is spatially alive with motion that accentuates the framework of the structure. Monica is a former dancer of the Diavalo Dance Company and a current adjunct faculty member at UVU.
Ballet choreographer, Heather Colledge Gray, premieres her first piece, “Sculpting Solidarity,” with an intriguing animal-like movement. Heather was a principal dancer with the Het National Ballet and is currently Ballet Mistress for Utah Regional Ballet.
Founder and Artistic Director of Mbongi Dance Theater Project, Titos Sompa, choreographed “Kisingu,” a piece that celebrates life through the traditional Congolese rhythms and movement of Zebolah Mutwashi, and Ganza. These rhythms, which signify healing, fertility, and rite of passage will be played live by Kaz Spiers, local drummer and artisan, and Kim Strunk, Associate Professor of Dance at UVU.
Todd Allen’s, ”In Between Counts,” is a work that relates the similarities we find in other people as things come together and fall apart. Todd is a former member of RDT and has been dancing in NYC as a performing artist with notable companies such as the Mark Morris Dance Group and Mark Dendy.
Tickets may be purchased at Campus Connection, located in the Sorenson Student Center, 801.863.8797. Prices are $10.00 for students and faculty and $12.00 for the general public.
Tutus, Triptychs, Timpani and Two-Minute Soliloquies
Join us for the Second Annual School of the Arts Concert!
UVU PRESIDENT, ASSOCIATE DEAN TO HONOR LINCOLN WITH LECTURE, RECEPTION
In recognition of Abraham Lincoln’s birthday, UVU President Matthew Holland and Associate Dean Dan Fairbanks will give a unique lecture on the life and perceptions of the United States’ 16th president. President Holland, a renowned scholar on early American political development, will deliver thoughts on historical perceptions of Lincoln while Fairbanks, a skilled artist, simultaneously sculpts a life-size portrait bust of the former commander-in-chief.
The one-hour lecture will be held at noon Friday, Feb. 12 in UVU’s Ragan Theater. Following the lecture, a reception honoring Lincoln will be held at UVU’s Woodbury Art Museum, which is located at the University Mall in Orem. Both events are free and open to the public.
During the lecture, President Holland will share insights on Lincoln from the perspective of a lifelong student of early America. Fairbanks, who comes from a long line of artists, will join him on the stage to sculpt a bust of Lincoln throughout the lecture. Afterward, the reception at the Woodbury Art Museum will highlight a collection of historically important statues of Abraham Lincoln, including works by American sculptors Augustus St. Gaudens and Avard T. Fairbanks.
“These depictions of Abraham Lincoln have special historical significance, and we are delighted to share them with the community on a day when we remember the nation’s 16th president,” Fairbanks said.
Lincoln was born on Feb. 12, 1809, in rural Kentucky. He served as president from March 1861 until he was assassinated in April 1865. Perhaps his most notable accomplishment was preserving the union in the face of unprecedented political divisiveness and civil war. As a scholar, Holland has argued that Lincoln’s blend of Puritan and democratic insights helped him pursue an agenda of civic charity in spite of the considerable challenges he faced while in office.
“Abraham Lincoln is one of the transcendent figures in American history,” Holland said. “He understood the importance of civic bonds, and he dedicated his presidency to preserving that ideal. He eschewed individualism, insisting instead on charity for all. Without his dedication and perseverance, this country would be considerably different today.”
The one-hour lecture will be held at noon Friday, Feb. 12 in UVU’s Ragan Theater. Following the lecture, a reception honoring Lincoln will be held at UVU’s Woodbury Art Museum, which is located at the University Mall in Orem. Both events are free and open to the public.
During the lecture, President Holland will share insights on Lincoln from the perspective of a lifelong student of early America. Fairbanks, who comes from a long line of artists, will join him on the stage to sculpt a bust of Lincoln throughout the lecture. Afterward, the reception at the Woodbury Art Museum will highlight a collection of historically important statues of Abraham Lincoln, including works by American sculptors Augustus St. Gaudens and Avard T. Fairbanks.
“These depictions of Abraham Lincoln have special historical significance, and we are delighted to share them with the community on a day when we remember the nation’s 16th president,” Fairbanks said.
Lincoln was born on Feb. 12, 1809, in rural Kentucky. He served as president from March 1861 until he was assassinated in April 1865. Perhaps his most notable accomplishment was preserving the union in the face of unprecedented political divisiveness and civil war. As a scholar, Holland has argued that Lincoln’s blend of Puritan and democratic insights helped him pursue an agenda of civic charity in spite of the considerable challenges he faced while in office.
“Abraham Lincoln is one of the transcendent figures in American history,” Holland said. “He understood the importance of civic bonds, and he dedicated his presidency to preserving that ideal. He eschewed individualism, insisting instead on charity for all. Without his dedication and perseverance, this country would be considerably different today.”
Urinetown: The Musical
Utah Valley University’s Department of Theatrical Arts is proud to announce its first show of the new year, “Urinetown: The Musical,” a satirical comedy musical about a town where residents have to pay for the “privilege to pee” because of a drought. The show opens Thursday, Jan. 21 at 7:30 p.m. and will run through Jan. 30, with showings every night but Sunday.
In the musical, any citizen who refuses to use the public amenities is taken to “Urinetown,” a mysterious, no-man’s land from which no one ever returns. In response, the citizens stage a revolt against the powers that be, led by Bobby, the assistant janitor of the only free amenity in town. But complications arise when the leader of the revolution falls in love with the daughter of the water company president, who he has to kidnap for the cause.
“Urinetown” has won three Tony Awards, three Outer Critics Circle Awards, two Lucille Lortel Awards and two Obie Awards. It is a musical for those who love musicals, in that it’s filled with traditional musical clichés, and for those who hate musicals, in that it mocks those same clichés. Its success in simultaneously commenting on itself and other musicals has made it critically acclaimed and beloved by audiences across the country.
“Urinetown is a really broad satire that is the Grapes of Wrath meets Forty-Second Street meets Three Penny Opera meets the Marx Brothers,” said Dave Tinney, director of the UVU production. “It is very sharp and very current while still being entertaining.”
“Urinetown: The Musical” will play in the Ragan Theater of UVU’s Sorensen Student Center. Additional matinee performances will be held Tuesday, Jan. 26 and Friday, Jan. 29 at 10 a.m. Tickets may be purchased by calling (801) 863-PLAY or online at www.uvu.edu/theatre. UVU Theater and its season are supported by the UVU School of the Arts.
WOODBURY MUSEUM | Winter Exhibits
The Woodbury Art Museum presents contemporary works by two local artists from
February 5, 2010 to March 12, 2010. The opening reception is February 5th 6pm-8pm.
Tawni Shuler, UVU’s visiting faculty member, and Kelly Larsen, a UVU alumni, create paintings
that are very connected to their environments. Both concerned with nature’s role in
creation and destruction, the artists work to incorporate personal histories on the canvas.
Ecotone
Shuler looks to her past for influence, having grown up on a Wyoming farm, she
combines her sense of aesthetic responsiveness with the life and death, dirt and skin
experiences of her upbringing. Shuler’s work ranges in size from small to enormous and
will occupy two of the galleries in the museum. This exhibition displays recently created
works, including those completed while at UVU.
After Vermont
Larsen creates multi-media works that contain found elements, and include
gradual deterioration as part of the content. He will sometimes bury a partially finished
canvas underground for a period to allow natural processes to affect the visual state of
the work. The paintings in this exhibition demonstrate the range of possibilities that Larsen
seeks to integrate, and continue to expand the definition of the medium.
Lucille Stoddard Scholarship Lunch
The School of the Arts and the College of Science and Health at Utah Valley University are teaming up with Outback Steakhouse to host a luncheon in honor of Lucille Stoddard as she retires from the Utah State Office of Higher Education, all proceeds from the event will be donated to the Lucille T. Stoddard Scholarship. Join us for this event on January 27, 2010, 12 Noon at Outback Steakhouse, 372 E. 1300 S. Orem, Utah, (801) 764-0552. Tickets are $25 per person and can be purchased in advance from Campus Connection in the Sorenson Student Center, 801-863-8797 or at the door.
Lucille Stoddard served in a variety of capacities at Utah Valley University, including, the chair of the business department, dean of the business school, academic vice president, and interim president. She served her first term as interim president in 1987-1988 following the presidency of J. Marvin Higbee. Stoddard later served as interim president a second time in 2002-2003, before becoming the associate commissioner of the Utah System of Higher Education. Stoddard's husband, Frank Ferguson, is an architect, who along with Bruce Jensen and others, was responsible for the original UVU Orem campus design.
In October of 2009, Stoddard announced her retirement from the Utah System of Higher Education. The Deseret News stated that, “Stoddard worked for more than 30 years at Utah Valley State College, now Utah Valley University, before joining the state Board of Regents in governing higher education in the state of Utah. She has researched many topics of academe and written dozens of reports that, in turn, have helped direct policy-making at the nine public colleges and universities in the state.”
The Lucille Stoddard Scholarship will support students in The College of Science and Health based upon merit and need of the students. Community members can join with current and former UVU faculty, staff and students by helping to endow this scholarship. In addition to the purchase of a ticket for the January 27 luncheon, contributions can be made to the UVU Foundation, earmarked for the Lucille Stoddard Scholarship, and mailed to: Utah Valley University Foundation, 800 W. University Parkway, Orem, UT 84058-5999. Contributions will also be accepted at the Outback Steakhouse luncheon.
RIRIE-WOODBURY DANCE COMPANY | In Concert
Sponsored by the UVU Department of Dance and the School of the Arts, the Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company will conduct a three day residency at Utah Valley University January 11-13. The residency will include master classes and lecture demonstrations for students in the Department of Dance and in Elementary Education dance courses. Highlights of the residency include master workshops taught by the current Artistic Director Charlotte Boye-Christensen, as well as the founder and former Co-Artistic Director Joan Woodbury. The residency will culminate in a formal concert January 13th at 7:30 p.m. in the Lakeridge Jr. High School Theatre, 951 South 400 West Orem, Utah. Tickets are $6.00 for students and faculty and $10.00 for the general public. Tickets can be purchased in advance at Campus Connection 801-863-8797 or at the door the evening of the concert.
Founded by Joan Woodbury and Shirley Ririe, the Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company has become a Utah institution and is recognized as a successful modern dance company combining formal performances and community residencies. Ririe-Woodbury first gained national recognition through the National Endowment's Artists In Schools and Dance Touring Programs.
In 2002, Charlotte Boye-Christensen joined Ririe-Woodbury as Associate Artistic Director and since then has choreographed over 15 works. In 2003 the Nikolais/Louis Foundation for Dance selected Ririe-Woodbury as the dance company to house the works of modern dance innovator Alwin Nikolais.
Ririe-Woodbury is known for its tremendous work in the education system of Utah. Their Step Lively is a statewide program aimed at assisting classroom teachers in meeting the objectives of the Utah Fine Arts Core Curriculum. Ririe-Woodbury has pioneered dance education in Utah and throughout the United States.
For information on the Department of Dance at Utah Valley University, see uvu.edu/dance
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