VCUarts has two alumni among this year’s VCU Alumni 10 Under 10 recipients: Ashley Hawkins (BFA ’07) and Stanley Rayfield (BFA ’09).

Hawkins is the owner of Studio Two Three, Richmond’s only public printmaking studio providing professional artists with the tools to take their careers to the next step. She will also be our 2017 December Commencement Speaker. Rayfield is an award-winning artist whose work has been displayed at the Smithsonian, the Pentagon and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.  You can read more about Rayfield in our Studio article here.

VCU Alumni will recognize 10 graduates of the last decade, or GOLD, this fall at the third annual 10 Under 10 awards.

The awards celebrate alumni who earned their first VCU degree within the past 10 years and who have enjoyed remarkable professional success, made important contributions to their community and/or loyally supported the university.

See the full list of 10 Under 10 Alumni in VCU News.

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Video with closed captions.

Nonprofit organization CreatiVets collaborated with VCUarts and VCU Office of Military Student Services to help veterans use art to process their war experiences. Seven veterans participated in the partnership’s inaugural course, which took place last June in Richmond.

The participating veterans have struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury or amputation. During the course, the veterans used creative writing, woodworking, digital media and other art forms to foster self- expression and transform their stories of trauma and struggle. The classes were taught primarily by Craft/Material Studies Adjunct Faculty Alicia Dietz (MFA ’16), who is herself a veteran.

Founded by Marine veteran Richard Casper, CreatiVets began as a series of songwriting sessions in Nashville that helped him cope with PTSD and traumatic brain injury. Working with VCUarts Associate Dean Christina Lindholm and Director of Military Student Services Stephen Ross, Casper was able to successfully launch the program at VCU. The course culminated in an art exhibition at the Depot.

“We owe these veterans; they have put themselves on the line,” says Lindholm. “This program lets them know that they’re not alone. It gives them a whole new avenue to express things they couldn’t necessarily find the words for.”

For Lindholm, the most powerful experience she had with CreatiVets was during a printmaking class taught by Adjunct Instructor Brooke Inman (MFA ’08), when VCUarts students exchanged work with veterans.

“What they were producing had deep-rooted meaning and was really reflective of their experience,” says Lindholm. “And the generous spirit with which the students treated the veterans was affirming to me as someone associated with the School of the Arts.”

Read more about Creativets founder Richard Casper in Time.

Story featured in VCUarts 2017 Fall Studio.

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VCUarts Qatar is partnering with Heya for the 12th Heya Arabian Fashion Exhibition in Doha, Qatar.

The 12th Heya Arabian Fashion Exhibition continues to present a “showstopper event for local designers, delivering a platform to foster Qatar’s fashion scene and empower entrepreneurship and knowledge-sharing”, the organisers have said.

This year, for the first time Heya has partnered with Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar (VCUarts Qatar) and Qatar Business Incubation Centre (QBIC) to provide “valuable expertise for visitors in everything — from fashion marketing to finance, and how to get a fashion business off the ground via daily workshops, forums and talks”, the statement notes.

VCUarts Qatar has substantial involvement with the emerging design industries in Qatar and plays a significant role in its catalyst for growth, having established itself as a centre of excellence for education and research in local art and design.

Read the full article in Gulf Times.

Photo: Participants at the 12th Heya Arabian Fashion Exhibition. Credit via Gulf Times.

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We are excited to share Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani’s Opening Address for the 7th Biennial Hamad bin Khalifa Symposium on Islamic Art.

The Islamic Art Symposium has been held in Doha, Qatar; Córdoba, Spain; and Palermo, Italy. This year it [was held] in Richmond, at the VMFA. Speaking to WCVE via Skype, organizers Sheila Blair and Jonathan Bloom say the mission is to make the latest scholarship available but in a way that’s not stuffy.

To read the entire article visit Community Idea Stations.

For further press coverage visit: WTVR, Style Weekly, Richmond Magazine and Richmond Times-Dispatch.

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Two years after graduating from what was then the Department of Communication Arts + Design, Jim Gregory (BFA ’71) put his education toward founding his own company in New York. Over 40 years, what began as a small advertising agency became a renowned branding consultation firm, garnering heavyweight clients such as MasterCard, Toshiba, Cisco Systems and AT&T. Gregory’s company would go on to develop the CoreBrand Index™, a tool for measuring brand value watched closely by major corporations around the world.

Founding a company in the financial center of the world was a risky proposition for a 23-year-old. “I used to laugh and say I had more guts than brains to do something like that,” he says. But Gregory believes it was the support of VCUarts that emboldened him
as a young entrepreneur, and he’s returned to his alma mater to ensure that system of encouragement stays strong for students today.

Beginning next year, thanks to a generous gift from Gregory, students enrolled in the “Creative Disruption” class at the Center for the Creative Economy will be eligible for the James R. Gregory Prize for Creative Entrepreneurship. The $5,000 prize will be awarded annually to a winning student proposal at the end of the spring semester, judged by a panel of experienced entrepreneurs.

The “Creative Disruption” class begins in spring 2018 as part of the Creative Entrepreneurship certificate program, and will be taught by program director Matt Woolman (MFA ’95).

“We are honored to partner with Jim and the Gregory family to provide the James R. Gregory Prize for Creative Entrepreneurship,” says Woolman. “This will inspire countless students to follow their passions, raise the profile of the Center for the Creative Economy, and encourage our alumni entrepreneurs to become involved with the great work we are doing. We are most thankful to the Gregory family.”

Gregory wants to build excitement around the highly-ranked creative excellence of VCUarts, and believes that an opportunity for students to develop and shop business ideas with their peers is a great way to instill confidence in emerging artists.

Story featured in VCUarts 2017 Fall Studio.

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Art Education alumna Ume Hussain (BFA ’05) was recently featured in HUFFPOST where she discusses how VCUarts shaped her interests and ideologies regarding art.

A few years after obtaining her Bachelor’s degree in art education and teaching, both elementary and high school, while maintaining an independent art studio, Ume Hussain realized she had hit a wall in both her art practice and her teaching. Looking back now, she sees that she was transitioning from doing two-dimensional works to sound and video work, but it was not nearly as clear back then. She was also having difficulty understanding her position vis-à-vis the art market.

In regards to teaching, she started to realize that she could not change the world by teaching art and she seriously started to wonder: What can art do? What can art contribute to the world? In time, she came to realize that art has a purpose, and is a way of helping others articulate who they are. Now Ume Hussain sees that art can be quite introspective and is a search through questions for answers. Art is one of the main ways to have people consider how they understand existence and relate to others, and it can be an incredibly transformative experience.

For Ume Hussain, art can allow an individual to reexamine preconceived ideas.

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Dance + Choreography Faculty Member Julinda Lewis was recently featured in Richmond Magazine discussing her life long career in the Richmond creative arts community.

Lewis is a multi-hyphenate talent in Richmond’s creative arts community. Punctuating her four-decade-long career as a trained professional dancer, Lewis founded St. Paul’s Baptist Church’s Ayinde Liturgical Dance ministry. She teaches dance history classes in Virginia Commonwealth University’s department of dance, complementing a triple-decade career as a public school teacher, the first 16 years in her Brooklyn hometown, the next 18 in Richmond. She is a founding member of the Richmond Theatre Critics Circle and is a constant on the theater scene. Her reviews appear in a variety of publications, including the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

“Out of all the plays performed in Richmond last year, across all the theaters, I think I missed two or three,” says Lewis, who for years was a consultant with the National Endowment for the Arts. With all of her talents, her standout role is that of mother to her three children, Jamila, Soleil and Amandla. She started her family in New York, enveloping her kids in a culturally vibrant atmosphere from birth and encouraging them all to participate in plays, dance, music and films.

Read the full article in Richmond Magazine.

Photo: Julinda Lewis leads a BeMoved dance class at Dogtown Dance Theatre (Photo by Dominic Hernandez). Image credit via Samantha Willis for Richmond Magazine.

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Painting + Printmaking alumnus Dale Brumfield (BFA ’81) is the author of Virginia State Penitentiary: A Notorious History which reveals the history of the Richmond prison that was built in 1800.

Brumfield is the field director for Virginians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, as well as a digital archaeologist and the author of eight books, including two histories of the underground press — “Richmond Independent Press” and “Independent Press in D.C. and Virginia: An Underground History.”

Brumfield recently discussed his new book, and explained what made the Virginia State Penitentiary so notorious.

Read the full interview in VCU News.

Photo: Serial killer Henry Lee Lucas was incarcerated at the Virginia State Penitentiary for five years in 1954 on grand larceny charges. Credit via Brian McNeill for VCU News.

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Graduating senior Amarise Carreras isn’t opposed to going the extra mile for her studies—or going 300 miles. In her junior year, she poured her heart into a documentary project that proved to be equal parts exhausting and exhilarating.

“I wanted to really prove myself,” says Carreras, “so I took a train to New York for a day to photograph the neighborhood I grew up in. When I came back I decided to make a photobook out of it in a night.”

For hours, Carreras wrestled with the task. Properly sequencing the book was a challenge, but she eventually decided to glue together pieces of matte paper to get the pages to flip correctly. The extraordinary effort she gave the project in such a compressed period of time was, she says, “one of the best decisions I’ve ever made for sure. … That’s where making work genuinely started for me.

Carreras felt confident as a photographer before entering Art Foundation, but during the program she was challenged through a number of different mediums. Even as she was drawn to the Photography + Film program, she wanted to integrate the newest hands-on skills she had developed in Art Foundation. “I wanted to get back to [photography] and see what I was able to make after learning what I had about making.”

Carreras’s deft combinations of craft, sculpture and photography has rightfully earned her acclaim. Her senior thesis project—funded in part by the department’s Senior Project grant—won Best in Show at the Photography + Film Senior Thesis Exhibition, “Highlights and Chateaus,” in May.

“It was a really overwhelming feeling of accomplishment after seeing all the hard work everyone put into their work and the show. I felt a huge amount of support from my professors and the way they advocated for me and my work.”

Carreras says her guiding principle in artmaking is based in challenging herself for the sake of what she knows. “Making art is a privilege,” she explains. “Once an artist recognizes that as a responsibility, the way one makes things changes. It doesn’t matter what your resources are as long as you embrace what you have to make something.”

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This weekend, Kinetic Imaging alumni Allison Zigadlo (BFA ’17) and Triet Le (BFA ’17) will premiere their latest collaborative animation at Pocahontas Reframed: Native American Storytellers Film Festival. The animated short, featuring a dancing girl who sweeps away dark clouds, will serve as the introduction to the festival.

In March 2017, at the 25th French Film Festival, Zigadlo and Le unveiled their first 15-second short—a tribute to director Jacques Perrin and composer Bruno Coulais, drawn entirely in charcoal. The request came to them through festival director Peter Kirkpatrick, during their internship at the annual event. Zigadlo and Le were given even more creative freedom for Pocahontas Reframed after the success of their first opening short.

See the full schedule of films here.

Read more about Allison Zigadlo and Triet Le.

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Ronniqué Murray (BFA ’13) has been pictured in the New York Times in a review of Step Afrika! and mentioned in Broadway World as a standout.

While most of the music was created on stage, a particularly memorable piece was danced to Nina Simone’s recording of “My Man’s Gone Now.” During the Great Migration of African-Americans, men often left their families behind until they could make enough money to bring their wives and children up north as well. The standout in this piece was Ronnique Murray, who showed off her classical ballet training and long legs that brought Judith Jamison to mind.

Read the full New York Times article.
Read the full Broadway World article.

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Dance has been a constant in Taylor-Leigh Adams’s life. At VCUarts, her artistic skill and devotion to dance has led her to join a production of Liz Lerman’s Still Crossing before the Virginia General Assembly, and participate in student-created choreographies and performances. During her sophomore year, she was selected as an Outstanding Dance Student Leader; the following year, she was awarded a Joan Oates Scholarship for achievement in K-12 dance education. 

According to Adams, her craft is her guiding principle. “[Dance] has been my creative freedom,” she says, “my endorphin-high, my individual expression, my sense of discipline, and my way of life.”

Nevertheless, when she began applying to college, Adams suddenly doubted if being a professional dancer was for her. For two years, she took general education classes at a community college and at VCU “to figure myself out.” It wasn’t until a 2013 performance at the Grace Street Theater that she made up her mind to become a Dance + Choreography major.

“I distinctly remember attending the Dance Fall Senior Project concert … and bawling my eyes out both during and after the show because I knew that this is where I belong. No matter what I was doing, I had to be connected to the art and dance world.”

As a dancer at VCUarts, Adams has adapted her art form to a broad range of applications, reflecting the innovative spirit she brings to the classroom. She’s presented research on plant-based nutrition and ethics at the Dance Student Research Program, worked as a youth counselor at the American Dance Festival, participated in an independent study with the Richmond Ballet’s Minds in Motion program, and traveled as a dance diplomat to Panama to teach dance to underprivileged youth. 

After graduating this December, Adams plans to stay in Richmond through the spring to work with students and a guest artist. She also plans to attend the American College Dance Festival at VCU in March and to assist with the choreography of the Theatre department’s production of Into the Woods in April.

After that? “I am excited to travel the world looking for opportunities to perform, teach, collaborate with other artists, learn, and share the joy of dance with other people and cultures.”

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Becca Schwartz (BFA ’17) has been featured in eight exhibitions in 2017 at venues located in Richmond, Va.; Ventura, Ca.; South Korea; and Doha, Qatar. She was one of 15 recipients of the 2017 VSA Emerging Young Artists Program award, which includes a $2,000 prize. As a featured artist, Schwartz’s work Binghamton 2 will be included...

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Maryam Yousuf Al-Homaid (BFA ’10, MFA ’14) is an interdisciplinary designer and assistant professor in Graphic Design at VCUarts Qatar. She is co-curator of the recent 20/20/20 alumni exhibition in the Gallery at VCUarts Qatar, [pictured above], which celebrates two decades of art and design excellence since the branch campus was established.

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In the Fashion Merchandising program, Justina Dambrauskaite has taken advantage of some rare and special opportunities to gain professional experience. Through her Advanced Show Production class, she joined the production staff of this year’s VCUarts fashion show “Runway 2017: LAUNCH,” held at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, an experience that allowed her to see everything that goes into building a show from beginning to end. Dambrauskaite and her fellow seniors were in charge of multiple aspects of the show, from model selection and training to backstage operations. They also worked together to organize a variety of public and private events leading up to “LAUNCH.”

Dambrauskaite was also able to take design courses in the VCUarts Fashion department. “I’m so glad I did because I learned a lot about garment making and construction, and I know the knowledge and skills I’ve acquired will benefit me greatly in my future career.” She was even a costumer on the set of Macbeth Unhinged, a film by Angus Macfadyen (Braveheart, TURN) shot by Cinema students in 2014 and 2015. As a freshman, she was in charge of dressing the actors and caring for their costumes on- and off-screen.

An accomplished Fashion Merchandising senior with a bright future ahead, Dambrauskaite initially wasn’t sure if Richmond was where she wanted to study. However, a meeting with Associate Professor of Fashion Merchandising Donna Reamy drew her into the program at VCUarts. “Hearing fashion students talk about how much they love the merchandising program,” she says, “I was convinced fashion was the right fit for me. Now I can’t even imagine studying anything else.”

In January, Dambrauskaite was one of 10 students to win a $5,000 award from the Young Men’s Association Fashion Scholarship Fund, a nonprofit that encourages talented, creative young people to pursue fashion careers. “I remember feeling a sense of great achievement,” she says. “I strongly believe that the YMA FSF scholarship opened so many doors for my future in the fashion industry.” Indeed, at the 2017 YMA FSF Awards Gala in New York, she met a recruiter from Original Penguin who invited her to take a 10-week internship with the company. She spent the summer as a sales and planning intern with the company in New York City.

Dambrauskaite has had her sights on becoming a buyer in the fashion industry ever since she took the “Buying Simulation” class with Assistant Professor Deidra Arrington. However, after she graduates, she says, “I am open to exploring different areas of the industry and learning as much as I can.” She hopes to stay in Richmond and explore her career opportunities in the city before heading to Los Angeles or New York.

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Carmen Smith (BFA ’05) will be showing at Superfine!, a boutique contemporary art fair the first week in December, in correlation with Art Basel – Miami Beach.

While studying abroad in Saint Petersburg, Russia, Smith visited the Hermitage Museum often to get away from the cold and grab a coffee. Immediately upon returning to the States, she signed up for art classes, and in 2002, she enrolled at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts where she acquired a bachelor’s degree in fine arts.

Then it took 10 years for the now 40-year-old to finally become a full-time artist.

“The best part of being an artist is creating something that didn’t exist in the universe,” she says. “I feel like I’m doing something meaningful.”

Smith’s Hollywood studio is filled with paintings she describes as American modernism and tropical minimalism. But one thing that hangs on her wall that isn’t a painting is a Post-it note with a quote: “Do the work.”

Read the full article in Fort Lauderdale Daily.

Image from Fort Lauderdale Daily.

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Landing the perfect summer internship can be extremely beneficial to you in the future—network, learn new skills and get work experience for your resume. We know that the application process can be confusing and stressful, so we’ve laid out a few steps you can take to reach your goal internship.

5. Get a head start
Winter break is definitely a time for eating, relaxing and enjoying some quiet time. When you’re feeling a little too lazy, dedicate some time to researching places you’re interested in interning at. Most places will post their internship program details and application deadlines on their website. Pick your top five choices and set deadlines for yourself to get the applications done ahead of time.

4. Utilize your connections
Chances are, you know someone who has ties to the place you’re trying to land an internship. Post on Facebook, “I’d love to intern [here]. Anyone have work or intern experience with them?” If you get a response, talk to them about their experience and they might even be able to put in a good word for you.

3. Have a standout resume
Don’t be afraid to ask for help in this area. An effective resume will be tailored to the job description for each internship application. Get your resume critiqued by your school’s career services to make sure it’s application ready.

2. Do a mock interview and follow up afterward
Interviews can be the most nerve-wracking part of the application process, so be prepared. Do a mock interview with a career advisor, teacher or mentor to ensure that you are confident when walking into the real deal. After the interview, don’t forget to send a thank you letter or e-mail to whomever you spoke with thanking them for their time. You should also send an additional follow-up e-mail two weeks after the interview to reiterate your interest in the position and check on the status of your application.

1. Apply for travel funding
Landed your dream internship in the big apple? Awesome, but it’ll cost you to get there. See if your school has travel funds set aside or research various travel grants that will help you subsidize these costs. If you’re a VCUarts student, you can apply for support from our Internship Grant Program, which helps VCUarts students who need financial assistance participate in an internship.

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Distinguished VCUarts Professor Sonya Clark has been promoted to commonwealth professor, one of the highest honors that can be granted to a university employee, in recognition of her exemplary contributions to teaching, research and public service.

Clark, who served as chair the Department of Craft/Material Studies from 2006 through 2017, was awarded a universitywide Distinguished Scholars Award in 2016 and is a renowned artist whose work has been exhibited in more than 350 museums and galleries in the Americas, Africa, Asia, Europe and Australia.

“I came to VCU because it seemed fertile ground for art to spread its roots widely. My supposition proved accurate. Here I am, over a decade later, filled with deep gratitude for all who made this prestigious award a possibility,” Clark said. “I am truly grateful to be a recipient of this honor. Though within the context of this vibrant art community, the recognition doesn’t feel singular. The award serves as evidence of the contributions artists collectively make to this university’s research agenda and the overall well-being of our humanity. Together, I hope we will keep acknowledging and supporting the work art does to create dialog, to imbue us with empathy and to engender progress.”

Read the full article in VCU News.

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