March 2022 College News

COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS AND COMMUNICATION MARCH ISSUE | SPRING 2022 LETTER FROM THE DEAN DR. JOHN FLEMING Tese are exciting times in the College of Fine Arts and Communication. Faculty and students continue to win awards. Laurie Fluker won the Erma Johnson Hadley Faculty of the Year from the Texas Association of Black Personnel in Higher Education (p.10). Ana Baer won a Best Experimental Film Award in London (p.8). Dimitar Ninov won a First Prize for composition at the International Festival of Wind Orchestras (p.13). Ana Martinez won the Texas Association for Chicanos in Higher Education Award for Mentor of the Year (p.16). Teatre students won 23 awards at the regional Kennedy Center American College Teatre Festival, with four students advancing to the Kennedy Center as National Finalists; theatre has now had 62 National Finalists (pp.18-19). Faculty are presenting their research and creative work both nationally and internationally. Art and Design faculty were active in Hartford, Houston, Boston, Austin, San Antonio, Marfa, and Charlotte as well as Sao Paolo, Brazil and Paris, France (pp. 2-3). In addition, one of Jennifer Datchuk’s works was acquired by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art for their permanent Chinese Art collection (p.3). Communication Studies faculty participated in podcasts, presented research at Penn State, and worked the Beijing Olympics (pp.6- 7). In Music, Nico Schüler presented research at six international conferences, while Michael Ippolito debuted a new song cycle at the Kennedy Center (pp.12-13). Richard Hall’s music accompanied screen- dances that were presented in Trinidad, Spain, Brazil, Sweden, and Greece (p.15). Alumni are also making their impact. Music has alumni performing with the Houston Symphony Orchestra, Boston Pops, Quad City Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, and the Colour of Music Festival Orchestra (p.15). Teatre alumni appeared on Saturday Night Live and Tony-winning alum John Benjamin Hickey directed the Broadway revival of Plaza Suite , starring Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker (pp.17- 18). My gratitude and congratulations to all! FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA! CONTENTS f inearts.t xstate.edu facebook.com/t xstcollegefac instagram.com/t xstfac twitter.com/t xstfac youtube.com/t xstatecollegefac ART AND DESIGN [PG. 2] COMMUNICATION STUDIES [PG. 6] DANCE [PG. 8] JOURNALISM AND MASS COMMUNICATION [PG. 10] COVER PHOTO: Te Texas State Division of Dance opened their production of Merge Reframed in late February. [ P G . 9 ] MUSIC [PG. 12] THEATRE [PG. 16]