Until Feb. 26, the Wilson Gallery in the Krannert Fine Arts Center will be displaying works from four faculty members within the communication and design arts department.These faculty members have juggled full-time teaching positions while maintaining their professional practices outside of the classroom. The exhibition boasts published books, paintings, photographs, videos and even 3D design work.Instructor of Art Tai Lipan, Professor of Communication Dr. David Baird, Associate … [Read more...]
SOMTD adapts to COVID-19 restrictions
Despite the obstacles COVID-19 has continued to present, the School of Music, Theatre and Dance (SOMTD) has been hard at work to ensure students still have opportunities to perform, connect with industry professionals and collaborate in a safe and healthy environment. This semester, the SOMTD will be producing two theatrical productions as usual, but in innovative ways—a PowerPoint opera and a musical podcast were not what anyone predicted for this spring’s productions, but the forced … [Read more...]
Annual MLK day celebrations persist
Martin Luther King Jr. Day is signified and celebrated on AU’s campus every year. All classes are suspended for the day, and you’ll find students, faculty and staff participating in the Peace and Justice March, attending forums on campus and joining in on city-wide events. Despite having to transition to a virtual format for this year’s celebration, various events still allowed the campus community and city to honor King’s life and legacy.The events on campus follow a theme every … [Read more...]
AU Cabinet appoints new Chief Diversity Officer
President John Pistole and members of the university’s cabinet recently appointed Mike Thigpen as Chief Diversity Officer. Thigpen serves as the Director of the Cultural Resource Center (CRC) and multicultural and international student services. He will continue there as he steps into this new position.“Mike Thigpen is a well-known, well-respected leader on campus and in the community,” Pistole said regarding why Thigpen was chosen for the position. “He has a long history of service in … [Read more...]
Fall musical brings depth and vulnerability to the stage
“See Me: The Music of Lynn Lupold” will be premiering on the Byrum Hall stage Nov. 19 through Nov. 21. Presented by Boze Lyric Theater, the show was filmed by AU’s Black Bird Media Lab consisting of cinema and media arts students and will be live streamed through the three days. Professor of Dance Kenny Shepard is the mind behind the show and has earned a great deal of recognition from its success.“‘See Me: The Music of Lynn Lupold’ is based on a show the composer and I wrote and … [Read more...]
Ministry persists on campus despite COVID-19
By Rebekah HisleDespite COVID-19 restrictions affecting chapel attendance, many students have been working to share the love of God at AU through campus ministries.Every week Hadley Duke, a senior music business and journalism major at AU leads 10:07, a student-led worship ministry on campus. “A small group of students hold acoustic worship at 10:07 p.m. every Tuesday night,” said Duke. “We normally sing around seven songs, and it's just a time for open worship and … [Read more...]
AU hosts musical theatre and dance livestream
On Sept. 16 and 19, AU put on livestream performances for the department of musical theater and dance department that reached over 1,000 views. Kris Rinas, the director of studio and technical operations at AU, led the film students in capturing the events. “We took our broadcasting cameras from the studio and took them into Reardon and we controlled the broadcast from our control room in the Broadcast Center while everyone else was on stage,” Rinas said. Director of … [Read more...]
‘Fall into Dance’ to embrace new look
The annual “Fall into Dance” put on by AU’s Dance Program will still be taking place this year, but it will look slightly different than it has in the past. Fall into Dance will take place in Reardon Auditorium on Friday, Nov. 6 at 7:30 p.m. and will only be open to family members due to social distancing requirements, but members of the public will be able to watch the live stream. Senior dance major Meredith Haskell explained that she is encouraged by the ability to have a … [Read more...]
Cinema and media arts program increases cross-campus collaboration
Despite the unforeseen circumstances, the cinema and media arts program has found numerous opportunities to work with other departments and programs this semester. Students within the cinema and media arts program have been working with the School of Music, Theatre and Dance, other programs within the department of communication and design arts and President Pistole. The students within the program will also be broadcasting the virtual graduation over homecoming weekend. Cinema … [Read more...]
Wilson Gallery welcomes modernist works
The Wilson Gallery has recently opened its exhibit showcasing items from AU’s permanent collection housed on campus.This collection, titled the Legacies of Modernism, displays numerous artists’ works within the artistic styles of modernism and expressionism. Tai Lipan, the director of the Wilson Gallery, explained the importance of displaying the Legacies of Modernism collection and the other various AU-owned collections.“Over the course of three years as director of … [Read more...]