Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design

Westphal College News & Events

Philadelphia Orchestra Back on Campus

The Westphal College and Pennoni Honor’s College launch this season’s College Performance Concert Series featuring musicians from The Philadelphia Orchestra with a concert this Thursday. Our second season of concerts once again offers students and the Drexel community the chance to hear incredible chamber music in an informal campus settings. Each concert is structured to allow interaction with the musicians, free food and, by the way, the concerts are always free.  Our opening concert will feature The Philadelphia Orchestra’s violinists Daniel Han and Yayoi Numazawa and pianist Natalie Zhu on Thursday, October 9 at 8 PM in Van Rensselaer Ballroom. The concert series will continue with a November concert and two additional concerts in the New Year.

Han, Numazawa and Zhu began studying and performing as young children. When they are not playing with the Philadelphia Orchestra, they travel the world performing concerts as soloists and with chamber ensembles.  Mr. Han begins his third year with the Philadelphia Orchestra and is the recipient of numerous awards and performance residencies. Ms. Zhu has performed worldwide since 1994 and enrolled at the Curtis Institute of Music at age 15. She recently completed a Master of Music degree from the Yale School of Music. Ms. Numazawa joined the Philadelphia Orchestra in 1995 while still a student at the Curtis Institute.  She took up the violin at age five, winning her first competition at age twelve, and she has taught many talented students in her private studio.

DETAILS

• College Performance Series: Daniel Han, Yayoi Numazawa, and Natalie Zhu
• Thursday, October 9, 8:00 PM
• Van Rensselaer Ballroom (3320 Powelton Avenue)
• FREE and Open to the Public
• For More Information call: 215-895-1267

Graphic Design Student Work to Aid Rwandan Villagers

The small Rugerero Survivors village in western Rwanda is home to many survivors of that country’s violent past. The villagers hand press sunflower oil, that they then sell, to support themselves. Now, a grant awarded to Graphic Design Program Director Jody Graff and the Westphal College by Sappi Fine Paper’s Ideas that Matter program will enable our students to work with the villagers to create product packaging and brand identity so that their sunflower oil can be sold throughout their country and beyond. 

Sappi’s Ideas that Matter program is the only grant giving program for the graphic design profession and has funded over 225 projects with over eight million dollars since 1999. Jody Graff explained, “Our students will use their training and design skills for a humanitarian effort that will affect many lives.” Click here to read more about the Sappi grants on Techpedia.org.

See Our New Dance Studio

We’re unveiling the newly constructed dance studio located next to the Mandell Theater with a reception and performance on October 3rd at 7 PM. The studio was created to support our new Dance major and has been named in honor of Ellen Forman, a Philadelphia dance pioneer. An original dance choreographed by the late Ms. Forman will be performed by the Drexel Dance ensemble and a video on Ms. Forman’s contribution to the Philadelphia dance scene will be shown.

Westphal now offers students a Bachelor’s degree in dance which can lead to a Master of Arts degree in dance/movement therapy in partnership with the College of Nursing and Health Professions or a Master of Science degree in elementary education with the School of Education.

Ellen Forman was the co-founder and director of South Street Dance Company and was a scholar on the work of Isadora Duncan. Each year she produced five concerts at the Painted Bride Art Center entitled Body/Language which brought together artists to explore the integration of text and dance. An innovative choreographer and a charismatic performer, Ms. Forman worked extensively as a teaching artist in residence for Philadelphia area schools. The new studio was made possible in part because of a grant from the Ellen Forman Memorial Fund, a donor advised fund of the Philadelphia Foundation. 

DETAILS:

• The Ellen Forman Memorial Dance Studio Grand Opening
• Friday, October 3, 7 PM
• Mandell Theater and Dance Studio, MacAlister Hall (33rd and Chestnut St.)
• Free and open to the public, reservation requested at 215-895-ALUM
• For more information visit www.drexel.edu/westphal/dance

Student Filmmakers with a Cause

For the third year in a row, Westphal Film & Video students will participate in The Tripod Initiative, a program of the Greater Philadelphia Film Office that funds students to produce videos for nonprofit organizations. These student films highlight important non-profit organizations and tell their stories in compelling ways. This year, our students’ video was for the Open Arms Adoption Network, an organization that offers a progressive approach to building healthy families through adoption. Produced by Film & Video students Josh Sgarlata, Eric Stalzer, Angelina Zak, Megan Ramsey, Alexandra Hanes and Noelle Kandigan, you can see their film here. Last year, our students’ spot was for Smith Memorial Playground and Playhouse in Fairmount Park. The Smith Playground and Playhouse has provided an extraordinary play space for over 10 million visitors in the past 100 years. Our students’ video for the Playhouse can be seen here.

The Tripod Initiative provides students with an ample budget to support their production and matches them with film making professionals who serve as mentors. To learn more about the Tripod Initiative, click here.

Thinking Pink in October

The Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design is named for the late Antoinette Passo Westphal, a 1959 graduate of the College who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1996. Shortly after her diagnosis, Antoinette, using her own experience and her wonderful abilities to get things done and work with people,
became a founding board member of Breastcancer.org, where she served until her passing in 2005. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and it’s a good time to remind our community that Breastcancer.org is the world’s leading resource for credible, medically vetted information and the home for a vibrant peer community providing unparalleled support for all of those affected by breast cancer.

Knowledge is essential to preventing and finding a cure for breast cancer. We encourage you to learn more and to get involved by visiting www.breastcancer.org where you will find information, upcoming events, ways to volunteer, and more.Click here for a full schedule of upcoming events, including College Night on the Lanes: ‘Bowling for Boobs.’

Breastcancer.org has recently launched a prevention initiative for young women inspired by Taking Care of Your “Girls”, a groundbreaking book written by Dr. Weissand her daughter Isabel. The book addresses the many questions young women have about breast development and breast cancer, and offers easy lifestyle tips that promote breast health and can help reduce the risk of breast cancer. Dr. Weiss and Isabel have honored their connection to our own dear Antoinette by dedicating their book to her. You can get a copy of Taking Care of Your “Girls” through the site or on loan by emailing comad@drexel.edu.

A child of Italian immigrants, Antoinette viewed her education at Drexel as a springboard to a rich life of selfless service to her family, her careers, and her University—which she never forgot. Antoinette, along with fellow founding Breastcancer.org founding board member Dr. Marisa Weiss, shared a vision to demystify the complex medical information about breast cancer, making it available to everyone at no cost. The reality now matches the vision: Breastcancer.org, a beacon of care until the care, is nearly ten years young. 

Christine Fortune, Class of 1938, Creates Major Scholarship Fund

In the 1930’s, opportunities for women in higher education were limited, but Christine Fortune saw Drexel’s College of Home Economics as a conduit to a career. After graduation in 1938, Ms. Fortune taught middle school in Trenton, NJ and worked for Westinghouse Electric before returning to Philadelphia to become the assistant to the dean of Admissions at Drexel. She lived in Allentown with her husband Robert who worked at Pennsylvania Power and Light Company for 35 years before becoming President and CEO of Aegis Insurance Society. The couple traveled extensively prior to Robert’s passing in 2006. 

“Robert and I wanted to help undergraduate female students get the kind of great education that prepared me for so much in my life,” said Ms. Fortune.  Her generous gift by Ms. Fortune creates an endowed scholarship in honor of Dean Ardenia Chapman that will fund 75% of one noteworthy female student’s education each and every year. “Dean Chapman was an expert in textiles and fashion who had an extraordinary influence on all of us young girls.” 

If you would like to make a difference for our students, please contact David J. Toll at 215-895-4982 or dtoll@drexel.edu to learn more about how you can support scholarships and Westphal College programs.

Economic Hard Times

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) and the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) were monumental New Deal programs that put millions of Americans to work during the Great Depression leaving us a legacy of major public buildings and enduring art projects. Dr. Gray Brechin, co-founder of the ‘Living New Deal Project,’ is the first speaker of this year’s Farajollah & Maryam Badie AARFA lecture series in architecture. His presentation Another World Was Possible: The Indispensible New Deal Today will be at the Mandell Theater on October 21st at 6:30 PM.

Dr. Brechin’s lecture will address the important engineering and architectural achievements of the WPA and the CCC and their relevance today. Under the aegis of the WPA, such public buildings and roads as Laguardia Airport, Camp David and the Golden Gate Bridge were built. Founded in 2003, the ‘Living New Deal Project’ is a collaborative effort attempting to document the engineering and architectural achievements of Depression-relief agencies. 

DETAILS:

• AARFA lecture series in architecture: Dr. Gray Brechin
• Tuesday, October 21, 6:30 PM
• Mandell Theater (MacAlister Hall, 33rd and Chestnut St.)
• Free and open to the public

Architecture Student Show

Graduating architecture students complete their studio sequence by choosing an independent thesis project on a design challenge. Their impressive drawings, models and digital images, resulting from these year-long projects, are on display at the Leonard Pearlstein Gallery through October 24th.  This is your chance to see the finalists in the Izenour and the Stewardson competitions and the medal winners in the Michael Pearson Thesis Prize.  

DETAILS:

• Annual Exhibit of Architecture Student Work
• Now through October 24
• Leonard Pearlstein Gallery (Nesbitt Hall, 33rd & Market St.)
• Gallery Hours, Monday through Thursday 11 AM–7 PM and Friday 11 AM–5 PM
• Free and Open to the Public
• For more information, call 215.895.2409 or email gallery@drexel.edu

Faculty Focus: Jen Blazina

Jen Blazina, Assistant Professor in the Art & Art History Department, is a mixed media artist who focuses on screen printing and large-scale installations. Beyond an extensive schedule of solo and group exhibitions, Jen conducts workshops & master classes, and she lectures in the States and abroad. The Cranbook Art Museum in Bloomfield, Michigan, the Kala Art Institute in Berkeley, California, and The Toledo Museum of Art in Ohio are three of eight institutions that house permanent collections of Jen’s work. 

Since 1997, Jen has been featured in 27 solo exhibitions and 64 group exhibitions. Her large scale exhibit, Recollection, was shown in Philadelphia, Miami and Chicago.  She has also exhibited in solo exhibitions in Belgium, Germany, New York, New Mexico and Florida. Jen’s recent group and two-person exhibits include Multiplicity, an exhibit at the American University Museum in Washington, D.C., Time Capsules at Gallery Imperato in Baltimore and Historia, Jen Blazina and Michael Markwick in Dordrecht, Netherlands. 

Jen is represented by galleries in Chicago, Baltimore, Philadelphia and Palm Springs.  “I will continue to exhibit, lecture and conduct workshops,” Jen said. “It is important for me to experiment with my work technically, educate myself further in a variety of media and challenge myself conceptually to broaden the themes and content in my work.”

In the summer of 2008, Jen was a resident artist at the Frans Masereel Centrium in Belgium for a four week printmaking workshop. She was awarded residencies at Scuola di Grafica in Venice, Italy and the Kala Institute of Art. In 2009, she will be the resident artist at the Toos Neger Studio in the Netherlands.  The National Endowment for the Arts recently awarded Jen an artist residency grant at the Woman’s Studio Workshop in Rosendale, New York.  She has also received the Maryland State Art Council Individual Artist Grant, and locally, the Windows of Opportunity Grant from the Leeway Foundation, and the Independence Foundation Artist Fellowship Grant.

Jen describes working with multiple pieces of art in large-scale exhibits as a “conglomeration of one experience,” where she can create a space and organize her pieces into a specific vision.

Matt Duke Releases New Album

MAD Dragon recording artist Matt Duke has just released his new CD Kingdom Underground through Rykodisc Records, a subsidiary of Warner Music. A fantastic self-taught guitarist and a great singer, Matt combines elements of jazz, folk, pop and even grunge and progressive rock into his songs. Matt’s release is the first under our recently negotiated and expanded deal with Rykodisc. Kingdom Underground is featured on the i-Tunes home page as well as on Matt’s MySpace page. Click here to listen to new songs or better yet come to Matt’s performance at World Café Live on October 5th at 7 PM.

Dance Photography

Philadelphia dance photographers JJ Tiziou, Bill Herbert, Bob Emmott, Gabriel Bienczycki and Deborah Boardman will discuss their work in Capturing Movement: The Art of Dance Photography on October 16th at the Mandell Theater. JJ Tiziou has been taking photos at the Philadelphia Fringe Festival since 2003; Bill Herbert has taken dance photos for companies including FloMotion, Illadelph Legends of Hip Hop, BalletX, and most recently the Koresh Dance Studio; Bob Emmott, a professional photographer since 1970, has collaborated with Jeanne Ruddy Dance on their work Breathless, where his images were an integral part of the production design; Gabriel Bienczycki recently worked with Seattle Dance Project on their Project Orpheus and Project One; and Deborah Boardman has been photographing performing artists including dancers in The Pennsylvania Ballet and the Metropolitan Dance Academy for 24 years.

DETAILS:

• Capturing Movement: The Art of Dance Photography
• Thursday, October 16, 7 PM
• Mandell Theater (33rd and Chestnut St.)
• Free and open to the public
• For more information click here or email Miriam Giguere at mgg22@drexel.edu.

Student Business Concept Competition

As part of Global Entrepreneurship Week this November, the Westphal College is co-sponsoring a business concept competition in which students are asked to submit business ideas to assist senior citizens to live independently and safely in their own homes. Submissions are due by Monday, November 10th, and will be presented before a panel of judges on Monday, November 17th. Cash prizes will be given to 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners. For more information on the competition and a submission form, click here. For the week-long schedule of events, which includes keynote speaker Dr. Majd Alwan, East Coast Director for the Center for Aging Services Technologies (CAST), click here.

DETAILS:

• Global Entrepreneurship Week Student Business Concept Competition
• November 17, 2008
• Submissions due to Dr. Jean S. MacFadyen at jsm43@drexel.edu by November 10
• Click here for more information and a submission form 
• Click here for the Global Entrepreneurship Week schedule of events
• If you have any questions, please email Dr. Jean S. MacFadyen at jsm43@drexel.edu

DSMR and Fashion Alumni Workshop

Beth Phillips of the Design & Merchandising program and the principal of Phillips International Career Development and Transition Services will conduct the workshop ‘Managing Your Own Career’ for alumni interested in taking the next step in their Fashion or Design & Merchandising career.  This career workshop is on October 25th from 9 AM to 3 PM. The registration fee is $50 and includes a copy of the 4th edition of Fashion Careers: The Complete Job Search Workbook as well as breakfast and lunch. Click here to register or call 1-888-DU-GRADS.

DETAILS:

• ‘Managing Your Own Career,’ Fashion and Design & Merchandising Workshop
• Saturday, October 25, 9 AM-3 PM
• Nesbitt Hall (33rd & Market St.)
• Registration is $50
• Click here to register or call 1-888-DU-GRADS

Calling All Actors:

All Drexel students are invited to audition for the inaugural season of the Director’s Lab theater production of  the short comedies All in the Timing by well-known playwright David Ives. Auditions are Thursday, October 9th at 7:00 pm in Main Auditorium and Sunday October 12th at 7:00 pm in the Mandell Theater. One play in the All in the Timing plays  is entitled "The Philadelphia." It’s about a man who thinks he is just having a bad day, only to be told that he has fallen into a metaphysical hole called Philadelphia. In Philadelphia, everything goes wrong: the taxis don't take you where you want to go, and no matter what you order at a restaurant, you'll only get a cheesesteak.  All in the Timing will be staged at the end of fall term.  If you’re looking for your big break, stop by the performing arts office, 2018 MacAlister and pick up a copy of the script.  If you want more information about auditioning, please contact Nick Anselmo at nick.anselmo@drexel.edu

DETAILS:

• Auditions for All in the Timing by David Ives
• Thursday, October 9, 7-10 PM, Main Auditorium
• Sunday, October 12, 6-10 PM, Mandell Theater
• Audition scripts: 2018 MacAlister
• More information: nick.anselmo@drexel.edu

The Shirt Off Our Back!

Last year Music Industry student and Westphal’s USGA representative Dylan Steinberg led a college-wide contest to design a Westphal T-shirt which has now been produced for all incoming freshmen and transfer students. Graphic Design student Sasha McCune’s design was chosen as the winner and we’ve created her t-shirt in women’s and men’s sizes. To get yours, please stop by the Dean’s office in Nesbitt Hall (Room 130) no later than October 17th and remember to bring your Drexel ID.

Zipped Up At Fashion Week

Fashion Design alumna Autumn Kietponglert’s ‘Zipper Dress’ was prominently featured during Spring Fashion week in NYC and was purchased by YKK Corporation of America. Autumn’s design was shown in the main rotunda on Fashion Week’s opening day, at the same location for the shows of designers Marc Jacobs, Carolina Herrera, Oscar de la Renta, Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein and more. YKK is the world’s largest zipper company and click here to read a write-up about the dress. 

 

New Fashion Show Home

It took us thirty years, but first we outgrew the Mandell Theater and now we’ve outgrown the Crystal Tea Room where nearly 1,500 people saw our most recent Fashion Show. We’re very excited that the 30th Annual Fashion Show will be presented at the incredible Urban Outfitters headquarters at the Philadelphia Navy Yard. Mark your calendars for a very special Saturday June 6th, where our students’ designs and the historic venue are likely to make for our greatest Fashion Show ever.

Cinema Costume Classics

Deborah Nadoolman Landis, costume designer for Raiders of the Lost Ark, Animal House and The Blues Brothers, will be on campus for several days to work with students in the Fashion and Design & Merchandising Department as a Rankin-Scholar-In-Residence. Dr. Landis, whose costume designs for Raiders of the Lost Ark are included in the collections of the Smithsonian Institute, will give a talk open to all those in the University community with an interest in costume design and the movies.

Major Dance

Our Dance program and its director, Dr. Miriam Giguere, are seeing years of work come to fruition.  Our first class of dance majors begins this fall and construction is complete on our new dance studio, located right next to the Mandell Theater. On October 3rd, we’ll host a reception to show off the studio which has been named in honor of Ellen Forman, a pioneer in the Philadelphia dance scene. Later in the month, Philadelphia photographers JJ Tiziou, Bob Emmott and Bill Herbert will present a lecture on the art of capturing dance as a still image.  The Drexel Dance Ensemble has three concerts in the works: Arrivals and Departures, ‘A Celebration of Bach,’ a collaboration with our Music program, and a spring concert that includes new work by guest choreographer Meredith Rainey of the Pennsylvania Ballet.  Also in the Spring we’ll be hosting an exhibit of dance photography from the Smithsonian Institute entitled The Dancer Within , featuring the work of Rose Eichenbaum.

World-changing Graphics

We recently acquired a remarkable collection of Polish poster art assembled as  a lifetime passion by collector Frank Fox.  Now we’ll showcase some of the collection’s finest pieces in the Leonard Pearlstein Gallery along with a screening of filmmakers Andrea Marks and Glenn Holsten’s Freedom on the Fence, their documentary exploring the political, social and artistic import of poster art in Poland. Marks and Holsten, as Rankin-Scholars-In-Residence, will give a lecture open to the public and work with Graphic Design and Film & Video students.

On the Boards

The Theater Program and the Drexel Players’ ambitious season includes Blood Brothers, a rags-to-riches musical drama about a woman whose twins are separated at birth, and  Red Herring, a very funny satire of love and murder entangled up with nuclear espionage and I Love Lucy. The Late Night Series is back and and will feature the Combustible Radio Theater with a September 26th WKDU radio broadcast of live drama, and the music of student Jonah Delso, who, when we last checked, was opening for Coldplay this summer at the Wachovia Center.

Family Photos

Since the late 1990’s, Photography Professor Andrea Modica has been spending time with the Baker family in Fountain, Colorado. This spring, we’ll present Andrea’s large-scale studies of their professional and personal lives in an exhibition entitled Fountain, Colorado in the Pearlstein Gallery

University 101

Life on Mars and True Blood aren’t the only new shows hitting TV this fall.  University 101, our new student produced drama series, will premiere on DUTV. University 101 follows the lives of six college students, their parents and faculty at fictitious Dexter University. Screenwriting students wrote the scripts, Film & Video students handled the production, Fashion and Interior Design students did costumes and sets, and Music Industry students are doing the scoring for the series which features a cast of professional actors.

Shoes and Chairs

Rest Your Feet, exploring the history and evolution of shoes and chairs, will be our November exhibition at the Pearlstein Gallery.  The exhibit will include the work of such notable designers as Roger Vivier, Salvatore Ferragamo, Herman Miller, Knoll International and Prada. The exhibition will feature a lecture series that will present Linda O’Keeffe, creative director of Metropolitan Home, and Valerie Steele, author and director of the museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology.

Master Calligrapher

Chukin Takagi, a master calligrapher from Japan, will exhibit her work in the Pearlstein Gallery as a Graphic Design Rankin Scholar.  Chukin’s latest work includes expressive typography and a visual translation of a 7th century Buddhist chanted teaching,
Hannyashingyou.  In addition to showing her work, Ms. Takagi will lecture and work with students on this ancient art form that once created, cannot be altered.

Bluebird

After three successful seasons featuring residencies with Pig Iron Theater, the Commonwealth Theater Company and New Paradise Labs, the Mandell Professionals in Residence Project (MPiRP) recently received its first ever Barrymore Nomination for PROM.  This year MPiRP welcomes award winning theater company EgoPo Productions and the acclaimed contemporary music group Orchestra 2001 for a year-long residency that welcomes students to learn and perform alongside professionals. The residency will culminate with the world premiere production of Bluebird.

Designed and Built

This year’s ARFAA architectural lecture series kicks off with Dr. Gray Brechin, co-founder of the ‘Living New Deal Project.’ His lecture, ‘Another World Was Possible: The Indispensible New Deal Today,’ will address the important engineering and architectural achievements of the W.P.A. and other Depression-era relief efforts and their relevance to today. Also, the student design solutions created for the recent Architecture for Humanity charrette will be on display at the new AIA Design Center as part of 2008 Design Philadelphia.

20th Century Art

Last year, Antony Penrose gave a spell-binding lecture about the art and lives of his parents: surrealist English painter Roland Penrose, and fashion and war photographer Lee Miller. We were so impressed with Antony, the director of the Lee Miller Archive and the Roland Penrose Estate, that we invited him back to spend several days as a Rankin Scholar lecturing on 20th Century Art.

Chartbusters

MAD Dragon Records recording artist Matt Duke’s new CD Kingdom Underground is due out Sept. 23rd on Rykodisc Records, a subsidiary of Warner Music, the first release under a recently negotiated and expanded deal between MAD Dragon and Rykodisc. The coming months will see a new release from Andrew Lipke and we’re looking to present Matt, Andrew, The Swimmers and and all the MAD Dragon artists at the 3rd Annual MAD Dragon Concert this February at the Mandell Theater.

Music to our Ears

Our Music Program will perform over thirty concerts by twelve different ensembles.  We’ll be playing at venues all over campus including the Mandell Theater, the Main Building’s Great Court and on the Quad. The Chamber Singers will hold their 19th annual Madrigal Dinner and our 10th Annual Jazz Extravaganza will feature the Spelman College Jazz Ensemble performing alongside our Jazz Orchestra in a night dedicated to the Jazz Masters. A complete list of this year’s Performing Arts event can be found here.

National Science Foundation funds 3-D Colonial Philadelphia Project

Digital Media Professor Glen Muschio is part of a team of Drexel College of Engineering faculty who have just received a National Science Foundation grant of over $700,000 for work on 3- D Colonial Philadelphia. The grant is to fund research that seeks to develop an algorithm that could automate the virtual reconstruction of manufactured ceramic shards recovered from archaeological sites. A virtual process could reduce the need for time consuming physical reconstruction, and would have implications for cataloging and retrieving information of archaeological importance. The team is working in collaboration with the National Park Service which is supplying a sample of ceramic shards recovered from the grounds upon which the National Constitution Center now stands.  If successful, the research will prove invaluable to archeologists working throughout the world.

3-D Colonial Philadelphia is an ongoing research project of the Digital Media Program. Among its goals is the creation of a repository for virtual artifacts and digital assets associated with colonial life so as to provide searchable databases for scholars, researchers, educators and the general public. The project’s objective is to create a digital environment appropriate for teaching colonial American history in the classroom and at historic sites. Digital Media faculty and students have a number of projects underway. Professor Chris Redmann has guided students in building 3D models of 18th century historic homes and structures in and around Philadelphia including Franklin Court, the home of Ben Franklin, and a brick house which once stood in the vicinity of Fifth and Arch Streets. The house was rented to James Oronoko Dexter, a prominent and free African American. Other 18th century structures include the Mill at Anselma in Chester Springs, PA and the Whitall House, home of wealthy Quaker entrepreneurs that still stands in Red Bank Battlefield Park, Woodbury, NJ.

Nomination for PROM

PROM, the original theater project that featured the collaboration of Drexel students and the New Paradise Laboratories, has been nominated for a Barrymore Award for Excellence in Theatre, Philadelphia’s awards for theater excellence and originality.  PROM was presented as part of our Mandell Professionals in Residence Project (MPiRP) which brings professional performing arts companies to campus to work with students and to stage productions.  The shoe was nominated for Outstanding Choreography/Movement recognizing the work of director Whit MacLaughlin and co-director and choreographer Lee Ann Etzold.  This recognition is especially gratifying as PROM featured ten Drexel students who spent months learning and developing the choreography for this inventive production. The PROM nomination represents the first MPiRP production nominated for the prestigious Barrymore Award; over 100 professional theater productions were considered for this year’s awards.

At the Barrymore Awards presentation on October 6th at the Crystal Tea Room, many of the nominated actors and actresses will be attired in evening wear designed by our Fashion Design students. Our Design & Merchandising students will document the evening by photographing and covering the event for inclusion in next year’s D&M, the student produced magazine that accompanies our Annual Fashion Show.

Philadelphia Fringe Fest Comes to Drexel

Indigenous Pitch, a collective of Philadelphia-based dance companies, will take the Mandell Theater by storm in their performances of ‘Manic Swell, ’a Philadelphia Live Arts Fringe Festival presentation, sponsored in part by the Westphal College. The show will feature hip-hop theater, motion capture animation, multi-media dance and aerial stuntwork performed by Philly Fringe dance favorites Binc, Illadelphlave, Stephen Welsh/SWERVE, Underground Dance Works, Surge, and recent Westphal Digital Media graduate, Lauren Mandilian. 

Alumnus Lauren Mandilian will present Information Overload: A Collaborative Multimedia Performance. The modern dance, which incorporates animation, projections, real time video and motion capture, explores how society relates to technology. Back for its second showing at the Mandell Theater, this outstanding piece brings together several programs at Drexel including Performing Arts, Digital Media, Electrical and Computer Engineering and Music Industry.

Looking at insanity and memory through different stylistic lenses, the creators of ‘Manic Swell’ transport the audience into the eye of the storm with original live music, video/still projections and comic prop use. The City Paper called Indigenous Pitch ‘muscular, acrobatic, witty’ and The Philadelphia Inquirer wrote that they are ‘hilarious, quirky and always inventive.’

Do not miss this electrifying line-up of contemporary dance and multi-media. Performances of ‘Manic Swell’ are Friday, September 5th at 7 PM, Saturday, September 6th at 2 PM and 7 PM and Sunday, September 7th at 7 PM. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased through the Fringe Box Office by clicking here, or by calling 610-853-9656.

DETAILS:

• ‘Manic Swell’
• September 5, 7 PM; September 6, 2 PM & 7 PM; September 7, 7 PM
• Mandell Theater, MacAlister Hall, 33rd and Chestnuts St.
• Tickets can be purchased at the Fringe Box Office here, or by calling 610-853-9656

Senior Design

As America’s elderly population grows, we need solutions to senior citizens’ special needs to make their lives healthier, more enjoyable and productive. Our Interior Design Program is in the middle of an extensive project exploring these seniors’ special needs. On September 4th we’ll announce the two teams of student finalists chosen after a term-length investigation of design challenges at senior care facilities. The winning teams’ designs will be constructed at the Philadelphia Convention Center this October as part of the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (AAHSA) annual conference. Also, on the evening of September 4th,  Daniel J. Cinelli and Joseph Hassell, principals of the prestigious Chicago design firm Perkins Eastman, with a strong interest in senior living communities, will present a lecture entitled ‘Trends for the New Consumer, Future Senior Living’ at 6 PM in Ruth Auditorium, Nesbitt Hall.

‘Alternate Environments,’ an Interior Design course taught by Henry Vega from the Ballinger firm, provided students with site visits and consultations with industry professionals to help them with their room designs. Perkins Eastman has been instrumental in our participation in this project and in addition to Mr. Cinelli and Mr. Hassell’s lecture, the firm is providing additional industry professionals to judge our students’ design concepts The winning designs will be constructed at the AAHSA conference, October 13-15, and Film & Video students will be on hand to capture all the action for a live webcast, distributed on AAHSA’s web site. At the end of the conference, one room will be selected by conference attendees and a cash prize of $1000 cash prize will be awarded.

Perkins Eastman is an award-winning design firm with 10 domestic and international offices. The lecture, which is sponsored by our Interior Design Program, will be in Ruth Auditorium at 6 PM on Thursday, September 4.  A reception will precede the lecture at 5 PM in Nesbitt Hall.

DETAILS:

• Interior Design lecture ‘Trends for the New Consumer, Future Senior Living’
• Daniel J. Cinelli & Joseph Hassel, Perkins Eastman
• Thursday, September, 4 PM
• Ruth Auditorium, Nesbitt Hall (3215 Market St)
• FREE
• More information call 215-895-2071

Congrats Graphic Design!

Graphic Design students continue their impressive run by winning numerous awards from two major competitions, The University & College Designers Association (UCDA) Annual Competition and the Creativity Awards Annual 38 International Competition. In the UCDA competition, judge’s evaluated nearly 1,600 entries from both students and professionals and awarded just 27 student project winners total—Drexel received eight! Andrew Wright won the Gold Award for his American Psycho book jacket and received two awards of excellence for his book jacket designs. The winning projects will be featured in an exhibition at the Annual UCDA Design Conference and Awards Ceremony October 4th-7th in Savannah, Georgia.

At the Creativity Awards Annual 38 Competition, Steve Nunes won awards for his Spoke Revolutions Bicycle Wheel packaging and his John Cage Poem & Music motion graphic, Ruslan Khaydarov won for his Don Quixote and Invisible Man book jackets, and Julia Dobbins won for her Leviathan book jacket and as part of a group Environmental Graphics Project. The winning entries will be printed in the Creativity 38 Annual, published spring 2009 by HarperCollins. How impressive is it that this publication features primarily professional work, with only about 1% student work? Click here to see a complete list of our winners.

The University & College Designers Association Winners

Gold Award Winner:

• Andrew Wright, American Psycho book jacket, Senior Book Design Project

Awards of Excellence:

• Olga Filipava, Origins packaging, Senior Packaging Project
• Michele Kopec, 80 Years of the Volkswagen Beetle, Senior Thesis Project    
• Andrew Wright, The Jazzy 8: Modern Masters book design, Senior Thesis Project
• Andrew Wright, Animal Farm book jacket, Senior Book Design Project   
• Ruslan Khaydarov, Invisible Man book jacket, Senior Book Design Project
• John Villani, The Jungle book jacket, Senior Book Design Project    
• Kyle Cook, Animal Farm book jacket, Senior Book Design Project  

Creativity Awards Annual 38 International Competition Winners

• Steve Nunes, Spoke Revolutions Bicycle Wheel packaging, Senior Packaging project

• Steve Nunes, John Cage Poem & Music motion graphic, Senior Thesis project   

• Olga Filipava, Origins packaging, Senior Packaging project

• Trissie Harding, Split Pea Restaurant Identity, Restaurant Identity project

• Ruslan Khaydarov, Don Quixote book jacket, Senior Book Design Project   

• Ruslan Khaydarov, Invisible Man book jacket, Senior Book Design Project

• Julia Dobbins, Leviathan book jacket, Senior Book Design project

• Julia Dobbins, Michele Kopec and Dan Steinberg, Rodchenko Exhibit/Environmental Graphics Exhibit/Environmental Graphics project

New Dance Studio for New Major

Drexel’s new Dance major is ready to unveil its brand new Ellen Forman Memorial Dance Studio. There will be a reception on October 3rd at 7 PM which will include a live performance of the late Mrs. Forman’s work performed by the Drexel Dance ensemble. A video that details Mrs. Forman’s contribution to the Philadelphia dance scene will also be shown.

A Philadelphia dance pioneer, Ellen Forman was the co-founder and director of South Street Dance Company and was a scholar on the work of Isadora Duncan. Each year she produced five concerts at the Painted Bride Art Center entitled Body/Language which brought together artists to explore the integration of text and dance. An innovative choreographer and a charismatic performer, Ms. Forman worked extensively as a teaching artist in residence for Philadelphia area schools.

Westphal now offers students a Bachelor’s degree in dance which can lead to a Master of Arts degree in dance/movement therapy in partnership with the College of Nursing and Health Professions or a Master of Science degree in elementary education with the School of Education. The new studio, constructed in what was previously the Living Arts Lounge, was named in honor of Mrs. Forman following a grant from the Ellen Forman Memorial Fund, a donor advised fund of the Philadelphia Foundation.

DETAILS:

• The Ellen Forman Memorial Dance Studio Grand Opening
• Friday, October 3, 7 PM
• Mandell Theater and Dance Studio, MacAlister Hall (33rd and Chestnut St.)
• Free and open to the public, reservation requested at 215-895-ALUM
• For more information visit www.drexel.edu/westphal/dance

Meet This Year’s MPiRP Artists

Performing Arts is hosting a reception showcasing this year’s Mandell Professionals in Residence Project (MPiRP), BLUE, from award-winning companies EgoPo Productions and Orchestra 2001. MPiRP will afford Drexel students the opportunity to work alongside theater and musical artists during this year-long residency that will culminate with the world premiere of BLUE in the spring 2009.

Based loosely on Maurice Maeterlink’s The Bluebird, BLUE is a modern fairytale of two children sent on a journey through fantastical worlds in search of the ‘Blue Bird of Happiness.’ This will be the first time students participating in MPiRP will collaborate with musicians as well as with a theatrical company.  

EgoPo will teach students choreography highlighting their expertise in movement-based versions of classic theater. Representing EgoPo at the reception will be Lane Savadove, Artist Director. Also attending will be Orchestra 2001’s Executive Director Ron Vigue and Artistic Director James Freeman, and Pulitzer Prize and Grammy Award winning classical composer George Crumb. Mr. Crumb will compose music for BLUE to be played by members of Orchestra 2001, and he'll attend music rehearsals and guest-lecture. Molly Rice, a playwright and composer who is adapting BLUE will also be in attendance. Please join us for the free reception on September 25th at 5 PM in the Mandell Theater (33rd & Chestnut St.).

Originally from New Orleans, EgoPo is a repertory theater company devoted to a vocal and physical style of acting. Nationally, they have staged over two-dozen shows in New York, New Orleans, Chicago and Washington, D.C. and internationally in Indonesia and Croatia. Founded in 1988, Orchestra 2001 is dedicated to contemporary American music.

DETAILS:

• MPiRP BLUE Kick-off reception
• Mandell Theater (33rd and Chestnut St.)
• Thursday, September 25, 5 PM
• Free and open to the public
• For more information, please visit www.drexel.edu/westphal.

Architecture Student Work in Pearlstein Gallery

The impressive work of our Architecture students will be on display in the Leonard Pearlstein Gallery for their annual exhibit beginning September 22nd and running through October 24th. Architecture students complete their studio sequence by undertaking a year-long independent comprehensive thesis project on a design challenge of their choice. The show will feature drawings, models and digital images of 2007-2008 thesis projects.  The projects on display will also include the medal winners and the finalists of the Michael Pearson Thesis Prize. An opening reception for the exhibit is October 1st from 5-7 PM.

DETAILS:

• Annual Exhibit of Architecture Student Work
• September 26 through October 29
• Leonard Pearlstein Gallery (Nesbitt Hall 33rd & Market St.)
• Opening Reception, Wednesday, October 1, 5-7 PM
• Gallery Hours, Monday through Thursday 11 AM–7 PM and Friday 11 AM–5 PM
• Free and Open to the Public
• For more information, call 215.895.2409 or email gallery@drexel.edu

Music Industry Leaders

Over the past six years, our Music Industry Program and its MAD Dragon enterprise have grown exponentially.  Hundreds of students apply for only 54 class seats in a program that is among the University’s most selective. Music Industry’s enterprise now includes the only student run record label with national distribution through Rykodisc, a subsidiary of Warner Music Group, and a host of related activities related to music publishing, promotion and video productions.

The extraordinary growth of the program requires an expansion of faculty leadership. Consequently, Professor Jim Klein will succeed Program Director Marcy Rauer Wagman as Music Industry Program Director while Professor Wagman continues as CEO of the expanding MAD Dragon UNLTD.

Jim Klein is a music industry veteran with two musical composition Emmys to his credit and thirty years of engineering, producing and composing experience.  Since 2000, Jim has been a composer for ABC’s All My Children, writing underscores and songs for the longstanding daytime series.

In addition to her leadership and teaching in Music Industry’s business and law track, Marcy Rauer Wagman will oversee student-run MAD Dragon Records, DraKo Booking Agency, MAD Dragon Publishing, MADKo Concert Promotions and MADFire Music Video Productions. Marcy’s extensive career in the music business began as a performer, opening for the likes of Elton John, and then as a producer and songwriter before she moved on to becoming an entertainment industry attorney. We are confident that under Marcy and Jim’s leadership our Music Industry program will remain one the most successful in the country. 

Fall Workshops in Media Arts

Westphal College of Media Arts & Design Media Arts workshops are free to all high school students serious about careers in Graphic Design or Photography. Spend a day experiencing college level instruction in Graphic Design or Photography with the faculty at the Westphal College of Media Arts & Design, Drexel University. The workshops will be project driven, hands-on experiences that will enhance college admissions portfolios for all interested students.

The day is divided into two sessions with lunch at the D.U. cafeteria. We will provide documentation of participation for your High School. To register call 215.895.1834. To experience the full range of our student work, click here to visit our student portfolio.

• Workshops in Media Arts: Graphic Design or Photography
• Drexel University, Nesbitt Hall, 33rd & Market St., Philadelphia, PA
• Friday, October 24 or Friday, November 21
• Full day, hands-on workshop 9 AM – 3 PM
• Free to all High School students
• Seating is limited. Call 215.895.1834 to register

The Next Generation of Westphal Students?

For high school students, summer is typically a time to hold a job, be a camp counselor, travel and have fun. While these may be three months without homework, some high-schoolers opt instead for our college’s intensive summer programs in Music Industry, Design & Merchandising, Architecture and Interior Design. The programs run in July and include classes, guest lectures, a stay in the dorms (except for Music Industry), meals in the dining hall and field trips.

The Music Industry summer program is hosting 65 students who are getting hands on experience in our recording studios and the opportunity to interact with industry guest speakers. The students choose from courses taught by our Music Industry faculty including Digital Audio Production, Music Business, Audio Engineering, How to Start Your Own Label, and workshops in Artist and Repertoire and Songwriting.

Students from the Delaware Valley and from as far away as Texas, California, Florida, North Carolina and Ohio come to the Design & Merchandising program. The immersive design curriculum allows students to explore design, product development and promotion of fashion and lifestyle brands. Student designers spend much of their time in the studio sketching, developing and promoting product using both hands-on and computer applications. Students visit local designers including Drexel alumni Abby Kessler and Katie Loftus who own and design all of the clothes for their Philadelphia boutique Smak Parlour. Guest speakers will address career opportunities and trends for the 21st Century. Field trips are offered to Philadelphia museums, theaters and restaurants to round out the program.

Both the Interior Design and Architecture programs have students spending time in the studio developing their design skills and gaining a better understanding of freehand drawing and 3D modeling computer software. Working architects and interior designers will welcome the students into their offices for tours and lectures and they’ll take advantage of Philadelphia’s architectural wealth with trips throughout the city. They will also take a field trip to New York. Each program ends with a showcase of student projects for friends, family and faculty. For more information on our summer programs click here.

What’s in a Name?

The Department of Architecture and Interior Design has just been renamed ‘The Department of Architecture and Interiors.’ Our Interior Design Masters program will now be named ‘Interior Architecture and Design.’ We believe that these new names better represent the breadth, scope and depth of our programs, both of which offer a comprehensive approach to all aspects of interior space.

Also, Interior Design graduate Fumie Nishio and Associate Department Head of Architecture & Interiors Rena Cumby were recently featured in an article on the front page of The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Home & Design section. Click here to read the article.

Costume Collection Gets Full-Time Curator

Evening and day wear, millinery, lingerie, lace and accessories make up Drexel’s Historic Costume Collection which is housed in the Westphal College. Our collection features the work of many of the significant designers of the 19th and 20th centuries including Beene, Balenciaga, Blass, Cardin, Pucci, DeLa Renta, Dior, Galanos, Givenchy, Lanvin, Schiaparelli, Trigere, Ungaro, Valentino, Vionnet and Worth.  We are very excited to welcome to the College our first full-time Curator, Clare Sauro. Having Clare on board will expand our ability to mount and travel exhibitions, to use the collection in classroom settings and to increase our conservancy efforts. Clare will also take a lead role in making new acquisitions possible.

Clare comes to us from the Fashion Institute of Technology where she was the Assistant Curator, first for their Costume Collection and then for their Accessories Collection. Clare received her Masters degree at F.I.T and has been working there since 1997. Prior to that, Clare worked at The American Museum of the Moving Image. We wish to express our appreciation to Bella Veksler who served as the part-time Costume Collection curator and who still teaches in Fashion Design. Stop by to see the collection on the 4th floor of Nesbitt Hall to say hello to Clare. The Collection can also be viewed online by clicking here. 

EAM Student Curates Pearlstein Exhibit

Entertainment & Arts Management student Tara Caton is curating an exhibition in the Leonard Pearlstein Gallery featuring artists she came to know through her co-op at The Center For Emerging Visual Artists (CFEVA). The exhibit, Far Away from the Beginning: A Departure from Childhood Idealism, runs from August 4th through September 5th.

Tara did her co-op at CFEVA, a non-profit arts organization. CFEVA’s mission is to coordinate a regional support system for visual artists; to promote deserving artists and their relationship with the community; and to increase access to visual art for everyone. In addition to the exhibit, students who aspire to be artists can attend an information session on the Career Development Program at CFEVA, given by the program’s director Amie Potsic. Artists selected for the Career Development Program develop their business and marketing skills through a rigorous public exhibition schedule, enhancing their abilities to promote their work. The information session is August 6th at 4:30 PM in the Pearlstein Gallery. An artist talk in the Gallery starts at 5:30 PM with a reception following.

DETAILS:

• Far Away from the Beginning: A Departure from Childhood Idealism
• The Leonard Pearlstein Gallery (Nesbitt Hall, 33rd & Market St.)
• Monday, August 4 through Friday, September 5
• CFEVA Information Session, August 6, 4:30 PM, Leonard Pearlstein Gallery
• Artist Talk, August 6, 5:30 PM, Leonard Pearlstein Gallery
• Opening Reception, August 6, 6-8 PM, Leonard Pearlstein Gallery
• Free and open to the public
• For more information on CFEVA visit www.cfeva.org

BITMAP Exhibit Unravels 8-bit Gaming

There is still time to see BITMAP: as good as new in the Leonard Pearlstein Gallery. The interactive exhibit, on display until July 25th, features old computer monitors and Nintendo and Atari game consoles that have been hacked into for artistic exploration. This unique exhibit offers the opportunity to explore all facets of early video game technology. There are paintings that emulate the technology of the time, game cartridges turned into action figures and several types of altered video game media.  8Bit, a film that describes the history of video games and how their sounds and graphics influenced contemporary culture, kicked off the exhibit. Director Marcin Romocki introduced the film and attended the exhibit’s opening reception. If anything and everything video gaming is your thing, then be sure to see BITMAP.

POPPED Success!

Drexel’s campus was ‘popping’ on June 21st as an all-star line-up of artists took the stage as the centerpiece of Philadelphia’s annual three-day music fest POPPED! Vampire Weekend, Gogol Bordello, Mates of State, The Ting Tings, Crystal Castles, Mr Lif and MAD Dragon recording artist Hoots and Hellmouth played to a crowd of 4,000. On the concluding day of POPPED!, MAD Dragon recording artist The Swimmers played a set at World Café Live.

The festival was a success thanks in part to many Music Industry students who worked to book the artists and promote the event. During the fest, our students assisted with production, served as artist liaisons and they helped the festival maintain their ‘green’ initiatives by ridding the fest of water bottles and using recycled paper for everything from tickets to sheet music. Music Industry Assistant Professor Terry Tompkins and Assistant Vice President for Institutional Advancement David Toll were instrumental in bringing the festival to Drexel. The event was a well-publicized success and we’re looking forward to POPPED! 2009.

A Year of Student Awards

Screenwriting

Judy Is A Punk, an offbeat coming-of-age comedy about an artistic teenage girl who is too smart for her own good, won Screenwriting student Eamon McIvor a Parisi Award (1st Prize) at the ‘Set In Philadelphia’ Screenplay Competition. He received the award this past Saturday as part of the Philadelphia Film Festival. This is the second straight year that our students have earned top honors under the direction of Instructor David Greenberg.

Film & Video

Four Film & Video students received awards at the Greater Philadelphia Student Film Festival. In the ‘Experimental’ category, Bryan Green’s (‘08) Something in the Way of Things won 1st Place and Marco Polo by Kevin Martin(‘09) received Honorable Mention. In ‘Documentary,’ Brian Crawford’s (‘08) The Hammer and the Butterfly won 2nd Place. In ‘Drama,’ Laura Rachfalski (‘09) received Honorable Mention for Aperture.

Graphic Design:

American Corporate Identity presented the following awards to Graphic Design students:

• Julia Fiorello: Green Mountain Coffee annual report
• Marcy Zuczek: Reading Terminal Market book
• Jess Hetzel: The Post Restaurant, menus, napkins, cups and coasters category and packaging for Wenger Swiss Army Office Supply
• Patrick McKeever: Kashi Lean packaging
• Julia Dobbins, Michele Kopec and Dan Steinberg: Rodchenko exhibit design
• Bradley Breneisen, Ruslan Khaydarov and Maria-Nefeli Stavrinidi: Noguchi exhibit design
• Olga Filipava: Origins packaging
• Steve Nunes: Godiva packaging
• Julia Dobbins: Verde packaging
• Michele Kopec: Bath and Body Works Pet packaging
• Bob O’Mara: LaColombe packaging
• Kevin Dietrich: Berry & Homer Digital Printing logo
• Allison Fegan: Smoke and Mirrors Jazz Nightclub logo

Photography (2008 & 2007):

• Carrie Strine won the ‘Photography 26’ Juror’s Award and Best in Show at the Moorestown, New Jersey Perkins Center for the Arts.
• Carrie Strine won a Juror’s Award at The Woodmere Museum Annual Juried Expedition.
• Carrie Strine won Honorable Mention at The Nikon/Photographers Forum ‘Best of College Photography’ International Competition.
• Carrie Strine won ‘Best of Show’ award at the 612 Gallery Annual Juried Show Center.
• Meghan Hull won Honorable Mention at The Nikon/Photographers Forum ‘Best of College Photography’ International Competition.
• Jeff Stockbridge was presented with a Challenge Grant from The Samuel S. Fleisher Art Memorial.
• Jeff Stockbridge was presented with a Fellowship from the Center for Emerging Visual Arts.
• Jeff Stockbridge won the Juror’s Award from the Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts.
• Dana Horvath won the Juror’s Award from Print Communications Professionals International (PCPI).
• Jacquelyn Tamny won Honorable Mention from The International Photography Awards (IPA).
• Isaac Schell was presented with a Challenge Grant from The Samuel S. Fleisher Art Memorial.
• Colleen Keihm won an award from Photo Review for Publication.
• Colleen Keihm won an award from Nexus Selects
• Missy Sweet won an award from Nexus Selects.
• Hiroyuki Nakamura’s 2007 work was chosen to be included in the Japan Society’s Retrospective Exhibition of Japanese American Artists.
• Tom Reynolds was presented with a Purchase Nomination from The Cranbrook Academy of Art.

Uk Jung, The Michael Pearson Architecture Prize, Gold Medal, ‘A Family Reunification Center for Korea’

David Artman, The Michael Pearson Architecture Prize, Silver Medal

Rebecca Vargas, The Michael Pearson Architecture Prize, Bronze Medal

Independent Music Awards (IMA), Best College Record Award 2008

John Stewardson Memorial Scholarship in Architecture 2008

Juried Product Design Competition, Interior Design Magazine’s “Future Furniture” 2008

Kling Stubbins Annual Interior Design Competition, First Place, Third Place, Honorable Mention 2008

Josh Smith and Dustin Carpio, Four Thorns for Aiden, West Chester International Film Festival ‘Chester’ award for ‘Best Pennsylvania Filmmaker’ and Honorable Mention for ‘Audience Choice,’ 2008

Veeraya Poramait, International Interior Design Association Student Competition, 2nd Place 2008

Meghan Meehan, International Interior Design Association Student Competition, 3rd Place 2008

Erica Louth, International Interior Design Association Student Competition, 3rd Place 2008

Jonathan Chizacky, West Jersey Chapter AIA Student Design Awards Program, 1st Place, 2008

Kyle Cook, ‘Chromesthesia,’ International Applied Arts Magazine’s Student Award Competition 2008.

Bryan Green,Something in the Way of Things, Newark Black Film Festival, Honorable Mention Paul Robeson Award, ‘Best Experimental’ category 2008

Christine Bugg,Emily Johnson, Jamie Hazley, Kerry Mahoney, Bridget Bramante, Rosebud, Baiada Business Plan Incubator Competition 2008. Received $8,000 cash prize, $15,00o in in-kind services and housing at the Baiada Center

Research Day Awards:

Dan Steinberg, who won 1st Place in the University’s Undergraduate Creative Arts/Design category for ‘You Are Now Here - A Renewal of Philadelphia’s Metropolitan Transportation System.’  Dan created a complete branding and visual identity system for SEPTA, Philadelphia’s public transportation system, including a redesigned SEPTA subway and transit map. 

Lauren Ciccarelli’s ‘Grief to Grace: An Examination of Jacqueline Kennedy’s reflection on the assassination of John F. Kennedy,’ which won her 1st Place in the University Graduate Creative Arts/Design category. Lauren’s dance choreography incorporated music, movement, costumes and lighting to portray the chaos and loss surrounding the assassination of President Kennedy.

John Sakoian’s ‘Winnsboro Community Classroom: A Sustainable Portable Classroom’ won 1st place in the University’s Undergraduate Innovation in the Education and Outreach category. John’s portable classroom was developed during the Architecture for Humanity Design Charrette as a design solution to provide classrooms to a town destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.

Alysson Cwyk’s ‘Students: Mural Arts Program’s Key to a Successful Future’ won 1st Place in the University’s Undergraduate Business Research Initiatives category. Alysson is currently an intern with the Philadelphia’s Mural Arts Program and will commence a formal co-op with the organization this summer.

Winners of the Westphal College Dean’s Award were:

Dylan Steinberg (’09), Film & Video, won for his short film Tough Choices: The Aftermath of a Sexual Assault. Steinberg illustrated the reality of a sexual assault victim’s journey in seeking justice for an often un-reported crime.

Kocayne Givner (‘10), Interior Design Graduate Program, won for ‘Materials Exploration,’ a project that used material, color, connectors, texture and form to create designs for a live model in a studio setting.

Kristen Lambert (‘08), Interior Design, explored the work of two iconic architects, Le Corbusier and Charles Eames. She focused on the architects’ prominent design elements to create new works of art using woodblock printmaking.

Denista Spasova (‘08), Art & Art History, won for her PROM poster. Spasova created a poster that communicated ‘bittersweet, wickedly funny, and wise thoughtful discovery’ for the current Mandell main stage production of PROM.

Michael Bucher (’09), Photography, presented his ongoing photo study of Philadelphia’s Lancaster Avenue. He displayed numerous photos of people and places across a wide spectrum of Philadelphia neighborhoods, and he also self-published his work as a book.

Also, Deborah Yarchun’s ‘Pulling the Illusion of the Ecstatic Nature of The Cult of Dionysus from the Origins of the Theatre’ won 1st Place in the College of Arts and Sciences Research Day for the Undergraduate Humanities and Social Sciences category. Her project depicted the rituals of the Cult of Dionysus in terms of the origins of theatre.

 

Graphic Design Senior Show

Our Graphic Design seniors demonstrate tremendous talent and versatility in creating corporate identities, environmental designs, books and publications, packaging, paper sculptures and motion graphics.  These visual communications will be showcased at their Senior Show on June 10th from 6-9 PM in the Leonard Pearlstein Gallery.

Kyle Cook’s motion graphic ‘Chromesthesia,’ winner of won the 2008 International Applied Arts Magazine’s Student Award Competition, explores color, composition and typography. Daniel Steinberg won 1st Place in the Research Day University Undergraduate Creative Arts/Design category for his senior thesis work ‘You Are Now Here,’ a renewal of Philadelphia’s Metropolitan Transportation System. Jess Hetzel created an identity system and packaging for ‘The Post Restaurant’ and her thesis work will be included in the American Corporate Identity 2008 hard cover book.

Looking for graphic design talent or just interested in great design? This is an opportunity to see the work and meet designers Andrew Wright, Brad Breneisen, Caitlin Anderson, Chris Burton, Chris Ineson, Colleen Duffey, Daniel Steinberg, Doug Sitvarin, Greg Sevcik, Jenna Navitsky, Jess Hetzel, John Villani, Julia Dobbins, Justine Brining, Kyle Cook, Liz Vento, Michele Kopec, Nefeli Stavrinidi, Patsy Walsh, Sarah Thomas, Stephen Nunes, Aaron Radder and Susanne Gillin.

DETAILS:

• Graphic Design Senior Show
• Tuesday, June 10, 6-9 PM
• Leonard Pearlstein Gallery, Nesbitt Hall (33rd & Market St.)
• Free and open to the public (includes reception)
• For more information call 215-895-1649

Photography Senior Show

Photography takes many forms, from portraiture and photojournalism, to the commercial and fine arts. Our 14 graduating Photography seniors have amassed enormous experience and skills, and their talents will be on display at their Senior Show starting on June 13th from 6-9 PM in the Leonard Pearlstein Gallery.

The student work presented at the show spans much of the history of photography in terms of technique from 19th century hand-coated platinum-palladium prints to today’s state of the art digital prints. Sarah Cohen used her mother as the subject of her collection. The images portray the issues of married women in a suburban lifestyle and the idea of yearning for youth. Jamuna Rosner’s work focuses around identity, how others view and define us, and by how we make a living. She photographed an exotic dancer as part of her thesis. Joe Small used a single camera and exposed the film multiple times to make seemingly mundane objects life-like and to transform the dreary nature of the city into the seemingly beautiful nature of still lifes.

Students represented include Stephanie Dore, Jacquelyn Tamny, Joe Small, Trevor Moran, Cara Worcester, Sean Grizzel, Brian Michael Lauer, Catherine Cupo, Sarah Cohen, Kelsey Fain, Jennifer Betser, Jamuna Rosner, Carrie Strine and Maxime Lattoni.

DETAILS:

• Photography Program Senior Show
• June 13 through June 21 with an opening reception on June 13, 6-9 PM
• Leonard Pearlstein Gallery (33rd and Market St.)
• Free and open to the public
• For more information, call 215.895.5868

Interior Design Graduate Program Show

Join us for the Graduate Interior Design student show opening reception showcasing their work on June 13th from 5-8 PM at The Marketplace Design Center (2400 Market St. # 209). 

Lara Kipphut designed a studio environment that will serve as the home base for the Philadelphia Mural Arts Program. The space seeks to nurture urban at-risk teens by fostering positive relationships, artistic expression and personal growth. Cheryl Payne’s community center to be located in Wilmington, Delaware aims to enhance healthy urban villages where home, school and community are essential foundations. Megan Hartley Reilly created a botanical health club and spa that integrates fitness, nature health and wellness.

Graduating third year thesis students presenting projects are Lara Kipphut, Pejman Taheri, Cheryl Payne, Megan Hartley Reilly, Lauren Hawkins, Abbie Dean, Tina Lapid, Michael Peffill and Kristin Nelson. The student show runs June 16th through June 19th.

DETAILS:

• Interior Design Graduate Program Student Show
• Friday, June 13 and June 20
• Reception Friday, June 13, 5-8 PM
• The Marketplace Design Center (2400 Market St. # 209)
• Free and open to the public
• For more information call 215-895-2071

ROSEBUD Entrepreneurs

We are proud to report that Design & Merchandising Seniors Christine Bugg, Emily Johnson, Jamie Hazley, Kerry Mahoney and Bridget Bramante won the coveted second place prize in the 2008 Baiada Business Plan Incubator Competition for their business plan for Rosebud. The prize was just awarded at the day-long Baiada Entrepreneur Conference which featured entrees from many Drexel schools and colleges. Rosebud, an undergarments boutique aimed at the under-served tween population, won an $8,000 cash prize, $15,000 in in-kind services and housing at the Baiada Center. The Rosebud team intends to pursue the development of their business, which was created under the aegis of Instructor Beth Phillips, and as Jamie Hazley told us, “we’re excited and ready to get started.”

Our congratulations also to seniors Victoria Hanks, Laura Matzel, Jessica Thomas and Julia Guglielmi who created Hopscotch, a business plan developed to serve the special needs of families and their chronically ill children who are receiving long-term treatment at Children’s Hospital of Pennsylvania. They were one of the six finalists competing for the top Baiada Business Plan prize.

Four other teams of Design & Merchandising students won Henderson Awards for the 2008 Business Plan Competition. In addition to Rosebud which won an additional $2,000 award 2nd place award, a 1st Place and a $3,000 prize was awarded to Terra, an all organic retailer that specializes in jeans and T-shirts. Phylicia Forman, Dijana Nedelcovych, Francisca Etchegaray and Danielle Felschow developed Terra . 3rd Place was awarded to Rocker Kid Studio, a full service children’s party planning business. Students and Joanna Fiorentino, Lisa DiMartino, Alexandra Malkin and Stacey Hudak developed Rocker Kid Studio which won a $1,000 award.

Each fall our students participate in  the Nina Henderson challenge to develop a  concept for a business concept. Winning submissions are eligible to move forward to the full business plan phase of the contest.  The winning Henderson entrees are then eligible to compete in the University-wide Baiada Competition. Ms. Henderson created these awards to encourage our students to develop entrepreneurial and business acumen as essential complements to their design and artistic talents.

Futureworld: Digital Media Senior Show

Our Digital Media students’ innovative projects will be featured at their Senior Show this Saturday, June 7th from 1:30-5:30 PM in Nesbitt Hall. ‘Lazybrains,’ ‘Arttopian,’ ‘The Legend of Perseus,’ ‘Project NightLife’ and ‘The Whitall House Historical Preservation Project’ are the projects that range from video games to an interactive preservation website. Digital Media seniors presenting their work are Jordan Santell, Aaron Bohenick, Jim Borden, Zachary Brooks, Ken Oum, Jim Malazita, Lee Dash, Matt Grinspan, Josh Sankey, Alex Serret,  Olivia Biban, Joshua Lawson, Emily Pulskamp, Stephanie Creelman, Major Johnson, Jeffrey A. Haines, Kevin Appel, Brittany Fedor, Joy Godowski, Timothy Urian, Gregory Donofrio, Samantha Templeton, Matt Davis, Brian Johnson ‘Eddy’ and David Taylor.

‘Lazybrains,’ which was featured in a recent Philadelphia Inquirer front page story, is a video game where the player assumes the role of Morby, a boy who has been transported to a dangerous fantasy world as punishment for lying on the couch all day and watching TV. The game was developed with the School of Biomedical Engineering and the College of Engineering’s Computer Science department and employs a device that is strapped to the player's forehead to monitor brain activity - literally, the amount of oxygen coursing through his prefrontal cortex - by shining near-infrared light through his skull and measuring changes in the light's intensity, thus changing the game’s scenarios.

‘The Whitall House’ project is a digital preservation piece for Red Bank National Park. The historic Whitall House, once the home of wealthy Quakers, still stands in Woodbury, N.J. and was used as a model to create this virtual twin which is part of the Digital Media program’s 3-D Colonial Philadelphia project and includes digital assets that will assist teachers in developing lesson plans.

‘Arttopian’ is a 3-D city where users can choose a building model and interior to display their uploaded art.

‘The Legend of Perseus’ features a live actor who interacts with animated characters and settings in a stage performance.

‘Project NightLife’ is a revamp of the MAD Dragon Record website. Users will be able to access all websites that are affiliated with the MAD Dragon enterprise as well as take interactive tours of several concert venues in the Philadelphia area through this site.

Westphal Seniors: Be a Winner!  

Two iPod Touches, one iPod Nano, one iPod Shuffle, three Amex Gift Cards, three iTunes Gift Cards, a Utrecht gift certificate, two valuable Fashion Books, two Amtrak round-trip tickets with two tickets to The Museum of Modern Art in New York City, a MiniDV Camcorder with a box of compatible tapes, Avid Media Composer software and more! Unless you attend the Senior Send-Off at World Café Live, you can’t win one of these prizes, have a great free dinner, or have one free drink (beer or wine) on us for those of age, not to mention the free photo booth. Come celebrate your hard work and achievements with classmates and Westphal faculty at World Café Live on June 12th from 5-7 PM.  You’ll need to RSVP by emailing Westphal@drexel.edu or calling 215-895-0352.

DETAILS:

• Senior Send-Off 2008
• Thursday, June 12, 5-7 PM
• World Café Live (3025 Chestnut St.)
• This event is open to seniors and graduate students who are completing their degrees from a Westphal College major or minor program.
• The Send-Off, including dinner, is free.
• To RSVP email Westphal@drexel.edu or call 215-895-0352.
  Click here to join the facebook group.

You Are What You Wear

Fashion ‘tribes,’ categorized as Preppies, Hipsters and Gamers, (tsk, tsk) will be on display at Style Tribes v6.0 starting June 11th. Through their coursework in Visual Merchandising II, six Design & Merchandising students explored the tribal connection between fashion, music and social groups. Their discoveries will be on display in the exhibit which kicks off with a reception on June 11th from 6-9 PM at the International House (3701 Chestnut St.).

Using a metal, ‘doll-shaped’ cutout as a base, each student created a project with sound and other elements to engage the senses.  Separate multi-media pieces depict these specific ‘tribes’ including displays with interactivity. The exhibit demonstrates how style creates a connection between people regardless of gender, race, religion or geography.

Anne Cecil, Design & Merchandising Program Director, is the curator for the exhibit which runs through August 22nd.

DETAILS:

• Style Tribes v6.0
• June 11 through August 22
• Opening Reception June 11, 6-9 PM
• International House (3701 Chestnut St.)
• Free & open to the public
• Public Viewing Hours: 10 AM – 8 PM Daily

Play it Again DUTV

If the demands of school and your busy social schedule caused you to miss out on Carin Goldberg’s graphic design secrets or Paul Schrader’s movie making magic, don’t despair. DUTV continues to broadcast our college’s notable events on Channels 54 or 62 and on their Online Media Center at www.dutv.org. 
We taped acclaimed graphic designer Carin Goldberg’s recent campus appearance where she discussed her design work for artists like Madonna and Kurt Vonnegut. Carin has also been featured in The New Yorker and The New York Times. Click here to watch her talk.

We recorded screewnwrtier and director Paul Schrader in a Q & A with Assistant Film & Video Professor Zhenya Kiperman during Schrader’s three-day residency at Drexel.  Schrader is well known for his screenplays of Taxi Driver, Raging Bull and Bringing out the Dead. The Q & A with Paul Schrader will run Friday, May 30th at 8 PM, Saturday, May 31st at 12 and 8 PM and Sunday, June 1st at 12 and 8 PM.

DUTV captured every moment of the 2008 Drexel Fashion Show. You won’t want to miss our Fashion students’ fabulous creations from the runway of the Crystal Tearoom on Monday, June 2nd at 10 PM and Wednesday, June 4th at 9 PM.

Electric Factory Concerts founder Larry Magid’s conversation with WXPN’s David Dye about the history of live rock ‘n roll and Philadelphia’s concert business will air Friday, June 27th at 8 PM, Saturday June 28th at 12 and 8 PM and Sunday June 29th at 12 and 8 PM.

Action in the Afternoon was television’s only live daily network western when it was broadcast in the 1950’s. Now, DUTV is producing a 90 minute look back at the show including a rare, preserved episode and a conversation with four members of the original cast and crew, actor Nate Friedman and production crew members Elmer ‘Hank’ Schorle, Bob Patton and Jim Hirschfeld. The Rudman Institute’s Executive Director, Paul Gluck, interviews these TV pioneers about this adventure series from the ‘golden age of television,’ which was produced live on the back lot of Philadelphia’s Channel 10, WCAU-TV.

DUTV is broadcast over channel 54 or 62 for Comcast subscribers and reaches over 360,000 homes within the metropolitan Philadelphia area. The station broadcasts ‘The Daily Digest,’ keeping you up to date on all things Drexel and ‘The Bruiser Flint Show’ which reports on Drexel sports.

Spring and the Sound of Music

Eight great concerts by eight ensembles in eight days mark the end of the Music Ensembles’ strong season of over 40 performances. The Drexel University Concert Band’s theme is ‘Folk Wisdom’ and features student Concerto Contest winners Joel Collier on Euphonium and Mark Donovan on Flute. Music Professor Luke Abruzzo’s Reflections of Prague will be performed. The concert of classic and contemporary music is Sunday, June 1st at 7 PM in the Mandell Theater (33rd & Chestnut St). 

The music of Miles Davis, Thelonius Monk and Tadd Dameron will be featured at the Fusion Band’s spring concert on June 3rd at 6 PM in the Quad Amphitheater (32nd btwn Market & Chestnut Sts.). The Fusion Band is an advanced ensemble that embraces musical styles as varied as funk, reggae, salsa, samba, afro-Cuban and world music.  The Guitar Ensemble will also perform ensemble pieces as well as solos, duos and trios.

The Percussion & Mediterranean Ensembles concert is Wednesday, June 4th at 8 PM in the Mandell Theater (33rd & Chestnut St.). The Percussion Ensemble brings together the ethnic with the orchestral and the ancient with the modern. The Mediterranean Ensemble uses traditional and western instruments to perform music from Southeastern Europe, the Middle East and Northern Africa.  Guest vocalist Maria Hnaraki and OPPA!, the Drexel Greek Dance Group will be featured.

The Jazz Orchestra and Jazztet will perform an evening of music dedicated to jazz greats Miles Davis, Jimmy Forrest, Ralph Burns, Curtis Fuller and Mongo Santamaria on Thursday, June 5th at 8 PM in the Mandell Theater (33rd & Chestnut St.).

The Drexel Keyboard Ensemble will feature classical, traditional and contemporary music including works of J.S. Bach, Jean Sibelius and The Beatles at their concert on Friday, June 6th at 7:30 PM in the Mandell Theater (33rd & Chestnut St.).

The Drexel String Ensemble comprised of violins, violas, cellos, contrabasses and piano will present Concerto Grosso for Strings and Piano. Concerto Grosso is a movement of Dvorak’s 8th Symphony and works of Bloch featuring pianist Adam Shen. The performance is Friday, June 6th at 7:30 PM in the Main Auditorium (Main Building, 32nd & Chestnut St.).

The Gospel Choir’s spring concert, ‘Night of Ministries,’ will feature a collaboration of the Choir, the DUGC praise dancers as well as performances from individual choir members performing spoken word, dance and song. The concert is Friday, June 7th at 7:30 PM in the Mandell Theater (33rd & Chestnut St.).

The University Chorus, a 60-voice student ensemble directed by Dr. Steven Powell, will be performing classical pieces by Leonard Bernstein, Benjamin Britten and Paul Hindemith, and Polychoral works of Gallus and Pachelbel. The concert is Sunday, June 8th at 3 PM in the Main Building’s Great Court (32nd & Chestnut St.).
All Performing Arts concerts are free and open to the public. For more information, call 215-895-ARTS or visit http://www.drexel.edu/westphal.

DETAILS:

• Senior Send-off 2008
• Thursday, June 12, 5-7 PM
• World Café Live (3025 Chestnut St.)
• This event is open to seniors and graduate students who are completing their degrees from a Westphal College major or minor program.
• The Send-Off, including dinner, is free.
• To RSVP email Westphal@drexel.edu or call 215-895-0352.
  Click here to join the facebook group.

Art Icons in the Gallery

Pop, Process Art, Minimalism, Abstract Expressionism, Neo-Dadaism and Photo Realism are all highlighted in our currentexhibition of American Contemporary art icons in the Leonard Pearlstein Gallery. Roy Lichenstein, Chuck Close, Frank Stella, Jasper Johns, Cy Twombly, Ellsworth Kelly, Sol Lewitt, Robert Indiana and Bruce Nauman are represented in Master Prints from the Thomas Segal Gallery on display through June 6th.

DETAILS:

• Master Prints Exhibition: May 14 -June 6
• Pearlstein Gallery, ground floor Nesbitt Hall, (3215 Market St.)
• Gallery Hours: Monday - Friday, 11 AM-5 PM
• Info: 215-895-2548 or gallery@drexel.edu

29th Annual Drexel Fashion Show

The ‘must-see’ fashion event of the year is the 29th Annual Fashion Show featuring the collections of graduating Fashion Design students. The posh Crystal Tea Room in Philadelphia’s famed Wanamaker Building will be the setting for the show. The runway will feature professional models wearing our Fashion Design students’ collections of evening wear, men’s and women’s sportswear, children’s wear, swim wear and lingerie. The show, on Wednesday, May 28th at 5 PM and 8 PM, is produced by our Design & Merchandising program whose students create the all-new, full color D&M Magazine each year.

Prizes for top collections and single designs are awarded by major designers and retailers including Saks Fifth Avenue, Frank Agostino, Neiman Marcus, Lily Pulitzer, Mothers Work and Joan Shepp. 

DETAILS:

• 29th Annual Fashion Show
• Wednesday, May 28, 5 PM & 8 PM, Reception follows 8 PM show
• Crystal Tea Room, The Wanamaker Building (100 Penn Square East )
• Tickets: 5 PM $25/8PM $50 (includes reception)
• More information, call 215-895-1838

SIGGRAPH 2008

Our Digital Media faculty and students will once again be a real presence at SIGGRAPH, the premiere international conference on computer graphics and interactive techniques. SIGGRAPH 2008 will be in Los Angeles in August and will attract an audience of more than thirty thousand. The conference features the latest in digital art and emerging technologies with the purpose of fostering digital innovations, education and  creative expressions at the crossroads of science, art and technology.

Assistant Professor Paul Diefenbach, Co-Director of Drexel's RePlay Computer Gaming Lab (www.replay.drexel.edu) will present Building Planet Diggum: A Case Study of Multi-Discipline, Multi-Touch Gaming Collaboration. Planet Diggum is a multi-touch, multi-user game where players interact with the system through finger and hand-stroke gestures.

Associate Professor Theo Artz will display his 'slow-art' piece, VR Comper ver. 5E. In today’s digital culture, we complete tasks simultaneously, rapidly and instantly whereas ‘Slow-art’ emphasizes a deceleration and attentive consumption of art. It is a movement inspired by the Italian membership organization, Cittaslow, whose manifesto calls for slowing down life’s pace to improve its quality.

Digital Media Graduate student Will Muto and co-author Paul Diefenbach will present Applications of Multi-Touch Gaming Technology to Middle-School Education. Working with the Computer Science and Electrical & Computer Engineering Departments, Will created a platform where gaming technology and internet-enabled multi-touch displays can create effective learning tools for middle school children.

Digital Media MS graduate Lauren Mandilian ('07) and co-author Paul Diefenbach, will present on Lauren’s Master's thesis, Information Overload: A Collaborative Multimedia Performance. Her technologically innovative dance work illustrates the many ways digital media can enhance a performance. Incorporating animation, projections, real time video and motion capture, Lauren worked with the College of Engineering’s Electrical & Computer Engineering Departments as well as Westphal’s Performing Arts Department. Information Overload was first performedat last spring’s Dance Concert and will be part of the Philly Fringe Festival this September.

Drama at Drexel

Students from many Westphal programs are hard at work producing University 101, Drexel’s first ever dramatic television series. The initial five episodes recently went into production for this serialized drama which takes place on the campus of fictitious Dexter University. Film & Video students are producing and shooting the series from scripts written by Screenwriting & Playwriting students. Interior Design students are creating sets; Fashion Design students are designing costumes; and Music Industry students will write the musical score. University 101 follows the lives of six Dexter students, their parents and faculty.

Lorraine Broderick, former head writer of All My Children, One Life to Live, As the World Turns, Guiding Light and Days of Our Lives, oversaw the writing of the scripts in a class offered this past winter term. Felicia M. Behr, former Senior Vice President of daytime programming for ABC-TV and the Emmy Award winning producer of All My Children and As the World Turns, oversees production as part of our Film & Video curriculum.   

Students produce the entire show, but the cast is comprised of professional actors cast out of Philadelphia and New York. University 101will air on DUTV, the University’s television station which is broadcast throughout the Metropolitan Philadelphia area.  It will also be streamed on DUTV’s website.

Wow! Three Emmy Noms for Professor Jim Klein

Jim Klein, Music Industry Professor, has been nominated for not one but three Daytime Emmy Awards for his work on the ABC Series All My Children. Jim received a nomination in the category for ‘Outstanding Music Direction and Composition in a Drama Series’ and two nominations for ‘Best Original Song’ for his songs The Me Inside and Treasure of Love. We only hope that with two nominations in the same category of Best Song that Jim’s chances will not be hurt by competing with his estimable self.

Professor Klein has been nominated three previous times, winning Emmys in 2003 and 2005.  Possibly, after such success, Jim is becoming sanguine about such recognition, but we’re looking forward to the 35th Annual Daytime Emmy’s which will be broadcast live on ABC on June 20th. To read more about the Daytime Emmy’s click here.

Students Stand Out at Research Day

Drexel’s 9th Annual Research Day featured outstanding student creative work and research projects from nearly every one of our programs. It was impossible not to feel enormous pride at seeing our students’ exceptional work and we are pleased to report on the recognition they have received from the University and from our College. Winners of the Drexel University wide competition were:

Dan Steinberg, who won 1st Place in the University’s Undergraduate Creative Arts/Design category for ‘You Are Now Here - A Renewal of Philadelphia’s Metropolitan Transportation System.’  Dan created a complete branding and visual identity system for SEPTA, Philadelphia’s public transportation system, including a redesigned SEPTA subway and transit map. 

Lauren Ciccarelli’s ‘Grief to Grace: An Examination of Jacqueline Kennedy’s reflection on the assassination of John F. Kennedy,’ which won her 1st Place in the University Graduate Creative Arts/Design category. Lauren’s dance choreography incorporated music, movement, costumes and lighting to portray the chaos and loss surrounding the assassination of President Kennedy.

John Sakoian’s ‘Winnsboro Community Classroom: A Sustainable Portable Classroom’ won 1st place in the University’s Undergraduate Innovation in the Education and Outreach category. John’s portable classroom was developed during the Architecture for Humanity Design Charrette as a design solution to provide classrooms to a town destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.

Alysson Cwyk’s ‘Students: Mural Arts Program’s Key to a Successful Future’ won 1st Place in the University’s Undergraduate Business Research Initiatives category. Alysson is currently an intern with the Philadelphia’s Mural Arts Program and will commence a formal co-op with the organization this summer.

Winners of the Westphal College Dean’s Award were:

• Dylan Steinberg (’09), Film & Video, won for his short film Tough Choices: The Aftermath of a Sexual Assault. Steinberg illustrated the reality of a sexual assault victim’s journey in seeking justice for an often un-reported crime.
• Kocayne Givner (‘10), Interior Design Graduate Program, won for ‘Materials Exploration,’ a project that used material, color, connectors, texture and form to create designs for a live model in a studio setting.
• Kristen Lambert (‘08), Interior Design, explored the work of two iconic architects, Le Corbusier and Charles Eames. She focused on the architects’ prominent design elements to create new works of art using woodblock printmaking.
• Denista Spasova (‘08), Art & Art History, won for her PROM poster. Spasova created a poster that communicated ‘bittersweet, wickedly funny, and wise thoughtful discovery’ for the current Mandell main stage production of PROM.
• Michael Bucher (’09), Photography, presented his ongoing photo study of Philadelphia’s Lancaster Avenue. He displayed numerous photos of people and places across a wide spectrum of Philadelphia neighborhoods, and he also self-published his work as a book.

Also, Deborah Yarchun’s ‘Pulling the Illusion of the Ecstatic Nature of The Cult of Dionysus from the Origins of the Theatre’ won 1st Place in the College of Arts and Sciences Research Day for the Undergraduate Humanities and Social Sciences category. Her project depicted the rituals of the Cult of Dionysus in terms of the origins of theatre.

D&M Students at Work in the Community

Design & Merchandising students created dynamic window displays for clients which were on display on the Lancaster Avenue shopping corridor this past month. Our students were responsible for meeting with clients, developing proposals and sketches, contracts, managing the budget and installation of the window displays. Since 1999 the D&M Program has worked in a variety of Philadelphia locations, giving students valuable hands-on experiences in window display design. The recent designs were for retailers La Pearl Beauty Salon, CSP Reprographics and Ashay’s Massage Therapy Salon.

For the second year in a row, D&M students collaborated with the Music Industry Program to design a Point of Purchase (POP) display for the record release of a MAD Dragon artist. This year’s featured band was The Swimmers.

After meetings with The Swimmers and their representation, our students developed concepts and prototypes for their POP. The winning team of Stacey Hudak (’08) and Cara Binder (’08) were able to see their design through to production, and the final product is now on display at music retailers.

 New Arts Administration On-line MS Degree

The Department of Performing Arts announces the Westphal College's first-ever online degree program, a Masters in Arts Administration. The program, which will launch in fall 2008, is aimed at working professionals outside the Delaware Valley. This innovative program will include podcasting, blogs, webcasts and virtual classrooms, and the program will make use of our extensive relationships with Arts Administrators across the country.

This important initiative addresses an underserved market for graduate education to prepare the next generation of leaders for such art institutions as museums, theaters, performing arts centers and foundations.  Under the guidance of Department Head Cecilia Fitzgibbon, the launch marks only the second Arts Administration program in the nation to offer its program online.  Drexel was one of the first universities to offer graduate education in Arts Administration and is now the one of the first to offer a full MS degree online. For more information on this new program, visit www.drexel-arts.com

Faculty Focus: Professor Pia Brancaccio

Pia Brancaccio, Professor in the Art & Art History Department, has been invited to give several scholarly lectures at major institutions around the world, the first of which is at Yale University this Saturday, April 19th. The three day conference, 'A Pantheon Rediscovered: Changing Perceptions of Early Historic India,' will feature keynote speakers including Dr. Brancaccio who will discuss 'Satavahana Terracottas between Tradition and Innovation: An Exploration of Sources and Transmission of Models.' Her next lecture, in May, will take place during the international symposium at the Seoul National University in South Korea and is on 'Art and Architecture of Buddhist Caves from India, Central Asia and China.'

Professor Brancaccio teaches courses on Asian Art and Culture, Art of India, Art of China and Art of Japan, as well as the Western Art History survey.  Before arriving at Drexel, she