Boston University College of Fine Arts

Join us for the first Third Thursday event of the semester on the Medical campus: Crafts & Cookies! Along with cookies, there will be materials for collaging, keychain/bracelet making, crocheting, embroidery, and more! 🧵🎨🪡

📆 Thursday, September 19th, 4-5:30 PM
📍 INS 210 (MED Building, 72 E Concord St.)

Third Thursday is co-sponsored by the School of Public Health (), Graduate Student Life: Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine (), Student Affairs Office: Graduate Medical Sciences (), Student Affairs Office: Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine, and Student Wellbeing ().

REMINDER: CFA-ers, the Campus Climate Lab (CCL) at Boston University is looking for fall research proposals and the deadline is fast approaching 💨 📆 September 27!

The Boston University Institute for Global Sustainability, in collaboration with BU Sustainability and the Office of Research, is seeking proposals from students and faculty for sustainability and climate action research, using the BU campus as a living laboratory. 🍃 🌧️ 🥼 🔬 Up to $10,000 in funding can be received for your research, including student stipends.

Apply or sign up for a proposal development session happening tomorrow, Friday, September 13 to learn more! ⬇️

Learn More: Campus Climate Lab Apply for Campus Climate Lab Funding The Boston University Institute for Global Sustainability (IGS), in collaboration with BU Sustainability and the Office of Research, invites research proposals from student and mentor (faculty or graduate student) teams that generate new knowledge on climate chan...

ATTEND: CFA-ers, you're invited to this fall's first Pizza with the Dean event! 🍕

Enjoy pizza, on us, and conversation with CFA Dean Harvey Young. Come on by the CFA Student Lounge for a slice, while it lasts!

📆 Thursday, September 19
⏰ 12-1pm
📍 CFA Student Lounge (Room 102)

EXPERIENCE: Not sure where to start when it comes to exploring all the amazing art Boston University has to offer? 🤔 We've got you covered!

There’s a new station 🚏 in Terrier Town... introducing ✨ BU Arts Central ✨ a guide to the arts that includes select events hosted by CFA and multiple units across BU.

In BU Arts Central, you’ll find something just for you! Theatre shows of timeless productions and new original works, faculty and student spotlight concerts, interactive and engaging art exhibitions, expos, fairs, and more. Terriers, don’t miss out on experiencing the arts at Boston University. 🎭 🎶 🖼️

Explore BU Arts Central | College of Fine Arts Explore BU Arts CentralYour destination for art, music, theatre, opera, workshops, and more at Boston University BU Arts Central Your destination for art, music, theatre, opera, workshops, and more at Boston University Theatrical innovations, immersive exhibitions, guest artists, and operatic odysse...

We are so excited to kick off the 2024-25 SOT production season with our annual Springboard Series! Facilitated by Kirsten Greenidge, Springboard Readings are new offerings by our BFA students. All tickets free, general admission at the door in CFA354, the David Copeland Black Box Theatre ❤️🐾

THE FRAT BOY MONOLOGUE by Rory Shea
September 14 • 4pm
MONDAY SCHOOL by Mimi Brown
September 14 • 4pm (immediately following “The Frat Boy Monologue”)
MY BROTHER’S KEEPER by Jaden Bridges
September 14 • 7pm
LOLLIE by Macy McGrail
September 21 • 4pm
BABYLON TO ROUGH by Amanda Reynolds
September 21 • 7pm
IT’S ONLY TUESDAY by Robbie Rodriguez
September 22 • 11am
SACRED HEART by Lucy Leahy
September 22 • 2pm
UNIVERSAL MOTHER, SACRED SOIL by Jayce Ross
September 22 • 4pm

MEET: Say hey to BFA lighting design student, Grant Powicki (CFA'25)! 👋 🎭 🔦

A Massachusetts native, Grant chose to study at Boston University because of "the opportunity to study at a large research university, while still having the rigor of a conservatory style. I knew this would allow me to dive deep into my interests while being able to engage with a larger community and take advantage of what a large university has to offer." ❤️ 🐾

Describing CFA as accelerating 💨, Grant has absolutely loved his Boston University CFA School of Theatre experience so far. "Getting the opportunity to learn from current professionals in the field and work alongside them both in and outside of class has allowed me to develop relationships in the industry that will stay with me post-graduation," says Grant who just finished his summer in Boston engaging with groups such as TD Garden, The Boston Symphony, Frost Productions, High Output, 4Wall, and more.

"I programmed for Opera North in New Hampshire in July and will be the Interim Lighting Director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra this fall!" 👏

Learn more about Grant on CFA's Instagram ➡️ http://spr.ly/6180Wi4fY

IMPACT: As a dual degree student pursuing a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance and a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations, Roshan Sivaraman (CFA’26, Pardee School of Global Studies, Boston University’26) knows all about exploring and diving into different interests. 🎶 🌎

Over the summer, Roshan joined the City of Boston’s Office of Climate Resilience as a fellow, working on one of the city’s most transformational projects to take on the daily effects of climate change: the installation of 30 bus shelters with green roofs set up along one of Boston’s most utilized bus routes. 🚏 🚌

In CFA's Beyond the Classroom series, Roshan speaks with CFA about their role in the project, developing promotional materials to connect with residents and increase awareness of heat and stormwater resilience. They also share some of their proudest moments – like helping to draft a letter to the State of Massachusetts after attending a technical session for the Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target program.

Roshan also expresses how this opportunity allowed them to create some sense of work-life balance and their gratitude towards their voice teacher, Boston University School of Music's Lynn Eustis, "who has been so supportive of me as a singer, a professional, and a person, and taking voice lessons with her this summer really kept me sane throughout my projects."

Read the Q&A with Roshan!
➡️ http://spr.ly/6181WetY1

PRACTICE: Trumpeter JoAnn Lamolino (Boston University Tanglewood Institute - BUTI’96,’97, CFA’00) practices yoga and mindfulness alongside performance to ease her nerves onstage.

Lamolino started doing yoga as an undergraduate at Boston University School of Music, but she didn’t begin practicing mindfulness and yoga to ease her nerves onstage until after some “crash-and-burn” orchestral auditions around the country a few years later. Integrating a daily mindfulness practice improved her focus and interactions with others. Before auditioning or performing, Lamolino would practice positive self-talk, center her mind and body as she sat down to play, and visualize herself playing beautifully.

“The improvement to my trumpet playing was actually quite significant,” says Lamolino, who lives in New Jersey but is associate principal trumpet in the Hawaii Symphony Orchestra and teaches at the University of Hawaii. “I started to advance in auditions. It got more and more fun, and then eventually I had my first [audition] win.”

After becoming certified in kundalini yoga, many of her early students were fellow musicians, and she recognized that the inner work she had done could benefit other performers. Today, musicians from across the country can log on to Lamolino’s classes, seminars, and one-on-one sessions.

Read more in CFA magazine ➡️ https://www.bu.edu/cfa/magazine/articles/2024/mindful-music/

MEET: Get excited! CFA's Terrier Tuesdays are back! 🎉 🐾

Let us introduce you to Samuel Dvorin (CFA'24), an undergraduate dual degree student majoring in music composition and computer science at Boston University. 🎼 🧑‍💻 Originally from Pittsburgh, Samuel chose to study at BU wanting to be in a city with "an extremely diverse music scene. Boston has many classical conservatories but also a thriving DIY indie scene."

Looking back at his time at BU, Samuel shares with CFA his most treasured experiences. "Through the people I have met at BU, I have organized concerts of solo, chamber, orchestral, and operatic works that I have composed. I have collaborated with students from BU School of Visual Arts, Boston University CFA School of Theatre, and Boston University School of Music, as well as students from the English department on librettos," says Samuel, who is a proud recipient of the Presidential Scholarship and CFA Scholarship.

"Through the composition program, I have met some of my favorite composers through our guest lecture forums. I have also met other composers who challenge and push me forward as an artist. I've played in dance and movement classes, attended incredible shows, and had readings of my music from world-class musicians at department readings."

Head to CFA's Instagram to hear more from Samuel, who is currently working on a large-scale theater work that combines movement, poetry, lights, and instruments to explore the idea of a figure of mythology and how idolization can lead to corruption of a story ➡️ http://spr.ly/6185m0hNb

📣 Join us for the 2024 BU Fall Arts Fair on Friday, September 6th at the GSU Plaza! Come check out the BU Arts Initiative, BU Arts Programs, academic units, and selected Boston area arts organizations to explore all the arts that BU and Boston have to offer. Look for discounts, special offers, and internship opportunities. Enter a raffle for a chance to win a pair of tickets to see the Blue Man Group live at the Charles Playhouse. Visit this link for more information: bu.edu/arts/fair

🍂 BU Fall Arts Fair 2024
📆 Friday, September 6, 2024 | 11am-2pm
📍 GSU Plaza (in front of the George Sherman Union at 775 Commonwealth Ave.)
(Ziskind Lounge Rain Location)

VISIT: With its mission to exhibit inclusive, dynamic art for all, Boston University Art Galleries returns this fall with exhibitions that celebrate photography, storytelling, & alums + traveling and international shows (ciao, Venice!) 🤩

Opening tomorrow, September 3, at Stone Gallery is 🏠 1998, a selection of photographs by artist Laurie Simmons that revisit the miniature elements Simmons introduced in her seminal work of the late 1970s. Also opening tomorrow is 🎨 🏛️ Group Crit, where MFA painting and sculpture alums who graduated between 1969 and 2024 return to BU to exhibit works at 808 Gallery that reflect what they learned at BU School of Visual Arts. In October, 📸 Moments in Photography, an exhibition that celebrates storytelling through the lens of a camera, opens at 808 Gallery.

Later in the fall, BU Art Galleries takes over A+A Gallery in Venice, Italy with two concurring exhibitions. 📖 Hidden in the Layers showcases new work from a selection of celebrated Boston-based artists working in printmaking, photography, and new media. 🧑‍🎨 Atlantic Exchange presents the skill and talent of young artists from Venice Academy of Fine Arts and CFA who are emerging onto the art scene. 🇮🇹

✈️ Currently traveling through the US is CEY ADAMS, DEPARTURE: 40 Years of Art and Design, a BU Art Galleries’ retrospective of Cey Adams’ illustrious forty-year career as a visionary artist, cultural pioneer, and innovative designer.

See you at BU Art Galleries this fall! 🍁 🍂 ⬇️

BU Art Galleries Announces Fall 2024 Exhibitions | College of Fine Arts BU Art Galleries Announces Fall 2024 Exhibitions Photo from the exhibition, An Adventure in The Arts, which was on view at BU Art Galleries’ Faye G., Jo, and James Stone Gallery in fall 2023. Photo by Jackie Ricciardi BU Art Galleries BU Art Galleries Announces Fall 2024 Exhibitions With its missi...

DISCOVER: Michael Birenbaum Quintero is Colombian American, but as a young man growing up in the States, he had little connection to his South American heritage. His way back into it was studying Colombia’s music. 🇨🇴

“It was a way to find out things that I wanted to know about myself. And then I started finding out more about Colombia at large,” he says. “It’s a very fascinating, complex, tragic, beautiful, overwhelming place.”

An expert on how music intertwines with culture, Birenbaum Quintero, associate professor of music and chair of musicology and ethnomusicology at Boston University School of Music, has dedicated his life's work to exploring how African rhythms have influenced the cultures in Colombia, Cuba, and the US.

From first exploring champeta music, a danceable mash-up of Caribbean and African influences that developed in Cartagena, to diving into the all-percussion currulao, Birenbaum Quintero's work highlights the connection between music, culture, and identity in the Afro-Colombian community.

“I was very interested in questions about race, questions of identity,” he says. “And I found there’s also a very interesting story about Black Colombians, about the political process, about the place of music and culture within the political process. So I just found all of that stuff really, really fascinating. And, you know, 21 years later, here I am.”

More in The Brink ⬇️

Rhythm in Context BU ethnomusicologist Michael Birenbaum Quintero studies African beats and their impacts in Colombia, Cuba, and the US

EXAMINE: Meet Toni Pepe: artist, photographer, assistant professor chair of BU School of Visual Arts Department of Photography, mother.

After becoming a mother in 2012, she says, “it just felt natural to explore this new identity that comes with a lot of baggage. It was this marvelous, crazy, magical experience that I felt compelled to somehow unpack."

She began by including her children in her photographs. Then she discovered some old press photos. The images, abandoned when newspapers transitioned to digital archives or went bankrupt, provide glimpses of how mothers were viewed across the 20th century. In 2019, she launched an ongoing series: Mothercraft. “I’m really interested in how photography has shaped what our idea is of a mother and what a mother should look like and how she should behave.”

More than 30 images from the series are on display at the Blue Sky Gallery in Portland, Oregon, this year. One piece, Mothers, is part of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, exhibition Tender Loving Care, which runs through July 2025.

When the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, ruling that abortion is not a constitutional right, Pepe began looking at her project in a very different light. “My relationship to time is different. Time doesn’t necessarily mean moving forward, doesn’t necessarily mean progress.”

📸 Read more in CFA magazine ➡️

Images of Motherhood | College of Fine Arts Images of MotherhoodToni Pepe finds inspiration and meaning in 20th-century newspaper photography U***d Mothers (2020) Archival Inkjet; 13 x 16 in. All images courtesy of Toni Pepe CFA Faculty Images of Motherhood Toni Pepe finds inspiration and meaning in 20th-century newspaper photography June 1,....

BRIGHTEN: The students in the nonprofit Brighter Boston's summer training program at BU's Joan & Edgar Booth Theatre—the majority female and/or from underserved communities—have their eyes on what comes next: paid internships in the live entertainment and events industry through the coming school year, along with continued education and support. And beyond that, careers in the field.

Brighter Boston partners with local industry supporters from the Huntington Theatre Company and the Boston Symphony Orchestra to the Institute of Contemporary Art and Fenway Park. And for the past few years, Boston University CFA School of Theatre has offered access to the Booth’s state-of-the-art facilities, from the light and sound labs to the scene shop to the black box theater itself.

“The very fabric of the Booth is a training ground for young artists,” says Johnny Kontogiannis (CFA’02,’23), School of Theatre production manager. “That is how we built the building. [Brighter Boston] is a great community organization that’s really doing something innovative, and I think that’s really needed in Boston. Partnering with them completely makes sense if we’re here to teach the next generation of theater artists.”

Participants get guidance from professional mentors like Catherine Alfaro (CFA’18), a freelance stage manager and production electrician for the Boston Lyric Opera and many other local troupes. “I feel like my life has been shaped a lot by mentors,” she says, “and so being able to give back was something that I jumped at immediately, as well as the opportunity to show high school students what it is that we do backstage.”

💡 Read more in BU Today ⬇️

BU’s Booth Theatre Helps Boston Public Schools Students and Grads Set the Stage for Success State-of-the-art facility provides an opportunity for students in nonprofit Brighter Boston program to learn lighting, sound, video—and land jobs

MINGLE & BBQ: Calling all undergraduate first-year CFA students! Kick off your college career next Monday at the CFA Dean's Welcome BBQ. 🍔 🌭 🔥

Mingle with your fellow first-years over a delicious BU BBQ spread, and hear from Dean Harvey Young and your FA 100 instructor, Michael Kaye. We can't wait to see you there!

📆 Monday, Sept. 2
⏰ 12-2pm
📍 Booth Theatre Plaza (820 Comm Ave.)

CELEBRATE: Friends, you're looking at some of our newest CFA-ers starting their journey at Boston University this fall! ❤️ 🐾

The incoming graduate students shared with CFA what they are most looking forward to in grad school and what they hope to gain in this exciting, new chapter. Here are some things the students said!

✨ Thrilled to explore the new environment and meet different people. I hope to improve myself and share my passions with others in the DMA piano performance program. 💭 -Jiaming Zhang

✨ Excited to explore new artistic ideas, places, and making new connections during my time here studying graphic design. 💭 -Rachel Coffua

✨ I'm most looking forward to studio time, as a painting major, and meeting other artists. 💭 -Kasey Ott

✨ As a teacher, I'm most excited to learn pedagogical tools for my students. As a violinist, I'm most excited to play with other grad students and groups in the area. 💭 -Jaida

To our incoming graduate students, we look forward to seeing you at this Friday's CFA wide Graduate Orientation! For more info and additional resources, visit our Graduate Resources page ➡️ http://spr.ly/6181mRKkW

PROPOSE: An idea! 💡 CFA-ers, advance climate action and sustainability using Boston University's campus as a living lab for innovative research projects. The BU Campus Climate Lab is soliciting research proposals for the Fall 2024 semester!

The Boston University Institute for Global Sustainability, in collaboration with BU Sustainability and the Office of Research, is seeking proposals from students and faculty for sustainability and climate action research. 🍃 Up to $10,000 in funding can be received for your research, including student stipends.

Join a community of faculty and students committed to just and equitable progress, working towards a brighter future. ☀️

To learn more and apply ( 📆 by September 27) ➡️ http://spr.ly/6183mB4pD

Q&A: Backstage in New York City’s Carnegie Hall, photos of past performers can be found, from great musicians to speakers, and even Albert Einstein! For MFA Directing student Gregg Wiggans (CFA’25), standing on the same floor that these individuals stood on was a moment to remember. A reminder that “my work is [also] valid to someone.”

What was Gregg doing backstage at Carnegie Hall? This summer, Gregg associate directed Stephen Sondheim’s Follies at Carnegie Hall. The concert series, put on by Transport Group, showcased a lineup of 50 actors – including 14 Tony Award winners and 38 nominees – and a 30-piece orchestra. The one-night show sold out Carnegie Hall in less than 24 hours. 👏

In CFA's Beyond the Classroom series, Gregg speaks with CFA about his experience working with a dream team of "all-hands-on-deck" artists, including Drama Desk and Obie Award-winning Director Jack Cummings III.

"I have worked with Director Jack Cummings III, as Associate Director, on over 10 off-Broadway and regional theater productions. We’ve developed new musicals together, as well as, revisiting “American classics” with a contemporary examination," says Gregg. "With every collaboration, Jack encourages me to step up to our industry and to be seen. He is a great champion and mentor. His process allows us all to learn in the moment. That collective ownership allows the “success” of Follies at Carnegie Hall to be a truly shared success."

In the Q&A, Gregg also shares how Boston University CFA School of Theatre's directing program connected with his experience at Carnegie Hall and shares an important lesson learned… it’s okay to celebrate one’s work as an artist. Actually, it’s needed. ❤️ 🎉

Beyond the Classroom: Gregg Wiggans (CFA’25) | College of Fine Arts Beyond the Classroom: Gregg Wiggans (CFA’25) Boston University MFA directing student Gregg Wiggans (CFA’25) worked with Drama Desk and Obie Award-winning Director Jack Cummings III on Stephen Sondheim’s Follies at Carnegie Hall. Photo by Grace Copeland Theatre Collaborating with a theater drea...

DIRECT: Boston University CFA School of Theatre alum Rosalind Bevan discusses life as an independent director, producer, and casting director of stage productions

While at BU, her teacher complimented her eye for direction, and eventually Bevan (CFA’19) tried her hand at it, codirecting her senior musical and directing productions as an undergrad. She fell in love with it. Right out of college, Bevan joined Boston’s Huntington Theatre as a casting and producing apprentice while also working on side projects. In October 2023, she directed the CFA Fringe Festival production of Tarell Alvin McCraney’s Marcus; or the Secret of Sweet, about a young gay man coming of age in Louisiana.

That same month, feeling the urge to branch out as an artist and pursue her directing dream, Bevan moved to Los Angeles. Early in 2024, Bevan was associate director of IAMA Theatre Company’s production of Catya McMullen’s Arrowhead. This summer, she is associate directing Mike Lew’s tiny father at the Geffen Playhouse, working with director Moritz von Stuelpnagel (CFA’00).

“I am so, so honored and grateful to be part of the Boston theater community,” she says. “It’s so rich, but I was just ready to be flung out to see who I am as an artist in the world.”

💫 Read more from rising star Bevan about what she loves about the stage, and her favorite stories to direct, in ➡️

A Directing Hit | College of Fine Arts Independent director, producer, and casting director of stage productions Rosalind Bevan is woven into the Boston theater community.

📣 Alum News!! 📣
🎼 Violinist John Bian (CFA’14) who earned his bachelor’s degree from BU, studying with Yuri Mazurkevich was recently announced on the site as the newest member of the Philadelphia Orchestra !! Previously, he was assistant principal second violin of the Milwaukee Symphony . He also serves as a substitute violin in many major orchestras around the country such as the Chicago, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Minnesota, St. Louis, and Detroit symphonies. At BU, he was the grand prize winner of both the Solo Bach Competition in 2012 and the Concerto Competition in 2014.

Congrats to John Bian on this incredible achievement!! 🎉🎶 We are so excited for you.

Read more about him on the Violin Channel and the Philadelphia Orchestra websites (linked in story). ⭐️

https://theviolinchannel.com/philadelphia-orchestra-appoints-four-new-string-players/

https://www.philorch.org/about-us/meet-your-orchestra/musicians/john-bian/

WELCOME: Join CFA in welcoming and celebrating our new full-time faculty members appointed in 2024! 🙌 The professors joining the arts faculty at Boston University are experts in their fields of costume design, lighting design, music education, musical theatre, orchestral conducting, painting, piano, and voice.

🎶 Boston University School of Music welcomes Sarah Ioannides as Associate Professor of Music, Orchestral Conducting and Boston University’s 🆕 Director of Orchestral Activities; and Thomas Cannon as Assistant Professor of Music, Voice.

🎭 Joining the Boston University CFA School of Theatre faculty is Olivera Gajic as Assistant Professor in Costume Design and Harry Castle as Assistant Professor in Musical Theatre.

CFA also appointed two visiting faculty members. 🎶 📚 Rebecca Roesler, a Professor of Music Education and Violin at Brigham Young University-Idaho joins BU School of Music as a Visiting Professor of Music Education. 🎨 Daniela Rivera, a Professor of Art at Wellesley College, will be a Visiting Professor of Painting at BU School of Visual Arts.

Read more in CFA News! http://spr.ly/6188lWNts

Boston University College of Fine Arts Welcomes Four New Professors, Two Visiting Professors | College of Fine Arts Boston University College of Fine Arts Welcomes Four New Professors, Two Visiting Professors Top left: Sarah Ioannides, Associate Professor of Music, Orchestral Conducting and Boston University’s new Director of Orchestral Activities; Thomas Cannon, Assistant Professor of Music, Voice; and Olivera...

INNOVATE: In recent years, new technology has provided lighting design students with the ability to work virtually, putting stage equipment and stage lights in a virtual space where students can work on their own computers. 💡 🎭 💻 But according to Boston University CFA School of Theatre Assistant Professor of Lighting Design and Design and Production Co-Chair Jorge Arroyo, "the challenge then becomes that the students' own equipment, their computers, can only handle so much."

To address this problem, Arroyo received Shipley Accelerating Classroom Transformation (ACT) funding to purchase a visualizer suite with the hardware necessary to run a graphics-intensive computer program that would allow students granular control over light at a much larger and dynamic scale than current Light Lab technologies could provide.

The funding supports equitable access to state-of-the-art theatre lighting automation technology for Boston University lighting design students. Additionally, students will now be familiar with the newest software being used in the field, preparing them for rewarding careers in theater lighting design.

According to Arroyo, “the difference between student projects before and after the introduction of this technology is like the difference between a flip book and a 4k movie.” 👀 He also adds, “This project has had a big impact on my teaching. Now, I don’t have to worry about how big a student project is getting,” Arroyo said. “I used to have to stop students at a certain scale because the computer would struggle. I used to have to stop students’ imaginations.” Not anymore. ❤️ 🐾

Read more on this technology and its impact! ⬇️

Shipley Center Grant Expands Access to New Lighting Design Technology in School of Theatre | College of Fine Arts Shipley Center Grant Expands Access to New Lighting Design Technology in School of Theatre Theatre Shipley Center grant expands access to new lighting design technology in School of Theatre Shipley Accelerating Classroom Transformation funding is supporting equitable access to state-of-the-art theat...

LOOK: The studios on campus are spinning throughout the summer. 🌀 Spotted in one of them by BU Today doing some hands-on work: Boston University College of Arts & Sciences student Genesis Munoz (CAS’25) in a ceramics class taught by BU School of Visual Arts lecturer Jesse Kaminsky.

‼️ Did you know CFA offers over 5️⃣ 0️⃣ one, two, three, and four-credit courses open to the Boston University community? Check out courses in music, theatre, and visual arts open to non-CFA majors ➡️ http://spr.ly/6186lRXJa

📸 Photo by Jackie Ricciardi