FACULTY NEWS:

Dan Reeves - Solo Art Exhibition in Florence, Italy

Dr. Dan Reeves, Dean of the College of Fine Arts at ASU-Jonesboro was invited to exhibit a solo art show, “Simultaneous Perception,” at Ganzo in Florence, Italy June 11–25.

Dean Reeves was invited by the president of Florence University of the Arts and owner of Ganzo, Dr. Gabriella Ganugi, to exhibit his art during the College of Fine Arts Study Abroad trip to Florence.  Twelve ASU students enrolled in this summer’s Study Abroad program were among the guests who attended the art opening on June 11th.

For a number of years he has been exploring the aesthetic potential of the computer in art. Currently, his ColorStorm Series, part of a painting series on exhibit in Florence, examines the relationship and the impact of the perception of colors as they relate to each other. The series uses dazzling color with sometimes-vivid brush strokes to imply forms to evoke mood, depth and space.

The exhibition comprised of 24 original paintings and photographs was characterized by some at the opening as: “A very impressive body of work...some pieces actually glow...”,  “Amazing use of contrasting colors and their affect...it’s not what you would expect...”, and “An explosion of color and light.”   

The works were all printed in the studios of Florence University of the Arts under the supervision of David Weiss, Director of Ganzo Fine Arts Gallery.

New Music Department Chair

The College of Fine Arts is pleased to announce that Mr. Ken Hatch has been appointed interim Chair of the Department of Music. He replaces Dr. Tom O’Connor who is returning to full-time teaching this fall. Ken principally teaches clarinet and saxophone and has been a member of our music faculty since 1983. He is an active soloist and ensemble performer who has appeared at numerous venues throughout the mid-south. He has been a clarinetist with the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra for the past 25 years.

Stacy Alley, Associate Professor of Theatre, attends workshop in New York City

In June, Stacy Alley attended her third three-week intensive workshop at the Laban/Bartenieff Institute of Movement Studies in New York City, a school accredited by NASD (National Association of Schools of Dance).  The purpose of her study there is to acquire a clear, comprehensive movement language that can be applied to a multitude of disciplines, sharpen observation skills, enrich research practices, and develop techniques for enhancing movement efficiency and expressivity.  She will return in January 2010 for her last three-week intensive workshop and will present her final project in the summer of 2010.  Successful completion of this exciting and rigorous course will award Stacy the title of Certified Movement Analyst (CMA) which will make her one among approximately one-thousand CMAs internationally.

John Salvest featured in one-person exhibition

Work by John Salvest, Art, was featured in a one-person exhibition at Morgan Lehman Gallery in New York April 23 through May 22. Not Myself Lately, his second solo show at the Chelsea gallery, included found object-based sculpture as well as drawings that strike a balance between humor and intensity in examining personal and sociopolitical conditions. Of Salvest’s last New York exhibition, Village Voice art critic R. C. Baker wrote: “The beauty of Salvest’s work lies in his transformation of workaday detritus into witty, at times profound, memento mori.”

Mr. Kyle Chandler, Instructor in Music
Office:  Fine Arts, Room 134
Phone:  972.3793
Email:  kchandler@astate.edu

A new faculty member to the Department of Music at ASU, Kyle Chandler coordinates the music education degrees, teaches choral music education courses, directs Choral Ensembles and is an assistant cross country and track & field coach in athletics.

Prior to his ASU appointment, Chandler worked at Washington State University in Pullman, WA. While there he taught choral music education, served as a liaison to the College of Education, supervised student teachers, directed the University Singers, and ran an individual voice studio. He was also appointed as assessment coordinator for the Boeing ACE grant, a youth outreach program focused on developing leadership skills through music and the arts. Prior to the WSU position, he served as a graduate part-time instructor in music education while completing Ph. D coursework at the University of Colorado-Boulder, and is in the initial stages of dissertation work.

A main professional goal of Chandler's is to apply research findings to the 'everyday' music class and in leading others into music careers. He has presented and been invited to share research at state, regional, and national forums and currently has an article under review in the Bulletin of the Council of Research in Music Education. He also serves on the Arkansas Music Educators Association Board of Directors as Research Chair. He holds professional memberships in the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA), the American Educational Research Association (AERA), the College Music Society (CMS), the National Association for Music Education (MENC), and formerly the International Association of Jazz Education (IAJE). He resides in Jonesboro with his wife, Jamie, and their eight children.

Ms. Jessa Wilcoxen, Temporary Assistant Professor of Graphic Design
Office:  Fine Arts, Room 123
Phone:  972.3992
Email:  jwilcoxen@astate.edu

Jessa Wilcoxen is a designer whose work and research incorporates interaction design, user centered design, and print media. She has been a practicing freelance designer for over three years and has held an interaction design position at O.T.V.S. and Lewis Clark Advertising Design in Memphis, Tennessee. Originally from Central Illinois, Jessa graduated with a Bachelor in Arts from Bradley University in 2006 and then completed her Master in Fine Arts (Graphic Design) at the University of Memphis. She is passionate about design, the American Institute of Graphic Arts, good food, family, and her old black pug.

Dr. Chris Wilson, Assistant Professor of Music
Office:  Fine Arts, Room 248                             
Phone:  972.3772
Email:  cwilson@astate.edu

Dr. Christopher W. Wilson has recently been appointed Artist/Assistant Professor of Trumpet at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, Arkansas beginning the fall 2009 academic year.  His duties will include applied trumpet, trumpet methods, coaching chamber music, and performing in the Arkansas State Faculty Brass Quintet. 

 Dr. Wilson has performed with The United States Air Force Band, Washington, DC.  While a member of the Air Force Band, he performed and taught clinics throughout the United States and Japan having recently been a tour soloist performing the Arutunian Trumpet Concerto. He has performed for numerous dignitaries including Presidents George W. Bush and Barrack Obama.  In 2004, he performed at the funeral of former President Ronald Reagan.  Additionally, Dr. Wilson has performed with the Annapolis Symphony, Annapolis Opera, Maryland Symphony, Alexandria Symphony, Concert Artists of Baltimore, and the North Arkansas Symphony.

Dr. Wilson holds a D.M.A. from The Catholic University of America, Washington DC and B.M. and M.M. Degrees from the University of Arkansas.  His former teachers include Wiff Rudd, Steve Hendrickson, Charles Daval, and Robert Bright.

Kim Vickrey publishes in Creative Quarterly

Kim Vickrey, Art, has work published in the March and July issues of Creative Quarterly, the Journal of Art and Design. Creative Quarterly brings together the creative community in the best of art and design in a quarterly publication and is published by 3x3 Publishing Company, New York, N.Y. Produced four times a year, Creative Quarterly has features on illustration, graphic design, photography, and fine arts. In addition, each issue has important information for students ready to enter the job market as well as book reviews and a how-to article which takes readers step-by-step through an actual project by a noted designer or artist. Creative Quarterly's new redesign has made it a more interactive journal, aiming to inspire artists through the sharing of design, interviews with artists, and more.