School of Art news
School of Art launches crowdfunding campaign to support new Visiting Lecture Series
The School of Art is hosting a crowdfunding campaign as part of our development of a new Visiting Lecture Series. The goal is to raise $5000 by August 1 so we can bring acclaimed and diverse artists, writers and critics from around the world both in-person and virtually to NAU. Throughout the 2020-21 academic year, these artists will interact with students and the community via studio visits, workshops, conversations and presentations.
Mentorship from successful professionals is instrumental to nurturing students’ artistic growth and helping prepare them for the next steps in their careers. If you would like to be a part of building this exciting program, please visit our crowdfunding page for more information or to donate.
Interior Design faculty featured in the May 2020 issue of “COLORED PENCIL”
Assistant Professor of Interior Design J.R. MacKenzie has a drawing featured in this month’s issue of COLORED PENCIL magazine. Called “Tipping the Scales”, it is a lush portrait of a pangolin done entirely in colored pencils. A preview of the page featuring MacKenzie is pictured below (MacKenzie’s artwork top right).
“Art from Home” NAU School of Art’s first social media-based exhibition on display
The School of Art is hosting its first social media-based art contest and exhibition! In late March, students were invited to submit a piece of artwork made since classes transitioned online due to the coronavirus outbreak. Many excellent entries were received, showcasing the incredible creativity of our students. Ten finalists were unveiled in an online show opening on NAU School of Art Instagram and Facebook on Saturday, April 18. The work will be on virtual display indefinitely.
NAU Salon Show on display through March 6, 2020
The NAU Salon Show is now on display in the Beasley Gallery through March 6, 2020. The Salon Show is the first exhibition that showcases all NAU students, regardless of field of study. In addition to regular gallery hours Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 10 am to 5pm, join us for an opening reception, Friday, February 21 from 5–7 pm. Come celebrate the amazing creativity of our campus community!
Public presentations by finalists for Director of the School of Art
Between January 31 and February 13, 2020, three finalists for Director of the Northern Arizona University School of Art will visit the Flagstaff Mountain campus. NAU students, staff and faculty as well as members of the greater Flagstaff community are invited to attend public presentations on the candidates’ scholarly and creative work. There will be an opportunity for attendees to interact with the finalists and provide feedback on each to the School of Art.
Professor Ed Pogue, Bethany College, will present a lecture on “Totems, Science and Material.”
10:30-11:30 in room 215 in PFA (building #37).
Professor Larry Thompson, Samford University, will present a lecture on “Collaboration and Cheez-its: An Intentional Disruption to One’s Artistic Practice.”
10:30-11:30 in room 215 in PFA (building #37).
Professor Vaughan Judge, Montana State University, will present a lecture on “A Relationship to Making.”
10:30-11:30 in room 207 in PFA (building #37).
Questions about the finalist presentations can be directed to Interim Director of the School of Art Astrid Klocke.
“An Unexpected Journey” by NAU Interior Design professor opens in Riles gallery
“An Unexpected Journey”—new exhibition of artwork by Assistant Professor of Interior Design J.R. MacKenzie—will be on display in the gallery on the second floor of the Riles Building from January 27 to March 13, 2020. Stop by weekdays from 9–5 pm to see MacKenzie’s detailed colored pencil drawings of wildlife and also her abstract acrylic paintings. An opening reception for “An Unexpected Journey” will be held Monday, March 13 from 3–5 pm.
New exhibitions open in the Beasley Gallery; receptions on January 24
The Beasley Gallery is proud to present its first exhibitions of 2020. On display from January 21–31 are “A Glimpse” and “Junior Show”.
“A Glimpse” is an exhibition by Du Yuanyuan, a recent visiting scholar to NAU and now a teacher at Longdong University in China. Yuanyuan writes about her work: “As numerous entities are experiencing this world. I want to capture every touching moment and let the meaning of life last forever.”
“Junior Show” shows off work by BFA students in their junior year. It’s your chance to see up and coming talent in the School of Art!
An opening reception for “A Glimpse” and “Junior Show” will be held Friday, January 24, 2020 from 5–7 pm in the Beasley Gallery, located on the second floor of the Performing and Fine Arts building on NAU’s Flagstaff campus. Regular gallery hours are Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 10 am to 5 pm.
School of Art Honors Fall 2019 Outstanding Senior
Congratulations to new Art Education graduate Randy Chung, who is our School of Art Outstanding Senior for Fall 2019. Randy’s accomplishments were honored at a reception on Friday, December 13. He was joined by his parents and two of his faculty advisors: Pam Stephens, Professor of Art Education (far right), and Barbara Ryan Gartin, Foundations Lecturer (far left).
Fall 2019 BFA Show opens Friday, November 15
The 2019 Fall BFA Show opens Friday, November 15 with a reception from 5–7 pm in the Beasley Gallery on the second floor of the Performing and Fine Arts Building. Join our students and faculty as we celebrate the hard work of our graduating Bachelor of Fine Arts class and wish them well on their artistic future!
Following the opening, the Fall BFA show will be open to the public Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays through December 13.
“Steeling the Masters” sculpture installation on display in November
“Steeling the Masters”, an outdoor exhibition of fabricated steel relief sculptures by students in Sculpture I, is now on display on the exterior of NAU’s Performing and Fine Arts building. Stop by through November 25 to see this unique installation. This show is free and open to the public.
Fall 2019 Student Juried Show on display through November 1
The Student Juried Show is on display in the Beasley gallery until November 1, 2019. This exhibition features exceptional artwork by NAU student artists in all media.
Beasley Gallery accepting entries for fall 2019 Student Juried Show
The Beasley Gallery will be accepting entries for the fall 2019 Student Juried Show on Tuesday, October 8 from 10 am to 5 pm. The show runs from from October 15 to November 1 with a student critique reception on October 18 at 10 am. Current NAU students may submit up to three artworks in any art medium. Two dimensional pieces should be ready to hang but need not be framed. The Beasley Gallery is located on the second floor of the Performing and Fine Arts Building. Questions can be directed to gallery coordinator Chris Taylor.
Art Faculty invited to participate in Wrong Biennale
School of Art New Media Coordinator David Van Ness has been invited to create an altered monument for the Wrong Biennale. The Wrong Biennale is a global online event, which is also projected in Amsterdam, at embassies around the world and at select other physical locations. Now in its fourth iteration, The Wrong Biennale is the biggest contemporary digital-art archive of its kind, featuring work by more than 1,000 artists. Van Ness’ work will be in the “aSpace4herown – Digital Memorial”, a pavilion focused on violence against women which is curated by Tugce Yuceturk and Ugur Engin Deniz. His piece takes the corporate art project of Fearless Girl in Wall Street and removes 35% of the value of 65% of the 3D scan mode, resulting it an echoed dual image. 35% is the reported amount of women who face violence based on gender worldwide. The piece will be rendered in chrome so that viewers become part of the piece when viewing. For more information visit The Wrong Biennale’s website.
NAU Art Education program hosts Saturday Studio for Kids in October
The NAU art education program hosts the Saturday Studio for Kids each Saturday in October. Classes are free of charge and are offered for children in grades 1-5. Contact Pamela.Stephens@nau.edu to register.
2019 Wall Draw Show underway in the Beasley Gallery
The 2019 Wall Draw Show show is underway in the Beasley Gallery. Don’t miss your chance to contribute to this annual creative collaboration where you, the community, get to draw on walls, and it’s actually encouraged! To participate, stop by the second floor of the Performing and Fine Arts Building from 10am to 5pm on Tuesdays, Thursdays or Fridays between now and September 26. Selected drawing materials and instruction are provided, and the event is free and open to the public.
Art faculty receives 2019 Arizona Commission on the Arts grant
School of Art Senior Lecturer Debra Edgerton is one of the recipients of a competitive Research and Development Grant awarded by the Arizona Commission on the Arts. The grant supports “By the Grace of God,” a painting series by Edgerton which responds to the cultural dramatization of mourning among women of color. For more information, check out this article in the Arizona Daily Sun.
School of Art welcomes new Interim Director
The NAU School of Art welcomes Astrid Klocke as our new Interim Director. Professor Klocke comes to us from the Department of Global Languages and Culture, where she has taught courses in German as well as cinema and visual culture. We look forward to a wonderful 2019–20 under Professor Klocke’s leadership!
BFA Show opens on April 16, 2019
Join our students and faculty in celebrating the hard work of our graduating Bachelor of Fine Arts Class. The BFA Show runs from April 16 to May 10, 2019. There will be an opening reception on April 26 from 5–7 pm.
NAU alumna solo-exhibition reviewed by Artforum and Burnaway
NAU Alumna Eleanor Aldrich’s solo show, “Main Squeeze”, is on view at Channel to Channel gallery in Nashville, TN, March 2nd through April 20th. Read reviews of the show from Artforum and Burnaway magazine.
New Media program featured in SchoolArts Magazine
Pamela Stephens, Professor in Art Education, has published an article on the NAU School of Art’s New Media program in the March 2019 issue of SchoolArts Magazine
2019 Clay Club Soup Bowl Fundraiser
Join the NAU Clay Club on Thursday, March 7, 2019 from 11 am to 1:30 pm for their annual Soup Bowl Fundraiser. This event is held at the Drury Inn and Suites at 300 South Milton Road in Flagstaff. $15.00 buys a handmade bowl, soup and bread. Proceeds go toward student travel to the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA)
NAU Art club hosts “Paint the Night”
The NAU Art Club is hosting “Paint the Night” on Wednesday, March 6, 2019 from 7–9 pm. “Paint the Night” is a social and art-making event open to all NAU students. Drop by room 315 of the Performing and Fine Arts Building to hang out, make paintings (materials provided), enjoy snacks and learn about the Art Club.
Art faculty and student receive 2019 Viola Awards
Congratulations to Foundations Coordinator Julie Comnick and Post-baccalaureate Ceramics student Carli Giese on winning 2019 Viola Awards. The Viola Awards celebrate excellence in the arts and sciences in Flagstaff. During a gala on Saturday, March 2, Comnick was awarded the “Excellence in the Visual Arts Award” for her series Arrangement for a Silent Orchestra, while Giese received the “Emerging Artist Award” for her recent work. For more information on the Viola Awards and the 2019 finalists and winners, visit the Flagstaff Arts Council website.
Allegro, oil on canvas from the series Arrangement for a Silent Orchestra by Julie Comnick
Puddling, stoneware and mixed media created by Carli Giese in collaboration with Lauren Kelly
Student Juried Show opening in Beasley Gallery
The 2019 Student Juried Show is now open in the Beasley Gallery. There is an opening reception March 1 from 5–7 pm. The show, which is free and open to the public will remain on display through March 29. The Beasley Gallery is located on the second floor of the Performing and Fine Arts Building and is open Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 10 am to 5 pm.
Beasley Gallery accepting submissions for Student Juried Show
The Beasley Gallery has put out a call for entries for the annual Student Juried Show, which will run from February 26th to March 29, 2019. Current NAU students may submit up to three artworks in any medium. Drop off is in the Beasley Gallery on Thursday, January 14 or Friday, January 15 from 10 am to 5 pm. Work not selected for the show should be picked up on Tuesday, February 19 from 10 am to 5 pm. If you have questions about the Student Juried Show, e-mail gallery coordinator Chris Taylor.
Art education student and alum receive 2018 Arizona Art Education Association awards
An alumnus and a current student in the Art Education program have been named recipients of Arizona Art Education Association awards at the annual AAEA conference. These awards recognize exceptional achievement in K-12 art teaching.
Samantha Jones (2018) was designated the recipient of the Higher Education Student of Achievement Award. Samantha will complete her program of study on the Honors track. She was an inaugural NAU President’s Leadership Fellow, is a speaker at American Federation of Children conferences and studied abroad in Great Britain and France.
Dana DeLuca (2015) was named Outstanding High School Art Educator. Dana teaches at Agua Fria High School in Avondale where she is the fine arts chair on her campus. She is trained in Advanced Individual Determination, a program designed to help high school students achieve and be college ready.
Art faculty in “Art of the Land”
NAU School of Art Lecturer Barbara Ryan Gartin took part in the “Art of the Land: The Kane Ranch Artist Retreat” from Oct. 27 – 29, 2018. Out of 30 applicants the Grand Canyon Trust selected 10 who were tasked with creating an artwork which told a story about the social, political, or environmental challenges that threaten the region. AZ Daily Sun article.
School of Art alum featured in SchoolArts Magazine
NAU School of Art Alum Taylor Bystrom (2017) is featured in an artist interview in the Summer 2018 issue of SchoolArts Magazine.
Sabbatical exhibition at Beasley Gallery
Professors Jason Hess (Ceramics) and Brian Painter (Sculpture) exhibited work created during their respective sabbaticals at NAU School of Art’s Beasley gallery. Concurrently, NAU School of Art students curated an exhibit of NAU community members’ artwork in the gallery.
Jason Hess
Brian Painter
Two art majors receive HURA awards
Congratulations to Interior Design student Tristan Hess and Art Education student Vivian Phu. They both recently received HURA awards! Both students will conduct specialized research next year in their fields supported by the award. Tristan’s project combines biomimicry and design to suggest solutions to homelessness. Vivian will produce a visual autobiography documenting the complexities of life as a first-generation Chinese-American.
Art faculty in 2017 Whitney Biennial
Foundations Instructor Wes Harvey is showing his work in the 2017 Whitney Biennial in New York, one of the most prestigious exhibitions there is! Wesley is part of the Occupy Museums collective and they are exhibiting a project called DebtFair. Congratulations to Wesley!
2017 High School Invitational at Beasley Gallery
In February 2017, The Beasley Gallery is featuring works of art by students from four Northern Arizona high schools, including Flagstaff Arts and Leadership Academy and Coconino High School. Read about it in the AZ Daily Sun!
Visiting lecture “Ghost of a Dream”
The NAU School of Art Foundations Program presents Ghost of a Dream, a visiting lecture by Adam Eckstron and Lauren Was. Ghost of a Dream is a collaborative venture that embodies the essence of opulence through sculptural installations created with the refuse of daily experience. The artists will present a free lecture on their practice Wednesday, February 9th, 6:30 – 8pm at the Cline Library Auditorium.
Art faculty accepted for artist residency
Nicole Langille, Lecturer in Foundations, was accepted into the Atlantic Center for the Arts residency program for the months of May-June. The Master Artist for that time will be renowned artist Rashawn Griffen.
Art Education student named Presidential Leadership Fellow
Samantha Jones, Art Education student, has been named a Presidential Leadership Fellow. The Presidential Leadership Fellows program equips exceptional student leaders with the skills and knowledge to make meaningful contributions to the university, local, and global communities. They engage in active, collaborative learning focused on the development of professional skills and personal competencies across a variety of themes. Fellows also interact with university leaders to gain a better understanding of the university mission and values, organizational structure and decision making process.
School of Art alum exhibiting in Nashville, TN
Eleanor Aldrich, BFA 2007, has an exhibit at Channel to Channel in Nashville, TN.
Art faculty exhibiting at multiple venues
Julie Comnick, Foundations Instructor, is currently exhibiting her work in “Arrangement for a Silent Orchestra: Drawings,” an exhibit at Milagro Arts Center in Prescott, AZ, August 6 to September 30, 2017. There is a reception and artist talk on August 26.
Julie Comnick is also exhibiting her Ashes to Ashes series at the Laboratory of Tree-ring Research, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, August 20, 2016 – August 19, 2017.
Art faculty published in Ceramics Monthly
Double Bear Stare Platter, a piece by Wesley Harvey, Foundations Instructor, has been published in the March 2017 issue of Ceramics Monthly concurrent with the exhibition, “Decalcomaniacs,” curated by Jeremy Brooks at the Red Lodge Clay Center.
Art Education student publishes poem in SchoolArts Magazine
When You Love Art Like I Do, a poem by Maya Hall, senior Art Education student, has been published in the September 2016 issue of SchoolArts magazine.
Art faculty exhibiting in “Digital Culture Exhibition”
David Van Ness is currently exhibiting in the 2016 “Digital Culture Exhibition” at the Czong Institute for Contemporary Art in Seoul South Korea.
Art education students study abroad
Art education students recently completed a study abroad program to Paris and Barcelona. Each student selected a work of art to research and then presented on site. This photo was taken at Fountain Cascada in Parc de la Ciutadella, Barcelona.
Art faculty featured in HuffPost
Chris Kane Taylor, Beasley Gallery Coordinator and Lecturer in Foundations, had some of his paintings featured in HuffPost Arts & Culture on May 21, 2016. Read the article here.
School of Art alum setting up 3D printer
Coleman Anderson, BFA, 2016, is currently working in the Sedona area setting up a BigRep One 3D printer.
Two art faculty win Best of Show
BEST OF SHOW! Jason Hess and Steve Schaeffer, Ceramics, both won Best of Show, Steve at the Arizona Clay Annual Exhibition (2016) in Phoenix, and Jason at “Working Pots” at James May Gallery in Wisconsin.
Jason Hess
Steve Schaeffer
Interior Design program accredited
NEWS FLASH: On April 11, 2016, accreditation for the Interior Design program was officially approved by CIDA (Council for Interior Design Accreditation)! A big CONGRATULATIONS to the ID faculty for achieving this major goal.
Art faculty co-curating NAU Art Museum exhibition
David Van Ness, Lecturer in Foundations, is co-curator of “Mind 2 Machine 2 Material,” an exhibition at the NAU Art Museum. The show runs from April 19 – June 10, 2016. Accompanying lecture on April 22, 4:00 pm, Liberal Arts Building at NAU, room 136.
Interior Design students study abroad
Interior Design Students just returned from a 7 day study abroad trip to Havana, Cuba, where students studied architectural history and historic preservation for credit in the interior design program. It was the very first time NAU has had a study abroad trip to Cuba!
Art faculty wins Viola Award
Congratulations to Chris Kane Taylor (Beasley Gallery Coordinator and Studio Instructor) for winning a 2016 Viola Award!
Art Education alum featured on television
Michelle Lindsay, a graduate of our Art Education program, was recently featured on television discussing the benefits of art programs in the schools.
Interior Design students compete in IIDA Student Design Charette
Interior design students, Senior Christina Dickinson and Freshman Mikayla Wilson, competed in the 1st Annual IIDA Southwest Chapter Student Design Charette on February 20th in Phoenix, AZ. Winner, Mikayla Wilson, and her team will be traveling to Seattle in April 2016 to compete in the Western Regional competition. If the team advances they will move onto Chicago to participate in National IIDA Student Design Charette at NeoCon. Please congratulate Mikayla on this wonderful achievement!
Ceramics Program Annual Soup Bowl Fundraiser
The Ceramics Program in the School of Art Annual Soup Bowl Fundraiser will be Wednesday and Thursday March 9 and 10, 2016 from 11:00am to 1:00pm at the Drury Inn. $10.00 not only buys you a handmade bowl but the bowl comes with soup and bread as well. Proceeds support student travel to the National Council on Education for The Ceramic Arts Conference in Kansas City, Kansas.
Interior Design program pursuing accreditation
The Interior Design program is pursuing specific Interior Design accreditation by a reliable authority on interior design education. Educational standards at professional-level interior design programs that culminate in a bachelor’s degree are evaluated and accredited by this council. Videos are available online for the Flagstaff and Scottsdale program visits.
Three art faculty nominated for 2016 Viola Awards
Nominated for Viola Awards in 2016: Chris Taylor (Beasley Gallery, Rogers Lake, Foundations), Debra Edgerton (Foundations), and Jessica Soifer (BS in Art Education). Congratulations and good luck!
Art faculty selected for Honor a Professor Program
Pam Stephens, Professor of Art Education, has been selected by NAU’s Honor a Professor Program for in recognition of her outstanding work in art education at NAU.