Archived School of Art news

2019

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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”, 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.

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.

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.

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.

2017

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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 in the world. 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.

2016

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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!

2015

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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.

Arizona Art Education Association Honors student and alumni

The Arizona Art Education Association has honored a current NAU student and three alumni with awards. The awards were presented in Prescott at the 2015 AAEA conference. Janay Wiggins has been named 2015 Higher Education Student of Achievement. Janay will graduate in May, 2016. She is also a Gold Axe recipient. Also honored by AAEA were NAU art education graduates Michelle Lindsay (’06), Denise Horton (’06), and Jessica Soifer (’10). Michelle received a special award to honor her years of service to the association. She teaches in the Madison School District (Phoenix) and is outgoing president of AAEA. Denise was named Outstanding Middle School Art Educator. She teaches in the Isaac School District (also in Phoenix). Earlier in 2015 Denise was honored with the Maricopa County Education Services Master Educator Award. Jessica was named Outstanding Elementary Art Educator and Arizona Art Educator of the Year, the highest honor that AAEA awards. Jessica teaches at Knoles Elementary in Flagstaff where she has recently won a grant to implement STEAM at her campus.

Pictured: art educators honored with awards from the Arizona Art Education Association. Individuals who attend or who have graduated from the NAU art education program are Janay Wiggins (front row, second from left), Denise Horton (front row, third from left), Michelle Lindsay (front row, far right), and Jessica Davis Soifer (back row, far right). Also pictured are Angie Watts, Anita Gomez, and Roxie May.

Art faculty featured in New American Paintings

Nicole Jelsing, Foundations, has been featured in New American Paintings, Western Edition, Issue 120 (October/November 2015). She will also have a solo show at Satellite Contemporary, Las Vegas, NV, in November. The exhibition is called “Foreign Bodies.”

Art faculty participates in several international shows and events

Debra Edgerton, foundations, will exhibit in the Shenzhen International Watercolor Biennial, China and at the International Small Works Exhibition at the Luohu Art Museum in Shenzhen, China. Both exhibitions will be on view in December, 2015. Ms. Edgerton is also curating an exhibition of student work for Kyoto Saga University of Art gallery in Japan.  The exhibition opens in October, 2015. That same month, Ms Edgerton will be a panelist at the Western Conference of the Association for Asian Studies in Kyoto. She will present a paper “Art Pedagogy through Japanese Design and the Principles of Wabi-Sabi.”

Art faculty accepted to Tokyo International Mini-Print Triennial

Dennis McGinnis, foundations, has been accepted to exhibit in the 2015 Tokyo International Mini-Print Triennial. The exhibition will include artists representing 84 countries from around the globe.

Art faculty to exhibit at “3D Glitch Show”

David Van Ness, foundations, will exhibit at the “3D Glitch Show” at the University of Sunderland in Northern England; has been invited to exhibit his work at the 3D Print Expo in Santa Clara, CA in October 2015; and his work will be featured later this year in a German publication, Annual Multimedia Yearbook.

Interior Design alum receives fellowship

2014 Interior Design graduate, Mikayla Cutlip, was awarded a fellowship for 2015 through the Challenge Detroit Program. Challenge Detroit is a nonprofit social impact program that attracts and retains talent in the greater Detroit area. They select only a handful of fellows from hundreds of applications through a competitive process. During the year-long fellowship, Challenge Detroit fellows work at a host company, drawn from a range of Detroit’s leading organizations. Mikayla will work with home builder, Mosher Dolan. In addition, fellows work together on five-week social impact challenge projects in partnership with area nonprofits as well as participate in leadership development training and cultural engagement.

Art faculty named 2015 Creative Communities Fellow

Chris Kane Taylor, Beasley Gallery Coordinator, has been named a 2015 Creative Communities Fellow by National Arts Strategies  (underwritten by the Kresge Foundation and Mellon Foundation) to develop his idea of a “Western Drawing Project.” This project is envisioned as a cross between a bookmobile and a classroom/gallery for drawing traveling to rural communities across the west.

Art faculty exhibits at the Museum of Science and Industry in Tampa, FL

David Van Ness will be exhibiting several of his pieces at the Museum of Science and Industry in Tampa, FL in their exhibition on 3D printing.

ART100 class exhibits in Student Union

Students from Elisa Wiedeman’s ART 100 class are having an exhibition in the Student Union above Einstein Bagels.

Art student receives 2014-15 Provost’s Award for Excellence

Art Education and Ceramics student Erin Gooch has been selected for a 2014-15 Provost’s Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Creativity.

Art Education professor named President’s Distinguished Teaching Fellow

Art Education Professor Pam Stephens has just been named a President’s Distinguished Teaching Fellow for AY 15-16, 16-17, and 17-18. This is a great honor that Professor Stephens very much deserves!

Ceramics professor leading workshop

Jason Hess, Ceramics Professor, is going to lead a workshop at Paducah School of Art & Design in June, 2015.

Three art education student published in SchoolArts Magazine

Three art education seniors have had their articles published in SchoolArts, a national trade magazine for art teachers. “Illustrating the Dictionary” by Taylor Underdown and “Big Relief” by Shantelle Kotowich were published in the March 2015 issue of the magazine. “In Perspective” by Amanda Cross was published in the April 2015 issue.

NAU Interior Design alum lighting the Coliseum in Rome

Interior Design graduate Gabriela Jacobsen (2011) is now in Rome working on the new lighting system for the Coliseum. Gabriela is in a Masters program at Sapienza Rome University that specializes in architectural lighting design.

Art student receives 2015 Gold Axe Award

Erin Gooch, senior in Art Education and Ceramics, is being honored by NAU with a Gold Axe Award. This award recognizes seniors who have made outstanding contributions to the university in the areas of academic performance, service, leadership and participation in activities.

Interior Design students assess ADA features in Fine Arts Building

Students in Interior Design 121 recently assessed the ADA-accessible features in the Performing and Fine Arts building. Students and facility partnered with the Office of Disabilities Services at NAU to propose changes. All of the student recommendations have been made. ADA ultimately improves life for everyone, and accessibility is a concept that interior designers will continue to implement and innovate.

Art student selected as Spring 2015 College of Arts and Letters Outstanding Senior

Erin Gooch, senior in Art Education and Ceramics, has been selected as the College of Arts and Letters Outstanding Senior for Spring 2015. Congratulations, Erin!

Art Faculty to present at 2015 FATE conference

Nicole Jelsing and David Van Ness, both foundations faculty, will present their research on hybrid studio courses at the Foundations in Art: Theory and Education (FATE) conference in March 2015.

Art faculty included in traveling exhibition by Are Mathematica

David Van Ness, foundations coordinator, will have a piece on tour in a traveling exhibition organized by Ars Mathematica, an international organization promoting digital sculpture and the arts.

Art faculty has several upcoming exhibits

Debra Edgerton, Lecturer in Foundations, has been busy! Among other things, she will be a visiting scholar at the Japan Studies Institute this summer, she will exhibit in a two-person show at the Museum of Northern Arizona (show runs through May 25, 2015), she will show a painting in the American Watercolor Society’s International Exhibition in New York April 6-25th 2015, and finally she will exhibit in the Transparent Watercolor Society of Americas 39th Annual National Exhibition at the Kenosha Museum May 2nd through August, 2015.

Art education student wins NAEA award

Art Education student Chelsea Tinklenberg has won the Higher Education Preservice Achievement Award by the National Art Education Association. This is a national award and highly competitive. Chelsea will receive the award in New Orleans in March at the NAEA national conference.

Chelsea Tinklenberg

Third edition of School of Art professor’s book published

Professor Pam Stephens is celebrating the third edition of her textbook, Bridging the Curriculum Through Art.

Older stories

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The NAU Clay Club will hold its annual holiday sale again this year on Friday and Saturday, December 5 and 6, 2014 at the ceramics complex on south campus.

The Arizona Art Education Association has honored five NAU alumni and one current student with awards for outstanding achievements in the teaching of art. They are: Chelsea Tinklenberg (senior), Outstanding Higher Education Student of Achievement; Elisa Wiedeman (Class of 2004 and currently an instructor in the School of Art), Outstanding Higher Education Art Educator; Jessalyn Carpino (class of 2011), Outstanding First-Year Professional Art Educator; Janeece Henes (class of 1997), Outstanding High School Art Educator; Kelly Martin (class of 2011), Emerging Leadership Award; Devin Smith (class of 2009), Outstanding Elementary Art Educator. For more information.

Elisa Wiedeman, instructor in foundations, has been selected by the Lumberjack student-athletes as an outstanding educator for the Fall 2014 semester! Wiedeman has been invited to be recognized at the NAU Soccer Game on Friday, October 31st at 7pm, during which she can walk on the field to be publicly recognized.Alum exhibiting at Zane Bennett Contemporary Art in Santa Fe

Alumnus David Johns is having an exhibit at Zane Bennett Contemporary Art in Santa Fe starting September 26, 2014.

David Van Ness will show at the Schemer Art Center in Phoenix in an exhibit called “Materialize: 3D Printing and Rapid Prototyping.” The show runs from October 16 through November 27, 2014.

Maureen Costa, instructor in foundations, won Best of Show in “From Our Perspectives,” an exhibit at the Women Center, Oakland Community College, Farmington Hills, Michigan in September and October of 2014.

Kris Waid-Jones, instructor in foundations and sculpture, has been awarded 1st Place (Best of Show) for his sculpture Fine Line. The juried exhibition runs from Sept. 5 – Oct. 3, at the Theatre Art Galleries in High Point, North Carolina.

Levon Miller, a BFA in Ceramics student, was featured in the Ceramics Monthly Undergraduate Showcase.

The Awards Committee for the Arizona Art Education Association has honored Elisa Wiedeman for her contributions to quality art education in the state. She was named the 2014 Outstanding Higher Education Art Educator.

The Arizona Art Education Association has singled out Chelsea Tinklenberg as the 2014 Higher Education Student of Achievement.

One of our BFA students, Devin Kelly, is showing his work at the Beaver Street Gallery in Flagstaff. The exhibit, “FACE:SCAPES,” will start September 5, 2014 and stay on view until October 31.

David Van Ness recently exhibited at the ”The 2014 International Digital Sculpture Exhibition” The University of Texas, Austin, TX. Sponsored by the 25th Annual International Solid Freeform Fabrication Symposium, the National Science Foundation, and The Office of Naval Research. Two pieces were printed and one will become part of the collection of the University of Texas.

Professor Jason Hess, Assistant Professor of Practice Steve Schaeffer and Professor Emeritus Paula Rice have been invited to be part of “50 from 6: Contemporary Ceramic Art from the Rocky Mountain States” the exhibit runs Sept 25th – Nov 8th, 2014. The exhibition is at the Braithwaite Fine Arts Gallery on the campus of Southern Utah University. It is sponsored by the College of Performing and Fine Arts.

Jason Hess, Steve Schaeffer, Jennifer Holt and Jason Bohnert have been invited to exhibit their work at the Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport Museum for most of the Fall 2014 semester.

Foundations Coordinator David Van Ness will be busy at the 2015 FATE, Foundations in Art: Theory and Education, conference. He will chair a session on Hybrid Learning in Foundation Studio Courses and will be on two other panels. The first deals with 3D scanning and its use in Foundation courses and the second will be on using technology in traditional Foundation courses.

Kristen Cochran (Art Education, 2014) was featured in the Fountain Hills, AZ Times.

David Van Ness has been accepted into the 2014 Art Prize exhibition in Grand Rapids, MI. The Art Prize is an annual exhibition where the entire city of Grand Rapids becomes an exhibition space attracting artists and collectors from around the world.

The Spring 2014 BFA exhibit got a very positive review in the Arizona Daily Sun.

Foundations Coordinator David Van Ness and Foundations Lecturer Nicole Jelsing session proposal for the Foundations in Art: Theory and Education(FATE) conference in 2015, “Can the Hybrid model save Foundations,” was accepted. The session will cover how online learning can augment the studio classroom.

Senior BFA student Hannah Stone has been featured on the Saatchi Art web site. Her work will be on view in Beasley Gallery through the rest of the Spring 2014 semester. Reception is on April 25 at 5:00.

Several School of Art Faculty and Alumni are taking part in Local:Color at the Coconino Center for the Arts in Flagstaff.

Chris Taylor, foundations instructor and Beasley Gallery Coordinator, has been selected to exhibit at the Contemporary Arts Center in Las Vegas, NV.  The 25th Annual Juried Show, curated by critic and professor John Seed, runs April 3 – April 25, 2014. For more information about the show, click here.

Professor Jim O’Hara will participate in a workshop at the University of Chicago centering on the conservation of Wolf Vostell’s Concrete Traffic, a piece of public art completed in 1970.

Selected Student Show in Beasley Gallery makes the news.

Some of our figure drawing students working at NAU’s climbing wall:

Former painting major Eleanor Aldrich was selected for a new program and exhibition, “Open Sessions,”  at The Drawing Center in NYC.

Ben Jordan (’13), a ceramics alum, has won a competitive short-term residency at Red Lodge Clay Center.

Daniel Salcido, a printmaking graduate, is now a designer at Gamescape San Francisco.

Please join us at NAU’s Ceramics Complex for Visiting Artists Matt Kelleher and Shoko Terrayuma Thursday & Friday, February 27-28. Studio Demonstrations will take place 10 am-4pm each day. The artists will also present Slide Lectures, Thursday (Shoko Terrayuma) & Friday (Matt Kelleher), 4pm-5pm. The NAU Ceramics Complex (Bldg #80) is located at 1919 S. Lone Tree Rd. All events are free & open to the public.

Matt Kelleher

Shoko Terrayuma

Foundations Coordinator David Van Ness will be part of a round table discussion on 3D Printing at the College Art Association Conference in Chicago in February, 2014 at the Center for Paper and Book Art at Columbia College. He will also speak at the BIT 1st Annual Congress on 3D Printing in Dalian China . David will then participate in the 3D Printshow in NYC. His work will be at the Dallas Art Fair in April and is currently on display in Boston at the Collision Collective Show.

Congratulations to Erin Gooch, senior in the School of Art, for being honored as the 2013 Higher Education Student of Achievement by the Arizona Art Education Association. Erin was honored in November at the annual AAEA conference. A double major in art education and ceramics, Erin is an accomplished ceramist and an exceptional pre-service art educator.

Foundations Coordinator David Van Ness will lecture in April at AMUG (Additive Manufacturing User Group) in Tucson, AZ.  He will discuss 3D Printing and the possibilities it holds for art and artists.

Foundations Coordinator David Van Ness will exhibit at 1 Arts Plaza in Dallas, TX in October, at Ro2 Gallery in Dallas in December, and at the 3D Printshow in London in November.

Foundations instructor and Beasley Gallery Coordinator Chris Taylor will be featured in New American Painting No. 108 (October/November 2013).

The first student print using our new MakerBot 3-D printer:

School of Art graduate Rebecca Rose has been awarded this year’s Halstead Grant.

David Van Ness discusses the potential of 3-D printing for art in the Arizona Daily Sun.

Several artists associated with the School of Art have been selected to exhibit in the 2013 Arizona Biennial at the Tucson Museum of Art. Jen Holt, Steve Schaeffer, and Devin Kelly are included in the exhibit that will show some of Arizona’s best contemporary art.

Group Exhibition of NAU Students Patrick Keig, Devin Kelly, and Jeff Urdang at Beaver Street Gallery, Flagstaff, July 13 – August 9, 2013.

Recent art education graduate Jessalyn Carpino was part of a film called Retrograde. The film was recently screened at the Sedona Film Festival.

Foundations coordinator David Van Ness has a 3D printer!

Foundations coordinator David Van Ness has been busy: David has received a summer research grant for the College of Arts and Letters to make work for the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute as well as other research projects; David has received a Micro Grant from the Parent Leadership Council to purchase a 3D printer for the School of Art; he has been accepted to the 3D Print Show in London and Paris; the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute has asked David to create a work for their Youngstown, OH headquarters; David is as a member of the advisory board for the Creative and Entertainment session of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers and he has curated and will participate in the 2013 RAPID conference and art show in Pittsburg, PA and exhibit a 3D printed sculpture that took over three years to complete; David’s “Flying Pig” will be exhibited at the Liliana Bloch Gallery in Dallas, TX July 13 – September 7.

2013 School of Art Faculty Exhibition at the NAU Art Museum. Exhibit starts on May 7, with reception on May 9.

Review of the BFA capstone exhibition in the Arizona Daily Sun.

Installations by students in ART 315, taught by Jen Holt, will be on view starting April 25 at locations across NAU campus.

Instructor Debra Edgerton received one of the two Provost Awards for Faculty Excellence in Global Learning this year.

Several BFA students in the School of Art have assembled an exhibit at Ephemeral Studios in Jerome, AZ. The reception for the exhibit will be May 4 at 5:00pm. Included in the exhibit are: Sumer Khan, Jeff Urdang, Patrick Keig, Devin Kelly, Andrea Bagdon, and Coleton Lunt. For more information click here.

Interior Design students from ID 361 worked with Rabbi Shapiro and his wife to help come up with a few design ideas for a portion of the Chabad Jewish Community Center.

Mikayla Cutlip, an interior design student, has won a Hooper Undergraduate Research Award (HURA) for her project “Living in the City: Intimate and Public Space in Applying Aesthetically Sustainable Practices to Existing Environments.” The project uses Christopher Alexander’s design ideals to argue that aesthetics are essential to the practice of sustainability and therefore the continuation of human existence.

Ruprecht von Kaufmann will conduct a workshop/critique and lecture on his work on Wednesday, March 13. Workshop at 3:00pm in bldg 37, room 315 (painting studio). Lecture at 4:00pm in bldg 37, room 215. Click here for more information on von Kaufmann’s work.

Visiting Ceramic Artist Matt Wilt will conduct studio demonstrations on February 28 and March 1 (10 – 4) and will deliver a public lecture on March 1 at 4PM, all at the ceramics complex on south campus.

Painting Professor Franklin Willis presents “Tea and Tonkas,” an exhibition of paintings at Beaver Street Gallery in Flagstaff March 1 – April 28, Reception on March 1 6:00 – 8:00 PM.

Students in ARE 231 have been working hard to inspire meaningful creativity in schools and our college community. This was a cooperative art lesson where students were taught how to teach elementary students about local trees and the process of paper creation. To finish the lesson they built large tree 3D paintings with rolled-up recycled newspapers, magazines and second-hand paint. The images the student’s chose was a Joshua Tree and an Aspen Tree, both native to Arizona.

Photo: Rochelle Garcia (L) Kat Lemcke (R)

The Arizona Art Education Association (AAEA) recently honored a current art education student and a recent graduate. Kat Lemcke, art education senior, has been named Higher Education Art Education Student of Achievement. Rochelle Garcia (class of 2010) has been named Outstanding First Year Art Educator. Rochelle teaches art at Granite Mountain Middle School in Prescott Unified School District. Both Kat and Rochelle were given their awards at the annual AAEA conference.

Art education seniors Jessalyn Carpino and Alysyn Leonard were honored at the Fall 2012 Gold Axe and Distinguished Senior Awards Reception. Jessalyn is completing her student teaching internship at Payson High School. She was named the Distinguished Senior for the College of Arts and Letters. Alysyn will complete her student teaching internship in spring 2013 at Hamilton High School in Chandler. She was awarded the prestigious Gold Axe.

Fall BFA Exhibit: Blake McCord and Jeffrey Urdang, November 13 – December 14, Beasley Gallery. Reception November 16, 5 – 7 PM.

Art Education students have been winning numerous awards recently: Alysyn Leonard is receiving a Gold Axe Award; Jessalyn Carpino is receiving the Distinguished Senior for CAL and has been selected as the Outstanding Senior for the School of Art; Kat Lemcke is receiving the Higher Ed Student of Achievement from the AZ Art Ed Association; Rochelle Garcia, 2011 graduate, is receiving Outstanding First-Year Art Teacher Award from AAEA.

Lecturer and Foundations Coordinator David Van Ness’s work was recently in the International 3D Print Show in London, Oct 19 – Oct 21.  His work is featured at homebuildlife.com, designyoutrust.com, and notcot.com.

Ceramics instructor Jen Holt has been accepted into “Craftforms 2012,” an international juried contemporary crafts exhibition at the Wayne Art Center, outside of Philadelphia, PA. The juror for this highly competitive & prestigious exhibition is Cindi Strauss, Curator of Modern and Contemporary Decorative Arts and Design at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. The exhibition runs Dec.1, 2012 -Jan. 26th, 2013.

Art Education students have been winning numerous awards recently: Alysyn Leonard is receiving a Gold Axe Award; Jessalyn Carpino is receiving the Distinguished Senior for CAL and has been selected as the Outstanding Senior for the School of Art; Kat Lemcke is receiving the Higher Ed Student of Achievement from the AZ Art Ed Association; Rochelle Garcia, 2011 graduate, is receiving Outstanding First-Year Art Teacher Award from AAEA.

Matagi Sorensen, BFA 2011, was recently honored as a Top 5 Finalist in a national competition for emerging jewelry designers. The Halstead Grant program, sponsored by jewelry supply wholesaler Halstead Bead Inc., awards cash grants and valuable business plan assistance to jewelry entrepreneurs.

It’s time to register for the Saturday Studio for Kids. Offered for children in grades 1-6, the Saturday Studio for Kids meets each Saturday in October (6, 13, 20, and 27) from 10:00 until noon in the NAU School of Art. We are pleased to offer this event free of charge. For additional information or for an electronic registration form, please email Pamela.Stephens@nau.edu. Hard copy registration forms are available in the School of Art office, room 211 of the Performing and Fine Arts Building.

Professors Pam Stephens and Debra Edgerton and a number of students travelled to Vienna in the summer of 2012 to visit the Friedensreich Hundertwasser home, foundation, and collection. The visit was part of the School of Art’s efforts in global education and several art projects centered on sustainability. Other sites visited included the Spittelau heating plant, the Secession Building, and the Leopold Museum. A student-produced video of the trip is available.

David Van Ness, Foundations Coordinator, has been invited to show his digitally fabricated work at the 2012 3D Print Show in London.

Art Education student Jessalyn Carpino was awarded the the Gold Axe Award and the President’s Prize. The Gold Axe Award is given to students who show excellence in leadership, academic excellence and service to the NAU community. Of the yearly winners, four are chosen by NAU President John Haeger for the President’s Prize, the university’s highest student honor.

Painting student Rudy Dawahoya won a competition to have his work appear on the cover of a recently published book.

David Van Ness, Foundations Coordinator, has won a large grant from the College of Fine Arts to support research during the summer of 2012.
David Van Ness, Foundations Coordinator, will be presenting at the 2012 Society of Manufacturing Engineers Rapid conference on how to make Physical Sculpture Viral once 3D printing becomes common place.  The lecture will also include a crowd source design project that will result in work for Professor Van Ness’s www.wikisculpture.org project and will be printed using a 3D printer.
Update to previous news: Professor Pam Stephens, Art Education, won a Viola Award for Arts Educator.
Professor Franklin Willis, Painting, has won a grant from the Faculty Grants Program at NAU to fund his project, “A Creative Look Into the Persona of the Coconino Plateau.”

Professors Pam Stephens, Art Education, Franklin Willis, Painting, and Steve Schaeffer, Ceramics, have all been nominated for Viola Awards. Congratulations to all!

Professor Pam Stephens, Art Education, has been named the 2012 Arizona Art Educator of the Year. The award will be presented at the 2012 NAEA National Convention in New York City in March.

Seniors Jade Sun, Jessalyn Carpino, and Natasha Simpson are recipients of the Hooper Undergraduate Research Award. The students are currently documenting a participatory public art project planned for the NAU campus. In October the three presented “Participatory Art” at the Arizona Art Education Association annual conference.

The Arizona Art Education Association named senior Jessalyn Carpino Higher Education Outstanding Art Education Student for 2011-12. Jessalyn serves as an officer in the NAU student chapter of the National Art Education Association and is a recent recipient of a HURA (see above). Pictured below are recent NAU graduates Kim Lincoln, ’07 (center) and Michelle Lindsay, ’06 (right).

Events
Check for current Exhibits at the Beasley Gallery web page.

A two-day, hands-on ceramics workshop with Randy Johnston and Jan McKeachie-Johntson was held Thursday and Friday, October 20 and 21, 10AM – 5PM, Ceramics Complex (bldg 80, south campus).

Jessalyn Carpino, junior art education major, has been named by the Arizona Art Education Association as the state’s Outstanding Higher Education Student of the Year. Jessalyn serves as president of the NAU Student Chapter of the National Art Education Association, has been published in a national art education trade magazine, and will be studying abroad in the summer of 2012 prior to student teaching in Arizona.

Kim Lincoln (2007) has been named by the Arizona Art Education Association as Outstanding Secondary Art Teacher of the Year. Kim teaches introductory and advanced placement art classes at Millennium High School in the Agua Fria High School District. While enrolled at NAU, Kim was named National Outstanding Higher Education Student of the Year.

Below: Kim Lincoln (left) and Jessalyn Carpino (right)

The following School of Art faculty and students were nominated for Viola Awards, which are “Flagstaff’s Oscars for the arts community”:

• Steve Schaeffer
• Jason Bohnert
• Caryn Bopp
• Matagi Sorensen

Art work by Alicia Pe, sophomore art education major, was selected for an honorable mention in a national artist’s trading card competition. Artist trading cards are small, original artworks that are intended to be shared with other artists. More than 3,000 entries were submitted for the annual contest.

NAU graduate and studio art minor Sara Amalia Brooks was the winner of the Eric Fischl Vanguard scholarship at Phoenix College Art Exhibit.

Publications and exhibitions

A manuscript by Pamela Stephens, associate professor of art education, is featured in the March issue of the Journal of the National Art Education Association. The manuscript, titled “A Curious Reality: Exploring the Paintings of Philip C. Curtis,” spotlights four paintings housed in the permanent collection of the NAU Art Museum. A companion piece article, Improbably Probable: Finding Meaning in Fantasy is published by Davis Publications.

“Three-D Animals,” an article by Mairen Jeffers, art education major was published in the March issue of SchoolArts magazine. The issue deals with the theme of the natural world. Mairen developed and taught the early childhood lesson in the fall Children’s Art Program.

Also in the March issue of SchoolArts Magazine is an interview art instructor Nancy Reynolds. The interview, titled “Connecting to Nature”, was written by Pam Stephens, associate professor of art education. Reynolds’ concept of creating organic sculptures from plywood and features three images of her artwork are featured.

M. Ivan Cherry, BFA 1996, went on to get his MFA at The Art Institute of Chicago. Recently, his work “Incredible,” was used as the cover art for New American Paintings (Juried Exhibition-in-Print No. 59). He won the Renee Denmark award in 2001 and the Helen V. Surovek Memorial award in 2004. He is presently Dean of Fine Arts, English, and Humanities at South Suburban College in South Holland, IL.

Art education students visited the Phoenix Art Museum for a day of interdisciplinary professional development. The program was sponsored by a grant from the Parent Leadership Council. Pictured on the steps of the Museum are art education students.

A manuscript by Pamela Stephens, Associate Professor of Art Education, is featured in the March issue of the Journal of the National Art Education Association. The manuscript, titled A Curious Reality: Exploring the Paintings of Philip C. Curtis spotlights four paintings housed in the permanent collection of the NAU Art Museum. A companion piece article, Improbably Probable: Finding Meaning in Fantasy is published by Davis Publications.

Debra Edgerton’s Recycled Art course was featured on Green NAU.

Call for Participants: The Wall Draw Show in Beasley Gallery. All NAU students are invited to contribute to this unique exhibition/work in progress by coming into Beasley Gallery to draw and paint on the walls. The gallery is open to students 10-5 on Tues, Thurs, and Fridays. Exhibit reception is October 16, 2010 at 5:00 PM.

NAU – TSBU Exchange, Part II: NAU in Japan

In June of 2010, 18 students from NAU led by two faculty members traveled to Japan for a two-week study abroad trip. The basis of the trip was an exchange between Tohoku Seikatsu Bunka University (TSBU), in Sendai Japan and Northern Arizona University. In April of 2009 a group of faculty and students came to NAU from TSBU to have a joint exhibition with students from NAU’s School of Art in the Beasley Gallery. In June of 2010, Jason Hess and Rodrigo DeToledo led 18 students to mount the second joint exhibition between NAU and TSBU at the Miyagi Museum of Art in Sendai, Japan. Students who participated in the trip were from The School of Art, The School of Communication, The School of Music, The Franke School of Business, Modern Languages, and The School of Hotel and Restaurant Management.

Join NAU Interior Design faculty and students for an Interior Design Alumni “Meet and Greet” on November 3rd at Goodman’s Interior Structures.

The Arizona Art Education Association announced that three members from the NAU community have won awards for the 2010-11 academic year. The honorees are Pam Stephens, Krista Fleishman, and Michelle Lindsay. The three received their awards September 16 during the AAEA conference in Tempe.

Pam Stephens, an associate professor in the School of Art, is named as Arizona Art Educator of the Year, the top honor for the association. The award recognizes Pam’s contributions to art education at the local, regional, and national levels. Her contributions include workshops in schools and at conferences, keynote addresses, books for teachers and children, award-winning animated art history videos for young viewers, and a national column for art teachers.

Krista Fleishman, class of 2011 and president of the campus chapter of the art education association, is honored as Arizona’s Outstanding Higher Education Art Education Student. Krista’s award acknowledges her commitment and dedication to the field. Her contributions are focused upon raising awareness of the benefits of a quality art education for K-12 children and providing opportunities for art education students to travel to state and national professional conferences.

Michelle Lindsay, class of 2006, teaches art at Madison School #1 in Phoenix. Michelle’s award is the Emerging Leader in Art Education. Michelle’s award shows appreciation for her involvement in creating stronger art programs for young adults. Her contributions are focused upon making art central to learning and include presentations at the state art education conference. In addition to her busy work load and professional commitments, Michelle is seeking national board certification.

Students in teacher preparation programs in the College of Arts and Letters will be traveling to the Phoenix Art Museum in the fall ’10 and spring ’11 semesters thanks to generous funding from the Parent Leadership Council. The grant funding, awarded to the art education program, provides travel, museum admission, and teaching resources to approximately 80 students from the departments of art, English, and modern languages. This training replicates the type of professional development the Museum offers to certified teachers and prepares students for working collaboratively with educators from other content areas.

Senior art education students, Alex King and Krista Gurney Fleishman, after a day of professional development at the Phoenix Art Museum.

Faculty and Students from TBSU University, Sendai, Japan showed their work in the Beasley Gallery from March 25 through April 13, 2010. The reception was on March 26, 6-8PM. In June, 2010, a group of NAU faculty and students traveled to Sendai to exhibit their work and hold workshops there.

Spring 2010 BFA Exhibits in Beasley Gallery:

BFA I: On view April 19-24, reception April 23, 6-8 PM

• Jason Murtha
• Jessica Davis
• Tristan Donnelly
• Larry Lane
• Terri Krallitsch
• David Stoll
• Megan Phillips

BFA II: On view April 29-May 6, reception April 30, 6-8 PM

• Jack Heimerman
• Misty Dawn Ostrowski
• Caitlin Crimmins
• Samantha Gratz
• Eric Brown
• Jessica Stack
• James Coquia

Art work by Alicia Pe, sophomore art education major, has been selected for an honorable mention in a national artist’s trading card competition. Artist trading cards are small, original artworks that are intended to be shared with other artists. More than 3,000 entries were submitted for the annual contest. Alicia’s drawing of a colorful fish can be seen online. The drawing will also be on display at the National Art Education Association conference in Baltimore from April 14-18.

Interior Design professor Helen Peterson will present a paper in Athens, Greece in June, 2010 entitled “Constructed Social Order: Clarkdale, Arizona, Built Environment, Capitalism and the City Beautiful Movement, 1913-1930.”

“Three-D Animals,” an article by Mairen Jeffers, art education major (senior), is published in the March issue of SchoolArts magazine. The issue deals with the theme of the natural world. Mairen developed and taught the early childhood lesson in the fall Children’s Art Program.

Also in the March issue of SchoolArts Magazine is an interview with NAU art instructor, Nancy Reynolds. The interview, titled Connecting to Nature, was written by Pam Stephens, Associate Professor of Art Education. Reynolds’ concept of creating organic sculptures from plywood and features three images of her artwork are featured.

Nancy Reynolds, Summer Sun

Ceramics students James Coquia and Duncan Tweed have been accepted into the 2010 National Student Juried Exhibition at NCECA (National Council of Education for the Ceramic Arts). The exhibit will be held March 25 – April 14 in Pittsburgh, PA. Hundreds of students from North America applied but only twenty were accepted. That means that NAU students make up 20% of the artists in the show! Congratulations to both students.

Regarding the Risible Follies of Entropic Apathy, by James Coquia

Interior Design Professor Helen Peterson was featured in a recent issue of Inside NAU. The article “Students Design Transit Shelters for Grand Canyon Gateway” featured a project that she is working on with two other designers.

Stephen Sokola, an Art Education student, has been named the winner of the College of Arts and Letters Outstanding Senior Award for Fall, 2009.

Beasley Gallery Exhibits, Fall 2009:

• Recycled Art: Reception November 6
• BFA I: Reception November 20
• BFA II: Reception December 4

The following Art Education students had articles published in School Arts, a national trade magazine for art educators: Neri Luzietti, Julie Bringhurst Wells, Tara Nunimaker, Jessica Bradley, Jessica Davis.

Art Education Professor Pam Stephens has been busy: she won a prestigious grant from Target to benefit the Art Education program; she was named the Arizona Art Education Association’s Outstanding Higher Education Art Educator for 2008-09; and she has published the eighth in her series of art history animated videos and books for children titled Dropping in on the Impressionists.

Professor Jason Hess was in eight exhibitions during the 08-09 academic year: five national invitational group shows, one show in China, one exhibition of the ceramics program’s current faculty and students at the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA) annual conference, and one solo exhibition of work made during a residency in China while on sabbatical. Jason also organized a national symposium in the spring of 2009, “Potters as Sculptors, Sculptors as Potters,” which was held here at NAU.

Professor Paula Rice has received the inaugural a Research and Creative Activity Award: Most Significant Creative or Artistic Work for her Planet Series. The same ceramic work was on exhibit at the Lowell Observatory in August and September of 2009.

Ceramics instructor Steve Schaeffer has been invited to exhibit his work at the 2009 Florence Biennale.

Instructor Helen Peterson earned LEED AP certification with an emphasis in commercial interiors. LEED for commercial Interiors is the system for certifying high-performance green interiors that are healthy, productive places to work; are less costly to operate and maintain; and have a reduced environmental footprint.

Assistant Professor of Practice Carl Clark is leading the effort in the School of Art to gain CIDA accreditation for the Interior Design program. We hope to finalize accreditation by the end of the 2010-11 school year.

Recent Golden Axe winners in Interior Design:

• 2009 Marissa Alff (ID Flagstaff)
• 2008 Edith Villalobos (ID Tucson)
• 2007 Lee Ann Sobczak (ID Flagstaff)

BFA Exhibit for Spring, 2009: Mary Griffin, Elizabeth N. Hyde, Tristyn Hamilton Bustamante, Anna Ford, Jade Youngren, Kimberly Gehle-Romberger, Stephanie Marie Preciado and Alma A. Aispuro. Opening reception Friday, April 24 from 6-8PM in Beasley Gallery.

Art education majors Jordan Trammell (sophomore), Emily Squire (junior), and Emily Winthrop (junior) have been selected as winners in a national artist trading card competition. Jordan placed first while the other students earned honorable mentions. More than 3,000 entries were submitted to this contest. See the cards.

Ivan Bronston, a recent BFA graduate, won a $5,000 grant from Arizona Commission on the Arts. He installed an installation at Beaver Street Gallery.

The Ceramics program welcomed Takashi Nakazato and his assistant Kazu Oba from Karatsu, Japan who were here Spring 2009 to make ceramic art for several weeks. Their work culminated with the firing of one of our wood burning kilns. Takashi is the son of Muan Nakazato who was declared a living national treasure in Japan and producer of Karatsu-Yaki ceramics. Takashi became a potter in the hope of creating a totally new style of Karatsu. Takashi’s work is characterized by a casual serenity and his forms are intended for the daily ritual of eating and drinking or flower display. The public came to the Ceramics Complex and witnessed Takashi work in our wood kilns the weekend of January 30th.

Alumna Amy McBroom, who teaches art at the Grand Canyon School (yes, at the Grand Canyon!), was named the 2008 Coconino County Rural School Teacher of the Year.

Ceramics Professor Paula Rice’s new Planet Project was featured at the Coconino Center for the Arts. The work was on display from September 27 through November 6, 2008 in the Night Visions III exhibition at the Center. For more information.

Tom and Elaine Coleman will conduct a ceramics workshop on October 22 and 23, from 10:00am – 5:00pm in the ceramics complex on south campus. Tom and Elaine are nationally known ceramists from Henderson, Nevada.

The annual Saturday Studio for Kids was held October 4, 11, 18, and 25. For more information click here.

Professor Jim O’Hara and his sculpture Benchmark were featured in Inside NAU.

Pam Stephens, associate professor in art education, published the seventh in her series of children’s books and animated videos about artists. Dropping in on Grandma Moses features the artist and six of her major works. The series is illustrated and animated by Phoenix artist, Jim McNeill (www.JimMcNeill.com) and is published by Crystal Productions (www.crystalproductions.com).

Julie Bringhurst Wells, art education student teacher, published her original early childhood lesson, Unexpected Cats, in SchoolArts magazine. Based on her lesson about artist Sandy Skoglund, young students were provided an opportunity to create their own unusual setting for a cat. In the same issue is Julie’s review of the book, Painting on Glass and Ceramics.

Debra Edgerton, Instructor in the School of Art, had work on display at Hampton Museum in Virginia. Her photo installation received the Reuben Burrell photography Award and was on display in 2008.

Debra Edgerton, Duality.

In:Print, featuring prints from the NAU School of Art students was on display in the Bursar’s Office through fall semester, 2008.

Tom Alward, ceramics student, was awarded a Windgate Fellowship from The Center of Craft, Creativity and Design in North Carolina in 2008. The Center awards $15,000 fellowships to ten graduating seniors from applicants nominated by 55 partner colleges and universities. A panel reviews applications and recommends only 10 recipients whose work demonstrates a balance of content and design and a mastery of materials; is informed by craft process, materials, traditions, and/or sensibilities; demonstrates innovation, curiosity, and a commitment to growth; and shows evidence of how the work might stimulate creative thinking or dialogue among other artists.

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