A Look Back at CFA’s 2022-2023 Year
A Look Back at CFA’s 2022-2023 Year
Photo gallery captures the highlights of BU College of Fine Arts’ 2022-2023 academic year
Reopenings. Rejoices. Reflections.
The 2022-2023 academic year at BU College of Fine Arts was an unstoppable one. As we look back, we’re reminded of the power of the arts. With sold-out BU School of Music concerts at Boston’s Symphony Hall and the renowned Carnegie Hall in New York City, to a first-time collaboration between BU School of Theatre and the College of Communication Department of Film and Television making an original TV sitcom.
And who can forget about the successful gallery shows this year, like the exhibition, “Comics is a Medium, Not a Genre,” curated by Joel Christian Gill, Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Visual Narrative at BU School of Visual Arts, which generated so much buzz! Walk down memory lane with us…
Sections
BU Art Galleries’ exhibitions
Celebrating music anniversaries
Collaborations and sold-out theatre shows
Thesis exhibitions highlight the works of 100+ visual arts students
CFA alums and students earn accolades
Faculty and leadership administration recognitions
Partnerships and scholarships
2023 CFA Convocation… one for the books!
BU Art Galleries’ exhibitions
BU Art Galleries’ 808 Gallery reopened in fall 2022 with the exhibit, “Dreamscapes: Finding the Light Through Immersive Design,” an immersive show exploring fantastical worlds, curated by local artist Jaina Cipriano.
BU Art Galleries presented “CEY ADAMS, DEPARTURE: 40 Years of Art and Design,” a retrospective exhibition featuring more than 60 pieces of Cey Adams, a New-York based visionary artist working at the forefront of design, culture, innovation, and collaboration.
The Cey Adams exhibition allowed patrons to walk through the narrative of Adams’ life, taking in photos of his early graffiti as they hang alongside a collection of the Def Jam album covers they influenced. Adams is the creator of Hip-Hop’s visual language.
Newly Remodeled 808 gallery opens with immersive show exploring fantastical worlds
cey adams, creator of hip-hop’s visual language, gets first-ever retrospective at stone gallery
“Mathemalchemy”: where art and math converge. “Mathemalchemy” was the brainchild of 24 artistic mathematicians and mathematical artists, with the ultimate goal of showing people that math is all around them.
“Comics is a Medium, Not a Genre” debunks the myth that comics are just about superheroes and are only for kids’ entertainment. Comprising nearly 200 original and digitally reproduced comics panels, sheets, cover, and promotional materials, the exhibition featured a plethora of “underground” comics and creators, and also… one of Charles Schultz’s earlier Peanuts strips!
Celebrating music anniversaries
BU School of Music celebrated 150 years of music-making and BU Bands celebrated its centennial!
The BU Spotlight Concert at NYC’s renowned Carnegie Hall on Tuesday, March 21, featured a select group of seniors in a unique capstone experience for their final undergraduate semester, along with an exceptional cohort of graduate music students.
BU School of Music’s annual concert at Symphony Hall was a sold out show, bringing BU’s Symphony Orchestra, Symphonic Chorus, and Wind Ensemble to Boston’s famed stage, home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
The “heartbeat of the University,” BU Bands, celebrated its 100 years during the bands’ 102nd anniversary. Blame COVID for the delay. BU Bands offers students in any major the opportunity to join ensembles/bands of their choice.
Collaborations and sold-out theatre shows
“Art House,” a co-production between BU College of Fine Arts School of Theatre and BU College of Communication Department of Film & Television brought evenings of laughter and a behind-the-scenes look at the making of an original TV comedy pilot, set to premiere in late 2023.
There was blood at BU’s Booth Theatre this past Halloween. The stage adaptation of the vampire tale, “Let the Right One In,” brought together BU School of Theatre and Boston’s Actors’ Shakespeare Project.
BU School of Music: Opera Institute and School of Theatre brought “Little Women” to BU. Mark Adamo’s opera is a a compelling interpretation of Louisa May Alcott’s great America novel, a coming-of-age story about four sisters and their journey from childhood to adulthood in civil-war era New England.
Wheelock Family Theatre kicked off its 2022-2023 season with a production of “Roald Dahl’s Matilda, the Musical,” the Olivier Award– and Tony Award–winning musical adaptation of Dahl’s 1988 children’s story, with lyrics and music by Tim Minchin and book by Dennis Kelly. WFT’s stage adaptation was nominated for numerous Elliot Norton awards.
The world premiere of the theatrical adaptation of Robert McCloskey’s beloved children’s book, “Make Way for Ducklings,” ran weekends from February 17 through March 12 at Wheelock Family Theatre.
matilda, a most remarkable heroine, takes the stage at wheelock family theatre
make your way to make way for ducklings at wheelock family theatre
Thesis exhibitions highlight the works of 100+ visual arts students
BU School of Visual Arts’ MFA 2023 Thesis Exhibition featured the works of 42 graduating students in BU’s MFA Painting, Sculpture, and Graphic Design programs.
The BFA Painting, Printmaking, and Sculpture exhibition, “To build a nest and leave it empty,” showcased 47 artworks including a 20-foot whale sculpture in the Faye G., Jo, and James Stone Gallery.
More than 150 works by 41 graduating students were on view at BU’s 808 Gallery for BU School of Visual Arts’ BFA Graphic Design Thesis exhibition, “Lived In.” The 6,000 sq. ft. gallery was transformed into a home-like space, a response to the way these students’ senior studios were considered home.
CFA alums and students earn accolades
On Thursday, September 29, 2022, the BU College of Fine Arts community – students, alumni, friends, faculty, and staff – came together to celebrate and honor three inspiring alums, the 2022 CFA Distinguished Alumni Award recipients: Valerie Coleman (CFA’95, BUTI’89), Alexi Worth (CFA’93), and Michelle Hurd (CFA’88).
Six CFA graduates were celebrated for their work and recognized with Esther B. and Albert S. Kahn Awards. Finalists are chosen based on the students’ submitted proposals detailing how they would use the award to launch their careers, their concern for social issues, and their take on the artist’s role in contemporary society.
Highlights of the 2022 cfa distinguished alumni awards
CFA Students recognized at the 2023 esther b. and albert s. kahn awards
Julian Shapiro-Barnum (CFA’21), host and creator of the online hit show “Recess Therapy,” was recognized this year by Forbes in the magazine’s annual “30 Under 30” list.
Five BU School of Theatre alums, faculty, and students were recipients of Elliot Norton Awards. The outstanding actors and designers were celebrated at the 40th Anniversary Elliot Norton Awards ceremony on Monday, May 8, 2023 – the biggest night in Boston Theatre!
The Boston Globe’s annual spotlight of talented art school stars to watch for came out this spring and on the list was BU MFA Painting student, Megan Arné (CFA’23). Her artwork expresses the nitty gritty of motherhood.
Faculty and leadership administration recognitions
Dedicated administrator and professional violinist, Nicole Wendl, was appointed as BU Tanglewood Institute’s new Executive Director. BUTI is a premier summer training program for talented young musicians ages 14 to 20, located on a 64-acre campus in the Berkshire mountains of Lenox, Massachusetts.
Josephine Halvorson, Professor of Art, Chair of Graduate Studies in Painting at BU, and Guggenheim Fellow was selected as the 2022 University Lecturer, where she spoke about the importance of making space for wonder in one’s life.
BU established the Arts Leadership Circle, the new University-wide advisory group whose mission is to further elevate the profile of the arts at BU. Chaired by CFA Dean Harvey Young, the group is comprised of senior University arts leaders.
CFA’s Terry Everson was one of the 24 Charles River campus faculty promoted to full professor. Everson is a Grammy Award-winning trumpet virtuoso and teacher of trumpet performance, orchestral techniques, and brass chamber music who has performed and given master classes throughout the United States, Central America, Europe, and Asia. He has served on the faculty of CFA and BU Tanglewood Institute since 1999.
CFA’s Karin Hendricks received the 2023 Metcalf Cup and Prize, BU’s highest teaching honor. Hendricks does music education differently, with what she calls compassionate music teaching. The key is “an assumption that every student is capable, but has a different pathway,” she says. “Not only to success, but to their own version of success. So, we don’t even all have the same finish line. And a compassionate music teacher is attuned to students’ needs, interests, and pathways to get where they want to be.”
CFA Appoints nicole wendl as BUTI’s New executive director
josephine halvorson gets up close and personal for annual university lecture
bu establishes arts leadership circle led by dean harvey young
cfa’s terry everson promoted to full professor
cfa’s karin hendricks to receive the 2023 metcalf cup and prize
Partnerships and scholarships
The late Edward Avedisian (CFA’59,’61), the Boston Pops career clarinetist who devoted his later life to generous philanthropy, made a $100 million gift that will support scholarships, endowed faculty chairs, and cutting-edge research and teaching. Thanks to Avedisian’s gift, BU School of Medicine was renamed to the Boston University Aram V. Chobanian & Edward Avedisian School of Medicine.
CFA and Boston Public Schools partnered to offer BPS employees a discounted tuition rate scholarship towards a master’s degree in art education or music education (on-campus or online).
BU School of Music and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra & Music School (RI Phil) created a graduate-level Fellowship Program, designed for exceptionally talented violinists and violists who come from backgrounds that are underrepresented in the BU School of Music and the orchestra field in general, or who have demonstrated a strong commitment to diversity and equity in music.
2023 CFA Convocation… one for the books!
Actor, producer, and CFA alum Kim Raver was the guest speaker at the 2023 CFA Commencement ceremony on May 20, 2023.
Celebrating the cfa class of 2023
Kim raver to cfa grads: “you’ll hear a lot of ‘no’ before you get to that ‘yes'”
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