College of Visual and Performing Arts School of Dance

CVPA's Young Alumni Commissioning Project Begins a Fourth Round

Emily Schneider — Tue, 07 Dec 2021 15:01:37 +0000

CVPA's Young Alumni Commissioning Project Begins a Fourth Round Emily Schneider Tue, 12/07/2021 - 10:01

Learn More About the YACP Award

George Mason University’s College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA) released today a request for proposals for the Young Alumni Commissioning Project, which provides crucial support for the artistic development of recent alumni.

This is the fourth year of the program, which will award up to five grants to CVPA alumni for the creation of original work that will be presented by the College at a Mason venue during the 2022-23 season. The deadline to apply is 11:59 p.m. ET on Friday, February 11, 2022. The recipients will be announced in May 2022.

“The Young Alumni Commissioning Project is bearing fruit so beautifully after our first three rounds, adding new work to the world's store of artistic creation and helping advance the careers of Mason’s outstanding arts alumni,” shares Rick Davis, Dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts. “As we enter cycle four, I am excited to see what our community of artists brings forward for consideration. Each cycle represents and reflects a moment in time for both the artists and the world we work in, and I know that our alumni are busy doing what artists do: seeing, feeling, and thinking deeply about their world, and transforming those perceptions into significant work.”

All potential applicants are invited to participate in an online grant writing workshop designed and executed by CVPA staff, taking place on Wednesday, January 26 from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Individual applicants can also reserve time to speak with CVPA staff about their project and the application process during scheduled office hours, offered during the week of January 31 and February 7.

Jada Salter, 2021 recipient of the Young Alumni Commissioning Project Award

During the 2020/2021 award cycle, Jada Salter (’20) received the Young Alumni Commissioning Project Award and $5,000 in support for Just the Two of Us, a documentary about multi-Grammy award-winning musician and her grandfather William “Bill” Salter. Nicole Daniell (Dance ‘17), Nicholas Horner (Theater ’18, MFA Candidate ‘21), Cristian Perez (Music ‘12), and Katherine Thompson (Visual Art ‘15) were awarded Young Alumni Creative Development Awards and each received $2,500 in commissioning support.

The Young Alumni Commissioning Project is made possible by a generous bequest from the estate of Linda E. Gramlich for the support of young artists, and by donors to Mason’s Giving Day, including Shugoll Research. Young Alumni Commissioning Project recipients may receive up to $5,000 in commissioning funds; as well as venue, production, and marketing support for a public showing of the work.

To be eligible, applicants must be a graduate of the College of Visual and Performing Arts from the class of 2011 and after. Proposals should be for original new work in any art form suitable for performance, exhibition, or screening in a Mason venue. The size, length, duration, magnitude, and content are at the artist’s discretion. Potential venues include Mason’s traditional theater spaces, galleries, and cinemas, but proposals for non-traditional venues will also be considered.

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Young Alumni Commissioning Project. alumni support

College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA)

College of Visual and Performing Arts School of Dance

computer game design news

Reva and Sid Dewberry Family School of Music

College of Visual and Performing Arts School of Theater

College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA) Arts Management Program

At Arts Emerging, the Arts Return In-Person to George Mason

Pam Muirheid — Thu, 30 Sep 2021 15:31:57 +0000

At Arts Emerging, the Arts Return In-Person to George Mason Pam Muirheid Thu, 09/30/2021 - 11:31

In This Story

Shaun Boyle D'Arcy

Gregory Washington

Dr. Michael Nickens

Arts Emerging raised more than $155,000 to support the arts at Mason.

School of Dance students performing Pause: Reset on Holton Plaza. Photo ©Sean Hickey.

A welcome return to live, in-person arts performances and exhibitions was celebrated September 25 at the George Mason University Center for the Arts.

Arts Emerging: A Celebration of Renewal brought more than 300 people to the Fairfax Campus on a Saturday evening for a festive event that pulsed with artistic energy and the spirit of community.

Combining outdoor and indoor performances by students, faculty, and alumni, art exhibits, film screenings, hands-on activities, and more, Arts Emerging launched the 2021-22 Center for the Arts season, while also marking the 20^th anniversary of the university’s College of Visual and Performing Arts.

“The arts have become one of Mason’s signature tools for the university to engage with its community,” said Rick Davis, dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts. “Arts Emerging is a powerful example of that in action.”

A highlight of the outdoor performances presented on Holton Plaza was a performance of Pause: Reset, delivered by School of Dance students and choreographed by faculty member Shaun Boyle D’Arcy. One performer, senior dance major Hadiya Matthews, reflected afterward on the challenges of the past year and how students have rallied. “During Covid and everything that was happening in the world, it was pretty heavy and kind of sad,” Matthews said. “I think that when we had discussions and ‘collabbed’ and really talked about how we felt, a big thing that kept us strong was community, and how—no matter what we’re going through—we’re all related to one another. That’s something that we can come back to, so building this piece of community was really special.”

Meanwhile, in the adjacent Buchanan Hall Atrium Gallery, viewers enjoyed a major exhibition, Women of the Same Blood, combining photography and family history by Zia Palmer, BFA Photography ’19, with the opportunity to meet and talk with the artist. Buchanan Hall also hosted screenings by Film and Video Studies alumni, and an interactive virtual reality experience by the Computer Game Design program.

Later, inside the Center for the Arts, Mason President Gregory Washington welcomed a mix of students, supporters, and Mason faculty and staff. “The arts are the front door to the university,” Washington said. “Many of you found that great big front door and you came through it to become involved with our College of Visual and Performing Arts. And then that introduced you to the larger university.”

Guest appearances on the Concert Hall stage included a duet by Green Machine alumni Chelsea Mohindroo, BS Mathematics ’16, MS Operations Research ’20, and Brandon Showell, BA Music and English ’14, both of whom have been contestants on NBC’s The Voice. They were followed by School of Theater alumni Garvey Dobbins, BFA Theater ’20, and Lauren Fraites, BA Theater ’20, and a finale performance by current Dewberry School of Music opera students. Members of the Green Machine, led by associate professor of music and director of the Green Machine Ensembles Michael W. Nickens (Doc Nix), also played throughout the event.

Finally, School of Dance alumna Sasha (Hollinger) Henninger, BFA Dance ’09, who made her Broadway debut in Hamilton as #thebullet, spoke about her career and her time at Mason. “I was blessed to spend 11 years in New York making a living doing what I love. I toured the country, I toured the world, and I spent my last few years there performing in two incredible shows on Broadway—easily one of my biggest dreams come true,” Henninger said. “My time, my teachers, my peers here at George Mason prepared me for that. My time at George Mason prepared me well.”

Henninger presented a special merit scholarship to current Film and Video Studies senior Taj Kokayi, whose film Woken From a Dream won the Best Student Film Award at the London Web Fest. Kokayi was a producer on the short film The Vine, which premiered during Saturday’s event. The Vine featured current Masters in Arts Management student Bobby Lacy, BA Music ’16, in a stirring spoken word performance inspired by the question of what it means to be an arts manager.

Sandy Spring Bank returned as the event’s presenting sponsor for the fourth consecutive year. “By sponsoring events like this we’re literally helping the students you saw tonight on stage realize their hopes and dreams, or give them an opportunity to,” said Jay O’Brien, executive vice president for commercial and retail banking at Sandy Spring. O’Brien has three daughters currently attending Mason—two graduate students and one undergraduate.

Arts Emerging raised more than $155,000, with proceeds supporting CVPA student scholarships, the Mason Community Arts Academy, Green Machine Ensembles, and the Great Performances at Mason season at the Center for the Arts. The event was co-chaired by Arts at Mason Board members Steven Golsch, a vice president at NowSecure, and Annie Bolger, a bank officer at Sandy Spring Bank.

Topics

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College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA)

CFA

forward together

giving to Mason

College of Visual and Performing Arts School of Dance

College of Visual and Performing Arts School of Theater

Computer Game Design

Reva and Sid Dewberry Family School of Music

Recipients announced for third round of the Young Alumni Commissioning Project Awards

Pam Muirheid — Wed, 21 Apr 2021 18:25:25 +0000

Recipients announced for third round of the Young Alumni Commissioning Project Awards Pam Muirheid Wed, 04/21/2021 - 14:25

George Mason University’s College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA) is pleased to announce the recipients of the third round of its Young Alumni Commissioning Project Awards. Five alumni were chosen based on the artistic excellence, career impact, and feasibility of their proposals and will receive financial, marketing, and production support to have their projects presented by the College at a Mason venue during the 2021-2022 season.

“In this third round of the Project’s commissions, we received a record number of proposals, which tells us several things,” said Rick Davis, Dean of Mason’s College of Visual and Performing Arts. “First, that the good word is out about this initiative; second, that Mason arts alumni are some of the most imaginative and fertile creatives anywhere; and third, that the program is necessary, because young artists need support to bring their visions to life, especially in these challenging times.”

For consideration, applicants must have graduated from CVPA from the class of 2010 and after. Proposals could include original new work in any art form suitable for performance, exhibition, or screening in a Mason venue.

The Young Alumni Commissioning Project is made possible by a generous bequest from the estate of Linda E. Gramlich for the support of young artists and by donors to Mason’s Giving Day, including Shugoll Research. Award recipients may receive up to $5,000 in commissioning funds, as well as venue, production, and marketing support for a public showing of their work.

2022 Recipient of the Young Alumni Commissioning Project Award Including $5,000 in Commissioning Support

Jada Salter

Jada Salter (Film and Video Studies ’20) received the Young Alumni Commissioning Award and $5,000 in commissioning support for Just the Two of Us a documentary about multi-Grammy award winning musician William “Bill” Salter. Bill is the songwriter behind timeless songs such as, “Just the Two of Us”, “Where Is the Love,” and “Mister Magic.” He is also Jada’s Grandfather, and she is determined to tell his story as a hidden figure who has created music millions of people relate to everyday.

2022 Young Alumni Creative Development Award Winners
Including $2,500 in Commissioning Support

Katherine Thompson

Katherine Thompson is a photographer and Graphic Designer living and working in the Northern Virginia, D.C. and Maryland area. She is an alumnus of the George Mason University School of Art, BFA Photography 2015. In the beginning of 2020, Thompson had the opportunity to obtain a solo exhibition, Katherine Thompson: Raw Material, at George Mason University. This exhibition featured the artist’s studio-based photographs that embrace the pop visual language of product and fashion advertisements while posing questions about the troublesome connections between consumerism, visual culture, and race in America. In Fall of 2021, Thompson will continue her photography practices at Virginia Commonwealth University in their MFA Photography & Film program.

Thompson’s award will support her photography project Reflections: The Black Male; which takes a hard look at the narrative surrounding different representations of the Black body, both historical and contemporary, that circulate through American popular culture in print and audio-visual media.

Nicholas Horner

Nicholas Horner is a professional singer, voice-over artist, theater actor, and director based in Washington D.C. He has directed, taught, and performed in numerous professional and educational venues in D.C., New York, and around the country. Horner has received Voice and Theater training from renowned institutions such as Stella Adler Conservatory, The Juilliard School, Studio A.C.T. (San Fransisco), The Roy Hart Institute (Paris, France), Shakespeare and Company (Lenox), Catholic University and University of Cambridge (England). Horner earned a BA in Theater from George Mason University where he is currently pursuing an M.F.A. in Visual and Performing Arts and teaching as a Graduate Lecturer. He also serves as Co-director of 1,001 Plays, an international play exchange connecting theater students from around the world through staged readings of their own original plays. At Mason, Horner also serves on the Arts in Context Advisory Committee. Horner owns and operates Awaken the Voice: Studio–offering classical and musical theater voice and speech.

Horner’s award will support his laboratory theater piece Free, a new play that “re-visions” Norman Rockwell’s Americana series, Four Freedoms.

Nicole Daniell

Nicole Daniell is a dancer currently based in New York City. She graduated summa cum laude from George Mason University with a BFA in Dance, where she was a member of the Honors College and conducted research on Autism Spectrum Disorder and Embodied Cognition. Through her Honors College experience, Nicole fostered an appreciation for interdisciplinary studies, which inspires her approach to choreography and performance today. While at Mason, Nicole performed in works by Mark Morris, Karen Reedy, Susan Shields, and Jim Lepore, and performed on the John F. Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage. She choreographed two works, both of which premiered at Mason's Harris Theater. In 2019, she toured to South Africa with D.C.-based Dakshina Dance Company for performance and community outreach. She also performed as a member of the Merce Cunningham Centennial Celebration in DC and served as an Administrative Assistant to Diane Coburn Bruning, Artistic Director of Chamber Dance Project. Nicole currently performs with Ballaro Dance and is a 200-hour, internationally certified yoga instructor.

Daniell receives the Creative Development Award for Isolation Stories, a dance film with a deliberate focus on exploring the synergy between dance and filmmaking technology, inspired by the pandemic.

Cristian Perez

Cristian Perez was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina and graduated from Mason in 2012 with a Masters in Music. He studied Classical Guitar and Jazz Studies at Mason. He is a leader/composer and was a former Artist-in-Residence at The Strathmore (MD). His debut album Anima Mundi, reached #13 in the CMJ World Music charts. He was featured in Vintage Guitar Magazine and has performed at the Kennedy Center, Blues Alley, Bohemian Caverns, Strathmore music hall, Strathmore mansion, among others. Perez continues to study music privately with some of his favorite living musicians.

Perez receives the award to assist in developing a new chamber music album focused on the symbolism of water as a way to unite through music and create cultural awareness, as the foundational essence of humanity.

Topics

College of Visual and Performing Arts School of Dance

College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA)

Dewberry School of Music

Performing Arts Classes for Arts Core or Global Understanding Credit

Pam Muirheid — Sat, 16 Jan 2021 16:35:37 +0000

Performing Arts Classes for Arts Core or Global Understanding Credit Pam Muirheid Sat, 01/16/2021 - 11:35

Topics

College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA)

College of Visual and Performing Arts School of Dance

Dewberry School of Music

College of Visual and Performing Arts School of Theater

Explore 2021 Arts Classes

Welcome 2021 with a resolution to discover a new artistic pursuit! And, satisfy a Core Arts and/or Global Understanding requirement at the same time! Have you ever wanted to learn the story behind a piece of music? Do you dream of trying out different dance forms, including Ballet, Modern, Bollywood, or African? Are you ready to explore the action behind or on the stage? Now is your opportunity!

Mason’s Schools of Dance, Music, and Theater invites all Mason students to check out open courses that fulfill Mason Core Arts and Global Understanding requirements. No previous experience is necessary. Spring 2021 courses are offered both in-person on Mason’s Fairfax campus and through distance learning.

FILM

FAVS 225 - DL3: The History of World Cinema*
3 credits, CRN 21545, distance learning
This course is a survey of the history of cinema. It explores the development of world cinema from its beginnings in the late nineteenth century to the 1990s. The course will enable students to comprehend the evolution of the history and language of cinema in order to connect the art of filmmaking with the "outside forces" (i.e., the economic institutions, key figures, historical events and social issues) that profoundly shape and influence it.

* satisfies Mason’s Core Arts requirement

DANCE

Learn more about how Mason School of Dance is offering safe in-person and exceptional distance classes.

DANC 101: Dance Appreciation*, 3 credits, CRN 15009 & 16209, distance learning
Introduces dance as universal human activity, expression of cultural identity, and art form. Survey of global dance includes folk, ceremonial and ritual, trance, court, classical, and theatrical.

DANC 118: World Dance: Middle Eastern* **
3 credits, CRN 16972 & 22869, in-person learning
Performance of a world dance form through presentation of fundamental techniques, music and culture. Area of concentration is Middle Eastern dance.

DANC 118: World Dance: World Dance: Bollywood * **
3 credits, CRN 19374 & 22895, in person learning
Performance of a world dance form through presentation of fundamental techniques, music and culture. Area of concentration is Bollywood dance.

DANC 118: World Dance: African* **
3 credits, CRN 16971, in-person learning
Performance of a world dance form through presentation of fundamental techniques, music and culture. Area of concentration is African dance.

DANC 125: Modern/Contemporary Dance I*
3 credits, CRN 22896, 22872, 22897, & 22873, in-person learning
Introduces fundamentals of modern dance technique. Emphasizes improving anatomical awareness and alignment, increasing strength and flexibility, and developing rhythmic sensitivity.

DANC 131: Beginning Jazz Technique- Hip Hop*
3 credits, CRN 22898 & 22874, in-person learning
Introduces fundamentals of technique, explores the musical and cultural influences of hip-hop, and its historical context. Emphasizes improving anatomical awareness and alignment, increasing strength and flexibility, and developing rhythmic sensitivity.

DANC 145: Ballet I*
3 credits, CRN 22875 & 22899, distance learning
Introduces fundamental elements of ballet technique and vocabulary. Stresses learning vocabulary and movement characteristics of this highly stylized art form. Emphasizes improving anatomical awareness and alignment, increasing strength and flexibility, and developing musicality.

DANCE 225: Modern/Contemporary Dance II*
3 credits, CRN 10383, distance learning
Further develops knowledge, skills, and appreciation of modern dance through continued exploration of techniques, aesthetics, and creativity. Continuing the development of anatomical awareness and alignment, technical clarity, and rhythmic sensitivity.

* satisfies Mason’s Core Arts requirement
** meets Mason’s Global Understanding requirements

MUSIC

MUSI 100: Fundamentals of Music*
3 credits, CRN 10006 & 10007, distance learning
Study of musical notation, interval, and triad construction, reading of treble and bass clefs, scale construction, rhythm, elementary sight singing and ear training, and application at keyboard.

MUSI 101: Introduction to Classical Music*
3 credits, CRN 11024, distance learning
Introduces art-music tradition of West. Techniques for expanding listening skills developed through study of musical elements, styles, and selected masterworks of musical literature.

MUSI 102: Popular Music in America*
3 credits, CRN 10008, distance learning
Investigates popular music styles and development in the United States with particular emphasis on the past 50 years. Lectures, recordings, and video enhance critical listening skills and examine stylistic and social contexts of popular music.

MUSI 103: Music of the World* **
3 credits, CRN 10009, distance learning
Study and comparison of musical structure and expression in several world cultures, with special attention to social context and function. Studies selected Asian, Middle Eastern, African, and American (Latin, Native, African) cultures.

MUSI 107: Jazz and Blues in America*
3 credits, CRN 24854, distance education
Historical, analytical, and aural survey of jazz from inception to present day. Looks at trends resulting from synthesis of jazz with other musical idioms.

* satisfies Mason’s Core Arts requirement
** meets Mason’s Global Understanding requirements

THEATER

THR 101: Theatrical Medium*
3 credits, CRN 12146 & 23857, distance learning
Theater from the inside workings of production to informed and lively engagement with the art. Enhances an understanding of the nature of theater in society.

THR 210: Acting I*
3 credits, CRN 23755, 23756, 23757, & 23888, distance learning
Students practice contemporary acting techniques individually and in a group. Promotes and develops performance and practical communication skills. Attend theatrical productions, and respond to those experiences.

* satisfies Mason’s Core Arts requirement

College of Visual and Performing Arts School of Dance

CVPA's Young Alumni Commissioning Project Begins a Fourth Round

Learn More About the YACP Award

Topics

At Arts Emerging, the Arts Return In-Person to George Mason

In This Story

Topics

Recipients announced for third round of the Young Alumni Commissioning Project Awards

2022 Recipient of the Young Alumni Commissioning Project Award Including $5,000 in Commissioning Support

Jada Salter

2022 Young Alumni Creative Development Award Winners Including $2,500 in Commissioning Support

Katherine Thompson

Nicholas Horner

Nicole Daniell

Cristian Perez

Topics

Performing Arts Classes for Arts Core or Global Understanding Credit

Topics

Explore 2021 Arts Classes

2022 Young Alumni Creative Development Award Winners
Including $2,500 in Commissioning Support