The CFA Gala on September 25th Is A Night Not To Miss

You are cordially (nay, enthusiastically!) invited to join us celebrate the College of Fine Arts at the CFA Gala. On September 25th, Kingsbury Hall will fill to the brim as current students, faculty and staff, alumni, generous donors, and valued members of our community join together to celebrate a vibrant history and a promising future. The new CFA Gala combines the former Distinguished Alumni Awards and Scholarship Event in one exuberant evening, celebrating generations of success under one roof -- complete with exciting performances and highlights of the creative work and research of our talented students and faculty. Here’s all you need to know: Doors open at 6:30 pmGala show starts at 7 pm

“Kayak”Performed by School of Music Jazz Ensemble students Art & Art History presentationProfessor V. Kim Martinez DRACULA, THE MUSICAL (excerpts)'How Do You Choose''Fresh Blood'Performed by Musical Theatre Program students “Le Jardin Anime”Performed by Ballet students

Film & Media Arts student film "Tea Time”by Taylor Mott and Lorena Mendoza 

Dessert reception to follow -- (that’s right, FREE dessert.) Classy comfortable attire (wings optional) Please let us know by September 18, 2019 if you’ll be in attendance: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. And since you are curious, a bit about our fantastic 2019 Distinguished Alumni:  TAUNA HUNTER, Legacy AwardTauna Hunter is a retired Professor and Chair of Dance at Mercyhurst University (1994-2019). She began her dance training with Willam F. Christensen and continued at the University of Utah where she earned her BFA and MFA degrees in ballet performance and choreography. During her affiliation with Ballet West, she worked under the guidance of Bruce Marks and Toni Lander and received critical acclaim as one of the company’s leading ballerinas. She toured internationally and danced as a guest artist with numerous regional companies throughout the United States. In 1985, she co-founded DANSOURCE, a national networking and information service that connected dancers and companies for over ten years. As its’ Managing Director, she was highlighted in “Megatrends 2000” and featured in “Success” Magazine as a trendsetter in the future of the arts. Ms. Hunter has appeared in all the major roles of the classical repertoire and has taught for companies, universities and private schools throughout the United States and in China. She has staged numerous full-length classical ballets and choreographed over twenty-five contemporary works. For 10 years she acted as Guest Artist in Residence for the Interlochen Arts Academy summer dance program. She has been honored with the Chautauqua Artist Teacher Award, Erie Arts and Culture Life Time Achievement Award, and was highlighted in the July 2017 issue of Dance Teacher Magazine. She served on the University of Utah Artistic Advisory Council and currently serves on the Advisory Boards of Ballet Concerto (TX) and Dance Now Miami! (FL). She acted as artistic advisor to Lake Erie Ballet for eighteen years as well as serving as President and Chairman of the board for the Erie Dance Consortium (Erie, PA) from 2000-2010. She is an active member of DanceUSA, the CORPS de Ballet International and serves on the boards of Erie Arts and Culture and the National Association of Schools of Dance. Ms. Hunter has been married to Michael S. Gleason for 32 years and they have a 25-year-old daughter, Caitlin. She enjoys traveling with her family, gardening and spending the cold months in their pied à terre in Florida. As a breast cancer survivor, she actively supports breast cancer awareness.

CLAYBOURNE ELDER, Horizon AwardClaybourne Elder is a Drama Desk and Lucille Lortel nominee. Originally from Springville, Utah, he earned his Bachelor's degree in dramaturgy and directing from the University of Utah. He starred on Broadway in “Bonnie and Clyde,” “Sunday in the Park with George” (with Jake Gyllenhaal) “Torch Song” and “Sondheim on Sondheim” at the Hollywood Bowl. He can be heard on the cast recordings of “Bonnie & Clyde,” “Road Show,” “Venice” and “Sunday in the Park with George.” Off-Broadway, Elder appeared in the original companies of Stephen Sondheim's “Road Show,” Tennessee Williams' “One Arm” (Drama Desk Nomination Best Actor), and in the revivals of “Allegro” (Lucille Lortel Nomination Best Actor), “Two by Two” (with Jason Alexander), and “Do I Hear a Waltz?” He has premiered works by Stephen Sondheim, Frank Wildhorn, Bill Finn, Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens. His regional credits include George in the Helen Hayes award winning Signature Theatre revival of “Sunday in the Park with George” (Arlington, VA), Wolf/Prince in Moises Kaufman’s “Into the Woods,” “Angels in America” (KC Rep, dir. David Cromer), “Oklahoma” (Curly), “West Side Story” (Tony), “Cinderella” (Prince), “Passion” (Giorgio), and “Pippin” (Pippin). Elder was a series regular, Pete O'Malley, on the WB's “The Carrie Diaries.” Film credits include “Flatbush Luck,” and “It Could Be Worse.” He made his cabaret debut at 54 Below in NYC and his solo show “You and Me and Sondheim” has played to sold out houses around the country and in London. He lives in New York with his husband Eric Rosen who is a playwright and director. They have one son, Bo, who is two years old.

JONATHAN HALE, Arts EducatorJonathan Hale is a visual arts educator and licensed art therapist with specialization in special education. Hale earned his BFA in painting and drawing at the University of Utah and his MFA in drawing from Colorado State University. Following a growing interest in arts-integrated learning, Hale went on to earn a Masters of Education with a concentration in Art Therapy & Art Education Certification from Wayne State University. During his pursuit of his Masters of Education, Hale taught at Woodmont Academy, a public charter school in Detroit, Hale incorporated coursework that sampled 2-D and 3-D techniques facilitating self expression in elementary and middle school students. Returning to Utah in 2012, he developed a therapy and art education hybrid classroom at Provo Canyon School where the art education curriculum and state standards served as a framework for teaching self-awareness and processing personal experiences. Since 2015, Hale has taught in the Canyons School District through the Beverley Taylor Sorenson Arts Learning Program using arts-integrated coursework to teach core concepts for students K - 5th grade, behavioral special education units, students with multiple and severe disabilities of elementary, middle school, high school, and students of transition age. Additionally, Hale developed and facilitated “Art Integration, Art Inclusion” research which allowed students with severe disabilities from Jordan Valley School to participate in mainstream art integration classes with peer partners at Sprucewood Elementary. He is the recipient of the Sorenson Legacy Award for Excellence in Arts Education, and the Sorenson Award for Excellence in Art Education for the Canyons School District. In 2018, Hale became an Adjunct Instructor of drawing back at the College of Fine Arts at the U.  2019 Scholarship recipientsMichael Judson (Film & Media Arts)Nadia Sine (Theatre)Ryan Stroble (Dance)We look forward to celebrating these exceptional members of our community along with our scholarship recipients, connecting with new and old friends, sharing our gratitude and reveling in that thing we all share: love of the arts.

Original blog post from THE FINER POINTS. Last modified on September 18 2019