#ukfinearts

[ukfineartsresearch]

CFA Students Win Research Awards

Three CFA students were among nineteen UK students who recently won Oswald Research and Creativity awards from the Office of Undergraduate Research. Hannah Johnston received a $350 first place award. Katelyn Cox received a $200 second place award and Meredith Coffey won an honorable mention.

[ukfinearts]

CFA Alum and East Jessamine High’s Dee Walker awarded Extra Credit Teacher of the week by Forcht Bank and WLEX. 

[ukfinearts]

Nik Dumas Loves His Job!

Nik. L. Dumas, UKY Arts Administration Masters (online) 2018.

Nik Dumas, Artistic Administrator for Opera Idaho, shared his experience as a student in UKY Arts Administration online Mater’s program. “One of the many highlights of studying in the Arts Admin program was the amount of flexibility I had. Not only was I ale to comfortably work full-time, but I was able to make time for things I enjoyed as well. Another great point aout the program was the immediate feedback that I received.” 

Dumas said that he appreciated the expertise of all the Arts Admin professors he worked with, and in particular, his academic advisor, Jill Schinberg, who helped him realize that he had a “knack” for working in the arts.

When asked what advice he would give to his 18-year-old-self, he stated: “It’s okay if your plan doesn’t work out...it’s not failure; it’s a learning experience.”

[ukfinearts]

Jenny Thompson,  Arts Admin MA ‘15 loves UKY!

CFA recently caught up with Jenny Thompson, who earned her Masters of Arts Administration from UKY in 2015, and asked what she has been up too since graduation. We were thrilled to learn that she is now the Senior Director of Development & Revenue Strategies at Gibney Dance Company in New York City.

Thompson, who also holds a Bachelor's Degree from NYU Gallatin School of Individualized Study in Dance Studies, Choreography, & Performance Writing, tells us that, not only does she still feel comfortable reaching out to her mentors, Dr. Shane and Professor Rabideau, but she occasionally refers to her course materials.

“I am such a big fan of the UKY online graduate program. It was the only one I came across that could accommodate my very busy NYC lifestyle, inclusive of a full time job in the field and a handful of part-time jobs on the side. Without the flexibility of this program and the way I was able to independently navigate it, graduate school would not have been an option. I was able to make it work for me, my current position in the field at the time, and came out a much more well-rounded arts administrator.”

[ukfinearts]

Amanda Kool Named Commonwealth Commercialization Center’s Legal Operations Director

UK Arts Administration, 2003 graduate, Amanda Kool was recently hired as director of legal operations for Commonwealth Commercialization Center (C3), an organization that brings together Kentucky law schools, state and local bar associations, law firms, entrepreneurs, and industry to facilitate connections between startups and high-quality, affordable legal counsel at local Kentucky law firms and provides educational programming for Kentucky lawyers, law students, and entrepreneurs.

Kool returns to Kentucky after over a decade in Boston, where she attended law school and practiced in the corporate and global finance practice groups at Nixon Peabody LLP. She then spent five years as a lecturer at Harvard Law School, where she also served as director of Harvard Law’s Community Enterprise Project.

[ukfinearts]

Arts Admin Degree Sets the Stage for Catherine Hann’s Career

UK Arts Administration graduate Catherine Hann manages a portfolio of individual donors for the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. While attending UK she interned at the Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts. After graduation she enrolled in the University of Toledo’s MBA program and managed the Toledo Symphony’s Individual Giving and Grants Fundraising programs. Ms. Hann credits her advisor, Jane Johnson, the former Director of Student Affairs as helping her to graduate in 8 semesters and names Arts Administration Director Rachel Shane and trombone professor Brad Kerns as mentors. 

[ukfinearts]

Cutshall is an Advocate for  the Law and the Arts

Sean Cutshall, earned his BA in Arts Admin from UK in 2006 and graduated from the UK Law School in 2009.

Sean is currently working as a Hearing Officer and Administrative Law Judge for the KY Cabinet for Health and Family Services but he maintains his connection to the arts by working with two local arts organizations: The Bluegrass Area Jazz Association, and the Central Music Academy, as well as several local and regional bands.

When asked how the study of arts management informs his professional life, Sean answered, “My AAD education informs my professional life on a daily basis. I tend to have a slightly different point of view than an attorney with a more traditional background and it makes me more predisposed to collaboration/negotiation, as opposed to opposition/confrontation.”

Sean also shared a favorite story from his time as an AAD student: “I was assigned to work as a runner for a Nickel Creek concert. What I expected to be a dull day turned into an unforgettable experience as I got to drive the band around Lexington for various small errands. I was able to discuss the finer points of banjo capos with Mark Schatz (bassist for the group at the time), the highs and lows of life on tour with the Watkins siblings, and national politics with Chris Thile (who I had just picked up from a ‘morning after breakfast’ at the Tolly Ho). Never before or since, have I had as much fun being ‘just an errand boy.’”

[ukfineartsresearch]

Rave Reviews for the Department of Theatre & Dance’s Yoon Bae.

Yoon Bae, assistant professor in the Department of Theatre & Dance is receiving glowing reviews for her creative set designs for the Tony-winning musical ONCE, presented by the Pioneer Theatre Company in Salt Lake City through March 2.

Here are a few of the recent accolades for Bae.

Blair Howell writing for Broadway World: “…each scene efficiently flows on the tastefully used rotating set by Scenic Designer Yoon Bae. Rather than the gimmick of a working bar where audience members could order beverages (apparently a copyrighted aspect of ONCE requiring additional production fees), Bae's wood-grained set beautifully evokes various string instruments indicating the power of music to heal and uplift.”

Jennifer Mustoe for Front Row Reviewers: “The scenic design by Yoon Bae is fascinating. While being fairly simple and versatile, the two-fold theme of the story and music are absolutely manifest in the set. The entire show seemingly takes place in the belly of a giant instrument, with the sound hole of a guitar and the strings and keys of a piano most obvious in the design. The rotating centerpiece opens and closes for different settings, invoking the imagery of pages being turned as chapters of the story unfold.”

Hannah LaFond for Deseret News: “Along with the performers, the creative team also left its mark on this production. Often, theater companies give “Once” a very sparse set. However, scenic director Yoon Bae employed a background of cityscapes and rooms with elements that looked like piano keys and parts of a guitar that were arresting without being overdone. The multiple set changes risked being a distraction, but they worked in well with Lainie Sakakura's choreography and the musical transitions. Bae's well-thought-out set design was certainly more involved than past productions, but never detracted from the beautiful simplicity of the story.”

Maren Scriven for Utah Theatre Bloggers Association: “The set of Once is absolutely striking. Scenic Designer Yoon Bae is a world renowned designer working in places like the West End, Norway, Tokyo, Korea, and the USA. Pioneer Theatre is quite lucky to have her make her debut at this theatre in Once. As a musician myself, I can say with authority that the elements she used, such as the image of a piano keyboard in a fence or a guitar-shaped wall are executed exquisitely.”