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This month CVPA will hold its biennial Distinguished Alumni Awards Ceremony, where we will honor four alumni in Art, Dance, Music, and Theatre who have made noteworthy accomplishments in their respective fields. In bringing them to campus for this recognition, School Directors are planning events for our current students to interact with these distinguished alumni and to glean tips and pointers about launching their own careers in the arts.
As Dean, I would also like to give a shout out to all alumni who are making a difference in towns and cities across the country, where they are winning the heartfelt thanks and gratitude of their students, colleagues, and community members. Whether by teaching, acting in a theater company, running a local dance studio, owning an artist gallery, or working as an arts administrator, CVPA alumni make an impact.
For example, what a difference our arts education alumni are making by teaching elementary, middle, and high school students across the country. Here in North Carolina, our arts education alumni are represented in all 100 counties of the state. They are helping to educate the next generation of North Carolinians and bringing the arts into schools. From promoting creativity to boosting critical thinking skills, the arts have the power to transform the lives of K-12 students.
According to the NEA study “The Arts and Achievement in At-Risk Youth: Findings from Four Longitudinal Studies,” students who have access to arts education are four times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement. Similarly, the Arts Education Partnership report “Preparing Students for the Next America: The Benefits of an Arts Education” found that those students who participate in the arts are more likely to graduate from high school and pursue higher education.
I look forward annually to connecting with alumni during CVPA’s network gatherings here in the Triad and in New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Chicago, and Washington, DC. I often ask alumni, “How did UNCG prepare you for your career in the arts?” and “What do you wish you had learned more about?” Alumni frequently discuss the professors here at the “G” who best prepared them for their careers but sometimes admit that there were topics that they wish had been addressed in more depth.
To enable me to learn more about what topics need to be addressed in the curriculum, CVPA participates in the Strategic National Arts Alumni Project (SNAAP), which provides institutions with comprehensive data about their alumni’s careers, financial outcomes, and life experiences. I urge all alumni to respond when you receive an invitation to participate in the SNAAP Quinquennial Survey, which will launch in fall 2027. We are always looking to provide opportunities and to learn from all our alumni on how best to prepare the next generation of artists, designers, educators, performers, and scholars!
bruce d. mcclung, Dean
College of Visual and Performing Arts
| | CVPA DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARDS | | |
This month, the College of Visual and Performing Arts will honor a select group of alumni for their achievements in administration, artistic performance, education, and research.
Distinguished Alumni Award recipients represent excellence in Art, Dance, Music, and Theatre and will be on campus on November 12th to receive their awards and visit classes to share their experiences with students.
Read more about them below—how they found their way to UNCG and what they are doing now.
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Jeffrey Bell
2008 MFA Studio Arts
“I wanted to be at a place with strong faculty and facilities that allowed me to explore just about anything I could imagine, and the strong connection to the Weatherspoon and the Art History faculty is really important.
“UNCG really helped me to find and develop my approach to artmaking. I was able to reaffirm what brought me to this work and clarify the questions I continue to ask.”
Read more here.
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D. Jerome Wells
2014 BFA Choreography and Performance
“I’ve been blessed to reach this point in my career. I do feel that I’m just beginning, but I look back and say, ‘Wow, you’ve done some cool things.’
“You know, I offer all of that up to my faith and to my mom who’s been completely supportive and especially mentors like Duane Cyrus and my UNCG professors like Robin Gee, BJ Sullivan, Janet Lilly, and others.”
Read more here.
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Marques L.A. Garrett
2010 MM Choral Conducting
“My knowledge of canonical choral repertoire greatly expanded at UNCG. I became more excited about some of the more established choral composers of old. My research on the choral music of Black composers started there when I learned how little my peers knew other than spiritual arrangements, Gospel music, and jazz.”
“You can learn something from every situation.”
Read more here.
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Katie Campbell
2014 MFA Theatre for Young People
“My career hasn’t followed a straight line, but so much of it can be traced back to UNCG. The relationships I built there, the work we created together, and the opportunities that grew from those experiences helped shape my path.
“Looking back, I can see how the people, experiences, and creative risks I encountered at UNCG continue to shape not just what I do, but how I approach the work.”
Read more here.
| | JOIN US FOR AN ALUMNI EVENT THIS YEAR | | |
Professor Emerita Pat Wasserboehr Exhibition
and Triad Alumni Reception
Friday, November 20th
Gatewood Gallery | Campus
Register for alumni reception here.
New York City Alumni Brunch
Sunday, December 6th
Trattoria Dell’Arte | 900 7th Avenue
Register for alumni reception here.
Save the Date—More Information and Invitations
for These Events Coming Soon*
Atlanta Alumni Brunch
Sunday, January 31st
Los Angeles Alumni Brunch
Sunday, March 14th
Spring Dances and Triad Alumni Reception
Friday, April 16th
*Invitations to CVPA Events come via email and/or mail, so please make sure we have your most recent contact information. Use the button below to make updates.
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FACULTY/STAFF NEWS & NOTES
Mya Brown (Associate Professor of Acting/Directing) published a review of Matthieu Chapman’s Shakespeare and Antiblack World-Making in the Theatre Journal in September. Her review explores the book’s argument that our reverence for Shakespeare may be shaped not only by artistic appreciation but also by cultural indoctrination. For Mya, confronting this possibility was an “unsettling awakening” that challenged her deep admiration for Shakespeare and her relationship with his work.
Mark Engebretson (Professor of Composition) released These Are The Difficulties, the debut album of his band. Engebretson composed most of the tunes and performs on baritone saxophone and computer, while Brian Lampkin of Scuppernong Books provides poetry and spoken voice. Susan Fancher (Duke University) contributes soprano saxophone and voice, and Rachel York (Bass Violin Shop) plays bass and sings. Other guests who appear on the album include Guy Capuzzo (Professor of Music Theory), Eric Willie (Professor of Percussion), Debbie Egeqvist (retired Professor of Flute), and Erik Alexander Schmidt (’18 MM Percussion Performance). They are joined by Swedish percussionist Anders Åstrand and Ashe Engebretson on ukulele. An album release event is scheduled for December 19th at The Crown. Listen here.
Alessandra Feris (Assistant Professor of Piano) was a guest artist at the “XIV Festival de Jovenes Pianistas” in Lima, Peru in October. She performed as a soloist with orchestra, offered masterclasses, and adjudicated a concerto competition.
Heather Holian (Professor of Art History) presented her paper “‘Mouse Invades Gallery’: The First National Exhibition of Disney Production Art (1933–37)” at the Northeastern Popular Cultural Association conference in October.
TC Nordan (CVPA Business Services Coordinator), Mason Newcomer (Kotis School of Music Business Officer), and Jennifer Pugh (School of Dance Business Services Coordinator) have completed their first year of the College Business Management Institute (CBMI) at the University of Kentucky. CBMI provides professional development in higher education, financial management, budgeting, and administrative operations, while offering opportunities to learn from and network with colleagues across the country. All three will return in July for their second year of this three-year program.
Kailan Rubinoff (Associate Professor of Musicology) received a grant from the Scholars’ Travel Fund to support her attendance at the American Bach Society Biennial Meeting and Conference in Berea, OH, where she presented “Performing Bach Diverse: QueerPassion, Pride and Community-Building at the 2025 Bachfest Leipzig.”
Amy Zigler (Assistant Professor of Musicology) presented her paper “‘The Consuming Fire of Her Soul’: An Examination of Ethel Smyth as Champion of Her Own Works,” at the conference Beyond the Drawing Room: Women in the Promotion of Music in the Long 19th Century in Lovere, Italy in October.
Faculty/Staff News & Notes are compiled from self-submissions
and from the University’s news clipping service.
Submit your Faculty/Staff News here.
| | EXHIBITION AND PERFORMANCE HIGHLIGHTS | | CONCERT AND LECTURE SERIES TICKETS ON SALE | | |
UNC Greensboro’s Concert and Lecture Series continues with an exciting line-up of world-renowned artists for its 114th season:
Samara Joy—six-time Grammy Award®-winning American jazz singer
Ben Folds—Emmy Award®-nominated singer-songwriter and musical influencer of our generation
The season also includes two Robinson Family Visiting Jazz Artists performances:
John Scofield—three-time Grammy Award®-winning jazz guitarist and composer
Carmen Bradford— Grammy Award®-winning vocalist of the Count Basie Orchestra
Special discounted rates for UNCG students, faculty, and staff are available. For more information, visit ucls.uncg.edu.
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APPLAUSE FOR DONORS:
Constance Hughes Kotis School of Music Dedication
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(L-R) Board of Trustees Chair George Hoyle ’90; Dean bruce d. mcclung; Connie Kotis ’65, ’77 MM, ’25 Litt.D.; and Chancellor Franklin D. Gilliam, Jr.
Photo credit: Lynn Donovan
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On October 23rd, UNC Greensboro honored Connie Kotis ’65, ’77 M.M., ’25 Litt.D. with the dedication of the Constance Hughes Kotis School of Music, recognizing her and her husband’s, Bill’s, decades of service, leadership, and philanthropy.
Board of Trustees Chair George Hoyle ’90 said, “The School of Music, established in 1921, is a community of musicians, educators, and scholars whose influence reaches far beyond these walls. Connie Kotis has been the School of Music’s most steadfast champion, serving as volunteer leader, advocate, donor, and trusted advisor.”
Kotis told the audience, “I missed the first 40 years of the School of Music, but I’ve been there for the past 65!”
Read more here.
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CLOSING SPOTLIGHT
Kotis School of Music students packed The Pyrle in downtown Greensboro on October 19th for a masterclass with singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, arranger, and producer Jacob Collier. For nearly two hours, Collier worked with students in an interactive setting and answered their questions about everything from vocalization, improvisation, and collaboration. The masterclass was made possible by the generosity of Ward Robinson (’19 PBC Jazz, ’10 MPH) and Pam Pittman.
Video credit: Michael Ream and David Row
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The College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA) e-Newsletter is published eight times a year in September, October, November, December, February, March, April, and May.
The Newsletter is emailed to CVPA alumni, faculty, staff, students, patrons, and donors. Please feel free to forward your copy, and anyone who would like their name to be added to our distribution list can contact us via uncgarts@uncg.edu.
The e-Newsletter is edited by Terri Relos, Director of External Relations. Archived issues can be found in the “News” section of the CVPA website. To submit Alumni News & Notes, please use this form. To submit Faculty/Staff News & Notes, use this form.
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100 McIver St, Greensboro, NC 27412-5010
Tel: 336-334-5789
vpa.uncg.edu
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