SF State: College of Creative Arts News

Alum's 'Build-a-Robot' design gains international recognition

mitelson — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 18:33:13 -0600

An alum-designed toy, made to address the needs of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, recently received a 2011 Good Design Award and an honorable mention in I.D. Magazine’s Annual Design Review.

Alum wins Grammy Awards, worldwide fans as longtime basso profondo of Chanticleer

mitelson — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:04:36 -0600

Alum Eric Alatorre is Chanticleer’s longest-tenured member. The singer in the Grammy-winning “orchestra of voices” performs all over the country and the world, giving him among the most distinguished basso profondo vocals and distinguishable mustaches known to humans. Alatorre and the rest of Chanticleer will perform admission-free on the Morrison Artists Series in McKenna Theatre on Feb. 19 at 3pm.

Student finds a musical, theatrical 'Awakening'

mitelson — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 12:38:24 -0600

Paulina Guerra came to SF State from her hometown of Monterrey, Mexico. With more than 3,000 Twitter followers and more than 1,000 Facebook fans, she’s brought quite a bit of attention to herself. A singer, songwriter, actor and dancer, she excels in a wide range of performance arts. Guerra is a Drama major and Music minor.

Special offers to spring-semester theatre

mitelson — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:23:10 -0600

Special offers: Buy tickets to four plays this semester at significant discounts.

Scholarship, alumni band formed at concert for Kruth

mitelson — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 13:01:10 -0600

Alumni, students, colleagues and music fans recently packed Knuth Hall to honor the memory of an influential professor. Edwin Kruth would certainly be proud of his 41 former students who joined together to create an alumni band at the event, rehearsing just hours beforehand.

Alum, age 92, wins Congressional Gold Medal

mitelson — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 11:10:43 -0600

Congress recently awarded Congressional Gold Medals to Japanese-American veterans of World War II, including alumnus George Nakamura. All members of the the Military Intelligence Service, the Army’s 100th Infantry Battalion and the 442nd Regimental Combat Team received the medal at a ceremony in November.

There's an app for that, Charlie Brown

mitelson — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 12:29:31 -0600

Good grief! A new Peanuts-themed iPad app allows people of all ages to play the timeless A Charlie Brown Christmas theme, composed by alum Vince Guaraldi and his jazz trio, on Schroeder’s piano.

Professors' solo exhibits explore masculinity, sexuality

mitelson — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 10:29:03 -0600

Two members of the Art Department faculty have new solo exhibitions on display in San Francisco. Paul Mullins’ paintings at Marx and Zavattero Gallery and Matt Lipps’ photographs at Silverman Gallery couldn’t be more different, although both explore aspects of masculinity and sexuality.

Greg Proops' line began at SF State anyway

mitelson — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 11:53:46 -0600

Greg Proops has remained on his toes since childhood, when he was a self-described “spaz” in school plays and talented shows. The actor, comedian and alumnus is now world-renowned for his improvisational and stand-up talents, appearing at comedy clubs and theatres, on television shows and podcasts and in movies seemingly at every turn in pop culture.

Grammy winner Narada Michael Walden to discuss Art of Record Production at SF State

mitelson — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 17:59:09 -0600

Featuring artistic leaders and top academic theorists talking about the future of this dynamic industry, the conference looks specifically at music production in the 21st-century. Conference tracks include sessions on “Performing” in the Studio, Business and Artistic Practice in the Contemporary Recording Studio, Women in Music Recording, and Mixing In and Out of the Box.

Students become endangered for Day of the Dead

mitelson — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 12:22:26 -0500

A class celebrated El Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) on Nov. 2 by declaring the college student as an endangered species. In a vivacious outdoor performance at 24th Street and South Van Ness in the heart of the Mission District, students meditated and reflected on the potential of a doomed future.

German singer finds community at SF State

mitelson — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 11:55:34 -0500

Like many others who discovered their love for music at an early age, Sümeyra Dogan—a 24-year-old international student from Stuttgart, Germany—strives to make a career out of her passion. For Sümeyra (who uses her first name only), that dream is now her reality.

SF State history: Requiem Mass for JFK

mitelson — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 18:29:26 -0500

On Nov. 22, 1963, as billions of people worldwide mourned the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, SF State paid tribute on the Quad.

Alum’s new play scores point

mitelson — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 13:59:35 -0500

A new play by alum Elizabeth Gjelten aims to increase understanding about the often polarizing and tragic issue of homelessness. Based in San Francisco, Hunter’s Point garnered critical acclaim for its measured look at the complexities of homelessness, its effect on familial relationships and society’s treatment of the mentally ill.

Screenwriting professor: 'Write what you don't know'

mitelson — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 13:07:23 -0500

Julian Hoxter first came to love films as a child, watching 16-millimeter Clint Eastwood movies his best friend’s dad would rent. “Was that the best cultural introduction to cinema? I don’t know. But those were the moments I looked forward to,” the assistant professor of Cinema says.

New faculty in Art, Cinema, Music

mitelson — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 14:08:59 -0500

The College of Arts and Humanities welcomes four new faculty members in its School of the Arts. Encompassing the departments of Art and Cinema and School of Music and Dance, they are among 21 new tenure or tenure-track faculty members campuswide.

Music and Dance director named Educator of the Year

mitelson — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 13:56:16 -0500

School of Music and Dance Director Dianthe “Dee” Spencer will be honored this month as Educator of the Year by the Golden Gate section of the National Council of Negro Women.

Reserve a locker for the fall semester

lmauricio — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 19:57:59 -0500

Need a locker near the center of campus? For about $40 a semester, you can reserve your very own personal locker in the Creative Arts Building or Fine Arts Building. To make a reservation in person, visit the Box Office in the McKenna Theatre lobby.

Lockers are rentals for the fall and spring semesters—no renewals. Locker combinations will only be given in person at the Box Office.

Reserve a locker

Morrison Artists Series announces 2011–12 season of free chamber music concerts

mitelson — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 13:37:05 -0500

The concerts

The Grammy-nominated Borealis Wind Quintet kicks off the season at 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 21. The highest musical integrity, irresistible energy and five-fold charisma distinguish Borealis in the chamber music field. The quintet is known for exquisite programming that includes the finest of the classics, engaging commissioned works, opera arias and works for piano and winds. The Washington Post has praised the quintet’s “sensitive collaborations with a sophisticated and cosmopolitan air.”

South Asian emigration: the real stories, told through photography, video

mitelson — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 12:31:00 -0500

The exhibit is on display Sept. 15 – Oct. 15. Admission is free.

Santhi Kavuri-Bauer, associate professor of Art, is the curator of “Picturing Parallax.”

“The typical South Asian art exhibit in the U.S. does not delve this deeply into complex issues,” said Kavuri-Bauer, who grew up in New York City after moving from India at age 2. “This exhibit is not all about success and the American dream on American terms. These are the real stories of the dissonance that takes place in everyday life for South Asians who have made America their home.”

Alum's new documentary exposes graffiti vigilantes

mitelson — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 18:17:00 -0500

While police and city cleaners have been unable to stem the spread of graffiti for decades, the war against street artists wages on, as self-motivated and obsessed vigilantes take drastic measures to rid the streets of what they describe as “visual noise.” Director Max Good and alum Nathan Wollman first noticed the work of these “buffers” on the streets of Berkeley, and decided to shed light on this little known subject.

Professor is 'Bay Area Now'

mitelson — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 13:33:02 -0500

For his dissertation, Music Professor Hafez Modirzadeh created his own “chromodal” musical system. It has developed into a career full of unique cross-cultural collaborations and new frontiers in jazz and world music. His latest partnership involves a string quartet, trumpeter, vocalists, daff player, santur player and percussionist representing Latin, Arab and Persian musical traditions.

Recent alum wins awards for animated short film

mitelson — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 13:53:36 -0500

Charlie Corriea spent a significant portion of his time as an undergraduate working on his thesis film, the animated short Fu-De. His two-plus years of work have paid off, as the film has garnered several awards and helped open doors in the entertainment industry.

Horn Society holds international symposium at SF State

mitelson — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 16:10:23 -0500

Following the International Society of Bassists convention in early June, hundreds more acclaimed musicians flocked to the Creative Arts Building a mere two weeks later. SF State was privileged to host the 43rd International Horn Society Symposium from June 20 to 25, bringing it to San Francisco for the first time.

Student journal provides insight into design process

mitelson — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 14:07:36 -0500

The second annual edition of the graduate student journal Acumen examines what it takes to design leading-edge products and spaces. Through their interviews with seven designers in lighting, bicyclist apparel, health care and more, the students provide a forum for the design community and others to explore relationships with people, objects and environments to better understand the role of design in society.