Sarah Greenbaum, a junior pursuing her Bachelor of Fine Arts in dance/performance, is the first recipient of the American Harlequin—Missouri State University Scholarship in Support of Dance Science. Greenbaum received the award on May 3 at a special presentation prior to the opening night of GLOO: the Spring Dance concert. The scholarship is awarded to University dance majors who participate in dance biomechanics research with an emphasis on the effect of flooring on joints and muscles of the legs and feet. Dr. James Hackney, assistant professor of physical therapy, received award money for the scholarship from the American Harlequin Corporation, a company that sells and installs dance floors.

Presentation video is below, courtesy of the theatre and dance channel on Youtube.

Dr. Catherine Jolivette, associate professor in art and design, received Pennsylania State University’s College of Arts and Architecture 2012 Alumni Award in Art History. The annual award recognizes alumni for outstanding professional and creative achievements.Jolivette, who received her doctorate in art history from Penn State in 2003, was honored at a ceremony on March 30.

A native of Great Britain, Jolivette focuses her research and teaching on British art after 1945. She is currently working on Art and the Atom: British Art in the Nuclear Age, which is supported by a research grant from the Paul Mellon Centre for British Art. In 2009, she published her latest book, Landscape, Art, and Identity in 1950s Britain, was published in 2009. In addition to her research, Jolivette has received several teaching awards. The Pennsylvania State University press release states that,  “Jolivette has been praised for her enthusiasm and commitment. ‘If you can take a class with Professor Jolivette, she will make you want to be a better person and most likely will make you fall in love with art,’ said one student in an award nomination.”

Professor Keith Ekstam returned this semester from a stay in Taiwan, where he served as Resident Artist in the Graduate Institute of Applied Art at Tainan National University of the Arts (TNNUA) as part of a sabbatical project. Ekstam presented a solo exhibition of his ceramic sculptures, entitled Trace Elements, at the school’s North Gallery. In addition, he engaged in workshop demonstrations and lectures on his creative work.

Craig Hartenberger, a senior studying ceramics, joined Ekstam in Taiwan in January and will return to the United States in mid-June. He describes his work in Taiwan as “a mix of old and new,” including his traditional wheel-thrown, wood-fired pottery and a recent focus on more sculptural objects. Hartenberger has also lectured about his work, influences, and what interests him as an American artist abroad.

“People have been excited to see the work that I have been making largely because the manner in which I handle the material is much different that the way they are accustomed to,” Hartenberger says. “In Eastern culture, things are often handled in a much more indirect way. As a Westerner, I tend to be more direct, more bold, and more aggressive with the way that I handle clay.”

Hartenberger adds that his time in Taiwan has been full of great experiences.

“Every day is truly an adventure and the people here have been so overwhelmingly welcoming and kind,” Hartenberger explains. “Even something as simple as going grocery shopping or getting lunch can be the most exciting adventure I have had. I am surrounded by new sights, flavors, smells, and ways of doing things—all the while surrounded by people who are so giving and excited to share their beautiful country with me.”

Ekstam’s full report follows:

Artist Residency in Taiwan

by Keith Ekstam, professor of art and design

As part of my sabbatical project proposal, I spent the months of January through March, 2012, serving as Resident Artist in the Graduate Institute of Applied Art at Tainan National University of the Arts (TNNUA) in Taiwan. This was a fabulous opportunity to engage in several professional activities, as well as experience more closely the unique Taiwanese culture. The opportunity to travel and spend several months in Taiwan provided me the longest residency that I have been involved in. The length of the stay afforded me the chance to dig more deeply into the culture and to glean from that experience visual and conceptual information to include in my creative work.

This led to my presenting a solo exhibition of ceramic sculpture at the school’s North Gallery titled Trace Elements, in which I exhibited twenty-four forms which were completed during my stay at the school. In addition to a solo exhibition, I was able to complete other professionally related activities, including workshop demonstrations in the TNNUA undergraduate studios, and lectures on my creative work at TNNUA, at National Taiwan University of the Arts in Bonqiao City and at the Asia-Pacific Institute of Creative Arts in Toufen City.

In a related matter, MSU ceramics student Craig Hartenberger is spending nearly six months in Taiwan as part of the ongoing exchange between the ceramics departments of our two universities. Craig worked as a studio assistant for me as part of a Faculty Research Grant. This assistance was extremely helpful as I worked toward my goal of presenting a solo exhibition. Since Craig will be in Taiwan until mid-June, 2012, he continues to make his creative work in the TNNUA studios and he will exhibit his work in two separate exhibitions, at the Koji Ceramics Museum in Chia-Yi City and at the Jan Shiuan Art Center Gallery in Kaohsiung City. Craig also delivered lectures on his creative work and working processes at TNNUA, at National Taiwan University of the Arts, and at the Asia-Pacific Institute of Creative Arts. Needless to say, Craig has had many new and interesting cultural experiences, tasting exotic foods and working alongside renowned ceramic artists during his time in Taiwan.

Dr. Kurt Gerard Heinlein of theatre and dance has been elected National Vice President of the Association of Theatre Movement Educators (ATME). Heinlein, who has been involved with the organization for nearly eight years, will serve a two-year term in the executive position. He has undertaken several artistic projects with ATME and has also served within their national leadership body of specialists for the last five years, acting as a representative of Fight Directors/Fight Directors Canada.

“Beyond any personal achievement, this is definitely a nod to the national reputation of MSU’s program,” Heinlein says. “ATME’s head governing officers have historically come out of some of the nation’s leading programs.”

Heinlein says that the National Vice President position contributes to the group’s organization on several levels. His responsibilities will include fostering the structure and continued development of ATME, expanding membership, developing the yearly conferences of ATME and ATHE (the Association for Theatre in Higher Education), contributing to the organization’s professional journal, and advancing the education of theatre movement practice. Heinlein adds that he is particularly interested in educating university and stock theatres to recognize and account for the inherent dangers related to stage violence.

The Association of Theatre Movement Educators began in the 1960s as a subgroup of the University and College Theatre Association, itself a division of the American Theatre Association, and has evolved into an independent organization affiliated with the Association for Theatre in Higher Education (ATHE). The organization aims to shape the future of kinesthetic and aesthetic education by promoting high standards for theatre movement training and educators, facilitating networking, and sharing research.

Ken Graves is a professor emeritus of art at Pennsylvania State University. His work is in the permanent collections of numerous museums, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, the Brooklyn Museum, the New York Public Library, and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. He has received numerous grants and fellowships, including a Ferguson Grant, National Endowment for the Arts Fellowships in 1975 and 1986, and the John Guggenheim Fellowship in 2000. With partner Eva Lipman, Graves has authored several books of photography, including Ballroom (1989) and the upcoming The Making of Men.

As part of Tent Theatre’s fiftieth anniversary celebration this year, there will be over fifty public events related to the popular summer theatre program. This post features two of the upcoming events; watch the Arts and Letters and theatre and dance websites for more information about future events.

“I’m a Tent Fan!” is an upcoming exhibit in the Special Collections and Archives department at Meyer Library that chronicles the past 50 seasons of Tent Theatre. The exhibit will be displayed in Meyer Library Room 306 from April 18 to July 31.

Come out for the exhibit opening on Wednesday, April 18 from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. to meet Byrne Blackwood, emeritus professor of theatre and dance and one of the founders of Tent Theatre. He will be there to greet visitors and share stories about the history of Tent Theatre. The reception and exhibition are free and open to the public. Lot 19, located on John Q. Hammons Parkway near the library and JQH Arena, will be available for free parking after 4:00 p.m. daily.

For more information about the exhibit, visit the Special Collections and Archives page or call (417) 836-5428.

Tent Theatre is teaming up with the Springfield Cardinals for a special night of baseball and fireworks honoring the fiftieth anniversary. Join members of the Tent Company as they lead the singing of the National Anthem on Friday, June 1, 2012. Tickets are $9.00 which includes the game AND a Tent 50th Anniversary Special edition t-shirt. Only 250 seats are available. Buy your tickets soon! Fireworks after the game will be dedicated to Tent Theatre.

Two poems by Dr. Jane Hoogestraat, professor of English, appear in issue 4 of the literary journal Midwestern Gothic, now available for purchase. Hoogestraat submitted the pieces “At the Edge of a Time Zone” and “The Scholar From Inner Mongolia Visits Missouri” to the publication. Midwestern Gothic is a quarterly print journal based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, that focuses on work about or inspired by the Midwest. You can purchase the latest issue and read a contributor spotlight on Hoogestraat on the journal’s website, www.midwestgothic.com.

Hoogestraat, who received her PhD with honors in English from the University of Chicago, is the English department’s Literature coordinator. She has published several chapbooks, including Harvesting All Night, which won the Finishing Line prize in poetry, and Winnowing Out Our Souls. She also contributed poetry to Storm Country, an anthology published last year to benefit Joplin school libraries.

In the Animation/Experimental/Mixed category, Chase Castor, David Fiser, Alex Russell and Cameron Wiley received second place for TEMPETE. Max Rosen, Sam Gibson, David Bae and Bart Layman received an honorable mention in the Narrative Video category for their submission Thin Air.

The Festival of Media Arts is sponsored by the Charles and Lucille King Family Foundation and Avid Technology. The Broadcast Education Association holds the Festival of Media Arts each year to highlight the best of faculty and student content in the areas of Audio, Documentary, Interactive Multimedia, News, Scriptwriting, Sports, and Video. The Festival also has a category for two-year/small colleges. Winners receive their awards at the BEA National Convention, which is in Las Vegas, Nev. this year from April 15-18. Last year, eight student projects won awards at the Festival of Media Arts.

(UPDATE 4/3/12) The Society of Professional Journalists announced the 2012 Mark of Excellence awards for Region 7, which includes Missouri, Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska. The Standard continues its tradition of “100 Years of Excellence” by picking up three Mark of Excellence awards, including Best Overall Non-Daily Student Newspaper. Matt Kile won first place for Sports Photography-4 Year College/University, and Harrison Keegan took second place in Sports Writing-4 Year College/University. The Standard also picked up third place for “Best Sales Increase of a Special Section” at the national competition of the College Newspaper Business and Advertising Managers (CNBAM).

In addition, the Ozarks News Journal continues a strong third year by picking up two Mark of Excellence awards. Ozarks News Journal, which can be seen online or on stations in Springfield, Kansas City and St. Louis, won Best All-Around Television Newscast. In addition, Grant Bochantin received second place in the Television Feature Photography category.

The 2012 Missouri Broadcast Education Association Awards honored students in all areas of the department, including film, journalism, media, and electronic arts. Jackson Sutliff won first place in Dramatic Script for Closure,  and Matt Lathrom took home an honorable mention in the same category for Echo. The Final Question, directed by Anthony Ciston and produced by Katie Mell, won first place in Animation.

Thin Air, by Max Rosen with Sound Design by Sam Gibson and David Bae and editing by Bart Layman, won first place in Short Film; the film previously won Honorable Mention in the Narrative Video category in the Festival of Media Arts. Thin Air has also screened at the 2012 Derby City Film Festival in Louisville, Ky., where it won Best Student Short, and at the 2012 Santa Cruz Film Festival in California.

Ozarks News Journal also featured in the SPJ awards, winning first place in TV News (30:00) and taking home several honorable mentions, including Journal staff for Special Programs and Overall TV show, Adam Hammons for News Package and Lucas Treat for Sports Package.

(UPDATE 4/16/12) At the 2012 Missouri College Media Association Competition, The Standard won more points than any other Division 1 school at the competition. This result places them ahead of  many other prominent schools, including the University of Missouri, UMKC, UMSL, Washington University, Saint Louis University and Webster University. A full list of categories and places follows.

1^st Place: Sweepstakes – in Division 1 Schools (most points from individual awards; 4 points for 1st place, 3 points
for 2nd, 2 points for 3rd, 1 point for HM.  Includes: MU, UMKC, UMSL, Washington University, SLU and Webster University).

1^st Place, In-Depth Reporting – Alexis Reid, Megan Gates
1^st Place, Investigative Reporting – Amanda Hess
1^st Place, Sports Column – Stephen Herzog
1^st Place, Sports Photography – Steph Anderson
1^st Place, Information Graphics – Megan Gates, Michael Gulledge
1^st Place, Story Illustration – Leah Randazzo
1^st Place, Advertising – Matt Wilken
1^st Place, Page One Design – Amanda Hess
1^st Place, Section Front Page – Jon Poorman
1^st Place, Editorial Page – Megan Gates
1^st Place, Sports Page – Steph Anderson, Leah Randazzo, Michael Gulledge

2^nd Place, News Story – Jon Poorman, Damien DiPlacido, Megan Gates, David Hunton
2^nd Place, Sports Writing – Benjamen Loewnau
2^nd Place, Investigative Reporting – Megan Gates
2^nd Place, Regular Column – Stephen Herzog
2^nd Place, Sports Page – Benjamen Loewnau
2^nd Place, Photo Page – Steph Anderson, Leah Randazzo, Michael Gulledge
2^nd Place, Feature Page – Bobbie Sawyer
2^nd Place, Web Page – The Standard
2^nd Place, Multimedia – Megan Gates, Michael Gulledge                                                                                                    

3^rd  Place, Best Overall Newspaper – The Standard
3^rd  Place, News Story – Megan Gates
3^rd Place, Regular Column – Stephen Herzog
3^rd Place, Feature Photography – Michael Gulledge

Honorable Mention, Feature Writing – Lauren Healey
Honorable Mention, Sports Writing – Harrison Keegan
Honorable Mention, Entertainment Review – Karman Bowers
Honorable Mention, Entertainment Review – Megan Gates
Honorable Mention, News Photography – Michael Gulledge
Honorable Mention, Feature Photography – Steph Anderson

Nathan Tysen, a graduate of the theatre and dance department, has written lyrics for the upcoming stage musical adaptation of Tuck Everlasting, the popular 1975 children’s novel by Natalie Babbitt. In Tuck Everlasting, young Winnie Foster befriends the Tuck family, who gained eternal life after drinking from a spring near her house. Producers announced in March that the musical will make its pre-Broadway debut at Boston’s Colonial Theatre in June 2013. Tysen and longtime collaborator Chris Miller wrote the lyrics and music and Tony Award-nominated playwright Claudia Shear wrote the book. Casey Nicholaw, Tony Award-winning director-choreographer, will stage the musical. More information about cast and production crew will be available as the debut approaches.

Tysen received his Bachelor of Fine Arts from Missouri State University and his Master of Fine Arts in musical theatre writing from New York University. With composer Chris Miller, Tysen has worked on several other projects. These include the musical The Burnt Part Boys, which was nominated for the 2011 Lucille Lortel Award for Best New Musical; Fugitive Songs, a song cycle which received a 2008 Drama Desk Nomination for Outstanding Revue; and The Mysteries of Harris Burdick, an adaptation of Chris Van Allsburg’s picture book, which was a Top Ten Pick of 2008 by the Boston Globe. Miller and Tysen have also created songs for “Sesame Street” and “The Electric Company.” Learn more about their work at http://www.millerandtysen.com.

The Missouri State University Gender Studies Committee has released an exciting and informative slate of events to celebrate Women’s History Month in March. You can watch films, attend panels, and listen to the keynote speaker, New York Times best-selling author Heidi Durrow, who wrote The Girl Who Fell From the Sky. Durrow’s novel follows young Rachel Morse, the daughter of a Danish woman and an African-American G.I., who struggles to fit in living with her paternal grandmother after a family tragedy. Durrow will speak and sign copies of the book, which won Barbara Kingsolver’s 2008 Bellwether Prize for Fiction and made the 2010 Top Ten novel lists of the Washington Post, The Oregonian, and the Boston Herald. The University will also award the annual “Women of Distinction” awards to showcase female students who have positively impacted the lives of others.  All events are free and open to the public.

Women’s History Month has its roots in Sonoma County, California. In 1978 the Sonoma County Education Task Force commissioned a Women’s History Week. The success of the idea spread rapidly, and in 1980 President Carter issued a presidential proclamation declaring the week of March 8th 1980 National Women’s History Week. It wasn’t until 1987 that congress officially made March National Women’s History Month.

This year Women’s History Month honors women’s empowerment through equal opportunity education. Passed in 1972, Title IX of the education codes in the Higher Education Act prohibited gender discrimination in federally funded institutions.  This year’s Women’s History Month theme, Women’s Education – Women’s Empowerment, focuses on the importance of education in preserving democracy and equality.

As one of eighty-one schools honored by the Princeton Review for outstanding community involvement, Missouri State University strives to plan events that encourage ethical leadership, cultural competence, and community engagement.  Each event is free and the community is encouraged to attend. For more information, contact Dr. Stephanie Norander, assistant professor of communication, at StephanieNorander@missouristate.edu or (417) 836-4106.