by Nathan Williams

The Metropolitan Opera is a vibrant home for the most creative and talented singers, conductors, composers, musicians, dancers, and…Wildcats?! Last week, 8 University of Kentucky College of Fine Arts alumni took over the stage and orchestra pit during the return of George Gershwin’s “Porgy and Bess.”  

Keep reading

UK Alumni posted a great Q and A with actor, playwright, and UK alum, Jeremy Gillett whose one-man play, Black and 25 in America hits the stage this Friday and Saturday at 7:30 in the College of Fine Arts Guignol Theatre.

Keep reading

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.”

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.”

Nathan Hewitt  found a job he loves as Program Associate for Fractured Atlas, an arts service organization that helps individual artists and arts organizations by providing educational resources and technological tools.

After graduating from UK he held internship positions with the Norton Center for the Arts in Danville and Actors Theatre of Louisville. He then moved to NYC and worked with a consulting firm called Donorly before accepting a job with Fractured Atlas.

He tells us that Michael Braun, Mark Rabideau, Geri Maschio, and Rachel Shane were tremendously generous with their knowledge and guidance, and a highlight was working with Dr. Shane to survey Kentucky arts organizations about their feelings about government funders and revenue sources.

Hewitt’s pride in his alma mater is apparent in this vignette he shared:
“It was a treat to see current students at the Emerging Arts Leaders Symposium (held every spring in Washington DC’s American University) this year. In one of the sessions we went around introducing ourselves, and with each successive student that announced they were from University of Kentucky, the rest of the group started to react, and I’m sure they wondered to themselves, ‘What in the world is going on in Kentucky?’”

Ms. Matovich (Arts Administration MA ‘15 was eager to share her experience with CFA’s Arts Administration program.

“My praises aren’t strong enough to describe how well the Master’s of Arts Admin prepared me for my ongoing professional goals. The final portfolio of course work, thesis and practical applications have served me well abroad…Patient listening and global points of connection are vital to the arts.  This can and should happen in the schools, especially in international schools.  The model of the performing arts in education should be as demographically rich as the community it serves.”

Matovich went on to describe her admiration of, and gratitude for, Dr. Rachel Shane, who, along with Dr. Maschio, Dr. Jung, and Michael Ibrahim, provided invaluable support and guidance throughout her studies at U.K.

Courtesy of UKNow / Whitney Hale

In an industry where the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film has reported only 4% of 2018’s top 100 grossing films were directed by women, University of Kentucky theatre alumna Bethany Brooke Anderson is among those talented female filmmakers working to break the trend in Hollywood.

Click here to read the full story