A NEW ERA - Mason Gross School of the Arts

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A NEW ERA - Mason Gross School of the Arts
MGSA
                                                                                            SPRING 2021

M A S O N   G R O S S     S C H O O L            O F      T H E         A RT S

                              A NEW ERA
                M E E T       D E A N         J A S O N            G E A R Y

 Creating Through COVID   │    F a r e w e l l T o S t a n l e y C o w e l l │ D a n c e & P a r k i n s o n' s
A NEW ERA - Mason Gross School of the Arts
TAKE
                                       NOTE

   T         he Wrap has named the Rutgers
             Filmmaking Center among the
             Top 50 Film Schools—no small
   feat, especially if you consider that the
   center has only been offering BFA degrees
   since 2015. The center gets kudos for its
   “easy access to Manhattan’s film scene
   without paying Manhattan rent,” and a 1:12
   faculty-student ratio in a conservatory
   setting. In addition, Variety named the
   program among the top in the nation in its
   latest Entertainment Impact Report.

Rutgers Theater Company’s fall
2019 production of Mr. Burns,
a Post-Electric Play with Gabriel         COVID #keepmakingart
August Kessler, from left,
Maia Karo, Faith Evan Wilansky,
Graham Poore, Candace Grace,
Matthew Petrucelli, Magali
Trench, and Sofia Duemichen.                           02
A NEW ERA - Mason Gross School of the Arts
D       ance Magazine named alum
        Oluwadamilare Ayorinde one of “25 to
        Watch” in 2020. “Ayorinde transforms
himself each and every time he performs, in
pieces by drastically different choreographers...
His passion is unquestionable, transforming
any work brought his way,” says dance writer
Charmaine Warren.

                                                             R
                                                                    utgers Filmmaking Center faculty
                                                                    Mollye Asher took home an Oscar at the
                                                                    93rd annual Academy Awards as part of
                                                             the team that produced the Frances McDormand
                                                             film Nomadland. The film won Best Picture,
                                                             Best Director, and Best Actress in a Leading
                                                             Role. The film garnered a Golden Globe and two
                                                             Independent Spirit Awards as well.

                                                                    B         elieve the rumors: This
                                                                              fall, tickets to all of our
                                                                              events at the Mason Gross
                                                                     Performing Arts Center and the New
                                                                     Brunswick Performing Arts Center
                                                                     will be available online! Once we are
                                                                     ready to present a slate of in-person
                                                                     performances, visit masongross.
                                                                     rutgers.edu to purchase tickets.

                                               COVID House Music

                                                        03
                                                                                                    MATT PILSNER
A NEW ERA - Mason Gross School of the Arts
L E T T E R               F R O M             T H E          D E A N

   W
                hile I never could have imagined my inaugural
                year as dean occurring in the midst of a global
                pandemic, I have found it to be an exhilarating
                and rewarding one all the same. Seeing faculty,
    staff, students, and alumni respond to the demands of the
    moment gave me special insight into the creativity and
    imagination of the Mason Gross community. Especially
    inspiring were the ways in which students collaborated
    across departments within the school to create stunning
    works of art in a virtual space.

    The school has also taken part in important national
    conversations happening within the arts and more broadly.
    A schoolwide Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee
    comprising faculty and staff, and with input from students,
    was created last spring and has been charged by me with
    engaging the wider Mason Gross community on ideas
    for fostering more inclusive programming and curricula.
    Such issues strike at the heart of a fundamental question
    around which I have also been having robust dialogue with
    faculty, staff, students, and alumni, namely what the role                     Geary at Nicholas Music Center on April 2, 2021.   KEITH MUCCILLI
    of a conservatory should be in preparing students both for
    professional success and to emerge as leaders prepared to                   years of experience at Rutgers and in the corporate
    tackle the post-pandemic challenges that will be faced by                   sector, has joined us as associate dean for finance and
    the arts and by our rapidly changing world.                                 administration, and Rebecca Cypess left her role as
                                                                                associate director of the Music Department to become the
    Answering this question also means thinking about how                       school’s new associate dean for academic affairs. Both
    we leverage the opportunities of being part of a leading                    have already made tremendous contributions and will be
    public research university like Rutgers. I have already begun               vital as we build upon the foundations of the Mason Gross
    exploring ways in which we can enhance partnerships                         legacy to reach new heights of excellence, inclusivity,
    and research collaborations between the arts and other                      and impact. I’m excited about the road ahead and the
    disciplines on campus, and I am thrilled to see the outcome                 possibilities for the future!
    of an upcoming “speed-networking” session during which
    faculty from Mason Gross and the School of Public Health
    will have the opportunity to share ideas and possibilities
    with an eye toward receiving seed funding to support the
    most promising projects that arise.

    I have also been taking a close look at the
    school’s operations and have added a couple
    of key players to what I regard as an already
    stellar team of staff. Judy Zenowich, who has

                                                        Jason Letter – EDI/Rebecca Cypess appointment

                                                                              04
DancePlus Fall dress rehearsal at the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center, November 20, 2019.                                               KEITH MUCCILLI
A NEW ERA - Mason Gross School of the Arts
MAGAZINE SPRING 2021

6 ON T H E   C OV E R           9   FACULT Y SPOTLIGHT                  10    STUDENT/ALUMNI                           13    FAR EWELL TO
                                                                                          NEWS                                  STAN LEY COWELL

  811121718
   FAC U LT Y N E W S

  14   W HY YOU
                                HELP FOR INJ URED
                                   MUSICI A NS

                                    10, 11, 15, 16
                                                                 MOVEMENT AS

                                                          CREATING
                                                                  MEDICINE

                                                                                           19
                                                                                             STUDENT SP OTL IGHT WATCH–R EA D–VI S IT

                                                                                                  IN MEMOR I AM                     20   T H E L A S T LOOK
          S H OU LD GIVE                                    THR OUGH COVID

 From left: KEITH MUCCILLI; COURTESY OF GRACE LYNNE HAYNES; KEITH MUCCILLI; NICK ROMANENKO; RAUL AYALA

  OUR LEADERSHIP                                                               MASON GROSS SCHOOL OF THE ARTS
                                                                               848-932-9360
  Jason Geary, Dean
  Rebecca Cypess, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs                          MASON GROSS PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
  Judy Zenowich, Associate Dean for Finance and Administration                 848-932-7511
  Mandy Feiler, Dean of Students
  Linda Christian, Associate Dean for Advancement                              MASON GROSS GALLERIES AT CIVIC SQUARE
  Marc Handelman, Chair of the Art & Design Department                         848-932-5211
  Julia M. Ritter, Artistic Director and Chair of the Dance Department
  William Berz, Director of the Music Department                               NEW BRUNSWICK PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
  Ellen Bredehoft, Chair of the Theater Department                             732-745-8000
  Ruqqayya Maudoodi, Director of Rutgers Arts Online
  Derek Balcom, Director of Rutgers Community Arts                             masongross.rutgers.edu
  Patrick Stettner, Director of the Rutgers Filmmaking Center

  ON THE COVER: Dean Jason Geary, April 2, 2021. Photo by Keith
  Muccilli.
                                                                               THIS MAGAZINE IS PUBLISHED FOR ALUMNI, FACULTY, STUDENTS, EMPLOYEES,
  EDITORIAL STAFF                                                              DONORS, AND FRIENDS OF THE MASON GROSS SCHOOL OF THE ARTS. YOUR
                                                                               FEEDBACK AND NEWS ITEMS ARE WELCOME. PLEASE WRITE TO
  Editor: Laurie Granieri                                                      ALUMNI@MGSA.RUTGERS.EDU OR TO MASON GROSS MAGAZINE, MASON GROSS
  Contributing writers: Risa Barisch, Stephen Whitty                           SCHOOL OF THE ARTS, 33 LIVINGSTON AVENUE, NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ 08901.
  Designer: Monica Toledo-Fraginals
                                                                               © 2021 Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

                                                                                                                                     05    SPRING 2021
A NEW ERA - Mason Gross School of the Arts
MOVING
DEAN GEARY
OUTLINES NEW
OPPORTUNITIES
                                                                           FORWARD
FOR THE SCHOOL,
INCLUDING
LEADING RUTGERS’
RESEARCH
MISSION THROUGH
                                                                                                                                “T    he arts and
                                                                                                                                      humanities can
                                                                                                                                be on the leading edge
THE ARTS                                                                                                                        of grappling with
By Risa Barisch                                                                                                                 some of society’s most

J
        ason Geary has always
                                                                                                                                pressing challenges—
        viewed change—moving                                                                                                    some of the questions
        to a new city, choosing
        a different career path,                                                                                                that define our very
taking a new job—as a chance
for reinvention.
                                                                                                                                existence and time.”
Embracing the unknown has
“made it easier to accept change
and realize that you can start
over, you can create a new life for
yourself,” says Geary, the new dean
of Mason Gross School of the
Arts who arrived last July from the
University of Maryland School of
Music. “It kind of prepares you for
the monumental changes that you
encounter in life.” Among those, he
notes, was moving to New Jersey
with his wife and two sons in the
middle of a pandemic.

Geary has crisscrossed the
country several times since high           Geary, a trained pianist and musicologist, onstage at Nicholas Music Center.                       KEITH MUCCILLI
school, when he and his family
relocated from Bakersfield,
California, to Aurora, Colorado,         He returned to California to earn a        of me that was more the stand-         “It took a while to get there but,
where his father launched                piano performance degree at the            up-in-front-of-the-classroom           ultimately, I never looked back.”
a successful business and                San Francisco Conservatory of              educator—that was what ultimately
                                                                                    drove me to pursue musicology as
entrepreneurial career after
years of working on the railroad
                                         Music, where he won competitions
                                         resulting in performances with the         something that combined my love        ARTS FOR ALL
following a brief stint playing          school’s orchestra and at New York         of academics and music.”               Geary’s professional path took him
football in the NFL.                     City’s Alice Tully Hall, and became                                               back to the University of Michigan,
                                         the first in his family to graduate        Choosing musicology over               where he taught musicology and
Starting anew wasn’t easy, but           college.                                   performance was a decision that        served as associate dean at the
Geary remembers being excited.                                                      Geary says he thought long and         School of Music, Theatre & Dance,
                                         As much as he loved the piano,             hard about as he weighed leaving       and then on to the University
“Bakersfield is not the California       Geary found himself increasingly           behind the joy of practicing the       of Maryland, where he was the
of postcards,” Geary says with a         drawn to the academic side of              piano for several hours each           director of the School of Music and
smile, “so it didn’t feel like we were   music, and soon transitioned to            day to make time for research          special advisor for the arts within
leaving much behind. I also felt like    musicology as a graduate student           and writing. But once he landed        the College of Arts & Humanities.
it was an opportunity to reinvent        at the University of Michigan.             the opportunity to attend Yale
myself in some way, a clean slate.”                                                 University to pursue a PhD, the        Geary began his role as dean
                                         “I read a lot as a child, I enjoyed        move to academia felt just right.      of Mason Gross in July 2020,
Geary began teaching himself the         writing, and I always kind of knew                                                outlining a leadership plan based
piano at age 11 and by 16 was            I wanted to be a teacher,” Geary           “That was another moment where         on what he calls his three core
winning state competitions, one          says. “My experience with music            I felt like the courses I was taking   pillars: collaboration; community
of which led to a performance as         history during my undergraduate            and the stimulating interaction with   engagement; and inclusive
soloist with the National Repertory      years connected the passion that           my professors and classmates           excellence, which encompasses
Orchestra at the Keystone Music          I had for playing the piano, and           confirmed for me that this was the     issues of equity, diversity, and
Festival in Colorado.                    music in general, with this part           life I wanted to live,” Geary says.    inclusion.

06    MASON GROSS
A NEW ERA - Mason Gross School of the Arts
He says he was drawn to Mason Gross          Geary. “The issues of representation
because of its location, both within         and equity and inclusion are important
a major research university and in           to them, and are values that they
the greater New York metropolitan            want to see enshrined in the heart of
area, as well as the chance to foster        institutions, including Mason Gross.”
interdisciplinary collaboration and
address larger social issues through         Geary says he is committed to “thinking
the arts.                                    in ways that are bold and innovative”
                                             about curriculum, including greater
“Those kinds of opportunities are            exposure to different artistic traditions
really rich at a place like Rutgers,” says   outside of the western European
Geary, citing examples like the Dance        canon and the role of representation
& Parkinson’s community movement             and race when it comes to casting,
classes and an emerging partnership          programming, guest artists, and faculty.                A PIANO, A PRESIDENT, AND WHAT
between Mason Gross and the newly
established Institute for the Study of       A strong educational foundation and                     MAKES JERSEY UNIQUE—DEAN
Global Racial Justice that will explore      plenty of hours in the practice room or
ways in which the arts can help              studio or on the stage are invaluable,
illuminate issues of racism and social       Geary says, but there’s a greater
                                                                                                     GEARY GIVES ADDITIONAL INSIGHT
inequality. “The arts and humanities         responsibility for school leadership to
can be on the leading edge of                think about the kind of preparation that                INTO HIS LIFE
grappling with society’s most pressing       students need, especially in a post-
challenges—some of the questions             COVID world where “the professional
that define our very existence and           landscape is shifting dramatically under
time.”                                       our collective feet.”                                   W H AT I S Y O U R M O S T T R E A S U R E D
Geary was instrumental in guiding            “It means thinking about how that                       POSSESSION?
Rutgers University–New Brunswick             expertise or studio training relates to
to join the Alliance for the Arts in         other disciplines,” says Geary, “how it                 My grand piano. In addition to being a beautiful
Research Universities (a2ru), which          relates to community, what it means to                  instrument, it has worked well as decor in all six of the
helps research universities develop          make a living as a visual artist, designer,             houses we’ve lived in over the last decade and a half.
interdisciplinary arts-integrated            filmmaker, musician, dancer, or actor
research, curricula, programs, and           in 2021, and how that might mean
creative practice.                           cultivating a set of skills that weren’t                W H I C H TA L E NT W O U L D YO U M O S T
                                             necessarily highlighted 50 years ago, or
The school’s first related initiative will   10 years ago, or even two years ago.”                   L I K E T O H AV E ?
build on the foundation of the Dance
& Parkinson’s program to create the          With such bold proposals, though,                       ​ he ability to eat and not gain weight. I love eating and
                                                                                                     T
Integrated Dance Collaboratory, which        Geary is careful to point out that his                  hate working out, so I hope this counts!
will serve as a hub of research with         goal is not to undo Mason Gross, but to
other disciplines including medicine         move it forward in a way that benefits
and psychology to explore how dance          its students and leads to increased                     WHICH LIVING PERSON DO YOU
can help people with autism, traumatic       visibility for the school.
brain injury, and other medical                                                                      MOST ADMIRE?
conditions.                                  “It’s not a dismantling of the
                                             conservatory model, but rather a                        ​ ormer President Barack Obama. Apart from his
                                                                                                     F
Joining a2ru “happened with Mason            rethinking of what it means to be a                     pathbreaking achievements, I admire his equanimity,
Gross out in front, leading the charge,”     conservatory in the 21st century,”
                                             Geary says. “It’s not giving up those
                                                                                                     his willingness to listen to a multiplicity of voices,
says Geary, who serves on the
executive board of the alliance. “That’s     things we wish to conserve, but it’s                    and his ability to communicate effectively. These are
an example of how the arts can be at         integrating other kinds of opportunities                qualities I try to emulate as a leader.
the core of the university’s research        and experiences.”
mission as opposed to being on the
margins, which is often the case, where                                                              W H AT P R O F E S S I O N O T H E R T H A N
you’re fighting for a seat at the table.”                                                            YOUR OWN WOULD YOU LIKE TO
“My experience has prepared me well                                                                  AT T E M P T ?
to position the arts and Mason Gross
to be leaders on campus in terms                                                                     A lawyer—had I gone to law school, which I once
of academic excellence that defines                                                                  briefly considered, I would have wanted to become a
not just who we are as a school but                                                                  prosecutor and eventually a politician.
who Rutgers is as an institution, and
what our reputation is nationally and
globally,” Geary adds. “The arts can be
at the front and center of that.”                                                                    YOU’VE LIVED ALL OVER THE
                                                                                                     C O U N T R Y. W H AT I S O N E T H I N G
RESHAPING                                                                                            A B O U T N E W J E R S E Y T H AT Y O U ’ V E
THE SCHOOL                                                                                           FOUND DIFFERENT FROM ALL OF
While Geary has his sights set far and
wide across the university, he’s also
                                                                                                     THESE PLACES?
focused on the needs of Mason Gross
students. Through work groups, town                                                                  It would have to be the dearth of left turns. I’ve seen
halls, and small virtual gatherings                                                                  these jughandles in other East Coast states, but New
held throughout the year, Geary has                                                                  Jersey takes things to another level entirely. Not being
gathered feedback from students on                                                                   able to pump my own gas is also unique, but that one I
topics ranging from curriculum reform                                                                don’t mind as much, especially considering the winter
to career development.                                                                               we just had.
“Students are very interested in a
curriculum that reflects the diversity of                              Geary with his wife, Helen,
our student body and our state,” says                                        and their two sons.

                                                                                                                                        07   SPRING 2021
A NEW ERA - Mason Gross School of the Arts
FACULTY
                     NEWS                                                                                                In fact, another word for legacy
                                                                                                                         might actually just be community.”

                                                                                                                         Dance Teacher Magazine spoke
                                                                                                                         with faculty Ani Javian about
                                                                                                                         grading during COVID-19, which
                                                                                                                         in Javian’s classes has involved
                                                                                                                         self-assessment and self-reflection
                                                                                                                         beyond the studio (or home dance
                                                                                                                         space), as well as activities like
                                                                                                                         drawing, poetry, and taking walks.
                                                                                                                         “With everything that’s been going
                                                                                                                         on this year, I’ve been thinking a lot
                                                                                                                         about the ways that our movement
                                                                                                                         practice relates to the world around
                                                                                                                         us,” Javian says. “Why are we
                                                                                                                         training in dance? Looking inward
                                                                                                                         will make a difference in how
                                                                                                                         students then extend themselves
                                                                                                                         outward into the world.”

                                                                                                                         Department of Art & Design faculty
                                                                                                                         Patrick Strzelec (left) received
                                                                                                                         the 2020 International Sculpture
                                                                                                                         Center Outstanding Educator
                                                                                                                         Award. Strzelec was featured in the
                                                                                                                         January/February issue of Sculpture
                                                                                                                         magazine in a Q&A about teaching
                                                                                                                         and the inspiration he draws from
                                                                                                                         his students at Rutgers. “When you
                                                                                                                         come from a middle-class family,
                                                                                                                         with no serious background in art,
                                                                                                                         attend a large public institution, and
                                                                                                                         are often the first family member
                                                                                                                         to attend college, and you choose
                                                                                                                         to focus on art—that is inspiring,”
                                                                                                                         he says. “There is more than
                                                                                                                         courage involved. There is a desire
                                                                                                                         for freedom, expression, love, and
                                                                                                                         passion. They are gutsy young
                                                                                                                         people. I suppose they remind me
                                                                                                                         of myself to some degree.”

                                                                                                                         Congrats to Associate Dean for
                                                                                                                         Academic Affairs Rebecca Cypess
                                                                                                                         on her new recording with The
                                                                                                                         Raritan Players, In the Salon of
                                                                                                                         Madame Brillon.

                                                                                                                         Dance’s Pam Tanowitz and her
                                                                                                                         company, Pam Tanowitz Dance,
                                                                                                                         returned to the Joyce Theater in
                                                                                                                         December with two works: Gustave
                                                                                                                         Le Gray, No. 2 and a new, site-
                                                                                            KEITH MUCCILLI               specific work, Finally Unfinished:
                                                                                                                         Part 1, created in collaboration
                                                                                                                         with Tanowitz’s dancers while in

A
                                                                                                                         quarantine via Zoom and performed
          ctor and director Cameron    Department of Art & Design faculty     way that torches get passed from
                                                                                                                         throughout the empty Joyce
          Knight of the University     Steffani Jemison is featured in        one generation to the next, super
                                                                                                                         Theater. The program was a Critic’s
          of North Carolina School     Harper’s Bazaar in an article about    formal. Legacy was a very distant
                                                                                                                         Pick in The New York Times: “...
          of the Arts will take over   the Studio Museum in Harlem. “As       concept. And what I learned from
                                                                                                                         this theater that has been dark
as head of BFA acting this fall. He    a younger person, the idea of legacy   the Studio Museum is that legacies
                                                                                                                         and empty for most of this year
replaces Barbara Marchant, who is      always seemed really abstract,”        are built. They’re built with intention.
                                                                                                                         becomes animated by elegant,
retiring after more than two decades   she says in the piece, published on    That legacy is rooted in very real
                                                                                                                         eccentric, brilliant dance,” Brian
with the Theater Department.           February 26. “Legacy described the     relationships between real people.
                                                                                                                         Seibert writes in his review.

08   MASON GROSS
A NEW ERA - Mason Gross School of the Arts
4      Q U E S T I O N S                           F O R           D I D I E R                  W I L L I A M

                                                                                        of Haiti. Additionally, it is also home     familiar, I try to disassociate them
                                                                                        to many others across the Latin             from the usual cultural symbols to
                                                                                        American diaspora. In this remaking         which they are attached.
                                                                                        and re-mapping of home, I think a very
                                                                                        unique and peculiar aesthetic is built,     Additionally, I think I must say that
                                                                                        wherein color, surface, and texture         my mom is a chef. She has a Haitian
                                                                                        are projected onto everything from          restaurant in Miramar, Florida, and
                                                                                        textiles, to architecture, the landscape,   so I grew up constantly surrounded
                                                                                        to the food, even the language. And         by delicious Haitian food and Haitian
                                                                                        so there is a kind of rich tapestry, an     cooking (which if you know anything
                                                                                        evolving grit that is characteristic of     about it, is really spicy and colorful
                                                                                        South Florida’s material culture. It’s      and flavorful with rich ingredients.
                                                                                        not uncommon in South Florida to            Haitian food comprises an incredibly
                                                                                        see brilliantly colored homes with          layered palette), and I often like to
                                                                                        terra-cotta rooftops and bright green       say that the way that I think about
                                                                                        porches. The South Florida sun also         painting and art is very much the way
                                                                                        illuminates everything with a piercing,     that my mom thinks about cooking
                                                                                        blinding luminescence. These are very       and food…. My associations and
                                                                                        much the colors that I source in my         relationships to color in the print shop
                                                                                        paintings.                                  have always been analogous to food.
                                                                                                                                    There’s a beautiful synchronicity for
                                                                                     In my work I also try to take what             me that exists between the alchemy
                                                                                     are thought of as usual or typical             of printmaking and the alchemy of
                                                                                     associations with color and                    cooking.
                                                                                     re-distribute them. Bodies and
                                                                                     landscapes can exchange scale and              You’ve mentioned a teacher
                                                                                     surface. I try to take colors we would         who believed in you as an
                                                                                     associate with architecture and bring          artist when you were very
                                                                                     them into the body, colors we would            young. Can you talk about the
                                                                                     associate with sky and bring them
                                                                                     into the ground, and vice-versa. In this       significance of that faith—and
                                                                                     kind of reassessment of the picture            your parents’ devotion to your
                                                                                                               plane I’m            education as an artist?

                                                                “I
                                                                                                               attempting
                                                                      t’s critical for young                   to create an         It’s critical for young artists to feel
                                                                      artists to feel supported. alternative                        supported. I’ve benefited from a great
                                                                                                                                    deal of support even before I had a
                                                                                                               space in which
ALEX NUNEZ AND THE FOUNDTAINHEAD FOUNDATION                      I’ve benefited from a great                   the viewer can       clear vision of who or what I wanted
                                                                                                               certainly find       to be. This laid the groundwork for the
                                                                 deal of support even before

D
                                                                                                               familiarity,         persistence I’ve relied on as a working
          epartment of Art & Design’s       on the function      I had a clear vision of who                   but they’re          artist and teacher. My parents’
          Didier William joined the         of historical                                                      intentionally        support not only reminded me that I
          faculty in fall 2019 as a         silences,
                                                                 or what I wanted to be. This                  slowed down.         was loved and cared for, but that what
                                                                                                                                    I had to say was important and that I
          professor of expanded             Silencing the        laid the groundwork for the                   Even when
                                                                                                               things are sort      deserved to be heard. We owe young
          print. In a New York Times        Past, has been
profile on the Haitian-American artist,     an important         persistence I’ve relied on as                 of explicitly        artists this affirmation.
Laurel Graeber says that William’s
works “incorporate collage, oil paint,
                                            one for me. In
                                            it he argues,
                                                                 a working artist       and teacher.”
and acrylic as well, making them as         “Historical
multifarious as the Afro-Caribbean          representations—be they books,
diaspora itself.”                           commercial exhibits, or public
                                            commemorations, cannot be
Much of your work is on                     conceived only as vehicles for the
wood, not canvas.                           transmission of knowledge, they must
                                            also establish some relation to that
The rigid and somewhat brittle              knowledge.” This greatly resonates
surface of wood provides a material         with me, particularly in terms of
that has some resistance to my              how I think about the body and
authorship, which I like. It’s an organic   representations of human form.
material, so inconsistencies and
blemishes in the surface are natural,       How has geography shaped
and I love that. It effects a kind of       your work? You were born
organic collaboration—a midway point        in Haiti and then moved to
between readymade and something
fabricated.
                                            Miami as a child. Now you
                                            live in Philadelphia and teach
Many of your works feature                  in New Brunswick. How do
bodies or backgrounds covered               these places seep into your
with eyes. Your works seem to               work, if at all?
behold the viewer.                          Probably most directly, the geography
For me, looking isn’t just about a          of the places I’ve lived have influenced
stable, singular process, it’s something    my aesthetics and the aesthetics
that takes place in the present             of the different places I’ve lived
moment between the bodies in my             continue to influence my work. I
paintings and the curious viewer.           immediately think of color with this
The eye motif developed out of an           question, and I think it’s hard not to
urge to make this process physical.         think about South Florida, where I
It grew out of an attempt to trace          grew up, as one of the primary sites
the process of looking and bearing          that helped build my relationship
witness. The repeated eye forms             to a kind of cultural aesthetic that I
work to make physical the otherwise         associate with a particularly diasporic
unseen circuitry of looking and being       experience. As you might know, South         Two Dads, 64-inches-by-50-inches, wood carving, acrylic, collage, and ink on
looked at. Here I’m very much thinking      Florida is home to the largest Haitian       panel. COURTESY OF DIDIER WILLIAM.
about Michel-Rolph Trouillot. His text      population outside of the country

                                                                                                                                                   09    SPRING 2021
A NEW ERA - Mason Gross School of the Arts
Student &                               several months developing new
                                            works to be presented as readings
                                                                                      organization include Aaron Copland
                                                                                      and William Schuman. Artists in
                                                                                                                                Dance alum
                                                                                                                                Kyle Marshall’s work
                                            in June.                                  seven disciplines live and work at
    Alumni News                             Congrats to senior Dance
                                                                                      MacDowell for a period of up to eight
                                                                                      weeks. Painter’s memoir, Old in Art
                                                                                                                                during COVID leads to
                                                                                                                                world-premiere works
                                            Department students Cassidy               School: A Memoir of Starting Over         this summer

   M
                                            Rivas and Julia Foti, whose               (which details, among other things,
            usic doctoral student           work will be shown at the                 her time at Rutgers), was a 2018
            Adrienne Baker was part of      2021 American College Dance               finalist for the National Book Critics
                                                                                                                                By Risa Barisch
            the four-member woodwind        Association Screendance Festival.         Circle Award.
    section that created music

                                                                                                                                L
    for Ratatouille: The TikTok Musical.    Film student Keeks Rogers and four        In the fall, MM percussion                      ife during lockdown was
    The event streamed in January to        Rutgers scientists made UTUQAQ,           student and BM alum Andrew                      productive for choreographer
    an audience of millions. Performing     a short, lyrical documentary in the       Bambridge was featured on WNET’s
                                            Arctic serving as a kind of ode to the                                                    and BFA'11 dance graduate
    while socially distancing in a studio                                             All Arts Rising Artist series. The        Kyle Marshall. Over the last
    was the first time Baker had played     disappearing ice. The film is available   series profiles creative student talent
    with other musicians in person since    to stream through Field of Vision.                                                  year, the 2018 NY Dance and
                                                                                      at New York City-area universities.
    the pandemic began. “It brought                                                   Bambridge also performed a live           Performance “Bessie” Jury Award
                                            Recent costume design grad                                                          winner was able to reconnect with
    back to me how magical that really                                                concert from home in a series
                                            Ashley Kong is a winner of the                                                      himself and his family during the
    is,” Baker said. “One of the great                                                that the school co-sponsored with
                                            2020 CosBond Creator Contest for                                                    down time while also creating
    things about the arts is the ability                                              the Rutgers University Alumni
                                            her cosplay replica of the Thorin
    to nonverbally communicate, to                                                    Association. Bambridge presented          several new works.
                                            Oakenshield costume from Peter
    move together and do cues together,                                               music on marimba. You can view the
                                            Jackson’s The Hobbit film trilogy.
    have musical conversations in                                                     series, called House Music, on the        First and foremost for a dancer,
                                            Kong’s creation took a whopping 234
    the moment.” The online event                                                     RUAA’s Facebook page.                     though, is staying in motion.
                                            hours over 6 months to complete!
    co-starred theater alum and three-
    time Tony Award-nominee Kevin           Theater alum Tom Pelphrey, a              Music alum and Silk Road
                                                                                      Ensemble member Cristina Pato             “Improvisation was a way I stayed
    Chamberlin as Auguste Gusteau.          breakout star on Ozark and co-star in
                                                                                      has received the Committed Artist         physically curious,” says Marshall.
                                            the Oscar-nominated film Mank (both                                                 “Moving in my living room and in
    It’s confirmed: Sex and the City is                                               Award from the Daniel and Nina
                                            streaming on Netflix), was named
    returning, with co-stars Sarah                                                    Carasso Foundation. Pato also             outdoor spaces allowed me to
                                            one of Variety's 10 Actors to Watch
    Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon,                                                    appears in a video playing Galician       connect to my inner impulse and to
                                            2020!
    and theater alum Kristin Davis. The                                               bagpipes along with pianist Arturo        my environment.”
    HBO Max reboot, titled And Just Like    In February, dance alum Myssi             O’Farrill on a rendition of Carla
    That… will follow the women as they     Robinson was profiled in Dance            Bley’s “Útviklingssang” and is one        To push himself artistically,
    navigate love and friendship in their   Magazine. Choreographer David             of several artists from around the        Marshall directed and edited
    50s during 10 episodes. Production      Dorfman said of Robinson: “When           world, including Yo-Yo Ma, Meshell
    in New York City was set to begin                                                 Ndegeocello, and Angélique Kidjo,         collaborative digital dances
                                            she moves, her aliveness seeps                                                      with his company, Kyle Marshall
    this spring.                            through every pore.”                      featured in a recent video recording
                                                                                      of Peter Gabriel’s 1980 protest           Choreography. A new work,
    Acting alum Katie Do is one of          Art & Design Department alum and          song Biko.                                Hudson, premiered in late
    six playwrights participating in        best-selling author Nell Painter was                                                December as part of Operation
    the inaugural Sống Collective’s         appointed chair of MacDowell’s            Downbeat Magazine named jazz              Unite Education and Cultural Arts
    Việt Writers Lab, a community of        board of directors. She takes over        guitar student Ilan Eisenzweig            Center’s Kwanzaa Celebration,
    Vietnamese artists from the United      for novelist Michael Chabon. Past         among the winners of their Student
    States and Canada who spent                                                                                                 featuring performers and alumni
                                            chairs of the New Hampshire-based         Music Awards!                             Oluwadamilare Ayorinde, Bria
                                                                                                                                Bacon, Mimi Gabriel, and Myssi
                                                                                                                                Robinson.
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                                                                                                                                Marshall was also able to work on
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      A

                                                                                                                                several projects that will premiere
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                                                                                                                                live this summer, including Stellar,
 C

                                                                                                                                a dance film commissioned by the
                                                                                                                                Baryshnikov Arts Center, and Rise,
                                                                                                                                commissioned by The Shed. I and
                                                                                                                                I, a solo performance, will premiere
                                                                                                                                at the New Brunswick Performing
                                                                                                                                Arts Center on October 15 and
                                                                                                                                16 as part of the Dance Studies
                                                                                                                                Association annual conference,
                                                                                                                                hosted by the Dance Department.

                                                                                                                                Marshall says the pandemic
                                                                                                                                pause also afforded him time to
                                                                                                                                improve his mental health through

                   STAYING
                                                                                                                                meditation, yoga, and therapy, and
                                                                                                                                to find a deeper connection with
                                                                                                                                his family.

                                                                                                                                “Pursuing a career in this field left
                                                                                                                                less time to be with my younger

                        IN
                                                                                                                                siblings and parents,” says
                                                                                                                                Marshall. “I found curiosity in my
                                                                                                                                history, trying to cook Jamaican
                                                                                                                                dishes and catching up with my
                                                                                                                                siblings and cousins.”

                     MOTION
                                                                                                                                What’s the first thing that Marshall,
                                                                                                                                who lives in Jersey City, New
                                                                                                                                Jersey, will do once the region is
                                                                                                                                fully open?

                                                                                                                                “I cannot wait to see anything
                                                                                                                                live—dance, theater, music, a DJ,
                                                                                                                                comedy, sports,” Marshall says.
                                                                                                                                “I really miss gathering to witness
                                                                                                                                others.”
      10   MASON GROSS                                                                             STEVEN SPELIOTIS
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                 A DOCTOR IN THE
                                                                                                                           Impact Award, as well as
      A
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                                                                                                                           acknowledgment from leaders
                                                                                                                           including Anthony Yung, an MD
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                                                                                                                           candidate at Rutgers Robert

                  PRACTICE ROOM
                                                                                                                           Wood Johnson Medical School
                                                                                                                           and co-president of the Global
                                                                                                                           Health Institute student council.
                                                                                                                           “Laura’s leadership and vision
                                                                                                                           have made a positive impact
                                                                                                     Student               on our student council and the
                                                                                                                           greater university community,”
                                                                                                 is adding a               says Yung. “The diversity
                                                                                                                           of student membership in
                                                                                       performance degree                  our councils brings unique
                                                                                             to her medical                perspectives and creative
                                                                                                                           solutions, which further advance
                                                                                       background to treat                 the topic of global health at
                                                                                                                           Rutgers and beyond.”
                                                                                      musicians like herself
                                                                                                                           For Palm, leading the committee
                                                                                                                           is a way to tend to her medical
                                                                                               By Risa Barisch             roots while having an impact in
                                                                                                                           the field.
                                                                                                                           “As much as I like music, I also
                                                                                                                           started to miss medicine a little
                                                                                                                           bit,” Palm says. “[The institute]
                                                                                                                           has been very welcoming even
                                                                                                                           though, on paper, I’m at school
                                                                                                                           for music. It’s great that they’re
                                                                                                                           specifically trying to get people
                                                                                                                           from all schools to be part of this,
                                                                                                                           because global health, as we’re
                                                                                                                           now seeing, is something that
                                                                                                                           affects everyone.”
                                                                                                                           Palm knows this personally,
                                                                                                                           having gotten sick with
                                                                                                                           COVID-19 in March 2020. Her
                                                                                                                           immune system was already
                                                                                                                           compromised, because Palm
                                                                                                                           has suffered from recurring
                                                                                                                           brain tumors for several years,
     For Laura Palm,                        in the practice room,” says Palm.
                                            “It might not be possible to say
                                                                                      With the few weeks she had
                                                                                      off during the summers, Palm
                                                                                                                           requiring intense treatment and
                                                                                                                           significant downtime.
     music and medicine                     ‘oh, I’ll stop playing for six or eight   traveled to Philadelphia, where
     are natural partners.                  weeks.’”                                  she had been staying with
                                                                                      friends to practice her English
                                                                                                                           “I had so many plans for the
                                                                                                                           summer,” Palm says with a
     Palm plays violin and viola and        That’s the advice Palm was given          skills and studying violin at        sigh, including studying for the
     happens to have a medical              when she sought treatment for             Haverford College. After earning     board exams and making more
     degree. Her goal is to become          elbow pain and went from doctor           her master’s degree at Temple        videos. “A lot of things have not
     a doctor specializing in treating      to doctor searching for a practical       University, Palm decided to          progressed as much as I wanted
     injuries specific to musicians,        solution. Now, Palm is working            pursue a doctoral performance        them to—getting sick kind of
     who, like athletes, suffer from        toward a doctor of musical arts           degree at Rutgers, drawn in by       derailed my timeline.”
     repetitive stress.                     degree in viola performance               professors like Todd Phillips, as
                                            at Mason Gross to gain expert             well as a significant academic       And yet, Palm continues to
     “Repeating the same motion over        knowledge of the physiology of            component and affiliated medical     pursue her two passions at a
     and over to get it as perfect as       playing, she says, in order to best       school, she says.                    remarkable pace. She’s working
     you can—that’s essentially what        help her patients.                                                             on a book with her physical
     we do in the practice room,” Palm                                                “For music students, the number-     therapist, who specializes
     says. “The big difference for          “The higher the level of                  one thing always is instrumental     in treating musicians, about
     musicians is that it’s the smaller     my playing, the better I will             teachers,” says Palm, who is         exercises for string players to
     muscles—in the fingers or the          understand and be able to figure          active with the Rutgers Global       prevent injury. After graduating
     wrist and tendons. The parts of        out other people’s problems,”             Health Institute, where she serves   with her doctorate next year and
     the body are different, but the        says Palm, who has a bachelor’s           as the co-chair of the student       completing her board exams in
     way the injury happens—and the         and master’s degree in violin             council’s global health education    the United States, she plans to
     way you prevent the injury in the      performance. “But I also want             committee. “But also important       start a dual residency in physical
     future—is very similar to athletes.”   to pay attention from a medical           to me was a strong medical           medicine and rehab.
                                            perspective so that [musicians]           school, because I knew I wanted
     Unlike athletes, though,               don’t develop problems, because           to do something that combines        Despite her health obstacles,
     musicians can have trouble             I think prevention is better than         my two fields.”                      Palm says she has learned
     finding specialists to rehab their     treating.”                                                                     valuable lessons about herself
     particular ailments, Palm says.                                                  Palm has created a series of         and her path forward.
                                            Palm grew up playing violin in            YouTube videos for the institute
                                            Germany, where she earned a               about COVID-related topics           “I wouldn’t wish this on my worst
     “I know of so many people in                                                                                          enemy,” Palm says of the brain
     music schools, and people who          medical degree while at the same          including masks, mental health,
                                            time studying at a conservatory in        and pets, with plans for more        tumors, “but it also helped me
     have jobs in orchestras later on,                                                                                     grow a lot as a person, and I
     who develop medical issues from        Cologne. At the time, she thought         on issues like testing and lung
                                            she might pursue a research-              health.                              think I’ll be a much better doctor
     singing or playing, and it’s so hard                                                                                  because of it. Nothing teaches
     to find doctors who understand         based medical career, but she
                                            says she always knew music                Her contributions have earned        you how to be a good doctor
     what it means to spend five hours                                                                                     better than being a patient.”
                                            would be in her life.                     her the council’s Student

     NICK ROMANENKO
                                                                                                                                       11    SPRING 2021
ON THE MOVE
                                                                                                                                                         Participants in a free
                                                                                                                                                             movement class
                                                                                                                                                            that Mason Gross
                                                                                                                                                         offers to people with
                                                                                                                                                         Parkinson’s disease.
                                                                                                                                                             KEITH MUCCILLI

                                        Wellness Center in New Brunswick        as their project. The topic, however,    “I’m very interested in ‘physically
FILM EXPLORES CLASS                     as well as at the Mason Gross           provided a variety of challenges.        integrated dance,’ ” Friedman says.
THAT HELPS PEOPLE                       Performing Arts Center based
                                                                                “Whenever you’re dealing with
                                                                                                                         “Too often we limit ourselves and
                                        on concepts developed by Pam                                                     our work to what we might call
WITH PARKINSON'S                        Quinn. A dancer and choreographer,      old age or disability, you are           ‘able-bodied dancers.’ Other people
                                        she was first diagnosed with the        treading in delicate terrain,” says      become invisible. This is about
RECLAIM CONTROL                         disease more than 20 years ago.         Thomas Lennon, an Oscar-winning          creating a more sensitive approach,
                                                                                filmmaker and director of the lab.       deepening our artistry to embrace
OF THEIR BODIES                         “It took me a long time to come to      “You have to push to get into the        all of life’s challenges.
                                        terms with it,” Quinn admits. “My       nooks and crannies of people’s
By Stephen Whitty                       entire identity revolved around         private lives, but not push so much      After all, we’re all aging. We’re all
Courtesy of Rutgers Today               movement. But then I began to           that you become this bullying            pretty much on our way to some
                                        think, ‘I know how my body works.       presence. It’s a balancing act, in       sort of disability.”

T
                                        My dance training gives me tools. I     the filming and in the editing, and
       o be a dancer is to be in tune   can thwart the reality of this.’ ”      it was my job to help the students       In addition to running workshops
       with your own physicality.                                               navigate that.”                          at Rutgers and teaching at the
       To be fully aware of every       Later, beginning with the PD                                                     Mark Morris Dance Studio in
       muscle, in control of every      Movement Lab in Brooklyn, Quinn         The film, Dance | Parkinsons,            Brooklyn, Quinn creates dances
movement. To be your body’s             started bringing her ideas to           runs about six minutes. The              for differently abled performers. In
master. It is a feeling most people     nondancers, too.                        documentary won first place in the       spring 2019, she choreographed
with Parkinson’s disease can only                                               Outstanding Documentary category         a piece for 20 people, 14 of whom
remember.                               MOVING                                  at the 2020 Utah Dance Film
                                                                                Festival. It screened locally, at the
                                                                                                                         had Parkinson’s. Another piece,
                                                                                                                         this one featuring 50 dancers,
A degenerative disorder of the          EXPERIENCE                              Dance & Parkinson’s symposium            was performed the next month,
central nervous system, Parkinson’s                                             in downtown New Brunswick, in            at the opening night of the World
can cause stiffness, shaking, and       With the help of instructors, and       March 2020, and received the             Parkinson Congress in Kyoto.
problems with balance. It also may      a playlist that ranges from Glenn       Community Impact award at the
leave people self-conscious, and        Miller to Talking Heads, participants   Austin Dance Film Festival 2020.         It’s all become a hugely fulfilling part
reluctant to leave their homes.         at the Rutgers sessions reclaim         Student filmmakers who worked            of Quinn’s life. And no one is more
                                        some control over their own bodies,     on the project were: Stephanie           surprised than she.
The Dance & Parkinson’s program         stepping around the floor, moving in    Bradli, Patricia de Jesus, Gina
at Mason Gross, however, uses           unison to the beat.                     Lombardo, Kelly O’Neill, Andrea          “I was reticent at first to get involved
music and movement to empower                                                   Pfaff, Christopher Rodriguez, Sam        in this sort of therapy,” Quinn
them. And a film from the school’s      “Dance is particularly suited           Spencer, Abe Urquilla, and Henry         admits. “I thought, ‘Do I really want
Documentary Film Lab captures           to treating Parkinson’s,” Quinn         Wolfson.                                 to be surrounded by PD all the time?
just how moving, and joyful, that       explains. “It involves music, which                                              Is it going to be a downer?’ But it’s
process can be.                         is part of what’s called a cueing       Lennon says the film allows viewers      been more rewarding than I ever
                                        system, a prompt that facilitates       to see these students “performing        expected. And while there’s a part
“Sometimes the class is hard to         movement. It also involves visual       at the highest level.” They see the      of me that still rejects my disease,
get started, the folks schmooze so      cues, and an element of touch.”         program’s participants doing the         rejection has its benefits, too,
much,” jokes Jeff Friedman, director                                            same.                                    because with that comes a certain
of the MFA dance program. “That’s       “Unlike regular physical therapy,                                                defiance. Not denial – defiance.
something I hadn’t expected – the       which uses body parts in a                                                       And that gives you the energy to
social connections this class           mechanistic approach, it’s a holistic   DANCE FOR ALL                            fight on.”
creates. One man told me, ‘This         experience,” says Friedman, whose
                                        students often work with the            As important as the emotional
is the only thing I come out of the                                             support or physical therapy it offers,   Watch Dance | Parkinsons at
house to do.’ ”                         enrollees. “You’re using your mind                                               go.rutgers.edu/Parkinsons;
                                        and your body, challenging your         however, this is still a dance class.
                                                                                It involves personal expression,         learn more about the student
The free classes are offered in         whole neurological system.”
                                                                                performance, aesthetics. Quinn and       filmmakers’ experience making
partnership with the American                                                   Friedman find that artistic aspect       Dance | Parkinsons on our podcast,
Parkinson’s Disease Association–        The subject immediately intrigued
                                        the young filmmakers at the             particularly inspiring and liberating.   Work of Art, available on iTunes
NJ Office at Robert Wood Johnson
University Hospital’s Fitness and       Documentary Film Lab, who chose it                                               or Google Play.

12    MASON GROSS
FA R E W E L L                     T O         A      T R E N D S E T T E R

                                                                                                                                             LARRY LEVANTI

Stanley Cowell,                                       But Cowell also embraced new sounds and
                                                      technology, both as a composer and as a
                                                                                                             musicians’ collectives of the time and dedicated
                                                                                                             to exploratory African American jazz. Although
professor emeritus                                    performer.                                             Cowell and Tolliver left the label just three years
                                                                                                             later to pursue other career goals, the label is still
of jazz studies,                                      “Cowell’s playing epitomized the piano’s ability to    releasing artist-produced recordings to this day.
embraced the past                                     consolidate generations of musical history into a
                                                      unified expression, while extending various routes     Cowell came to Rutgers in 2000 and was a
and the future—and                                    into the future,” wrote Giovanni Russonello in an      “prestigious addition” to the Mason Gross faculty,
                                                                                                             says Ralph Bowen, professor of saxophone and
                                                      obituary in The New York Times. “And when he
left a teaching legacy                                needed to say more than the piano allowed, he          jazz studies.
                                                      expanded his palette,” exploring electronic music
                                                      with digital sound processors and incorporating        “Stanley was a world-class pianist at the top of
By Risa Barisch                                                                                              his field,” Bowen says. “Whether teaching piano,
                                                      new instruments into his compositions, like the
                                                      kalimba, a thumb piano from southeastern Africa.       improvisation, ensembles, or composition, he had
Stanley Cowell, a pianist, composer, and record
                                                                                                             a wealth of knowledge to impart.”
label co-founder who taught on the Mason Gross
jazz faculty for over a decade, died in December      Alum Courtney Bryan, a student of Cowell’s who
                                                      earned her master’s degree in music in 2007,           As a professor, Cowell, who retired in 2013,
2020, at age 79. His career in jazz spanned more
                                                      remembers her professor as “rigorous yet patient       welcomed students into his studio “with a warm
than 50 years, and included over a dozen albums
                                                      in his pedagogy.”                                      smile and gentle demeanor,” recalls Stasio, and
as a bandleader, beginning with Blues for the Viet
                                                                                                             had an ability to translate his background in
Cong in 1969.
                                                      “There is so much I learned from him, from             classical and traditional jazz music into relevant
                                                      studying the nuances of stride styles of Jelly Roll    teaching for contemporary jazz students.
As a musician, Cowell was known as a trendsetter
who helped shape modern jazz in the ’60s but          Morton and James P. Johnson to approaching
                                                      harmony and arrangements from a very                   “His foundational guidance helped bring clarity to
stayed true to his own sound, says alum Marc
                                                      contemporary approach,” Bryan says.                    the pursuit of the piano, to understand where the
Stasio, coordinator of jazz studies for the Music
                                                                                                             instrument has been, where it can go, and how
Department. Stasio studied with Cowell in
                                                      “I remain amazed at his groundedness in what           we can take part in that trajectory,” says Stasio. “I
2011–2012 as he earned his master’s degree in
                                                      truly mattered in life, and how his spirituality and   think I speak for all his piano students when I say
music at Mason Gross.
                                                      depth of personality came through all the music he     he made us love being pianists, and [helped us]
                                                      made,” Bryan adds. “We will miss him greatly, and      remember why we were drawn to the instrument
“Rather than mimic the post-bop and post-
                                                      I am grateful he left us so much brilliant music to    and to fall back in love with it.”
modern styles of that decade as so many others
did, Stanley maintained a unique, somewhat            keep learning from.”
                                                                                                             Watch a concert by the Rutgers University
nostalgic voice,” Stasio says. “There wasn’t a need                                                          Jazz Ensemble in tribute to Cowell, performed
to compete with his contemporaries, but rather        In 1971, Cowell and trumpeter Charles Tolliver
                                                      founded Strata-East Records, inspired by the Black     May 3, 2021, on the Mason Gross Facebook page:
contribute alongside the energy of that era.”
                                                                                                             facebook.com/MasonGrossSchool.

                                                                                                                                        13     SPRING 2021
FACING
                                                                      INJUSTICE
                                                                                 Recent BFA acting grad Alex Scoloveno (left)
                                                                                 created a 15-by-23-foot mosaic of George
                                                                                 Floyd, a Black man killed last spring during an
                                                                                 arrest in Minneapolis, with images of people
                                                                                 who have either died fighting for civil rights,
                                                                                 were victims of racial inequality, or were killed
                                                                                 by the police. Scoloveno researched and
                                                                                 found the pictures of the civil rights activists
                                                                                 and racial injustice victims, then used an app
                                                                                 to create a grid and invited his Central New
                                                                                 Jersey community to help create the mosaic.
                                                                                 “I wanted it to be not just me making it on my
                                                                                 own. I wanted to include and enroll people,”
                                                                                 Scoloveno told MyCentralJersey.com. “I
                                                                                 wanted to create that experience where people
                                                                                 could come and really see the perspective and
                                                                                 gain knowledge that they may have not had
                                                                                 before.”
                                                                NICK ROMANENKO

   WHY
 YOU SHOULD
       GIVE
“Helping people bring out their     changing. I don’t want kids to have
emotions and react to what          doubts if they can make it in the
they’re watching is my goal for     film industry based on what they
each story and film I make. My      look like. I want them to look at
favorite part about filmmaking      themselves and believe they can
is going into the editing           make it and that they’re awesome
room and bringing out those         because they have the talent.
emotions through how I edit         That’s something no one can take
the scenes,” says filmmaking        away from them.”
student and scholarship
recipient Ivanna Guerrero. “Also,   Your support can help students
as an Afro-Latina filmmaker,        like Guerrero achieve their goals.
seeing how the industry lacks       Please consider donating to
women and POC behind and            selected Mason Gross funds or
in front of the camera really       events series. Learn more at
discourages me and is an issue      give.rutgers.edu/mgsa.
I’m very passionate about                                                                              COURTESY OF IVANNA GUERRERO

14   MASON GROSS
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                                                                                                                                                               Department of Art
                                                                                                                                                              & Design undergrad
                                                                                                                                                              Ria Monga with her
                                                                                                                                                             installation, Growing
                                                                                                                                                            Pains. The piece was
                                                                                                                                                                part of an annual
                                                                                                                                                                 public art project
                                                                                                                                                            that spotlights social
                                                                                                                                                                  justice issues in
                                                                                                                                                                    Central Jersey.

                                                                                                                                                        NICK ROMANENKO

     DRAWING ON COMMUNITY
     Public art initiative                   an online exhibition, and finding a
                                             wider audience with virtual events.
                                                                                    looking in a mirror to represent
                                                                                    youth having a conversation with
                                                                                                                             without being disruptive to
                                                                                                                             everything else,” Cruz says.
     expands mission                                                                themselves in order to heal.
                                             Oliveras-Moreno, the communications                                             Taking a flexible approach to the
     with virtual events                     and collaboration administrator in     “I wanted to convey that no one is       project was essential to continue
                                             the Department of Art & Design, and    isolated with their emotions,” says      the public installations during a
     By Risa Barisch

     W
                                             her team—which includes Windows        Monga, whose work was displayed          pandemic, Oliveras-Moreno says.
                    indows of                of Understanding cofounders and        in the outside case at RiteAid in
                    Understanding, a         Rutgers alumnae Jennifer Sevilla       Highland Park. “Negative feelings        “There are so many things
                    public art initiative    and Tracey O’Reggio Clark—realized     are common among our youth,              happening in the lives of our artists
                    that highlights social   the importance of raising awareness    which is why it is important to          and in the work of our partners
                    justice issues and       about community support during a       discuss pain and trauma to allow         that it has been completely about
     raises awareness about Central          pandemic.                              for healing.”                            accommodation and trying to come
     New Jersey-based community                                                                                              up with creative solutions around
     organizations, began planning its       Founded in 2018 as an homage           Art and design undergraduate             how to make these things happen,”
     fourth year last spring while much      to the legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin       student Frances Cruz was paired          says Oliveras-Moreno.
     of the state was reeling from the       Luther King Jr. and co-presented       with the Highland Park Food Pantry.
     chaos of the COVID-19 pandemic.         by Mason Gross, the project pairs                                               Despite complications, Windows
                                             artists with local nonprofits to       The pandemic prevented her from          of Understanding found plenty
     “I was thinking, everyone is dealing    create installations in storefronts    being able to visit the food pantry,     of opportunities to have an even
     with so much right now, they’re         and other public spaces that           so she relied on photos and videos       deeper impact on the community
     never going to want to think about      center around themes including         from volunteers to create her            this year.
     an art project,” says Cassandra         food insecurity, public health,        installation, which depicted the
     Oliveras-Moreno, a cofounder            healing from trauma, and youth         volunteers serving clients outdoors.     In addition to the public art, an
     of the project and a Rutgers            engagement.                                                                     online exhibition focused on racial
     University-New Brunswick alumna.                                               “I wanted to convey how the food         justice featured work by local and
     “We had no idea who would have          Ria Monga, an art and design           pantry is very welcoming and more        national artists.
     the bandwidth to say yes and            undergraduate student, was paired      than happy to help out anyone in
     whether the windows or spaces           with the Traumatic Loss Coalitions     their community who needs food           Windows of Understanding
     where we needed to show art             for Youth Program, which operates      regardless of their identity, which is   was also involved with the New
     would even be an option given the       out of Rutgers University Behavioral   portrayed in the racial diversity of     Brunswick Public Schools, where
     pandemic.”                              Health Care and provides support       their community as well,” Cruz says.     they piloted a racial justice
                                             for communities affected by                                                     workshop at the high school and
     But despite the raging coronavirus      traumatic events, especially           The artwork, which hung at the           showcased art by elementary and
     pandemic, which led to a state          suicide—the third-leading cause        Middlesex County Regional                middle school participants.
     shutdown, kept students out of          of death in New Jersey for people      Chamber of Commerce in New
     the classroom, and overwhelmed          ages 15 to 24, according to the        Brunswick, was a challenge to            “The art and events we’re offering
     hospitals, this year’s Windows of       program.                               create at home, says Cruz.               are intended to raise critical
     Understanding, which took place in                                                                                      visibility in the community, that
     January and February, expanded,         Monga’s installation, Growing          “I live in a small home, so I had        whether you’re in a position to give
     adding partner organizations,           Pains, featured the title printed      some difficulty deciding where to        or receive help—support exists
     increasing its roster of artists with   backwards—meant to reverse when        set up my drawing and workspace          around you,” says Oliveras-Moreno.

                                                                                                                                           15    SPRING 2021
V G G
 O U N
    ID H
C RO TI
                                     HOPPING ON THE
      A
TH RE

                                  BANDWAGON
 C

                                                                                             “All of us brass players have played       experience was that interaction with
                                                                                             outside, going back to high school,        the audience—something he misses
                                                                                             when we played in marching band,           out on in a concert hall, where he
                                                                                             and we’ve all played outdoor concerts      usually is seated at the back of the
                                                                                             throughout our careers,” says Deane.       stage.
                                                                                             “So we’re used to the logistics of the

                                                                                                                                        “  [Creativity] is a
                                                                                             wind, and to some degree the cold.
                                                                                             But for any musician, once you get
                                                                                             cold, it’s a little hard to play.”            part of us, and
                                                                                             The mask proved to be less
                                                                                             comfortable than the temperature
                                                                                                                                        it got ripped away.
                                                                                             drops, says Deane, who wore a face-        Once you don’t
                                                                                             covering that included a horizontal
                                                                                             slit covered by a flap to allow the        get a chance to
                                                                                             horn’s mouthpiece to fit through.          be creative, as a
                                                                                             “We’re really sensitive about our
                                                                                             lips and our mouths, and how the
                                                                                                                                        creative person,
                                                                                             mouthpiece fits right on our lips, so to   you really start
                                                                                             have that extra layer of stuff there was
                                                                                             just distracting,” Deane says. “That       feeling like there’s
                                                                                             aspect of it was something that was        something wrong.”
     Faculty Richard Deane                       performed at opera houses around the        hard to get used to.”
     performed as part of the                    globe.
                                                                                             Still, that level of safety allowed the    “The first rehearsal for the
     New York Philharmonic's                     Costanzo and a team from the                musicians to get closer to audiences       Bandwagon, I felt so nervous, I was
     pop-up concert series                       philharmonic rented a pickup truck,         who showed up at city parks, in Herald     kind of sick to my stomach,” Deane
                                                 complete with a custom logo wrap,           Square, and in front of schools and        says. “And then we started playing,
     By Risa Barisch                             and secured outdoor venue locations         libraries across New York City.            and I got so happy. Riding the bus

    R
                                                 and permits. By the end of August, the      In addition to getting to play music       back across town, I’ll never forget, I
              ichard Deane played his last       Bandwagon and orchestra musicians           again with his colleagues, Deane           was high as a kite—I hadn’t been that
              concert with the New York          set out on a whirlwind tour across          says the best part of the Bandwagon        happy since March.”
              Philharmonic on March 12,          New York City to perform works
              2020, and then, like the rest of   ranging from Beethoven to Bernstein
     the city, hunkered down to endure the       in more than 90 concerts.
     COVID-19 crisis.
                                                 Deane performed with the Bandwagon
     Four months later, with New York            over two weekends, in three concerts
     reeling in the pandemic’s aftermath,        each day, first in a brass quintet, which
     Deane, the orchestra’s principal acting     included Mason Gross music faculty
     horn and member of the music faculty        member Alan Baer, the philharmonic’s
     at Mason Gross, began to feel his own       principal tuba, and again in a horn
     sense of personal anguish without the       quartet, which included music faculty
     creative outlet of performing.              member Leelanee Sterrett, acting
                                                 associate principal horn.
     “It was a feeling of unfulfillment,” says
     Deane. “[Creativity] is a part of us, and   Musicians were responsible for
     it got ripped away. Once you don’t get      getting themselves to each venue,
     a chance to be creative, as a creative      where the truck would be waiting with
     person, you really start feeling like       equipment including chairs, music
     there’s something wrong.”                   stands, and amplification, along with
                                                 the orchestra’s stage manager and
     Enter the NY Phil Bandwagon, a mobile       crew to set it all up.
     musical experience dreamed up by
     Anthony Roth Costanzo, a Grammy-            The only challenges to the arrangement,
     nominated countertenor described            Deane says, were playing in a mask
                                                                                                                                        PHOTOS COURTESY OF RICHARD DEANE
     by Deane as “a local star,” who has         and, by mid-October, the cold.

                                                                            Acting students Will Ehrenfreund (left) and
                                                                            Malcolm Callender have created a podcast,
                                                                            Through the Mic, to offer a platform for
                                                                            artists and creatives to share their work and
                                                                            discuss what it means to create, especially
                                                                            during the pandemic. Stream the first five
                                                                            episodes on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
                                                                                                                                                  16    MASON GROSS
 TODD ESTRIN
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