Dean’s Insider: Pursuing arts collaborations that are changing the field

I’m entering my sixth month as dean, and I’m so excited to travel outside Austin and to begin meeting supporters, faculty and alumni across the state and country.

Last month, I traveled to New York for a whirlwind week of meetings, exhibitions and performances, and I had the beautiful realization that our alumni and current faculty are having an incredible impact on the arts scene in New York.

On the alumni front, I met with Lauren Reid (B.A., Spanish, 1992), president of Broadway Across America, Mark Russell (B.F.A., Theatrical Design, 1978), director of Under the Radar Festival at the Public Theater, Rachel Adler Rosan (B.A., Art History, 1997), head of appraisals at the Phillips Auctions, and Fairfax Dorn (B.A., Studio Art, 1997), co-founder and artistic director of Ballroom Marfa.

I had the pleasure of seeing Stories of Wonder: When the Sea is my Land, a solo exhibition by Assistant Professor Scherezade García at Praxis Gallery. I also did a studio visit with Assistant Professor Beverly Acha, who is currently the inaugural artist-in-residence for Lighthouse Works. And I enjoyed a private tour at the Whitney Museum hosted by art collector/investor Peter Kahng, who will be a guest lecturer in the School of Design and Creative Technologies this spring.

I closed my visit at the headquarters of UT in New York, a program that allows our students to live, work and learn in one of the most dynamic arts and cultural scenes in the world. UTNY is a key platform that links all of these circles of influence and existing practices that the university and our alumni are advancing to connect them with our students so they can see how UT is shaping the New York arts scene.

I left New York full of inspiration and excitement, and I can’t wait to return.

Sincerely,