Dean’s Insider: Summer travel highlights for the College of Fine Arts

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

This summer, I’ve had the joy and privilege of traveling to visit friends of our college and see the incredible work of our faculty and alumni. In June, I spent time on the West Coast and East Coast, and in July, we headed for the mountains in Aspen with the Fine Arts Advisory Council. I want to share a few highlights from these trips with you.

In Los Angeles, we attended a joint event for UT alumni and parents of new UT students, hosted by the university. Along with Moody College of Communication Interim Dean Rachel Davis Mersey and UT Basketball Head Coach Rodney Terry, we welcomed incoming first-year students at a lovely event. I met so many alumni and supporters of the college, and they shared stories about the impact their UT experience has had on their lives and the hope they have for the future of the arts.

In New York, I had the pleasure of seeing Funny Girl on Broadway, with lighting design by Doty Distinguished Alumnus Kevin Adams (B.F.A., Theatrical Design, 1984). I also visited Studio Art Assistant Professor Scherezade García-Vazquez at her studio in Queens, where I got a sneak peek at some of the large-scale paintings and soft sculptures she’s working on for an upcoming round of exhibitions this fall. And I attended the opening of the New Museum exhibition My Beating Heart/ Mi corazón latiente, which showcases the work of Puerto Rican artist Pepón Osorio. I’m proud to have contributed an essay to the exhibition catalog for this show.

In July, our Fine Arts Advisory Council convened in Aspen for a spectacular showcase of Texas art and music in Colorado. Piano Professor Anton Nel was celebrating the 25^th anniversary of his faculty role in the Aspen Music Festival, where he performed many different concerts this summer. We had a studio tour with Texas-born artist James Surls, and we saw an incredible window display at the Hermès store designed by Raul De Lara (B.F.A., Studio Art, 2015).

Now that I’m back in Austin, we’re hard at work prepping for the start of the fall semester. I’m energized and rejuvenated about the important work that we do here in the College of Fine Arts, and I’m grateful to our friends and alumni for your support of our mission.

Ramón H. Rivera-Servera
Dean, College of Fine Arts