January 9, 2025, Filed Under: Council Business, From the DeanLooking Ahead: Supporting the Arts Through Leadership Transitions Dear Friends, Happy New Year! As I am sure you know by now, UT President Jay Hartzell will be moving to SMU at the end of May. Many of you heard him speak at our fall Advisory Council meeting, and you are aware of his interests in and support of our college and its initiatives. I am immensely proud of the work I have been able to advance in collaboration with him and the many ways he has supported the College of Fine Arts during his presidency. I am confident that these efforts and achievements leave us with a strong foundation to continue advancing the work of the college into the future. I just wanted to reach out to express my confidence in the continuity of effort here at UT Austin to continue advancing the arts. I also want to make myself available should you have any questions about the impending transitions and its impact for our college. My very best, Ramón
November 22, 2024, Filed Under: Council Business, MeetingsFall 2024 Advisory Council Abbreviated Meeting Minutes Fine Arts Advisory Council Meeting Friday, November 8, 2024 Performing Arts Center, Room 3.412 THEME: Technology in the Arts Lunch and Program begin Welcome Susanna Moldawer, Chair, COFA Advisory Council New Advisory Council members Leaders Legacy Challenge New Vice-Chair for the Council: Amy Hofland Regional engagement ambassadors needed Spring meeting in San Juan, Puerto Rico (Feb. 25-27) 2024 Fedora Award for Advocacy presented to Sheri Henriksen Development Report Sondra Lomax, Executive Director of Development FY 2023–24 fundraising total $12,529,741 Recent annual gift totals: 6-year average of $25.16M COFA comprehensive campaign total: $191,891,954 College of Fine Arts Priorities for fundraising Innovation in Research/Creative Practices College-to-Career Success for Students Facilities upgrades Dean’s Update Ramón Rivera-Servera, Dean State of the College update – Strategic Plan Student Performance: Butler School of Music Susan Thomas, Director of the Butler School of Music Xijin Chen, Soprano, DMA Graduate Student in Opera Performance Yerin Han, Soprano, DMA Graduate Student in Opera Performance Genesis Staples, Mezzo Soprano, Junior BM student in Vocal Performance Remarks and Q&A with UT President Jay Hartzell Leaders Legacy Challenge initiative The TPA Plaza & 21st Century Technology in the Arts Bob Bursey, Executive and Artistic Director, Texas Performing Arts Kate Freer, Assistant Professor, UT Live Design and Production Michael Baker, Chair, Department of Arts and Entertainment Technologies Technology and Design Ramón Rivera-Servera and Karol Murlak, Chair, Department of Design Reception in the Fine Arts Library and Tour of Immersive Media Lab
September 20, 2024, Filed Under: Council Business2024 Fall Advisory Council Meeting Agenda The Mirror Room, Room 3.412, 3rd Floor, Bass Concert Hall, UT Performing Arts Center 11:00 – Check-in 11:30 – Lunch 12:00 – Program Welcome and introductory remarks, Susanna Moldawer Development Report, Sondra Lomax State of the College Address, Dean Ramón Rivera-Servera 1:00 – Break 1:15 – Student performance 1:30 – Conversations and panels with introductory remarks from President Jay Hartzell 3:00 – Break, move to reception The Foundry, UT Fine Arts Library, 3rd Floor 3:30 – Reception 4:30 – End Parking information will be sent in the coming weeks.
January 19, 2024, Filed Under: Council Business, From the Executive DirectorNew member nominations due Jan. 31 Dear Advisory Council Members, We are so grateful that year after year, this group continue to identify and recruit talented and passionate new council members to help support the College of Fine Arts and the amazing work being done by our faculty and staff. It is time again to nominate new members for the 2024-2025 academic year.This year’s deadline for nominations is Wednesday, January 31. To submit a nomination, you or your nominee can complete this online form. Alternately, feel free to download this pdf and email the completed form to cofadevelopment@austin.utexas.edu. As always, we ask that when discussing the council with an interested friend, colleague, community member, or family member, you review the member responsibilities and ways we ask our members to help. Please remember that completion of the nomination form does not guarantee an invitation to join the council. We will follow up with all nominees no later than May 31. We also need volunteers to help serve on the Nominating Committee! You will be asked to join a one-hour Zoom call in March to review nomination materials and vote for the nominees to be accepted by the full council. This is a great way to serve if you weren’t able to attend the fall meeting or have limited availability. If you are interested, please email me. Thanks to everyone who has already submitted a nomination, and please reach out if you have questions about nominations or any other council business. Sincerely, Sondra Lomax Executive Director of Development
June 15, 2023, Filed Under: Council BusinessHotel Block for Advisory Council Fall Meeting Hotel Block is open for Fall Meeting As you make your plans for the 2023 Fine Arts Advisory Council Fall Meeting on October 26-27, we have reserved a block of hotel rooms at the AT&T Hotel and Conference Center on campus for your convenience. Click Here to make your hotel reservation The full schedule of events will be sent out later this summer. In the meantime please refer to the following schedule to make your travel plans: Thursday, October 26 Afternoon: New Member Orientation and Executive Committee Meeting Evening: Full Council Reception, location TBD Friday, October 27 Full Council Meeting, Rowling Hall, Guadalupe Room (RH4), attached to the AT&T Center
May 22, 2023, Filed Under: Council Business, From the Executive Director2023-2024 New Members Dear Advisory Council Members, I am pleased to welcome the newest members of the Fine Arts Advisory Council! Thanks again to all who submitted nominations for the 2023-2024 cohort. Additionally, I would like to once again recognize the Nominating Committee for their dedicated service to the council in this important capacity. The 2022-2023 Nominating Committee members are: Stephanie Goodman (Austin), Nancy Ginsburg (Fort Worth), Amy Hofland (Dallas), Aynsley Letzerich (Houston), and Caroline Schupbach (San Antonio). Please join me in welcoming to the council: Charles Hardy, Dallas Nominated by Sondra Lomax Charles retired in 2013 after 33 years as General Counsel of Austin Industries, Inc., one of the largest construction companies in the U.S. Since retiring, he has been Of Counsel at Slates Harwell LLP, serving as an arbitrator in construction disputes and litigation. Before joining Austin Industries in 1980, Charles was an assistant district attorney and felony prosecutor in the Travis County District Attorney’s office. Charles received a Bachelor of Journalism from UT-Austin in 1971 and his J.D. from St. Mary’s University School of Law in 1975. He enjoys theatre and the visual arts, and he is a supporter of the T Department of Theatre and Dance. Charles was born and raised in Hondo, Texas and his family traces its ancestry back to the earliest Texas settlers. Sheri Henriksen, Austin Nominated by Aynsley Letzerich and Cynthia Coulson Sheri holds degrees in journalism from Texas Tech and petroleum engineering from UT-Austin, as well as a Master of Liberal Arts from Rice University. She is an active volunteer, serving on the advisory board of the Glasscock School of Continuing Education at Rice University, UTHealth Houston, UTHealth School of Nursing in Houston, and the Center for Medicine After the Holocaust in Houston. Sheri recently moved to Austin after living in Houston for 38 years and is “just getting started” on her community involvement through memberships with KUT, KMFA, Texas Performing Arts Inner Circle, and the Austin Chamber Music Center.Sarah Bartholow Hsu, Austin Nominated by Vicki Bartholow After obtaining a BA in Art History from UT-Austin in 2004, Sarah, a Dallas native, moved to New York City. She applied her degree in the commercial and entrepreneurial spaces of luxury fashion and consumer brand development at a prominent agency. Sarah returned to Austin in 2009 to pursue her career in strategic brand development and design. With a profound curiosity in the contemporary arts, in addition to Sarah’s brand consulting practice, she is presently retained by a handful of commercial and private residential clients to source and procure art. Art and design have forever saturated Sarah’s career, and her ceaseless desire to explore and learn about new art and design approaches navigates her own practice today. Brent Jackson, Dallas Nominated by Stephen Austin Brent received his BFA in Studio Art in 1993 and his MBA in 2005 from UT-Austin. He is the founder and CEO of Oaxaca Interests, LLC, a real estate operator, developer, and investment firm focused on the urban core of key high-growth Texas markets. In September 2022, Brent founded Oaxaca Interests’ newest venture, HiFAB, a new manufacturing plant located in Grand Prairie, Texas that will be dedicated to creating high-end modular homes. Haciendas, homes designed by San Antonio’s celebrated architecture firm Lake|Flato, will be HiFAB’s first product. Mary Kehoe, Santa Fe, NM Nominated by Malee Helm Dallas was Mary’s home until she moved to Santa Fe, NM 20 years ago. Mary studied art history and studio art in college (UT-Austin) and high school (Hockaday/Dallas). She is a painter and clothing designer using her hand-painted fabrics. She has also sold fabrics to designers to use for upholstery and decorative pieces. Currently, Mary is a Real Estate Broker with Sotheby’s in Santa Fe. In Dallas, Mary was an active volunteer with Crystal Charity Ball, Junior League, the Dallas SPCA, and was co-chairman of the Cattle Baron’s Ball. In Santa Fe, Mary and her husband Chuck are members of the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum. Laura Matz, Austin Nominated by Janis Brous Laura is a respected public policy strategist and strategic communicator with more than 15 years of experience in developing and executing highly effective legislative campaigns. In 2006, the San Antonio Express-News named her one of the state’s top five lobbyists. Prior to starting her own private practice, Laura worked at an independent lobby firm where she represented a wide range of clients. She also worked at the international law firm of Thompson & Knight where she successfully represented corporate clients, organized an international trade mission and led a successful legislative effort to authorize groundwater contamination laws. Laura received her Bachelor of Science in Communication Studies from The University of Texas at Austin, and she is a member of Texas Women for the Arts, an arts advocacy group under the Texas Cultural Trust. Elisabeth McCabe, Houston Nominated by Caroline Finkelstein Elisabeth is a co-founder and principal designer at ecco interior design in Houston, TX. In addition to her thriving business, Elisabeth is an active volunteer with the Museum of Fine Arts Houston, serving in various roles and memberships in modern and contemporary art, art education, and the Family Circle, as well was a member of the Rice Design Alliance. Her past volunteer experience includes serving as a trustee of the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston and a trustee of the Houston Symphony. Wayne McCullough, Dallas Nominated by Sharon McCullough Wayne is a Partner and Managing Director at Beacon Pointe Advisors and taps into his vast experience, industry acclaim and relationship-based partnerships with clients to provide top of the line service and expertise in wealth management. Prior to joining Beacon Pointe, Wayne served as the President and Managing Partner for Benchmark Private Wealth Management. Wayne, a sixth generation Texan, received his BA from the University of Texas at Austin and holds the Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®) designation. Wayne, his wife and children reside in Dallas, where he serves various non-profit organizations. Tania Schwartz, El Paso Nominated by Sondra Lomax Following a career in K-12 education, Tania is an active advocate for the arts and education in El Paso, TX. She holds a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from the University of Texas at El Paso and is currently in candidacy for a doctorate in Educational Leadership and Foundations also at UTEP. Tania currently serves on the boards of the Texas Cultural Trust, Texas Women for the Arts, the Tom Lea Institute: Arts & Culture Programming, Kids Excel El Paso, and the Cornudas Mountain Foundation. Her past community involvement includes work with the UTEP Development Board, the University of New Mexico School of Architecture, Junior League of El PASO and the Women’s Fund of El Paso. Helen Sharp, Austin Nominated by Susanna Showers Moldawer Helen Sharp is an innovator in the world of public relations and brand-story development for emerging, mission-driven brands. She’s worked with impactful, sustainable businesses such as the Surfrider Foundation, 1% for the Planet, Repurpose and LastObject. She is the founder of Be Influential, a specialized public relations agency for a better world. Helen also maintains a ceramics studio out of her home and sells her work to stores around Texas. Laura Spence, Austin Nominated by Judy Tate Laura is the founder and president of Rosebud Meal Kits and executive director of its nonprofit arm, Rosebud Eastside Alliance, providing fresh, high-quality meal kits to underserved families in Austin. Laura was also involved in the development of two murals in East Austin. She holds a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in social work from UT-Austin. Megan Zafereo, Austin Nominated by Janis Brous Megan was born and raised in Fort Worth before attending UT-Austin and earning a Bachelor of Nursing in 2004. Upon graduating, she worked at Memorial Herman in the Houston Medical Center. In 2006 Megan married her husband and moved to Greenwich, CT where they lived and worked before moving to the UK. The Zafereo family lived in London for 13 years and during that time welcomed three children and enjoyed lots of travel. In 2020 they returned to Texas. Megan is continuing her nursing career at St. David’s in the recovery room. Outside of work, Megan enjoys spending time with her children and volunteering at the Assistance League of Austin. As always, my sincere thanks to each and every one of you for all you do for the College of Fine Arts. Warm regards, Sondra Lomax Executive Director of Development
May 1, 2023, Filed Under: Council Business, From the Executive DirectorSave the date: Fall Meeting October 26-27, 2023 View from Guadalupe Room event space in Rowling Hall. Dear Friends, We are excited to announce the dates for the 2023 Fine Arts Advisory Council Fall Meeting! Please save October 26-27, 2023 on you calendar. Information on a hotel block and the full schedule of events will be forthcoming. In the meantime we can provide the following schedule outline: Thursday, October 26 Afternoon: New Member Orientation and Executive Committee Meeting Evening: Full Council Reception, location TBD Friday, October 27 Full Council Meeting, Rowling Hall, Guadalupe Room (RH4), attached to the AT&T Center Please watch your inbox for updates and more information, and feel free to reach out to Assistant Director of Development Lauren Cunningham at lauren.cunningham@austin.utexas.edu with any questions. We look forward to seeing you on campus in October. Have a wonderful summer! Sincerely, Sondra Lomax Executive Director of Development
January 26, 2023, Filed Under: Council BusinessSpring 2023 Nominations Dear Council Members, We are looking forward to a fantastic Spring semester with you, starting with nominations for new member to join the Fine Arts Advisory Council in Fall 2023. If you have friends or colleagues that would be interested in supporting the College of Fine Arts as a member of our council, please nominate them by Friday, March 10th. To gauge interest, please share the Fine Arts Advisory Council Website, including the member responsibilities page, with prospective new members. This year, we have moved to a completely digital nomination process. You can find the online nomination form here, which can be filled out either by the nominator or the nominee. Once the form is completed, I will reach out to both the nominee and nominator(s) to confirm. Nominations will be reviewed by the Nominating Committee, and a slate of approved nominees will be put to a vote by the full council via email before the end of April. Please let me know if you have questions about nominations or any other council business. As always, thank you for all you do for the College of Fine Arts! Warmly, Lauren Cunningham Assistant Director of Development
