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, Filed Under: Council Business, From the Chair, Meetings

Announcing Our New Chair: Amy Lewis Hofland

Dear Advisory Council Members,

I am proud to announce that Amy Lewis Hofland of Dallas will serve as the new chair of the UT Fine Arts Advisory Council, effective September 1, 2025.

Amy has diligently served on our council for over a decade and is a proud Longhorn alum holding a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.

Currently, Amy is the Senior Director of the Crow Museum of Asian Art within the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD). Under Amy’s leadership, the internationally renowned museum is among the top 5 largest Asian art museums in the United States, attracting over 100,000 visitors annually.

In addition to her significant contributions to the Crow Museum, Amy is also an accomplished author, speaker, and community leader. Her leadership extends to various board positions within the Dallas-Fort Worth community.

Serving as the chair of our esteemed advisory council has been my pleasure and honor. I will still be seeing all of you at future meetings and on trips! I am looking forward to seeing all the remarkable achievements that the College of Fine Arts will accomplish when Amy takes the reins and serves as chair of the council.
Amy and I are excited for you to join us at the upcoming Fall 2025 Advisory Council reception on November 20, 2025 and our meeting on campus November 21, 2025. Please save the date with additional event information to follow.

Many Thanks,
Image of Susanna Showers Moldawer's signature

Susanna Showers Moldawer
UT College of Fine Arts Advisory Council Chair

, Filed Under: Council Business, Meetings

2025 Spring Advisory Council in Puerto Rico Photos

, Filed Under: Council Business, Meetings

Fall 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

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

 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

 

, Filed Under: From the Chair, Meetings

You’re Invited: Fort Worth Spring Meeting

Dear Friends,

I look forward to seeing you in just a few weeks at our Spring council meeting in Fort Worth on Wednesday, Feb. 21 and Thursday, Feb. 22! We have must-see tours and fun group lunches planned in addition to our business meeting, so please review the itinerary below and RSVP no later than Monday, February 12  to let us know which events you will be attending.

Spring 2024 Meeting Itinerary

Wednesday, February 21
12:00 p.m.      Lunch @ Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth
2:00 p.m.      Private Tour @ Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth
5:30 p.m.      Evening Reception @ Home of Lisa and Wade Myers

Thursday, February 22
10:30 a.m.      Business Meeting @ Kimbell Art Museum
11:30 a.m.      Private Tour @ Kimbell Art Museum
1:00 p.m.      Lunch @ River Crest Country Club
3:00 p.m.      Private Tour @ Amon Carter Museum of American Art

Please note that schedule and locations are subject to change. Final details will be forthcoming.

If you will be traveling from out of town, we have extended the deadline for hotel reservations at the new Crescent Hotel to this Friday, February 2. As a reminder, we are pleased to offer a special discounted room rate of $259/night. You can make your reservations online or call (817) 661-1788 and reference the UT COFA Room Block.

I can’t wait to welcome you to what I know will be a very special and refreshing series of events.

Sincerely,
Image
Sondra Lomax
Executive Director of Director of Development

, Filed Under: From the Executive Director, Meetings

Make your Fort Worth hotel reservations today

Dear Advisory Council Members,

Happy New Year, and I hope your 2024 is off to a wonderful start! In the rush of the holiday season, you may have missed our previous save-the-date email, so make sure you have your calendars marked for our Spring council meeting in Fort Worth on Wednesday, February 21 and Thursday, February 22.

If you will be traveling from out of town, please don’t forget to book your hotel room now. We are pleased to offer a special discounted room rate of $259/night at the new Crescent Hotel in Fort Worth’s Cultural District. You can make your reservations online or call (817) 661-1788 and reference the UT COFA Room Block.

We are going to have a fun, art-filled 24 hours of activities including the business meeting with remarks from the dean, private museum tours, and meals with your fellow council members. We will start midday on Wednesday and conclude by late afternoon on Thursday, with additional optional events pending for Thursday evening. 

We want to hear from you too! If you have ideas for activities or arts contacts in Fort Worth, please email me at lomax@austin.utexas.edu to help us build an exciting itinerary for your fellow members.

Sincerely,
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Sondra Lomax
Executive Director of Director of Development

, Filed Under: Meetings

Save the Date: Fort Worth, Feb. 21-22

Dear Advisory Council Members,

We received so much positive feedback after last year’s wonderful spring meeting in Santa Fe that we are planning to do the same again this year in Fort Worth! After the holidays, we will be in touch with all the details, but for now please

SAVE THE DATE : Wednesday-Thursday, February 21-22, 2024.

Expect a fun, art-filled 24 hours of activities including the business meeting with remarks from the dean, private museum tours, and meals with your fellow council members. Special thanks to Lisa Fortson Myers for hosting us at her home for the Wednesday evening reception!

Plan for activities to kick off midday on Wednesday and conclude by late afternoon on Thursday, with additional optional events pending for Thursday evening.

For those of you traveling from out of town, we are pleased to offer a special discounted room rate of $259/night at the new Crescent Hotel, which is just across the street from the Kimbell Art Museum. You can make your reservations online or call (817) 661-1788 and reference the UT COFA Room Block.

Stay tuned for more information in early January, and we can’t wait to see you in Fort Worth in 2024!

Sincerely,

Sondra Lomax signature

Sondra Lomax
Executive Director of Director of Development

, Filed Under: Meetings

Fall 2023 Advisory Council Abbreviated Meeting Minutes

  • Welcome:
    Sondra Lomax, Executive Director and Assistant Dean of Development, College of Fine Arts
  • “Passing of the Baton” New Advisory Council Chair Installation:
    Caroline Schupbach (Outgoing Chair) and Susanna Moldawer (Incoming Chair)
    • COFA internationalization forges new academic and artistic partnerships
      • Filuni Mexico City, Mexico, September 2023
      • Seoul, South Korea, Spring 2024
    • Community Engagement & Community Embedded Work:
      • Laura Gutierrez​, Associate Dean for Community Engagement ​and Public Practice
      • Francisco Samaniega​, Program Coordinator​, Office of Community Engagement and Public Practice
  • A Conversation with New Leadership in the College:
    Moderated by Dean Rivera-Servera, Susan Thomas, the new director of the Butler School of Music, and Peter Carpenter, the new chair of the Department of Theatre and Dance, offered insights into their background and discoveries as they immerse themselves into their new roles at UT Austin.
  • Community Engagement Panel Discussion:
    Led by Associate Dean of Graduate Education and Academic Affairs Raquel Monroe, panelists reflected on their respective programs and the opportunities for COFA students to connect to arts communities and industries.Laura Gutiérrez, associate dean for community engagement and public practice, outlined her vision for the Center for Community Engagement and Public Practice. Sonia Montoya, director of the Center for Creative Economies, discussed how she is engaging community partners in her new role. Charles Carson, associate professor at the Butler School of Music, defined and discussed his experience with Artistic Citizenship.

  • Round Table Discussion
    Council members wrote about and discussed their answers to the question: How can we use our community contacts to cultivate community engagement, career/economic opportunities for our students, and artistic citizenship as a guiding principle?
  • Development Report:
    Sondra Lomax

    • 2023 Council Destinations Recap
      • Spring 2023 Council Meeting; Santa Fe, New Mexico
      • Summer 2023 Council Gathering: Aspen, Colorado
    • COFA 22-23 Fundraising Total: $50,606,663
      • Programs*: $42,833,567​
      • Students: $7,648,096 ​
      • Faculty: $115,000​
      • Facilities: $10,000
        *Includes support for student, faculty, equipment restricted to specific programs and majors
    • The Doty Society
      • The Executive Committee has recommended an increase in annual dues beginning in Fall 2024:
        • Active members: $2,000
        • Sustaining members: $700
    • Member Survey​
      • Majority strongly positive about the Council ​
      • Majority strongly positive about paying dues​
      • More info on council purpose, goals, and member responsibilities will be coming in a quarterly e-newsletter beginning January 2024
    • Member Responsibilities Recap
      • Fundraising
      • Advocacy
      • Advice
    • Donor Advisors Update and Introductions
      • Jessica Burford, Assoc. Director of Major Gifts​
      • Jeff Glosser, Executive Director of Gift Planning​
      • Arturo Guajardo, Leadership Giving Associate
      • Anna Langdell, Director of Principal Gifts, Texas Performing Arts ​
      • Kristen Randolph, Director of Gift Planning​
      • Alex Scull, Director of Gift Planning/ Principal Gifts for Arts/Culture/Collections​
      • Natalie Seeboth, Director of Major Gifts​
      • Blake Turner, Director of Major Gifts​
      • Beth Zimmerman, Director of Principal Gifts​
    • College of Fine Arts Fundraising Priorities:
      • Innovation in Research and Creative Practices
      • College-to-Career Success for Students
      • Facilities Upgrades
    • Texas Challenge Scholarships
      • Matching UT funds for these special scholarships beginning at $125K
  • Performance:
    Jazz Ensemble from Butler School of Music students
  • Closing Remarks and Announcements:
    Susanna MoldawerSpring council meeting slated for February 21-22, 2024 in Fort Worth.