Alumni in the News

R. Scott Blackshire (PhD, Performance as Public Practice, 2018) has been named the new curator of the Tobin Collection of Theatre Arts at the McNay Art Museum in San Antonio, Texas. Over the course of nearly 40 years, Dr. Blackshire is only the third individual to hold this curatorial position.

Recent graduate Lizah Vaillancourt (B.F.A., Visual Art Studies, 2018) will be awarded one of the 2018 Outstanding Art Educator awards in the division of Student of Art Education from the Texas Art Education Association (TAEA) during the TAEA annual conference on Nov 9, 2018. 

Alumnus Bucky Miller (M.F.A., Studio Art, 2017) has been awarded a 2018 Aaron Siskind Foundation Individual Photographer's Fellowship. 

Steve Parker (D.M.A., Music, 2012) is the recipient of this year’s Tito’s Prize, a $15,000 cash award funded by the Texas vodka company and administered through Austin arts organization Big Medium, who give the winning artist a solo show staged during the East Austin Studio. Initiated last year, the Tito’s Prize is the largest cash prize granted to an Austin visual artist.

Daniel Madrid (M.M., Music, 2013) has been hired as the Executive Assistant to the General Manager of the Metropolitan Opera House.

Jieun Beth Kim (M.F.A., Studio Art, 2013) has been named the new exhibit coordinator for the city of Austin's central library. Kim will manage 2700 sq. ft of gallery space while collaborating with outside stakeholders on projects related to the visual arts. Photo by Beck and Hall Photograhy, www.beckandhall.com, @beckandhall

Harrison Butler (M.F.A., Theatre, 2010) has been named the new executive director of the Theatre of Arts Acting Conservatory in Los Angeles. TOA is the longest continuously running acting conservatory in Los Angeles, located in the heart of Hollywood. Butler is the 14th executive director to be hired in the history of the institution.

Nicholas Osella (B.F.A., Design, 2017) has had a successful early career collaborating on photo projects and clothing lines through his company, StudioWOS.

Alumnus Cosme Flores (B.F.A., Acting, 2018) was recently cast as "Ben" in Power Rangers: Beast Morphers, set to air on Nickelodeon in 2019. Featuring an all-new cast of heroes and villains, Beast Morphers will expand the Power Rangers universe with tactical leather suits, 'Beast Bot' sidekicks and elevated battle footage.

Oluwaseun S. Olayiwola (B.F.A. 2018) is currently a Fulbright Scholar pursuing an M.F.A. in Choreography at Trinity Laban in London, England. As an advocate for the arts and a Nigerian-American artist, Oluwaseun hopes to engage residents with dance during his two years in the program and contribute toward the Nigerian diaspora’s representation in the arts landscape.