Alumni in the News

Austin's Dougherty Art Center presents “Valerie Fowler: Nature and Other Stories,” Dec. 1 through Jan. 7, an exhibition of the complex, nature-themed, oil paintings and large works on paper selected from a survey of work spanning 20 years from artist Valerie Fowler (B.A., Studio Art, 1985). Also included will be Fowler’s original illustrations for the musical project and book “Ivy and the Wicker Suitcase,” written by her spouse, Brian Beattie. 

Marian Kansas (B.A., Directing, 2016) and Nicole Oglesby (B.A., Theatre and Dance, 2016) launched a new feminist theatre company in Austin called The Heartland Theatre Collective. They will premiere their first show, Dust by Oglesby and directed by Kansas, Oct. 6 -10, 12 - 15 at The Pony Shed at The VORTEX. Dust is a full length play about three sisters fighting to stay alive in the Texas panhandle during the dust bowl in the shadow of a dying farm and a miraculous apricot tree. Photo by Daniel Berkowitz.

Stephanie Chiarello Noppenberg (B.A., Dance, 1998) will direct, produce, write for and host a live political comedy satire show at Austin’s Institution Theater called “Over the Lege” running Sept. 9 through Oct. 1. “Over the Lege” exposes the shenanigans of the Texas Legislature through song, dance, sketch and improv. She also performs in the musical improv troupe "That Racket".

James Welsch (D.M.A., Orchestral Conducting, 2016) was recently appointed Music Director/General Manager of the El Paso Symphony Youth Orchestras and Assistant Conductor of the El Paso Symphony.

Erin Cunningham (M.F.A., Studio Art, 2007) has work featured in a two-person exhibition at ICOSA Collective in Austin. The show, "Figure/heads" features the work of Cunningham and David Bae. In their respective media, the two artists present their own distinct interpretations of the physical/psychological aspects of the figure. The exhibition runs through Sept. 23.

Jonas Criscoe (B.F.A., Studio Art, 2006) has work featured in The 3rd Coast National juried exhibition at K space Contemporary in Corpus Christi. This year’s juror Sharon Kapriva reviewed 611 images submitted by 193 artists and selected 59 works of art by 59 artists for the 2016 exhibition. 

Khristaan Villela (M.A., Art History, 1993; Ph.D., Art History, 2001) was appointed director of the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Prior to this he was professor of art history at the Santa Fe University of Art and Design (2011–2016), and the Eugene V. Thaw Professor of Art History and Director of the Thaw Art History Center at the College of Santa Fe (1998–2009).

Eden Lew (B.F.A., Design, 2014) recently completed a year-long thesis report and presentation as part of the M.F.A. products of design program at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. Her thesis, “Masterminds & The Art of Misbehaving,” examines the correlation between designers and criminal masterminds like thieves, con men and bank robbers.

After teaching in The Department of Music at Tumaini University Makumira for two years, Emmanuel Kaghondi (M.M., Music and Human Learning, 2014) received admission to the University of Minnesota for the Ph.D. in Music Education program in fall 2016. His research focus is in multi-cultural music education. Upon graduation, Kaghondi plans to return to Tanzania to continue teaching music.

Vincent Coleman (B.F.A., Studio Art, 1998) recently self-published a 50-page surreal, stream-of-consciousness comic book entitled Lightning Jim. The entire comic is available online.