The University of Alabama

The UA Department of Art and Art History presents the master of arts thesis exhibitions of three graduate students, Nathan Childers, Dillan Ladner, and Kat Murray, February 23-March 3, 2023, in the Sella-Granata Art Gallery, Woods Hall, on UA campus. A reception will be held Thursday, March 2, 4:00-6:00 p.m. Gallery hours are Monday through Thursday, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 2 p.m., when school is in session.

Graduate student in sculpture Amanda Warr, who is working toward the MFA at UA, received two accolades in November.

The University of Alabama Department of Art and Art History presents the 2022 Senior BFA Thesis Exhibition, December 6-9, 2022, in the Sella-Granata Art Gallery, in Woods Hall on UA campus.

Graduate student in printmaking Kat Murray has been awarded a Levitetz 2023 Innovation Seed Grant for her art project, "Grabbing Traces." The grant will support Murray's experimentation and learning in drawing and printing techniques. She is working toward the Master of Fine Arts in printmaking at UA.

Graduate student in painting Nathan Childers received the Best in Show award in the exhibition Queer Aesthetics held at Mississippi University for Women Galleries, October 5 through November 11, 2022, in Columbus, Mississippi.

Student-led classic rock cover band Midnight Steel was named the Best Band in Tuscaloosa 2022 after winning the first-ever Battle of the Bands. Along with the title, the band won a $2,000 cash prize. Created by the Student Government Association, the fundraiser garnered nearly $7,500 for the Joe Espy Needs Based Scholarship that helps UA students alleviate financial hardships. Organizers couldn't be more grateful for its success. Midnight Steel, whose members include Chris Campisi (singer), Brett Holmes (drummer), Aaron Michaels (lead guitarist), Trevor O'Connor (rhythm guitarist) and Matthew Stumpf (bass guitarist), formed in September 2021 and performed their first gig just two weeks later. They've played manyl local venues and in Birmingham and were thrilled to get as far as they did in the fundraiser. The Battle of the Bands competition began with bands applying in July. Round 1 voting took place in September through the SGA's Instagram reels. Those winners moved on to Round 2, which was a live show at Druid City Social on Sept. 29. Those four winners performed on Oct. 20 for the final round.

UA undergraduate William Smith, a junior majoring in history, has an exhibit showing at Gorgas House Museum through Dec. 2.

The University of Alabama's Department of Art and Art History presents the 2022 Senior BFA Thesis Exhibition, May 3-7, 2022, in the Sella-Granata Art Gallery, in Woods Hall on UA campus.

Robert Fuson, a second-year MFA Theatre candidate with a focus in Directing, makes his UA directorial debut at the helm of this production.

The University of Alabama Department of Art and Art History presents the Master of Fine Arts thesis exhibition of Ashlee Rene Thompson, April 1 through May 6, 2022. The exhibition, titled Fragments, will be held at The University of Alabama Gallery in the Dinah Washington Cultural Arts Center, with a reception for the artist on First Friday, April 1 from 5:00 to 7:00 pm.

The University of Alabama Department of Art and Art History presents the Master of Fine Arts thesis exhibition of Sandra Vega, Cielo Azul, Piel Morena, March 24-31, 2022, in the Sella-Granata Art Gallery, Woods Hall, on UA campus.

University of Alabama Department of Art and Art History recently presented the MA thesis exhibition of Parker Hunt, in the Sella-Granata Art Gallery, Woods Hall, on UA campus.

The University of Alabama Million Dollar Band has been selected to perform in the 2021 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, representing the state of Alabama.

The University of Alabama Department of Art and Art History recently hosted the MA thesis exhibition of Will Henry.

The University of Alabama Million Dollar Band congratulates its 2020-2021 drum majors.

Student fashion designs hit the runway for the 10th annual Fashion for Life on Nov. 24 in The University of Alabama Ferguson Center Ballroom. The show offered designers from the College of Human Environmental Sciences an opportunity to share their collections in front of friends, family and members of the community while raising money for Tuscaloosa DHR Children's Christmas Gift Fund. "Fashion for Life is the culminating experience for our senior students studying apparel design in the department of clothing, textiles and interior design," said Brian Taylor, instructor of apparel design. "This year we have 16 designers showing, each with a unique sense of style and point of view. The collection development process and fashion show experiences mimic what students will encounter once entering the apparel industry." In this year's show, designers have been inspired by their own personal experiences in life. Fashions will incorporate sustainability, size inclusiveness, cultural backgrounds and model diversity among other themes. "I'm extremely proud of their hard work and excited to see their work displayed in an event that also gives back to the community," said Taylor.

The big, bold voice of the French horn inspired Matthew Meadows. Now his passion for mastering the instrument has brought him recognition in international competition. When he was in seventh grade in Jasper, Meadows saw an opportunity for a bargain in his school band. He came away with much more -- a life-defining and award-winning passion for playing the French horn. Matthew Meadows performs during a duet with French horn and piano at the International Horn Competition of America. "I actually started on trumpet, and then after the Christmas concert of my seventh- grade year, my teacher asked if anyone wanted to try the French horn," Meadows said. "I decided to try it because it looked cool, and the school owned one so I wouldn't have to rent an instrument. And I fell in love with it." Meadows, now a UA first-year graduate student, won second prize in the university division of the International Horn Competition of America in September in Fort Collins, Colorado. He rose above more than 100 other musicians competing at his level to make the final four. And he did it playing an instrument whose sound inspires him.

Apparel design students at The University of Alabama's College of Human Environmental Sciences let their imaginations run wild for a special fashion show that celebrated Earth Week. Tasked with upcycling finds from thrift stores, family attics and a few unconventional sources, designers created a array of clothing for the annual Tee Time Fashion Show on April 16.

The University of Alabama's Contemporary Ensemble presented an evening of music composed by students. "Composers Present" was performed April 12 in the concert hall of the Moody Music Building,

The University of Alabama's department of art and art history presents a group exhibition by four BFA candidates: Samantha Joslin, Jonathan Lanier, Caroline Rothschild and Dana Tokarzewski. The quartet will display their work April 16-23 in the Sella-Granata Art Gallery on UA campus. A reception for the artists will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, April 18, in the gallery. The BFA is the professional degree for artists with a focused program of study in visual art. These students have completed intensive research in a primary and secondary concentration in art. Lanier's concentrations are in sculpture and ceramics. Since 2016, he has won several scholarship awards including the Farley Moody Galbraith Scholarship, Windgate Charitable Fund - Studio Arts, and the Paul R. Jones Endowed Scholarship. Lanier will also hold a solo exhibition of his work at Harrison Galleries in Tuscaloosa in May. Joslin's concentrations are in ceramics and sculpture. Her current body of work has come out of studio research that focuses on the exploration of forms, surfaces and interactions among different media. Joslin has won numerous scholarships and awards, including a UA Undergraduate Research & Creative Activity grant in spring 2019. She will exhibit her sculpture in a solo exhibition at Harrison Galleries in April. Joslin plans to continue her studies in a post-baccalaureate program that combines her ceramics and sculpture work. Rothschild's concentrations are in drawing and painting. Tokarzewski's concentrations are in digital media and photography. This group of BFA majors have approached their work from diverse viewpoints - from a focus on abstract form, to creating work that expresses the tensions of the outer world and nature, embodied in the inner conflicts common to all humans. The artists employ a variety of media to carry these ideas into physical form, using cast bronze, digital media, clay, wood, foam, paint, graphite, and photography.

The University of Alabama department of art and art history presents "Earthworks," the master of fine arts thesis exhibition of Patrick Hoban, April 16-30, at Harrison Galleries, 2315 University Blvd. in Tuscaloosa. The public is invited to a reception for the artist Friday, April 19, from 6 to 9 p.m. Hoban expresses the relationship between the fragility of humans and nature through art work that suggests force, separation and compression of materials. He works in ceramic and incorporates found objects in his art. "The moment when a plant breaks the surface of concrete and continues to grow is a forceful moment with which I relate," he said. "Being rooted in Philadelphia exposed me to the extremes of the natural world and how they interact with the spaces of an inner city. Childhood spent on beaches and by rivers, observing, experiencing, collecting and documenting the extreme forces of nature has allowed me to connect my personal struggles to those of nature. There will always be barriers to deal with, but much like nature, I must find a way to survive." Hoban is a graduate student in ceramics with an assistantship teaching ceramics and 3D design. He received the BFA in sculpture from Pennsylvania State University. Hoban's cast bronze sculpture of a jon boat is part of the Literary Capital Bronze Sculpture Trail commissioned by Monroeville, Ala., to be unveiled April 26 His work has appeared in the Tuscaloosa Monster Takeover project, the Alabama Clay Conference, and was selected for the Waterloo Arts 2018 Juried Exhibition in Cleveland, Ohio. His public art proposal for a sculptural bike rack to be installed near Government Plaza, was accepted by the city of Tuscaloosa. He was juried into the 19th Annual National K-12 Ceramic Exhibition in Kansas City, Mo. Hoban was the recipient of a full scholarship to ceramic summer class at Penn Valley School with the renowned artist, Chris Staley, and a recipient of the Emerging Artist Award at Malvern Preparatory School.

The University of Alabama's department of art and art history is presenting the BFA solo exhibition of Samantha Joslin titled "Matter of Normalcy." The exhibition will be April 5-15 at Harrison Galleries in downtown Tuscaloosa. A reception for the artist will be from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, April 5, in the gallery. Samantha Joslin's BFA concentrations are in ceramics and sculpture. Her current body of work has come out of studio research that focuses on the exploration of forms, surfaces and interactions among different media. "These interactions are reflective of life in its most intimate moments and conditions," she said. "My current body of work centers on pieces which imitate experience in life and the human form, thus speaking of the relationships between ourselves, the world around us, and its interpretations through emotion. I am interested in illustrating the human condition in a way which is simultaneously familiar yet peculiar and understandable yet puzzling. The balancing of such physical and conceptual contrasts leads to an investigation of visual formlessness, which obscures categorization. I want to expand upon this notion of blurring identity as it connotatively relates to social circumstances and interactions, and how visual factors like contrast, scale, visual speed and interactions of materials can subtly reflect these themes." Joslin was a UA Undergraduate Research & Creative Activity grant recipient in the spring of 2019 and a Windgate Fellowship nominee in 2019. She received the Carolyn Haddon "Julie" Matthews Memorial Endowed Scholarship, the Farley Mood Galbraith Annual Scholarship and the Paul R. Jones Endowed Scholarship. She was a student employee in the Sella-Granata Art Gallery and was awarded UA work-study grants in sculpture and ceramics. In 2018, Joslin was awarded a paid internship under Tuscaloosa sculptor Lee Busby. She has been awarded tuition grants to participate in 'Sculpture: Clay, Wood, and Steel' by Trey Hill, Anderson Ranch Workshop, Snowmass Village, Colo. and has served as a volunteer demonstrator in clay for the Arts Renaissance in Tuscaloosa Schools at Matthews Elementary School. She was also a member of Crimson Clay Club, serving as treasurer. After her graduation in May, Joslin hopes to undertake a post-baccalaureate program. "I am planning to focus mainly on ceramics while still incorporating sculptural elements and other materials." This exhibition is part of the bachelor of fine arts degree program in the department of art and art history at UA. For more information about all our programs, visit this link: https://art.ua.edu/academics/. Harrison Galleries LLC is at 2315 University Blvd. in downtown Tuscaloosa. Hours are Monday through Friday, 12:00 noon to 5:00 p.m., by appointment, and First Fridays of the month, 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. For more information call (205) 464-0054 or visit the website: http://www.firstfridaytuscaloosa.com/art-galleries/harrison-galleries-llc.

Each spring, a group of UA theatre students flies to New York to participate in a showcase known informally as Bama on Broadway. The showcase is designed to highlight students' skill as they perform for an audience that includes Broadway talent agents and often ends with performers signing contracts or being called back for auditions. Students prepare for the showcase by enrolling in a one-hour course designed to ready them for the one-shot performance. In the course, which is offered the preceding fall semester, students work together to find, choose and rehearse material that emphasizes each student's individual strengths.

The Alabama Trumpet Studio traveled to Atlanta in January to participate in the 2019 Trumpet Festival of the Southeast, an annual regional musical conference dedicated to teaching and performance of the trumpet. UA's trumpet octet has been selected to perform the piece the group presented at the festival live at the National Trumpet Competition in Lexington, Kentucky in March 2019. The 2019 festival was held at Kennesaw State University. The Alabama trumpet ensemble performed under the direction of UA trumpet professor Dr. Eric Yates. The group presented two transcriptions of well-known works arranged for trumpet ensemble by members of the Alabama studio: Zachary Richardson, a sophomore performance major; and Justin Langham, a UA School of Music alumnus and professional trumpeter and composer-arranger working in the Houston area.

Ten UA students' fashion designs hit the runway recently as part of Fashion for Life, the College of Human Environmental Sciences' annual fashion show that raises money for a selected charity.

The Capstone Horn Quartet, also known as Tater and the Tots, has become the first University of Alabama horn quartet to win the International Horn Society Summer Symposium Student Amateur Quartet Competition, which was held earlier at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. The members of the quartet are Matthew "Tater" Meadows, a 23-year-old senior music education major, of Jasper; Antonio Padilla, 21-year-old senior music education major, of Meridian, Mississippi; Anthony Parrish, 22-year-old senior music education major, of Kimberly; and Charlie Snead, a 21-year-old senior music performance major, of Northport. "We have some great folks doing some great things," said Charles "Skip" Snead, director and horn professor in UA's School of Music. "This is the first time we've had a quartet win the international competition. "I'm incredibly proud of them. They put in a lot of hard work, many hours of preparation. They all play individually very well, but when they get together it's a really great combination." Skip Snead, whose son is Charlie Snead, said Tater and the Tots competed against some of the best student horn players from throughout the U.S. and the world. In the final competition, they competed against five quartets in a concert for a live audience and a panel of five judges. Declared the winners, Tater and the Tots were selected to give an additional performance on the final day of the workshop in a special concert where all the competition winners performed. Meadows, who picked up the nickname Tater in high school, said competing in the competition, let alone winning it, was a leap of faith for them. "We put a lot of preparation into it," he said. "We made the goal to go and compete in a rash decision we made in March after we won the Southeast Horn Workshop back in February at the University of Georgia in Athens. "We just worked diligently, perfecting some tough pieces we selected, the stuff the professionals would play, and we won." The quartet has been playing together for about 10 months. They received a certificate for their win.

In one of the culminating events of the degree program at UA, Bachelor of Fine Arts candidates Allie Gant and Jennifer Gault present an exhi bition, titled Raw & Unfinished Business, in the Sella-Granata Art Gallery, Nov. 5-8, 2018, with a closing reception on Thursday, Nov. 8, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Gault, who works in sculpture and ceramics, specifically in raw, unfired clay, said that she has been exploring "forms that communicate a personal mythology of emotions and memories." She added that the raw clay she often uses in her work "represents the changeability of emotion, fallibility of memory and the transience of life." Gant, who works in printing processes and ceramics, describes her visual ideas as attention to her own self care, as well as the things which "catch her eye," such as flowers, trees, sunsets and people, the subjects of her work: "Through the course of being an art student over the last few years, I've made a ritual for myself to pay attention to what I pay attention to, meaning to spend a little extra time thinking about why I am drawn to certain things and try to figure out why." Jennifer Gault's BFA concentrations are in sculpture and ceramics, with an anthropology minor. She has exhibited her art work in the 2018 Student Sculpture Exhibition, and the 2017 Annual BFA Juried Exhibition, both at Harrison Galleries, and in QuickTurnaround at the Dinah Washington Cultural Arts Center in 2017. In addition, she has published art work in UA's Marr's Field Journal in 2018. Gault is the recipient of the Angelo Granata Endowed Scholarship, the Elmore Endowed Scholarship, and the Windgate Charitable Foundation Endowed Studio Arts Scholarship. She works full-time as a certified Fire Alarm Technician in the Office of Environmental Health and Safety at UA. Allie Gant's BFA concentrations are in printmaking and ceramics, with an art history minor. In 2017, Gant exhibited her work in Eclectic Way, an exhibition of art from the Paul R. Jones Collection of American Art and art by UA students inspired by those works, at the Paul R. Jones Museum. She participated in Geeza a Wee Exhib, a Scotland study abroad student exhibition in 2018 at Judith Rae Solomon Gallery, in Youngstown State University, Ohio, and has had several pieces accepted for publication in Marr's Field Journal in 2017 and 2018, including the cover art of both editions. Read this press release online here: https://art.ua.edu/news/allie-gant-and-jennifer-gault-bfaexhibition/.

The Yonder Contemporary Dance Company, a collective in The University of Alabama's department of theatre and dance, will present a 50-minute concert titled "IRL" during the 2018 Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Scotland. The performances will run Aug. 4-10. Yonder's "IRL" involves 15 dance majors, overseen by Sarah M. Barry, associate professor of dance. They are collaborating with five student composers from UA's School of Music, who are overseen by Dr. Amir Zaheri, assistant professor of composition. The collaboration also includes a media specialist from UA's department of advertising and public relations, overseen by Mark Barry, director of creative advertising specialization. The dance majors will perform "IRL" at the Greenside @ Nicolson Square venue in Edinburgh. "'IRL' focuses on the pervasive nature of technology and illuminates the jarring battle between everyone and everything that competes for our attention," said Sarah Barry, who is the artistic director of the company. "We have tried to address this material from different angles because there are a variety of perspectives to consider. Some are big and obvious while others are more nuanced. We have worked hard to keep the discussion open and the research ongoing. The show will continue to evolve as we share our work and take in audience feedback." To prepare for the performances, Yonder participants hosted master classes and performances during a regional tour in spring 2018. Sites included the Dance Foundation in Birmingham; Florence Academy of Fine Arts in Florence; the Buckman Theatre in Memphis, Tennessee; and the Marcus Jewish Community Center in Atlanta. "The tour allowed students to make and refine their creative work and performance over a longer time to different audiences, giving them a window into the professional company life of touring, teaching, performing, writing grants, fundraising and promoting dance," Barry said. While in Edinburgh, the students will be staying at Salsbury Court Flats near Holyrood Park. For more information, visit Yonder's Facebook page and follow them on social media @yonderdanceco. Also, interested parties may contact Sarah Barry at smbarry@ua.edu.

SummerTide, The University of Alabama's professional summer theater, presents the musical comedy "Pump Boys and Dinettes" in June at the George C. Meyer Performing Arts Center in Gulf Shores, Alabama. The "'Pump Boys" sell high octane on Highway 57 in Grand Ole Opry country. The "Dinettes" -- Prudie and Rhetta Cupp -- run the Double Cupp diner next door. Together they fashion an evening of country-western songs that received raves on and off-Broadway. With heartbreak and hilarity, they perform on guitars, piano, bass and kitchen utensils. The production will run from June 1 to 29 at the theater in Gulf Shores. Performances are at 8 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday. For more information, go to https://theatre.ua.edu/box-office/.

The overwhelming cyclical nature of this world can lead one to feel as though they are descending into madness. We repeat ourselves, ending up in the same place and unable to stop. From the individual to the masses, we struggle to find our place and voice within this revolving carousel that is life. "Carousel" calls to mind this question: Are we to remain mindless cogs or can we redefine our place in this seemingly inescapable structure? The University of Alabama's Crimson Stage presented Grace Kurosaka's "Carousel" in April at Morgan Auditorium.