UToledo 2010 Film/Comm Alumnus, Andrew Makadsi at the 2019 Creative Arts Emmys

Andrew Makadsi, art director to pop star, Beyoncé, was nominated for an Emmy in the 2019 Creative Arts Emmy Awards. He graduated from the University of Toledo in 2010 with dual undergraduate degrees in Film and Communication. Andrew, along with production designers Ric Lipson and Rachel Duncan, were nominated for an Emmy in Outstanding Production Design for a Variety Special for their work on “Homecoming: A Film by Beyoncé.”

The show, produced through Beyoncé’s company, Parkwood Entertainment, originally aired on Netflix last April. The show also received Emmy nominations in five other categories: Outstanding Music Direction, Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded), Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special, Outstanding Costumes for Variety, Non-Fiction or Reality Programming, and Outstanding Directing for a Variety Special.

https://www.emmys.com/shows/homecoming-film-beyonc%c3%a9

The awards were held in mid-September. Although the award ultimately went to RENT, Makadsi was thrilled to have been nominated and the University is equally proud of his tremendous accomplishment. Andrew posted to Facebook, “My first Emmy nomination. A date I will never forget. Feeling so grateful and thankful for all the support and love.”

One of Andrew’s UToledo film faculty, Holly Hey, said, “We are confident that this year’s Emmy nomination is only the beginning of Andrew’s professional recognition. Andrew’s work at UToledo always showcased his personal style, his dedication to creative expression, and his unparalleled commitment to crafting his work. Words hardly express how proud we are of Andrew and how happy we are to have played even the smallest part in preparing Andrew to work at such a high level in the Arts and Entertainment industries. Well done, Andrew!”

Leading up to the Creative Arts Emmys, Andrew was also recently profiled in an article in Vogue Arabia, the Middle Eastern edition of Vogue magazine. https://en.vogue.me/awards/beyonce-art-director-andrew-makadsi/. The article, written by Caterina Minthe, covers Makadsi’s education at UToledo and his meteoric rise in the art direction world, from fashion runway art director to his work with arguably one of the most famous stars on the planet, Beyoncé.

By Angela Riddel : Tuesday, May 28th, 2019

The University of Toledo School of Visual and Performing Arts will host several workshops and camps in the arts this summer.

These are day-camp only, no overnight stays. Parking during these events is free.

Workshops, dates and times are:

Students created masterpieces during Art Camp last summer.

Art Camps — June 3 through 7. There will be two weeklong camps available — a camp for ages 7 to 10 and a camp for ages 11 to 13. Each camp offers a morning workshop (9 a.m. to noon) and an afternoon session (1 to 4 p.m.). There will be a break between the morning and afternoon sessions, with supervision of students who stay for both workshops. Projects for the younger camp center on dinosaurs in the morning and sci-fi adventures in the afternoon. In the morning, the older student camp will present literary journeys in which projects are related to famous youth novels, and in the afternoon cosplay in which students design and sew a costume. Students staying all day are encouraged to bring a lunch and beverage; lunch is not provided. The workshops will be held in the Center for the Visual Arts on the University’s Toledo Museum of Art Campus. Cost: $60 for each workshop, $105 for both, and includes all tools, materials and supplies needed. Deadline to register: Friday, May 31.Theatre Camp — June 3 through July 14. The Department of Theatre and Film will host the Children’s Theatre Workshop of Toledo as it presents a workshop culminating in the performance of the teen musical, “The Mystery of Edwin Drood.” The Children’s Theatre Workshop will prep students ages 13-18 to host auditions, cast the show, and rehearse the musical for a weekend of public performances. Rehearsals and performances will take place in the Center for Performing Arts. Cost: $180. Deadline to register: Saturday, June 1.

Flute Camp — June 17 through 21. Toledo Symphony flutists Joel Tse and Amy Heritage will lead classes in all aspects of flute playing and performance. The three tracks available include a morning-only session for first- and second-year beginners, a full-day track for students with at least two years’ experience, and another program for adults. Extras included in the camp fee: guest instructor-led sessions in yoga, drumming, eurhythmics and music theory, plus chamber and solo performance opportunities, a piccolo workshop, flute-care instruction and more. Flute Camp will be held at the Center for Performing Arts. Cost: Track one $150, tracks two and three $300; daily rate $65 for those who cannot attend all days of the workshop. Deadline to register: Monday, June 10.

Students rehearsing during last summer’s Jazz Jam Camp.

Jazz Jam Camp — June 23 through 28. The Jazz Jam Camp will be held at the Center for Performing Arts. It offers all levels of jazz instruction by master jazz musicians/educators, as well as performance opportunities and a recording session. The camp is open to all people ages 12 and older. All levels of jazz students can discover and achieve their jazz potential through one of four program tracks: instrumental jazz, vocal jazz, teacher training (continuing education credit available) and jazz appreciation. Cost: $500 ($50 nonrefundable deposit plus $450 camp fee). Daily lunch is included in the fees. Teachers participating in the camp can reduce their own fees by $100 for each student from their school who participates. Deadline to register: Saturday, June 1.Choral Conducting Workshop – July 23 through 25. This workshop is a comprehensive and immersive choral conducting workshop. It is designed to serve and educate individuals as conductor, teacher, leader, scholar and performer. The workshop will be led by Dr. Brad Pierson, UToledo assistant professor of music and director of choral activities. Conductors will engage in sessions covering a wide variety of topics. Conductors may choose from either a three-day immersion workshop (July 23-25), or a one-day workshop (July 25). Coffee and a light breakfast will be provided in the mornings. The workshop will provide 18 contact hours of professional development for Ohio teachers. Please provide any required paperwork as needed. Cost: $300 for the three-day option; $100 for the one-day option if registered by Monday, July 1. After July 1, fees increase by $25. Fees are due upon registration. This workshop will be held in the Center for Performing Arts. Deadline to register: Saturday, July 20.

For more information and to register, visit the summer workshops’ website, or call the UToledo School of Visual and Performing Arts at 419.530.2452.

Deborah Orloff, Associate Chair, Photography Coordinator, Professor of Art, New Media Studies – Photography

Deborah Orloff, professor of photography and associate chair of The University of Toledo Department of Art, has received an Individual Excellence Award from the Ohio Arts Council for her body of work, “Elusive Memory.”

According to the Ohio Arts Council website, the excellence awards “are peer recognition of artists for the exceptional merit of a body of their work that advances or exemplifies the discipline and the larger artistic community. These awards support artists’ growth and development and recognize their work in Ohio and beyond.”

Orloff said the $5,000 grant will be used to expand her “Elusive Memory” series and to exhibit it nationally.

The work was inspired by an experience she had following the death of her father in 2007 when she was preparing a eulogy for his funeral. While drawing upon specific memories, she realized all of them were directly connected to photographs, causing her to wonder if she remembered the moments, or if the pictures had created false memories.

“I wanted to make work about this phenomenon, but the project didn’t actually take form until many years later,” Orloff said.

“About five years ago, I inherited thousands of neglected prints and slides that had been in my father’s basement, where they were damaged by flooding. I started photographing them in the studio, not knowing what I would do with the images, but hoping to salvage some of the family pictures for posterity,” she said. “It wasn’t until I saw them enlarged on a computer screen that I recognized their poignancy and greater relevance: I saw metaphors for loss and the fragmentary, ephemeral nature of memory.”

Her new work utilizes the severely damage photos.

“‘Elusive Memory’ explores the significance of vernacular photographs as aesthetic objects and cultural artifacts. The resulting large-scale photographs make commonplace objects monumental and emphasize their unique details,” Orloff said.

The exhibition is on display at Workspace Gallery in Lincoln, Neb. Upcoming exhibitions include Youngstown State University’s Solomon Gallery, Vincennes University’s Shircliff Gallery in Indiana, and Anna Maria College’s Art Center Gallery in Massachusetts.

In addition, Orloff’s project was featured recently online at “Aint — Bad,” an independent publisher of new photographic art.

Samples of Orloff’s work can be seen on her website at deborahorloff.com.

In the summer of 2017, then University of Toledo film student, Eva Noria, landed an internship in New York with post-production company, Running Man. Impressed with her energy, work ethic and post-production skills, the company offered her a job as a post-production assistant upon graduation. Eva graduated from UT in spring of 2018 and has now been on the job for almost a year.

Running Man serves a clientele that includes shows for Netflix, HBO, Comedy Central, Showtime, TBS, CBS, IFC, and many others. As a post-production assistant, Eva is responsible for organizing, reviewing and updating continuity on works in production as well as collecting contracts for the loop group, the voice talent for off-screen parts. When her company wraps a season, they send the client screeners for the media, a cue sheet and a copy of the individual episodes.

Eva credits her success with Running Man to her time as a student with the University of Toledo Department of Theatre and Film. Originally, she had planned to major in exercise science and work as an athletic trainer because she had a scholarship available to her in that program area. However, she decided to switch to a major in Film with a minor in Communication when she realized her heart was in the arts.

Once in the program, Eva knew she made the right call even though she soon learned it wasn’t an easy degree. Her faculty challenged her more than she expected—to think more creatively and examine her work more critically. She remembers in particular, Tammy Kinsey, professor of film, pushing her to do better and give her best. “She wanted you to be engaged and to know that anything, no matter how small, counts. You have to be able to take criticism, and if you’re able to take it, then you’re going to do well.”

Professor Matt Yockey was also instrumental in her success. Eva says his classes were a challenge in volume. “He always gave us so much work, but it was really helpful. I learned so much from him.” Holly Hey, professor of film and head of the film program at UT, in addition to helping Eva perfect her editing skills, was also a great source of encouragement. “She noticed whenever I was feeling down, and she was there for me. All the professors are there for you, for anything. It was great to have that support especially since I was from out of state.”

Under their guidance, Eva flourished. A top student, she was invited to participate in the Klar Leadership Academy at UT. Students invited to the academy are drawn from all undergraduate majors at the University. “This is a pan-academic effort with the goal of increasing each Academy member’s career success, ability to lead and influence others to impact the world for good, and help each member capture a “personal vision” as to what they can do to improve the human condition!”

Eva was thrilled to participate in the Academy where she met business leaders, received career advice, took part in mock interviews and performed service work for the non-profit organization, Feed My Starving Children. She says the experience “got us out of our comfort zone. We learned our strengths and weaknesses and got to meet a lot of interesting people. It became like a mini-family.”

Another milestone experience was a study abroad trip to China. Eva and several other film students from UT accompanied music education students to study the arts culture in China and to document their experiences. “Not a day goes by that I don’t think about that trip.”

Having learned a great deal from her time as a student, Eva has some sage advice for new students. “Get out of the dorm, get involved, meet people, join organizations. I got involved in getting any kind of experience I could. When you make connections and meet new people, they can help you and give you all kinds of opportunities.” Those experiences led her to the internship with Running Man and later a permanent position with the company.

Her job with Running Man has helped her expand upon her education. “This opportunity has opened my eyes to new possibilities and exposure that as a student we don’t know of. Overall, working for Running Man has been wonderful. At first, it was a bit slow but soon things started to pick up. I was able to ask questions and be curious about everyone’s role in making a show/film and how things are created and pieced to together. Growing up, one would believe there is some sort of magic in making a show/ film but there isn’t. It’s literally a huge group of people who come together and work with one another to make sure the content is the best version of what they started with from a script. And you notice that if someone in this formation slacks off it can cause problems down the line. In school, we have group projects, but here the stakes are higher and expensive.”

“I’ve also had the opportunity to make connections with different companies and people. It’s important to have these connections especially if someone wants to have their own company or start on their first projects. When I finished with ‘The Last O.G.’ season 2, I didn’t have anything lined up. A co-worker had connected me with an executive producer who needed a PA [production assistant] and an assistant for pre-production for an MTA/Visa commercial. I got a lot more of experience, not just in post-production but in both pre-production and production.”

Eva says her next step is to become a post-production coordinator then work toward becoming a producer for a variety of projects within the industry for different companies. She adds that her experiences as a student at UT have helped grow her as a person and helped create job opportunities. “I thank them for giving me a door so I could slip in and see where it takes me.”

Ohio Citizens for the Arts Foundation has released the results of a study developed in conjunction with the Center for Regional Development and Bowling Green State University that shows the true power and impact of Ohio’s creative industries. The report proves that Ohio’s creative industries are much more than regional amenities. In short, they are powerful economic engines. Key findings from the report show that the arts in Ohio have experienced significant growth in the past few years and now account for more than $41 billion in economic activity while supporting nearly 290,000 jobs annually. Additionally, the arts and creative industries generate over $4.5 billion in federal, state, and local tax revenue annually.

Some TOLEDO highlights of the report:

• The creative economy generates $831 million in the Toledo MSA,
• It supports 12,065 jobs and supplies more than $466 million in wages and proprietor income,
• Advertising and public relations lead the creative industries. The sector is responsible for $183 million dollars and supports 944 jobs in the Toledo MSA,
• Museums, historical sites, zoos, and parks – direct impact = $79,210,422
• Ornamental and architectural metal work manufacturing- direct impact = $39,911,247
• Performing arts companies- direct impact = $35,285,152
• Independent artists, writers, and performers- direct impact = $27,508,446

To download the full report and to see more on the impact of the arts in Toledo, visit
https://www.artsimpactohio.org/toledo/

A few years ago, The University of Toledo’s Carlson Library took delivery of a special piece of campus history — a set of hands from the University Hall clock tower.

Now those brass hands are the focal point of a two-sided mural being painted near the library’s circulation desk by two students in UT’s Bachelor of Fine Arts Program as part of the library’s experiential learning initiative.

“We always wanted to display…” (Click link to read more.)

Timeless art: Pair of UT fine arts students incorporate old clock tower hands into mural at Carlson Library

Congratulations to UT Music and Jazz alumna, Estar Cohen!

Estar is one of 15 recipients of The ASCAP Foundation’s 2018 Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Awards. The program, which was established in 2002 to encourage young gifted jazz composers up to the age of 30, is named in honor of trumpeter/composer/bandleader Herb Alpert in recognition of The Herb Alpert Foundation’s multi-year financial commitment to support this program.
Additional funding for this program is provided by The ASCAP Foundation Bart Howard Fund. The recipients, who receive cash awards, range in age from 14 to 29, and are selected through a juried national competition. The ASCAP composer/judges for the 2018 competition were: Sylvie Courvoisier, Wycliffe Gordon, and Sachal Vasandani. In addition, one of the recipients of the Herb Alpert Awards will be featured during the 2018 Newport Jazz Festival in August.
https://www.ascap.com/…/…/01-18-herb-alpert-award-recipients
https://www.facebook.com/estar.cohen
http://utoledoalumni.olhblogspot.com/2018/03/15/a-lyrical-journey/

American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers – ASCAP

Congratulations to CAL/SVPA faculty, Dan Hernandez, Thor Mednick, Denise Ritter-Bernardini, Stephen Sakowski, and Matt Yockey on being recognized in 2018 as faculty making Outstanding Contributions in Scholarly and Creative Activity. President Sharon Gaber and Provost Andrew Hsu sponsor the special recognition and the arts faculty received 20% of the University-wide awards.

Daniel Hernandez, MFA, Art Studio

Daniel Hernandez is represented by Kim Foster Gallery in New York, New York. Dan’s work is also found in Private and gallery collections nationally and internationally, including: Private Collection, Beth Rudin DeWoody, New York, Florida; Coleccion SOLO, Madrid, Spain – Colección SOLO is a dynamic and passionate quest to champion contemporary art. It is a vibrant, international collection, driven by a genuine commitment to creativity and the desire to bring inspirational artworks to the widest possible audience; Private Collection, Pierre Donnersberg, Paris, France; Gary Snyder Fine Art, New York; Private Collection, Phillippe Escaravage and Charlotte Forbes, New Jersey; Private Collection, Richard and Nadine Woldenberg, Chicago; Private Collection, Eric & Staci Flatt, New York; and Private Collection, Joseph & Beth DiProspero, London.

Hernandez’s paintings explore the visual dialog between religion, mythology, and pop culture. He is represented by Kim Foster Gallery in New York City. His work is exhibited widely in solo and group exhibitions and has been written about in a number of publications including ARTnews, HyperAllergic, Artillery Magazine, Arte Fuse, Gizmodo, Der Spiegel. Dan was selected for an Ohio Arts Council Individual Excellency Award in 2011 and in 2015.  Dan Hernandez creates intricate tableaux that blend religious iconography with the contemporary visual language of video games, two genres which somehow collapse seamlessly together in farcical send-ups of culture and society.

Thor Mednick, PhD, Art History

Thor Mednick specializes in the art of nineteenth-century Denmark, he has published on painters such as P.S. Krøyer and Vilhelm Hammershøi, and on the relationship of agricultural reform to nineteenth-century Danish landscape painting. He is the co-curator of From the Golden Age to the Modern Breakthrough: Danish Paintings from the Collection of Ambassador John L. Loeb, Jr. (New York, 2013) and Jorforbindelser: Dansk maleri 1780-1920 og det antropocene landskab (Denmark, 2017-2019).He is a former Fellow of the American-Scandinavian Foundation, the Ambassador John L Loeb, Jr Foundation, and the American Philosophical Society, and a legatee of the Danish Ministry of Culture. He has been a Visiting Scholar at the University of Copenhagen and the University of California at Los Angeles, and a Visiting Professor at Fuglsang Museum and Faaborg Museum, in Denmark.

In 2017, Mednick was invited by Dr. Karina Lykke Grand, Assistant Professor of Art History at Aarhus University, to be the international consultant on a major research project on art and national identity in nineteenth-century Denmark. The project has been given a grant of more than $1,000,000 (US) to support Dr. Grand, a doctoral student, a post-doc, and travel and research expenses for Mednick and another scholar from the University of Copenhagen. The grant comes from The Independent Research Fund, within the Danish Ministry for Higher Education and Science.

Dr. Denise Ritter Bernardini, PhD, Voice

Denise appears on both the concert and opera stage in music of many periods.  She is known for her ability to sing a variety of styles, her brilliant high notes, pure tone, communicative warmth and musical intelligence.  She has been a performer throughout the US with extensive Oratorio experience under the batons of world renowned conductors such as Robert Shaw and John Rutter. Her recent oratorio performances have included Verdi’s Requiem, Handel’s Messiah, Pergolesi’s Magnificat, Bach’s Missa in A Major, Dvorak’s Te Deum, and Mozart’s Requiem.

In addition, she has performed with orchestras such as Fort Worth Symphony, Tulsa Symphony, Fort Wayne Philharmonic, the Symphony of Bartlesville, Oklahoma, Oklahoma City Symphony as well as many other symphonic organizations. Denise’s operatic roles include her recently performed  Mother in Amahl and The Night Visitors, La Traviata in Charlottesville Virginia as Violetta as well as with Master Works Festival.

Denise has been a soloist in prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall with the New York Pops as well as the Actor’s Club in New York. A recent performance of her one-woman classical cabaret show took her to Leibnitz, Austria where she performed for the International University of Global Theater to an audience representing thirty-two different countries.

Stephen Sakowski, MFA, Theatrical Lighting

Stephen Sakowski has worked as the Lighting Director or Assistant Lighting Director for the major entertainment/arts events listed above. His event and television lighting work, recognized at the highest level of production, is transferred to his university productions as well. 

Stephen has served as the Lighting Director/Assistant Director for the NBA All-Star Games. The National Basketball Association, (NBA) is a leading sports organization with an All-Star Game viewing audience of 7.175M in 2015, 7.614M in 2016 and 7.751M in 2017, respectively. Lighting for these half-time performances have been for some of the most internationally-known performers, including: Cirque du Soleil, Sting, The Roots, and John Legend.

Stephen has also won awards for his lighting design associated with The Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival, (KCACTF). KCACTF is a national theater program involving 20,000 students from colleges and universities nationwide annually. For 47 years, the organization has served as a catalyst in improving the quality of college theater in the United States. KCACTF has grown into a network of more than 700 academic institutions throughout the country. The regional groups are funded and administratively support by the Kennedy Center.

Matt Yockey,  PhD, Film Studies

Yockey’s research focus is on Hollywood genres and fan studies. His essays on these topics have appeared in journals such as The Iowa Journal of Cultural Studies, The Velvet Light Trap, CineAction, Transformative Works and Cultures, Journal of Fandom Studies, The European Journal of American Studies, and Studies in Comics, as well as the anthologies Critical Approaches to the Films of M. Night Shyamalan (Palgrave Macmillan, 2010), Superhero Synergies: Comic Book Characters Go Digital (Rowman & Littlefield, 2014), and The X-Men Films: A Cultural Analysis (Rowman & Littlefield, 2016). His monograph on the 1960s Batman television series was published by Wayne State University Press in 2014. He is the editor of the anthology Make Ours Marvel: Media Convergence and a Comics Universe (University of Texas Press, 2017).
Matt’s writings on culture and film can be found journals such as, the European Journal of American Studies and the Iowa Journal of Cultural Studies, and in book chapters published by such notable presses as, the University of Texas Press, Wiley Blackwell, Rowman & Littlefied, and Palgrave Macmillan. Matt also has an extensive listing of professional paper presentations.

Announcing the The UT Biodesign Challenge Team, Madeline Tomczak, who graduated with a bachelor of science degree in environmental science in May; Domenic Pennetta, a sophomore majoring in art; Jesse Grumelot, who graduated in May with a bachelor of science degree in bioengineering; and Lucya Keune, a senior studying visual arts. The team competed on June 21 and 22, 2018 and are the winners of the Outstanding Field Research Award at the 2018 International Biodesign Challenge Summit in NYC. The Biodesign Challenge course was taught by Department of Art, assistant professors, Eric Zeigler and Brian Carpenter Read more…

OCTOBER 31 – NOVEMBER 1, 2018

PERFORMING IN THE GLASS BOWL WITH THE UT ROCKET MARCHING BAND (OCT. 31 ROCKET FOOTBALL MATCHUP WITH BALL STATE)

IN CONCERT IN UT’S DOERMANN THEATRE (NOV. 1, 7PM) – GET TICKETS!

For 31 years, Boston Brass has set out to establish a one-of-a-kind musical experience. Performing exciting classical arrangements to burning jazz standards, Boston Brass treats audiences to a unique brand of entertainment captivating all ages. The ensemble’s lively repartee, touched with humor and personality, attempts to bridge the ocean of classical formality to delight audiences in an evening of great music and boisterous fun. The philosophy of Boston Brass is to provide audiences with a wide selection of musical styles in unique arrangements, provided in a friendly and fun atmosphere.