Taking the Studio Outside

Photo of the Week

A group of graduate and undergraduate dance students took their rehearsal outdoors last week for Bebe Miller's piece PatchPath, a site-specific work Miller created with her new repertory class. It was then performed last Friday outside of Page and Sullivant Halls and the Wexner Center, with live music by Terrence Karn, Ed Luna and Michael Wall. In the photo above are, left to right, dancers Vickie DeRenzo, Katie Brock, James Graham, Joanna Reed, Bernice Lee, musician Terrence Karn, Caitlin Ewing, Alix Keil and Romina Delosantos.

Message from the Dean:

To all of our College of the Arts students who graduate this weekend: Please let me extend warm congratulations to you from the college, and wish you much happiness and success as you begin your life journey. It has been a pleasure watching you on our stages and in our concert halls, viewing your work in studios and galleries, and reading about your research and scholarly work. I know we will continue to hear about you as you make your way out in the world, and I hope you always fondly remember your time with us at Ohio State as time well spent. As of Sunday, you will join the ranks of our illustrious alumni and we look forward to keeping in touch with you and welcoming your involvement in our Arts Alumni Society. As new alums, please be sure to let us know where you are heading next. It has been a joy having you in our college and I wish you all the best.
Karen A. Bell, Dean

Notable News

The Department of Design presents its annual student exhibition Tuesday, June 3, through Friday, June 13, at the OSU Urban Arts Space in the historic Lazarus building. The exhibition will showcase the thesis projects of more than 50 graduating senior students in the areas of industrial, interior space and communication design. Two special events are planned -- professionals night, June 3, 5-8 pm; and an opening reception, June 4, 5-8 pm. During the same time, the OSU Urban Arts Space upper gallery will host works in the Department of Art bachelor of fine art (BFA) exhibition. For more details about the BFA show, click here.

OSU art undergraduate student Rachel Widomski was seriously injured recently by a hit-and-run driver outside of Haiku restaurant – where she was a waitress – in the Short North. This weekend the Short North Arts District is dedicating Gallery Hop weekend to Rachel. Find out more about activities to support her and her family here.

HALOS for New York City (above) is a temporary public art project by Michael Mercil (Art) for the Battery Park City Authority. The installation uses beams of reflected sunlight from three computer-controlled heliostats (large mirrors) mounted on a residential tower to reveal a visual play of words on the pavement below. Inspired in part by the Sun-Down Poem of Walt Whitman, HALOS tracks the daily movement of light and shadow across lower Manhattan to slowly unscramble six three-word phrases -- WATCH & SEE; LEAP & SHOUT; SELF & SUN; TABLE & BOOK; KISS & TELL; OVER & OUT.

Meanwhile, Mercil (left) can occasionally be found on the Oval at Ohio State where he is Reading the Daily News as a public service of the Department of Art, Living Culture Initiative. For 365 times, he will read from all sections of the given day’s edition of the Columbus Dispatch. The newspaper is then stamped and added to the Living Culture Initiative archives.

Damian Bowerman (Theatre) is part of the cast of Catco’s The Foursome, which opened in Columbus over the weekend. The production – revolving around four old buddies who get together during a college reunion for a game of golf – was reviewed on Sunday by Columbus Dispatch theatre critic Michael Grossberg, who called it a “well-staged and well-timed season finale” that opened to “ample laughter.” He also says, “As golf-neophyte Donnie, Damian Bowerman may have the most amusing but least-complex role. Yet his easygoing, emotionally centered approach to the happily married father of five makes the character interesting and welcome.” Other OSU theatre alums involved in the show are costume designer Mary Yaw McMullen, lighting designer Ryan Osborn, director Jon Putnam and stage manager Allison Walker.

MusicWeb International recently reviewed American Fantasies: Arnold Schoenberg and American Music – which includes Fantasy for violin and piano by Donald Harris (Music). Of Harris’s piece, the reviewer says, “This is a thoroughly enjoyable piece that deserves to be in the repertoire and is an excellent introduction to the composer’s style." Read the review here.

Alumna Martha Michael (Art Education) announces the opening of her new gallery – Suite C Gallery – at 4601 N High St in Columbus on June 7 and 8.

Robert Ladislas Derr (Art) will perform Chance: Earlville, a psychogeographical walk performance wearing four video cameras through the streets of Earlville, NY, with his journey determined by the viewers' dice rolls. The resulting 4-channel video will be exhibited in a solo exhibition at the Earlville Opera House Gallery through July 26.