One week left to view Mary Cosgrove Dolphin Gallery’s Fall 2021 Faculty Art Show

Inspiring, free exhibition runs through Dec. 9 in Ghosh Science and Tech Building at Worcester State

By Wanjiru Waweru

Fall 2021 Visual and Performing Arts Intern

December 1, 2021

WORCESTER- For the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Worcester State University’s Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) Department has reopened the Mary Cosgrove Dolphin Gallery with an impactful Fall 2021 Faculty Art Show. An opening reception kicked off the exhibit on October 14, 2021, and welcomed the community back to the Ghosh Science and Technology Center. The exhibit, which is free and open to the public during gallery hours or by appointment, runs through December 9, 2021. 

In my research regarding art and inspiration, I was touched by how art is the concept or practice of human development strategy and fascination in a visual way including painting or sculpture, creating works to be thankful, and showing acceptance for their talent and dedication. 

I learned that many visual artists develop a theme to find an idea or spread a message through their work. They often find a path to reveal their talent through using their personal lives, review of the world, or exploration of nature as their inspiration. 

To these ends, it’s my pleasure to share three examples of faculty members’ featured work in the VPA exhibit: 

“Motive” by Communication Professors Brittany Severance and Herman E. Servatius is audio work featured in the Faculty Art Show.
Photo Credit: Worcester State Alum Matt Wright

“Inspired by the constant alertness students can experience as part of a commuter lifestyle, this sound installation introduces high traffic sounds to a low traffic space. As commuter graduate-students at Emerson College, Brittany and Herman recorded elements of their daily commute from Worcester to Boston. By placing these sounds of a lengthy commute in a low-traffic (and by nature quieter) space, one experiences a metaphorically jarring effect. Hearing these unexpected sounds out of place can put one in an unsettling moment of reflection. In turn perhaps an appreciation for the quiet and safety the space usually provides is recognized. As much as this piece is meant to be unsettling, it is also meant to stimulate rumination. One minute of sound represents one hour of the artists daily six-hours of commute time.” – Worcester State University Communication Professors Brittany Severance and Herman E. Servatius on their featured work, Motive

Communication Professor Brittany Severance stands in front of “Illuminated,” her video work featured in the Fall 2021 Faculty Art Show.
Photo Credit: Worcester State Alum Matt Wright

“Illuminated is a silent experimented video about the movement of engineered light at different locations through the perspective of someone with low vision. Moments include fireworks in the night sky, carnival rides, and holiday light displays based upon the artist’s own experience.” – Worcester State University Communication Professor Brittany Severance on her featured work, Illuminated

VPA Professor Susan Fisher features “Ensconced” in the Faculty Art Show. Photo credit: VPA File Photo.

“This body of work was created in response to the Pandemic. Everyone has had a different response and way of processing this moment in time. I wanted to use my masks to process these responses. My pieces are meant to do just that.” – Worcester State University Visual and Performing Arts Professor Susan J. Fisher on her featured work, Ensconced

The Fall 2021 Faculty Art Show at the Mary Cosgrove Dolphin Gallery is open on Tuesdays through Fridays from 11 AM to 5 PM. On Saturday, it opens from 1 PM to 5 PM, or guests may set up an appointment. Masks are required for entering the Gallery. In order to find out more details about the Fall 2021 Faculty Art Show or the Gallery, please call the Visual and Performing Arts Department at (508) 929-8145 or contact through the Mary Cosgrove Dolphin Gallery’s email at Gallery@worcester.edu.

References

Art. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/us/definition/english/art_1Themes in Art. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://kolibri.teacherinabox.org.au/modules/en-boundless/www.boundless.com/art-history/concepts/themes-in-art-0-6115/index.html

Worcester State students, faculty, and staff celebrate diversity and inclusion at inaugural Unity Walk

VPA musicians shared the powerful and unifying role of music with performances at the Competition Gym rally

By Wanjiru Waweru (November 5, 2021)

Fall 2021 Visual and Performing Arts Intern

While the rainy forecast on September 9 prompted an important Worcester State University rally to move indoors, it became a very bright day at WSU as students, faculty, and staff gathered in celebration of diversity and equality.

The goal of the Unity Walk is to publicly proclaim to the WSU students and the WSU community WSU’s support for unity, essential values at the University, according to event organizers. 

An inspiring crowd of students marched toward Competition Gym for unity and inclusion.

The Unity Walk served as a welcome back event for the members of the WSU community after a year of online activities. It featured a diversity walk, brief program, food, music, and pep rally. During the walk, professors and other WSU staff stood on the sideline to encourage the WSU participants. 

Carlos Odria, PhD, Visiting Assistant Professor in the Visual and Performing Arts Department at WSU, delivered a powerful speech and performance at the event. Odria is a Peruvian-born musician, guitarist, and a festival artist who provides WSU students with his teaching in World Music and guitar classes. Additionally, he directs WSU’s Latin American ensemble, Música!. 

VPA Music Professor and Guitarist Dr. Carlos Odria delivers remarks to an audience of Unity Walk participants and rally attendees.

Odria shared how participating in the Unity Walk became a very important movement to him, as a performer and professor, to join the WSU community in such an optimistic manner, he said.

“It feels great being able to bring joy and positive energies to our wonderful WSU community,” said Odria.

Odria performed one of his original music compositions instead of selecting a cover song at the event for a special reason.

“I chose the composition called La Nana,” said Odria. “It is a dance-like song that speaks about love and about the need of approaching life in a light-hearted way so that we can live in harmony with the world and with others.”

World Music takes you all around the globe to discover different forms of music, and according to Odria, musical styles are very important to society for learning more about different cultures.

“World Music is a term that refers to the endless diversity of sounds that human beings use around the world to express their uniqueness,” said Odria. “World Music refers to the acceptance of all forms of creative musical expression and thus welcomes diversity as a given aspect of our co-existence on this planet.”

As a performer, Odria added that the Unity Walk performance and gathering also marked a symbolic day for him as he prefers playing for in-person audiences, an act that has faced challenges on an international scale as musicians and performers continue to adapt to the ever-changing times during the COVID-19 pandemic. He felt excited to return on campus physically, he said, and looked up to the WSU community, his friends, and his family for musical inspiration.

“For me, performing in person is the real deal; I wouldn’t change it for anything,” said Odria. “And yes, I am super excited to have had the opportunity to share my musical message with the WSU community, in-person and in real-time. My musical inspiration is: my family and friends, my audience, and the community of musicians I play with or I have listened to in the past; I have learned all what I know from this community.”

VPA Professor Jeremy Cohen (right) and the African Drumming Ensemble deliver an energetic performance as Worcester State students enter the gym.

A note of reflection from the writer:

On September 9, 2021, I personally went to the Unity Walk at the Wellness Center. Students and staff provided us with wonderful support for our community. I came with a friend and together we entered the gymnasium to the energizing drum beat of  VPA’s African Drumming Ensemble, directed by VPA Music Professor Jeremy Cohen. Carlos Odria finished the event with an incredible composition, La Nana. I found his music very beautiful and calm. I visualized listening to a Spanish guitarist at a Restaurant in Barcelona, Spain. He did a wonderful job and received a standing ovation. 

Creating a Capstone

Featured artwork, “The Bad Boxer,” is by Emily Cawley

Story is by VPA communications Intern Karen Shalev

Every spring, a group of Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) majors in their senior year complete their capstone project. The seniors create a work that summarizes their artistic experience at Worcester State and prepares them for the beginning of their journey as artists outside of college.

I am enrolled in the capstone course this semester, being allowed to take it a bit early, and was mesmerized by what my fellow classmates planned for their projects. Each project is unique to the individual, highlighting their strengths and encouraging them to work on their weaknesses. 

During our weekly Friday classes, our professor Dr. Carlos Odria conducts check-ins to see how our projects are progressing. The creation side of art is not something that an audience typically gets to see. 

It is my goal as one of the VPA interns this semester to show you the art creation process being undertaken by some of this year’s capstone students.

The students participating in this blog post are Emily Cawley, Tori Ferne, Mercedes Trudeau, Sam Lalos, and myself, Karen Shalev. Together, the five of us encompass a wide array of interests and focuses within the visual and performing arts.

Question: What is your major and focus in the VPA department?

Tori: VPA and Psychology double major with focuses in the theatre, visual arts, and music

Emily: VPA major concentrating in visual art with a focus in acrylic painting

Mercedes: VPA major with a focus in music

Sam: VPA major with a focus in art

Karen: VPA and Communication double major with a focus in theatre

Question: What are just a few examples of some of your favorite VPA courses?

Tori: The classes that I have really enjoyed have been Critical Thinking in the Arts and Interdisciplinary Arts Practice. I especially enjoyed Interdisciplinary Arts Practice because it helped get me on track to developing some of my ideas for my capstone and refining the type of performance that I am interested in.

Emily: Life Studio, Painting, 3D Sculpture

Mercedes: Women in Music, Chorus, and Watercolor are some of my favorites.

Sam: I really enjoyed some of the courses I took with Sam O’Connell in my first few semesters.

Karen: I have really enjoyed my practicum courses with Kyle Martin, interdisciplinary courses with Sam O’Connell, and my acting classes with Rachel Wiese and Kim Carrell.

Question: What is your capstone project?

Tori: My capstone will be a theatre and dance performance set to my original music. The concept for the project is based on a joint project with another senior, Michelle Solano. Michelle’s focus is visual art and her topic will be emotional abuse, with three pieces to be displayed in the virtual gallery. My topic is healing from trauma. The production will be a performance set to three original pieces that tell the story of this kind of emotional transformation.

Emily: My capstone is a series of acrylic dog portraits that will represent a concept known as breed discrimination through a play on colors and narrative. Breed Discrimiation occurs when laws and regulations are set forth to prevent the ownership (or make ownership more difficult) of certain dog breeds deemed ‘aggressive’ such as Pitbulls, Boxers, Doberman Pinschers, etc. These paintings will put into perspective how unjust and detrimental discrimination can be for certain dogs. 

Mercedes: My capstone is a research project that looks at the connection between music and dementia/ Alzheimer’s Disease. I want to look at how music helps patients who suffer from this disease.

Sam: My capstone is called Serendipity 3 and will be a summary of everything I have done throughout my time at Worcester State. It will also tie into the Master’s in Theology I will be pursuing upon completion of this degree.

Karen: My capstone project involves developing a stage management manual specific to the VPA and theatre departments to provide a starting point for future stage managers. At the same time, I am stage managing the Spring 2021 devised production, “Dancing with Demons, which will provide ongoing hands-on experience to aid the development of my manual.

Question: What led you to this decision for your project?

Tori: Michelle’s project and my project are both inspired by our own personal experiences. My capstone performance will also draw from my coursework in psychology. We made this decision together and are looking forward to presenting our individual projects as well as our joint presentation in video format.

Emily: As a graduate in Animal Science from Becker College, where I was first introduced to the concept of Breed Discrimination, I knew I wanted to synthesize my interests in both art and animals for my thesis project. I also want to use my art to shed light on a topic that is largely ignored and I hope to shift my audiences’ perspective on how they view certain breeds. 

Mercedes: My great grandmother passed due to complications from Alzheimer’s Disease and I would have given anything to have more time with her. I have decided that I want to work with the elderly and bring joy to them through music.

Sam: I am doing this because it is a required element of the degree, but I also look forward to summarizing everything I have done during my time at Worcester State.

Karen: Fall 2020 was my first experience stage managing with the virtual production of “Oedipus the King.” Stage managing is a fulfilling position, but also a difficult one. I spent hours researching online to understand what was expected of me as a stage manager. I am writing the manual that I would have wanted to have as a first time stage manager.

Question: Who are you working with as your mentor? How did you choose them as your mentor?

Tori: I am working with Kyle Martin as my mentor, who is one of the faculty in the VPA department who teaches music courses. I chose to work with Professor Martin to create the music pieces based on a previous directed study in composition during the past fall semester.

Emily: I am working with Michael Hachey as my mentor. As a respected professor in 2-D design at WSU, I felt he would be an asset to helping me convey my message in a way that plays with viewer’s emotions through color and composition. 

Mercedes: Professor Christie Nigro is my mentor. I have taken chorus with her since I was a freshman and she is my advisor so she has seen me grow the most as a student so I thought she would be the perfect fit. 

Sam: I am working with Michael Hachey. We’re about the same age. I knew him when I first started taking courses at the Worcester Art Museum many moons ago. He was my first teacher. Michael chose me, I didn’t choose him, but given the choice, I would have chosen him.

Karen: I am working with Adam Zahler, the chair of VPA and the director of the productions I have stage managed. This was a natural decision for me as I am working closely with Adam on this semester’s production.

Question: What steps have you already taken for this project?*

Tori: The first musical piece that I’m working on with Professor Martin was started as an assignment last semester. We’ve been continuing to work on it this semester and are beginning to work on the next two now. Professor Martin and I have been having conversations about how to express the emotional experiences through music and composition. A big piece of getting started was finalizing the concept with Michelle, which sparked the inspiration for the music.

Emily: I have completed a majority of my paintings already.

Mercedes: I have created my website to track my progress and have started to do a little research. 

Sam: I have already dug out my subject matter and other paintings that I started that I can use for this project.

Karen: The most important step of the manual I am creating is determining what information should be included in it. I have begun a comprehensive outline of what information I want to include, as well as outcomes for the person who reads it. I have created templates of stage management paperwork to include in the manual. I also keep an ongoing journal of discoveries as I stage manage this semester so I can add in as much information as possible.

Question: What steps will you have to take during this semester to complete this project?*

Tori: This semester I need to finish the music pieces to begin working. I’m interested in studying theories of psychology in relation to movement. Becoming a certified dance movement therapist is one of my career goals, so I would like to incorporate the field of movement as a healing practice. Once the music pieces are ready, I will be choreographing an expressive dance performance. This process will involve studying different forms of dance independently. In order to present the project, there will be considerations for the staging, lighting, and costumes as well.

Emily: I have to finish one more portrait and then go back and do some fine tuning on pieces that are already completed. I also have to write a narrative to correspond to both the aggressive and non-aggressive dog groups. By doing so I hope I can further convey my message that depending on the breed, dogs have very different experiences in this world – especially when it comes to getting adopted. 

Mercedes: I will gather more data as I go along and I plan to write a song to go along with it, which will consist of me sitting at the piano and seeing what works for me and what doesn’t. 

Sam: I need to do some experimenting with seeing what type of markers I will use. I have sharies, but I also have watercolor and acrylic markers. I need to see how they smudge to determine which ones I will use.

Karen: This semester will contain two major projects that I need to complete: stage managing and writing up the manual. The steps that I take to stage manage the devised production are difficult to predict in advance because this production allows our actors to create the show as we go. There are basic elements I know I will need to do that will tie into the creation of my manual, such as documenting blocking and creating a calling script. The actual manual will need to be written this semester.

Question: What challenges do you see yourself overcoming with this project?

Tori: Some of the greatest challenges I anticipate in this project will revolve around the timing to complete these goals. There are also challenges with the choreography and theatrical portion in terms of filling the time for the production with an engaging performance. And once it comes time to present the project, there will be technical components that will need to be coordinated and finalized. Once the performance is filmed, I will also need to edit the video to present it.

Mercedes: I have never really written my own music before, but I feel this will be a great time to do it as this project is about being creative and expressing my thoughts and findings. 

Sam: I have this wonderful new rug in my apartment, I’ve lived here almost a year, and I’m petrified of getting acrylic paint on the floor. I am taking precautions but I am very limited in what I can do. I can’t do nice, big, expansive paintings that are 2ft x 3ft.

Karen: This project will challenge my organizational and time management skills like few other projects I have completed at WSU so far. I will also have my writing skills challenged as I find the best way to communicate the stage management experience to my intended audience. 

Question: How will this prepare you for life as an artist after graduation?

Tori: After graduation I would like to pursue an MFA in interdisciplinary arts and performance. I believe that this capstone project will highlight my skills and interests. It will be a big step for me to create a production from the ground up that incorporates my broad interests in performance.

Emily: This project has allowed me to use my art not simply for enjoyment but to challenge a topic that is near and dear to my heart. After graduation I hope that I can continue to make art that will force people to think about the world around them and inspire them to change their perspective or even the world around them.

Mercedes: After doing my research I hope to understand more of the science behind why our musical memory is not affected by dementia and how it can help patients who suffer from it. This knowledge will help me when I begin working with the elderly and bringing music to them. 

Sam: I’ve been doing this kind of thing my whole life. I have keratoconus and was forced to spend a lot of time by myself and do things differently than other people. In my old age, my parents left me something after they died. My father owned a machine shop and he had a dozen employees. When I was younger, I was a rock musician. When I started college, I studied engineering for 3 years. Then, faced with blindness, I wanted to be able to make things out in my mind’s eye inside my own head if I went totally blind, which is always a possibility in my case.

Karen: I begin the accelerated Master’s of Science in Communication at Clark University in the fall, which allows me to take graduate courses as I finish up my senior year at Worcester State thanks to the joint articulation program between the two universities. My future goal is to work in public relations and this project will strengthen the important skills of communication, organization, and time management necessary. It also challenges me to create art in my own way as the person behind the scenes who ensures that the other artists can create the best they can.

Question: How has your creative process adjusted during COVID?

Tori: When I was taking Interdisciplinary Arts Practice, I was able to perform a performance piece live for my classmates. That was a really special experience, and I believe that live performance has a special quality that cannot be replicated through video medium. Because of COVID restrictions, this performance will have to be filmed and released online. There are some good things that come with that, like the ability to have a lasting documentation of the project. However, the process will be different in terms of the technical aspect of putting this together.

Emily: I was planning on this project being a completely immersive experience – playing with lighting in the gallery and perhaps adding music. However, due to COVID restrictions and no in-person viewings, I have decided to add a narrative (which was not part of my original plan) to ensure that my message is clear without the need for other stimuli.

Mercedes:  I don’t think I would be writing a song if it were for COVID as I wouldn’t want to perform live, but I feel better about doing a recording since we will have to present virtually.

Karen: Due to online restrictions, I have not yet had the personal experience of stage managing a show traditionally. This comes with advantages, such as learning how to communicate effectively online, but this is something that I will need to work with my mentor to overcome for the manual so it can be as robust as possible.

Question: How can readers support you during this process?

Tori: Please keep up with the seniors’ projects through this blog and other releases from the department. I’m excited to be a part of this cohort for the capstone even though we are all adjusting to a unique situation this semester. I wish that I could put together a small live performance for this project, but I hope that people will get to experience the production through online platforms.

Emily: Though I personally do not need extra support at this time, our local shelters do! Though COVID-19 adds an added challenge, many shelters may still need volunteers and donations. Get to know a breed that is labeled as “aggressive” by society and see for yourself how amazing these animals truly can be. 

Sam: You can support me by listening to me and trying to understand what i’m saying, just like I have to listen to my professors and what they’re saying.

Karen: See as many shows as you can, whether they are online or in-person with safety precautions. The cast and crew work long hours and dedicate themselves entirely to the production.

Question: Is there anything else you would like to add?

Sam: My quest is not to get a high ed degree, a Ph.D., or anything like that. It’s to get three Bachelors. I have one in science, one in the humanities, and now I’ll have one in the arts. In all three, I’m magna cum laude, so I’m trying my best. It’s like being in kindergarten actually, like Schwarzenegger’s film there. It’s rewarding, humiliating at times, but very rewarding in the end.

* An editorial note: Interviews were conducted and completed by March 2021 to capture students’ creative approaches to developing their capstone concepts.

VPA Professors Stacey Parker and Catherine Wilcox-Titus Talk “2020”

“My 77 Mornings From Home” By Ponnapa Prakkamakul
2020 Exhibit Artist Ponnapa Prakkamakul is one of several participants of The Mary Cosgrove Dolphin Gallery’s “Artist Talks” event scheduled for 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 25. To register for the free event, click here: https://2020artisttalks.eventbrite.com.

Written by VPA communications intern Karen Shalev ‘22

The Mary Cosgrove Dolphin Gallery hosts its first ever virtual exhibition this year with “2020” featuring work created by artists anytime between January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020. This juried show welcomed work in any medium.

To get more information about the unique exhibition, I sat down with Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) Professors Stacey Parker and Catherine Wilcox-Titus, Director of the Mary Cosgrove Dolphin Gallery at Worcester State University.

Question: How long have you been involved with the Mary Cosgrove Dolphin Gallery at WSU? 

Stacey Parker: I have been involved in various ways with the gallery since I started at WSU 13 years ago or so. 

Catherine Wilcox-Titus: I have been involved with the gallery since its inception, I have been the director from the beginning.

Question: What sorts of exhibits has the gallery exhibited in previous years? 

Stacey Parker: In previous years, the gallery has done open calls, thematic shows, student shows, faculty shows, solo shows, invitationals, special events, artist talks, and even classes. 

Catherine Wilcox-Titus: The gallery has had some inventive thesis shows from students that have been terrific. But one of my favorite first open calls was titled “In Between.” That exhibition invited artists to submit work that was hard to categorize, either conceptually or by media.

Question: How did the idea for the virtual 2020 gallery exhibition come about? 

Stacey Parker: As with everything during this past year or so, the pandemic forced us to adapt and reevaluate how we were going to operate. With Catherine Wilcox-Titus on sabbatical, I was Interim Gallery Director and needed to work out how to create a presence and an active schedule for a gallery that no longer had an actual space to show work. Moving to an online exhibition was the next step and something that we had been working toward already so I took this opportunity and created our first online exhibition. 

Question: How many entries did you receive? 

Stacey Parker: We received over 100 submissions from over 50 artists. 

Question: How did you choose which pieces to feature? 

Stacey Parker: When I looked through the images of the work submitted for this show there were a few things that began the process like quality of photo, submission format, and other technical issues. We had to be able to put the work on the website and the photo needed to be of a decent quality. 

Past those technical issues, I was looking for work that resonated with the past year’s events. What I found was a large number of pieces that impacted me in ways that surprised me. I was truly moved by many pieces and found myself connecting to moments over the past year in different ways after seeing them through another artist’s interpretations. 

There were some that brought back memories and invoked emotions for me and some that brought hope and calm that I truly enjoyed. It constantly amazes me how artists can interpret and translate ideas and moments in history in ways that connect people together. 

Question: Many of these pieces are from local artists. Why do you encourage local area artists to submit their work to the gallery?

Catherine Wilcox-Titus: One of the reasons we do it is because it is a great educational experience for students to be able to see the work on campus and be able to interact with the artist. You can’t get that kind of up close encounter with artwork easily in other venues. When it’s designed around students and gives them access to art, it’s a great opportunity for students.

What kind of student work is in the show?

Catherine Wilcox-Titus: The “2020 Soundscape” created by Worcester State students is a stand alone artwork. There will be three videos made of the other pieces which will feature music by Worcester State students.

Question: What is the biggest challenge you faced with this exhibit? 

Stacey Parker: We worked with colleagues from VPA, IT, and Marketing for some time before reaching the conclusion that we needed to create a gallery website in order to showcase visual art and other forms of artwork in a variety of creative formats. 

Catherine Wilcox-Titus: There’s no substitute for the physical encounter with the artwork in person in the gallery. But we think one of the benefits of COVID is as add-on to the in-person experience. We still want people to come to the gallery and physically see the artwork because it’s a totally different experience than viewing it on your phone or your computer. It’s a challenge but also an opportunity to think about how we can use aspects of our COVID experience going forward and enhance what we do in the future.

Question: What is the biggest opportunity that came out of this exhibit? 

Stacey Parker: The opportunity to create an online presence for the gallery. In our current times, not having an online presence is a hindrance to everything we do. We hope to expand on all the new opportunities that having an online gallery offers to us. 

Catherine Wilcox-Titus: COVID has had some unintended beneficial consequences as it has pushed us into the virtual world, which we were sort of tentatively exploring anyway. From here on in, we will always have an online presence for our shows. We are also having an artist talk on Zoom on March 25 which we will keep doing because everyone today is busier than ever. To make the time to physically attend an artist talk at the gallery does not work for people, but if you can access it via Zoom, it opens it up to more people.

Question: The website states that due to the online format of this exhibition, “the gallery has the opportunity to expand into interdisciplinary media possibilities for this show.” Artists were encouraged to submit visual artwork in 2-D and 3-D media, performance art, music, sound, theatre, and more. Is this something you plan to continue with the next exhibit? 

Stacey Parker: I hope so. It has always been a goal to encourage, support and exhibit work from artists working in various media. While our gallery space is clearly appropriate for visual art and we have worked toward having the right equipment and technology to begin to show digital work in the gallery, the online platform allowed us to easily show work in video form without having to work out equipment, lighting, and sound issues that are inherent in working in a real life space. 

Catherine Wilcox-Titus: We want to grow the gallery in the direction of showcasing interdisciplinary work and as a potentially immersive site, which means we would bring together moving images, projections, and sound that would go beyond music. The direction of a lot of contemporary art is to go into this interdisciplinary and immersive environment, which is one that has been dreamt of since the birth of movies. The idea was to immerse you visually in this other world of moving images. This immersion has always been an obsession in the arts and now we have the technology to do it. 

Question: How can our readers support the gallery?

Catherine Wilcox-Titus:  Come to as many shows as you can. We have an upcoming artist talk on Zoom on March 25 for “2020” that is open to the public. A lot of people on the campus still don’t know where we are and haven’t made a habit of coming to all the shows. The gallery and the shows we put on are not just for artists. The artists are always dealing with contemporary issues. Art is one way that artists process and explore current contemporary issues and debates. 

If you don’t come for the art, come for the ideas they deal with and the novel ways they try to work through some of those contemporary debates and issues. I hope more and more people will see the gallery as a site where you can enjoy the aesthetics but also see how artists encounter the very same issues everyone deals with in their everyday lives. 

They can also donate to the gallery fund https://alumni.worcester.edu/artgallery 

Question: Is there anything else you would like to add?

Stacey Parker: I am honored to have been able to work with the artists in this show and give them the opportunity to exhibit their work. I hope that we get to do many more shows in this online format and that we continue to develop opportunities for artists to show various media.

Catherine Wilcox-Titus: We’re really looking forward to getting back in the gallery. The gallery will be reassembled for June 1 and we are going to host a summer show, which we have never done before. We will be a satellite venue for a show that premieres in Boston by the Photographic Resource Center (PRC). They are putting on a show in the summer and asked us if we could be a satellite gallery, which we are really excited about. We don’t have details yet but it will be a photography exhibition titled “Exposure.”

For more information about “2020”, please visit https://wsuvpagallery.weebly.com/ 

Editorial note: Online registration is open for the Mary Cosgrove Dolphin Gallery’s upcoming Artist Talks event featuring discussion with several artists of the Gallery’s juried “2020” exhibition. The free event will be viewable online at 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 25. Click here to register: https://2020artisttalks.eventbrite.com

Griffin Weber ’23, a YouTube contributor with 18,000 followers, naturally turned to art during an isolating Spring Break

WORCESTER, MA (April 27, 2020 and Updated August 7, 2020) — For Griffin Weber ’23 — a songwriter, Worcester State University Chorale tenor, digital media productions student, and YouTube contributor with nearly 18,000 followers — being creative during an extended Spring Break at home resembled a familiar routine.

“I often spend a lot of my time in my room on my computer doing things like animation or making songs, so the two weeks didn’t feel very different than say my summers,” Weber says. “The difference is that I haven’t seen my friends in a while and I feel isolated. There was a lot of time to think about memories I have from other times in my life when I’ve gone out the most.”

And so during the two weeks away from studies as Worcester State University faculty and staff prepared to transition to distance learning due to COVID-19, Weber used his emotions as inspiration for his music. He emerged from Spring Break as the sole writer, singer, and producer of the instrumentals for a pop-style song he calls “Just Like You.”

The song’s reviews on Weber’s YouTube channel of 17,900 subscribers reflect the Freshman’s creativity, professionalism, and talent. “Catchy,” “powerful,” and “polished” were just a few listeners’ descriptions of the song. Another fan responded in a post and called the tune the “new quarantine jam.”

“Griffin’s ability to channel whatever he is feeling into his art during this unprecedented time is exactly what we are encouraging our students to do,” says Worcester State University Visual and Performing Arts Chair and Theatre Professor Adam Zahler. “We are all feeling many emotions — confusion, worry, hope, and more. I applaud him for following his instincts, turning to his passions, and also allowing us to enjoy his great work.”

Weber says he began singing when he was “really young,” and he insists that he wasn’t a natural at the art. He says his technique progressed at Wachusett Regional High School, where he joined an a cappella group. During his Senior year there, he says he was accepted into the Wachusett Honors Choir and received training that brought his singing to new levels.

“It got a lot easier to hit high notes, which is my favorite, and be a tenor,” says Weber.

The singer says that he started writing “little songs” during his Freshman year of high school, when a friend often gave him original instrumental tracks.

“I would add these little melodies and put them on my YouTube channel,” he says.

By Junior year, Weber says he was creating longer songs. And this year at Worcester State, a friend introduced him to an instrumental program called FL Studio. Weber’s a cappella singing has continued at Worcester State, too, where he is a member of the Worcester State University Chorale and performed earlier in the school year in Old Sturbridge Village, at a couple of churches, and for a “90s night” fundraising event at El Basha restaurant in Worcester as the Chorale singers prepare for an international tour to Spain next year.

“Griffin joined the Chorale this past Fall and has become an important member of our Chorale ‘family,’” says Dr. Christie Nigro, Music Professor and Director of the Worcester State University Chorale. “I am proud that he has used his time during this crisis to create something new and beautiful.”

Weber’s creative talents don’t end with his singing. While Weber is planning to minor in Visual and Performing Arts, he is also a Communications student at Worcester State, where he studies and creates digital media productions, another art that caught his attention at a young age.

“When I was nine, I was introduced to YouTube by my brothers and I started making videos where I would take my Lego toys and make them go on adventures,” Weber says. “I started getting into stop motion because I always really liked animation and I’m a really big fan of cartoons.”

Weber’s Youtube channel, “WebzForevz,” showcases his music and digital animation to an impressive following. A cartoon episode he posted two weeks ago, “’Til Death Do Us Pizza” has received more than 67,000 views.

“I have the pleasure of having him in my Applied Media Literacy course,” says COM Professor Emanuel Nneji. “He brings great organization, maturity, and application of theory to his work. Congrats for his creativity inside and outside of the classroom.”

Weber is the youngest of five siblings, with three older brothers and an older sister, he says. He looks up to his siblings, who are at home together in Rutland at this time. The first in his family to attend college, Weber attributes his artistic interests to his family.

“My older brothers liked rap and made music, and it was common sense for me to join in art as well.”

To view Weber’s Youtube channel, please visit www.youtube.com/user/webzforevz. To listen to the song he created over Spring Break, visit www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfRjOAR9taQ.

WSU Chorale to offer fun, musical journey “Back to the 90s” at El Basha

Photo caption and credit:

WSU Senior Eric Nerkowski and pianist Bobby Gadoury rehearse “If I Can’t Love Her” this week in the Learning Resource Center. Photo by Levanagh McDonald, WSU COM Sophomore and Intern.

 

WORCESTER, MA (March 4, 2020) — The Worcester State University Chorale will present “Back to the 90s,” a fun event showcasing a variety of 90s song favorites alongside the popular Bobby Gadoury Trio at 7 p.m. tomorrow (Thursday, March 5) at El Basha, the restaurant located at 256 Park Avenue in Worcester.

A full listing of WSU Chorale performers and their respective 90s hit selections is as follows:

Shayne MacKenna – “Daniel” by Elton John

Ireland Weber – “You Get What You Give” by New Radicals

Amanda MacPhee – “Foolish Games” by Jewel

Anna Morticelli – “Heart Shaped Box” by Nirvana

Caitlin Ulmer – “More Than Words” by Extreme

Alex Gardner – “It’s All Coming Back to Me” by Celine Dion

Haley Brann – “Zombie” by Cranberries

Alexis Ramos – “Kiss Me” by Sixpence None the Richer

Jenn Jerome – “Killing Me Softly” by the Fugees

Ruchama Hilaire – “End of the Road” by Boyz II Men

Luke Collins – “Closing Time” by Semisonic

Renee Mercier – “Adia” by Sarah MacLachlan

Eric Nerkowski – “If I Can’t Love Her,” from Beauty and the Beast

Julia Fetherolf – “Hold On,” by Wilson Phillips

Brittany Caracciolo – “Just a Girl,” by No Doubt

Ellie and Matt Weagle – “Don’t Know Much,” as sung by Ronstadt and Neville

Nicole Dougherty – “Angel” by Sarah MacLachlan

Mallory Breen – “I’ll Stand By You” by The Pretenders

Tickets are $10 and can be purchased by contacting Amanda at a_buma@hotmail.com. Any tickets not sold prior to the event will be available at the door. Food and drink will also be available.

 

 

Students Take Control in Latest Production: The Insanity of Mary Girard

Worcester, MA (March 1, 2020) — Today marks the final chance to catch the show that students of the University’s theater club, Almost Off Book, have been working on since the start of this semester. “The Insanity of Mary Girard,” a play written by Lanie Robertson about a woman who is committed to an insane asylum by her own husband, concludes with a 2 p.m. performance this afternoon in WSU’s Fuller Theater.

Student Director Ryker Capielo, a WSU Sophomore, says that the role helped unveil a potential career path and facilitated production experience in budgeting wisely and divvying roles among a hard-working student cast and crew. In an Almost Off Book student production, faculty are “super helpful” mentors, Capielo adds, as students take on roles ranging from fight choreographer and sound designer to costume designer and set designer.

“[It’s] fun, exciting, a bit challenging, but that’s what makes it a good experience,” Capielo says. [It’s] unlike anything I’ve ever done before.”

A listing of additional WSU students and their “The Insanity of Mary Girard” roles is as follows: Autumn Thebodo plays the role of Mary Girard and assistant costume designer; Paul Luppino plays Stephen Girard; Michale Friedrich is the warder, fury #1 and set designer; Jade Pennington is Mrs. Lum and fury #2; Vincent Pellegrino is Mr. Phillips and fury #4; Julia Duggan is Polly Kenton and fury #3; Victoria Parham is Mrs. Hatcher and fury #5; Bellalorraine Carey-Hicks is stage manager, fight captain and costume designer; Collin Turner is sound designer; and Ian Murphy is assistant stage manager.

“All the hard work and effort put into this production will truly make ‘The Insanity of Mary Girard’ a spectacular, one-of-a-kind show that I am truly honored to be a part of,” Capielo says. 

Tickets are $5 and can be purchased at the door of WSU’s Fuller Theater for the final performance at 2 pm. today.

Victoria Konicki, WSU student and COM intern, contributed to the reporting and coverage.

Drawing with Words

A preview of WSU VPA Professor Michael Hachey’s Wits’ End exhibit

By Victoria Konicki, WSU Communications Student and Intern

WORCESTER, MA (February 6, 2020) — Worcester State University Visual and Performing Arts Professor Michael Hachey describes his latest work as “drawing with words.” A gallery of his work, titled “Wits’ End,” opens at 5 p.m. today in the Mary Cosgrove Dolphin Gallery and runs until March 6.

Hachey decided to title the gallery “Wits’ End” because he was “puzzled as to how they [his writing and art] would either come together or remain, in a healthy way, separate.”

His newest art, which consists of black or colored writing on white paper, is different and unique for Hachey. He came up with the concept during a sabbatical during the spring semester.

“The surprising thing to me, in some ways in relation to my other work, it’s very, very different,” Hachey says. 

His works consist mainly of nonsense script that looks like writing, called asemic writing. Most of it is illegible, though legible parts “peek out once in a while, out of my control,” Hachey says. “It’s a strategy to fight against things that are preplanned.”

Hachey’s process in creating these pieces often included having a book or journal open, where he would write words that struck him as “mysterious, meaningful, paradoxical, or a puzzle.” In doing so, he would start his pieces with legible writing and layer more and more over what was already written until much of the legible writing was obscured. 

“You lose the identity, you lose the specificity of the words in the sentence, not that they might have been there to begin with,” Hachey says.

He considers himself a reader; he loves reading and writing and has been writing for years in both essays and journals. 

“We’re in a curious time where literacy, and taking time to think, is more difficult,” Hachey says. “What I have heard is that everybody probably writes and reads more than ever, historically, but it all seems so superficial to me. Words in some ways both lost their meaning but remain mysterious and interesting.”

The art in Hachey’s gallery serves, for him, to combine his two interests–writing and art–in a unique way.

“It is a kind of standoff but some kind of compromise between my writing and my art,” he says. “It’s some kind of peace treaty between my art and my writing. It’s not resolved, so we don’t want it to come together completely, but it’s a tentative recognition of one to the other.”

Hachey’s art is a “visual form of writing.” Rather than reading a story with recognizable symbols, the viewer is confronted with several layers of often incomprehensible script. 

“If there’s an emotional content, it’s an expression of inertia, the momentum,” Hachey says. “You want to say all these things–it’s like bottled up energy–and you want to let it out somehow, and these [works] are kind of spills, release valves. That kind of energy that has a lot to do with writing but not at all to do with any kind of narrative subject.” 

To create these pieces, Hachey used a synthetic paper called Yupo, which is a synthetic paper made of polypropylene, which is smoother than regular paper. This type of paper “makes [the pen] glide across the paper at breakneck speed and makes the control of the gesture and the mark, which is important in drawing, more unconscious and expressive of the frenzy, rather than some kind of careful drawing,” Hachey says.

“Good news, it doesn’t kill trees. But the bad news, it’s plastic.” Hachey says.

Hachey’s inspiration for these pieces came from several different sources, including airmail from his childhood, Emily Dickinson’s “The Gorgeous Nothings,” and graffiti on trains in Boston.

“I’m hoping people get my feeling about the importance of real writing, the energy and expression in real writing, but also pure visual form and expression, and what comes close to abstract art,” Hachey says.

Wits’ End will be on display in the Mary Cosgrove Dolphin Gallery in the Ghosh Science and Technology Center with an opening reception at 5 p.m. today (Thursday, Feb. 6) and will continue to be on display until March 6 during regular Gallery hours, Tue. – Fri. 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., Sat. 1 – 5 p.m. or by appointment by contacting the Gallery at (508) 929-8651 or Gallery@worcester.edu. 

Photos by Levanagh McDonald

Hachey’s Wits’ End opens today at WSU (2/6) and runs through March 6. (Photo by WSU COM Student and Intern Levanaugh McDonald)

WSU VPA’s Hachey explores “drawing with words.” (Photo by WSU COM Student Levanaugh McDonald.)

Worcester State Students Put Modern Spin on “Romeo and Juliet”

by Christina Cronin, VPA PR and Marketing Intern

It’s the classic story featuring love, comedy, death, political turmoil… and dancing…

It’s a modern take that includes fight scenes choreographed to dance steps and challenges to gender norms. 

Brett St. Onge as Romeo and Julia Duggan as Juliet rehearse for Romeo and Juliet.

It’s Romeo and Juliet set in the modern day as Worcester State students take on the story of the “pair of star-crossed lovers.” The show runs Nov. 21-24, 2019.

Adam Zahler, the play’s director, said Romeo and Juliet seemed the obvious choice this year because of the political rift in our country. “Almost every other day, we hear on the news about how polarized the political parties are, how polarized the nation is,” said Zahler. “The prologue to Romeo and Juliet tells us that there are two well-respected families, who are engaged in a feud that regularly breaks into physical violence.  The parallel seemed compelling and relevant to us.”

Zahler decided to tell the story in a modern setting. He wanted to emphasize the violence in the play. Even for those who have not seen the play, it is no secret that Romeo and Juliet must die for their two families to resolve their feud. “How that happens, and why, is what drives the play,” said Zahler.

The show poses a challenge for everyone involved. Not only do the actors have to memorize the lines, but they have to understand them from a 21st century perspective, as the play is written in Shakespearean language.

Brett St. Onge, who plays Romeo, said he was excited to bring this love story to a modern era. One of the challenges he faced in taking on Romeo’s character was developing every thought that he (Romeo) has. “He has many new discoveries, much like a typical 16-17-year-old boy today.”

Julia Duggan, who plays Romeo’s counterpart, said she found a lot of emotional aspects to taking on the role of Juliet. 

“Her character is so dynamic. She’s easily one of the smartest characters in this show, so I have to somehow get that across to the audience while also showing them that I’m a naive 13-year-old who is simply defying her parents,” said Duggan. “I feel that I’m taking on Juliet’s character in a way that will make sense to the audience and will also allow them to feel her pain and sorrow.”

Brett St. Onge and Mikaela Davis Sargent rehearse a fight scene.

As St. Onge and Duggan take on the challenge of their roles, Mikaela Davis Sargent finds her challenge a little different. In assigning her the character, Tybalt, Zahler challenged gender roles.  It’s one of the modern takes Zahler put into the production.

“Putting such hotheaded and aggressive attributes into a female role is something I haven’t had to do before, but it’s fun working through it,” said Davis Sargent. 

The production includes another nontraditional aspect — dancing. The production incorporates dancing into the fight scenes, paired with upbeat and modern music. 

During his research, Zahler looked at breakdance from the 1980s. One of the styles they found was rivalry performance, which gangs in NYC used to propel violence without actually fighting. They also used a French dance form called Apache, which is fighting carried out in dance.

“So, there’s dancing – choreographed by the same student playing Romeo, fights, romance, comedy, and heart-breaking tragedy…with an amazing cast of students,” said Zahler.

“Romeo and Juliet” runs Nov. 21 – 23 at 7:30 p.m. and Nov. 24 at 2 p.m. Purchase tickets through VPABoxOffice@worcester.edu or call (508) 929-8843. Tickets are $14 general public, $10 seniors and $7 students.

WSU Students Take Musical Skills to New Levels in VPA’s Applied Music Program

by Christina Cronin, VPA PR and Marketing Intern

For students with a penchant for performing — for strumming the guitar, plunking a tune on the piano, stroking the violin, blowing a wind instrument or belting out a tune — Worcester State offers an opportunity to improve skills and perform on stage through its applied music program. The Program also offers students credit toward their degrees.

Tayla Aleci during a previous performance.

The applied music program offers voice and instrument lessons to students over the course of a semester. In the middle of the semester, students audition for lessons for the fall or spring semesters. At the end of the semester, students perform in the Fall or Spring Mosaic of Music, a showcase of the students’ acquired talents. 

The deadline to audition for the spring semester is Nov. 20.

The Fall Mosaic includes an array of students doing vocal performances of different Christmas songs. The students worked with Instructor Julie Krugman to find songs that best suit their voice type and how they portray the story they are telling through the song. 

Tayla Aleci has been involved with the program for four semesters. Being a VPA major going into music, she thought voice lessons would benefit her in the future. Joining the Applied Music program taught her how to know her abilities and limits as a musician. 

“Before, I wasn’t sure of any of that. By working with Julie, we’ve found my comfortable spots and where my limitations are,” said Aleci. “I’ve also learned more about how I can use my voice to teach students, hoping I’ll be a music teacher in the near future.”

This semester will be Aleci’s last Mosaic performance. She is looking forward to her song choice for this performance.

Chantal Thomas rehearsing for the upcoming Fall Mosaic.

For Chantal Thomas, who joined the program in the Spring of 2019, she feels that she is already learning to control her voice better. “I never knew there was so much that goes into singing, but now that I have this knowledge, it allows me to sing much better. Because I am singing better, it is more enjoyable,” said Thomas. 

Thomas is performing “O Holy Night” in the Mosaic. She said this is harder than anything she’s sung before, and she loves the challenge that comes with preparing for the performance.

Aleci and Thomas agreed that the applied music program provides the opportunity for students to take lessons who never got the chance to do so in the past. It allows students to test their voice or ability to play an instrument and see what works or does not work for them.

Although this is her final semester in the program, Aleci plans to continue with her music. She plans on using what she’s learned to pursue a career as a music teacher. 

“Julie has helped me by preparing me for vocal warm ups I may use with students, and other activities that use vocalizations,” said Aleci. “Everything I’ve learned will be going to use when I am able to teach students in elementary school music.”

Thomas would like to take these lessons and use them in a talent competition in the future. She wishes to continue with voice lessons after she graduates. 

Aleci and Thomas are just two of many students taking part in the applied music program and performing in the Fall Mosaic. The audience can expect a variety of holiday songs performed by WSU students. 

“It is just going to be very fun and high spirited,” said Thomas. “I know each of us have spent hours trying to perfect these songs so it will be great to see the outcome.”

The deadline to audition for the program for the spring semester is Nov. 20. To apply for the program, visit https://www.worcester.edu/Applied-Music-Lesson-Application/ or contact Kyle Martin at vpamusic@worcester.edu. The Fall Mosaic takes place on Dec. 10 at 7 p.m. in the Fuller Theater. The event is FREE and open to the public.