The new year has started with a bang in Humanities and the Arts. Professor Aaron Lington’s Grammy award has everyone buzzing with excitement about the talented faculty in our midst. The Pacific Mambo Orchestra, of which Professor Lington is a founding member, won in the Best Tropical Album category for their self-titled album. Learn more.
Looking back on last year, I cannot help but feel tremendously proud about the accomplishments of the College. The fall 2013 celebrations around the Art Centennial went off without a hitch. Exhibits continue through the spring, and the gorgeous catalog is available for purchase through the Art and Art History Department for those who miss the shows.
In December, we were privileged to host the great American filmmaker Ken Burns, when he received the 2013 Steinbeck Award. Mr. Burns spent the afternoon with enthralled students, faculty, and staff in dialogue about telling America’s stories through film. Watch the video. The sold-out evening event featured Mr. Burns in conversation with KQED’s Michael Krasny. Past winners include influential artists and public figures, such as Bruce Springsteen, John Mellencamp, Rachel Maddow, and Michael Moore.
The numerous events sponsored by the Center for Literary Arts, the Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies, and the new Steinbeck in the Schools site created for teachers and students by the Martha Heasley Cox Center for Steinbeck Studies are just a few examples of the ongoing programming that nourishes our university and our community.
This spring holds the promise of many amazing events in the College, including a College-wide celebration of the 75th anniversary of the publication of Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath. The School of Music and Dance will be collaborating with the Department of TV, Radio, Film, and Theatre to produce both the opera and the theatre production of this great American novel. For tickets, please visit the School of Music and Dance or TV, Radio, Film, and Theatre. In addition to numerous exhibits in the Natalie and James Thompson Gallery and the March 6 inaugural Kazuki Fukuda-Abe Lecture Series in Contemporary Japanese Art event, we also will be opening our College Student Success Center this semester in Clark Hall, which will provide an opportunity for students to receive enhanced advising, career services, and internship opportunities. Finally, we look forward to hosting a Donor Recognition Event on April 22 from 3-5pm to honor the supporters who so generously contribute to scholarships and program support in H&A.
The College of Humanities & the Arts has created this newsletter, Expressions, as a vehicle for publicizing our accomplishments, probing the impacts of humanities and arts education, and celebrating all aspects of the creativity that we nurture in our students and the surrounding community. Just as SJSU is Powering Silicon Valley, the College of Humanities and the Arts is Powering Creativity. But we need your help to tell others about the wonderful work we have done for more than 100 years to promote excellence in liberal arts education.
Please help us spread the word about the high-quality, high-impact educational experiences we provide in H&A! Like us on Facebook and post stories there about the impact SJSU and H&A have had on you and on the community. Or follow us on Twitter, where you can read frequent updates about Humanities & the Arts as well as trends in public higher education nationwide. Please also join our mailing list or share your stories with us. We would love to hear from you.
Sincerely,
Lisa Vollendorf, Dean
