Faculty News

That’s Show Biz

Don Hill makes his final curtain call after 20 years with CTSA By Christine Byrd Theater is a risky business. No one knows that better than veteran stage manager and producer Don Hill, who left the Nebraska cornfields to ultimately work with legends like Carol Burnett and Patti Lupone....

CTSA Awards the 2023-24 Research & Innovation Grants

The Research and Innovation Advisory Committee (RI Committee), composed of esteemed faculty members representing each department within the Claire Trevor School of the Arts (CTSA), rigorously evaluated an influx of 33 research proposals requesting a total of $152,000 for the 2023-2024 academic...

Professor Kevin Appel Named Fellow in Inaugural Clyfford Still Museum Institute Program

Honoring a Legacy of Innovation in Painting and Architecture The Claire Trevor School of the Arts at UC Irvine is pleased to share that Professor Kevin Appel, chair of the Department of Art and executive director of University Art Galleries, has been selected as a fellow in the inaugural cohort...

Professor Jibade-Khalil Huffman: Art Beyond Boundaries

By Mia Hammett Professor Jibade-Khalil Huffman is an accomplished multi-media artist, writer and newly appointed assistant professor of art whose interdisciplinary work runs the gamut of subject, medium and materiality. Huffman’s art draws on personal and collective histories, the aesthetic...

“Turning” a New Page

Andreas Mitisek's innovative approach to opera takes center stage at UCI with Benjamin Britten's The Turn of the Screw, promising a hauntingly immersive experience that pushes the boundaries of traditional opera By Chiara Guastella Andreas Mitisek, renowned for his work as the former director...

Nature's Projection: Jesse Colin Jackson’s New Exhibition Brings the Arts Outdoors

Associate Dean Jackson’s "Plein-Air en Plein Air" for Langson IMCA unveils historical California landscapes in outdoor exhibition at UCI “Plein-Air en Plein Air,” a play on words meaning "outdoors in the outdoors," allows us to experience historical California landscapes in their intended...

ICIT Turns 15

A weekend to remember On March 8-9, 2024, the Department of Music celebrated the 15th anniversary of its graduate program in Integrated Composition, Improvisation, and Technology (ICIT) with a weekend-long series of events. These events included experimental music and innovative musical research...

A Second Act for Ballet in Iran?

A Second Act for Ballet in Iran? A new work, “The White Feather” is inspired by the history of the Iranian National Ballet, which went dark during the Islamic Revolution and was never revived. By Brian Seibert | March 25, 2024 | The New York Times (subscription required) EXCERPT...

In Memoriam: Yong Soon Min (1953-2024)

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of artist, curator, and professor Yong Soon Min. Through her multidisciplinary practice, Min investigated the ongoing Korean War, colonialism, intersections of memory and history, and diasporic identity. She was an innovator in the field of...

Launching into the Arts

Drama's annual Santley Showcase is a springboard for UCI actors By Christine Byrd The Claire Trevor School of  the Arts’ annual Santley Showcase puts the work of graduating actors in front of countless casting directors, agents and managers who hold the potential to make an aspiring star...

Grace on the Keys

Lorna Griffitt and her musical journey By Chiara Guastella Graciously talented and with an extensive background as a musician, Professor Lorna Griffitt strives to be a medium between the composer and the audience through her playing. Griffitt will take the stage at Winifred Smith Hall for the...

Celebrating Black Artists

UCI’s African American faculty members have made creative contributions to culture in dance, drama, art and music With its roots dating to the 1910s, Black History Month was first officially recognized by the U.S. government in 1976 to celebrate the contributions of African Americans to this...

Revolutionizing Musicianship

Professor Mari Kimura and the Fusion of Music and Technology By Chiara Guastella A pioneer in revolutionizing the music field through incorporating technology in her violin playing, Professor Mari Kimura is a composer, business owner and much more. Kimura will take the stage for the third...

Legacy in Motion

World-renowned choreographer Lar Lubovitch is celebrated on his 80th year By Christine Byrd His body may not move the quite same way it once did, but Distinguished Professor Lar Lubovitch’s genius for turning music into dance remains as brilliant as ever as he approaches his 81st birthday...

Beyond the Keys

Yuliya Minina's Artistic Expression and Impact By Chiara Guastella On Friday, February 2, 2024, Dr. Yuliya Minina will take the stage at Winifred Smith Hall for the second performance in the Music Faculty Artist Series. Dr. Minina shared some of her experiences all across the world, her love...

Pioneering Persian Harmony

The Musical Legacy of Professor Hossein Omoumi By Chiara Guastella On Saturday, January 27, 2024, Maseeh Professor in Persian Performing Arts Persian Hossein Omoumi will perform at Winifred Smith Hall, opening the Music Faculty Artist Series for the year. We interviewed Professor Omoumi to...

UCI names three CTSA Newkirk Fellows for 2024

CTSA scholars emerge as Newkirk Fellows, amplifying impact on science and society The University of California, Irvine (UCI) named the Newkirk Fellows for the 2024 academic year. Three Claire Trevor School of the Arts (CTSA) faculty members have been selected, including Annie Loui, professor of...

In Memoriam: Professor Emeritus Keith Fowler

With profound sadness, we announce the passing of Professor Emeritus Keith Fowler from the UC Irvine Claire Trevor School of the Arts Department of Drama. On the evening of Dec. 30, 2023, we lost an esteemed educator and a visionary leader who left an indelible mark on the world of theatre; he was...