In The News
October 16, 2009 | 6:00 am
Joseph Lewis III, a former chair of Cal State Northridge's art department who also supervised public art projects for L.A.'s Cultural Affairs Department, was named Thursday as dean of UC Irvine's Claire Trevor School of the Arts.
Lewis, 56, will take his new post at the beginning of the spring term next March, ending a five-year tenure as dean of the School of Art & Design at Alfred University, about 100 miles from Buffalo in western New York -- where the university's communications director reported that it began snowing Thursday, with an advisory of four to six inches today
In a statement announcing the appointment, UCI's chancellor, Michael Drake, cited Lewis as "both a recognized artist and a gifted administrator."
Lewis said it isn't the warm weather that's bringing him back to Southern California after eight years (he left Northridge in 2001 to become dean of the School of Art and Design at New York City's Fashion Institute of Technology), but the chance to tap into all the experience accumulated during a genre-hopping creative career that has included acting, songwriting, performance art, photography and fine arts. Family is a factor too: Lewis said his wife, Phuong, a master's degree candidate in business administration at Alfred, hails from Corona, and they'll be close to her family. The couple has a 5-year-old son, Joey.
Heading a school with departments of drama, dance, music and studio art, plus a program in arts and technology, Lewis said, he'll be in "an environment where I could use all my talents.... My jobs have used 10 to 15 percent of my experience, and UC Irvine offers me the opportunity to use my entire experience. I jumped at the chance."
Lewis said he grew up in Manhattan's Hell's Kitchen neighborhood, the son of a singer-songwriter who
sang backup for Harry Belafonte and whose work was recorded by Odetta and Fred Neil. After graduating from Hamilton College in Clinton, N.Y., Lewis helped to found Fashion Moda, an alternative arts space in the South Bronx, and served as its director. He went on to earn a master's degree from the Maryland Institute College of Art, and taught at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh before coming to L.A. in 1991 and staying for 10 years.
Lewis, whose salary will be $195,000 -- minus a 9% cut and furlough requirement due to the state's budget crisis -- will succeed two musicians who have served as UC Irvine's arts deans since 2003. Concert pianist Nohema Fernandez stepped down in mid-2008 and remains on leave, with plans to return to her arts and music professorship. Since then, the acting dean has been Alan Terricciano, a pianist and composer who previously chaired the dance department and has collaborated with its noted choreographer, Donald McKayle.
Lewis said his most widely seen work in Southern California is "Twelve Principles" (pictured), a 1994 public art piece at the Pacific Coast Highway Metro Blue Line station in Long Beach that consists of 12 symbolic discs. He said he created graphic representations of words such as "family," "communication" and "hope" that kept popping up during his preparatory interviews with people in Long Beach's different racial and ethnic communities, reflecting what he saw as their common aspirations.
-- Mike Boehm
DAILY PILOT
Published Thursday, October 15, 2009 6:20 PM PDT
Local News
New dean named for UC Irvine arts school
Artist, educator and educator Joseph S. Lewis III has been named dean of the Claire Trevor School of the Arts at UC Irvine, effective March 24, 2010.
“Joseph Lewis is both a recognized artist and a gifted administrator who has experience with strategic planning, fundraising and stewardship, curriculum and program development, budget management, and community-partnership building,” UCI Chancellor Michael Drake said in a news release. “I am excited to welcome this dynamic and energetic leader to our university.”
Lewis has been the dean of the School of Art & Design in the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University in New York since 2004. The school merges art and technology.
Lewis worked on improving the school’s reputation, developing international programs, working with donors and developing a new mission and vision for the school with faculty. He also oversees the school’s University Gallery.
In the past, Lewis has been a public arts administrator for the city of Los Angeles; a foundation project manager; and director and co-counder of a fashion institution.
“Being appointed dean of the Claire Trevor School of the Arts is one of the most energizing events in my professional career,” Lewis said in a release. “The support and trust of the UC Irvine community is truly humbling. I look forward to working with students, faculty, alumni and friends, and staff to build upon the school’s record of achievement, creative excellence and innovation.”
For more information, visit uci.edu.
— Candice Baker
Construction resumes on new arts building at UCI
June 16th, 2009, 10:52 am by Paul Hodgins
Almost six months ago, California’s budget woes halted construction on a number of projects on local campuses, including UC Irvine’s ambitious New Media Arts Building.
Alan Terricciano, acting dean of UCI’s Claire Trevor School of the Arts, recently announced that work will resume on the four-story structure (that’s an artist’s rendition, left).
In a letter to colleagues, Terricciano wrote that the university administration “has identified the building as the campus’s top priority.” The Office of the UC President notified Terricciano on June 10 that construction would recommence soon, and that negotiations with the construction company had ensured that the work would start quickly and cost effectively.
A UCI spokesperson said construction had resumed as of today.
Here’s UCI’s description of the planned facility, although given the delay the projected opening date of 2010 now seems unrealistic:
The five-story, 59,000-square-foot building will provide facilities for new types of technology-driven instruction, research, and performance space when it is completed in 2010. Included in the building are digital arts instruction labs, motion capture studio, visual design studio, rehearsal haslls, art gallery, mixed-media performance space, sound design studio lab and offices.
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June 16, 2009 from OC Metro Minute/Online
http://www.ocmetro.com/ocmetro-videos.aspx?bcpid=1847353396&bclid=1859711591&bctid=25967057001
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June 4, 2009 from the Orange County Register
THREE FROM O.C. ADVANCE ON "SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE"
By Peter Larsen
For the second year in a row, the Top 20 on "So You Think You Can Dance" includes three dancers from Orange County, fans of the Fox dance contest learned on Thursday night (June 4). They include:
Asuka Kondoh, a 25-year-old from Irvine whose fast footwork and uniqueness as an Asian-American competing in Latin ballroom dance helped her stand out from the pack.
Ade Obayomi, a 20-year-old Chapman University student who almost didn't bother auditioning after being cut during the Vegas round a year ago.
And Melissa Sandvig, a 29-year-old from Los Alamitos whose initial audition prompted the judges to nickname her "The Naughty Ballerina."At UCI, she majored in dance, graduating in 2007, and eventually specialized in Latin ballroom – dances such as the cha cha, rumba and jive.
Asuka Kondoh,a UCI dance graduate, is among the Top 20 on "So You Think You Can Dance."
Kondoh first tried out for "SYTYCD" a year ago, making it to Las Vegas before getting cut. Even with that experience, coming into the auditions this year she didn't' know whether it would make a difference.
"You really don't know," she says, sitting in a Hollywood photography studio on Wednesday, dressed in what can best be described as a lingerie-inspired dress and shiny black boots.
"Especially with this kind of a competition. They may like you (at the audition) but when you get to Vegas, you're competing with so many great dancers, you just don't know."
Kondoh stayed in Irvine after graduation, working as a children's dance instructor and practicing daily with her partner, Ricky Sun, who made it to Las Vegas with her but no further.
"I think it's all a mental game," Kondoh says of what it will take for her to stick around and maybe win the contest. "Because at this point, all 20 dancers are gorgeous, we're all really good, and none of us want to go home.
"So at this point, it's who's the toughest mentally. And I feel I'm ready."
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June 2, 2009
SCHOOL AWARDS HONORS IN STAGE MANAGEMENT
The top ranked Drama Department of UC Irvine's Claire Trevor School of the Arts has awarded Chelsea De Jesus, a third-year undergraduate student, and Solia Martinez-Jacobs, a second-year undergraduate, Honors in Stage Management, its highest undergraduate achievement in that area, announced Don Hill, drama vice chair and head of stage management.
"Admission to the Honors in Stage Management Program is highly competitive," Hill explained. "Only truly exceptional students (less than 20 percent of those eligible) are admitted. The work and achievements of both Chelsea and Solia personify the exemplary results of our program."
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June 2, 2009
DANCE PROFESSOR MOLLY LYNCH HONORED
Claire Trevor School of the Arts has selected Assistant Professor of Dance Molly Lynch as the recipient of this year's Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award, announced Alan Terricciano, the School's acting dean. Lynch received the honor at the 16th Annual Celebration of Teaching, which was held recently at the University Club.
"I am very honored to be selected from the entire School of the Arts faculty to receive this award," said Lynch. "I care about the students and their education and development, and it is great to be acknowledged for the work I do."
Her most recent honors include the Irvine Barclay Theatre's 2008 Jade Award for her extraordinary leadership and creativity; the 2007 Outstanding Arts Organization Award from Arts Orange County for her National Choreographers Initiative; and the 2001 Choo San Goh Award for Choreography.
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May 22, 2009
DONALD MCKAYLE RECEIVES HONORARY DOCTORATE
UC Irvine's Claire Trevor Professor of Dance Donald McKayle was honored today with an Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree from the Juilliard School in New York. McKayle was one of six luminaries in dance, drama and music to be honored at the renowned school's 104th Commencement Ceremony.
The New York-born McKayle, who has been with UCI for 20 years, began his career in Dance more than 60 years ago and has choreographed more than 90 works for dance companies around the world. His choreographic masterworks are considered modern dance classics, and his contributions to the world of Dance have earned him a citation as "one of America's irreplaceable dance treasures" by the Dance Heritage Coalition and a medal from the Kennedy Center as a Master of African-American Choreography. His choreography for Broadway musicals such as Sophisticated Lady (1981) and Raisin (1973) earned him five Tony Award nominations.
He has served on the faculty of many prestigious institutions, including Juilliard, Bennington College, Bard College, American Dance Festival and Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival. Dr. McKayle was dean of the School of Dance at the California Institute of the Arts and currently is artistic director of UCI's Etude Ensemble, which he founded in 1995.
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June 16, 2009 from the Orange County Register
OC Register - Alan Terricciano
Your houseplants as instruments
Wired house plants are transformed into musical instruments for CTSA Dean Alan Terricciano. The classically trained pianist and composer is a maestro on cactus and palms!