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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...

Carnegie Calling: Antonio's Musical Journey

Vocal arts major has confidence, work ethic to succeed as well as a passion to help artists from diverse backgrounds By Greg Hardesty Bay Area native Antonio Richard Lee was in the eighth grade when he first saw Carnegie Hall while on a field trip with drama students from American Canyon...

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...

Arts Advocates: John Evans

MUSIC MAN Q&A with John Evans Throughout John Evans’ life, including his long career in banking, he has been a devoted fan of chorale and symphonic music and sings and has played several instruments. In addition to being a longtime supporter of the Claire Trevor School of the Arts’...

Masters of Production

Meet the Creatives Behind Every Theatrical Production By Christine Byrd Behind the scenes of every musical, play, opera and dance production put on by Claire Trevor School of the Arts is a hardworking team of production professionals. They sew the costumes, build the sets, create the props,...

Intersection of Art and Education

In November, the Claire Trevor School of the Arts collaborated with the Segerstrom Center for the Arts to present "Creative Wayfinding: Teaching Artist Panel." The event illuminated new pathways for CTSA students in their creative journeys. Dean Tiffany López expressed, "The night was more than a...

A Life Experience in E minor

UCI Symphony Orchestra performs in a masterclass with Pacific Symphony Music Director Carl St.Clair By Greg Hardesty On a recent evening, Savanna Jolie Nygard took her seat on stage inside the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts. As principal...

Arts Advocates: Socorro Vasquez

EMPOWERING YOUTH Q&A with Socorro Vasquez Socorro Vasquez is a community leader who is passionate about bringing arts to young people across Orange County and has been involved with the Claire Trevor School of the Arts for more than 15 years. She is a board member emeritus of The Wooden...

Creating a Professional Pipeline for the Arts

Long in the planning, generous support from donor is the catalyst behind the Arts Launch Internship Program By Greg Hardesty Steve Sorenson is an avid supporter of the arts, but ask him to sing, act, paint, or play the guitar, and, well… “I have zero artistic talent,” he says with a...

Chantrell M. Lewis to be honored at Orange County Arts Awards

By Mia Hammett At 26, Chantrell M. Lewis (M.F.A. ’22, Drama) has built a strong arts career in service of other people. A creative polymath devoted to all things arts and education, Lewis is a multi-talented performer, author and teaching artist who treats the impact of her work with sincere...

More than Just a Phase

L.A. Gallery Helps UCI Art Students and Alumni By Richard Chang According to the American Heritage Dictionary, a phase is a temporary manner, attitude or pattern of behavior. But a temporary art space in Los Angeles founded by a UC Irvine M.F.A. graduate seems to have left a lasting impact...

Change Agent: Leading the Way

Third-year M.F.A. artist teams up with professor for ‘Affective Resistance’ exhibition By Greg Hardesty Alberto “Berto” Lule stripped down to his boxer shorts and lay on his back on a sheet of clear plexiglass. He slowly moved into different positions in which he’d been arrested or...

Creative Wayfinding

Roadmaps in the Claire Trevor School of the Arts guide students to artistic success By Christine Byrd When emerging artists come to the Claire Trevor School of the Arts, they encounter more than an art school. Students find themselves at a top-10 public research university nestled in Orange...

Celebrating a Remarkable Year and Embracing a Bright Future

Dear Friends, As we approach the end of an incredible year, I am filled with gratitude and admiration for the exceptional accomplishments we have achieved together. It has been an honor to serve as the new Dean of the Claire Trevor School of the Arts and witness the remarkable talent, passion...

He’s Paid ‘Rent’ in Full

Broadway veteran Telly Leung comes full circle by guest-directing UCI Drama production of landmark 1996 rock musical whose themes particularly resonate in 2023 By Greg Hardesty When he was 16, native New Yorker Telly Leung was a self-described Rent head. He would line up on 41st Street...

Arts Advocates: Goran Matijasevic

BRIDGE BUILDER Q&A with Goran Matijasevic As executive director of the UCI Chief Executive Roundtable, Goran Matijasevic, Ph.D., MBA, serves as an ambassador to the business community. He’s also one of the most avid supporters of the arts at UCI, attending nearly every performance,...

Art + Technology = Innovation

Alum Garnet Hertz’s new book chronicles 100 years of innovative DIY technology practices By Greg Hardesty As a child and teenager, Garnet Hertz lived in two worlds. He grew up in Saskatoon, a city in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. In Saskatoon, snow is on the ground a third of...

Advocating for disAbility in Dance

M.F.A. student Bradford Chin envisions a more inclusive future in dance By Christine Byrd Leotard. Tights. Classical music. To M.F.A. dance student Bradford Chin, these aren’t just universal symbols of ballet but potentially barriers for people who don’t fit a predefined mold. In the...