January 2014

The ink dries as Transylvania professors release book about The Lexington Tattoo Project

Posted on January 31, 2014July 14, 2020 by Office of Marketing and Communications

LEXINGTON, Ky.―It’s been a whirlwind two years for Transylvania University art professor Kurt Gohde and English professor Kremena Todorova, who conceived the wildly popular and nationally acclaimed Lexington Tattoo Project. The tattoos are long healed, and now the only ink waiting to dry is the publisher’s process ink for their new 160-page full-color coffee table book, due to be released Friday, Feb. 7, during an event at the Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning. A multi-phase, multi-media artwork, The Lexington Tattoo Project boldly asked Lexingtonians to volunteer their bodies as the canvas for an inked phrase from an original poem about their beloved Bluegrass city. Gohde and Todorova asked author, poet and Transylvania graduate Bianca Spriggs to write a love letter to Lexington, which resulted in “Lexington is the ___________ of the Universe.” The poem, written in contrapuntal form, incorporated words provided by Facebook friends to fill in the blank. As the 253 participants were inked, Gohde and Todorova photographed each tattoo. Finally, a video was created by digitally stitching together all the photographs, which were cleverly designed to create a secondary image when viewed together. The video includes Spriggs reading the poem, underscored by a contrapuntal music composition by singer-songwriter Ben Sollee. The video premiered on Nov. 15, 2013, during PRHBTN, Lexington’s annual street-art festival, to a wildly enthusiastic audience. “Like so many other parts of the Lexington Tattoo Project, this book is a result of collaborative effort,” said

Read “The ink dries as Transylvania professors release book about The Lexington Tattoo Project”

Gregory Turay to perform two pieces by Vaughan Williams

Posted on January 30, 2014July 14, 2020 by Office of Marketing and Communications

LEXINGTON, Ky.—Tenor Gregory Turay knows about journeys, not only in distances logged by frequent flyer miles but paths taken when one follows one’s heart. So it’s no surprise that the Metropolitan Opera singer will perform two wayfarer song cycles, “Songs of Travel” and “On Wenlock Edge,” written by prolific English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams, for a concert in his hometown of Lexington, Ky., Wednesday, Feb. 12, at 7:30 p.m. at Transylvania University’s Carrick Theater. The concert is free and open to the public. The hour-long concert features the six-part song cycle “On Wenlock Edge” for voice, piano and string quartet and the world premiere of John Greer’s arrangement of “Songs of Travel,” a nine-part song cycle for voice and piano. There will be a brief intermission between the two compositions. “I wanted to do a recital of “On Wenlock Edge” because I love the piece,” said Turay. “It’s been a passion of mine since I performed it almost 20 years ago in Charleston, S.C., at the Spoleto Festival with Charles Wadsworth. And then John Greer, my accompanist, suggested the ‘Songs of Travel,’ as he had been working on an arrangement of them for piano and string quartet; it was a perfect marriage!” Turay’s journey into the opera world began in 1995 when he competed and won at the national level of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. He was awarded a place in the opera’s Young Artist Development Program, which

Read “Gregory Turay to perform two pieces by Vaughan Williams”

Transylvania to host Kentucky/Indiana All-Star Classic in June

Posted on January 30, 2014July 14, 2020 by Office of Marketing and Communications

LEXINGTON, Ky.—The intense basketball rivalry between Kentucky and Indiana will electrify downtown Lexington June 13 when the Kentucky/Indiana All-Star Classic comes to Transylvania University’s beautiful Clive M. Beck Athletic and Recreation Center. Though the event—which matches the top boys and girls high school seniors in Kentucky against the best in Indiana, including the “Mr. and Miss Basketball” award winners—launched in 1940, 2014 will mark just the sixth time it will be held in Lexington and the first time since 1996. The Bluegrass Sports Commission (BSC) and the Kentucky Lions Eye Foundation (KLEF) announced Jan. 29 that they had agreed to a three-year contract to bring the event to Lexington. WKYT-TV (Lexington) will televise the games live on the CW in Lexington and WYMT in Hazard. And plans call for syndicating a statewide network of TV stations to broadcast the games across the Commonwealth. “This is a very exciting announcement for us,” said Terry Johnson, executive director of the BSC. “We are honored to work with Transylvania, WKYT and others to host an event with such a rich history that supports the amazing work of the Kentucky Lions Eye Foundation.” Located on one of the nation’s most historic college campuses, Transylvania’s Beck Center is a state-of-the-art facility in the heart of downtown Lexington. It seats 1,200 in an intimate setting perfect for high-stakes basketball. Transylvania’s storied basketball program has used the facility for its NCAA Division III games since 2001. Free

Read “Transylvania to host Kentucky/Indiana All-Star Classic in June”

Pat Deacon honored for her lifelong commitment to women’s sports

Posted on January 27, 2014July 14, 2020 by Office of Marketing and Communications

LEXINGTON, Ky.—When Pat Deacon was a student at the University of Kentucky in the 1950s, there were no intercollegiate sports programs for women, at least not as we know them today. Women who enjoyed athletic competition could participate in sports organized under the auspices of the Physical Education Department. There were no uniforms, no training facilities and no coaches. But there were occasional games against nearby colleges, and Deacon took advantage of the opportunity to play basketball and field hockey. It was not until the passage of Title IX in 1972 that women slowly began to have equal access to sports programs, sports funding and regular competition. That was the same year that Deacon arrived at Transylvania University, where she blazed the trail for women’s athletics until her retirement in 1999. During that period, Deacon served at various times as women’s athletics director, associate athletics director, women’s intramural sports director and physical education professor, in addition to her head coaching positions. She pioneered the modern era of women’s basketball at Transylvania, leading the team through 16 seasons and more than 150 wins. Over 29 seasons, her field hockey teams set the standard among Kentucky colleges, especially with their 98-55-3 record from 1979-88, when they won eight state championships in a row. Deacon was elected to Transylvania’s Pioneer Hall of Fame in 2000. And on Sunday, Feb. 2—National Girls and Women in Sports Day—the University of Kentucky, where Deacon earned both

Read “Pat Deacon honored for her lifelong commitment to women’s sports”

Compelling entertainer Noah Griffin shares his journey of discovery

Posted on January 23, 2014July 14, 2020 by Office of Marketing and Communications

LEXINGTON, Ky.—How did a Civil War regiment of African American soldiers shape the America of today? The multifaceted Noah Griffin—singer, performer, historian, poet, TV and radio personality, inspirational speaker, former political campaign aide, and graduate of Harvard Law School—will present “The Massachusetts 54th Regiment: Storming the Ramparts for Today’s America” at Transylvania University’s Carrick Theater in the Mitchell Fine Arts Center on Tuesday, February 4, at 7 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. The 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment was the first unit of African American soldiers to be recruited in the North to serve in the Civil War. Its history provides insight into the complexities of the nation during the Civil War and, according to Griffin, a better understanding of contemporary America. Griffin will speak about his personal search for “the most valiant regiment in the Civil War, which opened the door for black citizenship, the vote and the America of today where we have the first African American president.” Griffin’s life’s journey has come full circle. Gifted in song at an early age, but drawn to explore many of his other talents, Griffin realigned his priorities after a stroke and paralysis in later life compelled him to return to singing. Now he combines his art with his other gifts to inspire audiences to think about larger issues and to pursue “what you were intended to do in life…[to] live your dream.” Griffin’s lecture is

Read “Compelling entertainer Noah Griffin shares his journey of discovery”