1780 – The Official Blog of Transylvania University

1780 | The Official Blog of Transylvania University

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Transylvania’s Morlan Gallery season opens with ‘Lake Effect’ exhibition

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LEXINGTON, Ky.⎯Transylvania University’s Morlan Gallery will open its 2018-19 season with “Lake Effect,” an exhibition that has strong ties to the Windy City. Running Sept. 10 through Oct. 18, the free show is part of Transylvania’s New Frontiers feature event series, which asks the public to go beyond the familiar and explore ideas, art and music. “Lake Effect” is facilitated by 1992 Transylvania graduate Trevor Martin, executive director of exhibitions at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. It features four artists connected to that city: Claire Ashley, Susanna Coffey, Jaclyn Mednicov and Maryam Taghavi. Through painting, sculpture, installation and video, their pieces will celebrate color, texture and repetition. “It’s an honor to feature works by these talented artists associated with Chicago, a city that has made broad contributions to the world of art—not only regionally but internationally,” Morlan Gallery Director Andrea Fisher said. “We’re especially excited to have a Transylvania graduate curate this season-opening exhibition.” Martin will discuss the works in “Lake Effect” on Thursday, Sept. 20, at 6 p.m. Laura Bryan, vice president for academic affairs and dean of the university, will host a reception following the talk.   Other special events and hours • Lexington Gallery Hop Reception | Friday, Sept. 21, 5-8 p.m. • Art Talk with Claire Ashley and Jaclyn Mednicov | Thursday, Oct. 18, 6 p.m. followed by a closing reception • Evening Hours | Wednesday, Sept. 26, 6:30-7:30 p.m. and Tuesday, Oct. 9, 6:30-7:30 p.m.

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New program director leads Transylvania Theater’s 2018-19 season

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LEXINGTON, Ky.– Transylvania University’s 2018-19 theater season will feature four productions—from the contemporary to Shakespeare—under the leadership of Tosha Fowler, the new Lucille C. Little Chair of Theater and program director. All productions will be in Little Theater and are free to the public thanks to the generous support of the Dixon-White Fund. Transylvania Theater will benefit from Fowler’s extensive professional career in theater as an actor, director, producer, teacher and playwright in both Chicago and Atlanta. Hailed as the “fearless leader” of her founding company, Cor Theatre, she was named “One of the Top People Who Really Perform” by Newcity Chicago. Additionally, Fowler has taught at The Theatre School at DePaul University, Kent State University, Green Shirt Studios and Georgia Southern University. “I could not be more excited to join the Transy faculty and to work with the Lexington theater community,” Fowler said. “It is an exciting time to create theater in this thriving city, and I am ready to get to work. I plan on collaborating with local talent and bring in colleagues from across the country to enrich the Transylvania Theater experience.” From Nov. 1-10, Fowler will direct a production of “Stupid F—ing Bird,” a heartfelt, irreverent remix of Chekhov’s “The Seagull” by Aaron Posner. Featuring an ensemble of writers, actors and those who choose to watch, it will tickle, tantalize and incite the audience to consider how art, love and revolution fuel the pursuit of happiness. On

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Renowned guests to discuss civility in Transylvania’s Creative Intelligence Series

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LEXINGTON, Ky.—A focus on civility—what it is and how we understand it—plays a leading role in Transylvania University’s Creative Intelligence Series 2018-2019, which includes a variety of speakers and performances. From a lecture by a world-renowned author to a Grammy-nominated oratorio to discussion with an award-winning podcaster, the community is invited to consider this year’s campus theme.  “The 2018-19 Creative Intelligence series features artists, scholars and media makers who crack open the concept of civility in dynamic and unexpected ways,” said Zoé Strecker, an art professor and director of Creative Intelligence and special academic programming. “My hope is that these guests will give us the tools and inspiration to expand our sense of civility and to put it into action. It is a tremendous privilege to share these constructive experiments with the community at large.” All of Transylvania’s Creative Intelligence events are free, and the public is encouraged to attend. The series is part of Transylvania’s New Frontiers season, which asks us to go beyond the familiar with new ideas, art and music. Highlights from the 2018-2019 Creative Intelligence series are: Dylan Marron, a popular podcaster who engages people who have been uncivil toward him, on Oct. 8 The Smith Concert Series presentation “Considering Matthew Shepard,” a choral drama featuring the Grammy-winning Conspirare singers, on Oct. 9 James Mustich, author of the upcoming “1,000 Books to Read Before You Die: A Life-Changing List,” on Oct. 18 Susan Weinstein, who brings

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Transylvania University announces 2018-2019 feature event series New Frontiers

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This year, the public is invited to go beyond the familiar and explore ideas, art and music with a new feature event series hosted on the campus of Transylvania University.  The New Frontiers 2018-2019 season focuses on the university’s year-long campus theme—civility—and the debate over its role in shaping citizens and communities.   Through presentations from such innovators as author Sir Salman Rushdie, digital creator Dylan Marron and data visualization artists Hasan Elahi and Laurie Frick, New Frontiers embraces multiple disciplines, backgrounds and perspectives in a process that is vastly challenging, entertaining and, ultimately, transformative.  “In a world that is at once fragile, unyielding, complex and searching for direction, Transylvania’s New Frontiers season draws on the arts, humanities and sciences to explore who we are as humans and how we relate,” President Seamus Carey said. Events in the New Frontiers series are free and open to the public. Some events require reservations.  New Frontiers season highlights include signature performances and lectures, as well as selected events from the Transylvania Creative Intelligence Series, including: “Considering Matthew Shepard,” a choral drama featuring the Grammy-winning Conspirare on Oct. 9  James Mustich, author of “1000 Books to Read Before You Die: A Life-Changing List” on Oct. 18 “Data, Mine” art talk and exhibition with Hasan Elahi and Laurie Frick on Jan. 24 Shaun Leonardo, an award-winning artist who uses performance practice to unravel the complexities of human interaction on Feb. 27 Sir Salman Rushdie,

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Transylvania adds faculty members for new academic year

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LEXINGTON, Ky.—Four new full-time faculty members will join Transylvania University for the start of the 2018-19 academic year on Sept. 4. The three professors and endowed chair will contribute to the university’s centuries-old tradition of excellence in teaching through their fields of theater, music, education and exercise science. “We are excited to welcome these four faculty members to campus as we embark on a new academic year,” said Laura Bryan, vice president for academic affairs and dean of the university. “They bring a wealth of experience and enthusiasm that will enrich the learning environment here at Transylvania.” The new faculty members include Tosha Fowler, who is Transylvania’s Lucille C. Little Chair of Theater and the director of the Theater Program. An educator, director and actor, she spent the past 11 years in Chicago’s thriving arts scene. Fowler is the founding executive artistic director of that city’s Cor Theatre. She also taught at The Theatre School at DePaul University, where she received an MFA in acting. Her other experience includes serving as an instructor of drama workshops for Urban Hope, a program for inner-city youths in Savannah, Georgia. Most recently, Fowler was a visiting professor for the School of Theatre and Dance at Kent State University. Also joining Transylvania’s Division of Fine Arts this fall is Regan MacNay, who is the university’s new assistant professor of music and director of choral activities. She received her Doctor of Musical Arts in choral

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