Faculty News

2009

Alicia Okouchi-Guy, assistant professor of dance, was commissioned to choreograph for the 18th annual award-winning Ghostwalk for the California Riverside Ballet, City of Riverside and the Mission Inn Foundation & Museum. Her work featured a rotating cast of dancers, musicians and actors that performed live for a total of 30 sold-out performances.

Dr. Grace Fong, director of keyboard studies in the Conservatory of Music, played an American Pianists Association recital at Butler University in Indiana.  Wrote local paper NUVO, "Grace Fong may well be on her way to being considered..the greatest pianistic talent of the 20th century."  To read the entire review, click here. 

Eric Chimenti, art department chair and associate professor of graphic design, was selected along with his students for participation in the book Caffeine for the Creative Team. This is the second book in the series that Professor Chimenti has been included in, created by Chapman Graphic Design alumni Stefan Mumaw (’96) and Wendy Oldfield (’04). The books are published by HOW Books and are available in bookstores nationwide and on amazon.com.

Dr. Grace Fong, director of keyboard studies in the Conservatory of Music, received rave reviews for her recent solo concerts.  The Nevada City Union wrote "Pianist Grace Fong wows at season opener...Fong's thoughtful interpretation [of Chopin] melded a sense of improvisation with warmth... Full of Mozartean humor, it showed off Fong's own wit and sensitivity, as well as impressive fingerwork...The sonata, rhythmically complex and technically dazzling, was stunningly carried off by Fong, by turns passionate, animated and introspective, with enough driving power to exhaust the audience, never mind the performer.  A critic recently described Fong as “absolutely outstanding – and now I've run out of praiseworthy adjectives.” Enough said. Don't you wish you had been there? "  Cocoposts in Albuquerque wrote “After a standing ovation with boisterous BRAVOS she played an encore so elegant I wept...She is modest, personable, and a true virtuoso not to be missed.”  Dr. Fong finishes off this month with a live broadcast on WFYI Indianapolis, a solo recital and master class at Butler University, and a performance of Rhapsody in Blue in Indianapolis, Indiana, as well as a performance of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto no. 2 with the Santa Fe Symphony.

Dr. Baron Kelly, assistant professor of theatre, will star in South Coast Repertory Theatre's production of August Wilson's Fences, opening in January.    In this Pulitzer Prize-winning play, a hard-working family man in the 1950s meets life head-on with dignity, humor, and elegance, but not without frequent stumbles.  The production will be directed by Seret Scott.  South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa is the winner of a Tony Award for distinguished achievement in the theatre.

Eric Chimenti, art department chair and associate professor of graphic design, was selected to design the AIGA Orange County placard and button for the National Convention and Retreat held in June 2009.  He was also asked to present to the national constituents in a breakout session titled “Fostering the Next Generation of Leaders and Increasing Participation in Student Groups” and was the moderator for a “Student Group Involvement” lunch.  Professor Chimenti is the faculty advisor for the Chapman University AIGA Graphic Design Club and the Chair or Education for AIGA Orange County.

Alicia Okouchi-Guy, assistant professor of dance, was invited to have her choreography showcased in the Dance Atak Twilight Choreographer's Showcase in Lakewood, CA. The pas de deux section from her upcoming Fall Dance Concert piece was performed in the concert, featuring dance majors Beth Nicks and David Bagley.

Thomas Bradac, associate professor of theatre, received a matching grant of $ 4,000.00 from Roland Bye, Law Offices in Santa Ana and a $ 2,500.00 grant from the Garden Grove Community Foundation for the 2010 summer season production of Shakespeare’s King Lear to be staged by Shakespeare Orange County in Garden Grove.  Featuring internationally noted actor/playwright Dennis Krausnick in the title role, the company will also feature Michael Nehring, professor of theatre, as Gloucester.

Eric Chimenti, art department chair and associate professor of graphic design, was selected to illustrate and design the fifth consecutive bookmark for the Printing Industries Association, Inc. of Southern California’s (PIASC) ongoing Literacy Campaign.  The bookmarks are distributed to the public libraries in the counties of Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, Riverside, Santa Barbara, Ventura, and San Luis Obispo.

Alicia Okouchi-Guy, assistant professor of dance, was hired to teach a series of master classes in contemporary dance for the California Association of Dance/Drill Team Directors in La Habra, CA. This annual dance convention also included faculty members from So You Think You Can Dance and America’s Best Dance Crew.

Eric Chimenti, art department chair and associate professor of graphic design, designed the corporate identity for BVRC Law, which is displayed outside of their new corporate headquarters in Orange.  Professor Chimenti worked on this project with Shlemmer+Algaze+Associates in Newport Beach.

Alicia Okouchi-Guy, assistant professor of dance, has been commissioned to choreograph a new work for the dance department at Northwest Florida State College. Her contemporary piece “Find A Way” is set for a cast of 15 female dancers who will perform her piece at a variety of venues, but the official premiere of the new work will be at the department’s spring concert, Dance Facets 2010, at the Mattie Kelly Arts Center.

Eric Chimenti, art department chair and associate professor of graphic design, designed a book documenting and celebrating the study abroad course 15th and 16th Century Florence, Rome and Venice:  Rethinking Renaissance Visual Culture, taught in Interterm 2009 with Dr. Liliana Leopardi.  The book is available on Blurb.com.

Dr. Liliana Leopardi, assistant professor of art, is among 20 participants to have been accepted by the Medici Archive Project to participate in the first experimental online course in Italian Paleography, recently created by this prestigious research institute. The course is made possible by a grant from The Samuel H. Kress Foundation and will examine original archival material such as Medici inventories and Michelangelo’s letters.

Donald Guy, assistant professor of theatre, recently designed the lighting for Carnival of Wonders, a magic show for two-time Magicians of the Year Kalin and Jinger at the Soaring Eagle Casino in Mt. Pleasant, MI.  Later this month, he will design the magic show Ghosts! at the Nugget Casino in Reno, NV.

Dr. Baron Kelly, assistant professor of theatre, has been been given the tremendous honor to serve on the Theatre Advisory Panel of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) in Washington D.C. He was tapped by Rocco Landesman, Chairman of the NEA, to serve on the panel in 2010. Dr. Kelly will join other nationally recognized artists and arts experts who will conduct reviews of grant applications submitted to the Arts Endowment. "What I am doing will allow me the opportunity to be exposed to all of the exciting and innovating work that my peers are doing on a national level," Dr. Kelly said. Since 1965, the NEA has distributed more than $3 billion in grants to individuals and organizations, funding that has served as a catalyst for increased state, corporate and foundation support for the arts.

Liz Maxwell, assistant professor of dance, has been invited along with 12 other somatic-based teachers to teach a workshop as a part of the third annual Somafest in Los Angeles.  This Somatic Movement Arts Festival for Conscious Embodiment in Practice, Performance and Daily Life highlights somatic-based performance and Professor Maxwell will also be performing her new work titled “Return”.

Stephen Berens, assistant professor of art, announces that X-TRA, volume 12, issue 1 has been released. This issue of the journal, which Professor Berens co-founded, includes articles on the exhibitions The Art of Two Germanys at LACMA, Contemporary Time-Based Works of Africa at the Fowler Museum and The 2nd Biennial of the End of The World in Ushuaia, Argentina, among others.

Dr. Grace Fong, director of keyboard studies in the Conservatory of Music, was recently filmed and recorded in London for a music video for the award winning C Music TV channel by Oscar-nominated and multi-award winning film director Mike Figgis. Broadcasting to TV networks in Europe, Asia, Africa & the Middle East, the mission of C Music TV is to introduce the public to the world’s finest classical, crossover, and cinematic music videos 24 hours a day. C Music TV works with international record labels and the world's greatest artists and composers to bring these exclusive music videos to the public for the first time.

Robert Becker, assistant professor and director of string studies in the Conservatory of Music, was voted "Artist of the Year" by Arts Orange County. The award was presented at the Samueli Theatre at the Orange County Performing Arts Center (OCPAC) on September 23rd, 2009. Continuing more than 25 years as Principal Viola of the Pacific Symphony, Professor Becker has been invited to write the program essay for all publications for OCPAC's Segerstrom Hall in 2009-2010, which is Maestro Carl St. Clair's 20th anniversary year. This summer, Professor Becker also served as Principal and Solo Viola for ABT's residency at Dorothy Chandler Pavilion as well as for the films Up in the Air, Surrogates, and the season opener for television's Desparate Housewives. Hosting once again the talented students of "The Viola Workout" in June 2009, he was invited to lead workshops in Colorado, California, and Nevada in addition to others this year as an ASTA Viola Fest host.

Daniel Alfred Wachs, director of instrumental studies at the Conservatory of Music, has recently completed his first commercial studio recording. Wachs was the conductor for Kevin Koelbl’s album This Is Christmas Time. The album will be released on November 20 on the LML Music Label.

A paper by Dr. Liliana Leopardi, assistant professor of art, titled “Teaching Visual Thinking to Studio, Graphic Designers and Art History Majors: a Semiotics Approach” has been accepted for publication by the International Journal for the Arts in Society.  The paper, which discusses the development of a course in semiotics at Chapman University, has been recognized as an important contribution to the field as few other art departments offer introductory courses on semiotics designed to foster critical thinking across disciplines and visual material.

Eric Chimenti, art department chair and associate professor of graphic design, had one of his logo designs selected for probable inclusion in Animals and Mythology, the second book in the new Master Library series by LogoLounge.  The series focuses on a very specific exemplary logo design category with examples from artists around the world. The book will be published in 2010 by Rockport.

Susan Montgomery, adjunct professor of voice in the Conservatory of Music, will be performing the soprano solos in Beethoven's 9th Symphony with the Long Beach Symphony on Oct. 17th at 8pm, at the Terrace Theatre, Long Beach. Tickets can be purchased online at LBSO.org or by calling the box office (562) 426-3203, ext. 1.

Brian Cooper, adjunct professor of art, has his work featured this fall in a European book/magazine titled Rojo. The magazine can be viewed online at http://www.rojo-magazine.com/.

Photographic work Stephen Berens, assistant professor of art, made during the 1970s is included in an exhibition titled Altered Land, Photography in the 1970s at the Sheldon Museum of Art in Lincoln, Nebraska. The exhibition opened in August and runs through January 2010. Altered Land showcases the work of many important artists who emerged in the 1960s and matured in the 1970s. Their experiments redefined the medium of photography, taking it to a point beyond which there is no return to purity. The exhibition is drawn from the Sheldon’s permanent collection, one of the most important collections of American art in the U.S. In addition, Professor Berens was notified that the Harn Museum of Art at the University of Florida recently acquired one of his photographs as a gift from a private donor.

Louise Thomas, associate professor of music, was invited once again as a faculty pianist to the nationally-renowned Idyllwild Summer Arts program in August, where she coached and performed with instrumentalists and singers for two weeks. She also had the exciting opportunity to perform with a mezzo-soprano from Arizona Opera and instrumental faculty from the University of Michigan and California's Pacific Trio.

Dr. Janice Park, adjunct professor of piano, and William Fitzpatrick, adjunct professor of violin, are giving a recital on Sunday, September 13 at 4pm at Irvine Valley College Performing Arts Center.  For more information, visit http://www.musishare.net/concert.html.

The Chapman Chamber Orchestra, directed by Daniel Alfred Wachs, assistant professor of music, will be partnering with the world famous Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C., (http://www.phillipscollection.org/) on their upcoming exhibition, Man Ray, African Art and the Modernist Lens from October 10, 2009-January 10, 2010.  The collection with feature the Chapman Chamber Orchestra’s live 2006 performance of Milhaud’s La Creation du Monde as part of the exhibit.

Alicia Okouchi-Guy, assistant professor of dance, taught a series of master classes in modern dance technique and choreography for the Riverside Ballet Arts summer intensive. She was honored to teach the summer intensive with Katrina Killian from the American Ballet Theatre and Clinton Rothwell, former principal dancer from the National Ballet of Canada and the National Ballet of Holland.

Dr. Baron Kelly, assistant professor of theatre, had a watershed of scholarly/creative work this summer.  In May, he taught his course on psycho/physical acting at the National Theatre Academy of Finland and then he went to Florence, Italy for two months to perform in an international company of Italian, British, and American actors in a production of Shakespeare's Macbeth at The Bargello.  The performance won rave reviews and made history as the first English-language Shakespeare performed in a national museum in Italy.  In addition to teaching and performing internationally, Professor Kelly had three publications appear: "Breaking the Apartheid: Blocking Actors of Color in Globalized Multicultural Theatre" in Post National Enquiries: Essays and Ethnic and Racial Border Crossing from Cambridge Scholars Publishing; "Ira Aldridge: Prophet of Protest" in Ira Aldridge 1807-1867:  The Great Shakespearian Tragedian on the Bicentennial Anniversary of his Birth from Peter Lang Publishing; and "Africans in Scandinavia" in Institute of African Studies: Research Review from the University of Ghana.  Baron is presently in negotiations with Focus Publishing to write a book on acting.

Donald Guy, assistant professor of theatre, has been commissioned to serve as the lighting designer for the 19th Annual NAACP Theatre Awards to be held at the Directors Guild of America in Hollywood on August 31st, 2009. The prestigious star-studded gala, titled “A Salute to Black Theatre”, is produced in an effort to honor thespians of color. The ceremony will be hosted by Loretta Devine (Dreamgirls, Grey’s Anatomy, Eli Stone) and Terry Crews (Middle Men, Get Smart, The Longest Yard).

Alicia Okouchi-Guy, assistant professor of dance, was selected to teach a series of master classes in contemporary jazz technique for the California Dance and Movement Workshop for Educators.  Alicia was also commissioned to choreograph a new contemporary piece on a cast of 9 female dancers for the Studio C dance company in Boise, Idaho. Her piece “Walk With Me” will premiere at the Nampa Civic Center in Idaho in January 2010.

Tamiko Washington, associate professor of theatre, recently completed a Scenic Designer/Director Research/Collaboration Workshop at the Kennedy Center with master scenic designer Ming Cho Lee, a prolific world-renowned scenic designer of over forty Broadway productions at theatres including the Arena Stage, Mark Taper Forum, and the Guthrie Theatre.  He is the recipient of the prestigious Tony Award and the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Scenic Design.  He is also a longtime recognized professor of scenic design at Yale University.  Professor Washington was invited to attend this workshop with nine other professional and student directors and designers from across the country from an application pool of one hundred and sixty applicants. 

Thomas Bradac, associate professor of theatre, was interviewed by Paul Hodgins of the Orange County Register about his work with Shakespeare Orange County.  To read the article, visit http://tinyurl.com/npjz2n. 

Peter Atherton, Ph.D., associate professor and director of opera in the Conservatory of Music, has been chosen by Dean William Hall to be the first recipient of the Robert and Norma Lineberger Chair in Music.  Dr. Atherton has had an international operatic and concert career performing throughout the United States and Europe.  He was chosen by Broadway legend Hal Prince to perform on Broadway in The Phantom of the Opera, where he performed six different roles.  For the past eight years Dr. Atherton has been a member of Operafestivaldi Roma, where he has sung leading bass roles.  This summer he will direct Operafestival’s mainstage production of Le nozze di Figaro.

Micol Hebron, assistant professor of art, has new artworks in several venues this summer. She was featured in Los Angeles’ THE magazine as one of two invited artists for the June issue; had 6 photographs on view in Horazdovice, Czech Republic during the month of June; and one of her recent video art works titled "Dare You" is featured in an online exhibition at The Moving Index and will also be screened at the Meridian Gallery in San Francisco in July.  Professor Hebron will also be presenting a new performance art piece at Artist Curated Projects gallery in Los Angeles on July 11th and will have a new video installation in the Rogue Wave exhibition at LA Louver gallery in Venice, CA opening July 16th.  She will present another new performance at David Salow Gallery on July 25th. Finally, one of her video art pieces will be screened later in July at Building Bridges gallery in Tehran, Iran.

John Benitz, assistant professor of theatre, was one of 14 professors from across the country invited to attend The Actor’s Center’s Teacher Development Program in Manhattan this summer.   Participants in this workshop were introduced to some of the most interesting and respected teachers in America and abroad, with the goal of re-enforcing the tenets of the craft of acting to the participants, who would then impart them to their students.  He received a Personalized Education Grant from Chapman to attend the two-week seminar.  Professor Benitz was also busy this spring directing a staged reading of the new play If All the Sky Were Paper at the Odyssey Theatre in Los Angeles.  Professor Benitz has been developing the project with bestselling author Andrew Carroll over the last year.   If All the Sky Were Paper is the first production to feature the best of some 85,000 never-before-seen letters of war, covering the full spectrum of emotions and experiences, from the humorous and profound to the dramatic and inspiring. 

Jennifer Backhaus (’94), adjunct professor of dance, has been named to OC Metro’s “40 Under 40” list, including some of the most successful young movers and shakers in Orange County.  An interview with Ms. Backhaus can be found at http://www.ocmetro.com/t-CoverStory_40Under40_25_JENNIFER_BACKHAUS0509.aspx.

Liz Maxwell, assistant professor of dance, was invited to perform her solo “Return” in Anatomy Riot, an ongoing monthly dance/performance series curated by Meg Wolfe and guest curators to provide a platform for local artists to share new and upcoming works.  This installment was a collection of dance works guest curated by UC Riverside professor Anna B. Scott and UCLA graduate student Arianne Hoffman.

Stephen Berens, assistant professor of art, recently gave a lecture about his photographs at the Solway Jones Gallery in Los Angeles as part of the Month of Photography Los Angeles, of which the  mission is to “advance dynamic programming designed to engage and stimulate the photography community, as well as to present a comprehensive resource of exhibitions and events in April 2009.”

Alicia Okouchi-Guy, assistant professor of dance, was selected to have her piece “gone” performed in the inaugural Kaleidoscope:  An Invitation to Dance concert at the Northwood Performing Arts Theater in Irvine, CA. The invitational was created to celebrate the best of classical and contemporary dance and included more than a dozen Southern California dance companies and universities performing outstanding works by dance icons including Balanchine, Neumeier, McKayle, Petipa and Bournonville.  “gone” featured four Chapman University dance majors and lighting design recreated by Donald Guy, assistant professor of theatre.

Dr. Liliana Leopardi, assistant professor of art, delivered a paper entitled "Performativity, Ritual and Ornament in Carlo Crivelli's Paintings" at the International Congress on Medieval Studies, Western Michigan University, on May 9, 2009.  The paper argued that Crivelli's Ornato was the appropriate decorative form to physically signify the sanctity of the painted panel and the rupture with the mundane.

Donald Guy, assistant professor of theatre, has been commissioned by master magicians Mark Kalin and Jinger Leigh to serve as the lighting designer for their upcoming production of Carnival of Wonders. The production will open this summer at the Trump Plaza in Atlantic City, NJ for an extended run before moving to Las Vegas, NV in September. The production team includes Director Joanie Spina (former co-director and choreographer for David Copperfield) and Jim Steinmeyer (world-renowned illusion & special effects designer).

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art recently purchased ten artist-books from Stephen Berens, assistant professor of art.  The books were selected by Charlotte Cotton, LACMA’s Photography Curator.

Steve Nalepa, adjunct professor in the Conservatory of Music, recently released his Flatlands triple album (originals, remixes, videos) on 1320 Records. The title song “Flatlands” is featured in Visionaire 53: Sound, which consists of five 12-inch vinyl records, imprinted with images and packaged inside a specially-produced domed case, containing more than 100 minutes of sound content also including David Byrne, U2, Lalo Schifrin, Liza Minelli, Danger Mouse, Yoko Ono and more. In addition, his Advanced Music Technology class has launched their own record label, the students creating their own four-song EPs. They will each perform their music live at the record release party on Saturday, May 16 in Crean Orchestral Recital Hall starting at 8pm.

Eric Chimenti, Art Department chair and head of the Graphic Design program, has been selected to represent the Illustration Department in the upcoming Alumni Gallery Show at the Savannah College of Art and Design in December 2009.

Stephen Berens, assistant professor of art, announces that X-Tra volume 11 issue 3 has been released.  The journal was co-founded by Professor Berens and he currently serves as one of its editors.  This issue includes articles by numerous highly regarded art historians and critics including Karen Lang, Leslie Dick and Jonathan Katz. The publication is available nationwide in bookstores, libraries and by subscription.

Jeff Cogan, associate professor of music and director of guitar studies, will be inducted into the 2009 Guitar Foundation of America Hall of Fame at their 2009 convention.  Professor Cogan will be honored with the Distinguished Service Award, which honors past GFA board members, officers, staff and others who have served the GFA in outstanding, critical, and longstanding fashion.

Eric Chimenti, chair of the Department of Art, was instrumental in bringing the 6th Annual Portfolio Review and 4th Annual Student Design Competition, in conjunction with AIGA Orange County, to the Chapman campus on April 18.  The competition drew students from all over Southern California and was judged by design and advertising professionals.  Thanks to the guidance of Professor Chimenti, several Chapman graphic design students had a very successful day at the competition:  Alison Connors won Best in Show for her Telluride Film Festival Book, and Sarah Buczek was offered a job by one of her reviewers. 

Louise Thomas, associate professor of music and director of keyboard collaborative arts, has just returned from Budapest, Hungary, where she toured with the world-renowned Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra in performances of Mozart's Piano Concerto in E-flat, K.449.

David Kiddie, assistant professor of art, is currently exhibiting two ceramic sculptures in Ink and Clay 36, a national show competition held annually at the Kellogg Gallery at Cal Poly Pomona University.  This year 97 artists were chosen from over 700 entries.  This year’s juror, Christy Johnson, is the director of the American Museum of Ceramic Art.

Micol Hebron, assistant professor of art, gave two lectures about her artwork for the Art Department at Loyola Marymount University on April 21. She will also be giving a lecture about her work at Santa Ana College on May 4th as part of their Art Forum Speaker Series.

Dr. Grace Fong, director of keyboard studies in the Conservatory of Music, has won of one of America’s most prestigious piano awards, the 2009 Christel DeHaan Classical Fellowship of the American Pianists Association.  The competition was a year-and-a-half process that began with nominations and concluded with solo, chamber, lieder, and concerto performances in Indianapolis in spring 2009.  As the DeHaan Classical Fellow, Professor Fong receives three years of concert and recital bookings both nationally and internationally, features in promotional materials, and a debut CD release on the Harmonia Mundi USA label. She will also participate in education and community outreach programs.  The value of the two-year fellowship is $75,000.

Assistant professor of art Stephen Berens' project Every Time I Answered My Door in 2007 (Some Portraits) is currently being exhibited at the Solway Jones Gallery in Los Angeles. For the entire year of 2007, Professor Berens took a photograph of whoever was at his door every time he answered the doorbell.  Among the resulting 119 portraits are UPS, FedEx and other delivery people, solicitors, Jehovah Witnesses, plumbers, real estate agents, a boy scout, and numerous friends and neighbors. With the support of a Durfee Foundation Grant, a wall calendar and book have been produced to accompany the exhibition.

The Chapman University Dance Team, under the advisement of Alicia Okouchi-Guy, assistant professor of dance, competed in the USA Collegiate Nationals at the Anaheim Convention Center on March 30 and won the National Championship title -- in their first competition in their first year as a Dance Team. The Dance Team consists of eight Chapman dance majors and minors.

Dr. Grace Fong, director of keyboard studies in the Conservatory of Music, performed a series of concerts between March 26th and April 7, including a Solo Broadcast Performance on National Public Radio, a chamber music performance with the Parker Quartet, a Lieder Recital with bass-baritone Alan Dunbar, a New Works Recital commissioned by the American Pianists Association, a master class/solo recital at Taylor University, and a debut with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. She will also be performing with the Selvaggi Trio at the Artspring Festival on Salt Springs Island, B.C. on April 22nd, 2009.

X-Tra, the contemporary art journal co-founded by Stephen Berens, assistant professor of art, was recently awarded a National Endowment for the Arts Grant for 2009. X-Tra was one of only four California organizations to receive funding in the visual arts category in the most recent granting cycle.

Professor Eric Chimenti, art department chair and head of the graphic design program, has been contracted by TPAC Underwriters Inc. to redesign their website. He previously designed a new logo and identity system for TPAC in 2006. The website project will begin in the summer of 2009.

Micol Hebron, assistant professor of art, has been invited as a guest lecturer and visiting artist to the video art program at Arizona State University. She will give a public lecture about her art on April 9 and will conduct studio visits on April 10.

Donald Guy, assistant professor of theatre, has been commissioned to serve as the lighting designer and production coordinator for Festival Ballet Theatre’s production of The Sleeping Beauty this April at the Irvine Barclay Theatre.

Jeff Cogan, associate professor of music, recently traveled to Washington, DC as an invited guest to judge the 3rd Annual Beatty Music Scholarship Competition at George Washington University.  The event was sponsored by the International Conservatory of Music and featured contestants that were 9 to 18 years old.   Professor Cogan also recently led the Chapman Guitar Quartet to victory at the University of Texas at Brownsville/Texas Southmost College Guitar Ensemble Festival and Competition, where they won two 1st Place awards (Best Quartet and Best Duo).

Alicia Okouchi-Guy, assistant professor of dance, was invited to give a workshop on the commercial dance industry on topics including how to get an agent, audition techniques, headshots, resumes, unions and contracts for the Center of Creative Arts in St. Louis, MO. While in Missouri, she also choreographed and taught a master class in contemporary jazz and ballet for the dance department at Lindenwood University in St. Charles.

Dr. Peter Atherton, associate professor of music and director of Opera Chapman, appeared as a special guest artist in the role of the Father in Sergei Prokofiev’s The Prodigal Son with Los Angeles Ballet in March at the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center, the Eli Broad Theater in Santa Monica and the Alex Theatre in Glendale. 

Dr. Sean Heim, assistant professor of music, has been awarded a MetLife Creative Connections grant from Meet the Composer.  Dr. Heim will participate in a residency at California State University, San Bernardino from May 27-30.  His work “Neak Ta” will be performed, along with works by Koji Nakano, Chinary Ung, Bruce Crossman and Chih-Chen Wei, in a concert titled Confluence of Cultures: Music of the Pacific Rim.

Dr. Liliana Leopardi, assistant professor of art, presented a paper titled "Fetishism and the Neoplatonic Gaze in the Hypnerotomachia Poliphilli" at the Annual Conference of the Renaissance Society of America in Santa Monica, CA in March.  The paper is part of a panel session on "Neoplatonism and the Arts: Alberti and the Hypnerotomachia" and argues that in establishing authorship of the book, scholarship must take into account that the text's Neoplatonic gaze betrays complicated fetishist elements not found anywhere else in Alberti's writings.

Jennifer Backhaus (’94), adjunct professor of dance, has choreographed a world premiere piece titled “An American Camelot” for the Los Angeles Ballet.  The piece is a statement about idealism, optimism and romance set to music by Count Basie, Dean Martin, Eartha Kitt and Ella Fitzgerald, and will be performed at various Los Angeles venues including the Alex Theatre throughout March 2009.  For more information, visit www.losangelesballet.org.

Dr. Robert Frelly, associate professor of music, recently conducted the 2009 Honor Band from the Huntington Beach Union High School District.  The 85-member ensemble was chosen from over 500 musicians who auditioned for the opportunity to rehearse and perform professional-level literature over a 4-day period.  

Griff Rollefson, adjunct faculty in the Conservatory of Music, will present findings from his research on the German hip-hop label Aggro Berlin at the Society for American Music National Conference in Denver.  He will also travel to Munich, Germany to present the research at the Harvard University/Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität conference "Crosscurrents:  American and European Music in Interaction, 1900-2000".  The paper presents interviews with rappers and record label personnel conducted in summer 2008 with funding from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) "Changing Demographics" program.

Art Department chair and Graphic Design program head Eric Chimenti has contributed an entry about the graphic design program at Chapman to a book tentatively titled Design Schools in North America, written and compiled by the School of Visual Arts and Steven Heller, author of numerous works on the history of illustration, typography, and subjects related to graphic design.

Liz Maxwell, assistant professor of dance, will present a paper titled “Random Access Repertory:   New Imperatives for Teaching our Dance Histories in the New Millennium” at the 32nd Annual Society of Dance History Scholars Conference (in conjunction with the Dance Critics Association) at Stanford University in June 2009.  The theme of the conference is “Topographies:  Sites, Bodies, Technologies”.

Dr. Baron Kelly, assistant professor of theatre, has just been cast in the film Life Takes Courage to Live,  directed by five-time Emmy-winning cinematographer Stephen Andrich.

Stephen Berens, assistant professor of art, has been awarded a Durfee Foundation Individual Artist Grant to produce work for an upcoming exhibition to take place in Los Angeles in 2009. The Durfee Foundation supports “innovation, creative expression and the energetic exchange of ideas that are essential to a healthy community.  The Durfee Foundation recognizes these qualities in the work of Los Angeles artists, whose endeavors are central to a vibrant civic life.”

Art Department chair and graphic design program head Eric Chimenti has been asked to lead a roundtable discussion on Educator Networks and Student Groups at the AIGA National Leadership Retreat in Portland, Oregon from June 4-6, 2009. He has been sought out for his work establishing and developing the Orange County AIGA network as well as serving as faculty advisor for the Chapman University AIGA Graphic Design Student club and establishing AIGA Graphic Design Student Clubs at Cal State Fullerton and Art Institute Orange County.

Micol Hebron, assistant professor of art, has recently written three short reviews of current exhibitions on view in Los Angeles. The reviews can be seen online at:
http://artforum.com/picks/section=la#Los%20Angeles.  She also had five photographic works on view during the month of February in the exhibition Emergence Enchanted, presented at the Pike Gallery in Long Beach in conjunction with the 2009 TED (Technology and Entertainment Design) Conference. 

Dr. Baron Kelly, assistant professor of theatre, has been nominated for a Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle (LADCC) Award for The Kentucky Cycle Part 2.  The LADCC nominations are for excellence in Los Angeles and Orange County theatre.  The 40th Annual LADCC Awards ceremony will take place on March 16th at the El Portal Theatre in Hollywood.

Seventy of assistant professor of art Stephen Berens’ photographs were included in the exhibition On The Ground in LA at the Carl Berg Gallery in Los Angeles during November and December. The exhibition examined the work of four photographers and included photographs of Los Angeles taken over the last four decades.

Daniel Alfred Wachs, director of instrumental studies at the Conservatory of Music, was recently invited to adjudicate for the prestigious Los Angeles based Spotlight Awards, the finals of which will take place at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. Professsor Wachs also recently judged the Junior Chamber Music Competition, which this year was held at Orange Coast College.

Alicia Okouchi-Guy, assistant professor of dance, has been invited to present her piece "gone", which premiered in Chapman's 2008 Fall Dance Concert, in the Choreographer's Showcase at the Rose Center in Westminster, CA. Her contemporary ballet piece will be performed by current dance majors Elizabeth Henscheid, Amanda Nelson, Ade Obayomi and Lindsey Richter with lighting design re-created by Donald Guy, assistant professor of theatre.  

In November 2008, a piece of music was published by Clearnote Publications dedicated to Jeff Cogan, associate professor of music, and his wife, Carol.  Professor Cogan was the music engraver and editor on this publication.  The composition is by Olivier Chassain and is entitled "From Keremma", after a town in Brittany off the coast of France.  “From Keremma” makes use of thematic material taken from the well-known orchestral work An American in Paris by George Gershwin.  Professor Cogan recorded this piece for his 2008 CD titled Postcard From Keremma.

Wendy Salmond, professor of art, co-edited “Treasures in Tractors: The Selling of Russia's Cultural Heritage, 1918-1938" in Canadian American Slavic Studies, vol. 43, nos. 1-4 (Spring-Summer-Winter-Fall 2009) with Anne Odom and “Russian Realist Painting” in The Peredvizhniki: An Anthology, a special issue of Experiment, vol. 14 (2008) with Elizabeth Kridl Valkenier.

On February 8, Backhausdance, led by founder and artistic director Jennifer Backhaus (’94), adjunct professor of dance, performed “Push…”, their award-winning, sculptural pas de deux at the Orange County Museum of Art as part of the Target Free Second Sundays series.  Backhausdance will also be presenting “The Woeful Maladies of Ennui Manor” and other mixed repertoire at the Barclay Theatre in Irvine April 17-18.  Tickets are available at www.ticketmaster.com.

Art Department chair and Graphic Design program head Eric Chimenti is serving on the National AIGA Student Advocacy Task Force, formed to provide professional development and advocacy suggestions for students and student groups. AIGA currently has 8,000 student members and 255 student groups. The task force is working to strengthen the dialogue with AIGA’s student members and ensure their interests and concerns are being met. Professor Chimenti has been the Orange County Chair of Education for the past 5 years, in which he founded and has served as the faculty advisor for the Chapman University AIGA Graphic Design Student Club, and also worked to help establish AIGA Graphic Design Student Clubs at Cal State Fullerton and Art Institute Orange County.

Donald Guy, assistant professor of theatre, has been commissioned to design the lighting for Saint Louis Ballet’s Innovation Series. The program will include: "Allegro Brillante" by choreographer George Balanchine, "in g major" by choreographer Michael Uthoff, "More Morra" and a world premiere work by choreographer/Artistic Director Gen Horiuchi.

Dr. Janice Park, adjunct professor of piano in the Conservatory of Music, will give a recital with Linda Leyrer, soprano, on February 7 at the Irvine Valley College Performing Arts Center for the Scholarship Benefit Recital.  Dr. Lea Steffens, adjunct professor of clarinet, will also be featured.

During Interterm 2009, Director of Instrumental Studies in the Conservatory of Music Daniel Alfred Wachs led the Chapman instrumental ensembles, along with faculty colleagues Robert Becker and Nicholas Terry, on a tour of Southern California and Las Vegas. Upon his return, Professor Wachs was the featured conductor for the 2009 All Southern Honors Orchestra of the Southern California Schools, Bands and Orchestras Association (SCSBOA), conducting Rachmaninov’s Second Symphony at the Carpenter Center at Cal State Long Beach. He then led his first performance for 5,000 fifth graders as Music Director of the Orange County Youth Symphony Orchestra (OCYSO) at Segerstrom Concert Hall as part of the Concerts for Fifth Graders, co-presented by the Philharmonic Society of Orange County.

Alicia Okouchi-Guy, assistant professor of dance, has been hired to choreograph a new musical titled Booth! in New York City. She has just completed her first round of casting auditions in Manhattan for actors, singers and dancers at Pearl Studios NYC and will be returning to New York shortly for another round of auditions for Equity Union performers.

Liz Maxwell, assistant professor of dance, was invited to be a guest artist at Elon University in North Carolina, where she presented a lecture-demonstration titled “Somatics, Art and Process”, employing lecture, interactive participation and live performance to illustrate artistic process.  She also taught a semester-long course during the winter term.  The course, entitled “Dance Repertory”, included daily technique class, lectures on post-modernism and a reconstruction of “Breath of Fire,” a dance by post-modern choreographer Laura Dean.  Methods from this course will be incorporated into her research on how to effectively teach repertory through somatic means.

Stephen Polcari, professor of art, curated the current “Jackson Pollock and Shamanism” exhibit at the Pinacotheque in Paris.  The exhibit received a glowing review in The Huffington Post by critic Karin Badt.  The article can be found at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/karin-badt/now-in-paris-jackson-poll_b_159857.html.

Peter Atherton, director of Opera Chapman, has been invited to direct the main stage production of Le Nozze di Figaro at Operafestival di Roma for the 2009 season.  This will be Professor Atherton’s eighth consecutive season with Operafestival.

Alicia Okouchi-Guy, assistant professor of dance, taught a series of master classes in contemporary jazz dance technique and musical theatre for Dance RAW and served on a dance panel of adjudicators at Weber State University in Ogden, Utah.  Professor Okouchi-Guy has also been asked to adjudicate for the Miss Dance and Drill California Pageant.

David Michael Lee, adjunct professor of art, will be presenting his work in a show titled Invasion with fellow artist Anthony Gordon at the @space Gallery in Santa Ana from January 10-March 7.  The opening reception will be January 10 from 6-9pm.  For more information, visit atspacegallery.com.