Documenting History
Photojournalism Professor Astrid Rieken won a Pulitzer Prize for her work with a team from The Washington Post to cover the January 6th assault on Washington. She was among many other GW faculty and alumni who won Pulitzers in the Summer 2022 for their work on January 6th.
Reality or Paradise?
Photojournalism Professor Matt Eich’s exhibition was on view at the Cleveland Museum of Art, with photographer Tyler Mitchell. Their show, Sunlight, Shadow, and a Rainbow, asked: ‘Can photography, usually rooted in reality, help us imagine paradise?’
Analyzing Disco Music and Gay Liberation
Music Professor Loren Kajikawa was featured in a GWToday article, where he explored the connection between disco and gay liberation in “Finding Identity on the Disco Dance Floor.”
Traveling Art Performances
Douglas Boyce, Professor of Composition, was in Chicago in February 2023 for a performance of “sgraffito” by Gregory Oakes and Marianne Parker at Epiphany Music. He also partook in similar performances throughout the spring.
Sharing Music for the World
Music Professor Heather Stebbins released three albums this academic year, New Forms, Old Selves, at the end of the sky, and Roots, which was in collaboration with Christopher Chandler.
Empowering Women in the Field of Photojournalism
Photojournalism Professor Astrid Riecken had her work selected by the Women Photojournalists of Washington (WPOW) for their 2022 exhibition.
Reimagining the Future of Museums
Kayleigh Bryant-Greenwell, a part-time faculty member, published chapters in Change is Required: Preparing for a Post-Pandemic Museum.
Honoring Maida Withers’ Remarkable Career
Dance Professor Maida Withers’ five-decade career was celebrated in Legacy: 50 Years of Dance on the Edge, an immersive exhibition. In “Legacy,” moving and still images of dances from her repertoire combined to create new meaning, joining past and present. Photo by Dennis Deloria and graphic design by Jamille Wallick.
Showcasing the Work of Educators
In September 2022, Art and Design Professor Janis Goodman exhibited work at the McLean Project for the Arts via a show called Continuum: Artists Teaching Artists.
Exploring How Identity Impacts Art
Dance Professor Dana Tai Soon Burgess’s memoir, Chino and the Dance of the Butterfly, was published in September 2022. He was also featured in Metro Weekly, where he discussed his memoir and experience as the Choreographer in Residence for the Smithsonian Institution.
Exploring Leonardo da Vinci’s Contemporary Influence
Janis Goodman, Professor of Arts and Design, appeared on Shakespeare Hour Live Episode 54: THE NOTEBOOKS OF LEONARDO DA VINCI. She and a group of professionals discussed Mary Zimmerman’s play “The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci” and its interplay of science, art, and the human spirit.
Visiting Professor Authors New York Times Piece
Visiting Professor Aruna D’Souza recently published an article in the New York Times on the installation of the Museum of Modern Art's JAM exhibition. The exhibit is tribute to the Just Above Midtown Gallery, where twentieth century Black artists shared their work and socialized. In an industry where white artists and their work are pushed to the front, JAM fought to elevate Black artists.
Dana Tai Soon Burgess Honored by DC Mayor
Dana Tai Soon Burgess was honored by DC’s mayor for his dance company’s 30th anniversary. The Dana Tai Soon Burgess Dance Company (DTSBDC) has worked with local and national institutions to share how culture and arts intertwine to create diverse works.
Challenging the Status Quo in Art History
Bibiana Obler, Associate Professor of Art History, was featured in two publications this fall, including Landscape and Lynda Benglis and Boundary Trouble in American Vanguard Art, 1920-2020. Professor Obler’s writing challenged established narratives in art and worked with the landscape to bring forth new messages.
The Great Debate: Separating Art From the Artist
Visiting Professor Aruna D’Souza appeared in NPR’s Intelligence Squared, a show that encourages and fosters live debates and conversations. She debated Randy Cohen, a former Ethicist at the New York Times, on whether people should separate art from the artist.
Bringing the Artistic Process to Life
James Sham, Associate Professor of Art collaborated with Brian Korgel to present THE SCRIBBLE STUDIES, a collection of pages taken from their lab notebooks, sketchbooks and journals. It was the manifestation of a two-year collaborative process that embodies the ways researchers ideate, create, document, and present their findings using an antidisciplinary approach.
Corcoran Professor Analyzes Kanye's Recent Behavior
Lisa Lipinski, Assistant Professor of Art History, was featured in an Andscape article that discussed Kanye West’s history of promoting hate speech and imagery. Professor Lipinski and others broke down West’s choice of wearing a “White Lives Matter” shirt at Paris Fashion Week and how it impacts not only the Black Lives Matter movement, but also the status quo and social inequality for people of color.
The Beatles’ Influence Today
Toby Mountain, Professorial Lecturer in Music, History & Culture, was featured in GW Today for his class “Recording the Beatles.” The class analyzes the production of the band’s music and understands the impact they left on history and society as a whole.
Using Art as a Platform for Change
Visiting Professor Aruna D'Souza had several articles published for The New York Times and 4Columns, including "Umber Majeed," "Planting Seeds to Produce Real Change," and "Poetry, Power and Loss in Theaster Gates’s Survey."
The Future of Interior Architecture in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
Assistant Interior Architecture Professor Douglas Crawford was featured in GW Today, where he discussed artificial intelligence and how he encourages students to use a program called Midjourney. The software creates floor plans, perspective renderings, and material palettes, allowing students to experiment with design quickly and effectively.
Embracing the Diverse History of Dance
Laurel Gray, Adjunct Professor in Global Dance History, visited the Embassy of Uzbekistan to deliver a lecture on Uzbek women’s dance. Katrine Gankin, Katelyn Power, Chloe Schwartz, and Hugh Cockeram, students in her class “Dance Cultures of the Silk Road,” helped her deliver the lecture.
Celebrating Asian Contributions to the Arts
Professor Dana Tai Soon Burgess released the episode “Jason Kim: Writing, KPOP, Asian Solidarity!” for his podcast, The Slant Podcast. There, he hosted Jason Kim, the writer of the new Broadway Show KPOP and the upcoming sequel of Crazy Rich Asians.
The Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Who Shaped US History
Andrea Kim Neighbors, Professorial Lecturer in Museum Studies, co-authored a Smithsonian Magazine article. The article discusses We Are Here, a middle-grade novel created by the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center. It explores the stories of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders who shaped the culture, politics, and history of the United States.
Capturing Yo-Yo Ma’s Craft
Matt Eich, Assistant Professor of Photojournalism, took several photos of cellist Yo-Yo Ma for The New York Times in the article “Yo-Yo Ma is Finding His Way Back to Nature Through Music.”
Selecting Art for Competition
Allyson Vieira, Assistant Professor of Foundations and Studio Arts, juried the art exhibit "Heart’s Desire" at the Art League at the Torpedo Factory in Old Town Alexandria. This art exhibit featured works related to longing and hope, fantasy and romance.
Publishing Student Works
Suse Anderson, Professor of Museum Studies, compiled The State of Museum Digital Practice, a collection of graduate student essays at George Washington University.
Amplifying the Voices of Art
Visiting Professor Aruna D’Souza published several pieces with the New York Times and 4Columns. Each piece analyzes how the artists are advocating for a more equitable world for marginalized groups, such as women and people of color, sharing context and evoking a sense of understanding from the audience. Click the links below to read more.
"An Artist With Roots in Nairobi and New York Imagines a New Destiny" - New York Times
"Shirin Neshat" - 4Columns
"William Kentridge" - 4Columns
Professor Hosted Work at Capital Art Book Fair
Marc Choi, Assistant Professor of Graphic Design, exhibited work at the inaugural Capital Art Book Fair. The event, organized and curated by East City Art, took place at Eastern Market North Hall in Capitol Hill and featured local, national and international exhibitors. His work was exhibited under Track and Field, the collaborative publishing initiative of which he is a co-founder.
Advocacy and Healing Through the Arts
Congratulations to Anne Laurie Joseph, Program Coordinator/Manager at GW’s Center for Excellence in Public Leadership, on her sold-out performances of NO SAFE PLACE. The show follows the stories of a number of women who are speaking up about their experiences of sexual assault, while also discovering that they are not alone in their healing journeys.