College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA)

This alumna was a production supervisor for the Oscar-winning film, "Anora"

Shayla Brown — Fri, 02 May 2025 20:17:28 +0000

This alumna was a production supervisor for the Oscar-winning film, "Anora"  Shayla Brown Fri, 05/02/2025 - 16:17

Only five years after graduating from George Mason �鶹��, alumna Rhyan Elliott, Film and Video Studies ’20, was recently a production supervisor for the five-time Oscar-winning film, Anora (2024), directed by Sean Baker.  

“I've always been interested in telling stories, but everything really started happening for me when I got to George Mason,” said Elliott. 

Rhyan Elliott. Photo provided.

When she first arrived on campus, Elliott joined the student organization Delta Kappa Alpha (DKA), which focuses on the professional growth of students who hope to work in the cinematic arts. 

Although Elliott initially pursued a screenwriting concentration and had hoped to work in video game production, she soon realized she liked working in film production. 

“[With] DKA, I learned a lot more about myself as a creative artist and discovered that I also loved the office side of things, since we’re required to do a lot of different paperwork for events and things like that,” said Elliott.

Elliott credits George Mason professor and award-winning filmmaker Nikyatu Jusu and her course FAVS 475 Advanced Fiction Directing for inspiring her. 

“Professor Jusu was very influential to me as a creative artist. I did a couple of projects for George Mason’s Best of Film that are the results of her classes and guidance,” said Elliott. 

The two projects were the student short film Close Call, which won a student Capital Emmy and the short film, Always Carry a Bible, which she screened at the Washington West Film Festival for. 

“I had the pleasure of teaching Rhyan and was immediately struck by her unshakeable confidence and ability to harness a room,” said Jusu. 

“She is a talented, unique storyteller and thinker who bravely made her way to New York after graduating from Mason. It comes as no surprise that she found her place in the crew of such a poignant indie film.”

George Mason’s Film and Video Studies Program also requires its students to complete an internship before graduation. 

Rhyan Elliott (bottom right) with the Anora film crew. Photo provided.

 “I went to New York in summer of 2019 and worked on two films, Naked Singularity and Black Lady Goddess, as a production assistant, and everything just snowballed from there,” said Elliott, who has worked on multiple indie films, television shows, and A24 productions since graduating. 

She was also a health safety officer on sets in the wake of the pandemic. 

“We started pre-production for Anora in November 2022, so this has been a years-long journey,” said Elliott. 

As production supervisor, Elliott worked closely with the film’s line producer, managing the finances and budget of the film, and making sure that spending was on track with projections. 

“The cast and crew members are still pretty close, so we had an Oscars watch party at a really cool bar in New York,” said Elliott, who also attended the film’s world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in France. 

“It’s surreal to think that this little movie that we put all of our blood, sweat, and tears into and worked so hard and passionately on is now on the big screen and receiving so much praise. There have been so many big moments that you don’t realize are building up to something so amazing,” she said. 

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Nikyatu Jusu

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The Hylton Center Celebrates Successful 15th Anniversary Gala

Kirstin Franko — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 17:54:29 +0000

The Hylton Center Celebrates Successful 15th Anniversary Gala Kirstin Franko Wed, 04/30/2025 - 13:54

In This Story

Rick Davis

Gregory Washington

The Hylton Performing Arts Center hosted its 15th Anniversary Gala on Saturday, April 26, celebrating 15 years of artistic excellence in Manassas and throughout the Northern Virginia region. The event welcomed 237 guests and raised $162,500 in support for the Hylton Center’s artistic programming, Veterans and the Arts Initiative, and Education Initiative.

Ten percent of net proceeds will also fund the Hylton Center’s Endowment, and funds raised through the Gala contribute to George Mason �鶹��’s Mason Now: Power the Possible, a university-wide comprehensive one-billion-dollar fundraising campaign.

Rick Davis, dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts and executive director of the Hylton Performing Arts Center; Sam Hill; Lillian Hill; Gala Honoree Marion Wall; Deborah Johnson, LaToya Asia Smith, Gala Honoree Dominion Energy; Jason Hickman, Presenting Sponsor Compton & Duling; Gregory Washington, president of George Mason �鶹��. Photo by Sean Kelley.

The Hylton Center’s 15th Anniversary Gala festivities began at 6 p.m. on Saturday, April 26, with a cocktail reception in the Didlake Grand Foyer, featuring a French 75 signature cocktail crafted by MurLarkey Distilled Spirits. Guests then enjoyed an elegant dinner on Merchant Hall stage, which was catered by Susan Gage Caterers, before the evening’s program commenced.

Rick Davis, executive director of the Hylton Center and dean of George Mason �鶹��’s College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA), opened the program with a dimming of the lights in memory of William Reeder, founding dean of CVPA, who passed away on April 12 and whose visionary leadership enabled the creation of the Hylton Performing Arts Center.

In a video presentation, Dean Davis and other important figures from the community looked back at the beginnings of the Hylton Center and toward its promising future. “As we celebrate 15 years at the Hylton Center, we envision continued growth in the quality, the quantity, and the impact of the arts that we create here, and the arts we present," Davis said. "Everything that we do at the Hylton Center is a testament to the vitality of having a world-class performing arts center right in your community.”

President of George Mason �鶹�� Gregory Washington speaks to the guests.
Photo by Sean Kelley.

George Mason President Gregory Washington built on Davis’s remarks, “The Hylton Performing Arts Center is a crucial component of George Mason’s broader role as a cultural hub for the region, a talent incubator for our students, and a gathering place for so many in our community. I’m proud to join in celebrating 15 impactful years of creativity and innovation in the arts, and express my deepest gratitude to the leaders, staff, and supporters who have brought us to this milestone anniversary.”

The honoree tribute was dedicated to Marion Wall and Dominion Energy, two longtime champions of the Hylton Performing Arts Center. Wall was celebrated as a steadfast supporter since the Hylton Center’s earliest days, who played a pivotal role in the planning, development, and ongoing success of the venue. Dominion Energy was recognized for making a profound impact on the cultural landscape of Northern Virginia, including investment in George Mason’s College of Visual and Performing Arts, programs like the Veterans and the Arts Initiative, and other benefits to ensure accessible arts experiences for all.

The event also included a live auction of unique arts experiences, Raise Your Paddle fundraiser, and wine-and-whiskey pull in support of the Veterans and the Arts Initiative, which offers free workshops and concerts for local Veterans, Servicemembers, their families, and community members. These activities raised more than $27,000 for the Veterans and the Arts Initiative, continuing the celebration of its 10-year anniversary and its mission of creativity and service.

Champagne skirt performer recognizing Gala Presenting Sponsor Compton & Duling.
Photo by Sean Kelley.

The evening closed in a lively fashion with an after-party that featured a mix of George Mason students and professional musicians in a 10-piece swing band from Mason Music Productions, a swing dance experience led by dancers from Gottaswing, a champagne skirt performer from Carbone Entertainment, and a Blackberry Sage Smash cocktail crafted by MurLarkey Distilled Spirits.

The Hylton Center’s 15th Anniversary Gala was supported by many regional businesses and individual donors, including Presenting Sponsor Compton & Duling, L.C., Cocktail Reception Sponsor Appliance Connection, Live Auction Sponsor United Bank, Raise Your Paddle Sponsor Todos Supermarket, Wine Pull Sponsor Whitlock Wealth, and Wine Sponsor Thomas Sabal and Daniel Tucciarone. Other generous sponsors of this year’s event included: City of Manassas; Rick Davis and Julie Thompson; Didlake; Dominion Energy; ECU Communications; George Mason �鶹�� Foundation; Carolyn Hays and Jeff Burke; The Law Office of Sheyna Nicole Burt, PLC; Micron Technology; Potomac Health Foundation; Sentara Health; Stanley Martin; UVA Community Health; Wall Foundation; and Walsh, Colucci, Lubeley, & Walsh, P.C.

To view additional images from the event visit the 15th Anniversary photo gallery.

Niyati Dhokai, program director of the Veterans and the Arts Initiative confirming the impact of the program on the military-connected community. Photo by Sean Kelley.

Some of the notable guests in attendance included: Mayor of the City of Manassas Michelle Davis-Younger; Virginia State Senator Jeremy McPike and Sharon McPike; Virginia Delegates Briana Sewell, Ian Lovejoy, Josh Thomas, and Luke Torian; Manassas City Councilmembers Theresa Coates Ellis, Tom Osina, Ralph Smith, Ashely Hutson, and Mark Wolfe; Manassas City Manager and Hylton Center Executive Board Member, Steve Burke and Cary Burke; Prince William Board of County Supervisors Vice Chair Andrea Bailey and Reverend Cozy Bailey; Prince William Board of County Supervisors, Neabsco District Supervisor Victor Angry and Woodbridge District Supervisor Margaret Franklin; Managing Member of Compton & Duling, LC Jason Hickman; Vice President and Site Executive of Micron Technology Virginia Delbert Parks; President of Pitkin’s Home Center Sarah Pitkin; Vanderpool, Frostick & Nishanian, P.C. President V. Rick Nishanian and Nunik Nishanian; Todos Supermarkets Owner Carlos Castro; President and CEO of NOVEC, Kristen Senechal; President of Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center, Jeff Joyner; Senior Policy Advisory of Nelson Mulling and Hylton Center Executive Board Member Rod Hall and Lena Hall; Artistic Director of Manassas Ballet Theatre Amy Wolfe; Hylton Center Executive Board Chair Sheyna Burt; Hylton Center Executive Board Vice Chair Joyce Connery; Hylton Center Executive Board Member the Honorable Ann Wheeler and John Wheeler; and Hylton Center Executive Board Member Gayle Whitlock and Bennett Whitlock, and Hylton Center Executive Board Member Kris Nohe and Martin Nohe.

Interested in contributing to ensure the success of the next 15 years of the Hylton Center? Explore ways to give on the Hylton Center website.

Enjoy a video from the event, celebrating the 10-year anniversary of the Veterans and the Arts Initiative.

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Hylton Center

Rick Davis

Gregory Washington

veterans and the arts

College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA)

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Mason Now: Power the Possible

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philanthropy

Graduate student uses the healing power of art to help other veterans

Katarina Benson — Mon, 28 Apr 2025 15:59:31 +0000

Graduate student uses the healing power of art to help other veterans Katarina Benson Mon, 04/28/2025 - 11:59

Death has been the constant companion in Steven Luu’s life—from war-torn Vietnam to the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan. But through art, Luu, now a master of fine arts (MFA) student at George Mason �鶹��’s School of Art, within the College of Visual and Performing Arts, has discovered peace, purpose, and a path to healing.

“All of my artwork is about revisiting,” said Luu. “Art is not to forget, but to express.”

Luu wasn’t yet born when his unlikely odyssey began 50 years ago this month, following the fall of Saigon to the North Vietnamese Army in April 1975. Nearly a year later, he came into the world as his family’s life was upended by war and political upheaval. His father, a South Vietnamese government official, along with his grandfather and uncle, were lost in the war, and the family home was confiscated. When Luu was just a year old, he and his family were sent to a re-education camp, where they endured harsh poverty and uncertainty.

When he was 7, Luu and his family managed to escape Vietnam by sea, in search of freedom in a small boat packed with refugees. Their harrowing journey lasted more than two months; by the time of their rescue by the British Royal Navy, nearly half of the passengers perished from starvation. Luu was just shy of his 8th birthday when he was forced to help push lifeless bodies overboard—a memory that has haunted him since.

After years of adversity in trying conditions in refugee camps in Hong Kong, Luu and his family made their way to the United States in 1991. Following his high school graduation in 1995, he enlisted with the U.S. Air Force and became a medic, driven by a desire to save lives after witnessing so much suffering, and determined to do everything he could to prevent others from enduring the same fate. His 20-year career in the U.S. military included deployments to the Balkans, Iraq, and Afghanistan, often alongside special operations units.

Luu with one of his works. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of �鶹�� Branding

“I have seen the worst part of humanity,” said Luu, who will turn 48 later this year. “And it stays with you.”

In 2012, while serving in Afghanistan, Luu was severely wounded. His lengthy convalescence at Walter Reed Medical Center, then located in Washington, D.C., marked a turning point. There, a hospital official introduced him to the healing power of art by providing him a canvas and drawing utensils.

“In that moment, I saw art as a way to let something inside me out, without having to say it,” said Luu, who while working on his degree also serves as documentarian for Mason Exhibitions.

He found making art incredibly therapeutic. Sculpture, especially using raw and rigid materials like concrete and epoxy resin, has become a personal healing ritual.

Although he had no formal art background, Luu knew he had found his voice. After earning a BA in theology from Catholic Distance �鶹�� in 2010, he applied to George Mason’s School of Art, earning his BFA in sculpture in 2022. He recognized that art was more than a way to help himself, it also allowed him reach other veterans grappling with the same guilt and isolation he felt after leaving the military. He’s on track to complete his MFA in 2026.

All of his sculptures are made with recycled materials. “Like me, these materials have been given a second chance at life,” Luu said.

Artist Peter Winant was the director of George Mason’s School of Art when he first saw Luu’s early drawings in 2017.

“There was something really deep in them,” Winant said. “Some form of truth that few of us could approach.”

That truth now fuels Luu’s mission to help other veterans navigate their own trauma—a mission he pursues with deep purpose and gratitude for the opportunity. He creates art with a focus on mental health and uses his story to encourage others to find their own form of expression.

In 2024, the U.S. Air Force invited Luu to work with Wounded Warriors, teaching recovering airmen about the healing power of art, and how to channel their experiences into creative expression. He’ll do the same this November, during a weeklong George Mason conference for 400 recovering veterans spanning all military branches. The week will conclude with a public art exhibit featuring the veterans’ creations.

His solo exhibition Steven Luu: A Path to Healing & Transformation is on display through May at the National Veterans Art Museum in Chicago. It is a powerful testament to one man’s journey through unimaginable pain and his unwavering pursuit of peace.

“Art is the one universal language—it’s always been the language of humanity,” said Luu. “I cannot physically fix what happened in the past, but at least I have closure. Like life as a whole, you adapt in art to survive.”

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Steven Luu

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Remembering William Reeder, College of Visual and Performing Arts founding dean

Colleen Rich — Thu, 17 Apr 2025 18:07:14 +0000

Remembering William Reeder, College of Visual and Performing Arts founding dean Colleen Rich Thu, 04/17/2025 - 14:07

William Reeder, the founding dean of George Mason �鶹��’s College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA), died April 12, 2025, after a battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 80.

William Reeder. Photo provided

Reeder joined George Mason in 2001 to lead the newly formed college after a distinguished career as an operatic tenor and arts administrator. Prior to joining George Mason, Reeder served as vice president and general manager of the Washington Performing Arts Society, executive director of the Levine School of Music in Washington, D.C., president of the Saint Louis Conservatory of Music, and executive director of Opera Music Theatre International.

For eight years, Reeder was a leading operatic tenor in the Zurich Opera Company. As a professional singer, he performed more than 40 leading tenor roles in 15 major opera houses throughout Europe.

Through his efforts, the college grew its operating budget from $9 million to $30 million and oversaw the development of $150 million in new facilities, fueled by both philanthropic and public investment.

Reeder had a hand in physically transforming the arts landscape on the Fairfax Campus, securing for CVPA the planned Academic V facility, now known as the award-winning Art and Design Building, and coordinating philanthropic, state, and university support for the de Laski Performing Arts Building addition and renovation of what became the Music Theater Building.

Some say his crowning achievement was the successful realization of a long-held community vision for an arts center serving Manassas and Prince William County—the Hylton Performing Arts Center on the Science and Technology Campus.

“Bill's tenacious, loquacious, always-optimistic advocacy, expressed in countless breakfast meetings in diners, neighborhood gatherings, political forums, and rounds of golf with prospective supporters, led to the creation of the Hylton Performing Arts Center,” said CVPA Dean Rick Davis. “At times it seemed as if Bill was almost single-handedly willing the center into existence—but it was really his tireless behind-the-scenes coordination of university, civic, and volunteer energy that carried the day.”

Davis said Reeder was honored for his accomplishment at the Hylton Center’s fifth Anniversary Gala in 2015.

“At this year's gala, we will take a moment—or three—to remember Bill's foundational contributions,” Davis said.

Reeder also held the Heritage Chair of Cultural Criticism and was named a Virginia Eminent Scholar.

After stepping down as dean in 2015, he continued to teach at George Mason as a faculty member in the Arts Management Program, one of three new academic programs (including Film and Video Studies and Computer Game Design Programs) launched under his leadership. These programs have helped shape CVPA into the comprehensive arts college that it is today.

“Bill will be remembered for his energetic and passionate advocacy for artists of all kinds and at every stage of their journeys,” said Davis. “I will always be grateful for his friendship and mentorship over 25 years of personal and professional collaboration.”

Details regarding memorial arrangements are forthcoming.

The college is inviting the university community to share memories and photographs of Reeder through this form.

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Faculty and Staff News

College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA)

New art course teaches students how to think differently about design

Shayla Brown — Wed, 02 Apr 2025 15:49:48 +0000

New art course teaches students how to think differently about design Shayla Brown Wed, 04/02/2025 - 11:49

“Furniture isn’t just a tangible item that’s supposed to mold to your body, but it can also mold to your lifestyle,” said Katherin Salazar, a George Mason �鶹�� senior art and visual technology major.

She is currently taking a new College of Visual and Performing Arts special topics course, AVT 496, which focuses on furniture design and is offered through the university’s School of Art.

AVT 496 students discussing their sculptures. Photo by Ayman Rashid/Office of �鶹�� Branding.

“The goal is to teach students about the power of furniture and how the built environment is constantly communicating and reorchestrating hierarchical structures,” said Mallory Kimmel, a Washington, D.C.-based interdisciplinary artist who created and teaches the course.

“We’re learning how to cultivate a greater awareness of the intended power dynamics in space, and also to become a curator of reshaping hierarchies in space to be more oriented to social justice ethos,” she said.

Salazar, who has contracts with Smithsonian Folklife Festival and Skate Folk creating competitive atmospheres that serve as a gateway for local skaters, is currently building a quarter pipe ramp for a class project.

AVT 496 student showcases the functionality of a sculpture. Photo provided.

“The techniques we’re learning in this course go hand in hand with building a lot of structures related to skating,” said Salazar, who works as a student monitor in the university’s Sculpture Studio under the supervision of Ben Ashworth, sculpture and foundations supervisor in George Mason’s School of Art.

“Mallory and Ben have taught me the ways of the art world and how it's constantly changing and growing. The biggest lesson I’ve learned so far is to take pride in my skills and realizing the worth of them,” she said.

As a part of the course, the students will tour the National Gallery of Art and put what they’ve learned to practice by identifying and recommending ways to create a more welcoming environment for people to experience the art.

The students will also present how their finished sculptures address hostile architecture, which Kimmel defines as the “built environment containing features that aim to reject certain people or behaviors.”

An example of hostile architecture is public benches that have handrails in the center so that it's prohibitive for the houseless population to lay down, explained Kimmel.

AVT 496 student showcases the functionality of a sculpture. Photo provided.

“[This course] has allowed me to expand my thinking beyond just the functions of furniture, but about its design ethics and the body itself,” said Roland Payabyab, a senior art and visual technology major.

For Payabyab’s first project, he focused on posture in honor of his parents.

“I'm noticing as they age, they're developing a lot of back problems, so I'm creating a bench meant to relieve some of that pain by incorporating a function within this piece to move with them as they need, for example, when they’re bending over to put on shoes,” he said.

Payabyab was able to build his project with techniques, such as woodworking and joinery.

AVT 496 students discussing their sculptures. Photo by Ayman Rashid/Office of �鶹�� Branding.

“Joinery was one of the things I was most excited to learn about, and it just so happened to be the first topic we would cover,” said Payabyab. “Now I know how to combine different materials without nails or screws to build my sculptures, which is great for me because that’s what I’d like to do as a career after I graduate.”

In This Story

Mallory Kimmel

Benjamin Ashworth

Topics

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National Gallery of Art

Mason Korea to Host 2025 Korea-US-Japan eSports Tournament

Pam Muirheid — Thu, 27 Mar 2025 15:35:54 +0000

Mason Korea to Host 2025 Korea-US-Japan eSports Tournament Pam Muirheid Thu, 03/27/2025 - 11:35

Original article written by Lee Sang-beom in N News (Korea), March 25, 2025:

George Mason �鶹�� Korea will host the '2025 Korea-U.S.-Japan eSports Tournament' in collaboration with the U.S. Embassy in Korea, the U.S. Embassy in Japan, and Coupang. Photo by Ji Kang

George Mason �鶹�� Korea, in collaboration with the U.S. Embassy in Korea, the U.S. Embassy in Japan, and Coupang, will host the 2025 Korea-U.S.-Japan eSports Tournament, a global initiative to foster strategic thinking, teamwork, and digital engagement among young gamers from Korea, the U.S., and Japan.

This tournament is an innovative global program where participants will learn teamwork, leadership, and conflict resolution through gaming as an eSport, and is an educational platform that develops essential cognitive and collaborative skills in a competitive environment while strengthening trilateral relations among Korea, the United States, and Japan. The eSports Tournament is open to young Korean, American, and Japanese citizens aged 20-39, and requires English communication skills.

Participants will participate in online training and weekly activities from April to May, and will participate in the eSports tournament in Incheon in June.

Through this tournament, George Mason �鶹�� Korea will provide a special opportunity for young gamers to communicate with peers from diverse cultural backgrounds and improve their problem-solving skills, adaptability, and leadership capabilities. Professor Sang Nam, Professor of Computer Game Design at George Mason �鶹��, Co-Director of Virginia Functional Game Research Institute, and Director of Korea Functional Game Research Institute, said:

"This '2025 Korea-US-Japan eSports Tournament' is an innovative platform designed to promote digital literacy, cross-cultural collaboration, and leadership development beyond games as entertainment and competition." He added, "We are pleased to demonstrate the role of eSports as a bridge to strengthen trilateral cooperation among Korea, the United States, and Japan."

“The trilateral partnership among the United States, Japan, and Korea is a vital component of our shared effort to ensure safety, security, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region,” said Joshua Lustig, Public Diplomacy Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul. “We anticipate that the 2025 Korea-U.S.-Japan eSports Tournament will bring our three countries closer together by further strengthening the network of youth champions among them.”

The program is fully sponsored by Coupang through a public-private partnership with the U.S. Department of State, and the event is co-hosted with Company E, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit.

The application deadline for the event is March 28, and eSports training and in-person eSports tournament matches will take place starting April 5.

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Sang Nam

Visit Mason Korea

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Renowned American Composer Joins the Dewberry School of Music for a Mason Opera Residency

Emily Schneider — Thu, 20 Mar 2025 20:00:05 +0000

Renowned American Composer Joins the Dewberry School of Music for a Mason Opera Residency Emily Schneider Thu, 03/20/2025 - 16:00

In This Story

Prof. Richard Leech

Prof. Patricia Miller

George Mason �鶹�� students and Mason Arts’ audiences have a rare opportunity to experience the music and creative insights of one of America’s most successful and prolific composers of art song, opera, and musical theater, Ricky Ian Gordon.

Ricky Ian Gordon, world-renowned composer, writer, and educator.

Gordon will be an artist-in-residence with Mason Opera, within George Mason’s Reva and Sid Dewberry Family School of Music from April 14-18, 2025.

During this week-long residency, Gordon will work with the school’s voice, musical theater, and composition students in class and individual sessions, many of which will be open to the public. Students will work with him on pieces from his extensive catalog of vocal music, and Mason Opera will present the first university production of his stunning opera 27.

Gordon will return for Mason Opera’s performances of 27 on April 25–27 in Harris Theatre on the university’s Fairfax Campus, where he will introduce each performance with his own insights about this unique and engaging opera.

“We are thrilled and very fortunate to have celebrated American composer, Ricky Ian Gordon as an artist-in-residence at George Mason �鶹��," said George Mason’s Voice Area and Opera Program Director Professor Patricia Miller, "and to have our Mason students in vocal studies, composition and opera, experience firsthand the brilliant artistry of his art song compositions and his outstanding opera 27.”

After studying piano, composition, and acting at Carnegie Mellon �鶹��, Gordon settled in New York City, where he quickly emerged as a leading writer of vocal music that spans art song, opera, and musical theater. Mr. Gordon’s songs have been performed and or recorded by such internationally renowned singers as Renee Fleming, Dawn Upshaw, Nathan Gunn, Judy Collins, Kelli O’Hara, Audra MacDonald, Kristin Chenoweth, Nicole Cabell, the late Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, Frederica Von Stade, Nadine Sierra, Andrea Marcovicci, Harolyn Blackwell, and Betty Buckley, among many others.

Stephen Holden, writing in the New York Times said, “If the music of Ricky Ian Gordon had to be defined by a single quality, it would be the bursting effervescence in fusing songs that blithely blur the lines between art song and the high-end Broadway music of Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim…It’s caviar for a world gorging on pizza.”

Mason Opera stage director and celebrated former Metropolitan Opera tenor Richard Leech, now George Mason faculty, said, “I am inspired every day by our wonderfully talented students as they meet the challenges, and discover the joy of presenting a work as brilliant as Ricky’s 27. We couldn’t be more excited to have him join us to work with our students on interpreting his music. It is an honor.”

In 27, the audience is invited into the famed Paris salon, located at 27 Rue de Fleurus, of American writer, Gertrude Stein and her wife, Alice B. Toklas, as the two weather both world wars. Along the way, while the paintings sing, the audience meets Picasso, Matisse, Hemingway, Fitzgerald, and others among the great artists and writers that Stein hosted and mentored. Originally commissioned by the Opera Theater of St. Louis, 27 received its world premiere in 2014. In a score of just over 90 minutes, Gordon’s spritely music and Royce Vavrek’s clever libretto take the audience on a journey spanning two world wars and give a clear-eyed look at the inspiring and controversial life of this legendary author.

Commenting on his residency at George Mason, Gordon wrote: “I am so looking forward to working with the incredible Richard Leech on an opera of mine that is SO DEAR TO MY HEART! 27 sprang to mind in an INSTANT when I was asked to write an opera for Stephanie Blythe, as Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas are lifelong heroes of mine, and their salon became for me a paradigm of how I wanted my life to look, and for George Mason to be doing the first college production is thrilling as well as brave and innovative! Bravi tutti!”

Residency events open to the public include:

Meet the Artist & His Music – Ricky Ian Gordon

Monday, April 14, 2025
12:30 – 1:20 p.m.
Harris Theatre, Fairfax Campus

Vocal Masterclass with Ricky Ian Gordon

Wednesday, April 16, 2025
12:30 – 2:30 p.m.
Monson Grand Tier III
Center for the Arts, Fairfax Campus, George Mason �鶹��

Mason Opera presents 27

*Each performance will feature an introduction by the composer:

Friday, April 25, 2025 at 8 p.m.
Saturday, April 26, 2025 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Sunday, April 27, 2025 at 3 p.m.

Performances will be in Harris Theatre on the Fairfax Campus of George Mason �鶹��

Tickets: $20 General public, $15 Seniors, and $5 Students

There is also a standing ticket offer for individuals impacted by federal layoffs, which can be applied to the Mason Opera performances.

Topics

Reva and Sid Dewberry Family School of Music

College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA)

Dewberry School of Music

Students

Design students collaborate with Stillhouse Press to create potential covers for new novel

Katarina Benson — Mon, 10 Mar 2025 13:52:33 +0000

Design students collaborate with Stillhouse Press to create potential covers for new novel Katarina Benson Mon, 03/10/2025 - 09:52

In February, George Mason �鶹�� students in a publication design course had the opportunity to design book covers for a novel that is being published by the university’s Stillhouse Press, an independent small publisher affiliated with the English Department.

Stillhouse Press has previously worked with School of Art professors to design covers, but this type of collaboration is new. Professor Michael McDermott has previously worked on book covers for the press and suggested turning cover creation into a class project for his AVT 313 Publication Design course. The project can potentially serve as a way to identify students who could work on a cover for this book or a different one in the future.

Students look at the proposed cover designs. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of �鶹�� Branding

“We’re very happy to be here and see what these students have done,” said Scott W. Berg, English professor and publisher and editorial advisor for Stillhouse Press. “It’s rare that we get to see so many designs for one cover.”

Students had about a month to create covers for an upcoming Stillhouse title, Ryan Habermeyer's Necronauts. After discussing the book’s motifs and themes, students were given the actual dimensions of the book to work with. For the assignment, they were expected to create five designs and then narrow it down to just one or two. The goal was to make the project as realistic as possible.

“The exercise demonstrates cross-discipline collaboration on a real-world book project, design and marketing, and experiential learning,” said Gregg Wilhelm, director of George Mason’s Creative Writing Program and cofounder of Watershed Lit: Center for Literary Engagement and Publishing Practice. “It’s so much more than aesthetics. You have to think about design costs and selling the book as well.”

Art and visual technology major Henry Phan said he’s enjoyed working on the project. “It’s taught me a lot about cover design and made me consider things I haven’t before,” he said.

Students who enjoyed working on the covers can add a minor in dynamic publishing, which involves coursework in both the English Department in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences and the School of Art. The six-course minor, which offers art and design or editorial and publishing tracks, prepares students for work in the publishing industry.

Grace Wood, a creative writing major minoring in dynamic publishing and a reader for Stillhouse Press, attended the event. “As a writer, it’s really cool to be a part of this. Seeing people work on these covers inspires me to write a book that would be worthy of a good cover,” she said.

“Stillhouse Press, like all of Watershed Lit, is deeply committed to this kind of hands-on, cross-curricular learning as a crucial component of our students' professional preparation, said Berg.

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CVPA Announces Recipients of the 2025 Young Alumni Commissioning Project Awards

Emily Schneider — Wed, 19 Feb 2025 16:28:07 +0000

CVPA Announces Recipients of the 2025 Young Alumni Commissioning Project Awards Emily Schneider Wed, 02/19/2025 - 11:28

George Mason �鶹��’s College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA) announces the recipients of the sixth round of its Young Alumni Commissioning Project Awards. Two alumni were chosen based on the artistic excellence, career impact, and feasibility of their proposals and will receive financial, marketing, and production support to have their projects presented by the college at a Mason Arts venue during the 2025–26 season.

“This year’s Young Alumni Commissioning Project Awards continue our mission to support emerging artists across the spectrum of disciplines that we practice and teach in Mason Arts. The projects are compelling in both form and content, rising to the top of a very competitive pool of proposals,” said College of Visual and Performing Arts Dean Rick Davis. “We are equally excited to showcase the work we’ve supported in recent cycles, proving the value of this program not only to the artists themselves, but to the community at large, as we add more highly accomplished artistry to the world’s inventory.”

Brianna Camp is the 2025 recipient of the Young Alumni Commissioning Project Award. Photo provided

Brianna Camp

Brianna Camp, BFA Art and Visual Technology ’23, received the Young Alumni Commissioning Project Award and $5,000 in commissioning support for Flare: Finding a Sense of Place in the Chronically Ill Body. This work will consist of a series of large-scale oil paintings, each accompanied by documentary photographs and poetry. In exploring her personal experiences with navigating the ebb and flow of her chronic illness, Flare offers audiences the chance to reflect on how we process pain over time and the vastness of the potential for healing.

Camp is interested in pursuing a career in art therapy and hopes this project will serve as a starting point toward her future practice. Reflecting on her time at George Mason and the impact that the faculty had on her development as an artist, Camp said, “When I make work from a place of authenticity, allowing for potential mistakes, changes, and discoveries, I am able to get closer to expressing what feels true. Their belief in me helped me find my voice and understand the importance of sharing my perspective. I hope to create my project from this place of openness and authenticity that they helped foster within me.”

Marina Vianello is the recipient of the 2025 Young Alumni Creative Development Award. Photo provided

Marina Vianello

Marina Vianello, BFA Dance ’18, received the Young Alumni Creative Development Award and $2,500 in commissioning support for Three Generations of Bach, an intergenerational multimedia dance work. Vianello will work with her mother, Andrea Skowronek, a retired professional dancer, to recreate and blend together inspiration from an original dance work that Skowronek developed early in her career, set to music accompaniment from her own father. Collaborating as co-directors on this new piece, Vianello and Skowronek will incorporate live flute accompaniment of Bach’s Partita in A Minor, video footage of Skowronek performing as a young woman, and live performances by Vianello and Skowronek—solo and together.

A professional dancer and choreographer herself, Vianello aims to explore how the passage of time affects movement, memories, and mindsets, and wants audiences to consider what is lost and what is gained as one ages and releases themselves from the limits of ageism and judgment. Reflecting on her journey after graduating from George Mason, Vianello shared, “I have such admiration for the dance artists who continuously create opportunities for themselves and others, and this is something I champion and will always strive for and hope to forever do.”

Over the past five years, 18 CVPA alumni have been granted awards anywhere from $2,500 to $5,000 to support the creation of a new artistic work for projects in film, dance, visual art, music, and game design. To be considered for this year’s award, applicants must have graduated from CVPA from the class of 2014 and after. Proposals could include original new work in any art form suitable for performance, exhibition, or screening in a Mason Arts venue. The size, length, duration, magnitude, and content are at the artist’s discretion. Potential venues include George Mason’s traditional theater spaces, galleries, and cinemas, but proposals for non-traditional venues, including digital spaces, were also considered.

During the 2023–24 award cycle, Jumana Al Refai, BFA Dance ’17, received the Young Alumni Commissioning Project Award and $5,000 in commissioning support for Tashkeel َتْشِكيل,, a short film that explores all aspects of “Haraka”—the Arabic word for movement. Rebecca Wahls, BFA Theater ’15, received the Young Alumni Creative Development Award and $3,000 in commissioning support of Him, a feature-length ensemble comedy film. The film follows the final five contestants on a reality dating show, whose world is turned upside down as they discover a dark truth about their “suitor.” Wahls directed, co-wrote, and co-produced Him, alongside actor and writer Trey Higgins. The screening at George Mason’s Fairfax Campus will take place on March 21, and a screening at Carnegie Mellon �鶹��’s Los Angeles Campus is also planned.

The Young Alumni Commissioning Project is made possible by a generous bequest from the estate of Linda E. Gramlich for the support of young artists, and by donors to George Mason’s previous Giving Day, including Shugoll Research.

About the 2025 Award Recipients

Brianna Camp (she/her) is a visual artist living in Fairfax, Virginia. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with a concentration in painting from George Mason’s School of Art in 2023. Camp plans to combine her creative practice with her passion for social engagement and advocacy. In the coming years, she hopes to receive a graduate degree with a focus in art therapy. Camp’s first solo show, Lightkeeper, debuted at the Lake Frederick Shenandoah Lodge Art Gallery in December 2023. Her work has been shown at other galleries across the Northern Virginia area including the Kunsthaus Gallery, Open Space Arts, The Torpedo Factory Art Center, and the Gillespie Gallery at George Mason �鶹��. Camp will be a guest artist at the Torpedo Factory Art Center in February 2025. She has also participated in chalk art events, receiving first place in the professional category at ChalkFest in Reston, Virginia, and Chalk the Walk in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Camp’s paintings, murals, and drawings emphasize light and utilize an impressionistic and painterly approach. As a chronically ill artist, Camp is inspired by the healing connection that can be facilitated through art, both on a personal and societal level. She recognizes art as a potential form of social action and as a tool to build community. Her site-specific works and murals often involve her peers and local organizations. Camp is drawn to portraiture and landscapes in her more personal pieces. She finds her artistic process to bring inner healing, allowing her to process pain and uncover the places where the light shines in.

Marina Vianello is a dance artist, choreographer, and arts administrator based in New York City. She grew up in Kansas City, Missouri, and began her training at City in Motion Dance Theater’s School of Dance. She graduated magna cum laude with a BFA in Dance and a minor in global systems from George Mason, where she was awarded an annual Dance Talent Scholarship. Throughout college, she was cast in pieces by Alejandro Cerrudo, Robert Battle, Lar Lubovitch, Susan Shields, Christopher d’Amboise, and David Grenke, and she choreographed three pieces for the Mason Dance Company. She has trained with the Mark Morris Dance Group on full scholarship, with Rioult Dance NY, with DanceWorksChicago, and with Shannon Gillen at the b12 dance festival in Berlin, Germany where she performed at the dock11 theatre. Professional performance credits include the Lyric Opera of Kansas City (West Side Story and The Pearl Fishers), Yoo & Dancers (92NY Artist in Residence), JKing Dance Company, As Arts NY Dance, and Terre Dance Collective. She is fluent in French and has performed internationally at Châteaux en Fêtes (Festival of Castles) in Dordogne, France, and recently returned for their 2024 festival. She currently dances professionally with Ballaro Dance, Mari Meade Dance Collective, and Arsenal Movement Dance Project. Her choreography has been presented at the Tada Theatre, Chain Theatre, and Arts on Site in NYC, and the Gem Theater and Folly Theater in Kansas City. She teaches dance and Pilates throughout NYC and serves as the Director of Operations for Pony Box Dance Theatre.

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The College of Visual and Performing Arts Launches Initiative to Renovate Center for the Arts

Kirstin Franko — Mon, 03 Feb 2025 21:53:20 +0000

The College of Visual and Performing Arts Launches Initiative to Renovate Center for the Arts Kirstin Franko Mon, 02/03/2025 - 16:53

George Mason �鶹��’s College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA) announces the public launch of the Give Voice initiative, a $35 million fundraising effort to renovate and modernize the Center for the Arts into a state-of-the-art venue. The Give Voice initiative is part of Mason Now: Power the Possible—the university’s first one-billion-dollar comprehensive fundraising campaign to support student success, research, innovation, community, and stewardship.

“For decades, our Center for the Arts has been a beacon for talent and innovation, a proving ground for students learning their craft and pursuing their passions, and home to world-class performances as the cultural hub of our region," George Mason �鶹�� President Gregory Washington said. “The Give Voice initiative will ensure that the arts remain a front door to the university, as they have been for 6.5 million patrons who have been enriched and inspired by their shared experiences in this storied building.”

Built in 1990, the Center for the Arts has supported the early work of George Mason �鶹�� students whose careers led them to Broadway, and has hosted Grammy, Tony, Emmy, and Academy Award-winning artists—and U.S. presidents. The modernization aims to improve and enhance the venue’s ability to support the needs of artists, audiences, and the students and faculty of CVPA. It will include major technological and acoustical upgrades; improved accessibility, sightlines, and aesthetics; additional aisles on Orchestra and Balcony levels; a remodeled lobby; expanded teaching and rehearsal spaces; a new donor lounge; expanded restrooms; and more.

Architectural concept rendering of the Center for the Arts Concert Hall by Quinn Evans.

“So many people have told us that there are really two eras in George Mason history—before and after the Center for the Arts opened its doors,” CVPA dean Rick Davis said. “I think this transformation will be thought of in the same way in years to come, as we create a modern, technology-rich, visually stunning, and artist-and-audience friendly home for all who enjoy the arts, whether as a creator or an audience member.”

The Give Voice initiative quietly began with a $10 million gift from Barry Dewberry and Arlene Evans, which was announced in April 2022 as part of George Mason’s 50th anniversary celebration. Their transformative gift set the stage for this capital initiative towards the reimagining of the Center for the Arts for future generations. Upon the conclusion of its renovation, the Center for the Arts will be renamed the Barry Dewberry and Arlene Evans Center for the Arts in recognition of their visionary support.

“My father, Sid Dewberry, was one of the founding fathers of George Mason and he had a special fondness for music,” said Barry Dewberry. “Towards the end of his life, Arlene and I saw the need to pick up the baton and continue supporting George Mason and Mason Arts. We recognize the important role the Center for the Arts plays and what this renovation will do to heighten the experience for students, visiting artists, and the public. Arlene and I are honored to make the lead gift for the Give Voice Initiative, and we look forward to seeing the exciting results.”

Arlene Evans and Barry Dewberry. Photo by Chia-Chi Charlie Chang.

In addition to the Dewberry/Evans gift, the Center for the Arts has also secured a $6 million gift from the Peterson Family Foundation. The Peterson Family gift—announced in May 2024—specifically supports enhancements to the Center for the Arts’ Concert Hall and lobby. These spaces will be renamed the Peterson Auditorium and the Peterson Family Lobby, respectively.

With the Dewberry/Evans and Peterson gifts, along with many other instrumental philanthropists pledging support, Give Voice has raised nearly $18 million of its $35 million goal. An additional $35 million toward the reimagination of the Center for the Arts is anticipated to come from George Mason �鶹��.

The Give Voice initiative was officially announced at the Mason Arts Elevated event held on February 5 at the Center for the Arts. The event brought together distinguished donors, university and local leaders, and VIP guests. At the event, President Washington spoke about the importance of this renovation initiative for Mason Arts and was joined by Dean Davis, who highlighted the new plans for modernizing the Center for the Arts. Also in attendance during the event were Provost James Antony and President of the George Mason �鶹�� Foundation and VP for Advancement and Alumni Relations Trishana E. Bowden.

Mason Arts is the collective presence of the arts embedded throughout George Mason. In addition to CVPA, Mason Arts includes seven community arts programs, galleries across three campuses, and multiple performance venues—both physical and digital.

Part of the Mason Now: Power the Possible campaign, the event also brought awareness to additional fundraising priorities across Mason Arts, including student scholarships; the development of a George Mason Arts District with sculpture installations on the Fairfax Campus; expanding facilities for the growing Film and Video Studies and Computer Game Design programs; support for chair positions and professorships to recruit and retain outstanding faculty; funds to create a concept plan for an art museum; and the Hylton Center for the Performing Arts Endowment Fund supporting its performances and arts education opportunities for the public, veterans, and students of all ages.

Additional information about the Center for the Arts renovation is available on the Give Voice initiative website. Project specifics including the renovation timeline will be announced at a later date and updated on the website.

Power the Possible