School of Visual, Performing, and Communication Arts

Visiting Artist Lecture - Tom Burckhardt, Painter
2024-11-13 11:00 - 12:00 (America/New_York) | Visual & Performing Arts Center, 43 Lake Avenue Extension, Danbury, CT, 06811, United States
WCSU MFA Visiting Artist Lecture with Tom Burckhardt, Painter

Visiting Artist Lecture with
TOM BURCKHARDT, PAINTER
Wed, Nov 13, 2024, 11:00 am

Visual & Performing Arts Center
WCSU, Westside Campus, room 144
Free & Open to the Public
Limited Seating Available

Tom Burckhardt was born in New York City and remains a lifelong resident. He graduated with a BFA in painting from SUNY Purchase in 1986 and attended the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture that same year. His work explores the intersection of abstraction and figuration, playing with perception to discern forms and figures within multiple, abstracted layers.

Tom’s work has been shown in over thirty solo exhibitions and countless group shows throughout the U.S. and abroad, including McNay Art Museum, Hudson River Museum, Knoxville Art Museum, Bowdoin Museum, and the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum. His most recent solo show of paintings was at George Adams Gallery, NYC, in February 2024. Other NYC gallery shows include Tibor De Nagy, Pierogi, DC Moore, and Caren Golden Fine Art, among others, with several shows at Gregory Lind Gallery in San Francisco.
In 2016, he participated in the Kochi Muziris Bienalle in Kerala, India with an installation piece entitled “Studio Flood”.

Tom is the recipient of numerous grants and awards, including three grants from the NY Foundation for the Arts, a Joan Mitchell Foundation Grant, a Guggenheim Foundation Grant, and two Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grants. He was awarded two artist in residencies at Yaddo Foundation in 2024 and 2019. He was also an artist in residence at Pepper House, Kochi, India, in 2020, as well as a resident faculty at Skowhegan in 2007. Currently, Tom teaches part-time at SUNY Purchase.
@tomburckhardt

Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band
2024-11-10 15:00 - 16:30 | Veronica Hagman Concert Hall, VPAC, 43 Lake Avenue Extension, Danbury, CT, 06810, United States
Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band

Wind Ensemble directed by Fernando Jimenez and Symphonic Band directed by Matthew Doiron.
**Tickets at the Faculty and Staff rate are available at the VPAC box office located in the VPAC lobby – a valid WCSU ID is required at the time of purchase**
NOTE: Advance ticket purchases made online are $10; Tickets purchased at the door are $15.
No refunds are permitted; all sales are final.

Angels in America, Part Two: Perestroika
2024-11-10 13:00 - 16:00, 2024-11-09 19:00 - 22:00, 2024-11-09 13:00 - 16:00, 2024-11-08 19:00 - 22:00, 2024-11-03 13:00 - 16:00, 2024-11-02 19:00 - 22:00, 2024-11-02 13:00 - 16:00, 2024-11-01 19:00 - 22:00 | Studio Theatre – Visual and Performing Arts Center at WCSU, 43 Lake Avenue Extension, Danbury, CT, 06811, United States
WCSU Dept. of Theatre Arts presents Angels in America, Part Two: Perestroika, November 1 – 10

Opera Scenes
2024-11-09 19:00 - 20:30 | Veronica Hagman Concert Hall, VPAC, 43 Lake Avenue Extension, Danbury, CT, 06810, United States
Opera Scenes

Opera Scenes, featuring the WCSU Opera Ensemble in favorite opera scenes and excerpts. Richard Weidlich, Director
**Tickets at the Faculty, Staff and Student rate are available at the VPAC box office located in the VPAC lobby – a valid WCSU ID is required at the time of purchase**
NOTE: Advance ticket purchases made online are $10 plus fees; Tickets purchased at the door are $15.

No refunds are permitted; all sales are final.

2024 Professional Development Day for Arts Educators
2024-11-05 08:30 - 15:30 | Visual and Performing Arts Center, WCSU, 43 Lake Avenue Extension, Danbury, CT, 06810, United States
Join us for the 2024 Professional Day for Arts Educators

Join us for the 2024 Professional Day for Arts Educators
$40 per attendee includes lunch.
Keynote speaker: Wendy Valerio, Professor of Music Education at University of South Carolina.
“Why Are We Arts Educators? Hope and Purpose in Troubled Times”

8:30am: Registration / Coffee Service (included in registration fee)
9:00am – 10:30am: Keynote Speech: “Why Are We Arts Educators? Hope and Purpose in Troubled Times” – Wendy Valerio
10:30am – 11:45am: Breakout Session 1

Music Education at the Crossroads: The Impact of AI & Technology – Dr. James Frankel
Movement Matters: Kinesthetic Strategies for Choral Rehearsals – Jeremy Wiggins
Facilitating Student-to-Student Interaction through Improvisation – Wendy Valerio
The Power of Pre-Band: Push Past Recorder and Build the Band – Brittany Bauman
Podcasting: The New Voice of Your Students – Wayne Splettstoeszer
Music and Arts String Repair
Maximizing Lighting for HS Theatre – Oliver Wason
Directing for Musical Theater – Anthony Depoto
Resiliency for Educators – Jennifer Dauphinais
Beadwork Culture & Identity: Color Theory Review – Corina Alvarezdelugo
Introduction to Teaching for Artistic Behavior (TAB): Empowering Creativity- Kim King
Exploring Art’s Impact: Communicate, Educate, Transform, Inspire – Aimee Jette
Instructional and Behavioral Strategies for Inclusive Music Environments – Anthony Granata
Creativity in Learning Interactive Experience – Apple Education
Ekphrastic Writing: Art Inspired by Art – Shannon Marzella

12:00pm – 1:00pm: Lunch (included in registration fee)
1:00pm – 2:15pm: Breakout Session 2

Rock-solid Beginnings: Technology Tools for Elementary Music – Amy M. Burns
Everything Can Be Measured; Everything Can Be Improved: Temporal, Tonal, and Articulational Accuracy in the Choral Rehearsal – Kevin Isaacs
Elemental Composition..taking the simplest idea from Zero to Infinity – James Allen
Improvisation Strategies for the Classroom and Ensemble Dan O’Brien
Arts Advocacy: Creating and Developing Essential Districtwide Assets – Rick Sadlon
Soundtrap! The best DAW for Education – Wayne Splettstoeszer
Music and Arts Band Repair
Preparations for BFA Acting & Musical Theater Auditions Justin Cowan, Tim Howard, Pam McDaniel
Inclusive Discourse in Schools and Classrooms – Jennifer Dauphinais
The Secrets of Negative Space: Mastering Drawing and Composition- Corina Alvarezdelugo
Introduction to Teaching for Artistic Behavior (TAB): Empowering Creativity – Kim King
Coping with Uncertainty: Emotional Resilience for Art Teachers – Aimee Jette
Stuck in the Middle – working with the MS changing voice – Jeremy Wiggins
Building an orchestra for non String Players – Anthony Grananta
Creativity in Learning Interactive Experience – Apple Education

2:30pm – 3:30pm Reading / Curriculum Sessions / Discussion

String Orchestra with Fernando Jimenez
Symphonic Band with Matt Doiron
Jazz Ensemble with Jamie Begian
Choir with Jeremy Wiggins
General Music roundtable with James Allen
Arts Educator roundtable with Rick Sadlon
High School Theater roundtable with Justin Cowan

Piano Studio Recital
2024-11-03 15:00 - 16:30 | Veronica Hagman Concert Hall, University Boulevard, Danbury, CT, 06811, United States
Piano Studio Recital

WCSU Piano Majors in recital
**Tickets at the Faculty, Staff and Student rate are available at the VPAC box office located in the VPAC lobby – a valid WCSU ID is required at the time of purchase**
NOTE: Advance ticket purchases made online are $10; Tickets purchased at the door are $15.

No refunds are permitted; all sales are final.

Oktoberfest Jazz
2024-10-26 13:00 - 14:30 | Veronica Hagman Concert Hall, VPAC, 43 Lake Avenue Extension, Danbury, CT, 06810, United States
Oktoberfest Jazz!

WCSU’s outstanding large jazz ensembles take center stage in this presentation of big band classics. Featuring the Vocal Jazz Ensemble under the direction of Will Gorman, the Jazz Ensemble under the direction of Jamie Begian and the Jazz Orchestra under the direction of Jimmy Greene.

**Tickets at the Faculty and Staff rate are available at the VPAC box office located in the VPAC lobby – a valid WCSU ID is required at the time of purchase**
NOTE: Advance ticket purchases made online are $10; Tickets purchased at the door are $15.

No refunds are permitted; all sales are final.

Gallery Opening - Meticulous: Methodical Approaches to Making Art
2024-10-24 18:00 - 20:00 | The Gallery at the Visual & Performing Arts Center, 43 Lake Avenue Extension, Danbury, CT, 06811, United States
Join us for the opening reception of the exhibition “Meticulous: Methodical Approaches to Making Art” on Thur, Oct 24, at 6:00 pm.

METICULOUS:
Methodical Approaches to Making Art
Darlene Charneco
Kathy Greenwood
Michiyo Ihara
Nathan Meltz
Aliyah Salmon
Christopher Werner
On view Oct 24–Dec 8, 2024
Opening Reception: Thurs, Oct 24, 2024
6:00–8:00 pm

THE GALLERY at the Visual & Performing Arts Center
Western Connecticut State University
Westside Campus, 43 Lake Ave Extension, Danbury, CT 06811
Gallery Hours: Tues–Fri, 12–4, Sat–Sun, 1–4

The term “meticulous” implies order and attention to detail; this exhibition presents a group of artists working in various media who employ specific systematic procedures, processes, and techniques to create their work. The use of particular parameters can be dictated by the chosen medium, but the methodology is not always by design and may even feel compulsory or necessary. The works in this exhibit explore this aspect of creativity.
The Gallery at the Visual & Performing Arts Center is dedicated to presenting professional, contemporary art exhibitions and cultural programming. By providing outstanding visual art experiences, we seek to inspire our audiences to embrace new ideas and perspectives and appreciate art in all its forms.

Visiting Artist Lecture - Cheryl Mukherji, Interdisciplinary Artist
2024-10-23 11:00 - 12:00 | Visual & Performing Arts Center, 43 Lake Avenue Extension, Danbury, CT, 06811, United States
WCSU MFA Visiting Artist Lecture with Cheryl Mukherji, Interdisciplinary Artist

Visiting Artist Lecture with
CHERYL MUKHERJI –INTERDISCIPLINARY ARTIST
Wed, Oct 23, 2024, 11:00 am

Visual & Performing Arts Center
WCSU, Westside Campus, room 144
Free & Open to the Public
Limited Seating Available

Cheryl Mukherji is an Indian visual artist and writer based in Brooklyn, New York. In 2020, she received her MFA in Advanced Photographic Studies from ICP-Bard College, New York, where she was also a recipient of the Director’s Fellowship.
In her work, Cheryl explores the idea of origin and inheritance, which is embedded in the figure of her mother and her presence in the family photo album. She incorporates photography, text, video, and printmaking in her works, some expanding to installations.
Cheryl is the 2024 Workspace Artist-in-Residence at Penumbra Foundation, NYC. In 2023, she received the highest award for the 97th Annual at the Print Center, Philadelphia. In 2022, she was a finalist in the Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition at the National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian. Previously held residencies include Stoneleaf Retreat in 2023, Center for Photography at Woodstock in 2022, and Baxter Street at Camera Club of New York in 2021.

Cheryl’s work was exhibited last year at The Gallery at WCSU, where she was also a panel member for an artists’ talk. Her work has been shown in many solo and group exhibitions in the U.S. at the Museum of the City of New York, Brooklyn Museum, Printed Matter, The Print Center, International Center of Photography, Museum of Moving Image, National Portrait Gallery, and Minnesota Museum of American Art. Her work has also been shown in the United Kingdom at Huxley-Parlour Gallery and Format Photo Festival. Cheryl’s works are in collections at the Harvard Art Museums and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts.
@cherylmukherji

Legally Blonde The Musical
2024-10-20 14:00 - 16:30, 2024-10-19 20:00 - 22:30, 2024-10-19 14:00 - 16:30, 2024-10-18 20:00 - 22:30, 2024-10-13 14:00 - 16:30, 2024-10-12 20:00 - 22:30, 2024-10-12 14:00 - 16:30, 2024-10-11 20:00 - 22:30 | MainStage Theatre – Visual & Performing Arts Center, 43 Lake Avenue Extension, Danbury, CT, 06811, United States
WCSU Dept. of Theatre Arts presents Legally Blonde The Musical, October 11 – 20

Sip & Sketch
2024-10-18 19:00 - 21:00 | Visual & Performing Arts Center, 43 Lake Avenue Extension, Danbury, CT, 06811, United States
SIP & SKETCH Friday, Oct 18, 2024, 7:00–9:00pm. Draw from a live model. Hosted by the Department of Art.

SIP & SKETCH
Friday, Oct 18, 2024, 7:00–9:00pm
Enjoy a creative and entertaining evening combining drawing from a live model with music, wine, and light refreshments. Guided by an experienced artist, this event is open to participants of all levels and backgrounds, from the seasoned to the beginner, to participate in a shared art experience in a fun and relaxed studio environment.
This event will be located in the Drawing Studio, room 241 of the Visual & Performing Arts Center, 43 Lake Ave Extension Danbury, CT 06810. Basic drawing materials are provided and you are welcome to bring your own. Ages 21-plus, please.
For more information, contact the WCSU Department of Art at (203) 837-8403.
This program is hosted by WCSU’s Department of Art and sponsored by the Alumni Association

FALL NEW YORK CITY BUS TRIP TO THE MET
2024-10-17 09:00 - 19:00 | Visual & Performing Arts Center, 43 Lake Avenue Extension, Danbury, CT, 06811, United States
Fall NYC Bus Trip to the MET Museum, sponsored by the Department of Art

Fall New York City Bus Trip To the MET Museum
Thursday, Oct 17, 2024
$15 round trip
Depart from VPAC:North Arts Entrance at 9:00 am sharp
Return to WCSU:From the MET at 5:00 pm sharp

Open to WCSU Art Students as well as all SVPA students, alumni, faculty, and staff (& guests). Seating is limited. Ticket sales end when the bus is full! No Refunds unless the trip is canceled.
All ART classes on Thurs, Oct 17th are canceled. (Arrangements may need to be made with instructors of other non-art classes.) For more information about the tickets or the bus, you may contact the Visual Arts Assistant, Lori Robeau at 203-837-8403 or the Box office at 203-837-8732.

ADMISSION TO THE MET
Connecticut students “PAY WHAT YOU WISH.” The Met suggests the following general admission ticket prices: $30 for adults, $22 for seniors, and $17 for students, but you may pay what you wish. Just show your WCSU Student ID along with another form of ID upon entrance. You can also purchase tickets prior to the trip on their website.
For more information about the MET go to: https://www.metmuseum.org/visit/plan-your-visit#tickets

Visiting Artist Lecture - Jon Sideriadis, Illustrator
2024-10-09 11:00 - 12:00 | Visual & Performing Arts Center, 43 Lake Avenue Extension, Danbury, CT, 06811, United States
WCSU MFA Visiting Artist Lecture with Jon Sideriadis, Illustrator

Visiting Artist Lecture with
JON SIDERIADIS, ILLUSTRATOR
Wed, Oct 9, 2024, 11:00 am

Visual & Performing Arts Center
WCSU, Westside Campus, room 144
Free & Open to the Public
Limited Seating Available

Jon Sideriadis is an award-winning illustrator, author, and educator; a creator of fantasy art and world-building. From 2018 through 2023, he was Coordinator and Professor of the Illustration Program at the University of New Haven. Previously, he taught at several universities and colleges, including UCONN and Hartford Art School. He has also taught world-building and art history in Rhodes, Greece, and has lectured and held workshops throughout the East Coast. Currently, he is an adjunct professor at Tunxis Community College, allowing for more time in his studio.

Jon’s work has been published in film, television, video games, novels, comics, album art, board games, and trading cards. As an in-house and freelance illustrator, Jon has worked with many clients, including Hasbro, Dwarven Forge, Goodman Games, and Hit Point Press. He has also worked in Hollywood as a creature-effects artist and sculptor on feature films including Godzilla and Underworld Evolution. His artwork has been shown in solo and group exhibitions throughout the country, and he is a frequent guest of honor at illustration conventions.
Jon is the author and illustrator of an original mythology series called Astromythos, and he is currently completing the second book in the series. He has also written and illustrated a fifth-edition D&D adventure book, published by Hit Point Press, called Lair of the Spider Lord. Jon received his BFA in illustration from Rhode Island School of Design, and his MFA in Illustration from Hartford Art School.
@jonsideriadis

Sip & Sketch
2024-09-27 19:00 - 21:00 | Visual & Performing Arts Center, 43 Lake Avenue Extension, Danbury, CT, 06811, United States
SIP & SKETCH Friday, Sept 27, 2024, 7:00–9:00 pm. Join us for a fun night of sipping and still-life sketching!

SIP & SKETCH
Friday, Sept 27, 2024, 7:00–9:00 pm
Join us for a creative and enjoyable evening where you can draw from a still-life while enjoying music, wine, and light refreshments. This event, instructed by MFA alumna and experienced artist, Janet Warner, is open to participants of all levels and backgrounds, from beginners to seasoned artists. It’s a shared art experience in a fun and relaxed studio environment.
The event will be held in the Drawing Studio, room 241 of the Visual & Performing Arts Center, 43 Lake Ave Extension Danbury, CT 06810. Basic drawing materials will be provided, but you are welcome to bring your own. This event is for ages 21 and above.
For more information, please contact the WCSU Department of Art at (203) 837-8403.
This program is hosted by WCSU’s Department of Art and sponsored by the Alumni Association.

DCA presents Cecile Licad, piano
2024-09-22 15:00 - 16:30 | Veronica Hagman Concert Hall, VPAC, 43 Lake Avenue Extension, Danbury, CT, 06810, United States
Get ready for an unforgettable performance as the Danbury Concert Association brings you Cecile Licad, piano

Danbury Concert Association presents :
Cecile Licad, piano
Internationally renowned Cecile Licad returns to open the 2024/25 series of the Danbury Concert Association, with a program featuring works by Beethoven, Chopin, Scott Joplin, Liszt, and Ravel. Her impeccable technique, breathtaking range, and masterful interpretation show why she’s known as “the pianist’s pianist” (The New Yorker).

Tickets at $25 are available at the VPAC box office located in the lobby. Free admission for those 18 and under, courtesy of the Danbury Cultural Commission.

Visiting Artist Lecture - Maria De Los Angeles, Interdisciplinary Artist
2024-09-18 11:00 - 12:00 | Visual & Performing Arts Center, 43 Lake Avenue Extension, Danbury, CT, 06811, United States
WCSU MFA Visiting Artist Lecture with Maria De Los Angeles, Interdisciplinary Artist

Visiting Artist Lecture with
MARIA DE LOS ANGELES –INTERDISCIPLINARY ARTIST
Wed, Sept 18, 2024, 11:00 am

Visual & Performing Arts Center
WCSU, Westside Campus, room 144
Free & Open to the Public
Limited Seating Available

Maria De Los Angeles is a Mexican-born, American artist. She addresses ideas of migration, belonging, and identity through drawing, painting, printmaking, and wearable sculptures. She holds an MFA from Yale and a BFA from Pratt. In 2015, she was awarded the Blair Dickinson Memorial Prize by the Yale School of Art. In 2023, she received the William Aguilar Cultural Award from the American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education for her artwork and role within her communities. Currently, she is Critic and Acting Director of Graduate Studies for Painting and Printmaking at Yale.
Maria has been an artist in residence at Sun Valley Museum of Art, Anderson Ranch Arts Center, MASS MOCA, El Museo del Barrio, LA County Museum of Art, Monira Foundation, and Schneider Museum of Art. Recent solo exhibitions include the Schneider Museum of Art, the Museum of Sonoma County, and Goggleworks. Recent group exhibitions include Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, LACMA, San Diego Mesa College, and Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, where her work was featured in “We the People: The Radical Notions of Democracy”.
Maria has created public murals in California for Sutter Santa Rosa Regional Hospital, Santa Rosa Junior College, Glen Ellen, and Luther Burbank Center for the Arts. Her works are in the permanent collections of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Museum of Sonoma County, San Diego Mesa College, and Smith College, among others. @delosangelesart
