Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design
Westphal College News & Events
Winter Cancellations
Due to the coming snowstorm the following events have been rescheduled:
- Platinum Mixing in "The Box": An Evening with Kevin Killen- rescheduled for February 22nd with all other details remaining the same
- African American Aesthetic of Dress as Cultural Genectics (fashion lecture)- rescheduled for April 21st, location TBD, all other details remain the same
- Lilly Pulitzer Event at the Ardmore Store- rescheduled for February 24th with all other details remaining the same
- The Campus Concert with musicians from the Philadelphia Orchestra in Van Rennselear Hall is cancelled. Another date is TBD.
LILLY PULITZER EVENT CANCELED:
Due to the coming snowstorm on Wed, Feb 10th, this event has been tentatively rescheduled to Wed, Feb 24th. The location, time and all other details are still the same.
Lilly Pulitzer Student Fashions
Fashion design students have been hard at work creating women’s wear for a fundraiser event at the Lilly Pulitzer store in Ardmore. Last fall, the company donated fabric to our fashion program and challenged our students to create designs in keeping with the Pulitzer style. Under the leadership of department head Roberta Gruber, fashion professors Renee Weiss Chase and Lisa Hayes and Pulitzer’s head designer, Jane Schoenboren, students underwent rigorous critiques as part of the process of refining their clothing creations. Our students’ garments will be the centerpiece of a fashion show and cocktail reception at the Ardmore store (49 Saint James Place, Ardmore) on Wednesday, February 10th 6- 8 PM.
Ten-percent of the proceeds from floor sales during the evening will support the fashion program’s scholarship fund. Awards will be given to the evening’s top designers, including one for best dress. Please stop by and see the great Lily Pulitzer line and our students’ terrific work.
FASHION LECTURE with DR. GWENDOLYN O’NEAL CANCELED:
Due to the coming snowstorm on Wed, Feb 10th, this event has been rescheduled to Wed, April 21st. The location is TBD, time and all other details are still the same.
Fashion Lecture
The research of Dr. Gwendolyn O’Neal focuses on the meanings assigned to apparel products and their impact on our preferences and behavior. Her research addresses the cultural and market divides that distinguish traditional Eurocentric perspectives from the aesthetics of the descendants of African peoples whose history, culture and fashion are markedly different. This will be the topic of her lecture, African American Aesthetic of Dress As Cultural Genetics, on Wednesday, February 10th. The lecture is part of the series Multicultural Appearances, Attitudes & Style; celebrating fashion and diversity and is one way the College is celebrating Black History Month. The event begins at 6:30 PM in the Bossone Auditorium and a reception will follow.
Dr. O’Neal is a Professor and Head of the Department of Consumer, Apparel and Retail Studies at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She served as president of the International Textiles and Apparel Association, a global organization of textile, apparel and merchandising scholars, and two terms as Vice President for Planning. She was recently commissioned as the writer on African American Aesthetic of Dress for the Berg Encyclopedia of World Dress and Fashion.
DETAILS:
- What: African American Aesthetic of Dress As Cultural Genetics
- Where: Bossone’s Mitchell Auditorium
- When: February 10, 2010, 6:30 PM, reception to follow
- Cost: FREE and open to the public
Madko At The Rotunda
MAD Dragon Records is taking over The Rotunda for a night of local hip-hop music. Madko Concerts, a MAD Dragon Records enterprise, is bringing four talented hip-hop acts and special guest DJ Cliff Moore to The Rotunda on February 5th at 7 PM. The concert was organized and promoted by students in the Madko Concert Promotions class for Music Industry and Entertainment & Arts Management students.
The concert will include Written House, a Philadelphia-based rap group who steers clear of lyrics promoting violence and has opened for Wu-Tang Clan and De La Soul; Slick Mantra, an experimental hip-hop group inspired by jazz, soul and pop; Scanz, a hip-hop artist, producer, lyricist and businessman who most recently released his sophomore album The Basement Chronicles and has collaborated with artists including KRS-One, Mr. Lif and Akrobatik; and Ground Up, a North Philadelphia hip-hop trio who draws big crowds throughout our region.
DETAILS:
- What: Madko Concert at The Rotunda
- Where: The Rotunda, 4014 Walnut St., Philadelphia PA 19104
- When: February 5, 2010, 7:00 PM
- Cost: $5, all- ages event
CAMPUS CONCERT CANCELED:
Due to the coming snowstorm on Wed, Feb 10th, this event has been cancelled. A new date is TBD.
Campus Concert Series Returns
The Campus Concert series, with players from The Philadelphia Orchestra, returns for the first concert of 2010 in Van Rensselear Ballroom. This casual concert will take place on February 9th at 7:00 PM. The concert will feature performances from Ricardo Morales, Principal Clarinet and Tim Ribchester, Piano Accompanist. They will perform Brahms’s Sonata No. 1 in F minor, Op. 120 and Finzi’s Five Bagatelles for Clarinet and Piano, Op. 23 a. The ballroom is a unique and intimate setting that allows you to get up close and personal with these world-renowned musicians. Refreshments will be served at the performance, and Ricardo and Tim will stay after the show for a talk with the audience.
The Westphal College, the Pennoni Honors College and the Office of Student Life continue to sponsor the Campus Concert Series. Campus Concerts are open to the public at no charge and qualify as an Honors College event. Students wishing to receive Honors College credit must sign up at the PHC front desk.
DETAILS:- Philadelphia Orchestra Campus Concert
- Tuesday, February 9th, 7 PM
- Van Rensselear Ballroom (3320 Powelton Ave.)
- Free and open to the public
Polish Poster Collection
We are delighted to announce that our award-winning Graphic Design program has added 117 new poster designs, donated by Barbara Lewalski, the wife of Kenneth F. Lewalski, to its Polish Poster Collection. The Kenneth F. Lewalski Polish Poster Collection features posters on jazz, theater and film and by artists such as Stasys Eidrigovicius, Roman Cieslewicz and Waldemar Swierzy. These new additions don’t duplicate the over one-thousand posters in the Frank Fox Collection which we acquired in 2008. Professor Lewalski was an authority on Polish history and acquired much of his collection on research trips to Poland. The Kenneth F. Lewalski Polish Poster Collection contains posters from the same time period as the Fox Collection and is an important tool for teaching the artistic, cultural and technical aspects of poster art.
The Graphic Design program is currently creating digital files of each poster with the goal of creating an interactive online database for our entire Polish poster collection. With the addition of this great collection, we will curate future exhibitions for our own gallery and other cultural institutions.
Several years ago the Graphic Design Program secured the remarkable Polish poster collection of Professor Frank Fox. Fox’s collection contains upwards of a thousand print works of art that were created between the 1930's and the 1990's and represents a collection of internationally recognized poster artists that brought Poland to the forefront of modern poster design. The collection includes posters for dozens of American movies, for sports, for tourism, for heavy industry and for consumer products. Some have subtle political undertones resulting from years of communist rule, while others supported the Solidarity movement. Poster art rose to a position of prominence in Poland in the late 19th century and the First International Exhibition of the Poster took place in Cracow in 1898.
PLATINUM SOUND CANCELED:
Platinum Mixing in "The Box": An Evening with Kevin Killen- rescheduled for February 22nd with all other details remaining the same.
Platinum Sound
Kevin Killen has spent the last 30 years compiling an impressive list of credentials working with some of pop music’s biggest names. He has worked as a producer, sound engineer and mixer for Peter Gabriel, Elvis Costello, Jewel, Bon Jovi and U2. He recently added country music to his work with Sugarlands Love On the Inside album and won five Grammy awards for his work on Shakira’s Oral Fixation album. The Music Industry program is sponsoring a talk with Killen on February 9th at 6 PM in the Bossone Research Center. Killen will discuss producing and engineering and also walk us through his approach as he dissects one of his own recording sessions.
A Conversation with King Britt
King Britt likes to live in the now. That’s a bold statement for someone whose past includes remixing songs for the likes of Macy Gray, Tori Amos and Miles Davis, and hit movies and television like Miami Vice and HBO’s True Blood. King has a Grammy under his belt, but this is a DJ and Producer who is just getting started. The Music Industry program will host Britt on February 16th at 6 PM in Ruth Auditorium (Nesbitt 125). He will discuss how he got started in the music business, his work as a record producer, his experiences running his label, and his thoughts on the future of the industry.
Britt, a Pew Fellowship recipient, is owner of music label and production house FiveSix Media. FiveSix Media artists describe themselves as revolutionaries in the new music revolution who use sound as their weapon of choice to fight back against mundane music corporations. Britt’s label roster now includes Ursula Rucker, Power Douglas, Chuck Treece, Sylk 130 and The Nova Dream Sequence. Check out King’s website at www.kingbritt.com.
Sell Your Art & Designs!
The d&m Kiosk will be popping up again soon for its winter season. The Kiosk is a retail learning lab featuring the work of Westphal students, faculty, staff and alumni. Everyone is encouraged to submit their work including jewelry, clothing, fashion accessories, prints, photos—the range of saleable items is limited only by your creativity. The Kiosk launched this past fall with great merchandise and robust sales. The operation was overseen by Design & Merchandising students under the direction of Professor Heather Osgood. A jury of students and faculty will determine which submissions will be selected for the kiosk and artists will receive 60% of the retail price. Submissions can be dropped off in Nesbitt 600 from 9 AM-5 PM weekdays until Friday, February 5, 2010. For further information, email us at dsmrkiosk@drexel.edu.
Professor on Project Runway
Pamela Ptak, adjunct fashion professor, is one of 16 designers, some from as far off as Africa and the Philippines, competing for a grand prize that includes $100,000 and a spread in Marie Claire magazine on the new season of Project Runway. The seventh season premiered Thursday night, January 14th on Lifetime Television.
Pamela told us, “I’d always loved the show from its first season. I saw it as a terrific teaching tool to inspire my students.” And now Pamela is setting an example that will surely inspire our students as they root for her success. “I absolutely love the passion, drive and enthusiasm of Drexel fashion design students,” she said.
Nearly ten years ago Pamela launched her own couture line designing made-to-order clothing for private clientele from Philadelphia, New York, Dallas and all over America. After graduating from Brooklyn’s Pratt Institute, she studied at the French-founded Maison Sapho School of Dressmaking & Design and the Fashion Institute of Technology. Pamela soon realized that not every woman can afford expensive made-to-order couture dresses and set her sights on designing quality ready-to-wear garments. Her ready to wear pieces got the attention of Runway’s Tim Gunn and ultimately a spot on this season’s show. “My inspiration comes from God and nature,” she said. “I study the beauty of human & animal anatomy, especially the long shapes in bone structure.” Prior to coming to Philadelphia, Pamela worked for top advertising agencies in New York City and then spent years freelancing for designers in New York on collections for the Paris Haute Couture & New York Fashion Weeks.
At Drexel, Pamela has taught graduate courses in couture design since 2004. While the outcome of the show is probably determined, we’ll have to watch to see if Pamela won. If nothing else, being on the show has given Pamela lifelong friends, “I met such a diverse array of designers working on Project Runway,” she said. Whatever the outcome, we congratulate Pam for making it this far, but it would be disingenuous of us not to say we really want her to win.
Print Show at The Pearlstein Gallery
The International Print Center of New York: New Prints 2009/Autumn show is now on display at The Leonard Pearlstein Gallery. The exhibition is part of Philagrafika 2010, running from January through mid-April throughout Philadelphia. Philagrafika is an international festival that celebrates the role of print as a vital force in contemporary art. New Prints 2009/Autumn features an exceptional group of sixty works by thirty-eight emerging and established artists selected from over 2,000 submissions. Techniques range from the traditional to the highly experimental and all of the work has been made within the past twelve months. The IPCNY New Prints 2009/Autumn show is running through March 12th with the opening reception Wednesday, January 27th from 5-7 PM.
New Prints 2009/Autumn features exciting works and inventive processes including three screen printed T-shirts shrink-wrapped in meat packaging, a unique piece screen printed on post-it notes and a work comprised of dust on paper in an aluminum frame. Exhibited works include artists and collectives from America and abroad, including Canada, England, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden, and Turkey.
International Print Center New York was established in Chelsea in September 2000 as the first nonprofit institution devoted solely to the exhibition and understanding of fine art prints. Philagrafika 2010, curated by artistic director José Roca, will showcase the work of more than 300 artists and will unite 88 Philadelphia-area art institutions in the inaugural presentation of what will become a recurring event. The festival was initiated by the Philagrafika organization, formerly known as the Philadelphia Print Collaborative. Philagrafika builds upon the region's rich printmaking history and artistic resources to enhance Philadelphia’s presence as an international center for innovative printmaking.
DETAILS:
- What: New Prints 2009/ Autumn
- Where: Leonard Pearlstein Gallery, Nesbitt Building (3215 Market Street)
- When: Exhibit runs January 11th through March 12th 2010
- Hours: Monday Friday 11 AM – 5 PM
- Open Late: Second Fridays of each month 11 AM – 8 PM
- Opening reception: January 27th from 5-7 PM
- Cost: FREE and open to the public
- More information: 215-895-2548 or gallery@drexel.edu
- www.drexel.edu/westphal/gallery
Movies & Culture
David Denby is the renowned film critic for The New Yorker and author of the books American Sucker, Great Books and Snark. He will lead a discussion in Bossone’s Mitchell Auditorium on January 20th on the role of movies in American culture. Dr. Paula Marantz Cohen, distinguished professor of English and Mr. Steven Rea, film critic for The Philadelphia Inquirer and adjunct professor in the Department of Cinema & Television, will join Denby in the discussion, which begins at 5:30 PM.
Denby grew up in New York City and received a bachelor’s degree from Columbia University in 1965 and master’s from its journalism school in 1966. Before arriving at The New Yorker, Denby worked for The Atlantic and New York magazines.
DETAILS:- What: Movies and Culture; A Discussion with David Denby
- Where: Bossone’s Mitchell Auditorium
- When: January 20, 2010, 5:30 PM
- Cost: FREE and open to the public
Dance: Furnishings
The Drexel Dance ensemble takes the stage for its first concert of the year entitled Furnishings. The concert, composed of world premiere works by guest artists Jumatatu Poe, winner of the 2009 Ellen Forman Memorial prize, and SCRAP Performance Group as well as Drexel Dance Program Director Dr. Miriam Giguere and Drexel student choreographers, will play from Thursday, January 28th through Saturday, January 30th at 8 PM in the Mandell Theater. Also, Dance Day will be held on January 30th. This day-long event will feature technique classes, presentations, workshops and a performance, beginning at 10:00 AM with technique classes, and finishing at 8:00 PM with a performance of Furnishings. For more information on Dance Day or to reserve your tickets to Furnishings, please email danceprogram@drexel.edu.
Jumatatu Poe, Artistic Director of IdiosynCrazy Productions, will present a highly athletic original work, “What Happens Happened,” created especially for our Dance ensemble. It includes spoken words and is about being stuck in one moment without any memory of the past or anticipation for the future. SCRAP Performance Group, led by founder and choreographer Myra Bazell, will present the first draft of their two-year project which focuses on the concept of inspiration. SCRAP Performance Group is one of three 2009-10 Companies in Residence with the Dance program.
Dr. Miriam Giguere will present her new work “Ektrop, Kaarlsbad, Korndaal and Dans.” To any IKEA aficionado those names should sound very familiar. Giguere’s piece, with original music by Philadelphia composer Chris Farell, looks at how our home improvements are a reflection of our lives and includes video shot at the Conshohocken IKEA. Seven student choreographed pieces, all focused on the theme of ‘furnishings,’ will also be performed. To coincide with the theme of furnishings, Interior Design students will exhibit some of their recent work in the lobby of the Mandell Theater.
DETAILS:
- What: Winter Dance Concert: Furnishings
- Where: Mandell Theater, 33rd & Chestnut Sts.
- When: January 28th- January 30th, 8 PM
- Cost: $8 General Admission, $5 Students
- Advance Tickets: www.danceboxoffice.com
- More Information: 215-895-ARTS or www.drexel.edu/westphal
Taking Over Your TV
Don’t worry if you missed the November premiere of DNEWS. This half-hour news magazine program on all things Drexel will premiere the second episode on both Comcast and Fios on January 29th. The show is entirely student-produced, with students conceiving stories, shooting, editing and finalizing them for broadcast. DUTV General Manager Dave Culver oversees the students who work on the production.
The January 29th broadcast, on DUTV channels 54 or 62 off campus and 33 on campus, will include stories on Drexel’s new Millennium Hall, the University chorus, the Late Night series, women’s basketball ‘phenom’ Gabriela Marginean, the new food court at the dinning terrace connected to Kelley Dorm and more. Don’t miss DNEWS Friday, January 29th at 9:30 PM or anytime on the DUTV website at www.DUTV.org.
As We Don’t Want You to Starve
There’s a big difference between developing the creative and technical skills required to succeed in your field and the life and business skills required to sustain a career in our highly competitive creative fields. To help you develop those skills, the Arts Administration graduate program is hosting an entertaining and informative panel discussion on January 25th that will tell you about resources and strategies that will be invaluable as you start out after graduation. The evening, entitled How Not to Starve as an Artist, will be held in Bossone’s Mitchell Auditorium at 7:30 PM.
We’ve put together a panel of artists and experts from the field who will speak to their own experiences and to resources available for emerging artists and designers in our region. Our panel includes Sean Hoots of MAD Dragon Records recording artists Hoots and Hellmouth and Drexel alumna Sarah Stolfa, a gifted photographer and founder of The Philadelphia Photo Arts Center. They’ll address how to network to get your foot in the door and advice on how to make a name for yourself. Tom Kaiden of the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance and Adam Natale of Fractured Atlas, a nonprofit organization that serves a national community of artists and arts organizations by providing access to funding, healthcare, education and more, will discuss specific services that aid artists in making important connections, starting a website, establishing nonprofit 501 C3 status, gaining access to grant funding and other important skills. A reception with the speakers follows.
DETAILS:
- What: How Not To Starve as an Artist
- Where: Bossone’s Mitchell Auditorium
- When: January 25th, 7:30 PM
- Cost: FREE and open to the public
Celebrating Black History Month
February is Black History Month and there are many ways to celebrate. In continuation of what has now been a Drexel tradition for over ten years, the annual performance in honor of Black History Month “An Evening of African American Music” will take place this year on Sunday, February 7th at 5 PM in the Mandell Theater. Drexel University’s renowned Gospel Choir & Jazztet, in addition to the Drexel String Ensemble, will perform selections by African American artists during this free celebratory concert. Selections include Motown Forever, a Motown medley played by the Drexel String Ensemble, the spiritual This Train and an homage to the first family of Gospel Music, the Hawkins Family. Drexel’s Gospel Choir will perform a selection of songs recorded by the Hawkins family that include God is Standing By and I’m Going Away, as well as their hit song Oh Happy Day.
DETAILS:
- An Evening of African American Music
- Sunday, February 7, 5 PM
- Mandell Theater (33rd & Chestnut Sts.)
- FREE and Open to the Public
- For more information, please call 215-895-ARTS
8 Independent Music Awards Nominations for MAD Dragon
MAD Dragon Recording Artists have been nominated for eight 2009 Independent Music Awards (IMAs) in six different categories. The IMAs are the top national awards for college record label is no stranger to the IMAs. Our eight nominations are up from three last year and we have won in the category of "Best College Label" for two consecutive years. Winners are decided by an industry and artist judging panel and your votes. To vote, visit www.independentmusicawards.com/imafinalist.
MAD Dragon Records (MDR) is nominated twice this year in the "Best College Label" category for artists Hoots & Hellmouth and Andrew Lipke. All other nominations are in the non-college category including nominations of "Song Sing Out for Social Action" for Hoots and Hellmouth; "Album Alternative-Country" for Hoots and Hellmouth's The Holy Open Secret; "Indie Label Promo Compilation" for Matt Duke's 180 Grams and Unleashed 5; "Publicity Photography" for Hoots & Hellmouth/Doug Seymour, and "Band Website" for Hoots & Hellmouth.
The winners of the 9th annual IMAs will be announced in January. Winners receive year-long marketing & sales support plus performance opportunities that place winners & nominees in front of millions of music fans. Congratulations to all of our nominees and all of MDR's hard-working student staff. A special thank you goes out to Clark Connor for heading up the submission effort to the IMAs.
NASAD Accreditation
The College has again been re-accredited by National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) for all of its eligible programs for the next five years. The NASAD accreditation is a renewal for our programs in Design & Merchandising, Digital Media, Fashion Design, Film & Video, Graphic Design, Interior Design and Photography, as well as first time accreditations for Television, Television Management, and the Visual Arts Management track of the Entertainment and Arts Management program—majors we've launched since the last accreditation. With 13 of our 18 programs up for NASAD accreditation, we've worked for nearly two years towards re-accreditation and nearly every faculty and staff member contributed to our self-study and to hosting the site visit. Dr. David Raizman organized our efforts and we congratulate him and all our faculty and staff for their support during this process.
NASAD, founded in 1944, is an organization of schools, colleges, and universities comprised of 294 accredited institutional members which represent the country's top art and design schools. It establishes national standards for undergraduate and graduate degrees and other credentials. The accreditation is a nearly all-consuming process of self-examination followed by an intensive visit from a team from the accrediting organization. Every aspect of our 13 programs was evaluated during the self study, which was provided to NASAD during their visit to campus in April, 2009. The self study is a nearly three hundred page report on our strategic plans that includes extensive specifics on our curriculum and faculty. And, as a self study, we included our own assessments of the progress and improvements we've made and those we intend to make in the coming years. Two hundred and eighty seven art and design schools are accredited by NASAD, including many of our peer institutions in the Philadelphia-area and most of the highest-ranked and best known art schools in the country.
Major Student Produced Television Productions on DUTV
At the end of November, DUTV, Drexel's television station that is carried throughout Metropolitan Philadelphia by Comcast, launched DNews, a half-hour news magazine program on all things Drexel. The show is entirely student produced, with students conceiving stories, shooting, editing and finalizing them for broadcast. The first edition included eight stories ranging from a construction update on the new recreation center, a report on the Drexel crew team, to lighter stories about the social constructs of the wingman. It also covered the all men's A Capella group, 8 to the bar, and a student produced play as part of the Director's lab series. DUTV General Manager Dave Culver oversaw the 17 different students who worked on the production.
We also have our newest TV Series show OFF CAMPUS ready for advanced viewing. The show will premiere on DUTV early in the New Year, but it can be viewed on-demand via our website, www.drexel.edu/westphal right now! OFF CAMPUS explores the lives of five recent college graduates living just off campus from their alma mater, as they begin their transition to adulthood. With a cast of professional actors, OFF CAMPUS provides a lighthearted and honest look at the confusing world that America's young people face in today's economic times. Andrew Susskind, Program Director of our Television major, oversaw Screenwriting & Playwriting students who wrote the OFF CAMPUS scripts with production handled by Film & Video students. Interior Design students handled the elaborate production design and Music Industry students composed the music. With OFF CAMPUS and DNews, DUTV takes a major step closer to reaching its goal of a completely student-run television station that includes student produced fiction and nonfiction programming.
Last Updated:May 29th