Dean's Messages Archive

Yet again, we find ourselves in transition from one month to another. For almost 100 years, the month of February has served as the time to teach, learn, and acknowledge the ways in which the history of the United States has been co-written by the sacrifices and achievements of African Americans. From its beginnings as Negro History Week in 1926, as a means to make sure the lived experiences and histories of African Americans would be included in school curricula, Carter G. Woodson’s idea of a collective, national reflection has evolved into Black History Month. (To learn more about the history of Black History Month, check out this NPR story). Here in the College of Arts and Architecture, an array of events and performances took place as part of our own collective remembrance and knowledge.

At the beginning of February, the Arts Ambassadors, our student leader group, hosted artist and activist Hamilton Glass for a screening and talk-back session on the documentary “Mending Walls,” a public mural project he launched in Richmond, VA, that brought together artists from all walks of life in order to spark deeper conversations within the community. Inspired by Hamilton’s work, our Arts Ambassadors are planning to work with him to launch an anti-racism initiative at Penn State, fueled by the arts. I met with Hamilton while he was on campus and was struck by his compassion, commitment, and willingness to work with our undergraduates to help them make a difference in their own campus community.

Later in the month, the Center for the Performing Arts presented the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company in an experimental dance work, “What Problem,” featuring local dancers. The powerful performance, part of The Reflection Project, a center initiative funded by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, deconstructed what W.E.B. Du Bois called “the problem of the color line.” The performance elaborated on “otherness” by expanding the term to include sexual politics, gender identity, class struggle, and immigration. The performance was part of the center’s Fierce Urgency Festival, with a theme this season of “Hope-Resist-Heal.” The title of the series comes from Dr. Martin Luther King’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech.

These are just a few examples of the types of programming we presented during Black History Month. As we reach the end of the month, it’s time to not simply reflect back on the last 28 days, but rather to look ahead to what the College of Arts and Architecture will do in its ongoing effort to establish a culture of anti-racism and anti-oppression, where differences are acknowledged and accepted. I am energized by the work Folayemi Wilson, our associate dean for access and equity, has been doing since she joined us in August 2021. She led a fantastic town hall in late January, where she shared what she learned during her fall semester “listening tour” with faculty, staff, and students across the college. Associate Dean Wilson is in the process of developing a website for her office, with the goal of it becoming a rich library of resources related to diversity, inclusion, access, and equity for the entire college community. We look forward to sharing that site with you when it is complete.

While we are looking ahead, I want to highlight a few upcoming events we are very excited about. The School of Music President’s Concert returns in March, after a hiatus due to COVID in 2021. We are excited to present the Philharmonic Orchestra and Oriana Singers at the Capitol One Hall in Tysons Corner, VA, on March 16. In addition, on April 30, we will FINALLY celebrate the class of 2020 as part of a larger University-wide event to honor that class of alumni. A college-specific celebration for that afternoon is in the works—details to come!

This issue of our e-newsletter contains some fantastic stories, including one on School of Music faculty member Marica Tacconi, who was named a distinguished professor at Penn State (one of the most prestigious honors at the University), as well as my “Movers, Shakers” interview with Jeremy Dennis, an M.F.A. alumnus of the School of Visual Arts whose creative practice examines indigenous identity and culture.

I am proud of and inspired daily by the faculty, staff, and students in the College of Arts and Architecture, and I am forever grateful to our alumni and friends who support us in so many ways. One of the ways you have provided support is through our Educational Equity scholarships, established to assist students in financial need and whose identities will help diversify our college and the University community. One of these scholarships was created in honor of Mary Godfrey, an art education professor from 1956 to 1979 and the first full-time Black faculty member at Penn State.

Our transition from February into March also means the promise of warmer weather in the coming weeks and months, as well as the beauty of campus in the spring. I hope to see you in person the next time you are here.