While enjoying your summer break, have you ever wondered what your teachers were doing? Do they live at the school and never leave??? Well, wonder no longer as we provide this peek behind the curtains as to what our Utah Tech Arts faculty and staff get up to during the summer!
First up, some still work a few weeks to teach students, such as leading study abroad trips in a particular discipline. These trips provide students the chance to experience course subjects in person and connect to the art in a meaningful way. Van Mangus, Art Advisor, took students to London, Paris, and Amsterdam as they focused on the art and history in these prestigious cities. “Standing in front of the world’s most famous artworks can only be described by someone who has taken the time to experience it in person.” In a similar vein, Dr. Tara Field, Art History Professor, showed students across Italy to study their rich art history. “What made the experience especially meaningful for me was seeing students connect classroom learning to real, lived encounters with art and history. Watching them stand before [art]works in person and develop their own interpretations was incredibly rewarding.” Dr. Bryant Smith, Music Professor, led students through Austria and Hungary to experience their music, from an organ in St. Stephen’s Basilica to an opera in Vienna.
In addition to study abroad trips aimed at those attending college, several members teach camps for children on campus. Dr. Ka-Wai Yu and Dr. Nancy Allred-Wright taught two weeks of Castle Rock Music Camp respectively, the first week focused on string instruments and the second week on piano. Following that, Theatre is doing their very first camps, by Henry Echeverria and Katie Olsen. Teen Technical Camp taught teenagers how to build sets and props for stage productions. The upcoming Acting Camp will teach children how to take the stage and bring scenes to life. (For more information, head to: https://theatre.utahtech.edu/camps-and-classes/)
Around town, you might be able to spot members at arts events. Dr. Glenn Webb, Associate Dean, has been playing in the orchestra for two of Tuachan’s shows, Les Miserables and Finding Nemo. He, along with Dr. Timothy Francis and others, will perform in the Rebel Jazz Band as part of a free America 250 event on July 13 at 7:30pm in Worthen Park. Utah Tech Summer Band, led by Dr. Bryant Smith, will perform on July 18 at 9am in Worthen Park. (If you would like to participate, go here. Alumni and potential students welcome.)
Out of town, Dr. Melissa Walker Glenn will be performing the role of Mrs. Paroo in American Crossroad Theatre’s production of The Music Man in Cedar City. Dr. Ka-Wai Yu will be teaching more music summer camps in Salt Lake City, Intermountain Suzuki Institute and Mountain Springs Music Festival. Dr. Timothy Francis will be at a Music Theory Pedagogy conference July 6-9 in Cambridge, MA.
That does not even cover all of our faculty and staff or all of what they are up to! It is fun to see what artistic endeavors they pursue when school is not in session.
By Allyson Twitchell, Marketing Coordinator for the College of the Arts