Graduate students ‘administer’ talents

Students showed off a variety of talents at an exhibition Sunday afternoon at the John Waldron Arts Center.\nThe second annual Arts Administration event gave insight into one of IU’s most unique academic programs, providing a cross-section of the arts, according to a news release from the School of Public and Environmental Affairs. \nThe entertainment began with an art gallery opening, presenting works by graduate students Pamela Bliss and Stephanie Dowdy-Nava. Their pieces featured an assortment of oil paints and mixed mediums. Both graduate students displayed seven sections of their own artwork.\n“This is really a chance for artists in the administration program to show their work to the community,” said graduate student Kayla Lanham, the co-chair of the event.\nViewers were able to walk through the gallery on the lower level of the Waldron Arts Center during the informal art exhibit and talk one-on-one with the artists, Lanham said. Bliss was able to borrow three commissioned pieces she made for IUPUI for the weekend exhibit, Lanham said.\nThe second segment of the program was highlighted with performances from 11 IU graduate students and artists with degrees in arts and administration, who provided live music, dance and entertainment in the Waldron Auditorium.\n“The performers include a combination of current graduate students, those applying for the program and some who have previously gained degrees in arts in administration,” said graduate student Alison La Rosa, an event co-chair.\n“It is nice to have faculty, community members and others in the arts community come out to watch the performance,” said La Rosa. “This gives those artists involved in administration a good excuse to practice their administrative skills while doing what they do best.”\nThe performance ran more than an hour with acts by Heather Lynn, a current pursuer of an arts degree in administration, and Drew Bratton, who will begin the Arts Administration master’s program in fall 2007, among others.\nLynn and Eric VanTielen began the presentation with a duet featuring “Life With Herold” from “The Full Monty” musical, followed by four musical duets. Bratton performed a monologue from the play “Arrangement for Two Violas,” and three other solo performances followed. The audience had the opportunity to meet the performers at a reception after the performance.\n“Many of the students involved in the Arts Administration Program hold internships in many different organizations around town, including the John Waldron Arts Center,” La Rosa said.\nIU offers a masters degree in arts administration for graduate students interested in managing, promoting and holding leadership roles in arts centers, arts contracts, counsels, performances and visual-arts organizations, according to the program’s Web site.\nSPEA began offering an arts administration certificate this semester for undergraduate students who wish to gain a better perspective of management issues for art organizations and venues.