Happy New Year and welcome to winter quarter in the School of Art + Art History + Design. Winter in the northwest is somewhat notorious for being a bit dark and damp, but with the solstice behind us, the days are already getting longer, the sunsets have been beautiful, and the witch hazels and camellias are in bloom across campus.
2018 ended on a high note for many of our faculty including two of our Design faculty who received research awards. Assistant Professor Audrey Desjardins received an award from Mozilla, while Associate Professor + Marsha and Jay Glazer Endowed University Professor Axel Roesler landed an award from Google. Senior Lecturer in the Division of Art Timea Tihanyi had a remarkable year with recognition from numerous sources — culminating with a Neddy Artist Award — for her innovative studio research intersecting clay and mathematics.
The School also experienced healthy end-of-year giving with over $350,000 being donated in support of scholarships, fellowships, professorships, and programs. Significant gifts came in for the Kollar Endowed Fellowship in American Art, the Crabby Beach Endowed Scholarship, and a newly endowed faculty professorship in Design. Thanks to all of you who believe that what we do at the School is of lasting importance.
While School staff were kept busy wrapping up autumn and preparing for winter quarter, the relative holiday quiet of the campus and hallways ended on January 7 as the rush of students and faculty returned, anticipating the joys and challenges of the new quarter. Winter brings numerous extra-curricular opportunities for the greater School community. Although attendance is required for students enrolled in Assistant Professor Flint Jamison’s ART 361/561 class, the Critical Issues Lecture Series welcomes one and all to listen to a captivating array of contemporary artists at the Henry Art Gallery auditorium. This year’s Jacob Lawrence Legacy Resident, Danny Giles, is currently in residence and creating a new body of work that will open at the Jacob Lawrence Gallery later this month, just in time for the 25th anniversary of the gallery’s opening. The Painting and Drawing Open House is coming up on February 12, a great time to visit the gallery and studios at our Sand Point facility. For those interested in ceramics, glass, and sculpture, the 3D4M program’s annual open house is on February 26 at the Ceramic Metal Arts (CMA) building. The Art History Colloquia Series — organized by Associate Professor Sonal Khullar — brings together students, faculty, and guest scholars to share their research through varied and stimulating talks. This quarter will see presentations by Seattle Art Museum’s Chiyo Ishikawa and PhD student Or Vallah. Under the mentorship of Design faculty, students are taking the lead on the annual Design Career Fair on January 25, which will see many industry and private-sector companies gathering in the HUB to connect with students and make contacts for future opportunities.
I also want to extend a thank you to the School's Advisory Board. This dedicated group of impressive and passionate alumni, friends, faculty, staff, and students are critical advocates for the School, offering their time, expertise, and advice on how we can best move forward. Anne Traver recently stepped down after serving four plus years as Board Chair, and I am very pleased to announce that Åsa Sandlund has now taken on this role.
As we approach the Martin Luther King Jr. celebration on January 21, this month is an opportune time to reflect on community service and civic engagement. In partnership with the United Way of King County, the University of Washington offers a full schedule of volunteer opportunities on the MLK Day of Service.
Hope to see you in 2019!
Jamie Walker
- Director, School of Art + Art History + Design
- Professor, 3D4M: ceramics + glass + sculpture
- Wyckoff Milliman Endowed Chair in Art