Scott McDowell — ϲ Fri, 15 Jun 2018 18:15:40 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.6.2 Minna Citron Exhibition at Palitz Gallery Includes Works Never Before Exhibited /blog/2018/06/15/minna-citron-exhibition-at-palitz-gallery-includes-works-never-before-exhibited/ Fri, 15 Jun 2018 18:15:40 +0000 /?p=134282 The Palitz Gallery presents “Accidental, Elemental, Abstraction: Minna Citron” now on view at the Palitz Gallery, located in ϲ’s Lubin House at 11 E. 61st St., New York City. Exhibition hours are Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with the exhibition running through Aug. 16 but closed July 4. It is free and open to the public. Contact 212.826.0320 or lubin@syr.edu for more information.

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Minna Citron, [abstract collage], 1985. SUArt Collection.

This will be Citron’s first solo exhibit in New York City since she died on Dec. 21, 1991, at the age of 95. The last solo display of her work in New York City was in January 1990. This exhibition includes works that have never been exhibited and were graciously donated by the Citron estate to ϲ Art Galleries.

Viewers will have the rare opportunity to view pieces that show the artist’s love of experimentation with different media and how Citron’s style continually evolved even into her 90s.

“It is special to have this exhibit now on Minna’s home turf,” says Christiane Citron, Minna’s granddaughter and art curator. “Although she exhibited and lectured around the world, she was emphatic that she was a creature of the city. Some of these pictures have never been exhibited before, and most haven’t been exhibited in New York for decades.”

There are 19 works in the exhibition including mixed media, embossing, photo-etchings, screen-printing and more. “I hope viewers will enjoy her playfulness with materials, as well as in the titles she chose for the pieces,” says Citron. “I am proud of Minna, and so pleased to have this wonderful opportunity to show off her remarkable creativity. I am particularly thrilled that this exhibit shows the diverse range of her work, and I know that she would be pleased about that too.”

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Minna Citron, Mime, 1946. SUArt Collection.

“Minna Citron’s long career was characterized by an unending curiosity and willingness to use a wide variety of media in her objects,” says David Prince, associate director and curator of collections at SUArt Galleries. “The ϲ Art Collection acquired its first Citron in 1964, ‘Nutation,’ 1963, an etching and aquatint included in this exhibition. From 2015-16, Christiane Citron donated 58 pieces to the collection. Her large gift made this exhibition possible and created a group of objects that offer an intriguing examination of an unusually talented avant-garde artist.”

Minna Citron, an inquisitive creative, attended the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences and the New York School of Applied Design for Women before heading to the Art Students League in 1928. At the League, Kenneth Hayes Miller, who encouraged his students to examine and learn the techniques of Old Master artists, inspired Citron.

“He told her she ‘would lose her following’ by turning to abstraction,” says Christiane Citron. “She said she told him she didn’t care, she hadn’t devoted her life thus far to creating art because of what other people thought, that she had to do what she had to do. She was willing to jeopardize the significant national reputation she had developed by then as a representational artist and muralist in the New Deal.”

Throughout her evolving career, Minna Citron was adamant that shenot be pigeonholed into one kind of art or one label. The artist even penned an essay about her uncharted course.

“Minna was deeply absorbed in exploring the process of making art, and expressing the unconscious, with a stress on spontaneity,” says her granddaughter. “She wrote and lectured about that. She did not want to repeat what she had already done. The greatest scorn she had was for artists who did thesamething over and over.”

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The 50th Anniversary of the Fair Housing Act and Current Status of the Act Today /blog/2018/03/30/the-50th-anniversary-of-the-fair-housing-act-and-current-status-of-the-act-today/ Fri, 30 Mar 2018 21:10:41 +0000 /?p=131850 Accusations have been brought against the Department of Housing and Urban Development and Secretary Ben Carson to pull back on enforcement of fair housing. Paula Johnson, a professor of law at ϲ College of Law offers insight on this issue and the 50th anniversary of the Fair Housing Act that will be celebrated in April.

“It is outrageous to even fathom that the current secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has taken steps to remove the core function of this department – to enforce the lawagainst segregation and exclusionand promote fair housing opportunities across the United States. Racial discrimination in rental, public, and private housing remains rampant in this country,” said College of Law Professor

“Housing security has a positive impact on future social and economic opportunities, while the lack of housing security can have deleterious effects on people’s health, social and economic well-being.Ben Carson,an African American himself, was giventhe opportunity for a safe andsecureupbringing through the availability of public housing in Detroit. Thismakes hisdecision to have theDepartment of Housing and Urban Development rollbackfederal efforts to enforce fair housing laws almostincomprehensible, almost. No doubt Carson wasencouraged by his boss, President Trump, who has his own personal history of housing discriminationsagainstBlacks.”

“Racial segregation in American neighborhoods and schools are at pre-Brown v. Board of Educationlevels. Affordable housing isincreasinglyscant and homelessness has risen concomitantly. Black and Brown families bear the brunt of this discrimination and lack ofhousingopportunities. Housing is a basic human need, and one that a just, fair,and humane society would commit to providing for all citizens. To do otherwise, is base and inhumane at best” said Johnson.

“The Fair Housing Act turns 50 on April 11 and severallawsuits have already been filed in opposition to these efforts to dismantle the historic civil rights legislation. Rest assured there will be more suits to ensure equal rights for all citizens of this nation not just the ones judged worthy.”

Reporters looking to contact Prof. Johnson on this issue should contact Scott McDowell,Executive Director ofRegional Strategic Communications, at semcdowell@syr.edu or 212-826-0320.

 

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Ret. Vice Admiral Robert Murrett on North Korea and diplomacy talks /blog/2018/03/09/ret-vice-admiral-robert-murrett-on-north-korea-and-diplomacy-talks/ Fri, 09 Mar 2018 21:17:01 +0000 /?p=130814 Vice Adm. Robert B. Murrett (Ret.), a professor of practice at ϲ’s Maxwell School and Deputy Director of the Institute of National Security and Counterterrorism, offered comments on the apparent breakthrough with North Korea and its offer to put its nuclear weapons on the bargaining table. Murrett specializes in national security, international relations, military, and defense strategy and his comments are below.

“The DPRK may be willing to forfeit nuclear capability for removal of sanctions and other concessions, but it will not be easy to convince them to take this step. We’re only at the very initial stages of possible diplomatic talks, and we should have much more resolution on their actual posture in the weeks ahead,” says Murrett.

When asked whether there is a real chance for direct talks between the U.S. and North Korea Murrett says “possibly”. “Although there are shades of ‘talks’. Ultimately, they may include others from the region, and start out with a lower level of representation on both/all sides.”

Murrett says this week’s announcement is merely the beginning and “Negotiations could last several months, if not longer. Significant progress would likely involve a good deal of back and forth, as well as coordination with regional partners before a settlement.

“The U.S. and the ROK are close enough that this is not much of a threat,” says Murrett when asked whether North Korea’s attempt to get closer to the South is a tactic to divide the U.S. and its allies. “The DPRK will try to drive a wedge between the U.S. and all of our regional allies (ROK, Japan, Australia), but it’s a stretch.”

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Why Wakanda Matters Now, Q&As with Professors Kal Alston and Herb Ruffin /blog/2018/03/05/why-wakanda-matters-now-a-qa-with-professor-kal-alston/ Mon, 05 Mar 2018 21:11:03 +0000 /?p=130427 Kal Alston with a figurine of the character Shuri from the film "Black Panther"

Kal Alston with a figurine of the character Shuri from the film “Black Panther”

Based in the , Kal Alston is a professor of cultural foundations of education. Alston’s scholarly interests center on intersections of popular culture and media with American experiences of race, class and gender. She commented on the cultural phenomenon that the movie “Black Panther” has become.

 

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Herb Ruffin on Black Panther’s Historical Context and Impact /blog/2018/03/04/herb-ruffin-on-black-panthers-historical-context-and-impact/ Sun, 04 Mar 2018 21:31:14 +0000 /?p=130453 Professor Herb Ruffin standing to the right of a mural of Black-relevant art, such as a photo of a Black Lives Matter protester and a poster of Black Panter

Herb Ruffin

With buzz and excitement building for Marvel’s “Black Panther,” we asked some of our SU faculty who were planning to see the film to offer their thoughts afterward. Here is what they had to say (conversations have been edited for clarity and length).

Herb Ruffin, Chair of African American Studies department on Marvel’s Black Panther

Herb Ruffin is an associate professor of African American History and Chair of the African American Studies department in the College of Arts and Sciences. In the Introduction to African American Studies in Social Sciences course, Ruffin has taught students about blacks and their representation in Marvel and DC Milestone comic books.

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‘New Voices: Recent Acquisitions from Light Work Collection’ Open at Palitz Gallery /blog/2018/02/09/new-voices-recent-acquisitions-from-light-work-collection-open-at-palitz-gallery/ Fri, 09 Feb 2018 21:15:15 +0000 /?p=129344 The Palitz Gallery presents “New Voices: Recent Acquisitions from the Light Work Collection.” The exhibition brings together photographs by former . The exhibition will be on view through April 12 at the , which is located within ϲ’s Lubin House at 11E. 61st St.

photo of young man sitting on outcropping, examining a flower

Photo by Flurina Rothenberger, part of the “New Voices” exhibition at Palitz Gallery

Selected from over 4,000 photographs donated to the Light Work Collection by former artists-in-residence, the exhibition highlights Jennifer Garza-Cuen, Takahiro Kaneyama, Sara Macel, John Mann, Zanele Muholi, Flurina Rothenberger, Hrvoje Slovenc, Pacifico Silano, Maija Tammi and Mila Teshaieva. The curated works of “New Voices” explore a wide variety of approaches to the medium, both conceptually and technically.

“My time as a resident proved to be incredibly valuable and life-changing,” says Silano, whose ongoing project looks at the historical impact of the HIV/AIDS crisis within the LGBTQ community. “While I was there, big moments in my career started to happen. I won a New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship in Photography, I had work included in an exhibition at the Bronx Museum of the Arts and I was featured in The New York Times.”
Light Work’s collection is an extensive and diverse archive for the mapping of trends and developments in contemporary photography. This noteworthy collection includes all genres of expression found in contemporary photography, including documentary, abstract, experimental and conceptual work.

“The residency program has benefited artists by offering time, space and support at important moments in their careers,” says Light Work director Shane Lavalette. “We have the great fortune of getting to know these individuals and watching their work grow and develop over time. We are equally excited about the future generations of artists to come, and will continue to respond to the needs that exist in the field.”

“I cannot say enough good things about Light Work” says Kaneyama, who had to scan, edit and print hundreds of images for his recently published book, “While Leaves Are Falling… .” “Light Work’s well-equipped lab facilities are configured to meet the specific needs of any artist, and the staff makes them fully accessible. I believe this is the key that enables artists to be productive.”

“New Voices: Recent Acquisitions from Light Work Collection” artists are also featured in “Light Work Annual: Contact Sheet 187, 192.” Copies of the Light Work Annual 2017 are available for purchase via the .

A reception with the artists will be held Tuesday, April 3, 6-8:30 p.m. This event is free and open to the public.

About ϲ

Foundedin 1870, ϲ is a private international research universitydedicated to advancing knowledge and fostering student success through teachingexcellence,rigorous scholarship and interdisciplinary research. Comprising 11academic schools and colleges, the University has a long legacy of excellencein the liberal arts, sciences andprofessional disciplines that preparesstudents for the complex challenges and emerging opportunities of a rapidlychanging world. Students enjoy the resources of a 270-acre maincampus andextended campus venues in major national metropolitan hubs and across threecontinents. ϲ’s student body is among the most diverse for aninstitution of itskind across multiple dimensions, and students typically representall 50 states and more than 100 countries. ϲ also has a long legacy ofsupporting veterans and is home tothe nationally recognized Institute forVeterans and Military Families, the first university-based institute in theU.S. focused on addressing the unique needs of veterans and theirfamilies.

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‘Wanderlust: Travel Photography from the ϲ Art Collection’ Now Open at Palitz Gallery /blog/2017/11/10/wanderlust-travel-photography-from-the-syracuse-university-art-collection-now-open-at-palitz-gallery/ Fri, 10 Nov 2017 19:34:01 +0000 /?p=126219 “Wanderlust” explores how a variety of artists from the late 1800s until today have captured landscapes, either near or far, in order to give viewers a glimpse of diverse and varied places. Defined by the Photographic Society of America as an image that expresses the characteristic features or culture of a land as they are found naturally, with no geographic limitations, the genre of travel photography has intrigued artists since the dawn of photography in the 1830s.

photo from "Wanderlust" exhibition

Kusakabe Kimbe, Bunshioin Temple at Shipa Tokio, no date
hand-colored albumen print

“Wanderlust” opens Monday, Nov. 13 at Palitz Gallery and runs until Feb. 1. The exhibition includes 25 original photographs, and is open Monday to Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free and open to the public, the exhibition is closed for University holidays including Green Days, which run Dec. 25, 2017-Jan. 2, 2018. Palitz Gallery is located at 11 East 61st St. Contact 212.826.0320, email lubin@syr.edu or visit the for more information.

Before the invention of photography, images of traveled lands were created by the hand of a draftsman, painter or printmaker. The introduction of the daguerreotype by French artist and inventor Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre in 1839 was the first successful photographic process. With that, the potential to capture on film a true, unaltered view of the world was now available, and, with it, endless possibilities appeared, sparking inspiration for artists.

True to expectations, the potential of the daguerreotype was highly popular. “Unfortunately, the large size of the cameras, not a lack of interest, hindered the ability of artists to travel while carrying their cameras and equipment,” says Emily Dittman, curator of “Wanderlust.” “As a result, the majority of 19th-century images were produced by professionals working for commercial studios. Employment in, or ownership of, a studio not only alleviated the cost of equipment, but also of the travel itself.”

Recognizing the potential for profit, photographers opened studios centrally located in tourist locations. This enabled them to take daily treks to photograph monuments, ruins and landscapes popular with the emerging tourist culture. The resulting images were produced, marketed and sold to interested clients in the form of single prints or albums.

Over the years, spurred by the invention of smaller cameras and shorter exposure times, the ability to photograph as one wandered became a reality for amateur photographers. At the same time as images continued to be produced commercially and marketed to travelers as souvenirs, technological advances provided both artists and everyday people the ability to bring home their own snapshots or albums.

“This resulted in a more personal side of travel photography,” says Dittman. “People could document their own paths and encounters to show family and friends a visual documentation of their travels. Today, travel photography continues its popularity, not limited anymore by size, ease or financial burdens as it was in the mid- to late-1800s. Smaller devices, many of which are based in smartphones and seemingly on every person at all times, truly enable one’s wanderlust impulses to explore the world.”

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ϲ Military Veterans to Perform ‘Separated’ at Paley Center Nov. 13 /blog/2017/11/02/syracuse-university-military-veterans-to-perform-separated-at-paley-center-nov-13/ Thu, 02 Nov 2017 20:25:58 +0000 /?p=125774 "Separated" banner

The, ϲ Stage and the present a one-night-only New York City theatrical experience. “Separated,” a live performance based on the personal stories of eight ϲ student veterans, will take place at the on Monday, Nov. 13.

“Last fall, ‘Separated’ debuted at ϲ Stage for what we intended to be its one and only performance,” says Vice Chancellor J. Michael Haynie. “However, the stories of ‘Separated’ moved and impacted so many so profoundly that we decided to ask the student veterans if they would perform ‘Separated’ just once more—this time in New York City. We were thrilled when all eight of them agreed.”

The military service experience of the eight students—Nick Brincka, Halston Canty, Zack Couch, Ginger Peterman, Brandon Smith, Jake VanMarter, Zack Watson and Kierston Whaleyincludes tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. The students represent the U.S. Army, Navy and Marine Corps.

The title of the performance reflects the intense experiences each student endured first in separating from home and family to join the military, and then in separating from the military to return to civilian life.

A collaborationamong theSchool of Visual and Performing Arts, Office of Veteran and Military Affairs and ϲ Stage, the production allows these eight student veterans bring their experiences to life for the audience.

“Over many weeks last fall, these eight students were brave in telling their stories—the good, the bad, and the ugly—to ϲ Stage playwright ,” says Haynie. “In turn, Kyle masterfully wove those stories into a narrative reflecting the intense experiences each student endured.”

The evening will begin at 5:30 p.m. with a cocktail reception, and the performance will follow at 6:15 p.m. Tickets can be until Nov. 11.

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12th Coming Back Together Set for Sept. 14-17 /blog/2017/09/08/12th-coming-back-together-set-for-sept-14-17/ Fri, 08 Sep 2017 13:38:26 +0000 /?p=122662 CBT banner

With the 12th Coming Back Together (CBT) reunion set to begin on Sept. 14, it is an opportunity to celebrate the accomplishments and contributions of the University’s many African American and Latino alumni. The triennial event also allows black and Latino alumni to return to campus, engage with the University, current students and one another, and see how the campus community has changed and evolved.

Launched in 1983, Coming Back Together (CBT) became the first reunion of its kind in the country, strengthening ϲ’s reputation as a leader in diversity and inclusion. The initial concept for CBT started with a group of alumni in New York City, including Gwynn Wilcox ’74. Wilcox, a partner in the New York law firm Levy Ratner, has been involved with CBT since its inception, having helped plan the first reunion in 1983 with the late Wayne Brown ’78, Walter Braswell ’71 and Alfreda Mayer ’78, under the direction of Robert Hill, who led the Office of Program Development at that time.

“A couple alumni from New York City started an alumni club called the Friends of ϲ, and the goal was to give back to students and recognize the fact that Black and Latino alumni can contribute to the University and have a lot to offer,” says Wilcox, an alumni co-chair for CBT 2017. “The concept eventually expanded into what is now known as Coming Back Together.”

“CBT gives us an opportunity to network with other alumni of color and develop a friendship and a fellowship where we can bounce different ideas off of one another, possibly start new business ventures or, on a personal level, help us overcome some professional challenges,” says Jesse Mejia ’97, alumni co-chair for CBT with Wilcox. “Regardless, it’s our community that brings us together and makes us stronger and that is why CBT was created.”

By attending, CBT alumni—who represent diverse alumni achievement—are supporting current and future Black and Latino students.

“Our young Black and Latino scholars benefit when they network with alumni who return to campus during CBT because they gain knowledge that will propel them forward as they go out into the world,” says Rachel Vassel, assistant vice president of the Office of Program Development.

Mejia echoes those sentiments and feels that as an alumnus of color he shares a responsibility to come back to campus so that the current Black and Latino students can see the example of professional alumni of color doing well. “We want to make sure those students today know they have someone who cares about their success,” says Mejia.

Our Time Has Come Scholarships

As CBT continued to grow, it was not long before those involved realized the reunion could be leveraged to provide financial support for current and incoming Black and Latino students. So, in 1987, the Our Time Has Come (OTHC) Scholarship began, born out of conversations of former Program Development leaders Robert Hill and Evelyn Walker and alumnus Dave Bing ’66, H’06.

The primary idea behind the scholarship, now celebrating its 30th anniversary, was that no one understood the challenges of African American and Latino students better than African American and Latino alumni. That shared experience would inspire alumni to support scholarships that would create and promote a diverse student body.

This is why today, while on campus for CBT, alumni are encouraged to give to the OTHC scholarship fund benefiting black and Latino students. Proceeds of events like the CBT Celebrity Classic basketball game, the Chancellor 5K Run/Walk/Roll and the CBT Gala Dinner all benefit the OTHC Scholarship Fund, supporting student recipients who may otherwisebe unable to attend SU.

“If I didn’t receive the scholarship, I would be working full time while attending school full time,” says Yvette Asumeng ’18. “So the scholarship has allowed me to focus on and pursue my actual dreams in public health. It shows that there are people out there that care about people like me.”

“Before the scholarship it was definitely a struggle to be able to afford college, and so when I got accepted to a college that I really wanted to go to, I was very happy that that dream had come true,” says Avery Callahan ’19.

Full Schedule of CBT events

Many events are planned for CBT. Among them are:

Celebrated journalist/news anchor/documentary producer will speak on Thursday, Sept. 14, at 6:30 p.m. in the Schine Student Center’s Goldstein Auditorium. This event is included in CBT 2017 registration to give reunion attendees an opportunity to hear from O’Brien first hand as she shares her personal story and kicks off the fall University Lectures series.

The opening reception will take place Friday, Sept. 15, from 5-7 p.m. at the Chancellor’s House. It is open to alumni and students.

The dinner gala, a highlight of CBT weekend, is Saturday, Sept. 16, at the Marriott ϲ Downtown, 100 E. Onondaga St. NY1 journalist Cheryl Wills Singleton ’89 will emcee the sold out event, with a keynote address by NBA legend, entrepreneur and former mayor of Detroit Dave Bing ’66 H’06. Both the Chancellor’s Medal and five Chancellor’s Citation Awards will be presented to diverse alumni.

The Southside Art Mural Project,a community service opportunity, will take place on the city’s South Side. Alumni and students will focus on mural prep, which includes staging setup, clearing the adjacent storage area, painting the base coat on the two walls, and putting up the project sign.

Grammy Award-winning artist will perform in concert on Friday, Sept. 15, from 9-11 p.m. in the Schine Student Center’s Goldstein Auditorium. Tanksley is the opening act at this must-attend event. CBT registrants receive one ticket with their registration. Otherwise, tickets may be purchased .

Closing out the weekend, on Sunday, Sept. 17, at 10 a.m., is a worship service at Hendricks Chapel featuring recording artist, the and the Alumni Group of the Black Celestial Choral Ensemble (TAG-BCCE), with a sermon by.

Registration Information

Interest in CBT 2017 has been overwhelming. for CBT is now limited to current students only. Students with a valid SU ID can register online through Sept. 13. Alumni and students may register onsite as of Sept. 14.

Learn more about Coming Back Together 2017 .

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Tickets Now on Sale for SU Day at Citi Field 2017—June 4 /blog/2017/03/27/tickets-now-on-sale-for-su-day-at-citi-field-2017-june-4/ Mon, 27 Mar 2017 20:35:47 +0000 /?p=117020 Tickets are now on sale for the 7th annual SU Day at Citi Field on Sunday, June 4, as the Mets take on the Pittsburgh Pirates. Gates will open at 11:10 a.m., with the first pitch at 1:10 p.m.

Tickets are $27-$165 (depending on the location of the seats and amenities offered with the ticket). A limited number of tickets are available for the Porsche Party Suite, which features indoor/outdoor seating, food, soft drinks, beer and wine included in the $165 per person cost. View the full array of ticket options .

Otto and Mr. Met

T-shirt design for SU Day at Citi Field 2017.

New for this year’s event is the SU Orange Fan Zone! This gathering space will be open to all SU Day guests, with appearances by ϲ Director of Athletics John Wildhack and Otto the Orange.

“Otto loves SU Day!” says Julie Walas-Huynh, Otto’s coach. “To see a big Orange crowd come together every year—in the sunshine, for a ball game, with their families and gathering with friends, all wearing orange? It’s literally one of the best days of the summer.”

All SU fans who purchase a ticket through the University will receive a commemorative t-shirt that may be picked up at the SU Orange fan zone from 11:10 a.m. through the bottom of the third inning.

As in previous years, bus transportation will be provided from campus to the game and back. Buses will depart from Manley Field House at 6:30 a.m., bound for Citi Field with a pickup/drop off in Binghamton. The roundtrip cost is $57 per seat. Arrival time back in ϲ is estimated around 11 p.m.

To order tickets, follow . Up to 20 tickets may be ordered per email address. All tickets ordered through the University will mail two weeks before game day. For seating requests or questions, email SUMets@syr.edu. SU Day is sponsored by SU in NYC. Follow @SUinNYC on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for updates on this and other events.

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‘The Soul of Central New York’ by Sean Kirst Available Dec. 14 /blog/2016/12/13/the-soul-of-central-new-york-by-sean-kirst-available-dec-14-2/ Tue, 13 Dec 2016 14:21:34 +0000 /?p=111538 Kirst book coverCentral New York journalist, columnist and author Sean Kirst has released “The Soul of Central New York: ϲ Stories,” a collection of his past columns, published by and available Dec. 14 in hardcover and paperback.

In “The Soul of Central New York,” Kirst, who spent nearly 25 years as a columnist at the ϲ Post-Standard, showcases some of the most memorable stories about struggles and triumphs of the ordinary men and women who define ϲ.

Readers will learn how the city of ϲ is intertwined with the spiritual roots of the Six Nations of the Iroquois (also known as the Haudenosaunee) in one piece. Another story details the experience of a grieving father whose son was lost to violence on the streets of the city.

Kirst will be participating in a book launch, talk and signing where you can hear him discuss tales from the book, like how a group of strangers risked death along the New York State Thruway to save a soldier from a burning truck or learn about the beautiful yet tragic connection between Vice President Joseph Biden and ϲ. The book tour will take Kirst to three area locations in ϲ: , at 4 p.m. at the Onondaga Historical Association; , at 7 p.m. at the Barnes & Noble on Erie Boulevard East; and a third event, hosted by the Strathmore Speaker Series, on Tuesday, Dec. 20, at 7:30 p.m. in the Community Room at the Marriott ϲ Downtown.

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CCJI Lauds Passage of Emmett Till Act in House /blog/2016/12/08/ccji-lauds-passage-of-emmett-till-act-in-house/ Thu, 08 Dec 2016 21:51:30 +0000 /?p=111415 The House of Representatives passed S. 2854, the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crimes Reauthorization Act of 2016, by voice vote during its evening session on Wednesday, Dec. 7. But unless further action is taken this week by the U.S. Senate, the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act of 2008 will expire in 2017. The act recognized the need for an “urgent” and “thorough” federal investigation and possible prosecution of living suspects involved in the Civil Rights Era racially motivated killings.

Professors Janis McDonald and Paula Johnson, codirectors of CCJI

Professors Janis McDonald and Paula Johnson, codirectors of CCJI

“We here at the Cold Case Justice Initiative are glad to see the positive movement of the Reauthorization Act,” says Paula C. Johnson, co-director of the Cold Case Justice Initiative (CCJI) at the . “Some people ask us why this is important. If you speak to the families who suffered the loss of a loved one by a brutal, racially motivated murder never thoroughly investigated or prosecuted, or you talk to a community that was terrorized by uncontrolled and unpunished racist violence, you begin to understand that a humane society that prioritizes justice has no choice but to pursue these cases until it is no longer possible.”

Johnson, who is also a professor of law, joined with Alvin Sykes, president of the Emmett Till Justice Campaign, to lead a coalition, including the Emmett Till Legacy Foundation and Mamie Till Mobley foundation, to work with a bipartisan number of co-sponsors in both the House and the Senate to continue this important legislation.

The Senate passed a reauthorization bill in July while the House of Representatives adopted a slightly different version on Dec. 7; a required 10-year sunset provision for any law referencing appropriations. While this alteration requires the Senate to approve the modified bill, Senate co-sponsors are prepared to seek the “hotline” process to fast track this noncontroversial renewal for a vote before finishing their work next week.

“For people like Janice Cameron and Nedra Walker of the Atlanta, Georgia, area, the reauthorization means even more,” says CCJI’s other co-director, Janis McDonald. “The original act did not provide coverage for those killings that occurred after Dec. 31, 1969, thus excluding the suspicious disappearances and deaths of their fathers, Leroy Holloway and Robert Walker, as well as three other friends, termed the ‘Atlanta Five Fishermen.’”

More than 32,000 people have in support of the Reauthorization Act on Change.Org to date. In addition to the CCJI, the NAACP, the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, the Southern Poverty Law Center, the National Urban League and the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights; as well as other educational institutions, including Northeastern University’s Civil Rights & Restorative Justice Project and Emory University’s Georgia Civil Rights Cold Case Project worked together with congressional aides to secure passage of the act.

“We urge the Senate to move quickly and pass the modified bill as it retains many of the stronger provisions families, advocates and civil rights organizations have been pushing for,” says Johnson. “The passage of this act may further allow for the perpetrators of these crimes to be brought to justice.”

 

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‘Continuum’ at Palitz Gallery Explores 40 Years of Point of Contact /blog/2016/11/14/continuum-at-palitz-gallery-explores-40-years-of-point-of-contact-74863/ Mon, 14 Nov 2016 18:51:12 +0000 /?p=101391 “Continuum” is an exhibition that celebrates 40 Years of Point of Contact Gallery and does so through the lens of its permanent art collection. Many of the pieces included in the exhibition have been created specifically for Point of Contact publications and exhibitions and provide a unique perspective on the evolution of the organization.

"Untitled" by Gregory Crewdson is one of the works included in the "Continuum" exhibition.

“Untitled” by Gregory Crewdson is one of the works included in the “Continuum” exhibition.

runs Nov. 14-Feb. 2 at Palitz Gallery. There are 21 works in the exhibition that range from black and white photography to collages, mixed media, drawings and prints. The gallery is open Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and is free and open to the public. The exhibition is closed for University holidays. Palitz Gallery is located at 11 E. 61st St. Call 212.826.0320, email lubin@syr.edu or visit the for more information.

The selection of works in the exhibition include artists from Argentina, Brazil, Cuba, England, Germany, Israel, South Korea, Puerto Rico, Russia, the Unites States and Uruguay. “By revisiting its past, Point of Contact also looks toward its future, refining its vision and turning each new encounter into an experimentation with unlimited insights,” says managing director Miranda Traudt.

“The Point of Contact Gallery collection crosses visual and verbal, geographic and artistic boundaries, evolving year after year, contributing to the conversation on contemporary art in today’s rapidly changing environment,” says Ana Tiscornia, art editor for Point of Contact. “It does not respond to the usual criteria of art collections, such as periods, geographies or artistic tendencies, but rather it unites a well-defined cultural calling, an almost romantic faith in the aesthetic experience as our main redeemer.”

“Throughout its history, Point of Contact’s mission has been to form inspired communities,” says Traudt. “To innovate through artistic concepts that may resonate locally and globally; to work expansively where intellectual and geographic boundaries are concerned, and to share the experience.”

Founded in 1975 by Pedro Cuperman, Point of Contact began as an editorial project dedicated to publishing creative scholarship and original works of art side by side, thus providing a crossdisciplinary space for writers, scholars and visual artists. In 2005, Point of Contact expanded its vision with the opening of a gallery dedicated to the exploration of contemporary verbal and visual arts, with a strong focus on Latin America.

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Members of Congress, Victims’ Families Speak During Briefing on Capitol Hill Hosted by CCJI /blog/2016/09/21/members-of-congress-victims-families-speak-during-briefing-on-capitol-hill-hosted-by-ccji-36372/ Wed, 21 Sep 2016 13:33:16 +0000 /?p=99031 On Sept. 12, (CCJI) hosted a briefing on the Emmett Till Reauthorization Act of 2016 in the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, D.C. The event was sponsored by Rep. John Lewis (D-GA), who, along with Sen. Richard Burr, is leading a bipartisan effort to pass the legislation.

At this special event, Paula Johnson and Janis McDonald, professors of law and co-directors of CCJI, and members of a coalition pushing for reauthorization, came together to address the profound necessity for this effort.

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The crowd listens during a briefing on the Emmett Till Reauthorization Act of 2016 held Sept. 12 in Washington, D.C.

“We held this briefing in our nation’s capital as a way to demonstrably press the House to reauthorize the Till Act before it expires,” says Johnson. “The passage of the bill will support the efforts of families and advocates who seek justice for racially motivated killings of loved ones during the Civil Rights Era and beyond.”

The is composed of organizations including the NAACP and Southern Poverty Law Center, fellow institutions of higher education Northeastern University and Emory University, members of Emmett Till’s family, and activist Alvin Sykes.

On July 18, the U.S. Senate unanimously approved the legislation, which now must be passed by the U.S. House of Representatives. The Senate co-sponsors of the bill include Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO), Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and New York Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY). In the House, Rep. John Katko (R-NY) of ϲ joined a bipartisan group of legislators calling for the House’s passage.

“As a former federal prosecutor, I recognize the importance of investigating and resolving unsolved racially motivated crimes and acts of violence across our nation. Reauthorization of the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act is critical to that mission, and I’m proud to support this bipartisan effort,”says Katko. “I applaud ϲ for its steadfast efforts in working to renew this important legislation, as well as the ongoing interdisciplinary work of all involved with the Cold Case Justice Initiative.”

“I was proud to co-sponsor and help pass The Emmett Till Reauthorization Bill in the Senate that will help right terrible, unsolved civil rights crimes,” says Schumer. “I’d like to thank the Cold Case Justice Initiative and its co-chairs from ϲ, Professors Paula Johnson and Janis McDonald, for their outstanding leadership on this issue. In honor of Emmett Till, I urge my colleagues in the House to immediately take up this measure so it can allow us to examine the crimes of the past and help us prevent them in the future.”

“The coalition was honored to read a letter sent to Congressman John Lewisin support of the reauthorization effort,” says McDonald. The document, which was signed by the President of the Southern Poverty Law Center, Richard Cohen; Myrlie Evers Williams, activist and the widow of Medgar Evers; Rita Schwerner Bender, the activist and widow of Michael Schwerner; and G. Douglas Jones, the former U.S. Attorney who prosecuted the killers of the four young girls at the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, was an incredible demonstration in support of all of those families who never received any kind of justice and a necessary reminder of the sacrifices all of these families have endured.”

In its effort to build public support and create further pressure on the House to pass the bill, the coalition has started an on Change.org. A reauthorized act will require a full accounting of victims, a more thorough investigation of cases, more staffing by the Department of Justice and expedited Freedom of Information Act responses.

Other participants at the briefing included representatives from families dealing with the killings of relatives. Cordero Ducksworth, the son of Cpl. Roman Ducksworth, spoke about the circumstances around his father’s killing in 1962, when he was shot by a local police officer in Mississippi in a dispute over segregated seating on a bus. The CCJI has worked with his family to provide information and justice in this case.

“The years have passed but not erased the pain and grief that our families experience,” says Deborah Watts, a cousin in the Till family and co-founder of the Emmett Till Legacy Foundation. “In Emmett’s name and with this legislation we are bringing together voices from the left and right.”

“It should be self-evident that organizations seeking to document perpetrators and victims and advance investigations where prosecutions are still possible need as much access to government documents and information as can be afforded under law,” says investigative journalist Ben Greenberg, who has worked with the CCJI and the Ducksworth family on their case. “For the family members, information about the violent incidents that took loved ones from them was transformative—allowing their families to find healing and offering avenues for restorative justice even after the criminal justice system had failed them.”

The event was held in conjunction with the Coalition for Emmett Till Reauthorization Act: The Civil Rights and Restorative Justice Project, Northeastern University School of Law, Cold Case Justice Initiative, ϲ College of Law, Emmett Till Justice Campaign, Emmett Till Legacy Foundation, Georgia Civil Rights Cold Cases Project at Emory University, Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, Mamie Till Mobley Memorial Foundation, NAACP, NAACP Legal Defense Fund, National Urban League, and the Southern Poverty Law Center.

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CCJI to Hold Emmett Till Reauthorization Act Briefing on Capitol Hill /blog/2016/08/30/ccji-to-hold-emmett-till-reauthorization-act-briefing-on-capitol-hill-29013/ Tue, 30 Aug 2016 17:42:32 +0000 /?p=98034 The (CCJI) at the College of Law will host a briefing on the Emmett Till Reauthorization Act at the Capitol Visitor’s Center, First St. NE, Room HVC-215, Washington, D.C., on Sept. 12 from 4:30-7 p.m.

Emmett Till

Emmett Till

Paula Johnson and Janis McDonald, professors of law and co-directors of CCJI, will participate in this event that brings together the Coalition for Emmett Till Reauthorization Act, members of the House of Representatives and investigative journalists who believe it is necessary to pass the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crimes Reauthorization Act of 2016. The passage of the bill will support the efforts of families and advocates who seek justice for racially motivated killings during the Civil Rights Era and beyond.

The event is being held in conjunction with the Coalition for Emmett Till Reauthorization Act: The Civil Rights and Restorative Justice Project, Northeastern University School of Law, Cold Case Justice Initiative, ϲ, Emmett Till Justice Campaign, Emmett Till Legacy Foundation, Georgia Civil Rights Cold Cases Project at Emory University, Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, Mamie Till Mobley Memorial Foundation, NAACP, NAACP Legal Defense Fund, National Urban League and Southern Poverty Law Center.

The event is free, but

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‘A Magnificent Obsession’ through Nov. 10 at Palitz Gallery /blog/2016/08/17/a-magnificent-obsession-through-nov-10-at-palitz-gallery-18934/ Wed, 17 Aug 2016 13:02:41 +0000 /?p=97535 "Through Wind and Weather" by John Taylor Arms

“Through Wind and Weather” by John Taylor Arms

“A Magnificent Obsession: Selections from the Hamilton Armstrong Collection of Prints,” now on display at , showcases work from artists born in the 19th century—a time when the reproductive qualities of printmaking had trumped the more intimate and handmade qualities that attracted Rembrandt and his contemporaries. Charles Méryon, John Taylor Arms, Samuel Chamberlain, Frederick Griggs and Henry Rushbury, each represented in “Magnificent Obsession,” broke from that tendency and focused again on hand-printed images.

“A Magnificent Obsession: Selections from the Hamilton Armstrong Collection of Prints” contains 25 hand-printed images made from etched copper plates. The exhibition runs through Nov. 10. The gallery is open Monday to Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and is free and open to the public. The exhibition is closed for University holidays. Palitz Gallery is located at 11 East 61st St. Contact 212-826-0320, email lubin@syr.edu or visit our for more information.

“In the early 19th century, few artists used printmaking as an original art form,” says Domenic Iacono, exhibition curator and director of the SUArt Galleries. “Not until the emergence of Goya, Blake, Méryon and others, did an etching revival take place and other artists began to actively investigate the unique qualities of the hand-printed image. We are fortunate that Hamilton Armstrong also appreciated these distinctive characteristics and amassed an interesting collection that he bequeathed to us after his passing in 2011.”

Méryon (1821-1868) had produced a series of etchings that depicted a changing Parisian landscape and, in turn, captured the imagination of a number of English and American printmakers who appreciated his renderings of urban scenes. Even Whistler was compared to Méryon when the American expatriate finished his ‘Thames Set’’ of London urban scenes in 1861. “Hamilton Armstrong delighted in the extraordinary scenes that Méryon created, and over the years acquired other architectural etchings by John Taylor Arms, Samuel Chamberlain, Frederick Griggs and Henry Rushbury,” says Iacono.

An American architectural etcher, John Taylor Arms (1887-1953) made prints throughout the first half of the 20th century and was often moved by Méryon’s prints. In fact, Arms made his own etching of the gargoyle Le Stryge, made famous by Méryon in his 1853 etching of the same subject, but the American artist called it “The Thinker (Le Penseur).” Arms called Méryon’s work “sensitive, imaginative and deeply spiritual expressions of architectural form and meaning.”

"Prison" by Henry Rushbury

“Prison” by Henry Rushbury

Samuel Chamberlain’s (1895-1975) views of European cities and landmarks were often published in Century and Architectural Record magazines. During his 50-year career, Chamberlain made trips to Europe and produced more than 200 prints, including lithographs, etchings and drypoints that often depicted the changing landscapes of the old-world cities.

The artists Henry Rushbury (1889-1968) and Frederick Landseer Griggs (1876-1938) were part of a British etchers movement in which architectural subjects played an all-important role and for whom Méryon was also an inspiration. Each of these artists was witness to different types of change. Méryon saw the urban renewal of Napoleon III, while the others saw war and natural forces as major catalysts for change.

“We here at the SUArt Galleries are fortunate that Hamilton Armstrong saw beauty in their renderings of these scenes,” says Iacono. “I am very excited to display a portion of his collection to visitors who come into the Palitz Gallery because they will have an opportunity to examine the personal interpretations of these artists who attempt to capture fleeting moments in European architectural history.”

 

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New Book by David B. Falk Professor Rick Burton Out This Week /blog/2016/08/04/new-book-by-david-b-falk-professor-rick-burton-out-this-week-63144/ Thu, 04 Aug 2016 15:18:58 +0000 /?p=97089 Rick Burton

Rick Burton

Rick Burton, the David B. Falk Professor of Sport Management, will release his newest book, “” (from ϲ Press) at a most auspicious time. The book, due in stores this week, arrives just as the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro commence.

The leadup to the Rio games has been plagued with problems and controversies, from the containment of Zika, the mosquito-borne virus that broke out in Brazil, to the doping scandal that is taking a large toll on Russian athletes who had hoped to compete in the Summer Games and now find themselves sitting them out.

As the world looks to the Olympic games, Burton and his co-author and Sports Business Journal writing partner Norman O’Reilly, the Richard P. and Joan S. Fox Professor of Business and chair of the Department of Sports Administration at Ohio University, explore a variety of provocative topics from the world of sports in their wide-ranging collection.

Burton, who served as the chief marketing officer for the U.S. Olympic Committee for the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, knows the challenges of overseeing such a large organization well.
“It’s important to believe our sporting contests are pure, but we know they aren’t always so, but we hope,” says Burton who notes that there are anecdotes in the book that reflect the tough situation Olympic organizers face. “Sport continues to provide an opportunity to bind us together and to overcome circumstances. I would hope all of this makes us stronger. “

The idea to compile “Sports Business Unplugged” came when Burton and O’Reilly realized that they had reached a milestone with their 50th Sports Business Journal column. “While we’ve been writing these columns regularly, we were aware that the rate of change in the industry seems to be accelerating. There’s never been a better time to reintroduce insights on challenges and how to address them,” Burton says.

“I look forward to the monthly columns by Rick and Norm, as theyalways provide thought-provoking commentary surrounding topics we all face in this business,” says John Swofford, commissioner of the ACC. “Having a collection of their work in a single book makes this a must-have for any reader.”

book cover“If there has been a theme to the columns it has been helpfulness,” says Burton when explaining the common ties among all of the articles he and O’Reilly have penned since 2009. “I have over 30 years in the industry. Norm and I have had a chance to see a lot of things, and when we write we are writing not only for practitioners but for the students having to solve those problems in the future.”

Which is why Burton is making plans to bring “Sports Business Unplugged” into the classroom to use as a teaching tool with his students. “I would use handouts of columns at different times, but they were never in the same place,” says Burton. “Depending on what’s coming up in a classroom, topics of the day, now you can find it in chapter 3, page 43. Recent news like the NBA All-Star game being pulled out of North Carolina, for instance. Well, there is probably a column that addresses that, and with ‘Sports Business Unplugged’ I can direct students to the relevant material more quickly.”

Fast-changing technology in recent times has had a palpable impact inside and out of the classroom as well as the traditional sports business. “Social media reaches corners of the sports world that were unimaginable a few years ago,” says the commissioner of the National Hockey League. “Analysis of the industry has grown more sophisticated than ever. ‘Sports Business Unplugged’ would be a solid addition to the library of anyone eager to follow and process the warp-speed developments of this constantly evolving universe.”

“It is not like it was in the ’60s,” says Burton. “We have fantasy leagues, video games, online gambling. We are able to instantly access athletes directly. The tech we use to deliver the games is changing. When I was a kid there were three channels and now there are 500. Then there are the cord cutters who watch things online who want immediate access. Sport always rises to the challenge. But the nature of the delivery changes the nature of sports. This book will demonstrate this seismic shift quite clearly for enthusiasts and our students and how we as leaders can navigate it.”

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Cold Case Justice Initiative Lauds Passage of Emmett Till Reauthorization Act by U.S. Senate /blog/2016/07/18/cold-case-justice-initiative-lauds-passage-of-emmett-till-reauthorization-act-by-u-s-senate-37846/ Mon, 18 Jul 2016 18:57:02 +0000 /?p=96691 With bipartisan, unanimous consent in the U.S. Senate on July 17, passage of the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crimes Reauthorization Act of 2016 is one step closer to becoming law. The Cold Case Justice Initiative (CCJI) at the College of Law, along with partners like activist Alvin Sykes and organizations including the NAACP, Southern Poverty Law Center, Georgia Civil Rights & Cold Cases Project, Emmett Till Legacy Foundation, Mamie Till Mobley Foundation and the Northeastern University Civil Rights & Restorative Justice Project played an instrumental role advocating for stronger provisions and passage of the bill.

Cold Case Justice Initiative panel at National Press Club

The Cold Case Justice Initiative at the College of Law examined the current state of the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crimes Act during a panel at the National Press Club on Dec. 9, 2014.

“The United States Congress took a substantial step forward, providing the opportunity for justice for the victims of Civil Rights Era racial murders and disappearances,” says Paula Johnson, professor of law and co-director of the CCJI. “Since beginning our work in 2008, we have consistently demanded thorough investigations and a full accounting of those who were killed or disappeared during the Civil Rights Era and beyond. This reauthorization will do just that.”

“We appreciate that the Senate came together to pass the Reauthorization Act without rancor and division,” says CCJI co-director and law professor Janis McDonald. “It is an affirmation that this effort is the right thing to do for our nation, so we want to thank the senators on both sides of the aisle who stood behind this push for reauthorization.”

The effort in the Senate was led by Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC), who has worked alongside his counterpart in the House of Representatives, Congressman John Lewis (D-GA). In addition to Burr, fellow senators Patrick Leahy, Claire McCaskill and Roy Blunt were instrumental in the Senate process, while Congressmen John Conyers and James Sensenbrenner have also worked on the House side.

The original Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act of 2007 was scheduled to expire in 2017. “Much work remains to be done to investigate the killings and disappearances of victims of racially motivated violence during the Civil Rights Era,” says Johnson. “The Reauthorization Act not only extends the sunset provision of the original legislation, but enhances several aspects of the law so that the prospect for justice can be realized.”

The Reauthorization Act calls for:

• full accounting of all victims of racial murders and disappearances from the Civil Rights Era and beyond, so that all victims of such violence will be identified and cases investigated and adjudicated where possible;

• thorough review of open and previously closed cases to ensure that the Department of Justice, FBI, and state and local law enforcement undertake complete assessments prior to determining further legal pursuit or closure of cases;

• Department of Justice collaboration and communication with law enforcement and other entities who work on these issues to bring collective expertise and insight on determinations about cases; and

• greater access and release of information under the Freedom of Information Act when cases have been closed so that family members, advocates, academics and investigative journalists can obtain and analyze the full information about cases.

“As we have seen in recent weeks, racial justice remains an imperative for U.S. society,” says McDonald. “Too often, in the past and the present, racially motivated crimes resulting in death or grave injury have been committed with impunity. The Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crimes Reauthorization Act of 2016 recognizes the importance of rectifying these wrongs and bringing perpetrators of these crimes to justice.”

“The Reauthorization Act offers the promise of justice for the families and communities who have suffered losses and lack of faith in the justice system,” says Johnson. “Now that the Senate has acted, the Cold Case Justice Initiative urges the House of Representatives to do likewise and pass the act. The families of the victims, the communities that have been most directly affected and the public at large demand and depend on their government and law enforcement officials to fulfill the promise that justice delayed is not justice denied. It is never too late for justice.”

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One Year after Death of Rexdale Henry in Mississippi Detention Center Autopsy Report Still Not Released to Family /blog/2016/07/14/one-year-after-death-of-rexdale-henry-in-mississippi-detention-center-autopsy-report-still-not-released-to-family-93062/ Thu, 14 Jul 2016 16:11:22 +0000 /?p=96641 July 14 marks the one-year anniversary of Rexdale Henry’s death, and the (CCJI) at ϲ’s College of Law continues to demand a full federal inquiry into the circumstances of his demise and delays by the State of Mississippi to release information about his death.

Rexdale Henry

Rexdale Henry

“These delays are inexcusable one year after Mr. Henry’s death and his family’s request for information and answers,” says Janis McDonald, a law professor and co-director of the CCJI. “The Mississippi Medical Examiner’s Office has steadfastly refused to release the official autopsy while Neshoba County officials have not released videotapes surrounding the death and discovery of Mr. Henry’s body in the Neshoba County Detention Center in Philadelphia, Mississippi, on July 14, 2015.”

Henry was stopped and accused on suspicion of a minor traffic offense by city police in Philadelphia, Mississippi, on July 9, 2015. Like many other members of the Choctaw Tribe who live on their lands not far from Philadelphia, Henry was frequently stopped by Neshoba city and county police. Henry was arrested on the basis of an alleged traffic offense and outstanding minor traffic fines.

“The funds received from repeated minor traffic fines and the inability of individuals to pay represent a significant percentage of the city’s income, not dissimilar to the situation described by the Department of Justice in its report on Ferguson, Missouri,” says Paula Johnson, also a law professor and co-director of the CCJI at ϲ. “Henry was arrested, taken to the Neshoba County jail and held for five days until he was found dead in his cell.”

Immediately after the discovery of his body, an autopsy was performed by the state’s chief medical examiner from Jackson, Mississippi. Despite requests from the family of Rexdale Henry and his attorneys, Chokwe Lumumba and Charles E. Lawrence of Jackson, Mississippi, neither Neshoba County coroner’s office nor the State Medical Examiner’s Office has provided them with autopsy results. The ϲ Cold Case Justice Initiative and the Mississippi Martyrs’ Memorial Fund have helped the Henry family conduct independent investigation into Henry’s death.

In 2015, the Center for Juvenile & Criminal Justice showing Native Americans die at the hands of or in the custody of law enforcement at a much higher rate than their numbers in the population compared to other minorities or Caucasians.

“There is no reason why the state should deny the family of the victim autopsy evidence or videotapes which might lead to a true account of what happened,” says Johnson. “The family does not deserve to wait this long to receive access to information which might lead to an accurate account of what happened.”

Sixteen days after the alleged date of Henry’s death, Neshoba County prosecutors arrested Justyn Schlagel for his murder. Schlegel was also an inmate who shared a brief time in the same cell with Henry. On Monday, July 11, Schlegel’s attorney requested a delay in the scheduled trial until November.

Neshoba County, Mississippi, was the site of the deaths of three civil rights workers James Chaney, Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner during Freedom Summer in 1964. In. November 2015, Michael McDougle, an African American man, was found dead in his cell in Neshoba County Detention Center.

“Repeated traffic stops and harassment of African Americans and Native Americans lead many members of these communities to question whether there has been significant change in recognition of their rights or the valuing of their lives by Mississippi officials,” says McDonald. “The Department of Justice must conduct an investigation to bring justice and accountability for Rexdale Henry’s death to his family and community.”

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Bill Brings CCJI One Step Closer to Having Emmett Till Act Extended /blog/2016/04/28/bill-brings-ccji-one-step-closer-to-having-emmett-till-act-extended-28855/ Thu, 28 Apr 2016 20:11:04 +0000 /?p=94656 This week both houses of the U.S. Congress introduced a bill to reauthorize the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crimes Act, which expires in 2017, in a bipartisan effort to continue the work begun by the Department of Justice (DOJ) in 2008. The participation and contributions of the (CCJI) co-directors and students were instrumental in this legislative development.

Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act panel, held at the National Press Club in D.C. From left to right are Fredricka Whitfield (at podium), Paul Delaney, Nichelle Morris-Newbill, Paula, Airickca Gordon-Taylor, Rep. Shelia Jackson Lee.

Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act panel, held at the National Press Club in D.C. From left to right are Fredricka Whitfield (at podium), Paul Delaney, Nichelle Morris-Newbill, Paula Johnson, Airickca Gordon-Taylor and Rep. Shelia Jackson Lee.

“For years now, the Cold Case Justice Initiative and the familieswho have lost loved ones to racial violence, and with whom we share the struggle for justice, have been pressing our government for full accountability,” says CCJI co-director Paula Johnson. “This development by the Unites States Congress is a step in the right direction, but it is only the first step in a new phase.”

“It was Dr. King who said the time is always right to do what is right,” says Rep. John Lewis. “We can never heal from the injuries of the past by sweeping hundreds of crimes under the rug. We have an obligation, a mission and a mandate to continue the effort required to wash away these stains on our democracy.”

“I am honored to join Congressman Lewis to introduce this legislation to make it possible for the FBI and the Justice Department to continue their important work to investigate these cold cases and bring the perpetrators of racially motivated crimes to justice,” says Sen. Richard Burr.“Uncovering and confronting the truth about these crimes is essential to ensuring that no one is above the law and that all Americans are worthy of the protection of our laws.”

The Till Reauthorization Act includes a significant number of suggestions made by the CCJI which, along with its students, has been working with legislators for more than a year to ensure the push for justice and full accounting would go on. The reauthorization would allow this to happen. “I am glad to say this bill incorporates the advice and counsel of numerous individuals and groups who are also dedicated to the pursuit of justice in these matters,” says Lewis. “Their tireless efforts have helped us improve this legislation so that more work can be done to end the pain, doubt and the inconsistent application of justice that has languished unattended for decades.”

While the reauthorization will allow investigators to continue their work beyond 2017, there are also other, substantial changes to address gaps in the previous bill, such as providing greater transparency in the process, a higher level of accountability for the DOJ to report on its progress, and allowing cases occurring in the 1970s, 1980s and beyond to be brought to justice.

“Perhaps most significantly to us is that the FBI will be required to travel to the communities to do their investigative work, not simply read over old files from a desk in Washington and make a couple phone calls” says CCJI co-director Janis McDonald. “The Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crimes Reauthorization Act reflects the realization that racial violence remains a destructive force and that the pursuit of justice has no deadline and cannot be compromised.”

The CCJI has watched recent violence, particularly the senseless violence and killings by police against citizens of color captured on camera, with a remarkable sense of déjà vu when looking at the nation’s dark history. “The long-forgotten victims of these racial crimes and their families are owed acknowledgement of their loss, accountability of perpetrators for their deaths and gratitude by our government and entire society for their ultimate sacrifices,” says Johnson.

“As we work to address current questions about racial violence and civil rights, we should be mindful of our history and why so many in the African-American community raise the issue of black lives matter,” says Rep. John Conyers.“Passage of the Emmett Till Act represented a commitmentto resolving the unanswered questions from one of the darkest periods in modern American history. Reauthorization represents a further investment in our history and will allow the Department of Justice to resolve remaining issues and set to rest the ghost of the Civil Rights era.”

“Because many of these families have waited for closure 50 years or more, we urge Congress to move swiftly to reauthorize the act,” says McDonald.

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Tickets on Sale for ϲ Day at Yankee Stadium June 25 /blog/2016/04/22/tickets-on-sale-for-syracuse-university-day-at-yankee-stadium-june-25-79163/ Fri, 22 Apr 2016 19:15:54 +0000 /?p=94383 Tickets are now on for the sixth annual SU Day, which will take place at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. Ticket are priced at $24 and up, depending on the location of the seats and amenities offered. You can view all ticket options .

SU at Yankee StadiumGates open at 11 a.m. and game time is set for 1:05 p.m., when the New York Yankees take on the Minnesota Twins. A pre-game picnic is available at the Mike & Ike picnic area inside Gate 2. Picnic packages come with a field-level seat ($106). All tickets purchased on the ϲ site (through May 25) will come with a game day SU Yankees commemorative T-shirt.

“When I first proposed this idea in 2011, I never knew that it would be the beginning of a new SU tradition—a day at a NYC ballpark,” says event co-organizer Brian Spector ’78. “Now, six years later, it’s our turn again at Yankee Stadium to show our Orange pride.”

New this year is a chance to enjoy the game from the comfort of the Club Suite with indoor lounge and outdoor seating, along with an all-inclusive diverse menu and non-alcoholic beverages throughout the game.

As in previous years, there will be bus transportation provided from campus to the game. Buses will depart from Manley Field House at 6:30 a.m. bound for Yankee Stadium with a pickup/drop off in Binghamton. The roundtrip cost is $55 per seat and the bus should arrive back in ϲ around 11 p.m. In addition, the Central New Jersey Alumni Club will run a bus from Princeton with a stop in New Brunswick ($35).

“I’m thrilled that SU Day 2016 will allow so many SU alumni, staff, family and friends to enjoy a day of early summer baseball together,” says Spector. “It’s been so much fun to work with SU staff to plan this annual event.”

 

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Wynn Newhouse Awards Exhibition Now Open at Palitz Gallery /blog/2016/04/20/wynn-newhouse-awards-exhibition-now-open-at-palitz-gallery-36369/ Wed, 20 Apr 2016 17:25:31 +0000 /?p=94247 The ninth annual Wynn Newhouse Awards Exhibition runs through May 14 at Palitz Gallery, located in ϲ’s Lubin House at 11 East 61st St., New York City. The exhibition that was created to draw attention to the achievements of artists of excellence who have disabilities.

A work by Derrick Coard

A work by Derrick Coard

Exhibition hours are Monday to Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Saturday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. It is free and open to the public. Contact 212-826-0320 or lubin@syr.edu for more information. The exhibition runs through May 14.

Each of the award winners receives a portion of a $60,000 per year allotment from the Samuel I. Newhouse Foundation, and this year 15 works including watercolor, works on paper, acrylic on canvas and mixed media. The grant winners include Derrick Alexis Coard, Courttney Cooper, Nick Dupree, Carolyn Lazard, Dan Miller, Alice Sheppard and Constantina Zavitsanos.

Nearly half of the artists in this exhibition are represented by organizations that support artists having disabilities. , which works with Coard, exists to remove barriers to arts and culture. Miller is represented by an organization that serves adult artists with developmental, mental and physical disabilities while providing a professional studio environment for artistic development. emerged in 2001 and in 2003 became a full nonprofit that organizes shows and presents the work of artists with disabilities. V+V is now a home for hundreds of artists in and around Cincinnati, including Cooper.

Nominees and winners of the Wynn Newhouse Awards are chosen by a committee, composed of persons respected in the arts and disabilities communities, who review all submissions. This group also decides how the grant money will be dispersed among the artists. The selection committee for this year’s awards was comprised of: Matthew Higgs, director, White Columns Gallery; Park McArthur, artist; Catherine Morris, curator, Brooklyn Museum, Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art; and Andrew Saluti, assistant director, ϲ Art Galleries.

About the Artists

Derrick Alexis Coard

Coard calls his art his voice for the human race. “I use bearded black men as symbolic expression for possible change for the African-American male community,” says Coard.

The artist considers his works an illustration that black male people can be victorious, achieving needed healing and unity. “My work is a testimonial that black men can be seen in a more positive, righteous light,” says Coard, whose work is among the collection at the Brooklyn Museum of Art. His works have appeared in exhibitions in Glasgow, as well as the Outsider Art Fair in New York City.

Cooper is widely recognized for drawing aerial views of Greater Cincinnati. Cooper walks the streets of Cincinnati, committing the places he visits to memory. Culling observations for cartographic translation in the studio, Cooper creates maps based his observations built on pieces of 8.5”x11” repurposed paper, which he glues together, creating additional pictorial space as needed. “Bic pen” line drawings of Cincinnati neighborhoods undulate across the constructed surface. Translation of Cincinnati grows organically as both a manifestation of process and of place because Cooper’s practice creates a living document.

Nick Dupree

Dupree had always created drawings that even in the earliest scribbles his mother saw them as “sequential,” a panel or snapshot of people and things amid intense change. “Much of my artwork is still comic art, webcomics, ‘sequential art,’ though obviously with progressively more complex images and themes, exploring the fear of the other entwined with American politics and sanctuary for mutants in the action comedy,” says Dupree.

Since 2011 he has increasingly focused on painting, self-portraits and portraiture.

Still from a video by asdfasdfasdf

Still from a video by Carolyn Lieba Francois-Lazard

The works created by Francois-Lazard engage constructions of legibility and visibility. She says it begins with the impulse to document her life in biomedical purgatory.

“Chronic illness is often seen as a private matter or a hyper—personal misfortune,” says Francois-Lazard. It is rarely viewed as an experience deeply embedded in structures of power and meaning. As such, documenting chronic illness destabilizes the separation of public and private spheres.”

The artist makes work that takes an experience that is often circumscribed to the realm of the private, and makes it visible and sometimes banal.

Miller’s artwork is an intricate abstract biography that reflects his perceptions as a non-verbal autistic person. Miller has developed a working method that uses language as its primary subject and departure-point.

In Miller’s works, letters and words are repeatedly overdrawn, creating ink-layered masses that hover on the page and are built up to the point of illegibility or destruction of the ground. Each drawing thereby becomes a written recording of the artist’s obsessions, a visceral accumulation of texts and numerical sequences that often have strong personal references, e.g. aspects from his daily routine, names of people from his family history, or specific Bay Area locales.

Miller’s work is part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art, New York, Berkeley Art Museum, and the Collection De L’Art Brut, Lausanne.

“I begin with embodiment,” says Sheppard. “My wheelchair is not an adaptive device that I use for locomotion; it is not a tool that replaces my legs. I understand my chair as part of my body, even as I also claim that both in and out of my chair, my body is complete.”

For this performance artist, each push has aesthetic merit; it is part of her line. Each roll on the ground is a distinct choice.

“I create my movement language from three different vocabularies,” says Sheppard. “The movement enabled by my wheels, the movement arising from my impairment and movement drawn from the conventional languages of mainstream non-disabled dance.”

Zavitsanos works in sculpture, performance, text and sound. Her work deals largely in issues of debt and dependency, and asks how access, intimacy, opacity and fugitivity might transform processes of distribution and exchange. Zavitsanos views care as an infrastructural concern. She is deeply invested in the specifically informal surplus power of inconsequence and reproduction from which form arises, which is to say her work privileges art and object-hood, or aesthetics and social life.

About the Awards

Wynn Newhouse was a prominent and avid art collector who lost functional use of one hand in an industrial accident as a young man. By midlife he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. He envisioned The Wynn Newhouse Awards in 2005. The program provides grants to talented fine artists with disabilities as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act. Newhouse was joined by top artists, curators and critics who shared his belief that many disabled people have unique insights and skills that can enhance their ability to create exciting art. He hoped that these exhibitions would enable the arts public to see the many creative ideas contained in their works. Wynn passed away in 2010.

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‘Rotimi Fani-Kayode (1955-1989)’ Exhibition Opens Feb. 8 at Palitz Gallery /blog/2016/01/28/rotimi-fani-kayode-1955-1989-exhibition-opens-feb-8-at-palitz-gallery-53070/ Thu, 28 Jan 2016 15:33:57 +0000 /?p=90459 “Rotimi Fani-Kayode (1955-1989)” is a solo retrospective of the work of this seminal and highly influential figure in 1980s black British and African contemporary art. Although his career was cut short by his untimely death at the age of 34, Fani-Kayode nonetheless remains an important influence in contemporary photography. ϲ’s will host the exhibition, which opens Feb. 8 and is presented by in partnership with .

Rotimi Fani-Kayode, “Adebiyi,” 1989. Image courtesy of Autograph ABP, London.

Rotimi Fani-Kayode, “Adebiyi,” 1989. Image courtesy of Autograph ABP, London.

“Rotimi Fani-Kayode (1955-1989)” will run Feb. 8 through April 15. The gallery is open Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is free and open to the public. There will be a panel discussion exploring the artist and his impact on contemporary photography at 6 p.m. on Feb. 11. The panel, moderated by M. Neelika Jayawardane, includes guest speakers Elliot Ross and Derica Shields. Contact 212-826-0320 or lubin@syr.edu for more information on the discussion or exhibition.

Curated by Mark Sealy and Renée Mussai of Autograph ABP, Light Work staff was given access to the negatives from which to create the reprints on display in “Rotimi Fani-Kayode (1955-1989)”– all are ink on etching rag. The exhibition features a selection of his most important photographic works produced between 1985-1989, including large-scale color works and arresting black and white images. Fani-Kayode is co-founder and first chair photographic of Autograph ABP. His photographs have been exhibited internationally since 1985, with numerous recent solo exhibitions in London, Boston, New York and Cape Town.

The artist’s portraits explore complex personal and politically engaged notions of desire, spirituality and cultural dislocation. They depict the black male body as a focal point both to interpret and probe the boundaries of spiritual and erotic fantasy, and of cultural and sexual difference. Ancestral rituals and a provocative, multi-layered symbolism fuse with archetypal motifs from European and African cultures and subcultures, inspired by what Yoruba priests call “the technique of ecstasy.” Hence Fani-Kayode uses the medium of photography not only to question issues of sexuality and homoerotic desire, but also to address themes of diaspora and belonging, and the tensions between his homosexuality and his Yoruba upbringing. This exhibition runs during a period where punitive legislation in Nigeria has been enacted, just as in other countries in Africa, in recent years outlawing same-sex marriages and membership in gay rights organizations.

Fani-Kayode was born in Lagos, Nigeria, to a prominent Yoruba family, which left Africa as refugees in 1966 and moved the United Kingdom. He later studied at Georgetown University and the Pratt Institute before settling permanently in London in 1983, where he lived and worked until his death in 1989. In 2003, his work featured in the African Pavilion at the 50th Venice Biennale and in 2011 in ARS 11 at Kiasma-Museum of Contemporary Art in Helsinki, Finland.

Fani-Kayode’s work is represented in the collections of numerous institutions and private collectors, including the Victoria & Albert Museum, Walther Family Foundation, Harvard University’s Hutchins Center, Kiasma-Museum of Contemporary Art and the collection of Yinka Shonibare MBE, among others.

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Palitz Gallery presents ‘Painting in Clay: The Fired Landscapes of Margie Hughto’ /blog/2015/12/01/palitz-gallery-presents-painting-in-clay-the-fired-landscapes-of-margie-hughto-21221/ Tue, 01 Dec 2015 19:58:50 +0000 /?p=88051 Margie Hughto with her Palitz Gallery installation "Setting Sun."

Margie Hughto with her Palitz Gallery installation “Setting Sun.”

“Painting in Clay: The Fired Landscapes of Margie Hughto” at Palitz Gallery features new work by the internationally recognized artist as well as a selection highlighting her long and varied career in ceramic art.

The exhibition is open Monday to Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., and will run through Feb. 4, 2016. It will be closed from Dec. 24-Jan. 2. It is free and open to the public. Contact 212-826-0320 or lubin@syr.edu for more information.

“Painting in Clay: The Fired Landscapes of Margie Hughto” is the artist’s first retrospective exhibition and includes a selection of new works as well as examples from her major public commissions and the nationally recognized project “New Works in Clay.” A study for “Trade, Treasure and Travel,” which resides at the Cortlandt Street New York City subway station, will also be on display.

A centerpiece of the Palitz Gallery show is be the U-shaped installation “Setting Sun,” which has not been exhibited before. “This artwork was not a public art project,” says Hughto. “It was an artwork I wanted to create. It is inspired by my beautiful Central New York environment.” And through the use of plants from her own garden that were pressed into the clay, Hughto brings the personal sights from her home to viewers, while the colors are inspired by the passage of time and light on the water.

Hughto uses a painterly approach when working in ceramics. “I don’t always know exactly where I’m going as I push, press and break the clay and later, layer slips and glazes over and over again,” says Hughto. “I stay with it, trying to take advantage of gesture and the potency of the ceramic medium and glazed surfaces.”

Hughto is a member of the faculty at the University where she has taught for over 40 years in the . In addition to her teaching and numerous public commissions, Hughto has served as curator at the Everson Museum of Art; was the founding director of the ϲ Clay Institute; and the organizer of New Works in Clay, a collaborative program that brought artists, curators and critics to ϲ, including Helen Frankenthaler, Anthony Caro and Clement Greenberg.

Additional programing will include a special lecture with the artist and Sandra Bloodworth, director of the award-winning public art program MTA Arts & Design and author of “Along the Way: MTA Arts for Transit” on Feb. 3 at 6 p.m. at the ϲ Lubin House. More information can be found at once it becomes available.

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‘Quiet Intersections: The Graphic Work of Robert Kipniss’ Open through Nov. 12 at Palitz Gallery /blog/2015/09/11/quiet-intersections-the-graphic-work-of-robert-kipniss-open-through-nov-12-at-palitz-gallery-91009/ Fri, 11 Sep 2015 18:32:34 +0000 /?p=84425 The latest exhibition at the at the University’s Lubin House, “Quiet Intersections: The Graphic Work of Robert Kipniss,” examines over 40 years of the artist’s printmaking career. Thirty-five works from the ϲ Art Collection illustrate the artist’s graphic output, all from a gift by James F. White.

"Without Within," 1978

“Without Within,” 1978

The exhibition is open Monday to Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., and will run through Nov. 12. It is free and open to the public. Contact 212-826-0320 or lubin@syr.edu for more information.

“Quiet Intersections: The Graphic Work of Robert Kipniss” is curated by SUArt Galleries Associate Director and Curator of Collections David Prince, who says Kipniss’ printmaking was initially spurred by commercial considerations, but over a relatively short time frame the artist developed an aesthetic interest and facility for the medium. “The prints in this exhibition examine subjects similar to his paintings, but offer different insights, often reflecting the print medium’s particular visual and technical characteristics of line and tone,” says Prince.

Born in Brooklyn in 1931, Kipniss was the child of two commercial artists and had a passion for reading. After two years at a college in Ohio, Kipniss transferred to the University of Iowa, where he majored in literature, supplemented with elective painting courses. Kipniss remained at Iowa through graduate school, where he earned an M.F.A. in painting and art history in 1954.

After serving two years in the army, Kipniss returned to New York City, where he held a series of jobs while he continued to hone his painting style. Slowly he found the most satisfaction painting representationally. Quiet landscapes, still lifes and interior scenes using a limited palette became signature images. A couple of days every week he visited galleries, usually unannounced, and showed his smaller canvases. Eventually, in 1959, he met Karl Lunde, the director of the Contemporaries gallery, who agreed to represent him. Kipniss later found representation with Ernest and Muriel Werner, who sold work privately and with Murray Roth at the FAR Gallery on Madison Avenue. These outlets helped Kipniss gain a toehold in the city’s cultural landscape.

“Robert Kipniss’ artistic journey has been governed by strongly held and deeply felt aesthetic concerns,” says Prince. “For years he worked in near obscurity when abstraction was the stylistic watchword. Perseverance and careful self-promotion gained him a foothold in New York’s gallery scene that helped him build a loyal clientele of collectors. His longstanding interest in landscape, still life and interiors gained new stylistic interpretations in graphic media and for many collectors, they are what solely represent the artist in their collections.”

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VPA Fashion Show Hits New York City /blog/2015/06/23/vpa-fashion-show-hits-new-york-city-60832/ Tue, 23 Jun 2015 17:18:43 +0000 /?p=82236 Some of the design work on display at the Fashion Without Limits event in NYC

Some of the design work on display at the Fashion Without Limits event in NYC

The fashion design program in the (VPA) recently hosted its annual New York City fashion show at the University’s Lubin House. In addition to students winning the honor of showcasing their designs in New York, this year marked the first time there was an additional competition to kick off the program’s inaugural Fashion Without Limits (FWL) design initiative.

As announced in the fall during a special breakfast at the Fisher Center, ϲ’s academic facility in midtown New York City, supermodel and entrepreneur Emme ’85 created FWL in direct response to a need for increased availability of size 12+ fashions throughout all levels of distribution in the fashion industry today. The 12+ represents the size range a majority of American women typically wear, which is often categorized as “plus size.”

“I can’t believe our first ϲ FWL year is really complete,” says Emme. “It certainly was a whirlwind year! First with the much-anticipated ‘Fashion Without Limits: Changing the Face of Fashion’ media breakfast panel, which placed us smack in the middle of the momentous fashion movement and into the global fashion blogosphere. SU FWL couldn’t have asked for more!”

And with the first year now wrapped, Emme has chosen her winning design, which was on display at the New York City show. After reviewing the finalists’ designs on campus at the April 10 fashion and beauty communications milestone fashion show presented by the , Emme selected the design by Nicole Wezowicz ’16.

“As our first ϲ FWL winner, designer Nicole Wezowicz’s beautiful blue lace evening dress highlighted her attention to detail for a curvy shape as a refreshing take for a red carpet-ready dress, despite never having created a dress for a woman above a size 12 before! We couldn’t have been more proud,” says Emme. Wezowicz will receive $500, and Emme will wear her winning design at a red carpet event.

The FWL design initiative proved to be an instant hit for the fashion design program, and others have taken notice. “The journey all of us have all taken with Fashion Without Limits this year opened our eyes to the tremendous opportunity to have ϲ Fashion Design as a leader in the inclusive fashion movement afoot today,” says Emme. “The road before us to change the face of fashion within fashion design schools is no easy feat, but through the leadership of professors Jeffrey Mayer and Todd Conover, there are plans to expand curriculum.” Those plans include the creation of as many as three textbooks and engaging students to see this game changer in fashion as something to embrace because millions of untapped clients are up for grabs.

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Cold Case Justice Initiative Statement on Charleston, SC Tragedy /blog/2015/06/19/cold-case-justice-initiative-statement-on-charleston-sc-tragedy-28771/ Fri, 19 Jun 2015 13:21:04 +0000 /?p=82152 The following statement was issued by Cold Case Justice Initiative Co-Directors Paula Johnson and Janis McDonald, professors from ϲ’s .

“The at ϲ College of Law expresses our deep sympathies to the families and community of Charleston, South Carolina‎ on the murders of their loved ones during prayer services at Emanuel AME Church, on June 17th. It is imperative that U.S. law enforcement officials and agencies bring Dylann Roof, the alleged perpetrator of this South Carolina massacre, to justice. They must also conduct a thorough investigation to bring to justice anyone who may have assisted him in the commission of this racist crime against humanity as well.

This act of racist violence is revolting and violates every instinct of humanity. It is clear that racist violence remains a frequent reality in our society that continues from the past to the present and last night’s act of terrorism upon the Historically Black Church and its members resonates in an all too familiar way. Emanuel AME Church was a target of violence in the past as it led a resistance movement in times of slavery but it was rebuilt and the congregation will surely rise again. To move our nation forward and to heal long-festering racial wounds it is imperative that law enforcement renew efforts to investigate and hold accountable the perpetrators of previous victims of racist violence, under the full weight of the law.”

-CCJI Co-Directors, Professor Paula Johnson and Professor Janis McDonald

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Reminder: Tickets for ϲ Day at Citi Field Available Until Game Day on June 28 /blog/2015/06/04/reminder-tickets-for-syracuse-university-day-at-citi-field-available-until-game-day-on-june-28-51137/ Thu, 04 Jun 2015 16:40:26 +0000 /?p=79619 A reminder that tickets for ϲ Day at Citi Field will be available until game day, which is June 28. If you would like information on bus rides from campus or any other details, email sumets@syr.edu. Tickets for the SU section can be purchased directly from the Mets at .

The New York Mets and ϲ Alumni Association have teamed up to bring ϲ Day back to Citi Field on Saturday, June 28. This event typically draws over 1,000 alumni and friends, though last year we broke the 2,000 barrier thanks to the retirement of Derek Jeter from the New York Yankees.

SU Day 2105 HeaderGame time is set for 1:10 p.m., when the New York Mets take on the Cincinnati Reds. SU Day is sponsored by the ϲ Alumni Association in conjunction with Joseph I. Lubin House which is currently celebrating its 50th anniversary.

Ticket prices are $25 (upper deck), $45 (field level center field), $60 (include picnic, field-level center field seats near picnic area) including all fees and an SU Mets cap given out on game day. Purchase your tickets . On the menu that day are hot dogs, chicken tenders, French fries, popcorn and non-alcoholic beverages, while beer will be available for purchase.

The main gate will open at 11:10 a.m., while all other gates, including the bullpen gate by the picnic area, are set to open at 11:40 a.m. The picnic starts at noon in the Bullpen Plaza picnic area near centerfield and runs until 1:30 p.m.

On this fifth annual SU Day, the national anthem will be sung by Setnor School of Music students Megan Murphy ’18 and Libby Weber ’18. Otto will also be in attendance and mixing it up with Mr. Met.

“The largest crowd that Libby and I have performed for was at the Dome,” says Murphy. Citi Field holds up to 45,000 fans, which could be a bit intimidating but these two seniors don’t seem too daunted. “It will certainly be challenging to face such a big audience, but we are so excited to sing at Citi Field. It is an iconic venue, and an honor and a privilege to sing for the SU and Mets fans. We look forward to a fun day, and a win for the Mets.”

All those buying tickets through SU will receive a commemorative SU Mets cap on game day. For those coming from the ϲ area, round trip bus transportation from Manley Field House, with an additional stop in Binghamton, will be provided for $50 per seat. You can get complete details on the . For more information, email sumets@syr.edu. Again, Tickets are available at .

 

 

 

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Cold Case Justice Initiative: Recent Killings Just Continuation of a Trend /blog/2015/04/15/cold-case-justice-initiative-recent-killings-just-continuation-of-a-trend-84573/ Wed, 15 Apr 2015 17:21:30 +0000 /?p=79838 As part of a summary released today by the United Nations Human Rights Council Working Group and prepared by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the (CCJI) has called upon the U.S. Attorney General to provide all the resources necessary to ensure timely and thorough investigations of unsolved civil rights murders. It emphasized that, while a number of recent shootings of mostly unarmed black victims by police officers have been highly publicized, such incidents date back many years, and most are still unsolved.

Cold Case Justice Initiative Co-Directors Paula Johnson, left, and Janis McDonald

Cold Case Justice Initiative Co-Directors Paula Johnson, left, and Janis McDonald

The CCJI today released six accounts of suspicious police homicides of mostly unarmed black victims dating from the 1950s and 1960s to journalists. The information discovered by CCJI on each of these killings was submitted to the Department of Justice in late 2012 as part of a list of 196 suspicious racist homicides it claimed should be added to investigations under the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act. “While these homicides are virtually identical to recent highly publicized police shootings surrounding the deaths of Walter Scott, Eric Garner, Michael Brown and others, the Department of Justice has not added a single one of these killings to the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crimes Act of 2007,” say CCJI co-directors Janis McDonald and Paula Johnson.

“The recent spate of killings is part of a continued racist treatment of people of color by members of U.S. law enforcement,” the CCJI co-directors continue in a statement. “We took evidence to the United Nations less than four weeks ago, hoping that it would take up these concerns during its UPR inquiry of human rights violations in the United States, and are glad to see it is reflected in today’s summary document.”

The CCJI, its partners Georgia Peace & Justice Coalition and Southern Christian Leadership Conference, along with the U.S. Human Rights Network, are included as stakeholders in the working group’s 23-page summary document, which was drafted for the UNHRC’s Universal Periodic Review inquiry of human rights violations in the United States.

“Besides the passage of time, what separates the cases from the earlier era and today is the critical advent of camera-equipped phones and social media,” says the CCJI’s statement. “We must be grateful for the passerby who took the footage of the shooting by Officer Slager, but we must not forget the other countless victims’ before him.”

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Ninth Annual Wynn Newhouse Awards Exhibition Opens April 14 at Palitz Gallery /blog/2015/04/10/ninth-annual-wynn-newhouse-awards-exhibition-opens-april-14-at-palitz-gallery-42147/ Fri, 10 Apr 2015 18:15:17 +0000 /?p=79520 This image represents some of the artwork on display as part of the Wynn Newhouse Awards Exhibition

This image represents some of the artwork on display as part of the Wynn Newhouse Awards Exhibition.

The ninth annual Wynn Newhouse Awards Exhibition will open on April 14 at the Palitz Gallery located in ϲ’s Lubin House at 11 East 61st St. in New York City. This is the fifth year that Palitz Gallery has hosted the exhibition that was created to draw attention to the achievements of artists of excellence who have disabilities.

Exhibition hours are Monday to Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Saturday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. It is free and open to the public. Contact 212-826-0320 or lubin@syr.edu for more information. The exhibition runs through May 21.

Each of the award winners receives a portion of a $60,000 per year allotment from the Samuel I. Newhouse Foundation and this year 15 works, including watercolor, works on paper, acrylic on canvas and mixed media, will be on display. The grant winners include Kerry Damianakes, Carol Es, Park McArthur, Marlon Mullen, William Scott and George Widener.

“The Samuel I. Newhouse Foundation has given out these awards since 2006,” says Bill Butler, Newhouse consultant. “In those nine years the level of talent has been consistently excellent. We are proud to reward a few of the many talented artists in this community. We hope these awards and the Palitz Gallery exhibition will expose the public to the many new creative ideas offered by artists with disabilities.”

This year also marks the first time that several winners were selected from art centers that work exclusively with artists with disabilities. Marlon Mullen is an artist at the NIAD art Center (National Institute of Art & Disabilities), founded in 1982 NIAD’s visual art program promotes meaningful independent living by artists with disabilities—while its artists create remarkable contemporary art. In a unique open studio environment, and with the guidance of qualified staff, NIAD artists acquire new skills in artistic practice and in independent living.As artists paint, build sculpture, mold clay, or work with textiles, their skills of observation and project management improve.

Kerry Damianakes and William Scott are represented by the Creative Growth Arts Center, which is located in Oakland, Calif., and serves adult artists with developmental, mental and physical disabilities, providing a professional studio environment for artistic development, gallery exhibition and representation and a social atmosphere among peers. The Brooklyn Museum recently had a major exhibition of works by another Creative Growth artist, the late Judith Scott.

Nominees and winners of the Wynn Newhouse Awards are chosen by a committee, composed of persons respected in the arts and disabilities communities, who review all submissions. This group also decides how the grant money will be dispersed among the artists. The Selection Committee for this year’s awards was composed Gavin Brown of Gavin Brown’s Enterprise; Domenic Iacono, director, SUArt Galleries; Mia Locks, curator, MOMA PS1; Nancy Rosen, art consultant; and Rusty Shackleford, artist and one of last year’s winners.

About the Artists

Kerry Damianakes has a powerful manipulation of her materials that consumes the page with a frenetic vigor. Working in a bold and colorful style, she recreates images of her favorite foods in a particular blend of recipe-based Pop “serial-ity.” With a love of clean and simple form bounded by strong, black line work, every composition is always accompanied by a caption-like border that details each meal or nature-based study with an almost scientific exactness—a matter-of-fact timestamp that chronicles the banal with an otherwise energetic, uniquely activated script.

Damianakes’ work has been widely exhibited both at Creative Growth and in outside shows including those at the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco, Rena Bransten Gallery, San Francisco, the Oakland International Airport and the Gyeonggi Museum of Modern Art in Korea

Carol Es is a self-taught visionary artist, write, and musician who was born and raised in Los Angeles County. Her art is fueled by childhood, personal narratives, Judaism and creating a spiritual resolve. Through an amalgamation of oil paint, paper garment patterns, and embroidery thread, candid experiences are laid bare and forged directly into the wor—interweaving a mysterious and primitive, yet childlike flavor.

Es’ works are featured in numerous private and public collections, including the Getty Museum, Brooklyn Museum, UCLA Special Collections, the Jaffe Collection and Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris. She has exhibited at the Riverside Art Museum, Torrance Art Museum, Santa Monica Museum of Art, the Craft & Folk Art Museum and Zimmer Children’s Museum.

Park McArthur examines the phenomenon of conceptual art from the perspective of dependency. Her work, which spans sculpture, video and performance, engages the history of institutional critique, while at the same time, asks what institutions other than art are in need of critique.

McArthur’s art has been presented at Essex Street, New York; The Kitchen, New York; Galerie Lars Friedrich, Berlin; Laurel Gitlen, New York; Sculpture Center, New York; ICA Philadelphia; and Botkyrka Konsthall, Sweden. She recently had a solo exhibition at Catherine Bastide in Brussels and will have one upcoming with Lars Friedrich in Berlin.

Marlon Mullen bases his paintings on found photographic image—mostly from lifestyle, news and contemporary art periodicals—which the artist uses as a departure point for his subsequent work.

In the process of developing a painting Mullen’s original magazine pages usually become obscured, or literally abstracted, where an image is subsequently reduced to a graphic schema of interlocking colors and forms. Very similar to the beats created for hip hop, operating at the threshold between legibility and illegibility Mullen’s works lives within the multiple histories of 20th century modernism, while remaining highly personal. Mullin’s work has been exhibited in several galleries in New York and in California.

A self-taught artist, William Scott has become the architect and subject of his utopian universe, re-building his native San Francisco in search of the elusive “normal life,” William uses his work as a transformative tool to alter the often harsh reality of urban crime, disability and family turmoil into a world of peace, safety and good mental health.

Often employing the phrase “Reinvent the Past,” Scott is nostalgic for a golden era of culture, music and moral values, which he hopes to return to through his artwork. Scott’s vision of “wholesome encounters” is both a serial fixation that is prone to repetition, but also capable of such surreal, sincere yearning that his prophetic imagery actually amounts to a complete—albeit fantastical—urban world. With such committed enthusiasm and a highly developed painting and drawing style, Scott questions the hard edge that contemporary city life often creates, and offers us a convincing glimpse of an alternative future.

A self-taught artist and a calendar savant, George Widener creates mixed-media works on paper that give aesthetic, visible form to complex calculations based on dates and historical events–the sinking of the Titanic is one of his favorites. The artist often uses found paper, or a support composed of layers of tea-stained paper napkins. His drawings feature simple palettes, sophisticated patterning, and bold compositions of dates and imagery that transcend centuries of time and the history of art. Widener sometimes likens himself to a “time traveler.”

As the artist states,“[In my art] I am using the dates as the medium. I wondered if I could create a pattern of [dates of] disasters or of weather, and start predicting. Hypothetically, if everything adds up but there is one [date] missing and a future date fits in, does that mean there will be storms? That fascinated me.” Widener has exhibited in galleries in New York, Europe and Asia.

About the Awards

Wynn Newhouse was a prominent and avid art collector who lost functional use of one hand in an industrial accident as a young man. By midlife he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Wynn envisioned the Wynn Newhouse Awards in 2005. The program provides grants to talented fine artists with disabilities as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act. Wynn was joined by top artists, curators and critics who shared his belief that many disabled people have unique insights and skills that can enhance their ability to create exciting art. He hoped that these exhibitions would enable the arts public to see the many creative ideas contained in their works. Wynn passed away in 2010.

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Cold Case Justice Initiative Presents Case on U.S. Human Rights Violations to United Nations /blog/2015/03/23/cold-case-justice-initiative-presents-case-on-u-s-human-rights-violations-to-united-nations-33271/ Mon, 23 Mar 2015 16:44:08 +0000 /?p=78503 Paula Johnson and Janis McDonald, law professors and co-directors of the (CCJI) at the were at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, during the week of March 16. There they met with staff in the Special Procedures section of the Human Rights Council, a key element in its human rights machinery, and participated in a special panel event on the state of human rights in the United States.

Janis McDonald, left, and Paula Johnson, directors of the Cold Case Justice Initiative

Janis McDonald, left, and Paula Johnson, directors of the Cold Case Justice Initiative

The Special Procedures division of the UN contains its independent experts who, as mandate holders, are tasked with making country visits to investigate situations particular to their mandate, e.g. torture, counter-terrorism, freedom of expression.

McDonald and Johnson have also formed a working group within the UN Human Rights Council Network, a nongovernmental organization. The CCJI co-directors agreed to co-chair this group, called Accountability of U.S. for Inaction on Racist Killings, which will examine Civil Rights Era killings and lynchings and suspicious police killings from the era of slavery until today.

“Ever since Congress enacted the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Act of 2008, we have been asking the FBI and the Justice Department to undertake a thorough search of all of the suspicious deaths that occurred during the Civil Rights Era,” states McDonald. “And now we will make the case to the international community because the U.S. Department of Justice and FBI have failed to do so.”

The CCJI will be allowed a short presentation before the entire UN Human Rights Council in May if recommendations on its issues are adopted by member nations. If matters raised by CCJI are accepted by HRC, the U.S. government may be required to respond to questions crafted by CCJI and be asked to implement suggested recommendations.

The Emmett Till Act was named for a 14-year-old teenage boy who was brutally murdered in 1955 for allegedly whistling at a white woman in Money, Miss. Passed in a bipartisan vote in 2008, the act requires the Justice Department and the FBI to conduct intensive investigations during a 10-year period to identify and address the pre-1969 unsolved Civil Rights Era homicides. To date there has been only one conviction, when the state of Alabama initiated a plea bargain conviction under the act.

“The DOJ has failed to expeditiously conduct thorough investigations as called for in the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act,” says CCJI co-director Paula Johnson. “Suspects are dying, witnesses are dying and memories are fading. The families of these victims deserve to be treated with the same dignity and respect as any other people who have suffered a human rights violation. The United States can and should do better.”

The UNHRC Universal Periodic Review of nation member performance as regards protecting human rights occurs every four years for each member nation on a rolling schedule basis; the U.S. last appeared before the UNHRC in 2010.

CCJI co-directors believe the racial violence that the Till Act is designed to address did not end in 1969. Racial violence continued in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, and continues today. “Black Lives Matter” is a rallying cry for justice forTrayvon Martin,Eric Garner and Michael Brown, and also for the countless men and women who were victims of racial violence before and after 1969. McDonald and Johnson say this is why our nation must be held accountable.

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‘The Lubin Legacy: Celebrating 50 Years at the Joseph I. Lubin House’ /blog/2015/02/13/the-lubin-legacy-celebrating-50-years-at-the-joseph-i-lubin-house-14034/ Fri, 13 Feb 2015 19:00:11 +0000 /?p=76969 The exterior of Lubin House

The exterior of Lubin House

In 1965, the ϲ Board of Trustees met for the first time at Lubin House, 11 East 61st St., New York City. Joseph I. Lubin, a New York philanthropist had risen from an impoverished childhood in Brooklyn to become a renowned accountant and real estate investor. His close relationship with Chancellor William Tolley led to a lifelong affiliation with the University.

The Palitz Gallery exhibition “The Lubin Legacy: Celebrating 50 years at the Joseph I. Lubin House” is now open and runs through April 9. This exhibition celebrates 50 years at the classic brownstone, and explores the life and philanthropy of Lubin. The exhibition is presented by the ϲ Art Galleries in collaboration with SU Archives. The exhibition, open Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., is free and open to the public. Palitz gallery at Lubin House, between Madison Avenue and Fifth Avenue.

“The Lubin Legacy: Celebrating 50 years at the Joseph I. Lubin House” includes 17 images and one letter from Lubin to then-Chancellor Tolley. The images were curated by the assistant director of the SU Art Galleries, Andrew Saluti and were drawn from the ϲ Archives and the family’s personal collection. To commemorate the anniversary, a special brochure has been written by Barbara Goldsmith, author and Lubin’s daughter.

In the early ’60s, ϲ maintained a one-room office at the now-demolished Biltmore Hotel, but had been trying to establish a greater presence in the New York metropolitan area. Knowing that, Lubin donated his townhouse at 11 E. 61st St. to the University. As Goldsmith writes in the anniversary brochure, “There were no central offices, community life, art, lectures, guidance counseling or other amenities that would entice students. Most of all, there was no place for alumni activities.” The contribution of building 11 and later 15 by Lubin was a game changer for ϲ.

Joseph Lubin, left, with Chancellor William Tolley

Joseph Lubin, left, with Chancellor William Tolley

Goldsmith explains, “One spring day in 1944, Joe Lubin brought his daughter for an admissions interview at ϲ. On that first-time visit, Joseph I. Lubin embarked on a lifelong friendship with the then-Chancellor, William Pearson Tolley, and a relationship with ϲ that endured the rest of their lives.” That was only the beginning of a legacy that has now extended over three generations. Ann Lubin Goldstein’s daughter, Wendy Cohen, and brothers and Richard Goldstein and Steven, also attended ϲ. Wendy now serves as a member of the Board of Trustees. Barbara Goldstein’s daughter Alice is an alumna, as are several Lubin grandchildren.

But beyond the familial legacy and the donation of the NYC townhouses that comprise Lubin House, the contributions of the family are evident across the SU campus: the collections of the library have been bolstered through the generosity of the Lubin family; so too the renovation of Hendricks Chapel; construction of Manley Field House, Goldstein Auditorium and the Goldstein Alumni and Faculty center. Then there are the gifts that have been directed to several of the schools and colleges, including the College of Visual and Performing Arts, the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and the Whitman School of Management. This support and more has provided positive change to the University landscape and its academics, and it continues to this day.

 

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Cold Case Justice Initiative to Hold Panel at National Press Club Dec. 9 /blog/2014/12/03/cold-case-justice-initiative-to-hold-panel-at-national-press-club-dec-9-91998/ Wed, 03 Dec 2014 14:55:44 +0000 /?p=74757 at the will delve into the current state of the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crimes Act during a panel at the (NPC) on Dec. 9.

Janis McDonald, left, and Paula Johnson, directors of the Cold Case Justice Initiative

Janis McDonald, left, and Paula Johnson, directors of the Cold Case Justice Initiative

For this signature event, which is part of the ongoing , a group of experts, and families affected by the violence of the civil rights era, has been assembled and includes: Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, Texas; Thelma Edwards, Ollie Gordon and Airickca Gordon-Taylor, cousins of Emmett Till (Edwards is the daughter of Moses Wright. Till was kidnapped at gunpoint from the Wright home in Mississippi); Darlene Nichelle Morris-Newbill, great-granddaughter of Frank Morris, who was slain by suspected members of the Ku Klux Klan in 1964; Paul Delaney, former editor of The New York Times; Paula Johnson and Janis McDonald, ϲ law professors and co-directors of the CCJI; and moderator CNN Anchor Fredricka Whitfield.

The event starts at 8 a.m. in the main ballroom of the NPC.

The Emmett Till Act was named for a 14-year-old teenage boy tortured and brutally murdered in 1955 for allegedly whistling at a white woman in Money, Miss. Passed in a bipartisan vote in 2008, the act requires the Justice Department and the FBI to devote intensive investigations during a 10-year period to identify and address the pre-1969 unsolved Civil Rights Era homicides. To date, there has been only one State of Alabama-initiated plea bargain conviction under the act.

The act will expire in 2017 unless extended by Congress. Despite the intent of Congress, there has never been a full accounting of all of those who were murdered or disappeared during the Civil Rights Era. The panel will address several questions: How can justice be accomplished? What legal or legislative recourse remains for the victims and their families? Should Congress consider extending the duration and expanding the scope of the act? Has there been enough oversight by Congress?

 

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‘A History of the Future: The New Landscape of Climate Change’ Opens at Palitz Gallery /blog/2014/11/05/a-history-of-the-future-the-new-landscape-of-climate-change-opens-at-palitz-gallery-27719/ Wed, 05 Nov 2014 17:57:24 +0000 /?p=73620 The Palitz Gallery exhibition “A History of the Future: The New Landscape of Climate Change” opens Thursday, Nov. 6. This will be the first New York City solo exhibition post superstorm Sandy by partners and photographers Susannah Sayler and Edward Morris, co-founders of the Canary Project, an art collective.

Sayler/Morris, "Extreme Weather Events I: Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, 2005"

Sayler/Morris, “Extreme Weather Events I: Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, 2005”

The exhibit is open Monday to Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and runs through Jan. 29, 2015. The gallery will be closed Nov. 27-29 and Dec. 23-Jan. 4. The exhibition is free and open to the public. Contact 212-826-0320 or lubin@syr.edu for more information.

“A History of the Future: The New Landscape of Climate Change” includes 13 archival pigment prints from photographers and SU faculty members Sayler and Morris’ ongoing investigation of landscapes where scientists are studying the impact of climate change. Incisive images from Venice, the Netherlands, Louisiana after hurricane Katrina and New York City after superstorm Sandy document the often surreal and sometimes catastrophic evidence of our changing environment. The meaning of the images depends on their context within the larger discourse about climate change—scientific, journalistic, activist and artistic.

The Canary Project launched in 2006 as a project to photograph landscapes throughout the world where scientists are studying the impacts of climate change,specifically the point in time when human activities have had a significant global impact on the Earth’s ecosystems.

Sayler/Morris, "Rising Sea Level XV: Venice, Italy, 2006"

Sayler/Morris, “Rising Sea Level XV: Venice, Italy, 2006”

To date more than 100 artists, designers, writers, educators and scientists have participated in this project. Various versions of the exhibition have traveled the world over, including Kunsthal Museum, Rotterdam The Netherlands; Museum Belvedere, Heerenveen, the Netherlands; and theNational Arts Club in New York City.

The Smithsonian recently granted a fellowship to Sayler and Morris. They currently study the use of archives to construct narratives of time in exhibitions at the National Museum of American History, the National Museum of Natural History and the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. They are interested in exploring how a sensitivity to disparate time scales—human, geologic and cosmologic—can deepen understanding of anthropogenic climate change.

 

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Bandier Alumni Association Announces Allman/Lehman Scholarship /blog/2014/10/21/bandier-alumni-association-announces-allmanlehman-scholarship-14245/ Tue, 21 Oct 2014 16:32:26 +0000 /?p=72963 During an event at the Beacon Theatre in New York City, the Bandier Program Alumni Association announced its Allman/Lehman Endowed Scholarship . The scholarship is named after Gregg Allman of the Allman Brothers Band and Michael Lehman, the parent of a current Bandier Student and Allman’s manager. This contribution will be awarded annually to one student who demonstrates need.

Gregg Allman, left, and Michael Lehman

Gregg Allman, left, and Michael Lehman

“When Michael told me about the Bandier Program for Music and the Entertainment Industries, I knew that it was something I wanted to stand behind and support,” says Gregg Allman, who has met with students from the program in previous years. “Starting the Allman Brothers in the 1970s, I have seen the industry turned inside out and recognize that it takes sharp skills to navigate the media landscape in this digital, streaming and downloadable age. This new business model makes a program like the one at ϲ more important than ever.”

The Bandier program, now in its seventh year, was started with a generous gift from Sony/ATV chairman/CEOand SU alumnus Marty Bandier ’62 and has become a great success. Led by David Rezak, assistant professor of practice in the , the program has a 90 percent placement rate for the academic years 2011-13 and the class of 2014 is on track for the same placement rate. With that success as its backdrop, the Bandier program is aiming to prepare students of the future for the music business.

“We are always adjusting our curriculum to make sure our students are best prepared for the future,” says Rezak when discussing the ongoing digital disruptions happening in the industry. “Our students need to anticipate change. We can’t hope to tell them what will happen next, but we have to teach them to observe the earmarks of change.”

“My older daughter, Carly, graduated from Newhouse in 2012, but was very involved with the Bandier program, and my younger daughter, Lindsay, graduates from the Bandier program this spring, so I have had the chance to see, up close, just how rigorous and thorough it can be,” says attorney and artist manager Lehman. “Representing music artists, I know what it takes to not just survive but thrive in the business and the faculty in this program are at the top of their game. I want to support that.”

Rezak points out that this year also marks the tipping point for the Bandier program and its enthusiastic alumni. The program now has an equal amount of alumni as students, each numbering 100. To mark this occasion, Bandier alumni have created the Young Alumni Achievement Award and are presenting the first-ever accolade to Bandier program alumnus Drew Taggart ’12, one-half of the EDM sensation The Chainsmokers.

The duo scored an international hit when they released “#Selfie” which has been certified platinum by the RIAA for digital sales in excess of 1 million. “Drew has lived out the Bandier Program’s core values of innovation, excellence and humanity in his early career in order to achieve success as a multinational platinum recording artist,” says Andrew Beyda, president of the Bandier Alumni Association. “In his three years since graduating, he has exemplified the best hopes we have for Bandier students, and we are all very excited to follow his career and see what he’ll do next. As such, he was the natural choice to be the inaugural recipient of our Young Alumni Award.”

If Taggart’s success with The Chainsmokers demonstrates one thing the most, Rezak believes, it’s that the greatest opportunities in the industry will be entrepreneurial in nature. To that end, the Bandier program’s focus on entrepreneurship has been increased across all of its courses; semester programs in Los Angeles, New York City and Nashville have been added, and all students are now required to take a class on social media. This can only help to ensure the Bandier Program for Music and the Entertainment Industries remains a pre-eminent program of its kind.

 

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Palitz Gallery presents ‘Karl Schrag: Memories and Premonitions’ /blog/2014/08/22/palitz-gallery-presents-karl-schrag-memories-and-premonitions-10168/ Fri, 22 Aug 2014 17:23:23 +0000 /?p=70560 Karl Schrag, "Vanishing Day" (second version), c 1990, Courtesy of Karl Schrag LLC

Karl Schrag, “Vanishing Day” (second version), c. 1990, Courtesy of Karl Schrag LLC

The Palitz Gallery at ϲ’s Lubin House in New York City is celebrating the career and life of Karl Schrag, American painter and printmaker. “Karl Schrag: Memories and Premonitions” is one of the first examinations of the artist’s work since his death in 1995.

The exhibition contains 20 works including paintings and drawings, with works from the ϲ Art Galleries, which maintains the only complete collection of the artist’s prints. “Karl Schrag: Memories and Premonitions” is reflective of his masterful handling of the figure, landscape and still-life scenes and the evocative power of his vision, and the works in the exhibition convey the artist’s ability to see the landscape as if for the first time and the surprise of that special view.

“Karl Schrag: Memories and Premonitions” is open Monday to Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. beginning Aug. 26, and runs through Oct. 30. The exhibition will be closed Labor Day weekend. It is free and open to the public. A 128-page, fully illustrated catalog will accompany the exhibition and is available for purchase in both hardcover or softcover online at or at the gallery. Contact 212-826-0320 or lubin@syr.edu for more information.

Karl Schrag, "Overgrown Path" (color version), 1962, ϲ Art Collection

Karl Schrag, “Overgrown Path” (color version), 1962, ϲ Art Collection

Schrag’s art career spanned more than 60 years and included strong ties to the NYC art scene; after studying at the Art Students League, he joined S.W. Hayter’s prestigious printmaking Atelier 17, working alongside artists Miró, Chagall and Jackson Pollock. Schrag was named director of the Atelier in 1950 and later taught at Cooper Union from 1954 to 1968. Schrag had a direct impact on many of his students, including the ϲ-based artist Jerome Witkin. A well-established contemporary artist, Witkin has commented on Schrag’s masterful handling of the landscape and the evocative power of his vision.

The art selected for “Karl Schrag: Memories and Premonitions” will convey the artist’s ability to see the landscape as if for the first time, the surprise of that special view, the recognition of his ability to feel wonder when looking at nature or figure and the reward associated with seeing the world through his eyes.

As stated by Schrag, “While I believe that the outward appearance of nature is but the shell of a deeper and richer inside world that I wish to understand, I also know that the forms of art are in their infinite relationships charged with profound meanings.”

The ϲ Art Collection boasts a complete collection of graphic works, including prints in every medium: etchings, aquatints, engravings, lithographs and relief work. ϲ has also helped produce a catalogue raisonné of his work that has been published in three installments.

Curated by SUArt Galleries Director Domenic J. Iacono,the exhibition highlights numerous prints from the ϲ Art Collection, as well as loaned work consisting of paintings and drawings from the artist’s family.

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‘Shaping a Celluloid World’ Is First NYC Exhibition to Showcase Perlov Celluloid Collection /blog/2014/06/10/shaping-a-celluloid-world-is-first-nyc-exhibition-to-showcase-perlov-celluloid-collection-92044/ Tue, 10 Jun 2014 20:05:31 +0000 /?p=68838 Celluloid hairpins are part of the exhibition "Shaping a Celluloid World" at the Palitz Gallery at Lubin House in New York City.

Celluloid hairpins are part of the exhibition “Shaping a Celluloid World” at the Palitz Gallery at Lubin House in New York City.

The Palitz Gallery exhibition “Shaping a Celluloid World” has opened for viewing and is the first time a significant portion of the celluloid collection of Dadie and Norman Perlov will be on display in New York City. The exhibition is open Monday to Friday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m., and runs through July 2. It is free and open to the public.

“Shaping a Celluloid World” contains over 100 objects, which represent just a portion of the collection the Perlovs donated to ϲ Libraries’ Special Collections Research Center. A wealth of materials that document the history of celluloid are represented in this exhibition, including jewelry, advertising and marketing brochures, postcards, figurines, decorative pins and buttons. Several rare items in the exhibition include a 15-piece dresser set, a set of Hyatt Billiard Balls and the last cocaine spoon in the Perlov collection, which was donated to the University.

Celluloid served as a less expensive material to bring mass-produced goods to an emerging middle class at the turn of the 20th century. It was also a unique material that could produce new goods or offer advantages over existing materials, including ivory, wood, metal and rubber. For some products, celluloid proved to be more useful than any material in existence. Celluloid piano keys, for example, were, in many ways, superior to ivory keys.

"Shaping a Celluloid World" contains over one hundred objects.

“Shaping a Celluloid World” contains over 100 objects.

“‘Shaping a Celluloid World’ demonstrates how celluloid could be imitative or original, a substitute or a novel material, and how cultural ideas shaped a new technology,” explains the exhibition’s guest curator, Kellen Backer. “I wanted to show off the range of shapes and colors celluloid was made into. The exhibition showcases how people shaped celluloid as celluloid in turn shaped the world.”

“It is thrilling to have so many of the items we donated to the Special Collections Research Center in one exhibition,” says Dadie Perlov. “It was the real interest shown by everyone involved and the understanding that these objects could and would be used as teaching tools by departments as disparate as technology, design, political history, art, fashion—and even be exhibited, as they are doing at the Palitz Gallery.”

Today, celluloid is associated with film, and it played an important role in photography and cinema. Celluloid has also lived on in other uses. Guitar picks and ping-pong balls are still made of celluloid today. Throughout its history, celluloid has shown how plastics can be original or imitative, cheap or luxurious, and can be used to create new products or improve on existing ones.

“Celluloid played a large part in the growth and development of the plastics industry,” says Dadie Perlov. “Perhaps most of all, celluloid started an evolution of the American economy and the class structures that would operate within it.”

Contact 212-826-0320 or lubin@syr.edu for more information.

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Fourth Annual ϲ Day Returns to Yankee Stadium June 21 /blog/2014/04/10/fourth-annual-syracuse-university-day-returns-to-yankee-stadium-june-21-43333/ /?p=66327 SUatYankeeStadium_eblast.2014.v.3Tickets are on sale for the fourth annual ϲ Day, which returns to Yankee Stadium this year. On Saturday, June 21, the ϲ Alumni Association, in conjunction with Joseph I. Lubin House, heads back to the Bronx for the always popular event. Tickets are on sale through May 30 or while supplies last. Get your tickets by visiting .

Consistently drawing crowds well into the thousands, alumni, staff and friends of SU have come to hotly anticipate the annual baseball extravaganza. This year’s event will prove even more popular as the Orange gather to celebrate Derek Jeter’s last year in pinstripes.

“The excitement this year is like nothing we have previously seen,” says Matthew Manfra, assistant vice president of alumni engagement. “We started getting calls inquiring about this year’s SU Day from the moment Jeter announced his retirement in February. I would suggest anyone interested in going to the game get their tickets early!”

On June 21 the doors will open at 11 a.m. and that’s when two picnics commence (one in the Malibu section, while the other is in the Gate 2 picnic area). This year’s matchup pits the Yankees against the Baltimore Orioles, with game time set for 1:05 p.m. Each person purchasing a ticket from the website will get a special SU-NY Yankees cap on game day.

Discounted tickets are available from $23 to $105 ($105 ticket includes Gate 2 Picnic). Malibu Picnic can be added for $30. For fans traveling from ϲ there will be buses leaving from Manley Fieldhouse; seats are available for $46 per person round trip. Purchase tickets at.

SUatyankeestadium_eblastfooter4Metropolitan New York area clubs, including Big Apple Orange and Northern New Jersey, join the SU Alumni Club of Central New York in celebrating SU Day at Yankee Stadium. Otto will also be making the trip down. The Yankees organization has promised to have former Yankee players at both picnics. For more information about SU Day email suyanks@syr.edu or call 212-826-0320.

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Cold Case Justice Initiative Calls DOJ Closure of Frank Morris Murder Case a Failure /blog/2014/02/05/cold-case-justice-initiative-calls-doj-closure-of-frank-morris-murder-case-a-failure-52045/ Wed, 05 Feb 2014 19:06:29 +0000 /?p=63132 at the College of Law has learned that the Department of Justice is closing the investigation into the 1964 death of .

Through one of its standard, hand-delivered letters, the Cold Case Unit in the Civil Rights Division has informed the granddaughter of Frank Morris, Rosa Morris Williams, that the investigation is at an end. As legal representatives of Morris’ granddaughter in matters pertaining to this DOJ and FBI investigation, the CCJI intensifies its call for immediate congressional oversight hearings. The implementation of the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crimes Act of 2008 has been a failure up to this point.

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Frank Morris in visor. Photo courtesy of Concordia Sentinel, Ferriday, La.

“This letter does nothing to heal the hurt that remains in my heart,” says Rosa Morris Williams. “The ache that my family and I have is unending, knowing that people associated with the murder of my grandfather are still out there.”

“There are people who participated, assisted or learned the truth later that are still alive but have not come forward,” says Rosa Morris Williams. “How many more families must suffer because our government takes short cuts in its investigations of civil rights cold cases?”

“The closing of this case is a shocking display of the government’s lack of due diligence,” says CCJI co-director and Professor Paula Johnson. “The conduct of the FBI and DOJ Cold Case Unit in the re-opening of the Frank Morris investigation is a prime example of the senseless delays of federal law enforcement to thoroughly investigate these crimes as required by Congress that has ended in heartbreaking disappointments for victims’ families.”

The NAACP and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference joined the CCJI in advocating for increased oversight this past summer. Through joint resolutions between the CCJI and these two civil rights organizations, Congress has been asked to look into the conduct of the Justice Department in implementing the Emmett Till Act.

“From the beginning the CCJI had to work overtime to convince the Justice Department to take a serious look at this murder,” says SU law professor and CCJI co-director Janis McDonald. “It took two months to get an FBI agent assigned to the case, months to get the agent up to speed on the facts and many more to get the Justice Department involved. How can the prosecutors be taken seriously when it takes the DOJ three years to interview key witnesses identified by an ex-deputy in the very parish where Morris was murdered? While the Justice Department took its time moving forward on this investigation, the suspect died.”

According to existing evidence, at least two men belonging to a local Klan organization broke into Frank Morris’ shoe repair shop on Dec. 10, 1964 in Ferriday, La., trapped Morris inside and set fire to the building. Although he managed to save his 10-year-old grandson, Morris died four days later of third-degree burns over his entire body.

Rosa Morris Williams sought the assistance of CCJI in March of 2007. The professors not only agreed to help Williams but Ferriday-based reporter Stanley Nelson at the Concordia Sentinel, who was already aggressively investigating Morris’ death for his newspaper, as well. By late December 2007 the CCJI had provided the U.S. Attorney’s office with the names of witnesses to be interviewed and related documents collected to date that demonstrated a coordinated effort by various Klan groups in Louisiana and across the Mississippi River to Natchez.

“We urged the DOJ to create a regional task force be set up to explore the workings of the Klan groups in both Mississippi and Louisiana because we know these groups shared information and exchanged three-man ‘wrecking crews,’” says Johnson. “These crews were authorized to perform various types of punitive sanctions against African Americans and their allies, ranging from cross burnings, to threats, to beatings and even to exterminations. One supervisor of these wrecking crews from Ferriday, La., is still alive and living a normal life in Ferriday. His role has not been challenged.”

The co-directors say the FBI and DOJ had important leads throughout the investigation that they summarily dismissed.

“In one instance, a witness came forward to report that he saw three white men confront Frank Morris the night of the incident,” says McDonald. “His possible identification of one of the men was never taken seriously because he was 13 at the time of the crime. It was not until CCJI informed the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana of this lapse that he was interviewed briefly by telephone. In another instance, the two police officers who lied about their activities immediately before showing up at the fire, and who evidenced cooperation, if not membership in various local Klan groups, were never challenged. Their role is not even mentioned in the letter to Ms. Williams.”

“It is time for Congress to examine the false promises made to the families like the Frank Morris family. Congress must look into the failures of federal and local law enforcement related to the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crimes Act,” says Johnson. “We will not stop looking for fresh leads and information on this case and hope people who know the truth will do the right thing and speak up.”

 

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‘Rembrandt: The Consummate Etcher and Other 17th-Century Printmakers’ at Palitz Gallery /blog/2013/09/23/rembrandt-the-consummate-etcher-and-other-17th-century-printmakers-at-palitz-gallery-91133/ Mon, 23 Sep 2013 18:11:10 +0000 /?p=57672 Celebration of Louise and Bernard Palitz and their association with the ϲ Art Galleries

 

Rembrandt, Landscape with a cottage and a large tree

Rembrandt, Landscape with a cottage and a large tree

Palitz Gallery presents “Rembrandt: The Consummate Etcher and Other 17th-Century Printmakers,” an exhibition containing 35 works, 12 of which are by Rembrandt, who is considered to be one of the most important figures in western art history. “Rembrandt: The Consummate Etcher” is rounded out by works from 16 of his contemporaries and has been arranged in thematic groups—landscapes, genre, portraits and religious subjects—so that visitors may discover the similarities and differences, as well as the technical achievements of these talented artists.

The exhibition runs through Nov. 14 and can be viewed Monday through Friday 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Saturday 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Learn more about this show and others by visiting . Call 212-826-0320 for more information. The gallery is located at the Joseph I. Lubin House, 11 East 61st Street in New York City.

In the mid-1980s, Louise and Bernard Palitz made their first gift to the ϲ Art Collection and over the next 25 years they became ardent supporters of ϲ and its arts programs. This exhibition celebrates their connoisseurship and generous enhancement of the SU Art Galleries and its programs.

The exhibition primarily reflects the holdings of the ϲ Art Collection and explores Rembrandt’s influence on the printmakers of his day.

Domenic Iacono, curator of “Rembrandt: The Consummate Etcher,” says Rembrandt’s etchings demonstrate the same genius, diversity of subjects and vitality as his paintings. “He often experimented with the medium and attempted to achieve surface characteristics that would enhance his images,” explains Iacono, director of ϲ Art Galleries. “If the desired effects were not achieved to his satisfaction, Rembrandt would continue to manipulate the plate to fit his needs.”

Rembrandt took full advantage of new tools of his day, including the prepared plate, which was treated like a piece of paper, allowing him the opportunity to draw his design directly on the plate with great freedom. Using this method Rembrandt created nearly 300 original etchings during his career.

Rembrandt, who was also very selective about the paper used for the editions of his prints, introduced more than technical innovation. The artist explored the personality and moods of his subjects.

“Early self-portraits show a study of facial expressions, including surprise, self-awareness and sorrow, that allow us insight into Rembrandt’s character,” says Iacono. Equally telling are the etchings of his wife, Saskia, whom the artist portrayed with sensitivity, especially during her illnesses. “These introspective images are similar in many ways to the pathos and truthfulness he developed in his etchings of religious and genre subjects.”

Notable works in this exhibition include “Self Portrait Drawing at a Window,” which may have been Rembrandt’s last self-portrait in print. “Self Portrait Drawing at a Window” appears to be the work of a confident Rembrandt, not overly distracted by financial or personal difficulties. There is also a spontaneous quality to this print; the artist interrupts his work and glances up momentarily engaging us with a pensive expression. Another of note is “Landscape with a cottage and a large tree.”

In his early landscapes, Rembrandt experimented with compositional techniques to unify foreground and background elements of the scene. In this etching he utilized a low horizon and left the sky above the distant town almost entirely devoid of detail while the left side of the image is filled with the cottage and tree. Rembrandt was familiar with Jan van de Velde’s attempts to create landscapes using similar compositional devices but determined that technical effects were also needed.

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CCJI Resolution Approved by NAACP /blog/2013/08/14/ccji-resolution-approved-by-naacp-87382/ Wed, 14 Aug 2013 13:01:03 +0000 /?p=55608

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CCJI and NAACP Draft Civil Rights Crime Resolution /blog/2013/07/17/ccji-and-naacp-draft-civil-rights-crime-resolution-41990/ Wed, 17 Jul 2013 15:54:02 +0000 /?p=54952 NAACP CEO Benjamin Jealous, left, speaks with Janis McDonald, Paula Johnson and Scott McDowell from the Cold Case Justice Initiative during the NAACP convention in Orlando, Fla.

NAACP CEO Benjamin Jealous, left, speaks with Janis McDonald, Paula Johnson and Scott McDowell from the Cold Case Justice Initiative during the NAACP convention in Orlando, Fla.

On July 16, during its annual national convention in Orlando, the NAACP voted and passed a resolution that the Cold Case Justice Initiative (CCJI) at ϲ played a substantial role in drafting. The resolution calls on President Barack Obama to take leadership in demanding that the full effect of the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crimes Act be implemented.

The Georgia NAACP chapter submitted the resolution, which was approved by the resolution committee of the nation’s oldest and largest civil rights organization prior to the convention.

“The 2008 Act required the Justice Department and the FBI to ‘expeditiously investigate’ and ‘provide all the resources necessary to ensure timely and thorough investigations’ of unsolved civil rights murders,” explains Professor Janis McDonald, co-director of the CCJI. “They have shown no sense of urgency, reflecting the intent of Congress in passing this law, however.”

Events from the 2nd day of the NAACP Convention in Orlando, Fl.  During its annual national convention in Orlando, the NAACP will vote on a resolution in which the Cold Case Justice Initiative (CCJI) at ϲ (SU) played a substantial role in drafting. The Georgia NAACP chapter submitted the resolution which was approved by the resolution committee of the nation's oldest and largest civil rights organization prior to the convention.

Members of the CCJI react after the NAACP vote.

“We are honored to work with the NAACP on this important resolution,” says CCJI co-director and Professor Paula Johnson. “This highly regarded institution has always held as an objective to seek enactment and enforcement of federal, state and local laws securing civil rights. These families’ voices are duty-bound to be heard and they deserve the justice that a true, full accounting would provide.”

 

This summer the CCJI has deployed law students to five southern states: Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Louisiana and Mississippi. Known as the Five Cities Project, the effort is to begin to take a full accounting of racially motivated killings that may have occurred between 1955 and 1980. This comes on the heels of the CCJI identifying and turning over 196 names of potential victims of civil rights era killings to the Department of Justice.

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Cold Case Justice Initiative at ϲ launches Five Cities Project this summer /blog/2013/06/04/cold-case-justice-initiative-at-syracuse-university-launches-five-cities-project-this-summer-93039/ Tue, 04 Jun 2013 13:35:33 +0000 /?p=53995 fivecitiesproject

The Cold Case Justice Initiative (CCJI) at ϲ has announced in Atlanta that it is launching its Five Cities Project this summer. Its student workers will be sent into five southern cities to begin to take a full accounting of racially motivated killings that may have occurred during the period between 1955 and 1980. The cities are Atlanta; Nashville; Baton Rouge; Jackson, Miss.; and Jacksonville, Fla. Thirteen students will conduct document research and participate in dialogues in these communities to identify and find residents who believe they lost loved ones in racially motivated crimes during the civil rights era.

These cities represent areas where the CCJI has already worked for the past six years with families who seek justice for their loved ones killed as a result of racial hatred. Important community connections are being formed to further the work of all such families in the particular region. “There is a critical need for this kind of action in more cities,” says CCJI Co-Director Professor Paula Johnson. “If we had more funds, we could add many more cities to the list of those with unfinished criminal justice demands from this era.”

“By their public statements the DOJ has made it clear. They close cases when they find that the main perpetrator is deceased,” Johnson goes on to say. “They do not seem to expand the search for accomplices or go back into these scarred communities to conduct new interviews with people who are willing to talk today. The FBI would rather rely on 40-year-old paperwork and are leaving the difficult part up to non-governmental organizations like ours.”

The growing realization of a critical need for the Five Cities Project came to pass as a result of the six years of intensive research by the CCJI. An effort began in the summer of 2010 to find out just how many victims of racial violence are not included on any list of the FBI, the Justice Department or local law enforcement agencies. Over the course of a year and a half, a canvassing effort revealed figures startling both in scope and size. The CCJI’s preliminary investigation had uncovered 196 suspicious deaths in 10 states and investigators realized there were many similar suspicious killings to investigate. This list of names was turned over to the FBI in the fall of 2012. To date, there has been no response from the Justice Department or the FBI about this list.

“The 2008 Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crimes Act required the Justice Department and the FBI to ‘expeditiously investigate’ and ‘provide all the resources necessary to ensure timely and thorough investigations’ of unsolved civil rights murders,” states Professor Janis McDonald, co-director of the Initiative. “There is no sense of urgency reflecting the intent of Congress in passing this law, however. There are still perpetrators living in these communities who have escaped the criminal accountability demanded by any fair sense of justice.”

For the co-directors of the CCJI, the Emmett Till Act has been a failed promise to the families and to society. “We feel the government should be deeply embarrassed and determined to act now while there is still time and while the law requires this effort,” explains McDonald. “There has never been a full accounting of all the people who disappeared or were slain due to racial hatred during the civil rights era and it should not be relegated to history. We are left with no moral choice but to help these families continue their struggle for justice. The Five Cities Project is a step in that direction.”

This project is a natural evolution for the CCJI as it maintains its pledge—continued support for family members wanting to know the truth—and its collaborations with investigators and journalists who’ve committed themselves to searching for the same in these senseless murders and cover-ups.

To see more photos of the weekend event, go here.

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Palitz Gallery Hosts Wynn Newhouse Awards Exhibition through June 13 /blog/2013/04/17/palitz-gallery-hosts-wynn-newhouse-awards-exhibition-through-june-13-78652/ Wed, 17 Apr 2013 20:55:35 +0000 /?p=52184 bowdishCreated to draw attention to the achievements of artists of excellence who have disabilities, the Wynn Newhouse Awards Exhibition at the Palitz Gallery runs through June 13 at SU’s Lubin House, located at 11 East 61st St., New York City. The exhibition is in its third year at the gallery.

Exhibition hours are Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. It is closed Memorial Day Weekend. It is free and open to the public. Contact 212-826-0320 or lubin@syr.edu for more information.

The exhibition contains the works of this year’s eight grant winners: Robin Antar showcases one sculpture made out of calcite, marble and bronze; there are two oil on canvas paintings by Chuck Bowdish; Martin Cohen lends two mixed media collages; Laura Fergenson’s four works, primarily on paper, explore the human anatomy; three more collages are on display by Alexis Mackenzie; while Katherine Sherwood lends one mixed media work; Jennifer Lauren Smith shares a silent video and sculpture; and Laura Swanson showcases an installation piece.

“The Samuel I. Newhouse Foundation has given out these awards since 2006,” explains Bill Butler, Newhouse consultant. “In those seven years the level of talent has been consistently excellent. We are proud to reward a few of the many talented artists in this community. We hope these awards and their exposure in the ϲ exhibition will help the winners to excel in their craft. We continue these awards because we believe that artists with disabilities often have unique skills and insights that benefit us all.”

Each of the winners receives a portion of a $60,000 per year allotment from the Samuel I. Newhouse Foundation. Nominees and winners of the Wynn Newhouse Awards are chosen by a committee composed of persons respected in the arts and disabilities communities. The selection committee for this year’s awards was composed of J. David Farmer, director, Dahesh Museum; Mark Parsons, former winner and artist, Pratt Institute; Kathryn Price, curator, Williams College Museum of Art; and Ealan Wingate, director, Gagosian Gallery.

About the Artists

Robin Antar

Represented by POP International Galleries in New York City, Antar has had numerous museum, solo and group exhibitions, including multiple exhibitions at New York’s National Arts Club. “My passion as a sculptor involves a technique I coined more than 20 years ago, by capturing common everyday items in stone,” says Antar. “I replicate these items on a real life-scale, complete with meticulous detail. I achieve this absolute realism by incorporating parts of the actual object, as well as custom-made stains, paints, plastics and gold leaf. ” Antar is legally blind in one eye.

Chuck Bowdish

“When I am behind the easel, I can feel the forms and shapes in my physical body coming out in a very concrete way. It truly is therapeutic,” says Bowdish. “I work solely from imagination and sometimes spend years on the same painting.” Bowdish had his first solo exhibition in 1986 before enrolling in graduate school at the New York Academy of Art on a full scholarship. The artist, who lives with a bipolar disorder, continues to create new works.

Martin Cohen

Cohen, diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, has had one-man shows at Vivian Horan Fine Art, Cooper Union, and Gallery New World Stages. His work was shown in an exhibition at the Education and Research Center of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). Cohen incorporates mixed media, including photographic cutouts and found objects, into his abstract expressionist oil paintings and paper pieces, to introduce a textural quality and to explore elements of popular culture. Martin is represented by Fountain Gallery of NYC.

Laura Ferguson

Ferguson’s work focuses on human anatomy, inspired by the curvature of her own spine. “As a patient with a lifetime of x-rays, I was always fascinated by these mysterious, shadowy pictures–but felt disconnected from an inner self that seemed to belong more to my doctors than to me,” explains Ferguson. “As an artist I’ve been able to reclaim this territory, and I hope my work can help viewers feel a deeper sense of connection to their own unique inner spaces.” Ferguson’s drawings, prints and artist’s books have been widely exhibited around the country. She has been teaching artist/artist in residence at the NYU School of Medicine since 2008.

Alexis Mackenzie

Mackenzie credits her hearing loss from the age of 4 as the catalyst for her work today. For Mackenzie, she settled into the world of books because she found them completely accessible and easily understood. “I now literally create worlds from books, and working is a meditative practice for me; I now need to let my mind wander,” says Mackenzie. “It allows me to navigate my subconscious, and I don’t believe I would be as good at doing so without the natural sense of disconnection that comes with hearing impairment.” Mackenzie’s work has been in exhibitions internationally.

Katherine Sherwood

When Sherwood suffered a stroke in 1997 and her right side became paralyzed as a result, she considered it a challenge and an opportunity. “[It] had a profoundly liberating effect on my work,” said Sherwood in an article she wrote in the journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. “Whereas my pre-stroke period had the tendency to be over-intellectualized and forced, my post-stroke art is less self-conscious, more urgent and expressive.” Sherwood’s work has been in dozens of solo and group exhibitions.

Jennifer Lauren Smith

Smith’s work is informed by the sensibilities she’s developed as a hard of hearing person who became deaf in adulthood. “I’ve recently focused on crafting what I think of as ‘silent scores’ in my videos and performances,” says Smith. “Precise editing, movement and experiments in cinematography all work together to imply rhythm and intensity, transposing the process of imagining sound onto the viewer.” Smith has been an artist-in-residence at Seven Below Arts Initiative in Westford, Vt., Art Farm, in Marquette, Neb., and Kimmel Harding Nelson Center in Nebraska City, Neb., and has shown her work in galleries both in the United States and abroad.

Laura Swanson

Swanson is formally trained as a photographer and the representation of the body as object is predominant in her work. “My practice centers around a critical exploration of the conventions of looking and how bodily difference is articulated and subsequently understood,” says Swanson. “My approach is to resist literal representation of the body through a deconstruction of the conventions of portraiture, the anthropomorphization of inanimate objects, and the construction of surrogates and spaces.” Her work has been exhibited within the United States and internationally.

About the Awards

Wynn Newhouse was a prominent and avid art collector who lost functional use of one hand in an industrial accident as a young man. By midlife he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Newhouse envisioned the Wynn Newhouse Awards in 2005. The program provides grants to talented fine artists with disabilities as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act. Newhouse was joined by top artists, curators and critics who shared his belief that many disabled people have unique insights and skills that can enhance their ability to create exciting art. He hoped that these exhibitions would enable the arts public to see the many creative ideas contained in their works. Newhouse passed away in 2010.

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Palitz Gallery Presents 40 Artists/40 Years Opening Feb. 18 /blog/2013/02/15/palitz-gallery-presents-40-artists40-years-opening-feb-18/ Fri, 15 Feb 2013 19:14:27 +0000 /?p=48314 40yearsThe Palitz Gallery at Lubin House has announced its latest exhibition, “40 Artists/40 Years,” which spotlights the photography of the Light Work Collection in ϲ, now celebrating its 40th Anniversary. “40 Artists/40 Years” features a selection of photographs from the collection, including the work of Cindy Sherman (photo at left), Carrie Mae Weems, John Gossage, James Casebere, Jim Goldberg, Dawoud Bey, Fazal Sheikh and Hank Willis Thomas.

Light Work is a nonprofit, artist-run organization dedicated to the support of artists working in photography and electronic media.

The exhibition, which runs from Feb. 18-April 11, will be on display Monday through Friday 11 a.m.-6 p.m. and Saturday 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Learn more about this show and others by visiting . Call 212-826-0320 for more information. The gallery is located at the Joseph I. Lubin House, 11 East 61st Street, New York City.

The photographs in “40 Artists/40 Years” represent each year that Light Work has been supporting artists, says Jeffrey Hoone, executive director of Light Work and the exhibition curator. “The artists in this exhibition come from different backgrounds and express different points of view, but are bound together in the process of asking vital questions as they teach us, the viewers, how to see,” he says.

“The artists on view stand in for the hundreds of other artists who have participated in our artist-in-residence, exhibition, publishing and grant programs,” says Hoone, who points out that at the end of the day, it’s the artists who have made Light Work possible, not the other way around.

“Light Work is, quite simply, the oldest continuously operating organization and institution of its kind,” says Bey, renowned photographer and former artist-in-residence. “I and so many other photographic artists were supported at a pivotal and early stage of our careers. Through the residency and support that so many of us had at Light Work, we forever became members of a community of support that endures to this day.”

Light Work was the first artist residency for Thomas. “It’s the place where I began “Unbranded: Reflections in Black by Corporate America (2005-2008),” one of my most successful projects to date,” Thomas says. “While in residence, I met so many great artists whom I continue to maintain relationships with. I am so happy to have been part of it!”

Hoone says that Light Work supports artists because their courage, their struggle, their creativity and their passion give purpose and often make viewers whole. “The work in this exhibition represents that process and celebrates all the artists that have made our effort worthwhile,” says Hoone.

Working in the media of photography and digital imaging since 1973 Light Work has always been an alternative arts organization run by artists and that has made it a uniquely positioned institution. “We concentrate on supporting emerging and under-recognized artists, giving them the opportunity to create new work,” says Hoone. “then making that work part of the ongoing dialogue about contemporary art.”

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Cold Case Justice Initiative hands over 196 new names of potential victims in civil rights era killings to Department of Justice /blog/2012/11/07/cold-case-justice-initiative-hands-over-196-new-names-of-potential-victims-in-civil-rights-era-killings-to-department-of-justice/ Wed, 07 Nov 2012 16:43:54 +0000 /?p=43669 The Directors of the (CCJI) at SU recently hand-delivered to Justice Department officials a list of 196 additional names of suspicious civil rights era killings. The FBI has been working from a previous list of 122 different names, a list never meant to be a complete accounting of suspected atrocities.

“We cannot wait for the Justice Department to do their job,” says CCJI Co-Director and Professor Paula Johnson. “Over the last four years, anytime Janis or I are in a community we are contacted by relatives who believe they lost loved ones due to racial violence. We take their claims seriously and conduct our own investigation, and will continue to do so.”

The Emmett Till Act was named for a14-year-old teenage boy tortured and brutally murdered in 1955 for allegedly whistling at a white woman in Sumner, Miss. The act requires the Justice Department and the FBI to devote intensive investigations during a 10-year period to address the unsolved Civil Rights Era homicides. However, no indictments have been obtained since the act became law in November 2008.

“Ever since Congress enacted the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Act of 2008 we have been asking the FBI and the Justice Department to undertake a thorough search of all of the suspicious deaths that occurred during this time frame,”says Professor Janis McDonald, the Initiatives other co-director. “There has never been a full accounting of all of the people who were killed as the result of Klan and other racial hatred and violence during the era.”

The co-directors of the CCJI lined up a team of nearly two dozen law student volunteers who headed to Georgia and Louisiana while others remained in ϲ. Over the course of a year and a half, including an intensive summer of research in 2011, the canvassing effort has revealed startling figures both in scope and size. The CCJI has uncovered 196 suspicious deaths in 10 states including Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York and North Carolina, as well as the District of Columbia.

“Identifying suspicious cases is only the first step,” says McDonald. “They still need to be thoroughly investigated by authorities and some may not survive that initial investigation, but these families need to know people care enough to put in the time, resources and effort. They want and deserve answers.”

Seventy-five of the deaths in the new Cold Case Justice Initiative’s list involved police shootings under questionable circumstances. According to Johnson, “These law enforcement-related deaths need to be re-examined in light of policies and practices at the time. Many Klan organizations infiltrated law enforcement as a way to intimidate the black community and commit acts of violence with impunity.” The list contains multiple names of individuals who were shot in the back when police alleged they were runningafter what appeared to be minor burglaries. In one instance, the burglary involved five packs of cigarettes.

The Cold Case Justice Initiative began as an effort to assist the family of Frank Morris in Ferriday, La. Morris, the owner of one of the few African American-owned businesses in his town in 1964, suffered third-degree burns over 95 percentof his body when suspected members of a Klan organization set fire to his shop. Although he managed to rescue his 10-year-old grandson, Nathaniel, Morris died four days later. A joint effort by the Cold Case Justice Initiative and a local reporter, Stanley Nelson, of the Concordia Sentinel, led to the currently pending grand jury investigation in Concordia Parish, La., concerning his homicide. At least one living suspect, Leonard Spencer, has admitted to participating in the arson that led to Frank Morris’ death, according to his son, former wife and former brother-in-law. Despite this evidence of an admission by Spencer, the Justice Department has not yet announced an indictment in the case.

Suspected perpetrators, witnesses and family members who can provide critical evidence are dying off each year. Numerous other families who learned of the Cold Case Justice Initiative and its volunteer work have contacted the Initiative for assistance. CCJI has pledged its continued support for family members and will continue its collaborations with investigators and journalists who’ve committed themselves to searching for the truth in these senseless murders and cover-ups.

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‘Emilio Sanchez: No Way Home’ opens Oct. 15 at Palitz Gallery /blog/2012/10/11/emilio-sanchez-no-way-home-images-of-the-caribbean-and-new-york-city-opens-oct-15-at-palitz-gallery/ Thu, 11 Oct 2012 20:11:44 +0000 /?p=42229 Exhibition honors Hispanic Heritage Month

sanchezIn honor of Hispanic Heritage month, the Louise and Bernard Palitz Gallery at ϲ’s Lubin House is presenting “Emilio Sanchez: No Way Home. Images of the Caribbean and New York City.” The exhibition contains 19 objects and examines the artist’s long interest in depicting the effects natural light has on residential and urban architecture. “Emilio Sanchez: No Way Home” will run from Oct. 15-Dec. 6.

Located at 11 East 61st Street between Fifth and Madison Avenues, gallery hours are 10 a.m.-6.p.m. Monday to Friday and Saturday 11 a.m.-4 p.m. The gallery will be closed Thanksgiving weekend.

“Emilio Sanchez made images of New York that combined an abiding interest in architecture with a signature use of pattern, composition and brilliant lighting gained from a lifetime spent in Cuba and the Caribbean,” says David L. Prince, associate director and curator of collections of the SUArt Galleries, who also notes that Sanchez’s urban architectural images reflect those of Charles Sheeler and Edward Hopper.

Born into one of Cuba’s oldest and wealthiest families, Sanchez was educated in America at the Choate School, Yale and University of Virginia. In 1944, he moved to New York City to attend art classes at Columbia University and at the Art Students League. He became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1968.

In the 1960s, Sanchez developed a technique of focusing on a detail; he combined a bright palette, sharp, deep shadows and a shallow picture plane to design compositions and Caribbean architecture. In the 1970s, he was inspired by the Mediterranean, particularly the stark white buildings of Morocco. In the ’80s and ’90s, Sanchez increasingly composed scenes of New York City.

Ann Koll, the Emilio Sanchez Foundation’s executive director, has characterized his work as “an inspiration to Latin American artists.” In 2010, the Emilio Sanchez Foundation donated nearly 270 works to the University Art Collection

“Emilio Sanchez: No Way Home” is free and open to the public. Visit to learn more about this exhibit. You can also call 212-826-0320 or e-mail lubin@syr.edu for more information.

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The Past Is Not Past: The Continuing Quest for Racial Justice and Peace /blog/2012/10/08/the-past-is-not-past-the-continuing-quest-for-racial-justice-and-peace/ Mon, 08 Oct 2012 13:01:02 +0000 /?p=41807 1-3 p.m.
Hergenhan Auditorium
Newhouse III

Speakers:
Ambassador Andrew Young
Martin Luther King, III
Professor Linda Carty, SU Dept. of African American Studies
Professor Janis McDonald, SU College of Law, Cold Case Justice Initiative
Professor Paula Johnson, SU College of Law, Cold Case Justice Initiative

This roundtable continues the discussion led by His Holiness the Dalai Lama on previous panels during his visit. The panelists will discuss the critical link between justice and peace and ask the question: Can there be peace without justice?

Join the dialogue about the imperative to address these issues in the interest of peace and justice in the face of persistent racial violence and inequality in the United States from the Civil Rights Era to the present.

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‘Those Who Can: New Work from the School of Art and Design’ on display at Palitz Gallery in NYC /blog/2012/08/07/those-who-can-new-work-from-the-school-of-art-and-design-on-display-at-palitz-gallery-in-nyc/ Tue, 07 Aug 2012 14:27:35 +0000 /?p=39269 The Palitz Gallery at ϲ’s Lubin House in New York City is presenting “Those Who Can: New Work from the School of Art and Design.” The exhibit, which runs through Sept. 13, features recent work from Department of Foundation faculty members in SU’s . The 10 works included in the exhibition represent the range of processes utilized by artists today, including digital, oil painting, works on paper, photography, sculpture and interactive art.

juarezThe works of the six artists—Susan D’Amato, Juan Juarez, Jude Lewis, Sarah McCoubrey, Joanna Spitzner and Chris Wildrick—exemplify the strength of a department that heavily influences many of the young artists studying in the School of Art and Design. Defying the adage that “those who can’t … teach,” the six faculty members included in “Those Who Can” demonstrate that being an effective educator can coincide with success as an artist.

Drawing is a fundamental aspect of artistic study, and the larger-than-life drawings of D’Amato and landscape paintings of McCoubrey effectively illustrate a mastery of observational and compositional skill. The elements of design are represented by Wildrick and Juarez, whose series “Geek Culture” by Wildrick and “Suspension” by Juarez, align conceptual ideas with digital tools. Lewis’ “Georgia on My Mind,” a wall-mounted sculpture referencing the work of Georgia O’Keefe, signifies the marriage of contemporary notions with traditional craftsmanship and skill when working in 3-D. The elements of performance, site-specific installation and new media are implemented by Spitzner in “Common Acts,” engaging the viewer to become part of the project.

Exhibition hours are Monday to Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. The exhibition will be closed Labor Day weekend. It is free and open to the public. Visit to learn more about this exhibit. You can also call (212) 826-0320 or email lubin@syr.edu for more information.

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SUArt Galleries celebrates career and life of Karl Schrag /blog/2012/08/01/suart-galleries-celebrates-career-and-life-of-karl-schrag/ Wed, 01 Aug 2012 16:34:35 +0000 /?p=39279 The is celebrating the career and life of Karl Schrag, American painter and printmaker who would have been 100 years old this year. “Karl Schrag: Memories and Premonitions” is the first major examination of the artist’s work since his death in 1995. The exhibition, which runs from Aug. 30 through Oct. 21, 2012, includes 70 original works of art by the influential artist, including paintings, prints and drawings.

schragSchrag’s art career spanned more than 60 years and he had strong ties to the New York City art scene. After studying at the Art Students League, he joined S.W. Hayter’s prestigious printmaking studio Atelier 17, working alongside artists Miró, Chagall and Jackson Pollock. Schrag was named director of the Atelier in 1950 and later began a long teaching career at Cooper Union, where he taught drawing and graphic arts from 1954-1968. Schrag had a direct impact on many of his students, including the ϲ-based artist Jerome Witkin. A student of Schrag at Cooper Union and a well-established contemporary artist, Witkin has commented on Schrag’s masterful handling of the landscape, and the evocative power of his vision.

The art selected for “Karl Schrag: Memories and Premonitions” will convey the artist’s ability to see the landscape as if for the first time, the surprise of that special view, the recognition of his ability to feel wonder when looking at nature or figures, and the reward associated with seeing the world through his eyes. As stated by Schrag, “While I believe that the outward appearance of nature is but the shell of a deeper and richer inside world that I wish to understand, I also know that the forms of art are in their infinite relationships charged with profound meanings.”

SUArt chose 2012 to reinvestigate the talent, imagination and sensitivity Schrag brought to his landscapes, still-life paintings and portraits because it is the centenary year of his birth. The ϲ Art Collection boasts a complete collection of graphic works—prints in every medium, etchings, aquatints, engravings, lithographs and relief work. SUArt has also helped produce a catalogue raisonné of his work that has been published in three installments.

Curated by SUArt Galleries Director Domenic J. Iacono, the exhibition highlights numerous prints from the ϲ Art Collection, as well as loaned work consisting of paintings and drawings from the artist’s family. A 128-page, fully illustrated catalog will accompany the exhibition.

The show is free and open to the public. Complete information and related programming is available by visiting the SUArt Galleries website at .

The SUArt Galleries will host a free opening night reception from 5-7 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 30. Patrons are welcome to view the exhibition until the gallery closes at 8 p.m. The reception is open to the public.

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SU launches first regional council outside US at meeting in Dubai /blog/2012/07/31/su-launches-first-regional-council-outside-u-s-at-inaugural-meeting-in-dubai/ Tue, 31 Jul 2012 12:36:54 +0000 /?p=38888 ϲ has further strengthened its presence in the Middle East with the creation of its first international regional council. The Middle East, North Africa and Turkey (MENAT) Regional Council will focus on elevating the University’s profile, while selectively building relationships in these key geographic areas. SU Provost and Vice Chancellor Eric F. Spina presided over the council’s inaugural meeting, which was held in Dubai.

The MENAT Regional Council will initially target its activities on the UAE, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain, Lebanon, Jordan, Qatar, Oman and Turkey. Recruitment and alumni relations in these regions are priorities for the University, and efforts to date have been fruitful. For the upcoming fall semester, SU received 150 applications from Arab Gulf students.

In addition to the goals of increasing interest among prospective students and enhancing alumni relations, the council is tasked with forging strategic programs and partnerships. “With the council in place, we see significant potential in enabling other SU students access to the expertise in the region through programs and internships situated here, and facilitated with the assistance and guidance of our alumni,” says Spina.

The founding MENAT Regional Council members are accomplished professionals and ambassadors for SU. Reda Raad, who will serve as council chair, earned a degree from SU’s Whitman School of Management in 1995. He resides in Dubai, where he is COO of TBWA/Raad. Iman (AlBahar) Al Qatami, of Kuwait, is a 1979 graduate of SU’s L.C. Smith College of Engineering and Computer Science (LCS) and a principal in Al Qatami Trading Co. Mike Venutolo, a 1984 LCS graduate and current resident of Bahrain, is the CEO of Raymond International. Nabil Habayeb received his undergraduate degree from LCS in 1980 and graduate degree in 1982. He is the CEO of GE Middle East and Africa and is based in Dubai. Abdallah Yabroudi, a ϲ trustee, is an LCS alumnus (1978 and 1979) and serves as CEO and managing director of Dubai Contracting Co.

According to Raad, the council is ready to build on the momentum achieved by SU staff in the region. He sees alumni relations as an integral part of that. “The more our alumni feel connected to the University, the more likely they are to share their experiences both as a student and as a graduate, which is exponentially beneficial in recruitment,” he says. “They will also be more inclined to use their influence and connections to help create valuable opportunities in the region for current and future SU students.”

In addition to Vice Chancellor Spina, the University was also represented at the kickoff meeting by Jim O’Connor, executive director for Middle East advancement and external affairs, and Nicci Brown, SU vice president for marketing and communications. Brown will maintain contact with and look to the MENAT Council for guidance as the University crafts messaging and marketing campaigns specific to the region.

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Breakdown Services offers scholarship to educate future casting directors of new ϲ casting program /blog/2012/06/05/breakdown-services-offers-scholarship-to-educate-future-casting-directors-of-new-syracuse-university-casting-program/ /?p=37967 Breakdown Services has been working with casting directors since it opened its doors 40 years ago. When founder Gary Marsh attended the most recent CSA Artios awards and heard an announcement about a new collaborative program at ϲ’s Tepper Semester in the Department of Drama at the (VPA) that would help train people to become casting directors, it appeared to be the perfect partnership.

The program, designed in collaboration with the Casting Society of America, was developed for casting students, including key professional components and core courses with fellow Tepper students. Marsh set up a generous five-year scholarship program for the Tepper Semester program in the drama department of the University, specifically to support students training in the casting director field.

“Breakdown Services is proud to support the Tepper Program,” says Marsh. “We hope through this scholarship that we can play a part in introducing more students to the casting process and the invaluable role casting directors play in the entertainment industry.”

“We are delighted that Mr. Marsh, founder and president of Breakdown Services, recognized our collaboration with the CSA, its importance to the field and decided to contribute in such a meaningful way,” says Ralph Zito, chair of the department of drama. “His support of the casting program partnership and apprenticeship provides an opportunity for students enrolled in ϲ’s Tepper Semester program who may not otherwise have had the access, to position themselves for a career in this industry.”

Program Director Lisa Nicholas was delighted to receive the generous contribution, but thought it could benefit a more diverse student population. “When Gary, myself and casting director, Rosalie Joseph, sat down for a meeting on this we all thought it would be especially helpful to dedicate a portion of the scholarship to students of diversity.” The scholarship now funds a wide range of young people interested in the casting profession.

The first recipient of Breakdown Services’ scholarship was Ebony Hardin. A student of Carnegie Mellon University, Hardin has been receiving special assignments like an educational internship at Tara Rubin casting, master classes with New York City casting directors, attending numerous shows and plays, all in addition to a private training session at Breakdown Services’ office in New York.

The casting director training program and apprenticeship that premiered in the spring of this year is a joint effort to maintain a high standard of professionalism and artistic integrity within the field. There is no formal degree for casting directors; the semester-long program will provide students the hands-on training they need to be prepared for the profession.

Breakdown Services (www.breakdownexpress.com) was established in 1971, creating the process that is used around the world to cast feature films, television shows, commercials, theater and other projects that require actors. Since its inception it has developed many other services for the industry, including the Virtual Channel Network (www.virtualchannelnetwork.com) that uses the power of the Internet to transmit original content developed specifically for members of the entertainment community. Actors use Breakdowns’ Showfax service to obtain audition material at (www.showfax.com), as well as Actors Access (www.actorsaccess.com) that allows for actors to update their pictures, resume and demo reels to submit for specific roles posted at the request of casting directors, CastingAbout (www.castingabout.com), an up-to-date source for real-time casting and production information in Los Angeles and New York and Talentproplus, a database application that organizes and automates the daily tasks of talent representative businesses. Headquartered in Los Angeles, Calif., Breakdown Services operates through a global network of services in the U.S., England, Canada and Australia.

For more information, contact Jenna Pass, Breakdown Services,(310) 276-9166 ext. 413, jennap@breakdownservices.com, or LisaNicholas, Tepper Semester director, at (212) 239-1113.

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Palitz Gallery hosts Wynn Newhouse Awards Exhibition through June 15 /blog/2012/04/18/wynn-newhouse-awards-exhibition/ Wed, 18 Apr 2012 20:09:07 +0000 /?p=36210 Awards draw attention to achievements of artists who have disabilities

Created to draw attention to the achievements of artists who have disabilities, the Wynn Newhouse Awards Exhibition runs through June 15 at Palitz Gallery at ϲ’s Lubin House,located at 11 East 61st St., New York City.

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Exhibition hours are Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m., and Saturday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. It is free and open to the public. Contact 212-826-0320 or lubin@syr.edu for more information.

The exhibition contains the works ofthis year’s four grant winners: Barton Lidicé Beneš contributes two mixed media assemblages, including “Art Museum”; Christine Sun Kim showcases three scores; Mark Parsons has four works from his Figure from the Ground series; and Sunaura Taylor has three works, two on paper and one on raw canvas, in the exhibition. There is also a video displaying the works of the runners-up.

“The Wynn Newhouse Award helps to legitimize disabled artists,” says Taylor, who uses a wheelchair. “This grant acknowledges that our perspective is valuable to a broader art dialogue and shows just how many talented artists there are who experience disability.”

Taylor has lent pieces from a larger body of work titled ANIMAL for the Wynn Newhouse Awards Exhibition. The images in ANIMAL traverse the intersection of disability, medicine, sideshow history and animal studies in both a humorous and subversive manner. “The gaze that is usually directed to sideshow and medical imagery is not simply one of voyeurism, but of a complex misunderstanding of what it means to live in an atypical body,” says Taylor. “As someone who is disabled, I add a perspective that is most often absent from representations of histories.”

Beneš is an avid collector of many things, including fragments from ancient civilizations: strange—even bizarre—found objects and relics from major world events, celebrity encounters, international landmarks and the natural world. The “Art Museum” on display at Palitz gallery is a comprised of collaged shadow boxes containing thematic groupings of relics from fellow artists. “Alone, they’re simply memories—placed together, in the right order, the objects create a visually interesting museum that reads like a book or a musical composition,” says Beneš when describing “Art Museum,” a mixed media assemblage series he began in 1992 and continues to this day. “When they are mounted they become special. When they are combined with many more similar objects in a collection, they become art.”

Kim finds her voice by way of reinvention for this exhibition; creating a new syntax and structure for her compositions. “I combined graphic notation, musical notation and American Sign Language (ASL), and ASL ‘Glossing’,” says Kim. “It was a way for me to open up a new space of authority/ownership and rearrange hierarchies of information.”

The works from Parsons’ “Figure from the Ground” series are a layering of information-laden materials that create Mythical drawings. “Through these works I am exploring my relation to myths both universal and personal–those that linger unavoidable through their beauty and chaos,” says Parsons. Studying the mounted image, salient points are identified by the artist, and delineated in a drawing that hovers over the print. “Like an old map or chart, the print holds one kind of subjective truth that is highlighted in the drawing. These are my myths.”

Each of the winners receives a portion of a $60,000 per year allotment from the Samuel I. Newhouse Foundation. Nominees and winners of the Wynn Newhouse Awards are chosen by a committee composed of persons respected in the arts and disabilities communities. This group also decides how the grant money will be dispersed among the artists. The selection committee for this year’s awards was comprised of: Jeffrey Hoone, curator, ϲ Museums and director, Light Work Gallery; Barbara Novak, art historian and artist; Brian O’Doherty, artist and critic; Thomas Shannon, sculptor; and Ursula Von Rydingsvard, sculptor.

About the Artists

Barton Lidicé Beneš

Beneš has exhibited nationally and internationally since the late 1960s, including exhibitions at Centre Pompidou in Paris, New York Public Library, Hudson River Museum, Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art, Boras Konstmuseum in Sweden, Old Town Hall in Prague, the Cleveland Museum of Art, National Museum of American Art, North Dakota Museum of Art, the Katonah Museum of Art, and Federal Reserve Boards in Washington, D.C., Cleveland and Dallas. His first solo exhibition was at Pavel Zoubok Gallery in New York City.

Christine Sun Kim

Kim is a performance artist who lives and works in New York City. She is currently an M.F.A. candidate in sound/music at Bard College. Her drawings, sculptures and performances have been featured in various exhibitions and programs, among them Recess Activities, Inc., New York City; Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, N.Y.; and Takt Kunstprojektraum, Berlin. She participated in the Youth Insights Artist Residency at Whitney Museum in 2010, and the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council Swing Space program in 2009.

Kim has been the recipient of various awards, such as Regional Scholarship from Korean American Scholarship Foundation and Emergency Grant from Foundation for Contemporary Arts. Other than creating art and giving workshops and talks, Sun Kim has been an educator at the Whitney Museum since 2006 and is actively involved in developing the programming initiatives for deaf audiences.

Mark Parsons

It was teaching appointments at Cornell, then Pratt Institute and Hunter College that brought Parsons to New York City. Parsons’ work ranges from large sculpture, to printmaking and large wall drawings. The work usually relies on collaboration during some portion of its development, and often brings artists or architects into its realization. Parsons thinks of these as portraits—of demographic or intellectual networks.

Parsons currently teaches and serves as director of production and technology for Pratt Institute Architecture. Parsons has exhibited his work at the United Nations, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Provincetown Art Museum, the New Bedford Art Museum and numerous private galleries in New York City and elsewhere.

He lives and works in Brooklyn.

Sunaura Taylor

Taylor is an artist, writer and activist living in Oakland, Calif. Her artworks have been exhibited at venues across the country, including the CUE Art Foundation, the Smithsonian Institution and the Berkeley Art Museum. She is the recipient of a Sacatar Foundation Fellowship, winner of VSA’s Driving Force award, an Eisner Award, a Joan Mitchell Foundation M.F.A. Grant and an Animals and Culture Grant. Taylor was recently nominated for a USA Fellowship.

Taylor has given more than a dozen talks at universities and conferences across the country and has appeared on NPR’s “All Things Considered,” Georgia Public Television’s “State of the Arts” and numerous other radio programs. She’s currently working on a book on animal ethics and disability, forthcoming from the Feminist Press (2012). She graduated from the University of California, Berkeley in the department of Art Practice with her M.F.A. in May 2008. Taylor is a co-founder of the disability arts collective Yelling Clinic.

About the Awards

Newhouse was a prominent and avid art collector who lost functional use of one hand in an industrial accident as a young man. By midlife he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Wynn conceived the Wynn Newhouse Awards in 2005. The program provides grants to talented fine artists with disabilities as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act.Newhouse was joined by top artists, curators and critics who shared his belief that many disabled people have unique insights and skills that can enhance their ability to create exciting art.Newhouse passed away in 2010.

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ϲ to host debate on Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act at National Press Club March 29 /blog/2012/03/12/ppaca/ Mon, 12 Mar 2012 14:39:44 +0000 /?p=33913 Panelists will debate constitutionality of the PPACA and whether it’s good public policy

is set to host a thought-provoking debate on the (PPACA) at the on March 29. A panel of experts will be assembled by SU from the Cato Institute, the National Senior Citizens Law Center and Princeton University, along with a moderator who has more than three decades of experience on Capitol Hill, to debate the constitutionality of the PPACA and whether it is good public policy. The debate will serve as the inaugural event for the ϲ Greenberg Speaker Series and comes a day after the Supreme Court of the United States will have heard an unprecedented six hours of arguments on this issue. This event will take place in the main ballroom of the NPC at 7 p.m.

The panel comprises Michael Cannon, director of health policy studies, Cato Institute; Simon Lazarus, policy counsel, National Senior Citizens Law Center; Robert Levy, chairman, Cato Institute board of directors; and Uwe Reinhardt, James Madison Professor of Political Economy and professor of economic and public affairs at Princeton University. Michael Lewan, principal, Brown Rudnick, will moderate the debate.

“When the Supreme Court issues its decision on the Affordable Care Act the impact will be felt across every corner of this nation. Accordingly, I can’t begin to express how important it is to have this public debate now,” says Lewan G’74, a public policy alumnus of the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs.“I am excited that SU, long known as a leader in public policy, has assembled a Who’s Who of healthcare and constitutional thought leaders in our nation’s capitol to have an open, honest dialogue that will challenge people’s ideologies and notions about health care.”

Lazarus will argue that the PPACA is constitutional and that arguments to the contrary are using a set of core buzzwords and messages that are designed to reframe the debate, thereby shifting the political and legal consensus.Lazarus is a trustee of the Center for Law and Social Policy, and writes frequently on issues of law and policy. His articles have appeared in the Atlantic, Washington Post, Newsweek, The New Republic, The American Prospect, Roll Call, Slate, The Hill, Politico and the Huffington Post. Lazarus writes frequently for the American Constitution Society’s ACS Blog and has published several ACS issue briefs.

Levy will argue that the Affordable Care Act allows unprecedented expansion of federal power, which debases individual liberty, rendering it unconstitutional. Levy founded CDA Investment Technologies, a major provider of financial information and software, and was its CEO until 1991. Levy received his Ph.D. in business at age 24, went to law school at age 50, and then clerked on the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. From 1997-2004, Levy was an adjunct professor of law at Georgetown University. He has written numerous articles on investments, law and public policy. His writing has appeared in the Washington Post, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, National Review, and many other publications.

Reinhardt will argue that the thinking behind the Affordable Care Act is sound and good policy because the health care system cannot correct itself and therefore the government needed to act. Recognized as one of the nation’s leading authorities on health care economics, Reinhardt has been a member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences since 1978. He is a past president of the Association of Health Services Research. From 1986-1995, he served as a commissioner on the Physician Payment Review Committee, established in 1986 by Congress to advise it on issues related to the payment of physicians. He is a senior associate of the Judge Institute for Management of Cambridge University, UK; and a trustee of Duke University and the Duke University Health System.

Cannon will argue that President Obama could have developed a law improving our health care system, making it affordable and more secure, through a bottom-up process of innovation. Prior to working with the Cato Institute, Cannon served as a domestic policy analyst for the U.S. Senate Republican Policy Committee under Chairman Larry E. Craig, where he advised the Senate leadership on health, education, labor, welfare and the Second Amendment. Cannon has appeared on ABC, CBS, CNN, CNBC, C-SPAN, Fox News Channel and NPR. Cited by the Washington Post as “an influential health-care wonk at the libertarian Cato Institute,” his articles have been featured in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, the Los Angeles Times, the New York Post, the Chicago Tribune, the Chicago Sun-Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, Huffington Post, Forum for Health Economics & Policy and the Yale Journal of Health Policy, Law and Ethics.

The Greenberg Speaker Series was created by Paul Greenberg ’65 to strengthen the ϲ presence in Washington, D.C., by bringing together alumni, friends and the Washington, D.C., community for a series of events led by world-class individuals who motivate, fascinate, challenge and inspire.

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SU hires regional manager for Dubai office /blog/2012/03/08/dubai-2/ Thu, 08 Mar 2012 18:27:16 +0000 /?p=33765 A new regional manager in Dubai is the latest investment by ϲ to further build on its established presence in the Arab Gulf. Sherlyn Sychua has been appointed the regional manager for advancement and external affairs/admissions. Sychua’s responsibilities include undergraduate recruitment and admissions, as well as general efforts to develop and maintain relationships with SU alumni and institutions in the Gulf.

The SU Dubai office was established to service the growing number of Gulf students applying to universities in the United States. Sychua will oversee the SU Dubai office, which opened in June 2011 to a delegation including Chancellor Nancy Cantor, Board of Trustees Chairman Richard L. Thompson and trustee Abdallah Yabroudi of Dubai, whose support helps make the Dubai office possible.

Sychua is quick to point out that she envisions the SU Dubai office as a chance to provide more than just the opportunity to reach prospective students. “I want to ensure that alumni in the region remain engaged and active and are given opportunities to connect with and support one another,” says Sychua.

Sychua brings more than five years of recruitment and counseling experience to SU Dubai. She previously served as a senior admissions counselor at an educational consultancy company based in Dubai.

The ϲ Dubai office is located at G30 Blk13 Knowledge Village, Dubai 500752 Dubai, UAE. It is open Sunday-Thursday, from9 a.m.-6 p.m. The telephone number is +97144336012; fax is +97144438935. Sychua can be reached via email at ssychua@syr.edu.

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SU capitalizes on presence in Arab Gulf /blog/2012/03/08/arab-gulf/ Thu, 08 Mar 2012 14:58:08 +0000 /?p=33767 Two admitted student receptions to be held in March

ϲ will host two events in the Arab Gulf in March as students from the region admitted to SU for the fall 2012 semester and their families will mingle with SU alumni in Dubai and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The first event is being hosted by the Al Agil family, which has referred a dozen students to SU.

“In recent years, interest among Gulf students to attend universities in the United States has grown significantly,” says Sherlyn Sychua, regional manager for advancement and external affairs/admissions.In fact, this year SU can boast that a record number of students applied to the University from the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.

“Many students and counselors believe it is difficult to apply to U.S. institutions,” says Sychua. “Now that I have the chance to assist them as they go through the process, I hope to build upon the early success we have already demonstrated.”

The receptions, which are modeled after those held in the United States, offer the opportunity for incoming students to meet SU alumni who can share their academic and social experiences. “Incoming students and parents get a glimpse into the learning environment,” says Sychua. “The first-hand perspective is invaluable.”

The Riyadh event will be held on Thursday, March 15, at 3 p.m. at Ammariya Farm. The Dubai event will be held on Thursday, March 22, at 7 p.m. at the Sheraton Jumeirah Beach Hotel. If you would like to attend one of these events, please contact the SU Dubai office at ssychua@syr.edu or +97144336012 in Dubai.

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‘Orange Pulp: The Pulp Magazine and Contemporary Culture’ exhibition at Palitz Gallery opens Feb. 13 /blog/2012/02/08/pulp-culture/ Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:09:29 +0000 /?p=32570 Rare in-depth exhibition includes first published fiction story by Tennessee Williams; first print appearances of Buck Rogers, Conan the Barbarian

Palitz Gallery at ϲ’s Lubin House in New York City presents “Orange Pulp: The Pulp Magazine and Contemporary Culture.” Orange Pulp, an exhibition rare in its scope, explores the world of pulp culture through 61 works that include correspondence, manuscript drafts, paintings and magazines. The exhibition draws from the collections of ’s Special Collections Research Center (SCRC) and the SUArt Galleries. The exhibition will be on view at the Palitz Gallery, 11 East 61st St. between Fifth and Madison avenues, from Feb. 13-April 12.

pulp“Orange Pulp: The Pulp Magazine and Contemporary Culture” includes many highlights such as “The Vengeance of Nitocris”, the first work fiction writer Tennessee Williams ever had published; magazines containing the first appearances of iconic characters Buck Rogers and Conan the Barbarian; and 10 paintings by the prolific artist Norman Saunders.

“When people learned I was coming to work at ϲ they told me I had to check out SU’s pulp magazine collection,” says pulp culture enthusiast Gary Shaheen, co-curator of the exhibition and SU alumnus. Shaheen, senior vice president at the University’s Burton Blatt Institute, has been a life-long collector of pulp magazines. “There has been a growing interest in pulp culture over the past few years and collectors are well aware that SU’s collection is one of the best in world. When I saw the collection for myself, I knew I wanted to contribute.” Shaheen donated the Weird Tales magazine that contains Williams’ first published work, along with several other magazines that will be on display.

The SCRC began its pulp magazine collection with the acquisition of the Street and Smith archive in 1967 and continued to acquire pulp through the acquisition of the A.A. Wyn (Ace Books), Hugo Gernsback and Forrest J Ackerman collections. Dozens of pulp magazines will be on display, notably titles like Weird Tales and Amazing Stories; a signed letter from Isaac Asimov to Astonishing Stories publisher Frederik Pohl, in which he tries to sell his science fiction short story; and correspondence with figures like Ray Bradbury are also included in this exhibition.

Pulp magazines, named for the cheap and abundant wood pulp that publishers began using after 1850 to print reading materials for a mass audience, sported eye-catching covers and included detective, adventure, western, horror, romance and science fiction stories. According to co-curator Sean Quimby, director of SCRC, “This was literature tailored to specific tastes, intended to entertain in predictable ways.” He notes: “Though the form of the pulp magazine died by 1960, the concept of pulp lived on in glossy, photo-dense magazines, paperback novels, comic books and film.” Quimby’s point is illustrated by the inclusion of several issues of the popular pulp magazine The Shadow, which originated on radio as the narrator of “Detective Story Hour.” Quimby maintains that pulp magazines, with their intensely involved readership, “helped make possible contemporary interactive media culture.”

Ten lush and dramatic paintings by Saunders from University Art Collections are also included in the exhibition. “The pulp magazine cover art paintings by Saunders are very striking and they illustrate wonderfully the imagination of the writers and stories that commonly appeared in these publications,” says Domenic Iacono, director of SUArt Galleries. “One can easily imagine how the Saunders cover art captured the eyes of potential buyers, made them stop for a moment and look at the magazine, and ultimately buy a copy for themselves. Much like those readers, I suspect people walking by will get swept into by the gallery when they have a look at one of the paintings inside.”

Exhibition hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday to Friday, and Saturday 11 a.m.-4 p.m. It is free and open to the public; contact 212-826-0320 or lubin@syr.edu for more information.

Kingma, Inc., which is owned and operated by Bruce and Susan Kingma, sponsored the exhibit and its accompanying guidebook.

Palitz Gallery, located in SU’s Lubin House, is the ϲ Art Galleries’ visual arts venue in midtown Manhattan. Opened in 2003, the gallery is made possible through the support of SU alumna Louise Palitz and her husband Bernard. Throughout the year, the gallery presents a variety of notable exhibitions from the University’s collection and private and museum collections.

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SU’s Department of Drama, Casting Society of America form premier training program /blog/2011/12/05/department-of-drama-casting-society-of-america-form-premier-training-program/ Mon, 05 Dec 2011 18:57:29 +0000 /?p=30722 Apprenticeship for select group of college students to begin spring 2012

The Tepper Semester program in the Department of Drama at ϲ’s (VPA) and the (CSA) announce a new premier training program partnership and apprenticeship. SU is the only institution of higher education to connect in such a meaningful and collaborative relationship with the CSA, the premier organization of theatrical casting directors in film, theater and television. The program, set to begin in the spring of 2012, is a joint effort to maintain a high standard of professionalism and artistic integrity within the field.

Tepper Semester“We could not ask for a better partner than the Casting Society of America and are excited that their talented members have agreed to share their expertise—in the classroom and in the real world—with the students in our program,” says Arielle Tepper Madover, SU alumna, trustee and Tepper Semester program founder. The semester-long immersion program is designed to provide drama students with rigorous training in New York City’s Theater District. “From the beginning, my vision for the Tepper program was to help drama students interested in all areas of the theater and entertainment industry to find their way and to be successful, and this partnership definitely expands that mission.”

Casting Society of America“When we learned about the intense immersion and training that takes place during the Tepper Semester program we knew right away that this was just the kind of collaboration we were looking to create,” says Pam Dixon, CSA president. “With the design of the new casting concentration, we are confident we are successfully preparing future casting directors.”

“Casting directors are an essential component to our business as artists,” says Ralph Zito, professor and chair of VPA’s Drama Department. “This collaboration provides the department with an opportunity to deepen the relationship between casting offices and other parts of the theater community and create a greater sense of synergy within the industry itself. The premier program will also mentor and educate young casting directors entering the profession.”

The syllabus for students in the casting concentration is being meticulously planned and the program itself is highly selective. Only four to six students per semester will be accepted. This will allow for an intimate, intense and focused training. Prospective students will be interviewed by Lisa Nicholas, director of the Tepper Semester, as well as a CSA committee member to ensure students are just the right fit and have the dedication needed to succeed in this competitive industry.

Marc Hirschfeld is a SU alumnus, former EVP of casting at NBC Universal Television and the owner of Hirschfeld Casting.Hirschfeld is linked to numerous hit shows, including the iconic “Seinfeld,” as well as “The Larry Sanders Show,” “Married with Children,” “That 70’s Show” and ABC’s newest hit comedy starring Tim Allen, “Last Man Standing.” “We want to find students who not only participate, but are able to ask ‘why;’ be an active participant,” says Hirschfeld.

Hirschfeld has been active in working with Nicholas to make the program as beneficial and successful as it can be for both partners. “There’s a long learning curve to be able to read a script and be able to say, ‘Hey, George Clooney would be the right fit for that role.’ We need someone who asks intelligent questions, someone genuinely interested in finding talent—going through agent submissions, reviewing video auditions. Our goal is simple. When they complete this semester, they will be ready to be an immediate asset to any casting office.”

The program has been designed specifically for casting students, including key professional components and some core courses with fellow Tepper students. Participants in the casting program will be trained on industry software such as the Cast It system. They will tour New York City museums, attend actor showcases around the city and see as many as two shows a week—about 28 shows in all—during their semester. Students will also receive special assignments like attending acting workshops and film festivals and going to improv clubs to scout out new talent. All of this is designed to develop their skills and instincts as future casting directors.

The final and perhaps most important component to the new casting concentration is the internships these students will have access to. Leading theatrical casting directors will participate, and currently signed are major companies like Warner Brothers, NBC and ABC as well as casting director heavyweight Tara Rubin Casting. “The exposure these select students will have in the casting world will provide a lifetime of benefits,” says Nicholas. “Graduates of the Tepper program will enter the field with established relationships, the skills, knowledge and confidence necessary to enter the profession and succeed.”

All student casting apprentices will be called upon to assist in preparing and delivering casting sessions.Students will be exposed to what it takes to evaluate a resume and to learn why or why not an actor was a smart selection for an audition. They will also interface with assorted industry reps, producers and actors, and be expected to present the most professional image for that casting office.

“Even in its infancy, this program is very much in line with Chancellor Nancy Cantor’s vision for Scholarship in Action,” says Zito. “These chosen students will be working in the world of casting, where the work they do will be framed in the larger context, and at the same time give them an opportunity to develop considerable communication and management skills. I look forward with great excitement to where this new path will lead the program.”

is the premier organization of theatrical casting directors in film, television and theater. Although it is not a union, its members are a united professional society that consistently sets the level of professionalism in casting on which the entertainment industry has come to rely. Its more than 490 members are represented not only in the United States, but also in Europe, Canada, Australia and South Africa.

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ϲ and The King Center announce The King Center Audio and Visual Digitization Project /blog/2011/11/16/martin-luther-king-jr-2/ Wed, 16 Nov 2011 14:44:39 +0000 /?p=30206 (The King Center) and announce The King Center Audio and Visual Digitization Project, a collaboration that will ensure that the slain civil rights leader’s legacy will be preserved for generations to come. Working with the Atlanta-based King Center, SU will preserve and digitize some 3,500 hours of audio and video footage of King.

“I am pleased to announce that The King Center has joined with ϲ for The King Center Audio and Visual Digitization Project,” says Martin Luther King III, president and CEO of the center. “This endeavor will enable people to see and hear my father deliver his message as he did more than 50 years ago, and preserve it for generations to come. With the generous support and encouragement of my dear friends Sam and Carol Nappi, and the technical expertise of the University, we are continuing to fulfill the mission of The King Center as the official living memorial to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and ensuring that his work toward freedom, justice and equality is as relevant today as ever.”

The King Center archive is the largest repository of primary source material on King and America’s civil rights movement in the world. Its collections include footage that few, including some members ofthe King family, have ever seen or heard. The center houses a number of unique holdings, like raw footage from various productions over the years. A 16 mm film of King speaking in ϲ in July 1961 was also discovered.The speech explores many of the themes that would emerge in his landmark 1963 “I Have a Dream” speech. The film at The King Center appears to be the only extant copy. There are also a large number ofunlabeled reels and canisters that may contain undiscovered footage.

To execute the project with the technical expertise of the ϲ Library, SU trustee Sam Nappi and his wife, Carol, have given their financial support to realize this venture. “This project is very special to me and Carol.It is a humbling experience to help preserve the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and empower The King Center to extend its mission to a new generation. It is also gratifying to join with my friend, Martin Luther King III, and ϲ to exclusively digitize and preserve historic audio and film of Dr. and Mrs. King,” says Sam Nappi, who is also a King Center trustee.

Challenges always present themselves in the preservation of historical media of the kind housed at The King Center, established by King’s widow, Coretta Scott King, in 1968. At almost 50 years old, even under the best care, excessive exposure to light, humidity and inconsistent temperature levels can be factors that contribute to the degradation of original media materials. The SU campusis home to the Belfer Audio Archive, now thefourth largest sound archive in the United States. The specially designed, climate-controlled facility makes SU a leader in the preservation of historical recorded sound.

The partnership was set in motion during an April meeting when Martin Luther King III and U.N. Ambassador Andrew Young visited the SU campus. It was then that Suzanne Thorin, dean of libraries and University librarian, and Sean Quimby, senior director of the Special Collections Research Center , introduced the guests to some of the library’s most valued possessions, including letters written by Frederick Douglass, Booker T. Washington and Malcolm X. They also played an audio file of veteran journalist Mike Wallace interviewing King. The conversation shifted very quickly to the world of media preservation.

The Nappis’ gift will be used to construct and staff a moving-image preservation laboratory in SU Library. Quimby will lead the three-year project and supervise a team that includes a media archivist, digitization technicians and student interns. According to Quimby, “We intend to build upon our existing expertise in preserving and digitizing historical sound recordings.” The library’s Belfer Audio Archive is among the nation’s pre-eminent sound archives and pioneered the preservation and digitization of Edison wax cylinders. The library team will catalog, repair and digitize a wide array of media, including reel-to-reel audiotape, 16 and 35 mm film, and a variety of obsolete video formats, for listening and viewing at The King Center.

“There is a proud tradition of inclusiveness and social justice at ϲ,” says Thorin. “Our partnership with The King Center honors that tradition. I am excited that our library has been selected for such an important task.”

The Special Collections Research Center of ϲ Library collects primary source material in a variety of media, including manuscript, print, illustration, photography, recorded sound and moving image, which support and enhance research and scholarship. Collections range in date from cuneiform tablets dating to 2000 BC to the “born-digital.”

The King Center envisions a world where the teachings of Martin Luther King Jr., are embraced by men and women of all colors and creeds, and regardless of culture or political philosophy. It is devoted to ensuring that his work toward freedom, justice and equality continues in the 21st century. Realizing that dream will require a new generation of change makers devoted to principles of nonviolence and personal empowerment, as well leaders from across sectors who believe, as King did, that poverty, injustice and war must be rendered obsolete.

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Alumni invited back to campus for Coming Back Together X /blog/2011/09/19/coming-back-together-x/ Mon, 19 Sep 2011 04:36:50 +0000 /?p=27058 Beginning Thursday, Sept. 22, Coming Back Together X (CBT X) celebrates its 10th anniversary and the staff in the Office of Program Development, led by its associate vice president, Larry Martin, is putting the finishing touches on the milestone event. Over the course of four days, CBT X aims to provide a multidimensional campus conference, reunion,and celebration of African American and Latino alumni and students.

cbtxCBT is held every third year on campus and this year’s theme, “Celebrating the Past and Shaping the Future,” will be explored through a series of programs, workshops and social events designed to engage the African American and Latino communities.

“We have put together a series of focused workshops that are timely and relevant to our community and we really think alumni coming to celebrate this milestone weekend will have their finest CBT experience to date,” says Martin, who sees the 10th anniversary as a sign that the African American and Latino communities at SU are now fully a part of SU’s legacy; but he’s not willing to become complacent. “African Americans and Latinos have to play a leadership role in shaping the kind of society that is just and fair. While we welcome the help and assistance of all fair-minded people, we can’t wait for others to chart our future or to shape our destiny.”

This is why attendees have the opportunity to attend panels such as “Saving our Black and Latino Boys” and “Reinventing Yourself in a Challenging Economy,” both taking place on Friday morning. They can also decide to attend CBT’s first-ever networking event on Saturday afternoon.

CBT has always provided attendees with a balance of thoughtfulness and fun and this year is no exception. “Our alumni have come to expect some great entertainment during CBT weekend and our Fiesta Latina night will not disappoint them,” says Martin. “We simply cannot wait for comedian Tommy Davidson and Latino singer Frankie Negrón to take the stage on Friday night. Goldstein Auditorium will be the place to be.”

Perhaps the most emotional part of the weekend will be during halftime of the Orange football game when Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee John Mackey ’63, who passed away in July, will be honored. “This will really be a poignant moment for fans and alumni. Mackey’s widow, Sylvia, and his family will take to the field along with Football Hall of Famer Floyd Little ‘67, Detroit mayor Dave Bing ’66 H ‘06, Athletic Director Daryl Gross and Chancellor Nancy Cantor. This will be the moment for everyone to celebrate Mackey’s life and legacy as one family,” says Martin, who goes on to say the tribute will continue Saturday night, during a gala dinner.

You can learn more about the dinner and the host of other activities taking place during the CBT X reunion, including the various workshops, a reception at the Chancellor’s residence and an art exhibition at Community Folk Art Center, by visiting .

The creation of the Office of Program Development introduced a new dimension to ϲ alumni relations. Established in 1982, the office develops advancement projects to further the University’s interest among African American and Latino alumni. Since its inception, the office has been responsive in addressing the concerns and needs of alumni and, wherever possible, currently enrolled students.

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