Dear UNCG family,

I am very sad to share that Jon Smith, longtime director of UNCG’s Sculpture Foundry, died this past weekend.

Jon taught a variety of sculpture courses at UNCG and oversaw all aspects of the Foundry operations. Jon’s ties to UNCG ran deep; he was a double UNCG alumnus, earning a BFA in Art in 1995 and an MFA in Studio Art in 2004. After that, he became the Foundry director, guiding undergraduate and graduate students in welding steel, pouring molten bronze and aluminum, and building sculptures by hand. Jon also played a role in the new Foundry’s design during the construction of the Gatewood Studio Arts Building.

Many Spartans developed their artistic skills and their confidence as they worked in the Foundry with Jon’s guidance, care, and passion for teaching. He believed in the transformational power of doing art work.

“Some students come into the class afraid of fire or sparks, but some of those are the ones who get really into it,” Jon said in a 2018 UNCG Magazine feature. “They make something out of metal that’s solid and strong, and they never thought they could do something like that.”

Jon is remembered by colleagues as a talented artist, a reliable presence in the Foundry, a caring friend, and as someone who could repair almost anything.

Our thoughts are with Jon’s family, friends, former students, and colleagues, especially those in the College of Visual and Performing Arts, particularly, the School of Art, and in the large community of artists who knew Jon as a great friend.

Sincerely,
Franklin D. Gilliam, Jr.
Chancellor

Jon’s memorial service will be held at the Triad Funeral Home and Cremation, 2110 Veasley Street, Greensboro on Friday, May 22, at 2 pm

College of Visual and Performing Arts Dean bruce d. mcclung has announced the appointment of Tara Webb to the position of Lecturer in Costume Technology.

Webb comes to UNC Greensboro from Swarthmore College where she was the Costume Shop Manager and taught “Introduction to Media Design for Performance.” She also coordinated video installations and was an Artist-in-Residence at the Hacktory Makerspace in Philadelphia. Previously she taught “Costume Design for Film and Stage” at Philadelphia University. She has also presented a number of workshops including “Acting in Period Costume,” “Sustainability Advocacy,” and “The Art of Pounding Plants.” (more…)

College of Visual and Performing Arts Dean bruce d. mcclung has announced the appointment of Ken White to the position of Associate Dean for Academic Affairs for the College. He has been serving as Interim Associate Dean since July 2019.

White joined the theatre faculty of UNC Greensboro in 2013, teaching courses in lighting design, stage management, 2D and 3D computer-aided drafting, as well as a graduate and an undergraduate course in portfolio design and presentation for design and technical production students. From 2015 to 2016 he served as Interim Head of the Theatre Department and then returned to the faculty.

Before coming to UNC Greensboro, White taught and designed lighting at Louisiana State University where he was a tenured professor in lighting design and stage management, as well as a regular lighting designer for departmental productions and the University’s Equity theatre company Swine Palace. In 2012, he was the Lighting Designer and Sound/Video Engineer for a worldwide premiere of Dante at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Edinburgh Scotland and the lighting designer for the 2012 Regional’s Competition of the movie Pitch Perfect. White also taught at East Carolina University (ECU) where he was a tenured professor and the area coordinator of both the Design and Production, and Stage Management concentrations, as well as the Production Manager and Lighting Designer for the ECU/Loessin Summer Theatre.

White is a member of United Scenic Artists Local 829, and his designs have been seen in theatres across the southeast including at The Arkansas Repertory Theatre, The Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre, Arrowrock Lyceum Theatre, Birmingham Summerfest, Cape Fear Regional Theatre, Cumberland County Playhouse, The Dogwood Dell Amphitheater, Tallahassee Little Theatre, and Triad Stage. He received the Richmond News Leader’s Phoebe Award for Best Lighting Design for a Play for his lighting design of for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf.

White holds an MFA in Design from the University of Texas at Austin.

Please join us in welcoming Ken White as Associate Dean for Academic Affairs!

The School of Music held a livestreamed celebration to announce award winners and honor the Class of 2020 on Friday, May 8, 2020. The video of remarks from Dr. Dennis AsKew, Director of the School of Music, a performance from the 2019-20 Presser Scholar Robert Bohinski, and the names and degrees earned for each graduate are below. Congratulations, Class of 2020!

We hope that you will be able to visit us on campus very soon. In the meantime, please enjoy this virtual tour of the School of Music!

Producers: Brad McMillan, Dennis AsKew
Narrator: Anamarie Diaz
Music: Beethoven – Choral Fantasy performed by the UNCG Symphony Orchestra and Choirs; Annie Jeng, piano; Voice Faculty soloists