Believe in the G is UNCG’s day of giving. It occurs in February of every year and spans a 48-hour period. Over the course of these two days, UNCG seniors, alumni, faculty, staff, parents and friends are encouraged to support the area of UNCG they care about most with a gift of any size. The goal of this 48-hour giving period is to achieve more gifts than ever before in any single two-day counting period, and to spread the Spartan spirit far and wide.

The goal is to have everyone:

1) Wear blue and gold to show Spartan spirit.
2) Share with the world why you love UNCG.
3) Make a gift of any size to support the area of campus you care about most.

WHEN AND WHERE:

#BelieveintheG 2018 will take place around the world, wherever there are UNCG alumni, parents, friends, faculty and staff, on Wednesday, February 21 through Thursday, February 22. A celebration will take place on Friday, February 23 at the Spartan Spot at the Men’s Basketball game that evening.

ALL GIFTS COUNT, YOU DECIDE HOW:

Go to Believe in the G and donate now.  You’ll be allowed to choose from a list of designations.  Then smile and share the news with a selfie on your favorite social media!

The Institute for Visual Studies at James Madison University welcomes art alumnus David R. Modler back to campus along with colleague Samuel H. Peck for workshops and the reception of their exhibition titled Draw and Play Here: The tet[R]ad Project, which will be on display at IVS from January 29-March 16.

At the Heart of the Immigration Story

As Congress and the White House focus on immigration legislation, UNCG’s Lorena Guillén has been steadfastly shining a spotlight of her own and getting to the heart of the matter.

Guillén, a performer and professor of Musicology, is a highly awarded singer, song-writer and conductor.  A native of Buenos Aires, she had been looking for a way to engage with the community, and to help Latina women share the stories of their journeys from their countries of origin to North Carolina.

“I am an immigrant, a Latina, and I want to use my art to give voice to other women like me.  The music I’ve done has always been leading me to this.”

And so, The Other Side of My Heart was born.  Guillén, and her husband, Alejandro Rutty, who also teaches at UNCG’s School of Music, wrote the piece which is a musical-visual artwork composed of songs and recorded conversations with six women who shared and reflected about their dreams and fears while evaluating the things they gained and lost

Guillén says the music and story, performed by her Tango Ensemble, transcend politics and stereotypes.

“This is not an openly political piece- and we are not preaching- some people find the topic of immigration to be uncomfortable.  But these topics can appeal to not just immigrants.  They are the concepts of home and the value of friendship.”

Guillén and The Tango Ensemble have performed The Other Side of My Heart around the Triad and she says it has been well-received by audiences everywhere.

“This is an humble piece but it presents an opportunity to open dialogue.  Music opens that kind of space.  It allows people to relax and listen differently.”

If you’d like to learn more about Guillén’s work, here are two local opportunities or you may visit the project online using the links below:

Mon., Jan. 22nd, 2018, 5 PM, SOM building, room 217: Talk-Presentation of the “The Other Side of My Heart” project (Conversation with the artistic creator and representatives of immigrant support organizations of the Triad)

Sat., Jan 27th, 2018, 8 PM, UpStage Cabaret at Triad Stage: Concert Album Release of “The Other Side of My Heart” with the Lorena Guillén Tango Ensemble

https://www.lorenaguillen.com/the-other-side-of-my-heart

https://www.facebook.com/Lorena-Guillen-Tango-Ensemble-273738792760903/

www.lorenaguillen.com

GREENSBORO, N.C. — Heralded as both a steward for the artistic traditions of classical music as well as a visionary for its future, collaborative pianist and coach Arlene Shrut has been appointed to the artist faculty of the UNCG School of Music where she will serve as Vocal Coach.

Dr. Shrut’s appointment is made possible through a generous grant from The Sorel Organization. The mission of The Sorel Organization is to create opportunities for women in composition, conducting, piano, voice and film scoring. The group presented Arlene with its first Sorel Legacy Medallion, an award that honors the work of female artists whose careers reflect lifetime achievement in music through performance, training, or service.

Hailed by The New York Times as a “strong and sensitive pianist,” she performs with the elite performers of today while training the musicians of tomorrow. Arlene has collaborated with Renée Fleming, Thomas Hampson, Angela Meade, Isabel Leonard, Carla Rae Cook, Michael Fabiano, Anton Belov, Alissa Deeter, and Takaoki Onishi.

As an educator, Arlene currently serves on the Senior Coaching Faculty of The Juilliard School’s Marcus Institute for Vocal Arts as well as the Vocal-Piano Recital Faculty at Manhattan School of Music. In May 2016, Arlene was honored for her twenty-five years of service as a faculty member of The Juilliard School. While on the faculty of the Aspen Music Festival, she taught classes and coached productions centering on Mozart and German operas. Arlene also coached for Wagner’s Ring Cycle for Arizona Opera. Arlene also served as head of the Accompanying Department at Syracuse University and on the Evening Division Faculties of The Juilliard School and Mannes College. In 2003, Classical Singer magazine named Arlene the inaugural “Coach of the Year.”

As a musical visionary, Arlene has been at the forefront of music’s changing landscape to advance training, generate opportunities, and create innovative solutions to promote classical music.

Read more at arleneshrut.com