Say hello to the College of Fine Arts 2018 Outstanding Seniors. Each year, an outstanding senior from each of the academic units within the College of Fine Arts are nominated by their Department/School. This award recognizes the academic achievements, artistic and/or scholarly accomplishments, and their commitments to their areas. These oustanding seniors continue the CFA's tradition of sending strong creative leaders out into the art world. We have been honored to have you as students and will be looking on with excitement to see what you do in your next chapters. Congratulations to all of you!
DEPARTMENT OF ART AND ART HISTORY
Name: Scott Beadles
Majors (including emphases) and minors: English BA and Fine Arts BFA w/ Digital Imaging emphasis.
Hometown: Los Angeles, California.
Three words that describe you: Reclusive, introspective, and tall
Favorite CFA class or teacher: Joe Marotta’s Studio Photography (lighting technique/analysis) class provided me with a new set of tools and a new attention to light that translates throughout all of my photography work.
Most memorable moment at CFA: My most memorable moments include each time I reach a revelation. This follows with the ability to achieve or surpass what I initially set out to do.
What inspires you: Conviction.
Summary of major accomplishments both on and off campus: Carmen Morton Christensen scholarship winner (x2) // University of Utah College of Annual Student Art Exhibition (2016, 2017) // Group show at the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art // Capstone show at Draw Inc. Gallery.
One sentence that describes your work: Contemporary photographer/artist inspired by the surrealist painters and photographers drawing on the latent language of the unconscious and the engagement with dreams.
SCHOOL OF DANCE
Name: Shaniece Brazwell
Majors (including emphases) and minors: Modern Dance and minor in Nutrition
Hometown: Surprise, AZ
Three words that describe you: determined, passionate, and compassionate
Favorite CFA class or teacher: favorite professor is Stephen Koester
Most memorable moment at CFA: Being chosen to work with the Doug Varone Dance Company my senior year.
One thing you learned at CFA: While in the CFA, I learned to find value in every opportunity provided through the School of Dance through dance and lecture courses, guest artists as well as from other artistic disciplines outside of dance.
What inspires you: seeing unconventional artists thrive in their practice. Pushing beyond stereotypes of how they should look or work and continuing to develop a stronger creative voice.
Summary of major accomplishments both on and off campus: I performed in PDC in Eric Handman (2015) and Daniel Clifton’s (2016) work, danced in BSC (black social change) for a PBS special, worked with RDT’s Justin Bass in His work “You Can Sit with Us” and “A Bag of Nuts”, participated in the ongoing thesis work “Abject/Bodies” created by Yasin ‘Yaya’ Fairley at UMOCA, performed with Doug Varone and Dancers Dance Company, Choreographed on U of U dance students creating the work “whatever you want this to be...” and “Full Circle” and taught dance at a children’s summer camp.
One sentence that describes your work: My work explores play with musicality, strength with poise and precision.
SCHOOL OF MUSIC
Name: Kylie Lincoln
Majors (including emphases) and minors: B.Musical Instrumental Performance – Bassoon
Hometown: Saratoga Springs, Utah
Three words that describe you: Leader. Musician.Student
Favorite CFA class or teacher: Favorite CFA Class: Musical Theater and Society, Favorite Teacher: Lori Wike
Most memorable moment at CFA: The most memorable experience I had here at the University of Utah was when I was selected to travel with Dean Tymas-Jones and Assistant Dean Brooke Horejsi to Washington D.C. to participate in Arts Advocacy Day 2017. This experience was invigorating and exciting and helped me discover a passion for advocacy I didn’t know I had.
One thing you learned at CFA: How do I summon it up in one thing? Probably the most important thing that I got better at, through my classes in the CFA, is taking criticism and implementing feedback without letting it damage my self-esteem and drive.
What inspires you: As cliche as it sounds people inspire me. Everyone’s story is unique and beautiful, and that’s amazing to me.
Summary of major accomplishments both on and off campus: While at the University of Utah Kylie has played with the Wind Ensemble, Philharmonia, Campus Symphony, and several small ensembles. Kylie has also enjoyed conducting, as a drum major, for the Pride of Utah Marching Band and The Battalion Drum and Bugle Corps whichshe helped found. Kylie has been active in the College of Fine Arts as a member of the Emma Eccles Jones Fine Arts Leadership House and as an Emerging Leaders Intern. Kylie recently joined the Salty Cricket Composers Collective as an Administration Intern.
One sentence that describes your work: As an artist and leader in a polarized world, my work is about finding commonalities and making connections.
DEPARTMENT OF FILM & MEDIA ARTS
Name: Chris Anderson
Majors (including emphases) and minors: Film & Media Arts, Production Emphasis
Hometown: Provo, UT
Three words that describe you: Future ASC Cinematographer
Favorite CFA class or teacher: Grip & Lighting
Most memorable moment at CFA: Working on the crews for the short films in the Advanced Production class
One thing you learned at CFA: Push the rock every day
What inspires you: The creativity and generosity of my fellow film and music students
Summary of major accomplishments both on and off campus:
Directed three short films and served on the crews of ten others; Section Leader of the 2017-18 U of U Drumline; Marched twelve seasons of drumline (three of which at the U); Performed in seven Pac-12 stadiums, three NFL stadiums, and one baseball park
One sentence that describes your work: I am shooting a decades-long feature film about an ex-historian amateur philosopher turned slightly-more-than-part-time musician trying to make it big in the movie business.
DEPARTMENT OF THEATRE
Name: Martin C. Alcocer
Majors (including emphases) and minors: Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre with an emphasis in Stage Management
Hometown: Born in Mexico City and raised here in Salt Lake City
Three words that describe you: Dedicated, Compassionate, Leader
Favorite CFA class or teacher:
Favorite teacher (during my time here)- Jesse Portillo
Favorite Class- Advanced Stage Management
Most memorable moment at CFA: I’ve had many memorable moments and it is not easy to pick one. Out of all the things I have enjoyed during my time in the College of Fine Arts, my most memorable moments are those in which I had the opportunity to create and collaborate with my peers. There are two times in particular which took place over a period of a few weeks: one was during the Department of Theatre’s production of Hello, Dolly!, and the other was during the production of Steel Pier. Both are memorable for similar reasons. They were both fairly large productions, and because of the large scale, they were both high stress. Despite this, everyone in the room was committed to creating a great production. The experience I gained from each show was immense, and the memories created are unforgettable. Having the opportunity to work on these shows will be of the most memorable.
One thing you learned at CFA: During my time in the CFA, I learned about the power of networking, and the importance of balance. In this industry, networking is critical. The arts are often times heavily reliant on who you know. Having this knowledge early on has definitely aided me as I progressed through undergrad and started to build my network in Salt Lake and around the country. The other lesson I have learned is the need for balance. Even though I love what I do and am fortunate enough to be able to work doing what I love, I learned that only working was not healthy. You have to be able to step back and do something else, like spend time with family or friends, or have a hobby that is not related to work. Having learned this has greatly improved my stress levels, and I also feel like it has helped me better my craft.
What inspires you: A main component from where I find my inspiration is through the reactions that I, along with everyone else I work with on a project, are able to evoke from an audience. With theatre, or any other type of performance art where I have been fortunate enough to work, I have been able to see and hear the impact that we, as artists, have on people’s lives. Whether we take them away from their worries and stress through a production, or we are able to spark a conversation and debate, what I, and everyone in the arts is able to do, has an impact. Knowing that I have a part of this is what inspires me.
Summary of major accomplishments both on and off campus: While I was in the College of Fine Arts, I have had many fantastic opportunities. Within the Department of Theatre, I have worked, in some capacity, on nearly all of the productions whether it was as an electrician, light board programmer, or last-minute help. I also assistant stage managed and stage managed eight productions. I have been able to work at professional theatre companies, such as Salt Lake Acting Company and Pioneer Theatre Company, where I started in more entry level positions, like light board operator, and worked my way up to assistant stage manager on larger productions, such as The Count of Monte Cristo at PTC, or Saturday’s Voyeur at SLAC, where I even spent some time in the role of Stage Manager. I have also interned with Utah Opera on their production of Moby Dick. In addition to stage managing I have also assistant lighting designed at SLAC on Streetlight Woodpecker, Harbur Gate, and HIR. For the department, I designed lights for Love’s Labour’s Lost and Our Country’s Good. I currently work for Salt Lake County Center for the Arts as an On-Call Technical Director where I work at their various spaces, such as the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center, Capitol Theatre, and the new Eccles Theatre. In this position I ensure that their policies are followed, provide technical help, and verify that everything is done safely. Through this I have been able to interact with local art makers as well as with Broadway tours like, Something Rotten, An American in Paris, and Hamilton. Nationally, I have been a part of groups within the United States Institute for Theatre Technology (USITT), which is the largest organization for theatre, entertainment, and performing arts professionals involved in the areas of design, production and technology. I was a part of the Gateway program, which aims to promote equity, diversity, and inclusion in the industry as both a mentee and a peer mentor, and I was also a part of the Stage Management Mentorship Program. In the Stage Management Mentorship Program, I, along with twelve other students or young professionals from around the country and Mexico, was paired with a mentor who gave me the opportunity talk to and network with other stage managers who have worked on touring musical productions and opera, as well as with the Walt Disney Company, Cirque du Soleil, and on events like the Super Bowl. I was also assigned to stage manage the Keynote Address that opened the annual conference in Fort Lauderdale, FL this past March. I have also served as president of the University of Utah’s chapter of Young Designers and Technicians, a club which secures funding, and organizes the trip to send students to the USITT conference. conference. Through this club, we have sent between eight to fifteen students each year to attend the conference.
One sentence that describes your work: High quality work that is achieved and demonstrated through collaboration, strong communication, and the understanding that we are all human