Displaying items by tag: Scholarships

The Dean's Office is excited to announce that applications for College of Fine Arts Scholarships for the 2023-2024 academic year are live! Apply now! 

Please find the online application, deadline, and scholarship criteria for each specific scholarship here. Recipients of each scholarship will be notified before May 2023.  Funding your college with outside resources is one of the best ways to create the time and resources needed to be successful in College. Start working on your scholarship applications early!  Former Create Success Interns Abby Davis, Mason Henrie, Matthew Rudolph, and Lia Wong created this quick video to give you effective tips for navigating the scholarship application process.  Check it out!

The Dean's Office is excited to announce that applications for College of Fine Arts Scholarships for the 2022-2023 academic year are live! Apply now! 

Please find the online application, deadline, and scholarship criteria for each specific scholarship here. Recipients of each scholarship will be notified before May 2022. 

Funding your college with outside resources is one of the best ways to create the time and resources needed to be successful in College.  Start working on your scholarship applications early!  

Former Create Success Interns Abby Davis, Mason Henrie, Matthew Rudolph, and Lia Wong created this quick video to give you effective tips for navigating the scholarship application process.  Check it out!

You can find all of the College of Fine Arts College-wide Scholarships, including due dates and application links here: https://finearts.utah.edu/students/current-undergraduates/scholarships

By April Goddard

On the surface, the four children of Leroy and Naomi Robertson share little in common. With distinct personalities, temperaments, and goals, each pursued a unique life path.

But on one front they stand united: respect for their father, Utah composer and former U Department of Music chair Leroy Robertson (1896-1971). They also care deeply about preserving his musical legacy.

The Robertson siblings - Marian, Renee, Karen, and Jim - have over five decades invested countless hours and resources to build the Leroy Robertson Foundation, an endowment in the U School of Music.

Most recently, Karen, the third Robertson child, became the second to pledge a significant legacy gift to the Robertson Foundation.

“If I have the ability to help kids who are struggling to finish school with a scholarship, why wouldn’t I?” explained Karen (BS, ’62).

In 1970, family, colleagues, and friends sought to honor Robertson and continue his groundbreaking work to develop a world-class music department by establishing the Robertson Foundation endowment. Fifty years later, the next generation – the grandchildren of Leroy and Naomi – now lead the charge.

The Robertson Foundation has reached close to $500,000. In real terms, that means $18,000 a year for scholarships, prizes, fellowships, and performances. All four siblings, through ongoing gifts, the assignment of Robertson composition royalties, and a generous estate gift from the eldest sister, Marian, made this possible.

A renowned, award-winning Utah composer, Robertson served as Department of Music chair from 1948-1962. He ushered in its modern years by expanding the curriculum of study, instituting a doctoral program, and securing Gardner Hall as its home. Thanks to him, the Department of Music received accreditation by NASM in 1952.

“If I have the ability to help kids who are struggling to finish school with a scholarship, why wouldn’t I?”

Karen was 10 when Robertson came to the U. She remembers watching orchestra rehearsals in building 440, a former army barracks near today’s LDS Institute of Religion. She played double bass in performances with the Utah Symphony of his Book of Mormon Oratorio at the Salt Lake Tabernacle. An education major in college, she earned almost as many credits in music and art.

“My father was deeply religious, highly educated, and very devoted to his family and his work. Karen explained. “His impact on me was profound because of who he was.”

Both accomplished and goal-driven, Leroy and Naomi Robertson raised a family of high achievers. Karen found success as a musician, artist, business woman, community leader, and mother.

[My mom] had big dreams. It didn’t matter that she was a woman. Or that her culture told her not to,” said daughter Lynne Nilson. Both of Karen’s parents influenced the woman she became.

Karen’s legacy gift to the U comes from a place of love. For her father, for her family, for the next generation of musicians, and for the University where she spent so much of her formative years.


The College of Fine Arts, along with the University of Utah, is celebrating Legacy Giving in the month of October! 
Click here to learn more about legacy giving, and to discover remarkable stories of how donors have created lifetimes of impact across campus. 

Roger Thompson on The Art of Giving

Colleen Thompson (BS '62) perpetually wished she had taken her musical talents further. 

While she took piano lessons in childhood and sang beautifully, Colleen never had a cheerleader who helped her develop them.

When she married Roger Thompson (JD '67), who she’d met in high school, she decided “I am going to have a big family and they’re going to be able to play music,” her daughter, Jenny Corbett, explained.

The Thompsons achieved that goal. All seven of their children, and most of their 28 grandchildren, play at least one musical instrument. And music takes center stage in family traditions and events.

“It’s been a part of our lives, not necessarily on a professional level, but it’s been a part of our family,” said Roger.

This spring, Roger established the Colleen Kelly Thompson Endowed Music Scholarship to help young people pursue music at the U. It honors Colleen and her lifelong commitment to music and helping others.  When Colleen passed away in August 2020, she and Roger had recently celebrated their 56th wedding anniversary.

“It was her insistence that the kids had music. She was the one that drove them to lessons, encouraged them to practice...she was the backbone of our family. So, it was natural to create the endowment in her name,” said Roger. 

Colleen, or “the Little General” as she called herself, orchestrated the daily complexities of getting seven children to play musical instruments. But Roger was as committed behind-the-scenes.Roger and Colleen's grandchildren sing at her funeral service, August 2020

Roger studied history at Yale University and earned a law degree at the University of Utah, both on scholarship. After working briefly in law, he and lifelong friend Jim Michie built over 48 years a successful real estate partnership, now TM Equities. Along the way, Roger always made time for music.

His mother introduced Roger to music with piano lessons in elementary school. By junior high, he’d migrated to the clarinet and saxophone. Roger played in his first band – jazz - in junior high. He learned to love instrumental music while studying clarinet with Utah Symphony clarinetist and East High Orchestra Director Dow Young.

“You’re not really truly well-educated unless you have appreciation for the arts. They add so much to your life. We need the School of Music; we need artists; they add to our overall well-being as a society.”

At Yale, Roger sang in vocal ensembles for the first time. He got into its world-renowned all-men a cappella group, The Yale Alley Cats. Later, Roger was asked to join the exclusive, 14-member Whiffenpoofs. Singing gave Roger community at Yale.

“We’d practice and then go eat together, travel for gigs. It was like a fraternity; they were my friend group,” Roger said. Music opened up other opportunities. The “Whiffs” sang nationally and internationally, not to mention their weekly gigs at the notorious Yale Club, Mory’s.

It didn’t stop at Yale. When Thompson returned to Utah to study law at the U, he found time sing in a quartet. And later, he would sing in the world-famous Tabernacle Choir. Today, he directs music at his church. And, of course, he plays and sings in their family’s highly-anticipated annual Christmas concert.

A decade ago, Roger and Colleen joined the School of Music Advisory Board and expanded their support of young musicians. As major sponsors of the Camerata Awards Gala, they funded scholarships, instruments, and integrated learning opportunities.

In 2020, Roger and Colleen were honored with the 20th annual Camerata Award for their extraordinary generosity and service. A private celebration was held in the Thompson’s garden just days prior to Colleen passing.

By Katie McLaughlin and Merinda Christensen

U Giving Day is on it's way! On February 23 - 24, an 1,850-minute fundraising celebration will take over the University of Utah campus! This is the third university-wide giving event that challenges students, alumni, staff, faculty, parents, patients, and friends to imagine more for the University of Utah and the programs dear to their hearts.

This year, every dollar raised for the College of Fine Arts will go toward student scholarships across our five academic units. This financial support is integral to supporting recipients as they pursue their degrees. 

To express just how valuable support is at this time, we connected with students to find out how scholarship support has changed their experience for the better. 

Here’s what our students had to say about the value of scholarships:

“This scholarship means that I have more time to devote to my studies instead of trying to balance work and school. It also allows me to spend money on making my art, especially when the visual arts are often a very material/supply-based degree, instead of using all my savings towards tuition.  Importantly, it helps pay for department fees for use of equipment to work on projects like my recent short film noir.”
-Emily Gardner, Department of Film & Media Arts 

“My scholarship has shown me that there are people invested in me and my future. I can't tell you how encouraging it is to know that there are generous donors that have faith in my talent. This knowledge pushes me every day to work harder. My scholarship has opened a lot of financial doors and given me much more freedom in my academic career at the University of Utah. It has allowed me the comfort and stability to work towards my degree, to which I am immensely grateful.”
-Emily Hansen, School of Music 

“Receiving the Fine Arts Advisory Board Scholarship has made it possible for me to fully emerge myself in my studies without splitting my time with a part time job. Receiving financial support to attend college gives me the opportunity to fully commit to projects like dance performances. This is an honor, a privilege, and essential to my development as a performing artist. This scholarship has opened a world of opportunities for me that wouldn't have been possible otherwise.”
-Allison Schuh, School of Dance

“Because of my scholarship, I've explored aspects of theatre, performance, and production that I wouldn't have sought out otherwise. Through my scholarship, I interface more with the students and faculty in the Department of Theatre. With more time, I serve as a member of the Student Advisory Committee, I am the treasurer of a student production organization Open Door, and I am rehearsing my second main stage production this Spring!” 
-Hannah Keating, Department of Theatre

“Without the Fine Arts Advisory Board scholarship, it would've been very difficult to finish my bachelor's degree. Between the scholarship and Financial Aid, I didn't owe any tuition out of pocket this semester, so I can dedicate more effort to my opera studies. Being awarded the FAAB scholarship makes me see just how much I can accomplish if I focus and get the work done.”
-Jacquelyn Musig, School of Music 

“I can invest so much more time into my filmmaking and the organizations that support film students, such as the Film Production Club and ADTHING Video at Student Media. I am happy knowing that my hard work is appreciated. I am currently in that awkward part of my career where I am working on building up my reel and portfolio, which usually means investing more into production than getting out of it. The financial support eases that burden greatly.”
-Cayden Turnbow, Department of Film & Media Arts

“My scholarships mean that I can continue to get an education and participate in my major in a way that is almost impossible without help. Financial support demonstrates the passion for education from many people I may or may not know. If I did not have these scholarships, I could not afford to take off as much time as I have to gain the experience and have the hands-on training that my program offers.”
-Emily Beatse, Department of Theatre

SUPPORT THE COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS THIS GIVING DAY!

*Authors Katie McLaughlin and Merinda Christensen are Emerging Leaders Interns with ArtsForce. 

We often talk about arts and experience together because the two are so inextricably linked. The arts — and particularly theatre — are driven by personal narrative. They are reflections of it, and are fueled by it.

In fact, the richness of human experience is the muse of theatre. This is why the University of Utah Department of Theatre is so deeply committed to increasing the vitality of our student community by expanding resources for underrepresented students. Our goal is to foster programs where stories and perspectives from all backgrounds thrive, and where all people pursuing theatre education are welcomed, included, and celebrated.

As part of the work towards this ongoing goal, the Department of Theatre seeks to establish an endowed scholarship to benefit students from traditionally underrepresented communities who have demonstrated a commitment to increasing representation in the theatre arts. Through your generosity, students can pursue their degrees — whether in Actor Training, Musical Theatre, Performing Arts Design, Stage Management, Theatre Teaching, or Theatre Studies — with fewer financial barriers to their creative success. 

We know that the availability of scholarships is a powerful factor when students choose the institution where they will invest their time, talents, and resources. We are taking this important step to increase access for the promising students whose uniqueness will be valued and inevitably enrich our vibrant community.

This renewed effort reflects the urgency of these questions on a national and local level, and has been catalyzed by student voices as they engage our faculty and staff in conversations around expanding access and fostering diversity in the Department of Theatre. An endowed scholarship is one element of a multi-pronged approach that seeks to directly address these concerns for the sake of current and prospective students.

Today through December 16th, your  contribution gets us closer to the $5,000 goal. Every dollar counts! Thanks for your support.

LEARN MORE AND GIVE!

By Emeri Fetzer 

On July 17th, musicians from around the country will come together to create an online musical experience in honor of their colleague and friend, Jed Moss, commemorating the first anniversary of his untimely death.  

This endeavor is an apt tribute to a musician who collaborated so brilliantly with artists across a range of abilities and styles. He elevated the musicianship of everyone he worked with. Jed Moss with members of Air Supply

To honor Jed Moss through an evening of music is not only fitting, but profoundly healing in challenging times. “It reminds us, at a time when we have all lost work due to COVID-19 and are struggling, why we have chosen to make music in the first place,” said childhood friend and lifelong musical colleague, soprano Leslie Mauldin. 

Jed’s colleagues planned to establish an annual memorial concert in his honor long before the coronavirus pandemic. They wanted to not only celebrate his life and work, but to foster musical collaboration and raise funds for a collaborative piano endowed scholarship in his name. 

Then in early March, musicians quickly saw performances and gigs dry up for the foreseeable future due to social distancing measures. Often living paycheck to paycheck, they confronted the destruction of their livelihoods, while facing the inability to practice the artform they dearly love. 

They decided to move the Jed Moss Memorial Concert online to uplift both artists and audiences.

“It reminds us, at a time when we have all lost work due to COVID-19 and are struggling, why we have chosen to make music in the first place.”

For Mauldin, planning the concert has been cathartic, offering a chance to channel vivid memories through music. As he did in person, remembering Jed has allowed his friends to revisit why they love music. “Even in the midst of the worst, most trying rehearsals, he was always able to bring that innocence and freshness into a professional space,” explained Mauldin. 

Mauldin and her daughter, fellow soprano Micaela Gage Hulsey, will sing “Sull’aria… che soave zeffiretto” from Mozart’s "Le nozze di Figaro," a piece she and Jed have long loved. Paying this tribute to “Uncle Jed” has helped both of them grieve. “When we sing it feels like the heart of our family has Jed in it,” said Mauldin. “His music touched Micaela's life and touched her phrasing, and that never goes away.” 

Like so many of Moss’s collaborators, Mauldin is forever impacted by the soul of Moss’ musical ability. 

“Jed’s greatest legacy is the way he deeply understood a collaborative phrase. It’s his phrasing that I will always miss -- I reach for it. Having had it almost all my life, I feel like now I’ve had some kind of artistic amputation, something missing, a phantom phrase I can still hear and feel.” 

Friend and flutist Tina Castellanos said, “What Jed knew about music, and the kind of person he was, has made me a better person and musician. He made everyone feel like you were his best friend, like you were the only person in the room.” 
Jed Moss and Tina Castellanos performing "Deep Blue"

The concert includes footage of Castellanos and Moss performing Ian Clarke’s “Deep Blue”  in a 2018 recital. An ethereal and melodic composition, the piece was one of many the pair chose in an evening themed around the ocean. 

When Jared Oaks, Music Director of Ballet West, first heard Jed Moss in concert at BYU he thought, “Finally, someone who plays with the kind of tone and musicality I aspire to." When the two later connected through Salt Lake City musical circles, especially at Ballet West, they became good friends. 

“One of my fondest memories was working with [Jed] on Fritz Cohen's two-piano score to 'The Green Table,' an immensely powerful ballet by Kurt Jooss,” Oaks recalled. “Jed could melt into the music and into the ensemble, because his ego never stood in the way. I think that's one of the attributes that made his musical expression personal, powerful, and pure. Jed always seemed to be in a state of discovery.” 

For the memorial concert, Oaks decided to honor their common background with his arrangement of the hymn "All is Well." He was inspired by Utah music greats Grant Johannesen and Leroy Robertson. 

Violinist Will Hagen was in awe of Moss’s versatility, and also his humility. “He had a naturally eloquent way of playing that did not at all seem like a decision to try and sound a certain way -- so off the cuff and natural, but so polished at the same time.”  

In his many opportunities to collaborate and perform with Moss, Hagen remembers feeling deeply valued. They played together on an instrumental track for Air Supply, thanks to Moss’ recommendation.

“He never talked about this, but he was a literal rockstar,” Hagen said. “He had been to Myanmar, Burma, every country in South America...he was unbelievably well-traveled and yet he would ask me about my experiences and perspective. Even though he was older than me, much more experienced than me, he always made me feel so good about myself.” Will Hagen and Jed Moss

Hagen and his wife, violinist Andrea Ashdown, will honor Moss through a work for two violins by black composer Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges. Hagen respected Moss' unfailing championship of diverse composers, especially those who were lesser known or celebrated. Hagen knows his late friend and mentor would appreciate the selection. 

These voices represent the countless musical collaborators, friends, and family who miss Jed Moss deeply, and are eager to preserve and promote his passion for the craft, and his zest for life. 

As Mauldin explained, “Musicians can heal worlds in times like we are experiencing. It’s where we go. We write, we produce, we create. We rage against sadness with music.” 

The Jed Moss Memorial Concert will air online on the U School of Music’s YouTube channel at 7:00 PM on Friday, July 17th. While free of charge, gifts to the Jed Moss Collaborative Piano Scholarship are welcome and encouraged. The program will include archival footage alongside new performances. 

Once established, the Jed Moss Collaborative Piano Scholarship Endowment will be the only scholarship that specifically supports students studying collaborative piano at the University of Utah School of Music. To date, $14,000 of the $25,000 needed to establish the endowment has been raised. Jed’s colleagues hope to raise an additional $5,000 through this concert. 

The Department of Film & Media Arts is one of the fastest growing areas on campus with 700+ students. The youngest academic unit within the College of Fine Arts, the department has grown significantly since its inception a decade ago.

Now, in 2019, the department boasts world class faculty, wide access to professional equipment, customizable courses of study, and a connected relationship with the larger film and media arts community in Utah. Through holistic education that includes history, theory, and practice, students gain expertise in all areas of film and media arts from narrative, documentary and experimental filmmaking to traditional and computer animation, to emerging technologies in virtual and immersive reality. And recently, the Department of Film & Media Arts was ranked in the top 5% of film programs nationwide, according to a College Factual 2019 report.  Check out the story of this department on the rise. 


As our program rapidly develops, we strive to match that growth with increased scholarship opportunities for our students. To that end, we have created a crowdfunding campaign that runs until Dec. 20th (that's only 10 more days!) 
Just click below. 
*Drs. Kent and Martha DiFiore have generously pledged to match every donation, dollar for dollar, up to $5,000! This means that your gift is doubled! 

SUPPORT FILM & MEDIA ARTS STUDENTS TODAY

By Emeri Fetzer

Artist Jim Michie may have 65-70 original paintings in his collection, but he has 8,000 more in his imagination, waiting to be brought to fruition.

“The world is so full of beauty,” Michie said. From colorful landscapes and faces of beloved family members, to a particularly striking Australian shepherd catching the light just right, the ordinary images filling Michie’s days are what he finds most extraordinary, and is compelled to capture on canvas.

Next week in the Alvin Gittins Gallery, the Department of Art & Art History  will open an exhibit of over 30 Michie originals. Paintings, sketches, and watercolors that typically hang in the homes of his children and grandchildren will be on display to showcase a body of work in development since 1982.

A graduate of Yale University in Economics and Stanford Business School, Michie cultivated a creative practice as a relaxing avocation alongside a bustling career in the real estate business.

“I had five kids, a church calling, and of course business was the main thing,” Michie explained. “But when I could, I would doodle, draw or do a painting.” 

In the moments he sets aside to paint, Michie experiences not only a sense of calm, but also the extreme focus that artists for ages have chased and harnessed: the “zone,” the creative flow, that mysterious state of full presence of mind, free from distraction.

“You’re painting along and you just don’t want to quit, because it’s like a puzzle you are putting together. Pretty soon it’s 2 AM and you realize you have a business meeting in 6 hours” Michie said.

Entirely self-taught through instructional books drawing and painting, Michie has honed his artistic skill through consistent practice and detailed observation of other visual artists he admires. Specifically, in portraits, he is driven to find accuracy in color, shapes and line. 

“If it doesn’t look like the subject, it just isn’t cutting it,” he confessed. “You’ve got to get the cheek right, you’ve got to get the eye color right…I’ve learned to do the eyes last because they can be so tricky.”

And to the question of when a work is complete, he simply said, “you have to quit when you know there are some mistakes in there, and when you are tired of it for sure.”

Because art has meant so much to Jim personally, he is inspired to support those with a similar devotion. In addition to his continuous philanthropic efforts in the School of Music, Michie has recently established an endowed scholarship in the Department of Art & Art History for emerging practitioners. “It excites me that there are artists there that may need a boost. I had financial help in college and very much appreciated it. I am devoted to the arts. It’s fun to know and to see students go! They are so passionate about what they do. We need that in our culture.” 

And “see students go” Jim certainly will. Being a life-long real estate developer, Michie understands the value of creating spaces for impactful work and the longevity of sustaining large projects. The James R. and Nanette S. Michie Foundation has pledged financial support for a new named reception space in the continuing capital campaign efforts of the College of Fine Arts.

Congratulations to Eva Rauf and Diego Torres, 2019 recipients of the James R. and Nanette S. Michie Endowed Scholarship in Art & Art History!

Come and visit the Jim Michie Exhibition
November 14 – 22, 2019
Alvin Gittins Gallery  

You are cordially (nay, enthusiastically!) invited to join us to celebrate the College of Fine Arts at the CFA Gala.

On September 25th, Kingsbury Hall will fill to the brim as current students, faculty and staff, alumni, generous donors, and valued members of our community join together to celebrate a vibrant history and a promising future.

The new CFA Gala combines the former Distinguished Alumni Awards and Scholarship Event in one exuberant evening, celebrating generations of success under one roof -- complete with exciting performances and highlights of the creative work and research of our talented students and faculty.

Here’s all you need to know:
Doors open at 6:30 pm
Gala show starts at 7 pm
Dessert reception to follow

“Kayak”
Performed by School of Music Jazz Ensemble students 

Art & Art History presentation
Professor V. Kim Martinez 

DRACULA, THE MUSICAL (excerpts)
'How Do You Choose'
'Fresh Blood'
Performed by Musical Theatre Program students 

“Le Jardin Anime”
Performed by Ballet students

Film & Media Arts student film "Tea Time”
by Taylor Mott and Lorena Mendoza 

Dessert reception to follow -- (that’s right, FREE dessert.) 
Classy comfortable attire (wings optional)

Please let us know by September 18, 2019 if you’ll be in attendance: .

And since you are curious, a bit about our fantastic 2019 Distinguished Alumni:
 
TAUNA HUNTER, Legacy Award

Tauna Hunter is a retired Professor and Chair of Dance at Mercyhurst University (1994-2019). She began her dance training with Willam F. Christensen and continued at the University of Utah where she earned her BFA and MFA degrees in ballet performance and choreography.

During her affiliation with Ballet West, she worked under the guidance of Bruce Marks and Toni Lander and received critical acclaim as one of the company’s leading ballerinas. She toured internationally and danced as a guest artist with numerous regional companies throughout the United States.

In 1985, she co-founded DANSOURCE, a national networking and information service that connected dancers and companies for over ten years. As its’ Managing Director, she was highlighted in “Megatrends 2000” and featured in “Success” Magazine as a trendsetter in the future of the arts.

Ms. Hunter has appeared in all the major roles of the classical repertoire and has taught for companies, universities and private schools throughout the United States and in China. She has staged numerous full-length classical ballets and choreographed over twenty-five contemporary works. For 10 years she acted as Guest Artist in Residence for the Interlochen Arts Academy summer dance program. She has been honored with the Chautauqua Artist Teacher Award, Erie Arts and Culture Life Time Achievement Award, and was highlighted in the July 2017 issue of Dance Teacher Magazine. She served on the University of Utah Artistic Advisory Council and currently serves on the Advisory Boards of Ballet Concerto (TX) and Dance Now Miami! (FL). She acted as artistic advisor to Lake Erie Ballet for eighteen years as well as serving as President and Chairman of the board for the Erie Dance Consortium (Erie, PA) from 2000-2010. She is an active member of DanceUSA, the CORPS de Ballet International and serves on the boards of Erie Arts and Culture and the National Association of Schools of Dance.

Ms. Hunter has been married to Michael S. Gleason for 32 years and they have a 25-year-old daughter, Caitlin. She enjoys traveling with her family, gardening and spending the cold months in their pied à terre in Florida. As a breast cancer survivor, she actively supports breast cancer awareness.

CLAYBOURNE ELDER, Horizon Award

Claybourne Elder is a Drama Desk and Lucille Lortel nominee. Originally from Springville, Utah, he earned his Bachelor's degree in dramaturgy and directing from the University of Utah. He starred on Broadway in “Bonnie and Clyde,” “Sunday in the Park with George” (with Jake Gyllenhaal) “Torch Song” and “Sondheim on Sondheim” at the Hollywood Bowl. He can be heard on the cast recordings of “Bonnie & Clyde,” “Road Show,” “Venice” and “Sunday in the Park with George.”

Off-Broadway, Elder appeared in the original companies of Stephen Sondheim's “Road Show,” Tennessee Williams' “One Arm” (Drama Desk Nomination Best Actor), and in the revivals of “Allegro” (Lucille Lortel Nomination Best Actor), “Two by Two” (with Jason Alexander), and “Do I Hear a Waltz?” He has premiered works by Stephen Sondheim, Frank Wildhorn, Bill Finn, Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens.

His regional credits include George in the Helen Hayes award winning Signature Theatre revival of “Sunday in the Park with George” (Arlington, VA), Wolf/Prince in Moises Kaufman’s “Into the Woods,” “Angels in America” (KC Rep, dir. David Cromer), “Oklahoma” (Curly), “West Side Story” (Tony), “Cinderella” (Prince), “Passion” (Giorgio), and “Pippin” (Pippin).

Elder was a series regular, Pete O'Malley, on the WB's “The Carrie Diaries.” Film credits include “Flatbush Luck,” and “It Could Be Worse.” He made his cabaret debut at 54 Below in NYC and his solo show “You and Me and Sondheim” has played to sold out houses around the country and in London.

He lives in New York with his husband Eric Rosen who is a playwright and director. They have one son, Bo, who is two years old.

JONATHAN HALE, Arts Educator

Jonathan Hale is a visual arts educator and licensed art therapist with specialization in special education. Hale earned his BFA in painting and drawing at the University of Utah and his MFA in drawing from Colorado State University. Following a growing interest in arts-integrated learning, Hale went on to earn a Masters of Education with a concentration in Art Therapy & Art Education Certification from Wayne State University.

During his pursuit of his Masters of Education, Hale taught at Woodmont Academy, a public charter school in Detroit, Hale incorporated coursework that sampled 2-D and 3-D techniques facilitating self expression in elementary and middle school students.

Returning to Utah in 2012, he developed a therapy and art education hybrid classroom at Provo Canyon School where the art education curriculum and state standards served as a framework for teaching self-awareness and processing personal experiences.

Since 2015, Hale has taught in the Canyons School District through the Beverley Taylor Sorenson Arts Learning Program using arts-integrated coursework to teach core concepts for students K - 5th grade, behavioral special education units, students with multiple and severe disabilities of elementary, middle school, high school, and students of transition age.

Additionally, Hale developed and facilitated “Art Integration, Art Inclusion” research which allowed students with severe disabilities from Jordan Valley School to participate in mainstream art integration classes with peer partners at Sprucewood Elementary.

He is the recipient of the Sorenson Legacy Award for Excellence in Arts Education, and the Sorenson Award for Excellence in Art Education for the Canyons School District. In 2018, Hale became an Adjunct Instructor of drawing back at the College of Fine Arts at the U.
 
2019 Scholarship recipients
Michael Judson (Film & Media Arts)
Nadia Sine (Theatre)
Ryan Stroble (Dance)

We look forward to celebrating these exceptional members of our community along with our scholarship recipients, connecting with new and old friends, sharing our gratitude and reveling in that thing we all share: love of the arts.