Categories
Art

Meet the M.F.A. Student Artists at SMU Meadows

M.F.A. Art student Diamond Gray shares her experiences. Video by B.F.A. alum Kellie Spano.
M.F.A. Art student Diamond Gray shares her experiences. Video by B.F.A. alum Kellie Spano.

Take a look at these videos that B.F.A. alum Kellie Spano made about the current M.F.A students in the Division of Art. They show artists in their studios talking about their process, research and the development of their work.

We hope that you enjoy an inside look into the M.F.A. in Art at SMU Meadows School of the Arts. 

[youtube width=”750″ height=”450″]https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHmxCxSLqXMIBGL9hJw4qIU2A4jip2tW3[/youtube]

Categories
Music Photos We Love

Preparing for The Magic Flute Opera (Photos)

 “Queen of the Night” costume sketch by grad student Hunter Dowell (M.F.A. Theatre/Design ’16). (Click to see the full image)
“Queen of the Night” costume sketch by grad student Hunter Dowell (M.F.A. Theatre/Design ’16). (Click to see the expand image)

Much of the magic on stage happens months before the show. Meadows takes a look inside the costume shop, where preparations are being made for The Magic Flute opera starring Meadows music students.

Directed by Director of Opera Hank Hammett, with the Meadows Opera Orchestra conducted by Martha Raley Peak Endowed Centennial Chair Paul Phillips, The Magic Flute runs February 4-7 in the Bob Hope Theatre.

See more from The Meadows Division of Music

Categories
Film

Watch: This New Video from SMU Film and Media Features Homages to Film’s Iconic Monsters

Director of Photography Jake Wilganowski on the boulevard with zombie Sarah
Director of Photography Jake Wilganowski (R) on the boulevard with zombie Sarah Adams (Zombie screen L)

By Nick Rallo (Director of Marketing & SMU Meadows B.A. in Cinema-Television, ’06)

The call time for the zombies in the Bob Hope Lobby was 10 a.m., and there was a 2:00 p.m. on-set call time for our cyborg assassin. This was the on-set scene during the production of a short film produced by SMU Meadows Film & Media Arts, Meadows Marketing and several of our all-star alumni. Embedded in the film, you’ll see a Nosferatu, a time-traveling cyborg, roving zombies, and our homage to the bunny costume from Donnie Darko (2001). The icons from science-fiction and horror are not arbitrarily referenced; They are homages to the iconic genres SMU Meadows Film faculty are teaching every day.

https://youtu.be/_vOJeJMYE_8

 

With SMU Film’s new Master of Arts in Popular Film and Media Studies degree, students will learn theories and philosophies of film and media through intensive examination of Hollywood film studio genres, the impact of organized fandom on the development of science-fiction and fantasy television series, the ways popular media have been vilified for political gain and more. No other M.A. film program in the United States focuses so intently on the relationship of popular media to cultural concerns. 

In honor, the idea behind the short film began as an homage to a scene from Shaun of the Dead (2004), wherein Shaun, the lead character, blissfully ignorant of the zombie apocalypse that has laid waste to the streets, stumbles into work. From there, the Meadows teams, working with expert freelancers, fleshed out a concept that features a handful of iconic creatures and references to science-fiction, fantasy and horror. Each of the creatures was hand-crafted–in some way–for the short film. 

One of the biggest challenges following graduation is the first step: As a student of the arts, what do you do with your degree in the first few months after graduating? In May of 2015, Meadows Theatre alum and star of Paranormal Activity Katie Featherston addressed the class of 2015, in a touching moment in her Commencement speech:

“You’re entering the world as a Meadows Alum, which means you’re part of a network of committed and deeply talented people who can be the foundation of your professional life.”

Categories
Communications Film

Fearless Foodies: Two Meadows Alums Start an Edible Movement

Photo by Meadows alum Claire McCormack Hogan
Meadows alum Claire McCormack Hogan started a new passion project after graduation: Food photography

For Meadows alums Jennie Kelley and Claire McCormack Hogan, working with food was the beginning of a new movement.

Both alums left Meadows with a trajectory in mind, then adapted their majors into intriguing, and now buzzing, careers in the food industry. MPRINT checked in with the alums to talk about what paths led them to food, how they handled post-college challenges and how Meadows inspired them along the way.

Courtesy Jennie Kelley
Jennie Kelley (B.A. Film ’96) is the creator and co-chef of FRANK, an underground restaurant – Photo Benjamin Gibson Photography

JENNIE KELLEY (B.A. Film ’96) is a food stylist in Dallas, a MasterChef Season 2 finalist, a founding member of the popular symphonic choral group The Polyphonic Spree and creator and co-chef of FRANK, the underground restaurant.

I got the culinary bug from years of traveling around the globe with my band and musical ensemble, The Polyphonic Spree. I would be in random places, from Japan to San Francisco, and research the best places to eat. At first, it was because I loved food and thought, “When am I going to be back here? I better try this now!” Then, I felt inspiration from those chefs. I would go home and try to recreate my favorite dishes from the road for my friends at home.

Later I researched alternative restaurants and discovered the Underground Restaurant movement. I read the book Secret Suppers by Jenn Tracy Garbee and knew I wanted to bring that concept to Dallas. It wasn’t until after I was on MasterChef and met my then-competitor, now chef and partner, Ben Starr, that it became a reality with FRANK.

At FRANK, we do themed dinners, and one of my favorites was “Godfather Frank.” I researched, exhaustively, all of the food in the Francis Ford Coppola film, including the food’s history and the history of the dishes from Corleone, Sicily. It was inspiring to combine my film major with my most recent creative outlet, and cook and devise the menus based on this inspiration.

I loved my training at SMU. I’ve always loved learning, and it truly is a wonderful institution that fosters that love. It’s amazing when I think back on how small and intimate my classes were. I have the fondest memories of classes with Professor Alessandra Comini in art history and Professor Rick Worland in film. At the end of the day, Meadows instills a realization: If you have a fulfilled life, you will always be learning. That realization has made its way into my love of cooking. Also, Meadows inspired uniqueness and creativity. I’m a food stylist for photo shoots and commercials, and I think both my film and art history training helped hone my design and visual eye.