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“The Arts are for Everybody”: 10 Quotes That Inspired Us from Jane Chu, Former NEA Chair and Recipient of SMU’s Distinguished Alumni Award

NEA Chair Jane Chu The NEA thrived under Jane Chu’s leadership. (All photos by Kim Leeson)

Jane Chu earned a Master of Music degree from SMU and has spent her career in arts administration and philanthropy. During her four-year term (2014–18) as chair of the National Endowment for the Arts, Chu traveled to all 50 states, visiting more than 400 arts organizations in 200 communities.

It was a bustling Homecoming weekend at SMU. The Division of Art hosted a conference that brought in experts in the field from around the world. Opera soared from the lobby. That morning, Jane Chu sat with the students of the joint M.A./M.B.A. (with Cox Business School) in Arts Management and M.M. in International Arts Management to chat about […]

2018-11-07T12:52:36+00:00 November 5, 2018|Arts Management and Arts Entrepreneurship, Photos We Love|
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16 Photos from the 2018 SMU Meadows Graduation Ceremonies Guaranteed to Make You Smile

All photos by Kim Leeson

As faculty and staff at SMU’s Meadows School of the Arts, it’s one of the most joyous days of the year: The Meadows Spring Commencement ceremonies. It’s a feeling of unbridled accomplishment, unmatched by events that have unfolded before it. On a warm day, no matter how warm, we sit in the grass of the Boulevard, and hear the passionate words from our friends and classmates–like “arts and communication inform, uplift and challenge”–and our friends and family cheer as we walk the stage.  […]

2018-05-25T10:58:16+00:00 May 25, 2018|Photos We Love|
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The SMU Meadows 2017-2018 Academic Year in Photos

smu opera Costume Shop Manager Melissa Panzarello readies her work for SMU student Alissa Roca–one of the stars of the Opera Theatre’s production of Alcina.

There were awards, electric blue lights, and tears of nostalgia. In the final hours of the 2017-2018 academic year at SMU Meadows, as Dean Sam Holland delivers his commencement speech, we will reflect on the events of a challenging and rewarding year. Jazz dance artist retires in May after 13 years of teaching at SMU. Ignite/Arts Dallas, our community engagement movement, celebrated its third year. There was swing dance. We talked the future of the word “entrepreneurship” at an event called MPower. We saw Frankenstein’s monster. This was the year in photos. All photos by Kim […]

2018-05-15T09:06:47+00:00 May 14, 2018|Photos We Love, Student Work|
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10 Photos That’ll Make You Nostalgic for SMU Homecoming

SMU parade SMU Meadows students walk the boulevard during the Homecoming parade.

2017’s Homecoming began with the Distinguished Alumni Awards, a prelude to a weekend packed with activities. SMU Mustangs chose from among a range of concerts and performances, as well as special exhibitions at SMU’s museums and libraries. We also celebrated 100 years of Mustang spirit and Mustang jazz with the Mustang Band at the Pigskin Revue. The Meadows parade began a couple of hours before kickoff, where Dean Sam Holland led the parade down Boulevard–and we eat copious barbecued meats from Sonny Bryan’s–all leading up to the Mustang football team’s game against the UCF Knights.

Photographer Kim Leeson was on the scene to capture photos. […]

2018-01-08T08:14:03+00:00 October 6, 2017|Photos We Love|
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25 Photos from the 2017 SMU Meadows Commencement Ceremonies Guaranteed to Make You Smile

Scenes from the spring 2017 Meadows diploma presentation ceremony. (All photos by Kim Leeson)

As faculty and staff at SMU’s Meadows School of the Arts, one of the happiest days in our year is Commencement. It’s a feeling of unbridled accomplishment and joy, unmatched by events that have unfolded before it. On a balmy day, we sit in the grass of the Boulevard, and hear the inspiring words from our Dean Holland–like “arts and communication inform, uplift and challenge”–and our friends and family cheer as we walk the stage.

“You directed, wrote, choreographed, and practiced, practiced, practiced. You’ve earned this degree,” said Dean Sam Holland at the 2017 graduation ceremonies. In honor, we present our favorite photos–the ones that will make us smile forever–from photographer Kim Leeson below.

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2017-09-13T14:35:35+00:00 May 22, 2017|Journalism, Photos We Love|
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