One of the signs that our academic year at Boston College is finally wrapping up (and that finals are looming in the not-so-distant future) is when the construction workers take over O’Neill Plaza and start setting up the stages, booths, tents, and runways in preparation for Arts Fest. This year marks the 14th Annual Boston College Arts Festival, and events will be taking place Thursday, April 26th to Saturday, April 28th. It’s a fabulous opportunity to celebrate the impact that the arts have made on the BC community. Be sure to check out the schedule of events on the Arts Festival website so you don’t miss the amazing performances of your favorite BC a capella and dance groups. Also included in this year’s Arts Fest schedule are more than 1,000 student and faculty artists who will be presenting music, theater, dance, poetry, film, painting, sculpture and much, much more!
As part of BC’s Arts Festival, the Boston College Arts Council annually presents awards to students, faculty, and alumni to recognize the accomplishments of these artists and their artistic achievements during their time at BC. Students in their sophomore, junior, or senior years can be nominated for these awards in recognition of their creativity and artistic accomplishments and abilities. This year, the 2012 awards will be presented on Friday, April 27 at 4:00 p.m. in O’Neill Plaza. The 2012 award recipients are Aileen Bianchi, Jennifer Brubaker, John Delfino, Kristin Drew, Brenna Kelley, Christie Mealo, and Eileen Won.
In honor of Arts Fest, Her Campus BC thought it only appropriate to highlight some of this year’s Arts Council Award winners and learn a bit more about their involvement in the arts at Boston College! So, fellow collegiettes, meet a few of the “artistes extraordinaires”! (drum roll please….)
Jennifer Brubaker
Biology Major, Studio Art Minor
Class of 2012
“I joined the Boston College Art Club as an incoming freshman, and immediately found an incredible sense of community. Throughout that year, I gained a better appreciation for the major role of Art Club on campus as both a centralized source for art events and ways to get involved, as well as an organization that could use some significant improvement. I served as secretary during my sophomore year, and as vice president during my junior year. As vice president, I worked under the president to curate galleries, communicate with the Fine Arts department, and open an art space in the Chocolate Bar. That year, I met with Dean Quigley to discuss the state of the arts at BC, bringing to light some of the major shortcomings of art funding, art programming, and student art galleries on campus. I decided to run for president senior year, when I finally felt I had the experience and the creative voice to move Art Club in a new direction. I also stood on a departmental review board with administrators of Vanderbilt, Yale, and Brown, in order to provide a necessary student voice in the discussion of the department’s strengths and weaknesses. This semester, I’m serving as a teaching assistant for the Issues and Approaches class, helping inspire students in media exploration. I’ve learned a lot, and I look forward to seeing how the arts at BC progress after I’ve graduated.”
Aileen Bianchi
Film Studies and English Double Major
Class of 2012
“My involvement in the arts programs at BC has been pretty varied. Firstly, for the past year and a half I’ve been a TA in the Film Studies Department. The majority of my involvement in the arts at BC is through my directing experience. I was the director of an AHANA documentary, the director of a Connell School of Nursing Diversity documentary, and the director of a committee for Creative Enactments’ spring show titled Murder at the Holiday Inn Express (basically it’s a murder mystery comedy in O’Connell House – premiering this weekend 7:00 and 9:30 both Friday and Saturday night)! Outside of BC, I ran an event at the Museum of Fine Arts called ‘BC, I Love You.’ It was a director series kind of like ‘New York, I Love You’ and I was one of the directors for that, as well. Additionally, I’ve been working on an undergraduate research fellowship with Professor Michalczyk for the last year. I was even sent to France to film a documentary about the oblate sisters of St. Francis de Sales. For all of the documentaries I have worked on, I have also been the editor of, except for the France one, which I’m editing along with Ben Heider.”
Brenna Kelley
Biology Major, Hispanic Studies Minor
Class of 2012
“I’m receiving an award for ‘Outstanding Contributions to the Arts,’ particularly to music at BC. I am the president of the University Chorale of Boston College, and have also participated in smaller ensembles and vocal chamber groups affiliated with the music department. I was nominated for the award because of my dedication to the Chorale, my strong leadership style, and for maintaining high artistic goals for music at BC. Even though everything I’ve put into these activities hardly feels like work, since I’ve gotten so much in return, it’s such an honor to be receiving the award!”
Kristin Drew
Theater Major and Music Minor
Class of 2012
“I always liked to blend theater and music together. I did this by helping with Family Opera in the Music department. As a dramatic soprano in The Family Opera Program, I’ve been in The Magic Flute by Mozart as Princess Pamina and very recently as the Empress in The Nightingale. Through these projects, I’ve been able to explore my passion for opera, but also encourage children to enjoy opera as a form of entertainment, as well. Professors Barbara and Yusef Gawlick both love to spread music to younger generations. Through their encouragement, I have been able to help kids love theater, music, and performance and help encourage a community to let the arts enrich their lives.”
John Delfino
Theatre and English Double Major with a Creative Writing Concentration
Class of 2012
“I am receiving the Arts Council award based on my artistic contributions to the field of theatrical lighting design in my time at BC, as well as my creative writing. I have worked on many theatrical productions at BC as the lighting designer, including Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The Pillowman, Dark Play, or Stories for Boys, and currently A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Next year I’ll be attending the California Institute of the Arts to get my MFA in lighting design.”
Congrats to all of the amazing BC artists and Arts Council award recipients on this incredible honor!
Photo Sources:
John Delfino
Jennifer Brubaker
http://www.bc.edu/content/bc/offices/artscouncil/festival.html