The world-famous NIU Steelband celebrates 50 years with an anniversary concert, Sunday, April 16 at 3 p.m. in the NIU...
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Art and Design alumnae exhibition open at Purple Window Gallery
NIU School of Art and Design alumnae Rebecca Griffith and Lauren Iacoponi have a two-person exhibition open now...
Roxanna Conner named new director of NIU’s School of Theatre and Dance
Roxanna Conner, an experienced theater professional with a background in education, administration, production and as...
Book published to commemorate alumni exhibition to celebrate Jack Arends Hall’s 50th
A book is for sale to commemorate the alumni and faculty art exhibition held last fall to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Jack Arends Hall, home to the NIU School of Art and Design. The 376 page book can be purchased in hardcover, softcover or electronic formats,...
Arcomusical’s “Spinning in the Wheel” receives critical praise
Projeto Arcomusical, a percussion sextet playing Afro-Brazilian berimbau musical bows, has received critical acclaim for their album, "Spinning in the Wheel" which was released in March. The group's artistic director is Gregory Beyer, Director of Percussion Studies in...
In the news: Married School of Art and Design alums open new gallery space in Rockford
NIU alumni Iga Puchalska, and her husband Jason Judd recently opened New Genres Art Space in Rockford. They met in graduate school at NIU's School of Art and Design. Puchalska earned her MFA in Time Arts, and Judd in Fine/Studio Arts. The couple says the mission of...
Cor Cantiamo to receive $10,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts
Cor Cantiamo, Northern Illinois University Ensemble in Residence will receive a $10,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. NEA Acting Chairman Mary Anne Carter has approved more than $80 million in grants as part of the Arts Endowment’s second major...
Kerry Freedman, professor of art education wins national Ziegfeld Award
Kerry Freedman, professor and past division head of art and design education in NIU's School of Art and Design is the 2019 recipient of the United States Society for Education Through Art’s (USSEA) Ziegfield Award. The award is named in honor of Edwin Ziegfeld, a...
Memorial and music celebration set for former Associate Dean Al O’Connor
Al O'Connor, a longtime professor of music, and the founder of the world-famous NIU Steelband, passed away June 9 in DeKalb at the age of 75. A memorial visitation will be held Friday, August 2, at First Lutheran Church in DeKalb from 4-6 p.m., and a musical...
For two decades Cheryl Porter has been teaching kids in Italy to sing in English
Cheryl Porter, a Chicago native who studied opera in the NIU School of Music from 1990-1995, went to Italy in 1996 to "further [her] studies in music and opera." She tells Public Radio International's Carol Hills that she had no idea there was "so much love for...
Art and Design’s Mike Rea’s work on exhibit in Philadelphia
Mike Rea, associate professor of sculpture in the School of Art and Design is part of an exhibition titled, "Reveries: Monsters & Melodies" at Globe Dye Works in Philadelphia. He is co-exhibiting with Roger Allan Cleaves, an artist based in Memphis, Tenn. View a...
Long-time Art and Design grad student assistant has an interesting retirement plan
For many, retirement is the end of one chapter and the beginning of another. Some people take that concept more literally than others. Joan Smola, office support specialist in the College of Education, will retire from NIU at the end of June after 15 years. Her...