ArtsWinthrop

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ArtsWinthrop promotes exceptional music, theatre, dance and visual arts programming for the Winthrop University campus, community, and regional audiences. Explore all that ArtsWinthrop has to offer by clicking the events tab on our main menu or connect with us on social media. With over 100 free events a year, there is something for everyone! 

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News

Matthew Manwarren Named 2018 Teacher of the Year by South Carolina Music Teachers Association

Matthew Manwarren, pianist and professor of music at Winthrop University, was named 2018 Teacher of the Year by the South Carolina Music Teachers’ Association (SCMTA). The SCMTA Teacher of the Year Award is presented annually to a member of SCMTA in recognition of sustained excellence and achievement in teaching, professional development, and service to colleagues and to the organization and profession.

Manwarren is in his 13th year as professor of music at Winthrop University. During this academic year, he also serves as visiting artist professor of piano at the University of South Carolina. Originally from El Paso, Texas, Manwarren earned his Doctor of Musical Arts and Master of Music from University of Cincinnati College’s Conservatory of Music, and his Bachelor of Music from Texas Tech University.

Manwarren will be featured in a solo recital as part of the Faculty Music Series on Friday, Oct. 19 at 7:30 p.m. in Barnes Recital Hall.

Award recipients promote music education throughout the state, maintain a high level of professional collegiality and camaraderie, and commitment to one's own professional development and music/artist growth. The recipient of this award must also demonstrate a record of service to the teaching community at the local and/or state level, and a record of leadership and advancement of music education at the local and state level.

The SCMTA will present the award at its annual state conference to be held Nov. 2-3 at Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina

New CVPA Faculty Members Announced for 2018-2019 Academic Year

Karen Oremus, associate professor at Zayed University in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, has been selected as the new chair of the Department of Fine Arts in Winthrop University’s College of Visual and Performing Arts. She will begin the new role on August 1. Oremus has worked at Zayed University since 2003 and has held numerous administrative roles during her time there, including chair of the Department of Art and Design and assistant dean of the College of Arts and Creative Enterprises. Most recently, she worked as the visual art major coordinator and associate professor of printmaking and visual arts. Prior to her time at Zayed University, Oremus served as an adjunct professor of printmaking at The Tyler School of Art at Temple University. Oremus holds an M.F.A. in printmaking from The Tyler School of Art at Temple University in Philadelphia and a B.F.A. in printmaking from Concordia University in Montréal, Canada.

Robert Wildman is the new director and faculty member for the arts administration programs at Winthrop University. Prior to coming to Winthrop, Wildman served as program director at LIU Post in the B.F.A. program in arts management and has been an adjunct faculty member for Goucher College’s arts administration distance-learning program. He also created the M.F.A. program in performing arts management at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. In addition to faculty positions, he worked for 16 years in non-profit performing arts venues in marketing and public relations, and six years at the University of Connecticut’s Department of Dramatic Arts. Wildman holds an M.F.A. in theatre administration from the Yale School of Drama at Yale University and a B.A. in English from Stanford University.

Dr. Marvin McAllister joins the Department of Theatre and Dance as an assistant professor of theatre. Dr. McAllister comes to us from the University of South Carolina and is the author of the books “White People Do Not Know How to Behave at Entertainments Designed for Ladies and Gentlemen of Colour: William Brown's African and American Theatre,” and “Whiting Up: Whiteface Minstrels and Stage Europeans in African American Performance.” He has worked as a dramaturg for theatrical productions in New York, Chicago, the District of Columbia, and Seattle. Dr. McAllister holds a Ph.D. in theatre and drama from Northwestern University as well as a bachelor’s degree in history with theatre studies from Yale University.

Claudia O’Steen joins us as an assistant professor of fine arts (interdisciplinary studio art) in the Department of Fine Arts. Often collaborating with various art forms in her work, O’Steen’s work is inspired by the history of science, technology, and observation, and has been exhibited nationally and internationally. A faculty member in the fine art department at the University of West Florida since 2016, O’Steen has an M.F.A. in digital + media from the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) and a B.F.A. in design and film from Watkins College of Art.

Dr. Adam Snow has been named assistant professor of music after 13 years as part of the Department of Music at Winthrop as an adjunct professor and instructor of music. Throughout his career, Dr. Snow has performed with many legendary musicians and works closely with the Jazz Arts Initiative in Charlotte. Dr. Snow holds a Ph.D. in musical arts from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and a master’s degree in music and a bachelor’s degree in music education from Winthrop University.

Jesse Weser joins the Department of Design as assistant professor of design after six years as an adjunct instructor and senior instructor. She also served as a faculty member at Domus Academy in Milan, Italy, and holds many years of experience as a creative director and designer for Moonlight Creative Group in Charlotte, N.C. Weser holds a master’s degree in design from Domus Academy and a B.F.A in visual communication from Winthrop University.

Julianna Hane is an instructor of dance in the Department of Theatre and Dance in Winthrop University’s College of Visual and Performing Arts. A native of South Carolina, Hane holds an M.F.A. in modern dance from the University of Utah and a B.A. in dance performance from Winthrop University. She has previously taught at Winthrop University, Columbia College, The University of Utah, and the College of Charleston. Hane is a graduate of the Professional Training Program at New England Center of Circus Arts (NECCA). In 2008, she founded Revolve Aerial Dance as a studio and performing company, and her recent performance credits include Flight Collaborative in Boulder, Colorado, and the Atlanta Aerial Arts Festival. Hane is the author of the Aerial Teacher’s Handbook and co-author of several aerial dance manuals as well as The Aerial Teacher’s Creative Handbook.

For more information on ArtsWinthrop, please contact Whitney Hough, director of communications and community engagement, at 803/323-2399 or houghw@winthrop.edu. If you need to speak to the Winthrop Box Office concerning tickets about theatre and dance productions, please call 803/323-4014.