Howardena Pindell, "Flight/Fields", 1988, etching and aquatint on paper, gift of Robert and Shirley Bowden
Howardena Pindell is an American mixed media artist and painter trained at Boston and Yale universities. She is known for exploring processes through her artmaking, utilizing unique textures, colors and compositional structures across her media. Much of Pindell’s work is political, addressing racism, feminism, slavery and exploitation. In 1972, Pindell co-founded the first artist-directed gallery […]
Vocal Chamber Ensemble Concert
Music studies have been a formal part of the curriculum at Brenau since Brenau College Conservatory was established as two separate institutions: a college for the education of women and a conservatory of music, art, oratory and “kindred subjects” in 1906. Following a devastating tornado in 1936, Brenau College and the conservatory merged, allowing for […]
2021 Fashion Show
by Polly Evans-Thomas The annual Brenau University student fashion show, hosted by the Center for the Arts & Design, returned in 2021 with collections from current students and recent graduates. The show was filmed over a week and was presented during the Brenau Collaborative in April. CAD hopes to bring audiences back for the 2022 […]
Gallery Director Nichole Ferguson chats with "L.A. Stories" curator Paul Paiement and artist Hagop Najarian
by Nichole Ferguson This spring, the Brenau University Galleries embarked on a new programming adventure: Instagram Live. COVID-19 brought many challenges and pivots for the 2020-2021 exhibition season, and one thing that developed to support remote community engagement was a Brenau Galleries Instagram account. With over 650 followers at the time of writing, the Instagram […]
Panorama dance performance 2021
by Michael Lowe The Brenau University Department of Dance presented a virtual senior thesis, faculty and guest artist concert April 8-10. The event, Panorama, featured nightly performances streamed live from Brenau’s Pearce Auditorium on YouTube and Facebook. The concert showcased performances choreographed by Brenau seniors Shania McAmis, Gracie Metcalf, Lauren Rathmann and Dejah Williams, as […]
Brenau University dance major Katie Watkins performs with the university's Spectrum Singers during Brenau's 2019 holiday concert in the John S. Burd Center for the Performing Arts' Hosch Theatre. (AJ Reynolds/Brenau University)
Brenau University recently announced the addition of its Music and Dance departments to the Center for the Arts & Design, an interdisciplinary initiative promoting the university’s highly regarded art and design programs through student-centered education and community outreach. CAD launched in spring 2018 as a collaboration of Brenau’s Art & Design Department — which includes […]
Brenau University President Anne Skleder selected these three oil paintings by senior art major Mirella Reily for this year’s Presidential Purchase Award. The pieces will become part of Brenau’s Permanent Art Collection. For more photos from this year’s Brenau Collaborative exhibitions, visit galleries.brenau.edu.
With the spring semester winding down, the Brenau University community gathered virtually on Thursday, April 22, for the annual Brenau Collaborative, highlighting the art, design and fashion work of talented students and recent graduates. This year’s event, hosted by Brenau’s Center for the Arts & Design in an online format after being postponed in 2020, […]
The Sketchbook Project Archives at the Brooklyn Art Library
On Nov. 6, Brenau’s Center for the Arts & Design offered students and community members an opportunity to explore and find inspiration in the diverse archives of the Sketchbook Project, the world’s largest library of artist’s sketchbooks. Ellie Botoman, coordinator of the Brooklyn Art Library, shared the history of the Sketchbook Project, the benefits of […]
Students work on chalk art project for Black History Month
Brenau University’s celebration of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday and Black History Month continues this February with several events, activities and resources highlighting the impact of King and the Civil Rights Movement. “Now more than ever, Dr. King’s example of ‘unarmed truth and unconditional love’ needs to be widely celebrated,” said Jim Eck, provost […]
Hope Vigil-Shuck's sketchbooks entries outlining experimentation with the cyanotype process
by Hope Vigil-Shuck In the fall of my senior year, I was able to spend the semester experimenting with and perfecting the process of cyanotype printing. I spent the beginning of the semester researching cyanotype because I had never read about — much less utilized — the technique. I focused on the different ways cyan-blue […]
Michael Lowe Nearly 50 Brenau students and guests tuned in on Feb. 17 for the Center for the Arts & Design’s virtual Tiger Toons event, which featured a panel of industry leaders who offered career advice and insights into the world of animation. The second installment of CAD’s biennial animation festival included speakers from companies […]
In March of 2020, Brenau Galleries launched their first-ever virtual exhibitions in response to COVID-19. Currently, three online galleries are available for viewing: L.A. Stories, Charles Webster Hawthorne and House and Universe: Margaret Evangeline. In a few short weeks, (Her)story and Person, Place, Thing, both of which showcase women artists in the Brenau University Permanent […]
Wedding gown from Kendy Manzano's final collection
Kendy Manzano is a spring 2020 graduate of Brenau’s Fashion Design department. For her senior capstone project, Kendy designed a bridal collection oriented toward a bride who craves a bold and elegant look on her wedding day. She chose two looks from her collection to construct down to the smallest details. In the student perspective […]
Claudia Wilburn at reception for "Idiosyncratic Perspectives"
by Claudia Wilburn Greetings from Brenau University’s Center for the Arts & Design. My apologies for the delay in the CAD Newsletter this year. As you know we are living through historical times and have had to make many adjustments since March. Our focus was on the students and making sure everyone safely finished […]
Dennisse Rodriguez learns hand embroidery stitches at home
by Sommer Stockton When the news came in mid-March about the move to remote learning, Brenau’s faculty and staff were fully prepared for the possibility of moving online. Faculty evaluated the remaining assignments and lab activities to determine which would be applicable to hold in an online learning environment. “We were anticipating a possible change […]
Mildred Thompson (American, 1936-2003), "Quaver I", 1989, Lithograph on paper, Brenau University Art Endowment Purchase
by Allison Lauricella “My work in the visual arts is, and always has been, a continuous search for understanding. It is an expression of purpose and reflects a personal interpretation of the universe. Each new creation presents a visual manifestation of the sum total of this lifelong investigation and serves as a reaffirmation of my […]
Jordyn De La Rosa, a senior fashion design major, makes medical masks to donate to local health care workers. (Photo courtesy of Jordyn De La Rosa)
Since the coronavirus outbreak, Brenau University senior fashion design major Jordyn De La Rosa has been busy — not only finishing up classes to graduate but also participating in the Million Mask Challenge. A grassroots effort that began in the Washington, D.C., area, the Million Mask Challenge has become a national movement aimed at addressing […]
Black Rayon Crepe Evening Dress
Written by Dr. Charity Armstead Black Rayon Crepe Evening Dress, c. 1932-1933 In the 1930s, a noticeable shift in power occurred in the fashion world: Hollywood became an arbiter of style, taking a share of power from the French fashion houses that for years had been the authorities on women’s fashion. The man credited with […]
Dr. Charity Armstead speaks at opening reception for "Crimes and Fashion"
Written by Nichole Ferguson This fall semester, the Center for the Arts & Design hosted Crimes and Fashion: Clothing to Die For, exhibiting fashion from Brenau’s Historic Clothing Collection inspired by classic fictional detectives and criminals. At the opening reception Oct. 10 in Presidents Gallery, guests dressed as their favorite mystery characters. Nancy Drew, Waldo, […]
The Colossal Prints printmaking workshop at Brenau University on Friday, March 23, 2018.
What: The Colossal Prints event When: 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Friday, March 13, 2020 Where: Golden Tiger Way After an enormous success in its first year, the second Colossal Prints event will be held from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday, March 13, at Brenau University. Hosted by the Center for the Arts & […]
