VCUQatar held its 2012 Commencement Ceremony on May 7th at the Education City Student Center, conferring 43 Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees in fashion, graphic and interior design and two Master of Fine Arts degrees in Design Studies. The 11th Commencement – which also celebrates the first class of designers of the first graduate program in design in the region – brings the number of VCUQatar alumni to 365.
The Virginia Commonwealth University da Vinci Center for Innovation hosted the 2012 VCU Venture Creation Competition and winners of the inaugural campus-wide competition were announced Friday, April 27, as part of VCU Student Research Week.
The competition began earlier this semester with 40 student teams submitting executive summaries of ideas, concepts or technologies for a business venture. These teams represented 87 individuals across nine of VCU’s schools. A panel of judges evaluated the summaries and selected 12 semifinalist teams, which then submitted business plans. Following another round of judging, five finalist teams gave 20-minute presentations to the judges on Friday.
Fourpoint Art was the third-place finisher winning $2,000. Led by Owen Duffy, a VCU School of the Arts graduate student, the team introduced a virtual space and Internet marketplace to help emerging artists showcase their work and connect with consumers worldwide.
Gryffindor, comprised of School of the Arts students Angela Melito and Moria Pruefer proposed a 24-hour art supply and print services store venture. They were awarded $1,000 as finalists in the competition.
VCU’s da Vinci Center for Innovation is a collaboration of VCU schools of the Arts, Business, Engineering and Humanities and Sciences. Through its programs such as the undergraduate Certificate in Product Innovation and the Master of Product Innovation, which will launch in fall 2012, the center catalyzes interdisciplinary innovation and entrepreneurship as it prepares students for the 21st Century workforce and supports development initiatives for partner organizations.
This award brings the Rodney Mack Philadelphia Big Brass (RMPBB) to Richmond for the fifth annual Brassfest in October 2012. RMPBB, the headlining act, inspires students and the broader Richmond community. The musicians will participate in VCU’s Audition Preparatory Seminar and also provide master classes for interested brass players from the community and VCU.
David Leong, Chair of the Theatre Department, is a local advocate for the dramatic arts through his involvement in the Richmond Professional Theater Task Force. His op-ed piece, featured in the Richmond Times-Dispatch, discusses TheatreVCU’s work with Barksdale Theatre and Theatre IV. He believes these relationships are key in order for the task force to bring the next professional theater to central Virginia.
As the country’s #1 public art school, VCUarts has a reputation to uphold. We are proud to announce our plans for the VCU Institute for Contemporary Art. The ICA will be designed by world renowned architect Steven Holl. The building, scheduled to open in 2015, will be positioned at the corner of Broad and Belvidere Streets, serving as the new gateway to Richmond. This non-collecting institution will initiate programming and collaborate with other institutions around the world on traveling exhibitions and other events. The ICA will enhance and expand the role of the arts on campus, as both an academic and extracurricular resource for students and faculty from every department. Ultimately, the facility will serve as an educational and cultural resource for both the University and the City.
