NSU Horizons Spring/Summer 2009

new is a really good thing. We can carefully craft a mis- sion and vision,” Caldwell said, as they recruit talented students with grants, meet with high school advisers, and reach out and respond to potential students. Programs like arts administration also help balance students’ creative enterprises with practical manage- ment skills. “One of the things we have to acknowledge is that not everyone is going to be a practicing artist,” Caldwell said, highlighting the need to develop compe- tent arts administrators who understand the business. A key part of NSU’s developing arts programs is the expansion of teaching resources. The new Perform- ing and Visual Arts Wing at the Don Taft University Center is supporting the faculty and students with a performing arts center, black box theater, more than 20 cutting-edge art and dance studios and classrooms, orchestra and choral rooms, and scene and costume shops. These resources enhance education for students while integrating the arts into the campus and commu- nity fabric. “This positions us to enhance cultural life, both at NSU and beyond,” Caldwell said. Beyond the classroom, the university’s connec- tion with the region’s vibrant arts community includes theater, music, and visual arts partnerships and collaborations. The Don Taft University Center’s Black Box The- ater is home to The Promethean Theatre, a professional theater company based inMiami. This on-campus venue will also serve as a future center for many experimental and innovative student productions. NSU’s partnership with the Broward Center for the Performing Arts en- ables the on-campus Rose and Alfred Miniaci Perform- ing Arts Center to bring a diverse annual performance schedule to the university and the community at large. The university also hosts the annual South Florida International Blues Festival and is home to Ars Flores, NSU’s orchestra in residence, a unique assembly of pro- fessional South Florida musicians who pair with and mentor talented secondary school students. On-campus galleries in the Don Taft University Center and the Alvin Sherman Library provide exhibit space that brings museum-quality art into the daily lives of the university community. While the Museum of Art|Fort Lauderdale, through a recent merger with NSU, encourages students and university employees to explore the world-class exhibits of this local venue. “We have been increasing our focus on the arts at NSU for several years. But, 2008 reflects a significant step forward for our performing and visual arts programs,” said Don Rosenblum, Ph.D., dean of the Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences. “We’re building outstanding programs and a rich and diverse faculty, and they’re bringing the university—and South Florida—into a new era.” n 21 horizons Left: Barbara Ryan, M.F.A., professor, instructing student Christina Franco during life drawing class Below: Jennifer Donaldson, D.M.A., leading piano instruction class in the Yamaha keyboard lab