The Crimson White Print Edition - January 18, 2024

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2B culture UA art professors: Educators by day, astounding creators by night Luke McClinton Staff Writer Visual art is home to a range of voices, a wide and everexpanding cache of unique perspectives. It allows a colorful — or, sometimes, literally black and white — blend of creativity, emotional expression and even advocacy. Artists make up an elusive and seemingly endless category. As if the array of perspectives, personalities and positions weren’t extensive enough, however, at The University of Alabama, there is a doubling down of this extensiveness. When asked to describe an artist, one could give any among a slew of answers — world-class painters with works in museums, hawkeyed photographers who spend every waking hour capturing the world, perhaps even the barista trying to pay off student loans by selling modernist caricatures. A less likely response would be professors. The idea of a university professor as an artist is fascinating. Whether consciously or unconsciously, we often put these educators in a box. Most end up placed somewhere along the spectrum from adjuncts who spend their time dashing between classrooms and grading freshman essays to long-tenured experts who are always teaching a 500-level seminar or doing rigorous academic research. With art professors, there’s a different dynamic. They don’t operate in the stratosphere of rigidity and analytics; they have emboldened visions and youthful artistic ambitions. These educators by day, so to speak, represent the part of the faculty who have made their creative endeavors their carrer. It is a way of expressing one’s own and observing others’ distinct outlooks on life. For Jason Guynes, professor of art and chair of the Department of Art and Art History, “the opportunity to view the world through someone else’s eyes for a moment is often what’s so interesting in art in general.” This is an enlightening perspective; it allows one to throw off the notions of art as an innocent whim of youth or as wishful escapism for adults and let it simply exist as a medium for perspectives. Once these narrow ideas are left behind, all that’s left is to absorb these perspectives, acknowledging that a college professor is at least as capable — and arguably more — of offering intriguing and valuable worldviews as any other artist. The offerings are limitless. When asked about their work, specifically those they will be showcasing in the Department of Art and Art History Faculty Biennial Exhibition until Feb. 12, several professors gave several notable and singular responses. “My own work can be described as geometric abstraction produced both in painting and drawing form,” associate art professor William Dooley wrote. “I am not sure if this is a category but it does describe the work.” Associate professor of art and painting Bryce Speed wrote, “I use an interplay of universal shapes on simple grounds to evoke palpable experiences of the horizon, language, and architectural spaces.” Guynes’ artist statement intimates his desire to “narrate the human condition” through personal experience as well as a fascination with what is referred to as “unrealism.” That latter aspect draws him toward “those elements that are so strongly a part of a narrative, but that aren’t obviously or visibly apparent.” Assistant professor of art and art history Jamey Grimes “love[s] experiencing the beauty of the outside world,” a love that inspires sculptures utilizing “synthetic materials that interact in some way with light and shadow.” These are just a few excerpts among the rich and ceaseless cascade of artistic perspectives held by UA professors. Whether they are straightforward or incomprehensible to all but the mind of the beholder, they reveal an authentic spirit of art. It isn’t exceptional that a professor should offer a captivating perspective. After all, they have the opportunity that the debt-racked barista doesn’t, which is to explore their most unorthodox and outthere ideas without the pressure of those ideas providing their living. They don’t have to cater to audiences but, as Grimes wrote, “experiment freely with [their] artistic expression.” These professors are employed to teach their craft. As such, with the practice of the craft itself, they are at complete liberty, free to go where their creative spirits take them; given the brilliance that got them to professorship in the first place, the destinations are undoubtedly worth it. They flourish, and the Tuscaloosa and University of Alabama art scene is better for it. More information on the Department of Art and Art History's professors and faculty arts can be found at art. ua.edu. “Tower Loan,” Bryce Speed “Vending Machine,” Bryce Speed “Father and Daughter 1,” Jason Guynes These paintings, and more, will be available for viewing at the 2024 UA Department of Art and Art History Faculty Biennial Exhibition at the Sarah Moody Gallery of Art.
The School of Music has been a vital component of The University of Alabama’s vibrant campus since opening in 1987. The school, which is based within Moody Music Building, teaches over 400 students at the undergraduate and graduate levels. According to the School of Music’s website, its mission is to serve the community and region through musical education, service and performance. With an emphasis on community, discipline and passion, the School of Music aims to support and push members toward their goals. The school organizes various concerts and performances that allow students to express their love for music with various genres, styles and instruments. On Feb. 2, the school will host its Spring Spectrum Concert at Moody Music Building from 7:30-9 p.m. The concert is advertised as a paid event featuring a demonstration of the “full spectrum of art and talent” by faculty and music students. Charlie Snead, director of the School of Music, oversees the operations for the school’s student body, faculty and staff. Also serving as professor of horn, Snead shares the importance of the music school as an academic program for talented musicians, but also as a creative entity where each member plays a vital part in its success. “They are consistently working with each other, for each other, dependent on the success and commitment of those around them,” Snead said. “That breeds a distinctive and unique sense of community among our students, faculty, and staff.” The School of Music aims not only to educate students but also to host events supporting local businesses and nonprofits in Tuscaloosa. On April 6 from 8-11 a.m., the Bark to the Beat Music 5K will benefit the Tuscaloosa Metro Animal Shelter, a nonprofit organization with a vision “to inspire community involvement in animal welfare and motivate the public to embrace responsible lifelong pet ownership.” Kevin Woosley, race director for the upcoming 5K and senior instructor of class piano at the University, shared excitement for the event’s premiere. The Bark to the Beat Music 5K will display local musical talents culture and provide support and entertainment for participants, all while giving back to a community organization. “This event will be a unique experience for all who participate!” Woosley said. “UA and high school musical ensembles will provide the soundtrack along the way.” The Tuscaloosa Metro Animal Shelter will have many animals present at the event and invite nonparticipants to attend the event and cheer on friends and family. Tickets are advertised for the community starting at $20 a person, and the price will increase on Jan. 31. The race will begin just across from the School of Music at Butler Field, the home of the Million Dollar Band. Participants under 19 who are not enrolled at the University must be accompanied by a legal guardian, according to the event’s website. Runners and walkers will receive T-shirts and snacks as they participate in the event. An exciting introduction to the spring season, the Bark to the Beat Music 5K provides an opportunity to celebrate artistic expression, athleticism and animal welfare. The School of Music will also host free events open to the public, including a performance by the UA Symphonic Band on Feb. 21 at 7:30 3B Spring Spectrum Concert and Bark to the Beat Music 5K: A look into upcoming School of Music events Anna Hill Staff Writer Taylor Paton Contributing Writer The Frank Moody Music Building holds many of the School of Music’s events. CW / Elijah McWhorter p.m. and a UA Concert and University Band performance on Feb. 15 at 7:30 p.m., both held at Moody Music Building. “Our students are an energetic and committed group, achieving excellent results on an annual basis across all of our disciplines, garnering consistent and impressive national and international accolades,” Snead said. “The opportunity to be immersed in that environment daily is who we are in the School of Music, the reason our faculty comes to work every day, and why we enthusiastically look forward to what we get to do.”
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