UVA Arts Council Distinguished Artists

As the profile of the arts at UVA continues to grow, in 2018 the UVA Arts Council announced an annual awards program that will recognize outstanding students in five arts disciplines (music, studio art, dance, drama, and architecture) at the University with at $2,000 prize. The Inaugural UVA Arts Council Distinguished Artist Awards program, spearheaded by Tim Michel (Arch ’76) and whole-heartedly approved by the entire Council, was created to celebrate an undergraduate’s achievement in the Arts, and to provide a new vehicle for faculty to publicly acknowledge their outstanding students. The awards are intended for rising fourth-year students, and nominees are selected by department chairs, based on criteria including superior execution of the art form, a deep understanding of the subject matter and artistic process, and originality and creativity.

2023 Awardees:

Yiming Zhang: UVA Arts Council Distinguished Artist Award in Architecture

Yiming Zhang is an exceptionally talented designer, who is technically extremely proficient and who also possesses a creative and imaginative mind. He is highly self-motivated; in that he can critique his own work in the most productive ways and always comes to studio with a range of options he had explored. He is not afraid to take risks in his work, and at the same time exhibits great control over his designs, which he communicates through clear drawings, and beautifully crafted models. He does all of this while maintaining a kind, humble and unassuming demeanor. Yiming is a great listener; he is always open to feedback about his work and is great at incorporating it in ways that push his project forward. He holds the top GPA in his class at 3.965, reflecting on his success overall as a student in the Architecture Pre-Professional Program. The School of Architecture is extremely proud to be able to offer the UVA Arts Council Distinguished Artist Award in Architecture to Yiming Zhang.

Malina Nelson: UVA Arts Council Distinguished Artist Award in Creative Writing

Malina Nelson is the most compelling undergraduate prose writer that the faculty in Creative Writing have seen in some years. In both fiction and creative nonfiction (short memoir and lyric essay), Malina demonstrates sophistication in content and form that is miles beyond her years. In her coming-of-age story “Seeds”—about two sisters who are shipped off to an uncle’s place ‘on the islands’ while the parents finalize their divorce—we were impressed by the voice; the particular, sometimes hilarious, details; the ways expectations were frequently upturned; and the honesty about family relations and family secrets, as well as about the erotic life of the young narrator and her sister. A later memoir project likewise explored friendship and erotics among young characters but with added layers about film and art-making that rendered the whole not only fantastically layered but humorously self-knowing. In reading texts in our classes—complex book-length texts of international prose—Malina took challenging material and applied her understanding of it to her own creative pieces, which were always imaginative, sophisticated, and unexpected. Malina shows herself to be a member of that extraordinary species: someone who absorbs everything around her in order to transform all possible material into art. We are happy and proud to offer the UVA Arts Council Distinguished Artist Award in Creative Writing to Malina Nelson. 

Alyssa Kelley: UVA Arts Council Distinguished Artist Award in Dance

Alyssa Kelley entered the dance minor program in the fall of 2020. Even from those initial distanced interactions via zoom and video auditions, her abilities as a dancer and skilled improvisor were evident. During the past three years, Kelley’s versatility as a performer has resulted in being cast in multiple guest artist, faculty, and student works encompassing various styles of movement. These early accomplishments as a performer, led to Kelley’s admittance to the Miller Arts Scholars program as a representative in the discipline of Dance. Since her arrival at UVA, Kelley has been actively involved in the dance minor community through classes, productions, and various roles in the Virginia Dance Committee (the student arm of the dance program). More recently, where Kelley has truly begun to excel is as a choreographer. In Dance Composition, she proved to be an innovative generator of movement possessing an intuitive approach to composing bodies in space. Her first choreographic work for one of our mainstage productions, We’ve Been Here Before, was a complex 10-minute student piece set with 7 dancers. As Kelley worked on this piece, she demonstrated a level of maturity not often seen in more experienced student choreographers. She was able to focus on the process, navigate challenges with flexibility and reflection, and at times embrace ambiguity in order to listen to the work as it was being made. This is no small feat for a budding choreographer. As a result, she created a sophisticated and compelling piece that was given the honor of closing the 2023 Spring Dance Concert. As Kelley enters her final year at UVA, she has been elected President of the Virginia Dance Committee reflecting her continued commitment to leadership in the dance minor program. For these reasons and more, it is with great pleasure that the Dance Program faculty name Alyssa Kelley as this year’s recipient of the UVA Arts Council Distinguished Artist Award in Dance.

Meixin Yu: UVA Arts Council Distinguished Artist Award in Drama

The Department of Drama is thrilled to nominate Meixin Yu for the UVa Arts Council Distinguished Artist Award in Drama. As a rising 4th-year double major in Drama and Cognitive Science (Linguistics), Mei is a dynamic artist with a unique blend of skills in digital media design and performance. Her work demonstrates dedication, creativity, and aptitude both on stage and behind the scenes. An excellent collaborator and a passionate leader, Mei currently serves as an invaluable member of LingXi Chinese Theatre, a student-led organization that promotes Chinese culture and art through theatrical performances. Her contributions to the group's artistic direction, marketing, and fundraising have been integral to its success. This year, Mei's impressive list of accomplishments continued to grow with her involvement in the production of Unlocked: Shakespeare and the Pre-Raphaelites (conceived, performed, and directed by Haydn Haring). Mei's contribution to the project was significant, as she designed and executed stunning projections that added an extra layer of depth and sophistication to the production. The Distinguished Artist Award is a well-deserved recognition of Mei's exceptional talent and hard work.

Yena Lee: UVA Arts Council Distinguished Artist Award in Music

Yena Lee is an outstanding flute performer. She is interested in the many different musical styles that use flute, and has worked to develop skills in different idioms. She is also interested in the relation of dance and music. She has studied the ways that different kinds of dance in many historical periods and cultures have shaped music (whether or not the music is intended for actual dance performance), and the consequences for flute repertoire. Her work shows a beautiful fusion of performance and research. Her flute teacher Kelly Sulick writes: “Yena has been an exemplary student during her tenure here and has been a pleasure to work with over the years.” 

She has also studied rap and hip hop with A.D. Carson, and has flourished in this area. It is exhilarating to see a student benefit from the range of music that we offer in the department. In response to my call for nominations for this award, Carson identified three worthy students, but emphasized Lee's special excellence. Carson writes: “Yena was outstanding. She did songwriting, recording, and graphic design and a little bit of everything else.” I believe this would be the first Arts Council Award to emphasize A.D. Carson's important contributions to department resources.

Heeran Karim: UVA Arts Council Distinguished Artist Award in Studio Art 

Heeran Karim is simply a fantastic student in every way. She is a Distinguished Major in Studio Art (with a concentration in Printmaking) and a Distinguished Major in Human Biology. She plans to pursue a medical degree and be a physician-artist. Her GPA is 3.856 and, please keep in mind, this GPA includes two semesters of Organic Chemistry.

She has navigated difficult time conflicts between her majors and has been able to work independently to not only meet but exceed her instructors’ expectations. She is a Miller Arts Scholar and was a fellow in 2022 at Artlab at Mountain Lake. When Heeran initially proposed to her advisor, Akemi Ohira, her plan for a Miller Arts Scholar project, Akemi thought it was too ambitious. Her final product proved Akemi wrong. Heeran made a book of prints called The Five Stages. Each chapter has four different prints associated with different stages of grief. Not only was the quality of the artwork far beyond the undergraduate level, the overall execution of the project was conceptually complex. Some images were illustrative, but others were quite abstract. Instead of using text to clarify the images for her readers, she frequently used it to engage with and challenge the reader, asking questions, encouraging interpretation of her work.

Heeran is already far beyond the technical mastery, conceptual sophistication, and personal maturity of an undergraduate art student. With her record of dedication, we have no doubt that she will go on to do incredible work. We are proud to call her a Studio Art major and cannot wait to see what she does next.

2022 Awardees:

Michelle Tran: UVA Arts Council Distinguished Artist Award in Architecture

Michelle Tran embodies the qualities of the UVA Arts Council Distinguished Artist Award. In addition to her excellent academic standing and superior creative talent, she demonstrates intellectual curiosity, empathy, and optimistic energy in all her endeavors. She has been recognized for her remarkable dedication to design and to an inclusive, positive, and collaborative process, especially in her leadership role as part of the student team for the _mpathic design exhibition recently shown at the Smithsonian Institution’s American History Museum. Michelle is described as a “model of design excellence for our community” and “fully deserving of this award.” The School of Architecture is extremely proud to be able to offer the UVA Arts Council Distinguished Artist Award in Architecture to Michelle Tran.

Sara Burtner: UVA Arts Council Distinguished Artist Award in Dance

From her very first semester on grounds, Sara Burtner proved to be a highly skilled, committed dancer and a compelling performer. Over the past three years, Burtner’s abilities as a performer have continued to flourish as she has quickly adapted to new styles and requests made by choreographers for both stage and dance film works. In creative process classes like Dance Improvisation, Composition, and Screendance, Burtner has consistently demonstrated through reflections and creative projects that she is a deep and reflective thinker. She is a generous collaborator and regularly offers her peers insightful feedback in support of their further growth as dance artists and practitioners. As a beginning dance filmmaker, Burtner shows great promise as a director possessing a keen eye for both movement and the editing of movement. As a critical thinker, in both Dance & Culture and Dance Improvisation, Burtner frequently asked critical questions around the centering of whiteness in ballet, modern, post-modern, and contemporary dance through her work and writing, advocating for more inclusive practices. A Kinesiology major, Burtner often generously shares and skillfully draws connections between her major area of study and courses in the dance minor program. She has pursued further integration of these passions most recently through an internship with the Joffrey Ballet summer program in 2021, and continues to actively seek ways to further synthesize her knowledge and understanding of the body as a dance artist and practitioner with the field of physical therapy. It is with great pleasure that the Dance Program faculty name Sara Burtner as this year’s recipient of the UVA Arts Council Distinguished Artist Award in Dance. Image by Yao Xiao. 

Evelyn Garey: UVA Arts Council Distinguished Artist Award in Drama

In her three years at UVA and in our Department, Evelyn Garey has emerged as the preeminent undergraduate actor.  She has been cast in almost everything she’s auditioned for, always as a significant if not lead character.  She has acted, and will act this fall, in mainstage productions, as well as the New Works Festival, Virginia Players Lab shows, and in several films in our Overcranked program. Each time she has given an impressive performance.  She is extremely hardworking and meticulous in her preparation and rehearsal practices, and brings a positive, enthusiastic attitude to all that she has done. Academically, she has performed well in her classes, and we’ve found her to be enthusiastic and engaged in these as well.  She also cares about the department as a whole, and is deeply committed to all our productions, whether she is involved personally or not.

Elie Bashkow: UVA Arts Council Distinguished Artist Award in Music

The Music Department nominates rising fourth-year music major Elie Bashkow for the 2022-23 Arts Council Distinguished Artist Award. Elie is an accomplished multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and producer. He has played violin/fiddle in UVA’s bluegrass and klezmer ensembles, and guitar and bass in many groups within and beyond UVA. He also plays mandolin and electric mandolin, viola, and piano, and he sings. In a gap year between high school and college, he toured with funk-rock-folk band Orion and the Melted Crayons and studied music in Cuba with the Havana Music School. When the restrictions of the pandemic arrived, he turned his attention to record production and rapidly became an outstanding producer, a role that often involves co-creating the music. He has produced for the Isabel Bailey Band, Farrah Hanna, Akimi Gyamfi, Orion and the Melted Crayons, Wayve, Samson Ace Miller, and other musicians. As a producer, he is interested not only in technical aspects but also in cultivating the interpersonal dynamics that allow a group to do their best in recording sessions.

Elie grew up in Charlottesville and attended the Tandem Friends School, where he received the English Department Writing Award in 2018. At UVA he is an Echols Scholar and a Miller Arts Scholar with a 3.97 GPA. He has received four grants from the Miller Arts Scholars, three for equipment to support his production work, and one for a summer in Nashville exploring the music scene and making connections. As one of his instructors put it, “I can’t think of another student I’ve worked with here who is as ambitious … He continues to distinguish himself from a very capable group of peers.”

Karen Joy (KJ) Vaughan: UVA Arts Council Distinguished Artist Award in Studio Art 

Karen Joy (KJ) Vaughan for the UVA Arts Council Distinguished Artist Award in Studio Art. Vaughan is a painter and filmmaker. She takes classes that challenge her. She always asks questions from her professors and peers. She is one of the leaders in the Studio Art Program. People seem to gravitate towards her. She has the chance to be one of the best students to ever come out of this program. 








 

 2021 Awardees: 

Oliver Church: UVA Arts Council Distinguished Artist Award in Architecture

Oliver is an incredibly talented designer with an innate ability to drive ideas consistently from conception to project implementation. He is a driven and dedicated student, always exceeding expectations. He is able to work fluidly between hand sketches, drawings, physical and digital models in pursuit of complex spatial ideas. He is an intuitive designer with high level technical skills, allowing him to articulate and represent his ideas in clear, concise and compelling ways.  Additionally, Oliver is supportive of his peers, and interested in their work. His GPA of 3.97 and studio GPA of 4.0 speak to his overall excellence and success in the architecture program. The School of Architecture is delighted to offer the UVA Arts Council Distinguished Artist Award in Architecture to Oliver Church, who is highly deserving of this recognition.

Zoe Ziff: UVA Arts Council Distinguished Artist Award in Dance

During her time at UVA, Zoe Ziff has proven herself to be a talented, critical dance artist and scholar who is deeply dedicated to the development and growth of her artistic practice. A highly skilled improvisor and compelling performer, Ziff demonstrates tremendous potential as a creative collaborator and dance maker of both live and digital works. Upon her arrival on grounds, she fully immersed herself in the dance program community through coursework and productions, in addition to taking every opportunity to engage with guest artists, perform in regional conferences, and submit her work for adjudication. Ziff brings curiosity to her dance practice and poses perceptive questions that reflect a critical and intellectual depth not often seen by someone at this point in their journey She has a genuine passion for dance as an art form and its transformative potential for all practitioners and audiences. An invested member of the dance community, Ziff has been involved in the arts on grounds as a Dance Arts Scholar, Co-Chair of the Drama Arts Board, and President of the Dance Committee. Although she is a Biochemistry major, Ziff has the skills, ability, and interest in pursuing dance beyond her undergraduate studies. She is one of our students who could upon graduation engage in dance scholarship through work as a performer, choreographer, scholar/educator, or administrator. She is bright, highly motivated, and reflects a deft ability to weave theory with practice. It is with great pleasure that the Dance Program names Zoe Ziff as this year’s recipient of the UVA Arts Council Distinguished Artist Award in Dance.

Karen Zipor: UVA Arts Council Distinguished Artist Award in Drama

A double major in Drama and Computer Science, Karen Zipor demonstrates a unique blend of skills in both performance and technology and an outstanding aptitude for creative storytelling. She is a prolific actor and maker. In the past two years, she has appeared in a number of productions, including She Kills Monsters (UVA Drama, Fall 2019), The New Works Festival (UVA Drama, Spring 2020), and Watch Me (Virginia Players, Spring 2020). Karen’s long list of accomplishments has continued to grow this year with her involvement in the virtual production of Love & Information (Fall 2020), to which she made significant contributions by designing, directing, editing, and performing in several short films while adhering to strict COVID-19 guidelines. Karen is an excellent collaborator and a passionate leader; her energy, integrity, and enthusiasm ignite any group that she works with. She is a Miller Arts Scholar and serves on the executive board of the Virginia Players as an Artistic Director.

Lauren Schmidt: UVA Arts Council Distinguished Artist Award in Music

Lauren is a tremendously gifted violinist and could certainly have been admitted to a competitive music performance program if she had chosen that path.  Her first symphony audition, a performance of the Beethoven Violin Concerto, was a stunning display of the power and maturity of her musicianship.  Fortunately for our department and wider community, Lauren chose UVA and has poured herself into music activities here.  She is the most hardworking and dedicated member of the symphony’s violin section and has been a stand-out in chamber music (on violin and viola!) and solo performance.  That she was one of only four students chosen to represent the school for an international partnership exchange to Hungary, should give you an estimation of how highly she is regarded within the department.  Lauren is kind, engaging, enthusiastic and exceedingly bright.  She has helped create a delightful comradery amongst the violinists in the department and spends a significant amount of her time volunteering as an advocate for the department and its students at Days on the Lawn and other recruiting events.  She is an outstanding academic student and will be performing a DMP recital next year.

Elizabeth Wimbish: UVA Arts Council Distinguished Artist Award in Studio Art

The Studio Art student is Elizabeth Wimbish. Liza is a photography concentration in Studio but her work branches out into drawing and sculpture. She builds constructions and photographs them, incorporating shadows as lines and tones the way someone making a drawing would. She is a Miller Art Scholar and is double majoring in Studio Art and Art History. She will be in the Distinguished Major Program next year.






 

2020 Awardees: 

Jessie Fidler: UVA Arts Council Distinguished Artist Award in Drama

The Department of Drama is delighted to offer the UVA Arts Council Distinguished Artist Award to Jessie Fidler.  A rising fourth-year drama major, Jessie strives to be an excellent scholar and artist and is honing a nuanced creative aesthetic.  She has been involved in virtually every aspect of the department, performing, directing, stage managing, solving technical problems, and more. She has contributed significantly to First Year Players, including as a director, and is slated to take on important roles in the Heritage Theatre Festival season of 2020 (now 2021). She is curious, inquisitive, and direct, and an exceptional collaborator within the theatre community at UVA, invariably working to establish a positive and productive environment. As one faculty member wrote, "the building will crumble just a little bit once she leaves."

Kiana Pilson: UVA Arts Council Distinguished Artist Award in Dance

During her time at UVA, Kiana Pilson has proven herself to be an insightful scholar, a thoughtful maker, and a compelling performer. As an artist scholar, Ms. Pilson approaches critical questions in relation to dance with deft and nuance beyond her years.  Her unique ability to balance criticality with humility and grace always leads class discussions into more vibrant territory.  In studio classes, Ms. Pilson consistently challenges herself and her peers by modeling a willingness to step outside of her comfort zone and embrace new experiences. Through written, embodied, and creative explorations in dance she has examined how this art form intersects with society, culture, identity, and politics of the body. Unafraid to challenge consensus and reflect honestly, Ms. Pilson brings her entire self to her interactions with dance studies and the future of dance studies will only benefit from the contributions she will undoubtedly make. It is with great pleasure that the Dance Program names Ms. Pilson as this year’s recipient of the UVA Arts Council Distinguished Artist Award in Dance.

Margaret Kim: UVA Arts Council Distinguished Artist Award in Studio Art

Margaret Kim is a rising 4th year Double Major in Studio Art and Biology. She has just been accepted into the Studio Art DMP program, is also a member of the Miller Arts Scholars, and she has completed the Mountain lake Arts Residency.  Her studio art Concentration is sculpture.  She began taking sculpture classes during the Fall Semester of her 2nd Year, and is currently completing her 4th semester of Sculpture Classes.  At her graduation in May 2021 she will be graduating with honors and will have completed 6 semesters of Sculpture.  She was recently accepted into the Bond/ Bound Exhibition at Second street Gallery.  As a double major, she is an artist/scientist, a multidisciplinary student.  Her art is highly original and comes from her experience, understanding, and passion for both Science and the Arts. She sees her work as a bridge between these these two distinctly human endeavors, a mission that the world sorely needs now.

Amelia Bailey: UVA Arts Council Distinguished Artist Award in Music

Amelia Bailey is exceedingly talented and has participated broadly in the department (Charlottesville Symphony Orchestra, Performance Concentration, chamber music seminar, masterclasses, etc), and at the university level as well.  Amelia is currently co-chair of the Arts Board, will be presenting a full-length DMP recital in Spring 2021, and was selected as one of only four students from the music department to represent the University for an artistic exchange residency in Hungary (postponed from Fall 2020 due to Covid-19).  Amelia is an exceptional violin player.  On the few occasions that Dan Sender needed to be absent from a symphony rehearsal, Amelia was always my first choice to serve as temporary concertmaster to lead in his place.   She has been accepted to some of the finest summer training programs the country has to offer and has performed as a representative of the department at a few of the highest-level functions UVA has produced.

In her very first lesson at UVA, Amelia laid out her repertoire goals for the next few years (all big rep), her desire to be engaged in many aspects of musical life in the department and all about the concerts she had recently attended.  She has devoured all the challenges her instructors have given her, including Paganini, Sarasate, and the Dvorak and Sibelius Concertos), and is the kind of student every teacher dreams of having.  Amelia is a quick study; one who absorbs new techniques and musical ideas with apparent ease.  She learns music remarkably fast and is continuing to develop a distinct musical voice.  Furthermore, Amelia is a warm, kind, intelligent and quietly confident individual.  She would be an outstanding and completely deserving recipient of this award.

Dylan Gibbs: UVA Arts Council Distinguished Artist Award in Architecture

The School of Architecture has selected Dylan Gibbs for the UVA Arts Council Distinguished Artist Award in Architecture. Below you will find a selection of excerpts compiled from Dylan’s multiple nominations that provides a description of his strengths and attributes that determined this selection. 

“He has consistently exhibited outstanding design sensibilities and representational abilities, driven by an unmatched curiosity and work ethic. He brings a passion and quiet resolve to the studio environment, leading by example. He has earned the respect of his peers and faculty without calling attention to himself or seeking out recognition, and is a very positive presence in the school.”

“Dylan is a highly promising, energetic and unassuming design student, with great talent and intellect, who’s joy in design is evident in all of his work, and in the enthusiasm, he inspires in others.  It is therefore with complete confidence and the highest possible recommendation that I submit his nomination for the Distinguished Artist award.”

“I have taught undergraduate students both in history and theory, as well as design for over twenty years, and he is among the very best undergraduate students I have taught (certainly top 1%, if not higher). In the past 8 years teaching at UVA, I have given out only two A+ to undergraduate students. Dylan’s grade is one of them.”

“His work is superb both in studio and in courses… one of our most outstanding students.”

2019 Awardees: 

Kristen Barrett: UVA Arts Council Distinguished Artist Award in Drama

The Department of Drama is delighted to offer the UVA Arts Council Distinguished Artist Award to Kristen Barrett.  Kristen has been an outstanding student and artist across Grounds, building an impressive record of accomplishments as a writer, director, and producer.   She has produced and served as head writer for Black Monologues, helped produce the Drama Department’s Director of Diversity and Inclusion Reading Series, and helped organize a Creative Response to the events of August 11-12, 2017, a collaboration between the Drama Department and the Carter G. Woodson Institute for African-American and African Studies.   As President of the Paul Robeson Players, Kristen has been a leader in producing and directing theatrical events that promote diversity and inclusion.  In 2018 she directed and co-produced an innovative staging of Romeo and Juliet for the Robeson Players and Shakespeare on the Lawn, and she is currently directing and filming an original screenplay.   She is an artist of the highest integrity and imagination who takes every opportunity to learn, experiment, and promote a collaborative and inclusive environment.

Erin Perry: UVA Arts Council Distinguished Artist Award in Dance

Over the past three years, Erin Perry has developed into a compelling performer, a promising young choreographer, and a clear leader in the dance program community. As a performer in both student and faculty choreography she has been challenged to embody movement vocabulary and invest in creative processes that lie outside of her comfort zone. Ms. Perry has not treated these challenges like obstacles, but embraced them as opportunities and her professional attitude combined with a desire to attain a certain level of mastery has helped her to excel as a performer. Ms. Perry is also not averse to risk taking in her own creative work. This past academic year she choreographed two works that were presented in our Dance Program’s mainstage productions, which reflected her aptitude for developing innovative movement vocabulary and organizing bodies in space. Cascading Elements, was developed last fall when Ms. Perry embarked upon a co-creative collaborative process in partnership with undergraduate composer Paul Redling. This was a deeply rigorous and artistically risky endeavor that challenged both artists in multiple ways. Ms. Perry had to reconcile her vision with that of an artist from another discipline without losing her own voice in the process. A challenge for even a seasoned choreographer, Ms. Perry was able to find compromise, deal with a large number of unknown variables, and maintain artistic integrity – an admirable accomplishment. Her second work Etch had the honor of closing our spring dance concert. Ms. Perry has been deeply dedicated to the development of her dance practice and creative process during her time at UVA and we look forward to seeing how she continues to invest in and apply these skills to future endeavors.

Anna Warner: UVA Arts Council Distinguished Artist Award in Studio Art

Anna Warner has the independent drive and self-knowledge that exemplifies the best students in the Studio Art Dept. Her work consistently shows a degree of sensitivity and intellect that rises above the expectations. She always tries to pioneer, exploring new forms, representations and ideas. As a Miller Art Scholar and Art major she regularly takes chances and isn’t afraid to risk it all on the exploration, setting out on her own, both physically and conceptually, to investigate new possibilities. She will be in the Distinguished Major Honors program in Studio Art next year and holds a GPA of 3.84. The Studio Art Department is proud to be able to offer the UVA Arts Council Distinguished Artist Award to Anna Warner.

Tianyu Zhang: UVA Arts Council Distinguished Artist Award in Music

Tianyu Zhang is a rising fourth year student who has distinguished himself in music scholarship, composition, and performance.  A versatile musician who engages popular music, funk, jazz, and experimental works, he is equally adept at electric and upright (acoustic) bass, where his intonation, tone, and rhythmic sense are exceptional. In addition, he is a skilled singer and electronic musician. Throughout his time at the University, Tianyu has demonstrated fearless engagement with new ways of conceiving and expressing music. His performance of a piece by Coltrane at his DMP audition was almost a recomposition, realized with total confidence. In addition to playing regularly in various Jazz combos and the New Music Ensemble, Tianyu is one of two performers who will premiere a new work by composer Judith Shatin this season, and has devoted a great deal of time learning the unique graphic notation devised for the work. The Department of Music is proud to nominate Tianyu Zhang to the Arts Council Distinguished Artist Award for his talent and demonstrated commitment to musical arts.

Andre Victor Grospe: UVA Arts Council Distinguished Artist Award in Architecture

Andre Grospe is an extremely dedicated, hard-working and intelligent architecture student who applies himself completely to his creative design work which is recognized for its strong ability to synthesize ideas into form and space. Maintaining an impressive GPA throughout his time at UVA, his rigorous work ethic is demonstrated through the quality of his work, setting a high standard for his peers. In addition to his success in his major, Pre-Professional Architecture, he also takes his courses outside of the studio curriculum very seriously, exhibiting his overall sense of curiosity, critical inquiry, and commitment. He is also an active member of the Raven Society and the vice-president of UVA’s chapter of the American Institute of Architecture Students. Andre has been described as someone who “creates limitlessly – he pushes boundaries, exceeds far beyond the required minimum, is unafraid to experiment and break the rules and embeds in all of his projects a sense of passion, sophisticated thought and intensity.” The School of Architecture is extremely proud to be able to offer the UVA Arts Council Distinguished Artist Award in Architecture to Andre Grospe.

2018 Awardees: 

Savannah Hard: UVA Arts Council Distinguished Artist Award in Drama (2018)

The Department of Drama is delighted to offer the UVA Arts Council Distinguished Artist Award to Savannah Hard.  A fourth-year drama major, Savannah is a superbly talented and exceptionally motivated member of the theatre community at UVA.  Her playwriting earns high praise, and two of her original works have already been performed at the university, Eggs and White Zinfandel.  Her work in performance is equally impressive.  She will shortly appear in the role of #46 in the department’s production of The Wolves, and in last season’s production of Urinetown she served as Assistant Stage Manager—though really, as one faculty member describes it, her roles also included “acting stage manager, stand-in actor, stand-in singer, cast wrangler, organizer, shoulder-to-cry-on, first one there and last one to leave”!  She also serves as President of the Virginia Players, a student organization she has revitalized in order to support the efforts of theatre-makers all over Grounds.  Whatever the project, she works tirelessly to create a positive, collaborative environment and takes every opportunity to learn and experiment.  Savannah Hard is a student, colleague, and artist of the highest integrity.

Amy Dalrymple: UVA Arts Council Distinguished Artist Award in Dance (2018)

The Dance Program is extremely pleased to be able to offer the UVA Arts Council Distinguished Artist Award in Dance to Amy Dalrymple. During her time at UVA, Ms. Dalrymple has consistently challenged herself and taken risks on various projects in multiple areas: as a performer, choreographer, and engaged artist-citizen. As a lead research assistant for Reinterpreting Pollock’s Branch Watershed, an interdisciplinary research project at the intersection of landscape architecture, dance, and community mapping, Ms. Dalrymple enthusiastically versed herself in the historical significance of Anna and Lawrence Halprin’s creative processes to better understand the successes and failures of post-urban renewal Charlottesville. Ms. Dalrymple was instrumental in helping to organize the community movement and mapping workshops at Clark Elementary, Walkable Watershed, and JABA’s Mary Williams Senior Center where she won quick favor with members.  Her kindness, knowledge of ethical community practices, and passion served as an inspiration for her research assistant peers. Ms. Dalrymple’s dedication to the project was felt and deeply appreciated by the entire team. She often brought questions to the table that reminded us all of the importance of the body in the desire for more democratic spaces. We have no doubt that these strengths and sensitivities will continue to inform her future work and career trajectory.

Gabby Fuller: UVA Arts Council Distinguished Artist Award in Studio Art (2018)

Gabby Fuller is an exceptional young artist.  A student of both studio practice and art history, Gabby’s interest in making things at UVA was first piqued by animation.  Skilled in frame by frame and digital practices, she began with bright renderings of animals and fantastical creatures in her early new media classes. As her awareness of both art history and contemporary social conditions has grown, she has begun to venture into riskier territory. Her more recent interests acknowledge her bi-racial heritage through thoughtful engagement with issues around African-American identity and the history of African Americans at UVA (her father is a UVA graduate).  Her work in the coming year as an honors student in studio art promises to break new ground as she sets out to track down and document her uncle’s square on the once prominent AIDS quilt.  She is up for the challenge of moving into the intellectual territory of conceptual art, which speaks not to a lack of artistic talent but an abundance of it.  We are excited to see where she goes.

Nicholas Rupert: UVA Arts Council Distinguished Artist Award in Music (2018)

Nick Rupert is an outstanding cellist, greatly admired by his cello teacher and many who know him at UVA. He is a well-rounded musician, strong in technical matters such as intonation, rhythm, and tone; emotionally expressive; and confident, with good stage presence. During his fourth year here, he is participating in the Performance Concentration, which will give him a performance credential beyond the standard music major. He is also preparing a Distinguished Major recital to be given in his last semester. In addition to solo performance, he has been active in the Charlottesville Symphony and in chamber music. As well, he is an outstanding student in academic music classes, where his engagement and enthusiasm enhance the experience of everyone in the classroom.

David Shim: UVA Arts Council Distinguished Artist Award in Architecture (2018)

David Shim demonstrates a noteworthy combination of exceptional design talent, strong work ethic, and an easy-going personable character. He transferred to the School of Architecture from the University at-large and quickly was able to excel and exhibit tremendous growth as a designer. He is ambitious, extremely interested in design, is eager to learn, experiment and grow. He shows impressive attention to detail in both technical and aesthetic design decisions, with a strong graphic sensibility through a wide range of techniques. In a studio and review setting, he has also demonstrated clear and confident verbal presentations. The combination of the strength of his design proposals and his ability to communicate his approach both verbally and visually indicates the potential for an excellent future as a designer. David Shim also holds the top GPA in his class at 3.899, reflecting on his success overall as a student in the Architecture Pre-Professional Program. The School of Architecture is extremely proud to be able to offer the UVA Arts Council Distinguished Artist Award in Architecture to David Shim.