Alex Da Corte BFA ’04 (Printmaking & Book Arts), widely recognized as a rising star in the art world, has been selected to participate in the 2019 edition of the prestigious Venice Biennale.

The theme of the world’s oldest biennial is "May You Live in Interesting Times," curated by Ralph Rugoff, director of the Hayward Gallery in London. It will feature work from 91 countries in the historic Pavilions at the Giardini, at the Arsenale and in the historic city center of Venice. Five countries will be participating for the first time: Algeria, Ghana, Madagascar, Malaysia and Pakistan.

Da Corte is a conceptual artist who works in painting, sculpture, installation, and video. He uses surreal imagery and everyday objects in his practice and explores ideas of consumerism, pop culture, mythology, and literature.His work often involves bright colors and crisp advertising imagery, and cameos by pop-culture figures like a fake version of Eminem played by the artist himself. His exhibitions have been staged in top New York galleries and museums across the globe.

Da Corte has worked on a number of collaborative projects with other visual artists, writers, and musicians including fellow UArts alum Jayson Musson BFA ’02 (Photography).

This year’s Venice Biennale, according to its curator, Rugoff, "will no doubt include works that reflect upon precarious aspects of today’s existence, including different threats to key traditions, institutions and relationships of the 'post-war order.' But let us acknowledge at the outset that art does not exercise its forces in the domain of politics."

Rugoff also says the exhibition will be immersive and interactive, "engaging visitors in a series of encounters that are essentially playful, taking into account that it is when we play that we are most fully 'human.'"

Julian King ’15 (Vocal Performance) conquered the blind auditions for NBC’s hit singing competition The Voice. During the auditions, hopeful contestants perform out of sight of the judging panel, who rely only on what they hear to decide whether or not they want to invite contestants to join their respective teams. 

For his audition, King sang “All Time Low” by Jon Bellion and immediately won over both Adam Levine and John Legend, with Legend beating out Levine at the last moment for King as his team member. 

In 2014, UArts alum Matt McAndrew ’13 (Vocal Performance) had a spectacular run on season 7 of The Voice, finishing second as a part of Levine’s team. Since them McAndrew has toured with Maroon 5, Nick Jonas, Andy Grammer and the Plain White T’s, and he continues touring nationally. 

Tune in to The Voice on NBC, Tuesdays at 8 p.m. EST, to follow King’s journey.

Photo by Tyler Golden/Courtesy of NBC

UArts Craft & Material Studies Program Director and international fibers artist Mi-Kyoung Lee has collaborated and worked with the International Opera Theater and director Karen Saillant to create Opera Shim Chung, the first Korean story translated into Italian opera. The project has inspired support from Philadelphia, Korea, and Italy.

Mi-Kyoung states, “We have many collaborators and supporters, including Art Tolerance, Emmanuel Korean School, Korean Children Music Choir in Philadelphia, and members of the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Hanbok Advancement Center in Korea to support to the event program.”

An Opera Shim Chung preview event will take place in conjunction with the 100-year celebration and anniversary of the Korean Liberty movement. The International Student program at UArts will also have a citywide student group exhibition called “Independence,” which will celebrate this historic movement and will be part of the Opera Shim Chung preview.

The opera will premiere in Citta della Pieve in Italy this August, alongside a Korean Cultural Festival sponsored by the Citta della Pieve Business Association. Additionally, a Korean cultural festival is being organized to take place in Philadelphia next year, and the opera is planned to be performed at The Kimmel Center, Seoul Opera House, and Seoul Art Center in Korea in June 2020.

As part of this massive project, the Crafts Department recently welcomed Korean Hanbok masters to the UArts campus for a master workshop (pictured above). Students worked with the two Hanbok professionals to create their own versions of this traditional garb.

The Opera Shim Chung preview event will be held on March 1st from 5pm to 7pm in the Gershman Y.

Ana Ortiz BFA ’93 (Theater), who previously starred in the series Ugly Betty, has landed a supporting role as FBI profiler Susan Sampson in the new ABC series Whiskey Cavalier. The series, starring Scott Foley (Scandal) and Lauren Cohan (The Walking Dead), is an action and romantic comedy about government agents who oversee a group of spies. 

Ugly Betty garnered 18 Emmy Award nominations and won a Golden Globe. Ortiz followed up her five-year Ugly Betty run with Devious Maids, a comedy-drama series that ran for four seasons on the Lifetime network. 

Most recently, she’s guest-starred on the ABC TV hit series How to Get Away with Murder, produced by Shonda Rhimes, and Black-ish. In 2018, she also provided voiceover work for the animated Disney film Ralph Breaks the Internet.

Whiskey Cavalier premiered Feb. 27, 2019, and airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m.

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Ana Ortiz BFA ’93 (Theater) plays Susan Sampson, an FBI profiler, in Whiskey Cavalier. Following an emotional breakup, tough but tender FBI super-agent Will Chase (code name: Whiskey Cavalier) is assigned to work with CIA operative Frankie Trowbridge (code name: Fiery Tribune). Together, they must lead an inter-agency team of flawed, funny and heroic spies who periodically save the world—and each other—while navigating the rocky roads of friendship, romance and office politics, on the season premiere of Whiskey Cavalier, airing WEDNESDAY, FEB. 27 (10:00–11:00 p.m. EST), on The ABC Television Network. (ABC/Larry D. Horricks)
ANA ORTIZ
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