Community Education is not just a MCA program designed to further the artistic educations of young summer art campers and aspiring adults.  In this case, Community Education is the multicultural, international hip-hop/funk collective of Michael Coppage, BFA 2001, Sculpture (aka Prosper Jones), Tommy Mavra, BFA 2002, Sculpture, and Matthew Moss, BFA 2003, Illustration.  In 1998, while attending MCA, these three students formed the musical group Community Education while performing work study for then Director of Community Education Jackie Ware.  Today, they are still making art and music!  Michael writes and executive produces, Tommy performs production and mixing, and Matthew creates the graphics.

South Bronx Sessions, recorded in the birthplace of hip-hop (oddly enough, the South Bronx), has sold in the United States, Europe, Asia, and Australia and is currently in the top 30 on the European charts.  This CD is an Editor’s Pick at CDBaby – “1990's Hip Hop for 2008.  Funky, Fresh, Soulful, Classic.”  “The most impressive thing about Community Education’s South Bronx Sessions album is the innovative blend of different people, voices, styles and rhythms, which all somehow manage to work out great together.  I was never once bored with this album since every song brings something new and interesting.  The creative energy these young artists have is definitely evident through their beats and lyrics.  South Bronx Sessions is a fun, interesting and clever album that can appeal to large audiences because of many different music styles present on the album, and Community Education has achieved that without being too commercial.”  Beat Down, a single from this CD made the charts.  Recently, South Bronx Sessions was named Album of the Week on the French website http://hiphop203.blogspot.com/search?q=community+education.  Also recently, South Bronx Sessions was put into rotation at CKUT radio 90.3fm in Montreal, Quebec with many other radio stations scheduled to follow.

To read more about Community Education or to listen to select songs or purchase South Bronx Sessions, visit www.cdbaby.com/cd/communityed or www.myspace.com/communityedu.  Community Education’s second release is currently in the mixing stage scheduled for release in 2010.

Michael, aka Prosper, also had a number one single on the charts following his 2006 European tour.  Ignorant Smignorant, or just plain Ignorant, was released on Combination Records (Germany).  He completed a residency at the Vermont Studio, recently had an exhibit at the Crane Arts Building in Philadelphia and is working on a new series to be shown at a local Cincinnati gallery in the very near future.  Tommy will be relocating to Germany within the next month to set up the next tour with European group members.  While residing in Germany, Tommy plans to teach English as a second language.

Hip Hop x 2 . . . Yo!

Nakita Moore, BFA 1996, Graphic Design, aka Computer, alter-ego Rock-n-Roll Cowboy, is celebrating his first single/video release, Big Cars Big Stars.  This release follows his rise to fame as part of the Academy award-winning rap group Three 6 Mafia and their Adventures in Hollyhood.

To view the video, visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SwTT63zKCU.

Chike Walker, attended 2004-2006, Surface Design, is currently freelancing for New York based, urban brand clothing manufacturer and wholesaler Coogi, with his first collection of original designs scheduled to be released in December 2009.

A Chike Walker original creation
Hand-tailored blazer for a private client

Can you guess the alum?

The Horn Islanders from this year’s 25th anniversary trip are back!

That’s some pretty fancy and fabulous headgear!  Who are we?  Scroll down . . .

Faculty News . . .

Works by Assistant Professor Susan Maakestad were selected for inclusion in The Alonzo Davis VCCA Fellowship Exhibition at the Sande Webster Gallery in Philadelphia from July 10 through August 29.  Invited participants were selected from past Fellows of the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts.  For more information or to purchase artwork online, visit www.alonzodavis.com/adfellowship.

Borders #2, 2008
Oil on Canvas, 14 x 19”

Something to Weigh, featuring new work by Assistant Professor Haley Morris Cafiero will be on view at Lulalyn’s new gallery space located at 80 Monroe Street at the corner of Main in downtown Memphis, www.lulalyn@aol.com. 
The Opening Reception is Friday, June 26 from
7-10 pm.

Reminder:  The official Memphis College of Art Alumni Association Facebook and LinkedIn pages are now up and running.  Tell your family and friends . . . log on, locate the sites and let us hear from you!

In Memoriam . . .

Beverly McFall Mitchell, BFA 1983, Painting, passed away on May 16, 2009.  She is best known for her very large-scale paintings of passages through light and shadow.  Beverly’s work has been exhibited in Memphis College of Art’s Main Gallery, the Memphis Botanical Gardens, Alice Bingham Gallery, and David Lusk Gallery, and her work can be found in private and corporate collections nationwide.

Current work by James Little, BFA 1974, Painting, was recently on exhibit at June Kelly Gallery in New York’s SoHo district.  Select works from the exhibition, Through Tuesday, can be viewed at www.junekellygallery.com/little.  James is a recognized abstract artist whose works can be found in the national and international collections of the Library of Congress, Gucci Corporation, Occidental Petroleum Company, New Jersey and Tennessee State Museums, Maatschappij Arti Et Amicitiae, Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, and Memphis College of Art.

Works by Alexander Paulus, MFA 2009, Studio Arts, and Jennifer Barnett Hensel, MFA 2009, Studio Arts, were selected for inclusion in Emerging Artists: the Best of Local Universities exhibit recently on view at the offices of Askew Nixon Ferguson Architects.

Dolph Smith, BFA 1960, Advertising Design, has been very busy.  In April, Dolph’s works entitled Reading/Writing and Buoyk were included in Topophilia, Love of Place, a national juried show at Olde Towne Arts Center in Slidell, LA.  In May, Dolph’s collection of books, Tall Tales and Short Stories, were selected for In The Tradition, A Lineage of Printers & Book Artists, a curated invitational exhibition at the Good Citizen Gallery in St. Louis, MO.  In May, new work by Dolph was featured in the Artafactor auction event sponsored by ArtsMemphis.  When Ted Met Gracie represents the old-fashioned dance card behind a window, dropped there on the night Gracie ran away with Ted for a night of romance.  Recording devices are scattered throughout the book, and as the pages are turned, readers are delighted by romantic melodies – Somewhere Over the Rainbow (Judy Garland), Unforgettable (Nat King Cole) and Unchained Melody (The Righteous Brothers). 

Reading/Writing.  Book in mixed woods finished in milk paint. 
Words in letter beads move about in each window,
a reference to the old tradition of Movable Type.

Buyok.  Book in mixed woods with raised buoy form clad in copper.

Tall Tales and Short Stories.  Collection of books
in mixed woods.  Each book contains an original
story from the Jilly Barnes series.

When Ted Met Gracie

When Ted Met Gracie Recording Mechanism

New work by Annabelle Meacham, attended 1975-1978, Painting, was selected for inclusion in the Fort Smith, Arkansas Art Center's 59th Annual Art Competition.  This exhibition remains on view through June 26, 2009.  Annabelle’s mixed media painting on canvas contains elements of wood, fabric, and fused glass, with acrylic paint.

Suckerpunch, featuring new work by Matthew Dayler, MFA 2002, Studio Arts, along with
work by two other Canadian artists, will
remain on view at Hamilton Artists, Inc.,
161 James Street North, Hamilton, ON, www.hamiltonartistsinc.on.ca/intro.shtml,
through July 31, 2009.

Alexander Paulus, MFA 2009, Studio Arts, and Jennifer Barnett Hensel, MFA 2009, Studio Arts, together again at Jack Robinson Gallery, 400 S. Front Street, Memphis.  Their Creation/Evolution Series will remain on view through the end of July.

Dogs, an exhibition featuring new work by Jay McClellan, BFA 2006, Drawing, remains on view at The FUEL Collection, 249 Arch Street in historic Old City, Philadelphia, www.fuelcollection.com, through June 25, 2009.  Jay’s work is also featured in Neo-Abstractions, the current exhibition at Blink Art Gallery, 108 Chestnut Street, 4th Floor, Philadelphia, PA, www.blinkartgallery.com.  This exhibition will remain on view through the month of June.

Painted Things & Apron Strings featuring the Art & Aprons of Carolyn Olivia Dodson-King, BFA 1996, Decorative Design, will remain on view at The Majestic Grille, Innovator's Room: Gallery & Event Space located at 145 S. Main Street, Memphis, TN, www.majesticgrille.com through July 2009.

Recent work by Dail Chambers, BFA 2007, Ceramics, is featured in her first large-scale solo exhibition at Nu-Art Series Metropolitan Gallery, 2936 Locust Street, St. Louis, MO, www.thenu-artseries.org.  This exhibition will remain on view through July 10, 2009.  Dail’s work is also currently included in a national “emerging artist” exhibition at the Liz Long Gallery, in Chicago, IL.

Ryan Rowlett, BFA 2008, Printmaking, is one of twelve artists featured in The Sum and All Parts, a group exhibition in space located at 427 Manhattan Avenue at Bayard Street in Brooklyn, NY 11211.  This exhibition will remain on view through July 26, 2009.

Transference, a solo exhibit featuring work by Todd Fischer, BFA 2005, Sculpture, will remain on view at Art Dimension’s 3rd Floor Gallery, 1214 Washington Avenue, St. Louis, MO, www.artdimensions.org, through August 8, 2009.  Todd’s exhibition received prominent recognition in a recent edition of Riverfront Times.

New work by Deeann Carson, BFA 2007, Painting, continues in Be A Doll, a group exhibition at Estel Gallery located at 115 Rosa L. Parks Boulevard (formerly 8th Avenue North) in downtown Nashville, TN, www.estelgallery.com, on view through June 25, 2009.

Dolph Smith, BFA 1960, Advertising Design, is one of 60 artists featured in Common Box Show, a national invitational exhibition in conjunction with John Common and the Blinding Flashes of Light on view at Abecedarian Gallery, 910 Santa Fe Drive, Unit #101, Denver, CO 80204, www.abecedariangallery.com from July 8-18, 2009.  The Listening Party will be held on Saturday, July 18 from 7-10 pm.  Simple wooden boxes were sent to 60 national artists to “react to.”  Dolph’s “reaction,” Shoot for the Moon, Land on the Roof, is made of wood, acrylic, etched glass, and inks.

P.S.  Select works by Dolph can be seen in the 2008 edition of 500 Handmade Books published by Lark Books and on sale everywhere.

The very busy Annabelle Meacham, attended 1975-1978, Painting, has been selected to participate in the Mississippi Invitational biennial exhibition on view at the Mississippi Museum of Art, 380 South Lamar Street in downtown Jackson, MS, www.msmuseumart.org, from July 30 through November 29, 2009.   The Opening Reception is Thursday, July 30 from 5:30 – 7:00 pm.  A breakfast forum, open to the public, will follow on Friday, August 1.  New York art critic Peter Plagens, who selected the work for this exhibition, will lead the discussion.

Paul Behnke, BFA 1999, Painting, is one of eight artists featured in the Annual New Talent Show at The Rosenfeld Gallery, 113 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106, www.therosenfeldgallery.com.  New Talent opens on July 12 and will remain on view through August 2, 2009.  The Opening Reception is Sunday, July 12 from noon to 5 pm. 

If you have any exciting news to post‚ or if you have an upcoming show‚ a “spotlight“ nomination or would like to become a mentor‚ please contact Lee Ann Warner‚ Director of Development at Memphis College of Art at alumni@mca.edu or call (901)272–5113.