A meeting of the Rutherford Arts Alliance was held June 11, 2019, from 4:00 to 5:00 PM at the MT Center at MTSU. MTSU Arts and the MTSU College of Liberal Arts hosted. Over 40 people were in attendance.
MTSU faculty and administration who spoke to the group included
Dr. Stephen Smith, Associate Dean of the College of Liberal Arts, who welcomed the group.
Connie Huddleston, Events Coordinator for MTSU Arts, who encouraged attendees to follow MTSU Arts for year-round events, and to learn more about the Patrons Society and the Master of Arts in Liberal Arts. Connie invited the group to the Todd Art Gallery, especially on Saturdays, when the gallery is open, parking is more convenient, and there are often workshops.
Jeff Gibson, Chair of the Department of Theatre and Dance, and Dr. Jette Halladay, who spoke about Jeff’s research, and their joint upcoming course, “Applied Theatre in Training,” which will focus on how students can transfer their theater skills to industries beyond performance. They will be working with on- and off-campus partners to develop training (such as customer service, interview skills, etc.) later in the semester.
“This is about ‘yes, and’ of improv instead of the ‘yes, but’ that often occurs in business meetings,” said Dr. Halladay.
The department is also partnering with the community group Murfreesboro M-PROV.
Dr. Michael Parkinson, Director of the School of Music, spoke about the school, its programs, and the reach of its graduates and constituents. The school produces over 200 events per year, which the public is welcome to attend, and is partnering with local businesses to help students with entrepreneurial skills.
A folder of extensive information was made available to attendees.
Dr. Mei Han, who directs the Center for Chinese Music and Culture, spoke about the Center. Its gallery at Miller Education Center now features over 100 instruments and has hosted over 3,000 visiting students of all ages. As the world seems to grow smaller, “we need to know each other,” said Mei Han. The Center also has a cultural festival linked to the Chinese New Year. Everyone is welcome to come to the Center and experience the culture there. She is interested in working with RAA to teach local teachers how to teach Chinese music in their classes.
RAA Chair Ginny Togrye introduced board of director nominees and invited voting on paper at the meeting or by email through June 25th. Voters must be paid members. New board members will be announced at the July 9 meeting.
RAA Vice Chair Ginna Foster Cannon invited everyone present to introduce themselves and make announcements. Individuals and organizations are encouraged to share their arts news on the RAA “Creative Connector” Facebook group.
Our next meeting is at Murfreesboro Little Theatre at 4:00 PM on Tuesday, July 9.
The formal meeting adjourned about 5:00 PM.
Submitted by Kory Wells, Secretary
