PSFA E-CONNECT - July 2009

MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN

As August fast approaches and we prepare to welcome another class of freshman to campus, the budget situation at SDSU and within the entire CSU system is grim. SDSU’s budget for 2009-10 was recently approved and includes cuts of just over $35 million. In order to meet this reduction every aspect of the University community will be affected in some way, with fee increases, workforce furloughs, and other measures being immediately enacted. I encourage you to visit SDSU’s Budget Central for specific information about the current crisis.

Despite these challenging times, the College of Professional Studies and Fine Arts continues to have much to celebrate, and aside from the bleak first paragraph, this issue has a particularly celebratory tone, as it features alumni, students and faculty who have achieved great success while pursuing their passion. I hope you will read and enjoy!

Joyce M. Gattas, Dean
College of Professional Studies and Fine Arts

In the News

John Baldessari Retrospective on Exhibit at Legion Of Honor

Acclaimed artist and alumnus John Baldessari’s (BA Art, ’53; MA Art, ’57) work will be featured at the Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco, Legion of Honor from July 11 – November 8, 2009. The exhibit, entitled John Baldessari: A Print Retrospective from the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and his Family Foundation features over 100 prints that span four decades, from the 1970s to the present. The exhibit complements the anticipated release of The Prints of John Baldessari: A Catalogue Raisonne 1971-2007, and the exhibition John Baldessari: Pure Beauty opening at the TATE Modern (London, England), both scheduled for October of this year.

Baldessari began teaching and making art in the 1950s, making prints in the early 1970s, and is still producing editions today. He is credited with helping to make Los Angeles an internationally recognized center of contemporary art. Baldessari is the recipient of the 1997 California Governor’s Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Visual Arts, the 2005 Americans for the Arts’ Lifetime Achievement Award, and the 2009 Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement, awarded on June 6th at the 53rd International Venice Biennale of Art, in Italy, where he is considered “one of today's most important visual artists.”

Alumni Highlights

Jennifer Guerin Competes on HGTV Design Star

Alumna Jennifer Guerin (Art, ’02) is one of ten finalists competing to host her own show on HGTV's hit series HGTV Design Star. The highly anticipated fourth season, set in Hollywood, premiered on Sunday, July 19, at 10 p.m. PDT, and airs through September 13. Guerin is the creator of JG Color Studios, a small collective company specializing in color design, color consultations and green spatial design, located in downtown San Diego. She is one of only 151 color consultants in the U.S. certified by the International Association of Color Consultation. This certification allows Guerin to select color palettes for public buildings, such as hospitals and schools.

Tom Johnson Launches News Website

Alumnus Tom Johnson (Journalism, ’76) and William Lobdell have teamed up to launch The Newport-Mesa Daily Voice, an independent website “providing news, commentary and information about Newport Beach and Costa Mesa.” The online news operation will be run as a nonprofit and will generate revenue through advertising sales and sponsorships. Johnson and Lobdell worked together as publisher and editor, respectively, of the Daily Pilot, which filed for bankruptcy in December. The pair hope to fill a void in local news left by rampant closures and staff reductions at traditional newspapers.

Student Spotlight

SDSU Students Win Emmy Award

Twenty-one Emmy statuettes were given to SDSU students, alumni and faculty last month at the 35th Annual Pacific Southwest Emmy Awards. “Hollywood Heights,” a one-hour dramatic pilot produced by SDSU students, was the winner in the Student Production – Program category. Outstanding Student Iris Caffin was supervising producer and director on the project, which involved over 200 students from all areas of the school. To view a short trailer for “Hollywood Heights” click here. To see a complete list of PSFA alumni who received Emmys, click here.

SDSU Student Wins Culinary Scholarship

Martin Sheehan-Stross was one of seven recipients of the prestigious 2009 Giacomo Bologna Scholarship. Sheehan-Stross was selected from hundreds of applicants and will embark on a culinary study adventure through Tuscany, which includes seven days of touring vineyards and estates, cooking with famous chefs, and spending time with cheesemakers and artisanal food producers. Sheehan-Stross is enrolled in the Restaurant Operations Program within the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management.

Faculty Focus

Film Professor Jack Ofield’s Short Films Make Festival Rounds

SDSU’s Filmmaker in Residence, Jack Ofield, drew and animated three short children’s films, which were screened at various film festivals around the country. The San Diego International Children's Film Festival will screen "The Juggler," "Dandelion Will Make You Wise" and "Circus Minimus" the weekend of August 1-2 at the Museum of Photographic Arts in Balboa Park; and the weekend of August 15-16 at the New Children's Museum downtown. The Balboa Park screenings are free and open to the public. Ofield is the executive producer of “The Short List,” a long-running, Emmy Award-winning showcase for international short film on PBS and cable.

Professor Peter Aufsesser Named Hometown Hero

Exercise and Nutritional Sciences Professor Pete Aufsesser was one of 55 Hometown Heroes honored at the 2009 San Diego County Fair on July 4th. He was selected by KyXy 96.5 for making “our community and country a better, safer, healthier, place to live” through his award-winning work as founder and director of SDSU’s Fitness Clinic For Individuals with Disabilities.