Fall 2023 Art Without Limits
Art Without Limits was held on October 11, 2023.
The day-long event focused on arts entrepreneurship and developing an entrepreneurial mindset in the arts. Speakers shared their experiences and interacted with the attendees to hone skills and broaden networks.
New this year – we added special sessions for prospective students and invited high school groups to join us! High school groups attended the full conference and were offered unique sessions in Fashion, Art, Theatre, Dance, Music, and Game Design. These sessions were developed to engage and immerse prospective students in understanding viable pathways into the arts and will help in understanding what careers are available to them should they want to major in any of these areas.
This year's event took place in person on the Kent Campus.
- FREE event!
- Open to the public – those around Northeast Ohio are encouraged to attend.
- Interactive activities and presentations for attending High School groups.
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Arts Without Limits Fall 2023 Sponsors
The fall 2023 Art Without Limits is presented in partnership with LaunchNET 鶹Ƶ, the John S. and Marlene J. Brinzo Center for Entrepreneurship, , and the .
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Arts Without Limits Fall 2023 Special Thanks
Art Without Limits would like to extend gratitude to the following, who helped to make this event possible.
College of the Arts:
- Dean Diane Petrella
- Interim Associate Dean Kim Hahn
- Associate Dean Wendy Matthews
- Sarah Labovitz, Director, School of Music
- Tony Hardin, Director, School of Theatre and Dance
- Mourad Krifa, Director, School of Fashion
- Jillian Sokso, Director, School of Art
- Sarah Rogers, Director, 鶹Ƶ Museum
- Jen Crabtree, Marketing, Communications
- and PR Director, College of the Arts
- Madi Getz, Marketing Associate, College of the Arts
- Nicole Hagen, Marketing and Communications Specialist, College of the Arts
- Taryn McMahon, Associate Professor, School of Art
- Eric Black, Recruitment Coordinator, College of the Arts
- Dylan Ratell, Recruitment Coordinator, College of the Arts
- Pam Hutson, Coordinator of Operations and Special Projects, College of the Arts
- Tisha Bogovich, Senior Resource Manager, College of the Arts
- Linda Colby, Business Manager
- Nick Petrella, Entrepreneur-In-Residence, John S. and Marlene J. Brinzo Center for Entrepreneurship; Asistant Professor, College of the Arts
- J.R. Campbell and the team at the Design Innovation Hub
- Mark Warzinski and the Teleproductions Team
- Zach Mikrut and the team at LaunchNET 鶹Ƶ
- Shawn Rohlin and the team at the John S. and Marlene J. Brinzo Center for Entrepreneurship
- LuAnn Coldwell and Career Exploration and Development
- Arts Entrepreneurship Student Organization
- All the students who are displaying art and performing at Art Without Limits
Presentation Moderators:
- Taryn McMahon
- Lauren Copeland
- Ricardo Sepulveda
- Paul Hurley
- Ambre Emory-Maier
- Chris Totten
- Nick Petrella
Art Without Limits Planning Committee:
- Mandie Bates, Alumni Relations
- Lauren Copeland, Fashion
- Jen Crabtree, COTA Marketing
- Ambre Emory-Maier, Theatre and Dance
- Paul Hurley, Theatre and Dance
- Taryn McMahon, Art
- Nick Petrella, Music and Arts Entrepreneurship
- Dylan Ratell, Recruiting
- Ricardo Sepulveda, Music
- Chris Totten, Animation Game Design
- Anderson Turner, Art
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Fall 2023 Speakers and Presentations
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Stephen Yusko | Visual Arts
creates sculpture, furniture, vessels and public art in his Cleveland, OH studio using mixed material combined with forged, machined and fabricated steel. Yusko has taught at several schools and universities, including Haystack School of Crafts (ME), Penland School of Crafts (NC) and SUNY Purchase. He has exhibited his work widely including the Metal Museum (TN) and the Ruthin Craft Centre (Wales, UK) and has received four Ohio Arts Council Individual Artist Excellence Awards.
Speaker Presentation
ImageTracy Vollbrecht | Fashion
Tracy Vollbrecht is the founder of Vollbrecht Adaptive Consulting, an adaptive fashion consultancy rooted in universal design principles. With work featured in WWD, Vogue, Oprah Daily and Cosmopolitan, Tracy is a recognized adaptive and universal design consultant. Her first experience with inclusive, functional fashion came when she unknowingly put universal design principles into action to help her dad manage his Multiple Sclerosis. Previously, Tracy served as the founding designer of JuniperUNLTD's women’s and men’s adaptive brands, Yarrow and ULEX; as a sweater designer at Macy’s; and as a designer and production manager for all categories at La Ligne. Combining her men’s and women’s wear design experience with her universal and adaptive knowledge, she develops customized strategies for each brand, organization, and university she works with to make the fashion industry more inclusive.
More information can be found on Vollbrecht Adaptive Consulting’s website and LinkedIn page.
Speaker Presentation
ImageJamey Garner | Music
most recently toured the US, Canada and Europe with his band High South, releasing two records with Universal Music Group, and entering the Top 10 Album charts in Germany and Austria. In addition, Rolling Stone magazine featured High South in their March 2020 David Bowie issue, subsequently presenting the band's 2020 and 2023 tours throughout Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Jamey has appeared Off-Broadway in the award winning musical, Our Sinatra, toured arenas across the U.S. and Canada as a featured soloist with the Trans Siberian Orchestra and has appeared on numerous television shows in America and Europe.
Speaker Presentation
ImageEduardo Placer | Theatre
, CEO and Founder of Fearless Communicators, is a Public Speaking Coach, Story Doula, and International Community Builder. He is a global facilitator who has led workshops with groups at Tik Tok, HBO, Google, Bank of America-Merrill Lynch, Yale, The Juilliard School and the Wharton School of Business. Private clients include US Presidential Candidates, UN Diplomats, Industry Leaders, C-Suite Executives, entrepreneurs and social activists. He was a professional actor for 15 years, working across the U.S. in over 38 plays and musicals.
Education: B.A. in English, University of Pennsylvania; M.F.A. in Acting, University of California, San Diego
Speaker Presentation
ImageDominic Moore-Dunson | Dance
is an award-winning professional dancer, producer, teaching artist and speaker. Dominic is the Co-founder of MooreDunson Co. a holding company committed to producing companies and brands helping its clients unlock their stories.
As an artist, Dominic is 2023 Dance Magazine’s 25 to Watch, a Top 40 finalist for the National Dance Project Grant, 2019 Jacob’s Pillow Choreography Fellow and a 2019 Cleveland Arts Prize Winner.
Dominic is a co-owner of THRIVE Leadership and Team Development where he helps organizations thrive by equipping leaders and teams to reach their goals. In addition, Dominic is the founder of Creative Change Maker, an online e-course platform helping artists make the money they need so they can change the world.
Moore-Dunson is co-founded of the Akron Black Artist Guild, an organization committed to building a network of Black artists in Akron, OH. A former Program and Arts Manager for the Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Dominic serves as secretary of the board for ArtsNow.
Speaker Presentation
ImageGrace Collins | Game Design
(they/them) is the Founder/CEO of Snowbright Studio, a Cleveland-based LGBTBE-certified game studio dedicated to publishing heartwarming games and experiences. Grace previously led games and education policy at the US Department of Education and later coordinated federal game policy across the executive branch. Prior to serving at the Department, they managed and developed educational game projects at the Smithsonian Institution. Grace has taught computer science and game design at multiple levels and was profiled by the Associated Press for founding the first esports team in the nation at an all-girls’ high school.
Speaker Presentation
ImageR. Scott French | Marketing and Branding
has extensive experience in all areas of the fashion business from collection inspirational concept, design, marketing, sales, production and finally to retail sales. As a designer, he’s shown 10 collections on the runways of "The Tents" during New York Fashion Week under his own label “R. Scott French”. In 2009, he co-founded a media company to report on the world of fashion from the perspective of the participant/attendee of fashion events from around the world.
In 2014, Scott joined The Bromley Group Public Relations as Creative Director and Vice President. In this role, he oversaw the overall visual and conceptual direction of the agency's work for their clients in the fashion, accessories and home furnishings markets for both the traditional and digital media channels. This led him to his current role as Co-Founder of VERY New York, a fashion events and relations agency based in New York and Los Angeles. VERY New York was founded with the specific goal of scaling public relations and events to the reality that exists in the post-COVID business landscape.
Scott is a regular lecturer Marist College in Poughkeepsie, NY and The Parsons School of Design, in New York City. In addition, he serves on several advisory boards in the fashion industry. He’s an active member of the CFDA (Council of Fashion Designers of America) and FGI (Fashion Group International). Scott’s work has been featured in 10 internationally published books and more TV shows and websites than can possibly be counted.
Later this year, Scott adds the title of “Author” to his resume with the pending publication of his first book, “It’s Donald With a J”, a biography of the iconic shoe designer Donald J Pliner, which he penned with co-author Vivian Kelly. The book is slated to be filmed as a documentary with a release in early 2024, in time for the global film festival season.
Speaker Presentation
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Speaker Schedule
While on campus, make sure you stop by the DI Hub Lobby to see displays of art and arts-related organizations from 鶹Ƶ students, alumni, and artists from around Northeast Ohio!
Presentation Schedule
Time
Speaker(s)
Topic
Location
9 – 9:50 a.m. Stephen Yusko,
Artist and Founder of Stephen Yusko StudioArt Cartwright Auditorium 10 – 10:50 a.m. Tracy Vollbrecht,
Founder of Vollbrecht Adaptive ConsultingFashion Cartwright Auditorium 11 – 11:50 a.m. Jamey Garner,
Vocalist and SongwriterMusic Room 165, Center for Visual Arts 11:50 a.m. – 1 p.m. LUNCH BREAK DI Hub 1 – 1:50 p.m. Eduardo Placer,
CEO and Founder of Fearless CommunicatorsTheatre Cartwright Auditorium 2 – 2:50 p.m. Dominic Moore-Dunson,
Award-winning Professional Dancer, Producer and TeacherDance Cartwright Auditorium 3 – 3:50 pm Grace Collins,
Founder/CEO of Snowbright StudioGame Design Cartwright Auditorium 4 – 4:50 pm R. Scott French,
Co-Founder of VERY New YorkMarketing and Branding Cartwright Auditorium -
High School Activities and Presentations
While on campus, make sure you stop by the DI Hub Lobby to see displays of art and arts-related organizations from 鶹Ƶ students, alumni, and artists from around Northeast Ohio!
High School Activities and Presentations Schedule
Time
Presentation
Location
9 – 9:50 a.m.
School of Music: Sampler Concert
Center for the Performing Arts, Ludwig Recital Hall
9 – 10:50 a.m.
School of Theatre and Dance:
Theatre Performance Workshop with Faculty and Staff
Theatre Design/Tech Workshop with Faculty and Staff
Dance Open Rehearsal with Faculty
Center for the Performing Arts, Roe Green Lobby
10 – 11:50 a.m.
Game Design: Pop-up Arcade
DI Hub Lobby
11 – 11:50 a.m.
School of Art: Interactive Monotype Printing with Taryn McMahon, Associate Professor of Print Media and Photography
Center for Visual Arts, Room 301
11 – 11:50 a.m.
School of Fashion: TechstyleLAB Workshop with Margarita Benitez, TechStyle LAB Director and Kathryn Novak, TechStyle Lab Associate Director
Rockwell Hall, TechStyleLAB
11:50 a.m. – 1 p.m.
LUNCH BREAK
1 – 1:50 p.m.
School of Music: Sampler Concert
Center for the Performing Arts, Ludwig Recital Hall
1 – 1:50 p.m.
Art: Enameling: Fusing Glass to Metal with Andrew Kuebeck, Associate Professor of Jewelry, Metals, and Enameling
Center for Visual Arts, Room 226
1 – 1:50 p.m.
School of Fashion: Digital Knit Workshop with KnitLAB Director Linda Orhn-McDaniel
Rockwell Hall, KnitLAB
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College of the Arts Announces ArtsLAUNCH! 2023 Winners
The College of the Arts is thrilled to announce the winners of the ArtsLAUNCH! 2023 Grant Competition, co-sponsored by LaunchNET 鶹Ƶ and the John S. And Marlene J. Brinzo Center For Entrepreneurship.
The competition was open to all undergraduate and graduate students enrolled at 鶹Ƶ. Applicants were asked to submit proposals in one of two categories: 1) the creation of new art demonstrating creativity and uniqueness or 2) the creation of a new art venture that would positively impact the arts economy.
Congratulations to our 2023 ArtsLAUNCH! winners Hollis Wilson (New Art, Undergraduate) for "Fabric Manipulation Paintings," Michelle Eisen (New Art, Graduate) for "Altar: An Installation Exploring Vulnerability and Femininity Through Pop-Culture," Jesse Oyster (New Arts Venture, Undergraduate) for "The Bohemian Comedians" and Kaitlyn Phillips, M.B.A. (New Arts Venture, Graduate) for "HyAndHook Business and Lifestyle Planners."
The proposals were judged by a panel consisting of Lauren Copeland, Ambre Emory-Maier, Paul Hurley, Taryn McMahon, Zach Mikrut, Nick Petrella, Shawn Rohlin and Ricardo Sepulveda.
Awards Presentation
About ArtsLAUNCH 2023! Winners
Hollis Wilson
Program of Study: Fashion Design
Category: New Art, UndergraduateProject: "Fabric Manipulation Paintings"
Video Submission
Michelle Eisen
Program of Study: Print Media and Photography
Category: New Art, GraduateProject: "Altar: An Installation Exploring Vulnerability and Femininity Through Pop-Cultures"
Video Submission
Jesse Oyster
Program of Study: Theatre Performance and Marketing
Category: New Arts Venture, UndergraduateProject: "The Bohemian Comedians"
Video Submission
Kaitlyn Phillips, M.B.A
Program of Study: Business
Category: New Arts Venture, GraduateProject: "HyAndHook Business and Lifestyle Planners"
Video Submission
Congratulations to All Our ArtsLAUNCH! 2023 Finalists
New Art Category, Undergraduate Level
Jesse Oyster, Theatre Performance and Marketing
Hollis Wilson, Fashion DesignNew Art Category, Graduate Level
Michelle Eisen, Print Media and PhotographyNew Arts Venture Category, Undergraduate Level
Berend Hawks, Fashion Design
Jesse Oyster, Theatre Performance and MarketingNew Arts Venture Category, Graduate Level
Kaitlyn Phillips, M.B.A.