Media Contact: Micki Leventhal, 312-344-7383 mleventhal@colum.edu
Chicago, May 2003 -- The Center for Asian Arts and Media at Columbia College Chicago will welcome summer with their second bi-annual Women Warrior Festival, June 20 through the 27. This year the theme will be Asian Women in America: Creating Our Own Identities. The event will celebrate the lives of Asian and Asian American women with music and dance performances, lectures, discussions, workshops and films. A festival pass is available for $35 and covers all festival programs as well as breakfast, lunch and refreshments during the June 20 conference. Individual conference sessions are priced at $5 each. For further information call 312-344-7870.
The Woman Warrior Festival begins on June 20, with an all-day conference at Columbia's 1104 S. Wabash building. Beginning at 8:30 a.m., visual and performing artists, activists and media professionals will gather to share aspects of the many Asian and Asian American cultures and to discuss issues important to Asian and Asian American Women. Some of the highlights include: a discussion of trafficking and child prostitution in Asia by Chivy Sok of the Center for Human Rights at the University of Iowa; a film screening and panel discussion by filmmakers and activists on Hollywood Harems and the Media Representation of Women in the Middle East; a look at Girl Power and the Image of Asian Women in Pop Culture that includes a performance and discussion; a forum on interracial relationships; dance performances and discussions with Taiwanese dancer/choreographer Mei-Kuang Chen, and Indian dancer/choreographer Krithika Rajagopalan.
Outstanding women leaders from the Asian American community will be honored. Helen Lee, President of the Chinatown Chamber of Commerce will receive the Business Leadership Woman Warrior Award. Pat Matsumoto of Chicago's Department of Cultural Affairs will be cited for her contributions in the area of community service. Singer/songwriter Anna Fermin will receive the award for her achievements in creative arts. A keynote address by this year's Woman Warrior Honoree Baayork Lee, Broadway producer, director and choreographer, will address the topic of Asian Women in Theater and Entertainment.
A comedy performance and workshop by Indian-American Lesbian performer Sapna Kumar and an evening screening of videos will round out the day's events.
On June 20, The Woman Warrior Festival will also participate in the Miles of Music festival presented by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs by sponsoring North Michigan Avenue street performances by Anna Fermin's Trigger Gospe, Tzu-Shan Lin and Ann Okagarto of the Chinese Fine Art Society and JulieV and the HerStory Jazztet. All Miles of Music events are free and open to the public. For information call 312-744-6630.
On June 24, Women Warriors: Words and Rhythm, an evening of performance poetry will be presented in Preston Bradley Hall, 78 E. Washington as part of the MVP: Multicultural Voices and Perspectives Series. This program, co-presented by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, the American Indian Center, the Arab American Action Network and the Woman Warrior Festival of the Columbia College Chicago Center for Asian Arts and Media, is free and open to the public. Call 312-744-6630 for information.
Asian Women Who Rock in Chicago will be presented on June 26, 8:00 p.m. at the Heartland Cafe, 7000 N. Glenwood. Mia Park will emcee the evening of music by Yoko Noge, Michelle Cross and Jenny Choi and The Third Shift. The concert is included in the $35 festival pass, or is $5 at the door. For further information call Heartland at 773-465-8005.
The Woman Warrior Festival will culminate with a group art exhibition by Shirin Neshat (Iran), Shahzia Sikander (Pakistan), and Chiho Aoshima (Japan) at Columbia's Glass Curtain Gallery, 1104 S. Wabash. The Mythical Being of Desire explores the cultural and sexual conflict, resistance, misrepresentation and exploitation that result from the distance between genders that creates separation among human beings. The Mythical Being of Desire opens June 27 with an artists' reception from 6- 8 p.m. The exhibit runs through July 26. The reception and exhibition are free and open to the public. Call 312-344-6650 for more information.
Our first Woman Warrior Festival was presented in 2001 and was an overwhelming success, says festival director Nancy Tom, founder of the Center for Asian Arts and Media. The orientation of the festival is definitely activist and unquestionably woman-centered. We want to encourage women and girls of Asian descent, and of all cultures, to think critically about the issues they face, creatively express their heritage and identity and discover alternative resolutions to conflicts through programs that explore race, gender, class, sexuality, family structure and human rights.
The Woman Warrior Festival is named for the best selling book by award winning Chinese American author Maxine Hong Kingston. Now considered a classic of feminist literature, The Woman Warrior: Memoirs of a Girlhood Among Ghosts explores the tensions of growing up in conflicting cultures.
Asian Women in America: Creating Our Own Identities is made possible, in part, by support from Anheuser-Busch Companies, Harris Trust and Savings Bank, The Illinois Arts Council, the NIB Foundation, the Mayer and Morris Kaplan Family Foundation, American Airlines and a grant from the Illinois Humanities Council, the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Illinois General Assembly.
Media Contact: Micki Leventhal, 312-344-7383; mleventhal@colum.edu
Chicago, April 2003 - Two evenings of readings will wrap up the spring poetry season at Columbia College Chicago.
On Wednesday, May 28 the poetry program will celebrate the publication of the sixteenth issue of the Columbia Poetry Review with readings and a reception. The free event begins at 5:30 pm in Hokin Hall, 623 S. Wabash. Call 312-344-8100 for more information.
On Thursday, May 29 at 5:30 pm the college welcomes Quincy Troupe, California's first official poet laureate, to the Ferguson Theater, 600 S. Michigan, for a reading of his work. The program is free and open to the public. Call 312-344-8100 for information.
A multi-award winning performance poet, Troupe concerns himself with issues of family, society, and the nature of poetry. His work has paid close attention to jazz and his poetic forms praise the rhythms and the masters of the music. Troupe's forms, driven by performability, range from ecstatic odes to overtly political expostulations, says Publishers Weekly.
He is the author of 13 books, including seven volumes of poetry. Among his poetry collections are Transcircularities: New and Selected Poems (Coffee House Press, 2002) Choruses: Poems (Coffee House Press, 1999), Avalanche (1996), Weather Reports: New and Selected Poems (1991), Skulls along the River (1984), Snake-Back Solos: Selected Poems 1969-1977, which received the American Book Award, and Embryo Poems: 1967-1971. He is also the author of the Miles: The Autobiography (1989), James Baldwin: The Legacy (1989), and Miles and Me: A Memoir of Miles Davis(2000). Born in New York City, he lives in San Diego and is Professor of Creative Writing and American and Caribbean Literature at the University of California, San Diego.
The 2003 Columbia Poetry Review was edited by Columbia Poetry majors Rebecca Bridge, Armand Capanna, Shana Cleveland and Demetria Jones. Hosting and reading at this year's event will be the four editors and many other student contributors including Ric M. Cleary, Amber Reskey, Robert Baker and Linda Oh.
Also reading will be faculty contributors including Sharon Darrow, Art Lange and David Trinidad. The winners of this year's Eileen Lannan Poetry Prize, sponsored by the Academy of American Poets, will also be announced at the May 28 event.
In addition to poetry by Columbia students and faculty professionals, the Columbia Poetry Review includes work by noted poets who are invited to contribute to the nationally distributed publication. The 2003 edition includes work by Alice Notley, Elaine Equi, Susan Wheeler and Charles Bernstein.
The magazine is unique among student-edited poetry magazines in that it is nationally distributed and sales pay for the publication's production, says Paul Hoover, Columbia faculty member and coordinator of the college's Poetry program. As a real world publication, the Columbia Poetry Review offers valuable experience for our student editors and brings attention to Columbia College and our poetry program among those in the literary community.
The Poetry Reading Series is sponsored by the English Department of Columbia College Chicago. All events take place on the Columbia College Chicago campus and are free and open to the public.
Media Contact: Micki Leventhal, 312-344-7383; mleventhal@colum.edu
Chicago, May 23, 2003 -- In an overwhelming show of support the Columbia College Chicago Board of Trustees unanimously approved the renewal of college president Dr. Warrick L. Carter's contract for another four years.
"Warrick has shown outstanding vision during his first three years," says board chairman Bill Hood. "With his background in higher education and the arts, as well as in the corporate environment, he is very well-equipped to captain the Columbia team during the challenging economic times. He provides the strong leadership Columbia needs to continue to grow as a leader in accessible, quality, results-oriented arts, media and communications education."
Carter is completing the third year of his first four-year contract at Columbia. He has overseen the academic restructuring of the institution and a broad-based, award-winning initiative to enhance the urban college's delivery of student services. He has been instrumental in the development of the board of trustees with the addition of important names in the arts, media and corporate sectors including Allan Turner (Pritzker & Pritzker), Robert Shaye (New Line Cinema), Shelley Rosen (McDonald's Corporation), Debra Martin Chase (Martin Chase Productions) and Steve Devick (DigitalEA).
The college, which offers degrees in twenty undergraduate and nine graduate areas of study, has continued to experience record growth during Carter's tenure.
"More than 1,400 undergraduates and 300 graduates will receive their degrees this Spring," says Carter. "These numbers reflect not only the college's recent recruitment success, but also our ongoing efforts to improve our retention rate."
The issue of retention has been an ongoing challenge at Columbia, where an open admissions policy and providing access to higher education is central to the college's mission and commitment to diversity.
"Virtually all of our efforts in the student services area are focused on the retention goal," explains Carter. "We're not just about letting young people through the front door. We are 100% committed to providing the supports necessary to helping these kids obtain the education they need to achieve their goals, succeed in their careers and go on, as we say in our marketing materials, 'to author the culture of their times'."
In other board action at the May 22 meeting, the trustees approved a motion to sell the president's residence, a move initiated by Carter. The institution has taken some media heat over the Gold Coast residence, which was purchased before Carter was hired.
"The issue of the house has been an unremitting source of controversy over the past couple of years and it's time to move on to other more important business of the college such as continuing to enhance student services, faculty, classroom and technical facilities and raising money for student scholarships," notes Carter. "We're looking forward with confidence to a bright future for Columbia."
Chicago, April 2003 - Leading Vietnamese poet, and translator of Allen Ginsberg, Robert Creeley and Charles Simic, Hoang Hungwill read his work at Columbia College Chicago on Thursday, May 22 at 5:30 p.m. in the Ferguson Theater, 600 S. Michigan. The program is free and open to the public. Call 312-344-8100 for information.
This is Mr. Hung's first trip to the United States, and his first trip outside of Vietnam after years of repression on political grounds. He is just now being allowed to publish his own work and to travel.
Hoang Hung has received awards from the French Ministry of Culture and the Vietnam Writers Union for his translation of the poems of Guillaume Apollinaire.
The Spring Poetry Reading Series, which is sponsored by the English Department of Columbia College Chicago, will continue with Quincy Troupe on Thursday, May 29 at 5:30 p.m., Ferguson Theater, 600 S. Michigan. Contributors to this year's issue of Columbia Poetry Review will read their work on Wednesday, May 28 at 5:30 p.m., Hokin Hall, 623 S. Wabash. All events are free and open to the public.
Media Contact: Priscilla L. Hunter, 312.344.7805, phunter@colum.edu
Chicago, April 2003 -- On Thursday, May 8 future fashion designers will present their creativity at Fashion Columbia 2003, the eighth annual fashion show showcasing the talents of Columbia College's fashion design and fashion retail management majors.
The Show will take place at Columbia College Chicago's Landmark Ludington Building, 1104 S. Wabash, 8th floor. Tickets to the 1:00 p.m. matinee show are $30 general admission and $15 for students with valid ID. The evening show, at 6:30 p.m. will be preceded by an hors d'oeuvres and wine reception at 5:30 p.m. and followed by a dessert and wine bar. Tickets are $50 general admission and $30 for students.
Proceeds benefit Columbia's Fashion Management and Fashion Design Internship Fund. To purchase tickets call 312-663-1124, Ext. 2.
The runway style fashion show will feature original designs from sportswear to elaborate evening gowns. And for a second year, Columbia's fashion design students have created designs for the student producers to wear during the evening show. Each student producer is paired with a student designer to create a custom garment that reflects his or her personal style.
Fashion Columbia student producers are responsible for every aspect of the show's production from budgeting the event; selecting professional models from Chicago's top agencies, lighting, staging and music selection.
Additional pre-show activities include the "Senior Salute," which will display portfolios of the producers, designers and other senior fashion design and fashion retail management students.
Columbia College Chicago is the country's premier visual, performing and media arts college. To learn more about these and other programs visit www.colum.edu.
Media Contact: Micki Leventhal, 312-344-7383; mleventhal@colum.edu
Chicago, April 2003 --The plight of new immigrants, South Africa after apartheid, medical experimentation at Auschwitz and the death penalty in Illinois are some of the issues examined in documentary works to be presented in the Human Rights Film Festival at Columbia College Chicago, May 5-7. The film festival is part of the college's conference Dignity Without Borders: Art, Media and Human Rights. All events are free and open to the public. For more information call Jeff Spitz at 312-344-6725.
The film festival -- organized by the Michael Rabiger Center for Documentary at Columbia College Chicago -- will open on Monday, May 5 with a preview screening of an episode of The New Americans, an extraordinary new multi-part series for PBS by Kartemquin Films, the producers of Hoop Dreams. The New Americans puts a human face on the harrowing journeys of today's immigrants, revealing human rights abuses and the personal impact of the global economy. A discussion with filmmakers Jerry Blumenthal and Gordon Quinn, humanities scholar Suzanne Gzesh and immigrants featured in the film from the Middle East and Nigeria will follow the screening. The panel discussion will be moderated by filmmaker and Columbia faculty member Russell Porter. The screening and discussion will run from 6--9 p.m. in the Dance Center of Columbia College, 1306 S. Michigan.
On Tuesday, May 6, from 6--9 p.m. in the Dance Center, the festival will screen three films on forgiveness, reconciliation and healing:
Too Flawed to Fix, by John Lyons and Jackie Rivet River, presents interviews with and commentary by exonerated prisoners from death row, Governor Ryan and families of murder victims. The film exposes human rights violations in Chicago and presents personal stories behind the movement to abolish the death penalty in Illinois.
Forgiving Dr. Mengele, a work in progress by Bob Hercules and Cheri Pugh is a shocking biography of Eva Kor, a survivor of Dr. Mengele's gruesome experiments on twins in Auschwitz. A holocaust survivor, Eva Kor is a real estate agent in Indiana who has formed an international organization dedicated to forgiveness, reconciliation and healing
Long Night's Journey Into Day, by Frances Reid and Deborah Hoffman, was the Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize winner and focuses on four cases from South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission. A 20-minute excerpt will be shown.
Screenings will be followed by a panel discussion moderated by Jeff Spitz. Panelists include: John Lyons, Jackie Rivet River, Mary Paige, Director of Global Challenges MacArthur Foundation, Jennifer Bishop-Jenkins founder of Murder Victims' Families an organization providing counseling to families of murder victims, Eva Kor, Bob Hercules and Aaron Patterson, a recently exonerated death row prisoner.
"Big Issues/Short Films" will wrap up the festival on Wednesday, May 7, 6--9 p.m., 1104 S. Wabash, room 302. The evening will include excerpts from student and faculty work, followed by a Q & A with the filmmakers. Films to be shown include: The End of the Nightstick by Peter Kuttner, Eric Scholl and Cyndi Moran; One More Mile: A Dialogue on Nation-Building by Ted Hardin; A Generation Between by Michael Caplan; What A System (Music Video) by C.A. Griffith, H.L.T Quan and Jeff Spitz; The Robben Island Singers (work-in-progress) by Jeff Spitz and Mickey Madoda Dube; What if I Were to Remain Here? By CA Griffith and H.L.T Quan; Everybody Dies In It by Gabriel Feij; Alice In Warland by Gabriel Feij; Imaginary Landscape No. 11 by J. Reynaldo Roman; Apathetic America by Jerry Tran; and Michael Ryan by Mario Carrasco.
"We hope Dignity Without Borders will function as a catalyst to bring the human rights stakeholders together, explore and examine terms, goals, mutual interests," says Rose Economou, conference coordinator and professor of journalism at Columbia. "We intend to provide a forum for networking between scholars, educators, artists, media makers, social justice activists and other interested audiences -- thereby stimulating ideas that will move forward beyond the scope of the conference and develop collaborations and partnerships that will address the issues of human rights on a global level.
"Dignity Without Borders is being organized in partnership with educators, humanists, students from Columbia College Chicago and other educational institutions, representatives from local and national human rights organizations, artists, journalists, documentary filmmakers, community leaders and victims of human rights abuse. It will include community forums, workshops for educators, film and video screenings, exhibitions, and performances and address three main themes: Crimes Against Humanity; Violence Against Women & Children; State & Corporate Abuse; and Religious, Racial, Ethnic and Gender Intolerance."
Dignity Without Borders is sponsored by the McCormick Tribune Foundation with grants from the Illinois Humanities Council, the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Illinois General Assembly and the Hugh M. Hefner Foundation.
For more information and schedule updates on Dignity Without Borders visit http://humanrights.colum.edu or contact: Rose Economou at (312) 344-7675.
Media Contact: Micki Leventhal, 312-344-7383; mleventhal@colum.edu
Chicago, April 2003 -- Columbia College Chicago, the country's premier visual, performing and media arts college will host, in collaboration with its community partners, an international conference examining issues of human rights and ways in which the arts and media are, or can be, engaged in furthering human rights agendas.
The conference, Dignity Without Borders:Art, Media & Human Rights, will take place May 2 and 5-8 at the Chicago Hilton and Towers and at selected venues on Columbia's south loop campus. Most events are free and open to the public. For further information call 312-344-8510 or visit http://humanrights.colum.edu.
"The conference is to function as a catalyst to bring the human rights stakeholders together, explore and examine terms, goals and mutual interests," says Rose Economou, conference coordinator and professor of journalism at Columbia. "We intend to provide a forum for networking between scholars, educators, artists, media makers, social justice activists and other interested audiences thereby stimulating ideas that will move forward beyond the scope of the conference and develop collaborations and partnerships that will address the issues of human rights on a global level."
"Dignity Without Borders is being organized in partnership with educators, humanists, students from Columbia College Chicago and other educational institutions, representatives from local and national human rights organizations, artists, journalists, documentary filmmakers, community leaders and victims of human rights abuse," adds Economou. It includes community forums, workshops for educators, film and video screenings, exhibitions, and performances and addresses four main themes: Crimes Against Humanity; Violence Against Women & Children; State & Corporate Abuse; and Religious, Racial, Ethnic, & Gender Intolerance.
Conference highlights include: a keynote panel moderated by NPR's Scott Simonon & Diplomacy, War, Collateral Damage, Global Policy Challenges and Human Investment; a keynote panel on Crimes Against Humanity: Human Rights Abuse, International Law and The Media; moderated by Charles Madigan, Perspective Editor of the Chicago Tribune, and featuring Cherif Bassiouni, Salim Muwwakil,Zafra Lermanand Bart Brown; a panel discussion among visual artists on Art and Human Rights: Destined to Collide; exploring the question of whether artists have a responsibility to respond to human rights abuses; a briefing on AIDS and Global Responsibility; a participatory dialogue on The Human Rights Struggle: Exploring the Transformative Power of Arts and Media; concurrent sessions on Compromising Civil Liberties in a Time of Terror; and Meditation and Intentional Prayer as an Alternative to War; and presentations by documentary photographer Peter Turnleyand NPR's The Kitchen Sisters.
Women's and children's issues are the focus of a series of programs on Wednesday, May 7 when scholars, artists and activists will address issues including: Rape, Mutilation and Violence Against Women: What Everyone Should Know;The Trafficking of Women and Children: Prevention, Protection and Prosecution; Listening to Women's Voices: Exploring Art, Media and the Humanities; and a keynote address by Cook County Public Guardian Patrick T. Murphywho will present "A Status Report on the Treatment of Children in Foster Care."
The conference will also feature a photographic installation by internationally renowned artist Despina Meimargalou that explores the humanity of religious women as they struggle to do God's work in the face of persecution and oppression. The exhibition, which opens at Columbia's A + D Gallery, 72 East 11th Street on Friday, May 2 with an artist's reception, runs through May 16.
A Human Rights Film Festival -- organized by the Michael Rabiger Center for Documentary at Columbia College Chicago -- will open on Monday, May 5 with a preview screening of an episode of The New Americans, an extraordinary new multi-part series for PBS by Kartemquin Films, the producers of Hoop Dreams. The New Americansputs a human face on the harrowing journeys of today's immigrants, revealing human rights abuses and the personal impact of the global economy. A discussion with the filmmakers will follow the screening. On Tuesday the festival will screen three films on forgiveness, reconciliation and healing, followed by a panel discussion and on Wednesday, "Big Issues/Short Films" will wrap up the film festival with the screening of excerpts from student and faculty work.
Dignity Without Bordersis sponsored by the McCormick Tribune Foundation with grants from the Illinois Humanities Council, the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Illinois General Assembly and the Hugh M. Hefner Foundation.
Chicago, April 10, 2003 - From animation, comedy, talk shows and music videos to live event coverage, news features, drama and documentary, the entries have been pouring in as hundreds of students from 29 area high schools compete for honors in 14 creative categories in the 10th Annual Chicagoland High School Video Festival, sponsored by the Television Department of Columbia College Chicago and the Chicagoland Television Educator's Council (CTEC).
The judging process, organized and spearheaded by Luke Palermo, faculty member in Columbia's Television Department, will go on all month and culminate in the festival on Friday, May 2 at a conference center in Hoffman Estates."
"It's an absolutely amazing event," says Palermo, who has been involved since the beginning. "When we started this a decade ago, we were able to hold the festival at Columbia, but we simply don't have the space to accommodate the 480 attendees -- not to mention eleven screening rooms.
"In all, we have 363 entries and we'll be showing clips from every one. It's a massive undertaking and it's all done on a volunteer basis," explains Palermo. "We present first place trophies and second and third place certificates in each creative category and, CTEC will award seven scholarships--two to Columbia's High School Summer Institute and five $500 college grants."
Palermo's involvement in nurturing young videographers dates back to his days as a high school teacher at Riverside/Brookfield. He came to Columbia nearly twenty years ago, but kept up his ties with the community of high school television teachers. It was this connection that led to the formation of the Chicagoland Television Educator's Council, when Palermo and long-time CTEC president Linda Profetto decided high school teachers needed a forum to share experiences and expertise. The festival grew out of this association.
"We are the only regional group to sponsor a festival like this," explains Profetto, who teaches at Bremen High School in Tinley Park. "There are competitions on a national level, but the fact is that around the country, television and broadcast production educators work in isolation." When that happens both the teacher and the student pay a price in terms of collaboration opportunities, new ideas and accessto new technologies. CTEC and the work we do -- with the festival and professional development meetings during the year -- enables us all to keep current with both curriculum and technology."
"The Chicagoland High School Video Festival is terrific," says Jim Disch, President of the Chicago/Midwest Chapter of The National Television Academy (NTA), the national organization that is responsible for the Emmy Awards. The NTA is launching the National Student Television Award of Excellence this year and has drawn on CTEC's long-term experience in mounting the Chicagoland competition."
"There doesn't appear to be another area in the country that has a cohesive group of television educators working in collaboration for the benefit of the students and ultimately, the industry," adds Disch, who also teaches part-time in Columbia's Television Department. "CTEC's festival is an outstanding model that educators should look to for inspiration."
Media contact: Priscilla L. Hunter, 312.344.7805, phunter@colum.edu or Jeff Wade, 312.344.7544, jwade@colum.edu
Chicago, May 2003 -- Dr. Zafra M. Lerman, distinguished professor of science and public policy and head of the Institute for Science Education and Science Communication at Columbia College Chicago, has been selected by the Board of the American Chemical Society (ACS) as the 2003 recipient of its prestigious Parsons Award in recognition of outstanding public service through chemistry. The ACS is the world's largest scientific society.
Lerman says that receiving "the Parsons Award means the most to me in recognition of service to society. It also memorializes my late mentor at Cornell, Franklin A. Long, who received the Parsons in 1985 and hoped that I would also become a recipient.
After carrying out research at Cornell University, Northwestern University, and ETH Zurich, Lerman joined Columbia College in 1977 as director of the science program.
In 1981, she founded and chaired the Department of Science and Mathematics, where she continued to develop novel approaches to teaching science to nonscience majors, elementary and high school teachers and students, and the general public. For example, under National Science Foundation sponsorship, she runs summer workshops on environmental chemistry for 40 Chicago public school teachers each year. She also has taught chemistry in the informal setting of a Maywood, Illinois dance studio with minority students who learn chemistry through dance and then perform for the public.
Lerman's innovative educational activities have been recognized with numerous awards, including the ACS Northeastern Section's 2002 James Flack Norris Award for Excellence in Teaching Chemistry; 2000 World Cultural Council Award for Excellence in Education (the first international award presented in the newly democratic South Africa); the 2000 National Ethics Award from the American Institute of Chemists; the 1999 Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics & Engineering Mentoring; and the 1998 ACS Award for Encouraging Disadvantaged Students into Careers in the Chemical Sciences.
Lerman is equally well-known in the human rights area, where she works tirelessly and sometimes at great personal danger--to publicize the plight of dissident scientists in China, Belarus, and Russia. She has chaired the Scientific Freedom and Human Rights Subcommittee of the ACS Committee on International Activities for more than 15 years.
Columbia College Chicago is the country's premier visual, performing and media arts college. To learn more visit www.colum.edu.
Media Contact: Priscilla Hunter, 312-344-7805, phunter@colum.edu or Micki Leventhal, 312-344-7383, mleventhal@colum.edu
Chicago, March 2003 -- The Chicago theater community will join together on Monday, April 28 to celebrate the contributions of two internationally renowned designers at the tenth annual presentation of the Merritt Award for Excellence in Design and Collaboration. This year's awards will be presented to set designer Derek McLane and lighting and set designer Christopher Akerlind.
The Michael Maggio Emerging Designer Award will go to Chicago-based lighting designer Jaymi Lee Smith.
Registration begins at 5:30 p.m. at the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre on Navy Pier, 600 E. Grand. Chicago Sun-Times arts Critic Hedy Weiss will begin the evening moderating a dialogue with the designers at 6:00 p.m., followed by the awards presentation. The evening will conclude with an 8:00 p.m. reception of hors d'oeuvres, wine and beer. Tickets, priced at $35 general admission and $5 for students, may be purchased by calling (312) 663-1124, Ext. 2.
Derek McLane has designed sets for numerous shows on Broadway and off-Broadway, regional and international productions, as well as television. In 2002, he designed six full productions for the highly acclaimed "Sondheim Celebration" at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. His work in Chicago has included several productions at the Goodman Theatre, most recently The Rose Tattoo, and Steppenwolf Theatre Company. In 1997 he received an Obie Award for Sustained Excellence in Scenic Design.
Christopher Akerlind is an award winning lighting and set designer whose work has been seen in more than 300 productions at theater and opera companies across the country and internationally. He is the recipient of numerous awards including an Obie Award for Sustained Excellence in Lighting and Design. He is currently Director of the Design and Production program at the California Institute of the Arts.
Jaymi Lee Smith has worked as a freelance designer throughout Chicago for the past seven years. Her work has been seen in 34 cities nationwide as well as in Ireland, Scotland and Spain.
The Michael Merritt Endowment Fund was established in 1993 in memory of a brilliant designer and inspiring teacher who died in 1992 after a yearlong battle with cancer. In addition to sponsoring professional design awards, the fund provides annual scholarship awards to outstanding theatrical design students.
This year's recipients of the Michael Merritt Student Scholarship are Christopher Ventresca, DePaul University and Tom Burch, Northwestern University. The Endowment Fund's John Murbach Scholarship for Collaborative Design this year goes to Columbia student Jason Epperson.
Columbia College Chicago is the country's premier visual, performing and media arts college.