Archive Posts
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Arts at St. Thomas Strengthens Campus Culture of Encounter
ArtsOne thing was for certain: This wasn’t your average band concert. To the passerby, it may have sounded like an odd assortment of notes leaking out of the Schoenecker Center’s new performance hall at the University of St. Thomas. “It can seem like a bunch of chaos,” said performer and digital media arts major Alejandro…
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St. Thomas Announces Record $20 Million Gift for Arts Education
ArtsThe gift from John Monahan ’73 will support arts programming, faculty, and scholarships and further elevate St. Thomas as a leading national Catholic university The University of St. Thomas announced a landmark gift for the arts on Nov. 14. The $20 million gift from John Monahan ’73 of Palm Springs, California, marks the most significant… -
St. Thomas Students Decorate Campus Sidewalks With Chalk Art to Illustrate Research
ResearchMechanical engineering student Hapaki Lorenzo ’26 spent the morning of Oct. 2 drawing about polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) pollutants with colored chalk on the sidewalk behind the John Ireland statue at the University of St. Thomas. He is one of six students who participated in the 2024 Sidewalk Symposium, illustrating their original research through chalk art on… -
Music Professor to Conduct Lake Wobegon Brass Band
Professional NotesDr. Matthew George, Professor of Music in the College of Arts and Sciences, has stepped into a new role as conductor of the Lake Wobegon Brass Band. George is a member of the faculty in the Department of Music, Film and Creative Enterprise and is also the director of bands and orchestras at St. Thomas.… -
Art History Faculty Member Awarded Fellowship by the Smithsonian Archives of American Art
Professional NotesDr. Amy Nygaard, assistant professor in the Department of Art History and director of the Museum Studies Program, was awarded a Samuel H. Kress Foundation Teaching Fellowship by the Smithsonian Archives of American Art. Nygaard will collaborate with a small cohort of national and international art historians to develop skills in provenance and art market studies for integration into… -
In the News: Jacob Benda on Inspiring Spiritual Renewal Through Art and Music
In the NewsJacob Benda, director of music, liturgy and sacred arts at the University of St. Thomas College of Arts and Sciences, recently spoke with The Catholic Spirit about how he is creating a special place where art and music inspire and uplift the St. Thomas community. From the story: “My goal for the gallery,” Benda explained,… -
Music to Our Ears: St. Thomas Acquires New Steinway Concert Grand Piano for Schoenecker Center
Arts & HumanitiesProfessor of Music Dr. Vanessa Cornett-Murtada traveled to Steinway & Sons in New York in March to select an extraordinary artisanal 9-foot concert grand piano for the new Schoenecker Center at the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota. She took a two-hour tour of the massive on-site factory and was able to watch piano components… -
Mastering the St. Thomas Sound: Tommie Record Label Debuts
Arts & HumanitiesIt didn’t take long for inspiration to hit. Just hours after opening the doors to the University of St. Thomas’ new Schoenecker Center, music business students were already collaborating on their first big idea: a Tommie record label. “It sounded a bit crazy and daunting at first,” Owen Hjerpe ’24 said. “But it was also… -
Art History and Microbiology Collaborate in New Project
STEAMBiology major Shaylee Beckfield ’25 believes bacteria can get a bad reputation. This spring she’s helping correct any misconceptions – one colorful petri dish at a time. As part of a series of Agar Art workshops inside the brand-new Schoenecker Center at the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota, Beckfield has passed out dozens and… -
Meet the Artists Behind the Schoenecker Center’s World-Class Art Collection
Arts & HumanitiesAnthony James is a rock star in the contemporary art world. A trained visual artist, his monumental sculptures – constructed from a mesmerizing combination of stainless steel, glass and LED lights – have appeared on all seven continents and even played a starring role in a Hollywood blockbuster. And now, one of his pieces calls…