(continued)

Montclair State conducts many programs that expose young people to the arts and help build tomorrow's audiences. Working with community groups, Newman launched Camp TheatreFest and Arts Voyage programs for at-risk and special-needs children, as well as for those who otherwise would not experience the arts. Last summer, the program served more than 1,300 students. Theater performances during the academic year delighted another 25,000 children from kindergarten through 12th grade.
The Music Preparatory Division offers musical instruction to 800 children each academic year. During the summer, the University conducts a residential music camp for another 300 children at Montclair State's New Jersey School of Conservation in Stokes State Forest.

  In addition to training the next generation of music professionals, faculty members also pursue distinguished performing careers. Oscar Ravina plays with the New York Philharmonic, David Singer is a principal musician with Orpheus and was featured on the groups Grammy-winning CD.

  “Theater at Montclair State is a treasure,” said Rose Cali, a member of the University's Board of Trustees and the SART Advisory Board. “And with her plans for a new theater, President Cole is doing a marvelous job of tackling the issues that have preventedeven more people from coming.”

An artist's rendering of the new theater—Plans are underway for a 500-seat theater that will be fully equipped for concert, theater and dance events. Connected to the theater will be a multi-level parking structure that can accommodate 1,000 vehicles. The fourth level will house a café and lead directly to the theater's main entrance via a loggia. Theater construction is expected to begin June 2002, with an anticipated opening date of September 2003. It will welcome tens of thousands of visitors a year, serving the local arts community and strengthening the University as a regional arts center. Anyone interested in learning about ways of supporting the theater can call the Development Office at 973-655-4344.

Newman agrees that the planned 500-seat theater will greatly enhance the work of the School of the Arts. “The new space will enable us to do much more. One of our chronic problems is that our resources have been somewhat limited, and the needs are vast.”
  SART provides the evaluation component for the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, where Philip Thomas '77 is vice president for education. The University helps place artists into Newark schools and then monitors the success of programs in order to make recommendations concerning K through 12 initiatives.

  The school's commitment to outreach has led arts faculty and students as far away as Australia, New Zealand and Eastern and Western Europe, where they perform for international audiences. Newman said audiences are often surprised at the level of performance they see from Montclair State students.

  Beyond the impact Montclair State has on the international scene through performances and exhibitions, there is also a significant impact on the development of arts policy. Through the International Council of Fine Arts Deans, Newman acts as consultant to European arts educators seeking to move their countries from the traditional conservatory approach in arts education toward a university-based model. Montclair State is part of the European League of Institutes of Arts and participated in a colloquium on the 21st century and arts education hosted by Holland's Minerva Academy, designed to address the professional education needs of today's students.

  “I am proud of the outreach and influence we have, and I'm even more proud that the same spirit has carried over to our alumni,” Newman said, citing alumni Joseph Tucker '79, senior vice president for production and administration for Walt Disney who is a member of the SART Advisory Board, and Jeff Friedman '78, general manager of New Jersey Network who teaches in the Broadcasting Department, among others.

  The artistic careers of Montclair State alumni continue to enrich the national scene. From Metropolitan Opera star Paul Plishka '66 to Four Seasons singer Gerry Polci '95 to Anthony LaGruth '88, artistic director and conductor of the Garden State Philharmonic, artists trained at Montclair State can be found everywhere. Martin Van Treuren '76 is now on Broadway in “Jekyll & Hyde,” and his twin brother, James '76, most recently appeared in “The Scarlet Pimpernel.”

Singer and actress Melba Moore '70 has enjoyed a long and successful career, and continues to stay close to Montclair State, returning in 1994 to star in a TheatreFest production of “Anything Goes.”

Eric Diamond, chair of the Theatre and Dance Department, talks with pride about Gaspard Louis '93, who has been a member of the Pilobolus troupe, and Sebastian Smeureanu '91, who is the artistic director of a professional dance company and is pursuing a master's degree in business administration at Montclair State.

  And as far away as Idaho, alumna Denise Simone '81 brings vibrant regional theater to thousands of residents and tourists with her Company of Fools repertory troupe, performing in a building owned by former Montclair State student Bruce Willis.

  As the School of the Arts celebrates alumni accomplishments, it also serves as a resource for graduates. “If artists stop growing,” Newman said, “they begin to die. So we often find ourselves helping alumni retool and make new connections to the professional world.”

  One thing is clear: Through its professional training, its outreach and the talent of its students, faculty and alumni, Montclair State University is a force to be reckoned with in the arts.

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