Willamette Among Top Producers of Fulbright Scholars

For the second year in a row, Willamette University is among the top producers of 2008–09 U.S. Fulbright Fellows, according to a recent announcement by the Fulbright Program that was highlighted in an Oct. 24 article in The Chronicle of Higher Education.

Four students and alumni from Willamette won Fulbright awards for 2008–09, making Willamette one of just three Oregon schools in the listing of top universities. Fifteen Willamette students and alumni have received Fulbright grants in the past five years.

This year’s winners are Cassandra Farrin ’05, who is pursuing a degree in religious studies in the United Kingdom; Paige Folsom ’06, who is teaching English in Argentina; Lucas Nebert ’08, who is studying soil biodiversity in the Netherlands; and Tye Sundlee ’08, who is helping develop strategies for allocation of health care resources in Ukraine. Under the Fulbright program, about 1,500 American students were offered grants to study, teach English or conduct research in more than 125 countries.

The Fulbright competition is administered at Willamette through Monique Bourque, director of Student Academic Grants and Awards. To learn more, contact her at mbourque@willamette.edu or (503) 370-6607.

[ email this story ]

Hallie Ford Museum of Art to Close for Winter Break

The Hallie Ford Museum of Art will close Dec. 24 and re-open Jan. 6 to correspond with the closure of Willamette University for winter break.

Two special exhibitions are currently on view. The Second Crow’s Shadow Institute of the Arts Biennial continues through Dec. 21 in the Study Gallery. The exhibition features contemporary prints created by Native American artists at the Crow’s Shadow Institute on the Umatilla Indian Reservation in northeastern Oregon.

The Art of Ceremony: Regalia of Native Oregon continues through Jan. 18 in the Melvin Henderson-Rubio Gallery. The exhibition, which includes regalia from all nine of Oregon’s federally recognized tribes, offers visitors a rare glimpse at the beauty, history, and meaning of regalia in tribal life and thought.

The Hallie Ford Museum of Art is located at 700 State St. (corner of State and Cottage streets) in downtown Salem near the campus of Willamette University. Hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. The galleries are closed Mondays. Admission is $3 for adults and $2 for seniors and students. Children younger than 12 are admitted free, and Tuesday is an admission-free day. For more information, call (503) 370-6855.

[ email this story ]

TIUA to Honor 112 Graduates Friday

Tokyo International University of America (TIUA) will honor 112 students during its annual closing ceremony on Friday, Dec. 19.

There will be a certificate presentation ceremony at 4:30 p.m. in Hudson Hall in the Mary Stuart Rogers Music Building on the Willamette University campus. It will be followed by a reception at 6 p.m. These ceremonies are the culmination of a year of intense study of English and American studies courses taught by TIUA and Willamette University faculty members.

Attending the ceremony from Tokyo International University in Kawagoe, Japan, are President Takayoshi Arai; Professor Yoshiyuki Igarashi, chair of the International Exchange Committee; and Ms. Chie Omorai, staff.

Other guests scheduled to attend include: Consul General Akio Egawa, Japanese consulate; Carol Long, dean, College of Liberal Arts, Willamette University; numerous Willamette faculty members; and many Salem residents who participated in the TIUA “Tomodachi” (friendship family) program.

For more information call Barby Dressler, director of TIUA University Relations, at (503) 373-3300.

[ email this story ]

Last chance to see The Art of Ceremony in Salem

Only one month remains to see The Art of Ceremony: Regalia of Native Oregon at the Hallie Ford Museum of Art at Willamette University. This exhibition of historical and contemporary ceremonial regalia from Oregon’s nine federally recognized tribes closes Jan. 18.

“For those who want to see a superb exhibition of ceremonial regalia from both western and eastern Oregon, The Art of Ceremony should not be missed,” museum Director John Olbrantz said.

Organized by Willamette Professor Rebecca Dobkins in partnership with tribal leaders, artists and collectors, the exhibition is designed to introduce nontribal audiences to the history, beauty and function of regalia within tribal life and thought. Hand-crafted dance outfits, jewelry, staffs, headdresses, musical instruments and a 21-foot cedar canoe are among the items on display. The Oregon Arts Commission selected the exhibition as Oregon’s 2008 National Endowment for the Arts American Masterpieces Project.

Once the exhibition closes in Salem, it travels to the Tamástslikt Cultural Institute in Pendleton, Ore., Feb. 20 through May 28, and the Museum at Warm Springs in central Oregon, June 26 through Sept. 12.

In addition to the American Masterpieces grant, the exhibition is supported by an endowment gift from The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde through the Spirit Mountain Community Fund, who recently awarded an additional $25,000 grant to help finance exhibition costs and educational collaboration with Willamette Academy, Willamette University’s college preparatory program for local underrepresented high school students. Other support includes a Millicent McIntosh Fellowship from the Woodrow Wilson Foundation, a Siletz Tribal Charitable Contribution Fund award, and grants from the city of Salem’s Transient Occupancy Tax funds, the Oregon Arts Commission and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.

NOTE: The Hallie Ford Museum of Art will be closed Dec. 24 through Jan. 5 for winter break.

The museum is located at 700 State St. (corner of State and Cottage Streets) in downtown Salem near the campus of Willamette University. Hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. The galleries are closed Mondays. Admission is $3 for adults and $2 for seniors and students. Children younger than 12 are admitted free, and Tuesday is an admission-free day. For more information, call (503) 370-6855.

[ email this story ]

A Victorian Christmas with John Doan

"A Victorian Christmas With John Doan," a holiday tradition in its 22nd season, comes to Salem, Sunday, Dec. 14, at 7 p.m. in Hudson Hall at Willamette University. The festive concert is a live version of Doan's Emmy-nominated Public Broadcasting television special, which re-enacts what it might have been like to celebrate Christmas a century ago.

"John Doan breathes new life into old carols and evokes the nostalgic, mystical side of Christmas," said Billboard magazine.

"The show explores how Victorians invented many Christmas traditions we remember and quite a few we have forgotten," said the Willamette music professor. "The 20-string harp guitar, classical banjo and ukelin are just a few of the original instruments that will be featured. The aim is to recapture the feeling of a time before radio and TV when our ancestors provided most of their own musical entertainment at home, especially during the holidays."

Doan plays more than a dozen turn-of-the-century instruments once popular in American parlors, on vaudeville stages and in mandolin orchestras. He explains their history in a entertaining and often zany fashion, shows slides of old catalogues and archival photographs, and leads the audience in singing (or whistling) many of our most beloved carols. John will include several arrangements from his CD, "Wrapped in White: Visions of Christmas Past."

Doan is a touring and recording artist who has appeared on radio and television across the country, including the PBS special, "A Christmas To Remember With John Doan" and the Emmy-nominated Oregon Public Broadcasting special, "A Victorian Christmas With John Doan." He is currently touring with nationally renowned guitarist Mason Williams. Doan is an associate professor of music at Willamette.

Tickets are $18 for adults and $10 for children and students under 18, and are available at the Willamette Music Department or by phone at (503) 370-6255. Willamette University students, faculty and staff may acquire free tickets up to one week prior to the event (tickets are limited). DVDs will be available at the concert. Willamette University is located at 900 State Street in downtown Salem, Oregon. For more information visit www.johndoan.com.

[ email this story ]

Christmas in Hudson Features Sacred Songs and Readings

The Willamette University Choral Department presents its annual Christmas in Hudson Hall Thursday and Friday, Dec. 11 and 12, in Hudson Hall at Willamette. The performance will feature sacred songs and dramatic readings, and the hall will be transformed into a wonderland of lit Christmas trees, wreaths and garland.

The event is a tradition that originated as a lessons and carols service. It has been transformed into a broader service but stays true to its original intent of illuminating the Christmas story through music and reading. Rhetoric Professor Jeanne Clark has prepared a selection of readings from scripture and narratives to tie the service together.

The choirs at Willamette University have performed at Carnegie Hall and in South Africa at the request of Archbishop Desmond Tutu. They have sung for regional, national and international conventions of the American Choral Directors Association, the Music Educators National Conference, and the Oregon Music Educators Association.

Tickets are $8, and they sell out early. For more information contact Diane Trevett in the Willamette Music Department at (503) 370-6255.

[ email this story ]

Guitar Night at the Bistro

Guitar Night at the Bistro takes place Thursday, Dec. 11, at 7 p.m. The concert is free.

Prepare yourself for a fun evening of guitar music from some of the most talented guitarists at Willamette. Students of Associate Professor John Doan will perform iin a variety styles, including classical, flamenco, blues and popular. The program will begin with the guitar class making its Willamette debut and Doan will perform to close out the evening. Come early for a good seat.

[ email this story ]

Community Invited to Star Trees Lighting and Festivities

The Salem community is invited to the 12th annual Star Trees Lighting Saturday, Dec. 6., at 6:30 on the lawn north of historic Waller Hall at Willamette University. The free program begins at 6:30 p.m. and will include carols, along with hot chocolate and cookies.

Prior to the event, Bon Appetit will provide a holiday dinner from 4 to 7 p.m. at Willamette's Goudy Commons. The menu will feature ingredients from local farms and will include herb roasted turkey with fresh cranberry compote, smoked pork loin with cider glaze, buttermilk mashed potatoes with turkey gravy, pumpkin squash lasagna with butternut cream, roasted hard squash and salads with pomegranate and hazelnut dressings. Desserts include pumpkin pie, Southern comfort pecan pie and apple and quince crisp. The cost is $10 for adults and $6 for children eight and younger. No reservations are needed.

Following the Star Trees Lighting, the music department will sponsor a free family holiday concert at 7 p.m. in Smith Auditorium. The Willamette University Band, Headband and other ensembles will perform an array of seasonal music. Seating is limited.

Participants are invited to bring articles of clothing to the 15th annual PennyCoat Drive, sponsored by Beta Theta Pi, to benefit those in need. Tables for donations will be set up near the Star Trees.

Event sponsors include Willamette University, Dick and Linda Carney, Elwood's Tree Service, Bon Appetit, Beta Theta Pi and Roth's Fresh Markets.

The Star Trees are located on the Willamette campus, across from the State Capitol at 900 State St. in Salem. For information about the PennyCoat Drive, contact John at (562) 665-8307 or jaschmid@willamette.edu. For information about the lighting and concert, call Michelle at (503) 370-6031.

[ email this story ]