College of Visual and Performing Arts

Mason Artist-in-Residence Ballet Hispánico Connects Campus and Community in Deep Hispanic Heritage Month Engagement

Center for the Arts engagement activities with Mason Artist-in-Residence Ballet Hispánico include a master class and classroom visits with George Mason students, workshops for area schools and community groups, Latin social dances for the public and Mason community, and a free school time performance.

A 55-gallon rainwater collection barrel is now the newest addition to the School of Art's Sculpture Studio Yard. The collected rainwater will irrigate a variety of non-edible plants emerging in sculptural form from the nearby drainpipe and other artistic additions to the barrel.

George Mason University Korea kicked off its 10th anniversary celebrations with a lively reception that brought together Mason Korea students, faculty, and staff, current and past leaders, visitors from George Mason's Fairfax Campus; and members of the Mason Korea advisory board.

Right before Earth Day, Small Island Big Song (SIBS) presented an "impassioned" (Roots World) concert experience at the Center for the Arts on April 20, combining music, spoken word, and stunning projections of indigenous artists from Pacific and Indian Ocean island nations while shining a light on the devastating effects of the climate crisis on our world’s oceans. As a Mason Artist-in-Residence, Small Island Big Song also deeply engaged with the community through a series of education and engagement programs.

Mason Korea student Juyoung Cha is just weeks away from reaching the finish line in Fairfax—earning her BFA in computer game design. In May she plans to walk proudly across the graduation stage in EagleBank Arena along with her younger sister, Subin Cha, who is a Mason Korea student in accounting.

Two-time Mason alum Jamie VanValkenburg directed the Oakton High School Marching Band to victory in the inaugural Metallica marching band competition “For Whom the Band Tolls!”

Andrew Opitz first came to George Mason University as a freshman over a decade ago. After taking a hiatus from school, he graduated from the Film and Video Studies (FAVS) Program in May 2023. Opitz’s film, Jazz, which he directed for his senior capstone, was a semi-finalist in the Student Academy Awards Alternative/Experimental category.

George Mason University rising senior Alexandra “Ali” Coburn is an arts management major who loves working on and off the stage, interning this summer at Capital City Symphony.

In the in-depth interview, the three professors discussed Mason’s multidimensional Computer Game Design program, which is designed to reflect the gaming industry’s demand for an academically rigorous technical program coupled with an understanding of the artistic and creative elements of the evolving field of study.