’ ART Major changes were in store for the Art Department even before the pandemic erupted, pointed out Chair Jodi Staniunas Hopper. Professors Dan Burke and Tom Hubert both retired in 2020, so diferent instructors would be teaching in the studios they d overseen for decades. COVID meant the department also needed to develop new protocols to clean and sanitize artmaking spaces, to keep students safely distant, and to limit sharing of materials. The heavily worn drafting tables in the drawing lab were replaced, and side carts to hold supplies were installed so that students could easily sanitize their work areas. In the 3D studio, nearly century old tables topped with plywood were retired and new individual tables took their places, with separate buckets to store clay and tools. Layouts were reconfgured to allow appropriate distance between workstations, and - ’ demonstration cameras installed. In the past, students would huddle around an instructor and teachers could grab a student s hand to “ MUSIC It was clear early in the pandemic that singing and playing some musical instruments posed extra risk of transmitting the coronavirus. After a superspreader event infected dozens ” at a choir practice in Washington State, researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder determined that the swift spread was due to microscopic airborne particles known as aerosols. - ’ So Dr. Nathan Hess, Mary A. Spadafor Endowed Chair of Music in the D Angelo Department of Music, knew it would take extra work to bring 60+ music majors back to campus safely in the fall. Six feet of social distance – the gold standard for most personal interactions – was nowhere near enough for some musicians. For the Concert Choir of more than 35 members, that meant splitting the group between two locations. Half could work with director C. Thomas Brooks in Walker Recital Hall, while a music education student rehearsed vocal parts with the other half in Taylor Little
“ make a correction. You can t do that now, Hopper said. “So you demonstrate under the camera. All the students can see what your hands are doing, how you re handling the brush or pencil or charcoal, the consistency of your paint mix. ’ ” ’ ” “ The new layouts have proved popular with students, Hopper said. All the cleaning and purging we did made the students feel ownership over their spaces, she said. “Every student had a spot and felt comfortable, which was our intention from the get go. ” - ” ’ Instead of buying art materials in bulk, the department purchased individual art bins for students to store materials, a practice Hopper said will continue going forward. “It s a great legacy item, something that will travel with them for their lifetime. Department faculty, including many adjunct instructors, came together over the summer to pack the bins with items for incoming students. Students also got large portfolios to store and protect their 2D projects. ” ’ Unable to allow community members to visit campus, Civic Orchestra Director Jonathan Moser utilized just the strings of the orchestra and focused on repertoire that didn t require woodwinds, brass or percussion. Individual lessons went on, with modifcations, of course. For instruments that produce no aerosols – like the piano – student and instructor could be 6 feet apart. Hess said even that distance was hard to achieve in his larger faculty studio that houses two Steinway grand pianos. But for voice and woodwind lessons, 15 feet and a plexiglass shield separated teachers Theatre. Halfway through, there would be a break to air out the rehearsal space, and the students would switch places. The Wind and Jazz Ensembles spread throughout Walker, including the stage, the wings, and every other row of the seating space. Dr. Scott Meier conducted from a spot to the right of the stage so everyone could see him.
While the Cummings Gallery was closed to the public in the fall, plans are underway to still hold the Patricia S. Yahn ’50 juried student show in the spring. Much will be presented virtually, but they hope to use the hallways of Zurn to share the winners for students to see regularly. The creative and performing arts departments at Mercyhurst adopted a theme for the fall term that Hopper proposed. DREAMS refected six elements that go into all artmaking: Discipline, Resilience, Empathy, Artistry, Making, and Showing. DREAMS also became the title for a collaborative project that brought together students from art education, art therapy, communication, dance, and graphic design. Their teachers challenged them to create
a dance for flm production that was only possible if they worked together.
Choreographers created dance pieces, while artists contributed everything from costumes and props to flm editing and special efects.
’ and students. Whatever the situation, everyone wore masks – including some specially designed to accommodate instruments. The ensembles weren t able to ofer public performances, but the popular Faculty Recital Series went on as scheduled using livestream technology. Only the performer and an accompanist were allowed on stage, and the only applause came from the tech crew members at the back of the auditorium. Despite the restrictions, Hess said students were delighted to be on campus, since many of their counterparts at other schools didn t get that opportunity. “I m just so grateful that our faculty and administration were on board to do this, following all the safety protocols. ’ ’ ” He added the music department still hopes to be able to share its performances with the public virtually during the spring term, adding “ that Louisa Jonason is preparing students for a special opera performance titled – appropriately – Magnifcent Masks. ”
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