PARSONS AND LOUIS VUITTON PRESENT RECONSTRUCTION
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| By Stacey Cunningham and Jacqueline Carrillo |
On September 17, Parsons School of Fashion will collaborate with Louis Vuitton for a live competition uniting music and fashion. Teams of students will work in the Parsons storefront gallery on Fifth Avenue to create conceptual looks based on historical silhouettes. Students will be remixing costumes from the Parsons Archive along with signature Louis Vuitton pieces designed by LV Artistic Director and Parsons alumnus Marc Jacobs.
A panel of fashion experts will select the winning looks, which will be worn by musicians of the Nouveau Classical Project in an October 2 performance at The New School's Tishman Auditorium. The Nouveau Classical project is an ensemble where musicians model fashion created by young designers inspired by the music.
"Bringing together music, fashion, history, and one of the world’s great design houses is a wonderful example of the Parsons philosophy," said Parsons Dean of Fashion Simon Collins. "Thanks to the generosity of our friends at Louis Vuitton, these one-of-a-kind creations will demonstrate our students’ conceptual design skills, their craftsmanship, and their awareness of the human form, in this case the Nouveau Classical Project musicians.”
Reconstruction will be taking place in the Arnold and Shelia Aronson Galleries, Sheila C. Johnson Design Center, 66 5th Avenue.
MILANO’S TENENBAUM LEADERSHIP INITIATIVE BEGINS A THIRD ROUND OF FELLOWSHIPS
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| Mark Lipton, TLI faculty; Lisa Servon, Milano Dean; Ann Tenenbaum |
The Tenenbaum Leadership Initiative (TLI), a six-month, fully-funded leadership development program developed by faculty members at Milano The New School for Management and Urban Policy, is set to begin its third round of fellowships.
The program titled, “Leading after the Legacy,” seeks to support executive directors facing the unique challenge of succeeding the founder in a nonprofit organization. Designed to meet fellows’ unique leadership goals and hectic schedules, participants convene approximately every three weeks for three-hour breakfast meetings with a cohort of approximately 20 fellows. Simultaneously, fellows work with a personal executive coach to set development goals and begin to “experiment” with new behaviors that serve to resolve personal leadership challenges directly within an organization.
The program consists of nine sessions beginning in early October and ending in early February. Selection of TLI fellows is based on their commitment to their organizations, their motivation for professional growth, and desire to be a member of a community that explores succession challenges in the nonprofit sector.
Developed three years ago, the program is supported by a generous grant to Milano The New School for Management and Urban Policy from Ann Tenenbaum and Tom Lee. The program’s alumni represent leaders from a broad range of nonprofit organizations in the Greater New York Metro Area. While their organizations have ranged in size from a staff of one to 540 and work in the arts, youth services, housing and community development, healthcare, faith-based initiatives, and cultural organizations, they all faced similar challenges in leadership transition.
CANDIDATES FOR THE NEW SCHOOL HONORARY DEGREES
The university expects to present six honorary degrees at its May 2010 commencement exercises. Award recipients are accomplished in their field and are generally chosen from a discipline that represents the various schools and programs of the university. Honorary degrees will be awarded from the categories listed below. Candidates do not have to be graduates of The New School.
Categories:
- The Arts: Classical Music, Jazz/Contemporary Music, Theater, Film, Television, Writing, Visual Arts
- Design, Journalism
- The Humanities and Social Sciences
- The Natural Sciences
- Public Life and Government
Nominations for honorary degree candidates and University in Exile Award candidates are welcome and should be submitted no later than Friday, October 23, 2009. For additional details to nominate candidates for either an honorary degree or the University in Exile Award, please go to the University Commencement Website.
HUMAN ECOSYSTEMS: NEW RESEARCH FUNDED BY THE NSF
Urban ecological research in New York City received a solid boost of support from the Nation Science Foundation (NSF) this summer in the form of a two-year, $300,000 research grant. Tishman Environment and Design Center (TEDC) professor Dr. Timon McPhearson, in collaboration with social and ecological scientists at Columbia University, NJIT/Rutgers University, the US Forest Service, and the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation, submitted a joint application for the grant, which will be used to understand how institutional efforts to re-green public and private urban lands affect the provision of ecosystem services, the engagement of civic stewards, and the capacity of the system to support biological communities. The newly formed NSF ULTRA (Urban Long-term Research Areas) program was highly competitive with only 16 cities awarded out of 73 proposals submitted nationwide. New York City is in good company in this effort along with Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Baltimore, and others.
Over two years this research will help develop the theoretical framework and wider institutional network for a citywide investigation of NYC as an ecosystem. The project will integrate recent advances within the fields of the natural and social sciences into the interdisciplinary Human Ecosystem Framework to advance an understanding of urban social and ecological systems. This proposed integration will ultimately enhance fundamental theory about human- and biophysical- system dynamics by developing a cross-disciplinary spatial-temporal framework to test a set of hypotheses that center on the relationships between the ecological function of the urban forest, the ecological processes that govern its abundance, diversity, and suitability as habitat, and the actions of the stewards who maintain it.
SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP: HOW EVERYONE CAN BE A CHANGEMAKER
The New School has joined with Ashoka, a global association of the world’s leading social entrepreneurs, to launch the Ashoka Changemaker Campus Initiative. This unique program is a partnership that aspires to improve teaching, research, and engagement opportunities in social entrepreneurship - both on campus and in the local and global communities in which we work.
To kick-off the campus-wide program, the university will host a panel discussion on social entrepreneurship titled, “Social Entrepreneurship: How Everyone Can be a Changemaker.” The event will include a discussion with leading social entrepreneurs tackling diverse global challenges from poverty to climate change. The panel will be moderated by Bruce Nussbaum, faculty member at Parsons the New School for Design and BusinessWeek editor, and feature Paul Polak, founder of International Development Enterprises and D-Rev: Design for the other 90%; and Billy Parish, founder of Energy Action Coalition; as well as other extraordinary social entrepreneurs.
This event celebrating Ashoka’s partnership with The New School will include the participation of Milano the New School for Management and Urban Policy, Parson The New School for Design, The New School for General Studies, and Eugene Lang College The New School for Liberal Arts.
The panel will be held Monday, September 21 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at 55 West 13th Street. Admission is free, but RSVP is required.
CONVOCATION SPEECHES NOW ONLINE
The university held its annual Convocation ceremony on Thursday, Sept. 3, marking the opening of the 2009-2010 academic year. Speeches from the ceremony are now posted on the Convocation website.
NEWS FROM THE NEW SCHOOL FOR GENERAL STUDIES
BIRTH AND REBIRTH OF A NATION: SCREENING AND COLLOQUIUM
On Saturday, September 26, 10:00 a.m.-7:30 p.m., Birth and Rebirth of a Nation will consider current issues of race and representation in the media and beyond. D.W. Griffith’s notorious white supremacist manifesto is discussed in the context of contemporary developments in an attempt to reconcile the racial imagination of the average American of today with that of the average American of less than a century ago, when The Birth of a Nation was the most popular film of the day.
Speakers will analyze recent scholarship on racism in the period of the film and examine the film’s legacy and continuing impact. The questions that will be considered are: How do we think critically about the contested notion of a “post-racial” America as we look back at history? How has the social, political, and cultural context that created The Birth of a Nation transformed over time?
From 10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m., D.W. Griffith’s The Birth of a Nation (1915), silent film will be screened with live accompaniment organized in collaboration with The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music.
From 2:00-5:00 p.m., a colloquium will take place with the following speakers: Douglas A. Blackmon, Pulitzer-prize winning author and Atlanta Bureau Chief, The Wall Street Journal; David Blight, Class of 1954 Professor of American History and Director of the Gilder Lehrman Center for the Study of Slavery, Resistance and Abolition, Yale University; Bill Gaskins, photographer, essayist, and professor of Photography and Art History, Parsons The New School for Design; Margo Jefferson, Associate Professor of Writing, Eugene Lang College The New School for Liberal Arts; Michelle Materre, Assistant Professor, Media Studies and Film, The New School for General Studies; Miriam J. Petty, professor of Film and Media Studies, Rutgers University-Newark; and Michele Wallace, professor of English, Women’s Studies and Film, CUNY Graduate Center and City College of New York. This will be followed at 6:00 p.m., by a screening of DJ Spooky’s Rebirth of a Nation (2002), a critical revision of Griffith’s historic film.
This event organized on occasion of the Vera List Center's 2009-2010 program theme, Speculating on Change, which will take place at Tishman Auditorium, Alvin Johnson/J. M. Kaplan Hall, 66 West 12th Street. Admission is free, but reservations are recommended by emailing the Vera List Center at vlc@newschool.edu or calling 212.229.2436.
NEWS FROM MILANO THE NEW SCHOOL FOR MANAGEMENT AND URBAN POLICY
A NEW LANDSCAPE: CAN NEW YORK CITY KEEP AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN SIGHT?
The current economic turmoil is taking a tremendous toll. Home foreclosures are on the rise, market-rate condominium sales have stalled, owners of overleveraged developments are defaulting, and unemployment is increasing. This panel, hosted by the Center for New York City Affairs on Wednesday, September 16, explores the impact of the economic crisis on housing in New York City. Panelists will consider questions like: How are neighborhoods faring in the recession? Will Mayor Bloomberg’s market-driven incentives continue to work? Are there sufficient government resources to take advantage of declining real estate costs and other opportunities? What’s working, and what’s next?
The panel will be moderated by Manny Fernandez, reporter for the New York Times. It will include Rafael Cestero, commissioner of the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development; Martin Dunn, president of Dunn Development Corporation; Gary Hattem, managing director of the Community Development Finance Group, Deutsche Bank Americas Foundation; and Ismene Speliotis, executive director of New York ACORN Housing Company, Inc.
The panel is supported by the Milano Foundation and the Sirus Fund and will take place from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. in the Theresa Lang Community and Student Center, located in Arnhold Hall, 55 West 13th Street, 2nd floor. Admission is free, but seating is limited and reservations are required. To reserve a spot, call 212.229.5418 or email centernyc@newschool.edu.
NEWS FROM THE INDIA CHINA INSTITUTE
INDIA CHINA INSTITUTE LAUNCHES A THIRD FELLOWSHIP IN SOCIAL INNOVATION FOR SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENTS
The India China Institute (ICI) at The New School has announced the third round of its signature fellowship program, choosing as its theme “Social Innovation for Sustainable Environments.” A total of six fellows, two each from China, India and The New School, will be chosen for the program, which runs from January 2010 to June 2012.
The program seeks to build on ICI’s previous fellowships, including the 2006 to 2008 cohort focusing on “Urbanization and Globalization,” and the 2008 to 2010 program on “Prosperity and Inequality.” This third round of the fellowship takes advantage of the unique history and strengths of The New School in social sciences, design, and environment, as well as over 30 distinguished ICI Fellows.
The new Fellowship Program will focus on addressing the complex and interconnected problems associated with climate change and environmental sustainability. Social innovation will aim to develop creative solutions, skills, knowledge, and entrepreneurship as drivers to mitigate and overcome multi-faceted challenges and achieve environmental sustainability. Through collaborative research and debates, fellows will critically examine definitions and parameters of both social innovation and sustainability in India and China, and prompt a three-way dialogue that includes perspectives from the Unites States. The fellows’ work will develop ways to reframe policymaking and implementation, reinvigorate local governance, and redirect material flows and market forces that would have direct or indirect impact on the environment.
The Fellowship award amounts to approximately $40,000 in research, travel and support funds.
The India China Institute was established in 2004, and is emerging as the hub of an international network of institutions and activities that nurture conversations about India, China, and the United States and deepen our understanding of global processes. Made possible in part by a generous $10 million grant from the Starr Foundation, ICI is committed to analyzing major issues and trends in India, China, and the United States and helping leaders, managers, public intellectuals, and opinion builders in all three countries address key challenges through collaborative solutions.
NEWS FROM EUGENE LANG COLLEGE THE NEW SCHOOL FOR LIBERAL ARTS
On Wednesday, September 23, from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m., Science Friday host Ira Flatow will interview renowned theoretical physicist Dr. Lawrence M. Krauss, who will discuss his past, present, and future work as well as his views on the direction science is taking and what is involved in becoming a scientist.
Dr. Lawrence M. Krauss is foundation professor in the School of Earth and Space Exploration and Physics Department, associate director of the Beyond Center, co-director of the Cosmology Initiative, and director of the Origins Initiative at Arizona State University. He is also author of the best-selling The Physics of Star Trek and other popular books on physics such as Hiding in the Mirror: The Quest for Alternate Realities and Plato to String Theory. He is a contributor to the New York Times and Science magazine.
Science Friday Initiative was founded in 1990, and provides a platform for the discussion of current scientific debates and innovations. In collaboration with the award-winning NPR show Science Friday, the initiative works to increase interest in science among adolescents and young adults.
This event is cosponsored by Interdisciplinary Science at Eugene Lang College The New School for Liberal Arts. It will be held in Wollman Hall, Eugene Lang Building, 65 West 11th Street, 5th floor. Admission is free; but seating is limited and reservations are required by emailing langscience@newschool.edu.
NEWS FROM PARSONS THE NEW SCHOOL FOR DESIGN
PARSONS FACULTY PRESENTS BOOK ON ADÉLAÏDE LABILLE-GUIARD
Laura Auricchio, Parsons assistant professor of Art and History, will launch her first book, Adélaïde Labille-Guiard: Artist in the Age of Revolution, a portrait of artist Adélaïde Labille-Guiard who occupied one of only four memberships designated for women at the French Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture.
Auricchio’s book sheds new light not only on Labille-Guiard, but also on women artists under France’s Old Regime and on art in the age of the French Revolution. Adélaïde Labille-Guiard: Artist in the Age of Revolution is the first English-language book devoted to her paintings and career.
On Tuesday, September 29, a book talk and signing, will be held at the New-York Historical Society, Central Park West at 77th Street, from 6:00-7:30 p.m. This event is free and open to the public.
NEWS FROM THE NEW SCHOOL FOR DRAMA
DRAMA ALUM OFF TO LONDON FOR OLD VIC/NEW VOICES EXCHANGE
New School for Drama graduate Sherri Eden Barber (2009) received a director position for the Old Vic/New Voices US/UK Exchange. She will fly to London later this year and be paired with playwright Kenneth Emson to develop his play Sonnerkommando.
The Old Vic’s innovative US/UK Exchange program develops relationships between the best writers and directors in London and New York, and has been instrumental in securing these practitioners their first productions overseas as well as affording them countless development opportunities in their home countries. During the Exchange, a UK writer and director are paired with their US counterparts; through intensive rehearsals, these transatlantic creative teams develop new plays over the course of one week. The week culminates in open readings, followed by feedback sessions for artists and audiences. The Exchange also includes a series of dynamic workshop and master classes with senior practitioners on a variety of Anglo-American themes.
Visit www.oldvictheatre.com/ovnv.php for more information.
NEWS FROM THE NEW SCHOOL FOR JAZZ AND CONTEMPORARY MUSIC
NEW SCHOOL JAZZ FACULTY MEMBER TO PERFORM IN AN EVENING WITHMARIANNE FAITHFULL AT NYC’S TOWN HALL
On Thursday, September 24, New School Jazz faculty member, Christopher Hoffman will perform at New York City’s Town Hall with award-winning English singer, songwriter, and actress Marianne Faithfull, whose career spans over four decades. Hoffman will join an eclectic ensemble that includes Greg Cohen, Marc Ribot, Rob Burger, Joey Baron, Ryan Scott, Christina Courtin, Lenny Pickett, and Marty Elrich.
THE NEW SCHOOL FOR JAZZ AND CONTEMPORARY MUSIC RETURNS TO SWEET RHYTHM
The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music returns to Sweet Rhythm, a jazz club in the Village. New School Jazz faculty, alumni, and students present Monday-night jazz sets at 8:00 and 9:00 p.m.
September 2009 performances:
Monday, September 14
(U)nity
Amaury Acosta, drums; Axel Tosca Laugart, piano; Chris Smith, bass; Michael Valeanu, guitar; Melanie JB Charles, vocals. With special guests Lucas Pino, tenor and soprano saxophone; Ivan Melespin, trombone; Travis Antonie, trumpet; Pedrito Martinez, percussion and vocals; Kasey Benjamin, alto saxophone, effects, and vocals; Xiomara Laugart, vocals; and Chris Dingman, vibes.
Monday, September 21
Ryan Anselmi Quartet
Ryan Anselmi, tenor saxophone; Hide Tanaka, bass; Kim Garey, drums; and very special guest Junior Mance, piano.
Monday, September 28
Peter Yuskauskas Trio
Peter Yuskauskas, bass; Samuel Mortellaro, piano; Dan Kleffmann, drums, with special guests Montana Agte-Studier, flute; Rich Savage, saxophones; and Ari Karason, trumpet.
Sweet Rhythm is located at 88 Seventh Avenue South. General admission is $10 cover, $10 minimum. Students are charged no cover and a $5 minimum. To make a reservation, call 212.255.3626.
IMPRESSIVE TURNOUT AT 13TH ANNUAL BLOCK PARTY
The New School’s fortunate streak with the weather continued for the 13th Annual New School Welcome Block Party. Under clear skies and mild temperatures, over 2,500 students, faculty, staff, and 12th-Street neighbors came out for this year’s Block Party, making it the largest turnout to date. The block party, which immediately follows convocation, celebrates the opening of school and is one of the university’s largest on-campus events held during the year.
Student Development and Activities (OSDA) is responsible for organizing this annual event which provides the university community with the opportunity to learn about the many services and resources available at The New School and the surrounding area. Several new student organizations, along with returning organizations were on hand to invite students to get involved with their on-campus activities. The University Student Senate was also out in full force, holding frequent raffles to distribute the new USS Kleen Kanteen water bottles to students in an effort to raise awareness of sustainability issues on campus and to promote the University Student Senate.
Chartwells, the university’s food service provider, arranged for the largest yet display of food vendors to serve a variety of complimentary food and tasty beverages. In addition to the free food and information tables, students from the Jazz Program performed throughout the afternoon. Other free activities included horizontal bungee jumping, henna, caricatures and life-size chess. Community resources at this year’s Block Party included McBurney YMCA, Chelsea Piers, Jazz at Lincoln Center, and the Commission on Voluntary Service and Action.
PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
Earn $50! Psychological testing volunteers are needed for fall 2009—spring 2010. Doctoral students in the NSSR Clinical Psychology program need supervised experience giving a range of tests, some you may have heard of. Find out how psychologists work and learn something about your self! Volunteers meet with one clinical PhD student several times throughout the year. Volunteers must be available both fall 2009 and spring 2010. Total testing time is about six hours, plus an hour of feedback in the spring 2010 semester after testing is completed. The test is strictly confidential and is supervised by PhD clinical psychologists on The New School faculty. Clinical students may discuss anonymous test results in small groups, but only the PhD student conducting the tests and the instructor will know each volunteer’s identity.
If you would like to volunteer, please contact the teaching assistants, Rebecca Rosen and Laura Kirmayer, to arrange a telephone interview. Email Roser694@newschool.edu or Ikirm04@yahoo.com with any questions for the instructors, Dr. Andrew Twardon and Dr. Doris Chang, and queries will be forwarded.
USE YOUR FREE ADMISSION TO DROP IN AND SEE MOMA’S EXHIBITION OF MONET"S WATER LILIES Starting September 13
Starting September 13, the Museum of Modern Art presents an installation that will, for the first time since the Museum's reopening in 2004, feature the full group of Claude Monet's late paintings in the collection. We encourage New School students and employees to drop in and enjoy the exhibit and the entire Museum. In order to receive your free admission, go to the lobby information desk and show them your valid New School ID. Students, faculty, and staff receive one free admission for themselves. Faculty and staff may also obtain an additional two tickets for their guests.
There will be live entertainment as well as drinks and cocktails available for purchase. MoMA is located at 11 West 53rd Street, New York City. Enjoy!
TIME OUT NEW YORK DISCOUNT OFFER
Start your year off being in the know about things free or fancy. Time Out New York is offering all students, faculty, and staff at The New School a full year's subscription for just $20! That's 51 issues for the entire year and only 39c an issue. Steal this deal for yourself or a gift to another.
THE BEST DEAL FOR AFFORDABLE THEATER, Dance, and concert TICKETS:
THEATRE DEVELOPMENT FUND
An exciting spring theater, music and dance season is under way: Why pay $100 or more, when you can pay $20-$36 for Broadway shows and Off-Broadway shows, dance performances and concerts? An inexpensive way to enjoy the best of New York culture is to join Theatre Development Fund (TDF).
To be eligible, you must be a full-time student or teacher, senior citizen (62+), civil servant, union member, staff member of a not-for-profit organization, performing arts professional, or member of the clergy or armed forces. Annual membership fee is $27.50, and you can join online.
A small sampling of performances recently available to TDF Members for $20-36 per ticket include: 33 Variations, The 39 Steps, Altar Boyz, American Ballet Theatre, The American Plan, August: Osage County, Avenue Q, Ballet NY, Beast, Big Apple Circus, Blithe Spirit, Christopher Cross at B.B. King's, Distracted, Enter Laughing, Exit the King, The Fantasticks, Forbidden Broadway Goes to Rehab, Fueerzabruta, Gypsy, Hedda Gabler, Impressionism, Irena's Vow, Joe Turner's Come and Gone, London Philharmonic at Lincoln Center; The Marvelous Wonderettes, Mourning Becomes Electra, New York City Ballet, New York Philharmonic, Next to Normal, Pal Joey, Patti Austin at Brooklyn Center; Paul Taylor Dance Company, The Phantom of the Opera, Reasons to be Pretty, Rock of Ages, Ruined, Shrek: The Musical; Speed the Plow, Spring Awakening and Uncle Vanya.
So don't miss this great opportunity to see great theater at great prices.
The New York Times is offering a 60 percent discount ($.40/per day Monday-Saturday, $2.50 on Sunday) for home or office subscriptions to all faculty, staff, and students.
Here's how it works. Unlike traditional subscriptions, the education rate can be set up by semester or in a combination that best reflects your schedules for both delivery and billing. New School faculty, staff, and students can have a subscription Monday-Friday, Sunday only, weekends only, or any combination.
To take advantage of the special discount to the Times or to change a current subscription, students, faculty (full-time and part-time), and staff should contact the customer service center at 888.NYT.COLL, to order a single subscription or a classroom subscription of up to eight copies for required reading in the classroom.
To order a classroom subscription of eight or more copies for required reading in the classroom, contact the education program's customer service center at 800.631.1222.
WOULDN'T YOU LIKE TO SAVE TIME AND MONEY ON ENTERTAINMENT?
As a member of The New School, you have access to exclusive entertainment benefits through Plum Benefits! From theater and dance to sports and comedy, you can use this benefit to save time and money when ordering tickets for great seats to the hottest events in town! Log on 24/7 to enjoy:
Exclusive offers for premiere entertainment
Discounts of up to 50% off
Access to hard-to-get seats
Cost-free service
No ticket-ordering obligations
Easy ticket ordering
Helpful Customer Service at www.plumbenefits.com, 212.660.1888, or contact@plumbenefits.com
Already Signed Up to View Your Entertainment Benefits Online?
Log in now at www.plumbenefits.com to view this month's entertainment offers.
Not Yet Signed Up to View Your Entertainment Benefits Online?
Simply visit www.plumbenefits.com, click the "Sign-Up Now" button and follow the on-site instructions to create your profile and password. Registration is free and takes just a few moments-all you need is your groupwise email address.
The Weekly Observer, The New School online publication, is sent to everyone with a University email account. It is also available on the University web site. To add an external address to the email list, please send a message from the account you wish to add to majordomo@listserv.newschool.edu. In the message, on a line by itself, type "subscribe observer".
To submit at item for publication in The Observer, please email observer@newschool.edu.
Submissions deadline for the Observer:
Submissions for the Observer must be received by Wednesday afternoon to appear in the following issue.
