College of Fine Arts and Production

Dr. Rachel Velarde made her return to singing last weekend at the Cal-Western Regional Conference of the National Association of Teachers of Singing. In her recorded performance, Velarde highlighted the classical music of several diverse women. “This is a women’s composer recital and deliberately programmed with people of color and also very contemporary music,” she said.

Lisa Tervo, Program Chair in the College of Fine Arts and Production, is fascinated by films, so much so that — much to her surprise — she has become a screenwriter and sold a few scripts. She also loves to read (check out her favorite genre), and she has tackled a number of other hobbies for an interesting reason.

Let’s just say it — 2020 was the year every event got canceled or moved online. Here’s to hoping 2021 won’t suffer as many slings and arrows when it comes to events. Here’s a look at a few things that have been scheduled for the spring, from Mr. GCU to “Henry V” and “Misanthrope” from the Theatre Department, to that big men’s basketball game against New Mexico State.

What a year, and not in a good way for most people. But GCU didn’t back off when the pandemic struck, and its staff and students kept finding ways to be the light in a dark COVID world. As President Brian Mueller said, “We’ve got to adapt but keep moving forward,” and that’s exactly what happened. Here are 10 stories that showed that movement.

For years, the College of Fine Arts and Production’s Mark Fearey contemplated putting together an album showcasing his piano abilities, and at long last Fearey’s Christmas album has arrived. Titled “Almost Home,” it contains a compilation of both well-known and lesser-known classics.

Photos by Elizabeth Tinajero GCU News Bureau Graduates of the Colleges of Education, Fine Arts and Production, Humanities and Social Sciences, and Theology were honored Saturday morning at GCU Arena.   

Christmas traditions will look different for many people this year, and the same can be said for the members of the College of Fine Arts and Production’s Second Series group. The student-led ensemble will put on an audio drama rendition of “It’s a Wonderful Life” from 7 to 10 p.m. today on its website.

If you have a goal, then work to reach it. That is what Peggy Shively did when she decided to go back to college after more than 40 years away from the classroom, and on Saturday — with her 72nd birthday coming up — she will graduate from GCU with her Bachelor of Arts degree in Piano Performance.

Dancers in the College of Fine Arts and Productions return to the stage tonight through Sunday at the “Rooted” Winter Dance Concert. The outdoor production, also available on livestream, will explore a multitude of emotions. “They (the audience) are going to be taken on a ride for sure, highs and lows,” Dance Director Susannah Keita said. “I’d say that this is a concert that takes on the discomfort, the sense of confusion sometimes, the desire to find your roots and an escapist approach.”

Elliott de Neve’s “Stop/Eject/Rewind” was the alumni winner in the 2019 GCU Film Festival, and now it has earned a bigger prize — Best Science Fiction in the annual Independent Shorts Awards, an IMDb qualifying film festival. The 2018 graduate spent three years perfecting the film on a budget of only $5,000.