College of Fine Arts and Production

The plan for the fall semester was all set, but then the COVID-19 pandemic suddenly worsened in Arizona. Undaunted, the GCU task force that had been working so diligently since February pivoted with one simple goal: They want the University to be part of the pandemic solution.

Studio space already was hard to come by, even before the pandemic. That’s why nueBOX is working with multiple members of the GCU dance community to offer a safe space to allow them to continue their craft. “I was afraid when I graduated that I’d be counting the days until I could dance again,” said Isiah Johnson, a GCU spring 2020 graduate and nueBOX summer residency recipient. “It’s nice to have it still be as much a part of my schedule as it was before.”

In times of struggle birds of a feather fly together; at least that’s how GCU Dance Director Susannah Keita sees it. With the pandemic’s huge impact on the arts community, Keita saw an opportunity to bring dance alums together via Zoom to discuss tips and advice on how to get through the pandemic and continue your career in times of COVID-19.

When she started her undergraduate career in the College of Fine Arts and Production, Rachel Schumacher just loved to act. Now, four years and exposure to the different areas within theatre later, Schumacher has accepted a full-ride scholarship in lighting design from the University of Connecticut and plans to begin this fall.

GCU’s effort to make personal protective equipment (PPE) has become a key task for Public Safety and University Event Services, whose employees have turned the operation from five days a week to 24/7. The boost in production enabled the University to make sizable donations to several community outlets.

The Pineda brothers, Josh and Jake, have used their GCU degrees in Digital Design with an Emphasis in Web Design to get off to a strong start in the field. But that’s not where their similarities end. Hardly. They hung out together when they both were on campus, and now they share their common interests when they travel.

There is one overarching factor in how GCU administrators and faculty are judged: Did their students get good jobs after graduation? It is the true meaning behind the University’s “Find your purpose” slogan. “It’s the passion to serve our students that our faculty and staff have,” Provost Dr. Hank Radda said, “which makes them willing to dive in, shepherd and advise students toward their ultimate career goal.”

GCU’s effort to produce cloth face masks has been joined by College of Fine Arts and Production costume designer Nola Yergen, who has recruited several GCU Hotel employees to add pleating. It makes the coverings fit more like traditional hospital masks, but it’s important for an even bigger reason. “This is about teamwork,” Yergen said.

Mykhal Polite was at the starting line to the rest of his life when COVID-19 halted life as we knew it. Not long before he was slated to start a job as a gold rush re-enactor for Alaskan Cruise Lines, the pandemic put the theatre student’s plans on hold. Polite has used the stay-at-home time to work on casting letters and is video auditioning for productions such as a “Power Rangers” reboot.

From remote graduation parties to a graduation ceremony on Zoom to a social-distance-minded graduation dinner al fresco from a parking lot across from a Texas Roadhouse, GCU’s Lopes found a way to celebrate even though they couldn’t be together on campus for Commencement.