Arts graduate study brings hope, but fails to address tough issue

In case you missed it, I wrote an article about a study released by Indiana University regarding arts graduates. The study of 13,600 arts graduates found that 92 percent found some type of employment in their field within one year of graduation. Those surveyed range from theater to architecture graduates.

While the study revealed mostly positive statistics, as it was conducted by the Strategic National Arts Alumni Project, it ceased to take an important area into consideration —  artists’ pay level and revenue satisfaction. About 30 percent of formal professional artists surveyed indicated that debt, including student loans was a reason for pursuing a different career path.

I interviewed Jamie Buxton, a graduate of University of Central Oklahoma, and David Herendeen, an OCU professor for the article, which examined pursuing an acting/music theater degree in Oklahoma.

To view the full article published in The Oklahoman and Look at OKC, visit NewsOK.com.

 

Dancers help make family’s ‘dream come true’

Four OCU students will be seen on ABC television network this weekend.

Jenna Jackson and Ali Rosenstein, dance pedagogy seniors; Chip Byars, dance performance junior, and Gracie Verkamp, dance performance sophomore, will appear on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition at 8/7 p.m. Central time Sunday.

Gracie Verkamp, Chip Byars, Jenna Jackson, and Ali Rosenstein in June on the set of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. The show will be at 8/7 p.m. Central time on ABC.

The dancers filmed the show in June in Long Island, N.Y. after they were chosen to audition by Broadway Dance Center officials. The performers were summer interns at the dance center, 322 W. 45^th Street, New York, N.Y.

About 30-40 performers auditioned for the show, but 12 were chosen, Jackson said.

“The family that the show was about were big fans of music theater,” she said. “We basically did a continuous music theater number while they were tearing down the house.”

Jackson said she enjoyed the experience.

“It was really neat to do two things I love to do at the same time,” she said. “I love dancing and helping people. It was cool to make the family’s dream come true.”

To watch a preview of the show visit the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition website.