The RU Art Department is committed to a global perspective. We offer courses in east Indian, Asian, and Islamic art; the arts of the African diaspora; and travel courses to Athens, Paris, London, and Rome. Internationally known artists, such as the Chinese watercolorist Xian Shen Wu (above), give presentations on campus; and students share their research on international art forms at conferences.
The Art Department’s summer program in Greece offers a unique opportunity to earn college credit. The program includes visiting the major sites on the Greek mainland and several of the Aegean islands including Athens, Corinth, Mycenae, Epidauros, Mistras, Olympia, Delphi, Sounion, Knossos, and the islands of Aegina, Crete, and Santorini.
Recently, students in Interior Design and Fashion won first place in the International Student Store Design Competition sponsored by the Retail Design Institute. Their work was selected from over 200 entries.
Upon receiving a Fulbright, Dr. Roann Barris spent a semester in Moscow researching Russian theatre and art of the 1920s. She also taught classes at the Russian State University of the Humanities and presented a paper, in Russian, at “The Space of VKHUTEMAS: Legacy, Tradition, Innovation” held at the Moscow Architectural Institute and the Stroganov Academy.
Music professor Dr. Bruce Mahin has developed strong ties with the University of Glasgow in Scotland. He has been an honorary research fellow there and has brought Scottish scholars and performers to the Radford campus. Also, he established an undergraduate student exchange program which has been active since 1996.
Since 2007, The Radford University Ballet Youth has held the annual International Summer Intensive Program for intermediate and advanced dancers from the United States and Japan. The curriculum is based on the syllabus of the world-renowned Vaganova Ballet Academy in St. Petersburg, Russia, where Ballet Director Inessa Plekhanova received her training.
The Department of Theatre and Cinema regularly sponsors a study abroad program to London, England. Special Topics courses give students the opportunity to see top quality productions at major venues such as Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, The National Theatre, and the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Callan Moody, a 2011 graduate with a B.A. in Art, presented a poster session on Islamic decorative arts at the Big SURS conference in the spring of 2011. Patricia Hunold, an M.F.A. graphic design graduate, did a comparative study of poster design in four cultures for her master’s thesis and exhibition.
Music professor Dr. Robert Trent frequently performs and teaches master classes at international festivals around the world. In addition, he hosts Radford University’s International Guitar Festival. For over a decade, this festival has brought world-renowned guitarists to Radford’s campus to both perform and teach for the university and surrounding community.
Dance faculty danah bella traveled to Italy to teach at the Pro Danza Italia dance festival. As well as presenting her own choreography, she performed with Italian hip-hop artist Moreno Mostardo.
Every year the dance production class presents a multicultural dance performance based on folk dances from around the world. The students study specific folk dances and choreograph pieces based on their research. The performances are also presented off-campus at various community centers.
