User:FIUcarta/Florida International University College of Architecture and the Arts

The College of Architecture + The Arts at Florida International University, located in Miami, Florida in the United States, is one of the university's 26 schools and colleges and was founded in 2006. College of Architecture + The Arts is a vibrant and diverse community of scholars, educators, performers, and practitioners unified by a vision of excellence in arts, design, and performance.

With over 1100 majors in seven academic departments including Architecture, Art + Art History, Communication Arts, Interior Design, Landscape Architecture, Music, and Theatre, the College is proud to offer undergraduate and graduate students an intimate and nurturing atmosphere that offers opportunities for individual attention while promoting the creative spirit in the pursuit of knowledge and the cultivation of imagination, intellectual curiosity, and artistic expression.

The College’s faculty, staff, students and alumni operate in a dynamic environment where interdisciplinary collaboration is encouraged and where such connections spur creativity and knowledge. The College of Architecture + The Arts is located in an urban setting at a Carnegie Research I institution where teaching, research, and creative work crosses the imaginary boundaries of the College and forms a vibrant cross-disciplinary network with colleagues in business, science, education, engineering, health, and humanities.

College at a Glance

• Founded in July 2006

• Comprised of seven departments – Architecture, Art + Art History, Communication Arts, Interior Design, Landscape Architecture, Music, and Theatre

• Breaks new ground through interdisciplinary curricula that promotes exploration, discovery, and innovation among its different disciplines

• Enrolls over 1,100 majors in its undergraduate and graduate degree programs

• Employs 80 full-time faculty and 20 staff members

• Includes 2,500 alumni including actors Danny Pino and Julian Acosta, opera performer Adina Aaron, Broadway star Andy Señor, visual artist Teresita Fernandez, landscape architect Laurinda Spear, architect Eddie León, and Jeffrey Dean, the first FIU alum to serve on the Florida Board of Governors

• Produces 150+ events a year including lectures, exhibitions, concerts, productions, and other prominent South Florida cultural events such as the annual Festival of the Trees and Masters’ Mystery Art Show

• Participates in and performs at events and venues including – Art Basel, Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County, ArchitectureWeek, Florida Grand Opera, International Society for Contemporary Music, Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival, American Parliamentary Debate Association

• Partners with several local organizations including the Wolfsonian-FIU, he American Institute of Architects, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, Friends of Chamber Music, CHARLEE Homes for Children, GAP: Girls Advocacy Project, and the Frost Art Museum

Accreditation

All programs in the College are fully accredited by the appropriate accrediting organizations: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA), Landscape Architecture Accreditation Board (LAAB), National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB), National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD), National Association of Schools of Music (NASM), and the National Association of Schools of Theatre (NAST)

FIU School of Architecture

The FIU School of Architecture is composed of three departments including Architecture, Interior Design, and Landscape Architecture

Department of Architecture

FIU Architecture is dedicated to the education of future generations of ethical professionals, creative designers and informed citizens. We believe architecture to be a conceptually based intellectual endeavor and a form of critical inquiry addressing the physical environment from the scale of the city to the scale of furniture. The goal of the educational experience is for students to develop synthetic thought and design processes using creative problem solving and critical thinking. FIU Architecture prepares students for professional practice with emphasis placed upon five thematic areas: architectural design, history/theory, building technologies, digital technology, and professional business practice.

We are committed to educating students to form independent design judgments grounded in the larger contexts of intellectual inquiry and the general pursuit of knowledge. our graduates are professionals versed in the professional and technical skills required of the profession. They are also conceptual thinkers grounded in the broad intellectual and societal values that engender the production of architecture. our faculty is recognized for a strong commitment to excellence in teaching, creative work, research and are internationally recognized for their award winning architectural design work, their prolific scholarship, and for excellence and innovation in architectural education. our student body; composed of graduate and undergraduate students of architecture, comes to us with a variety of academic backgrounds, experiences, and interests but always with a passion for the study of architecture and a desire to create. Ideally situated in one of the most extraordinary and fertile urban laboratories for the study of architecture, Miami and the south Florida region provide limitless possibilities for faculty and students to explore global and regional challenges and apply innovative approaches and new technologies to those challenges. Miami and the region offer our students an extraordinary range of unique and cutting edge new works to study by many of the world’s leading designers. Additionally, our region is rich in historic architecture and urbanism.

FIU Architecture Degrees include: Master of Arts in Architecture, Master of Architecture, and a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture.

Paul L. Cejas School of Architecture Building

The Paul L. Cejas school of Architecture Building is named after Ambassador Paul L. Cejas, one of Florida International University’s leading champions over the past two decades. Designed by internationally renowned architect Bernard Tschumi in a joint venture with BeA International, the $16 million project opened a new chapter in the book of south Florida architecture. The building is a combination of five buildings of different heights interconnected with walkways and bridges that together offer 102,000 square feet of state-of-the-art classroom, studio, gallery, workshop and office space. The buildings open to a central courtyard that fosters interaction among students and faculty.

Department of Interior Design

FIU Interior Design is situated within the diverse international community of South Florida and the rich interdisciplinary environment in the College of Architecture + The Arts. This unique context inspires our interpretation of the interior design profession as an occupation that exercises many types of knowledge and operates within complex social, cultural, technological, and artistic settings.

FIU Interior Design offers an ideal atmosphere where students are actively involved in learning and exploring the current and future roles of the profession within a global society. The Department’s award-winning faculty challenges our students to critically investigate the diverse roles of interior design and inspires them to explore new avenues of thought and attitudes toward why and how designers make human environments. The curriculum focuses on preparing well-rounded design professionals with emphasis on interior architecture and incorporates the recommendations and standards of national and local professional societies into its development. The interdisciplinary foundation coursework and three years of professional graduate curriculum prepares the students to meet the profession head on. FIU Interior Design graduates work in many different settings in the design of residential, commercial, and institutional projects.

FIU Interior Design Degrees include: Master of Arts in Interior Design, Master of Interior Design, and a Bachelor of Interior Design

Festival of the Trees

FIU’s annual Festival of the Trees has become a South Florida tradition, marking the start of the holiday season for over 20 years. Since its inception, the Festival of the Trees has united the region’s premier design professionals in this celebration of the holiday season’s shapes, colors, light, and poetry. The event showcases the unique creativity of the community by engaging local, national, and international designers in the design of holiday trees made from every imaginable material. FIU’s Interior Design Advisory Board coordinates the exhibition and accompanying gala event. The net proceeds fund Interior Design scholarships through the Festival of the Trees endowment Fund at FIU’s Interior Design Department.

Department of Landscape Architecture

FIU Landscape Architecture is the only program of its kind in the tropical and subtropical regions of the United States. The unique natural and cultural environments of South Florida, tropical America, and the Caribbean provide firsthand experience of a wide range of landscapes. Our focus is on projects that have local relevance with a global outlook. Landscape Architecture is viewed as a critical part of city life and urban planning, while viewing the discipline as a piece of a larger discussion about public space, the city, and its relationship to ecology and the environment.

FIU Landscape Architecture faculty and students have received national and international recognition from various academic and professional organizations. Most recently, G. Valdés and A.Von der Osten’s work from Assistant professor roberto rovira’s studio was selected for exhibition at the exposición Internacional de escuelas de Arquitectura + paisaje, part of the 5th european Biennial of Landscape Architecture held in Barcelona, Spain. rovira’s student, Brennan Baxley was also recognized at the state level of the American Society of Landscape Architects with an Award of honor. roberto’s professional work has also recently been recognized as a finalist in the ASLA national Awards and received a nomination from the Cooper-hewitt national design Awards for his consultant work as lead designer at the Miami based firm ArqGeO.Assistant professor ebru Ozer was invited to present a collaborative research project at the 2008 International Colloquium on Tourism in Chiang Mai, Thailand, and will present on the subject of sustainability at the International Symposium on Sustainable development held in Sarajevo. professor Juan Antonio Bueno, former dean of the College of Architecture + the Arts is the recipient of three prestigious national American Society of Landscape Architects awards.department Chair, Marta Canavés and architecture department Associate professor Marilys r. nepomechie have been recently awarded 2008 design honors from the American Institute of Architects Florida/Caribbean region and from the Miami Chapter of the American Institute of Architecture for sustainable,affordable housing and infrastructure in Smoketown, Kentucky. Canavés and nepomechie are also recipients of a Cejas research endowment Grant in support of their interdisciplinary scholarship on mid-century hotels and tourism in Miami, Florida and havana, Cuba. Continued engagement with city and urban landscape issues such as the studios for the City of Sweetwater and Opalocka, and the Florida department of Transportation in collaboration with FIU’s Metropolitan Center and partnerships with Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden provide students and the community with a deeper understanding of landscape and its relationship to the urban fabric.

FIU Landscape Architecture Degrees include: Master of Arts in Landscape Architecture, Master of Landscape Architecture, and a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture

Department of Art + Art History

FIU Art + Art History provides a sanctuary for the development of new visions, ideas, and techniques. Housed on FIU’s University Park and Biscayne Bay campuses, FIU Art + Art History serves a truly international population of local residents and those from many European, Latin American, and Caribbean countries. Both faculty and students are fortunate to be regular participants at events such as Art Basel, Arteaméricas, and Art Palm Beach that have garnered much attention to South Florida’s international art community.

Our students are given the opportunity to work in a wide variety of disciplines acquiring all the basic skills while exploring a range of new possibilities. the interactivity of our studio programs helps students define their own roles as artists and art historians in today’s world. this communal atmosphere encourages artistic camaraderie, engendering trust and a climate conducive to intellectual and aesthetic growth. FIU Art + Art History faculty’s wide spectrum of specialization includes pre-Colombian, Colonial, and Modern art. they are active artists and art historians who serve as mentors, artists, and lecturers at major international exhibitions and conferences throughout the United States, Latin America, Asia, and Europe. Dr. Manuel torres, one of the leading specialists on Andean pre-Columbian art, recently returned from Bolivia where he conducted groundbreaking work for the Gate of the Sun at tiwanaku. Professors Eduardo del Valle and Mirta Gómez, Guggenheim Fellows, have work featured in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and are in the process of publishing their fourth photographic book. FIU Art + Art History alumni are also quite successful in their fields. teresita Fernández received the MacArthur Fellow Genius Award in 2005; the September 2007 issue of Art news featured tasha and Mónica López de Victeoria on its cover; and Margarita Benítez received the first ever Leonardo Art Science Student Award in 2009.

FIU Art + Art History Degrees include: Master of Fine Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts, Bachelor of Arts in Art, Bachelor of Art in Art History

Masters' Mystery Art Show

HISTORYthe Masters’ Mystery Art Show (MMAS) is an international annual art event featuring over 1000 artworks by more than 500 artists from 31 countries around the globe. It includes nationally and internationally recognized artists, many brilliant emerging artists, as well as a number of celebrities from other fields. the MMAS was developed to benefit Florida International University’s Master of Fine Arts in Visual Arts Program. this fundraising event has grown to provide supplementary funding for our MFA program, grants for alumni, as well as an opportunity for international exposure for FIU and its art programs. this important event, which coincides with Art Basel, takes place at the Ritz-Carlton, in Miami Beach.

Department of Communication Arts

FIU Communication Arts fosters a diverse community of distinguished scholars, authors, and performers working together in a dynamic interdisciplinary academic environment. Whether students enter the professional world or attend graduate school, the department’s primary goal is to develop intelligent, creative, well-rounded citizens who will assume responsible positions of leadership in an increasingly complex and competitive world of information, social change, and communication.

FIU Communication Arts award-winning instructional faculty have authored critically acclaimed texts, and lectured throughout the world. Recognized for their artistic, pedagogical, and scholarly expertise, the faculty have held leadership positions in state, national and international organizations. In 2009, dance professor Augusto Soledade received the prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship for Choreography.As highly sought after communication consults, the faculty has worked with not-for-profit as well as Fortune 500 companies. Department Chair, Joann Brown, an expert in intercultural communication, is a vital member of FIU’s Quality Enhancement Plan Committee that guides the internationalization of the University’s curriculum.FIU’s Oral Presentation Lab, located within the department, provides the students, faculty, and staff with expert coaching in the organization and delivery of oral presentations. The lab services approximately 1700 individuals per semester from a wide array of disciplines by helping them improve their body language, speak more confidently, organize ideas logically, reduce anxiety, improve eye contact, and incorporate visual aid to create a dynamic and focused presentations.FIU Communication Arts has produced numerous national and international leaders in law, business, arts, education, and politics. Prominent alumni include Professor Pedro Cevallos, Mr. Damion Dunn a prominent New York attorney, Catherine Horta-Hayden the Assistant Provost at Townson University, Shalee Horstmann, performer at the Laban Center in London England, and Jeffrey Dean, the first FIU student to serve on the Florida Board of Governors.

FIU Communication Arts Degrees include: Minor in Communication Studies, Minor in Dance Studies

Debate Team

FIU Communication Arts Debate Team, one of the premier academic debating societies in the country and a member of the prestigious American Parliamentary Debate Association, is housed within the department. In 2008, the team placed in the top 15 at Harvard University and made it to the quarterfinals at Columbia University.

School of Music

FIU Music prepares its students for diverse careers as teachers, performers, composers, and scholars. Intellectual curiosity and an engaged creative spirit inspires FIU Music’s pursuit of interdisciplinary global knowledge, the cultivation of imagination, and artistic expression. Emphasizing comprehensive musicianship, individualized instruction, the ensemble experience, and innovative technology, FIU Music provides an outstanding professional musical education on a spectacular tropical campus in one of the world’s most vibrant cities.

The 65 FIU Music faculty members form a dynamic community of artist-scholars who publish in respected national and international journals, perform in prestigious venues throughout the world, and record on major labels. Many faculty have been recognized with Grammies, a Guggenheim Fellowship, NEh awards, and grants from the Fulbright, cintas, and Rockefeller foundations. In 2008, music technology Professor Paula Matthusen won both the Morton Gould composition Award and one of two Van lier Fellowships. Distinguished visiting performers who have presented master classes at FIU include such internationally-acclaimed artists as George crumb, lukas Foss, Richard Stoltzman, Murray Perahia, and Kenneth cooper.FIU Music prepares its majors for professional careers in music with a rigorous first-class academic and artistic education. In 2009-2010, FIU Music alumni will continue with their graduate work in M.M. and D.M.A programs at institutions such as the University of Florida, Boston University, the Eastman School of Music, and the University of Minnesota, as well as Ph.D. programs at the University of Virginia, Princeton, and Yale. Recent alumna Adina Aaron has appeared in numerous operas and has performed the title role in Italian film director Franco Zeffirelli’s new production of the Verdi opera, Aïda.

FIU Music Degrees include: Master of Music, Master of Science, Bachelor of Music, and a Bachelor of Arts.

The Herbert and Nicole Wertheim Performing Arts Center

The Herbert and Nicole Wertheim Performing Arts Center presents 100+ concerts every year. These performances take place in the beautiful 600-seat concert hall, with smaller events held in the more intimate 150-seat Recital hall. The Wertheim Performing Arts center also houses practice rooms, instrumental rehearsal halls, computer music studios, faculty teaching studios, an organ studio containing a two-manual Schlicher practice pipe organ, and a 74-rank Schantz pipe organ considered by many to be the finest in the Southeast United States. Both organs are courtesy of a generous donation from Dr. and Mrs. Herbert Wertheim.

Department of Theatre

FIU Theatre’s commitment to making theatre accessible to the community is an integral part of its mission. Creative projects and training opportunities that encourage community involvement and collaboration with students and faculty are embedded within the curriculum and actively pursued. Past and present community-based projects have involved Miami-Dade Public Schools, local hospitals, Outward Bound, CHARLEE Homes for Children, and GAP: Girls Advocacy Project.

FIU Theatre students discover their unique artistic visions and develop the skills to make them a reality. Through their participation in a diverse mix of productions that address a variety of global perspectives, periods, and genres, students are given the opportunity to explore design, theatre administration, set construction, directing, playwriting, and acting.FIU Theatre faculty is active professionally and has performed, directed, designed, coached, and taught at prestigious venues such as the Colorado Shakespeare Festival, New York Shakespeare Festival, New Jersey Shakespeare Festival, Texas Shakespeare Festival, New Theatre, Coconut Grove Playhouse, GableStage, Actor’s Playhouse, A Noise Within, Denver Center Theatre Company, La Jolla Playhouse, ART-Harvard, Actor’s Movement Studio, PS 123, and the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts. The faculty regularly collaborates with students to create innovative works of art, many of which have received awards including several from the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival and the Southeastern Theatre Conference.Our alumni are accepted into top graduate theatre programs each year. FIU Theatre distinguished students and alumni include internationally-recognized actors and directors such as Academy Award-nominated Andy García; Danny Pino, currently starring in the television series Cold Case; Andy Señor, who starred on Broadway in Rent; Joseph Haj who serves as the Artistic Director for Playmakers Repertory Theatre, NC; Julian Acosta who has had reoccurring roles on Dirt and Strong Medicine; Syesha Mercado, a top-three finalist on 2008 American Idol; Agni Scott, who appeared on HBO The Hamburg Cell and The House of Saddam miniseries; and Adrianna Gaviria who continues to play leading roles in the top regional theatres such as Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Dallas Theater Center, and the Pasadena Playhouse.

FIU Theatre Degrees include: Bachelor of Arts in Theatre, Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre Performance, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre Design Terchnology.

Danny Pino

Danny Pino began his acting career earning a BFA from Florida International University and an MFA from NYU’s Graduate Acting Program. He is a versatile actor who has enjoyed success on the big and small screen, as well as on stage. Pino has portrayed a wide array of characters in films such as Flicka and Lucy, and television series including The Shield and Cold Case, currently shooting its 7th season. Theatre productions in which Pino has starred include Up For Grabs, opposite Madonna, opposite Billy Crudup in the New York Shakespeare Festival’s productions of Measure for Measure, and in The Winters Tale, directed by Brian Kulick. Recently he starred in the Miami production of Havana Bourgeois at the Actor’s Playhouse.Danny currently serves as a founding member of the College of Architecture + The Arts Dean’s Leadership Council.

References

News Releases

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