Check Out The New Digs
The College of Performing Arts cut the ribbon on its new, state-of-the art spaces at 55 West 13th Street in November. The result of a gut renovation undertaken by The New School and Deborah Berke Partners earlier this year, the spaces—which include the Ernst C. Stiefel Concert Hall, the Glass Box Theater, rehearsal rooms and recording studios—comprise the new hub of the College of Performing Arts (Mannes School of Music, School of Drama and School of Jazz).
PARSONS 2015 Fashion Benefit
Lucy Jones (BFA Fashion Design '15) accepted the award for Womenswear Designer of the Year at the Parsons 2015 Fashion Benefit during the River Pavilion at the Jacob K. Javits Center in May. Parsons alums Jon Max Goh and Sungho Kim (Menswear Designers of the Year), Jennifer Lia Kim (Childrenswear Designer of the Year), Steffi Tsz Wing Lau (Accessories Designers of the Year) also received awards. The event honored Marc Jacobs, a Parsons graduate, and global luxury products group LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton.
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Teaming with Paula Scher, a partner at Pentagram and one of the world’s leading graphic designers, The New School designed and launched its new brand identity in March. Dynamic, forward-looking, and instantly recognizable, the new visual identity embodies the progressive mission of the New School and represents a technological leap in the art of type design.
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Teaming with Donna Karan's Urban Zen Foundation, members of the Parsons community traveled to the Design, Organization and Training (D.O.T.) Center in Port-au-Prince twice this year to train Haitian artisans in modern design practices and provide the material resources they need to compete in a global marketplace. The products created by the Haitian artisans were later displayed and sold at Donna Karan's West Village boutique.
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Noam Chomsky, MIT Institute professor (emeritus) of linguistics and philosophy and one of the country's leading intellectuals, spoke at a sold-out event at The New School's Tishman Auditorium in September. In a wide-ranging discussion, Chomsky hit on everything from the Iranian nuclear deal, to Israel foreign policy, to the GOP nominating contest. Even after a half century of international political critical analysis, the 87-year-old Chomsky still has it.
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In support of the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference in December, students and faculty at Parsons Paris and the Tishman Environment & Design Center at The New School hosted "Justice After COP21." The discussion, which coincided with a student-curated gallery exhibition, focused on the post-COP21 efforts necessary to ensure just and sustainable outcomes for the world’s poorest and most vulnerable communities. Once again, The New School demonstrated its leadership on one of world's most pressing issues.
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Nationally recognized leader of the immigrant rights movement, Gaby Pacheco, delivered the keynote address at The New School’s 79th commencement exercises at the Jacob J. Javits Convention Center in May. Standing before a crowd of more than 6,000 university graduates, their families and faculty members, Pacheco said, “today, your life wings are being unveiled ... Those wings will take you wherever you want."
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Famed author Joyce Carol Oates spoke at a two-day conference, "little magazines & The Conversation of Culture in America," in November. Hosted by The New School for Social Research, the conference ignited conversation between contemporary journalisms and politics, and celebrated NSSR's newly launched M.A. in Creative Publishing & Critical Journalism degree.
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In February, "Serial" creator Sarah Koenig joined a panel of voices from the podcasting world for an event, "Serial and the Podcast Explosion." The event was a huge hit with podcast nerds as Koenig discussed the unprecedented popularity of "Serial," the creative renaissance in podcasting, and what it all means for the media industry. Among the panelists was David Carr, the beloved New York Times columnist who would pass away a few short days later.
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In May, American artist Glenn Ligon celebrated the unveiling of his piece, “For Comrades and Lovers,” a monumental, site-specific installation at The New School's University Center. The commission, Ligon’s most ambitious neon work to date, presents the artist’s poignant investigation of the writings of Walt Whitman, one of New York City’s most iconic and influential poets.
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In September, Media Studies commemorated its four-decade anniversary, hosting a series of events that culminated with "Forty Years Looking Forward" at the Auditorium at 66 West 12th Street. The gathering of Media Studies faculty, alumni, and students celebrated the history of the school, which dates back to 1975, when the university began offering a Master of Arts degree in Media Studies.
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In a wide-ranging discussion with Parsons faculty member and Pulitzer Prize-winning architecture critic Paul Goldberger, Sheila Johnson—CEO of Salamander Hotels and Resorts, member of the Parsons Board of Governors, and the first black American female billionaire—touched on the “three acts” of her life, her philanthropic endeavors and her efforts to develop greater diversity in art and design schools. She made her remarks at Parsons Reunion 2015.
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Randy Weston, one of the greatest living jazz musicians and a griot of jazz and its African roots, shared his wisdom and expertise with The New School community as the artist-in-residence at the School of Jazz during the fall 2015 semester. During his residency, the jazz guru participated in a lecture series exploring his music and the development of American jazz and its roots in Africa, led an improvisation ensemble program, mentored students, and performed live.
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Jonathan Soros—an activist for campaign finance reform and the son of billionaire business magnate George Soros—offered his (somewhat controversial) policy prescriptions for reducing the power of money in politics at “When Free Speech and Democracy Conflict: Campaign Finance in the Age of Citizens United” in December. Hosted by the Robert L. Heilbroner Center for Capitalism Studies at The New School for Social Research (NSSR), the event featured a lively and sometimes heated discussion between Soros; Jeremy Varon, associate professor of history at NSSR; Deva Woodly, assistant professor of politics at NSSR; and Adam Davidson, host of the National Public Radio program Planet Money.
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The School of Drama, Mannes School of Music, and School of Jazz solidified their identity as the College of the Performing Arts with their collaborative production of Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill’s musical comedy Happy End in September. The musical, which was performed at The Theater at the School of Drama, centers on the chaos that ensues when the Salvation Army and a group of speak-easy gangsters collide in Roaring Twenties Chicago.
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Internationally celebrated Chinese artist dissident Ai Wei Wei made his presence felt at "The Fear of Art, the 32nd Social Research conference," at The Auditorium at 66 West 12th Street in February. Wei Wei shared his story via a pre-recorded video--Chinese authorities would not permit him to leave his home country--at the event, which explored threats to freedom of artistic expression all over the world.
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bell Hooks capped off her residency at The New School the same way she started it: with inspirational stories, hilarious asides, and deeply personal reflections about everything from sexuality and gender to politics and social justice. On the third day of hooks' fifth and final series of conversations at The New School, author and New York Times columnist Charles Blow joined hooks on stage for one of the most memorable conversations of her three-year residency.
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This year, the Vera List Center honored Abounaddara—a collective of media makers who shoot short, intimate, video portraits of people from all sides of the Syrian conflict—with its biennial prize at an exhibition and ceremony in October. Abounaddara releases a new short film on the internet every week, covertly challenging the world's ideas about life in Syria and demanding "the right to the image" for those trapped in the conflict.
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In April, Parsons School of Design was named the Best College for Art and Design in the United States by Quacquarelli Symonds World University Rankings, a London-based “global provider of specialist higher education and careers information and solutions." Parsons was also named number two in the world in the same category.
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Jahmila Joseph (BA Cultural Studies & Media, '05) joined Eugene Lang College alumni, students and faculty for a celebration of Lang's 30th Anniversary in May. Praising her alma mater, Joseph said, "Academia, civic engagement, activism, critical thinking, and the ability to forge strategic partnerships—these are the tools that all of us use in social justice. They’re the tools that Lang has helped us sharpen.”
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When Laura Poitras (BA Liberal Arts '96) returned to her alma mater to discuss her film, Citizenfour, it was still rare for Edward Snowden, the subject of her film, to show his face. So, when Snowden (via live video feed) joined Poitras, investigative journalist Glenn Greenwald, and New York Times columnist David Carr for a New York Times Talk, the event was met with a lot of excitement.
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In the midst of a major sea change in gay rights, Edith (Edie) Windsor—the activist, feminist icon, and petitioner who overturned the Defense of Marriage Act—made a widely anticipated appearance at The New School for a screening of “Edie and Thea: A Very Long Engagement.” The documentary, which centers on Windsor’s life with Thea Spyer, her partner of almost 50 years, was followed by a conversation between Edie and her attorney, Roberta Kaplan.
Most Memorable Moments of 2015
On a Thursday evening in February, Ai Wei Wei, the Chinese artist-dissident, appeared on the big screen at the Auditorium at 66 West 12th Street to address government censorship during an event, “Fear of Art.”
At the same time, just up the street at the University Center, New School alumna and documentary filmmaker Laura Poitras, journalist Glenn Greenwald, and New York Times columnist David Carr gathered to speak, in front a sold out audience, with none other than Edward Snowden, who appeared live via a video link. The topic of the discussion was Poitras’ new film, CitizenFour.
It was just another day at The New School—and the start of another year of memorable moments that included visits from prominent figures such as Frank Gehry, Noam Chomsky, bell hooks, and Sarah Koenig and milestones such as the 40th anniversary of the School of Media Studies, the opening of the College of Performing Arts’ new spaces, the unveiling of Glenn Ligon’s installation For Comrades and Lovers at the University Center, and the launch of The New School’s new visual identity.
Take a look back at 20 of the most memorable moments of 2015 at The New School.