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Boston College is set to begin its annual three-day Arts Festival Apr. 26 at noon, and tomorrow will pay tribute to some of its most accomplished student, faculty and alumni artists at the Arts Council awards celebration.
Highlighting Friday’s event — which takes place at 4 p.m. in O’Neill Plaza — will be the presentation of the Arts Council Alumni Award for Distinguished Achievement to Tony Taccone ’72, artistic director of Berkeley Repertory Theatre, one of the most prominent regional theaters in the country.
BC Theatre Department Chair Scott Cummings, who nominated Taccone for the award, calls him “one of the most important theater directors and artistic directors working in the United States today.”
In addition to the arts award ceremony, Taccone will make two other appearances during the Arts Festival: this afternoon at 3 p.m. in a panel discussion on the challenges of artistic leadership in the current economic and cultural climate; and tomorrow at 2 p.m. at “Inside the BC Studio,” where he will talk about his career in an interview-type format. Both events take place in Gasson 305.
"We are looking forward to Tony’s appearances, and hope that our students will be inspired by his accomplishments,” said BC Theatre Department Associate Professor and Arts Council Chair Crystal Tiala.
The Arts Council also will honor Music Professor Michael Noone with this year’s Faculty Award. Noone, who is the Music Department chairman, is an expert on Early Modern sacred music, with a special emphasis on Spain and Latin America. According to Arts Council organizers, “Noone's achievements as a choral director reached a new height this year as his project of recording the complete works of Renaissance composer Tomás Luis de Victoria reached completion.”
Faculty and alumni recipients, organizers note, serve as an inspiration for aspiring BC student artists. This year’s student award winners, who will be recognized for creativity, accomplishments and specific projects, include the following seniors:
•Aileen Bianchi, Film
•Jennifer Brubaker, Studio Art
•John Delfino, Theater
•Kristin Drew, Music
•Brenna Kelley, Music
•Christie Mealo, Studio Art
•Eileen Won, Jeffery Howe Art History Award
University President William P. Leahy, SJ, and College and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Dean David Quigley will present the awards. The ceremony will be followed by a reception and celebration with entertainment. For information, e-mail arts@bc.edu or call ext.2-4935.
For the full 2012 Arts Festival schedule, see www.bc.edu/artsfestival