September 19, 2013
The arts are definitely alive and well at St. John's University! Our gifted students share their talents to the delight of both the St. John's family and the external community.
Music at St. John's
Music has always been an important part of the cultural life of the University, and our performers are fortunate to have a variety of opportunities to engage their passion in beautiful and moving ways.
Established in 1988, the Voices of Victory Gospel Choir have a deep commitment to spreading the word of God through their music. Comprised of some of the most talented singers and instrumentalists at the University, the choir currently boasts an international membership from more than seven countries.
With a focus on secular music, the St. John's University Mixed Chorus has been serving St. John's and the surrounding community with choral music for more than 100 years. Their diverse repertoire includes pop, musical theatre, classical, show choir and more. They have performed in a variety of venues, most recently on New Year's Day at a Papal Mass celebrated by Pope Francis I.
And for those who enjoy instrumental music, the St. John's University Jazz Band has been entertaining audiences with memorable performances for more than 20 years.
"In each of these three groups, we have wonderfully talented students who share the gifts that God has given them by performing for the pleasure of audiences near and far," noted Kathryn T. Hutchinson, Ph.D. '92G, Vice President for Student Affairs. "The students do this out of their love for the performing arts, and their dedication and passion is what allows St. John's to have such a wonderful program."
The Visual Arts at St. John's
The visual arts are also well represented at St. John's. Seniors majoring in Art and Design may choose to enroll for a nine-credit thesis program in which they work directly with a faculty mentor to create a professional quality project in either photography, video, graphic design or sculpture. For the past few years their work has been placed on exhibit in the Dorsky Gallery, a professional gallery in Long Island City, Queens.
"This exhibition is an amazing experience for everyone," said Jeffrey Fagen, Ph.D., Dean of St. John's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. "It's really a capstone kind of thing—where the students have the opportunity to develop a professional body of work. It's a summation of everything that they've learned as an Art and Design student."
In April, members of The McCallen Society will have an opportunity to experience firsthand the artistic talents of St. John's students. The Voices of Victory, Mixed Chorus and Jazz Band will all be performing in the University's Annual Spring Concert on the Queens campus, and the Dorsky Gallery will again be hosting an exhibition of student thesis artwork. Details of both events can be found in the "Upcoming Events" section of this issue of The McCallen Message.
Support St. John's Programs
If you are interested in supporting the programs and students at St. John's University through a gift in your estate plan, contact Susan Damiani at [email protected] or 718- 990-7562 to learn about your options.