The Arts at UVA are in the midst of an extraordinary period of growth and achievement that finds us celebrating the contributions of many who have put a lasting stamp on the cultural life of the University while at the same time welcoming new faces and voices that will lead us toward a dynamic future.

We are delighted to welcome Matthew McClendon, our new director of The Fralin Museum of Art. Matthew comes to us from the internationally-acclaimed Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota, Florida, and we are looking forward to working with him in what will undoubtedly be an important and exciting time for the Museum as it continues toward a significant expansion project. Another part of the excitement stems from the recent and substantial grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation that geared toward the study of Indigenous art both at The Fralin Museum of Art and at the Kluge-Ruhe Collection. Thanks to that grant and to significant support from the College of Arts & Sciences we recently welcomed Adriana Greci Green, PhD, as Curator of the Indigenous Arts of the Americas at The Fralin Museum of Art and Henry F. Skerritt, PhD candidate, as the curator of Indigenous Arts of Australia at Kluge-Ruhe.

We also welcome Ila Berman, joining us as Dean of the School of Architecture. Ila, who takes over for Elizabeth Meyer, who returns to our faculty after an outstanding two years at the helm, comes to us with an incomparable academic and professional pedigree. We are excited about her continuing her extraordinary work at UVA and shaping the future of the School of Architecture.

The future leadership of the Charlottesville Symphony at the University of Virginia will be determined over the next several months with the appointment of a new Director to take over the Charlottesville Symphony baton from Kate Tamarkin, who for the past decade has led the orchestra with remarkable passion and style. We have identified three candidates, and each will have a chance to conduct the ensemble over the course of the next three concerts in December, January and March.

Finally, we are thrilled to announce that the Arts at UVA will play an important role in the University’s upcoming bicentennial celebrations, offering creative support through a variety of special performances and presentations as we honor the historic laying of the cornerstone by Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe, and James Madison, celebrate our illustrious past, and look ahead to what promises to be a bright future.