IU Northwest Announces New School of the Arts

IU-Northwest-Announces-New-School-of-the-Arts-2018Indiana University Northwest on Monday announced its new School of the Arts, created to house the Departments of Fine Arts, Performing Arts, and Communication. Also housed in the new school will be the management of the black box and proscenium theaters, as well as the two art galleries.

Veteran faculty member and world-renowned artist David Klamen will serve as dean of the newly created school, which emphasizes IU Northwest’s special commitment to arts education and engagement in the region.

Formerly the associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, and chair of the departments of Fine Arts and Performing Arts, Klamen first joined IU Northwest in 1985, embarking on twin careers as exhibiting artist and teacher of drawing, painting, fundamental studio, and art theory. Two years ago, he took a position at an East Coast university and was instrumental in turning around the school’s declining enrollment. In time for the 2018-19 academic year, Klamen returns home to Chicago and IU Northwest, where he intends to step up his studio work while also taking the helm of the new school.

“We are looking forward to highlighting the arts faculty publicly and to growing our academic programs and community relationships, with special regard to the arts in Northwest Indiana,” said Vicki Roman-Lagunas, executive vice chancellor for academic affairs.

Among those goals, confirmed Klamen, are plans to bridge disciplines and create shared degrees; extend IU Northwest’s partnerships in the community and more.

“Uniting our three arts programs under one umbrella will strengthen our ability to achieve a myriad of objectives,” Klamen said. “My sense is that we need to build programming that offers more opportunities to combine the things that the rest of our university offers with the arts so people have degrees that share expertise. We also intend to nurture our relationships with our community, not only inviting them in for programming, but extending ourselves further into our communities.”

Klamen also holds the title of Chancellor’s Professor, an honor bestowed in 2012 in recognition of his meritorious performance in all areas of faculty work: teaching, research or creative activity, and service.

A native of Dixon, Ill., Klamen originally studied science, philosophy and art at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He earned a full scholarship to attend the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where he completed his graduate studies.

Klamen is an accomplished international artist and is represented by Richard Gray Gallery in New York and Chicago, and Mark Moore Gallery in Los Angeles. His artworks are exhibited in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art; and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago; among others.