Mason Arts

07/16/2025

Federico Frum (BA Art & Visual Tech ’05) blends street art, Indigenous heritage, and skate culture to inspire unity and environmental respect.

His latest milestone? Designing a U.S. Postal Service stamp celebrating skateboarding culture, just one chapter among many in a career rooted in activism, ancestry, and art that brings people together. 🌎💫

Discover how this George Mason alumni is using creativity to build community and remind us all: We All Belong.

🔗 Read the full story here: https://art.gmu.edu/news/2025-06/alumnus-uses-his-creative-voice-build-connections-honor-heritage-and-foster-peace

07/14/2025

At George Mason University, Associate Professor Boris Willis is redefining what game design can be. From motion capture to interactive poetry, he's helping students blend art, tech, and movement to shape the future of storytelling.

Discover how creativity meets code in the classroom and why the next generation of game designers will be artists, innovators, and world-builders. 💚💛

🔗 Read the full story here: https://cvpa.gmu.edu/news/2025-06/boris-willis-helping-students-rethink-what-career-game-design-can-be

For Boris Willis, the future of games has always been bigger than pixels and code. Long before the rise of virtual production and interactive storytelling, Willis was blending technology, dance, and design into new forms of creative expression.

07/09/2025

Great Spaces Inspire ! 💚💛

MASON MARVELS

The fine arts can inspire us, evoke emotions, and challenge us to explore societal issues. Mason Arts has seven exhibition venues where the public can connect and explore art installations.

💚 Buchanan Hall Atrium Gallery - Fairfax Campus
💛 Buchanan Partners Art Gallery - SciTech Campus
💚 Fenwick Gallery at Fenwick Library - Fairfax Campus
💛 Gillespie Gallery of Art - Fairfax Campus
💚 Mason Exhibitions Arlington - Mason Square
💛 Potomac Science Center - SciTech Campus

🔗:https://www.masonexhibitions.org/visit

07/09/2025

Congratulations to School of Art alumni and graduate student Emely Ramos for completing the Lewinsville Park Farmer's Market Mural!

The Fairfax County Park Authority commissioned George Mason School of Art alumni, Emely Ramos, to design and paint a mural on their shipping container to promote the weekly Farmers Market that is in the parking lot at Lewinsville Park. The details in the design are all items that can be purchased at the Farmers Market!

Emely Ramos is a Northern Virginia-based artist who graduated from George Mason University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts. She is currently studying for a Master’s in Art Teaching. Her current concentration is focused on new media with a minor in animation. She practices a variety of art mediums and techniques to incorporate them into her future lesson plans. Although she explores different mediums from animation to paint on canvas, her work often showcases portraits of people with an intentional use of vibrant colors to emphasize their personalities.

To learn more, visit, https://www.masonexhibitions.org/murals/farmers-market-mural

07/07/2025

Through The Spheres Project, a creative initiative led by Dewberry School of Music professor June Huang, George Mason University students are composing original works inspired by historical archives. This collaboration between the Dewberry School of Music and the University Libraries' Special Collections blends music, history, and storytelling.

Students explore themes of peacebuilding, culture, and communication while learning both artistic and professional skills like archival research and grant-style proposal writing. The project highlights how music can connect disciplines and communities in powerful, unexpected ways.

To learn more about this initiative, visit https://www.gmu.edu/news/2025-05/george-mason-student-composers-create-original-pieces-ongoing-collaboration-between

07/02/2025

Today we are delighted to highlight Christopher Kardambikis, an artist and professor at George Mason University's School of Art, who focuses on making art accessible through zines, prints, and books, formats that people can hold and share.

His teaching emphasizes collaboration, community, and hands-on publishing, helping students see beyond traditional gallery paths.

Through projects like his podcast Paper Cuts and the university’s Dynamic Publishing minor, he encourages students to create meaningful, tangible work that connects with real audiences and lasts beyond digital platforms.

To learn more about Professor Kardambikis, visit https://cvpa.gmu.edu/news/2025-06/christopher-kardambikis-power-print-publishing-and-possibility

06/30/2025

This year’s Progress@Play Digital Art Competition, held by Mason Korea, brought together 255 student teams to explore social issues through digital media—animations, games, webtoons, and more.

Faculty from the Computer Game Design Program played a key role in mentoring and judging, helping students push the boundaries of what digital storytelling can do.

The result? A powerful mix of creativity, insight, and social awareness.💚💛

📖 Read more about the competition and the work our faculty are doing to support the next generation of game designers: https://cvpa.gmu.edu/news/2025-06/mason-korea-hosts-record-breaking-digital-art-competition

06/27/2025

Calling all Mason Arts Alumni: the Young Alumni Commissioning Project is now accepting applications!

The Young Alumni Commissioning Project is an annual grant that awards up to three grants to Mason Arts alumni in support of projects in film, dance, visual art, music, and game design. Selected alumni will be awarded for the creation of original work that will be presented at a Mason venue during the 2026-27 season.

Submit your proposal by September 5, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. ET for full consideration into this year’s project.

🔗 For application information, visit: https://cvpa.gmu.edu/about/alumni/young-alumni-commissioning-project

06/26/2025

Big shoutout to our George Mason University School of Art alumni Kat “Gato” Salazar for curating The Invisible Skate Theory, recently featured in ARLNow and now showing at Mason Exhibitions in Virginia Square!⁠
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This exhibition explores the deep, often invisible connections that hold skateboarding communities together, especially in the DMV. From painted decks to zines and rare posters, it’s a tribute to the culture built on the edges.⁠
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Featuring work by numerous DMV artists, the show also highlights the ongoing push for visibility and representation in skate spaces.⁠ To learn more, visit: https://www.masonexhibitions.org/exhibitions/the-invisible-skate-theory
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06/09/2025

🎬 Big congratulations to FAVS students Emma Davenport and Aryaman Kantawala, and alum Khubab Hassan ('23) for winning the 2025 Filmfest DC Trailer Competition!

Their trailers were featured on the big screen during Filmfest DC (April 24–May 4), showcased on the festival’s homepage, and included in TV promotions and the official catalog!

👏 We’re so proud of their creativity and storytelling!
To watch their winning trailers, visit, https://www.filmfestdc.org/

We hope your enjoyed Filmfest DC 2025. We would like to invite you to participate in our survey. Your feedback is most appreciated and it will help us get better year after year.

06/06/2025

🎭 What happens when opera meets civil rights history?

At George Mason University, students in the Honors College explored the landmark Loving v. Virginia case through a powerful new course: "Opera as Social Change."

Led by Dean Rick Davis, the class examined how the arts can challenge injustice and inspire dialogue.

Their final projects—ranging from interactive maps to creative legal storytelling—were showcased during the world premiere of the opera at Mason’s Center for the Arts. This is what learning through the arts looks like.

Read more about this innovative course and performance: https://www.gmu.edu/news/2025-05/honors-college-course-uses-opera-explore-landmark-court-case?utm_source=george&utm_medium=email

06/04/2025

🎬 From George Mason classrooms to the red carpet!

Rhyan Elliott (Film and Video Studies ’20) is celebrating a major milestone—serving as production supervisor on Anora, the five-time Oscar-winning film directed by Sean Baker.

Rhyan’s journey began with student films, inspiring professors, and internships that opened doors to the indie film world.

Now, she’s helping shape the future of cinema—one story at a time.
Read more about her incredible path: https://cvpa.gmu.edu/news/2025-05/alumna-was-production-supervisor-oscar-winning-film-anora