Additional Program Info

The Department of Arts, Film, and Music at Misericordia University is dedicated to providing students of all experience levels with opportunities to develop their interests in music, acting, and performance. Many of these programs are available for credit; some require an audition for placement.

• Misericordia Players
• MU Community Choir (open to students, staff, faculty, and community members)
• Applied Music - Private and small group instruction in piano, guitar, and more.

For more information, please contact Dr. Ryan Watson at rwatson@misericordia.edu or call 570-674-6309.

Cultural Events Series
Each year, the University hosts numerous performances by outstanding artists and organizations ranging from theater productions and musical performances to film screenings, guest lectures, and arts exhibits. Click here for a list of this semester's events.

Pauly Friedman Art Gallery
The Pauly Friedman Art Gallery is located in Insalaco Hall and features an intimate space for special exhibits and lectures throughout the year. Click here for current and future exhibits

Mission Statement

The mission of the MU Arts Council is to support the integral role of the arts in the lives of all people we serve, across campus and throughout the surrounding community. We aim to do so by fostering opportunities for collaboration across departments; creating opportunities for student leadership in the arts; and enhancing the visual, cultural, and performing arts through academic and experiential programming. As advocates, we recognize that “All are Welcome” by bringing together people of all skill levels and supporting artists from underrepresented traditions.

MU Arts Council Membership:

• Alumni Relations: Lailani Augustine
• CACE: Johnna Evans
• Dean, College of Arts and Sciences: Dr. John Woznicki
• Film: Dr. Ryan Watson
• Pauly Friedman Art Gallery: Dr. Laine Little
• Residential Life: Dominic deMatteo

MU Arts Council co-chairs: Laine Little

Sponsored Activities:

• Mini-grants to students. The MU Arts Council provides mini grants to students to produce an art-based project in any medium. Applications are open to all students regardless of major or prior experience. Interdisciplinary projects and/or those that incorporate a service element are especially welcome. Contact Dr. Little for more information and to request an application.
• Fall Arts Kick-Off. Each year, representatives from multiple departments gather to share in the artistic accomplishments of our students, faculty, and staff. The celebration includes live performances by students and faculty, a film screening, special tours of campus and our art exhibits, a reception, and much more! This year's event is schedule for 5:30-8:30pm (with some tours offered prior to 5:30) on Wednesday, September 18th, 2019. Most events will take place in Insalaco Hall; all are free of charge. For more information, contact the Pauly Friedman Art Gallery at 570.674.6250 or click this link. We look forward to welcoming you to the Arts at MU!

More information on the Arts @ MU:

Misericordia University boasts a vibrant cultural life on campus. With so many options, we invite you to explore the full range of possibilities and get involved in the Arts @ MU:

• On Stage: Each year, the Misericordia Players create two theater productions. Past shows have included “Jesus Christ Superstar,” “Pippin,” “You Can’t Take it With You,” and many others. Participation is open to all students through audition. No prior experience is necessary. For more information, click here for participation information.
• With Your Peers: MU is home to a variety of student-run clubs and activities, including: Multicultural Club, Irish Dance Club, Beyond Harmony (a cappella ensemble), Dance Team & Dance Ensemble, and the Misericordia Theater Group. You are also invited to get involved and create your own club! For more information, contact Dominick deMatteo at ddematteo@misericordia.edu.
• In the Practice Studio: The Department of Arts, Film, and Music offers private instruction with members of our Concert Artist Faculty. Students can enroll in private lessons on a variety of instruments by registering for these one-credit courses. No prior experience is necessary. For more information, contact Dr. Ryan Watson at rwatson@misericordia.edu.
• On Screen: The Department of Mass Communication and Design and the Department of Arts, Film, and Music offer joint opportunities for students interested in film and media studies. For more information, contact Dr. Ryan Watson at rwatson@misericordia.edu.
• In the Art Gallery: The 2,700-foot Pauly Friedman Art Gallery is located in Insalaco Hall. For more than a decade, the Gallery has hosted notable exhibitions, including “Deadly Medicine: Creating The Master Race,” as well as works by Pablo Picasso, Ansel Adams, and Auguste Rodin. For more information, contact Dr. Laine Little at llittle@misericordia.edu.
• In Residential Life: Special themed housing is available to students interested in Arts & Music. For more information, contact Dominick deMatteo at ddematteo@misericordia.edu.
• In the Community: The MU Community Choir is comprised of MU students, faculty, staff, and alumni, as well as community members. Audition is required for placement. For more information, contact Matthew Rupcich at mrupcich@misericordia.edu.
• In the Classroom: In addition to a wide array of interdisciplinary classes, students also have the opportunity to apply for a research grant through the University’s SURF program to work alongside our faculty. For more information, contact Dr. Ryan Watson at rwatson@misericordia.edu.
• In the Art Studio: Classes and workshops are offered in a variety of options ranging from photography to painting and ceramics (in both credit and non-credit options). For more information, contact funfitness@misericordia.edu.

Bodies of Art: Music, Literature, and Disability

An Interdisciplinary Symposium hosted by the Department of Fine Arts and the Department of English.

Saturday, April 9, 2016
Sandy and Marlene Insalaco Room 218 (Huntsinger) and Room 219 (Alden)
9:30-10am Registration

10:00-10:15am Welcome Remarks
Dr. Ryan Weber, Assistant Professor of Fine Arts, Misericordia University
Dr. Amanda Caleb, Associate Professor of English, Misericordia University

10:15-11:00am Session I – Visual Arts in the Community
Gwen Harleman, Arts Coordinator at Verve Vertu
You are cordially invited to visit the Verve Vertu exhibit throughout the conference.

11:00am-12:00pm Session II – Disability in the Undergraduate Curriculum
Undergraduate Workshop: MU Confronts Disability in the Literary Classroom
Moderator: Dr. Rebecca Steinberger, Professor of English, Misericordia University

12-1:15pm
Lunch on your own.

1:15-2:15pm Session III – Disability and Film
Representing Disability in Documentary Film
Dr. Ryan Watson, Assistant Professor of Fine Arts, Misericordia University

2:15-3:15pm Session IV – Music and Literature
Writing Identity Through Musical Practice: Shell Shock, Feminism, and Disability in Dorothy L. Sayers’s Detective Fiction
Stephen Armstrong, Doctoral Candidate, Eastman School of Music

3:15-3:45 Break

3:45-4:45 Session V – Musical Prodigies
The Child Prodigy: The Price of Success
Dr. Steffan Rhys Owen, Physician in the National Health Service, United Kingdom

7:00 Concert Lemmond Theatre
Thaddaeus Bourne, Baritone
Matthew Lobaugh, Pianist and Accompanist

This event was made possible through a grant from the Soyka Fund for the Humanities.

Dr. Ryan Weber, Assistant Professor of Fine Arts, and the Fine Arts Department wish to acknowledge and thank the following individuals at Misericordia University for making this conference possible:

Dr. Thomas Botzman, President, Misericordia University
Dr. Russ Pottle, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences
Rita Molino, Administrative Assistant to the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences
Dr. Elisa Korb, Chair, Fine Arts Department
Dr. Amanda Caleb, Associate Professor of English
Dr. Rebecca Steinberger, Professor of English
Jeffrey Kelly, M.S., Manager of Cultural and Special Events and Theatre Manager
Paul Krzywicki, Assistant Director, Marketing/Communications, Public Relations
Marianne Puhalla, Staff Writer, Public Relations

A special thank you is extended to the Speakers, Performers, and Misericordia University departments who assisted with this event:

Speakers and performers:
Gwel Harleman, Arts Coordinator, Verve Vertu
Dr. Rebecca Steinberger, Professor of English, Misericordia University
Dr. Ryan Watson, Assistant Professor of Fine Arts, Misericordia University
Stephen Armstrong, Doctoral Candidate, Eastman School of Music
Dr. Steffan Rhys Owen, Physician in the National Health Service, United Kingdom
Thaddaeus (T.J.) Bourne, Baritone, Instructor of Voice, Butler University
Matthew Lobaugh, Pianist and Music Director of City-Wide Youth Opera, New York City

Misericordia University Marketing, Security, Facilities, IT and PC Support Group, Printing Services, and Metz Culinary Management.

Fine Arts in the News

• Dr. Watson co-edited (with Sarah Hamblin, UMass) a special issue of Studies in Documentary Film entitled "Radical Documentary in the Globalized Age of New Media."
• The Fine Arts Department has been awarded a grant by the Pennsylvania Partners in the Arts for its 2019-20 Series, "Intersections: (Dis)ability and the Arts"
• The Fine Arts Department welcomes Dr. Kara Carmack to its faculty. Click here to read her bio.
• Dr. Weber presents research at the Grieg Research School in Interdisciplinary Music Studies (Bergen, Norway). Click here to read more about it.
• Dr. Watson publishes new article: "In the Wakes of Rodney King: Militant Evidence and Media Activism in the Age of Viral Black Death" (University of Texas Press). Click here to read more about it.
• Dr. Weber publishes new book: Cosmopolitanism and Transatlantic Circles in Music and Literature (Palgrave 2018). Click here to listen to Dr. Weber's interview with Erika Funke on WVIA. View an overview of the book by visiting the website for “Palgrave Studies in Music and Literature”.
• Access Dr. Weber's accepted manuscript text for a book chapter within Finding Democracy in Music.
  • This is the Accepted Manuscript of a book chapter published by Routledge in Robert Adlington and Esteban Buch (eds), Finding Democracy in Music (2020), available online: https://www.routledge.com/Finding-Democracy-in-Music/Adlington-Buch/p/book/9780367486921