Arts & Design

Warhammer Age of Sigmar and Blades of Khorne painted miniatures

Calling All Nerds

Our very own 4th-floor Facilities Management Custodian is putting his hobbies on display here at Rod Library! Nathan Moore is not only a hard-working employee but a talented artist. Inspiration for this first installment of his collection came from Warhammer Age of Sigmar and Blades of Khorne. This tabletop game has grown into a large fandom. Moore was inspired to create these miniatures after learning various painting techniques with metallic colors. He spent over 106 hours painting the centerpiece, and…
UNI professor Hannah Porter-Occeña

UNI professor wins international music contest

Winning accolades is nothing new for UNI assistant professor and professional flutist Hannah Porter-Occeña. The accomplished flutist recently won Mu Phi Epsilon Foundation’s 2021 international music competition, which means she will take her mission of musical education around the world.
Gallagher Bluedorn

Gallagher Bluedorn receives $2 million gift for renovation and expansion

A recent donation from the Pauline R. Barrett Charitable Foundation to help fund a planned $14.9 million renovation and expansion to modernize the space of the iconic performing arts center.
Students participate in a theatre workshop at UNI.

Teaching through theater

A new partnership between UNI’s Department of Theatre and its Classic Upward Bound program is helping prepare low-income and first-generation Waterloo high school students for college, by using the skills gained through acting and improvising.
Orchestra performing

Music composition graduate student honored with orchestra performance

“Listening to your music being performed by others is addictive.” Juan Marulanda Lopez had a taste of that joy, and now he’s ready for more. As a graduate student in the University of Northern Iowa’s School of Music, Juan compiled a portfolio of original compositions as part of his degree’s culminating experience. The UNI orchestra even performed one of his pieces!
UNI professor Samantha Goss and student Ryan Jones

UNI professor and student create mural that brightens West Des Moines bike paths

Art professor Samantha Goss and art education senior Ryan Jones completed a mural along the West Des Moines bike paths that both celebrated Iowa’s native plants and provided a valuable experience for Jones to carry into his teaching career.
UNI art professor Jeffery Byrd

Art professor creates a more inclusive reality

Growing up in a small town in Alabama, UNI professor and art department head Jeffery Byrd dreamed of a world that would be more accepting of his LGBTQ identity. At UNI, he made that dream a reality, co-founding UNI’s first LGBTQ studies course and acting as a role model for LGBTQ students — while building community and finding love in the process.
An art exhibit at the Cedar Valley Illuminate Arts and Light Festival

A night at a projection art festival

Dazzling light shows, interactive video projections and audio feedback loops dotted the College Hill area last weekend with the debut of the first-ever Cedar Valley Illuminate Art and Light Festival. The projection art showcase featured 15 installations from local artists, students and community organizations conceived around a theme of promoting social justice and societal change.