May 4, 2022
Dear Spelman Faculty and Staff,
This thank you message is being reissued to acknowledge additional Division of the Arts faculty members.
On Sunday, the Division of the Arts students and alumnae performed a series of celebratory dance, spoken word, musical, and cinematic presentations that captured the electrifying dynamism of the Arts@Spelman.
I write now to thank Dr. Ayoka Chenzira, Division Chair of the Arts, Diana King Professor of Film; Professor Aku Kadogo, Chair of Theater and Performance; Professor Keith Bolden, Associate Professor of Theater and Performance; Dr. Julie Johnson, Chair of Dance; Dr. Rachel Chung, Chair of Music; Professor Myra Greene, Chair of Art and Visual Culture; Dr. Cheryl Finley, Director of the AUC Art History and Curatorial Studies Collective; Dr. Jerry Volcy and Professor Jaycee Holmes, co-chairs of the Innovation Lab; Eric Thompson, Associate Director of the Innovation Lab; Nydia Boyd, Assistant Professor, Photography; Julie Dash, Professor, Distinguished Professor of Documentary Filmmaking; Diana King Professor of Film; Professor Anjanette Levert,
Director of the Documentary Filmmaking Program; and all of our AUC students; and alumnae Maya Lawrence C’2017 and Jessenia Ingram, C’2019.
Applause to the Spelman College and Atlanta University Center students and alumnae* who presented and performed spoken word and song, performed in a string ensemble, who danced and to all the students whose films were screened and whose photographs were exhibited. Your work is masterful. Thanks, as well, to all of the faculty who
have taught, coached and mentored them to excellence over the years.
On Friday, Spelman broke ground on the Center for Innovation and the Arts, the facility that will house this explosion of talent and inventiveness on Spelman’s campus. We are pleased to have collaborated with the world renowned architect, Jeanne Gang and her highly diverse team of architects, Studio Gang. We thank Jeanne for joining me and
Dr. Chenzira for a fireside chat that you can view here.
Our thanks, also, to the Institutional Advancement team, for orchestrating a beautiful and meaningful groundbreaking ceremony. We especially thank Jihan Lang and Iman Ramadan for their efforts to work across the campus to manage and execute an inspiring event. Thanks also to our Communications team, specifically Jazmyn Burton, Ingrid Lassiter, and Ashli Washington for their efforts to help with program content, social media promotion, and community visibility for
event. As well, thank you to all of the volunteers from the Divisions who came together to make this event a tremendous success for Spelman College.
To the Spelman College Board of Trustees for their decision to name the Center in my honor, I am humbled and honored.
We invite you to enjoy the groundbreaking ceremony here.
*A complete list of student presenters is below:
Reynolds Cottage: Original spoken word and song
Cymiah Alexander
Marshall Anderson (African Drums)
Rimothy Bennett
Ariel Biggs
Elijah Davis
Taylor Dews
Gabriel Hansley
Christina James
Keshawn Morgan
Christian Shortt
Tyonte Williams created the chant but had an engagement with the Morehouse Glee Club
Laura Spelman: Original Spoken Word (alumnae)
Maya Lawrence, C’2017 (author)
Jessenia Ingram, C’2019
Giles Outdoors: Dance, Choreography, and Musical Composition
Kerrington Griffin
Giles 4th Floor Documentary Filmmaking Students
E. Spencer
Dominique Scott
Kai Cook
Noni Gibbs
Miya Scaggs
Karma Bridges
Jasmine McCaskill
To view the films, click here.
Photography Students, The Great Return
Abigail Gordon
Ahmari Graves
Alexis Jacobs
Amira Clark
Asia Reese W.
Cameryn Boyd
Chantia Murphy
Chloe Press
Ciara Franklin
Destinee Filmore
Gabrielle Morse
Genesis Azor
Halle-Marie Armstrong
Jabari I. Yemonja-Olukun
Kayla Bryant
Lauren Summers
Lyric Coston
Madison Green
Mahsati Moorhead
Mariah Davis
Nzingha Florence
Sydney Raye
Tasha Walters
Teala Avery
Tyia Burns
Manley Atrium: Spelman String Ensemble
Sydney Scott, violin
Zuraye Alford, viola
Olivia Duever, cello
Gabrielle Quarells, double bass
With gratitude and admiration,
