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Joseph Underwood Selected for Warhol Arts Writers Grant

�鶹��ý’s School of Art is pleased to announce that Dr. Joseph Underwood, professor of art history, was selected as one of the 2020 recipients of the Andy Warhol Foundation Arts Writers Grant. “Forging a New Contemporary: Art from Senegal in Transnational Networks, 1974–1984” was one of six book projects selected and carries a $50,000 award toward the research and production of . The grants are issued in support of contemporary-art writing and are aimed at preserving critical writing in relation to the visual arts.

“We are extremely proud of Dr. Joseph Underwood’s work and thrilled that his research has been recognized with the prestigious Andy Warhol Foundation Arts Writers Grant,” said Dr. John Crawford-Spinelli, Dean of Kent State’s College of the Arts. “This is a tremendous accomplishment and one of the highest honors bestowed upon art historians.”

In its 2020 cycle, the Arts Writers Grant awarded a total of $675,000 to twenty-two writers. Ranging from $15,000 to $50,000 in three categories—articles, books and short-form writing—these grants support projects addressing both general and specialized art audiences, from short reviews for magazines and newspapers to in-depth scholarly studies.

“This award is timely, as it acknowledges Dr. Joseph Underwood’s research in contemporary art in social, political, and cultural climates. His work is unique in addressing global art in these contexts. I am proud of the work of Dr. Underwood and the prestige he brings to his career and to �鶹��ý’s School of Art,” said School of Art Director, Marie Bukowski.

Dr. Underwood’s book will revisit an overlooked exhibition of contemporary art, “Art Sénégalais d’Aujourd’hui” (or “Contemporary Art of Senegal”), that traveled across 24 cities (15 countries, 5 continents) between 1974 and 1984. It remains the sole large-scale African exhibition to tour so extensively. Connecting artists from Africa with audiences and opportunities in Europe, North America, South America, and Asia, Underwood’s book aims to redefine the nascence of so-called non-Western contemporary art, diversifying the canon by addressing the imbalances of power inherent to art’s transnational framework. Across six chapters, Underwood’s book will examine the exhibition content that made “Contemporary Art of Senegal” resonate with its local audiences: francophone affinities in Quebec, the role of primitivism in local modernity in Mexico, experiences of peripherization from the art world with Tokyo, and the history of slavery with the US.

"I've been traveling to archives and museums, or working with colleagues on the ground, across five continents for years trying to piece together this really unique exhibition from Senegal that became a transnational network for defining what contemporary art was in the 1970s/80s. Not only is the recognition from Creative Capital and the Warhol Foundation really encouraging as I navigate this very complex, intercultural methodology of art history, but also the funding is crucial to building the project and getting the book published," said Dr. Underwood.

Joseph L. Underwood is a scholar and curator whose research focuses on artists from the African continent and its diaspora and encompasses major themes of the Postwar-era such as post-colonialism, (trans)nationalism, and biennialism. After receiving his PhD in Art History from Stony Brook University, Underwood contributed to projects at the Musée Boribana, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Brooklyn Museum, the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art. He currently holds an academic position at �鶹��ý where he teaches modern and contemporary African art, the history of exhibition and display, and curatorial studies. Complementing his academic writing and presentations with curatorial projects—including “The View From Here: Contemporary Perspectives From Senegal” and “TEXTURES: the history and art of Black hair”—Underwood has won several awards, including a Tyson Scholar fellowship from the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and an Art Works grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.

The School of Art at �鶹��ý was established in 1941 and maintains a tradition of excellence in visual arts education, creation, scholarship and leadership. Its undergraduate and graduate programs in the visual arts offer a range of directions and opportunities in the fields of art education, art history, and studio art, which includes a comprehensive array of studio disciplines: ceramics, drawing, glass, jewelry/metals/enameling, painting, print media and photography, sculpture and expanded media, and textiles. The School of Art Collection and Galleries consist of six exhibition spaces located on the Kent campus and downtown Kent and a collection of over 4,000 artworks and objects. The School of Art is located at the Center of the Visual Arts at 325 Terrace Dr. in Kent. The 27,900-square-foot facility — twice the length of a football field —had its grand opening in 2016 and houses all School of Art studios and classrooms under one roof.

A Time to Break the Silence: From Martin Luther King to Black Lives Matter  

A Dr. Martin Luther King Celebration Event

Join the Geauga/Twinsburg Campus for a university and community-wide celebration in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. �鶹��ý Geauga and the Twinsburg Academic Center will virtually present A Time to Break the Silence: From Martin Luther King to Black Lives Matter on Thursday, January 28, from noon – 2 p.m.  

In 1967, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered a speech entitled, "A Time to Break Silence," criticizing the United States on the Vietnam War and the continued injustices at home. He called for the nation to "rapidly shift from a 'thing-oriented' society to a 'person-oriented" society. The fight for freedom and equity has made tremendous steps forward since 1967. And there is more work to be done.  

As we celebrate the life of Dr. King, his call to break the silence continues to resonate in 2021 with the rallying cry for Black Lives Matter. On January 28 at noon, join Professor Evan Wade from San Joaquin Delta College and Professor Brittney Yancy from Goodwin University for a critical conversation honoring Dr. King's lasting impact and the current struggle for fairness, equity, and justice.  

The Dr. Martin Luther King Celebration event is free and open to the public. Registration is required to receive the Microsoft Teams link in order to join the event.

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Division of Student Affairs Launches New Three-Year Strategic Plan

The Division of Student Affairs (DSA) started the strategic planning process in October 2019, culminating with the implementation of a three-year plan that will contribute to the institution’s vision of being a student-ready university providing transformative learning experiences for all Kent State students. The DSA Strategic Planning Committee, led by co-chairs, Valerie Samuels, Joshua Rider, and Julie Volcheck, presented the plan to the division on Thursday, Jan. 14, 2021.

To ensure an inclusive process, the DSA Strategic Planning Committee consisted of students, faculty, and staff representing various departments across campus.

“The collaborative work of our committee has been the cornerstone of our strategic plan development,” said Vice President Lamar Hylton. “As the landscape of higher education evolves, this data-informed plan provides a roadmap for our work in supporting student success and designing a co-curricular experience that contributes to student learning and development.”

Defining values, goals, data, and process contributed to the overall development of the strategic plan, with a priority focus on:

• Promoting student success through a comprehensive student experience.
• Increasing collaboration and innovation to address issues of inclusion and sense of belonging.
• Maximizing academic partnerships for student learning and development
• Implementing intentional assessment and responsible fiscal and organizational stewardship.
• The strategic plan allows the Division of Student Affairs to pivot when necessary, considering the fluctuating demands of an ever-changing campus environment.

“I am wildly excited,” said Hylton of the plan. “I have had the benefit to see this at various stages of its production and every time we start talking about this I get so energized about our future.”

2020 W-2 Wage and Tax Statements

Calendar year 2020 W-2 Wage and Tax Statements will be:

• Available in Flashline by January 31 for employees who have elected to access their forms electronically. Access the forms through the Tax Forms link available under Top Employee Resources on the Employee Dashboard.
• Mailed to employees who have not consented to electronic access by January 31.

Employees who have not consented to electronic access may do so via the Electronic W-2 and 1095-C Consent page, also found through the Tax Forms link available under Top Employee Resources on the Employee Dashboard.

February Employee Wellness Offerings Will Focus on Heart Health

February is . The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and the America Heart Association are two organizations among many that celebrate American Heart Month by motivating Americans to adopt healthy lifestyles to prevent heart disease. One of the most important preventive steps you can take is to know your numbers. Click here for information about complimentary ‘Know Your Numbers’ health screenings for full-time, benefits eligible faculty and staff.

Research shows that we're more successful at meeting personal health goals when we join forces with others. This February, Employee Wellness is featuring several offerings designed to inspire and motivate you to make heart health a regular part of your self-care routine. When we support each other, we're more likely to stick with our goals and improve our heart health.

Visit the February Focus web page at www.kent.edu/hr/wellness/february-2021 to view February offerings, including Healthy Heart Week (Feb. 8 - 12, 2021), a full week of programming which will address lifestyle factors that influence heart health and steps we can take to prevent heart disease among men, women and children. Additional February offerings include webinars on the topics of (Feb. 23) and (Feb. 25).

For questions regarding wellness offerings for faculty and staff, please contact Employee Wellness at wellness@kent.edu or 330-672-0392.