by Erika Plunkett | Dec 8, 2020 | BREAKING NEWS, News, News Slider
Lipscomb mourns the loss of graduate student and administrative coordinator for Lipscomb CEA, Haley Sue Pearson, 25, who died tragically after being struck by a vehicle in Hendersonville, TN. “She was a light to everyone she knew and always lifted people up with her words of encouragement and kind spirit,” said Mike Fernandez, dean of the College of the Entertainment and the Arts. “She was a brave soul that would rush in, without hesitation, to help whenever it was needed. “As I look back on her work in the CEA I can say that she was the glue that held my office and the college together. She had a strong motor and an intense work ethic. We are who we are today because of her.” In addition to her roles at the university, Pearson also served as an event coordinator for Lipscomb Academy’s high school football gamedays. While an undergraduate student at Lipscomb, Pearson was involved as a member of the Pi Delta social club and a cheerleader for the Bisons. Pi Delta shared this post in honor of her life and legacy. View this post on Instagram A post shared by ★ PI DELTA ★ (@pideltalu) Pearson is survived by her husband of three months, Nathanial (Nat) Hubert; parents, Stacy and Pam Pearson, of Franklin, Tennessee; sister, Hadley; brother, Hayden. In an email to students, Lipscomb’s Vice President of Student Life, Al Sturgeon, asked for prayers for the Pearson family and shared the following resources that Lipscomb is offering to cope during this time of loss. First, Zoom grief processing groups are available with the University Counseling Center...
by LeBron Hill | Mar 7, 2019 | Arts and Entertainment, News Slider
A painting featuring two African American men embracing one another in a kiss in the “Colour Somewhere” exhibit in the Hutcheson gallery will not be taken down, despite initial concerns from Lipscomb administration. Curator Lawrence Matthews III said his decision to choose the piece reflects the overall message of the gallery. “I try to represent all of the different aspects of blackness that are not always highlighted in the forefront — but also the wholeness — black people in love, existing in their own element,” Matthews said. In the piece by D’Angelo Williams entitled “The Lovers,” two black men wearing white tank tops are embracing each other in a kiss while their faces are each covered by Du-Rags. The piece is inspired by the 1928 painting under the same title by Rene Magritte. The original painting features a heterosexual couple with the same concept, faces covered by white cloth in an embrace. The male figure wears a black suit and tie with a solid white shirt. He embraces a woman clad in a red, sleeveless garment with white trim. Matthews said Lipscomb staff contacted him on the day of the event with concerns of “vulgarity” within some of the artwork, but Matthews noted that the actual night of the premiere went smoothly. A couple of weeks after the opening, he received word of negative reactions to Williams’ photo. “I got a text that someone was uncomfortable about that piece and that it had to come down,” Matthews said. “I immediately called the art department, and I’m like, ‘If that piece comes down, I’m taking the whole show down.’” Mike...
by Erin Turner | May 28, 2015 | News Slider
Stars from “The Secret Handshake” walked down the red carpet in Lipscomb’s Allen Arena for the world premiere of the the movie Wednesday night, but they were joined by many Lipscomb professors, and students, too. Nashville’s Town Square Pictures and Lipscomb University’s College of Entertainment & the Arts partnered to produce the movie which was filmed entirely in Middle Tennessee. “When I came here seven years ago I never would’ve imagined that we would be launching a movie, a feature film, with another production company, but here we are,” said Mike Fernandez, founding dean of the College of Entertainment & the Arts. The film stars Kevin Sorbo, best known as Hercules, and singer-songwriter Amy Grant, and is directed by Nashville native Howie Klausner. Klausner said his family film that transports movie audiences through a journey of what it takes to be a man brings adventure, laughter and even some tears. He said it’s important to make films that are uplifting and have powerful storytelling. This is something Fernandez said has been the mission of the Lipscomb’s newest college. “We have started a brand new college, a College of Entertainment & the Arts, with a mission, and that mission is: Train independent, entrepreneurial artists to go out and create uplifting content in whatever their artistic talent might be, and to do that with a spirit filled with Christ,” Fernandez said. “I believe in storytelling — I believe storytelling shapes culture, and for us to train young minds who want to go out and tell really powerful stories in the way that Christ would have is an ultimate calling.” During the filming of “The Secret Handshake,” Lipscomb film students had...
by Jamin Craig | Oct 17, 2014 | News Slider
Two infamous gangs are squaring off on Collins Alumni Auditorium stage on Halloween weekend. No, these gangs are not real, but they are part of the iconic musical phenomenon known at West Side Story. The musical, inspired by Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, tells the story of two star-crossed lovers,Tony and Maria. The two meet at a dance and immediately fall in love, but they quickly realize they have to keep their relationship secret since they come from rivaling groups of people. The setting is the West Side of New York City. The two groups are gangs; the Sharks, a feisty group of Puerto Ricans that are friends of Maria, and the Jets, the tough group of New Yorkers that Tony aligns himself with. Mike Fernandez, the dean of the new College of Entertainment & the Arts, is directing the show. He said that West Side Story presents new opportunities for those involved. “We were really aching for a strong, gritty musical that had some great dance to it,” Fernandez said. “We certainly had done shows before that explored dance, but we really wanted something that would push us in terms of dance capability. We also felt like we wanted to push ourselves musically, and so how better to do that than with West Side Story?” Tyler Russell, a senior theatre major, will be playing the role of Tony. Russell said he is ecstatic that he gets to play such an iconic role. But, to Russell, playing Tony has not come without its challenges. “Physically, emotionally and vocally, Tony is the most difficult role I have ever played,” Russell said. “So...
by Aaron Schmelzer | Apr 10, 2014 | News Slider
The credits will roll in Shamblin Theatre on Apr. 11-13 at 7:30 p.m. each night for the first ever Five-Minute Film Festival. The event is presented by the Film and Creative Media Graduate Program, and SGA is sponsoring the event, so students’ tickets are free. Faculty tickets are $10 and $15 for individuals. Mike Fernandez, chair of the department of theatre, explained why the film festival was created. “We just launched the Film and Creative Media Graduate Program, and it’s essentially a film school,” Fernandez said. “We felt like if we were going to have a film school that’s worth anything, we need to have a film festival.” The winner of the film festival will be decided by seven judges, who are from the “professional scene,” according to Fernandez. The winning film will receive a $500 grand prize and a spot in the Nashville Film Festival. Second place will win $250. The victor will be announced on the last day, Apr. 13. There were 14 submissions, 11 fiction and three documentaries, for the film festival. Fernandez said that all of them will show. “We’ve gotten some really creative pieces, and we’ve decided, at the film festival, we’re going to show all fourteen,” Fernandez said. The screen time for each night will last for one hour, and the showings are split into two acts. The first act consists of seven films, and the second act will show the remaining seven. Students, and anyone interested are encouraged to come. There will also be concessions served at the showings. “For [our] first year I think we’re off to a really good start,”...
