Poem by Mark Wunderlich published in New Republic

Literature faculty member Mark Wunderlich's poem "White Fur" was published in the June issue of the New Republic. Look.

SEVEN FROM BENNINGTON EARN GUGGENHEIM FELLOWSHIPS

Visual arts faculty member Ann Pibal, alumnae Kiran Desai ’93, Anne Waldman '66, and Cora Cohen '64, and MFA faculty members Major Jackson, J.C. Hallman, and Brenda Shaughnessy are among the 175 artists, scholars, and scientists—out of nearly 3,000 applicants—to receive 2013 Guggenheim Fellowships. More.

President Coleman Featured on Vermont Makers

President Coleman is one of four women featured in Vermont Public Television’s Vermont Makers series, which profiles “extraordinary women in Vermont whose vision, passion and determination make a real difference for the people of the Green Mountain state.” Watch.

The New Yorker Lauds New Spinto Band Album

The New Yorker's Ben Greenman showed love for the latest Spinto Band album (feat. Thomas ‘06 and Sam Hughes ’08), saying: “Some songs are melancholy, some ebullient, some stately, some hyperactive, and others are all at once, like “What I Love,” which we are pleased to offer here.”

Esquire Names Bryn Mooser '01 an 'American of the Year'

For his humanitarian work in Haiti, which includes building schools and water systems, helping to run a crematorium, and starting a baseball little league in earthquake-ravaged Port-Au-Prince, Bryn Mooser was named one of Esquire's "Americans of the Year." Full story.

Video Portrait by Lincoln Schatz '86 on View at Smithsonian

Artist Lincoln Schatz ’86’s compelling new video portrait, The Network, a single-screen video that constantly recombines 89 interviews with politicians, scientists, innovators, and scholars, is currently on view at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery. Read more.

Russ Feingold Hosts Community Discussion at Bennington

Former Wisconsin Senator and co-chair for President Obama's re-election campaign Russ Feingold visited campus for a series of classroom discussions, presentations, and interviews beginning on Tuesday, November 13, and concluding Wednesday, November 14, with a community-wide discussion in the Student Center. Read more.

White House Names Nigel Jacob 'Champion of Change'

The White House last week recognized CAPA fellow Nigel Jacob and Chris Osgood, co-chairs of the Boston Mayor’s Office of New Urban Mechanics (MONUM), as “Champions of Change” for their commitment to creating a more open and innovative government through entrepreneurship. Read more.

Devin Gaffney ’10 Analyzes Romney, Obama Twitter Activity In Atlantic

When Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney gained more than 100,000 Twitter followers over a single weekend, many in the social media world did a double take. Devin Gaffney ’10, a master's candidate at the Oxford Internet Institute and founder of 140kit.com, did a full-blown statistical analysis. The surprising results of his study can be found in a recent article he co-authored in The Atlantic. Check it out.

Susie Ibarra Performs in London Olympic Festival

Music faculty member Susie Ibarra joined leading musicians from all 204 Olympic nations for a two-day music festival celebrating the opening of the 2012 Summer Games in London. Read more.

Will Stratton’s New Album ‘One of Year’s Best’

PopMatters magazine wasn’t short on accolades in a recent profile of singer/songwriter Will Stratton ’09, proclaiming: “this Bennington graduate’s fourth full-length [album], Post-Empire, just so happens to be one of the best albums released so far this year." Read more.

Pibal in NYC Group Exhibit

Visual arts faculty member Ann Pibal’s small-scale paintings are on view in a group exhibition at Sikkenma Jenkins & Co Gallery on West 22nd St., New York. The exhibition, running through July 27, features paintings by eight contemporary artists who predominately work in small or modest scale. “Small paintings intimate the domestic and the personal,” says Pibal. “They create a space the size of one viewer at a time.” Read more.

Remembering Trustee Carolyn “Crossie” (Crossett) Rowland ’37

A life trustee of the College, Carolyn (Crossett) Rowland—Crossie to her Bennington friends—died this week at the age of 96. She was a trusted advisor, dedicated philanthropist, and most extraordinary woman. Read more.

Water Dialogues (April 16-21)

The Bennington College Center for the Advancement of Public Action (CAPA) presents a weeklong program of lectures, panel discussions, and workshops dedicated to the complex issues surrounding our most fundamental natural resource. All events are free and open to the public. View the schedule here.

Maliha Ali ’15 Wins $10,000 Projects for Peace Grant

Maliha Ali ’15 has earned a $10,000 grant from the Davis United World Scholars Projects for Peace program to design and implement a public action project in her native Pakistan. More.

Emmy-Winning Actor Peter Dinklage ‘91 to Deliver Commencement Address

Bennington is pleased to announce that recent Emmy and Golden Globe Award winner Peter Dinklage ’91 will address this year’s graduating class at the College’s 77th Commencement Dinner on Friday, June 1. Read more.

Liz Deschenes Discusses Work Included in Whitney Biennial

Photography faculty member Liz Deschenes, one of 51 artists selected to participate in the Whitney Museum of American Art’s prestigious Biennial exhibition, discusses her innovative work with photograms in a video featured on the museum's website. Watch.

Architectural Record Features CAPA in March Issue

This month's Architectural Record features Bennington’s Center for the Advancement of Public Action in its special section on buildings for social change. “Three new buildings on the Bennington College campus incubate public action by fostering both discussion and quiet contemplation.” Read more. 

Holland Taylor ‘64 Wins 2012 Arts Leadership Award

Actress Holland Taylor ’64 has earned this year’s Public Leadership in the Arts Award from the Americans for the Arts organization. Given in recognition of “an elected official or artist who plays an important role in the advancement of the arts and arts education,” past recipients include public officials Nancy Pelosi, Edward Kennedy, and Arnold Schwarzennegger, as well as artists Herbie Hancock, Harry Belafonte, Tony Bennett, and Gloria Estefan. Read more.

Tom Sachs '89 Named One of Wall Street Journal Magazine's Top Innovators

Artist Tom Sachs ’89 was featured in Wall Street Journal Magazine’s “Special Innovator’s Issue” which described his recent short film 10 Bullets as a “brilliantly twisted homage to corporate training films as well as an amusing look at Sachs’s exacting studio process.” Watch it here.

acclaimed Indie Rockers to Perform at Bennington

Titus Andronicus, one of Rolling Stone magazine’s “seven best new bands of 2010, “ will perform live at the Bennington College Student Center on Friday, Nov. 11, at 10:00 p.m. Tickets ($10 for general public; $7 with any student college ID) will be available at the door on the night of the event. Read more.

Early in the Year, a Familiar Trend: Students Serving the Community

When Hurricane Irene struck just three days before the start of fall classes, returning students barely had time to move into their houses before they were out in the community helping flood victims salvage theirs. Read more.

MASS MoCA Puts Spotlight on Mary Lum

A new work by visual arts faculty member Mary Lum is included in MASS MoCA’s current exhibition The Workers, which examines the various ways that labor is represented in the world today. Lum’s mixed-media piece, “Tinker Tailor Soldier Sailor,” includes fragments from hand-torn paper bags, each stamped with the name of the person responsible for that bag’s production. In conjunction with her work in the exhibition, Lum also designed a billboard (pictured above) located on Route 8 in North Adams, and is featured in the museum’s ongoing artist spotlight series. Read it here.

Bennington Ranked Among 10 u.s. Colleges with Best Architecture

Bennington was named one of "ten college campuses with the best architecture" by Architectural Digest, joining a list that includes Harvard, Yale, MIT, Brown, Cornell, and the University of Virginia, among others. Read more.

Oceana Wilson Offers Summer Reading Recs on Vermont Public Radio

Director of Library and Information Services Oceana Wilson joined VPR’s Vermont Edition this week for its annual Summer Reading Show, an always-popular episode that asks book experts from around the state to weigh in with their summer reading recommendations. Listen to the episode here.

Susan Sgorbati Awarded Creative Research Residency at RPI

Dance faculty member and professional mediator Susan Sgorbati has been awarded a six-week Creative Research residency at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center. Read more.

Author Kiran Desai ’93 Reflects Upon Journey to America in The New Yorker

Man Booker Prize winner Kiran Desai ‘93 was one of six immigrant authors to share their coming-to-America story in a recent issue of The New Yorker. In her essay “Fatherland,” Desai discusses the guilt that she and many of her Indian peers felt when leaving their parents to immigrate to America. Read the essay here (subscription required).

Milford Graves to Perform at Benefit Concert for Japan

Music faculty member and jazz percussionist Milford Graves will perform at a benefit concert for Japan on Friday, April 8, at the Abrons Art Center in Manhattan's Lower East Side. Graves will join an esteemed lineup that includes Thurston Moore, Elliott Sharp, and Matthew Shipp, among other renowned performers. For more information, or to make a donation online, click here.

Katie Peterson awarded $25,000 Artist Grant

Literature faculty member Katie Peterson was one of 14 artists and the only poet to be awarded an unrestricted $25,000 grant from the Foundation for Contemporary Arts this year. Read more.

Allen Shawn's New Memoir Garners National Acclaim

Critics everywhere are praising music faculty member Allen Shawn’s new memoir Twin, which looks back at the inextricable bond and life-defining relationship he’s shared with his autistic twin sister, Mary, who was placed in an institution for the mentally disabled at the age of eight. Read more.

Bennington Joins Brown, Wesleyan, Among “Top 12 Non-Traditional Colleges”

Bennington was named one of the "top 12 non-traditional colleges" by The Huffington Post, joining a list that includes Brown, Wesleyan, Sarah Lawrence, the New School, and St. John's College. Read more. 

Brian Morrice '11 lands white house internship

Brian Morrice '11 was one of 140 young leaders selected nationwide to serve as a White House intern this spring. Read more.

Bang on a Can All-Stars Perform Commission by Nick Brooke

The famed electric chamber ensemble Bang on a Can All-Stars premiered a commission composed by faculty member Nick Brooke this month at the Merkin Concert Hall as part of the inaugural Ecstatic Music Festival—a three-month, 14-concert event showcasing collaborations between songwriters, composers, and performers from classical and popular music traditions. Read more.

Melissa Rosenberg ’86 Establishes Performing Arts Scholarship

The College is pleased to announce that screenwriter, producer, and alumna Melissa Rosenberg '86 has made a gift to establish an endowed scholarship in the performing arts. Read more.

Tyler Gaviria, MATSL ’11, Named N.C. Foreign Language Teacher of the Year

Master of Arts in Teaching a Second Language (MATSL) candidate Tyler Gaviria '11 has been named 2010 Teacher of the Year by the Foreign Language Association of North Carolina. Read more.

Poets & Writers Goes One-On-One with MFA Faculty Member Major Jackson

Profiled in the current issue of Poets & Writers Magazine, MFA faculty member Major Jackson discusses his life as a writer, his just-published collection of poetry, and shares a few thoughts on the Bennington Writing Seminars—which the magazine recently ranked among the best low-residency MFA programs in the world. Read the profile here. 

Bret Easton Ellis ’86 Reflects on Bennington in Recent Interview

Iconic writer Bret Easton Ellis '86 was on Northeast Public Radio last week promoting his new novel Imperial Bedrooms, the sequel to his bestselling debut Less Than Zero, which, published by Vintage in 1985, launched the 21-year-old Bennington student into literary stardom. Listen to the interview here.

Faculty Member, Alum Earn Tony Award Nominations

Faculty member Scott Lehrer and alumnus Alexander Dodge '93 were nominated for 2010 Tony Awards for their behind-the-scenes work on two critically acclaimed Broadway productions. Read more. 

Dina Janis Brings New Life to Dorset Theatre Festival

The Boston Globe lauded drama faculty member Dina Janis in her new role as artistic director of the Dorset Theatre Festival, a storied, 35-year-old professional summer program in Vermont. Read the article here.

Dana Reitz Revives Acclaimed 1994 Show Necessary Weather

Dance faculty member Dana Reitz and dancer/choreographer Sara Rudner garnered rave reviews for their recent reprisal of their 1994 show Necessary Weather at the Baryshnikov Arts Center in New York. Read more.

Actress Holland Taylor '64 Discusses Upcoming Solo Show on NPR

Emmy Award-winning actress Holland Taylor '64 was on NPR's Morning Edition this week to discuss her upcoming one-woman play about former Gov. Ann Richards of Texas, one of her personal heroes. Listen to the interview here.

Alumni-Owned Theater Earns Praise in NYT

Alumni Sheila Lewandowski ’97 and Brian Rogers ’95 were the focus of a recent New York Times piece lauding their management of the award-winning Chocolate Factory Theater in New York. Read the article here.

Savannah Dooley ’07 to Pen New ABC Family Series

A television series conceived by Savannah Dooley ‘07 when she was a student at Bennington has been picked up by ABC Family and will air on the network this summer. Read more.

Artist Nick Tobier to Lecture at Bennington

Artist and educator Nick Tobier will speak about his recent and upcoming work on Tuesday, March 23, at 7:30 pm in the College's Tishman Lecture Hall. The event is free and open to the public. Read more.

Doug Bauer scores $25,000 Literature Fellowship

The National Endowment of the Arts has awarded author and faculty member Doug Bauer a $25,000 grant in support of his ongoing work in contemporary literature. Read more.

60+ Students, Staff Volunteer Locally for Bennington ACTS Day

More than 60 Bennington students and staff members painted, gardened, cleaned, and beautified several sites in the local community last Saturday for the first annual Bennington ACTS Day. Read more.

Oceana Wilson Discusses Recent Honor on VPR

Oceana Wilson, Director of Library and Information Services, was interviewed on Vermont Public Radio after winning the American Library Association's "I Love My Librarian Award." One of 10 winners chosen from more than 3,200 nominations, Wilson received $5,000 and was honored at a ceremony in New York. Listen to her interview here.

Noryang Yeshi '11 opens Exhibition of Photos by Leprosy Patients

The Anandwan exhibition includes 30 photographs taken by Yeshi and two young leprosy patients from the Anandwan Rehabilitation Center, a leprosy clinic in Central India. Noryang traveled to Anandwan during over Field Work Term, bringing with her five digital cameras to distribute among patients. Read more.

Ann Pibal Awarded $20,000 Artist Grant

Faculty member Ann Pibal was one of 30 U.S. artists to receive a $20,000 grant from the Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation. Read more.

Architecture Project by Evie Garf '11 Featured on NewYorker.com

A photo of Evie Garf 11's "Book-Dependent Shelf," an inverted bookshelf she made for an architecture course two years ago, was featured last week on "The Book Bench," a New Yorker blog that frequently publishes great images of books from around the world. Check it out here.

Tom Bogdan Scores Second Fulbright

Music faculty member Tom Bogdan has been awarded his second Fulbright Grant to teach American composer Meredith Monk's A Celebration Service to musicians and dancers abroad. Read more. 

Will Stratton ’09 Back in the News with Third Album

A recent profile in the New York Press placed singer/songwriter Will Stratton '09 in good company, likening music from his latest album, New Vanguard Blues, to "Nick Drake ... suddenly blessed with John Fahey's blues guitar picking skills." Read the article here.

Mary Lum earns prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship

Faculty member Mary Lum has been awarded a 2010 Guggenheim Fellowship to support her ongoing work in the visual arts. One of 180 Fellows chosen from some 3,000 artists, scientists, and scholars, Lum plans to continue her work on Tracing The City, she says, "a drawing project that encompasses the experience of living in, wandering through, reading about, recording, and remembering the city." Read more.

Bennington Students, Recent Alums Garner Musical Acclaim

Late Show with David Letterman, Rolling Stone magazine, NPR, and Spinner.com are just a few of the news and entertainment outlets that have featured music by Bennington students or alumni in the past month. Read more.

'Idea Channel' Host Mike Rugnetta '06 Wins Webby

Mike Rugnetta ’06, creator and host of the PBS Idea Channel, has won a 2013 Webby Award for Best Web Personality. The Idea Channel is a weekly web series that examines the evolving relationship between modern technology and art. Check it out.

QUATRO’S DEBUT COLLECTION DRAWS CRITICAL ACCLAIM

The stories that comprise MFA alumna Jamie Quatro ’09’s debut collection, I Want to Show You More, according to noted literary critic James Wood in his New Yorker review, “are passionate, sensuous, savagely intense, and remarkable for their brave dualism.” Read more.

Pibal Opens Solo Show in Boston

An exhibition of new paintings by faculty member Ann Pibal is on view at Steven Zevitas Gallery in Boston through Saturday, May 4, with an opening reception on Friday, April 5. The exhibition, LOS DOS, which represents Pibal's continued investigation into the possibilities presented by abstract painting, can be viewed online here.

Brazelton Wins Prestigious Composition Prize

Music faculty member Kitty Brazelton was awarded the 12th annual Carl von Ossietzky Composition Prize by the University of Oldenburg for her setting of Psalm 104 for mixed choir, percussion, and organ. Read more.

Julie Last Engineers Grammy-Nominated Album

Music faculty member Julie Last is the audio engineer behind bestselling chantmaster Krishna Das’ latest album, Live Ananda, which was nominated for a 2012 Grammy Award for Best New Age Album. Last’s work captures the depth and spirit of a group of chanters on a three-day retreat in the foothills of the Catskill Mountains. Listen here.

Bennington Makes 'Best Classroom Experience' List, Among Others

The Huffington Post published the Princeton Review's "Best Classroom Experience" list, where Bennington joined the likes of Swarthmore, Wellesley, and the United States Military Academy in the top 10. Bennington was also ranked in the categories of "Class Discussions Encouraged" (#3); "Best College Dorms" (#5), "Best College Theater" (#6). and "Students Study the Most" (#15).

Winter Reading Recs from Bennington Faculty

A few years ago, director of library and information services Oceana Wilson began a tradition with Bennington faculty: “I’m looking for winter reading recommendations for students," she wrote, "—the kind of books you would recommend to a friend.” To see how they responded this year, click here.

CAPA Architects Awarded Top AIA Honors

Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects, the team behind Bennington's Center for the Advancement of Public Action (CAPA), has won the highest honor the American Institute of Architects bestows on an architecture firm. Read more.

Insight-Decision-Action: An Interview with Gong Szeto

Klat magazine, a contemporary art, design, and architecture publication, spoke with graphic designer and CAPA fellow Gong Szeto about his ongoing work in collecting and visualizing geopolitical data to enhance the risk assessment capabilities of U.S. federal agencies. Read more.

New Works by Jon Isherwood On View in Numerous Exhibits

Several large-scale sculptures by visual arts faculty member Jon Isherwood have been installed at the Songzhuang Art Museum in Beijing, the deCorva Sculpture Park and Museum in Lincoln, MA, and on the campus of Rhode Island College in Providence, RI. Read more.

The Long Way to Bennington

The Bennington Banner chronicles two first-year students' 350-mile bike ride to college. Read.

Usdan Gallery Presents: 'Uniting States of Americans'

Usdan Gallery’s first exhibition of the year, Uniting States of Americans, a presentation by Cynthia Weber that documents and juxtaposes two of the most significant periods in recent American history, is on view through Oct. 18. Read more.

President Coleman to Retire in June 2013

Bennington President Elizabeth Coleman announced on Sept. 19 that after 25 years of leadership, she will retire from the presidency in June (read more). Over the coming weeks and months, we will post details about the search for Bennington’s next president on our website. For the latest news and updates, click here.

New Works by Mary Lum on View in NYC

An exhibit of new works by visual arts faculty member Mary Lum will open with a reception at Yancey Richardson Gallery (535 West 22nd St., New York, NY) on Thursday, Sept. 6, at 6:00 pm. The exhibit, Small Structures—on view through Oct. 20—includes a series of small-scale photographs and acrylic-based collage works on paper, hung end-to-end in a line throughout the gallery. Read more.

Bennington Earns CASE Fundraising Award

The Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) has honored Bennington with a 2012 Educational Fundraising Award for the exceptional performance of its institutional advancement program over the past three years. Read more.

Jason Fridley ’97 Receives $25,000 Blavatnik Award

The New York Academy of Sciences has awarded Dr. Jason Fridley ’97 a 2012 Blavatnik Award for Young Scientists in support of his research on the impact of climate change and invasive species on terrestrial ecological communities. Read more.

Dinklage ’91, Tucker ’89 Earn Back-to-Back Emmy AWARD Nominations

Actor Peter Dinklage ’91 and casting director Julie Tucker ’89 have been nominated for Emmy Awards for outstanding work in primetime television for the second straight year. Read more.

Carol Pal Publishes Debut Book on 17th-Century Female Scholars

History faculty member Carol Pal’s debut book, Republic of Women—released this month by the Cambridge University Press—tells the story of a transnational network of female scholars who were active members of the 17th-century republic of letters, and demonstrates that this intellectual commonwealth was a much more eclectic and diverse assemblage than has been assumed. Read more.

Commencement 2012

Emmy winner Peter Dinklage ’91 and class speaker Bryan Conover '12 addressed close to 1,200 members of the Class of 2012, family, and guests at Bennington's 77th Commencement Dinner. Coverage: video, photos, media.

a big week for mfa faculty

MFA faculty member Tracy K. Smith has won literature's most coveted prize for poetry, while Writing Seminars director Sven Birkerts was elected to one of the most prestigious honorary societies in the country. Read more.

Student, Alum Publish Web Research on 'Socialbots'

Max Nanis ’12 and Ian Pearce ’11 are two of the authors behind the current cover story of Interactions magazine. The article, "Socialbots: Voices from the Fronts," is based on a study they conducted with web researcher Tim Hwang on fake online identities (“bots”) that can interact with humans and even boost human-to-human interaction on social networks such as Twitter. The results of their study were first published in the MIT Technology Review.

Accolades Abound for Megan Mayhew Bergman's Debut

The Boston Globe called faculty member and MFA alumna Megan Mayhew Bergman “a top notch emerging writer” after the release of her universally praised debut, Birds of a Lesser Paradise. The collection of 12 stories has been named a Barnes and Noble Discover Great New Writer’s Selection, as well as an Indie Next Pick and Amazon Top Ten pick for March. It also received a starred review from Publisher's Weekly and was named a “Must-Read Book for March” by O Magazine. For the full Boston Globe review, click here.

Kerry Woods Published in Canadian Journal of Forest Research

Ecology faculty member Kerry Woods’ research on "Losses in understory diversity over three decades in an old-growth cool-temperate forest" has been published in the March issue of the Canadian Journal of Forest Research. Read more.

Real Estate Performs on NPR’s World Cafe

A live performance by Real Estate, the acclaimed indie rock band featuring Alex Bleeker ’08 (above left) on bass, was aired on a recent episode of NPR's World Cafe, a nationally broadcast program that showcases indie rock, singer-songwriters, folk, alternative country, blues, and world music. Listen here.

Burlington Free Press: 'How Modern Dance Took Root in Vermont'

The Burlington Free Press looks back at the artistic innovators who put Bennington on the map as the birthplace of modern dance—as well as those who have helped maintain its status as an iconic American dance institution. Full story.

Carol Channing ‘42 Documentary Makes NYT ‘Critic’s Pick’ List

A new documentary on legendary actress Carol Channing ’42 was dubbed a “Critic’s Pick” this month by The New York Times. The film, Carol Channing: Larger Than Life, follows the actress from childhood through her 91st year—a span, the documentary affirms, in which she’s hardly lost a step. For the entire Times review, including a clip of the film, click here.

Remembering Modern Art Icon Helen Frankenthaler ’49 (1928–2011)

The entire Bennington community mourns the loss of Helen Frankenthaler ’49, who died on December 27, at the age of 83. Read more.

Liz Lerman ’69 Awarded $50,000 Artist Grant

Choreographer Liz Lerman ’69 (above, center) was one of 50 artists this year to receive a $50,000 fellowship from United States Artists (USA). Read more.

A Conversation with Actor Alan Arkin '55

Actor Alan Arkin ’55, best known for his Academy Award–winning performance as the grandfather in Little Miss Sunshine, returned to campus for a Q&A with current students. As student blogger India Kieser ’12 writes, it was an inspiring conversation for all. Photos here.

Salt Prints by Jonathan Kline Exhibited at UVM

Visual arts faculty member Jonathan Kline’s exhibition at the University of Vermont showcased 17 prints produced using one of the many historic photographic processes that he’s dedicated his recent career to preserving. Read more.

Mountain man joins feist on david letterman show

Amelia Meath '10, Molly Sarle '12, and Alex Sauser-Monnig '09—better known as Mountain Man—provided backup vocals for Feist on the Oct. 4 Late Show with David Letterman. Mountain Man has been touring with Feist this fall as she promotes her new album Metals.

Rotimi Suberu Speaks at International Conference on Nigerian Politics

Political science faculty member Rotimi Suberu presented a paper on "Prebendal Politics and Federal Governance in Nigeria" at an international conference on Nigerian politics recently. Read more.

Editorial by David Anderegg Published in New York Times

An editorial by psychology faculty member David Anderegg was published in The New York Times' “Room for Debate” series, which calls on experts from various fields to weigh in on news events and other relevant issues. Anderegg’s piece, Moving On With Our Lives, addresses the issue of  “What parents should reveal about ‘life before children,’ and when.” Read it here.

CAPA: A New Chapter Begins

A $20-million, state-of-the-art, green academic facility for a progressive new model of liberal arts education is officially open at Bennington College. Read more.

Bennington Becomes First U.S. School to Participate in European Dance Festival

Bennington College this summer became the first American school to participate in the European Schools Festival at the National Center of Contemporary Dance in France. Read more.

Mary Lum’s New Exhibition “Mind Bending,” says Boston Globe Art Critic

Faculty member Mary Lum's mixed-media exhibition at Carroll and Sons gallery in Boston is "mind bending," declared Boston Globe critic Cate McQuaid. "Lum has taken over the gallery, commanding the viewer's attention in ways large and small." The exhibition aims to evoke the experience of city life through paintings, collages, photographs, and drawings of varying scale. Read the entire Globe review.

Bennington Band BOBBY’s Debut Album Previewed on NPR’s First Listen

A year after forming as Tom Greenberg ‘10's senior project in music, BOBBY, a band made up of current Bennington students and recent grads, has been signed by Partisan Records and will be releasing their self-titled debut album on June 21. The album was featured this week on NPR's First Listen series, which previews select, upcoming albums in their entirety. Listen here.

On 117th Birthday, Martha Graham Dances Across Google’s Homepage

In the 1930s and 40s, Bennington School of the Dance founding faculty member Martha Graham changed the face of modern dance. May 11, on what would be her 117th birthday, the undisputed mother of modern dance changed the face of the world's leading search engine: Google. Read more.

Photo by Thomas Bruno ’14 Chosen for Greenpeace Exhibition in Turkey

Thomas Bruno ’14 was one of 19 amateur photographers and the only American to have his work selected for an upcoming Greenpeace exhibition for pollution awareness. Read more.

Bennington RELEASES Second Edition of National ONLINE Literary Anthology

Bennington has released the second annual edition of plain china, the only national online compilation of undergraduate writing today. Read more.

Actor Alan Arkin ’55 Discusses new Memoir on NPR

Award-winning actor Alan Arkin ’55 discussed his recently released memoir An Improvised Life last week on NPR’s Talk of the Nation. Listen here.

President Coleman Keynotes nais annual Conference

President Coleman delivered a keynote speech at the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) annual conference this month, discussing Bennington’s major curricular initiative to reorient the liberal arts around 21st century problems and needs. Read more.

Valerie Imbruce Discusses NYC’s Food System on Pacifica Radio

Environmental Studies Director Valerie Imbruce was interviewed on WBAI Pacifica Radio in New York City for a segment on the City's plans to make its food system more locally sourced and accessible to low-income and immigrant communities. Listen to her interview here.

David Anderegg Speaks at TEDx-Brussels Conference

Psychology faculty member David Anderegg spoke at the TEDx Conference in Brussels, Belgium, last month on the growing culture of anti-intellectualism in America—a topic central to his critically acclaimed 2008 book Nerds: Who They Are and Why We Need More of Them. Watch his talk here.

Susan Rethorst '74 wins $75,000 Alpert Award in Dance

Choreographer and performer Susan Rethorst '74 is one of five artists to receive the 2010 Alpert Award in the Arts, a $75,000 prize to support her ongoing work in contemporary dance. Read more.

Mansour Farhang Hosts Conference on Advancing Democracy in Iran

Faculty member Mansour Farhang and Maryland University professor Ahmad Karimi-Hakkak have received multiple grants—including $50,000 from George Soros's Open Society Institute—to convene a conference on "Toward a Culture of Civil Liberties, Human Rights and Democracy in Iran" at the University of Maryland's Roshan Center for Persian Studies, from October 28-31. Read more.

Bennington Banner Highlights Campus Sustainability Initiatives

Bennington's campus bike share program, public transportation stop, and student-run organic garden are a few of the new sustainability initiatives that were highlighted last week by the Bennington Banner. Read the article here.

Lincoln Schatz ’86's Portraits for Esquire to be Displayed in Smithsonian

The Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery has selected Lincoln Schatz's 2008 commission for Esquire magazine, Portrait of the 21st Century, for inclusion in their collection. The series of 19 portraits, which includes George Clooney, Jeff Bezos, and LeBron James, will be on view through 2011 in the exhibition "Americans Now." For more information, or to view a documentary on the project, click here.

Remembering Bill Dixon, Bennington Faculty Member, 1968-1995

It is with great sadness that the Bennington community notes the passing of jazz composer, trumpeter, and longtime faculty member Bill Dixon, who died June 16, 2010, at his home in North Bennington. He was 84. Read more.

award-winning Composer Elizabeth Swados ’73 Profiled in LA STAGE

Award-winning musician, director, and composer Elizabeth Swados '73 looked back on her Bennington days in a recent LA STAGE article announcing the revival of The Good Woman of Setzuan, a play for which she composed the original score. Read the article here.

Gretel Ehrlich ’67 Wins Thoreau Prize for Excellence in Nature Writing

PEN New England has named author Gretel Ehrlich ‘67 winner of the 2010 Henry David Thoreau Prize for Literary Excellence in Nature Writing. Read more.

Holland Taylor ’64 Earns Tony Nod for Best Actress

Emmy-winning actress Holland Taylor ‘64 has been nominated for a 2013 Tony Award for her portrayal of legendary Texas Governor Ann Richards in her one-woman Broadway hit, ANN. More.

Michael Pollan '76 Discusses New Book on NPR

Bestselling food writer Michael Pollan '76 discussed his new book, Cooked, which offers a powerful argument for a return to home cooking, on NPR. Listen.

Four students Awarded Top Writing Fellowships

Two Bennington students have been invited to Bucknell University this summer, and two others to Skidmore College, for highly selective, nationally sought-after creative writing fellowships. Read more.

Camille Guthrie Guest Blogs for Poetry Foundation

Literature faculty member Camille Guthrie is guest blogging in April for the Poetry Foundation’s blog, “Harriet,” in celebration of National Poetry Month. Guthrie’s recently released collection, Articulated Lair, a series of poems about the art of Louise Bourgeois, was chosen as the January book-of-the-month for The Rumpus Poetry Book Club. She discusses the collection here.

Jesse Cottrell '07 Examines NYPD's 'Stop and Frisk' Policy in The Atlantic

A recent piece by Jesse Cottrell '07 in The Atlantic examines New York City's contentious Stop and Frisk program, which has been praised by some as an effective crime-lowering tactic, while being criticized by others as unconstitutional and racist. Read more.

Benjamin Anastas’ New Memoir Draws Praise in NY Times

Undergraduate and MFA faculty member Ben Anastas' new memoir, Too Good to Be True—about having and losing it all, both in literature and life— “is smart and honest and searching,” raved one New York Times review, “…so plaintive and raw that most writers (and many readers) will finish it with heart palpitations.” Read more.

Unsettled and Perpetual: Camille Guthrie Interviews Ann Pibal

A conversation between literature faculty member Camille Guthrie and visual arts faculty member Ann Pibal was published in the biannual literary arts journal Fence. Pibal's 2011 piece, FLS2, was featured on the front cover. More.

Maliha Ali '15 Leads Peace Project in Pakistan

Maliha Ali ’15 led in the restoration of a defunct public library in her native Pakistan this summer through a $10,000 grant from the Davis United World Scholars Projects for Peace program. She spoke with the Rutland Herald about her experience here.

80+ Students and Staff Volunteer Locally

More than 80 Bennington students and staff members spent a recent Saturday pitching in around town and continuing the College's Hurricane Sandy relief efforts as part of the Bennington ACTS annual day of service. Full story.

Jan Hadwen Hubbell ’78 Pens Award-Winning Screenplay

What started as a side project three years ago for Colorado-based teacher and writer Jan Hadwen Hubbell ’78 has earned the title of Best Comedy at this year’s Los Angeles Film & Script Festival. Full Story.

Usdan Gallery Presents Middle Falls by Linda Matalon

Matalon is a second-generation Post-Minimalist. She operates at a remove from the style's originators, but remains a true believer, expanding and refining a known vocabulary with her own expressive needs, approach to materials and assured touch. Matalon will speak about her work on Tuesday, November 6, at 7:30 pm, in Tishman Lecture Hall. The exhibition is on display in Usdan Gallery through November 30 (gallery hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 1:00–5:00 pm). Read more.

Poetry at Bennington Presents Mark Doty

POSTPONED: National Book Award-winning poet Mark Doty will read and discuss his work on Wednesday, October 31, at 7:00 p.m. in Tishman Lecture Hall. The event, part of the Poetry at Bennington reading and lecture series, is free and open to the public. Read more.

Faculty, Alumna Newt Research Garners Attention

Biology faculty member Betsy Sherman’s study on eastern red-spotted newts, co-authored by Katie Van Munster ’08 in Northeastern Naturalist, suggests that the amphibian is highly adaptable to conditions imposed upon it by humans. Read more.

Two Students Tapped to Read at Burlington Book Festival

Rebecca Valley ’16 and Anna Rutenbeck ’16 were two of sixteen Vermont students chosen to share their writing at this weekend’s Burlington Book Festival. Both native Vermonters, Valley and Rutenbeck read their poems as part of the Millennial Writers on Stage event, sponsored by the Young Writers Project and Vermont Public Radio. To read their work, click here.

Convocation 2012: Librarian Oceana Wilson Welcomes Incoming Class

"Embrace the possibilities in each of you," Bennington's convocation speaker, Oceana Wilson, told the class of 2016. "Know that Bennington will enlarge not only your mind but also your heart, and that your Bennington education will be a love affair or a lover’s quarrel or perhaps—and I think most ideally—it will be both." Coverage: news, video, photos. 

Bennington Receives $200K Grant from National Science Foundation

The National Science Foundation has awarded Bennington a $200,000 grant in support of a three-year curricular project aimed at exploring sustainable futures for former mill towns in New England. Read more.

Poetry International Goes In-Depth with Ed Ochester

Vermont-based poet Chad deNiord's conversation with MFA faculty member Ed Ochester was published recently in Poetry International magazine. deNiord, who's known for his in-depth interviews of renowned American poets, visited Ochester during the Bennington Writing Seminars summer residency in June. Read the interview here.

Souleymane Badolo MFA ’13 WINS Juried Bessie Award

The New York Dance and Performance Awards has named Souleymane Badolo MFA ’13 winner of its prestigious Juried Bessie Award for his innovative approach to dance in New York City. Read more.

Deschenes Exhibit at Art Institute of Chicago

Photography faculty member Liz Deschenes has collaborated with Austrian photographer Florian Pumhösl on an exhibition currently on view at the Art Institute of Chicago. The exhibition, Parcours—a French word for “route”— is inspired from an unrealized exhibition proposal of the 1930s by Austrian-born Bauhaus designer Herbert Bayer, according to the museum. Read more.

VPR: ‘CAPA dedicated to idea that education should serve public interest’

Vermont Public Radio reported on the recent Water Dialogues that took place at Bennington’s Center for the Advancement Public Action. “CAPA is designed to involve leaders and visionaries who are working to effect change on many fronts around the world,” VPR’s Susan Keese reported. Listen to the full story here.

Lehrer Earns Fourth Tony Nomination

For his sound design of the Broadway revival of Arthur Miller’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play, Death of a Salesman, faculty member Scott Lehrer has earned his fourth Tony Award nomination in five years. Read more.

Fast Co. Praises 'Citizens Connect' App Developed by Nigel Jacob's Office

As co-chair of the Boston Mayor’s Office of New Urban Mechanics, Bennington CAPA fellow Nigel Jacob is showing how technology can be used to empower citizens and involve them in the inner workings of the city, according to Fast Company Magazine. Full story.

Plain China, Vol. 3

Bennington student editors have released the third volume of plain china, the first and only literary anthology showcasing the best undergraduate writing from across the country. The current issue features work selected from more than 50 undergraduate literary journals, and includes writers from Princeton, Louisiana State University, University of Georgia, Bard College, Harvard University, UC-Berkeley, Northwestern, and Stanford, among others. Read it here.

Carol Pal Earns Prestigious Huntington Fellowship

History faculty member Carol Pal has been named next year's Dibner Fellow in the History of Science at the renowned Huntington Library in California. During her year at the Huntington, Carol will be working on her second monograph, Transient Technologies. Her first book, Republic of Women, will be published in May by Cambridge University Press.

Ellen McCulloch-Lovell ’69 on ‘Nontraditional’ College Presidents

Marlboro College President Ellen McCulloch-Lovell ’69 addressed the growing trend of "nontraditional" college presidents—those who came from outside of the academic community, as she did—in a recent op-ed in The Chronicle of Higher Education. "We bring with us a healthy impatience," she wrote. "The reply to 'We don't do it this way' is 'Why not?'" Read more.

Thorsten Dennerline Selected for International Print Center Exhibit

The International Print Center New York has selected a series of prints by visual arts faculty member Thorsten Dennerline for its “New Prints 2012/Winter” exhibit—a collection of 68 prints by 45 artists selected from a pool of more than 2,300 submissions. Read more.

Dinklage ’91 named best supporting Actor (Again)

Peter Dinklage ’91 won a Golden Globe award for best supporting actor in a TV series, miniseries, or movie for his portrayal of Tyrion Lannister in HBO’s Game of Thrones—the same role that earned him an Emmy for best supporting actor late last year. Watch.

Liz Deschenes to be Included in 2012 Whitney Biennial

Photography faculty member Liz Deschenes is one of 51 artists selected to participate in the Whitney Museum of American Art’s prestigious Biennial exhibition— the Museum’s signature survey of contemporary American art and one of the leading art shows in the world. Read more.

VPR Commentary Lauds CAPA

Vermont Public Radio commentator Don Kreis aired his thoughts on Bennington’s Center for the Advancement of Public Action (CAPA) after a recent visit to campus. “I'm here to testify that the Center for the Advancement of Public Action—CAPA, as it's known on campus—is not a gimmick,” said Kreis. “And I know that not by speaking with anyone from Bennington College. Their remarkable new building speaks for itself. 
CAPA exudes audacity, conviction and humanity.” Listen here.

CAPA Fellow Nigel Jacob Nominated for 2011 Public Official of the Year Award

GOVERNING magazine has nominated Nigel Jacob and Chris Osgood, co-chairs of the Boston Mayor’s Office of New Urban Mechanics, for its annual Public Official of the Year award. A current fellow at Bennington’s Center for the Advancement of Public Action (CAPA), Jacob has been working with Osgood (and some Bennington students, among others) to harness new technologies in ways that strengthen public services and increase citizen engagement. Their work "could fundamentally change the way citizens interact with cities,” the magazine wrote. Read more.

Megan Mayhew Bergman Anthologized in 2011 Best American Short Stories

A story by visiting literature faculty member Megan Mayhew Bergman is included in the recently released 2011 Best American Short Stories. Entitled “Housewifely Arts” Mayhew Bergman’s story follows a grieving daughter who drives miles because she yearns to hear her dead mother’s parrot mimic her mother’s voice. Mayhew Bergman’s first collection of stories, Birds of a Lesser Paradise, is due out in March 2012 and has been selected by Barnes and Noble’s Discover Great New Writers program. For more on her work, click here.

Yoko Inoue one of ten artists to receive $25,000  grant

Visual arts faculty member Yoko Inoue was one of ten artists selected to receive a $25,000 grant from the Anonymous Was A Woman Foundation. The unrestricted grant enables women “at a critical juncture in their lives or careers to continue to grow their work,” according to the Foundation. Inoue is a multi-disciplinary artist whose work includes sculpture, installation, collaborative projects, and public intervention performance art. For more on her work, click here.

Real Estate (feat. alex bleeker '08) Scores High Marks for New Album

Real Estate, the acclaimed indie rock band featuring Alex Bleeker ’08 (second to left) on bass, recently released their second studio album, Days, which Pitchfork.com called “evidence that great music doesn’t have to sound hard to make, even if it is.” Watch the video for their new track, “It’s Real”. For more on the band, click here.

SIXTH-ANNUAL BENNINGTON PRINTMAKERS’ SHOW  OPENS AT VT ARTS EXCHANGE

An exhibition by seven advanced printmaking students from Bennington College will be on display in the Vermont Arts Exchange’s Mill Gallery at the Sage Street Mill in Bennington. The show, titled “I Will Try to Put Down on Paper,” opens with a reception on Wednesday, Nov. 30, from 7:00-8:30 p.m., and will be on view through Saturday, Feb. 25. Read more.

BENNINGTON NOMINATED FOR MOST VEGAN-FRIENDLY COLLEGE TITLE (AGAIN)

Bennington is in the running to be named the most vegan-friendly College in America for the second consecutive year. The full story. Where to vote.

College Community Celebrates CAPA Opening

The opening weekend celebration for Bennington’s new Center for the Advancement of Public Action was both an unveiling of the stunning architectural design of Tod Williams and Billie Tsien, as well as an introduction to the people and programs that are shaping the Center’s aims to fuse thought and action around the most pressing issues of our time. For photo and video coverage of the weekend, click the icons at the bottom of this page.

Bennington Pledges Carbon Neutrality by 2030

By signing the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment on Oct. 11, Bennington has pledged to achieve 100-percent carbon neutrality by 2030. But as a recent article in the Bennington Banner points out, efforts by the College to shrink its institutional carbon footprint have been underway for years. Read the article here.

Peter Dinklage ’91 wins Emmy For GAME OF THRONES ROLE

For his role as Tyrion Lannister in the critically acclaimed HBO series Game of Thrones, Peter Dinklage '91 earned a 2011 Emmy Award for best supporting actor in a drama series. Casting director Julie Tucker '91, a five-time Emmy nominee and two-time winner, was nominated for two awards this year for her casting of Showtime's The Big C and Nurse Jackie. Read more.

Remembering Former First Lady, Bennington Dancer Betty Ford (1918-2011)

The Bennington community joins the nation in mourning the loss of beloved former First Lady Betty Ford—a Bennington School of the Dance alumna—who died on July 8 at the age of 93. Read more.

Gunnar Schonbeck Honored at Solid Sound Festival

Longtime Bennington faculty member Gunnar Schonbeck was honored at Mass MoCA's Solid Sound Festival recently when Wilco drummer Glenn Kotche performed using the unique handcrafted instruments for which the late music teacher is known. Read more.

Rebecca Tinsley Pens Novel Based on DarfurI rEFUGEES

Former BBC journalist and human rights activist Rebecca Tinsley—a member of the Advisory Council for Bennington's Center for the Advancement of Public Action—has penned a new novel based on the stories of genocide survivors she met while doing humanitarian work in Darfur. Read more.

Tanya Schmid's Photo Exhibition is More Than a Senior Project

Through photographs and testimonies, Tanya Schmid '11 tells the story of a low-income neighborhood in Arica, Chile—a city she visited while studying abroad last year—where, more than 20 years ago, the dumping of arsenic, lead, and 14 other toxic minerals has had devastating health effects on its residents. Read more.

Marguerite Feitlowitz Praised for Book on Argentina’s “Dirty War”

In his column in the Buenos Aires Herald, celebrated journalist and human rights hero Robert Cox dubbed faculty member Marguerite Feitlowitz's book on Argentina's infamous Dirty War "the most important book to appear so far on the consequences of the vicious cycle of terror and violence that enveloped Argentina in the 1970s." Read more.

Stegner Fellow Mogelson ‘05 Pens NYT Magazine Story on Accused U.S. Soldiers

Luke Mogelson’s investigative exposé on the alleged murders of three Afghan civilians by U.S. soldiers appears on the cover of the May 1 New York Times Magazine. Recently discharged from the National Guard, Mogelson was one of 10 writers out of nearly 1,900 applicants this year to receive the prestigious Wallace Stegner Fellowship from Stanford University’s creative writing program.

President Coleman Keynotes Conference on World Affairs

President Coleman delivered a keynote address on "What Matters" to kick off the 63rd annual Conference on World Affairs, a five-day event at the University of Colorado Boulder that draws nearly 100,000 people from around the country each year. Read more.

In Ceramic Arts Magazine, One Faculty Member Reviews Another

Philosophy faculty member and art critic Karen Gover's review of Barry Bartlett's new work appeared in a recent issue of Ceramics: Art and Perception, a leading international magazine in the field of ceramic arts. Read more.

Paul Voice’s New Book Examines Philosopher John Rawls

Philosophy faculty member Paul Voice examines the influential work of prominent political philosopher John Rawls in his new book Rawls Explained, published in April by Open Court Press. Read more.

Karen Gover Wins Prize from American Society for Aesthetics

Philosophy faculty member Karen Gover was named winner of the American Society for Aesthetics' 2011 John Fisher Memorial Prize, awarded bi-annually for an original essay in aesthetics. Read more.

Donald Hall Awarded  National Medal of Arts

Bennington Writing Seminars Writer-in-Residence Donald Hall, a former Poet Laureate of the United States, was one of 10 artists to be honored by President Obama this week with the prestigious 2010 National Medal of Arts. Watch the White House ceremony here.

Mountain Man performs on NPR’s World Cafe

A live performance by Mountain Man, the harmonizing folk trio of Amelia Meath '10, Molly Sarle '12, and Alex Sauser-Monnig '09, was aired this month on NPR's World Cafe, a nationally broadcast program that showcases indie rock, singer-songwriters, folk, alternative country, blues, and world music. Listen here.