About Us | School of the Arts | The University of Vermont(title)

History

The School of the Arts was instituted on July 1, 2022. The initiative was faculty-driven and inspired as a means by which we could increase collaborations across disciplines and better prepare our students through internships, new courses, and other professional development opportunities. The unity of the programs within the SoA aligns with contemporary art-making practices across the fine and performing arts.

Mission    

The University of Vermont’s School of the Arts is a community of students, faculty, staff, and local partners who value, celebrate, and practice the creative process. Our faculty are artists/scholars: makers, historians, theorists, critics, and presenters. We offer a liberal arts approach to the study of the arts and humanities through small classes to students from varied backgrounds and experiences and include among our resources the world-class Fleming Museum and the internationally respected Lane Performing Arts Series. We welcome first-time artists as well as students well-practiced in their fields. We see the creative practice as a foundation for all other learning. As a home for intellectual curiosity and artistic innovation, we encourage collaborations and learning across disciplines.    

Vision   

The UVM School of the Arts works to expand its impact beyond the classroom and serve as an accessible artistic resource for the greater community. We are deeply invested in interrogating inequities in our curriculums, pedagogies, practices, and infrastructures. Our vision is to create, study, present, and exhibit culturally resonant art, broaden perspectives, enhance contextual awareness, and apply that understanding to our work in the world.   

Give to UVM Arts

Leadership Team

Kelley Helmstutler Di Dio, Ph.D. (she/her)

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  • Rush C. Hawkins Fund Professor, Art History
  • Executive Director, School of the Arts
  • Associate Dean, College of Arts and Sciences
  • Kelley.DiDio@uvm.edu

Pamela Fraser (she/her)

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  • Associate Director for Student Success
  • Program Head of Art and Art History
  • Acting Program Head of Theater and Dance
  • Associate Professor of Art
  • Pamela.Fraser@uvm.edu

Yutaka Kono, DMA (he/his)

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  • Associate Director for Outreach
  • Program Head of Music
  • Director of Orchestra
  • Professor of Music
  • Yutaka.Kono@uvm.edu

Rob Shimko, Ph.D. (he/him)

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Rob Shimko
  • Associate Director of Operations
  • Program Head of Theatre & Dance
  • Associate Professor of Theatre
  • Robert.Shimko@uvm.edu

Sonja Lunde, M.A. (she/her)

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Natalie Neuert (she/her)

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Administrative Team

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NameTitle
Bella AnastasioFleming Operations and Visitor Services Coordinator
Andrea AquinoAdministrative Assistant
Lynn CawthonProgram Administrative Coordinator
Joshua CheneyAdministrative Supervisor for the SoA
Shawn CoreyProgram Administrative Coordinator
Claire DemaraisProgram Administrative Coordinator
Kellie FleuryLane Series Manager
Kristan HansonFleming Curator of Collections and Exhibitions
Molly KurentLane Series Operations
Garaun McKenzieFleming Business Manager
Phil MorinFleming Manager of Campus and Community Engagement
Margaret TamulonisFleming Manager of Collections and Exhibitions
Suzy ZanerPreparator for the Fleming Museum