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How Murry DePillars helped shape the Richmond jazz community

As dean of VCUarts, Murry N. DePillars, Ph.D., was determined to use the arts to forge a bold, unified spirit in Richmond, with a particular focus on connecting through jazz. B.J. Brown, executive director of the Richmond Jazz Society, describes DePillars’ contributions to the organization and how the society used music to bring together a diverse community.

The VCU Board of Visitors has recognized DePillars by naming the fine arts building on West Broad Street in his honor. As part of an ongoing celebration to take place throughout 2021-22, VCUarts is speaking to alumni, colleagues and artists about his lasting legacy.

Read the Q&A with Brown.

Speakers set for 2021-22 Faculty Lecture Series

Join us for the second season of the VCUarts Faculty Lecture Series, showcasing the talents and expertise of our renowned faculty. Engage in dynamic discussions with faculty members from Photography + Film, Music, Cinema, Dance + Choreography and Kinetic Imaging.

See the schedule.

Behind the scenes at Ignite, the VCUarts fashion showcase

VCUarts fashion design students showcase their work, talk about their sources of inspiration, and discuss their creative processes.

Watch the video.

Ibrahim Ahmed at the ICA through Nov. 7

In his first solo U.S. institutional exhibition, It Will Always Come Back to You, Kuwaiti-born, Giza-based artist Ibrahim Ahmed invites viewers to explore powerful mythic narratives. Through photo collage, sculpture, video, and large-scale installation, Ahmed wrestles with the cultural forces that prevail in the working-class neighborhood of Ard el-Lewa in Giza, within his family, and even his own body. Subscribe to the ICA’s e-newsletter for the latest news about upcoming exhibitions.

Visit the ICA.

Theatre alum Zachary Knighton (B.F.A. ’00) on origins, fatherhood and Magnum, P.I.

Two decades after graduating from VCUarts, the veteran actor is living out a childhood dream. “In my 42 years on this earth, I haven’t wanted to do anything else.”