Notable Arts Alumni

Indiana State has been the training ground for many in the arts.

Art

Mark Braught, BFA

Illustrator, created more than 40 full-color paintings for the merchandising of the movie, Harry Potter & the Sorcerer's Stone.  See www.markbraught.com.

Mark Lyman, MFA 1977

President of The Art Fair Company and founding director of the International Exposition of Sculpture Objects and Functional Art (SOFA).

Barbara Nesin, MFA in Drawing and Mixed Media, 1996

President of the Board of Directors, College Art Association (CAA).

Sister Edith Pfau, MFA 1951

(1915–2001) Well known painter, sculptor and art educator known for her religious works and commissions.

 

Music

Denise L. Bennett, BS in Music, Business Administration, 2001

President of the National Association of Multi-ethnicity in Community (NAMIC), New York City chapter, and Senior Manager of Global Marketing Partnerships for the NBA.  Former Manager of Integrated Sales Marketing for Women at NBC Universal and Manager of Integrated Marketing and Sponsorship Development for MTV.

Charles R. Briel, 1986

Executive director of Indiana State School Music Association (ISSMA).

David Darling, Bachelor and Master of Music Education, 1963 and 1968

Grammy Award-winning New-Age composer and artist.

Bruce Gillmer, BS in Music and Marketing

Senior Vice President of Talent and Music for MTV Networks International.   Gillmer oversees all international talent and music initiatives across MTVNI. Prior to his appointment, Gillmer served as Senior Vice President of Music/Music Programming for MTV Networks in the U.S.

Ami McKay, BME and graduate studies in Musicology

Award-winning author. See http://www.amimckay.com/

James Ketch, 1974

Professor of Music and Director of Jazz Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

BJ Morgan, BS in Music, Business Administration, 2000

Musician and Marketing Manager at the Museum of Making Music

Tiffani Schmidt, 2008

Executive Director of the Terre Haute Symphony Orchestra

James Shinault, BS in Music, Business Administration, 2007

Event Engagements Manager at AC Entertainment in Knoxville, Tennessee  Former Staffing/Production/Booking Coordinator at SXSW Music Festival

Elliott Usrey, BS in Music, Business Administration, 2010

Music Festival Technical Coordinator at SXSW Music Festival

 

Theater

Christopher Kyle

Playwright and screenwriter

Andrew Park, Buck Blue, Jason Bowen and Nick Rupard

Founders, Quest Theatre Ensemble, Chicago

Ryan Niemiller, BS 2006

Comedian and member of the Drive By Comedy Troupe

Mitch Lathrop, BS, 2010

Technical services, The Walt Disney Company, Anaheim, California

 

Some of our notable alumni graduated with degrees in other majors.

Warner H. Paige, III, BS 1966

Fourth-generation owner of Paiges Music Shop

Alan Barcus, BS 1960

Songwriter/pianist/composer, writing songs for Peggy Lee and Richard Marx, three musicals, 12 film scores, 2600 commercials for TV and radio, recorded two CDs

David Ralston, BS 1992

Blues and rock musician with an all-Japanese band, Okinawa, Japan