Arts

Milton Curry Looks to Architecture for Answers to Societal Challenges

For solutions to inequality, marginalization and divisiveness, one of USC’s newest deans wants to tap an unexpected resource: architecture.

David Judson, a fourth-generation Trojan, is president of Judson Studios.(Photo/Gus Ruelas) A Colorful Life

Fourth-Generation Trojan Embraces Timeless Craft of Stained Glass

David Judson MA ’96, president of Judson Studios, brings a fresh eye to the centuries-old craft of stained glass.

USC architecture students will soon see their creativity come to life. They worked with ArtCenter College of Design students to reenvision a plaza and entrance to The Museum of Contemporary Art in L.A. (Photo/Buddy Bleckley) Citizen Architect

Trojans to Reshape a Los Angeles Art Landmark

USC architecture students reimagine ways to make the Museum of Contemporary Art even more accessible to visitors.

(USC Photo/Gus Ruelas) Igniting Imagination

Does Learning Art, Dance and Music Boost Young Brains?

There’s a growing body of research that suggests music and other arts can affect childhood brain development.

(Photo/Chandler Golan) Attuned to the Arts

5 New Master’s Programs Keep Students in Sync with the Music Industry

From the business of live music to screen scoring, USC Thornton finds niches for music students.

Artists from USC and the community perform as part of Classical KUSC and Classical KDFC Kids Discovery Days. The events introduce children to the arts, including live music. (Photo/Peter Howard) Igniting Imagination

The Trojans Bringing Arts Education Back to Kids and Schools

If you think arts education has vanished from schools and neighborhoods, these Trojans have some news for you.

The inset photo was taken about two decades after the museum’s 1939 founding.| PHOTO BY DUSTIN SNIPES Now and Again

The Pioneering Woman Who Built a Home for Art at USC

Elizabeth Holmes Fisher started from humble beginnings to become a renowned collector of the great masters.

Actors prepare for careers in entertainment and tech

USC's dramatic arts students take on virtual reality, video games, motion capture and more. | Illustrations by GlueKit Changing Channels

USC Acting Students Jump Between Stage, Screen and the Digital World

Acting students prep for careers in virtual reality, video games and motion capture—with a firm grounding in classical training.

Grand Park in Los Angeles | PHOTO BY JIM SIMMONS Design Details

How to Make an Iconic Public Space? Ask Architects of L.A.’s Grand Park

Designers of Grand Park in Los Angeles, including USC alumni, aim to make space for everyone.

The Hecuba statue welcomes visitors to USC Village. Inside USC Village

Hecuba, Queen of Troy, Takes Place of Honor at USC Village

The 12-foot-tall bronze Hecuba sculpture welcomes visitors to USC Village.

David Judson Luisa Valencia with USC Village stained glass

Stained glass at USC Village was designed at Judson Studios. | Photo by Gus Ruelas Inside USC Village

Stained Glass at USC Village Gives Glimpse of Storied History

The handcrafted windows are the latest chapter in the rich story of Los Angeles and USC.

ILLUSTRATION BY RODERICK MILLS Sing Their Praises

Bringing Harmony—and Diversity—to the Choral Music World

A USC Thornton student promotes hope and diversity through choral music.

Philanthropist Glorya Kaufman dances with renowned choreographer and artistic advisor William Forsythe. | Photo by Steve Cohn For the Love of Dance

USC Trustee Glorya Kaufman Helps Dance Come Alive for Students

Glorya Kaufman’s lifelong passion inspires the launch of USC’s newest art school.

USC Institutions Illuminate Latin American and Latino Art

From murals to movies, USC museums help celebrate Pacific Standard Time LA/LA.

The longtime faculty member at the USC Thornton School of Music views himself as a “musical grandchild of the great Russian musical heritage.” | PHOTO COURTESY OF DANIEL POLLACK To Russia With Love

Q&A: Pianist Daniel Pollack Returns to Russia as Arts Advocate

The acclaimed pianist reflects on his role as an honorary cultural ambassador.

Courtesy of the USC Thornton School of Music Harmonious Partnership

Jeffrey Kahane is Latest Link Between USC and the L.A. Chamber Orchestra

The conductor and pianist joins USC Thornton full time this year.

Gustavo Dudamel, conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, leads the Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles. (Photo/Craig T. Mathew, Mathew Imaging) Brain Booster

Music is Instrumental for Accelerating Brain Development

From accordions to xylophones, playing musical instruments seems to jumpstart the brain.

PHOTO BY SARA LEE/EYEVINE/REDUX Social Change

Activism as Art Form: USC Roski’s Suzanne Lacy

A USC Roski professor reflects on a lifetime spent at the intersection of community development and visual art.

Photo Courtesy Getty Images/Disney ABC Television Group 'Girl' Meets World

Marlo Thomas Reflects on Her Remarkable Journey after USC

The entertainment legend paved the way for women in Hollywood and beyond.

Photo by Jason Weston of Dirty Sugar Photography Center Stage

A USC Viterbi Engineer Takes the Spotlight on Broadway

A graduate in industrial and systems engineering follows her passion for performing.

On the Move

Dance Experts Bring Wide-Ranging Talent to USC

Bollywood? Afro-Cuban? Students can dive into these dance forms, and more.

For the Record

Hit Play: Albums from the Trojan Marching Band

Take a musical tour of the Spirit of Troy's discography.

Scholarship Woodwind Quintet members (from left) Anna Lenhart, Sergio Coelho GCRT ’16, Stephanie Bell MM ’16, Sarah Minneman MM ’15 and Emily Schoendorf MM ’15 at Walt Disney Concert Hall. | PHOTOS BY NOÉ MONTES Music Scene

For USC Musicians on the Rise, Los Angeles is Their Place to Play

USC Thornton gives students opportunities as precious as their dreams. (Check out our story in photos, and you’ll see what we mean.)

Rendering of the Glorya Kaufman International Dance Center

The New Movement

Dance Education Finds a Dream Home

The Glorya Kaufman International Dance Center opens its doors.

Brock Harris ’97, right, the group’s founder, owns the nine-bedroom house that serves as the hub of activity for current VoCals like Jonathan von Mering, left. | PHOTO BY GUS RUELAS Sing Their Praises

California’s Captains of A Cappella

Tradition-bearers, sponsors, mentors and die-hard fans, SoCal VoCals alumni follow the group from concert to concert.

PHOTO COURTESY OF KAREN HUDSON Creative Minds

Remembering Paul R. Williams, Pioneering Architect

Paul Revere Williams ’19 was California’s first licensed African-American architect.

PHOTO BY STEVE COHN Preserving the Past

The Storied Life of Steven Spielberg

The USC trustee receives the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

John Knuth at his Los Angeles studio | PHOTO BY DUSTIN SNIPES The Buzz

John Knuth and the Art of Chaos

John Knuth MFA ’05 disrupts the natural order with flies, snakes and other collaborators from the animal kingdom.

Photo courtesy of Tracy Oliver Role Model

Tracy Oliver Rewrites the Script for Her Career

Tired of waiting for good parts, the Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl co-creator shaped them herself.

Illustration by Chris Gash Art of Medicine

Keck Medicine Doctors Keep Singers, Musicians and Actors in Peak Shape

Specialists keep performing artists in the spotlight.

A Good Year. A production still from Scott’s 2006 romantic comedy-drama shows him working closely with leading man Russell Crowe.

Photographed by Gus Ruelas, with permission from The USC Cinematic Arts Library Stuff of Legend

Ridley Scott Memorabilia Finds a Home at USC

A filmmaking icon brings his collection to the USC School of Cinematic Arts.

Photo courtesy of the Casa Grande Valley Newspapers Inc. Music That Moves

USC Student Brings Music to Prisons

Evan Pensis aims to offer arts to the imprisoned.

George Lucas '66 photo by Steve Cohen Diverse Voices

Diversity in Film Gets a Big Boost

A $10 million gift will establish The George Lucas Foundation Endowed Student Support Fund for Diversity.

Photo by Chester Higgins Jr./The New York Times/Redux Design for Life

A Sculptor’s Five-Decade Journey to World Acclaim

Like his life, an artist’s meaningful, dynamic work defies convention.

Illustration by David Plunkert Well-Read Trojan

Goodreads Co-Founder Builds a Literary Community

A journalist with a love for language helped build one of the largest online communities for readers.

Photo by Alexander Vertikoff from The Gamble House book Historical House

A New Chapter for The Gamble House

A new book about the historical landmark is the first published in more than 20 years.

Sound Decisions

A New Major in Music Production

Chart-topping sound engineers and DJs help design USC Thornton’s newest major.

Michael Fink introduced a green-screen course at the USC School of Cinematic Arts in 2012. “Directing in a Virtual World” was instantly popular and always has a hefty wait list. Photo by Noé Montes Lights, Camera, Animation

USC Pioneers Live Action Visual Effects

Animators seamlessly meld their work with live action, transporting movie audiences to new worlds.

Remember their names

Poised for Success

Meet some of the dancers in USC Kaufman’s historic first class of freshmen.

Counter Culture

To Live and Dine in LA

USC Annenberg’s Josh Kun showcases LA’s history through its menus.

Illustration by Selcuk Demirel Write On

Can the Book Survive in the Digital Age?

As a digital revolution sweeps through the publishing world, storytelling is alive and well—and English is thriving at USC.

Diverse Voices

Helping Women Gamers Reach the Next Level

The USC School of Cinematic Arts wants women to make their mark on the video game design industry.

Photo by Todd Rosenberg Photography 2014. Standing Ovation

A Performance of a Lifetime as Director of the Kennedy Center

A USC Marshall alumna takes the stage as one of the most prominent and powerful advocates for the arts.

Photo by Gina Sabatella Photography Visual Mastermind

In Memoriam: Jon Jerde ’66

The USC alumnus left a mark on the Olympics and Los Angeles that lasted beyond his lifetime.

KamranV is a serial entrepreneur who can mash up technology, art and marketing. Photos by Dustin Snipes Art of Success

Starving Artists? Not a Chance

At USC, an arts education is more like creative entrepreneurship.

East Meets West

The Art of Engagement: Treasures from Asia

Christina Yu Yu picks four standout pieces from the USC Pacific Asia Museum.

The Ikettes (Photo by Michael Ochs Archive/Getty Images) Pop Secret

How to Make a Hit Record

What holds the secret to chart-topping musical success? Hint: Don’t go it alone.

Karen Adelman uses visual art, video, music and spoken word in her exhibitions. Photo courtesy of Karen Adelman Vocal Support

Visual Artist Captures the Art of Singing

Finding meaning at the intersection of art and sound.

Illustration by Alexandra Compain-Tissier The Write Stuff

Care to Dance? The Future of Arts Journalism

USC Annenberg’s Sasha Anawalt keeps arts journalism alive during turbulent times in media.

Movers and Shakers

USC Iovine and Young’s Inaugural Class

The USC Iovine and Young Academy welcomes its first class of innovators, artists and entrepreneurs.

Family in Film

The USC Clique Makes Hollywood Feel Like Home

Two decades in, friendships formed through cinema only grow deeper.

Photo by Rosalie O'Connor Leap Forward

USC Kaufman’s “New Movement”

The USC Kaufman School of Dance is poised to transform the world of dance education.

Trojan Marching Band Director Art Bartner at Dodger Stadium in 1978. Photo courtesy of Trojan Marching Band. Spirit of Troy

Live From Dodger Stadium … The Trojan Marching Band

You know the Trojan Marching Band calls the Coliseum its home. But the band and Dodger Stadium also go way back.

Photo courtesy of USC Thornton School of Music Top of the Pops

Rising Stars of the USC Popular Music Program

Meet six artists from the USC Popular Music Program who are shooting for stardom.

Guru Photo by Jared Fullerton Top of the Pops

Launchpad to the Future of Pop Music

Jam with Chaka Khan? Perform with Elton John? It’s part of the USC Thornton popular music program experience.

Top of the Pops

Trojan Tracks: Songs from USC Pop Music Artists

USC Popular Music Program students and alumni have created an extensive playlist of eclectic songs and albums.

Young Guru Top of the Pops

The Guru of Hip-Hop

A successful sound engineer, music producer and DJ, this music industry veteran has a new handle at USC: “Professor Guru.”

Suemy Gonzalez, left, with Trio Ellas. Photo by Reuters/Radu Sigheti Top of the Pops

A Mariachi Singer and USC Alum Finds Her Voice

Trio Ellas garnered a 2012 Latin Grammy Award nomination for their first album and they haven’t stopped since.

USC Architecture alumnus Anthony Marnell II. Strong Foundation

Design Builder Gifts $1 Million to USC Architecture

Anthony Marnell II’s recent gift to the USC School of Architecture will launch a multidisciplinary design studio to foster design-builders.

Stark Sands, right, is one of the stars of the Tony Award-winning musical Kinky Boots. (Photo/Bill Tucker) Stage Life

Stark Sands Takes on Broadway with ‘Kinky Boots’

The Tony Award nominee cemented his passion for acting at USC.

Beach Boys photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images Defining Los Angeles

Los Angeles in Books, Movies and Song

USC experts on local lore give their lowdown on Los Angeles culture.

Photo by David Zentz Cultivating Creativity

A Degree in Disruption

Jimmy Iovine and Andre Young (Dr. Dre) invest $70 million to prepare USC students who’ll shape the future.

The Stahl House. Also called Case Study House No. 22, this often-photographed modernist home was designed by Pierre Koenig ’52. Photo by Nicolas de Camaret Architectural Icons

USC Grads Leave Their Mark on L.A.’s Landscape

Did you know these landmarks of Los Angeles were designed by Trojans?

Camptosaurus illustration courtesy of Stephanie Abramowicz and The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County Picturing Prehistory

Dinosaur Depicter

A talented USC Roski alumna brings the prehistoric Mesozoic Era to life.

Students in USC’s Social Innovation Design Lab are learning to use design thinking to solve challenges and find new opportunities. Photo by Alicia Di Rado Business of Change

Designs on Social Change

Creativity can combine with business principles to solve societal challenges—and turn a profit.

Bryan Singer. (Photo by David James) Critical Studies

From X-Men to an Expansive Cinematic Gift

Bryan Singer embraces the division where he made his start in film.

Director Erica Muhl, left, and music industry giants Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre (Andre Young) with USC President C. L. Max Nikias. Photo by Steve Cohn President's Page

Art, Industry and Entrepreneurship: A Landmark USC Moment

We will prepare stellar artists to be effective entrepreneurs and singular businesspersons to be great artists.

Sumner Redstone. (Photo by Steve Cohn) Lights, Camera, Action

Students’ First Steps in Film

Sumner Redstone’s $10 million gift supports a creative space for budding filmmakers.

musical notes and type illustrate role of art in climate change

(Illustration/Mary Kate McDevitt) Creative Climate

These Students Fight Climate Change With Art

See how students use poetry, viola concertos and animated whales to try to wake the world up to climate change.

Geometric illustration of people holding hands in a circle

The USC Arts in Action program helps students flex their creative skills to advance inclusivity. (Illustration/Antonio Rodriguez) Arts in Action

Inclusive Student Projects Make Space for Marginalized Communities

USC students use podcasts, performances and workshops to open public platforms for kids and adults.

Video still from USC student dance group NSQK dancing to Troyboi's Drip (No Mayo).

NSQK, a hip-hop dance crew, is one of more than 20 student dance clubs at USC. (Courtesy of NSQK) Finding Their Rhythm

Watch USC Student Dance Clubs Bring the Moves — and the Fun — to Campus Life

Students find good vibes and friendships in a vibrant dance community.

Hunter playing piano at Playa in Summer Lake, Oregon

In a Landscape concerts have taken place largely in Oregon and the West, but Noack hopes to expand his geographic boundaries. “I get so excited and want to go everywhere,” he says. (Photo/ Ed Schmidt) MOVING TO A DIFFERENT BEAT

Getting in Tune With Nature Around the West

USC alum and classical pianist Hunter Noack performs BYOS—bring your own Steinway—concerts at some of the most stunning outdoor sites in the U.S. The results? Pure magic.

a large - scale tuna sculpture on a chopping board, composed out of recyclable, unrecyclable, and combustible mat erials: paper, cardboard, and plastics. It is being prepared, chopped, and consumed by anonymous, grey human hands coming off from the floor: one hand holding chopsticks, another holding forks

Untitled (2021) by Listy Gao ’25 portrays her concern over the dismal state of today’s oceans: overfishing, microplastics and waste pollution. The large-scale tuna is composed of recyclable, unrecyclable, and combustible materials: paper, cardboard, and plastics. (Photo courtesy of Listy Gao) Envisioning the Future

Art Reflects Two Worlds: One of Peril, One of Possibilities

Students from USC Roski School of Art and Design use their creative talents to reflect on nature, how it has endured, how it struggles, and most important, how humankind has used—and misused—it.