The West Virginia University College of Creative Arts and Wheelings Oglebay Institute are entering into a new collaboration beginning Oct. 13 that will include performing arts attractions, art exhibitions and educational opportunities for Ohio Valley students.


“Im thrilled with the opportunity to partner with Oglebay Institute,”said Bernie Schultz, dean of the College of Creative Arts.”Oglebay Institute is one of the most respected institutions of its kind in the nation and our partnership will offer many wonderful opportunities to the citizens of northern West Virginia.”


The first WVU event at Oglebay will be a piano concert by WVU doctoral candidate Michael P. Mihalyo, Jr., at the Stifel Fine Arts Center Sunday, Oct. 13, at 2 p.m.


Mihalyo attended OhioStateUniversity and DuquesneUniversity where he received bachelors and masters degrees in piano performance. An assistant professor of fine arts in music at BethanyCollege, Mihalyo was a member of the music faculty for the 2002 West Virginia Governors School for the Arts at West Liberty State College and instructs many students in the Northern Panhandle.


The public is invited to attend the doctoral recital and enjoy works by Domenico Scarlatti, Robert Muczynski, Bela Bartok and Xaver Scharwenka.


“Partnering with other educational institutions is an essential part of Oglebay Institutes mission and ensures the public that it can rely on us for vigorous new directions and inspiring presentations,”said Frederick A. Lambert, president of Oglebay Institute.”We look forward to the public segment of our partnership and thank WVU and the College of Creative Arts for assisting us in offering the best of the arts to the public in the Northern Panhandle.”


Pianist Christine Kefferstan of the WVU music faculty will present the second concert in the WVU series Sunday, Nov. 10, at 2 p.m. Kefferstan is professor of music and head of keyboard studies at WVU . She holds a bachelors degree from IllinoisWesleyanUniversity and a masters degree and doctorate in piano performance from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. She is active as a soloist, chamber musician and concerto soloist.


Also part of the WVU -OI partnership is a visiting performance of”The Laramie Project”by WVU students in the Division of Theatre and Dance. This controversial play about the murder of University of Wyoming student Matthew Shepard will be presented at 8 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 19, at Oglebay Institutes SchraderCenter.


The public is invited to experience this moving production based on actual interviews with the people in the town of Laramie, Wyo. Developed by Moises Kaufman and members of New York Citys Tectonic Theater Project, the play features 8 WVU student-actors portraying more than 60 different characters.


Other upcoming collaborations with the College of Creative Arts are planned in the Oglebay Institute visual arts department. Two exhibitions in Stifels current art season include:”Doppelgänger: WVU Faculty Exhibition,”Nov. 21-Dec. 31, and”From Enoch to Strange Creek,”Feb. 20-March 22.


The”Doppelgänger”exhibition features new work by current faculty members in the  WVU Division of Art. The title of the exhibition uses the German noun,”doppelgänger,”which refers to a ghostly double or counterpart.


“From Enoch to Strange Creek”is a painting installation by Michael Paxton, a native of West Virginia who lives in Chicago. The works reference six generations of Paxtons family history, lived at the juncture of Clay, Braxton, and Nicholas counties in West Virginia.


WVU art faculty will also be involved with the Regional Student Art Exhibition at Oglebay, Jan. 16-Feb.8. The exhibition will include programs that offer local students free art portfolio reviews by the WVU professors.


“We welcome this opportunity to work with WVU . It is certain to enhance our exhibition season and broaden our scope,”said Nichole Powell, Oglebay Institutes director of visual arts.”The portfolio review will be very valuable to students who are planning to enter college, as they learn from the criticism of these professors.”


A new scholarship given by Oglebay Institute and WVU also will be awarded to an incoming freshman in the Division of Art. The $500 scholarship will be presented as a result of the portfolio reviews during the Regional Student Art Exhibition.


For more information about the scholarship or any of the upcoming events associated with the WVU -OI partnership, please call the StifelCenter at 304-242-7700 or the WVU College of Creative Arts at 304-293-4841, ext. 3109.