Join the University of Utah College of Fine Arts for CFA Assembly, a powerful show highlighting the creative works and research of our students and faculty, and celebrating our three Distinguished Alumni.
September 24, 2025
10:45 AM to 12:15 PM
Kingsbury Hall
Free. All Welcome. No tickets required.
Program
175 Years of Arts at the U
Film
Welcome
John Scheib
Associate Vice President for the Arts and Dean, College of Fine Arts
School of Music
“Finale from Symphony No. 2"Jean Sibelius, composer
Performed by the University of Utah Philharmonia
Professor Robert Baldwin, conductor
Film & Media Arts
Tim Palmer
Chair, Department of Film & Media Arts
“Maladaptive Awareness”
Film by student Marlee Huggins
Horizon Award Presentation
John Sutter (Film & Media Arts)
Department of Theatre
“Serious” from Legally Blonde, running Nov 14-23 in the Meldrum Theatre
Arts Educator Award Presentation
Adam Eskelson (Music)
School of Dance
“Niteotl”
By Stephanie Garcia
Art & Art History
“Color and the Hidden Knowledge of Artists” REDtalk
Associate Professor Edward Bateman
Legacy Award Presentation
Traci O’Very Covey
Closing
John Scheib
Associate Vice President for the Arts and Dean, College of Fine Arts
Following the CFA Assembly, we invite you to join us in the School of Music's McKay Library for the CFA Research Week multimedia exhibition and Sabbatical Lightning Talks at 12:30pm with light refreshments.
About the 2025 Distinguished Alumni
Traci O'Very Covey (Art)
Legacy Award
Traci O’Very Covey (BFA ’83) is a beloved Utah visual artist and teacher born in Salt Lake City whose work creates a sense of space and place in profound, vibrant, memorable ways. She creates work in a variety of media including paintings, murals, mosaics, art glass, and metal sculptures — all after having an award-winning career as a graphic designer and illustrator. Her work lives in Salt Lake County’s permanent collection, galleries, museums and the Salt Lake International Airport. She is currently Artist in Residence at Huntsman Cancer Institute.
John Sutter (Film)
Horizon Award
John Sutter (MFA ’23) is an independent award-winning journalist and documentary filmmaker specializing in stories about the climate crisis. His work has been supported by MIT, Harvard, National Geographic, the Sundance Institute, Sandbox films, and the National Science Foundation. Currently, he is directing an independent feature called BASELINE, which follows three children growing up on the frontlines of the climate crisis. His work has won the prestigious Livingston Award for Young Journalists, the IRE Award, the Edward R. Murrow Award, the Peabody Award and has received two EMMY nominations.
Adam Eskelson (Music)
Arts Educator
Adam Eskelson (BMU ’97) is an experienced educator and passionate advocate for student engagement and well-rounded learning. His meteoric rise from teaching in the classroom, to becoming an administrator, to serving in district-wide capacities to oversee fine arts programming where his current mission is to help build students who are not only academically capable, but socially and emotionally grounded. He believes schools should be places where students want to be—places fueled by real-world learning, authentic relationships, and purposeful instruction.