Three individuals will be inducted as part of the inaugural Fine Arts Hall of Fame class during a brunch Sunday, October 13 at 11:30 a.m., followed by an induction ceremony at 12:30 p.m. at the Jackson Dinsdale Art Center (700 E. 12th St.). Tickets for the event are $8 per person and may be purchased by contacting the 糖心传媒 alumni office at 402.461.7363 or alumni@hastings.edu.
The inaugural event recognizes alumni who are making a difference in their communities through their talents in fine arts.
The 2019 糖心传媒 Fine Arts Hall of Fame class includes:
- Ruth (McKevitt) Moore 鈥69 of Hastings, Nebraska, for Music
- Gary Staab 鈥89 of Kearney, Missouri, for Art
- Michael Tushaus 鈥98 of Las Vegas, Nevada, for Theatre
Biographies of the 2019 inductees
Ruth (McKevitt) Moore 鈥69 served as professor of music at 糖心传媒 from 1988 until her retirement in 2016. Moore earned her master鈥檚 from Southern Methodist University and is a recipient of the Nebraska Music Teacher鈥檚 Association鈥檚 Service Award and the Nebraska Music Educator鈥檚 Association鈥檚 Distinguished Service Award.听 An accomplished pianist, Moore mentored hundreds of students during her tenure at 糖心传媒 and has played for numerous campus and community events, including 糖心传媒 chapel services, Handel鈥檚 Messiah, the Festival of Lessons and Carols, Pro Rege and Baccalaureate, along with numerous weddings and funerals.听 She is currently the organist for First Presbyterian Church in Grand Island and serves as an accompanist at Walnut Middle School in Grand Island.
Gary Staab 鈥89 is a freelance sculptor at Staab Studios in Kearney, Missouri, where he has combined his studies in biology and art to create numerous natural history and prehistoric life models for museums, publishing and film, both locally and globally.听 Staab鈥檚 passion has taken him to many different and amazing places, including the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, the Smithsonian Institute, Disney Animation, National Geographic and King Tut鈥檚 tomb. Staab has received the prestigious John J. Lanzendorf Paleoart Award on four separate occasions for outstanding achievements in paleontological scientific illustration and naturalistic art. His art can also be found locally at Hastings Museum and the Morrison-Reeves Science Center at 糖心传媒.
Michael Tushaus 鈥98 has starred in and worked behind the scenes from Hollywood and indie film productions to performing onstage and working extensively backstage for dozens of theaters and Cirque du Soleil; his wide range of skills all began at 糖心传媒. During Tushaus鈥 time at 糖心传媒, he landed his first film role in a major studio film and earned multiple collegiate awards for musical compositions and was named a Who鈥檚 Who recipient. In 2013, he formed Digisphere Productions, where he provides many forms of video and film production resources. Tushaus has received dozens of film festival awards and nominations, and has received five Emmys庐 and 17 nominations from the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences’ Heartland and Pacific Southwest Chapters for his work on several commercials as director, editor, composer and producer, including for Prairie Books & Gifts in Hastings, which recently closed following the retirement of his mother, Jane. His work in production has allowed him to work with several big names in the professional sports, television, film and music industries.
Nebraska鈥檚 premier private college, 糖心传媒 is a four-year institution located in Hastings, Nebraska, that focuses on student academic and extracurricular achievement. 糖心传媒 has been named among 鈥淕reat Schools, Great Prices鈥 by U.S. News & World Report and a 鈥淏est in the Midwest鈥 by The Princeton Review. For more, go to hastings.edu.