Provost's Message

Nancy J. Uscher, Provost
John Bache, Associate Provost

CalArts is a community of artists who collaborate and create under one roof. Every incoming student is a uniquely talented and skillful artmaker and his or her practice is appreciated as such by a distinguished faculty of professional artists. In fact, the hallmark of the CalArts educational experience is the close collegial relationship between students and faculty, with both parties working in concert to explore the methods and meanings of artistic expression.

CalArts thrives on an atmosphere of constant change and energy. Students from all of the artistic disciplines learn from the successes of their peers and, just as importantly, from their failures. In this high-spirited environment, the need for artists to work independently is balanced against the benefit, for students and teachers alike, of having a multitude of voices, approaches and perspectives.

At CalArts, students learn to think for themselves, to strive for excellence and innovation in their work, and to continue their artmaking in the years following school. Graduates of CalArts have the analytical and artistic skills, as well as the social poise, to make their way in a world of their choosing. They have the courage to take risks and the wisdom to understand the effects and implications of such risks. Most of all, they are survivors, innovators, and individuals. And for them, CalArts serves as the springboard for success.

Nancy J. Uscher was appointed provost of CalArts in 2004. She was formerly associate provost of the University of New Mexico, where she also was a professor of music. She has been the violist for various ensembles and orchestras, including the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra and the American Composers Orchestra. Uscher has written the books The Schirmer Guide to Schools of Music and Conservatories Throughout the World and Your Own Way in Music: A Career and Resource Guide.

R. John Bache has exhibited his photographic work in the museums throughout the U.S., Europe and Asia. An independent curator and arts activist, he has served on the boards of numerous art, architecture and design councils in California. He has previously taught at UCLA, Otis and Art Center. Bache has been associate provost of CalArts since 1995.