Wellesley alums appointed to new government posts
Three Wellesley alumnae have recently been chosen to hold top leadership positions in their respective national governments. Thailand native Kobkam Suriyasat ’83 was appointed minister of tourism and sports. She is also a member of the Wellesley College Business Leadership Council and previously served as chairperson of Thai Toshiba Industries Ltd. She graduated from Wellesley with an arts major and earned a degree in architecture from the Rhode Island School of Design. Rini Soemarno ’80 was recently appointed minister of government enterprises of the Republic of Indonesia. Soemarno was previously president director of PT Citra Motorindo Universe, among other leadership positions. She graduated from Wellesley with a degree in economics and went on to lead a 30-year career in Indonesian industry. In the United States, Pamela L. Spratlen ’76 has been nominated to become U.S. Ambassador to Uzbekistan and is pursuing her work as a defender of human rights.
Davis art tours the world
Works of art from the Davis Museum are frequently borrowed by museums around the world for exhibitions. This year, the Musée d’Art Moderne in Paris is displaying the 1913 painting by Sonia Delaunay-Terk entitled “Electric Prisms.” In April 2015, that same painting will travel to Tate Britain. Another work on loan from the Davis is at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York. Their exhibition “Henri Matisse: The Cut-Outs” includes the 1947 Matisse painting “Composition, Black and Red.” John McAndrew, who donated the Matisse piece was the first curator of architecture at the MoMA before becoming Wellesley College’s museum director. Pieces from the Davis are currently being displayed in half a dozen museums across the United States and Canada. The Davis also displays pieces from other museums such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Smithsonian, the National Gallery of Art and the Victoria and Albert Museum.
“Wellesley in Five” outlines College goals
President H. Kim Bottomly has outlined Wellesley College’s mission for the next five years in a document entitled, “Wellesley in Five: A Framework for 2020 and Beyond.” The ideas themselves are the result of eight years of community discussions. Academic excellence is at the forefront of these ideas, which include excellent faculty and students. A liberal arts education is another emphasis, especially as it is increasingly criticized in the news. Also, students should be able to defend their liberal arts education from Wellesley and should transfer well from the College to their careers. Finally, having a vibrant and inclusive community is something the College will focus on the coming years. The document is not yet finalized but is available to all members of the Wellesley community for viewing. Bottomly emphasizes that the ideas in “Wellesley in Five” are very broad and can sometimes not be concrete. This is intentional, as they are looking for community input before finalization. The document is intended to encourage discussion and reflection on the College. With “Wellesley in Five,” Bottomly hopes to redirect student and faculty efforts to areas that are important to all.
Melissa Shiner Shae appointed new Alumnae Association executive director
Melissa “Missy” Shiner Shae is currently serving as the director of admissions and financial aid at the Ethel Walker School in Simsbury, Connecticut; however, as of Jan. 20, 2015, she will be the new Wellesley College Alumnae Association (WCAA) executive director. Shae has extensive experience working with academic communities and has served as the associate academic director and middle school head at the Green Mountain Valley School in Vermont, in addition to having directed and instituted civic education programs as well as several recreational ski programs in Vermont. Shae graduated from Wellesley in 1989 with a major in political science. She also earned her master’s degree at Dartmouth in arts in liberal studies. The current WCAA executive director Susan Challenger will continue in her position until Jan. 20.
Consenses exibition opens in Tishman Commons
Wellesley College is the first college to showcase Consenses, an interactive exhibition that taps into all five senses. Consenses consists of a series of installations that use music, dance, visual art, poetry, perfume and herbal tea to create an immersive experience. Sally Taylor, the daughter of musicians James Taylor and Carly Simon, is the creator of the exhibition. Consenses brings together the work of 140 artists around the world, including renowned musicians, composers, poets, comedians, sculptures, writers and perfumers. The exhibition hopes to explore how these different artists might interpret their art by calling on the artists to create their own individual work based on by a shared inspiration. Currently, a ninth “chain,” or exhibit, is being created by Wellesley’s theatre department headed by Janie Howland, which will be added to the permanent Consenses exhibition and displayed at the Wellesley exhibition. Multiple Consenses workshops will also be held, as well as a benefit concert with Carly Simon on Nov. 22. The concert is $25 for general admission and $10 for Wellesley students. The exhibition is free and open to the public.
