PBA’s College of the Arts Highlights: April 2026

The College of the Arts at Palm Beach Atlantic University (PBA) continues to flourish as a vibrant community of Christ-first artists, scholars, and communicators. This season has been marked by exceptional faculty scholarship, expanded professional engagement, meaningful student achievement, and growing influence across both local and global artistic communities. Together, these milestones reflect our ongoing commitment to cultivating creative excellence grounded in biblical truth by preparing students for lives of faithful service, professional distinction, and cultural impact. Below are highlights from across the College.

COLLEGE-WIDE DISTINCTION

Last month, the College hosted the Art of Storytelling Conference, bringing nationally recognized artist and two-time Grammy nominee Amick Byram to deliver a keynote address. Additionally, he engaged students through masterclasses across multiple disciplines, including Theatre and Music, offering insight drawn from a distinguished career with credits including Moses' singing voice in DreamWorks Animation's The Prince of Egypt, performing in the Los Angeles production of Sunset Boulevard, and appearing in Les Misérables on Broadway. By engaging directly with industry professionals and gaining insight into storytelling across stage and screen, these experiences reinforce the College's commitment to preparing students for meaningful artistic careers grounded in excellence. Additional plenary sessions, workshops, and interdisciplinary presentations occurred during the conference, highlighting the power of storytelling as a vehicle for truth, beauty, and gospel-centered communication.

Programmatic growth includes the launch of the PBA Jazz Festival, featuring Steven Feifke, Grammy-winning artist for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album, as guest clinician and performer. These initiatives reflect a strategic effort to increase the department's national visibility and professional engagement.

FACULTY HIGHLIGHTS

Professor Heather Couch, Associate Professor of Art, continues to earn distinction with her exhibitions at "Big and Bold 2" hosted by the Artists of Palm Beach County, "MUD" at Arts Warehouse Delray, "Onna House Palm Beach" by designer Lisa Perry, "Artists of Palm Beach County Members Show 2026" at Helen M. Salzberg Gallery, "Student and Faculty Show" at Armory Art Center, and "The Light/La Luz" by Persona Contemporary.

In addition to his recent international presentations, Dr. Jackie Yong, Assistant Professor of Piano, presented a plenary session at the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) National Collegiate Symposium in Columbia, South Carolina and led a Discussion Forum at the College Music Society (CMS) Southern Regional Conference in Birmingham, AL.

Dr. Nicholas Tavani, Adjunct Professor of Violin, toured with the Cleveland Orchestra performing to sold out audiences at Carnegie Hall in New York City and the Arscht Center in Miami.

Dr. Jiehua Zhang, Assistant Professor of Journalism, Published in March: Zhang, J. (2026). Ethnic News Among Chinese Americans: Political Possibilities. In G.L. Daniels & M. Biswas (Eds.), Covering Communities of Color in Times of Crisis: The Evolving Role and Relevance of Ethnic Media (pp.241-257). Peter Lang Publishing.

STUDENT HIGHLIGHTS

Sports Broadcasting student, Colby Smith, has been hired to work for the Forest City (NC) Owls this summer in the Coastal Plain League. He will serve as both a lead broadcaster and color commentator during baseball games. He will also be responsible for social media content creation and the team website. Twelve of the broadcasters who previously served this position have gone on to work in professional sports leagues, including MLB, NBA, NFL and NHL.

Journalism student, Kyla Ann, assisted with the filming of Fox News personality Sean Hannity's upcoming project while he was on PBA's campus.

Following a successful showing at the South Florida National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) Competition where nine of our voice majors won first or second place prizes competing against other universities in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties, our students progressed to competing at the Southeast Region NATS (SERNATS) competition in Georgia. With over 500 students from Georgia, Alabama, and Florida competing, PBA's students received the following recognitions: Dariel Peguero (First Place in Advanced Commercial Music - Men), Pauline Baxter (First Place in Commercial Music - Women), Emily Puentes (Third Place in Sophomore Classical Music - Women), Mikayla Beatty (Fourth Place in Sophomore Musical Theatre - Women), Madisyn Blake (Fourth Place in Freshmen Musical Theatre - Women), and Holbys Gonzalez (Fifth Place in Junior Classical Music - Men). These students are now eligible to compete in the NATS National Student Auditions this summer in Texas.

Current violin student Nicholas Signo won the Palm Beach Pops Concerto Competition and will perform with them in April 2026.

LOOKING FORWARD

From upcoming exhibitions and performances to international initiatives, the College of the Arts continues to grow as a place where faith and creativity meet with purpose. This month, our performing arts calendar is filled with a variety of events from Theatre and Cinema Showcases to Art exhibitions, Dance, and Music concerts. A few highlights include:

• A Look Back: France 1977-1995 Photography Exhibition (ongoing through April 17)
• PBA Dance Ensemble: Renew (April 7-8)
• Pop Rock Ensemble: Sail Away, A Rock Odyssey (April 16)
• Worship Music Ensemble: Endless Praise (April 20)
• Senior Art Show (April 23)
• 18^th Annual PBA Cinema Showcase (April 24)
• PBA Jazz Festival (April 25)
• PBA Pops Celebrate America! (April 26)
• Pippin (April 30-May 2)

All of our upcoming events can be found at https://www.pba.edu/performances.

Global opportunities for impact continue to expand for the College of the Arts. Immersive programs for our Department of Dance will take place this summer in Spain, France, and Ireland, where our students will perform, teach, and collaborate internationally, further establishing PBA as a leader in global dance education rooted in mission and ministry. The Spain portion of the trip will include teaching at a refugee camp in Barcelona, as well as dance camps in La Garriga, Spain. Additionally, the students will participate in master classes focused on Flamenco, Bolero, and Spanish dance styles. The France portion of the trip will include performing and producing with Project Dance-Paris, alongside professional companies from around the world. The festival includes performances and workshops in hip hop and contemporary dance styles. PBA's Concert Choir has been invited to sing at the 53^rd annual Svatky Pisni Olomouc Festival and Competition in Czechia, the largest choral festival in the country with 50+ groups competing from multiple countries. Additional performances by the choir will take place in Vienna and Salzburg, Austria. Both of these experiences will advance the College of the Arts by fostering global engagement and cultural exchange, which will prepare our students for professional artistic careers on an international level.

The transformative power of the arts at PBA continues to shape culture, deepen understanding, and communicate the truth of the Gospel. As we look ahead, our commitments remain steadfast:

• Cultivating creative leadership grounded in Christ
• Expanding global partnerships and immersive learning opportunities
• Strengthening community engagement and outreach
• Advancing excellence in scholarship and professional practice

Thank you for your prayers, generosity, and faithful partnership in this work. Because of your support, the College of the Arts continues to engage culture with thoughtfulness and integrity, serving as a vibrant place where faith and creativity come together with deep purpose.

With gratitude,

Jason Lester, D.M.

Dean, College of the Arts

Palm Beach Atlantic University