Bachelors of Fine Arts in Visual Arts, Art Practices Emphasis | Bachelors of Arts in Art History

Visual Arts Outstanding Graduate Josephine Clark will graduate from CU Denver’s College of Arts & Media with a BFA in Visual Arts, emphasizing Art Practices and a BA in Art History.

Known for excelling in her classes, Josephine took special care in every project she undertook. She also overhauled the Art Practices student organization, making it accessible to more people interested in the arts and opening it up to anyone studying on the Auraria campus.

Among other endeavors, Josephine co-curated the exhibition “No Puedo Imaginar Mi Vida Sin Ti” in the CU Denver Experience Gallery which explored themes of friendship and community with fellow student Adira Castillo. 

Bachelors of Arts in Art History

Zach Lacy, one of the Visual Arts department's outstanding graduates, earned his BA in Art History.

While at CU Denver, Zach researched depictions of gender in medieval religious artwork and Takashi Murakami’s postmodern “Superflat” movement. His research on both subjects was presented at the Front Range Art History Symposium and the SUNY New Paltz Undergraduate Art History Symposium. 

After graduation and before beginning graduate studies at Boston University, Zach will spend the summer interning with the Provenance Research Department at the Denver Art Museum where he will help identify the ownership history of various artwork and contribute to the curatorial accuracy of displays.

Bachelors of Science in Music, Emphasis in Performance

Hunter Gammel is graduating from CU Denver’s Music & Entertainment Industry Studies program with a BS in Music with a performance emphasis. As one of this spring's “Outstanding Graduates,” Hunter has been recognized for his ability to face every challenge with focus, curiosity, and a steady commitment to growth.

Hunter "is deeply respected across the CU Denver Music Department for his integrity, collaborative spirit, and unwavering work ethic. Hunter doesn’t just engage with the material—he elevates it, setting a high standard for those around him," writes faculty member Carmen Sandim. 

Taking advantage of a community composed of other musicians at CU Denver, Hunter played in multiple bands during his time in school. Working right up before graduation, Hunter's senior recital at the Clocktower Cabaret was sold out. After graduation, Hunter will spend one more summer teaching high school students about music in CU Denver's LYNX National Arts & Media camp. Then he will shift his focus to playing gigs and working on a recording project with fellow CAM alum Finn O'Sullivan.

Masters of Science in Recording Arts

Jacob Passini, named one of CU Denver’s Music & Entertainment Industry Studies “Outstanding Graduates,” has earned his MS in Recording Arts. 

Jacob's background is in music performance and education. Jacob dedicated his time at CU Denver to innovating in creative coding and sound design. He approached his studies with a collaborative spirit that led to his academic excellence. Jacob is eager to bring what he has learned back to the classroom.

Master of Science Media Forensics

Susan Kost excelled in her media forensics classes in the National Center for Media Forensics (NCMF).

Susan chose to use her background in video production to conduct impactful research on video frame extraction for her thesis. According to her instructors, Susan’s thesis, tentatively titled “A Quantitative Study of Frame Extraction Methods, Tools, and Their Impact on Extracted Frame Quality from HEVC Videos”, is poised to be impactful research of an important topic that affects law enforcement, research agencies, and many other areas related to multimedia forensics. 

After graduation, Susan will continue the research from her thesis with the hope of presenting it at the American Academy of Forensic Science conference next year.

Bachelor of Fine Art in Film & Television

During his time at CU Denver, Said Cisneros-Toledo excelled in his filmmaking classes. Although the curriculum introduces students to all aspects of the filmmaking process, Said excelled in sound for film and television. He gained a reputation for working hard both in and outside of the classroom and even had opportunities to work on the sets of faculty members' film projects.

"I am continually impressed by Said’s drive to create the highest quality of work both technically and narratively, and to push past the requirements of the classes to learn the craft and skill of sound for film and television," writes Assistant Professor Andrew Bateman. "Said’s attention to detail, thoughtfulness, and get-it-done attitude is going to serve him extremely well during, in what I perceive to be, a long and successful career in film and television," he adds.

After graduating, Said has plans to work on a feature film currently in production and continue building what's likely to be a very successful freelance career.

Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film & Television

Matteen gained a reputation among his peers and the Film & Television faculty for being hard working, punctual, creative, diligent, a strong leader, and a team player.

Matteen’s junior year action short The Insurer won an award for best production at CAM’s annual film awards, Cinefest. For his senior capstone project, Matteen, with the help of his fellow students, created a short film called Make Time, about a young couple who use time travel to extend their precious time together.

After graduation, Matteen plans to continue writing and directing to sharpen his skills as he explores Colorado’s film industry.