Tearing, Mending, Weaving

Visually, this issue is all vibrant color and diagonal slashes of torn paper, a kinetic
representation of improvisation and spontaneity. It pulses with the energy of our faculty, staff,
students and alumni. Sometimes the fabric of time gets ripped!

Contrasting the theme of reinvention in this new year, inside you’ll find the story of a
very particular “re-visit.” Henry Hornbostel, the architect who left his fingerprints all over
CMU and Oakland — notably in our own College of Fine Arts and Margaret Morrison
Carnegie Hall buildings — is a ghost always among us. His great-granddaughter Julia
Hornbostel Bartholomew paid a call last semester, and our architectural history came
alive.

Other leaves are turning over. The metamorphosis of ICA Pittsburgh — due to physically
reopen in its fabulous new home in 2027 — is starting to unfold. And by the end of the
summer, four dynamic new colleagues will have joined us; they’ll have begun to make
their distinctive marks on our culture and community. Mary Anne Talotta has been
guiding our advancement efforts with skill and savvy since late October. We recently
welcomed Matthew Krause (whom you’ll meet in a later issue) as associate dean for
Finance and are so delighted that he is finally here (when you don’t have a finance
person, you notice!). Finally, on July 1, Milton Rubén Laufer and Ana Maria Pinto da
Silva will unlock their offices in the Schools of Music and Design, respectively, and a
new era will begin for both schools.

The world is an uncertain place, but surround yourself with good people doing beautiful
things, and you’ll be all right. Thank you for being part of the fabric of our CFA
community.

 | Dean Mary Ellen Poole