51�Թ���

Office: VPAC 208
Phone: +1 (716) 839-7890
Email: dshanahan@daemen.edu

Dan Shanahan is Associate Professor and program director of Entrepreneurism and chair of the Visual and Performing Arts Department at 51�Թ��� as well as co-founder and Artistic Director of Torn Space Theater. Dan received a BA in English Literature and a MA in Arts Management. Dan has directed more than forty works for the stage and was awarded “Best Director” by Artvoice four times. He was referred to in The Dramatist as the “city’s de facto king of site-specific performance” and The Atlantic referred to his work “as a powerful example of the artist's role in reactivating and imagining new public spaces." His work has been written about nationally in PAJ: A Journal of Performance and Art and Chance Magazine and his work in site based performance represented the United States at the Prague Quadrennial in 2019 and 2023.

Dan has presented his scholarship on business models for non profits in the cultural sector and creative placemaking at the Pufendorf Institute of Advanced Study at Lund University, Lund, Sweden, Social Theory, Politics, and the Arts Conference at the University of Kentucky and the Southeastern Arts Leadership Educators Conference in Charleston South Carolina.. Dan recently published a chapter titled "Public Ritual and Utopia: How Torn Space Theater’s Creative Placemaking Strategies Activate the Public Realm" in the book Utopian Imaginings: Saving the Future in the Present published by SUNY Press and he recently presented his paper "How the digital arts can activate outdoor spaces and support neighborhood development" at the Social Theory, Politics, & the Arts Management Conference this December at Escuela Universitaria de Osuna-Universidad de Sevilla Osuna, Spain

Office: VPAC 011
Phone: +1 (716) 839-8463
Email: cbrandje@daemen.edu

Associate Professor of Theater, Christian Brandjes, hails from Baltimore, MD, and attended the University of Vermont where he received his BA in English. He received his MFA in Acting from Brandeis University. He has been a member of the Actors Equity Association, the union of professional actors, since 1994.

He has appeared in over 20 off-Broadway and Regional plays, including, as a company member of The Irondale Ensemble Project, a company member of StageWest, a founding member of the Blue Hill Performance Ensemble, the Gloucester Stage Company, and solo performance at the San Francisco Mime Troupe.

Additionally, Brandjes was the Improvisation Professor at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy, a fight choreographer, and a frequent voice-over actor in NYC.

Since relocating to Buffalo in 2003 to teach at 51�Թ���, he has appeared in over 40 productions in local professional theaters, including the Irish Classical Theatre, Shea’s 710 Main, the Kavinoky Theater, MusicalFare Theater, TornSpace Theater, the New Phoenix Theater, Road Less Travelled Productions, and Shakespeare in Delaware Park.

He is a published contributor to the works of the Walter Thompson Soundpainting Orchestra, and is one of a small number of Master Teachers of Soundpainting. He founded the Buffalo Soundpainting Ensemble, which produces experimental, ensemble-created performance pieces. These original works have been performed at local art and performance producing bodies, including Hallwall’s, the AKG, the New Phoenix Theatre, the Allendale Theater, the Burchfield Penney Gallery, Artists and Models, Trinity Church in Buffalo, and Silo City.

Phone: +1 (716) 835-0762
Email: kdoyle@daemen.edu

Kenneth Doyle attended the internationally renowned animation program at Ballyfermot College (BFSC) in Dublin, Ireland. The program was founded by animation legend, Don Bluth, former Disney artist and founder of the Dublin-based Sullivan Bluth studio. Now renamed the Irish School of Animation, this program has produced Oscar-winning artists and respected industry professionals working around the world.

Ken entered the professional world of animation as an animator and digital artist with the acclaimed video games studio Andrew Spencer's. This studio became a launching pad for a distinguished and well-rounded career in the commercial fields of video games, television production, and film. Ken's film credits include C.S. Lewis' Prince Caspian and Hell-Boy 2, directed by Guillermo Del Toro. Video game titles include the film franchise, Reign of Fire for Disney and Transformers - Fall of Cybertron for Blizzard Studios. Ken has worked at all levels of production including lead and supervisor roles on numerous projects and his work has taken him to several international destinations such as London, Scotland, Montreal, Ireland and the United States.

Professor Doyle has worked at some of the world's most prestigious studios for animation production including Frame-store, Double Negative, MPC and Lion-Head studios. Apart from animation, Ken's creative interests lie in the areas of 2D digital concept art and traditional portrait drawing.

Phone: +1 (716) 839-7676
Email: mjones@daemen.edu

Jones is a veteran of major Hollywood animation studios such as Disney, DreamWorks and Cartoon Network. He taught character animation at CalArts and produced an Annie Award-winning documentary.

Office: VPAC 021
Phone: +1 (716) 566-7889
Email: bhammer@daemen.edu

Phone: +1 (716) 839-8505 Ext. 8505
Email: nherman@daemen.edu

Noah Herman teaches graphic design in the Visual and Performing Arts at 51�Թ���. His teaching interests include design history, print design, web design, product development, and UX design.

After graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design from 51�Թ��� College in 2018, Mr. Herman began his career in advertising at Gelia. While at the agency, he developed campaigns for a diverse roster of clients, including regional organizations such as Independent Health, Trico, and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, as well as the international Fortune 100 company Caterpillar Inc. His skill in creating content for integrated campaigns across print and digital media has earned him recognition from the American Advertising Awards.

In 2021, Mr. Herman received his Master of Professional Studies in User Experience Design from the Maryland Institute College of Art. His thesis focused on enhancing adherence to psychological therapy, culminating in the creation of a prototype mobile app called “Bolster.” The app, designed to improve the connection between therapy patients and their care teams, was awarded the institution's Capstone Award. Since finishing his graduate degree, Mr. Herman has worked with clients such as Nature’s Way and the acclaimed agricultural technology startup Gripp to develop new digital products for desktop and mobile devices.
 

Office: VPAC
Phone: +1 (716) 566-7852
Email: plongson@daemen.edu

Philip Longson is an international award-winning and internationally published illustrator from the UK. He earned his MFA at the University of Edinburgh and has been teaching in higher education for over 10 years. At 51�Թ��� he teaches courses in drawing, design, and illustration.

Phone: +1 (716) 566-7852
Email: mparker2@daemen.edu

Mike Parker is a graduate of The Carnegie-Mellon University School of Art, where he studied painting with the American abstractionist Sam Gilliam and other influential faculty. Over the years, his oeuvre includes extensive work in both drawing and printmaking, with a parallel career in electronic music. The minimalism in his visual art often reflects the abstract nature of his techno productions. Most recently, his music was featured in the PRADA Menswear Spring/Summer 2025 Fashion Show.

Office: DS 144
Phone: +1 (716) 839-8258
Email: hputney@daemen.edu

Heather T. Putney earned her B.S. from 51�Թ���, and M.S.Ed., from SUNY Buffalo State College. Her research areas interests include interdisciplinary curriculum development, literacy in the arts, and culturally responsive teaching. Professor Putney delivers instruction to courses within both the Education and Visual Performing Art Departments, including Upper Division courses for Art Education, Elementary through Secondary. In addition, Putney serves as the Fieldwork Coordinator for the Education Department, where she oversees data collection and secures field-based, practicum and student teaching assignments. Professor Putney has vast experience as a K-12 Visual Arts Educator and has served as a guest lecturer within the Education Department at Canisius College.

Office: VPAC
Phone: +1 (716) 835-0762
Email: atinkey@daemen.edu

Mark B. Griffis has been an adjunct instructor within the Visual and Performing Arts Department at 51�Թ��� College for the past twelve years.

Mark graduated from Buffalo State College with his BS in Education and holds his Arts Honors Specialist from the University of Western Ontario located in London, Ontario.

Mark plays a large role in the Ashford Hollow Foundation which owns and operates the Essex Arts Center and Griffis Sculpture Park. Mark has been the director of the Essex Arts Center, located of the West Side of Buffalo, which has thirty studios and also provides a broad spectrum of educational art programs for thousands of students throughout Western New York. Mark also assists in the operating of Griffis Sculpture Park, located in East Otto, New York, a 450 acre arts and nature preserve with 250 monumental sculptures and ten miles of hiking trails.

Along with teaching, Mark has successfully owned and operated Griffis Studios for over twenty five years. Griffis Studios has completed several monumental sculptures as well as designed furniture pieces. Mark’s commissions can be seen at Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Hilbert College, Saint Josephs Hospital and Saint Mary's Church in Clarence, New York. Mark’s furniture design work has appeared in Architectural Record, Elle Decor, House Beautiful, and Home Magazine. He has also designed work for Donna Karan, Yale University, The Rockefeller Foundation, and Karl Lagerfeld.

Mark also has an extensive background as an actor. Mark was featured in hundreds of commercials including Crest Toothpaste, Amstel Beer, Eggo Waffles, Cadillac, Black and Decker, Red Rose Tea, and Ford Trucks. He has also appeared in several television shows and movies.

Phone: +1 (716) 566-7890
Email: cmeurer@daemen.edu

Caleb has worked in the animation industry for 25 years as a Storyboard Artist, Character Designer and Director. His work has appeared on SpongeBob Squarepants, The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, The Penguins of Madagascar, Looney Tunes Feature Shorts, and the Emmy Award-winning Cosmos. Caleb directed 7 episodes of the hit television series American Dad! and was nominated for a prime-time Emmy. He is currently a Character Designer on American Dad! which is still in production after 20 years and 400 episodes.

Caleb is also an accomplished Illustrator. He has created the artwork for eight Little Golden Books, including adaptations of Star Wars: A New Hope, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Dinosaur Train and SpongeBob. In 2025 his work was featured on 4 SpongeBob themed cards for Magic: The Gathering. His work has been featured on the cover of TV Guide, in the LA Times, Rolling Stone Magazine, and on millions of SpongeBob products worldwide. His drawings were recently featured on the SpongeBob postage stamps released in August 2025. Caleb studied Character Animation at California Institute of the Arts.

Phone: +1 (716) 566-7890
Email: xyang@daemen.edu

Xiao Yang is an intermedia artist who specializes in performance and painting. Her recent performances utilize nonlinguistic, bodily communication to explore the physical threshold of one’s own body that challenges the social discipline. Her recent paintings recontextualize industrial and chemical material into an artistic medium. This was catalyzed by her experience in a biology lab setting, experiencing the visual form of micro-organisms at microscopic sizes.

Ms. Yang guides students in cultivating both the purpose and direction of their artistic practice by fostering critical engagement with the world through visual language. Her pedagogy emphasizes the distinction between merely looking and truly seeing, encouraging the development of acute observational skills that inform both technical execution and conceptual inquiry. Through a synthesis of technical demonstration, art-historical contextualization, and guided-critiques, she strives to create an environment where students articulate their ideas with clarity, rigor, and confidence. She views teaching as a reciprocal process; through individualized feedback and dialogue, she works to understand each student's motivations and individual needs in the art-making process, in order to better support the integration of personal narrative and critical thought into their practice. Ultimately, her focus is to equip students with a sophisticated visual language and coherent concept that enables them to create work with intellectual depth and meaningful resonance. 

Ms. Yang has exhibited her work in the United States, the United Kingdom, and China. She teaches courses in Foundation Drawing, Figure Drawing, and Advanced Drawing.

Email: 

Website: 

James Allen, Professor Emeritus, has taught drawing and painting at 51�Թ��� College for over forty years. He holds a BFA from the University of Notre Dame, and an MFA from Wayne State University.

Professor Allen has exhibited his work in venues across the United States and in Canada, winning awards and purchase prizes in regional and national exhibitions. His two most recognizable idioms are the installations of large figurative cut-out paintings and his "American Folk Tale" series of multi-media drawings. Allen's work can generally be described as a meditation on the affections, fears, and obsessions of contemporary American society.

Dennis W. Barraclough (American, 1947-) internationally recognized artist, painter, sculptor, printmaker and teacher primarily known for his works in acrylic on canvas & paper, monotypes, collage and sculpture.

Dennis received a BFA in printmaking at SUNY at Buffalo, NY in 1970 and an MFA in sculpture from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI in 1972. From 1970-72, he was a Teaching Fellow at the University of Michigan. After completing his MFA in 1972, he immediately began his teaching career at 51�Թ��� College, Amherst, NY and is presently on the staff at 51�Թ��� as a Professor of Art. His instruction includes courses such as Foundation Design and Sculpture, and he currently serves as Gallery Director and the Director of Fine Arts for the Visual & Performing Arts (VPA).

Dennis has exhibited throughout the United States, Canada, Europe and China and recently in Venice, Italy where his work was included in the 2013 Venice Biennale. His work can be found in numerous public and private collections internationally. Exhibits include solo exhibitions at the Members Gallery at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, NY; Gallery Danielli, Toronto, Ontario; Niagara County Community College, Sanborn, NY and other public and private institutions. Dennis currently maintains his art studio at the Tri-Main building in Buffalo as part of the Buffalo Arts Studio.

Artist Statement:

“Monotype, collage and paint were the techniques utilized for previous works. I started out printing several layers of color on a plate with the etching press, which created a visual stimulus for the work. I responded in a completely intuitive way aesthetically, responding to color or surface, where it may have lead, nothing beyond that. During the process the piece became more complex, thus leading to further investigation. To say anything more than this would seem superficial, this was my process, the way I worked.”

“The paintings and works on paper, 2012-2014 are a further exploration of the paintings I have been working on over the past 5-7 years. The earlier paintings were let’s say literal in nature. The new work is a continuation of that in a purer sense, less metaphor and more direct, more about the day-to-day response to what preceded it.”

Office: VPAC 103

Phone: 716-839-8359

Email: lsommer@daemen.edu

Laura Watts Sommer earned her PhD from Temple University with her thesis Francesco Hayez and the Byronic Influence on Italian Romantic Painting (1999). Her articles include "Italian Romanticism and Academicism in an Unidentified Rest on the Flight into Egypt" for the Gazette des Beaux Arts (2002), "Shifting Identities: Politics, Poetry and Passion in Italian Nineteenth‐Century Portraiture" for Visual Resources (2007), and "Regionalism and Ruskin in the Ottocento Art Historical Narrative," a chapter in the 2012 anthology Ruskin, Venice, and Cultural Tourism. Her most recent project is a manuscript on the effect of Regionalism on the Ottocento art historical narrative.

Professor Sommer teaches classes on theory and methodology in the Modern and Contemporary eras.