Arts Management

Dr. Kristin N. Clark
Assoc. Prof., Chair, Dept. of Performing Arts
Email: Kbclark@adrian.edu
Office: Spencer-112
Office Ext.: 3893

Dr. Kristin Clark, mezzo-soprano, has been lauded for her “technical prowess” and “approachability” (classical.net). She can be heard in the role of Electre on the 2015 GRAMMY nominated recording of Milhaud’s L'Orestie d'Eschyle, for which Opera News described her voice as “slicing the air unassailably.” In 2015, Dr. Clark made her solo debut in Carnegie Hall, singing Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde with the Blue Period Ensemble. She returns to Carnegie Hall in the summer of 2024 to sing Duruflé’s Requiem with Manhattan Concert Productions. Particularly at home on the concert stage, Dr. Clark has appeared as a guest soloist with organizations such as the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra, the Illinois Symphony Orchestra, the Toledo Symphony, the Bozeman Symphony, the Oakland Choral Society, the University Musical Society, the Ypsilanti Symphony Orchestra, and the Adrian Symphony. Other notable concert appearances include the world premiere of Susan Botti’s Tagore Madrigals at the American Academy in Rome and a Canadian Tour of Aaron Copland’s In the Beginning. Frequently performed works include Handel’s Messiah, Duruflé’s Requiem, Mozart’s Mass in C Minor and Requiem, and Beethoven’s Mass in C.

Opera audiences have seen Dr. Clark on stage with Michigan Opera Theatre, Arbor Opera Theatre, The Metropolitan Baroque Ensemble, the University of Michigan Opera Theatre, and the Blue Lake Summer Arts Festival. Favorite performances include the role of Dritte Magd in Elektra with Christine Goerke and the title roles in Dido and Aeneas, Hansel and Gretel, and Gluck’s Armide. Dr. Clark's other operatic roles include Vlasta in The Passenger, Jo in Little Women, the Sorceress in Dido and Aeneas, Ruth in Pirates of Penzance. Marcellina in Le Nozze di Figaro, Mercedes in Carmen, Madama Rose in Il Campanello, and Florence Pike in Albert Herring.

Dr. Clark completed her Doctorate in vocal performance at the University of Michigan, where she also received Master’s degrees in vocal performance and choral conducting and an undergraduate degree in music education. As a graduate student in conducting, she led the University’s Orpheus Singers and Residential College choirs, and she received the honor of conducting in master class with Helmuth Rilling. As a graduate student vocalist, Dr. Clark made solo appearances with every major choral and orchestral ensemble on campus, performed in recital with Martin Katz, and was selected to sing in master classes with Jessye Norman, Ann Baltz, and David Daniels. Dr. Clark also performed as a cover to Jessye Norman in a workshop of Laura Karpman’s Ask Your Mama. As an alum, she has returned to her alma mater to perform works by De Falla and Gubaidulina with the University Symphony Orchestra and Band.

Dr. Clark is currently Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Performing Arts at Adrian College. She has previously held positions teaching voice for the University of Michigan musical theatre program and at Concordia University. In the summer, she has taught on the voice faculty at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp, MPulse Vocal Arts Institute and Musical Theatre Workshops, and the Interlochen Adult Choir Camp. Graduates of Dr. Clark’s studio have gone on to perform leading and supporting roles on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and in national tours, to pursue graduate studies in vocal performance, and to teach music in elementary, secondary, and collegiate classrooms.

Assist. Prof. Travis Erxleben
Email: terxleben@adrian.edu
Office: Mahan-11F
Office Ext.: 4374

Travis Erxleben’s works stimulate a thematic commentary on the lasting legacies of previous generations and highlight the importance of preserving historically significant objects.

In 2019, Travis was selected as a demonstrating artist at the Michigan Clay Art Association’s biennial conference “Michigan Mud.” His accomplishments also include participation in numerous solo, two-person, invitation, and juried art exhibitions throughout the United States.

Travis holds a Master of Fine Arts degree from Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas. Originally from Houston, Texas, Travis now resides in Adrian, Michigan, where he is an Assistant Professor of Art and Design at Adrian College. In addition to his roles in the classroom, Travis serves as Chair of the Department of Art and Design and Director of the Adrian College Institute for Creativity.

Elizabeth (Libby) Watson is the Executive Director of the Adrian Symphony Orchestra (ASO), a professional symphony orchestra in residence at Adrian College in Adrian, MI. With over 20 years of service to the organization, including time as a musician, board member, and the last 16 years as executive leader, Watson has been a catalyst for growth in advancing the orchestra’s mission, securing its financial stability, and expanding its community impact.
With a passion for broadening the reach of live, orchestral music and deepening the concert experience, Watson has launched numerous successful initiatives at the ASO, including expanding educational offerings to include programs for all ages from toddlers to college students, including Carnegie Hall’s Link Up curriculum, and founding a tuition-free Youth Orchestra for middle school students. Other key initiatives include pioneering and developing a supporter club focused on commissioning and performing new works by living composers, completing a Music Director search with Henry Fogel consulting, and establishing a Summer Chamber Music Series.
A strategic and visionary leader, Watson has guided ASO through national programs including the League of American Orchestras’ Institutional Vision initiative for innovation, Governance program for board development, and Catalyst Fund grant program. She led the orchestra’s first planned giving campaign growing financial reserves from $100K to $2M, increasing earned revenue, and raising compensation for musicians and staff. She also modernized the organization’s operations by adopting new financial, ticketing, and CRM systems. Watson also raised funds and procured $50K in new concert and percussion equipment for the orchestra.
Watson has a proven track record of successfully securing competitive grants from national and government funding organizations including the National Endowment for the Arts, New Music USA, Arts Midwest, Michigan Arts & Culture Council, as well as national foundations such as the Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation, Mellon Foundation, Paul M. Angell Family Foundation and MetLife through the League of American Orchestras. Additionally, she has received support from several notable local foundations and corporate partners. All of these successes have been made possible through the vital partnership of the Music Director, musicians and staff, and the steadfast support of the Board of Directors and donors, whose collaboration has been essential.
Beyond ASO, Watson serves more than 250 orchestras nation-wide as Chair of the League of American Orchestras’ Constituency Group for orchestra executive directors of similar budgets and sits on the League’s National Board of Directors. She is also a Steering Committee member for New Music for America, a collaborative music-commissioning, performance, and outreach program for smaller, regional orchestras across the country.
In addition to her leadership at the ASO, Watson serves as an Adjunct Professor at Adrian College, where she was instrumental in launching the college’s Arts Management degree program. Drawing on her extensive experience and passion for education and professional development, she designed the program’s framework and created the curriculum and course materials for its foundational classes, which she continues to teach:

• ARTM 101: Foundations in the Arts, Cultural, and Creative Industries – An introduction to arts leadership and organizational management, covering strategic planning, mission development, budgeting, program evaluation, and audience engagement, tailored to the unique needs of the cultural and creative sectors.

• ARTM 200: Non-Profits and the Arts, Cultural, and Creative Industries – A focused study of nonprofit operations, including board governance, fundraising, volunteer management, community engagement, and arts advocacy within nonprofit arts organizations.

• ARTM 400: Capstone – A culminating course in which students design and produce a public arts event, demonstrating skills in planning, fundraising, promotion, and execution, while advancing cultural literacy and appreciation.

Watson holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration/Pre-Law from Michigan State University’s Eli Broad College of Business and a Master’s in Organizational Leadership from Siena Heights University. She has additional professional experience in the for-profit sector in retail, automotive, and banking where she worked in financial services and employee professional development. She plays the violin and viola and resides in Adrian, MI with her husband, Brian. Inspired by her two children, both current college students, she draws on their academic journeys to keep her teaching fresh and grounded.