Head of School Dr. Rodney V. De Jarnett announced yesterday that two departmental chair positions had been filled within the D-E Fine and Performing Arts Department. Gregg Emery was named as the new Chair for the D-E Fine Arts Department. John Littlefield was announced as the new Chair of the D-E Performing Arts Department. The two appointments come as Clinton Carbon, long-time Chair of the previously-combined D-E Fine & Performing Arts area, takes on a new role as Director of Multicultural Affairs. 

In his recent comments to D-E faculty, staff and Trustees, Dr. Rodney V. De Jarnett noted, “The degree to which the arts program has grown at D-E, strongly suggested that we split what used to be one leadership position into two roles. I cannot think of two more committed, talented individuals to take over the reins from Clinton Carbon’s capable and dedicated leadership." 

Dr. De Jarnett continued, "Whether you consider the number of students taking music, visual arts, photography, and other artistic courses and those who are active in artistic clubs and activities…or our graduates who are entering post-secondary institutions which are nationally-known for their arts programs, the arts are vibrant and thriving at D-E.”

Gregg Emery noted that he was "thrilled" to be taking on this role.  "The Visual Arts at Dwight-Englewood is an impressive program offering a rich and diverse studio experience at all divisions with focused artist/ teachers guiding them in this process. (One of my) challenges is to help showcase the great works of both faculty and students, that happen in our Swartley Art Center, out to the greater community and beyond.”

Emery added, “Our graduating class of 2010 will add to the impressive number of D-E graduates who have attended prestigious art programs. In Fall 2010 D-E graduates will be pursuing art, fashion, and/ or design degrees/ study at RISD, Maryland Institute, College of Art, School of Visual Arts, Pratt, Parsons, Syracuse University, USC and Yale. I will hope to continue guiding our students to prominent arts college/university programs and successful artistic careers.”

Littlefield echoed Emery’s enthusiasm, noting, “I greatly look forward to my new position within the D-E arts program. I will be primarily working to support the strengths of the department as it has evolved over the past several years and promote opportunities to expand the horizons of the department as those opportunities arise. My vision is also to have the Performing Arts eventually (relate back to and include) Theatre, Music and also Dance. I want to have even more visible presence of the arts in daily school life as well as having our Performing Arts programs reach out to communities outside of our campus setting, regionally, nationally and even internationally. What is exciting is that I have felt firsthand how the student culture (at D-E) seems to be experiencing an increased appreciation of not only the Orchestral Program but of all the Arts offered here. ”

Gregg Emery teaches Upper School art classes and evening parent/faculty classes, and he coaches varsity volleyball and Upper School lacrosse. He also most recently was the school's twelfth grade Dean.  Emery received his Bachelor of Arts with departmental distinction from Harwick College in Oneonta, New York, and Masters in Fine Arts from the Maryland Institute, College of Art, Baltimore, Maryland, where he studied under Babe Shapiro, Power Boothe, Sal Scarpitta and Hermine Ford. His work is included in numerous private and public collections including the permanent collection of the Baltimore Museum of Art.

Prior to joining the D-E music faculty in 2006 as Orchestral Director, John Littlefield spent 19 years at the Spence School in New York conducting their orchestra, coaching chamber music and teaching flute. During the summers he has been head of the woodwind department, director of chamber music, a chamber music coach; the senior flute teacher; principal flute player in the Chamber Orchestra; and in charge of the sailing program at the music camp Encore/Coda in Sweden, Maine.

Littlefield has pursued a successful career performing on the flute as a soloist, a chamber musician and in orchestras. He presented his New York Carnegie Recital Hall debut at the age of nineteen and has since toured extensively throughout the U.S. as well as the former Soviet Union. He has appeared with a variety of ensembles including 315 East A Chamber Ensemble; the flute and classical guitar duo Herrick & Handler; a flute and piano duo with his wife Karen Littlefield and with the Herrick Ensemble. Under his direction the Herrick Ensemble was honored to be one of the few ensembles selected by Chamber Music America and Symphony Space to perform on the celebration of their joint 25th anniversaries and aired over WNYC. His articles have been published in Chamber Music Magazine and Flute Talk and his recent CD release of Flute Quartets by Ferdinand Ries received critical acclaim from Pan, the Flute Magazine published by the British Flute Society.