VCU news

The Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts has hired three administrators: Patricia Brown has been hired as chair of the Department of Fashion Design and Merchandising, Matt King as chair of the Department of Sculpture and Extended Media and Suzanne Silitch as director of communications.

“After conducting national searches, we could not be more pleased with the talent and vitality these new leaders will bring to the departments of Fashion and Sculpture and our Office of Communications,” said Joseph H. Seipel, dean of the School of the Arts. “I look forward to seeing what new directions these energetic professionals will bring to their departments.”   

Brown is a fashion industry veteran with more than 20 years of design and design direction experience. In 2008, she founded Patricia Brown Designs, a high-end fashion, jewelry and accessory design firm. She has worked with some of the best names in the business, including Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein Collection, Adrienne Vittadini, Ann Taylor and Banana Republic.

I look forward to seeing what new directions these energetic professionals will bring to their departments.

Brown graduated from the College of William and Mary with a major in economics and a minor in English. She then earned a bachelor of fine arts in fashion design, with honors and a Gold Thimble Designer Critic Award, from Parsons School of Design in New York City.

After a national search, the School of the Arts named King — previously an associate professor of art foundation and sculpture at the school — as department chair. King received his master of fine arts from Bard College in 2004. He studied at the Cooper Union School of Art and participated in the Whitney Independent Studio Program. His solo shows include Werkstatte Gallery and Massimo Audiello in New York and Fourteen30 Contemporary in Portland, Oregon, as well as group exhibitions that include Luhring Augustine, Stefan Stux and Guild & Greyshkul.

Silitch’s comprehensive communications background comes from more than 12 years of professional experience working in strategic communications, creative services, marketing and public relations. She holds a certificate of business administration from the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, a master of fine arts in painting from the State University of New York at Stony Brook and a bachelor of arts in sociology and fine arts from the University of Mary Washington.

Most recently, Silitch served as director of creative services for Williams College in Massachusetts.

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