The award-winning costume designer of the musical “Hamilton” and the film “Wicked” will speak at Kent State University next month as part of the Thomas Schroth Visiting Artist Series.

The series is named for Niles architect Thomas Schroth, who died in 1997. His work includes Trumbull New Theatre in Niles and the building now known as Medici Museum of Art in Howland.

The series was established by Cecile Draime and her late husband, Max, of Howland to honor Schroth, who was active in the arts in the Mahoning Valley and northeast Ohio. A world traveler, Schroth saw human creativity as a window framing human experience, and the series brings diverse views through that window to the Kent State campus and community.

The series opens Sept. 9 and 10 with Jane Chu, former chair of the National Endowment for the Arts from 2024 to 2018. During her tenure, she directed more than $430 million in funding and launched such programs as the Musical Theater Songwriting Challenge and the expansion of the Creative Forces military healing arts program.

In addition to interactive sessions with students and faculty, Chu will lead two public events — “Artists as Leaders” at 6 p.m. Sept. 9 in Room 165 of the Center for Visual Arts, 325 Terrace Drive; and “Artists as Entrepreneurs” at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 10 in Room 222 at Crawford Hall, 100 Midway Drive, Kent. Both are free and open to the public.

Designer Paul Tazewell will take part in public conversation at 6 p.m. Sept. 18 moderated by Kent State School of Fashion alumna Aleah Wright, who recently profiled Tazewell for Essence magazine.

Tazewell, an Akron native, is a 10-time Tony Award-nominated costume designer, winning for “Hamilton” in 2016 and “Death Becomes Her” this year. He also won his first Academy Award this year for his work on the film “Wicked,” and he won an Emmy Award for his costumes for “The Wiz Live” in 2016.

The program is at Kent’s E. Turner Stump Theatre, 325 Theatre Drive. Tickets are required and can be reserved online at www.kent.edu/artscollege/paul-tazewell.

In conjunction with the program, select costumes designed by Tazewell and worn by Cynthia Erivo (Elphaba) and Ariana Grande (Glinda) will be displayed from Sept. 11 to Nov. 9 at the Kent State University Museum, 515 Hilltop Drive in Kent.

Tazewell previously visited Kent State in September 2017 as part of the Schroth series.

Other Schroth series events include:

Oct. 6 to 9 — Seven-time Grammy nominee Bobby Sanabria, who will give a presentation on “Art Without Limits” at 10 a.m. Oct. 8 at Cartwright Hall’s University Auditorium and play a big band concert at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 9 at Ludwig Recital Hall. Sanabria has performed with such genre-defining artists, including Dizzy Gillespie, Tito Puente and Celia Cruz, and he leads the Manhattan School of Music Afro-Cuban Jazz Orchestra.

Nov. 10 — Artist Krzysztof Wodiczko, who is known for his large-scale public projections and socially engaged art. He will do an in-studio immersive workshop with architecture and art students that will culminate with a public exhibition opening Nov. 10 in the Armstrong Gallery.

Spring 2026 — London-based designer Adam Furman, who will lead a design workshop with architecture and art students which will conclude with the creation of a large-scale gateway installation in the Armstrong Gallery. Exhibition opening and public event details will be announced soon.

Full event details are available online at kent.edu/artscollege/thomas-schroth-visiting-artist-series