Allegheny Alumni Connection

To: Allegheny College Alumni Magazine

Anita Buzzy Prentiss (class of ‘93) and Lou Castelli (class of ‘86) recently discovered they were both Allegheny alumni as they were working on an important project together. Lou is the Marketing Director of Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, and he asked Anita (owner of Buzzy Photography) to photograph all the artists and directors of the company to update their website.

Anita says, “Near the end of all the many photo shoots and back-and-forth conversations necessary to complete the project of 40+ subjects, Lou and I realized our common college experience and similar backgrounds helped us work so well together.

I was very involved in the dance program at Allegheny, as well as photography, art, theatre, and voice and I graduated with a degree in Communication Arts. The Liberal Arts concept encouraged me to explore many sides of myself. Instead of just linear learning, Allegheny made it possible for me to include my variety of interests, which eventually allowed me to become a photographer that can understand, have conversations with, and create images of all kinds of subjects.

It’s clear to me now how intentional Allegheny was with being diverse. Exploration in many different disciplines has clearly impacted who I am today. I don’t rigidly attach to one area; I flow with my creative nature while balancing it out with the business side of things.

I am so grateful I chose Allegheny because, especially in retrospect, I see how much of a perfect fit it was for how I naturally operate. I’ve been able to explore my career path and change directions when I felt it was right, and weave in my personality and interests my own unique way.”

Lou also graduated with a degree in Communication Arts and has spent his career as an arts marketing leader in Pittsburgh’s Cultural District. “In addition to Anita being a wildly talented photographer, she is a great creative partner and collaborator, and was very passionate about making this project work,” he remarked. “We had a vibe all week while shooting, and when we finally made the connection, I was like, ‘Of course!’ There’s just something about that Allegheny experience that bonds you.”

You can see the results of this collaboration at Artists – Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre (pbt.org)