![\"Adam](\"https:\/\/blog.siuf.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/adam-rowe-279x300.jpg\")
By Jeff Wilson<\/p>\nBy Jeff Wilson<\/p>\n
Adam Rowe \u201902 has worked on some of your favorite TV shows, even though you probably haven\u2019t seen his face.<\/p>\n
Working as an art director on \u201cThe Good Place,\u201d \u201cDexter,\u201d \u201cCriminal Minds,\u201d \u201cMad Men,\u201d \u201cHouse M.D.\u201d and \u201cParks and Rec,\u201d Rowe gives viewers a glimpse of his creative vision. In 2019, his hard work was rewarded with an Emmy for his work on \u201cRent: Live.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWinning an Emmy is more than a dream,\u201d he said. \u201cI spent the next day thinking \u2018What happened? I can\u2019t believe it!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Wondering what an art director does? Rowe explains it as \u201cthe hub of the art department and the extension of the production designer.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe art director is often in charge of time, money and space,\u201d he said. \u201cHow long will it take to build a set? How much will it cost, and where will we build it? When it comes together, it\u2019s very rewarding.\u201d<\/p>\n
The road to SIU<\/strong><\/p>\n After a stint studying engineering at the University of Wisconsin Platteville, Rowe started considering changing majors and switching colleges. His two older sisters had attended SIU Carbondale.<\/p>\n \u201cI had been down to Carbondale a number of times for parent weekends,\u201d said Rowe, who grew up on farm outside of Grand Ridge in LaSalle County. \u201cI proudly wore a Saluki sweatshirt when I was 10.\u201d<\/p>\n He reached out to SIU and was connected with Ron Naversen in the Department of Theater. While Rowe wasn\u2019t sure a theater degree would lead to many job opportunities, Naversen convinced him.<\/p>\n \u201cRon educated me on the possibilities. He spoke about a designer who worked on \u2018Sesame Street\u2019 and some other career pathways,\u201d Rowe said. \u201cPlus, SIU offered the most flexibility as far as accepting my existing credits.\u201d<\/p>\n It was also Naversen who encouraged Rowe to apply for scholarships. He eventually received the Archibald McLeod Award.<\/p>\n \u201cI was honored to get it, and I felt a sense of pride and togetherness with the others who were awarded,\u201d Rowe said.\u00a0\u201cThe money helped me avoid more student debt, and it saved me interest on a loan. I had two jobs while on campus, so receiving a scholarship kept me from needing a third.\u201d<\/p>\n One of those jobs was a resident advisor position in Mae Smith Hall.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was the fifth floor \u2013 the same floor my sister had been on,\u201d Rowe said. \u201cIt was predominately the freshman football team. My floor only caused one fire drill, and that was because someone nuked their Pagliai\u2019s pizza in tin foil.\u201d<\/p>\n Rowe also acted as a defendant in the School of Law\u2019s mock court proceedings and gave campus tours to prospective and incoming students.<\/p>\n \u201cI loved the woods surrounding Carbondale. I remember walks in snow, rain and sunshine from Mae Smith to the theater department,\u201d he said. \u201cI love Faner Hall and its crazy, weird architecture. I went back on a few occasions to speak to students about the entertainment industry and also was invited as a designer to work for the McLeod Summer Playhouse.\u201d<\/p>\n Life after SIU<\/strong><\/p>\n After earning a bachelor\u2019s degree from SIU, Rowe received his master\u2019s in theater and set design from the University of Illinois.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m proud to be Illinois-educated,\u201d he said. \u201cFrom Illinois, I went to Colorado, New Mexico, Florida, Indiana and eventually California working as a painter and assistant designer. Through an SIU connection, I was enticed to go to Los Angeles.\u201d<\/p>\n Once he got on his feet, he found himself working as an assistant on the AMC drama, \u201cMad Men.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat TV show was about the best schooling I could get,\u201d Rowe said. \u201cIt got me hooked on TV. I spent a large portion of my TV career bouncing between scripted and live events. They are still both theater to me.\u201d<\/p>\n For someone who spent time as a teenager mowing lawns and listening to the soundtrack for \u201cRent\u201d on CD, winning an Emmy for working on the live TV version of the play was a dream come true.<\/p>\n \u201cThat was my dream job,\u201d Rowe said. \u201cI could never have imagined I would be a part of bringing that show to the national stage on Fox. I had previously worked with Fox, but I was so proud to collaborate with that studio to make something so impactful. That will have a very special place in my heart.\u201d<\/p>\n To learn more about Rowe\u2019s career, visit his professional website www.curiousdoor.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n To learn more about how to support scholarships like the one that helped him reach his goals, visit www.siuf.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Engage with us on\u00a0LinkedIn<\/a>,\u00a0Facebook<\/a>,\u00a0Twitter<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Instagram<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Jeff Wilson Adam Rowe \u201902 has worked on some of your favorite TV shows, even though you probably haven\u2019t seen his face. Working as an art director on \u201cThe Good Place,\u201d \u201cDexter,\u201d \u201cCriminal Minds,\u201d \u201cMad Men,\u201d \u201cHouse M.D.\u201d and \u201cParks and Rec,\u201d Rowe gives viewers a glimpse of his creative vision. In 2019, his … Continue reading Behind the scenes with an Emmy-winning Saluki: Adam Rowe found direction, support at SIU<\/span>