Rebecca Sugar Returns To SVA To Celebrate ‘Lonely Magic’ Music

Last November, the School of Visual Arts (SVA) community gathered for a rare opportunity to celebrate Lonely Magic, a musical journey created by alumna Rebecca Sugar (BFA Animation 2009), alongside her creative partners and fellow alumni Ian Jones-Quartey (BFA Animation 2006), Alex Myung (BFA Animation 2009), and Chris Burns (BFA Animation 2003).

The SVA Theatre was filled with students, alumni, faculty, industry friends, and animation enthusiasts, all eager to learn about their extraordinary collaboration, their shared memories as students at SVA, and the creative process behind Lonely Magic. The event featured screenings of three Lonely Magic music videos — “Ice Water,” “This Is a Love Song,” and “Hill to Die On” — followed by a panel discussion moderated by BFA Animation chair Hsiang Chin Moe. The day concluded with a powerful acoustic performance by Rebecca Sugar, leaving the audience profoundly moved by love and respect.

“You could feel the excitement in the air hours before the event started,” said current senior Noreen Sullivan. “It felt like this year my peers truly came together to enjoy the experience, and this event played a massive role in fostering a sense of community. When the panelists talked about the friends they made in college and how amazing it was to still, over two decades later, create art together, I could see everyone in the crowd get misty-eyed and look at their friends.”

One of the most tender highlights of the day was Rebecca Sugar’s acoustic performance. Senior Sasha Rojer shared, “Rebecca’s performance was a love letter to the extremes of an artist’s life: the beauty of inspiration and the anguish of competition. ‘Ice Water’ and ‘Love the Way It Feels’ spoke to the journey of animation students and the countless sacrifices we make for this craft.” Freshman Ian Ortiz added, “We are in a turbulent time right now, where young animators are uncertain if they will get a chance to tell a story like Rebecca or Ian did. When I attended Lonely Magic, I was reminded of the power of art.”

This event represents the essence of the SVA community, one that supports its members far beyond the classroom. As SVA prepares to welcome a new cohort of students for Accepted Students Day, the BFA Animation program is taking this opportunity to share documentation of the Lonely Magic event with Cartoon Brew’s audience and beyond.

Watch the 20-minute recap video on SVA BFA Animation’s YouTube channel to experience the power of art and animation that defines the SVA community. “It’s amazing to be back here with my friends after all this time… To be able to make art with the people I met here, it’s the best part of my life,” said Rebecca Sugar at SVA’s Lonely Magic homecoming event.

SVA BFA Animation continues to grow and strengthen its community at this year’s Accepted Students Day on April 11, 2026. Future #AniFam are invited to join us at the SVA Theatre for a day of imagining and shaping their creative futures. RSVP here today.