Exhibitions Program
Cunningham in the Northwest
This exhibition is a part of the Merce Cunningham minEvent 2010 – 2011, celebrating Cornish Alumnus Merce Cunningham. Learn more at cornish.edu/merce.
Cunningham in the Northwest is an interdisciplinary art exhibition that explores the connections between the groundbreaking work of choreographer Merce Cunningham and his hometown region. The first art exhibition to look at Cunninghamʼs work within the context of the Pacific Northwest, Cunningham in the Northwest celebrates his legacy of collaboration and examines how his relationship to Cornish and the Northwest informed his philosophies and the work he created.
Exhibition Info
September 8 – October 22
Cornish Main Gallery, 1st Floor, 1000 Lenora Street, Seattle, WA 98121
Free and open to the public
Gallery Hours
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday & Friday, 12:00 – 5:00 pm
Thursday, 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Opening Reception
September 7, 5:00 – 8:00 pm
With special performance by Stuart Dempster
Thirteen Stitches: A Lunchtime Conversation with Trimpin
September 15, 12:00 – 1:00 pm
Seattle sound artist Trimpin shares his experience collaborating with Merce Cunningham on “Installations” (1996)
More About the Exhibition
Cunningham in the Northwest presents a unique look at the groundbreaking choreographer’s work as it relates to his upbringing in Centralia, his subsequent education at Cornish, and his innovative work with ideas and artists of the Northwest. Drawing from his philosophies on dance that inspired artists across disciplines throughout the world, this exhibition offers viewers the opportunity to experience some of the critical elements of his creative process such as chance operations and collaboration. Relevant work by Northwest School founder and former Cornish instructor William Cummings, musician and composer Stuart Dempster, photographer Barbara Morgan, mixed media artist Barbara Robertson, sound artist Trimpin, and Andy Warhol are integrated with significant photographs from the Cornish archives, material from performances and tours, and one original drawing by Merce himself.
Cunningham in the Northwest is co-curated by Cornish Exhibitions Curator Jess Van Nostrand and Cornish Visual Resources Curator Bridget Nowlin. Special thanks to the Merce Cunningham Dance Company, Jody Cunningham, Peg Cunningham, Stuart and Renko Dempster, Tonya Lockyer, and the University of Washington archives.
About the Merce Cunningham minEvent 2010 – 2011
This year Cornish College of the Arts celebrates one of the creative giants of the Twentieth Century and Cornish alumnus Merce Cunningham (1919 – 2009). The Merce Cunningham minEvent spans the 2010/2011 academic year and includes community events and campus-wide collaborations: performances, a multidisciplinary art exhibition, master classes, lecture-demonstrations, panel discussions, open rehearsals, workshops for youth choreographers, and community outreach activities in partnership with local public schools and cultural institutions. The minEvent will commemorate Cunningham’s artistic legacy, honoring his creative partnership with composer John Cage, and their association with Cornish and the Northwest.
Learn more about the minEvent at www.cornish.edu/merce.
Summer Program Gallery Shows
July 23, 3:30-5:30pm (Session I)
August 13, 3:30-5:30pm (Session II)
BFA Art and Design 2010
Graduating seniors from the Art and Design departments present their individual thesis in the form of an exhibition as they prepare to graduate with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and enter the into the professional artistic community. This exhibition will represent the culmination of each student’s education and experience at Cornish. A wide variety of technical and conceptual skills will be presented to the public in two buildings on the Cornish campus. Artists will be present at the lively, not-to-be-missed opening reception! The Exhibition Catalog can be viewed online.
2010 Cornish Art Faculty Exhibition
Featuring:
| Judy Allen | Barbara Noah |
| Tina Aufiero | Heather Dew Oaksen |
| Bonnie Biggs | John Overton |
| Robert Campbell | Kathleen Rabel |
| Linda Davidson | Kristen Ramirez |
| Julie Gaskill | Kristin Tollefson |
| Claudia Hollander-Lucas | Ruth Tomlinson |
| David Nechak | David Ulrich |
March 10 – April 14, 2010
Opening Reception: March 10, 5 – 8 pm
Cornish Main Gallery, First Floor, 1000 Lenora Street, Seattle, WA 98121
Cornish Main Gallery Hours: Monday – Wednesday, Friday 12 – 5 pm; Thursday 10 am – 6 pm
Artist Discussion: Dan Webb (Art ‘91)
In conjunction with the Main Gallery exhibition, “Dan Webb: Unring the Bell,” the Cornish alumnus presents his work in a lunchtime discussion. Free and open to the public.
Location: Main Gallery, MCC 1st floor
Day: February 9
Time: 12-1pm