Cornish News http://www.cornish.edu/news/ en mkornblum@cornish.edu Copyright 2010 2010-02-04T01:04:04+00:00 Cornish Alumni Rally in Support of Haiti http://www.cornish.edu/news/article/cornish_alumni_rally_in_support_of_haiti/ http://www.cornish.edu/news/article/cornish_alumni_rally_in_support_of_haiti/#When:01:04:04Z The January 12, 2010 earthquake and its aftershocks in Haiti have garnered worldwide attention and efforts in helping its victims. The disaster’s effects have encouraged the public, including members of the Cornish community, to offer assistance alongside of aid organizations.

Lanise Antoine Shelley (TH ’04) was born in St. Michele, Haiti, and placed in the Foundation for the Children of Haiti, a Port Au Prince orphanage, when she was still a baby. Since moving to the United States, Lanise has made two trips back to Haiti to reconnect with the culture and her biological family.

Immediately after graduating from Cornish, Lanise became a member of the Milwaukee Repertory Theater. Now living in Wisconsin, Lanise is appealing to the public to donate funds to the orphanage, which is in dire need of repairs after the earthquake. She will be speaking at the Wisconsin Club on April 17th on behalf of Haiti, but is encouraging people to donate immediately. Visit http://www.milwaukeerep.com/haitirelief.html to read Lanise’s story, and to donate to the Foundation for the Children of Haiti.

The Seattle jazz community has also been involved in aid efforts, raising money for David Pierre-Louis, jazz supporter and owner of LUCID Jazz Lounge to return to Haiti to search for his family and offer assistance to those in need. On January 20, musicians donated their time and skills to perform at venues up and down University Way to encourage donations. Organizers of the event included Richelle Gay, a Cornish College of the Arts alumna from the music department. You can follow David on his journey and read more about the community event at http://www.lucidseattle.com/.

The Black Student Union at Cornish will also be hosting an event on February 13 at Nellie’s Cafe at Cornish’s Main Campus building, with proceeds going to earthquake relief via Y’ele Haiti. Beginning at 6pm, there will be spoken word poetry, live music, and high energy dancing in celebration of Black History Month. Come out and support Cornish students and the victims of the Haiti earthquake.

]]> Alumni Profiles, Theater, Music 2010-02-04T01:04:04+00:00 Cornish Main Gallery Hosts Seattle Sculptor Dan Webb http://www.cornish.edu/news/article/cornish_main_gallery_hosts_seattle_sculptor_dan_webb/ http://www.cornish.edu/news/article/cornish_main_gallery_hosts_seattle_sculptor_dan_webb/#When:00:59:22Z The Alumni Retrospective Series is proud to feature sculptor Dan Webb (AR ‘91) in the Cornish Main Gallery. Unring the Bell features several new works by Webb, as well as a collection of process documentation - drawings, plans and scribbles give insight into pieces new and old. Webb’s work has been featured in multiple galleries since his graduation from Cornish, including Greg Kucera in Seattle. His work is also represented in public projects (including the Bank of America Tower in downtown Seattle and a series of cast gnomes at the Bellevue Pump Station), and has been included in The Stranger’s 2009 “25 Greatest Works of Art Ever Made in Seattle” (Little Cuts). Webb’s technical skill and craftsmanship, paired with his conceptual ideas, have earned him a well-respected place in the art world. The January 20 opening of the show also revealed a collaboration with Cornish Fine Art senior Kelly Martin, in the form of a comic based on text by Webb and realized into graphic format by Martin.

Unring the Bell is exhibited from January 21 - February 26, 2010. More information can be found on the Exhibitions Page.

]]> Alumni Profiles, Art 2010-02-04T00:59:22+00:00 Dance Alumnus Dean Speer Publishes Ballet Book On Technique http://www.cornish.edu/news/article/dance_alumnus_dean_speer_publishes_ballet_book_emon_technique_em/ http://www.cornish.edu/news/article/dance_alumnus_dean_speer_publishes_ballet_book_emon_technique_em/#When:00:38:52Z Dean Speer (Dance ’78), founding director of the Chehalis (Washington) Ballet Center, former artistic director of the Chattanooga Ballet, and regular contributor to Ballet-Dance Magazine, is now also a published author. His new book, On Technique, provides a fascinating look into the careers and teaching philosophies of eighteen of the world’s most respected ballet masters, principals, and artistic directors. Dean sat down with prominent ballet pedagogues and asked each a standard set of questions, including “What do we mean when we say someone has beautiful technique?” and “How did you become a dancer?”

Featuring such artists as Peter Boal (artistic director of the Pacific Northwest Ballet) and Bené Arnold (first ballet mistress of the San Francisco Ballet), this volume offers fascinating insights into the nature of both performance and artistic instruction. Speer’s approach reveals sometimes surprising convergences among these world-class talents, despite their varying pedagogical backgrounds and divisions.

On Technique is “an interesting and unique book that shows both commonalities and divergent opinions that guide all ballet teaching professionals.” (John White Jr., author of Advanced Principles in Teaching Classical Ballet)

]]> Alumni Profiles, Dance 2010-02-04T00:38:52+00:00 Cornish Presents: Michael Nicolella http://www.cornish.edu/news/article/cornish_presents_michael_nicolella/ http://www.cornish.edu/news/article/cornish_presents_michael_nicolella/#When:01:15:44Z Michael Nicolella

Seattle, WA – Michael Nicolella performs an eclectic array of music for classical and electric guitar including music by Domenico Scarlatti, Isaac Albeniz, Jacob ter Veldhuis, and Jimi Hendrix as well as his own compositions.

Michael Nicolella          
Saturday, January 30, 8 pm
PONCHO Concert Hall
Tickets: $18 advance, $20 general at the door, $10 students, seniors & alumni
http://www.cornish.edu/events

About the artist

With a repertoire spanning from J.S. Bach to Jimi Hendrix, Michael Nicolella is recognized as one of America’s most innovative classical guitar virtuosos. Known for his creative programming, Nicolella has introduced electric guitar into his “classical” programs and extended the repertoire and audience of his instrument not only with his own compositions and transcriptions, but also by premiering and commissioning works by some of today’s most exciting emerging composers. As a concert artist, Nicolella has performed throughout North America and Europe as solo recitalist, chamber musician and soloist with orchestra including performances with the Seattle Symphony, Merce Cunningham Dance Company, Seattle Creative Orchestra, Odeon Quartet, Charanga Danzon, and the Northwest Symphony Orchestra.

Nicolella has released four CD recordings to critical acclaim. His latest release Shard features his own composition for classical guitar and orchestra, along with the music of Steve Reich, Elliott Carter, Jacob ter Veldhuis, Christopher DeLaurenti, and Joshua Kohl. Classical Guitar magazine described the disc as “an endlessly rewarding release from one of the contemporary guitar’s most gifted stars.”

As a performer and composer, Michael has received awards from ASCAP, the American Composers Forum, 4Culture, Wisconsin Arts Board, Washington State Arts Commission, Seattle Arts Commission and was first prize winner of both the Portland and Northwest solo classical guitar competitions. Nicolella received his undergraduate degree from Berklee College of Music, where he studied improvisation with Gary Burton and Billy Pierce, and a Master of Music degree from Yale University where he studied guitar with Benjamin Verdery and composition with Martin Bresnick and Jonathan Berger.

For additional information, or to request images, please contact Meike Kaan or Beth Fleenor (see information in sidebar).

About Cornish College of the Arts

Cornish College of the Arts is nationally recognized as a premier college of the visual and performing arts offering Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees in dance, theater, art, design and performance production, and a Bachelor of Music degree. A pioneer in arts education, Cornish College of the Arts sprang from the remarkable vision of Nellie Cornish, a woman determined to cultivate the arts in Seattle when it was scarcely more than a frontier town. Her philosophy of educating the artist through exposure to all the arts was progressive at the time, and continues to be innovative today.

]]> Music, Press Releases 2010-01-21T01:15:44+00:00 Cornish Presents 2010 BFA Dance Concerts http://www.cornish.edu/news/article/cornish_presents_2010_bfa_dance_concerts/ http://www.cornish.edu/news/article/cornish_presents_2010_bfa_dance_concerts/#When:19:17:43Z Seattle, WA – Cornish College of the Arts presents the 2010 BFA Dance Concerts, showcasing the choreography and performance work of Cornish Dance Department’s class of 2010. An eclectic array of dance styles and viewpoints will be represented, ranging from modern dance to contemporary ballet, jazz and stage combat, with some dances performed to live music. The concert series will also include performances of works commissioned from professional guest choreographers as noted below.

February 18 & 19, 8 pm
BFA Dance Concert/ Program One   
Featuring Katie Bing, Miranda Chisholm-Sims, Julia Cross, Maia Lassen-Purser, April Torneby and Markeith Wiley. Guest choreography by Catherine Cabeen, Anna-Lizette Conner, Alana Rogers, Alia Swersky, Hilary Thomas and Xaviera Vandermay.

February 20, 2 & 8 pm
BFA Dance Concert/ Program Two 
Featuring Ben Dominick, Elissa Eskridge, Molly Sides, Calie Swedberg, Kate Wallich, and Lindsey Wooton . Guest choreography by Louis Gervais, Jody Kuehner, Wade Madsen, Ellie Sandstrom, and Zoe Scofield.

February 27, 2 & 8 pm
BFA Dance Concert/ Program Three 
Featuring Christin Lusk, Sarah Lustbader, Abby Northcott, Carolyn Steeves, Chastity Wilson and Lavinia Vago. Guest choreography by Catherine Cabeen, Kaitlin Keegan, Anna-Lizette Conner, Wade Madsen, Christy McNeil, Molly Scott and Deborah Wolf.

Broadway Performance Hall
1625 Broadway
Events are free and open to the public, but tickets are required for admission.
Ticket reservations can be made at www.cornish.edu/events by February 16, 2010.

For additional information, or to request images, please contact Meike Kaan or Beth Fleenor (see information in sidebar).

About Cornish College of the Arts

Cornish College of the Arts is nationally recognized as a premier college of the visual and performing arts offering Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees in dance, theater, art, design and performance production, and a Bachelor of Music degree. A pioneer in arts education, Cornish College of the Arts sprang from the remarkable vision of Nellie Cornish, a woman determined to cultivate the arts in Seattle when it was scarcely more than a frontier town. Her philosophy of educating the artist through exposure to all the arts was progressive at the time, and continues to be innovative today.

]]> Press Releases, Dance 2010-01-20T19:17:43+00:00 Cornish Insight Magazine 2009 http://www.cornish.edu/news/article/cornish_insight_magazine_2009/ http://www.cornish.edu/news/article/cornish_insight_magazine_2009/#When:23:46:53Z image

inSight, the Cornish Magazine, is available in PDF format (1.5MB download).

Table of Contents:

a legacy of dance merce cunningham
inspired by nature julie speidel
the new centurian hans altwies
a certain kind of normal ellen forney
artist, citizen, innovator richard e.t. white
dude, that is so analog!
the good people of szechwan
cornish (r)evolution
people to watch
gretta harley, corrie befort, roberta christenson,
dan webb, ezra dickinson, pinky estell, paris hurley
commencement
2009 cornish alumni reception
campaign for cornish, new trustee
faculty newswire
alumni newswire
in memoriam

]]> 2010-01-11T23:46:53+00:00 Cornish Students Win College Improv Festival http://www.cornish.edu/news/article/cornish_students_win_college_improv_festival/ http://www.cornish.edu/news/article/cornish_students_win_college_improv_festival/#When:23:47:21Z Seattle, WA – This November, Cornish College of the Arts’ improv group, Improvolution, won the Northwest Regional plaque as part of the College Improv Festival, held at Jet City Improv in the University District. Made up of Senior Theater students Richard Andriessen, Jerick Hoffer, Tim Smith-Stewart, Carol Thompson, Sami Detzer and Jessie Underhill, Improvolution has performed locally at Cornish and other venues around Seattle for the last four years.

Cornish was by far the smallest school to compete in the Festival and surprised everyone by winning the regional competition. College Improv Festival notes, “they were a dark horse team not well known in improv circles outside of their school before their victory.”

Improvolution goes on to compete in the National College Improv Festival finals on Saturday, February 6, 2010 in Chicago, IL. They will be competing with schools including Suffolk University, Oberlin College, University of Florida, University of Houston, and University of Southern California, among others.

For more information, photos and video of the regional competition, visit http://www.chicagoimprovfestival.org/web/ccc_home.php

For additional information please contact Meike Kaan or Beth Fleenor (see information above).

About Cornish College of the Arts

Cornish College of the Arts is nationally recognized as a premier college of the visual and performing arts offering Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees in dance, theater, art, design and performance production, and a Bachelor of Music degree. A pioneer in arts education, Cornish College of the Arts sprang from the remarkable vision of Nellie Cornish, a woman determined to cultivate the arts in Seattle when it was scarcely more than a frontier town. Her philosophy of educating the artist through exposure to all the arts was progressive at the time, and continues to be innovative today.

]]> Theater, Press Releases 2009-12-03T23:47:21+00:00 Cornish Infuses Whole Foods Market with Student Art Work http://www.cornish.edu/news/article/cornish_infuses_whole_foods_market_with_student_art_work/ http://www.cornish.edu/news/article/cornish_infuses_whole_foods_market_with_student_art_work/#When:22:35:08Z On Friday, November 13, freshmen in the Art Department at Cornish College of the Arts partnered with Whole Foods Market in an artistic collaboration. As part of the freshman curriculum at Cornish, sixty-eight students in the Foundations program each created one small painting to be hidden in various spots throughout the Westlake Avenue grocery store. Their subtle installation was on display for a five-hour period on Friday afternoon, during which shoppers could “discover” the work.

By camouflaging their work into an environment where art is not typically seen, the students aimed to startle viewers into becoming more aware of their immediate environment, specifically one which we often
walk through mindlessly, and bring to mind the question of what we think we see versus what is actually present.

The project will continue on in a second variation, as the paintings are to be re-installed outside of their original context after being removed from Whole Foods. They have been hung in a large-format color matrix outside of the Cornish Gallery on the first floor of the Main Campus building, and will be on display until the end of fall semester.

]]> Art 2009-12-03T22:35:08+00:00 Members of Cornish Theater Community Recognized with Gregory Awards http://www.cornish.edu/news/article/members_of_cornish_theater_community_recognized_with_gregory_awards/ http://www.cornish.edu/news/article/members_of_cornish_theater_community_recognized_with_gregory_awards/#When:22:34:14Z Puget Sound Theatre presented the Gregory Awards to recognize local theatre excellence, awarding several within the Cornish community working in Pacific Northwest theater. Awards were determined after Theatre Puget Sound’s 1,400 members voted on theater artists and companies nominated by local drama critics.

New Century Theatre Company, an actor-led ensemble co-founded by several Cornish alumni, was the winner of the Best Theatre award. The alumni included in the nomination were Hans Altwies, MJ Sieber, Peter O’Connor, and Ray Gonzalez, of which Altwies and Sieber were also nominated for the Best Actor category. Cornish Theater faculty Amy Thone, of New Century, took the award for Best Actress for her role in the Company’s production of The Adding Machine, and alumni and musician-actor Don Daryl Rivera won a Gregory Award as a rising talent to watch.

Theatre Puget Sound also hands out the Gregory A. Falls Sustained Achievement Award annually; this year’s award went to a frequent photographer of Cornish dance and theater events, Chris Bennion.

]]> Theater 2009-12-03T22:34:14+00:00 Student Work Selected by Northwest Regional Society for Photographic Education http://www.cornish.edu/news/article/student_work_selected_by_northwest_regional_society_for_photographic_educat/ http://www.cornish.edu/news/article/student_work_selected_by_northwest_regional_society_for_photographic_educat/#When:22:32:54Z Cameron Nagashima and Leah Messersmith, two seniors in the Cornish Art Department, have had their work selected by the Northwest Regional Society for Photographic Education College Student Exhibition. Pieces were selected after responding to a call for photographic works.

Works chosen for the exhibition were entered into one of two categories - either Exhibition or Merit. Pieces in the Exhibition category will be shown in a slideshow during the Society for Photographic Education’s regional conference as well as in a print exhibition in Seattle during the winter and spring (location and exact dates to be announced). Work accepted into the Merit category will be included in the slideshow at the regional conference.

]]> Art 2009-12-03T22:32:54+00:00