cornish college of the arts commencement 2016 program · bachelor of fine arts in art degree...

PROCESSIONAL *

Cornish Gamelan Ensemble

Directed by Professor Jarrad Powell

WELCOME

Moira Scott Payne, Provost & Vice President of

Academic Affairs

Linda Brown, PhD, Chair of the Board of Trustees

Nancy J. Uscher, PhD, President

TEACHING EXCELLENCE AWARDS

Made possible by the Kenneth and Marleen Alhadeff Charitable Foundation

Lodi McClellan, Professor, Dance Department

Jarrad Powell, Professor, Music Department

Roberta Russell, Professor, Performance Production

Department

STUDENT ADDRESS

Michelle Domanowski, Art ’16

DANCE PRESENTATION

Absent Matter (excerpts)

Drew Nathaniel Lewis, Dance ‘16

Choreography by Kyle Abraham in

collaboration with Abraham.In.Motion

Music by Kris Bowers, Otis Brown III and

Burniss Earl Travis

DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARD

Emily Chisholm, Theater ‘04

DISTINGUISHED RECENT ALUMNI AWARD

Catherine Harris-White, Music ’08

MUSICAL PRESENTATION

“Variations II” by John Cage

Amelia Coulter, Music ’16

CORNISH COLLEGE OF THE ARTS

CITATION & CONFERRAL OF HONORARY DEGREES

Pete Docter, Director, Animator, Screenwriter, Producer

and Voice Actor

Clarence Acox, Band Director and Jazz Drummer

Pae White, Multimedia Artist

Ben Vereen, Actor, Dancer, and Singer

COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS

Ben Vereen, Actor, Dancer, and Singer

MUSICAL PRESENTATION

Once I Thought from “The Tender Land”

by Aaron Copland

Taylor Regnier, soprano, Music ’16

Reuben Alexander Woodruff, piano, Music ’16

CONFERRAL OF DEGREES


Moira Scott Payne, Provost & Vice President of

Academic Affairs

Adrienne M. Bolyard, Dean of Academic Services

& Registrar

Dawn Gavin, Art Chair

Victoria Watts, PhD, Dance Chair

Jeff Brice, Design Chair

Tom Baker, DMA, Interim Music Chair

Denise Martel, Performance Production Chair

Richard E.T. White, Theater Chair

Gala Bent, ADFM Interim Foundations Program Leader

Lyall Bush, Interim Film + Media Program Leader

Hollis Near, Director of Library Services

Star Rush, Associate Provost & Acting Humanities

& Sciences Chair

RECESSIONAL †

Cornish Gamelan Ensemble

Directed by Professor Jarrad Powell

1

* Audience will rise. † Audience will rise. Please wait while the distinguished

guests, faculty and graduates depart.

ART DEPARTMENTDawn Gavin, Chair

Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art Degree Candidates

Vanessa Ortiz Alcaraz, Cum Laude

Jayme-Lynn Marcella Aumann

Taylor Lee Bednarz, Cum Laude

Kendra Watlov Boblett

Harold Armand Cochran III

Teocalli Q. Cruz

Michelle Domanowski, Summa Cum Laude

Ana Elizabeth Dueñas

Sophie Alexandra Ferre, Magna Cum Laude

Cameron MacKenzie Fletcher

Makena Zayle Gadient, Magna Cum Laude

Carly Ashton Garza

Stefan L Gonzales

Taylor Christine Hollowell

Jasmine Camille Howard

Jeanette Marie Jones, Magna Cum Laude

Ivana Marie Kartzov, Cum Laude

Xiaoshuo Liu

Tasha Marie Mathews

Janice Kwan In Ngan

Gabriel Richard Reyes

LaraAnn Sabih, Magna Cum Laude

Elsa Sara Victora Spencer

Diego Armando Suarez, Magna Cum Laude

Justin Scott Webb

2

DANCE DEPARTMENTVictoria Watts, Chair

Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance Degree Candidates

Tala Lukino Baldwin, Magna Cum Laude

Sarah Renee Boehlke, Cum Laude

Courtney Ray Brossel, Cum Laude

Allison P. Burke, Cum Laude

Laura Lynne Caputo

Miranda Karn Chantelois**, Magna Cum Laude

Dakota Sharon Crist, Cum Laude

Adrian Scott Flores, Magna Cum Laude

Sapphire Michelle Goetz, Cum Laude

Madison Leigh Haines*, Magna Cum Laude

Julia Kusanagi, Magna Cum Laude

Jasper Josiah-Gordon Lane, Cum Laude

Drew Nathaniel Lewis, Magna Cum Laude

Yamari Nicole Maynard-Berley*

Thomas Edward Staats O’Neal

Dara Chantia Denique Palmer

Alissa Kristine Pegram

Stefana Nicole Reiff

Gloria Faith Savage, Magna Cum Laude

Oralee Elizabeth Skeath, Magna Cum Laude

Julia deMello Sloane*, Magna Cum Laude

Lindy Lou Smith

Tira Rosalie Sweet

Catherine Fay Thelen*, Cum Laude

Phelicity Jewel Thompson*

Abigail Rose Zimmerman, Magna Cum Laude

*Fall 2015 Graduate

**Prospective Summer 2016 Graduate

3

DESIGN DEPARTMENTJeff Brice, Chair

Bachelor of Fine Arts in Design Degree Candidates

Syeda Nida Abidi

Alexandra Carol Athans

Yoojin Beag, Cum Laude

Kathrine Brooke Berntson

Vannessa Margarita Blea, Magna Cum Laude

Weylin Francis Brown

Vivian Vera Che, Cum Laude

Jeffrey Lee Eidsvik

Claire Frances Fritze

Zachary Joseph Gabelein

Erik Ryan Hall

Lauren Nicole Hall, Cum Laude

Shelby Corrine Hayes, Magna Cum Laude

Terri Lynn Hindmarsh

Elizabeth Usha Sterling Holmes*

Ryan Hunt

Bryanna Zhané Jones

Lindsey Susan Lewers

Zhaotong Liu, Cum Laude

Jaime José Mañez

Dallas Ryan Milburn, Summa Cum Laude

Alexandra Mojica

Natalia Andrea Montalvo Mosquera

Fumio Taylor Ohno*

Ciprian Erasto Ortiz III

Sarah Caitlyn Patrick

Hannah Phuong Pham, Magna Cum Laude

Grace Reyer

Robert Allen Rice*, Cum Laude

Elisabeth Ann Richardson, Magna Cum Laude

Michaela Fern Roath

Julie Anne Rose, Cum Laude

Emily Rose Sansom, Cum Laude

Irene Dasol Song, Summa Cum Laude

Kendra Leigh Springer

Napat Tanamphai, Cum Laude

Christopher Michael Trout*

Stavroula Stefanie Tsantilas, Cum Laude

Ashley Jeline VanBrunt*

Majesta Shay Vestal, Cum Laude

Jeia Villacis

Duy Nhat Vo, Magna Cum Laude

Alexa Diane Williams, Magna Cum Laude

4

*Prospective Summer 2016 Graduate

MUSIC DEPARTMENTTom Baker, Interim Chair

Bachelor of Music Degree Candidates

Artist Diploma in Early Music Candidates

Melinda Marie Abendroth

Thomas Fontana Albanese

Daniel Anthony Frizzell

Natalie Ingrisano

Taylor Danielle Bowen, Cum Laude

Gabriel Ellis Brooks-Lopez

Braxton Burks*, Cum Laude

Ameila Coulter*, Summa Cum Laude

Andrew J. Ferguson*, Cum Laude

Sierra Dawn Glessner, Cum Laude

Navarre Thomas Herrera***

Sara Beth Herrschaft

Taurean Brenden Johnson*

Robin Victoria Jordan**

Jason Edward McCauley

Lydia Ji Yun Park, Magna Cum Laude

Maya Rose Murchison Perry Ramos

Taylor Dawn Regnier

Devin Conor Reilly, Magna Cum Laude

5

*Fall 2015 Graduate

**Prospective Summer 2016 Graduate

***Prospective Fall 2016 Graduate

Duane Edward Rough III

Kyle Daniel Salley*, Cum Laude

Jesse Philip Stuart*, Cum Laude

Chad Walker*, Cum Laude

Max Finlay Concannon Walker, Magna Cum Laude

Lucas Eduardo Winter, Cum Laude

Reuben Alexander Woodruff***, Cum Laude

Carly Ann Worden, Summa Cum Laude

PERFORMANCE PRODUCTION DEPARTMENTDenise Martel, Chair

Bachelor of Fine Arts in Performance Production Degree Candidates

Mariah Kelly Brougher

Shelby R. Choo, Cum Laude

Emily R. Cioc

Sarah Constable, Cum Laude

Caitlin Elizabeth Cooke

Jasmyn-Lea Friend

Hannah Victoria Larson, Cum Laude

Emily Rose Russell

Grace Cecilia Stowers

Lauren Alta Williams, Summa Cum Laude

6

THEATER DEPARTMENTRichard E.T. White, Chair

Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theater Degree Candidates

Annika Nori Ahlgrim, Cum Laude

Haley Marie Alaji, Magna Cum Laude

Sherif Amr Amin, Magna Cum Laude

Georgette Alysia Nicole Anderson

Taylor Winfield Babcock

Brian Benjamin Balistreri

Sarah Diane Ball, Magna Cum Laude

Evan Richard Barrett, Magna Cum Laude

Haley Butler Bates, Summa Cum Laude

Nazlah Black, Magna Cum Laude

Maya Amanda Burton, Magna Cum Laude

Carole Lynn Castillo*, Magna Cum Laude

Jeremy Tadaaki Chan

Alexandria Ilyse Chipman, Magna Cum Laude

Christina Michelle Frasier Dewar, Magna Cum Laude

Meghan Irene Dolbey, Magna Cum Laude

Olivia Grace Donald

Michael Dylan Dreger*, Magna Cum Laude

Laura Onaga Dux, Cum Laude

Huntington O’Donnell Filson*, Summa Cum Laude

Sara Grant, Cum Laude

Rachel Mae Guyer-Mafune

Cameron Robert Hodges*, Cum Laude

Rebecca Anne Love, Magna Cum Laude

Seth Michael John Martin

Clarice A. Marx, Summa Cum Laude

Rafael Molina

Tasha Kay Newell*, Magna Cum Laude

Fathiya Rabiya Ritter

Dallin Richard Robinson, Cum Laude

Hannah Lynn Rockel, Magna Cum Laude

Kendall J. Rosenberg

Eric Matthew Simon

Thomas Charles Speltz*

Richie Stone, Magna Cum Laude

Michael Dean Szala, Magna Cum Laude

Mercedes Sarah Tracy, Cum Laude

Miranda Antoinette Troutt, Summa Cum Laude

Alaura Leilani Ward

Leah Erickson Webster, Cum Laude

Te Nicole Yelland, Magna Cum Laude

7

*Fall 2015 Graduate

Honors and awards are based on academic

and artistic achievement, and represent

graduates’ commitment to excellence both

as developing artists and as students.

Cornish College of the Arts recognizes these

students for their extraordinary dedication

to their individual disciplines.

SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS

8

SCHOLARSHIP AWARDSART DEPARTMENT

EMILY HALL MORSE

ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIPMakena Zayle Gadient

JON AND MARY SHIRLEY

FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIPKendra Watlov BoblettMichelle DomanowskiStefan L. GonzalesIvana Marie KartzovTasha Marie MathewsElsa Sara Victora SpencerDiego Armando SuarezJustin Scott Webb

JUDITH KINDLER AND A. KYLE

JOHNSON ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIPJustin Scott Webb

LYNN GOODLAD

ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIPJeanette Marie Jones

RICHARD GILMAN SCHOLARSHIP

IN PAINTING AND FINE ARTSTaylor Lee Bednarz

SHERRY RAISBECK

ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIPLaraAnn Sabih

STEPHEN HANNOCK SCHOLARSHIPJeanette Marie JonesJanice Kwan In Ngan

UTRECHT ANNUAL STUDENT

MERIT SCHOLARSHIPIvana Marie Kartzov

ZEL BROOK ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIPCarly Ashton GarzaTasha Marie Mathews

9

TO LOOK SOCIETY IN THE FACE AND DECLARE, “ARTISTS ARE NOT A LUXURY!” THAT TAKES GUTS.

Michelle Domanowski, Art ’16

SCHOLARSHIP AWARDSDANCE DEPARTMENT

CALLIOPE SCHOLARSHIP

Sapphire Michelle Goetz


Oralee Elizabeth Skeath

Lindy Lou Smith

CHRISTINE HOWE

ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP

Lindy Lou Smith

KREIELSHEIMER FOUNDATION

SCHOLARSHIP

Tala Lukino Baldwin

Courtney Ray Brossel

Dakota Sharon Crist

Adrian Scott Flores

Sapphire Michelle Goetz

Jasper Josiah-Gordon Lane

Drew Nathaniel Lewis

Thomas Edward Staats O’Neal



Gloria Faith Savage

Oralee Elizabeth Skeath

Lindy Lou Smith

Abigail Rose Zimmerman

MERCE CUNNINGHAM

ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP

Adrian Scott Flores


PAT HON ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP

Dakota Sharon Crist



SPARKS ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP

Jasper Josiah-Gordon Lane

10

A CORNISH STUDENT DOESN’T JUST EXPERIENCE GREATNESS ON OPENING NIGHT. THEY ARE THE ONES WHO SEE GREATNESS IN FOLDING UP THE CHAIRS AFTER EVERYONE HAS GONE.

Elisabeth Ann Richardson, Design ’16

SCHOLARSHIP AWARDSDESIGN DEPARTMENT

ALUMNI CHALLENGE ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIPVivian Vera CheJeffrey Lee EidsvikShelby Corrine Hayes

DONNA SHANNON ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIPJulie Anne Rose

HEARST ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIPLauren Nicole HallJulie Anne Rose

JACK AND SYLVIA CLUCK ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIPYoojin BeagZhaotong LiuElisabeth Ann RichardsonIrene Dasol SongMajesta Shay VestalDuy Nhat Vo

KREIELSHEIMER FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIPSyeda Nida AbidiYoojin BeagVannessa Margarita BleaWeylin Francis BrownVivian Vera CheJeffrey Lee EidsvikLauren Nicole HallShelby Corrine HayesTerri Lynn HindmarshRyan HuntBryanna Zhané JonesLindsey Susan Lewers Zhaotong LiuDallas Ryan MilburnNatalia Andrea Montalvo MosqueraHannah Phuong Pham

Robert Allen Rice Michaela Fern RoathJulie Anne RoseEmily Rose Sansom Irene Dasol SongNapat TanamphaiChristopher Michael TroutStavroula Stefanie TsantilasJeia VillacisDuy Nhat VoAlexa Diane Williams

NORTHWEST SECURITY SERVICES SCHOLARSHIPAlexa Diane Williams

PLAYERS CLUB ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIPKathrine Brooke BerntsonDallas Ryan MilburnKendra Leigh Springer

RICHARD AND JEAN COYNE FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIPSyeda Nida AbidiVannessa Margarita BleaErik Ryan HallTerri Lynn HindmarshLindsey Susan LewersCiprian Erasto Ortiz IIISarah Caitlyn PatrickRobert Allen RiceKendra Leigh SpringerAshley Jeline VanBrunt

STEVE JENSEN ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIPHannah Phuong PhamElisabeth Ann RichardsonJulie Anne Rose

11

SCHOLARSHIP AWARDSMUSIC DEPARTMENT


SCHOLARSHIP

Devin Conor Reilly

PRESSER FOUNDATION

UNDERGRADUATE SCHOLAR AWARD

Carly Ann Worden

VIOLA STEVENS BARRON

ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP

Sierra Dawn Glessner

EARLY MUSIC SCHOLARSHIP

Melinda Marie Abendroth

Natalie Ingrisano

SCHOLARSHIP AWARDSPERFORMANCE PRODUCTION DEPARTMENT


Mariah Kelly Brougher

Shelby R. Choo

Sarah Constable

Emily Rose Russell

HEARST ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP

Hannah Victoria Larson


SCHOLARSHIP

Shelby R. Choo

Sarah Constable

Lauren Alta Williams

SEAFIRST MERIT ENDOWED AWARD

Sarah Constable

Emily Rose Russell

THOMAS STONE TORRANCE

ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP

Shelby R. Choo

Lauren Alta Williams

12

THE REALITY IS THAT ALL OF OUR SACRIFICES AND STRUGGLES HAVE MADE TODAY THAT MUCH MORE WORTH IT.

Jeia Villacis, Design ’16

EACH ONE OF YOU IS BRAVE, CREATIVE, UNIQUE, CAPABLE AND, LET’S NOT FORGET, FIERCE.

Haley Marie Alaji, Theater ’16

SCHOLARSHIP AWARDSTHEATER DEPARTMENT

BROTHERTON SCHOLARSHIP IN LAW,

BUSINESS, THE ARTS AND PUBLIC

SERVICE

Evan Richard Barrett


Maya Amanda Burton

Te Nicole Yelland

HEARST ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP

Alexandria Ilyse Chipman

JANE EWING ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP

Haley Butler Bates

JOHN GORDON AND ELLEN HILL

ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP

Haley Butler Bates


SCHOLARSHIP

Haley Marie Alaji

Brian Benjamin Balistreri

Sarah Diane Ball


Christina Michelle Frasier Dewar

Olivia Grace Donald

Michael Dylan Dreger

Rebecca Anne Love

Clarice A. Marx

Dallin Richard Robinson

Hannah Lynn Rockel

Eric Matthew Simon

Michael Dean Szala

Mercedes Sarah Tracy

Alaura Leilani Ward

Leah Erickson Webster

MUSIC & ART FOUNDATION

ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP

Annika Nori Ahlgrim

Maya Amanda Burton

Meghan Irene Dolbey

Michael Dylan Dreger

Seth Michael John Martin

Richie Stone

SERGEI P. TSCHERNISCH

ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP

Evan Richard Barrett


Christina Michelle Frasier Dewar

Rachel Mae Guyer-Mafune

Clarice A. Marx

Rafael Molina

Richie Stone

THE EDWARD F. LIMATO SCHOLARSHIP

Meghan Irene Dolbey

Rafael Molina

13

TEACHING EXCELLENCE AWARDS

Lodi began her ballet training as a child with Loyce Holton

at the Minnesota Dance Theatre and continued with

Sydelle Gomberg, Samuel Kurkjian, Hannah Wiley,

Marjorie Mussman, Jocelyn Lorenz, Flemming Halby, Kitty

Daniels, and Yasuko and Emi Tokunaga. During a 17-year

professional career in modern dance, Lodi was a member

of the Chamber Dance Company (performing soloist roles

in works by José Limon and Doris Humphrey), the Mark

Morris Dance Group, Beth Soll and Company, and Llory

Wilson and Dancers, and made guest appearances with

Nina Wiener and Dancers and many additional freelance

artists. She has been teaching ballet technique for 34

years. Her teaching credits in both ballet and modern

technique include the University of Washington,

CENTRUM, American Dance Institute, Strictly Seattle,

Dance Fremont!, ARC, Harvard University, Boston

University, the Boston Conservatory, Emerson College,

and many private studios on both coasts. For three years,

she and her colleagues in Beth Soll’s company were

Artists-in-Residence at the Massachusetts Institute of

Technology, choreographing on and teaching modern

dance to engineers. In addition to teaching in the Cornish

Dance Department for the past 18 years, she has also

LODI MCCLELLANPROFESSOR, DANCE

14

LOVE EVERY EXTRA ROLE YOU GET, EVERY COMMISSIONED PAINTING, EVERY COMMERCIAL PHOTO SHOOT, EVERY SMALL GIG…AND EVERY HOUR AND EVERY DAY SPENT LIVING YOUR DREAM. IN THE END, IT’S ALL ABOUT LOVE.

Makena Zayle Gadient, Art ’16

taught performing arts criticism, integrated studies,

animal ethics, and arts censorship in the Humanities and

Sciences Department and dance history and dance

writing to Pacific Northwest Ballet summer students. Lodi

was the recipient of the 2013/14 Cornish College of the

Arts Teaching Excellence Award. Over 100 of her dance

reviews and articles have been published by the World

Dance Alliance, Seattle Weekly, Eastside Week, Dance

International, The International Dictionary of Modern

Dance, Curve, and DanceNet, for which she also served

as co-editor. She has researched and presented

pre-performance lectures for the Chamber Dance

Company, Seattle Theater Group, The Orcas Center and

Cornish College of the Arts, and served as a panelist and

facilitator for the Dance Critics Association. Lodi

graduated with honors from Walnut Hill School of

Performing Arts and received her BA in Dance, cum

laude, from Mount Holyoke College. She earned an MFA

in Dance, specializing in dance criticism, from the

University of Washington. Her professional memberships

include The Dance Critics Association and The Society of

Dance History Scholars.

Jarrad Powell’s compositions have been performed and

broadcast internationally and include pieces for voice,

gamelan, various western and non-western instruments,

electro-acoustic music, music for theater, dance and

experimental film. His work also includes numerous

cross-cultural collaborations, particularly with

Indonesian artists, including the innovative music-

theater pieces Visible Religion and Kali.

Since the early ‘80s, Powell has directed the group

Gamelan Pacifica, one of the most active and

adventurous gamelan ensembles in the U.S. He is also

Music Director and composer for Scott/Powell

Performance, a contemporary dance company formed in

1994 with noted choreographer Mary Sheldon Scott.

Their most recent piece, Geography, was a National

Performance Network Creation Fund Project, co-

commissioned by the Myrna Loy Center/Helena

Presents in partnership with On the Boards and the

National Performance Network. Recent projects also

include music for three short films by artist Robert

Campbell: Tilt, Eidolon, and Delta of C16H22O4.

Powell’s work has been commissioned by the Walker

Arts Center, Performing Arts Chicago, On the Boards,

Music in Motion, Southeastern Center for Contemporary

Art, Myrna Loy Center/Helena Presents, the National

Performance Network and many individual performers.

He has received numerous awards, including grants

from the National Endowment for the Arts, Arts

International, the Rockefeller Foundation, the Paul Allen

Family Foundation, 4Culture/King County, The Mayor’s

Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs/Seattle, Artist Trust

Foundation and the Creative Capital Foundation.

Powell holds a B.A. in English and Religious Studies

from Rocky Mountain College, a BFA in Music from

Cornish College of the Arts, and an M.A. in Music

Composition from Mills College, where he received the

Paul M. Henry award for excellence in music

composition. His most recent recordings, Natural

Selection and Stonehouse Songs are available from

Present Sounds.

JARRAD POWELLPROFESSOR, MUSIC

15

Roberta has been designing lighting and scenery in the

Pacific Northwest area since 1987. Recent design work

includes set and lighting design for Seattle’s Early Music

Guild, presented at the Moore Theatre with director Arne

Zaslove and director/ choreographer Donald Byrd, set

design for Freehold’s touring production of Pericles, the

lighting design for Ruddigore, presented at the Bagley

Wright Theatre, and Chamber Cymbeline for the Seattle

Shakespeare Company. Ms. Russell has contributed

conceptual pieces for the inaugural years of “Northern

Lights Northwest,” a city-wide lighting festival, with

pieces to be realized at Seattle Art Museum’s Olympic

Sculpture Park and at St. James Cathedral. She holds an

MFA in Theatre Design from the University of Washington.

ROBERTA RUSSELLPROFESSOR, PERFORMANCE PRODUCTION

I AM LEAVING IT TO YOU TO GO FORTH AND FIND NEW CANVASES AND MAKE YOURSELVES INTO THE GREATEST PAINTINGS ANYONE HAS EVER SEEN.

Taylor Lee Bednarz, Art ’16

HONORARY DEGREE RECIPIENT & COMMENCEMENT SPEAKER

Ben Vereen has performed in some of the most

notable Broadway productions, television series, films

and variety shows of our time. Currently, he’s filming

Rocky Horror Picture Show for Twentieth Century Fox

directed by Kenny Ortega. Recently, he co-starred with

Richard Gere in the film Time Out of Mind (Variety

Oscar Critic’s Pick*) and Top Five with Chris Rock. A

Tony and Drama Desk Award winner for his renowned

performance in Bob Fosse’s Pippin, Mr. Vereen’s

Broadway credits include Wicked, I’m Not Rappaport,

Chicago, Hair, Fosse, Jelly’s Last Jam, Jesus Christ

Superstar, and A Christmas Carol.

Mr. Vereen completed a successful run in the world

premiere of Fetch Clay, Make Man, directed by Des

McAnuff (Jersey Boys) at the McCarter Theatre. His

film credits include Idlewild, All That Jazz, Sweet

Charity, Funny Lady (Golden Globe nomination), Why

Do Fools Fall in Love, and Once Upon a Forest. His

television credits include the legendary television

miniseries Roots, Hot in Cleveland, How I Met Your

Mother (recurring), Grey’s Anatomy (Prism Award), Tyler

Perry’s House of Payne, NCIS, Law and Order: Criminal

Intent, Hallmark’s An Accidental Friendship (NAACP

nomination), Tenspeed and Brown Shoe, Louis

Armstrong - Chicago Style, Ellis Island (Golden Globe

Nomination), Anne Rice’s Feast of All Saints, Zoobilee

Zoo and Star Trek - The Next Generation.

BEN VEREENACTOR, DANCER, AND SINGER

16

Mr. Vereen continues to tour throughout the United

States with his concert act, Steppin’ Out with Ben

Vereen. In addition, he has become one of the nation’s

most requested motivational speakers, among

audiences of all ages, on topics such as Overcoming

Adversity, a Trip down Broadway, Black History, Arts

and Education, Substance Abuse, and the Art of

Physical and Occupational Therapy. Mr. Vereen has

been inducted into both the Theater Hall of Fame and

the Dance Hall of Fame. Mr. Vereen performed for

100,000 people at the Washington Monument and he

received the Broadwayworld.com Cabaret Award Best

Celebrity Male Vocalist for his dazzling two-week run

at Feinstein’s/54 Below.

Recently, Mr. Vereen led the American athletes into the

LA Coliseum for the Special Olympics, followed by

participating in Producer Nigel Lythgoe’s event which

introduced dance as a competition for the first time in

the history of the Special Olympics. At the Dizzy Feet

Foundation Gala, Mr. Vereen presented an award to

George Chakiris and Russ Tamblyn, the stars of West

Side Story. Mr. Vereen is proud to announce both the

Ben Vereen Awards and the newly formed organization

Wellness Through the Arts, benefiting young people

across America. He recently directed a reimagined

production of Hair and next year, plans on returning to

Broadway in the new musical, From Brooklyn to

Broadway.

17

PETE DOCTERDIRECTOR, ANIMATOR, SCREENWRITER, PRODUCER

AND VOICE ACTOR

Pete Docter is the Oscar®-winning director of Monsters,

Inc., Up, and Inside Out, and Vice President, Creative at

Pixar Animation Studios.

Starting at Pixar in 1990 as the studio’s third animator,

Docter collaborated with John Lasseter and Andrew

Stanton in developing the story and characters for Toy

Story, Pixar’s first full-length animated feature film, for

which he also was supervising animator. He served as a

storyboard artist on A Bug’s Life, and wrote initial story

treatments for both Toy Story 2 and WALL•E. Aside from

directing his three films, Docter also executive produced

Monsters University and Academy Award®-winning

Brave.

Docter’s interest in animation began at the age of eight

when he created his first flipbook. He studied character

animation at California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) in

Valencia, California, where he produced a variety of

short films, one of which won a Student Academy

Award®. Those films have since been shown in

animation festivals worldwide and are featured on the

Pixar Short Films Collection Volume 2. Upon joining

Pixar, he animated and directed several commercials,

and has been nominated for eight Academy Awards®

including Best Animated Feature-winners Up and Inside

Out and nominee Monsters, Inc., and Best Original

Screenplay for Up, Inside Out and WALL•E. In 2007, Up

also was nominated for a Best Picture Oscar by the

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

PAE WHITEMULTIMEDIA ARTIST

HONORARY DEGREE RECIPIENT

A California native, Pae White is a multimedia artist

known for reinterpreting familiar encounters and

ordinary items—like animals, books, advertisements,

shopping bags, and plants—and revealing what she

calls the “artfulness” of the natural and the everyday.

She employs ornate craftsmanship along with inventive

materials to create objects and installations that

transcend traditional boundaries between art and

design.

Nature is a recurring theme in her work, as is the

transformation of space to engage an audience. For her

prominent display in the 2009 Venice Biennale, White

transformed part of the 13th-century Arsenale into a

colorful aviary and hired Venetian bird callers to

summon the city’s birds. For the 2010 Whitney Biennial,

Pae created Still, Untitled, one of her celebrated smoke

tapestries made of large-scale photographic images

that capture the subtle shades, curving lines, and

elusive qualities of smoke. These works are emblematic

of her fascination with exposing the beauty and visual

complexities of the quotidian using a material that

contrasts with the subject’s natural form.

She has been featured in solo exhibitions at venues

such as The Art Institute of Chicago, Illinois; Site Santa

Fe, New Mexico; The Power Plant, Toronto, Canada;

1301PE, Los Angeles, California; Galleria Francesca

Kaufmann, Milan, Italy; Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture

Garden, Washington, DC; and greengrassi, London,

England. In 2015, White installed commissions in the

Los Angeles International and Berlin Brandenburg

Airports. White’s work is held in such prominent public

collections as Museum of Modern Art, New York; Tate

Modern, London; Los Angeles County Museum of Art,

Los Angeles; Museum of Contemporary Art, Los

Angeles; The Art Institute of Chicago; and the Hammer

Museum, Los Angeles. White received a Bachelor of

Arts degree from Scripps College in 1985 and a Masters

of Fine Art from the Art Center College of Design in 1991.


18

Musician, mentor and educator, Clarence Acox has

infused Seattle and the nation with the jubilation of jazz

for forty years. A native of New Orleans, Acox came to

Seattle in 1971 from Southern University to revive

Garfield High School’s music program. Under his

tutelage, it has grown into one of the preeminent youth

music organizations in the nation. The renowned

Garfield Jazz Ensemble is now the most traveled high

school jazz band in the country. Garfield’s Jazz Ensemble

has taken first place four times at New York’s Essentially

Ellington National Jazz Band Competition and Festival at

New York City’s Lincoln Center, the country’s most

prestigious high school jazz competition. Under Acox’s

direction, the jazz ensemble has won just about every

major competition on the West Coast, including the

Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival in Moscow, Idaho, the

Reno Jazz Festival, and Oregon’s Mt. Hood Jazz Festival.

Acox also serves as Artistic Director for Seattle JazzED,

a nonprofit organization created to offer the highest level

of jazz education and performance to the youth of the

Seattle metropolitan area, regardless of their prior

access to musical resources or their ability to pay. He has

also directed the Seattle University’s Jazz Ensemble and

serves annually as a faculty artist for the renowned

Centrum Jazz Workshop, which he has done since 1992.

CLARENCE ACOXBAND DIRECTOR AND JAZZ DRUMMER


Acox is in high demand as a performer. One of the area’s

busiest drummers, Acox co-founded and serves as

co-artistic director of the Seattle Repertory Jazz

Orchestra. He serves on the Board of Directors of

Earshot Jazz Society of Seattle, which named him Jazz

Musician of the Year in 1992. Acox performed with the

Floyd Standifer Quartet (now the Legacy Quartet) at the

New Orleans Creole Restaurant for more than two

decades. His own sextet has won numerous awards for

its recordings Joanna’s Dance and Indigenous Groove.

Acox was named “Educator of the Year” by DownBeat

magazine in 2001. In 2004, the Seattle Music Educator’s

Association awarded him its “Outstanding Music

Educator” award. In 2007, he was awarded the Mayor’s

Arts Award by Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels, and in 2008

Seattle Metropolitan magazine named him one of the 50

most influential musicians in the history of Seattle music.

In 2011 he was inducted into the WIAA (Washington

Interscholastic Activities Associations) Hall of Fame.

That same year he was presented the “Outstanding

Achievement In the Arts” award by the Artsfund.

1986 AUDREY KERRY, Community Leader

1988 DAVID E. SKINNER, Community Leader

1991 CHARLES F. OSBORN, Co-Trustee, the Kreielsheimer Foundation

1999 PING CHONG, Artist

2000 DON JOHNSON, Co-Trustee, the Kreielsheimer Foundation

2001 PETER DONNELLY, President, Corporate Council of the Arts

2002 MEREDITH MONK, Composer, Singer, Director, Filmmaker

2003 IDA COLE, Founding Director, Seattle Theater Group, Arts Advocate

2004 VIRGINIA ANDERSON, Executive Director, Seattle Center

2005 GERARD SCHWARZ, Music Director, Seattle Symphony

2006 MERCE CUNNINGHAM, Choreographer

2007 CARVER GAYTON, Executive Director, Northwest African American Museum

2008 DONALD MCKAYLE, Choreographer

2008 PETER SELLARS, Artistic Director

2009 JOHN FRAME, Sculptor

2009 CLAYTON CORZATTE, Actor, Teacher, Director

2009 SUSAN CORZATTE, Actor, Teacher, Director

2010 BILL EVANS, Choreographer, Performer & Dance Educator

2010 NORMAN B. RICE, Former Mayor of Seattle, Community Leader & Arts Advocate

2011 GARY HILL, Video Artist & Sculptor

2011 MARK MORRIS, Choreographer

2011 JULIAN PRIESTER, Trombonist

2012 CHRIS CSIKSZENTMIHÁLYI, Artist, Designer & Technologist

2012 CHRISTOPHER O’RILEY, Pianist

2012 BETYE SAAR, Collage & Multimedia Artist

2013 VIRGINIA JOHNSON, Executive Director, Dance Theatre of Harlem

2013 KRONOS QUARTET: HANK DUTT, DAVID HARRINGTON, JOHN SHERBA,

& JEFFREY ZEIGLER, Musicians

2014 TONY KUSHNER, Playwright

2014 DEBORAH RUTTER, President, Chicago Symphony Orchestra & President,

Kennedy Center

2015 ANNE BOGART, Theater & Opera Director

2015 LIZ LERMAN, Choreographer

PAST HONORARY DEGREE RECIPIENTS

19

1960 MRS. FREDERICK RAMHORST

1970 MRS. WALTER RICHER

1981 GIOVANNI COSTIGAN

1982 REVEREND WILLIAM J. SULLIVAN, S.J.

1983 ROSANNE ROYER

1984 CARL J. PETRICK

1985 DR. JAMES SAVAGE

1986 BENJAMIN MOORE

1987 LAMAR HARRINGTON

1988 SPEIGHT JENKINS

1989 ELIZABETH HUDDLE

1990 FRED BASSETTI

1991 GERARD SCHWARZ

1992 JAY GATES

1993 PAT GRANEY

1994 JEFF STEITZER

1995 TOM SKERRITT

1996 LOU HARRISON

1997 DANIEL SULLIVAN

1998 JUDY CHICAGO

1999 PING CHONG

2000 SUSAN TRAPNELL

2001 PETER DONNELLY

2002 MEREDITH MONK

2003 IDA COLE

2004 VIRGINIA ANDERSON

2005 GERARD SCHWARZ

2006 KURT BEATTIE

2007 CARVER GAYTON

2008 PETER SELLARS

2009 ERIC LIU

2010 BEN CAMERON

2011 MARK MORRIS

2012 CHRIS CSIKSZENTMIHÁLYI

2013 VIRGINIA JOHNSON

2014 TONY KUSHNER AND

DEBORAH RUTTER

2015 ANNE BOGART

COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS HISTORY

LIFE IS ABOUT SAYING WE ARE A NEW GENERATION WHO THINKS ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE. SO STOP TELLING US WE WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO FIX WHAT YOU BROKE.

Alexandria Ilyse Chipman, Theater ’16

1994 MELANIE STALCUP, Dance

1995 CHRIS GOODSON, Theater

1996 NATHAN SANTRY, Art

1997 LIBERTY BRADFORD, Theater

1998 NEAL BASHOR, Art

1999 CORRINA BEFORT, Dance

2000 CHLOE CHAPIN, Performance Production

2001 KELSEY KEGEL, Design

2002 GRETTA HARLEY KRAMER, Music

2003 LAURA GILBERT, Dance

2004 ANDY HOCK, Theater

2005 DIANA RIESENBERGER, Design

2006 HEATHER BIERMANN, Art

2007 JESSICA SCHROEDER, Dance

2008 JONATHAN HOONHOUT, Theater

2009 MARIAH WARE, Theater

2010 SARAH GROSMAN, Theater

2011 KOJI MINAMI, Design

2012 SYDNEY TUCKER, Theater

2013 MILES TOLAND, Art

2014 MARIAH MARTINS, Dance

2015 KENDRA LEE, Performance Production

STUDENT SPEAKER HISTORY

20

21

1914Founded by Nellie Centennial Cornish as the

Cornish School of Music, to provide instruction for

children and music teachers. Dance and Theater

quickly became part of the curriculum.

1921Cornish is renamed The Cornish School.

Construction of the building now known as

“Kerry Hall” is completed. Mark Tobey joins the

faculty and establishes the visual arts curriculum.

1930Martha Graham and Louis Horst join the dance

faculty.

1935 – 1936Cornish establishes radio program. The first

coast-to-coast radio broadcast connects Cornish

to NBC. Chet Huntley is a student in the radio

broadcast program.

1937John Cage, composer, joins Cornish, and develops

his first prepared piano piece for a performance

by dance student Syvilla Fort. Merce Cunningham

begins his studies in Theater and Dance.

1939 – 1953

Nellie Cornish retires in 1939, and leadership is

assumed by governing board.

1954Music and Art Foundation assumes ownership of

The Cornish School.

1955The Cornish School is renamed Cornish School of

the Allied Arts.

1958Frederick J. Patterson appointed as director of

Cornish School of the Allied Arts.

1977Cornish is renamed Cornish Institute of Allied Arts.

Cornish Institute is awarded accreditation as a

four-year college by the Northwest Commission

on Colleges and Universities. Kerry Hall is

declared a national landmark. Merce Cunningham

and John Cage in residence.

1979Liberal Arts program established.

1983Cornish purchases Lakeside School (The St.

Nicholas School) and establishes the Cornish

North campus. Performance Production

department established.

1984Dr. Robert Suderberg appointed president of

Cornish Institute.

HISTORICAL HIGHLIGHTS

Nellie Cornish, Founder Martha GrahamCornish Follies, 1929

1985The Kreielsheimer Foundation establishes a

significant scholarship program.

1986Dr. Robert Funk appointed president of Cornish.

Cornish Institute of Allied Arts is renamed Cornish

College of the Arts.

1992Cornish granted national accreditation for the

departments of Art and Design from NASAD

(National Association of Schools of Art and

Design).

1994Sergei P. Tschernisch appointed president of

Cornish College of the Arts.

1995 – 1996Board of Trustees adopts the Cornish’s first

strategic plan with the accompanying master

campus plan and begins a comprehensive capital

campaign.

1996Cornish joins Consortium for the Liberal Education

of Artists (CLEA).

2001Humanities & Sciences program established as its

own department.

2002Board of Trustees adopts a comprehensive capital

campaign for consolidation and expansion of the

campus in South Lake Union. Cornish College

establishes the freshman integrated experience.

2003With the purchase of the Main Campus Center and

Raisbeck Hall, Cornish College of the Arts

relocates Art, Design, Humanities & Sciences,

Performance Production, Theater, its Library and

Student Services to its new campus in South Lake

Union.

2008Cornish adds the Notion building to its downtown

campus.

2009

Cornish establishes two student residence halls

adjacent to the downtown campus

2011Nancy J. Uscher, PhD, installed as the president of

Cornish College of the Arts. Cornish acquires the

Centennial Lab.

2014The Cornish Playhouse is opened at the Seattle

Center. Cornish breaks ground on new residence

hall adjacent to Main Campus Center.

2015Cornish graduates its centennial class.

Life Drawing Class, c.1950

22

23

PRESIDENT’S CABINET


Jerry Hekkel, Dean of Student Life

Rosemary Jones, Director of Communications

Jonathan Lindsay, Vice President for Enrollment

Management

Sarah Perry, Vice President for Advancement &

Alumni Relations

Ai Nguyen, Director of Human Resources

Jeff Riddell, Vice President for Finance & Administration

Moira Scott Payne, Provost & Vice President for

Academic Affairs

EXECUTIVE COUNCIL

Members of the President’s Cabinet

Dimitri Azadi, Director of Disability Resource Center

Brandon Bird, Director of Campus Safety & Security


& Registrar

Steve Casteel, Director of Preparatory Dance

Tina Chamberlain, Controller

Patrice Edwards, Director of Corporate & Foundation

Relations

Dawn Gavin, Visual Arts Chair

Jenny Frazier, Director of Facilities

Jan Hubert, Staff Council Representative

Lori Koshork, Director of Counseling Services

Mark Ledesma, Director of Information Technology

Melissa Logan, Department Coordinator Representative

Denise Martel, Chairs Council Representative

Laura McKee, Director of Business Systems


John Paul, Director of Housing & Residence Life

Jarrad Powell, Faculty Senate Representative

Star Rush, Associate Provost & Acting Humanities & Sciences

Department Chair

Liisa Spink, Playhouse Manager

Alison Staplin, Summer and External Program Manager

Sharron Starling, Director of Admission

Monique Theriault, Director of Financial Aid

Jeff Wyborny, Business & Student Accounts Manager

ACADEMIC COUNCIL

Tom Baker, Interim Music Department Chair

Gala Bent, ADFM Interim Foundations Program Leader


& Registrar

Jeff Brice, Design Department Chair

Lyall Bush, Interim Film + Media Program Leader

Dawn Gavin, Visual Arts Chair

Denise Martel, Performance Production Chair


Moira Scott Payne, Provost & Vice President for

Academic Affairs

Star Rush, Associate Provost & Acting Humanities & Sciences

Department Chair

Alison Staplin, Director of Extension Program

Student Leadership Council Representative

Victoria Watts, Dance Department Chair

Richard E.T. White, Theater Department Chair

Nadya Zimmerman, Faculty Senate Representative,

Humanities & Sciences

CORNISH COMMUNITY

This program is not an official graduation list. The College’s

official registry for conferral of degree is the student’s permanent

academic record, which is kept by the office of the Registrar.

Latin honors are based on the cumulative GPA through the Fall

2015 semester.

©2016 Cornish College of the Arts. All rights reserved. 24

FACULTY SENATE EXECUTIVE

COMMITTEE

Lauren Basson, Humanities & Sciences

Susan Boye, ADFM Foundations

Ellen Boyle, Theater

Bob Campbell, Art

Chuck Deardorf, Music

Natalia Ilyin, Design

Raymond Maxwell, Humanities & Sciences

Lodi McClellan, Dance

Michele Miller, Dance

Jarrad Powell, Music, President

Robin Lynn Smith, Theater

Matthew Smucker, Performance Production

Christine Sumption, ADFM Foundations, Secretary

Katherine Greenland Trelstad, Design

John Wilson, Performance Production

Nadya Zimmerman, Art, Vice President

STUDENT LEADERSHIP COUNCIL

Morgan Elrod, Design, Executive Secretary

Makena Gadient, Art, Director of Finance

Sierra Glessner, Music, Vice Chair

Jeremiah Holt, Performance Production, Historian

AnnaClaire Laush, Theater, Chair

Sarah White, Performance Production, PR/Event Chair

STAFF COUNCIL

Heidi Anderson

Suzi Boaz

Megan Campbell-Miller

Jill Carnine

Emily Gewax

Jon Graef

Sarah Haskell

Brittany Henderson

Jan Hubert

Rick Mackenzie

Ai Nguyen, Ex Officio

Asya Pokrovskaya

Chris Williams

CORNISH COMMUNITY

cornish college of the arts commencement 2016 program · bachelor of fine arts in art degree...

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