cornish college of the arts commencement 2016 program · bachelor of fine arts in art degree...
TRANSCRIPT
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
Nancy J. Uscher, PhD, President
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
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* 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
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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
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*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
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*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
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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
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*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
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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
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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
Alissa Kristine Pegram
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
Alissa Kristine Pegram
Stefana Nicole Reiff
Gloria Faith Savage
Oralee Elizabeth Skeath
Lindy Lou Smith
Abigail Rose Zimmerman
MERCE CUNNINGHAM
ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP
Adrian Scott Flores
Drew Nathaniel Lewis
PAT HON ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP
Dakota Sharon Crist
Drew Nathaniel Lewis
Stefana Nicole Reiff
SPARKS ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP
Jasper Josiah-Gordon Lane
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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
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SCHOLARSHIP AWARDSMUSIC DEPARTMENT
KREIELSHEIMER FOUNDATION
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
CALLIOPE SCHOLARSHIP
Mariah Kelly Brougher
Shelby R. Choo
Sarah Constable
Emily Rose Russell
HEARST ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP
Hannah Victoria Larson
KREIELSHEIMER FOUNDATION
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
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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
CALLIOPE SCHOLARSHIP
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
KREIELSHEIMER FOUNDATION
SCHOLARSHIP
Haley Marie Alaji
Brian Benjamin Balistreri
Sarah Diane Ball
Alexandria Ilyse Chipman
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
Alexandria Ilyse Chipman
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
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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
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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
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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
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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.
HONORARY DEGREE RECIPIENT
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
HONORARY DEGREE RECIPIENT
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
Nancy J. Uscher, PhD, President
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
Adrienne M. Bolyard, Dean of Academic Services
& 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
Hollis Near, Director of Library Services
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
Adrienne M. Bolyard, Dean of Academic Services
& Registrar
Jeff Brice, Design Department Chair
Lyall Bush, Interim Film + Media Program Leader
Dawn Gavin, Visual Arts Chair
Denise Martel, Performance Production Chair
Hollis Near, Director of Library Services
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