Alumni Awarded for Accounts of January 6th
Corcoran alumni won Pulitzers in the summer of 2022 for their accounts of the assault on Washington on January 6, 2021. Many worked as video journalists and photographers for The Washington Post and Getty that day. Read their stories.
Alumni Among the Ranks for Prestigious Seminar
Shereen Ragheb (BFA in Photojournalism ‘22) was accepted into the Class of 2022 for the Eddie Adams Workshop, a prestigious seminar for photojournalism students that took place in the fall. The faculty and staff represent organizations such as The New York Times, National Geographic, the Associated Press, Getty Images, ESPN and more.
A Journey to Honor Heritage
Maricarmen Solis (Fine Arts B.F.A. '22) was featured in GW's short documentary, A Dream Realized. The film followed Maricarmen as she completed her thesis - a large mural inspired by her Mexican heritage for the Corcoran NEXT exhibition.
Using Photography as a Tool for Awareness
Sarah Goolishian’s (MA in New Media Photojournalism ‘22) photography was featured in an article for The Guardian covering Gallaudet University’s football team, which is composed of deaf and hard-of-hearing students.
Advocating for the Future of Museums
Erin Mast (MA in Museum Studies ‘03), Karen Vidangos (MA in Museum Studies ‘17), Sarah Blad (MA in Museum Studies) and Jonathan Edelman (MA in Museum Studies ‘20) published chapters in Change is Required: Preparing for a Post-Pandemic Museum.
Calvert Brothers Create Free Exhibition Space for Artists
Parker Calvert (BA in Economics ‘08), and Clayton Calvert, (BA in Art History ‘10), launched a gallery in the World Trade Center in 2021, the NYC Culture Club. It is an exhibition space offering opportunities for curators and artists to have exhibitions, free of charge.
Redefining History’s Narrative
Maya Davis (MA in Museum Studies ‘14) was featured in an article by DCist, where she shared her experience as the Executive Director of the Riversdale House Museum, a former plantation that housed over 50 enslaved people in the mid-19th century. Through her work, she changed the narrative of enslaved people in American history by identifying those whose names were undocumented and focusing on their experiences. Photo/story courtesy of DCist.
GW Alumni Rock the Stage in Queen Cover Band
Three GW alumni, including Ben Thornewill (BA in Music ‘07) were featured in The Washington Post. Their band, Jukebox the Ghost, was formed at George Washington University and grew in popularity through quad shows, tours, and their annual “HalloQueen” show, which covers music from the band Queen. Photo taken by Shervin Lainez of The Washington Post.
Alumna Directs Videos for Corcoran Programs
María Luz Bravo (MA in New Media Photojournalism '18) directed a series of videos for GW, ranging from highlighting the Design and Visual Arts program to sharing the unique undergraduate experience at the Corcoran.
An Exhibition Designer's Journey from Student to the Arena
Nora Neely (MA in Exhibition Design ‘22) was featured in a Hyperallergic article, where she discussed her experience as a stagehand. She credits the Corcoran for preparing her professionally in exhibition design. From working on Roger Waters’ tour to setting up light shows for the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery, Nora’s skills have given her numerous opportunities to explore the exhibition world.
Defining Self Image Through Art
Yacine Tilala (BFA ‘19) was featured in the Washington Project for the Arts, where she presented Being/Becoming: The Act of Portraiture, a group exhibition exploring the self. The project features newly commissioned work by five Black women and gender non-conforming artists, presented as performance-based, embodied self-portraits.
Designed for Impact
Lizzie Grover Rad (B.F.A. ’14) was featured in GW Magazine discussing her professional journey. As an interior architecture student at GW, she created ZOOM Interiors with her classmate Beatrice Fischel-Bock (B.F.A. ’13), bringing in a million dollars in gross revenue. Now, Lizzie is the successful owner of Grover Rad, a ready-to-wear women’s fashion company. Through her work, she hopes to help women express themselves and address contemporary issues in society.
Fulbright Awardee Brings Awareness to Ukrainian Artists
Lydia Bodnar-Balahutrak (MFA in Painting ‘77) received a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award to Poland for the academic year of 2022-23. Her Fulbright research project is a collaborative study of socially and politically informed art created by contemporary Ukrainian artists. She will engage directly with refugee artists displaced from Ukraine, and to connect virtually with artists and institutions inside Ukraine.
A Round of A-Paws
Melany McGillvray (MFA ‘22 in Interior Architecture) was featured on Dezeen Magazine for a project she designed with the intention of taking a pet for medical treatment less stressful for both pet and owner.
Bringing Mount Vernon to Life
Kara Hershorin (MA in Museum Studies '11) is the membership manager at George Washington’s Mount Vernon. Under Kara’s leadership, the membership program at George Washington’s Mount Vernon has grown to raise over $2 million annually to support the historic estate.
Exploring History Through Critical Theories
Lionel Frazier White III (BFA in Fine Arts '18) hosted an exhibition with Hamiltonian Artists in January 2023 titled "Lionel Frazier White III: Beyond the Frame," which explored critical theories concerning historical and contemporary Black subjectivity within urban and metropolitan contexts.
Museum Education with the Smithsonian Channel
Iwonka Swenson (BA in Literature ‘98) produced, directed, and wrote “America’s Hidden Stories: CIA Museum Declassified.” The episode was featured on the Smithsonian Channel on September 18th, 2022 and is available to stream on Paramount+, Amazon Prime, and fuboTV.
Honoring Life and Loss
Yi-Chen Chang (MFA in Interior Architecture '21) had her project, "Remembrance Crematorium," selected by Dezeen Magazine to be included in an editorial roundup of student projects that examine themes relating to death, burial and the concept of an afterlife.
Art as a Tool for Expression and Healing
Dajana Perić (MFA '21) showcased her exhibition, Nine Stitches. The exhibit was a collection of different performances over the course of nine days, split into three different “cycles” to express her relationship with culture, family and trauma. Photo taken by Lily Speredelozzi.
Corcoran Alumna Selected for Times Photography Fellowship
Maansi Srivastava (B.F.A. '22 in Photojournalism) was selected for The New York Times 2022-2023 Photography Fellowship. This is a highly competitive, year-long fellowship that is aimed at cultivating the next generation of photographers and journalists.
Life in D.C. Through the Lens of Photography
María Luz Bravo (M.F.A. in New Media Photojournalism '18) was featured in The Washington Post, where her exhibit, "Glimpse, Gather" was reviewed. Her use of details that "hint at unknown circumstances" captured audiences through the exhibit’s 360-degree vision.
Corcoran Alumni in Women Photojournalists of Washington Exhibit
Several Corcoran alumni had their work selected by the Women Photojournalists of Washington (WPOW) for their 2022 exhibition. Candace Chambers (MA in New Media Photojournalism ‘22), Bonnie Cash (MA in New Media Photojournalism ‘21), Tierney Cross (MA in New Media Photojournalism ‘21), Sabrina Godin (BFA in Photojournalism ‘22), and Maansi Srivastava (BFA in Photojournalism ‘22) were among the few selected to participate in the annual exhibition.
Designs for Good
Alumni Soorin Chung (MFA in Interior Architecture ‘23), Natalie Combs (MFA in Interior Architecture ‘22), and Melany McGillvray (MFA in Interior Architecture ‘22) received an AIA Chicago award for their pro-bono project, “The INN of the Future.” The project was created for the Children's Inn at NIH in Bethesda, Maryland. This award honors the design work of this student team from Diana Araoz-Fraser's MFA CIAR 6400 Studio 4 course.