Leadership
At the Corcoran, we focus on combining creativity, empathy and innovation to connect our creative practice to the greater good. Our leadership embodies these principles.
The Corcoran congratulates its director, Sanjit Sethi, on his new role as President of the Minneapolis College of Art and Design starting July, 2019.
MEET OUR DIRECTOR
"Simply put, we as creative practitioners must face complex social issues head-on. We can take creativity, empathy and innovation and intertwine it with issues such as diversity, social justice, collaboration and sustainability. I’m excited to see how work that we do at the Corcoran can transform the way we use creativity as a major driver for understanding communities and working to address pressing critical issues that we see around us. The Corcoran can help transform the culture of GW and help create the next generation of global citizens."
CORCORAN STRATEGIC ADVISORY COUNCIL
The Corcoran Strategic Advisory Council is the director's advisory body for the Corcoran. Comprised of distinguished national and international alumni, those from the philanthropic sector, and acclaimed artists and designers, the Council works to address issues impacting the growth and development of the Corcoran.
They help to promote the mission of GW and the Corcoran through their work on the Council. Members serve on a volunteer basis, typically for three-year terms.
OUR ACADEMIC LEADERSHIP
Robert Baker
Program Head, Music
Barbara von Barghahn-Calvetti
Program Head, Art History
Andrea Dietz
Faculty Advisor, Exhibition Design
Jodi Kanter
Program Head, Theatre & Dance
Dean Kessmann
Program Head, Studio Arts
Erin Kuykendall
Director of Graduate Studies, Decorative Arts & Design History
Jae Rhim Lee
Director of Graduate Studies, Interaction Design
Laura Schiavo
Program Head, Museum Studies
Johan Severtson
Program Head, Design
Stephanie Travis
Program Head, Interior Architecture
DIRECTOR'S HIGHLIGHTS
Ongoing Exhibitions & Programming
In 2018, we welcomed back works of art from the Corcoran Gallery to serve as the foundation of a rich research collection available to students, faculty and the public. We also welcomed the Luther W. Brady Art Gallery to the first floor of the Flagg building in summer 2018, along with exhibitions like Lone Prairie and Bridging Boundaries. Recently, the Corcoran was proud to exhibit “Spiked: The Unpublished Political Cartoons of Rob Rogers,” which displays the original unpublished editorial cartoons of Rob Rogers, alongside larger, colorized versions that the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette withheld from publication, prior to Roger’s dismissal in June 2018. We look forward to hosting a series of conversations regarding issues around freedom of the press in collaboration with the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists and GW’s School of Media and Public Affairs in fall 2018.
Salon Doré Series on Equity
Six times a year, innovative thinkers from diverse fields gather at the Corcoran for the Salon Doré Series, where they discuss issues of equity through the lens of culture and creativity. The setting itself is a powerful symbol of inequity, a French neoclassical salon that was originally meant for the privileged. Grounded in the perspective of the performing and visual arts as important drivers of positive social change, the discussions are community-focused and wide-reaching, centering on creative problem-solving with a goal of formulating fresh, groundbreaking solutions to the pressing problems of our times.
2018-2019 William Wilson Corcoran Visiting Professor of Community Engagement
Cristal Chanelle Truscott is a playwright, scholar, educator, dialogue facilitator and founder of Progress Theatre. As a playwright, Cristal blends academic and pop-culture conversations to examine the concerns and struggles of our times.
Interaction Design Program Launch
The Bachelor of Fine Arts and Masters of Arts degrees in Interaction Design invite students to design solutions to complex human challenges—from designing smart devices to reimagining educational environments. Interaction designers reimagine the products and interfaces that shape our world, often making them more useful and more fun.
Phase One of Our Renovations is Now Complete
GW launched a multiyear, multiphase renovation of the Corcoran School's Flagg Building. After a two year process, phase one of the Flagg Building renovation is now complete with active pedagogical spaces on every floor of the building.
