Learning, Discussion & Fun
Find out what's been going on at the Corcoran so far this semester!
WHAT OUR STUDENTS HAVE BEEN UP TO
Connersmith's ACADEMY 2017
The Connersmith's ACADEMY 2017, its 17th annual invitational survey of outstanding work by MFA / BFA students in the Washington / Baltimore area, features Corcoran students Patrick Quinn (BFA) and Judas Recendez (MFA). See more here.
"God of Carnage" Gets Rave Reviews
DC Metro Theatre Arts gave GWU Theatre & Dance Program's production of "God of Carnage" rave reviews, saying, "In the fun production at George Washington, a cast of student actors land the laughs in God of Carnage with polish and panache."
Master Class With Laura Linney
The Academy of Classical Acting hosted a master class earlier this fall with actress Laura Linney, who spent several hours working on acting and text analysis with our students. Thanks for being an inspiration to our actors, Laura!
WHAT OUR FACULTY MEMBERS HAVE BEEN UP TO
Professor Sham Takes On Innovation:
Assistant Professor of Innovation Arts James Sham is an interdisciplinary artist whose research includes themes of translation, performance, social practice, and innovation. He is the inventor of a newly published innovation in the field of photovoltaics - the patent-pending "Solar Paper." Currently, Professor Sham is being featured in "Appealing to the Populous" - the international art and science exhibition for evolutionary biology in Berlin, which opened on November 1st.
Check out two of his other recent projects with students:
Megasnuggie
As winter approaches and the temperature cools down, what better way to get comfy than a snuggie designed for 30 people?! Our Innovation Arts professor James Sham, along with production design MFA student Rhea Roland, have created the Megasnuggie as a tool for breaking down inhibitions and staying warm at the same time, too
Bloombot
3D printing is pretty cool… but what if you could “print” your landscaping? Professor James Sham and Mark Jennings, a freshman undergraduate student in Mechanical Engineering, decided to find out by building Bloombot, a device where you can create the landscaping of your dreams by planting bulbs, seeds and other vegetation into prescribed patterns. What’s possible in your own backyard?
Highlights of our Music Faculty
New Choir Director, Blake Clark
The Music department is excited for changes in the newly merged program, including welcoming Blake Clark, the new director of University Singers, the music department's choir, and opportunities for expansion in the program's new home here in the Corcoran. Read The GW Hatchet's report here.
Frank Lloyd Wright Opera Features Music Faculty Members
Professors Robert Baker, Molly Orlando, and Susan Derry were part of UrbanArias' opera about Frank Lloyd Wright, "Shining Brow", which got positive reviews from The Washington Post, DC Metro Theatre Arts, and Washington Classical Review.
How A Choreographer Sees Art In A New Way, Through Dance
Dana Tai soon Burgess, right, works with some of his dancers - clockwise from left, Ian Ceccarelli, Christina Arthur, and Sarah Halzack - in the National Portrait Gallery space
Professor of Dance, Dana Tai Soon Burgess was recently featured in the Washington Post's article, "How a choreographer sees art in a new way, through dance." Burgess, the National Portrait Gallery's first choreographer in residence, is currently working on creating a dance based on the exhibition "One Life: Sylvia Plath," which his troupe will perform on December 7th and 10th. National Portrait Gallery Director Kim Sajet describes Burgess as a "treasure" and says, "Our goal is to bring a sense of emotion about who we are as humans into the Portrait Gallery."
Professor Sakai To Be Featured In FotoWeekDC 2017 Show
Photo by Jennifer Sakai
Visiting Assistant Professor of Photography, Jennifer Sakai, will be featured in this year's FotoWeekDC 2017 show as a Fine Art Honorable Mention selection. Professor Sakai's current research consists of the exploration and examination of the landscape in the photographic medium. She has two current series: the first "Hillover Road, east-west" is a study of the light, color and surface as shown through the venacular of Eastern Long Island. Her second series Poston Provenance addresses the topography and emotional connection to the concentration camp where her relatives were held during WWII, and the families eastward migration after the war. To see more of her work, check out her online portfolio here.
WHAT OUR ALUMNI HAVE BEEN UP TO
S. Asher Gelman
MFA in Dance, '12
Gelman is the playwright of the esteemed off-Broadway show Afterglow, which Huffington Post called, "A Steamy, Stripped Down Look At Gay Intimacy." Read more reviews here.
Karen Vidángos
MA in Museum Studies, '17
Vidángos has made a splash in the art community with her Bust.com interview, "'A Latina In Museums' Is Smashing Stereotypes In The Art World", where she talks about a collaborative movement of Latinas in museums all over the country.
Kerry Washington
BA in Theatre & Dance, '98
Washington is producing a new drama series in partnership with Facebook, entitled "Five Points", which follows the lives of five high school students living on the south side of Chicago. Read more about it here.
Lindsy Parrot and
Kelly Conway
MAs in History of Decorative Arts, '04 & '05
Parrot and Conway were featured in an NPR article on their detective work to curate Tiffany's Glass Mosaics at the Corning Museum of Glass, where they tracked down artwork hidden in plain site all over the country. Check it out here.
Dawn Stoppiello
MFA in Dance, '14
Congratulations to Stoppiello, who was recently appointed as Assistant Professor of Practice in Dance & New Media at the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance, where she will be teaching courses on dance for the screen & other media.
Bo Tan and
Mimi d'Autremont
MAs in New Media Photojournalism, '17
The Washington Post recently highlighted Tan's "Close to U" and d'Autremont's "Anyone Like Me" in their article on recommended short films from the 14th annual DC Shorts Film Festival & Screenplay Competition.
WHAT ELSE HAS BEEN GOING ON AT THE CORCORAN
Featured Guests:
Airbnb Cofounder, Joe Gebbia
In October, Gebbia visited the Corcoran for a talk and Q&A session with about how he started Airbnb, giving back through design, the power of an idea, and the future of design.
PIXAR story supervisor, Jason Katz
In November, Katz, a storyboard artist who has worked on "Toy Story," "A Bug's Life," "Toy Story 2," "Monsters, Inc.," "Finding Nemo," and "Ratatouille" came to speak with our students.
Other Events:
Salon Doré Series
The Corcoran hosted the first two Salon Doré Series on Equity this fall, a group of closed-door convenings of cultural leaders from around the world, designed to explore radical new directions in philanthropy, policy, and programming. In the first Salon, participants shared experiences and worked together to model a new way of thinking about K-12 Arts Education, focusing on issues of culture, creativity and equity. In the second Salon, members explored how municipalities can leverage creative informal economies.
Impact Design in Indian Country
We kicked off National American Indian Heritage month by learning about design as a means for social change in marginalized communities. On November 9, the Corcoran hosted "Impact Design in Indian Country," a conversation with William Wilson Corcoran Visiting Professor of Community Engagement Joseph Kunkel, a Northern Cheyenne tribal member and director of the Sustainable Native Communities Collaborative.
President Thomas LeBlanc's Inauguration
During LeBlanc’s inauguration on November 13, Corcoran students and faculty displayed their work at Corcoran School: Past and Present in the Science & Engineering Hall. Several groups from Corcoran's Music program -- the wind ensemble, University Singers and the GW Jazz All-Stars -- also performed during the ceremony.
See all other news stories here.
