JANUARY 2015 NEWSLETTER
Director’s Notes Resolutions “Good resolutions are simply cheques that men draw on a bank where they have no account.”
Table of Contents School News......................... 3 Alumni News........................ 4
Oscar Wilde
Gallery News........................ 6
T
he ball has dropped, the noisemakers tooted, the funny hats cast aside, even the boom of fireworks has finally subsided, and all we can hope for now is that the selfies and other photos of our evening do not find their way to those embarrassing cyber sites that will preserve us in amber for the rest of our waking days! And, now, a few weeks into our list of resolutions, there smirks the great English wit, Oscar Wilde, to remind us to get back on the elliptical, put down the cookies, and make an honest effort to persevere in those regular strength of character deposits that promise a better year than the one just rung out.
Dance...................................... 8 Visual Arts............................. 10 Architecture.......................... 13 Digital Filmmaking.............. 13 Creative Writing.................. 13
I have weakness with these matters and I don’t just mean the cookies, but the fact that I rarely share my yearly improvement plan with anyone, including my wife. I go quietly into the year with some notions about reading more, controlling my cookie craving, exercising, learning to love kale because it’s good for me, and spending less time with ESPN, and late night westerns, if I can find one. Somewhere the first week in February, it has become clear that my resolve has, once again, succumbed to appetite and I am thankful that I kept them to myself.
Theater................................... 14
Fortunately, I can have two resolutions—the private and the public, though cookies do, unfortunately, cut across both. My public life is this school and the resolutions for it, its students, faculty and staff, come at such a rate that I am only restrained by time and dollars. First, I must raise more dollars so that students and faculty have access to summer programs that will maintain the high level of scholarships and teaching that distinguish this school from all others; second, I must find a way to have the opportunities we offer here available to more students; third, I must discover what programs may be developed in concert with business and higher education partners that bring increased opportunities to our students and faculty—what the District is calling “Graduation Plus.” (We already have a successful one, a relationship with Clemson in Architecture, Visual Arts and Theatre.) Fourth, more dollars to bring world class guest artists to the school to work with our students and faculty. I have a list of programs, not currently taught, that are being researched for their compatability to our mission and, frankly, to our space. No one will deny that this facility is one of the most beautiful in the country and one of the best equipped, but these walls may not be sufficient to hold the dreams we have for our future!
The School District of Greenville County,
Music...................................... 15 Calendar................................. 18 FAC Partners......................... 19
W. Burke Royster, Superintendent
Fine Arts Center Dr. Roy S. Fluhrer, Director 102 Pine Knoll Drive Greenville, SC 29609 864.355.2572 www.fineartscenter.net
So, full of ideas, full of promise, all we need now is the bank against which to draw our checks. We’ll be in touch to ask for your help with securing the future of these students, this faculty and this incredible school. I know I can count on you!
Dr. Roy S. Fluhrer, Director
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The School District of Greenville County does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, sex, color, handicap, religion or national origin in its dealings with employees, students, the general public, applicants for employment, educational programs, activities, or access to its facilities.
School News
“A Taste of the Arts” Our 40th Anniversary Gala! Save the Date!
M
ark it down! Put in on the calendar! February 21 at 7:00 PM at the Hyatt’s Studio 222 at 220 North Main Street. Heavy hors d’oeuvres and an open wine and beer bar, with entertainment by The Fine Arts Chamber Music quartet and Jazz Quintet, a silent auction of works of outstanding Greenville artists, a live auction with exciting items that you won’t want to miss! Your chance to help this school fund the dreams of our incredibly talented students and to keep this professional faculty of artist/teachers at the top of their disciplines! 100 % of the dollars raised go for student scholarships and faculty professional
development. You can buy your tickets at the school or online with your credit card at the website below. Support this school, a school that has made such a difference in the lives of so many students, a school that attracts outstanding teachers from across the United States to teach in South Carolina’s first secondary school for gifted students in the literary, visual and performing arts! Did you know that last year 88 graduates generated 10.8 million dollars in college scholarships? Support that excellence and get your tickets now! See you at the Hyatt. Get your tickets: http://www.tastethearts.com/
40th Anniversary Concert featuring Pan Harmonia and John Ravnan
FAC Students Participate in City of Greenville Holiday Happening
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January 22, Thursday, 7:30 PM
P
an Harmonia is an independent repertory company based in Asheville, NC, directed by flutist Kate Steinbeck. Now in its 15th season, Pan Harmonia, has been nationally recognized for its unique work and superb artistry. They will perform as part of the 40th Anniversary celebration series of performances at The Fine Arts Center, Thursday, January 22, at 7:30. The program will include the riveting contemporary Sonata for viola and piano by American Jennifer Higdon, a work that will feature Fine Arts Center Chamber Music teacher and violist, John Ravnan. Following will be music of Serge Prokofiev, his epic Sonata for flute and piano, with Ms. Steinbeck playing the flute and Ivan Seng playing the piano. The evening will conclude with the ethereal Prelude, Recitative and Variations for flute, viola and piano by Maurice Duruflé. As this project is supported by a grant from the North Carolina Arts Council, we suggest a donation of $15 for the event, mindful of this school’s 40th anniversary and its significant contribution to music in the region.
1 of 32 snowmen displayed from the West End to the entrace at Falls Park created by students in the Design classes at the Fine Arts Center
AC Dancers performed in the City of Greenville’s Holiday Happening event in the West End in December with technical assistance from Dirk Holleman and the FAC tech crew. Students choreographed their small group dances to create a feeling of a traditional holiday celebration. Voice students were showcased as strolling carolers and entertained shoppers and sightseers with their beautiful Christmas music. Students in the Design classes also participated in the downtown event by painting 32 fanciful snowmen that were displayed from the West End to the entrance at Falls Park.
Winter Edition, January 2015 3
School News
Alumni News Theatre/Dance
As part of our 40th Anniversary year, several Theatre alums have and will be visiting the school. Dance alum, Fulton Burns, spent a week with us, teaching in both Theatre and Dance. With Dance, he taught stage combat and physical comedy at the Greenville Dance Festival on October 4. Then he spent a week with the Theatre Department, teaching combat and other movement techniques. With the Advanced Theatre Ensemble, he also taught an unarmed stage combat certification course. Nine students and faculty member, Teri Parker Lewis, were certified! All combatants either passed or passed with high recognition. Theatre
Also in Theatre, alum Adam Knight will be spending six weeks with us this third quarter. Adam will direct the Advanced Theatre Ensemble in a production of Julius Caesar. The 40th Anniversary performance will be March 20 at 7pm. Cost will be $15.
Music
Fine Arts Center percussion alumnus Justin Lamb (2014) will be one of five marimba players selected from the entire state of South Carolina to perform in a masterclass lead by world-renowned percussionist, Dame Evelyn Glennie (see information below). Lamb is currently a freshman at Furman University, studying percussion under Dr. Omar Carmenates. From her website: Awarded Dame Commander of the British Empire in 2007, Evelyn Glennie is the first person in musical history to successfully create and sustain a full-time career as a solo percussionist. As one of the most eclectic and innovative musicians on the scene today she is constantly redefining the goals and expectations of percussion by creating performances of such vitality they almost constitute a new type of performance. The masterclass will take place at Converse College’s Daniel Recital Hall on Friday, February 13, from 4:00 until 6:00 PM, and is free and open to the public.
Guest artist, Fulton Burns, working with the Beginning Theatre Ensemble on stage combat.
Tez Sherrard and a host of local musicians and singers hosted a 2nd Annual Soulful Christmas Concert to raise money for the S.C.Youth Advocacy Group. This the talent line-up featured Delvin Choice (a Fine Arts Center graduate), Marcus King (a former Fine Arts Center
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student), Craig Sorrels, Tez Sherrard, Erika Berg, Jamie White, Tamika Diaz and many other local favorites. The concert was held at Grille 33 and was recorded by the Fine Arts Center Recording Arts Department Mobile, led by director Eddie Howard along with students Keaton Cable and Ben Hargett who will be mixing and mastering the audio for a 2nd annual CD to be sold by each of the performers to also raise money for the SCYAG. Digital Filmmaking
Movie producer and Fine Arts Center alumnus, Daniel Sollinger, will be a guest artist in the Digital Filmmaking Class in February. Sollinger is a graduate of New York University’s Film School and the producer of more than 350 commercials, music videos, and short films for clients including Pepsi, Warner Brothers Records, CBS, Sony, and Comedy Central. He has also produced over 30 independent feature films, including The Alphabet Killer, Girls Against Boys, In My Sleep and Without Men. He will be working with the film students for three days
showing them how to make the transition from high school to professional filmmaker. While here he will also screen his film, The Alphabet Killer at Camelot Theater. The residency is being sponsored by the Metropolitan Arts Council and the Fine Arts Center Foundation. Visual Arts Ross Redmon, a 2008 graduate of the Fine Arts Center, who just graduated from the Kansas City Institute of Art, has been selected by the Guldagergaard International Ceramic Research Center in Denmark as one of thirteen artists from across the world to participate in Project Network Session II. Accepted for the “high quality and sincerity” of his work, Ross will be working with artists from Norway, Sweden, Iceland, England, Mexico, Lithuania, Italy, Mexico, Egypt, Canada, Korea and Denmark. The aim of the project is to create a network and dialogue for the future development of ceramics within the same generation of highly talented artists. Ross will be in Denmark from January 12 to February 21.
FAC Alumnus Delvin Choice (top) and former FAC student Marcus King perform at the 2nd Annual Soulful Chirstmas Concert
Dance
(L to R) Jacqueline Calle, FAC Dance Alumna (2013), performed in guest choreographer, Sarah Mettin’s piece in the SUNY/ Purchase’s New Work II performance in November. Photo credit Ted Kivitt. Peter Base performed in the productions of The Nutcracker with CBT (Carolina Ballet Theatre) in Greenville as well as a guest performer/artist in Maryland, Illinois and Ohio. Isaac Owens, FAC Dance Alumnus (2006), performed with Xaoc Contemporary Ballet in Symphonie Miroir at the Graham Center in New York City on November 15th. Winter Edition, January 2015 5
The Sheffield Wood Gallery continued its 40th Anniversary Celebratory series by hosting receptions for the Ties that Bind: Faculty and Ties that Bind: Alumni shows respectively on October 9 and December 18, 2014. At the Ties that Bind: Faculty reception, Director Roy Fluhrer announced that there would be a Purchase Award given at each reception for the Ties that Bind: FACS series. Each winning piece will be added to the ever-growing Fine Arts Center Permanent Collection, the largest collection of local art in the Upstate. Below, Purchase Award Winner and Ceramics Instructor, Kelly King receives her award for Little Honey (pictured lower right). King is currently in her second year at the Fine Arts Center. While the reception allowed the Fine Arts Center to show off the talents of both former and current faculty works, it was also an opportunity to bring former and current faculty together with students, alumni, and patrons from the community. The faculty took this rare event as an opportunity to demonstrate their gratitude to Dr. Fluhrer, who has acted as Director of the Fine Arts Center for 25 years. The faculty presented him with a 40th Anniversary commemorative box (pictured upper right), inside of which were hand-written thank you notes from each of the former and current Visual Arts Faculty members. The Ties that Bind: Faculty, the first of the four-part series, closed October 31. Just before the beginning of the Winter Break, the Sheffield Wood Gallery hosted the Ties that Bind: Alumni reception and awarded the Purchase Award to Sharon Massey for her works Streetviews. Massey attended the Fine Arts Center from 1992 to 1995. Her current works respond to the density of architecture in rust-belt cities like Pittsburgh, in contrast to suburbia, sprawl, and strip malls. Massey claims she is drawn to the crowded streets and alleyways, the rich patchwork of brick, paint, siding, and architectural details that suggest layers of history and personal stories. The Fine Arts Center is proud to add Streetviews to the Permanent Collection. In addition to the two Purchase Awards for Kelly King’s Little Honey and Sharon Massey’s Streetviews, the Permanent Collection will also welcome two donated works from the Ties that Bind: Alumni exhibit. Kerrick Johnson’s Segmented and Callie Sanchez’s Philadelphia City-Scape Bangle will remain on display until the show closes, after which they will move to their permanent locations. The Ties that Bind: Alumni exhibit will be open through January 23.
Gallery News 6 The Fine Arts Center Newsletter
FAC Alumni who attended the Ties that Bind: Alumni reception with Dr. Fluhrer
Upcoming Events for the Sheffield Wood Gallery:
Coming to the Sheffield Wood Gallery next year:
Ties that Bind: Community February 6—March 26, 2015
Fall 2015: The Other Brother Upstate Photography Invitational
Ties that Bind: Students April 13—May 14, 2015 2nd Biennial Greenville High School Art Teachers Invitational May 22– September 3, 2015
*The Sheffield Wood Gallery is open weekdays from 8:30am-5pm. If you have questions about Ties that Bind: FACS, or the Fine Arts Center’s Permanent Collection, please contact Gallery Coordinator Rebecca Owens at rdowens@ greenville.k12.sc.us or leave a message with the front office at 864-355-2550.
Spring 2016: National High School Metals Exhibition
Winter Edition, January 2015 7
Tyler Gilstrap sets two pieces of choreography on FAC Dancers Tyler Gilstrap set two pieces of choreography on the dancers in October, two weeks after Brian McGinnis was in residence. Her first piece, “We Declare,” has choreographic roots from The Feast Conference held at Pioneer Works for which she was the choreographer. Ms. Gilstrap’s “Ascent” was performed in the Winter Showcase and along with “We Declare” will be performed in the annual dance concert April 23 and 24 in the Wade Hampton High School Theatre. The Fine Arts Center choreographic project with Tyler Gilstrap was funded in part by a grant from the Metropolitan Arts Council, which receives funding from the City of Greenville, BMW Manufacturing Company, LLC, Michelin North America, Inc., and the South Carolina Arts Commission with support from the National Endowment for the Arts and the John and Susan Bennett Memorial Arts Fund of the Coastal Community Foundation of SC. Olivia Hopkins and Rachel Spitzmiller assisted Tyler Gilstrap in her master class with the ARMES dancers.
Dancers take Field Trip to Clemson to see the Paul Taylor’s American Modern Dance Company and Guest Teacher George Smallwood The FAC Dancers had a master class with George Smallwood, a member of the Paul Taylor Dance Company on September 17th. Mr. Smallwood also performed with David Parsons, Lar Lubovitch and was a founding member of Battleworks. On September 18th FAC Dance, Theatre and Music students took a field trip to see the Paul Taylor Dance Company perform at the Brooks Performing Arts Center in Clemson.
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Dance
Brian McGinnis choreographed two new works for FAC Dancers Brian McGinnis set two new pieces of choreography on the FAC Dancers in early October as well as teaching master classes as part of the Pre-Greenville Dance Festival. He was also the special guest artist for the biennial Greenville Dance Festival. The new works by Brian McGinnis are “The Story Behind Your Eyes,” and “Blush,” which were performed in the Winter Showcases and will be performed again in the annual dance concert April 23 and 24 in the Wade Hampton High School Theatre.
Dance and ARMES Visual Art Dancers Olivia Hopkins, Lauren Hurley, Natasha Kolpatzik, Samuel Painter, Lucy Quattlebaum, Ranson and Callie Thackston posed for gesture drawings for the ARMES Visual Arts students for a week after school.
FAC Dancers take part in holiday tradition Seven FAC Dancers performed in the area’s The Nutcracker as well as three Dance Alumni! Samuel Painter performed with Carolina Ballet Theatre; Rachel Bierly, Ellen Kilby, Lucy Quattlebaum and Rachel Mack with International Ballet; Kiersten Rist with Greenville Ballet; and Alivya Barry with Ballet Spartanburg. Alumni also performed in the productions of Columbia City Ballet (Maurice Johnson), Greenville Ballet (Rebecca Lee) and Carolina Ballet Theatre (Peter Base).
Faculty News Jan Woodward attended the NDEO (National Dance Education Organization) National Conference in Chicago in November. While she was in Chicago she also observed a dance class at ChiArts (Chicago public arts high school) taught by Brian McGinnis and a rehearsal of the Visceral Dance Company, directed by Nick Pupillo. Visceral Dance Chicago was recently named Dance Magazine’s 25 to watch in 2015. Winter Edition, January 2015 9
FAC Students and Faculty help raise money for Art Education and a local Gallery.
The 100 x 100 exhibit at the Upstairs Artspacegallery in Tryon, NC ran from December 5th through December 18th. More than 100 renowned local artists have donated original works on 12 x 12 canvases that will sell for $100 each, and as an addition this year, more than 50 local high school art students have contributed 10 x 10 works for $50 each. A portion of the student sales will benefit art education and their schools. “The addition of the student work to the fundraiser this year reflects our commitment to expand educational efforts and begin seeking additional educational grants,” said Upstairs board chair Harold Maas. Ten Fine Arts Center students and two Fine Arts Center faculty members were asked to be a part of the 100x100 exhibition. For more information, visit www.upstairsartspace.org.
Visual Arts 10 The Fine Arts Center Newsletter
Peace paper Returns to the FAC On the Tuesday before thanksgiving Drew Matott of The Peace Paper project returned to the Fine Arts Center with the support and collaboration from Ellen Kochansky of the Rensing Center and Carol Young Gallagher of the Emrys Foundation. The three worked with our students in Visual Art and Creative Writing to create a handmade paper installation that will go on to be used as a prototype for other groups to create their own works of art. The Project is called Care Giving / Care Taking, and will be an event of art and journaling, demonstrating what art can do for transformational healing. Our students spent a chilly fall afternoon making paper pulp with a bicycle powered shredder, and had a great time getting their hands wet on the ceramics patio.
Gibbes Museum of Art Announces 2014 Mary Whyte Art Educator Award Given to Donna Shank Major Donna Shank Major, 2D and 3D Design Instructor at the Fine Arts Center, has been named the recipient of the Gibbes Museum of Art’s annual Mary Whyte Art Educator Award. Established in 2007, this award is designed to highlight a South Carolina high school visual art teacher who has demonstrated superior commitment to their students and to their craft. The award is accompanied by a cash prize of $2,500 and is administered and presented annually by the Gibbes Museum of Art. Donna Shank Major is the instructor for 2D and 3D Design courses and serves as coordinator for Explore the Arts summer program. She grew up in Greenville and was an art student at Fine Arts Center for three years. She graduated from Converse College and continued studies at Converse, earning a master’s degree in education. She has been teaching art for 23 years in Greenville and Spartanburg counties, and works in a variety of media and techniques including clay, printmaking, painting, and bookmaking. Ms. Major has received many grants, including a Fulbright Memorial Fund grant to study in Japan, a National Artist Teacher Fellowship to study bookbinding in Italy, and fellowships to study at Arrowmont School of Crafts and Penland. Her work has been exhibited in shows at the Art Bomb, Open Studios with the Metropolitan Arts Council, the Belton Juried Professional Show, the Anderson Art Show and the Union Juried Professional Show. Watercolor artist Mary Whyte is a teacher and author whose figurative paintings have earned national recognition. A resident of Johns Island, South Carolina, Whyte garners much of her inspiration from the Gullah descendants of coastal Carolina slaves who number among her most prominent subjects. Her portraits are included in VISUAL ARTS PORTFOLIO DAY numerous corporate, private, and university collections, as well as in the permanent On November 24, the Visual Arts Department hosted Portfolio Day, an annual event in which collections of the Gibbes Museum of Art and college representatives provide information sessions and personal interaction with our students. the Greenville County Museum of Art. Her This year, we invited six top art schools in the nation, including School of the Art Institute paintings have been featured in International of Chicago, College for Creative Studies, and Columbia College of Art and Design. Students Artist, Artist, American Artist, Waterengaged in individual portfolio reviews and critiques with the representatives throughout the color, and American Art Collector, L’Art de day. “Talking with the representatives helped me figure out what to look for in an art school. Aquarelle, and numerous other publications. They gave me good advice about how to strengthen my portfolio for college applications and Whyte is the author of numerous books and strengthen my work as a whole,” said senior Vivian Purcell. her work can be found at Coleman Fine Art in Charleston, where her husband, Smith Coleman, manages the gallery and makes gilded and carved frames.
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Chakaia Booker Because of the generosity of Michelin, internationally recognized visual artist, Chakaia Booker spent time with our morning arts students in October and shared about her work.
Visual Arts and Architecture students visit Mint and Bechtler Museums in Charlotte In November, and thanks to the help of several parents, the Visual Arts and Architecture Departments were able to take a day long field trip to the Queen City! We visited both the Mint and the Bechtler Museums in uptown Charlotte. Both museums were designed by notable architects, the Mint Museum of Craft and Design by Machado and Silvetti Associates and the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art by Mario Botta. The Mint offered the students an opportunity to explore an exquisite craft and design collection along with contemporary American and European art. The Bechtler offered a nice step back in time to the modern creations of artists like Alexander Calder. In front of the now iconic Firebird, a mosaic sculpture created by Niki de Saint Phalle in 1991 and installed five years ago on the corner between the Bechtler and the Mint, the students gathered for the group picture.
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Greenville firm makes welcome donation to Architecture program Scott May (pictured), Managing Principal of LS3P in Greenville, recently authorized a very welcome donation of $1,000 from the firm for our architectural program. The program, now in its second year, has been generously supported by a number of Greenville firms including Freeman Major, Pelham Architects, Craig Gaulden Davis, MacMillan Pazdan Smith, DP3 Architects, and McLeod Landscaping. It is through the vision of these firms that The Fine Arts Center, in concert with Clemson University’s School of Architecture, has become the first high school in the United States to offer college credit for those students accepted to Clemson’s program with a grade of “B” in Architecture I and Architecture II. Catherine Smith, AIA architect, and head of her own firm, is the teacher of the 12 students enrolled in the program. The 2015-2016 school year the Art of Architecture program will be fully supported by the School District of Greenville County.
Creative Writing News Creative Writing Senior Adina Lasser was named a finalist in nonfiction in the annual YoungArts competition. She was invited to attend National YoungArts Week, which takes place in Miami each year from January 4th through 11th, and enables approximately 170 YoungArts Finalists in the visual, literary, design and performing arts to work with distinguished master teachers and mentors in their field. Adina will take master classes in nonfiction and perform in a reading with the other writing finalists. From here Adina is eligible to win up to $10,000 in award money and a possible nomination to become a U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts. She is the third Creative Writing student in six years to be invited to attend National YoungArts Week. Early college acceptances are in for Creative Writing seniors. So far students have been accepted to the University of South Carolina, Honors Program, Winthrop College, Warren Wilson College and the University of Iowa with many more results expected in the spring. Congratulations! You’re going to college! The new issue of Crashtest, the Creative Writing program’s online magazine for high school writers is up. This issue features work by writers from California, New York, Oregon, Illinois and, GC Waldrep (photo by Sarah Heidt)
for the first time ever, South Carolina. We are also very pleased to include an essay by poet GC Waldrep, a Greenville native, who is now the director of the Bucknell Seminar for Younger Poets at Bucknell University. Waldrep earned his BA from Harvard University, a PhD in history from Duke University, and an MFA in poetry from the University of Iowa. His collections of poetry include Goldbeater’s Skin (2003), which won the Colorado Prize for Poetry; Disclamor (2007); Archicembalo (2009), winner of the Dorset Prize, and Your Father on the Train of Ghosts (2011), a collaborative book of poems with the poet John Gallaher. As a part of his residency with the Rensing Center, in Pickens, South Carolina, GC Waldrep was a Visiting Artist with the Creative Writing class last year and we are hoping he will be able to reprise that role in the near future. Check out the magazine at www.crashtestmag.com. Instructor Sarah Blackman was asked to become an International Examiner on a Master’s Thesis Committee for a student at Rhodes University in Grahamtown, South Africa. This fall she had a review appear in Rain Taxi and her short story, “The Virgin,” the first published story in a new ekphrastic collection, will appear in The Collagist in February.
FAC Digital Filmmaking student has roles in and behind the scenes of independent film Austin Lawrence, a first year Digital Filmmaking student, recently served as crewmember on the independent film Tinker, which was being shot in the Greenville area. He also plays a small role in the film. More about the production can be found at their website, www. tinkerthemovie.com.
Architecture/Creative Writing/Digital Filmmaking WinterEdition, Edition,January January2015 2015 13 Winter
Theatre
Theatre News The Theatre Department has been busy! We have had nights of staged readings and semester performances. The Beginning Theatre Ensemble was visited by playwright Lee Blessing, in partnership with Center Stage’s New Play Festival. The Advanced Theatre Ensemble has performed publically, been certified in stage combat, had visiting artists in to see their audition monologues, and is prepping for Julius Caesar. With any luck, we might catch our breath by the end of the year! Julius Caesar, directed by FAC Theatre alum, Adam Knight, will begin its rehearsals January 20th. Adam will be spending SIX WEEKS with us in order to get the production up for our 40th Anniversary. Performances
are March 13, 14, 20 & 21 at 7pm. Tickets are $5; March 20 will be a special 40th Anniversary performance, and tickets will be $15. Please consider coming on this special night and support the FAC in its anniversary celebration. Advanced Ensemble members, Kerrie Cloonan, Quinn Jones, and Abby Sherlock will attend the National Unified Auditions in New York City January 23, 24, & 25. These three young women will represent the FAC at this national event, auditioning for about ten collegiate programs over three days. We have been very successful at these auditions in years past, and we wish these and all of our seniors good luck in their auditions for colleges.
Shots from our semester showings, Beginning Theatre Ensemble.
Theatre students perform for South Carolina District Conference of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Advanced Theatre Ensemble members, Mattie Harris-Lowe and Josh Simpson, along with Olivia Hopkins (Dance) and Wendell Donald ( Jazz) performed for the South Carolina District Conference of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity in October. Public program chairman, Travis Smith, wrote a kind letter of thanks following the program: “I wanted to take a second to provide you with a much needed thank you for your part with the Public Program for our district conference. From the time the program ended till well into Sunday evening those that saw display of our wonderful talents were in awe. I believe that our state director and other leaders from across the state in Alpha were extremely pleased to see that Greenville, SC has a talent rich group of students. I’m very proud of the all the performers and I want to say thank you to the parents, teachers, and friends that were at the event to provide support.” We look forward to a continued relationship with the local chapter of this national fraternity.
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Music
Upcoming auditions for Young Artist Orchestra and Philharmonic Auditions for The Fine Arts Center’s Orchestra-in-Residence, the Young Artist Orchestra (Dr. Gary A. Robinson, Director), along with the Philharmonic (Kathleen S. Robinson, Director) will be be held during the month of April. The application deadline is Wednesday, April 2nd, and there is an application fee of $10.00. Applications are made through the orchestras’s website, www.gcyo.net.
Young Artist Orchestra and Philharmonic to present Young Artist Concert No. 2
Monday, April 7, 6:00 pm—9:00 pm
The Fine Arts Center’s Orchestra-in-Residence, the Young Artist Orchestra (Dr. Gary A. Robinson, Director), along with the Philharmonic (Kathleen S. Robinson, Director) will present its Young Artist Concert No. 2, “Epic Elgar,” on Saturday, January 17. The concert will take place at the Peace Center’s Dorothy Gunter Theater at 7:30 PM.
Thursday, April 10, 4:00 pm—9:00 pm
Admission: Adults $27.00, Students & Children $10.00
Wind/Brass/Percussion Auditions
Call the Peace Center box office at (864) 467-3000 or go to www.peacecenter.org.
String Auditions
Monday, April 21st, 6:00 pm—9:00 pm Saturday, April 26th, 1:00 pm—4:00 pm Orchestra Information The Young Artist Orchestra, the most advanced ensemble of the five Greenville County Youth Orchestras, is comprised of the most skilled, talented, and experienced student musicians in the Upstate. It is also the Orchestra-In-Residence at the Fine Arts Center. Though most members are high school aged, the YAO will also admit exceptional middle school musicians. Each year the orchestra performs three Young Artist Concerts at the Peace Center’s Dorothy Gunter Theatre. Repertoire includes standard orchestral masterworks as well as contemporary composition. The YAO’s additional concerts include the Winter Orchestras Concert ( January) and the Spring Orchestras Concert (April). Students in YAO come from Greenville’s public and private high schools, as well as home school settings. YAO is a credit-bearing course of the Fine Arts Center in advanced orchestral performance. Members of YAO receive a full unit of honors-level credit. YAO rehearses at the Fine Arts Center each Tuesday from 6:30 until 9:30. The Philharmonic is an intermediate / advanced symphony orchestra comprised of middle through high school aged musicians who display considerable talent, training and ability. “The Phil” performs three concerts each year: the November Philharmonic Concert at Dorothy Gunter Theater, the January “Winter Orchestras Concert” at Wade Hampton High School and the April “Spring Orchestras Concert” which is held at the Peace Center for the Performing Arts. The orchestras repertoire consists of orchestral masterworks, transcriptions and original works composed for student orchestra. Students in “The Phil” attend Greenville area public and private middle and high schools as well as home school settings. They rehearse each Tuesday at the Fine Arts Center from 4:30 until 6:00 pm. High school aged members of The Philharmonic receive 1/2 honors—level credit through the Fine Arts Center.
The Young Artist Orchestra and soloist Michael Hartman tackle one of the most important—and monumental—compositions by Sir Edward Elgar: his Concerto for Violincello and Orchestra in E minor. The YAO continues its Fauré “mini-cycle” in a performance of that composer’s best-know work, Pelléas et Mélisande, op.80: Suite, while The Philharmonic performs works by Paul Whear, Giovanni Paisiello, and Piotr Ilych Tchaikovsky. Young Artist Orchestra: Gabriel Fauré: Pelléas et Mélisande, op.80: Suite Edward Elgar: Concerto, Violoncello, op.85, E minor, Michael Hartman, cello Philharmonic: Giovanni Paisiello: La Modista Raggiratrice Overture Paul Whear: Lancaster Overture Combined Orchestras: Piotr Ilych Tchaikovsky/arr. Isaac: Sleeping Beauty Waltz
Winter Edition, January 2015 15
USC percussion professor leads masterclass for FAC students On Tuesday, December 9, the Fine Arts Center percussion department hosted a visit and masterclass given by Dr. Scott Herring, Professor of Percussion at the University of South Carolina. In his masterclass, Dr. Herring coached Fine Arts Center Percussion III/IV percussion players on marimba selections they will perform in their January 14 Percussion/Winds/Brass Concert No.1.
Strings Chamber Music In December 11th grade violin student Katherine Woo appeared as soloist with the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra in Tchaikovsky’s Concerto for Violin and Orchestra. The performance was a result of Katherine winning the $1000 first prize in the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra Youth Concerto Competition. During the winter break, Katherine Woo was one of 24 violinists accepted nationally to participate in the 2014 New York String Orchestra Seminar. Founded in 1969 by Budapest String Quartet violinist Alexander Schneider, and currently under the direction of Jamie Laredo, NYSOS claims alumni such as Gil Shaham, Yo-Yo Ma, and members of the Guarneri, Emerson, and Orion String Quartets. Through a two-part audition process, a total of 62 out of almost 500 music students aged 16-23, were chosen to participate in 10 rigorous, but exciting days consisting of orchestra rehearsals, chamber music coaching, and two sold-out performances in Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium. At the seminar Katherine was coached in chamber music by Steven Tenenbom, violist of the Orion Quartet, and faculty member at the Curtis Institute of Music and the Juilliard School. Katherine performed with the orchestra in an all-Mozart Concert, including his overture to The Impresario, the Symphony No. 39 in E-flat Major, and the Oboe Concerto with New York Philharmonic principal oboist, Liang Wang. A second concert 4 days later featured Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6, and Samuel Barber’s Violin Concerto with soloist Augustin Hadelich. The review in the New York Times praised the orchestra’s “bright-eyed élan” and noted “its artistry energetic without being brash”. Michael Hartman received his early decision acceptance from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Michael will be bringing his cello with him to Cambridge, Massachusetts!
Ninth grade violinists, Sam Parrini and Rachel Yi were co-winners of the College of Charleston Young String Artist Competition. First prize consisted of a $500 cash award, a $5000 scholarship to the College of
16 The Fine Arts Center Newsletter
Violinist and conductor Jamie Laredo with Katherine Woo at the New York String Orchestra Seminar. Charleston, and an invitation to appear in the Piccolo Spoleto Festival Young Concert Artists Series in May.
40th Anniversary Event: Steve Watson CD Release Concert Steve Watson, one of the premiere guitarists and, fortunately for us at The Fine Arts Center, also one of the premiere teachers of guitar and the head of our Jazz Studies program for the last 23 years, will release his second jazz album, Heat it Up, on Saturday, January 31, at 7:00 PM in the Black Box Theatre at The Fine Arts Center. His first album, Watson’s Riddle, spent a long time on the Billboard Jazz chart when it was released in 2011.
Many know that Steve was the first call studio guitarist when he was in Los Angeles and, with his close friend, Paul LaRose, was instrumental in the development of the now world renowned jazz guitar program at the University of Southern California. His guitar was heard on Hill Street Blues, Magnum P.I., A Team, and T.J. Hooker, to name but a few, and in a number of films. Steve was also the guitarist on Dolly Parton’s self-titled variety show in 1988.
Saturday, January 31, 7:00 PM, Fine Arts Center, Black Box Theatre
Guest Artist Lenny Schranze, Professor of Viola at the University of Memphis, and member of Ceruti Quartet returned to the Fine Arts Center for guest master classes with the Strings Chamber Music classes. Prof. Schranze is a former faculty member at the Fine Arts Center. With the Ceruti Quartet, he recorded and performed many works by current FAC faculty member, Dr. Jon Grier.
Faculty News In October, Strings Chamber Music instructor John Ravnan performed concerts at the Fine Arts Center and at the University of North Carolina-Asheville with the ensemble Pan Harmonia. The concert from Asheville was later broadcast on North Carolina Public Radio.
You will want to arrive early—there are no reserved seats—because Steve has assembled the “Who’s Who” of jazz musicians in this area: Hazen Bannister (piano, organ, keyboards), Doug Norwine, who often played with Steve in Los Angeles (saxophone), Greg Alewine (bass), Big Tez Sherard (drums). A Fine Arts Center, Jazz Studies junior, Wendel Donald, who plays on six of the CD’s cuts, plays the piano, organ and keyboard! Singing that evening will be another Fine Arts Center Jazz Studies student, Israel Taylor. The CD releases to radio on February 1 through smoothjazz.com in Monterey, California.
On November 5th the FAC Music Department played host to the professional woodwind group, The PEN Trio—Nora Lewis, oboe, Phillip Paglialonga, clarinet, and Eric Varner, bassoon. The Trio coached woodwinds/brass and strings classes and gave performances for the student body, including a transcription of composer-in-residence Jon Grier’s Triple Dances. Jon Grier’s song cycle Tell Me Again How the New Comes Into the World, on a text by adjunct Creative Writing instructor Claire Bateman, was premiered on the Winter Voice Department recital. Conceived in celebration of the 40th anniversary of the FAC, Ms. Bateman’s text muses on the workings of the creative process itself.
Sopranos Emily Heeke, Lilia Faris, and Charlie Ann Roper, with pianist Sherry Parrini, aired the piece for the first time on Dec. 11th as part of a widely varied program.
Music Winter Edition, January 2015 17
January
April
Event
Date Time
Event
Date Time
Percussion/Winds & Brass Concert
14-Jan
7:00 PM
Teri Parker Lewis- One Woman Show
10-Apr 7:00 PM
Strings Chamber Music Concert
15-Jan
7:00 PM
Shakespeare
17-Apr 7:00 PM
Pan Harmonia Concert
22-Jan
7:30 PM
AM Dance Demonstration for Parents
23-Jan
6:30 PM
Write Out Loud: Four Decades of FAC Writers
18-Apr 7:00 PM
Steve Watson CD Release Concert
31-Jan
7:00 PM
ARMES Strings Spring Concert
19-Apr 3:00 PM
Ties That Bind: Student Reception FAC Dance Concert
February Event
Date Time
Free Planet
13-Feb
7:00 PM
FAC Gala
21-Feb
7:00 PM
Dance Student Concert—Sydney Parker
27-Feb
7:00 PM
Event
Date Time
ARMES Strings Concert
8-Mar
Jazz Concert
11-Mar 7:00 PM
Theatre Performance w/Guest Director Adam Knight
13-Mar 7:00 PM
Theatre Performance w/Guest Director Adam Knight String Chamber Music Concert Theatre Performance w/Guest Director Adam Knight
3:00 PM
23-Apr 7:00 PM
FAC Dance Concert
24-Apr 7:00 PM
ARMES FAC Dance Concert
25-Apr 3:00 PM
Emrys Reading Series highlighting FAC Senior students
27-Apr 7:00 PM
Theatre Showings
28-Apr 7:00 PM
Jazz Concert
29-Apr 7:00 PM
Jazz Concert
30-Apr 7:00 PM
March
23-Apr 6:00 PM
May Event
Date Time
Generation to Generation Concert All Departments
1-May
7:00 PM
Music Club Honor Concert
4-May
7:00 PM
14-Mar 7:00 PM
Monty Python Goes to the Opera
7-May
7:00 PM
19-Mar 7:00 PM
Monty Python Goes to the Opera
8-May
7:00 PM
20-Mar 7:00 PM
Artisphere—Dance & Theatre Performing
9-May TBA
GCYO Banquet
11-May 6:30 PM
Theatre Performance w/Guest Director Adam Knight
21-Mar 7:00 PM
Percussion/Winds & Brass Concert
12-May 7:00 PM
Ties That Bind: Community Reception
26-Mar 6:00 PM
Strings Chamber Music Concert
13-May 7:00 PM
Another Historical Performance
27-Mar 7:00 PM
Graduation Rehearsal
18-May 4:00 PM
Music Club of Greenville Scholarship Auditions
28-Mar 8:00-3:00 PM
Awards Day
19-May 9:30 AM
Awards Day
19-May 1:30 PM
Graduation
19-May 7:30 PM
Film Screening
29-May 7:00 PM
January–May 2015 Performance Calendar 18 The Fine Arts Center Newsletter
March Event
Location
Date Time
Theatre Performance w/Guest Adam Knight
Black Box
20-Mar 7:00 pm
Ties That Bind: Community Reception
Sheffield Wood Gallery 26-Mar 6:00 pm
Another Historical Performance
Recital Hall
27-Mar 7:00 pm
April
January Event
Location
Date Time
Event
Location
Date Time
Pan Harmonia Concert
Recital Hall
22-Jan 7:30 pm
Teri Parker Lewis
One Woman Show
10-Apr 7:00 pm
Steve Watson CD Release Concert
Black Box
31-Jan 7:00 pm
February
Roy Fluhrer—Shakespeare Black Box
17-Apr 7:00 pm
Write Out Loud: Four Decades of FAC Writers Black Box
18-Apr 7:00 pm
Event
Location
Date Time
Ties That Bind: Student Reception
Free Planet
Black Box
13-Feb 7:00 pm
May (No Events)
Fine Arts Center Gala
Hyatt
21-Feb 7:00 pm
All performances at the Fine Arts Center unless otherwise noted
The Fine Arts Center Partners is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting and increasing the visibility of the Fine Arts Center of Greenville County Schools, South Carolina’s oldest public high school program for the performing, literary and visual arts. The Partners is an entirely volunteer-run organization, allowing us to donate 100% of all funds raised directly to the school to help fund the extraordinary arts education offered there. Partners membership is open to parents of past and present FAC students, FAC alumni and all community members who wish to promote the goal of the Fine Arts Center: to provide advanced, comprehensive arts instruction to students who are artistically talented and wish to participate in an intensive, pre-professional program of study in music, dance, theatre, visual art, creative writing or digital filmmaking.
Sheffield Wood Gallery 23-Apr 6:00 pm
FAC students study with world-renowned guest artists and attend seminars and summer intensives, many of which are funded through assistance from the school. FAC graduates attend the most prestigious arts colleges and universities, and alumni have found successful careers on Broadway, as working artists and in other professional settings. Some have even returned as instructors at the Fine Arts Center. The Partners are proud to contribute to the future of the Fine Arts Center and that of arts education in Greenville. Join us by subscribing to our email updates, making a donation, attending our annual gala fundraiser, or volunteering your time. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you would like to help.
Fine Arts Center Partners facpartners@gmail.com www.fineartscenterpartners.org Find us on Youtube & Facebook
40th Anniversary Performances Winter Edition, January 2015 19
On the covers: Afternoon Percussion students perform in the Atrium during the WInter Showcase. Photo by Rod Fincannon