'Cornish Celebrates an Evening of the Arts' Raises More Than $500,000 for Scholarship Support

Following a gala evening that featured performances by Bill Irwin and Cornish students, alumni and faculty, President Nancy J. Uscher is pleased to announce the annual event raised more than $500,000 for the Cornish Scholarship Fund. The total includes $105,000 for the Sherry Raisbeck Endowed Scholarship, an endowment created last year by James Raisbeck in honor of his wife, a Cornish graduate and member of the Board of Trustees. VirgiNia Anderson, Board Chair, announced a $25,000 gift to the College's endowment in honor of Jane Ewing, former Vice President of Institutional Advancement who retired last spring.

"We are thrilled by the generosity of our supporters in making this critical investment in our students' education," said President Uscher, "helping each student to make a meaningful contribution to the world as artist, innovator and citizen."

Patrons were inspired by the talents of many Cornish students, alumni and faculty, as well as a remarkable address and performance by the multi-faceted, Tony Award-winning actor, MacArthur Fellow, and star of stage and screen, Bill Irwin.

A stirring speech by alumna Eleuthera Lisch (TH '93) demonstrated the power of both the Cornish education and scholarship support. She is Director of the Alive & Free Outreach Network, a program she started in 1999 at the YMCA of Greater Seattle, which uses theater to prevent youth violence.

The evening began with a reception that featured an art installation, Chess: The Game of Life by Christopher Walsh (AR '13), a chess set made of ice that gradually melted as the game was played in a fascinating blend of art and physics. The reception also included music by Gregg Belisle-Chi (MU '11), Courtney Fortune (MU '14) and Joe Montgomery (MU '14).

In an evening of song, dance, theater and visual art created under the direction of David Koch, the audience was treated to spoken word performances highlighting the different art forms written by Qadriyyah Shabbaz (TH '11) and performed by the author and students from the Dance and Theater Departments. Music students Toni McFall (MU '16), piano and Hayley Watt (MU '13), violin, each performed. Cornish Dance Theater performed New Second Line, a tribute to the survivors of Hurricane Katrina, choreographed by Camille A. Brown with music by Rebirth Brass Band. Theater Department students also performed Bring Me to Light from the musical Violet.

Cornish faculty performing included the Jovino Santo Neto Quarteto with Jovino Santos Neto, Hans Teuber, Chuck Deardorf and Mark Ivester and Johnaye Kendrick, vocals, and Dawn Clement, piano.

Cornish Celebrates an Evening of the Arts was co-chaired by Cornish trustees Jody Cunningham and Carol Munro.

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