Courses
Instructor(s)
- Tory Franklin
- Beverly Poole
- Brad Taylor
- Emilia Kister
- Geof Alm
- Meg McLynn
- Sarah Lavin
- Soo Hong
- Dan Shafer
- Maja Sereda
- Majinn
- Nikki Rice
- Alia Swersky
- Charles Sheaffer
- Daniel Goody
- Ellen Forney
- Ian Bond
- J. Gordon
- Jessica Jobaris
- Kate Falconer
- Kevin Drake
- Kyungjin Kim (KJ)
- Leanna Keith
- Lex Ramierez
- Renee Plevy
- Ruthie Dornfeld
- Silas Berlin
- Winnie Westergard
- Zorn Taylor
- Andrew Joslyn
- Brian Miller
- Carolyn Hall
- Casey Curran
- Fumi Amano
- Kiné Camara
- Larry Calkins
- Robynne Raye
Hand Puppet Fabrication
Nikki Rice
Born and raised in Seattle, Nikki moved to California to attend college, receiving a BFA in Film Production in 2002 from Chapman University. For the next 6 years she worked various office jobs in the film industry while also earning a Masters Degree in Secondary Education. In 2006 Nikki decided to shift her career to Special Effects Make-Up working at Creature FX studios and from there segueing into the stop motion world, beginning in 2008 with Shadow Machine on the Adult Swim hit show, Robot Chicken: Season 3. Nikki has worked as a puppet fabricator, lead fabricator and department head on numbers stop motion television shows, commercials and films, helping create iconic stop motion characters for such shows/films as Happy Honda Days (Socal regional commercial campaign for the last 12 years), Ask the Story Bots, Buddy Thunderstruck, Anomolisa and Ted Lasso to name a few. In 2022, the next adventure brought Nikki back home to Seattle to be closer to family and to hang out her own shingle as Puppets Northwest, offering a one stop shop for puppets of all kinds, SFX, 3D modeling/printing and educational outreach of all of the above.
Resin Figurine Creation
Nikki Rice
Born and raised in Seattle, Nikki moved to California to attend college, receiving a BFA in Film Production in 2002 from Chapman University. For the next 6 years she worked various office jobs in the film industry while also earning a Masters Degree in Secondary Education. In 2006 Nikki decided to shift her career to Special Effects Make-Up working at Creature FX studios and from there segueing into the stop motion world, beginning in 2008 with Shadow Machine on the Adult Swim hit show, Robot Chicken: Season 3. Nikki has worked as a puppet fabricator, lead fabricator and department head on numbers stop motion television shows, commercials and films, helping create iconic stop motion characters for such shows/films as Happy Honda Days (Socal regional commercial campaign for the last 12 years), Ask the Story Bots, Buddy Thunderstruck, Anomolisa and Ted Lasso to name a few. In 2022, the next adventure brought Nikki back home to Seattle to be closer to family and to hang out her own shingle as Puppets Northwest, offering a one stop shop for puppets of all kinds, SFX, 3D modeling/printing and educational outreach of all of the above.
Cornish+ Choir (Sunday)
Emilia Kister
Emilia Kister began singing in a children’s choir and learning piano at the age of four, in Moscow, Russia where she studied at the Gnessin Specialized Musical School for Gifted Children. At the age of ten, her family immigrated to the United States and Emilia continued studying piano at the Kaufman Music Center in NYC. During High School, she sang in the school Choir, an a cappella group and fell in love with chamber music. For college, Emilia attended the Eastman School of Music to pursue a degree in piano performance, while there, she sang in the Eastman Chorale and continued to make music with others through accompanying and chamber music. During her third year of studies, Emilia switched from piano performance to music education, and hasn’t looked back since!
Figma Crash Course
Robynne Raye
Robynne Raye is a co-founder of the Seattle-based Modern Dog Design Co, an internationally acclaimed design and illustration studio that opened in 1987. Her client list includes Showtime, The New York Times, Coca-Cola, Nordstrom, HarperCollins, Warner Bros. Records, Hillary Clinton, and K2 Snowboards. Her posters have been exhibited internationally, and are collected in the archives of major libraries and museums worldwide, including the Library of Congress, Bibliothèque National de France, Museum Fur Kunst und Gewerbe, the Smithsonian Institute’s Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, Guan Shanyue Art Museum, and the Louvre’s Musee Des Arts Decoratifs, among others.
For over thirty years, Raye has lectured extensively about design issues and led workshops around the world. In 2013, Graphic Design USA Magazine listed her as one of the "50 Most Influential Designers Working Today.” She is the co-author of Modern Dog, 20 Years of Poster Art and Inside the World of Board Graphics: Skate, Surf, Snow, and author of 1000 Dog Portraits.
Luminous Sculpture
Kyungjin Kim (KJ)
Kyung-jin Kim is originally from South Korea. He received his MFA Sculpture at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2016. He utilizes diverse mediums to approach the substance of liminality inherent to dislocation, translation and adjustment. Through sculpture, kinetic devices, and interactive sound installations, His work has shown at venues include Gallery MC (NY), Korean Cultural Center NY, MASS MoCA Open Studios (MA), Vermont Studio Center (VT), Governors Island Art Fair 2018 (NY) RU Exhibition: DYNAMIS, Equity Gallery (NY), Rubin Museum Block Party (NY). He participated ACRE Residency (WI) MASS MoCA Residency (MA), Vermont Studio Center Residency (VT), Flux Factory Residency (NY) Sculpture Space Residency program, Utica (NY), RU Residency program, New York and recently had a Solo exhibition ‘Wishful Thinking’ at the Thomas Hunter Project Space, 2022, CUNY Hunter College New York.
He received the NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship, category of Architecture/ Environmental Structures/ Design in 2019, New York Corp Artist Fund in 2021 and the Queens Council on the Arts : Art Access Grant in 2021. He is a co-founder of the New York based artist group, "Jeju Island Artist Collective" and curated a Flux Factory annual major exhibition titled, "Survival Tools for Artists for the Age of Ultra Anxiety" in 2021, Plaxall Gallery, Queens, NY)
Polymer Clay Sculpting
Kyungjin Kim (KJ)
Kyung-jin Kim is originally from South Korea. He received his MFA Sculpture at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2016. He utilizes diverse mediums to approach the substance of liminality inherent to dislocation, translation and adjustment. Through sculpture, kinetic devices, and interactive sound installations, His work has shown at venues include Gallery MC (NY), Korean Cultural Center NY, MASS MoCA Open Studios (MA), Vermont Studio Center (VT), Governors Island Art Fair 2018 (NY) RU Exhibition: DYNAMIS, Equity Gallery (NY), Rubin Museum Block Party (NY). He participated ACRE Residency (WI) MASS MoCA Residency (MA), Vermont Studio Center Residency (VT), Flux Factory Residency (NY) Sculpture Space Residency program, Utica (NY), RU Residency program, New York and recently had a Solo exhibition ‘Wishful Thinking’ at the Thomas Hunter Project Space, 2022, CUNY Hunter College New York.
He received the NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship, category of Architecture/ Environmental Structures/ Design in 2019, New York Corp Artist Fund in 2021 and the Queens Council on the Arts : Art Access Grant in 2021. He is a co-founder of the New York based artist group, "Jeju Island Artist Collective" and curated a Flux Factory annual major exhibition titled, "Survival Tools for Artists for the Age of Ultra Anxiety" in 2021, Plaxall Gallery, Queens, NY)
Cornish+ Choir (Monday)
Emilia Kister
Emilia Kister began singing in a children’s choir and learning piano at the age of four, in Moscow, Russia where she studied at the Gnessin Specialized Musical School for Gifted Children. At the age of ten, her family immigrated to the United States and Emilia continued studying piano at the Kaufman Music Center in NYC. During High School, she sang in the school Choir, an a cappella group and fell in love with chamber music. For college, Emilia attended the Eastman School of Music to pursue a degree in piano performance, while there, she sang in the Eastman Chorale and continued to make music with others through accompanying and chamber music. During her third year of studies, Emilia switched from piano performance to music education, and hasn’t looked back since!
Leadership Speaking (And Listening) Through Acting
Meg McLynn
Meg McLynn is an actor, vocalist, and teaching artist who has been seen on stages and screens throughout North America. Meg loves to share her passion for performance with students of all ages, and it is her belief that the work we do in “the studio” is applicable to all aspects of our everyday lives.
Having studied for 7 years under renowned voice teacher, Kristin Linklater, Meg now works with students to help them take ownership of their wonderfully unique voices. She teaches Voice and Speech at Cornish College of the Arts, and she serves as a vocal coach with Jack Straw Studios. She has assisted with voice training at Columbia Business School and World Leaders Forum in New York City. Meg also teaches Voice and Acting classes at Freehold Theatre Lab and Mighty Tripod Studios in Seattle.
Meg is a member of the Seattle-based vocal trio, Blue Plate Special, and has been an Anthem Singer for the Seattle Seahawks. As a concert soloist, she performed the songbooks of Patsy Cline, Judy Garland, and Carly Simon with Purple Phoenix Productions. Local acting credits include roles with Seattle Shakespeare Company, Book-It Rep, Seattle Symphony, ArtsWest, Seattle Opera, Seattle Public Theatre, Washington Ensemble Theatre, Theatre22, Harlequin Productions, and 14/48: TWQTF, as well as the feature films “Different Drummers”, “7 Minutes”, and “Colton”. You can see her in the series, “The Girl in the Woods” streaming on NBC/Peacock.
Workshop: Stage Directing and Leadership
Beverly Poole
Beverly Poole has been in Seattle theater for 16 years, and has taught theater for nearly as long. Though she has spent time dabbling in improv, podcasting work, and audio dramas, her true passion is theater that affects the audience like a story told on film never could.
Some of her greatest influences came out of time spent in The Drama Collective Pontlevoy with several master teachers in European theater arts traditions–including Lecoq mask and body work, Kantor technique, ensemble devising work, and puppetry. Other influences were the Viewpoints training she received at the University of Washington, and some of Seattle’s own site-specific theater (her favorite was a show on the Fremont Troll).
Beverly joined REBATEnsemble as an actor, and became the Associate Artistic Director two years later. With REBATE she directed, wrote, and devised plays with theater founder Tom Dang, including Icons: The Martin Show, The Tempest, and Rashumon Reloaded, and she began teaching workshops in ensemble acting and devising.
Beverly has taught theater to all ages, and has a special fondness for teaching Shakespeare to high school students. Her other interests include history, watercolor painting, and fire spinning.
Unarmed Theatrical Combat
Geof Alm
Geoffrey Alm has been teaching Stage Fighting at Cornish since 2008. A Certified Teacher with The Society of American Fight Directors since 1987, he is also a Certified Fight Director and Fight Master. Professionally he has been choreographing fights since 1988, locally and Nationally. He’s a proud member of Stage Directors and Choreographers, Actors Equity, and SAG-AFTRA.
Theatrical Swordplay
Geof Alm
Geoffrey Alm has been teaching Stage Fighting at Cornish since 2008. A Certified Teacher with The Society of American Fight Directors since 1987, he is also a Certified Fight Director and Fight Master. Professionally he has been choreographing fights since 1988, locally and Nationally. He’s a proud member of Stage Directors and Choreographers, Actors Equity, and SAG-AFTRA.
Creative Metalworking
Sarah Lavin
I am energized by the spirited exchange of expression and ideas. I am a metal worker, sculptor and installation artist. I have always worked with my hands; gardening, farming, fabricating. I took my first metal working class at Pratt Fine Art Center nearly 25 years ago and went on to get a certificate in Welding/Fabrication at South Seattle Community College specializing in non-ferrous metals and blacksmithing.
I have been a metalworker in various industrial and artistic capacities ever since: I ran public art programs in SE Seattle high school and middle schools, as well as worked alongside established artists and builders. I have recently returned to Pratt teaching forging and welding for adults, families and and teens. I also teach at Burkehead Art Center and Coyote Central. I maintain a shop/art practice on our family farm amongst the goats in Woodinville, Wa.
Explorations in Papermaking
Brad Taylor
Bradley Taylor is a Seattle based artist, and printmaker. He is currently working at Cornish College of the Arts as the Printmaking Studio Technician. Proficient in all forms of printmaking Bradley specializes in woodblock prints. His work has been shown in numerous galleries in the Seattle area. He has also work collaboratively with many notable Seattle Artists.
Beginning Welding
Sarah Lavin
I am energized by the spirited exchange of expression and ideas. I am a metal worker, sculptor and installation artist. I have always worked with my hands; gardening, farming, fabricating. I took my first metal working class at Pratt Fine Art Center nearly 25 years ago and went on to get a certificate in Welding/Fabrication at South Seattle Community College specializing in non-ferrous metals and blacksmithing.
I have been a metalworker in various industrial and artistic capacities ever since: I ran public art programs in SE Seattle high school and middle schools, as well as worked alongside established artists and builders. I have recently returned to Pratt teaching forging and welding for adults, families and and teens. I also teach at Burkehead Art Center and Coyote Central. I maintain a shop/art practice on our family farm amongst the goats in Woodinville, Wa.
Life & Still Life Drawing
J. Gordon
J. Gordon brings over two decades of experience as an artist, educator, and curator, to his classrooms. Gordon earned his BFA and MFA in painting from the University of Kansas and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts respectively. While his current professional practice centers primarily around the medium of drawing, he incorporates aspects of traditional and contemporary painterly practices in both his teaching methods and mixed media art works.
Gordon is a recipient of multiple scholarships and awards, as well an artist fellowship from the state of Delaware. He has taught drawing at many colleges, art centers, and museums including the Tacoma Art Museum and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. He is currently represented by Gallery Strega, where he also plays a supporting role in exhibition design and curation.
Introduction to laser cutting for sculpture
Casey Curran
I find myself drawn to the foundation of things, to the root of their cause and the long cycle of their existence. It’s a fascination with structures laying between the very vast and the very small. A desire to see a system writ into the nature of things, defining every surface, every thought and idea. A simple piece of humanity laying somewhere between stars and bones, summoning the great and small triumphs of our innumerable endeavors.
Focusing primarily in sculpture, but not limited to any specific medium, I create kinetic environments with an internal logic and history often propelled by a simple hand crank. I invite the viewer to become a part of the work through participation, animating a tableau of flora and fauna that bloom or flutter to life when activated. When conceiving my pieces I center on a hidden narrative and assign visual elements that aline with the concept of the piece, often utilizing ornate structures and simple construction methods to further highlight my interests in Nature, foundation and form. When creating my work I look for patterns in the environments around me, trying to tease out symmetry in their ecosystems. I look for how innovation shapes itself into our ever expanding systems of complexity and knowledge. I create work that attempts to straddle the concepts of chaos, pattern, and emergence. These are the pillars I search for, the thoughtful hands that hold my metaphors.
Letterpress Print Party
Dan Shafer
Dan D. Shafer is a graphic designer, artist, and educator living and working in Seattle. He owns Dandy Co., a graphic design studio specializing in book design, installation, and environmental design (as well as event promotion and branding). The studio's clients include Kronos Quartet, American Cancer Society, Salish Lodge, Herman Miller, and Pratt Fine Arts Center.
Shafer is also the creative director at Chin Music Press. His self-initiated social practice installations explore the nebulous territory that exists between traditional definitions of "art" and "design," and investigate how people interact with objects in their everyday lives.
Explorations in Papermaking
Brad Taylor
Bradley Taylor is a Seattle based artist, and printmaker. He is currently working at Cornish College of the Arts as the Printmaking Studio Technician. Proficient in all forms of printmaking Bradley specializes in woodblock prints. His work has been shown in numerous galleries in the Seattle area. He has also work collaboratively with many notable Seattle Artists.
Introduction to Patterns & Printmaking
Brad Taylor
Bradley Taylor is a Seattle based artist, and printmaker. He is currently working at Cornish College of the Arts as the Printmaking Studio Technician. Proficient in all forms of printmaking Bradley specializes in woodblock prints. His work has been shown in numerous galleries in the Seattle area. He has also work collaboratively with many notable Seattle Artists.
String Band
Ruthie Dornfeld
Seattle fiddler Ruthie Dornfeld’s vibrant, expressive playing is voiced in a wide range of traditional fiddle styles, from Celtic, American Old-Time, and French Canadian, Scandinavian, and Eastern European. She has performed and taught widely throughout the US, Europe, and South America. During her 15 year sojourn in New England, Ruthie studied at Berklee College of Music, was a member of the twin fiddle stringband The Poodles, the bluegrass band Boston City Limits, the Hungarian band The Pulis, was a mainstay on the contra dance circuit, and toured Europe with tapdancer Ira Bernstein and with the Copenhagen-based American Cafe Orchestra. Since returning to the Pacific Northwest in 1996, she has been a member of the French cabaret group Rouge, performs with guitar master John Miller, with the quintet Tangoheart, and for local contra and English dancing.