Arts News

* Moreau prints come to art gallery

Tue, 23 Oct 2012 15:53:00 GMT

For Ben Moreau, art is all about him, but only as a way to explore the rest of us

Moreau’s highly crafted prints will be on display at the Shoreline Community College Art Gallery Oct. 29 - Dec. 30. There will be a reception from 5-7 p.m. on Nov. 10. The gallery is in the 1000 (Administration) Building, 16101 Greenwood Ave. N., Shoreline, WA 98133

Using self-portraiture as a vehicle of exploration into the human condition, Moreau’s work chronicles an individual struggle and adaptation to external forces beyond his control. Removed from the context of a narrative, his images utilize humor, self-deprecation, and formal abstraction as defense mechanisms to ultimately conceal specific issues of awkwardness, loneliness, insecurity, the fear of failure, and social anxieties and pressures. The Shoreline show is titled, “I Have My Doubts.”

Moreau was born in Portland, Me., and earned a Bachelor’s in Fine Arts in printmaking from the Maine College of Art in 1999. He attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison where he was awarded a Master’s degree in studio art in 2002 and a Master’s in Fine Arts in 2003. Moreau lives in Seattle and is the senior lecturer in printmaking at Western Washington University in Bellingham. He has an extensive national and international exhibition record, and is represented by the Davidson Gallery in Seattle.

For more on upcoming shows at the Shoreline Community College Art Gallery, go to: www.shoreline.edu/gallery

*Filmmaking students produce "Suspect" in film noir style

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 17:43:00 GMT

While most Shoreline students were studying for finals last weekend, filmmaking students in Kris Boustedt's Video Production 1 class produced a movie. The group of 14 worked long, 14-hour days, beginning Friday evening and finishing in the early hours of Monday morning, to get the film "in the can" by the end of the quarter. The 20-minute "Suspect" was their finals project.

Boustedt says the group wasn’t “your typical group of new students,” referring to the caliber of skills, confidence and passion they brought to the beginning filmmaking class. Some had studied filmmaking at Mountlake Terrace, Ballard High School and other area high schools as well as taken other classes at Shoreline such as single camera video production techniques, lighting and audio equipment. By the end of the first day of class it was obvious to the filmmaking instructor that he was going to have to go beyond the basic skill set and require more advanced assignments – like producing a high-quality film.

“They were really ready to produce a professional film,” he says, “a much more complicated, challenging film.” Boustedt’s class retained the same outcomes of earlier courses he taught, but this time students got to produce a much more complex film for their final project after having produced two simpler projects earlier in the quarter.

The students’ commitment to doing whatever it takes to produce a high quality film also impressed Boustedt. While talking about the creative project, they also talked about the possibility of renting big-budget film equipment and hiring local, professional actors to capture the black and white film at in its best film noir format. All committed to raising money to support making a film that could very well draw attention to their work and the Shoreline filmmaking program. After only a couple of weeks, they raised well above their initial goal to cover the costs of not only renting professional equipment but hiring professional actors.

The students rented a RED M-X camera, the same equipment used to film such movies as David Fincher’s “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” and “The Social Network.” The camera package was worth over $100,000.

“This is amazing stuff,” Boustedt says. “I don’t think anybody (in the community college system) has had the opportunity to work with big budget equipment like this.” The Red M-X is considered the gold standard for image quality in Hollywood.

The Shoreline students hired SAG actors like Rich Morris, who can be seen in NBC’s new primetime show, “GRIMM,” to play a lead role. He had worked on projects with Morris and other professional actors in the past and his students jumped on the opportunity to leverage their instructor’s contacts.

Students raised the money nearly $2,500 via Kickstarter, a web site at which thousands of people pledge money to support film and other creative projects. The Shoreline project drew so much attention that enough money was donated to not only cover the costs of the camera equipment and actors, but to support the costs of stage sets, costumes, props, permits and location fees.

Student producer Marco Scaringi says, “It’s incredibly humbling. It’s not just family and friends…the Seattle film community is being incredibly supportive, financially, with equipment, advice. It’s a wonderful feeling.”

Boustedt's students shot the 20-minute film, "Suspect," in a film noir style over a 42 hour period at different locations across Shoreline and Seattle, including an airplane hanger at Sandpoint Naval Base.

According to Boustedt, the storyline, which is about two detectives investigating a series of grisly murders, is one of the most complex that has ever been mounted by students at Shoreline. “It’s incredibly large in scope, in characters, locations… it’s a huge undertaking.”

Written by filmmaking student, Michael Fojt, the film was directed by Bill Kelley, produced by Marco Scaringi and photographed by Film Club president, Sophia Perez. “This is truly a group effort,” says Boustedt. “It’s not just one or two making this happen; there are fourteen students, all working together to make this film a reality.”

Boustedt couldn’t be happier. “I love it. They’re not just taking advantage of an opportunity, they’re creating their own. When they leave our program, they are no doubt going to work on sets with the same actors and same equipment as they’re using here. This project goes far beyond the caveat of a student film. In a time where everyone is cutting and pulling back, this group of students is going farther than I could ever have dreamed. They’re doing something that very few students at any school get a chance to do, and they’re putting themselves way ahead of the game as a result.”

Watch DAAG for an update on the filming of the student written, produced and edited film, “Suspect.”

* U.S. Marine Band Staff Sergeant Amy McCabe is featured soloist at Shoreline Concert Band Concert

Thu, 12 May 2011 11:20:00 GMT

The Shoreline Concert Band, directed by Ken Noreen, will perform ‘The Masters,’ at its final concert of the year at 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, May 24 at the Shorecrest Performing Arts Center.

Guest performing groups include the University of Washington Campus Band, directed by graduate students Erin Bodnar and Nathan Rengstorf, and the Kellogg Middle School Wind Ensemble, directed by Alec Wilmart.

The featured soloist is U.S. Marine Band Staff Sergeant Amy V. McCabe. SSgt McCabe, who is a member of the President’s Own U.S. Marine Band, will perform Haydn’s “Trumpet Concerto” with the Shoreline Concert Band. She will also perform with the Kellogg Middle School group. Her appearance was made possible by a community grant from the Shoreline/LFP Arts Council.

No admission will be charged because of SSgt McCabe’s appearance, but donations will be accepted at the door.

The Shorecrest Performing Arts Center is located at 15343 25^th Avenue NE in Shoreline.

More info on SSgt McCabe

SSgt McCabe began her musical instruction on the piano at the age of six and trumpet instruction at the age of 10. She earned her bachelor’s degree in music and elementary education from Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington and her master’s degree in trumpet performance from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. Her notable instructors include Charles Geyer and Barbara Butler of Northwestern University and Steve Eggleston and Judith Saxon of Illinois Wesleyan University.

Prior to joining The President’s Own Marine Band, SSgt McCabe was a featured soloist in the Tony/Emmy Award winning show ‘Blast! She was a member of MusicCorps, a music education and advocacy program designed to promote music awareness, music appreciation and music training in the Chicago Public Schools. SSgt McCabe performed with the Chicago Civic Orchestra, the Spoleto Festival USA Orchestra in Charleston, S.C., and the Walt Disney World All-Star Collegiate Jazz Band and Christmas Brass in Orlando, Fl. She received the Roger Voisin Trumpet Award during her fellowship at the Tanglewood Music Center in Lenox, Mass.

SSgt McCabe performs with the Marine Band, Marine Chamber Orchestra and the Marine Chamber Ensembles at the While House in the Washington, D.C. area and around the country during the Band’s annual concert tour.

IWU Alumna Finds Her Calling in "The President's Own" Marine Band

For the past two years, trumpet player Amy McCabe was living the typical life of a young musician, "playing weddings and gigs and living paycheck to paycheck." That all changed this past July, when the 2001 Illinois Wesleyan graduate found herself in full military dress, performing as the newest member of "The President's Own" United States Marine Band.

Prior to joining "The President's Own," McCabe earned a master's degree in trumpet performance from Northwestern University, was a featured soloist in the Tony/Emmy award-winning show Blast!, and performed with the Chicago Civic Orchestra and Walt Disney World All-Star Collegiate Jazz Band. But nothing in her experience could fully prepare her for the intense auditioning required to join the Marine Band. At the John Philip Sousa Band Hall at Marine Barracks in Washington, D.C., she competed against approximately 80 other musicians through four rigorous rounds of auditions, which were conducted behind screens to avoid discrimination. McCabe was also interviewed to ensure that she qualified for the top-level White House security clearance required for all of the band's performers.

Although all 160 members of "The President's Own" are considered true Marines, traditional "boot camp" training is not involved. "Instead, we go through a month-long training program with a drum major, where we learn how to wear our uniforms, who to salute when and where, and a lot of history about the organization," McCabe said. Not requiring band members to endure boot camp likely "helps attract a wider variety of musicians, since some might be afraid of an intense three-month training," she added.

Established by an Act of Congress in 1798, the U.S. Marine Band performed at Thomas Jefferson's inauguration and for every presidential inauguration since. It has also been a part of events that shaped the nation, from playing before Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address to leading the funeral procession of John F. Kennedy. "The President's Own" also performs at White House state dinners, gives public concerts, and performs full-honors funerals at Arlington National Cemetery, among other duties. Women were allowed to join the band in 1973 and now comprise a third of its membership.

McCabe's most memorable performance so far happened this past September. "On September 11, we did a private concert on the steps of the Capitol Building for the senators," she said. "As we played God Bless America, all of the senators began singing along," as they had previously done on the Capitol steps after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. "It was a morale booster for the day," said McCabe.

In many aspects, life in the Marines isn't so different from her past jobs. "A lot of it is very similar," she said, mentioning the large audiences the Chicago Civic Orchestra also attracted. "But it's very different from working at Disney World as a musician. That was all cheese and smiles," she said, laughing. "There's no cheese and smiles in the Marines!" McCabe finds that she is "continually surrounded by better and better musicians. People in this group come from conservatories and music schools from all over the nation."

While enjoying her success as a performer, McCabe hasn't given up her roots in elementary education, which was her major at Illinois Wesleyan. In Chicago, she was a member of MusiCorps, a program designed to promote music awareness, appreciation, and training in the city's public schools. She continues to teach private lessons. "There are always opportunities to teach in music," she said.

She recalled that, as an IWU student, she "did everything," including Titan Band, Orchestra, and Jazz Ensemble. Music professors Steve Eggelston and Tom Streeter "were wonderful influences. They both encouraged me, but also warned me that performance is not always a lucrative career," she said. "I feel very fortunate to have the job I have right now."

As for her future with the Marine Band, McCabe isn't sure hers will be a lifelong commitment, as it is with about 60 percent of musicians in the band. "They say I can retire in 20 years, which is kind of a crazy concept," she said. "But I really haven't made that decision yet. I'm satisfied and comfortable with where I am. It's definitely somewhere I want to be for a while."

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*Art student Janice Bellotti-Pace wins art contest

Fri, 08 Apr 2011 17:25:00 GMT

The work of Shoreline Community College art student, Janice Bellotti-Pace took first place in the third annual juried Sensory Art Contest sponsored by the Lighthouse for the Blind last month.

Art submitted in the contest could be in the form of sculpture, quilts, pottery, jewelry, and other tactile arts and had to be sensory in nature so that both seeing and sight-impaired viewers could experience the art.

The piece that won Bellotti-Pace first place in the competition and $250 was a woven basket containing crocheted and woven vegetables, including broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, corn, eggplant and more. She used an array of materials, weaving techniques and color applications to form the basket, considering the tactile experience that all materials would provide.

“It looks like a typical Navajo basket,” Bellotti-Pace says, explaining that the center of the basket was made from twisted paper and that yarn wound around the outside makes it sturdy. Steel blue gray, creams and brown are the dominant colors.

The professional chef by trade was inspired by her work in the culinary field. The basket was made for a weaving project for a fabric design class Bellotti-Pace was taking at the college. “The project was to learn how to weave and create a soft sculpture,” the art student says. The vegetables were made for a soft sculpture project.

Bellotti-Pace says that what she learned in Ward’s class, Design and Materials: Textiles, was the perfect match for her submission for the LFB competition. Students explore textiles as a medium for creative problem-solving and expression.

“The pieces had to feel dimensional,” Bellotti-Pace says who created the vegetables with materials that provided a similar touch to the real deal. “For example,” she says, “I used a silky material to represent corn silk.”

Art instructor Laura Ward was impressed with the piece and encouraged her student to enter her work into the LFB competition.

Ward says that her student shows great potential in her work. “Janice excels as a student and brings creativity, inspiration, enthusiasm and previous skill to the class,” Ward says of Bellotti-Pace. “She approaches each project with careful thought, planned drawings and material test pieces she chooses to create her designs from based on research and trial and error.”

Bellotti’s basket and other winning artwork were on display at an art show held in conjunction with the Josephine L. Taylor Leadership Institute Conference at the Seattle Renaissance Hotel March 11-12, 2011. Works will be donated and sold at the Seattle Lighthouse for the Blind Foundation’s annual Redefining Vision Auction on May 21, 2011.

Bellotti-Pace plans to complete a transfer degree. She takes classes on a part-time basis at Shoreline Community College and is an active member of the college’s Art Club. She graduated from Shoreline with honors and a Business Technology degree in August 2009.

* "Sing & Swing into Spring," Shoreline Concert Band Performance

Tue, 01 Mar 2011 16:58:00 GMT

7:30pm, March 8, Shorecrest Performing Arts Center
Enjoy the music of Duke Ellington and other famous jazz musicians at this year's winter concert by the Shoreline Concert Band. A special performance of a song written by one of the band members, Richard Brown, will be performed along with performances by three music ensembles.

The 20-member SCC Shoreline Singers conducted by Fred Lokken will be the featured group and a special guest performance by the Seattle Percussion Collective (SPC) will be made. The SPC, a professional percussion ensemble directed by Dale Speicher, will perform several works off their new album. Members of the Shoreline School District All-State and All-Northwest musicians will be honored at the concert and they will perform a number of songs with members of the Shoreline Concert Band.

Tickets will be available only at the door this year. $8 General Admission; $6 Seniors, and $4 SCC students. For more information, please contact Shoreline Concert Band Director, Ken Noreen at (206) 227-3842.

The Shoreline Concert Band is now in its twenty-first year of operation. The 80 piece band was founded in 1984 to offer community members an opportunity to perform in a quality concert band alongside Shoreline Community College students. The Shoreline Concert Band performs quarterly concerts at the Shorecrest Performing Arts Center and provides music for the college's annual Commencement Ceremony in June. Directed by Ken Noreen.