Alumni Update
Our newest online alumni updates: |
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September 2004–Shane McDonald (visual arts) was selected to create a mural for the hit television show "Renovate My Family." His baseball park mural was used for a teenage boy's bedroom on the show.
Mural by alum, Shane McDonald, will be seen on
"Rennovate My Family" on Fox at 9pm E.S.T. Oct. 29 |
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May 2004–Dierdre Gillham (art education) will begin work on her master & doctoral degrees at Florida State University next fall.
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| May 2004–Gayle Maglione (art education) will teach art at East Paulding H.S. next school year. |
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May 2004–Matthew McCoy (visual arts) is pleased to report that his son, Jacob, is already showing an inclination toward art. Matt says "notice the left hand," referring to his own experience in re-discovering his own left-handedness while a student in one of Roberta Griffin's classes.
Jacob McCoy (son of alum Matthew McCoy) |
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| April 2004–Steven Sarotte (theatre) is teaching acting and playwrighting classes for the Cumming Attraction Theatre Company and the Curtain Call Youth Players of East Cobb this summer. He is also directing a production of Lillian Hellman’s controversial masterpiece, "The Children's Hour," for the Paudling Communtiy Theatre of Dallas. |
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| March 2004–Jonathan Dotson (music) is enrolled in the graduate guitar program at the University of Texas. He has received several scholarships and recently secured a spot in the university's DMA program. |
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| March 2004–Amy Phillips (art education) is the arts teacher at South Fulton High School in Atlanta, GA. |
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March 2004–Michele Thompson Cox (theatre) completed her studies with the American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco and has been busy acting in several independent films, commercials, industrials and plays in California. Some highlights include performing with Napa Valley Shakespeare Festival in "The Tempest," in Greg Zinger's short film "The Last Man" which was recently accepted into the New York International Independent Film Fest, and in White Light Studios' film "Back Home" in which her daughter, Danielle Cox, made her film debut. Michele was recently chosen to do the theatrical
trailer for Cinequest Film Fest 2004 and is currently in production starring in the title role for the film "The White Witch of Niles Canyon." Also, she will be playing Laura in Michael Ignagni's new play "Love, Honor, Cherish" which is set to premiere in the San Francisco area in April at the Gaslighter Theatre and in Los Angeles in June at Theatre Unlimited. Michele will be commuting this summer between SF and Los Angeles to work with the Larry Moss Studio. |
Michele Thompson Cox |
| March 2004–Kevin Fleming (music) will present a guitar recital at 3 p.m. on April 4 in the Music Recital Hall at KSU. He is currently working on his master's degree at Florida State University. |
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| March 2004–Tammy Evans Yonce (music) is in her second semester of work toward a master of music in flute performance and Indiana University. Last month, she won first prize at the Atlanta Flute Club Young Artist Competition and has been invited to give a full-length recital at that group's annual convention next year. |
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| March 2004–Carrie Ragsdale (theatre) is the new group sales coordinator for the Atlanta Ballet. |
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| March 2004–Justin Owen Head (music) has been accepted into the graduate performance program at Indiana University in Bloomington. |
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| February 2004–Janea Rae Boyles (theatre) has a written a play, "Fleeing From Grace," which will be presented in a staged reading during the 6th Annual Festival of New American Theatre at Dad's Garage Top Shelf in Atlanta on March 2. |
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February 2004–Kim Jackson (theatre) stars as Isabella in the Grove Theater Center production of "Measure for Measure" through Feb. 21 in Burbank, Calif. and Feb. 26-March 7 in Garden Grove, Calif.
Kim Jackson stars as Isabella
in "Measure for Measure" |
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| January 2004–Doc Hall and Stephanie Wilson (both music) will perform in Capitol City Opera's production of "The Saint of Bleecker Street" under the directior of fellow music alum Eric Smithey in Atlanta this April. |
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| November 2003–Steven Sarotte (theatre) just finished a stint as assistant director and actor in the film “Sandtown,” filmed in various locations around Georgia. This was Stratosphere Entertainment's fifth 16mm feature film produced in Georgia. |
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| November 2003–Jan DiPietro (visual arts) is showing her work in an exhibition called “Prima Materia: Water” at the Blue Cloud Cafe, Nov. 6-30, in Atlanta. |
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| October 2003–Dorothy Keith (visual arts) has agreed to serve on the community outreach committee for the College of the Arts' third annual benefit gala (March 20, 2004). She will be encouraging fellow alumni to buy tickets, sponsor, attend, donote items for the evening's auction or otherwise participate. For information about how you can be involved, write arts@kennesaw.edu. |
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| October 2003–Heidi Grantier (theatre) creates specialty costumes and dolls. Two of her creations (a bride-and-groom set) are featured for the month of June 2004 for the Iowa Pet Expo calendar. The costumes are modeled by a pair of French bulldogs. Heidi writes, “I'm so honored to be chosen as the couturier for their special day! LOL” |
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| October 2003–Becky Peters (theatre) is in her fourth year as part of the Shenandoah Shakespeare Resident Company (Staunton, Va.). She is currently performing Reagan in “King Lear,” Elmire in “Tartuffe” and Ursula in “Much Ado About Nothing.” |
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| September 2003–Nichol Jacobs (music), Dawna Thomas (music) and Stephanie Wilson (music) performed in the Capitol City Opera production of “Duked, Desired & Duked!: Three Comic Operas” in Atlanta, Sept. 19-21. Eric Smithey (music) is the artistic director of the company. |
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| August 2004–Kai Mamon (theatre & performance studies) has been cast in the upcoming HBO series, "The Closet." |
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| August 2004–Vivian Charmaine Bourne (art education) teaches at Southampton Preschool in Bermuda. |
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| July 2003–Craig Cantrell (music) has been named associate director of bands at East Hall High School. |
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July 2004–Tricia Beigh (theatre) is appearing in a collection of nine original one-act plays called "Nine Holes Rises from the Ashes" at Theatre Babylon in Atlanta, July 10-Aug. 9. |
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| June 2003-Mark Helwig (music) and wife, Debra, welcomed a new daughter, Clare Alida, born on May 31. |
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| June 2003 - Jody Reynard (theatre) has been cast in a swing role in the Boy George's upcoming Broadway production, "Taboo," which is being produced by Rosie O'Donnell. This is Reynards' third Broadway appearance in five years. |
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| June 2003 - Jennifer Akin (theatre) has been cast in the title role of "Mary Stuart" in the August production at Theatre in the Square in Marietta. |
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| May 2003–Steven Sarotte (theatre) already this year has directed a production of "Arsenic and Old Lace" at Cobb Playhouse and directed a staged reading of his original play "Lost on Bourbon Street" for Working Title Playwrights. He is a script consultant for the Sony Pictures Television pilot, "In Deep," scheduled for filming in Vancouver for the USA Network. He also served as assistant director and script consultant for the Edgeworks Entertainment film "The Scam Artist," which is in post-production and will be submitted for festivals this summer and fall. Sarotte teaches high school playwrighting classes through Horizon Theater in Atlanta. This summer, he will teach playwrighting and acting for the Cherokee County Arts Council in Canton, Ga. |
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| May 2003–Jennifer Akin (theatre) is appearing as Olivia in a production of "Twelfth Night" at the New American Shakespeare Tavern in Atlanta, May 22-June 29. |
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| May 2003–Carol Bailey Jackson (visual arts) was featured in a solo exhibition of her artwork at the St. Albans Apartment Clubhouse in Cartersville, Ga. last month. She works at the Paulding Neighbor, a newspaper, in Dallas, Ga. |
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| May 2003–Kim Jackson (theatre) will appear in the role of Desdemona in a seven-week run of "Othello" at The Grove Theatre in Burbank, Calif. She also appeared in an independent film, "The Last Leaf," which recently premiered at The Method Fest, a film festival in Burbank. |
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The following alumni news updates appeared in the print version of Flourish / Vol. 3, No. 1, Summer:
John Patrick Cory (visual arts, 1993) completed a program in industrial design at the Art Institute of Seattle in 2000. He now works as a prototype model maker at Envision in Greensboro, N.C.
Jonathan Dotson (music performance, 2003) recently won first prize in the Appalachian Guitar Festival Competition.
Lori Jenkins (art/art education, 2004) teaches middle school art in Fannin County, Ga.
Gayle Maglione (art education, 2004) is teaching art at East Paulding County High School in Paulding County, Ga.
Kai Mamon (theatre & performance studies, 2004) is organizing Shooting for the Stars Celebrity Weekend, a fundraiser to benefit inner city programs in San Antonio, Tex., June 16-19.
Matthew McCoy (visual arts, 1993) designed a patriotic-themed Christmas tree that was ranked in the top ten at the 2004 Festival of Trees in Atlanta. He is currently designing a nationally traveling exhibition based on the book, We Were There, for The Black Patriots Foundation in Washington, D.C.
Shane McDonald (visual arts, 1992), Samuel Parker (visual arts, 2004), Edward Smucygz (visual arts, 2004) and Linda Voogt-Wood (visual arts, 2004) had artwork accepted in the 2005 Art of Dining Exhibition and Charity Auction at the Momus Gallery in Atlanta on April 15.
Shane McDonald (visual arts, 1992) created a mural for the television show, "Renovate My Family," which first aired on Fox Oct. 29, 2004. McDonald also shared a two-man exhibition, "Ebb and Flow," with Matthew Craven (visual arts, 1993) at the Booth Museum of Western Art in Cartersville, Ga., April 21-May 29.
Margot Potter (theatre, 1996) has written a book, The Impatient Beader, which will be published by North Light Books next year.
Mac Powell (music) and his band, Third Day, won their second Grammy Award in 2005. Their album, "Wire," won the rock/contemporary gospel album category.
Melanie Rivera (theatre & performance studies, 2004) is working at the SIAS International University near ZhengZhou, China. Next year, she will study arts administration and cultural policy at the University of London's Goldsmiths College in England.
Travis Young (theatre & performance studies) was cast in a major role in the Theatre in the Square production, Take Me Out, in Marietta March 2-May1. He also has performed in several Theatre Gael productions in Atlanta, including Dancing at Lughnasa, The Beauty Queen of Leenane and A Skull in Connemara.
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