Cornish College of the Arts Festivities Raise $390K for Scholarships

Cornish College of the Arts wrapped up its weekend of Inaugural festivities by raising $390,000 to support student scholarships on Sunday, October 16 at Cornish Celebrates an Evening of the Arts, the College's annual gala fundraiser. The College officially installed its fifth president, Dr. Nancy J. Uscher on Friday, October 14 and welcomed her with a day-long colloquium at Cornish on Saturday.

"I am overwhelmed by the generosity of our donors," said Dr. Uscher. "They help to ensure that future generations of artists will be able to pursue their craft, and their dreams, regardless of economic circumstances. It's a tribute to the talent and passion of our students, faculty and alumni."

In a stunning surprise announcement, James Raisbeck honored his wife, Cornish trustee and alumnus, Sherry Raisbeck, with the establishment of a new endowed scholarship in her name. The Sherry Raisbeck Endowed Scholarship will support students studying fine art at Cornish. The initial gift of $25,000 will be followed by additional gifts to bring the total to $100,000.

Former trustee, now Trustee Emeritus, Eve Alvord was also honored for her extraordinary support of Cornish College of the Arts. Alumnus Christine Bell (MU '09) serenaded Ms. Alvord with a heartfelt rendition of "Thank You for The Music."

John Gordon Hill, Chair of the Board of Trustees, thanked the attendees for stepping forward. "More than ever, the great future artists from Cornish need our support in the form of generous financial aid. The money raised last night means that Cornish College of the Arts can continue to provide the best arts education possible to a wide range of students."

Nearly 350 supporters gathered to enjoy performances by students, faculty and alumni from the Theater, Music and Dance Departments and a slide show of artists and artwork from the 2011 BFA Art and Design Show. The audience was also inspired by video presentations about Cornish College of the Arts by Gigantic Planet.

The event was chaired by Cornish trustees Alex Alben and Sherry Raisbeck.

About Cornish College of the Arts
Cornish College of the Arts is nationally recognized as a premier college of the visual and performing arts offering Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees in dance, theater, art, design and performance production, and a Bachelor of Music degree. A pioneer in arts education, Cornish College of the Arts sprang from the remarkable vision of Nellie Cornish, a woman determined to cultivate the arts in Seattle when it was scarcely more than a frontier town. Her philosophy of educating the artist through exposure to all the arts wasprogressive at the time, and continues to be innovative today. Cornish College of the Arts will celebrate its centennial in 2013-14.