A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the 32,040 square foot, $10.7 million, Mentry Hall Expansion Project. The expansion project has being funded by Measure “M,” a general obligation bond passed by local voters in November 2006.

The expansion project added two computer labs, a large lecture room, eleven classrooms, a 2-D drawing classroom, a life/drawing classroom, two conference rooms and twelve offices. It increased the size of Mentry Hall to 76,339 sq. ft. The expanded Mentry Hall opened for classes on August 23, at the start of the Fall 2010 semester.

Klassen Construction Management was both architect and contractor for the project.

Mentry Hall houses the following College of the Canyons programs and activities:

• Media Entertainment Arts (Formerly RTVF)
• Animation
• Architectural Drafting and Technology
• Interior Design
• Visual Art and Art History
• Photography
• Graphic and Multimedia Design
• Art Gallery

Speaking at the event will be Mr. Scott Wilk, President of the college’s Board of Trustees; Dr. Dianne G. Van Hook, Chancellor of College of the Canyons, and Dr. Floyd Moos, Division Dean, Fine and Performing Arts.

Get all the details after the break.

Subject:   Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony
Time:     2 p.m., Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Place:  College of the Canyons Art Gallery (Mentry Hall)
Contact:   John McElwain, (661) 362-5604; Eric Harnish (661) 362-3400

As the first exhibition of the fall 2010 semester, the College of the Canyons Art Gallery will feature the works of three-time Pulitzer Prize winning political cartoonist Paul Conrad.

Regarded as one of the most distinguished political cartoonists in the world, Conrad began his career at The Denver Post in 1950 before moving on to the Los Angeles Times in 1964 where he served as chief editorial cartoonist until 1993.

At 87, Conrad is still active and producing his biting cartoons for syndication in newspapers across the country and abroad.

Despite having been honored with three Pulitzers and numerous other prestigious awards, Conrad is most fond of his distinction for being included on Richard Nixon’s infamous “enemies” list — a comment on the impact of the artist’s prolific work during that era.

“I feel that this exhibition will be a real treat for our community. Of all the editorial cartoonists working today, no one has reached the status of Paul Conrad,” said COC art gallery director, Larry Hurst. “This type of creative work requires not only technical drawing skill, but a sharp wit and profound understanding of social and political events — not to mention humor! Mr. Conrad is certainly a master of this genre.”

Featuring more than 50 drawings, the exhibition “I, Con: The Brilliant Work of Paul Conrad,” will open Tuesday, Aug. 31, and run through Thursday, Sept. 30, 2010.

A special reception will be held in the COC Art Gallery from 4 to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 31.

The COC Art Gallery is open 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Visitors unable to visit the gallery during these hours are welcome to call (661) 362-3612 to make a viewing appointment.

All gallery exhibitions and related events are free and open to the public.

For more information regarding the COC Art Gallery or the Paul Conrad exhibition please visit www.canyons.edu/artgallery/.

Penned by two of Broadway’s newest voices in Georgia Stitt and David Kirshenbaum, “Sing Me a Happy Song” is a contemporary musical revue about finding your heart in material times. With songs about modern-day relationships, searching for yourself on the Internet, striving to have everything but never having enough, love, family and your gay best friend, this five-character show is at once comic and poignant, smart and silly, emotional and timely.

The workshop production of “Sing Me a Happy Song” is being presented by the PAC and the COC theatre department, with student actors cast from the college’s course Theatre 193: Summer Theatre Workshop.

Performances will take place 8 p.m., Friday, July 9, and 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., Saturday, July 10, in the PAC Black Box Theatre. General admission tickets are $15.

“Providing our students with the opportunity to participate in performing arts-based events like the Festival of New American Musicals is definitely one of our missions at the Santa Clarita Performing Arts Center,” said Adam Philipson, PAC managing director. “Working with Georgia and David to help shape their piece and debut it in our community is a great honor for us all.”

Running throughout the spring and summer months, the Festival of New American Musicals celebrates the return of the American musical by showcasing full productions, staged readings, concerts, master classes and other performance-based events in conjunction with performance arts organizations in cities across Southern California.

“With a cast of 28 talented singers and actors, the show will have a full and vibrant sound and promises to be one of the most exciting productions to be seen at COC,” said Andrea Slominski, COC adjunct theatre instructor and director of the production. “I encourage anyone who loves musical theatre to buy tickets now, as this show will sell out quickly.”

The PAC/COC theatre department workshop production of “Sing Me a Happy Song” is part of the college’s ongoing 40th Anniversary celebration.

To purchase tickets to “Sing Me a Happy Song” please call the PAC box office at (661) 362-5304 or visit www.canyonsPAC.com.

To learn more about the Festival of New American Musicals visit www.lafestival.org.

The College of the Canyons Student Orchestras consists of the college’s three main student instrumental performing groups: Prelude Strings, the Santa Clarita Youth Orchestra and the Symphony of the Canyons.

During the roughly 90-minute concert, each group will perform a series of musical selections designed to showcase the students’ talent and musical prowess, while entertaining audiences of all ages.

The evening will also serve as an opportunity to honor the orchestra’s five graduating seniors and congratulate them on their musical and academic accomplishments.

“This concert will provide audiences with a chance to see and hear what can happen when young people dedicate time to an instrument,” said Julissa Bozman, student orchestra associate conductor. “Performances like this are the students’ way of contributing to the Santa Clarita Valley’s unique culture of fine and performing arts, and I am proud to be a part of that.”

The College of the Canyons Student Orchestras’ End of Season Spectacular spring concert will take place at 7 p.m., Friday, May 28, on the PAC main stage. General admission is $10 or $5 for COC students and seniors.

This event is part of the college’s ongoing 40th Anniversary celebration.

To purchase tickets to the College of the Canyons Student Orchestras End of Season Spectacular spring concert please call the PAC box office at (661) 362-5304 or visit www.canyonsPAC.com.

When lovers cross with mischievous sprites in a magical forest, nothing is how it appears. Deliciously dark and entertaining, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” will presents an intoxicating blend of mortals, mechanicals and faeries — all thrown together in one place at one time.

With a plotline resembling a modern day soap opera or reality dating show, along with a cast of some of Shakespeare’s most popular characters, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” has been hailed for centuries as one of the world’s greatest romantic comedies.

“‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ is a feast for the eyes and the ears! This is one of Shakespeare’s most accessible plays, and our interpretation will be appropriate for all ages,” said Paul Wickline, chair of the college’s theatre department.

“A Midsummer Night’s Dream” will run:

·     8 p.m. Friday, May 21
·     2 p.m. and 8 p.m., Saturday, May 22
·     2 p.m., Sunday, May 23.

All performances will be held on the PAC main stage. General admission is $10 or $5 for COC students and seniors.

The College of the Canyons theatre department’s production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is part of the college’s ongoing 40th Anniversary celebration.

To purchase tickets to “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” please call the PAC box office at (661) 362-5304 or visit www.canyonsPAC.com.

Penned by two of Broadway’s newest voices in Georgia Stitt and David Kirshenbaum, “Sing Me a Happy Song” is a contemporary musical revue about finding heart in material times. With songs about modern-day relationships, searching for yourself on the Internet, striving to have everything but never having enough, love, family and your gay best friend, this five-character show is at once comic and poignant, smart and silly, emotional and timely.

By participating in the Festival of New American Musicals students will have the unique opportunity to learn from an accomplished composer-lyricist, as they work alongside Stitt and PAC professionals to produce a new song cycle and take part in the various aspects of putting on a production.

“Providing our students with the opportunity to participate in performing arts-based events like The Festival of New American Musicals is definitely one of our missions at the Santa Clarita Performing Arts Center,” said Adam Philipson, PAC managing director. “Working with Georgia and David to help shape their piece is a great honor for us all.”

Running throughout the spring and summer months, the Festival of New American Musicals celebrates the return of the American musical by showcasing full productions, staged readings, concerts, master classes and other performance-based events in conjunction with performance arts organizations in cities across Southern California.

Debuting at this year’s festival, the PAC-produced workshop production of “Sing Me a Happy Song” will be cast entirely with students who enroll in the college’s course Theatre 193: Summer Theatre Workshop. In addition to working on “Sing Me a Happy Song,” students will participate in a series of master classes conducted by industry professionals.

“For the 2008 Festival of New American Musicals, we produced a five-day workshop of this piece. Now we will have a full five weeks to help take this production to the next level,” said COC adjunct theatre instructor Andrea Slominski, director of the production. “This is a very exciting opportunity for everyone involved. I’m looking forward to working with Georgia again.”

Auditions for “Sing Me a Happy Song” will be held at 12 p.m., Saturday, June 5, and 6:30 p.m., Monday June 7, in Pico Hall room 202, on the Valencia campus.

Performers are asked to prepare 16 to 32 bars from no more than two musical theatre songs. Audition material should be no more than three minutes in length, and should be accompanied by sheet music in the correct key. Music in CD form will not be accepted.

All selected cast members will need to register for the Theatre 193: Summer Theatre Workshop course. Those who are not cast will be offered additional opportunities to participate in the production.

Rehearsals will begin at 6:30 p.m., Tuesday June 8. Performances will be held July 9-10 in the PAC Black Box Theatre.

“It is so very rare for a college or university to offer this kind of opportunity for students to put together all aspects of a professional musical from scratch! I’d be surprised if you could name three,” said Bob Klein, co-executive producer of the Festival of New American Musicals. “The Festival is thrilled to be working with College of the Canyons and the Santa Clarita Performing Arts Center to offer this unique course.”

The PAC/COC theatre department workshop production of “Sing Me a Happy Song” is part of the college’s ongoing 40th Anniversary celebration.

For more information about auditions for “Sing me a Happy Song” or the course Theatre 193: Summer Theatre Workshop, please contact COC theatre department chair Paul Wickline (661) 362-3152.

With more than 53 million albums sold, and numerous Grammy Awards for Best Male Vocalist, Bolton has touched the hearts of legions of fans. Now his 2010 “One World One Love” tour will take the PAC stage by storm Opening Night, Sunday, August 22, as part of the Chancellor’s Choice series.

“To land an artist as talented and world renowned as Michael Bolton for our Opening Night performance is a tremendous coup for the PAC, College of the Canyons and all of Santa Clarita,” said Adam Philipson, PAC managing director, “This is a testament to the growth and maturation of the PAC, as well as the tremendous support our patrons have shown for the performing arts.”

Other acts and artists featured in the 2010-11 PAC season include: War, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Vicki Lawrence, San Francisco Opera Grand Opera Cinema, Pilobolus, One Night of Queen, Gloriana, Mariachi Los Camperos de Nati Cano, “All Shook Up,” “Seussical” and the Peking Acrobats.

The 2010-11 PAC schedule will offer shows spread across six series selections: Chancellor’s Choice, Great Performances, In Motion, Cabaret on Stage, Almost Free Family Series and the all new Broadway at COC series.

The PAC will also host a number of College of the Canyons theatre department and community theatre productions.

Series subscription sales will begin 11:30 a.m., Thursday, June 10, while individual tickets for Michael Bolton and all other performances will go on sale 9 a.m., Saturday, July 17.

Tickets can be purchased online, over the phone, or in person at the PAC box office.

However, it’s recommended that you plan to purchase your tickets early for Michael Bolton, as this once-in-a lifetime performance will sell out fast.

For more information about the PAC 2010-11 season or to purchase tickets please visit www.canyonsPAC.com or call the PAC box office at (661) 362-5304.

Got arts?

This weekend the College of the Canyons Fine and Performing Arts Division will look to answer that question for community members during the 2010 ARTstART Festival May 7-8, on the college’s Valencia campus.

Including students, faculty and staff, the two-day long ARTstART festival will offer the community a glimpse inside the daily activities of the college’s Fine and Performing Arts Division, while highlighting students’ work and providing a behind-the-scenes look at the division’s facilities.

Attendees will have the opportunity to roam freely from building to building across campus, to view and experience samplings from the college’s art, music, dance, theatre, animation, photography, media and entertainment arts, graphics and multimedia design and studio arts departments.

Part of the college’s ongoing 40th Anniversary celebration, the ARTstART festival will coincide with the college’s annual POPS! Concert, featuring members of the college’s Jazz Ensemble and Lab Jazz Combo bands, and performances by the College of the Canyons choir and dance departments, as well as the New Works Festival in the Black Box Theater.

The schedule of activities will also include live music, student theatre performances, modern dance presentations, gallery exhibits, interactive lectures, in-class demonstrations, movie screenings from the International Film Festival series and a unique open house and tour of the Santa Clarita Performing Arts Center at College of the Canyons (PAC).

“Attending ARTstART 2010 offers a great opportunity to meet with faculty, staff, and students of the division,” said Dr. Floyd Moos, dean of fine and performing arts at the college.  “Whether your taste is for dance, theatre, music, visual arts, traditional art or the contemporary, the breadth and depth of the activities here at the college may well surprise.”

As a unique addition to the festival, a selection of Saugus Union School District (SUSD) students from Charles Helmers, North Park and Plum Canyon Elementary Schools will have their work featured in the SUSD Student Art Show running both days of the festival.

The ARTstART Festival will begin at 11 a.m. Friday, May 7, and run throughout the day until approximately 9:30 p.m. It will continue from 9 a.m. to approximately 10 p.m., Saturday, May 8.

The college’s Environmental Science Fair will also be taking place on campus from 3 to 7 p.m., Friday May 7, in the COC student center.

“The division has a wealth of talent to display, from its staff to its faculty and most certainly from its students,” said Michael McCaffrey, art department faculty member at the college. “This will be the second year that the college has showcased the Fine and Performing Arts Division for the community.”

To view a full 2010 ARTstART Festival schedule of activities and event descriptions please visit www.canyons.edu/artstart or call (661) 362-3651.

This month, the College of the Canyons Art Gallery will host the 15th Annual Student Art Exhibition, featuring an estimated 75 pieces of art created by students from the college’s art, graphics and multimedia design, photography and animation departments.

“These exhibitions encourage our students to participate in a competitive arena while striving to put their most professional artwork forward,” said Larry Hurst, COC Art Gallery director. “I feel that this is a great learning experience for these young artists, and am continually impressed by the high level of artwork produced here at College of the Canyons.”

A traditionally juried exhibition, this year’s invited juror will be Paul Strickland, current William S. Hart Union School District board member, and former director of computer animation at Hanna-Barbera studios. In addition, Strickland serves on the City of Santa Clarita’s Arts Commission, and is involved with a number of local arts organizations.

The 15th Annual College of the Canyons Student Art Exhibition will run Tuesday, May 4, through Saturday, May 22. A special artist reception will take place May 4, from 7 to 8 p.m.

The exhibition and accompanying artist reception are part of the college’s ongoing 40th Anniversary celebration.

The COC Art Gallery is open 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Visitors unable to visit the gallery during these hours are welcome to call (661) 362-3612 to make a viewing appointment.

All gallery exhibitions and related events are free and open to the public.

For more information regarding the COC Art Gallery or the 15th Annual Student Art Exhibition please visit www.canyons.edu/offices/ArtGallery/.

The College of the Canyons New Works Festival (NWF) returns to the stage for its 10th year. A collaboration between the COC English and theater departments, each year the New Works Festival provides aspiring playwrights the opportunity to develop their works through a series of readings, discussions, revisions — and eventually rehearsals and performances. Each playwright actively participates in the process, collaborating throughout the spring semester with COC instructors, student actors, fellow writers and industry professionals to see their work on stage.

“Each year the New Works Festival provides a unique opportunity for unheralded playwrights to develop their work and expand their talents,” said David Stears, NWF director.  “We invite the community to experience the passion and creativity of these writers firsthand, as we celebrate the festival’s 10th anniversary.”

The 2010 New Works Festival will run nightly at 8 p.m., Wednesday, April 28, 8 p.m., Thursday, April 29, 8 p.m. on Saturday, May 1, with a special 2 p.m. matinee performance Sunday, May 2.

NWF productions may contain adult language and mature subject matter. Admission is free, with seating on a first come, first served basis. All performances will be held in the PAC Black Box theatre.

The College of the Canyons theatre department’s lineup of spring productions will serve as part of the college’s ongoing 40th Anniversary celebration.

To purchase tickets please call the PAC box office at (661) 362-5304 or visit CanyonsPAC.com.

For more information about the College of the Canyons New Works Festival please visit www.canyons.edu/departments/theatre/newworksfestival/.