Cathy Coonradt's New Do

Cathy Coonradt, who keeps the lobby sparkling,  has a whole new look, a bob.  She donated her tresses to the American Cancer Society to help victims who lost their hair during treatment.  Way to go, Cathy.

CREAsaints: TheCreative Arts Committee 2009

Just in case you're wondering who work selflessly on behalf of the Creative Arts Department, here are photos of a recent committee meeting at the St. Francis House.

At one end of the table sat Darrin Kibbey (mastermind of last spring's jazz concert at Cohoes Music Hall), Steve O'Connor (mystery-show producer); Tony Riviera (Cohoes Music Hall; directing our November production of In the Woods), Gordon Jevons, Jeanne Fitzgerald (organized the Trapp Family Concerts), and the infamous Ralph Blasting.

At the head of the table sat Robbie Booth, in blue, former chair, who generosly funded the Jazz Series a few years ago. Cam Hobeb in green is the current chair; she championed the collaboration with the Cohoes Music Hall; set up the Trashion Show in the Fall last summer. This year she's overseeing an in-house mystery performance, perhaps in January in Foy. All while  running a tight ship.

Thanks to you all for your generous gifts of time and moral support.

Konye's "Migrations" recorded by Kiev Philharmonic

Paul Konye, Ph.D., latest composition, “Migrations: A Global Portrait.” It has been released by Erm Media on the 14th volume of the album, Masterworks of the New Era.

Konye’s piece was recorded by Kiev Philharmonic and conducted by Maestro Robert Winston.

Audio clips from Konye’s composition can be found at http://www.classicsonline.com/catalogue/product.aspx?pid=842751

Changes in Foy "Pit"

During remodellings this summer, we found out that the basement of Foy, where our Music studio, Theatre practice room and art studios have been implanted, used to be called "The Pit" when the basement was a Rathskeller. New nickname?

Foy 105, our Music Room, has undergone an "improvement" for the sake of acoustics: the removal of the moldy carpet and 6 layers of subflooring. Now the floor is the exposed cement block, with a few places of excess paste and tiles. I wrote "RAW" at the entrance door, so people will know that we are in the process... The floor will be finished when funds are available.

Our hero for this project is John Cozzy, lead maintenance man at Foy, who single-handedly got out all the dust and detritus left by the floor removal. Thank him if you're not breathing cement fumes! And thank him for his over 30 years of service to Siena.

A projection TV (discard from dorms) is now in place in Foy 107, The Actor's Studio, for the benefit especially of Acting for the Camera classes.

Professor Liz Blum spent a week cleaning up the Art and Design rooms. Thanks, Liz.

There are still things to be finished, but we have come quite a way in upgrading The Pit.

Eagle Rock September 11th Flight Crews Memorial

The “Eagle Rock September 11th Flight Crews Memorial”, designed by sculptor architectural designer, and college art instructor, Patrick Morelli (who taught in CREA in 2009), will be dedicated in a public ceremony on Friday, September 11, 2009 at 8am, at Eagle Rock Reservation Essex County Park in West Orange, New Jersey, overlooking the former site of the Twin Towers.

ABC-TV will telecast an interview with the artist by correspondent, Kemberly Richardson, at 8:25 am the same day.

Images of the Flight Crews memorial and the adja cent 160-foot granite "Wall of Remembrance" bearing 2850 names and the eight bronze sculptures of the “Eagle Rock September 11th Memorial”, dedicated on October 20, 2002--which the new memorial will complement--can be viewed on the artist’s website portfolio, www.MorelliART.com