FAWC'S SUMMER PROGRAM
The 2006 FAWC Summer Program offered over 100 workshops to nearly 800 students. Writers attended workshops in poetry, fiction, memoir, playwriting and creative nonfiction; the visual artists explored painting, drawing, sculpture, printmaking, photography and book arts. Newcomers Robin Hemley, Vijay Seshadri, Roberto Juarez, Carol Diehl, Nicholas Dawidoff, Marie Ponsot, and Colum McCann joined longtime faculty, including Paul Bowen, Marie Howe, Dean Albarelli, Major Jackson, Pam Houston, Bert Yarborough, and Marjorie Portnow, to create a vibrant and exciting ten-week program. Michael Cunningham presented a daylong Creative Writing Symposium, exploring issues of craft and discussing his own writing processes. Students and faculty alike utilized the spaces created by the construction project, especially the computer lab and the spacious new print shop.
In keeping with the Fine Arts Work Center's mission, the Summer Workshop Program extends the opportunity to work in a community of like-minded peers to artists and writers from across the country and from all walks of life. The weeklong and weekend classes are intensely focused and generate a spirit of creative inspiration that is evidenced on Thursday evenings when students showcase their work through open studios and the student reading. Many students have reported their artistic endeavors on the Former Student News page of the FAWC website.
The excellence of the workshop program was enhanced by more than 60 evening events; over 5000 people flocked to the Stanley Kunitz Common Room during the course of the summer. The renowned and accomplished faculty read from and talked about their work, often pairing readings and slide lectures, stimulating dialogue across genre and media. The Work Center also presented several special events, including readings by Grace Paley, Sebastian Junger, Molly O'Neill, Michael Cunningham, Liam Rector and Galway Kinnell. Philip Yenawine prompted comments and reactions from the audience during his interactive slide lecture titled "Looking at Art." The Borromeo String Quartet, members of the Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival, thrilled audiences with an exciting evening of music featuring George Crumb's Black Angels and Beethoven's String Quartet Op. 1. Writer and actor James Lecesne had his audience alternately rolling with laughter and fighting back tears as he impersonated a cast of characters through dramatic monologues.
On July 29, what would have been his 101st birthday, the Fine Arts Work Center hosted a tribute to Stanley Kunitz, inviting the community to join in a cover-to-cover reading of his The Collected Poems. John Skoyles spoke eloquently about Stanley's professional achievements, focusing on his lasting influence as a poet. Cleopatra Mathis gave a fond remembrance of Stanley as a mentor and teacher, highlighting the gifts, both practical and spiritual, that Stanley bestowed on his many friends and colleagues. Stanley's daughter, Gretchen Kunitz, also spoke. Over 150 people read from The Collected Poems.
Summer 2007 promises to be just as exciting and event-filled. A few programmatic changes incorporating requests from students and faculty will make the FAWC workshop experience even better. Manuscript consultations and portfolio reviews will be available. Constantine Manos is working on building the photography faculty to better utilize the new darkroom, and a number of prestigious photographers, including David Hilliard, Deborah Bright, and Stella Johnson will join the ranks. The printmaking department is also expanding, putting the lithography press into action. Many of our renowned faculty plan to return, including Carl Phillips, Galway Kinnell, Gail and Michael Mazur, George Nick, Julia Glass, D.A. Powell, and Cynthia Huntington. New members, such as Maxine Kumin, Terrance Hayes, Daisy Fried and Betsey Garand will complement the roster. For more information about the Summer Workshop Program and special events, please check our summer program schedule online.
