WC Art Professor Examines Whistler's Gold Scab, November 29

Chestertown, MD, November 21, 2006 — Washington College's Rose O'Neill Tea & Talk Series presents Professor Aileen Tsui, Assistant Professor of Art History, speaking on "The Peacock's Gold Scabs: Aestheticism and Commercial Contagion in Whistler's Art," Wednesday, November 29, at 4:30 p.m. in the College's Casey Academic Center Forum. The talk is free, and tea will be served at 4 p.m.

The talk will explore the entanglement of two seemingly opposed tendencies in the works of the expatriate American artist James McNeill Whistler: a commitment to aesthetic purity and autonomy, on the one hand, and a strategic play with publicity and the art market, on the other. Professor Tsui will discuss Whistler's manipulation of competing aesthetic and commercial imperatives in both his rhetoric and his art, including the famous painting known today as "Whistler's Mother." Special attention will be given to "The Gold Scab" (1879), a painting in which the artist's ambivalence to the commodification of art, ordinarily expressed through nuanced irony or witty wordplay, explodes into a strange visual hybrid of caricature and portrait.

Professor Tsui is an Assistant Professor of Art History at Washington College, where she teaches classes on European and American art of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. She received her Ph.D. from Harvard University and was an Andrew W. Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow at Columbia University. She is currently researching connections between nineteenth-century Japonisme and commodity culture for her study of the elements of East Asian exoticism in Whistler's art.

The Rose O'Neill Tea & Talk Series showcases the research, writing and talent of Washington College's faculty and is sponsored by the Rose O'Neil Literary House. Established in 1985, the Literary House was acquired and refurbished through a generous gift of alumna Betty Casey, Class of 1947, and her late husband Eugene, and named in memory of his late mother, Rose O'Neill Casey. Now in its 21st year, the O'Neill Literary House reflects the eclectic spirit of Washington College's creative writing and academic culture.

The New George: CSI Techniques Used to Put a New Face on Our First President November 30 and December 1

Chestertown, MD, November 14, 2006— George Washington is the most recognizable of the Founding Fathers. His familiar face is featured on our dollar bill and quarter, and his is the most prominent visage on Mount Rushmore. But do these unsmiling images accurately represent the father of our nation? And what did he look like in his younger years? A team of scientists, historians, and artists set out to find out, and their results may surprise you. The resulting reconstruction of George Washington has been widely featured in the media, including CNN, ABC News, the New York Times, Scientific American, and National Geographic.

Join Washington College's C.V. Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience for an exciting two-day event, "The Three Faces of George," a series of lectures and exhibitions on the forensic and artistic reconstruction of George Washington, on November 30 and December 1. The exhibition will feature images, documents, objects, and 3-D computer models related to the reconstruction. All events are free and open to the public.

THURSDAY, NOV. 30.

5:00 - 7:15 p.m. "The Three Faces of George" exhibition at Larrabee Arts Center. 7:30 p.m.Lecture by Jeffrey H. Schwartz (Professor of History and Anthropology, University of Pittsburgh), "The Three Faces of George: Anatomy," Norman James Theater.

FRIDAY, DEC. 1.

3:00 - 5:15 p.m. "The Three Faces of George" exhibition at Larrabee Arts Center (includes a light reception). 5:30 p.m. Lecture by Ivan Schwartz (founder and Vice President, StudioEIS, New York), "The Three Faces of George: Art," Norman James Theater.

Jeffrey H. Schwartz is a physical anthropologist and one of the world's leading experts on human forensics. Five years ago George Washington's Mount Vernon asked Schwartz to lead an effort to recreate George Washington at three different stages of his life: at 19 (when he was a surveyor), 45 (as a general at Valley Forge), and 57 (when he was sworn in as the first president). Using Washington's dentures, clothing, primary documents and state of the art techniques developed especially for this project, Schwartz and his team uncovered many surprises that shed new light on the father of our nation.

Ivan Schwartz and artists at StudioEIS used the information gathered by Jeffrey Schwartz to create three life-like sculptures of George Washington, which now form the central exhibit in Mount Vernon's brand new Donald W. Reynolds Museum and Education Center. Information contained in written descriptions, paintings, and laser scans of the two most accurate sculptures of George Washington was combined into 3-D computer models created by the Partnership for Research in Spatial Modeling (PRISM) at Arizona State University. This data was brought to life by a team of artists and sculptors, resulting in three stunning lifelike figures that bring people face to face with a much more human, expressive George Washington.

"The Three Faces of George" is sponsored by Washington College's C.V. Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience. Established in 2000 with a grant from the New York-based Starr Foundation, the Starr Center draws on the special historical strengths of Washington College and the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Through educational programs, scholarship, and public outreach, the Starr Center explores the early republic, the rise of democracy, and the manifold ways in which the founding era continues to shape American culture. In partnership with other institutions and with leading scholars and writers, the Center works to promote innovative approaches to the study of history, and to bridge the gaps between historians, contemporary policymakers, and the general public. "The Three Faces of George" is co-sponsored by the Washington College Department of Art, and the Department of Sociology and Anthropology.

For more information, visit the C. V. Starr Center online at http://starrcenter.washcoll.edu.

WC Drama Department's Schoolgirl Figure Tackles Weighty Issues, November 16, 17, and 18

Chestertown, MD, November 14, 2006 — Washington College's Drama Department presentsSchoolgirl Figure, a senior thesis directed by Kyle Woerner, written by Wendy MacLeod, November 16 at 9 p.m., and November 17 and 18 at 8 p.m. in the McLain Atrium of the College's John S. Toll Science Center. Reservations are required. For show information, call 410-778-7835 or e-mail drama_tickets@washcoll.edu.

A powerful black comedy about the culture of eating disorders, Schoolgirl Figure dares to venture into a high school where the in-crowd is the thin-crowd. After the death of the ur-anorexic Monique, queen of the Carpenters, the girls battle for the crown and The Bradley, the most-desired boy in school. Thus, the diet wars begin. Lead performers include freshman Travis Brown as The Bradley, freshman Molly O'Connell as Jeanine, sophomore Mary Lide as Patty, and senior Laura O'Sullivan as Renee.

"I really admire the way playwright Wendy MacLeod masks social commentary with black comedy. She takes on society's body image phenomenon head-on and does not shy away from controversy," comments Director Kyle Woerner, "Even though it's humor, Schoolgirl Figure's themes of overcoming societal norms ring true. At its core, the play is designed to provoke a reaction, whether good or bad."

Woerner also warns that the play deals with a mature subject matter and contains partial nudity. For those who have had, in recovery, or currently suffering form an eating disorder, the play may serve as a possible trigger.

New York Yankees Coach on Campus, November 14

Chestertown, MD, November 14, 2006 — The Washington College Men's Baseball Team welcomes Dana Cavalea, the Strength and Conditioning Coach of the New York Yankees Organization, to campus, Tuesday, November 14, 2006, at 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., in the Wellness Department. The event is free, and students, faculty, and staff are invited to attend.

Stop by to meet and learn a few tips from the acclaimed coach who has trained greats such as Alex Rodriguez, Carl Pavano, Roger Clemens, Randy Johnson, and many other professional athletes. Cavalea is a graduate of the University of South Florida where he earned a B.S. in Exercise Science. He has spent time with the Toronto Bluejays, Pittsburgh Pirates, USF Football Team, and Velocity Sports Performance. He is certified by the National Strength and Conditioning Association as a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, the US Weightlifting Committee, and by the National Academy of Sports Medicine, and specializes in the development in multi-planar strength, power, and speed development. Currently, he is pursuing his Masters Degree in Sports Performance and Injury Rehabilitation.

A Firsthand Reading with Novelist Katherine Min, November 30

Chestertown, MD, November 13, 2006 — Washington College's Rose O'Neill Literary House presents author Katherine Min, reading from her works, Thursday, November 30, at 4:30 p.m. in the Sophie Kerr Room of the Miller Library. The event is free and open to the public.

Katherine Min's short stories have appeared in numerous publications, including TriQuarterly, Ploughshares, The Threepenny Review, and Prairie Schooner, and have been widely anthologized, most recently in The Pushcart Book of Stories: The Best Short Stories from a Quarter-Century of The Pushcart Prize; her short story "Courting a Monk" won a Pushcart Prize, and "The Brick" was read on National Public Radio's Selected Shorts program in 1999. Most recently, she published her debut novel Secondhand World (Knopf 2006), the story of a Korean-American family living in upstate New York.

Selected by Redbook Magazine as its October Book Club pick, the novel has been praised as "[a] haunting debut...swirling, textured, beautifully detailed," by Publishers Weekly, and as "a graceful, unflinching examination of the fragility of our ties to the past and the pitfalls of human adaptability" by D.Y. Bechard, author of Vandal Love.

Min received the New Hampshire Arts Council fellowships in 2004 and 1995 and, in 1992, the National Endowment for the Arts awarded her a grant. A graduate of Amherst College and the Columbia School of Journalism, she currently teaches at Plymouth State University and the Iowa Summer Writing Festival.

The reading is sponsored by the Rose O'Neill Literary House. Established in 1985, the Literary House was acquired and refurbished through a generous gift of alumna Betty Casey, Class of 1947, and her late husband Eugene, and named in memory of his late mother, Rose O'Neill Casey. Now in its 21st year, the O'Neill Literary House reflects the eclectic spirit of Washington College's creative writing and academic culture.

Tea and Talk Reading Reveals Radical Revisioning in African American Writing, November 15

Chestertown, MD, November 13, 2006 — Washington College's Rose O'Neill Tea & Talk Series presents Dr. Alisha Knight, Assistant Professor of English and American Studies, speaking on "Famous Women of the Negro Race and Pauline Hopkins's (En)Gendered Gospel of Success," Wednesday, November 15. The talk is free and all are welcome to enjoy tea, lively discussion, and the comfortable surroundings of the Rose O'Neill Literary House. Tea will be served at 4 p.m., followed by the talk at 4:30 p.m.

Professor Knight's talk will focus on author Pauline Hopkins's radical revision of the American success archetype. An acclaimed African American woman writer, Hopkins's concern for African American progress occupied her literary imagination throughout her writing career; she had special interest in exposing how the popular success myth of the Gilded Age proved unrealistic to the African American experience. Knight will discuss Hopkins's use of her non-fiction series, "Famous Women of the Negro Race" to signify on the iconic self-made man and to create a definition of success for African American women.

An Assistant Professor of English and American Studies at Washington College, Professor Knight is also Director of the Black Studies Program. She is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Drew University where she received her Ph.D. in English. Professor Knight is presently researching the Colored Co-Operative Publishing Company and the Post-Bellum, Pre-Harlem African American Publishing Trade.

The Rose O'Neill Tea & Talk Series showcases the research, writing and talent of Washington College's faculty and is held in the College's O'Neill Literary House. Established in 1985, the Literary House was acquired and refurbished through a generous gift of alumna Betty Casey, Class of 1947, and her late husband Eugene, and named in memory of his late mother, Rose O'Neill Casey. Now in its 21st year, the O'Neill Literary House reflects the eclectic spirit of Washington College's creative writing and academic culture.

Wassail, Wassail! WC Music Department Delights at Their Annual Renaissance Christmas Dinner, December 1 and 2

Chestertown, MD, November 9, 2006 — Washington College's Department of Music invites the public to their annual Renaissance Christmas Dinner, Friday, December 1 and Saturday, December 2, at 7 p.m. in the College's Hynson Lounge. Reservations are required. Tickets cost $16 for boarding students, $20 for non-boarding students, $20 for faculty and staff, $25 for regular tickets, and $35 for patron tickets (of which $10 is tax deductible). To reserve tickets, call 410-778-7875.

Minstrels, madrigals, and dancers unite as members of the Washington College Early Music Consort, Vocal Consort, and Dance Club entertain diners with traditional carols, period instruments, and lively dances. Guests delight in the sights, sounds, and flavors—including succulent roast beef and wassail—of an Old English Christmas Feast, and celebrate the holiday season.