National grant awarded to three teachers

Aroura Ramierez aramierez.roundupnews@gmail.com

Three faculty members from the Pierce College Department of Art & Architecture participated in the 2012 National Endowment for the Humanities Institutes Grants for the summer of 2012.

Art Adjunct Instructor Nina Berson, Art Instructor Constance Moffatt, and Architecture Professor John Maloney, all of whom are part of the Pierce College Art & Architecture Department received the endowment.

The grants that were awarded to the professors were created in favor to support faculty development programs in the humanities for college and university teachers.

Each Professor will be studying a different concept of humanities.

The three different subjects will be Mesoamerica in Mexico and the Southwest, Leonardo and science in Florence, and lastly Etruscan Urbanism in Italy.

The institute’s goal is to broaden the understanding of a subject to expand its’ humanities teaching. Led by teams of scholars, the professors will be guided in their complex subject.

Art Historian Nina Berson will be working on site in Mexico, Arizona, and New Mexico between June 17 and July 23 of 2012, where she will study the relationship between Pre-

Upcoming Events

Free Concerts Art

May 10

Pianist Danny Holt

May 17

Percussion duo

May 24

Pierce student concert

*All concerts will be held in Music 3400 at 12:45p.m.

Spring Dance Concert

May 14-June 7

Annual Pierce College Student Exhibition

Award Ceremony & Opening Reception

May 17, 6-9p.m.

* Location TBA

May 18 and 19 at 8p.m. May 20 at 2p.m.

Location: Temporary theater complex

Tickets: $10

Columbian Mexican Indians and those that are founded in the southwest in “Mesoamerica and the Southwest: A New History for an Ancient Land.”

Likewise Architecture Professor

John Maloney will conduct his studies in Orvieto, Florence and Rome from June 5 through the 25 . Where he will be examining early urban planning and construction methods in “The

Legacy of Ancient Italy, the Etruscan and Early Roman City.”

Art Instructor Constance Moffatt will research how Leonardo Da Vinci joined art and science. She will institute her studies in Florence, Italy from June 25 through July 13.

“Learning more about what they already teach in the courses they offer makes me as a student give more credibility to their explanations and their view on the concept itself,” Pierce student, Mark Wong said. Nevertheless the National Endowment for the Humanities research that will be conducted by the professors are sponsored by the Community College Humanities Association and the University of Virginia/ Kunsthistorisches Institute in Florence.

“ I think that this is an a amazing opportunity for the professors and students as well,” aspiring art major, Diana Velasquez said, “Because what they learn through their studies will eventually be taught in the classrooms.”

Free cello concert

Hardly a chair was left empty in Music 3400 as cellist Ruslan Biryukov and pianist James Lent played together officially for the first time for the free afternoon concerts series held Thursdays.

Both have appeared separately at Pierce for the concert series in other semesters, but this is the first time they have played together for this occasion.

Both musicians love coming to Pierce because of the respect the audience at the concerts always show, and both would come to Pierce again.

“I always appreciate the students and enjoy the questions asked,” Lent said.

Biryukov and Lent have known each other for 10 years through the University of Southern California and through Lent accompanying Biryukov during various competitions.

Biryukov started playing the cello at 7-years-old, when he was forced to switch to a new instrument because his mother refused to teach him piano any longer.

“I was kind of happy,” Biryukov said.

After failing the entrance exam to a music school, he was contacted by the director of the school who informed him that he could receive cello instructions at one-twentieth the cost of continuing piano lessons elsewhere.

“I didn’t enjoy it at first, but I grew to enjoy it as I learned how to express myself through its sound,” Biryukov said.

Lent, on the other hand, has played piano his whole life since he was 8-years-old. He started playing because of his experience listening to his next-door-neighbor play, and received lessons from a neighbor across the street. “It just made an impression on me,” Lent said.

Kinesiology major Mattew Mike,21, attended the concert for his music appreciation class, but even coming to the concerts has sparked his interest in the musicians that play at Pierce.

“I’ve never been to a performance before [my] music appreciation class,” Mike said.

Biryukov and Lent’s concert was just another reason for him to enjoy the ability of professional musicians.

“[Their performance was] very powerful and passionate,” Mike said. “Both musicians played with a lot of feeling.”

Although members of the audience were impressed by the performance, Biryukov and Lent feel that there is always room for improvement.

“[Our performance] went pretty well, but there’s always room for improvement,” Biryukov said. “The performance can be wonderful, but it can never be too perfect.”