COURIER
_ PASADENA CITY COLLEGE, PASADENA, CALIFORNIA MAY 4, 1989
Jose Cuevas Offers
Artistic Insights
Artist in Residence
Portrays Life of His
Native Mexico
“Drawing should be the reflection of
one’s own life,” says artist in resi¬
dence, Jose Luis Cuevas. Cuevas is a
Mexican-born artist who was at PCC
last week showing his world-famous
art.
He tries to picture the life of the
common people in his native Mexico
and the hardship they face daily. At the
same time, he tries to fill his drawings
with hope for a better future, generated
by impoverished people to help them
face each wretched day.
Cuevas was brought to PCC through
the artist in residence program which is
sponsored by PCC, the PCC Founda¬
tion and the Pasadena Art Council.
Linda Malm, chairwoman of the art
department sees the program as an “ex-
rtraordinary opportunity to see a world-
class artist.”
Cuevas was PCC’s choice for the
program this year because “He’s the
world’s best draftsman,” said Malm.
The term “draftsman” usually refers
to one who draws plans or designs.
However, when it is used in connection
with Cuevas, it is a highly complimen¬
tary title. It is given to those who are
masters in the field among those artists
that choose to use drawing as their
medium rather than painting, said
Malm.
Cuevas is one of Mexico’s most
known artists. Only Rufino Tamayo has
received more accolades.
During his stay at PCC, Cuevas did
several demonstrations and com¬
mented on how he found it disturbing
to have an audience during the creation
period. However, Cuevas participates
in programs such as this because they
allow him to interact with young peo¬
ple in a learning environment. This
dynamic interaction helps him to stay
fresh in his approach, to question his
old methods and explore new ones.
Cuevas has participated in other
similar artist in residence programs
before. He was at the Philadelphia
School of Art, San Jose State Univer¬
sity, Washington University, UCLA,
Stanford and Berkley.
As part of the current artist in resi¬
dence program, Cuevas left a piece of
art for PCC’s permanent collection. His
contribution is a drawing of a small
artist being watched by a group of very
large students.
In one of his seminars, Cuevas talked
about Mexican artists and their art, stat¬
ing that a sense of drama and tragedy
are a part of Pre-Columbian Mexican
art, and that Mexican artists have al¬
ways been extroverted.
Cuevas is a prime example of the
extroverted Mexican artist. His ego,
well known among those in the art
world, is part of that personna. Malm
believes it is part theatrics and part per¬
sonality.
“Unlike most people, he doesn’t
wish to hide his ego.”
Cuevas is indeed a master at what he
does. The best testimony comes from
the students. There were 50 people in¬
side the R Building studio where he
was working and many more in the hall
outside looking in. It was so quiet said
Malm, “You could hear a pin drop.”
‘Oklahoma’ Debuts
in Sexson on May 12
Fifty-three PCC students will kick
up their heels and sing and play their
hearts out when the PCC production of
Oklahoma opens May 12.
Rehearsals for Oklahoma begin this
week. The show, with a $30,000
budget, promises to be better than its
two predecessors. The spring produc¬
tion of Fantastics sold out every perfor¬
mance in The Little Theater. The year
before, Fiddler on the Roof was done
and drew a good crowd. But before
these shows there was at least an eight
year gap since the last musical.
Fifty-three students compose the en¬
tire cast and half of the orchestra of the
production. Only 11 members of the
production are not students at PCC, but
they do hail from Pasadena.
“This will truly be a student produc¬
tion,” said Don Brinegar of the music
department and the show’s producer.
Students involved with the produc¬
tion are required to attend the nightly
three hour rehearsals during the week.
The production team meets an hour
ahead to discuss the thrust of that even¬
ings practice. So at the end of the last
performance the cast and production
team will have contributed an average
of 188 hours each.
“It’s a huge commitment of time. It’s
a real sacrifice for these people and the
only reward will be people coming to
see it,” said Brinegar.
The production is directed by James
Hatch. The cast includes Jamie Ur-
quidez as Curly and Jane Ethridge as
Laurey.
Because of the strong student in¬
volvement Brinegar hopes that “the
students on campus will make an effort
to come and support their fellow stu¬
dents.”
The show opens May 12 and con¬
tinues performances May 13, 19, 20,
and 21. There will be a matinee and
evening performance each of these
days. Information regarding times Is
available at the Communications
office, 578-7124. Tickets will sell for
$6 and $8. Students with a valid benefit
sticker are admitted free.
Journalism Students Win
Big at Statewide JACC
The PCC journalism students
received numerous awards for Courier
and A /rP/ay articles and Courier and
Portfolio photographs in a statewide
competition presented by the Journal¬
ism Association of Community Col¬
leges (JACC). At the annual JACC
conference in Fresno last weekend,
PCC students competed with approx¬
imately 600 other journalism students
in on-the-spot writing and photography
contests.
“I’m very proud of the 12 students
who seized the opportuntiy to represent
their communtiy college in a statewide
competition,” said journalism adviser
Wilhelm Bleckmann, professor of
communication. “They are all winners,
and those students who placed in the
competition have an extra feather in
their cap. It is a great challenge to com¬
pete and gain experience.”
Also, awards were given for
published work over the past year in the
mail-in contest categories. Each school
submitted articles and photographs in
advance to be judged and critiqued.
PCC students that received awards in
the photo mail-in contest for Portfolio
Magazine were Vem McGuire, who
won first place in magazine entry, Bar¬
ret Stinson, who won second and fourth
places for his magazine photo entries
and fourth for his Courier feature photo
entry, Bryant Hammer, who received
an Honorable Mention for his Courier
sports photo, and Steven May and
James Ojeda won Honorable Mentions
for their magazine photo essays.
In the bring-in-photo category,
Nelson Green won a second-place tro¬
phy for his photo, and James Ojeda
won third for his.
In the magazine-writing portion of
the contest, Julia Crippen and John
Sollenberger received Honorable Men¬
tions for their light humor articles that
appeared in the last issue of AirPlay.
Kay Fanslow took fourth place for her
human interest story and an Honorable
Mention for her light humor article in a
magazine.
In the on-the-spot writing competi¬
tion, Courier feature editor Michael
Rocha won an Honorable mention for
his Critical Review of an Ansel Adams
photography exhibit at the Fresno
Metropolitan Museum.
The students did more than compete.
They benefited from the many
workshops which dealt with things like
how an editor can get the most out of
his staff, and the fine points of the
Brown Act and AB1725. Integrity and
ethics were stressed by the keynote
speaker, Tom Harris, an award-winning
journalist from the Sacramento Bee.
|§Ш|;
Jose Luis Cuevas, the 1989 artist in
residence, gave demonstrations last week
for students and interested community
members. Cuevas said he found the
creative process difficult to achieve in
front of the audience.
James Ojeda
/
The Courier
John McCluske\j
/
The Courier
Lina Barhoum, student librarian assistant, peruses the 20-voiume, brand
new second edition, $2700 Oxford English Dictionary donated by the M &
M Cable Car Company, run by PCC Merchandise Management students
last week. The students saved the money from profits they made running
the food stand on campus.
Clubs Celebrate Cinco
de Mayo with Programs
MEChA, UBAS Stress Value of Education
By Michael Rocha
Staff Writer
In the late 1860s, under the leader¬
ship of Juarez, war broke out between
the conservatives and the liberals in
Mexico. Then the French intervened
and tried to establish an empire. Juarez
came to the rescue and regained con¬
trol.
Although that event occured more
than a century ago, Mexicans and Mex¬
ican Americans continue to celebrate
that period in their history by celebrat¬
ing Cinco de Mayo.
PCC’s cultural organizations Movi-
miento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan
(MEChA) and United Brown Ameri¬
can Students (UBAS) began the
celebration called “Con Educacion
у
union venceremos” (With Education
and Unity, We will Win) Monday with
a guitar recital in the quad.
Celebrations continue today at noon
in the Quad with Aztec dancers per¬
forming native dances to add color to
the festivities.
“The main purpose for the celebra¬
tion is to stress to people that education
is the way out,” said Ildefonso
Villegas, MEChA president. “UBAS
and MEChA want to tell people that we
as a people, not only as Mexicans, can
get together under one banner. Under
one banner, united, we can accomplish
anything.” MEChA will finish off the
week, May 5, with Mimes and Pinates
in the Quad.
A scholarship dinner will also be
sponsored by MEChA tomorrow from
5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. in the Campus
Center Lounge. Dr. Jack A. Scott,
president/superintendent will be guest
at the dinner.
“The scholarship is intended to
honor students who decided to stay in
school and succeed. This world needs
more role models. By staying in school,
these students are telling younger stu¬
dents that getting an education is the
right way to go,” Villegas ad¬
ded. ’’Mariachis” will provide the en¬
tertainment for the scholarship dinner.
General admission is $8 and $6 for stu¬
dents.
Shadow Box Preview
See page 3
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Lancers Set for Playoffs
See page 4
