All spotlights
Dance of the Chromosomes
Art display enriches the appearance of the college with student-produced artwork.
MCC alumna Reece Grissom presents a collection of three life drawings. The artist uses human figures to represent the chromosomes during mitosis with stylized movements. Grissom has also been taking dance classes at MCC for more than 35 years and used her experience in dance to help her visualize the biological process with the movements and poses of dancers bodies.
Ceramic Student's Tree of Life
James Schwarz
MCC alumnus James Schwarz captures the beauty of contrast and science with his first public art piece in the Tree of Life dedication. After battling with triple mononucleosis and returning to school, Schwarz recognition was a semester’s worth of work validated and proved that his tree of life represents him and his journey to where he is today. “Build a backup plan. If you get knocked down, it’s going to leave some scarring,” Schwarz says. “You need to realize there’s not a set timeline in life. It’s about self-discovery. Make your own timeline.”
"Generations" mural
Art tracks costs of Valley progress, hope for future
This student-designed 60’ x 20’ mural on the west side of Studio 28 at the MCC Southern & Dobson campus incorporates many themes highlighting the heritage of the Southwest. Women’s rights, the cultural gap between generations, urbanization, water rights and the concept of past, present and future are all interwoven into the design, which seeks to bring awareness to the good and bad consequences of expansion. The project involved months of student research, design and execution and included a Community Paint Day, which drew over 70 participants from MCC and the community.
Completed in Spring 2016 under the direction of artist Hugo Medina. This collaborative project was overseen by a cross-disciplinary team and made possible through a 2015-16 Maricopa Center for Learning and Instruction grant and MCC contributions.
Tina Rangel
A dedicated Dance Program Director for more than 20 years
Tina Rangel helped establish an AAFA, an Associate of Arts-Fine Arts, with an emphasis in dance degree program at MCC. As the Director of the MCC Dance Company she produces formal productions in the MCC Performing Arts Center twice a year.
Rangel is a strong supporter lifelong learning and the arts. She shares her passion by brining visiting artists to demonstrate many dance forms including Ballet, Ballet Folklorico, Tap, Jazz, Modern, Hip Hop, Belly Dancing, Salsa, Swing, West African, Classical and Folk dances from India, and Scottish Highland dance, to campus to interact and perform with and for students and the community.
Steve Conrad
Teaches Lindy Hop, a popular 1930-40s swing dance
Steve Conrad, MCC Dance faculty and executive director and founder of the Arizona Lindy Hop Society, shares his passion for swing dance far beyond the campus dance floor, including Hollywood where he joined icon Jean Veloz to teach JoJo The Bachelorette and a suitor to Lindy Hop.
Conrad teaches and learns about dance and cultures in many countries. He is especially proud of a dance program for homeless adults in Maricopa County saying, “Some people hadn’t experienced touch or a safe embrace for years – it profoundly changes lives.”
[Pictured with MCC Dance Program Director Tina Rangel]
MCC Dance Company
The MCC Dance Company gives dancers the opportunity to learn about all forms of dance, perform and choreograph. "Our dancers come from many different backgrounds which allow us to feature diverse styles in our performances. Guest choreographers and performers also contribute to our productions adding originality and excitement. Our performances are exciting to watch and enjoyable for all walks of life." Tina Rangel, MCC Dance Program Director for more than 20 years.
Craig Peterson
Grammy-winning performance
Craig Peterson, MCC’s Director of Choral Studies and Music Department Chair, performed as part of a Grammy-winning choir on Rachmaninoff: All-night Vigil. The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences bestowed a 2016 Grammy for Best Choral Performance for the recording which combined 56 singers from the Phoenix and Kansas City chorales. The recording was released March 10, 2015, the 100th anniversary of the world premiere of Rachmaninoff’s classic, which was first performed by the Moscow Synodal Choir.
Scholarships awarded to MCC Fine Art students
Three Arizona Watercolor Association Awards Scholarships
Three MCC Watercolor students, Amber Walkawiak, Cassandra Scott and Diana Jacobson each won a $1,000 Scholarship from the Arizona Watercolor Association. Students from all ten Maricopa colleges competed for the 3 available scholarships.
Jessica Thompson
National Recognition of Theatre and Film Arts Student
MCC student Jessica Thompson won the national competition for Theatre Sound Design during the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (KCACTF) at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC in April 2014. Jessica competed and won in regional competition against 54 colleges and universities, nearly three-quarters of which are four-year institutions, many with graduate school programs. Typically, 550 college and university theatre programs compete at KCACTF nationwide.
Art faculty watercolor on display
Pieces showcased at First Studio in Phoenix
Two original works from MCC Art faculty member, Cynthia Peterson-Fimea, were showcased as part of a No Consensus: 15 Artists, 15 Directions exhibit on display at First Studio in downtown Phoenix from December 2015 through January 2016.