Artists Among Us
How arts education fosters vibrant careers in the arts
Ever wonder how film directors got their start? What special tricks sound engineers use to get special effects? Who influenced Pulitzer Prize winners when they were kids? What kind of music professional musicians and performers are inspired by?
Every day in Marin, we walk among award winning directors, Pulitzer Prize winning cartoonists and accomplished musicians and artists. They are our friends, neighbors, teachers and parents in our community -- normal people with extraordinary careers inspired by the arts. Hear the amazing stories of how they found their passions and the people who inspired them to pursue their dreams.
Join the YES Foundation for a family-friendly live virtual panel featuring award-winning local professionals as they talk about their amazing careers in the arts and how they got there. Hosted by Ross Valley School District’s own Pete Santucci, the panel will feature a moderated discussion and Q&A session with artists across many disciplines, including visual arts, music, writing, dance and more!
TICKETS: $30/household
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Featured Panelists:
Award Winning Ceramic Artist, Alice Corning
Alice Corning is a ceramic artist based in Mill Valley, CA. She was born in Cincinnati, OH, and lived throughout Europe and in NY before settling in Mill Valley, CA where she works out of her home studio. Her work explores form, both abstract and figurative, including geometric and human forms. Her work has been collected by patrons around the world and featured in exhibitions across the US, including pieces in the permanent collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Her sculpture was selected as the prize in perpetuity for the Mill Valley Film Festival.
Pulitzer Prize Winner, Mark Fiore
Mark Fiore is a Pulitzer Prize winning political animator who specializes in animated observational and satirical cartoons. He has been called “the undisputed guru of the form” by the Wall Street Journal. His work has appeared on the San Francisco Chronicle Website, Newsweek.com, Slate.com, CBSNews.com, MotherJones.com, NPR.com, CNN, Frontline, Salon.com and other broadcast outlets around the globe.
Award Winning Sound Editor, Pascal Garneau
Pascal is a sound editor at Skywalker Sound. His work has been featured in dozens of award-winning animated and live action films and series. He has won multiple Golden Reel Awards from the Motion Picture Sound Editors Association for his work on The Mandalorian, Moana, How to Train Your Dragon and Up.
Principal Dancer, Christina Johnson
Christina started her 25 year performing career at the Boston Ballet at the age of 17. She joined the Dance Theater of Harlem where she became the Principal Dancer and danced with the company for thirteen years. She is an original member of Complexions Contemporary Ballet and was a featured guest artist with the Royal Ballet of London, along with her partner Ronald Perry, making them the first African American couple in history to perform with the company. Christina has also danced in Switzerland with Le Ballet du Grand Theatre de Geneve and Ballett Basel. Christina is currently on the faculty at the Marin Ballet and adjunct faculty at Dominican University.
Award Winning Keyboardist and Music Producer, Jonathan Korty
Jonathan is an award-winning keyboardist and music producer. He has played and toured extensively throughout North America with many artists. He was a founding member of the award-winning band Vinyl. His music has been featured on Comedy Central’s South Park, Sony Video Games, and other film and commercial placements. Jonathan currently plays locally with Soul Ska (voted Best Band in Marin 2020 by Pacific Sun) and Koolerator.
Director’s Guild of America Award Winner, Kevin Lima
When Kevin Lima saw Disney’s Jungle Book in 1967, he said to his mother, “I’m going to make that when I grow up.” Lima was true to his word and after graduating from the California Institute of the Arts worked on many of the films of the Disney’s renaissance including The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin before taking the director’s chair on A Goofy Movie and Tarzan. In 2000, Kevin made his live-action feature film debut with 102 Dalmatians, then the TV movies Eloise at the Plaza and Eloise at Christmastime for which he won the Director’s Guild of America award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Children’s Programs. His film, Enchanted was the joyous culmination of all of Lima’s filmmaking experiences in live-action and animation.
Questions? Email askyes@yestokids.org