CORCORAN COLLEGE OF ART + DESIGN ANNOUNCES COMMENCEMENT SPEAKER,
HONORARY DEGREE RECIPIENTS

Critic Michael Kimmelman and artist William Christenberry to be honored

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Corcoran College of Art + Design is pleased to announce that Michael Kimmelman, acclaimed author, critic, and columnist, will serve as the 2013 Commencement speaker on Saturday May 18, 2013 at 4 p.m. at DAR Constitution Hall. Additionally, Kimmelman will receive an honorary degree from the College, the conferring of which marks a continued focus by the College on the arts and humanities.

Kimmelman, who began his career as a freelance music critic, currently serves as The New York Times architecture critic and senior critic and was formerly the publication’s longtime chief art critic. His articles have played a part in reshaping the public debates about culture, politics, society, economics, architecture, and architectural criticism. His accomplishments include being selected as a Pulitzer Prize finalist in 2002, a 2012 Poynter Fellow in Journalism at Yale, and a visiting fellow at the London School of Economics.

Artist and Professor Emeritus William Christenberry will also receive an honorary degree in a private ceremony prior to Commencement. A noted photographer, painter and sculptor, Christenberry’s artistic career and service to the Corcoran more than qualify him for such a commendation. Christenberry, who began teaching drawing and painting at the Corcoran in the fall of 1968, was awarded the honorary rank of Professor Emeritus by the Corcoran Board of Trustees in April 2009. That appointment, along with this year’s honorary degree, recognizes his distinguished professional achievements along with his extraordinary contributions to the Corcoran community.

Annually, the Corcoran College of Art + Design honors an artist who has contributed significantly to the advancement of his or her discipline and to the collective body of related knowledge in the visual arts. Past recipients of this prestigious award include: Joao Silva, photojournalist (2012), Bruce Davidson, photographer (2011), James Rosenquist, pop artist (2010), Tim Gunn, fashion consultant (2009), Annie Leibovitz, photographer (2008), Phyllis Lambert, architect (2007), and Sally Mann, photographer (2006). This year’s student-chosen faculty speaker will be Susan Sterner, Chair of New Media Photojournalism.

Commencement marks the end of NEXT at the Corcoran 2013 (April 6–May 19, 2013), a dynamic, interactive, and innovative presentation of work by the graduating students of the Corcoran College of Art + Design.  The exhibition is a unique and special opportunity for Corcoran College of Art + Design students to exhibit their work in the main galleries of the Corcoran. Admission to NEXT is free. To learn more, visit http://www.corcoran.org/next2013/.

Read this press release online here.

ABOUT THE CORCORAN

Established in 1869, the Corcoran Gallery of Art was one of America’s first museums of art—dedicated, in the words of founder William Wilson Corcoran, to “encouraging American genius.”  Today it is Washington, D.C.’s largest nonfederal art museum, known internationally for its distinguished collection of historical and modern American art as well as contemporary art, photography, European painting, sculpture, and the decorative arts. A dynamic schedule of special exhibitions complements a range of educational programming, which together enrich the perspectives of the visiting public, support the local arts community, and encourage thoughtful interpretation of today’s most compelling social issues.  The Corcoran College of Art + Design was founded as a school of art in 1890 and stands as Washington’s only four-year accredited college of art and design. The College is one of the few in the nation whose educational model includes an integral relationship with a museum, fostering the talent of the next generation of artists. For more information about the Corcoran Gallery of Art and College of Art + Design, visit www.corcoran.org.

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