Arts
November 3, 2022
GCSO to present fall concert as Mast prepares to step down
The Goshen College Symphony Orchestra (GCSO) will present their fall concert in Sauder Concert Hall on Friday, and it will be one of their last concerts directed by Brian Mast. The concert will feature three distinctive pieces: the Overture from Leonard Bernstein’s “West Side Story,” Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet Overture and Bedřich Smetana’s The Moldau. “I wanted to pick some programmatic music that depicts something,” said Brian Mast, director of the GCSO and executive director of the Music Center. Both the “West Side Story” piece and the Tchaikovsky overture explore the story of Romeo and Juliet, albeit in very different...
October 28, 2022
GC hosts visiting artist John Hendrix
Illustrator John Hendrix spoke in Rieth Recital Hall on Sunday. Hendrix is the latest guest in the Eric Yake Kenagy Visiting Artist Program. The program, a memorial for a Goshen College graduate who died in a cycling accident, invites a visual artist to campus each year to give a lecture and interact with GC art students. Hendrix has quite the list of achievements — his work has been featured in a variety of big-name publications, including The New York Times, Sports Illustrated and Time magazine. Hendrix has also published five books, and he currently serves as the chair of the...
October 13, 2022
Homecoming Gala hosts students, faculty and alumni
Sauder Concert Hall was full of music of the past and present to celebrate Homecoming Weekend on Saturday. Alumni of all ages, backgrounds and identities gathered to watch students and faculty perform music with themes of love and joy at the annual Homecoming Gala. The concert opened with the Goshen College Symphony Orchestra performing the overture from the Broadway musical “West Side Story.” Brian Mast, conductor, led the orchestra in this dynamic opener. “It was better than expected,” said Francisco Behan Morillo, a first-year in orchestra, Vox Profundi and Chamber Choir. “I was just excited to be performing!” Vox Profundi...
October 13, 2022
Students seek solace in ceramics studio
Goshen College hosts a hidden gem in the basement of the Visual Arts Building: the ceramics studio. The studio is covered in a fine layer of clay dust, with shelves lining every corner to display student’s current projects. These include bowls, pots, coffee mugs, busts and more. Students from all backgrounds and majors have found themselves in the ceramics studio creating pottery and sculptures. “I don’t always get as much time as I would like in the studio,” said Emma Zuercher, a senior sign language interpreting major with a minor in art. “But I’m intentional about creating time here. It’s...
October 7, 2022
Lavender Jazz to perform at Goshen Theater
Goshen College’s Lavender Jazz band is set to have their yearly kick-off this Friday at Goshen Theater. The concert will feature the big band, as well as the two bands or “combos” within Lavender Jazz. The band plays classic jazz hits, as well as swing, blues and music typical of New Orleans and Dixieland. “Even though there are over 100 years worth of jazz styles to choose from, the band draws primarily from relatively contemporary styles,” said Greg Smucker, director of Lavender Jazz. “Lavender Jazz will be performing arrangements as a big band, which is 14 to 18 members, and...
October 7, 2022
GC’s annual Peace Play, ‘The Fledgling,’ to debut
“The Fledgling” “centers around two household pets trying to figure out why this fledgling bird is disrupting their peace on their fire escape. Throughout the discussion, the audience is brought to see how easy it is to have empathy for those who aren’t like us.” That’s how Shianne Harrison, a 2020 Goshen graduate of the theater department, describes this year’s Peace Play Contest winner. The biannual Peace Play Contest invites playwrights to submit original one-act plays related to the theme of peace to a selection committee. The winning play is performed by Goshen College’s theater department, and the playwright is...
September 30, 2022
GC Music Center hosts Sherer Competition
Goshen College’s Music Center held their annual Sherer International Violin and Piano Competition on Sept. 17 and 18. The competition was open to classically trained pianists and violinists ages 13-18 across the globe. While the competition was originally set to begin in 2020, its first year was canceled due to COVID-19. This is the second year the music department has held the competition. “I was honored to be asked [to judge] and thoroughly enjoyed listening to the 11 talented violinists,” said Professor Penny Thompson Kruse, professor of violin at Bowling Green State University and a judge for the Sherer Competition....
September 16, 2022
Arts on the Millrace attracts local artists
Goshen’s ninth annual Arts on the Millrace (AotM) took place on Saturday. The event featured over 44 artists, local guilds and local musicians. “It’s a curated event where the community can connect with — and shop — master artists, but in a casual, family-friendly, outdoor setting,” said Adrienne Nesbitt, director of events and co-founder of AotM. Arts on the Millrace is a juried event, located near downtown Goshen at Powerhouse Park and stretching south along the Millrace trail. It was a sunny Saturday in Goshen, so the Millrace welcomed many faces throughout the day. The activities included live music, food...
September 16, 2022
2022-2023 Parables ‘spread love’ in the Goshen area
Goshen College’s Parables are making a full fledged comeback this fall after two years without official performances for the community. Now, with a theme of “spread love,” the student-led worship team has resumed almost weekly performances for local churches, high schools, retirement homes and more. “It’s been two years since we have been able to handle Parables as we usually do,” Marcia Yost, professor of music and faculty advisor of the Parables, said in regards to Parables performing off campus again. “I hope we experience that renewed joy of sharing music with congregations and high schools.” The group also has...
September 8, 2022
GC choirs return to maskless singing after two years
It is a new season for the Goshen College choirs, and with that comes a mask-optional year. While it is up to the individual to decide if they will wear a mask during choir rehearsals this semester, the option of going unmasked is opening up new doors for the choral department. There is excitement for a new year, new events and new choral members joining, but, most of all there is a general boost in confidence. “It is night and day,” said Dr. Scott Hochstetler, professor of music and the director of Chamber Choir and Vox Profundi, in regards to...
September 8, 2022
New sculpture by GC grad lands near science center
A new sculpture was erected outside the Science Building in May. It is part of Elkhart’s Epic Art Adventures sculpture show, a local art series that is spotlighting local talent and getting art out in the streets in Elkhart County. The sculpture will live on campus for the year-long exhibit. “Conduit to Jupiter,” the new sculpture, is a creation by Goshen College graduate and former Physical Plant employee Orion Blaha. The sculpture stands over eight feet tall and is a depiction of a yellow spaceship. The name of the piece came from a former GC coworker of Blaha’s who used...