This month we are thrilled to feature our Vice-Chair, Stacy Corless for our Board Member Spotlight. Stacy has been on the MAC Board since 2014 but has been involved with arts in the community since the late 1990s. She also serves our community through her seat on the Mono County Board of Supervisors.
1. What is your connection to the arts? Are you an artist yourself or do you have a particular interest in the arts?
My connection to the arts today is mainly as a collector and patron. I’ve been involved in the performing arts--theater and dance.
2. What is your favorite art medium and why is it your favorite?
I love woodcut printmaking—from Albrecht Dürer to Chiura Obata and contemporary artists such as Tom Killion and Mono County’s own Lori Michelon. It’s a wonderful technique to capture “Great Nature,” as Obata called it. And, thanks to Lori and MAC’s art and wine classes, I even got to try my hand at it (technically I think we did linocut, but the experience gave me added appreciation for the talent, hard work and attention to detail that it takes to produce these pieces).
3. If you could learn any arts medium, what would it be? Why?
Sculpting. It seems magical to be able to create something from a hunk of rock or metal.
4. What is your favorite part of your role as a MAC Board Member?
The most rewarding part of serving as a MAC board member is being part of the organization that’s assuring access to arts education to all students in this county.
5. Why do you think the arts are so important right now? We are bombarded with news and information in our daily lives—it can be overwhelming, scary and isolating. The arts provide a way to escape and to connect with and be part of something bigger and more meaningful. This is especially true with hands-on arts education—by tapping into our innate creativity and curiosity, we can see the world from a different perspective, and perhaps feel hope and compassion.