Columbian College Alumni in the Arts

Columbian College’s location in Washington, D.C.—an area steeped in cultural venues—provides an unparalleled opportunity for students studying the arts. From music and museum studies, to interior design, theatre, art history, and fine arts, students come to GW to take advantage of all that the University and the city have to offer. And, their success stories are impressive.

Michael Bloom, BA '72
For Michael Bloom, theatre is "a way of exploring the psychology of other people and of exploring foreign worlds, not dissimilar to traveling." As the Artistic Director of The Cleveland Play House, Bloom manages productions at the oldest theatre in the country.

Bloom was not interested in theatre in high school, but at GW he was drawn to the performing arts by "a sense of community that I found in the drama and dance program." Former GW professor Nate Garner encouraged Bloom to pursue a career in theatre and Bloom considers Nate his "first real mentor...he made you take responsibility and recognize the seriousness of the artistic endeavor."

Bloom has been nominated for a Drama Desk Award for producing Sight Unseen and directing The Glass Menagerie and The Miracle Worker in Japanese, though he doesn't speak the language. He has taught at New York University, Harvard University, University of Texas, and Scripps College, and written a book about directing. "Having people tell me they've been helped by my book Thinking Like a Director has been something I've taken pride in," he says.

Through his work, Bloom tries to encourage people to empathize with and understand more about their fellow world citizens and "move people out of their comfort zones to recognize that there is an alternative to black and white thinking." Learn more about Bloom on The Cleveland Play House Web site.

Danni Dawson, BA '66, MFA '72
Danni Dawson has always been interested in drawing. At age 13, she tried her hand at copying master paintings and as she moved through high school and college, she realized it could also become a career when her teachers encouraged  to pursue her passion.

Dawson has particularly high regard for GW Professor of Drawing and Painting Frank Wright and Professor Emeritus of Painting Bill Woodward. "Both Bill and Frank taught in a way that made you feel like you were going to be a success…it was very much ‘hey, you can do this,’" Dawson explained. "That was a magical period."

One of Dawson’s more recent projects, a sculpture of "St. Joseph, the Worker"—done in collaboration with Paul Lucchesi—is displayed prominently on the façade of St. Joseph’s Medical Center in Towson, Maryland. Among her favorite pieces is a portrait of Sandra Day O’Connor which was commissioned by historical society of the Supreme Court. "It was a wonderful experience meeting someone like that," said Dawson.

Along with her exhibitions and commissions, Dawson also leads classes and workshops. "Teaching really helps; when you have to explain to someone else what you think it helps you gain a better understanding yourself."

Dawson's husband, Michael Francis, MFA ’78, is also an artist and GW graduate. "We have a good time and are able to critique each others work, which is fairly unique," said Dawson. Learn more about Dawson on her Web site.

Michael Dellaira, MM '73
Composer Michael Dellaira began his musical career as a lead guitarist in a successful rock band, but later switched gears to devote his life to classical music. Since then, he has been awarded a Fulbright fellowship to study in Rome, won first prize by the American Society of Composers Inc. for his composition MAUD, and has been named a Billboard Magazine "Top Album Pick." Most recently, his opera Cheri was a finalist for the Richard Rodgers Award in Musical Theater.

Dellaira recalls, "When I entered the master's program at GW, my knowledge of classical music was very limited, but the faculty was incredibly supportive."

He remembers one professor spending many hours helping him after class, and another going the extra mile to formally introduce him to the world as a professional composer. The chair of the music department at the time, George Steiner, was also the conductor for the Alexandria Symphony. He decided to program Dellaira's master's thesis, a composition called "Four Propositions," into his spring subscription concert. An act that Dellaira remembers as "a very generous, and, I should add, brave move on his part." This is something that always impressed Dellaira, "the faculty was always eager to get its students out in the real world doing – not in reminding them that they weren't yet ready!"

Currently, Dellaira is working on a new opera called Arctic Explorations, based on the travels of Elisha Kent Kane in the 1850s, which will be scored for several guitars, one that he intends to play! Learn more about Dellaira on his Web site.

Jonny Hirsch, BA '03
To achieve success, every aspiring musician must travel down the long, hard road of making it big.  Jonny Hirsch is speeding down it.

Singing and playing saxophone in Manhattan with a seven-piece band, Hirsch's shows are lively and fun. "Our songs definitely have a pop appeal to them, but there's a lot of improvisation from the band," says Hirsch about his music, which he describes as "part Jamiroquai and part Steely Dan."

Hirsch has had a great year, releasing his first album, Live from the Batcave. He's played at the CMJ music festival, his band made the Top 5 band list at the Emergenza Festival, and he even played saxophone on rapper DMX's latest album.

Hirsch has always loved performing, going all the way back to his time at GW. "We played all over D.C.," he said. After graduating with a music degree in 2003, Hirsch moved to Westchester, N.Y., and immediately began pursuing his musical goals. He got a band together, wrote some songs and started performing. Since then, it's all been up.  Now he's looking to get a solid touring schedule both nationally and internationally. Learn more about Hirsch and his music on his Web site.

Maya (Manon) Jiménez, BA '05
Maya Jiménez is in the early stages of her career, but is well acquainted with the history of art. Growing up, Jiménez’s family would often visit museums, which led her to become interested in studying art history.

At GW, Jiménez said, "I studied everything from American art to the art of South Asia, and it was particularly this global scope that I enjoyed." Masha Belensky, associate professor of French, became a mentor for Jiménez and encouraged her to pursue graduate school, and to recognize the competitive nature of the arts industry.

Jiménez also encourages current students to "follow your passion, but never lose sight of what a career in the arts entails," noting all the education and internships it takes to merely get a foothold in the field.

Jiménez is currently wrapping up her doctorate program at the Graduate Center, City University of New York (CUNY)—her doctoral dissertation is on Latin American art—and lecturing at the Museum of Modern Art. This spring she will begin teaching at Kingsborough Community College and Queensborough Community College, both part of the CUNY system.

"I hope to continue lecturing in both museums and colleges, and along the way inspire students to pursue a career in the arts or perhaps simply expose them to their first museum visit or art history class," said Jiménez.

John Safer, BA '47, HON DFA '09
In World War II, John Safer served in the Air Force in the Far East. After the war ended, he volunteered for an extra year in Europe, in effect "trading a year of work for an art tour of Europe." He returned to the United States, attended law school, worked in television, and became a successful real estate and banking entrepreneur. But Safer says he was destined to be a sculptor. "From a very young age I was always trying to make shapes, I always tried to work in three dimensions. It was always the way I thought and the way I felt."

Safer's sculpture is featured in many private collections and on display at the Smithsonian's Air and Space Museum and the United Nations, among other locations. Perhaps his most prominent work—and the one Safer says is probably his best—is Ascent, a 75-foot tall polished steel work at the Udvar-Hazy Center of the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum at Dulles Airport. "It's my attempt to show man's desire to break the bonds of gravity and soar into space," Safer explains.

An economics major, Safer's work with a student repertory theatre group at GW "opened [his] eyes to light and shapes—the essence of my sculpture." Safer also credits former GW professor Edward Acheson with giving direction to his business career. Safer said he believes he produces "better work because I had all these other experiences. I profited from having a multi-faceted career."

Safer has had a long association with his alma mater and has donated two of his sculptures to GW—Limits of Infinity, located behind Corcoron Hall, and Golden Quill, located inside the entrance of the library. In 2008, he received a Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award, and in 2009 Safer delivered remarks to GW's graduating class at Commencement on the National Mall. You can see more of Safer's work on his Web site.