Five Seniors Awarded Hubbard Hutchinson Fellowships| 01:54PM / Friday, June 01, 2018 | |
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WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The Williams College Office of Fellowships has awarded Hubbard Hutchinson Memorial Fellowships to five graduating seniors pursuing careers in the arts: Stephen Ai (music), Jordan Jace (poetry writing), Nicole Perez (dance), John Rodriguez (theater) and Alexandra Scarangella (art).
The Hubbard Hutchinson Memorial Fellowship is a cash award established in 1940 that is granted to a member or members of the graduating class to support their continued work in the creative and performing arts. Prizes of $25,000 are awarded in the categories of writing, art, dance, theater and music.
Ai, a music and mathematics major from San Diego, Calif., will continue his study of music at the University of Cambridge next year. He will complete an M.Phil. in music, studying Bach performance on the modern piano and its associated aesthetic issues. This program combines performance with rigorous academic training, an important aspect of Ai's education at Williams. The Hutchinson Fellowship will fund his studies and allow him to continue his intensive study. Ai sees himself eventually teaching piano at a university or similar institution as a professor or studio teacher. At Williams, Ai has been active in the music department as a solo performer and piano accompanist. He has played for nine studios and served as the primary accompanist for four full-length recitals. He has also played in chamber groups and collaborated with the Williams Percussion Ensemble and Iota Ensemble. He was the co-founder of the group Ephs Out Loud, which promotes community engagement and collaboration through music at local schools and organizations.
Jace, an English major from Los Angeles, Calif., will use the fellowship funds to pursue writing poetry. While he ultimately plans to pursue an M.F.A., following graduation the fellowship will allow him the flexibility to dedicate time to his craft while exploring employment opportunities in various fields of interest. While at Williams, Jace has been an active member of the literary and arts magazine Parlor Tricks, the admissions office, and the men’s water polo team. He is grateful to Assistant Professor of English Jessica Fisher, Assistant Professor of English Emily Vasiliauskas, and 2016-17 Margaret Bundy Scott Professor of English Joanna Klink for their influence on his work and thinking.
Perez, a dance major with a pre-medical track from Coral Gables, Fla., will use the Hutchinson fellowship to participate in projects and create works that investigate the link between the sciences and the arts in New York City. She hopes to volunteer for and train with the Mark Morris Dance Group's Dance for PD program, which invites community members with Parkinson's disease to participate in dance classes and performances. She plans to use the Hutchinson funds to participate in professional development workshops that will allow her to become a registered teaching assistant to the Dance for PD classes. She will also take classes to continue developing her dance performance technique. During her time at Williams, Perez has volunteered at Williamstown Commons, a local nursing and rehabilitation center, and is currently developing a dance-based movement therapy program for residents. She is a thesis student in dance, and is directing, choreographing, and performing in a 45-minute dance show based on sexual trafficking and abuse.
Rodriguez, a theater major and Latinx studies concentrator from Miami, Fla., developed a love of theater while at Williams. After graduation, he plans to move to New York City and freelance as an assistant production manager to gain experience in the field before returning to graduate school for production management. The Hutchinson fellowship will allow Rodriguez to support himself as a freelance apprentice and give him the freedom to explore work with grassroots theatre collaboratives focusing on expanding the voices and participation of minorities in theatre and communities of color. Rodriguez completed a thesis in theater, developing an original scenic design for the Williams theater department production of "The Wolves." He has served as production manager, stage manager, and scenic designer for numerous plays.
Alexandra Scarangella, an art and Asian studies major from Harrington Park, N.J., plans to use the Hubbard Hutchinson Fellowship for travel to Asia and Europe, where she will study ceramic and performance arts. Scarangella has worked as a curatorial intern at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Marie Selby Botanical Garden, and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. She has served as a studio assistant for several artists and a teaching assistant for figure drawing, Japanese art, and sculpture courses. She has participated in numerous exhibitions and shows both at Williams and in the greater Berkshires area. She is the lead graphic designer for Parlor Tricks, the first multidisciplinary arts publication at Williams, for which she was the founder and designer.
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