Publish Date: Feb 2, 2019
Hartnell faculty member JC Gonzalez received the Luminary Award on Feb. 2 at the Champions of the Arts Gala at the Hyatt Regency Monterey, of which Hartnell was a co-sponsor.
The Arts Council for Monterey County honored Gonzalez for inspiring a “visual interdisciplinary arts and wellness lifestyle informed by contemporary issues affecting communities of color.” He founded the Urban Arts Collaborative in 2012, a space for social transformation through the arts, and is now teaching Art Appreciation through a dual-enrollment class at Soledad High School.
I was proud to be in attendance with my wife, Michele. We were joined by Judy Sulsona, board member for the Hartnell College Foundation and co-chair of the Hartnell Arts Council; retired Hartnell librarian Bill Rawson; Julie Tucker, member of the Hartnell Arts Council; Wayne Tucker, member of the Panther Athletics Council; Melissa Chin-Parker, artistic program director for The Western Stage; David Parker; and Manual Osorio, HCCD Governing Board member.
Several current and former students from the Theatre & Cinema (TAC) program at Hartnell also were present, working as interns through the college’s partnership with the Media Center for Art Education and Technology (MCAET). Recent graduate Miranda Rodriguez (pictured with me), as well as students Athena Ramirez, Cesar Ruvalcaba, Dylan Holmes and Ivan Ramirez staffed the red carpet, where guests and honorees were interviewed as they arrived. A video of the full program is available here.
“The staff from MCAET have been deeply impressed by the students' professionalism and dedication, and the students themselves have been thrilled for the opportunity to gain such invaluable real world experience,” said Professor Dr. Marnie Glazier, lead faculty member for TAC.