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Friends of the Fine Arts Faculty
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Cliff Jourdan
Department Chair of
Fine and Performing Arts
Associate Professor of Music
Director of Bands
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Prior to his appointment at Kaskaskia College in 2002, Jourdan taught instrumental
music at Vandalia High School in Vandalia, Illinois where his marching, concert and
jazz bands consistently won competitions and received superior ratings at
organization contests. Before that, he taught at Sandoval Jr./ Sr. High School
in Sandoval, Illinois where he was in charge of the band, chorus, and general
classroom music programs. His success in the public schools led him into the college
teaching ranks where he has won the Kaskaskia College Student Congress Outstanding
Professor Award in the 2004-2005 academic year.
Before becoming director of bands at KC, Jourdan was Conductor of the Centralia
Philharmonic Orchestra for 6 years. His performance background and experience is very
eclectic, having been a member of the Centralia Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra
(tuba), several jazz and big bands (bass, trombone, guitar, vocal), various brass
quintets (tuba), and progressive rock groups (bass, guitar, keyboards and vocals).
While an undergraduate, he was principal tuba for the Southern Illinois University
Wind Ensemble.
Jourdan holds a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from Southern Illinois
University at Carbondale, and a Master’s degree in Music Education from VanderCook
College of Music in Chicago. He studied conducting with Dr. Charles Menghini of
VanderCook, Edward Benyas and Michael Hanes of Southern Illinois University at
Carbondale.
Professor Jourdan's responsibilities at Kaskaskia College include teaching music major courses,
general education courses, conducting the Kaskaskia College concert, jazz, and
pep-bands along with directing the student jazz ensembles. He was also the
co-organizer for the first Merry TUBA Christmas in the Centralia area in 2006.
In addition, he regularly works as an adjudicator for regional solo/ensemble contest,
organization contests, and as a parade judge. He also works as a clinician for local
Jr. and Sr. High schools and is frequently a guest conductor at regional
festivals.
Jourdan is also an active composer. His works have been premiered by the Southern
Illinois University Wind Ensemble and the Kaskaskia College Concert band and have
been performed by various regional schools. In March of 2009, he premiered his
latest work "Yucatan" with the Kaskaskia College Concert Band. Jourdan has
premiered additional works while at KC including a dedication to those lost in
the events of September 11, 2001 titled “A Song of
Remembrance.” His works continue to be performed by ensembles at Kaskaskia
College including the Concert and Jazz Bands along with the Pep-Band and Instrumental
Ensembles.
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Dr. Sarah Graham
Assistant Professor of Music
Director of Choirs
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Dr. Sarah J. Graham is the Assistant Professor of Choral Music at Kaskaskia College, where she conducts the Concert Choir, Madrigals/Jazz Choir and the Kaskaskia College Community Chorale. At Kaskaskia she teaches Class Piano, Music in America, Music Appreciation and Private Applied Voice. Prior to her appointment at Kaskaskia College, Dr. Graham served as the Assistant Illinois State University and the Director of Choral Activities at Monmouth College in Monmouth, Illinois.
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Diana Hansen
Assistant Professor of Art
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My name is Diana Hansen and I am the Assistant Professor of Art at Kaskaskia College.
I have enjoyed teaching in the areas of painting, drawing, and art history at colleges
in Missouri, (Southeast Mo. University and U.M.S.L.) and Illinois, (S.I.U.E. and
Lewis and Clark), for several years. Painting and drawing are also very important
in my own studio pursuits and I am active regularly in my studio in St. Louis where
I have lived for many years. Dialogue with other artists throughout the U.S. and
visits to galleries, museums and art conferences keep me abreast of new work and
ideas. Occasionally, if my schedule allows, I also teach at the St. Louis Art Museum
and Laumeier Sculpture Park and I always find those sessions invigorating. My work
is in the permanent collections of S.I.U.E., Emerson Electric, BJC and SSM
Healthcare Systems and I participate in regional and national juried shows several
times a year. Selected works of mine are in galleries in St. Louis, Indianapolis
and New York.
I am especially interested in working with the figure in both specific and abstract
forms and my work drifts back and forth between exact and vague ideas. The surface
of my work is equally ambiguous. I blend oil stick, acrylic, graphite and gesso
onto canvas or paper. This process and use of form allows ongoing discovery and
spontaneity. No matter what surface or idea I may want to explore, my work
continually returns to the human figure and examinations of the psyche and the
universal human condition. As a woman I am naturally attracted to the particular
dilemmas of the female psyche which focus for me, as both the creator and protector
of the child and therefore the whole of humanity. I want the students to
realize the vast potential of art, not as mere decoration but as a tool of
communication and individual expression.
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Brandi Wilkins
Humanities Department Chair
Associate Professor of Speech & Journalism
Speech Team and Scroll Newspaper Sponsor
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Brandi has been with Kaskaskia College since the fall semester of 2002. She began
her teaching career as a graduate teaching assistant at Murray State University
in 2001 where she taught public speaking and interpersonal communication. After
obtaining her Master’s degree in 2002, Brandi started teaching speech courses for
both KC and Rend Lake College as an adjunct faculty member. In the fall of 2004,
she started as Assistant Professor of Speech and Journalism here at KC. Brandi is
currently the Humanities Department Chair as well as faculty advisor for the speech
team and the Scroll student newspaper. She also works with the Friends of the Fine
Arts organization. She resides in Breese, Illinois with her husband, who is also a
faculty member at KC.
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David Quinn
Assistant Professor Theatre and Speech
Director of Theatre
Theatre Guild and Speech Team Sponsor
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David Quinn is Assistant Professor of Theatre and Speech, and Director of Theatre
at Kaskaskia College. Prior to his appointment at Kaskaskia College in 2001, Quinn
was on the Theatre Faculty at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, where
he taught courses and directed plays. He has also taught Theatre and Speech courses
at Fontbonne University, St. Louis Community College at Meramec, and Blackburn
College. Quinn directed 15 plays in Edwardsville for the University and the Arts
League Players. He was also a guest director at the University of Missouri at St. Louis.
Along with directing many productions Quinn has written several plays and monologues.
He served as guest artist at Drury University for the production of his script,
Beyond Friendship. While at SIUE he had several of his monologues produced in an
Evening of Entertainment. One of those monologues was recently used by KC alumnus
and former Board of Trustees’ student rep, Chris Wiebler. Chris performed a
monologue that Quinn wrote for an Evening of Fine Arts at KC and recently performed
this monologue in Chicago to help get an agent to represent him. Quinn has also
appeared in many plays over the years including playing the ghost of John Barrymore
in KC’s production of I Hate Hamlet and recently played Felix Ungar in The Odd
Couple at the Salem Community Theatre.
David Quinn has been working on KC’s fall production, The Revenge of the Space
Pandas or Binky Rudich and the Two-Speed Clock. This play brought in hundreds of
students from 6-12 grades in the district for weekday matinees. This spring the
Drama Guild will perform Sleeping Beauty and there are already 2000 K-4 grade
students coming to the weekday matinees.
There are two student groups that Quinn sponsors, The Theatre Guild and The Speech
Team. He has also served as sponsor for the Film Club. He is currently on the
Board of Directors for the Salem Chamber of Commerce and the Salem Community Theatre
Board. In his free time, he keeps busy with his daughter Madison and her interests
in the arts – she plays the flute in band, the bass in strings, and sings with the
Sounds of Salem, and yes, she was in the fall play. David Quinn has won many
awards over the years but is especially proud of being selected by the
administration and students as the KC Professor of the Year in 2007.
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