Cornish College of the Arts

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Cornish College of the Arts
Other name
CCA
Former name
Cornish School of Allied Arts,
Cornish School of Music,
The Cornish School
TypePrivate art college
Established1914
FounderNellie Cornish
Parent institution
Seattle University
AccreditationNorthwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
Religious affiliation
Catholic Church (Jesuit)
Endowment$10.9 million (2021)
PresidentEmily Parkhurst
Total staff
105
Students443
Location
Seattle
,
Washington
,
United States

47°37′04″N 122°20′10″W / 47.617868°N 122.336171°W / 47.617868; -122.336171
CampusUrban, 4 acres (1.6 ha)
NicknameRedhawks
Websitewww.cornish.edu
Map
Like Kerry Hall, Cornish's main Denny Triangle building is on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Cornish College of the Arts (CCA) is one of Seattle University's schools and colleges in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1914 by music teacher Nellie Cornish, it operated as a private art college until it was absorbed by Seattle University on June 2, 2025.[1] The college's main campus is in the Denny Triangle portion of the South Lake Union neighborhood near downtown Seattle.

History

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Cornish College of the Arts was founded in 1914 as the Cornish School of Music, by Nellie Cornish (1876–1956), a teacher of piano;[2] at that time, she had been teaching music in Seattle for 14 years.[3] In 1915, the school was known as The Cornish School of Music Language and Dancing.[4] Cornish would go on to serve as the school's director for its first 25 years, until 1939. The Cornish School of Music began its operations in rented space in the Boothe (or Booth[5]) Building on Broadway and Pine Street.

As Cornish developed the idea of her school, she initially turned to the Montessori-based pedagogical method of Evelyn Fletcher-Copp,[6] but turned at last to the progressive musical pedagogy of Calvin Brainerd Cady, who had worked as musical director with John Dewey as the latter set up his seminal progressive educational project, what is now the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools.[7] Conceived by Cornish as "an elementary school of the arts—all the arts—with music as its major subject,"[8] the school initially taught only children, but it soon expanded to functioning also as a normal school (a teachers' college) under Cady. Within three years it had enrolled over 600 students, expanded the age range of its students to college age, and was the country's largest music school west of Chicago.[9][10]

Nellie Cornish recruited opportunistically where she saw talent, and the school soon offered classes as diverse as eurhythmics, French language, painting, dance (folk and ballet), and theater.[11][12] In 1915, the first full academic year, eurhythmics was added and the first studio arts classes taught. Dance, with a ballet focus, became a department in 1916 headed by Chicago-trained Mary Ann Wells. That year, Cornish became one of the first West Coast schools of any type to offer a summer session.[13] After the closing of their influential Chicago Little Theatre, Maurice Browne and Ellen Van Volkenburg were brought in to found the Drama Department in 1918; the department, with its incorporation of scenic design, music, and dance in its productions, became central to Cornish's plans to ally the arts.[14] Van Volkenburg also began a marionette department, the first such department in the country.[15] By 1923, opera and modern dance had been added to the curriculum as well.[16]

In 1920, in recognition that music was no longer the school's central focus, the school's name was simplified to The Cornish School.[17] By this time, too, the school had expanded its age range, and was offering classes and lessons from early childhood to the undergraduate level.[18] The school gathered a board of trustees from among Seattle's elite, who funded the school through the hard economic times during and after World War I, and raised money for a purpose-built school building.[12] Finished in 1921, the Cornish School building, now known as Kerry Hall, opened for the 1921–22 academic year.

The Cornish Trio of the 1920s—Peter Meremblum,[citation needed] Berthe Poncy (later Berthe Poncy Jacobson[19]), and Kola Levienne—may have been the first resident chamber music group at an American school.[20] In 1935, Cornish established the first (but ultimately short-lived) college-level school of radio broadcasting in the U.S.[21]

Through the 1920s, the school was often on the edge of financial failure,[22] but was of a caliber that prompted Anna Pavlova to call it "the kind of school other schools should follow."[23] Although the mortgage was paid off and the building had been donated to the school in 1929,[24] financial difficulties inevitably grew during the Great Depression.[25] Ultimately, convinced that finances would not allow the school to do more than "tread water", Nellie Cornish resigned her position as head of the school in 1939.[26]

In December 2024, Cornish announced that it intended to merge with Seattle University and become the latter's flagship arts program when an agreement is finalized by May 2025. Under the proposal, the two colleges would maintain their separate campuses in the city; Cornish would retain its 379,564 square feet (35,262.6 m2) of space for 500 students—a decline of 38 percent from peak enrollment in 2003.[27] The merger became official on June 2, 2025.[28]

Campus

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Kerry Hall, Cornish's original building and was the last part of Cornish remaining on Seattle's Capitol Hill until its 2024 sale.

Cornish College of the Arts operates a three-part campus in the South Lake Union, Seattle Center, and First Hill areas of Seattle, Washington. While Cornish was founded on Capitol Hill, it no longer owns or operates any buildings in the neighborhood.

Historic Capitol Hill Campus

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Cornish School
Cornish College of the Arts is located in Washington (state)
Cornish College of the Arts
Location710 E. Roy St.,
Seattle, Washington
Coordinates47°37′32″N 122°19′19″W / 47.62556°N 122.32194°W / 47.62556; -122.32194
Arealess than one acre
Built1921
ArchitectAbraham H. Albertson
Architectural styleSpanish Colonial Revival
NRHP reference No.77001337[29]
Added to NRHPAugust 29, 1977

Cornish's historic campus is composed of its original 1921 building on Capitol Hill and its grounds. The building, now known as Kerry Hall, contains the 200-seat PONCHO Concert Hall. Kerry Hall was designed in the Spanish Colonial Revival style by leading Seattle architect Abraham H. Albertson and is on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) as the "Cornish School".[30]

In April of 2024, Cornish announced their intention to sell Kerry Hall and finally sever their ties with their original location.[31] The news prompted a sit-in from students calling for the space to be sold to an organization dedicated to preserving the historic location as a space for the arts.[32] The student activists got their wish in November of 2024 when Kerry Hall was sold to the Seattle Theatre Group for $6 million who will continue using the space for the arts.[33]

South Lake Union

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Cornish opened its new Main Campus in 2003 in the Denny Triangle portion of the South Lake Union neighborhood in downtown Seattle.[34] The 1928, Art Deco-style Main Campus Center is listed on the NRHP as "William Volker Building".[35] Other buildings of note are the Raisbeck Performance Hall constructed in 1915, a Seattle City Landmark under the name "Old Norway Hall",[36] and the 1929 Notion Building. In 2015, the college opened the new 20-story Cornish Commons, which contains a residence hall, studios, and meeting rooms.[37]

Library

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William Volker Building
Location1000 Lenora St.,
Seattle, Washington
Coordinates47°37′6″N 122°20′30″W / 47.61833°N 122.34167°W / 47.61833; -122.34167
Arealess than one acre
Built1928
ArchitectBittman, Henry & Adams, Harold
Architectural styleArt Deco
NRHP reference No.83004236[29]
Added to NRHPOctober 13, 1983

The library at Cornish College specializes in art, dance, design, music, performance production, and theatre. As of 2011 it held 4,700 CDs, 40,000 books, has 2,200 videos, and subscribed to 154 periodicals. Its special collections include an image collection and 35 mm slides.[38]

Seattle Center

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Located on the Seattle Center grounds is the Cornish Playhouse at Seattle Center, the college's premier performance venue. Built for the Century 21 Exposition of 1962, the Playhouse was leased to Cornish by the City of Seattle in 2013.[39] Along with the 440-seat main stage, the complex includes the 100+ seat Alhadeff Studio Theater and a scene shop.

First Hill

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See also: Seattle University § Campus

As of the start of the 2025 school year and Cornish's merger with Seattle University, Cornish students can now take classes and use the resources of Seattle University's First Hill Campus. Seattle U announced plans to connect their First Hill Campus with Cornish's South Lake Union Campus via a dedicated shuttle bus.[40]

Notable alumni

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See also: Category:Cornish College of the Arts alumni

Actors

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Fine artists

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Musicians

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Dancers

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Filmmakers

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Writers

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References

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  1. ^ Vansynghel, Margo (June 3, 2025). "Seattle University absorbs Cornish and announces changes, hiring news". The Seattle Times. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
  2. ^ Cornish, Nellie C. Miss Aunt Nellie: The Autobiography of Nellie C. Cornish, Ellen Van Volkenburg Browne and Edward Nordhoff Beck, eds. Seattle, University of Washington, 1964; pp. 89–91.
  3. ^ "The Story of a School". The Town Crier. No. v.13, no.32. Seattle. 1918-08-10. p. 15. Retrieved 2023-04-20.
  4. ^ File:1915 ad for The Cornish School of Music Language and Dancing.jpg, December 11, 1915 advertisement in Seattle magazine The Town Crier.
  5. ^ Mildred Andrews, Cornish School, HistoryLink Essay 596, December 26, 1998, updated on June 28, 2006. Retrieved 2010-05-25.
  6. ^ Cornish, Nellie C. Miss Aunt Nellie: The Autobiography of Nellie C. Cornish, Ellen Van Volkenburg Browne and Edward Nordhoff Beck, eds. Seattle, University of Washington, 1964; pp. 66–69.
  7. ^ Cornish, Nellie C. Miss Aunt Nellie: The Autobiography of Nellie C. Cornish, Ellen Van Volkenburg Browne and Edward Nordhoff Beck, eds. Seattle, University of Washington, 1964; pp. 73–75.
  8. ^ Cornish, Nellie C. Miss Aunt Nellie: The Autobiography of Nellie C. Cornish, Ellen Van Volkenburg Browne and Edward Nordhoff Beck, eds. Seattle, University of Washington, 1964; p. 91.
  9. ^ Berner 1991, pp. 92–93
  10. ^ Nate Lippens, short item on Cornish as part of "People Who Shaped Seattle", Seattle Metropolitan, May 2006, p. 59. Brenden Fraser went to Cornish and graduated with honors.
  11. ^ Cornish 1964, pp. 89–113
  12. ^ a b Berner 1991, pp. 93–94
  13. ^ Cornish 1964, p. 97
  14. ^ Cornish, Nellie C. Miss Aunt Nellie: The Autobiography of Nellie C. Cornish, Ellen Van Volkenburg Browne and Edward Nordhoff Beck, eds. Seattle, University of Washington, 1964; p. 121.
  15. ^ Cornish 1964, p. 109
  16. ^ Cornish 1964, pp. 133–134
  17. ^ Cornish, Nellie C. Miss Aunt Nellie: The Autobiography of Nellie C. Cornish, Ellen Van Volkenburg Browne and Edward Nordhoff Beck, eds. Seattle, University of Washington, 1964; p. 120.
  18. ^ Cornish 1964, pp. 112–113
  19. ^ Cornish 1964, pp. 170–171
  20. ^ Cornish 1964, pp. 160–161
  21. ^ Cornish 1964, pp. 245–249
  22. ^ Cornish 1964, pp. 154, 161–162
  23. ^ Cornish 1964, p. 163
  24. ^ Cornish 1964, pp. 204–205
  25. ^ Cornish 1964, p. passim.
  26. ^ Cornish 1964, pp. passim, esp. pp. 252–261. The reference to "treading water" is on p. 255.
  27. ^ Vansynghel, Margo (December 5, 2024). "Seattle University, Cornish College of the Arts plan to merge". The Seattle Times. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
  28. ^ Vansynghel, Margo (June 3, 2025). "Seattle University absorbs Cornish and announces changes, hiring news". The Seattle Times. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
  29. ^ a b "National Register Information System – (#77001337)". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  30. ^ WASHINGTON – King County (page 2), National Register of Historic Places. Accessed online 31 January 2008.
  31. ^ jseattle (2024-04-10). "Kerry Hall hits the market as Cornish College of the Arts says goodbye to Capitol Hill". CHS Capitol Hill Seattle News. Retrieved 2025-10-03.
  32. ^ Saunders, Hannah (2024-04-30). "Save Kerry Hall? Students stage sit-in, call for arts, music, and dance to be preserved as buyers eye historic property for housing and development". CHS Capitol Hill Seattle News. Retrieved 2025-10-03.
  33. ^ jseattle (2024-11-26). "Seattle Theater Group — operator of the Paramount, Moore, and Neptune — buys Capitol Hill's Kerry Hall in $6M deal". CHS Capitol Hill Seattle News. Retrieved 2025-10-03.
  34. ^ Campbell, R. M. "After years of looking for room, it's all coming together for Cornish", Seattle Post-Intelligencer, September 17, 2003.
  35. ^ WASHINGTON – King County (page 5), National Register of Historic Places. Accessed online 31 January 2008.
  36. ^ Landmarks Alphabetical Listing for O Archived 2011-07-21 at the Wayback Machine, Individual Landmarks, City of Seattle. Accessed 28 December 2007.
  37. ^ Porter, Lynn. "Cornish College is opening a $50M 'living room' in the Denny Triangle." Daily Journal of Commerce, August 18, 2015.
  38. ^ American Library Directory. Vol. 2 (64th ed.). Information Today, Inc. 2011–2012. pp. 2568–2576. ISBN 978-1-57387-411-3.
  39. ^ Berson, Misha. "New name, same theatre at Seattle Center". The Seattle Times, May 6, 2013.
  40. ^ Schorr, Natalie. "Seattle U Community Grows as Cornish Merger Finalizes". The Spectator. Retrieved 2025-10-03.
  41. ^ Halpern, Lisa (February 10, 2005). "Fraser's Edge". Cornish College of the Arts. Archived from the original on December 31, 2007. Retrieved December 27, 2007.
  42. ^ "Monsoon Season". InSight - the Cornish Magazine (Fall 2013): 4–5. 2013. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
  43. ^ "Face is familiar; name's not". Walla Walla Union-Bulletin. Associated Press. June 13, 1982. p. 16. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
  44. ^ Reader, The MIT Press (2022-06-02). "Butch Heroes: Portraits From Queer History". The MIT Press Reader. Retrieved 2024-05-13.
  45. ^ Nude painting wins BP Portrait Award 2012. Staff, BBC News. June 19, 2912. Web.
  46. ^ "Terry Fox Biography". Electronic Arts Intermix. Archived from the original on 2011-01-21. Retrieved 2020-10-28.
  47. ^ Delia, Sarah. Artist Heather Hart Brings 'Radical Archiving' To Charlotte. WFAE Charlotte's NPR News Source. March 8, 2016. Web.
  48. ^ Y-Jean Mun-Delsalle. "Kumi Yamashita Plays with Shadows to Create Art". Forbes.com. Retrieved September 6, 2015.
  49. ^ Hamlin, Andrew (2023-11-28). "Monyee Chau: From restaurant baby to bold zine maker". Northwest Asian Weekly. Retrieved 2025-11-24.
  50. ^ Bennett-Smith, Meredith. Mary Lambert, Singer Featured On Macklemore's 'Same Love,' Talks Songwriting, Lesbians, Vulnerability. Huffington Post, Queer Voices, February 2, 2016. Web.
  51. ^ Brodeur, Nicole. Reggie Watts: 'I like using my voice to do really dumb things'. The Seattle Times, June 3, 2012. Print & web.
  52. ^ Andrews, Mildred and John Caldbick. Cornish College of the Arts. HistoryLink, November 12, 2014. Web.
  53. ^ Becker, Paula. Cunningham, Merce (1919–2009). Historylink.org, June 08, 2009. Web.
  54. ^ Alumni News, Cornish School of Allied Arts, unpublished, The Cornish School Archives, University of Washington Special Collections, 1953.
  55. ^ "USC Cinematic Arts | School of Cinematic Arts News". cinema.usc.edu. Retrieved 2025-07-08.
  56. ^ Stated to have studied at Cornish in the author biography for her book Why?: The Serial Killer in America (R & E Publishers, 1992)
  • Mildred Andrews, Cornish School, HistoryLink Essay 596, December 26, 1998, updated on June 28, 2006.
  • Berner, Richard C. (1991), Seattle 1900–1920: From Boomtown, Urban Turbulence, to Restoration, Charles Press, ISBN 0-9629889-0-1
  • Cornish, Nellie C. (1964), Browne, Ellen Van Volkenburg; Beck, Edward Nordhoff (eds.), Miss Aunt Nellie. The autobiography of Nellie C. Cornish, foreword by Nancy Wilson Ross, Seattle: Univ. of Washington Press
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