6. Illustrious musicians and artists have taught, studied, and performed there
Greenwich House Music School (GHMS) was established in 1905 to “teach students the beauty and transformative power of music, art, dance, and theater.” “We’ve been doing the same thing for 117 years,” Rachel Black, Director of Greenwich House Music School told Untapped New York, “Greenwich House has always placed value on the arts and the performing arts. Our mission is to teach people of all ages in our community.” What makes the Music School special Black explained, is the mix of “artists coming in who are rehearsing and who are performing and students coming in who are learning and developing their craft.” Over the decades, the Music School has trained and hosted illustrious names in the music industry. In the 1930s, avant-garde composers and musicians such as Henry Cowell, John Cage, Carl Ruggles, and Edgard Varese flocked to the school. Through the years, other notable performers including composer Morton Subotnick, pianist Taka Kigawa and harpist Brandee Younger – all part of the faculty at the Music School – have graced the rehearsal and performance spaces.
The Pottery School is no different. The works of pottery students have been exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the 1939 World’s Fair. Jane Hartsook, who was appointed director in 1945, brought in world-class artists like Peter Voulkos to teach and work at the school. Other notable names include Rirkrit Tiravanija, Betty Woodman, Ghada Amer, Ann Agee, Kathy Butterly, Simone Leigh, and David Salle.
