Art graduates in print ads

Amanda Santo ’03
West Warwick, R.I.
Adjunct Music Faculty, Soprano
Community College of Rhode Island

When Amanda Santo started her CCRI experience, she was an art major. During one of her electives in music, her teacher encouraged her to take a voice class. It was a recommendation that changed her life.

After earning her Associate in Fine Arts degree in music from CCRI, Santo went on to earn her Bachelor of Science in music education from Rhode Island College, where she graduated cum laude, and her master’s in vocal performance from the Hartt School of Music at the University of Hartford.

Santo, a native Rhode Islander, has many oratorio credits to her name and is now an adjunct faculty member at her alma mater. She also is a student of soprano Maria Spacagna.

“When I left RIC I wanted to stay local and perform,” said Santo. “Then one of my former CCRI professors called me and said she was leaving and asked if I wanted to apply for a position.

“It all sort of fell into place,” Santo continued. “I can still perform but can also teach great students and work with great people at the same time.”

Bruce Kalver ’76
Cranston, R.I.
Renowned Magician
2008-09 National President, Society of American Magicians

Bruce Kalver has been performing professionally for more than 40 years. At age 4, Kalver’s grandfather, who was an assistant to Houdini, started teaching his grandson the art of magic. The rest, as they say, it’s history.

Bruce was already an established magician by the time he was set to go to college. He was accepted by Syracuse University, but turned it down to attend CCRI, then known as Rhode Island Junior College, so he could continue to perform magic and save some money at the same time.

“I owe a lot to CCRI’s Theater Department,” said Kalver. “Not only did we learn acting and the technical side of the business, but I never would have met my wife if it weren’t for CCRI.”

Kalver now performs magic for audiences ranging from 4-year-olds to major corporations such as Microsoft, Carnival Cruise Lines and Coca-Cola, among many others.

“It was a real life experience; a nice moment in my life,” said Kalver of his community college experience. “I truly thought I got the education I needed at CCRI and didn’t know of anywhere else I could have gotten a better theater education.”

Benjamin Walsh ’08
East Greenwich, R.I.
Industrial design major
Rhode Island School of Design

Though he has spent several years of his life living on a sailboat in the Caribbean, this former CCRI fine arts student returned to Providence because he believes there is a lot more going on in the Providence arts scene than anywhere else.

Once back in Rhode Island, Walsh decided to return to school and chose to attend CCRI because he could take the same classes as he would take at a four-year college, but for much less money and have a much more flexible schedule. Walsh, a surfer, was able to work his fine arts classes around his work schedule at his start-up company, Green Marine, an environmentally friendly marine maintenance company he opened a little more than a year ago.

“For anyone considering not going to college because of the cost, I would tell you that CCRI is available to you and very affordable,” said Walsh. “The low tuition makes going to college an option.”

While at CCRI, Walsh added business classes to his schedule to get an edge in the design world.

“I think that will get me further in the arts. Many artists don’t think about business as being a part of what they do,” said Walsh. “I knew I needed to study more than just the arts.”

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