Film Critic, Producer and Scholar Mark J. Huisman to teach “The Artist’s Way” on Oahu, Hawaii and Maui

Mark J. Huisman, film critic, independent film producer and scholar, will teach a 12-week course in The Artist’s Way on several Hawaiian islands, including Oahu, Hawaii and Maui, beginning in mid-October.

Huisman provides practical, lasting lessons on artistic commitment through a focused course of study tailored to individual participants who work together in small artistic support groups. The Artist’s Way can help practicing artists successfully deepen their commitment to their craft, whether they are writers, painters, sculptors, dancer, photographers or anything else. New artists can begin to explore the creativity they have long held back.

“I meet so many people who say they have always wanted to write or paint or take pictures but have never had the courage to actually do so,” said Huisman by telephone from New York. “The Artist’s Way is a wonderful way to give yourself the gift of exploring your creativity, whether you’ve been a working artist for years or you’ve been dreaming about being one for a long time.”

For over twelve years between 1990 and 2002, Huisman was a film critic, entertainment reporter and investigative journalist for publications including The Village Voice, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Advocate, OUT and The Nation. Films produced by Huisman include The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love (Sundance, 1995), The Girl (Rotterdam and Berlin Film Festivals, 2000) and Confidences. He has attended the Sundance Producers’ conference three times and served as a script consultant on close to one hundred independent and Hollywood productions.

A two-time graduate of Columbia University, where he earned a B.A. in Film Studies and an M.F.A. in Writing, Huisman has taught The Artist’s Way for over five years. He has taught introductory screenwriting at Columbia and will teach the University’s first course in gay and lesbian cinema in the spring of 2008.

In September of 2006, Huisman’s entire body of writing was acquired by one of the most celebrated literary archives in the world, The Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Columbia University. The RBML contains vast collections in American history and literature, theater and film, international affairs, music and journalism, including manuscripts by Tennessee Williams, Lionel Trilling, Allen Ginsberg and the archives of Human Rights Watch, Harper & Row and The Pulitzer Prizes, among others

“The Artist’s Way is a wonderful gift to your own creativity and inner artist,” Huisman added. “Whether you are stuck in your creative practice or your 9-5 career, The Artist’s Way can help break down your present limitations and help you soar past them. I’ve had lawyers, stockbrokers and parents take the course and rave about how it increased their ability to communicate, think creatively and solve problems at both home and work.”

Advanced registration runs from now until October 5^th (or until the courses are filled). Late registration will run from October 6^th through October 13th (assuming space remains available). Huisman will teach one class only on each island. Enrollment is strictly limited to twelve participants per class..

Interested students may obtain schedule and registration information by contacting Huisman via e-mail at mjh89@columbia.edu.

Please note: The official Columbia University press release about Huisman’s collection at The Rare Book and Manuscript Library may be found at: http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/news/libraries/2006/2006-09-06.huisman.html

Editors may quote from that release at liberty, with attribution.