Errisinola "Erris/Misi" Ginesi

Photograph included with student application. Courtesy of Western Regional Archives

"St. Louis Dispatch", October 29, 1950. Courtesy of Newspapers.com

FOCUS

General Studies

ROLE

Student

ATTENDANCE

1948 - 1950

BIRTH

1930-08-31

Turin, Italy

DEATH

2022-09-23

Greenwich, CT

Errisinola was the daughter of Robert Ginesi and Zuleika Lombard. The family immigrated to the United States in 1935 and settled in Riverside, Connecticut. Errisinola graduate from Greenwich Academy in 1948. She learned of the college from BMC student Lynne Hatcher. While at BMC she became engaged to fellow student Jay Gilbert Watt (per December 1949 newspaper announcement). It is unknown if the two actually married because on October 22, 1950 she married another BMC student, John McKinley Boyd. Her third marriage was to Robert T. Burnett.

Black Mountain College Project

Mary Emma Harris interviewed Errisinola in 2010 and the transcript is available from Appalachian State University under The Mary Emma Harris and Black Mountain College Project, Inc. Oral History collection.

Topics: Early life in Italy – immigration to USA – pre-BMC studies – general curriculum at BMC – Josef Albers classes – weaving with Anni Albers--- Robert Rauschenberg – BMC students – Jay Watt – marriage to Jack Boyd and Boyd background – Peek’s Tavern – Thanksgiving dinner and draining the lake – Marriage on the Eiffel Tower production

Courses Taken

First 1948-1949: Elementary German with Rice, Physics with Goldowski, Drawing with Albers, Chorus with Schlesinger

Second 1948-1949: General Biology with Tsui, German with Bodky, Drawing, Albers, Chorus with Schlesinger, Style and Structure in Music with Bodky

Fall 1949-1950: Drawing with Fiore, Medieval European History with Freeman, Piano with Hetherington, Chorus with Freeman, Book Binding with Jalowetz

Spring 1949-1950: Weaving with Siegel, Ceramics with Turner, General Anthropology with Leser, Chorus with Freeman, Book Binding with Jalowetz

Photograph of author

Author

Heather South

Heather is Lead Archivist of the Western Regional Archives, Department of Cultural Resources, State of North Carolina.

Heather has a BA and MA in history from Winthrop University and is a member of the Academy of Certified Archivists. South has nearly 20 years’ experience in preservation and archives including reference services, conservation services, exhibit design, marketing and grant management. From 2006 until November 2011, she worked as the Preservation Officer for the SC State Archives

The Western Regional Archives (WRA) collects, preserves, and makes available for public use historical and evidential materials relating to western North Carolina. Their collection of Black Mountain College related materials is an invaluable resource for BMC researchers.

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