Interested in a career in makeup? Emmy Award winner June Westmore is set to teach an introductory makeup class for stage and film at Allan Hancock College.
This fall, the college is offering a three-unit class that meets Mondays from 1 to 4 p.m. and Wednesdays from 12:45 to 2:50 p.m. Late in-person registration is Aug.
24 through 27. Class size is limited to 16 students.
Westmore said students will receive a beautician certificate upon completing her class—and, with it, access to jobs at salons or in the entertainment industry.
“It’s a real job opportunity,” Westmore said. “Some people don’t want to go after a full college degree, they just want to enter the workforce. This gives them a talent.”
The class will cover a wide range of topics, including the history of makeup, the latest techniques, and sanitation procedures. Students will also benefit from field trips and guest lecturers.
“[Students] will know how to do whatever is asked of them, whether it’s laying a beard or putting on a bald cap, or whatever,” Westmore said.
And once students become skilled enough, Westmore said she hopes they’ll be able to help do makeup for PCPA theater productions.
According to a press release from the college, Westmore is a member of the Westmore makeup dynasty, whose collective film credits include Gone with the Wind, Mutiny on the Bounty, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Casablanca, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Creature from the Black Lagoon, and many more. In 2008, the Westmores received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Westmore herself has received 15 Emmy nominations, and she was also part of the makeup team that won the Academy Award for How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Some of her other credits include Star Trek: Nemesis, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, A.I., and Pearl Harbor.
For more information about late registration, call the college at 922-6966 or visit hancock college.edu.
This article appears in Aug 20-27, 2009.