/ en /news/2025-04/podcast-ep-67-building-community-and-conversation-through-arts <span>Podcast — EP 67: Building community and conversation through the arts</span> <span><span>Bronwyn Longchamp</span></span> <span>Mon, 04/21/2025 - 18:48</span> <div class="layout layout--gmu layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--70-30"> <div class="layout__region region-first"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:body" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasebody"> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Body</div> <div class="field__item"><div class="align-left"> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img src="/sites/g/files/yyqcgq291/files/styles/small_content_image/public/2025-04/25-165_davis_aep_cover_copy.png?itok=dmxPWgGF" width="350" height="350" alt="Rick Davis sitting in the WGMU studio. Rick is smiling and wears a bright yellow Mason baseball cap." loading="lazy" /></div> </div> <p class="Paragraph SCXW245268628 BCX0" lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="intro-text">George Mason has a long history of supporting the arts on campus and in the community. With seven academic programs, seven galleries, six community arts programs, two major venues, and the digital venue Mason Arts Amplified, Mason Arts continues to create a thriving artistic community right here in Northern Virginia. </span></p> <p>On this episode of Access to Excellence, President Gregory Washington is joined by Rick Davis, dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts at George Mason and the executive director of the Hylton Performing Arts Center. An accomplished director, author, professor, and George Mason baseball cap collector, Davis and President Washington discuss the history of the arts at George Mason and the critical role the arts play in creating and maintaining community. </p> <p><iframe style="border:none;height:150px;min-width:min(100%, 430px);" title="Building community and conversation through the arts" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=vrpaj-1888764-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=f6f6f6&font-color=auto&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=7" loading="lazy"></iframe></p> <blockquote><p>In a good arts course, you learn that iterative process. You learn that critical thinking process. You learn about sort of testing hypotheses, but those hypotheses might be language or music or images. And what does this image say to you? And, and how can you make it better? How can you understand it differently? And that circular thought process really is the essence of artistic creation, which is why I think students, once they experience it, they love it. — Rick Davis </p> </blockquote> </div> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:mason_accordion" data-inline-block-uuid="4b67e344-b12c-4f00-a2e0-8a474ced5d5f" class="block block-layout-builder block-inline-blockmason-accordion"> <div class="field field--name-field-accordion-rows field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field field--name-field-accordion-rows field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden field__item"> <section class="accordion"><header class="accordion__label"><span class="ui-accordion-header-icon ui-icon ui-icon-triangle-1-e"></span> <p>Read the Transcript</p> <div class="accordion__states"> <span class="accordion__state accordion__state--more"><i class="fas fa-plus-circle"></i></span> <span class="accordion__state accordion__state--less"><i class="fas fa-minus-circle"></i></span> </div> </header><div class="accordion__content"> <p>Intro (00:04): <br />Trailblazers in research, innovators in technology, and those who simply have a good story; all make up the fabric that is George Mason �鶹����. We're taking on the grand challenges that face our students, graduates; and higher education is our mission and our passion. Hosted by Mason President Gregory Washington, this is the Access to Excellence podcast.</p> <p>President Gregory Washington (00:27): <br />It was famed sculpture, Henry Moore who said, "to be an artist is to believe in life." My guest today embodies a passion for the arts that echoes this sentiment. Rick Davis is the Dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts at George Mason and the executive director of the Hilton Performing Arts Center. He has directed numerous theatrical and operatic productions across the United States, authored four books, co-written an opera and an oratorio, and has become really famous around campus for his signature George Mason baseball cap.</p> <p>Rick Davis (01:07): <br /><laugh>.</p> <p>President Gregory Washington (01:08): <br />Rick, welcome to the show.</p> <p>Rick Davis (01:10): <br />Thank you so much, Mr. President. And, and just for your listeners benefit, um, I'm wearing the cap right now, so you just have to imagine a, a yellow hat here on the podcast.</p> <p>President Gregory Washington (01:18): <br />Outstanding. Outstanding. So you're one of the people who have a continuity here. Your continuity at George Mason is amazing, right? Came here in 1991.</p> <p>Rick Davis (01:31): <br />Yep.</p> <p>President Gregory Washington (01:31): <br />Right, when you started as an artistic director of Theater of the First Amendment.</p> <p>Rick Davis (01:37): <br />Yep.</p> <p>President Gregory Washington (01:37): <br />And a member of the theater faculty. So it's kind of like a three part question. What brought you to George Mason? What was George Mason like? And what has kept you here for 35 years?</p> <p>Rick Davis (01:52): <br />Well, what brought me here, let's take 'em in order. What brought me here was Theater of the First Amendment. It was a brand new experiment, uh, in founded in 1990. Um, when the Institute of the Arts was founded here, the the year that I like to call the Big Bang at Mason for the arts, because we opened the Center for the Arts in October of 1990. The institute was founded, you know, in August, basically to, to create a new way of teaching the arts at George Mason. And part of that was, uh, creating a professional theater: professional, meaning paid actors and, and designers, members of actors', equity, you know, the actors' union, and, and then incorporating students throughout the productions as as appropriate. So a student might be cast in a role, uh, but they would have to compete for that role. But we had some of the best actors and designers in the whole DC metro area, which is a great theater town, uh, coming to campus three, four times a year, and staging professional productions right in the middle of this brand new theater program.</p> <p>Rick Davis (02:50): <br />And I thought, I was very happily engaged up in Baltimore at Center Stage. I had not heard of George Mason �鶹���� at this time. When I saw this opportunity, I said, here's a chance that, where I can practice everything I love. I love directing, I love education. I love the theater world. I love the liberal arts. And, and I, I, this was a chance to try to be a professional theater artist in a liberal arts environment. Wow, you know, what's this about? So I came down, did the interview, got the job, and it was really amazing what was going on here at the time. The place was, I think, maybe 17,000 students. I think I remember that number correctly, approximately that in, in '91 it was a commuter school, you know? Absolutely. The weekends were dead as door nails <laugh> around here. But the Center for the Arts and the Theater of the First Amendment, TFA for short, we were trying to change that, trying to give people a reason to stay on campus. We did primarily new work, new plays. We commissioned a lot of plays. We did plays on all subjects, even though we were called theater, the First Amendment, which made some people think we were doing like constitutional dramas and everything. Well, we actually <laugh></p> <p>President Gregory Washington (03:54): <br />That is exactly what I thought I'm thinking. Did you come out in your, you know, three pointed hat? You know, and...</p> <p>Rick Davis (04:01): <br />To, to be fair, we, we did a couple of, of dramas on that theme. Uh, not necessarily the tricorns, but we did a play about Oliver Wendell Holmes, uh, which is actually beautiful plank called The Wonderful One-Hoss-Shay uh, by Paul D'Andre, uh, who's a, by the way, an Emeritus Robinson professor in at George Mason. Um, and it was really the founding guy, the guy who thought up the idea of, of the Theater of the First Amendment. And by the way, on the name Dr. D'Andrea, Paul, named it because George Mason was the author of the Virginia Declaration of Rights, which led to the Bill of Rights, of which of course, the First Amendment is the one that is the most celebrated and arguably the most essential. And so it was like an honoring sort of, in a not quite direct way, but a, I think, a meaningful way that the, uh, idea of, of George Mason, the man.</p> <p>Rick Davis (04:48): <br />Anyway, the theater had great success for probably, well, we, we lasted 22 years, uh, but it was quite successful. And we won a lot of Helen Hayes Awards. We got a lot of great press. We originated plays that went on to many other productions at other professional theaters around the country. Uh, we had cast albums. We produced a video, uh, that went on to PBS, actually called Nathan the Wise. And then in 2010, '11, '12, we began to realize two things. One, that the theater department, which was by then called the School of Theater, had probably quintupled in size since the days when we all started in the early nineties, from about 30 majors to about 120 or 150. And there wasn't room on our stages anymore for three or four fully staged professional productions if we were gonna serve our students properly. So space, time, and frankly, budget all made us keep, we sort of shrunk the season, you know, from four plays to three plays to two plays to the occasional play <laugh>.</p> <p>Rick Davis (05:50): <br />And then we said, you know what? This, let's just wind this down, you know, because it did its job. It, it created a great school of theater. It produced a lot of work that went on into the world and is still being performed. And we all had to sort of get on with the business of now running a college of visual and performing arts that was growing incredibly fast. So that's kind of the, the short story of that arc. I tell you what, I, I have had multiple, and I'm not exaggerating multiple people who remember, or just multiple people who see, uh, you know, some sort of record of it. Hey, wouldn't this be a good idea to, to bring this back? And I say, yes, yes, it would. And it, and you know what? It wouldn't have to come, let's make policy on the air here. It, it wouldn't have to come back as a fully, you know, whole season of, you know, four plays. It could come back as the occasional instance.</p> <p>President Gregory Washington (06:35): <br />The occasional one-off.</p> <p>Rick Davis (06:37): <br />Yep. All right. Let's do it.</p> <p>President Gregory Washington (06:38): <br /><laugh>. There it is. There it is. Amazing. Amazing.</p> <p>Rick Davis (06:42): <br />I like this meeting. This is a good meeting. Let's, let's keep, let's keep this going,</p> <p>President Gregory Washington (06:45): <br /><laugh>. Let's keep going. <laugh>. So last year, uh, you gave a presentation to the Board of Visitors, and you began that presentation with your mantra, the arts, create community. Talk to us about the tagline, what inspired it and what does it actually mean?</p> <p>Rick Davis (07:05): <br />Oh, thank you. I call it my forward elevator speech because it encapsulates basically everything I believe about the value of the arts. And I'm going back historically, you know, to, to ancient civilizations that that created, you know, theater and dance and music and, and cave paintings and, and sculptures and everything that, that the way the arts have always expressed themselves. Why were they born and why do they exist? Because people need occasions to come together. And for a lot of people, religion forms that function and the religion in the arts have a, a strong connection, sometimes very tense connection, but, but a very strong connection in terms of ritual and in terms of, of symbolism. For some people, sports frankly, create that opportunity for me as well. Uh, I know for you, you know, we love to go to a, a sporting event because it's a ritual, right?</p> <p>Rick Davis (07:55): <br />It's a, it's a collective experience. We all see the same thing and react, maybe not in the same way, but if everybody reacts right, you can be booing and cheering, uh, at the same play depending on your team. But you're reacting and you're reacting as part of a community. Same thing happens in a, in a play or an opera. The same thing happens quietly in an art museum, because people are walking by a, a painting or, or standing in, in front of a sculpture, and it catches them and it stops them. It interrupts their day a little bit. And great paintings, one person stops and then another person stops, and then another person stops. And suddenly you get a little audience <laugh> right in front. And it's amazing what happens there, because everybody's concentrating on the same thing for a little while. You know, in the case of a play, it might be two hours or three hours, or God knows, four hours, uh, <laugh>.</p> <p>Rick Davis (08:41): <br />But the value of bringing people together in, in common contemplation, or having a common experience, I think is really vital to civilization. And I'm not being hyperbolic here. I think civilization requires opportunities for people to come together and witness things collectively, and then form their own conclusions. But when you go to a play that's working, whether it's a comedy or a tragedy, or anything in between, and you feel that unanimity or that variety, but also people breathing together, laughing together, crying together, you are part of a temporary community that actually reminds us all of our common humanity. And if I might, I'll, I'll give a quick example from Theater of the First Amendment's days of how this worked in a, in a time of crisis. Um, and I'm talking about, I'm talking about late September, 2001. At that time, we had on the stage, quite accidentally this production called "Nathan the Wise", adapted by Paul D'Andrea.</p> <p>Rick Davis (09:37): <br />He adapted it from a German play written in the 18th century by Gotthold Lessing, who had written this play called "Nathan the Wise" to set in Jerusalem in the time of the Third Crusade, where the, the Muslim ruler Saladin was the leader of Jerusalem, where the Christian forces, the Knight's Templar and, and the Crusaders were knocking at the gates of Jerusalem. And there was a Christian patriarch tending to the religious life of the Christians in Jerusalem. You had Saladin ruling, you had Nathan the Wise, who was a Jewish merchant. Uh, and we brought together Christianity, Islam, and Judaism in one city at a time of enormous crisis, and showed through the action of the play how the three Abrahamic religions can actually converse with each other and can actually reach common understanding. And we were doing that play just 'cause we thought it was a cool theme, right?</p> <p>Rick Davis (10:32): <br />And it was an 18th century idea that was still resonating. Well, September 11th happened, and we were gonna open September 28th, I think. And, you know, we actually had a conversation, can, should we do this? Can we do this? And unanimously we said, yes, we must do this. So we put the play on, and it caught fire. Quite literally. It, people came over and over to see it, especially members of our local Islamic community. The Egyptian ambassador came several times. Uh, he said to us later, and I quote directly, "this play is a bridge to the point of rescue for our people." Because it affirmed the value of religious acceptance and religious tolerance. Not religious identity, not religious collapse into one viewpoint, but the idea that all these great religious traditions have a place, and there's no way to tell which is the, the true one or the best one. And to think that that idea came from a German playwright writing in the 1780s, and had been adapted by an American playwright in 2001, and was being produced in Fairfax, Virginia. And then that's where the PBS video came from. This play was taped, and those tapes are in every public library in Egypt. I mean, it's just, it just had an amazing worldwide impact. And that's creating community on a, on a big scale, because it gave...</p> <p>President Gregory Washington (11:57): <br />Oh, without question.</p> <p>Rick Davis (11:58): <br />You know, it gave people something to, to help them understand the moment.</p> <p>President Gregory Washington (12:02): <br />No, without question. And when you're bringing this up, I'm like, wow. A, that's amazing. B, it made me think how timeless the general issue was.</p> <p>Rick Davis (12:13): <br />Yeah.</p> <p>President Gregory Washington (12:13): <br />But then I started to ask some questions. It seems to me that there would be some modification to deal with that, the issue that was at hand at the time. Right. You know, you, you had 9/11 hit. You had this play that was literally put together before 9/11.</p> <p>Rick Davis (12:32): <br />Yep.</p> <p>President Gregory Washington (12:33): <br />Right?</p> <p>Rick Davis (12:33): <br />Yep.</p> <p>President Gregory Washington (12:34): <br />Not with 9/11 in mind.</p> <p>Rick Davis (12:36): <br />Correct.</p> <p>President Gregory Washington (12:37): <br />9/11 comes, do you modify it to take into account some of the aspects of what was literally playing out in front of our eyes? Did you all do that?</p> <p>Rick Davis (12:50): <br />We didn't have to change a word.</p> <p>President Gregory Washington (12:51): <br />Amazing. Amazing.</p> <p>Rick Davis (12:52): <br />Partly because Paul D'Andrea, the, the playwright translator adapter had already adapted the play with a 20th century 21st, early 21st century lens. It was still very much Lessing play. But Paul had already given it a contemporary still set in, in ancient Jerusalem. I mean, it was a period, you know, setting and costumes and everything. But the, but the story was already, you know, adapted to a certain extent. The one thing we did immediately was start looking for ways of creating how to process this. So, you know, a lot of post-play discussions, we had seminars, we had panels, and then after the run of the play that continued in all kinds of settings in, in Islamic centers, in interfaith centers, uh, in, in community centers around the Northern Virginia region, there were several, if not many encounters that people asked us to help facilitate. So the conversation continued well after the play closed.</p> <p>President Gregory Washington (13:47): <br />That's amazing. Well, you can't talk about community without talking about the two pillars of bringing folk together in that community. And so I want to talk about 'em separately here, but what makes the Center for the Arts a critical part of the arts community for both George Mason and for the region?</p> <p>Rick Davis (14:07): <br />So the Center for the Arts in Fairfax is of course, our signature facility here on the, on the Fairfax Campus, where we do the vast majority of our, of our instruction. The Center for the Arts was created out of the mind of President George Johnson, quite literally, uh, and his wife, Joanne, to say, let, let's put George Mason on the map as a place where the arts are happening, and how are we gonna do that? 'cause we don't really have big arts programs yet. So we have to bring in, we have to bring the world to Fairfax. We have to bring Yo-Yo Ma to Fairfax. We have to bring Michael Feinstein to Fairfax. We have to bring these incredible artists. We, uh, you know, Roberta Peters, Denyce Graves: great top level artists, right, who came to and are still coming every year to Fairfax. And that was something that changed the campus culture.</p> <p>Rick Davis (14:53): <br />If you talk to visitor Horace Blackman, former rector of our board, who was a student here during the opening, he, he started in the late eighties, graduated in the early nineties. So he intersected with the opening of the Center for the Arts. He will tell you, he's told me that the opening of the Center for the Arts changed George Mason completely, because all of a sudden the world was coming to Mason. You had a place to go on the weekends. You had meaningful things to do. You had the opportunity to be part of the world conversation about music and dance theater. And that gave everybody, not only on campus, but in the whole sort of Northern Virginia region, a rallying point. It literally created a community. And from that, we have built the academic programs because the presence of all these wonderful artists that come in over the course of a season has also benefited our students tremendously through master classes, through, frankly, through faculty recruitment, <laugh>. We've, we've recruited a bunch of faculty sort of off the road, uh, when they're, when they're ready to leave their touring performing career.</p> <p>President Gregory Washington (15:59): <br />That's cool. So they come here, perform, then you recruit 'em later to be faculty here.</p> <p>Rick Davis (16:04): <br />Yep. �鶹����, our whole School of Dance practically answers that description, uh, and it, and it's just, just amazing.</p> <p>President Gregory Washington (16:09): <br />That's really, really cool.</p> <p>Rick Davis (16:10): <br />Yeah.</p> <p>President Gregory Washington (16:11): <br />That is fabulous.</p> <p>Rick Davis (16:13): <br />And it's still happening. So that, that center has, is still doing the work. And, you know, of course, it's, it's showing its age. You know, it, it was open in 1990 and it's, it's been lovingly taken care of, but it hasn't been updated. So we have a, a major campaign ongoing. We're calling it Give Voice. We want, we wanna give voice to the Center for the Arts and make it a modern, technologically rich and more student-friendly facility. Because when it opened, we didn't have the students to fill it, but now we do. So we're hard on that job right now.</p> <p>President Gregory Washington (16:42): <br />Look, the reality is it does need a facelift, an update, so to speak. And we're gonna work with you to make that one happen. It is time.</p> <p>Rick Davis (16:53): <br />It is time. Yep. <laugh></p> <p>President Gregory Washington (16:55): <br />It, it was time 10, 15 years ago.</p> <p>Rick Davis (16:58): <br /><laugh> That's right. That's right.</p> <p>President Gregory Washington (16:59): <br />So, talk to us a little bit about the other core facility we have for bringing the community together to Hylton Performing Arts Center, and that's on our Science and Technology campus in Manassas.</p> <p>Rick Davis (17:13): <br />Oh, I'd love to. Um, you know, the, I had the pleasure. You mentioned it in the intro. I had the still have the pleasure actually of, of having the title of executive director of the Hylton. And, and that was my only job here for a few years, <laugh> between 2011 and, and 2015 when I, when I became dean. Uh, so I have a deep, deep connection to that facility. Um, we built the Hylton Center, and by the way, for everybody listening on the podcast, that's H-Y-L-T-O-N, right? <laugh>. It's, it's not the, not the hotel chain, it's the Hylton Foundation and a man named Conrad Hylton, uh, who is a major developer in, in the Prince William County area. Uh, they gave the naming gift for that back in the mid two thousands. The facility opened in 2010, and we built that essentially as an expression of George Mason's commitment to community partnerships, because Prince William County and the City of Manassas essentially asked us if we would partner with them to create a distinctive, representative, inspiring cultural facility that would help their city and county, and that region, take the next step into the community that they wanted to become.</p> <p>Rick Davis (18:19): <br />So we, we bill ourselves, I, this is a term I use a lot. We bill ourselves as a symbol of change and as an agent of change, we're doing both of those things in...at SciTech. This is one of the most beautiful theaters anywhere on the East Coast. The architecture is distinctive from the moment you walk into the lobby. Every space is designed with architectural distinction in mind. The acoustics in the main hall are praised by every single artist who comes in, whether they're a classical conductor or a pianist, or a jazz player, or a bluegrass musician. Everybody loves playing in that hall. And perhaps most importantly, it has uplifted the local and regional arts community to a very high degree, the Manassas Ballet, the Manassas Chorale, the Manassas Symphony, Prince William Little Theater, a youth orchestra that's going by the name of the Onyx Project now...CPAC, the Creative and Performing Arts Center from, from Woodbridge, these entities, which all pre-existed the Hylton, but were doing their work in middle school, auditoriums and, you know, church basements and everything. Now they have truly a world class facility to play in. And over these 15 years that we've been operating, their work has gotten bigger and better and more popular, and they've attracted more people in the audience. But just as importantly for them, they've attracted more people on stage, more people to participate in these community-based artistic expressions. So it's been a, it's been a huge success for the community and for George Mason as well, because people see us as the purveyor and the partner that without us, this, this thing wouldn't have happened.</p> <p>President Gregory Washington (19:53): <br />And I'll, and I'll be honest with you, this, the acoustics, the layout: first of all, it looks like a classical theater.</p> <p>Rick Davis (20:01): <br />Yeah.</p> <p>President Gregory Washington (20:02): <br />It has that, uh, classical theater look and feel. But the acoustics there just seem to be outstanding. I mean, there's no echo. It's great sound wherever you are in the facility.</p> <p>Rick Davis (20:15): <br />Yeah.</p> <p>President Gregory Washington (20:16): <br />People sound so clear.</p> <p>Rick Davis (20:18): <br />And if you're on stage in that theater and you, you're a singer, whatever player, you get just the right amount of sound coming back to you so you know that it's, you know that the hall is embracing you and that people just love playing there. And, and that, that means a lot because they play better.</p> <p>President Gregory Washington (20:34): <br />Well, every, every single performance that I've seen there has been spectacular. It is, it's a gem, right? It's,wWe're trying to make it less of a hidden gem.</p> <p>Rick Davis (20:45): <br />Right. Well, we're, we're building around it. Right.</p> <p>President Gregory Washington (20:47): <br />It is definitely a gem.</p> <p>Rick Davis (20:49): <br />Yeah. That, and that's the other thing. I mean, I want to give an a shout out to my predecessor, founding Dean of CVPA Bill Reeder, who really had an incredible amount of vision and amount of energy focused on the Hylton Center during his time. He really did a lot of the groundbreaking fundraising and "friend"-raising that allowed that to happen. And it was his vision to have that shape, that sort of Italian opera house shape, because he was an opera singer, <laugh>. And, and I, he sort of knew that, that that sort of classical horseshoe, you know, balcony shape would be effective. And the great thing about that was we didn't build a 3000 seat theater. We built a 1200 seat theater, so that it is a friendly theater, right? You don't have to go in there and scream your lungs out. You can, you can go in there and, and if you're an actor, you can have a, just a, a good performance with your normal voice. If you're a singer, you don't have to work so hard. If you're a violinist, you don't have to be scraping away. You, you can make your beautiful tone. And a lot of that comes from Bill's musical background and his, his understanding that the community needed a place where they would shine.</p> <p>President Gregory Washington (21:54): <br />This is both an amazing history of the two facilities and really, really great feedback in terms of how they use and how they engage the respective community. Do you have a feeling that they serve different communities or do they serve the same community?</p> <p>Rick Davis (22:13): <br />Yeah, increasingly that's the case. That was not the case when we opened the Hylton. They really had two separate audiences. Uh, but we have found over the years that there's, now there's a lot more people who are subscribing to both venues. Uh, a lot more of our student work is finding a home at the Hylton, which we love because the students look great there. And the, the community out there really embraces our students when they come out, uh, primarily music and theater, but some dance as well. So there's a greater, greater overlap. And I think that fits the whole idea that the leaders of Manassas and Prince William had back in...the idea, actually started in the 1990s, um, for this thing to happen. It just took 20 years to realize <laugh>. Uh, but they really saw that Manassas and Prince William County were becoming part of a metro area. And the, the divisions were being slowly but surely erased between, you know, the, the close-in suburbs and the, and the outer suburbs, and the exurbs and the rural area. There's a, that sort of westward flow that is really making those communities more, uh, accessible to one another. And I celebrate that. I think that's really, really cool.</p> <p>President Gregory Washington (23:20): <br />So you also speak about how artists abhor deficits and that their work serves to fill the holes they see in the world.</p> <p>Rick Davis (23:31): <br />Yeah.</p> <p>President Gregory Washington (23:31): <br />Talk to us about what you mean by deficit.</p> <p>Rick Davis (23:34): <br />Yeah. Well, <laugh>, thank you for that question. Uh, it's one of my favorite metaphors, um, and I use it because I'm being a little tricky, actually. Um, when a lot of of people think about artists, they think about deficits being like, you're not making enough money. <laugh>. Right. Because.</p> <p>President Gregory Washington (23:51): <br />That's what I originally thought when I saw it. <laugh>.</p> <p>Rick Davis (23:54): <br />Yeah. Because it, you know, it's a hard business, uh, whether it's institutional or, or personal. But what I mean by that is every work of art at any level is made because of something. It, it's never random. There, there's, there's a, uh, a myth. I think that sometimes creativity just happens because somebody has an idea. Well, yeah, sure, that's true. But where did that idea come from? Why was that idea given space in a person's life, to take the time to create something about it? So the deficit is an artist looks around and sees something missing in the world.</p> <p>Rick Davis (24:31): <br />And that's something can be, if you're a visual artist, it could be something as simple as, there's not enough blue in our world. Right. I'm being a little bit, you know, general.</p> <p>President Gregory Washington (24:43): <br />I, I hear you.</p> <p>Rick Davis (24:43): <br />But, but there are artists who paint like only blue things, right? Or Mark Rothko paints like only red things, right? Lots of shades of red and black, and then red, but mostly red. Or if, if you're a, if you're a theater person, uh, maybe there's a deficit of celebration, or maybe there's a deficit of, well, I like to say deficit of community. Maybe there's a deficit of harmony if you're a musician or dissonance, if that's the voice you wanna project, maybe you think the world needs to be a little more dissonant so it can sort of argue its problems out. Right? Um, and sometimes that's very conscious on the part of the artist.</p> <p>Rick Davis (25:16): <br />A lot of times it's unconscious. But I think it always happens. You, you have an intuition that if I paint this painting, or make this sculpture, or write this play or play this song, I'm going to be adding something to the world that the world needs, even if they don't know that they need it. And even if I'm not being utilitarian and saying, yes, I'm, I'm diagnosing a particular condition and I'm creating a particular pill for it through making work, it's really more on the inside. It's really more saying, why am I gonna take the time to create if I'm not trying to fill a hole? That's the, you said that, that phrase fill a hole in the world, a hole. I think artists consciously or unconsciously, and it's often more unconscious than conscious, are looking around and feeling, you know, um, Ipsen, you, you opened with that great quote from the sculptor.</p> <p>Rick Davis (26:05): <br />I have a quote from my favorite playwright, Henrik Ibsen, one of my favorite playwrights who said, "to be a poet is, most importantly, to see", "to be a poet is most importantly to see." So it's like, artists are our job. �鶹����, the, the reason the world puts up with us is that we take the time to actually look around and actually see and actually feel, and we have these antennae that are tuned to what's happening in the world. Again, not necessarily in a particularly specific way, but in the, in the zeitgeist, in the, in the flow of feelings, in the, in the atmosphere. And our job is to talk about that. And, you know, sometimes it's right on the nose, you know, like Nathan the Wise turned out to be right on the nose accidentally <laugh>. Right. Uh, but sometimes it's very abstract. You, you go to a Beethoven's 9th or, or, you know, go to go to any great symphony, and you might just be transported out of your day-to-day flow for a couple hours. And that might be exactly what you need on that night.</p> <p>President Gregory Washington (27:06): <br />Hmm. That is interesting. I, I didn't think that we were gonna go there. So that, that is, that is really interesting. Let me, let me switch gears a little bit. In the early 2000s, the acronym STEM entered the general lexicon. And as you know, I'm an engineer, right. STEM is shorthand for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. And then around 2010, right about a decade after, a new movement began to update the acronym to include the arts and change, the acronym to steam. Science, technology, engineering, arts and Mathematics. And since then, it's gone to Steam M <laugh></p> <p>Rick Davis (27:50): <br />Yes.</p> <p>President Gregory Washington (27:51): <br />Medicine.</p> <p>Rick Davis (27:51): <br />Or Steam H. Steam H.</p> <p>President Gregory Washington (27:54): <br />Right. And so, so it has, it continues to morph. And we have arts as a requirement in our core curriculum, even in general. So what is the importance of putting arts into science and tech?</p> <p>Rick Davis (28:08): <br />Oh. Oh, wow. How much time do we have <laugh>? It's a great question. It's a great question. Uh, I'll, I'll tell you a couple quick stories right around the time you were talking about there, we were approached, we were approached by Boeing. That doesn't usually work that way. Right. <laugh> Right? But Boeing came to us, the arts at Mason, and said, you know, our current crop of engineers needs more creative thinking. Well, boy, were they Right? Right. <laugh>. Uh, and so the Boeing Northern Virginia headquarters office gave us a, you know, for us, a really sizable grant at the time, $50,000 to create educational programming, but also artistic programming on the STEAM theme. So we did a, a couple things with that money right away. We created something called the Steam Table, you know, 'cause who can resist a pun? Right</p> <p>President Gregory Washington (28:59): <br />The Steam Table? Wow.</p> <p>Rick Davis (29:00): <br />And we brought, we brought together our artists and scientists and engineers in a series of very interesting conversations. Uh, and out of one of those conversations, or a parallel conversation that somebody else convened, I can't remember right now. I met a guy named Paul Glenshaw, who was an aviation historian and a jazz historian, and also a very, very fine visual artist himself. Interesting. Really interesting guy. And I heard him give a talk about how aviation and jazz have had a parallel evolution in America. It's really amazing. 1903, the Wright Brothers, Buddy Bolden; 1925, Louis Armstrong; Charles Lindbergh, 1927. It's like, oh my God. And you start laying it up, you know--</p> <p>President Gregory Washington (29:43): <br />Look, I, I hear you Rick. You know, I've worked with aerospace companies a significant portion of my career. Yeah. That's one area where you try to do things the same way.</p> <p>Rick Davis (29:54): <br />Yeah.</p> <p>President Gregory Washington (29:55): <br />Algorithms work the same way. And, you know, but I'm also a jazz lover.</p> <p>Rick Davis (30:00): <br />Yep.</p> <p>President Gregory Washington (30:01): <br />And good jazz. Great jazz has that improviser.</p> <p>Rick Davis (30:07): <br />Yeah.</p> <p>President Gregory Washington (30:08): <br />Where you, where you see these folk live in concert and they just take off in a direction. And you're like, whoa.</p> <p>Rick Davis (30:16): <br />So I can bring that back to aviation.</p> <p>President Gregory Washington (30:18): <br />Yeah. Bring it back to aviation. Because I don't see how those two fit.</p> <p>Rick Davis (30:21): <br />Yeah. So, so aviation progressed somewhat linearly, but also with conceptual leaps. Right. There, there, there were moments when, like, when the Wright Brothers sort of figured out wing warping, right? That was a big deal. 'cause nobody was doing that before. So they could control the airplane. And they also figured out power to rate ratio. So they, they actually built an engine that could actually lift the thing which nobody had done. Then you move on. I'm gonna leap forward to a really cool thing that, 'cause we actually did a piece about this. This is where I'm going with this. So, bebop comes in, in the 1950s, late 40s, early 50s, right? At the same time as the jet age was coming along. And at a time when if you were designing a fighter plane, you didn't wanna be stable anymore. You wanted to be unstable. You wanted to have the ability for that plane to have a roll rate and a pitch deviation rate that was almost uncontrollable.</p> <p>Rick Davis (31:10): <br />And then figure out ways to tamp that down so that it, it wouldn't kill you. And bebop is like that. If you hear, you know, Charlie Parker, you put on Thelonious Monk, I mean, you, you were talking about an unstable fighter plane, but it's a fighter plane that doesn't crash <laugh>. Right. So we did a piece on this called, "To Swing Through the Sky" that had our Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra, which is our professional jazz band that we put together, uh, and had actors and dancers. And Paul wrote a script for us. And we did this incredible video montage. We started out back in '03 with the Wright Brothers, and we ended up in, in the Space Age, and showed how jazz and flight were taking these conceptual leaps in parallel at like six or eight different junctures. And it was so incredible. We played it at the Hilton, then we played it here at Center for the Arts. We had, we've had requests to do it elsewhere. That was a Steam project because it showed everybody in the audience, which was, you know, a thousand people each time. It showed people that these two subjects actually are deeply connected in, in the case of jazz and flight, they're very American subjects. These, I mean, these are things we can legitimately celebrate as American inventions.</p> <p>President Gregory Washington (32:17): <br />So the university has had some, some major gifts.</p> <p>Rick Davis (32:22): <br />Yeah.</p> <p>President Gregory Washington (32:22): <br />For our arts programs. Those have come from families who have historically supported Mason in a big way. Right. Why are they so compelled to give to the arts? What has arts brought to them?</p> <p>Rick Davis (32:36): <br />Oh man, we are so lucky, so blessed, really at George Mason to have the founding energy. Really, I mean, we're still young, right? So we're young enough that the founding families <laugh>, uh, that were, that were building Fairfax County at the time, and, and Prince William as well, they're still with us. Some, some of the, some of the first generations still with us. And, and their progeny very much still with us doing that work. And I think the founders realized that, first of all, the whole idea of putting a university in a community is to build that community. I mean, it, the, the explicit intention of putting George Mason in Fairfax was to build Northern Virginia and the Peterson family, the, you know, George and Joanne Johnson, the Dewberry family, the Hazel family, they have all recognized from the beginning that the arts were one of those building agents.</p> <p>Rick Davis (33:29): <br />Right. And so they have stepped up, uh, over the decades, really, the Petersons and the Dewberrys particularly, but there are many other names we could advance, have committed in, in really significant amounts. And starting back in the nineties. So it's been a long tradition of giving. The great little story is the, the late Sid Dewberry, uh, of, of, you know, Dewberry Companies became a piano student of our own Dr. Linda Monson, who's the director of the Dewberry School of Music now. She started giving him piano lessons when he was 75 years old. I mean, she gave him piano lessons pretty much up until, you know, the month he died. Uh, and he loved playing the piano, and he loved Linda and her students. And to me, that was a, a trigger for the, they were already very generous, but that was the trigger that gave him a personal experience of the value in, in one's own life, of having expert instruction in music.</p> <p>President Gregory Washington (34:26): <br />You know, I, I got a, the opportunity to spend time with him before he passed away, and he told me, he said, look, my goal is a hundred songs.</p> <p>Rick Davis (34:37): <br />Oh, yes.</p> <p>President Gregory Washington (34:38): <br />It, it was inspiring to me. I mean, I was like, 'cause he told me that he learned to play, then he had some health issues where he lost the ability to play and he had to relearn all the songs again. And he, and he did that. And I was, I'm just kind of blown away by that. And yeah, this guy can do it twice.</p> <p>Rick Davis (35:00): <br /><laugh>, how are your lessons going, by the way?</p> <p>President Gregory Washington (35:03): <br />Yeah, let's not talk about that Better than me. <laugh>. He can do it twice. I should be able to do it once.</p> <p>Rick Davis (35:11): <br />But you, but you, you know, Carolyn Peterson is an, is another one, uh, Carolyn and Milt Peterson, the late Milt Peterson, another, another great developer in our area. Uh, Carolyn grew up playing music and, and acting and singing, and we have an event at her home every year called The Taste of ARTS by George! That's kind of our, our preview of the, our fall fundraiser. This event happens in the spring at, at her lovely home in Fairfax. And at the end of this event, she loves to and has done the last few years, she loves to sit at her beautiful baby grand piano and play a song or two, uh, and get the whole audience up and singing. And, and she just loves, and I talked to Jon, her son, Jon Peterson, about this waiting in line at commencement last year, I think it was. And he said, yeah, they do that anywhere. If there's a piano and there's a group, you know, like they're up in Maine with their friends and neighbors up there, Carolyn will sit down and, and start playing because they recognize that that brings people together. So it's kind of, the arts create community all over again, but in a living room,</p> <p>President Gregory Washington (36:10): <br />It brings people together and a actually creates joy. I've seen one of those sessions and it's just fabulous. Just fabulous. As we wrap up, I want you to talk about our future generation and young people who we have been bestowed the privilege, uh, to educate, to train, and to lead. Talk to me about what legacy, relative to the arts, what legacy would you like to leave with them?</p> <p>Rick Davis (36:37): <br />Yeah. Oh, wow. Well, I'm coming at this from a perspective right now. The day that we're recording this podcast, I'm in the middle of rehearsing a student production of Shakespeare's "The Tempest". And so I'm with students, you know, till till 10:00 PM uh, every night, these, these past few weeks. And I say that because it's the greatest joy that I can have in my life is to be in that setting. And I'm, I'm with these students for hours and hours and hours for six weeks. So I, I have a really contemporary perspective on this. Uh, these students are hungry, particularly the, the pandemic generation, which is still working its way through the educational system. They are hungry for interactions, they're hungry for real things. They're hungry for working together on things, uh, in the room, sort of working it out in the room. And to me, that's what a, a good artistic process is about.</p> <p>Rick Davis (37:31): <br />An artistic process is not unlike an engineering process in that it is recursive and iterative. You, you have to try something, see if it works. If it doesn't work, you try something else. If it does work, but not as well as you'd like, you, you keep on that path. But you adjust it, it, it's a, it's a cycle of critical thinking, really.</p> <p>President Gregory Washington (37:50): <br />I agree.</p> <p>Rick Davis (37:50): <br />That where you keep developing, keep developing, and finally you have opening night. So that's your, that's your deliverable. If it's a show, if you're a individual artist, you know, you might not have an opening night so you can keep working on it 'til you to get it right. <laugh>. Uh, but, but you probably do have, you probably have a gallery opening or something you have to shoot for. But the idea is that the artistic work is never really done. You know, we're gonna, we're gonna run this play, uh, The Tempest for six performances, I think, in Harris Theater. It will be different on performance number six than it was on opening night. And I hope it's different in a better way, but it's gonna be different <laugh>, right? Because the, the students are gonna keep learning from each other. They're gonna keep trying things. And to me, that's the great value of the arts. And it, it kind of goes back to your earlier question about students from around the university taking arts courses. In a good arts course, you learn that iterative process. You learn that critical thinking process. You learn about sort of testing hypotheses, but those hypotheses might be language or music or images. And what does this image say to you? And, and how can you make it better? How can you understand it differently? And that circular thought process really is the essence of artistic creation, which is why I think students, once they experience it, they love it.</p> <p>President Gregory Washington (39:03): <br />Outstanding, outstanding, outstanding. And what a legacy. And what a legacy, indeed. Well, Rick, we're gonna have to leave it there. Thank you for continuing to bring the arts to the George Mason community and beyond. And of course, I would be remiss if I didn't do a plug to support the arts in Northern Virginia, and to encourage our listening audience to come enjoy a show, check out an exhibit, or donate for a lasting legacy through our Mason Now campaign. So, I, I just want to thank you for all that you've done and all that. I know that you will continue to do Rick</p> <p>Rick Davis (39:41): <br /><laugh> right back at you, Mr. President. Thank you.</p> <p>President Gregory Washington (39:43): <br />Outstanding. Well, I am George Mason, president Gregory Washington. Thanks for listening. And tune in next time for more conversations that show why we are all together different.</p> <p>Outro (40:00): <br />If you like what you heard on this podcast, go to podcast.gmu.edu for more of Gregory Washington's conversations with the thought leaders, experts, and educators who take on the grand challenges facing our students and graduates in higher education. That's podcast gmu.edu.</p> </div> </section></div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="layout__region region-second"> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:call_to_action" data-inline-block-uuid="d324377b-ae71-4b46-868c-2c5ef03cfb23"> <div class="cta"> <a class="cta__link" href="https://cfa.gmu.edu/give/give-voice"> <h4 class="cta__title">Give Voice campaign <i class="fas fa-arrow-circle-right"></i> </h4> <span class="cta__icon"></span> </a> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:call_to_action" data-inline-block-uuid="895bb6c2-c402-453b-83fc-2b4fb110b191"> <div class="cta"> <a class="cta__link" href="/podcast"> <h4 class="cta__title">Learn more about the Access to Excellence podcast <i class="fas fa-arrow-circle-right"></i> </h4> <span class="cta__icon"></span> </a> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:news_list" data-inline-block-uuid="05b3c5b1-a505-4e42-b8eb-d5ef1c61f840" class="block block-layout-builder block-inline-blocknews-list"> <h2>Listen to 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visually-hidden">People Mentioned in This Story</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/profiles/rdavi4" hreflang="und">Rick Davis</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/profiles/president" hreflang="und">Gregory Washington</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Mon, 21 Apr 2025 22:48:13 +0000 Bronwyn Longchamp 116841 at /news/2025-04/george-mason-fighting-food-insecurity-one-empty-bowl-time <span>George Mason is fighting food insecurity, one Empty Bowl at a time</span> <span><span>Sarah Holland</span></span> <span>Mon, 04/07/2025 - 12:37</span> <div class="layout layout--gmu layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--70-30"> <div class="layout__region region-first"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:body" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasebody"> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Body</div> <div class="field__item"><p><span class="intro-text">If you’re taking a bowl home from a party, most people leave with leftovers in hand. But at George Mason �鶹����’s annual Empty Bowls event, the guests leave with just that: a handmade, and very empty, ceramic bowl.</span></p> <figure role="group" class="align-left"><div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img src="/sites/g/files/yyqcgq291/files/styles/medium/public/2025-04/bowls.jpg?itok=LBJGPhEx" width="420" height="560" loading="lazy" /></div> </div> <figcaption>Bowl selection at the inaugural Mason empty Bowls in 2024. Photo provided</figcaption></figure><p>Empty Bowls is a global grassroots movement to support food-related charities and educate people on issues of poverty and hunger in their local communities. At Empty Bowls events, guests give a donation in exchange for a handmade ceramic bowl and a simple soup meal, leaving the event with an empty bowl as a reminder of how many people go without food in the local community.</p> <p>The idea of Empty Bowls at George Mason started in the least surprising of places: a pottery studio.</p> <p>Maggie Daniels, professor of tourism and events management in the <a href="https://cehd.gmu.edu/" title="https://cehd.gmu.edu/">College of Education and Human Development</a> (CEHD), and Lauren Long, executive director of <a href="https://si.gmu.edu/"><span>Student Involvement</span></a>, share a love for pottery. Both of them are long-time potters at Manassas Clay. Together, Daniels and Long decided to bring Empty Bowls to George Mason, in support of the Food and Housing Insecurity Fund through the <a href="https://ssac.gmu.edu/">Student Support and Advocacy Center</a> (SSAC).</p> <p>In order for students to succeed, their basic needs must be met, including stable housing, physical safety, and access to food. The SSAC was started to help connect students with resources as they face life challenges, including ensuring their basic needs are fulfilled. The Food and Housing Insecurity Fund, a donor-generated fund, supports this work.</p> <p>“About one-third of all college students have experienced some type of food insecurity in the past year,” explained Margaret Olszewska, director of the SSAC. “Food insecurity covers a wide spectrum of situations in which a person lacks consistent access to nutritionally adequate and safe food. It ranges from not eating healthy food due to lack of resources, to missing entire meals.”</p> <p>The fund supports students at all levels of food insecurity through various programs and resources. In 2024 in collaboration with Sodexo, SSAC distributed 2,400 meal swipes for George Mason on-campus dining halls and had 818 unique users of the <a href="https://ssac.gmu.edu/patriot-pantry/">Patriot Pantry</a>. Starting in fall semester, a new partnership with Capital Area Food Bank offered students a digital purchasing card so they could buy perishable foods at their local grocery stores. The fund also contributes to helping students find temporary housing on campus in the event of a sudden loss of shelter or safe living situation.</p> <p>Long and Daniels were determined to make a no-cost event so 100% of the proceeds from ticket sales and the silent auction could go to the fund. Hosted in the Center for the Arts, guests enjoy a soup meal and dessert, music by Green and Gold Soul, and a silent auction with items from local vendors. Everything is donated, so every cent can go directly to the fund.</p> <p>"The Center for the Arts and Student Involvement are great partners throughout the year, and this is one of our favorite collaborations,” said Julie Thompson, executive director for the Center for the Arts.  </p> <p>Mason Dining contractor Sodexo, the caterer for the event, created a soup menu to reflect warmth, comfort, and inclusivity with locally sourced ingredients and a range of options for different dietary concerns. “Empty Bowls aligns perfectly with Sodexo’s mission to fight food insecurity and support sustainable food initiatives,” said Jenita Thurston, district manager for Sodexo.</p> <p>Perhaps the most exciting part of the evening is the bowl selection. Each guest gets to take home a handmade ceramic bowl, crafted and donated by potters at Manassas Clay and other studios around Northern Virginia. From small teacups to large serving dishes in a rainbow of different glazes and finishes, there’s a bowl for everyone, and all of them are microwave, dishwasher, and oven safe.</p> <p>“What’s really special about Empty Bowls is that this grassroots event was born out of the care and concern of our own George Mason community members,” said Olszewska. “It’s one of many examples of how our faculty and staff care about the students we serve beyond just our jobs.”</p> <p>“For a CEHD faculty member and a �鶹���� Life director to come together, to be innovative and creative in order to meet the needs of our students, is really at the core of what makes George Mason such an incredible place,” said Long.</p> <p>Daniels agreed. “It showcases the best of who we are at George Mason.”</p> <p><a href="https://alumni.gmu.edu/s/1564/GID2/16/interior-1colb.aspx?sid=1564&gid=2&pgid=8909&crid=0&calpgid=13&calcid=664"><em>Get tickets to the 2025 George Mason Empty Bowls event.</em></a> <br /> </p> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="layout__region region-second"> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:call_to_action" data-inline-block-uuid="a4c9eb26-8bc1-4ee8-808f-f374344010bb"> <div class="cta"> <a class="cta__link" href="https://alumni.gmu.edu/s/1564/GID2/16/interior-1colb.aspx?sid=1564&gid=2&pgid=8909&cid=22171&ecid=22171&crid=0&calpgid=13&calcid=664"> <h4 class="cta__title">Mason Empty Bowls 2025 <i class="fas fa-arrow-circle-right"></i> </h4> <span class="cta__icon"></span> </a> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:call_to_action" data-inline-block-uuid="f89e99b1-1a11-45d1-a149-7b07abfcedf3"> <div class="cta"> <a class="cta__link" href="https://ssac.gmu.edu/"> <h4 class="cta__title">Learn more about the Student Support and Advocacy Center <i class="fas fa-arrow-circle-right"></i> </h4> <span class="cta__icon"></span> </a> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:news_list" data-inline-block-uuid="9f80c922-d5a5-49da-b97a-7bd1c1fab91b" class="block block-layout-builder block-inline-blocknews-list"> <h2>Related news</h2> <div class="views-element-container"><div class="view view-news view-id-news view-display-id-block_1 js-view-dom-id-5747ac7d3f51e538a1dca12a85e965d544cd1c64746cb9ad024c1540ab59aa84"> <div class="view-content"> <div class="news-list-wrapper"> <ul class="news-list"><li class="news-item"><div class="views-field views-field-title"><span class="field-content"><a href="/news/2025-04/george-mason-fighting-food-insecurity-one-empty-bowl-time" hreflang="en">George Mason is fighting food insecurity, one Empty Bowl at a time</a></span></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-publish-date"><div class="field-content">April 7, 2025</div></div></li> <li class="news-item"><div class="views-field views-field-title"><span class="field-content"><a href="/news/2023-11/patriot-pantry-partners-capital-area-food-bank-food-delivery" hreflang="en">Patriot Pantry partners with Capital Area Food Bank for food delivery </a></span></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-publish-date"><div class="field-content">November 30, 2023</div></div></li> <li class="news-item"><div class="views-field views-field-title"><span class="field-content"><a href="/news/2023-07/donors-helped-address-food-insecurity-mason-during-mason-vision-day-2023" hreflang="en">Donors helped address food insecurity at Mason during Mason Vision Day 2023</a></span></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-publish-date"><div class="field-content">July 20, 2023</div></div></li> <li class="news-item"><div class="views-field views-field-title"><span class="field-content"><a href="/news/2023-03/mason-researchers-connect-community-members-develop-app-individuals-recovering-opioid" hreflang="en">Mason researchers connect with community members to develop an app for individuals recovering from opioid use disorder</a></span></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-publish-date"><div class="field-content">March 30, 2023</div></div></li> <li class="news-item"><div class="views-field views-field-title"><span class="field-content"><a href="/news/2023-03/close-home-food-insecurity-masons-campuses" hreflang="en">Close to home: Food insecurity on Mason’s campuses</a></span></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-publish-date"><div class="field-content">March 29, 2023</div></div></li> </ul></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_content_topics" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-content-topics"> <h2>Topics</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-content-topics field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Topics</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/116" hreflang="en">Campus News</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/191" hreflang="en">College of Education and Human Development</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/366" hreflang="en">�鶹���� Life</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/20746" hreflang="en">Mason Empty Bowls</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/5246" hreflang="en">Center for the Arts</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/4336" hreflang="en">Student Support and Advocacy Center (SSAC)</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/3461" hreflang="en">Patriot Pantry</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/17796" hreflang="en">Capital Area Food Bank</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/18166" hreflang="en">Sodexo</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Mon, 07 Apr 2025 16:37:51 +0000 Sarah Holland 116481 at /news/2025-02/college-visual-and-performing-arts-launches-initiative-renovate-center-arts <span>The College of Visual and Performing Arts Launches Initiative to Renovate Center for the Arts</span> <span><span>Kirstin Franko</span></span> <span>Mon, 02/03/2025 - 16:53</span> <div class="layout layout--gmu layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--70-30"> <div class="layout__region region-first"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:body" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasebody"> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Body</div> <div class="field__item"><p><span class="intro-text"><strong>George Mason �鶹����’s College of Visual and Performing Arts</strong> (CVPA) announces the public launch of the </span><a href="http://cfa.gmu.edu/givevoice"><span class="intro-text"><strong>Give Voice initiative</strong></span></a><span class="intro-text">, a $35 million fundraising effort to renovate and modernize the Center for the Arts into a state-of-the-art venue. The Give Voice initiative is part of </span><a href="/masonnow"><span class="intro-text"><strong>Mason Now: Power the Possible</strong></span></a><span class="intro-text">—the university’s first one-billion-dollar comprehensive fundraising campaign to support student success, research, innovation, community, and stewardship. </span> </p> <div class="align-center" style="min-width: 50%;"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-video-embed-field field--type-video-embed-field field--label-hidden field__item"><div class="video-embed-field-provider-youtube video-embed-field-responsive-video"><iframe width="854" height="480" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kmFT65wDYoI?autoplay=0&start=0&rel=0"></iframe> </div> </div> </div> <p><span>“For decades, our Center for the Arts has been a beacon for talent and innovation, a proving ground for students learning their craft and pursuing their passions, and home to world-class performances as the cultural hub of our region," George Mason �鶹���� President Gregory Washington said. “The Give Voice initiative will ensure that the arts remain a front door to the university, as they have been for 6.5 million patrons who have been enriched and inspired by their shared experiences in this storied building.”</span>  </p> <p><span>Built in 1990, the Center for the Arts has supported the early work of George Mason �鶹���� students whose careers led them to Broadway, and has hosted Grammy, Tony, Emmy, and Academy Award-winning artists—and U.S. presidents. The modernization aims to improve and enhance the venue’s ability to support the needs of artists, audiences, and the students and faculty of CVPA. It will include major technological and acoustical upgrades; improved accessibility, sightlines, and aesthetics; additional aisles on Orchestra and Balcony levels; a remodeled lobby; expanded teaching and rehearsal spaces; a new donor lounge; expanded restrooms; and more.</span>  </p> <figure role="group" class="align-right"><div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img src="/sites/g/files/yyqcgq291/files/styles/medium/public/2025-02/06_theater_2017-12-20_lo_res.jpeg?itok=xE-i8cdw" width="560" height="368" alt="an illustration of a concert hall with wavy wood paneling detail for ceiling and two dancers on stage" loading="lazy" /></div> </div> <figcaption>Architectural concept rendering of the Center for the Arts Concert Hall by Quinn Evans. </figcaption></figure><p><span>“So many people have told us that there are really two eras in George Mason history—before and after the Center for the Arts opened its doors,” CVPA dean Rick Davis said. “I think this transformation will be thought of in the same way in years to come, as we create a modern, technology-rich, visually stunning, and artist-and-audience friendly home for all who enjoy the arts, whether as a creator or an audience member.”</span> </p> <p><span>The Give Voice initiative quietly began with a <strong>$10 million gift from Barry Dewberry and Arlene Evans</strong>, which was announced in April 2022 as part of George Mason’s 50th anniversary celebration. Their transformative gift set the stage for this capital initiative towards the reimagining of the Center for the Arts for future generations. Upon the conclusion of its renovation, the Center for the Arts will be renamed the Barry Dewberry and Arlene Evans Center for the Arts in recognition of their visionary support.</span>  </p> <p><span>“My father, Sid Dewberry, was one of the founding fathers of George Mason and he had a special fondness for music,” said Barry Dewberry. “Towards the end of his life, Arlene and I saw the need to pick up the baton and continue supporting George Mason and Mason Arts. We recognize the important role the Center for the Arts plays and what this renovation will do to heighten the experience for students, visiting artists, and the public. Arlene and I are honored to make the lead gift for the Give Voice Initiative, and we look forward to seeing the exciting results.”</span>  </p> <figure role="group" class="align-left"><div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img src="/sites/g/files/yyqcgq291/files/styles/medium/public/2025-02/dewberry_600.jpg?itok=5CbRAC95" width="560" height="373" alt="Image of a light-haired woman with smile on left and grey-haired man with smile on right. Both are wearing dark jackets." loading="lazy" /></div> </div> <figcaption>Arlene Evans and Barry Dewberry. Photo by Chia-Chi Charlie Chang.</figcaption></figure><p><span>In addition to the Dewberry/Evans gift, the Center for the Arts has also secured a $6 million gift from the Peterson Family Foundation. The Peterson Family gift—</span><a href="https://cfa.gmu.edu/news/2024-05/5-million-gift-peterson-family-foundation-will-support-center-arts-transformation"><span>announced in May 2024</span></a><span>—specifically supports enhancements to the Center for the Arts’ Concert Hall and lobby. These spaces will be renamed the Peterson Auditorium and the Peterson Family Lobby, respectively.</span>  </p> <p><span>With the Dewberry/Evans and Peterson gifts, along with many other instrumental philanthropists pledging support, Give Voice has raised nearly $18 million of its $35 million goal. An additional $35 million toward the reimagination of the Center for the Arts is anticipated to come from George Mason �鶹����.</span>  </p> <p><span>The Give Voice initiative was officially announced at the Mason Arts Elevated event held on February 5 at the Center for the Arts. The event brought together distinguished donors, university and local leaders, and VIP guests. At the event, President Washington spoke about the importance of this renovation initiative for Mason Arts and was joined by Dean Davis, who highlighted the new plans for modernizing the Center for the Arts. Also in attendance during the event were Provost James Antony and President of the George Mason �鶹���� Foundation and VP for Advancement and Alumni Relations Trishana E. Bowden.</span>  </p> <p><span>Mason Arts is the collective presence of the arts embedded throughout George Mason. In addition to CVPA, Mason Arts includes seven community arts programs, galleries across three campuses, and multiple performance venues—both physical and digital.</span>  </p> <p><span>Part of the </span><a href="/masonnow#community"><span>Mason Now: Power the Possible</span></a><span> campaign, the event also brought awareness to additional fundraising priorities across Mason Arts, including student scholarships; the development of a George Mason Arts District with sculpture installations on the Fairfax Campus; expanding facilities for the growing Film and Video Studies and Computer Game Design programs; support for chair positions and professorships to recruit and retain outstanding faculty; funds to create a concept plan for an art museum; and the Hylton Center for the Performing Arts Endowment Fund supporting its performances and arts education opportunities for the public, veterans, and students of all ages.</span>  </p> <p><span>Additional information about the Center for the Arts renovation is available on the </span><a href="http://cfa.gmu.edu/givevoice"><span>Give Voice initiative website</span></a><span>. Project specifics including the renovation timeline will be announced at a later date and updated on the website.</span> <br /> </p> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="layout__region region-second"> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:feature_image" data-inline-block-uuid="737ac243-b866-4df9-821c-902bfe1e5335" class="block block-feature-image block-layout-builder block-inline-blockfeature-image caption-below"> <div class="feature-image"> <div class="narrow-overlaid-image"> <img src="/sites/g/files/yyqcgq291/files/styles/feature_image_medium/public/2023-06/resize%202.jpg?itok=SLw0sYVu" srcset="/sites/g/files/yyqcgq291/files/styles/feature_image_small/public/2023-06/resize%202.jpg?itok=5-C-WHn- 768w, /sites/g/files/yyqcgq291/files/styles/feature_image_medium/public/2023-06/resize%202.jpg?itok=SLw0sYVu 1024w, /sites/g/files/yyqcgq291/files/styles/feature_image_large/public/2023-06/resize%202.jpg?itok=vdomrnI5 1280w, " sizes="(min-width: 1024px) 80vw,100vw" alt="The World Needs Mason Now. It's time to power the possible." /></div> <div class="headline-text"> <div class="feature-image-link"> <div class="field field--name-field-feature-image-link field--type-link field--label-hidden field__item"><a href="/masonnow">Power the Possible</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div><div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_associated_people" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-associated-people"> <h2>In This Story</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-associated-people field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">People Mentioned in This Story</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/profiles/rdavi4" hreflang="und">Rick Davis</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/profiles/president" hreflang="und">Gregory Washington</a></div> </div> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:text" data-inline-block-uuid="364e7a9b-71d7-47d0-96bd-04a526fb7700" class="block block-layout-builder block-inline-blocktext"> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:call_to_action" data-inline-block-uuid="b8a8aa46-d89a-4140-90d5-d67887c95620"> <div class="cta"> <a class="cta__link" href="https://cfa.gmu.edu/give/give-voice"> <h4 class="cta__title">More on the Give Voice Initiative <i class="fas fa-arrow-circle-right"></i> </h4> <span class="cta__icon"></span> </a> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:text" data-inline-block-uuid="cc7c294d-ed65-4ca5-9fc4-b3aa76c42859" class="block block-layout-builder block-inline-blocktext"> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:news_list" data-inline-block-uuid="d3d600d5-3e76-4345-842e-d4af7b9f8f4f" class="block block-layout-builder block-inline-blocknews-list"> <h2>Related News</h2> <div class="views-element-container"><div class="view view-news view-id-news view-display-id-block_1 js-view-dom-id-7876c6ff45aead1285790ba727f24eb7ccc1859cf50d8573ac400e3b43e3a47e"> <div class="view-content"> <div class="news-list-wrapper"> <ul class="news-list"><li class="news-item"><div class="views-field views-field-title"><span class="field-content"><a href="/news/2025-04/generous-gift-will-name-school-computing-support-scholarships" hreflang="en">Generous gift will name School of Computing, support scholarships</a></span></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-publish-date"><div class="field-content">April 28, 2025</div></div></li> <li class="news-item"><div class="views-field views-field-title"><span class="field-content"><a href="/news/2025-04/podcast-ep-67-building-community-and-conversation-through-arts" hreflang="en">Podcast — EP 67: Building community and conversation through the arts</a></span></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-publish-date"><div class="field-content">April 21, 2025</div></div></li> <li class="news-item"><div class="views-field views-field-title"><span class="field-content"><a href="/news/2025-04/remembering-william-reeder-college-visual-and-performing-arts-founding-dean" hreflang="en">Remembering William Reeder, College of Visual and Performing Arts founding dean</a></span></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-publish-date"><div class="field-content">April 17, 2025</div></div></li> <li class="news-item"><div class="views-field views-field-title"><span class="field-content"><a href="/news/2025-04/new-art-course-teaches-students-how-think-differently-about-design" hreflang="en">New art course teaches students how to think differently about design </a></span></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-publish-date"><div class="field-content">April 2, 2025</div></div></li> <li class="news-item"><div class="views-field views-field-title"><span class="field-content"><a href="/news/2025-03/mason-vision-day-one-day-extraordinary-impact" hreflang="en">Mason Vision Day: one day, extraordinary impact</a></span></div><div class="views-field views-field-field-publish-date"><div class="field-content">March 27, 2025</div></div></li> </ul></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_content_topics" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-content-topics"> <h2>Topics</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-content-topics field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Topics</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/19331" hreflang="en">Mason Now: Power the Possible</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/17931" hreflang="en">Mason Now campaign</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/146" hreflang="en">College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA)</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/5246" hreflang="en">Center for the Arts</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/17616" hreflang="en">Mason Arts</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/116" hreflang="en">Campus News</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Mon, 03 Feb 2025 21:53:20 +0000 Kirstin Franko 115641 at /news/2025-01/mason-arts-amplified-releases-new-content-including-performances-royal-philharmonic <span>Mason Arts Amplified Releases New Content, including performances by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Cirque Kalabanté, and more! </span> <span><span>Laura Mertens</span></span> <span>Thu, 01/16/2025 - 10:57</span> <div class="layout layout--gmu layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--70-30"> <div class="layout__region region-first"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:body" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasebody"> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Body</div> <div class="field__item"><figure role="group" class="align-left"><div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img src="/sites/g/files/yyqcgq291/files/styles/extra_large_content_image/public/2025-01/rpo_isata_framegrab.jpg?itok=i_zh9Svy" width="800" height="450" alt="Pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason sits at a grand piano onstage, backed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra." loading="lazy" /></div> </div> <figcaption>Rising star British pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason performs Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 3 with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at the Center for the Arts on January 28, 2024.</figcaption></figure><p><span class="intro-text">New content will <a href="https://masonartsamplified.gmu.edu/categories/6697ee996b2c09a4c50f89c1"><strong>launch throughout January 2025</strong></a> on <a href="https://masonartsamplified.gmu.edu/">Mason Arts Amplified</a>, Mason Arts’s digital venue that features live and on-demand performances, lectures, behind-the-scenes talks, and more from George Mason �鶹����’s <a href="https://cfa.gmu.edu/">Center for the Arts</a>, the <a href="https://hyltoncenter.org/">Hylton Performing Arts Center</a>, and <a href="https://cvpa.gmu.edu/">College of Visual and Performing Arts</a>. </span></p> <p><span><span><span>The<strong> </strong></span><a href="https://masonartsamplified.gmu.edu/view/royal-philharmonic-orchestra"><strong><span>limited-release recording</span></strong></a><span> of the London-based </span><a href="https://www.rpo.co.uk/"><strong><span>Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO)</span></strong><span>,</span></a><span> featuring “phenom” (<em>San Francisco Chronicle</em>) British <strong>pianist </strong></span><a href="https://www.isatakannehmason.com/#/"><strong><span>Isata Kanneh-Mason</span></strong></a><span>, will is <strong>available to watch through February 16 at 11:59 p.m. ET. </strong></span><span>Recorded in front of a live audience at the Center for the Arts under the direction of Maestro Vasily Petrenko on January 28, 2024, the program featured Kanneh-Mason’s powerful performance of Prokofiev’s popular Piano Concerto No. 3 in C major, Op. 26, “a dazzling kaleidoscope of a piece” (<em>The Times</em>). Repertoire also included Debussy’s <em>Danse</em> (orch. by Ravel) and Rimsky-Korsakov’s beloved <em>Scheherazade</em>, Op. 35, culminating in a standing ovation from the crowd. The concert was described by an attendee as “one of the best concerts </span><span>we ever experienced at the center.” Another audience member declared, “This performance has to rank among the </span><span>25 best I have ever seen.” </span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span>“Notable for the beauty of the orchestral sound” (<em>The Guardian</em>), the RPO made its triumphant return to the Center for the Arts—having performed there previously in 2022—with rising star Kanneh-Mason, who served as the RPO’s 2022/2023 Artist-in-Residence and has been hailed by <em>BBC Music Magazine</em> as “a pianist who makes lines sing beautifully and virtuosic passages dance, finding intimacy and eloquence at telling moments.” The eldest of a famous family of seven musically gifted siblings who have been featured on </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=km9gsgMjdwM"><span>CBS Sunday Morning</span></a><span>, Kanneh-Mason performed with Sir Elton John in Los Angeles in 2013, inspiring the pop icon to pay her tuition at the Royal Academy of Music. She has since performed as guest soloist also with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, Toronto Symphony, and Stockholm Philharmonic, among others; and recorded four solo albums for the Decca Classics label. She recently performed an </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFGWCRXkWns"><span>NPR Tiny Desk Concer</span></a><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFGWCRXkWns"><span>t</span></a><span> that aired Jauary 7, 2025.</span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span>Read Isata Kanneh-Mason’s advance </span><a href="https://weta.org/fm/classical-score/conversation-pianist-isata-kanneh-mason"><span>Q&A with WETA Classical</span></a><span> about the Prokofiev and her performance at the Center for the Arts. The performance, which was sponsored by the Tom and Evelyn Kiley Fund, is </span></span></span><a href="https://masonartsamplified.gmu.edu/view/royal-philharmonic-orchestra">available on Mason Arts Amplified for $15</a><span><span><span>. </span></span></span></p> <figure role="group" class="align-left"><div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img src="/sites/g/files/yyqcgq291/files/styles/extra_large_content_image/public/2025-01/cirque_kalabante_800.jpg?itok=0dvXQ1jK" width="800" height="534" alt="Shirtless male performers in African dress look on as an acrobat prepares to catch another acrobat somersaulting through the air." loading="lazy" /></div> </div> <figcaption>Cirque Kalabanté performs <em>Afrique en Cirque, </em>which was recorded at the Hylton Performing Arts Center in November 2024.</figcaption></figure><p><span><span><span>Also available on <strong>January 16, 2025 at 1 p.m. ET</strong> is the </span><a href="https://masonartsamplified.gmu.edu/view/cirque-kalabante"><strong><span>limited release performance</span></strong></a><span> by </span><a href="https://www.kalabanteproductions.com/?lang=en"><strong><span>Cirque Kalabanté</span></strong></a><span>, recorded in </span><span>front of a live audience on November 16 and 17, 2024 at the Hylton Performing Arts Center’s Merchant Hall in Manassas, Virginia, on George Mason �鶹����’s Science and Technology Campus. This performance is also available to watch through February 16 at 11:59 p.m. ET.</span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span>Cirque Kalabanté’s multisensory extravaganza, <em>Afrique en Cirque</em>, delivers a unique fusion of African arts and European circus traditions. Daring acrobats and dancers perform gravity-defying feats accompanied by the pulsating rhythms of a live Afro jazz ensemble. Inspired by life in his native Guinea, the founder of Cirque Kalabanté Yamoussa Bangoura created <em>Afrique en Cirque</em> to celebrate the vitality, joy, and beauty of African culture. “Explosive drumming and dance routines, the group delivered mind-blowing acrobatic sequences with extraordinary precision” (<em>Vice</em> Magazine). </span></span></span>The performance is <a href="https://masonartsamplified.gmu.edu/view/cirque-kalabante">available for $15</a><span><span><span>.</span></span></span></p> <figure role="group" class="align-left"><div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img src="/sites/g/files/yyqcgq291/files/styles/extra_large_content_image/public/2025-01/24-accessibility-fall_thumbnail.png?itok=xRtsyj-s" width="800" height="450" alt="Accessibility panelists from left to right moderated by Niyati Dhokai, Program Director for the Veterans and the Arts Initiative at George Mason �鶹����. Panelists included Amanda Loerch, Captioner with c2 and Director of Patron Services at Sixth & I; Betty Siegel, Director of the Office of Accessibility and VSA at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts; Ermyn King, Audio Describer, Consultant, and Arts Educator; and Rachael Abbott, Actor, Theater Artist, and Advocate." loading="lazy" /></div> </div> <figcaption><em>Accessibility as Inclusion</em> participants from left: Moderator Niyati Dhokai, program director for the Veterans and the Arts Initiative at George Mason, and panelists Amanda Loerch, captioner with c2 and director of patron services at Sixth & I; Betty Siegel, director of the Office of Accessibility and VSA at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts; Ermyn King, audio describer, consultant, and arts educator; and Rachael Abbott, actor, theater artist, and advocate.</figcaption></figure><p><span><span><span>Additional College of Visual and Performing Arts events released in January will include the </span><a href="https://masonartsamplified.gmu.edu/view/673e5b3ccbfedec7df0d3f9f"><strong><em><span>Accessibility as Inclu</span></em></strong><strong><span>s<em>ion</em>: Panel Conversation</span></strong></a><span>, exploring strategies and practices arts spaces can utilize to provide fully accessible arts programming, and how these techniques impact the audience’s sense of inclusion and belonging. Available on <strong>January 23, 2025, at 1 p.m. ET</strong> for free, this discussion was recorded live on November 13, 2024, at the Center for the Arts, moderated by Niyati Dhokai, program director for the Veterans and the Arts Initiative at George Mason. Panelists included Amanda Loerch, captioner with c2 and director of patron services at Sixth & I; Betty Siegel, director of the Office of Accessibility and VSA at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts; Ermyn King, audio describer, consultant, and arts educator; and Rachael Abbott, actor, theater artist, and advocate.</span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span>Then on <strong>January 30, 2025 at 1 p.m. ET</strong>, the </span><a href="https://masonartsamplified.gmu.edu/view/673e5b1eb81d014ad20dfbe5"><strong><span>Legends and Legacies</span></strong></a><span> event presented by The LIVE Center (The Center for Live Interactive Virtual Education) and George Mason’s College of Visual and Performing Arts. In this first installment of the LIVE Center’s new Legends and Legacies series, which celebrates the leading artists of our time, <strong>Tony Award-nominated performers</strong> and husband-wife duo <strong>Terrence Mann and Charlotte d'Amboise</strong> participated in a virtual discussion (streamed in real time from the National Dance Institute in New York and projected onstage at the Harris Theatre on George Mason’s Fairfax Campus, moderated live by George Mason's School of Theater Professor Edward Gero. </span></span></span></p> <p>The Mason Arts Amplified platform—formerly known as Mason Arts at Home, launched in April 2020 during the pandemic—gives digital audiences the opportunity to experience the work that takes place across our campuses. Digital programs include pre-performance discussions with world renowned artists like choreographer Mark Morris; the “Silkroad and the American Railroad” course, produced in collaboration with the Silkroad Ensemble and the 92nd Street Y; performances by Mason Jazz, Mason Opera, Mason School of Theater, and much more.</p> <p><span><span><span><strong><a href="https://masonartsamplified.gmu.edu/">Create a free account</a></strong> and explore enriching Mason Arts content from anywhere.</span></span></span></p> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="layout__region region-second"> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:call_to_action" data-inline-block-uuid="5a89f4a9-2f72-4191-941a-94ae5dc08017"> <div class="cta"> <a class="cta__link" href="https://masonartsamplified.gmu.edu/categories/6697ef0c7f1462bcfd0e1c53"> <h4 class="cta__title">View January 2025 releases on Mason Arts Amplified <i class="fas fa-arrow-circle-right"></i> </h4> <span class="cta__icon"></span> </a> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:text" data-inline-block-uuid="cb778e81-aaa6-4377-b449-e5a95075b5c7" class="block block-layout-builder block-inline-blocktext"> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:call_to_action" data-inline-block-uuid="45d34219-19bb-4e49-a18a-4a2dfee3e027"> <div class="cta"> <a class="cta__link" href="https://masonartsamplified.gmu.edu/"> <h4 class="cta__title">Explore our digital venue <i class="fas fa-arrow-circle-right"></i> </h4> <span class="cta__icon"></span> </a> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:text" data-inline-block-uuid="ddc6cf31-1a1b-43d7-a740-885a31f8d297" class="block block-layout-builder block-inline-blocktext"> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p> </p> <p> </p> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:news_list" data-inline-block-uuid="eacbea91-4761-4fdf-a7d0-97f1124f9418" class="block block-layout-builder block-inline-blocknews-list"> 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<div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/17616" hreflang="en">Mason Arts</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/4431" hreflang="en">Mason Arts at Home</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/5246" hreflang="en">Center for the Arts</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/1481" hreflang="en">Hylton Center</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/146" hreflang="en">College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA)</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/116" hreflang="en">Campus News</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Thu, 16 Jan 2025 15:57:45 +0000 Laura Mertens 115376 at /news/2024-10/annual-benefit-arts-george-raises-more-250000-support-mason-arts <span>Annual benefit ARTS by George! raises more than $250,000 in support of Mason Arts</span> <span><span>Kirstin Franko</span></span> <span>Wed, 10/02/2024 - 18:26</span> <div class="layout layout--gmu layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--70-30"> <div class="layout__region region-first"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:body" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasebody"> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Body</div> <div class="field__item"><figure role="group" class="align-right"><div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img src="/sites/g/files/yyqcgq291/files/styles/medium/public/2024-10/gmu8946-1684.jpg?itok=o3816SMK" width="560" height="378" alt="Man wearing baseball cap raises glass with woman with dark short hair towards a crowd." loading="lazy" /></div> </div> <figcaption>CVPA Dean Rick Davis raises a toast with Lea Salonga following her performance. Credit: Risdon Photography</figcaption></figure><p><span><span><span><span><span><span class="intro-text">George Mason �鶹����’s College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA) celebrated another joy-filled and well-attended <a href="https://cvpa.gmu.edu/give/signature-events/arts-george"><strong>ARTS <em>by George!</em></strong></a></span><strong><span><span><span><span class="intro-text"> benefit event on September 28. </span>Headlined by Tony and Olivier Award-winning singer and actress </span></span></span></strong><a href="https://cfa.calendar.gmu.edu/an-evening-with-lea-salonga"><strong><span>Lea Salonga,</span></strong></a><span><span> the evening’s festivities raised more than </span></span><span><span>$250,000 to</span></span><span><span> support student scholarships</span></span><span><span> in visual arts, dance, music, theater, game design, film, and arts management, as well as for the </span></span><a href="https://masonacademy.gmu.edu/" target="_blank"><span><span>Mason Community Arts Academy</span></span></a><span><span>, </span></span><a href="https://www.greenmachine.gmu.edu/" target="_blank"><span><span>Green Machine Ensembles</span></span></a><span><span>, and the </span></span><a href="https://cfa.gmu.edu/events/2022-2023-season"><em><span><span>Great Performances at Mason</span></span></em></a><em> </em><span><span>season at the Center for the Arts. This year’s generous donations and sponsorships bring the total of funds raised through </span></span><span>ARTS <em>by George!</em> since its inception in 2006 to nearly </span><span>$4.4 million. </span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span class="intro-text"><strong>Gregory Washington</strong>, President of George Mason �鶹����, was in attendance at the benefit event. “We’re proud that George Mason is the cultural hub of our region. The arts is one of the front doors to attract visitors of all ages and backgrounds to our campuses. We’re pleased that so many of you have found your way through our door to become involved with CVPA, and to be here with us this evening,” he said.</span></p> <figure role="group" class="align-right"><div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img src="/sites/g/files/yyqcgq291/files/styles/medium/public/2024-10/gmu8946-1449.jpg?itok=B_A_lWLR" width="560" height="373" alt="Dancers wearing back perform in a light-filled dance studio in front of an audience." loading="lazy" /></div> </div> <figcaption>Students from George Mason �鶹����’s School of Dance performed rotating showcases in front of audiences. Credit: Risdon Photography</figcaption></figure><p><span><span><span><span><span>ARTS <em>by George!</em> began at 5 p.m. on September 28 with more than <span>225 CVPA </span>students and faculty joining to present </span><span><span>18 performances </span></span><span>and exhibits for guests to enjoy. The entire freshman class of George Mason’s <a href="https://dance.gmu.edu/">School of Dance</a> launched the dance showcases, while an immersive screening room drew guests in to watch student films from the <a href="https://film.gmu.edu/">Film and Video Studies</a> program. The <a href="https://theater.gmu.edu/">School of Theater</a> gave guests a preview of its upcoming fall musical production, the <a href="https://art.gmu.edu/">School of Art</a> created an interactive photo booth installation, and <a href="https://game.gmu.edu/">Computer Game Design</a> students and faculty brought guests into a new world with virtual reality demonstrations. Alumni from the <a href="https://artsmanagement.gmu.edu/">Arts Management</a> program joyfully reconnected with friends and faculty alike, posing for photos throughout the event, while vocalists and musicians from the <a href="https://music.gmu.edu/">Dewberry School of Music</a> delighted guests with a variety of performances ranging from opera to jazz. </span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span class="intro-text">“ARTS <em>by George!</em> kicked off with dozens of showcases featuring gifted visual and performing arts students. For those of you lucky enough to experience it, I hope you were impressed not only with their immense talent, but also with the breadth and depth of what Mason Arts has to offer,” remarked <strong>Rick Davis</strong>, Dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts.</span></p> <figure role="group" class="align-left"><div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img src="/sites/g/files/yyqcgq291/files/styles/small_content_image/public/2024-10/gmu8946-1576.jpg?itok=hCKaXHLA" width="326" height="350" alt="A woman with long blonde hair in a formal red dress sings for a crowd." loading="lazy" /></div> </div> <figcaption>Ashlyn Rock, a graduate of George Mason �鶹����’s Dewberry School of Music, sings for the Center for the Arts audience prior to Lea Salonga's performance. Credit: Risdon Photography</figcaption></figure><p><span><span><span><span><span>At 8 p.m., guests transitioned to the Center for the Arts for a live Fund-A-Student appeal that contributed more than </span></span><span><span>$28,000 </span></span><span><span>towards the total amount raised at the event. In a beloved annual tradition, a distinguished Mason Arts graduate returned to the stage to perform before the evening’s headlining concert. This year, Dewberry School of Music alumna Ashlyn Rock offered a soaring rendition of “Sempre libera” from Verdi's <em>La Traviata</em>, receiving a standing ovation. </span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><em><span>An Evening with Lea Salonga</span></em><span> followed at 8:30 p.m., </span>where the celebrated performer presented a concert of popular songs from her roles on Broadway and in animated films. The evening’s program concluded with an onstage champagne toast, during which Salonga and Davis mingled with CVPA students and faculty as well as ARTS <em>by George!</em> guests and supporters.</span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span>For complete information about ARTS <em>by George!</em>,<em> </em>including scholarship stories, a schedule of student showcases, previous ARTS <em>by George!</em> images, and more visit the <a href="https://cvpa.gmu.edu/give/signature-events/arts-george" target="_blank">event website</a>. </span></span></span><span><span><span><span><span>The Premier Sponsor for ARTS <em><span>by George!</span></em> was Dominion Energy and the Presenting Sponsor was Sandy Spring Bank. The event chair was Annie Bolger. </span></span></span></span></span></p> <figure role="group" class="align-left"><div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img src="/sites/g/files/yyqcgq291/files/styles/extra_large_content_image/public/2024-10/gmu8946-1634.jpg?itok=JqN6BHpF" width="1480" height="987" alt="Two women stand with one man smiling towards the camera. " loading="lazy" /></div> </div> <figcaption>Lea Salonga (center) with George Mason �鶹���� President Gregory Washington (right) and his wife Nicole Washington (left), following the performance backstage. Credit: Risdon Photography</figcaption></figure></div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="layout__region region-second"> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:text" data-inline-block-uuid="d6dc6651-9519-4d68-adb6-e5c77857e8bd" class="block block-layout-builder block-inline-blocktext"> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:text" data-inline-block-uuid="17b2f831-6746-4e10-bf5e-7052ad61b072" class="block block-layout-builder block-inline-blocktext"> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_associated_people" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-associated-people"> <h2>In This Story</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-associated-people field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">People Mentioned in This Story</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/profiles/rdavi4" hreflang="und">Rick Davis</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/profiles/president" hreflang="und">Gregory Washington</a></div> </div> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:call_to_action" data-inline-block-uuid="3d48023e-b4b9-4ed0-9fdf-31c12f2740e1"> <div class="cta"> <a class="cta__link" href="https://cvpa.smugmug.com/CFA/24-25-Great-Performances-at-Mason/ARTS-by-George-2024/ARTS-by-George-2024/n-FQ3BLC"> <h4 class="cta__title">View Images from 2024 ARTS by George! <i class="fas fa-arrow-circle-right"></i> </h4> <span class="cta__icon"></span> </a> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:text" data-inline-block-uuid="df5b188b-8e40-4c67-be6b-f9a9643327d4" class="block block-layout-builder block-inline-blocktext"> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:call_to_action" data-inline-block-uuid="7094d026-af44-4089-8469-9c17be6afe1f"> <div class="cta"> <a class="cta__link" href="https://cvpa.gmu.edu/give"> <h4 class="cta__title">Donate to the College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA) <i class="fas fa-arrow-circle-right"></i> </h4> <span class="cta__icon"></span> </a> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:text" data-inline-block-uuid="f89d2091-87d1-413c-b19f-1782e07f352e" class="block block-layout-builder block-inline-blocktext"> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_content_topics" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-content-topics"> <h2>Topics</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-content-topics field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Topics</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/146" hreflang="en">College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA)</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/5246" hreflang="en">Center for the Arts</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/4056" hreflang="en">Scholarships</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/116" hreflang="en">Campus News</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/336" hreflang="en">Students</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/17356" hreflang="en">Strategic Direction</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="layout layout--gmu layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--30-70"> <div> </div> <div> </div> </div> Wed, 02 Oct 2024 22:26:37 +0000 Kirstin Franko 114096 at /news/2024-09/mason-artist-residence-ballet-hispanico-returns-center-arts-leads-hispanic-heritage <span>Mason Artist-in-Residence Ballet Hispánico Returns to Center for the Arts, Leads Hispanic Heritage Month �鶹����</span> <span><span>Laura Mertens</span></span> <span>Fri, 09/27/2024 - 15:35</span> <div class="layout layout--gmu layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--70-30"> <div class="layout__region region-first"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:body" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasebody"> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Body</div> <div class="field__item"><p><span class="intro-text">George Mason �鶹����’s <strong>Center for the Arts </strong>presents a full residency, culminating in a <em>Great Performances at Mason </em>program, featuring <strong>Mason Artist-in-Residence Ballet Hispánico</strong> this October. During Hispanic Heritage Month, the company will visit Northern Virginia for four days to offer a range of educational and interactive dance programs, leading up to its mainstage performance at the Center for the Arts on October 5. </span></p> <div class="align-left"> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img src="/sites/g/files/yyqcgq291/files/styles/small_content_image/public/2024-09/ballethispanico_clubhavana_2_600.jpg?itok=aTucm_Ic" width="350" height="350" alt="A female dancer leans back, right arm fully extended and kicking left leg in the air as a male dancer on her right, bent at the waist supports her torso and extended arm and a male dancer on her left supports the extended leg." loading="lazy" /></div> </div> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>“We’re excited to have Ballet Hispánico back in our community to help us celebrate Latino culture through dance and cultural enrichment activities. We will certainly feel the presence of this dynamic and fun group across campus, and I’m delighted to have them engage with so many different community stakeholders,” said <strong>Victor Adebusola</strong>, programming and engagement manager at the Center for the Arts at George Mason. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Recognized as one of America’s cultural treasures, Ballet Hispánico celebrates the ever-growing and multifaceted Hispanic diasporas through vibrant contemporary dance. The company was founded in New York City by dance luminary Tina Ramirez in 1970, on the principle that everyone deserves dance, quality dance training, and innovative performances. Since becoming its artistic director and CEO in 2009, Eduardo Vilaro has further built Ballet Hispánico to uplift the intersection of Hispanic cultures, pioneeringly breaking down boundaries and stereotypes.  </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>The October 5 program at the Center for the Arts features: <em>Sombrerísimo </em>by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, inspired by the surrealist world of Belgian painter René Magritte; <em>Buscando a Juan </em>by Eduardo Vilaro, inspired by the life of Juan de Pareja, the Afro-Hispanic painter who was enslaved in Spanish painter Diego Velázquez’s studio for over two decades before becoming an artist in his own right; and <em>Club Havana</em> by Pedro Ruiz, which transports audiences through classic Cuban culture with the intoxicating rhythms of conga, rumba, mambo, and cha-cha-chá. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>As a </span></span></span><span><a href="https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flink.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com%2Fls%2Fclick%3Fupn%3Du001.qM5htVYGHAcwvlvIYHRb9tI4Zd9N44UXBeo8dI3iL2tLwxhvt490Htj5iHaf7qnyoVBluOndTv6mzduhpa1-2BpQ-3D-3DaupZ_8zv46VVwxxCUyrELWir-2FpUSK60IWEUe31jCTqkwgEinJdTlvwMftJHyBrbZ07W1Rpw1CUwiu30ipSDAw2rRe3P4V8zOX2WjV3lHXYS-2FQRFd9EX8PlkTMcEFm0Ngy2jlMWIDUSHxJE-2FGQoodSEVYDZCPN-2Fr72CamIHSrU0G3zytXrtJ8Ec2HTHQ-2FF8wrc2m4VuH5aVHv5a3FZ-2FfeLAvqxO-2FRW4QC9kF7jqPQ-2BEO64Cmq6qU5xQ0xjROAK1xIMiBF30cxN067m6SwUcAv3ADWb4TBiSQt6TgGjDnJW3yqWYFAOP2Q0L70gID-2BGrr9DiCKBw9GRR3q-2FLdXre-2BtVbPnpmi8uYLoWCtVp7AFlb7mpMM15ukjoOMfrkzlJ7BJ9dymO&data=05%7C02%7Clmertens%40gmu.edu%7Caa0ae3d3097f40f79a0008dcd8b37f27%7C9e857255df574c47a0c00546460380cb%7C0%7C0%7C638623514967173463%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C60000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=Qug69MYk%2B4t0rsWAE7z0CRvOm3dnFjlRl6abcR4qpRY%3D&reserved=0" title="https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flink.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com%2Fls%2Fclick%3Fupn%3Du001.qM5htVYGHAcwvlvIYHRb9tI4Zd9N44UXBeo8dI3iL2tLwxhvt490Htj5iHaf7qnyoVBluOndTv6mzduhpa1-2BpQ-3D-3DaupZ_8zv46VVwxxCUyrELWir-2FpUSK60IWEUe31jCTqkwgEinJdTlvwMftJHyBrbZ07W1Rpw1CUwiu30ipSDAw2rRe3P4V8zOX2WjV3lHXYS-2FQRFd9EX8PlkTMcEFm0Ngy2jlMWIDUSHxJE-2FGQoodSEVYDZCPN-2Fr72CamIHSrU0G3zytXrtJ8Ec2HTHQ-2FF8wrc2m4VuH5aVHv5a3FZ-2FfeLAvqxO-2FRW4QC9kF7jqPQ-2BEO64Cmq6qU5xQ0xjROAK1xIMiBF30cxN067m6SwUcAv3ADWb4TBiSQt6TgGjDnJW3yqWYFAOP2Q0L70gID-2BGrr9DiCKBw9GRR3q-2FLdXre-2BtVbPnpmi8uYLoWCtVp7AFlb7mpMM15ukjoOMfrkzlJ7BJ9dymO&data=05%7C02%7Clmertens%40gmu.edu%7Caa0ae3d3097f40f79a0008dcd8b37f27%7C9e857255df574c47a0c00546460380cb%7C0%7C0%7C638623514967173463%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C60000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=Qug69MYk%2B4t0rsWAE7z0CRvOm3dnFjlRl6abcR4qpRY%3D&reserved=0"><span><span>Mason Artist-in-Residence</span></span></a></span><span><span><span>, </span></span></span><span><span><span>Ballet Hispánico will engage George Mason students and the local community through a variety of classes, talks, and interactive workshops in the days ahead of the company’s performance. Details about these events are listed in the schedule below. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Launched during the 2019–20 season through George Mason’s </span></span></span><span><a href="https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flink.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com%2Fls%2Fclick%3Fupn%3Du001.qM5htVYGHAcwvlvIYHRb9gET-2F2juXYxCiQvG09aCLO0-3DrotH_8zv46VVwxxCUyrELWir-2FpUSK60IWEUe31jCTqkwgEinJdTlvwMftJHyBrbZ07W1Rpw1CUwiu30ipSDAw2rRe3P4V8zOX2WjV3lHXYS-2FQRFd9EX8PlkTMcEFm0Ngy2jlMWIDUSHxJE-2FGQoodSEVYDZCPN-2Fr72CamIHSrU0G3zytXrtJ8Ec2HTHQ-2FF8wrc2m4VuH5aVHv5a3FZ-2FfeLAvqxOyULfluqBva-2FE5m7jEw5E74b0LeJoBPo-2ByDAUL6qwoJVGLHdctem9x3rKnr4AUuzLaVvWaD06CzX22jd6vQjmu5xhJ36tqW-2FQAPF2FnkGRIfIkCBXI2q0i6Jmm7U5YqKyEF1xYTaDguSHVePWtb2nbNI4UF6yTxBvfAxOzGtCe5P&data=05%7C02%7Clmertens%40gmu.edu%7Caa0ae3d3097f40f79a0008dcd8b37f27%7C9e857255df574c47a0c00546460380cb%7C0%7C0%7C638623514967195787%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C60000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=H5r5hmLo3q8kvFy%2FJmaXqoZlB6wjaV4mGBU0%2FQVt3rs%3D&reserved=0" title="https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flink.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com%2Fls%2Fclick%3Fupn%3Du001.qM5htVYGHAcwvlvIYHRb9gET-2F2juXYxCiQvG09aCLO0-3DrotH_8zv46VVwxxCUyrELWir-2FpUSK60IWEUe31jCTqkwgEinJdTlvwMftJHyBrbZ07W1Rpw1CUwiu30ipSDAw2rRe3P4V8zOX2WjV3lHXYS-2FQRFd9EX8PlkTMcEFm0Ngy2jlMWIDUSHxJE-2FGQoodSEVYDZCPN-2Fr72CamIHSrU0G3zytXrtJ8Ec2HTHQ-2FF8wrc2m4VuH5aVHv5a3FZ-2FfeLAvqxOyULfluqBva-2FE5m7jEw5E74b0LeJoBPo-2ByDAUL6qwoJVGLHdctem9x3rKnr4AUuzLaVvWaD06CzX22jd6vQjmu5xhJ36tqW-2FQAPF2FnkGRIfIkCBXI2q0i6Jmm7U5YqKyEF1xYTaDguSHVePWtb2nbNI4UF6yTxBvfAxOzGtCe5P&data=05%7C02%7Clmertens%40gmu.edu%7Caa0ae3d3097f40f79a0008dcd8b37f27%7C9e857255df574c47a0c00546460380cb%7C0%7C0%7C638623514967195787%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C60000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=H5r5hmLo3q8kvFy%2FJmaXqoZlB6wjaV4mGBU0%2FQVt3rs%3D&reserved=0"><span><span>College of Visual and Performing Arts</span></span></a></span><span><span><span>, the </span></span></span><span><a href="https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flink.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com%2Fls%2Fclick%3Fupn%3Du001.qM5htVYGHAcwvlvIYHRb9seZlhzOU-2FKK6FDlUGzbzEi-2B1L3nyy8PHH-2BHKGfZfFg14BcSut4GI7MktRgLIWZblC6KM6KPAf16En-2FvXnqu9m0545H5vH7xom50vfgj9zCKIeF0_8zv46VVwxxCUyrELWir-2FpUSK60IWEUe31jCTqkwgEinJdTlvwMftJHyBrbZ07W1Rpw1CUwiu30ipSDAw2rRe3P4V8zOX2WjV3lHXYS-2FQRFd9EX8PlkTMcEFm0Ngy2jlMWIDUSHxJE-2FGQoodSEVYDZCPN-2Fr72CamIHSrU0G3zytXrtJ8Ec2HTHQ-2FF8wrc2m4VuH5aVHv5a3FZ-2FfeLAvqxO68RsRORW2-2FVqBdt2tcafLLKsPorz-2FUiyfMpsvZzIs1nczWYHF6xN4O7k3zVb30ERbpOmzn9UAzNVXASc4bXWQ59FgGsZmH9pQHWJfu6hZlHnAL1t3-2FDyQvvTgejwzk74WA8NkGzHJRPEjmpP-2BI0Cakf1K52MMmmNWfSAPDM1wSs&data=05%7C02%7Clmertens%40gmu.edu%7Caa0ae3d3097f40f79a0008dcd8b37f27%7C9e857255df574c47a0c00546460380cb%7C0%7C0%7C638623514967212098%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C60000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=pNEpRX8tmBVly7PaTPlnNRfl2b2Ewfp%2FJJc9%2FKIm0KQ%3D&reserved=0" title="https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flink.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com%2Fls%2Fclick%3Fupn%3Du001.qM5htVYGHAcwvlvIYHRb9seZlhzOU-2FKK6FDlUGzbzEi-2B1L3nyy8PHH-2BHKGfZfFg14BcSut4GI7MktRgLIWZblC6KM6KPAf16En-2FvXnqu9m0545H5vH7xom50vfgj9zCKIeF0_8zv46VVwxxCUyrELWir-2FpUSK60IWEUe31jCTqkwgEinJdTlvwMftJHyBrbZ07W1Rpw1CUwiu30ipSDAw2rRe3P4V8zOX2WjV3lHXYS-2FQRFd9EX8PlkTMcEFm0Ngy2jlMWIDUSHxJE-2FGQoodSEVYDZCPN-2Fr72CamIHSrU0G3zytXrtJ8Ec2HTHQ-2FF8wrc2m4VuH5aVHv5a3FZ-2FfeLAvqxO68RsRORW2-2FVqBdt2tcafLLKsPorz-2FUiyfMpsvZzIs1nczWYHF6xN4O7k3zVb30ERbpOmzn9UAzNVXASc4bXWQ59FgGsZmH9pQHWJfu6hZlHnAL1t3-2FDyQvvTgejwzk74WA8NkGzHJRPEjmpP-2BI0Cakf1K52MMmmNWfSAPDM1wSs&data=05%7C02%7Clmertens%40gmu.edu%7Caa0ae3d3097f40f79a0008dcd8b37f27%7C9e857255df574c47a0c00546460380cb%7C0%7C0%7C638623514967212098%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C60000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=pNEpRX8tmBVly7PaTPlnNRfl2b2Ewfp%2FJJc9%2FKIm0KQ%3D&reserved=0"><span><span>Mason Artist-in-Residence Program</span></span></a></span><span><span><span> connects artists appearing at the</span></span></span> <span><a href="https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flink.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com%2Fls%2Fclick%3Fupn%3Du001.qM5htVYGHAcwvlvIYHRb9ptsjJyIXHSswMUiOdTQhnY-3DZuWd_8zv46VVwxxCUyrELWir-2FpUSK60IWEUe31jCTqkwgEinJdTlvwMftJHyBrbZ07W1Rpw1CUwiu30ipSDAw2rRe3P4V8zOX2WjV3lHXYS-2FQRFd9EX8PlkTMcEFm0Ngy2jlMWIDUSHxJE-2FGQoodSEVYDZCPN-2Fr72CamIHSrU0G3zytXrtJ8Ec2HTHQ-2FF8wrc2m4VuH5aVHv5a3FZ-2FfeLAvqxO-2FJTc9jxaMCwjsMhkGGatxQSUgmqQPEZoal4ZQ9rrW6E33-2F4YTTMPKOAXw-2By-2FdSD25bsDsqJ-2Bsp3CpUc0LLbHIVJyifRyWD-2FDsEQTRwI5PZPHYUV2lXUOHrio4L-2FUhiQ6U9ROCMGGwKZnWe-2BGc5Qroxb3rcYUAZc73qR-2B9wQeyu6&data=05%7C02%7Clmertens%40gmu.edu%7Caa0ae3d3097f40f79a0008dcd8b37f27%7C9e857255df574c47a0c00546460380cb%7C0%7C0%7C638623514967228664%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C60000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=hpJm9Wd4%2FhOp7SlmqAsmT%2B3QvhCMh9cqldUdV9XmTHQ%3D&reserved=0" title="https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flink.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com%2Fls%2Fclick%3Fupn%3Du001.qM5htVYGHAcwvlvIYHRb9ptsjJyIXHSswMUiOdTQhnY-3DZuWd_8zv46VVwxxCUyrELWir-2FpUSK60IWEUe31jCTqkwgEinJdTlvwMftJHyBrbZ07W1Rpw1CUwiu30ipSDAw2rRe3P4V8zOX2WjV3lHXYS-2FQRFd9EX8PlkTMcEFm0Ngy2jlMWIDUSHxJE-2FGQoodSEVYDZCPN-2Fr72CamIHSrU0G3zytXrtJ8Ec2HTHQ-2FF8wrc2m4VuH5aVHv5a3FZ-2FfeLAvqxO-2FJTc9jxaMCwjsMhkGGatxQSUgmqQPEZoal4ZQ9rrW6E33-2F4YTTMPKOAXw-2By-2FdSD25bsDsqJ-2Bsp3CpUc0LLbHIVJyifRyWD-2FDsEQTRwI5PZPHYUV2lXUOHrio4L-2FUhiQ6U9ROCMGGwKZnWe-2BGc5Qroxb3rcYUAZc73qR-2B9wQeyu6&data=05%7C02%7Clmertens%40gmu.edu%7Caa0ae3d3097f40f79a0008dcd8b37f27%7C9e857255df574c47a0c00546460380cb%7C0%7C0%7C638623514967228664%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C60000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=hpJm9Wd4%2FhOp7SlmqAsmT%2B3QvhCMh9cqldUdV9XmTHQ%3D&reserved=0"><span><span><span><span>Center for the Arts</span></span></span></span></a></span> <span><span>and its sister-venue the </span></span><span><a href="https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flink.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com%2Fls%2Fclick%3Fupn%3Du001.qM5htVYGHAcwvlvIYHRb9luy3j7xiNT70H5zRyrXUwpXyji6eSva05oxfisH9AzGBy8Q_8zv46VVwxxCUyrELWir-2FpUSK60IWEUe31jCTqkwgEinJdTlvwMftJHyBrbZ07W1Rpw1CUwiu30ipSDAw2rRe3P4V8zOX2WjV3lHXYS-2FQRFd9EX8PlkTMcEFm0Ngy2jlMWIDUSHxJE-2FGQoodSEVYDZCPN-2Fr72CamIHSrU0G3zytXrtJ8Ec2HTHQ-2FF8wrc2m4VuH5aVHv5a3FZ-2FfeLAvqxO8C-2BnU9mKnbRkeejRVItI4pwToz2nX28zSmVhfGClUplihJWGpfOybUrqN9d-2B42pHdOcg82HriR7v0v7UAYpNkiaIz-2BVaEiQXjEgvWg5PWzTEzIPg6hAXog84oVTuL-2BoOe3uvXs4vFR6hJQY6IeeVgjDMFC9rWFqHIALXDuYDwYL&data=05%7C02%7Clmertens%40gmu.edu%7Caa0ae3d3097f40f79a0008dcd8b37f27%7C9e857255df574c47a0c00546460380cb%7C0%7C0%7C638623514967245150%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C60000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=oUZe%2B3DjRYUc6JffjDyoZkDzL8nT52ZI8IYoEgafK%2Bk%3D&reserved=0" title="https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flink.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com%2Fls%2Fclick%3Fupn%3Du001.qM5htVYGHAcwvlvIYHRb9luy3j7xiNT70H5zRyrXUwpXyji6eSva05oxfisH9AzGBy8Q_8zv46VVwxxCUyrELWir-2FpUSK60IWEUe31jCTqkwgEinJdTlvwMftJHyBrbZ07W1Rpw1CUwiu30ipSDAw2rRe3P4V8zOX2WjV3lHXYS-2FQRFd9EX8PlkTMcEFm0Ngy2jlMWIDUSHxJE-2FGQoodSEVYDZCPN-2Fr72CamIHSrU0G3zytXrtJ8Ec2HTHQ-2FF8wrc2m4VuH5aVHv5a3FZ-2FfeLAvqxO8C-2BnU9mKnbRkeejRVItI4pwToz2nX28zSmVhfGClUplihJWGpfOybUrqN9d-2B42pHdOcg82HriR7v0v7UAYpNkiaIz-2BVaEiQXjEgvWg5PWzTEzIPg6hAXog84oVTuL-2BoOe3uvXs4vFR6hJQY6IeeVgjDMFC9rWFqHIALXDuYDwYL&data=05%7C02%7Clmertens%40gmu.edu%7Caa0ae3d3097f40f79a0008dcd8b37f27%7C9e857255df574c47a0c00546460380cb%7C0%7C0%7C638623514967245150%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C60000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=oUZe%2B3DjRYUc6JffjDyoZkDzL8nT52ZI8IYoEgafK%2Bk%3D&reserved=0"><span><span><span><span>Hylton Performing Arts Center</span></span></span></span></a> <span>with on- and off-campus communities.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />  </p> <hr /><div class="align-center"> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img src="/sites/g/files/yyqcgq291/files/2024-09/ballet_hispanico_800.jpg" width="800" height="388" loading="lazy" /></div> </div> <h2><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><strong><span>Open-to-the-Public Residency �鶹����:</span></strong></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></h2> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><a href="https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flink.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com%2Fls%2Fclick%3Fupn%3Du001.qM5htVYGHAcwvlvIYHRb9m0ZIuirln8j0uqVmH2O4w7vi9q1d9gPKZVJFn1CtWbwDSpS_8zv46VVwxxCUyrELWir-2FpUSK60IWEUe31jCTqkwgEinJdTlvwMftJHyBrbZ07W1Rpw1CUwiu30ipSDAw2rRe3P4V8zOX2WjV3lHXYS-2FQRFd9EX8PlkTMcEFm0Ngy2jlMWIDUSHxJE-2FGQoodSEVYDZCPN-2Fr72CamIHSrU0G3zytXrtJ8Ec2HTHQ-2FF8wrc2m4VuH5aVHv5a3FZ-2FfeLAvqxO7BVlbb7gB5srWaVJpnl-2BEJXfd1VU71LRSXyx5RiTMhCB0GvlnRo1STD9Cd-2B9Qm7bABAVKD59wJhEqjMvsO-2FYY1Be-2BZ1HhK-2FfCmRK1w7uyBLtqayLs-2FguuV944RmG89bLOxx-2FcBgAUalvNTe34Avv6fBSMN0QQNiabVIeVXGUYfT&data=05%7C02%7Clmertens%40gmu.edu%7Caa0ae3d3097f40f79a0008dcd8b37f27%7C9e857255df574c47a0c00546460380cb%7C0%7C0%7C638623514967261788%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C60000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=X9TRbpTpBDzVtwwhnNmnT%2BgA1vVPbB7%2BpITslJijHe8%3D&reserved=0" title="https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flink.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com%2Fls%2Fclick%3Fupn%3Du001.qM5htVYGHAcwvlvIYHRb9m0ZIuirln8j0uqVmH2O4w7vi9q1d9gPKZVJFn1CtWbwDSpS_8zv46VVwxxCUyrELWir-2FpUSK60IWEUe31jCTqkwgEinJdTlvwMftJHyBrbZ07W1Rpw1CUwiu30ipSDAw2rRe3P4V8zOX2WjV3lHXYS-2FQRFd9EX8PlkTMcEFm0Ngy2jlMWIDUSHxJE-2FGQoodSEVYDZCPN-2Fr72CamIHSrU0G3zytXrtJ8Ec2HTHQ-2FF8wrc2m4VuH5aVHv5a3FZ-2FfeLAvqxO7BVlbb7gB5srWaVJpnl-2BEJXfd1VU71LRSXyx5RiTMhCB0GvlnRo1STD9Cd-2B9Qm7bABAVKD59wJhEqjMvsO-2FYY1Be-2BZ1HhK-2FfCmRK1w7uyBLtqayLs-2FguuV944RmG89bLOxx-2FcBgAUalvNTe34Avv6fBSMN0QQNiabVIeVXGUYfT&data=05%7C02%7Clmertens%40gmu.edu%7Caa0ae3d3097f40f79a0008dcd8b37f27%7C9e857255df574c47a0c00546460380cb%7C0%7C0%7C638623514967261788%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C60000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=X9TRbpTpBDzVtwwhnNmnT%2BgA1vVPbB7%2BpITslJijHe8%3D&reserved=0"><strong><span><span>Field Trip: Ballet Hispánico</span></span></strong></a></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Friday, October 4, at 11 a.m.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Center for the Arts at George Mason �鶹���� (</span></span><span><span>4373 Mason Pond Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030)</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>FREE, registration required </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>In conjunction with the <em>Great Performances at Mason</em> series, the Center makes it easy for your class or group to attend field trips, which are all offered in person. From their seats, students will be introduced to dance, theater, and music from around the world.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />  </p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><a href="https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flink.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com%2Fls%2Fclick%3Fupn%3Du001.qM5htVYGHAcwvlvIYHRb9m-2BGXifhUVjCiIGPXOj0-2BoonMqVcfJa5BzSNlMG99AebnWUHZ3mFf6QaRQAblF8CVRnBE0L37ODAL2MpalLOeIvVuMh1miexWFK6OqlfcuPZjaUfDmv86UHDhdMk0l4zIvh5ynuK98cnr8n0Pqh61xM-3D1oCz_8zv46VVwxxCUyrELWir-2FpUSK60IWEUe31jCTqkwgEinJdTlvwMftJHyBrbZ07W1Rpw1CUwiu30ipSDAw2rRe3P4V8zOX2WjV3lHXYS-2FQRFd9EX8PlkTMcEFm0Ngy2jlMWIDUSHxJE-2FGQoodSEVYDZCPN-2Fr72CamIHSrU0G3zytXrtJ8Ec2HTHQ-2FF8wrc2m4VuH5aVHv5a3FZ-2FfeLAvqxOzEvYToU-2BBUGt0LWJvbNIPqwZHLgmmUfo80bBRIjW4k865BTejj1vSz-2Bgtis9O1Zesu5hoMnLRfCjyCBBoGPivy5dYOPqfn-2B5q6x0nP9BVyQY-2FFxpWwztvKXY9sQ4CDNgyhf91fBzBbCf0m-2BlIH6DBA41H0g1TzuOtZVQC9qMVhu&data=05%7C02%7Clmertens%40gmu.edu%7Caa0ae3d3097f40f79a0008dcd8b37f27%7C9e857255df574c47a0c00546460380cb%7C0%7C0%7C638623514967280090%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C60000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=XzhcKmrWjyevb4eI1O6j8%2Fvng9dAgwMu%2FM4r2w0mHHY%3D&reserved=0" title="https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flink.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com%2Fls%2Fclick%3Fupn%3Du001.qM5htVYGHAcwvlvIYHRb9m-2BGXifhUVjCiIGPXOj0-2BoonMqVcfJa5BzSNlMG99AebnWUHZ3mFf6QaRQAblF8CVRnBE0L37ODAL2MpalLOeIvVuMh1miexWFK6OqlfcuPZjaUfDmv86UHDhdMk0l4zIvh5ynuK98cnr8n0Pqh61xM-3D1oCz_8zv46VVwxxCUyrELWir-2FpUSK60IWEUe31jCTqkwgEinJdTlvwMftJHyBrbZ07W1Rpw1CUwiu30ipSDAw2rRe3P4V8zOX2WjV3lHXYS-2FQRFd9EX8PlkTMcEFm0Ngy2jlMWIDUSHxJE-2FGQoodSEVYDZCPN-2Fr72CamIHSrU0G3zytXrtJ8Ec2HTHQ-2FF8wrc2m4VuH5aVHv5a3FZ-2FfeLAvqxOzEvYToU-2BBUGt0LWJvbNIPqwZHLgmmUfo80bBRIjW4k865BTejj1vSz-2Bgtis9O1Zesu5hoMnLRfCjyCBBoGPivy5dYOPqfn-2B5q6x0nP9BVyQY-2FFxpWwztvKXY9sQ4CDNgyhf91fBzBbCf0m-2BlIH6DBA41H0g1TzuOtZVQC9qMVhu&data=05%7C02%7Clmertens%40gmu.edu%7Caa0ae3d3097f40f79a0008dcd8b37f27%7C9e857255df574c47a0c00546460380cb%7C0%7C0%7C638623514967280090%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C60000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=XzhcKmrWjyevb4eI1O6j8%2Fvng9dAgwMu%2FM4r2w0mHHY%3D&reserved=0"><strong><span>Artists in Conversation: Latin Social Dance Workshop with Ballet Hispánico</span></strong></a></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Friday, October 4, at 7 p.m.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Stacy C. Sherwood Community Center</span></span><span> (</span><span><span>3740 Blenheim Boulevard, Fairfax, VA 22030)</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>FREE, </span></span><span><span><span><span><span>registration required</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>This Hispanic Heritage Month event celebrates the ever growing and multifaceted Hispanic diasporas, featuring an interactive social dance workshop led by the “smashingly theatrical” dance company (<em>Chicago Sun-Times</em>) Ballet Hispánico. Move to the rhythms of salsa, merengue, cha chá, and more! </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span>Co-presented by the City of Fairfax and the Center for the Arts at George Mason �鶹����</span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <h2><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><strong><span>Residency Activities for George Mason and Local Communities:</span></strong></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></h2> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span>The events listed below are not open to the general public. </span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><strong><span>Tuesday, October 1, at 9 a.m.</span></strong></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Ballet Hispánico and Artistic Director Eduardo Vilaro will virtually visit the class “Survey of Latin American History,” taught by Associate Professor Joan Bristol from George Mason’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences. Vilaro will present to the students on topics that include the history of Ballet Hispánico and how the need for visibility for a community spurned rich innovation based on the intersection of Latin diasporas; colonization, the cross-Atlantic slave trade, and the legacy of movement throughout our history; and the history of Latin dance in modern dance and culture in the United States. There will also be a Q&A for the students. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><strong> </strong></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><strong><span>Wednesday, October 2 at 10:30 a.m.</span></strong></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Ballet Hispánico will offer a masterclass on modern repertoire to students in George Mason’s School of Dance.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />  </p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><strong><span>Wednesday, October 2 at 1 p.m.</span></strong></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Ballet Hispánico will offer a masterclass on modern repertoire to local high school students in the Fairfax Academy. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />  </p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><strong><span>Thursday, October 3 at 1:30 p.m.</span></strong></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Ballet Hispánico Artistic Director and CEO Eduardo Vilaro will join the virtual class “Introduction to Arts Management,” taught by Professor Sam Sinagra from George Mason’s Arts Management Program. Vilaro will present the history of Ballet Hispánico and how the company centers its mission when creating programs and initiatives. </span><span>There will also be a Q&A for the students.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />  </p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><strong><span>Thursday, October 3 at 6:30 p.m.</span></strong></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Ballet Hispánico will lead a Latin Social Dance Workshop and Community Party, hosted by the Latin Student Association and <a href="https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flink.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com%2Fls%2Fclick%3Fupn%3Du001.qM5htVYGHAcwvlvIYHRb9vqhczkE9GqWtBodVXPTqgFxYwC-2B0IjD8xqMGsFdQqZ2rqOe_8zv46VVwxxCUyrELWir-2FpUSK60IWEUe31jCTqkwgEinJdTlvwMftJHyBrbZ07W1Rpw1CUwiu30ipSDAw2rRe3P4V8zOX2WjV3lHXYS-2FQRFd9EX8PlkTMcEFm0Ngy2jlMWIDUSHxJE-2FGQoodSEVYDZCPN-2Fr72CamIHSrU0G3zytXrtJ8Ec2HTHQ-2FF8wrc2m4VuH5aVHv5a3FZ-2FfeLAvqxO1n-2FTJvembfi3kV8Vksvf9bmB2yPp-2Ffd3iEaurxTBFDfW2LPnacB-2BQKlXKhz0Bw-2BaJwkI-2BFfrzbuc-2Bv1ujc8sJ7yoniiQC8KtDmVlt5E8HSaprHPv2ttefuoPPQ2s-2FtfuDWVfGz4h1R6OSq8zIVPoLy22Nl04qO1cL-2BZ7MCzfTVQ&data=05%7C02%7Clmertens%40gmu.edu%7Caa0ae3d3097f40f79a0008dcd8b37f27%7C9e857255df574c47a0c00546460380cb%7C0%7C0%7C638623514967306998%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C60000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=bD8HddAHIO2kJZtAAKXExRRWa3DTwOgi9UsHNlF8lLo%3D&reserved=0" title="https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flink.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com%2Fls%2Fclick%3Fupn%3Du001.qM5htVYGHAcwvlvIYHRb9vqhczkE9GqWtBodVXPTqgFxYwC-2B0IjD8xqMGsFdQqZ2rqOe_8zv46VVwxxCUyrELWir-2FpUSK60IWEUe31jCTqkwgEinJdTlvwMftJHyBrbZ07W1Rpw1CUwiu30ipSDAw2rRe3P4V8zOX2WjV3lHXYS-2FQRFd9EX8PlkTMcEFm0Ngy2jlMWIDUSHxJE-2FGQoodSEVYDZCPN-2Fr72CamIHSrU0G3zytXrtJ8Ec2HTHQ-2FF8wrc2m4VuH5aVHv5a3FZ-2FfeLAvqxO1n-2FTJvembfi3kV8Vksvf9bmB2yPp-2Ffd3iEaurxTBFDfW2LPnacB-2BQKlXKhz0Bw-2BaJwkI-2BFfrzbuc-2Bv1ujc8sJ7yoniiQC8KtDmVlt5E8HSaprHPv2ttefuoPPQ2s-2FtfuDWVfGz4h1R6OSq8zIVPoLy22Nl04qO1cL-2BZ7MCzfTVQ&data=05%7C02%7Clmertens%40gmu.edu%7Caa0ae3d3097f40f79a0008dcd8b37f27%7C9e857255df574c47a0c00546460380cb%7C0%7C0%7C638623514967306998%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C60000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=bD8HddAHIO2kJZtAAKXExRRWa3DTwOgi9UsHNlF8lLo%3D&reserved=0"><span>Mason Dining</span></a></span> <span>at Southside Dining Hall. This event is open to George Mason students, faculty, and staff. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><strong><span>Friday, October 4 at 1 p.m.</span></strong></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Ballet Hispánico will offer a dance workshop to a limited number of participants from the school time matinee.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <hr /><h2><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><strong><span>Center for the Arts Public Performance Information:</span></strong></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></h2> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Mason Artist-in-Residence</span><br /><span><a href="https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flink.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com%2Fls%2Fclick%3Fupn%3Du001.qM5htVYGHAcwvlvIYHRb9m-2BGXifhUVjCiIGPXOj0-2Bor-2BoSwoEQ1uHeQclC1N3kztqjgIoa8SaDI5EjI9rJduAQ-3D-3DIIwC_8zv46VVwxxCUyrELWir-2FpUSK60IWEUe31jCTqkwgEinJdTlvwMftJHyBrbZ07W1Rpw1CUwiu30ipSDAw2rRe3P4V8zOX2WjV3lHXYS-2FQRFd9EX8PlkTMcEFm0Ngy2jlMWIDUSHxJE-2FGQoodSEVYDZCPN-2Fr72CamIHSrU0G3zytXrtJ8Ec2HTHQ-2FF8wrc2m4VuH5aVHv5a3FZ-2FfeLAvqxO92Cp5TNt82kOPC-2F87R1-2Fm8jIW5iyJ4vUhNe8t24VZzVuxpC8c-2FLNBPSGgAoxMAYuXyeNuZU2u9C-2BwUtH9Qeiroe0PeAhRv4YimISwSLn4rVS3F0vzhjQYS2LMhYY7f9XJgBq4xT-2BGI-2FcyTIRNMgCND0lKpApczLKca1gQgd3xTO&data=05%7C02%7Clmertens%40gmu.edu%7Caa0ae3d3097f40f79a0008dcd8b37f27%7C9e857255df574c47a0c00546460380cb%7C0%7C0%7C638623514967332475%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C60000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=FGULEMJezvtVUkOtG7h4GE5OYo5VD%2FuAJ4nTvz%2B%2BnG8%3D&reserved=0" title="https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flink.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com%2Fls%2Fclick%3Fupn%3Du001.qM5htVYGHAcwvlvIYHRb9m-2BGXifhUVjCiIGPXOj0-2Bor-2BoSwoEQ1uHeQclC1N3kztqjgIoa8SaDI5EjI9rJduAQ-3D-3DIIwC_8zv46VVwxxCUyrELWir-2FpUSK60IWEUe31jCTqkwgEinJdTlvwMftJHyBrbZ07W1Rpw1CUwiu30ipSDAw2rRe3P4V8zOX2WjV3lHXYS-2FQRFd9EX8PlkTMcEFm0Ngy2jlMWIDUSHxJE-2FGQoodSEVYDZCPN-2Fr72CamIHSrU0G3zytXrtJ8Ec2HTHQ-2FF8wrc2m4VuH5aVHv5a3FZ-2FfeLAvqxO92Cp5TNt82kOPC-2F87R1-2Fm8jIW5iyJ4vUhNe8t24VZzVuxpC8c-2FLNBPSGgAoxMAYuXyeNuZU2u9C-2BwUtH9Qeiroe0PeAhRv4YimISwSLn4rVS3F0vzhjQYS2LMhYY7f9XJgBq4xT-2BGI-2FcyTIRNMgCND0lKpApczLKca1gQgd3xTO&data=05%7C02%7Clmertens%40gmu.edu%7Caa0ae3d3097f40f79a0008dcd8b37f27%7C9e857255df574c47a0c00546460380cb%7C0%7C0%7C638623514967332475%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C60000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=FGULEMJezvtVUkOtG7h4GE5OYo5VD%2FuAJ4nTvz%2B%2BnG8%3D&reserved=0"><strong><span>Ballet Hispánico</span></strong></a><br /> Saturday, October 5 at 8 p.m.<br /> $55, $47, $33; half-price for youth through Grade 12</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p>Tickets for Center for the Arts performances are on sale to the general public and available for purchase in person at the Center for the Arts Ticket Office (open Tuesday–Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and two hours prior to ticketed events in the Center for the Arts Concert Hall), by calling 703-993-2787, or through the Center for the Arts website (<a href="https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flink.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com%2Fls%2Fclick%3Fupn%3Du001.qM5htVYGHAcwvlvIYHRb9ptsjJyIXHSswMUiOdTQhnY-3DiOMp_8zv46VVwxxCUyrELWir-2FpUSK60IWEUe31jCTqkwgEinJdTlvwMftJHyBrbZ07W1Rpw1CUwiu30ipSDAw2rRe3P4V8zOX2WjV3lHXYS-2FQRFd9EX8PlkTMcEFm0Ngy2jlMWIDUSHxJE-2FGQoodSEVYDZCPN-2Fr72CamIHSrU0G3zytXrtJ8Ec2HTHQ-2FF8wrc2m4VuH5aVHv5a3FZ-2FfeLAvqxO1S4R-2FeJvKUwbcAXKqeZEtma6syPasx6NIKvM9cVscW3Or5QiFUWKxbKp2pvHgO-2BefKO6hLsfoeIOAOHKEJTz3QG2fYS3dZ0TANaOZj8kHNtNd0cJc7G2-2BgA1fPnQ9IDhFz59Sy0xm41GOqPQ0MhPRvDfueMc4ThIn4F3NOZzZT4&data=05%7C02%7Clmertens%40gmu.edu%7Caa0ae3d3097f40f79a0008dcd8b37f27%7C9e857255df574c47a0c00546460380cb%7C0%7C0%7C638623514967358179%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C60000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=reMXnuDJ24CMaBQSE7VoL75iQ3k4IRhcy2fSZ2T0bIQ%3D&reserved=0" title="https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flink.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com%2Fls%2Fclick%3Fupn%3Du001.qM5htVYGHAcwvlvIYHRb9ptsjJyIXHSswMUiOdTQhnY-3DiOMp_8zv46VVwxxCUyrELWir-2FpUSK60IWEUe31jCTqkwgEinJdTlvwMftJHyBrbZ07W1Rpw1CUwiu30ipSDAw2rRe3P4V8zOX2WjV3lHXYS-2FQRFd9EX8PlkTMcEFm0Ngy2jlMWIDUSHxJE-2FGQoodSEVYDZCPN-2Fr72CamIHSrU0G3zytXrtJ8Ec2HTHQ-2FF8wrc2m4VuH5aVHv5a3FZ-2FfeLAvqxO1S4R-2FeJvKUwbcAXKqeZEtma6syPasx6NIKvM9cVscW3Or5QiFUWKxbKp2pvHgO-2BefKO6hLsfoeIOAOHKEJTz3QG2fYS3dZ0TANaOZj8kHNtNd0cJc7G2-2BgA1fPnQ9IDhFz59Sy0xm41GOqPQ0MhPRvDfueMc4ThIn4F3NOZzZT4&data=05%7C02%7Clmertens%40gmu.edu%7Caa0ae3d3097f40f79a0008dcd8b37f27%7C9e857255df574c47a0c00546460380cb%7C0%7C0%7C638623514967358179%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C60000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=reMXnuDJ24CMaBQSE7VoL75iQ3k4IRhcy2fSZ2T0bIQ%3D&reserved=0"><span><span><span>cfa.gmu.edu</span></span></span></a>).</p> <p><span><span>A pre-performance discussion with Ballet Hispánico’s Artistic Director and CEO Eduardo Vilaro, moderated by George Mason School of Dance Professor Lawrence Jackson, will take place in Monson Grand Tier, which is located on the third level of the Center for the Arts Lobby, 45 minutes prior to curtain.</span></span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><em><span>The Mason Artist-in-Residence program is supported in part by the Wendy Frieman and David Johnson Fund.</span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <hr /><p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><strong><span><span>About Ballet Hispánico</span></span></strong></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><a href="https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flink.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com%2Fls%2Fclick%3Fupn%3Du001.qM5htVYGHAcwvlvIYHRb9ssApXT-2FXAsKeDjUEkT-2BKXGMGOvlF2H2d5noL4r51oCW4rTo_8zv46VVwxxCUyrELWir-2FpUSK60IWEUe31jCTqkwgEinJdTlvwMftJHyBrbZ07W1Rpw1CUwiu30ipSDAw2rRe3P4V8zOX2WjV3lHXYS-2FQRFd9EX8PlkTMcEFm0Ngy2jlMWIDUSHxJE-2FGQoodSEVYDZCPN-2Fr72CamIHSrU0G3zytXrtJ8Ec2HTHQ-2FF8wrc2m4VuH5aVHv5a3FZ-2FfeLAvqxOzk52DFpoX4OSLS0-2FcvEpfkgqret2FnPvVlrtYDHLPfZ6ifulqGXvjc0Np4VJV3sH2skJV-2B7TW4zDf1ECKbYeFIF6QXnA2sqJ3gtQhKnjWqnkj3B2nphjPC-2FN-2BmEaKRPaq2n9cWsaMkKvSrjvQLK4wrhj6fjfykRN0kjIr2PZHPr&data=05%7C02%7Clmertens%40gmu.edu%7Caa0ae3d3097f40f79a0008dcd8b37f27%7C9e857255df574c47a0c00546460380cb%7C0%7C0%7C638623514967416140%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C60000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=BkgG1t6WnIZ9S5kgFoyHmJWmuL3DnAL8H%2BZrywzkHaY%3D&reserved=0" title="https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flink.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com%2Fls%2Fclick%3Fupn%3Du001.qM5htVYGHAcwvlvIYHRb9ssApXT-2FXAsKeDjUEkT-2BKXGMGOvlF2H2d5noL4r51oCW4rTo_8zv46VVwxxCUyrELWir-2FpUSK60IWEUe31jCTqkwgEinJdTlvwMftJHyBrbZ07W1Rpw1CUwiu30ipSDAw2rRe3P4V8zOX2WjV3lHXYS-2FQRFd9EX8PlkTMcEFm0Ngy2jlMWIDUSHxJE-2FGQoodSEVYDZCPN-2Fr72CamIHSrU0G3zytXrtJ8Ec2HTHQ-2FF8wrc2m4VuH5aVHv5a3FZ-2FfeLAvqxOzk52DFpoX4OSLS0-2FcvEpfkgqret2FnPvVlrtYDHLPfZ6ifulqGXvjc0Np4VJV3sH2skJV-2B7TW4zDf1ECKbYeFIF6QXnA2sqJ3gtQhKnjWqnkj3B2nphjPC-2FN-2BmEaKRPaq2n9cWsaMkKvSrjvQLK4wrhj6fjfykRN0kjIr2PZHPr&data=05%7C02%7Clmertens%40gmu.edu%7Caa0ae3d3097f40f79a0008dcd8b37f27%7C9e857255df574c47a0c00546460380cb%7C0%7C0%7C638623514967416140%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C60000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=BkgG1t6WnIZ9S5kgFoyHmJWmuL3DnAL8H%2BZrywzkHaY%3D&reserved=0"><strong><span>Ballet Hispánico</span></strong></a></span><span><span> was born from a bold vision to transform the world through the power of dance and reimagine how Latinx culture is celebrated on the global stage. Since its founding in 1970 by the trailblazing Tina Ramirez, Ballet Hispánico has been breaking barriers and reshaping expectations, using dance as a dynamic force for cultural expression, empowerment, and meaningful change.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Today, Ballet Hispánico proudly stands as the largest Latino cultural organization in the United States and an acclaimed "America’s Cultural Treasure." Through our three core pillars—the professional Company, School of Dance, and Community Arts Partnerships—we lead with purpose, uplifting the vibrant, diverse voices of the Hispanic diaspora. �鶹���� Company brings the work of visionary Latinx choreographers to life, delivering groundbreaking performances that ignite cultural dialogue and challenge artistic boundaries.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Under the visionary leadership of Artistic Director and CEO Eduardo Vilaro, who began his journey with Ballet Hispánico as a dancer in 1985, the company continues to chart new paths forward. Building on Tina Ramirez’s legacy, Vilaro has expanded the company’s impact, amplifying the intersectional stories of Latinx identities. Programs like Instituto Coreográfico, the Latinx Leaders Summit, and Diálogos foster innovation and leadership, nurturing the next generation of Hispanic artists and cultural leaders.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>A true trailblazer in the world of dance, Ballet Hispánico has performed for more than 2.5 million people across three continents. As we look to the future, our unwavering commitment is to empower communities, inspire through the beauty of dance, and continue elevating Latinx voices on the world stage.</span></span><span><a href="https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flink.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com%2Fls%2Fclick%3Fupn%3Du001.LKjxezJd3HzHzHT3YyS7l57xf2tMpYpkGZOrdJ08-2BZ7nsumljBOQQ-2FWxfd4ypKKPQxTe_8zv46VVwxxCUyrELWir-2FpUSK60IWEUe31jCTqkwgEinJdTlvwMftJHyBrbZ07W1Rpw1CUwiu30ipSDAw2rRe3P4V8zOX2WjV3lHXYS-2FQRFd9EX8PlkTMcEFm0Ngy2jlMWIDUSHxJE-2FGQoodSEVYDZCPN-2Fr72CamIHSrU0G3zytXrtJ8Ec2HTHQ-2FF8wrc2m4VuH5aVHv5a3FZ-2FfeLAvqxO9K5gV2MDBdh-2BXvs1qAO4Sgcn1ZizjQ-2BAeYiifzxohH4Kqh0Ctk5Pkgh-2B2qcKaFVJDlolxLauRJ-2FPIrayjYd9gUgWvwcvQlNRlaCBL-2FAlovuJeCSAby-2FHnYGsRW7b8yXXODy18zuCewt9X-2FwmC5a7dyrb3YtK5EkZx3f7IO6-2BRXN&data=05%7C02%7Clmertens%40gmu.edu%7Caa0ae3d3097f40f79a0008dcd8b37f27%7C9e857255df574c47a0c00546460380cb%7C0%7C0%7C638623514967433295%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C60000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=w99E5EskPc6qM76NZQRtVdKRIG3gS3bWo3o%2FU4GcfIc%3D&reserved=0" title="https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flink.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com%2Fls%2Fclick%3Fupn%3Du001.LKjxezJd3HzHzHT3YyS7l57xf2tMpYpkGZOrdJ08-2BZ7nsumljBOQQ-2FWxfd4ypKKPQxTe_8zv46VVwxxCUyrELWir-2FpUSK60IWEUe31jCTqkwgEinJdTlvwMftJHyBrbZ07W1Rpw1CUwiu30ipSDAw2rRe3P4V8zOX2WjV3lHXYS-2FQRFd9EX8PlkTMcEFm0Ngy2jlMWIDUSHxJE-2FGQoodSEVYDZCPN-2Fr72CamIHSrU0G3zytXrtJ8Ec2HTHQ-2FF8wrc2m4VuH5aVHv5a3FZ-2FfeLAvqxO9K5gV2MDBdh-2BXvs1qAO4Sgcn1ZizjQ-2BAeYiifzxohH4Kqh0Ctk5Pkgh-2B2qcKaFVJDlolxLauRJ-2FPIrayjYd9gUgWvwcvQlNRlaCBL-2FAlovuJeCSAby-2FHnYGsRW7b8yXXODy18zuCewt9X-2FwmC5a7dyrb3YtK5EkZx3f7IO6-2BRXN&data=05%7C02%7Clmertens%40gmu.edu%7Caa0ae3d3097f40f79a0008dcd8b37f27%7C9e857255df574c47a0c00546460380cb%7C0%7C0%7C638623514967433295%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C60000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=w99E5EskPc6qM76NZQRtVdKRIG3gS3bWo3o%2FU4GcfIc%3D&reserved=0"><strong><span>www.ballethispanico.org.</span></strong></a></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><strong><span><span>About Eduardo Vilaro</span></span></strong></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><a href="https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flink.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com%2Fls%2Fclick%3Fupn%3Du001.qM5htVYGHAcwvlvIYHRb9ssApXT-2FXAsKeDjUEkT-2BKXGDc-2FccIJM0LvNNdfOFdrlpDA64rpVWYc3kAnG40A2vooPre6XIVPlmqHLu7LHpXNjjilfp6C8rEkLPfAx3xC9yh9FnnA5zJUUNJIfVcyNFuYdd-2BwfFM0Eda9yZPGAT6BE-3Dmngy_8zv46VVwxxCUyrELWir-2FpUSK60IWEUe31jCTqkwgEinJdTlvwMftJHyBrbZ07W1Rpw1CUwiu30ipSDAw2rRe3P4V8zOX2WjV3lHXYS-2FQRFd9EX8PlkTMcEFm0Ngy2jlMWIDUSHxJE-2FGQoodSEVYDZCPN-2Fr72CamIHSrU0G3zytXrtJ8Ec2HTHQ-2FF8wrc2m4VuH5aVHv5a3FZ-2FfeLAvqxO0C-2F1y-2FN-2Bhm6lcxaGDRSTW9T-2F3TStmSBRWOVEzSurt-2BlsK4mNmYXtl6lisJzc0a5Y-2FMbU8ZflIYpptK80r707lUqqhOMcnUef9wPZpV6jKDbx2zPGbL-2BwTJyhpL3PxnjYt91YPi-2FsvgWSKbH21i7morsThucHpF-2F0v9vkzyc-2F0F1&data=05%7C02%7Clmertens%40gmu.edu%7Caa0ae3d3097f40f79a0008dcd8b37f27%7C9e857255df574c47a0c00546460380cb%7C0%7C0%7C638623514967451776%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C60000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=w%2FAW%2BU%2Bo5wJLbHwJVnKhjE%2BckCR1hrFBUCcMgjWcIgo%3D&reserved=0" title="https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flink.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com%2Fls%2Fclick%3Fupn%3Du001.qM5htVYGHAcwvlvIYHRb9ssApXT-2FXAsKeDjUEkT-2BKXGDc-2FccIJM0LvNNdfOFdrlpDA64rpVWYc3kAnG40A2vooPre6XIVPlmqHLu7LHpXNjjilfp6C8rEkLPfAx3xC9yh9FnnA5zJUUNJIfVcyNFuYdd-2BwfFM0Eda9yZPGAT6BE-3Dmngy_8zv46VVwxxCUyrELWir-2FpUSK60IWEUe31jCTqkwgEinJdTlvwMftJHyBrbZ07W1Rpw1CUwiu30ipSDAw2rRe3P4V8zOX2WjV3lHXYS-2FQRFd9EX8PlkTMcEFm0Ngy2jlMWIDUSHxJE-2FGQoodSEVYDZCPN-2Fr72CamIHSrU0G3zytXrtJ8Ec2HTHQ-2FF8wrc2m4VuH5aVHv5a3FZ-2FfeLAvqxO0C-2F1y-2FN-2Bhm6lcxaGDRSTW9T-2F3TStmSBRWOVEzSurt-2BlsK4mNmYXtl6lisJzc0a5Y-2FMbU8ZflIYpptK80r707lUqqhOMcnUef9wPZpV6jKDbx2zPGbL-2BwTJyhpL3PxnjYt91YPi-2FsvgWSKbH21i7morsThucHpF-2F0v9vkzyc-2F0F1&data=05%7C02%7Clmertens%40gmu.edu%7Caa0ae3d3097f40f79a0008dcd8b37f27%7C9e857255df574c47a0c00546460380cb%7C0%7C0%7C638623514967451776%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C60000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=w%2FAW%2BU%2Bo5wJLbHwJVnKhjE%2BckCR1hrFBUCcMgjWcIgo%3D&reserved=0"><strong><span>Eduardo Vilaro</span></strong></a>,</span> <span><span>Artistic Director & CEO of Ballet Hispánico since 2009, has revitalized the company with his vision of dance as a reflection of America’s diverse cultural tapestry. Born in Cuba and raised in New York, Vilaro’s choreography explores the Latin American experience and its intersections with other cultures. He previously founded Luna Negra Dance Theater in Chicago, promoting Latinx artistry. Vilaro’s work has earned him numerous awards, including an honorary Doctorate from Adelphi �鶹����, recognizing his leadership in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the arts. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> <br /><span><span><strong><span><span>About the Center for the Arts</span></span></strong></span></span><br /><span><span><span><span>A </span></span><a href="https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flink.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com%2Fls%2Fclick%3Fupn%3Du001.qM5htVYGHAcwvlvIYHRb9ohxTUjj7urutrggBsnARkBbtji-2BbZTMGx5DckkW-2FoGpT3vt_8zv46VVwxxCUyrELWir-2FpUSK60IWEUe31jCTqkwgEinJdTlvwMftJHyBrbZ07W1Rpw1CUwiu30ipSDAw2rRe3P4V8zOX2WjV3lHXYS-2FQRFd9EX8PlkTMcEFm0Ngy2jlMWIDUSHxJE-2FGQoodSEVYDZCPN-2Fr72CamIHSrU0G3zytXrtJ8Ec2HTHQ-2FF8wrc2m4VuH5aVHv5a3FZ-2FfeLAvqxOxlJxwk95YkuHSQwuXgLzI9iZU5lPJ46CwNbZFb7vtSkwbeP-2BirlPFnNZcrDfKaXKjwCRezvRLrY-2B0f9oBryt4xVFOzFMfwP4YhYakNBhi4o-2FrGN-2BZGHIwwd9MSxs6m29EI0dXAO5pcMqOTEPdUJOV8NvlaePf2kIwwxL4qLwXsC&data=05%7C02%7Clmertens%40gmu.edu%7Caa0ae3d3097f40f79a0008dcd8b37f27%7C9e857255df574c47a0c00546460380cb%7C0%7C0%7C638623514967469600%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C60000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=dPD4gXBVZaZaVCd9ws5f2NeLi2LyCJlS1abxtyqySVY%3D&reserved=0" title="https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flink.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com%2Fls%2Fclick%3Fupn%3Du001.qM5htVYGHAcwvlvIYHRb9ohxTUjj7urutrggBsnARkBbtji-2BbZTMGx5DckkW-2FoGpT3vt_8zv46VVwxxCUyrELWir-2FpUSK60IWEUe31jCTqkwgEinJdTlvwMftJHyBrbZ07W1Rpw1CUwiu30ipSDAw2rRe3P4V8zOX2WjV3lHXYS-2FQRFd9EX8PlkTMcEFm0Ngy2jlMWIDUSHxJE-2FGQoodSEVYDZCPN-2Fr72CamIHSrU0G3zytXrtJ8Ec2HTHQ-2FF8wrc2m4VuH5aVHv5a3FZ-2FfeLAvqxOxlJxwk95YkuHSQwuXgLzI9iZU5lPJ46CwNbZFb7vtSkwbeP-2BirlPFnNZcrDfKaXKjwCRezvRLrY-2B0f9oBryt4xVFOzFMfwP4YhYakNBhi4o-2FrGN-2BZGHIwwd9MSxs6m29EI0dXAO5pcMqOTEPdUJOV8NvlaePf2kIwwxL4qLwXsC&data=05%7C02%7Clmertens%40gmu.edu%7Caa0ae3d3097f40f79a0008dcd8b37f27%7C9e857255df574c47a0c00546460380cb%7C0%7C0%7C638623514967469600%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C60000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=dPD4gXBVZaZaVCd9ws5f2NeLi2LyCJlS1abxtyqySVY%3D&reserved=0"><strong><span><span>Mason Arts</span></span></strong></a><span><span> venue, the </span></span><a href="https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flink.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com%2Fls%2Fclick%3Fupn%3Du001.qM5htVYGHAcwvlvIYHRb9ptsjJyIXHSswMUiOdTQhnY-3Dnx_i_8zv46VVwxxCUyrELWir-2FpUSK60IWEUe31jCTqkwgEinJdTlvwMftJHyBrbZ07W1Rpw1CUwiu30ipSDAw2rRe3P4V8zOX2WjV3lHXYS-2FQRFd9EX8PlkTMcEFm0Ngy2jlMWIDUSHxJE-2FGQoodSEVYDZCPN-2Fr72CamIHSrU0G3zytXrtJ8Ec2HTHQ-2FF8wrc2m4VuH5aVHv5a3FZ-2FfeLAvqxOzQ6wAP1hgTvGZIPQtSDzXWcQTw4PYASMoYIGVMQtuyVEGtkSrOHEFqzPEBfj-2FTeikxdYX-2BcsLUndBws0kFtw9RJyPVkzhIGWjR3KbqnUWfpyGQ6KVn6b-2FWyNA6VqgTQmU99oJFZJKCuJIH2i0pce53owM389jTNOyM1e1WnLu2O&data=05%7C02%7Clmertens%40gmu.edu%7Caa0ae3d3097f40f79a0008dcd8b37f27%7C9e857255df574c47a0c00546460380cb%7C0%7C0%7C638623514967486157%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C60000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=9R91tngiPg3hJK84l%2FhRIeM%2BWcsCYaq4kAuK08AE%2Bwk%3D&reserved=0" title="https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flink.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com%2Fls%2Fclick%3Fupn%3Du001.qM5htVYGHAcwvlvIYHRb9ptsjJyIXHSswMUiOdTQhnY-3Dnx_i_8zv46VVwxxCUyrELWir-2FpUSK60IWEUe31jCTqkwgEinJdTlvwMftJHyBrbZ07W1Rpw1CUwiu30ipSDAw2rRe3P4V8zOX2WjV3lHXYS-2FQRFd9EX8PlkTMcEFm0Ngy2jlMWIDUSHxJE-2FGQoodSEVYDZCPN-2Fr72CamIHSrU0G3zytXrtJ8Ec2HTHQ-2FF8wrc2m4VuH5aVHv5a3FZ-2FfeLAvqxOzQ6wAP1hgTvGZIPQtSDzXWcQTw4PYASMoYIGVMQtuyVEGtkSrOHEFqzPEBfj-2FTeikxdYX-2BcsLUndBws0kFtw9RJyPVkzhIGWjR3KbqnUWfpyGQ6KVn6b-2FWyNA6VqgTQmU99oJFZJKCuJIH2i0pce53owM389jTNOyM1e1WnLu2O&data=05%7C02%7Clmertens%40gmu.edu%7Caa0ae3d3097f40f79a0008dcd8b37f27%7C9e857255df574c47a0c00546460380cb%7C0%7C0%7C638623514967486157%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C60000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=9R91tngiPg3hJK84l%2FhRIeM%2BWcsCYaq4kAuK08AE%2Bwk%3D&reserved=0"><strong><span><span>Center for the Arts</span></span></strong></a><span><span> is the centerpiece of performing arts on George Mason �鶹����’s Fairfax campus. Each year, the Center welcomes hundreds of thousands of community members into its nearly 2,000-seat Concert Hall. The Center presents an annual season of national and international professional artists through its <em>Great Performances at Mason </em>and <em>Family Series</em>—offering the best of classical music, opera, jazz, global music, dance, theater, and more. Managed by George Mason’s College of Visual and Performing Arts, the Center hosts many student and faculty performances presented by the Schools of Music, Theater, and Dance and supports the events of the School of Art, Film and Video Studies, Computer Game Design, and Arts Management programs. The Center brings distinguished visiting artists as Mason Artists-in-Residence for extended engagements designed to engage and inspire diverse audiences both on and off campus. The Center for the Arts serves as a performance home for many community arts organizations in the greater Washington, D.C. area. </span></span><a href="https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flink.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com%2Fls%2Fclick%3Fupn%3Du001.qM5htVYGHAcwvlvIYHRb9ptsjJyIXHSswMUiOdTQhnY-3DKvGs_8zv46VVwxxCUyrELWir-2FpUSK60IWEUe31jCTqkwgEinJdTlvwMftJHyBrbZ07W1Rpw1CUwiu30ipSDAw2rRe3P4V8zOX2WjV3lHXYS-2FQRFd9EX8PlkTMcEFm0Ngy2jlMWIDUSHxJE-2FGQoodSEVYDZCPN-2Fr72CamIHSrU0G3zytXrtJ8Ec2HTHQ-2FF8wrc2m4VuH5aVHv5a3FZ-2FfeLAvqxO-2FB4tF1IQANQAOJy-2FcNhSCXSUHpBZyO98AjWtLDrYXBiPBbKgFU5Ks1RRhmJGe2KPAJEUMCnMDxOUD9o-2FG7sz2j20MA-2F2-2FyNkmr-2F-2BBGky6N1TVjEwY2NWT7jebi-2F1wdC5-2BcLqPb-2BFUmeg2rAP8VRKiNatO-2Bh1UO8Aa1xKgyBqh2f&data=05%7C02%7Clmertens%40gmu.edu%7Caa0ae3d3097f40f79a0008dcd8b37f27%7C9e857255df574c47a0c00546460380cb%7C0%7C0%7C638623514967503143%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C60000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=zyEvohkebTnHVkaggC8IL1m3VwqhejNEyv%2B8fON1UgU%3D&reserved=0" title="https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flink.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com%2Fls%2Fclick%3Fupn%3Du001.qM5htVYGHAcwvlvIYHRb9ptsjJyIXHSswMUiOdTQhnY-3DKvGs_8zv46VVwxxCUyrELWir-2FpUSK60IWEUe31jCTqkwgEinJdTlvwMftJHyBrbZ07W1Rpw1CUwiu30ipSDAw2rRe3P4V8zOX2WjV3lHXYS-2FQRFd9EX8PlkTMcEFm0Ngy2jlMWIDUSHxJE-2FGQoodSEVYDZCPN-2Fr72CamIHSrU0G3zytXrtJ8Ec2HTHQ-2FF8wrc2m4VuH5aVHv5a3FZ-2FfeLAvqxO-2FB4tF1IQANQAOJy-2FcNhSCXSUHpBZyO98AjWtLDrYXBiPBbKgFU5Ks1RRhmJGe2KPAJEUMCnMDxOUD9o-2FG7sz2j20MA-2F2-2FyNkmr-2F-2BBGky6N1TVjEwY2NWT7jebi-2F1wdC5-2BcLqPb-2BFUmeg2rAP8VRKiNatO-2Bh1UO8Aa1xKgyBqh2f&data=05%7C02%7Clmertens%40gmu.edu%7Caa0ae3d3097f40f79a0008dcd8b37f27%7C9e857255df574c47a0c00546460380cb%7C0%7C0%7C638623514967503143%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C60000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=zyEvohkebTnHVkaggC8IL1m3VwqhejNEyv%2B8fON1UgU%3D&reserved=0"><strong><span><span>cfa.gmu.edu</span></span></strong></a><span><span>.</span></span></span></span><br />  <br /><span><span><strong><span><span>About George Mason �鶹����</span></span></strong></span></span><br /><span><span><span><span>George Mason �鶹����, Virginia’s largest public research university, is located near Washington, D.C., and enrolls more than 40,000 students from 130 countries and all 50 states. George Mason has grown rapidly over the last half-century and is recognized for its innovation and entrepreneurship, remarkable diversity, and commitment to accessibility. In 2023, the university launched Mason Now: Power the Possible, a one-billion-dollar comprehensive campaign to support student success, research, innovation, community, and stewardship.</span></span> <a href="https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flink.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com%2Fls%2Fclick%3Fupn%3Du001.LKjxezJd3HzHzHT3YyS7l-2FG6ZkySTEC-2BgZBNADwRm7k-3Ddabd_8zv46VVwxxCUyrELWir-2FpUSK60IWEUe31jCTqkwgEinJdTlvwMftJHyBrbZ07W1Rpw1CUwiu30ipSDAw2rRe3P4V8zOX2WjV3lHXYS-2FQRFd9EX8PlkTMcEFm0Ngy2jlMWIDUSHxJE-2FGQoodSEVYDZCPN-2Fr72CamIHSrU0G3zytXrtJ8Ec2HTHQ-2FF8wrc2m4VuH5aVHv5a3FZ-2FfeLAvqxO0NsiKNKdn7CVtWzAEdUBxgHsh4bk6t1KPoIGR7TNEQ6-2FWB4h-2BH-2Bz4VssxWo9u0wVgi-2FRNZZJUBMNGgr98di4STge6QK-2Fwk8Uq2P4UFBNrSVpcMK-2FgHz9t1l8IdndR-2BTxrjn-2FjGgmbZC6PxRvDyyTfNEVogNtAAVZdN-2Bzk99tx82&data=05%7C02%7Clmertens%40gmu.edu%7Caa0ae3d3097f40f79a0008dcd8b37f27%7C9e857255df574c47a0c00546460380cb%7C0%7C0%7C638623514967520640%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C60000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=%2FPRZDxIwUi2sF3YciuxqbrgqRhhqVALjH%2Bumm8VJ14w%3D&reserved=0" title="https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flink.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com%2Fls%2Fclick%3Fupn%3Du001.LKjxezJd3HzHzHT3YyS7l-2FG6ZkySTEC-2BgZBNADwRm7k-3Ddabd_8zv46VVwxxCUyrELWir-2FpUSK60IWEUe31jCTqkwgEinJdTlvwMftJHyBrbZ07W1Rpw1CUwiu30ipSDAw2rRe3P4V8zOX2WjV3lHXYS-2FQRFd9EX8PlkTMcEFm0Ngy2jlMWIDUSHxJE-2FGQoodSEVYDZCPN-2Fr72CamIHSrU0G3zytXrtJ8Ec2HTHQ-2FF8wrc2m4VuH5aVHv5a3FZ-2FfeLAvqxO0NsiKNKdn7CVtWzAEdUBxgHsh4bk6t1KPoIGR7TNEQ6-2FWB4h-2BH-2Bz4VssxWo9u0wVgi-2FRNZZJUBMNGgr98di4STge6QK-2Fwk8Uq2P4UFBNrSVpcMK-2FgHz9t1l8IdndR-2BTxrjn-2FjGgmbZC6PxRvDyyTfNEVogNtAAVZdN-2Bzk99tx82&data=05%7C02%7Clmertens%40gmu.edu%7Caa0ae3d3097f40f79a0008dcd8b37f27%7C9e857255df574c47a0c00546460380cb%7C0%7C0%7C638623514967520640%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C60000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=%2FPRZDxIwUi2sF3YciuxqbrgqRhhqVALjH%2Bumm8VJ14w%3D&reserved=0"><strong><span><span>www.gmu.edu</span></span></strong></a><span><span>.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> <br /><span><span><span><span>For more information, please visit: </span></span></span></span><br /><span><span><a href="https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flink.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com%2Fls%2Fclick%3Fupn%3Du001.LKjxezJd3HzHzHT3YyS7l92Vw-2B-2BO8NCeupwEg06-2BVMs-3DoIYj_8zv46VVwxxCUyrELWir-2FpUSK60IWEUe31jCTqkwgEinJdTlvwMftJHyBrbZ07W1Rpw1CUwiu30ipSDAw2rRe3P4V8zOX2WjV3lHXYS-2FQRFd9EX8PlkTMcEFm0Ngy2jlMWIDUSHxJE-2FGQoodSEVYDZCPN-2Fr72CamIHSrU0G3zytXrtJ8Ec2HTHQ-2FF8wrc2m4VuH5aVHv5a3FZ-2FfeLAvqxO61IZP41UiGVoKUACVXXGwgxzNVH184ITWLvSR30A-2FEJf4M7JC2WH2E79j2klrXAxAVe6BjCMCxqLuum70oCqehZwU1nurjXmylItpWeaq14NPvCwNaES05mlbVd9x4Nh1nbPQErqXwO7o5HjRC5MJtgiv4heW50eOuCDq03swvR&data=05%7C02%7Clmertens%40gmu.edu%7Caa0ae3d3097f40f79a0008dcd8b37f27%7C9e857255df574c47a0c00546460380cb%7C0%7C0%7C638623514967537412%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C60000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=cA%2FoeIwUXR39JZmfK43u%2Fqqt7D4wRD6%2Fof5csHc%2BseQ%3D&reserved=0" title="https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flink.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com%2Fls%2Fclick%3Fupn%3Du001.LKjxezJd3HzHzHT3YyS7l92Vw-2B-2BO8NCeupwEg06-2BVMs-3DoIYj_8zv46VVwxxCUyrELWir-2FpUSK60IWEUe31jCTqkwgEinJdTlvwMftJHyBrbZ07W1Rpw1CUwiu30ipSDAw2rRe3P4V8zOX2WjV3lHXYS-2FQRFd9EX8PlkTMcEFm0Ngy2jlMWIDUSHxJE-2FGQoodSEVYDZCPN-2Fr72CamIHSrU0G3zytXrtJ8Ec2HTHQ-2FF8wrc2m4VuH5aVHv5a3FZ-2FfeLAvqxO61IZP41UiGVoKUACVXXGwgxzNVH184ITWLvSR30A-2FEJf4M7JC2WH2E79j2klrXAxAVe6BjCMCxqLuum70oCqehZwU1nurjXmylItpWeaq14NPvCwNaES05mlbVd9x4Nh1nbPQErqXwO7o5HjRC5MJtgiv4heW50eOuCDq03swvR&data=05%7C02%7Clmertens%40gmu.edu%7Caa0ae3d3097f40f79a0008dcd8b37f27%7C9e857255df574c47a0c00546460380cb%7C0%7C0%7C638623514967537412%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C60000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=cA%2FoeIwUXR39JZmfK43u%2Fqqt7D4wRD6%2Fof5csHc%2BseQ%3D&reserved=0"><span><span>George Mason �鶹����’s Center for the Arts</span></span></a></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />  </p> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="layout__region region-second"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_associated_people" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-associated-people"> <h2>In This Story</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-associated-people field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">People Mentioned in This Story</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/profiles/vadebuso" hreflang="en">Victor Adebusola</a></div> </div> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:call_to_action" data-inline-block-uuid="a29cd9a8-9a76-49fd-81cf-a85597b63a88"> <div class="cta"> <a class="cta__link" href="https://cfa.calendar.gmu.edu/ballet-hisp-225-nico"> <h4 class="cta__title">Get tickets for the October 5 Ballet Hispánico performance <i class="fas fa-arrow-circle-right"></i> </h4> <span class="cta__icon"></span> </a> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:call_to_action" data-inline-block-uuid="8cfc9ae4-cb14-47dd-986e-81e0e8519349"> <div class="cta"> <a class="cta__link" href="https://cvpa.gmu.edu/why-cvpa/guest-artists/mason-artist-residence-program"> <h4 class="cta__title">Learn more about the Mason Artist-in-Residence program <i class="fas fa-arrow-circle-right"></i> </h4> <span class="cta__icon"></span> </a> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_content_topics" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-content-topics"> <h2>Topics</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-content-topics field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Topics</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/18711" hreflang="en">Mason Artists-in-Residence</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/16376" hreflang="en">Cultural Dance</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/9631" hreflang="en">Dance</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/5246" hreflang="en">Center for the Arts</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/12811" hreflang="en">CFA</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/871" hreflang="en">College of Visual and Performing Arts</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/146" hreflang="en">College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA)</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/4821" hreflang="en">College of Visual and Performing Arts School of Dance</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/116" hreflang="en">Campus News</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Fri, 27 Sep 2024 19:35:55 +0000 Laura Mertens 114016 at /news/2024-08/arts-george-2024-celebrates-mason-arts-culminating-concert-tony-award-winner-lea <span>ARTS by George! 2024 Celebrates Mason Arts, Culminating in Concert by Tony Award Winner Lea Salonga</span> <span><span>Laura Mertens</span></span> <span>Wed, 08/28/2024 - 14:26</span> <div class="layout layout--gmu layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--70-30"> <div class="layout__region region-first"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:body" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasebody"> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Body</div> <div class="field__item"><h2><img alt="Image" src="https://meltwater-apps-production.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/images/5ea7207e05d57000103f56e9/blobid0_1724440739245.jpg" /><strong> </strong></h2> <h2>George Mason �鶹����'s College of Visual and Performing Arts Presents ARTS <em>by George!</em>, an Evening Celebrating Mason Arts</h2> <p><a href="https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flink.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com%2Fls%2Fclick%3Fupn%3Du001.qM5htVYGHAcwvlvIYHRb9g5SuyOQWep-2BvTJdK4TyGGNLFXwDDxKjEOw6pC40KsW4q0E6eLKIh6Ov3shDoEuicg-3D-3DpPIM_8zv46VVwxxCUyrELWir-2FpUSK60IWEUe31jCTqkwgEinJdTlvwMftJHyBrbZ07W1Rpw1CUwiu30ipSDAw2rRe3P4V8zOX2WjV3lHXYS-2FQRFd9EX8PlkTMcEFm0Ngy2jlM-2BVFOP1M2TJXnp715NcvBR-2FOCkQeX817UU9PhfUJE8M7xNFu-2F8ey7KIZI11tVgzP7fgPzy-2Fe-2BIOKItSQv3BJfnC9HTizbAAGkd2hg40wJK8qvs0c17VcFo7GD7MWLpWdBjmtpN8lt8J1Oshkoj0KS3Vami4iUgmIGQ8k-2BO2l4QyHRgHMBs1-2BZi0d1KVFDOrc-2FINijsH1LVpmX0BwRBISB5myYR-2FKA1zJYI5arcj276DWi02EP141XpKocAqjFR6I3&data=05%7C02%7Clmertens%40gmu.edu%7C2f8010c7bb934b1744c408dcc769c98d%7C9e857255df574c47a0c00546460380cb%7C0%7C0%7C638604504378646144%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=Zd9pgTxmNt60DSPhfr3rC9o8w7KdNfF1gw7E2JH86FE%3D&reserved=0"><strong>ARTS <em>by George!</em></strong></a> makes its return to George Mason �鶹����’s Fairfax Campus on<strong> September 28, 2024. </strong>Headlined by Tony and Olivier Award-winning singer and actress <a href="https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flink.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com%2Fls%2Fclick%3Fupn%3Du001.qM5htVYGHAcwvlvIYHRb9m-2BGXifhUVjCiIGPXOj0-2Bop0x6Of-2FS3SdvceTD9y4k-2FOhayIkOEHvb-2Bs-2F8fABR66p1xUvmbClgvjKPTLEApwunY-3Dy1aP_8zv46VVwxxCUyrELWir-2FpUSK60IWEUe31jCTqkwgEinJdTlvwMftJHyBrbZ07W1Rpw1CUwiu30ipSDAw2rRe3P4V8zOX2WjV3lHXYS-2FQRFd9EX8PlkTMcEFm0Ngy2jlM-2BVFOP1M2TJXnp715NcvBR-2FOCkQeX817UU9PhfUJE8M7xNFu-2F8ey7KIZI11tVgzP7fgPzy-2Fe-2BIOKItSQv3BJfnAvn2CZ-2FRuRnu0NXqUSLCN1gGnfErpzaQasu5ckM5GdukNL4JUFU-2B7G6tbKtt6CvU3e8aO8UQzIy3gDZaAFqaHkXP8ee8yTLm5ZTbXw3Umtsfv0-2FZgYcT9A4t4APehs5iCEQ9DluMiUh0JW40AIZD6Tk88RA27cZVKFzMqkV5kJg&data=05%7C02%7Clmertens%40gmu.edu%7C2f8010c7bb934b1744c408dcc769c98d%7C9e857255df574c47a0c00546460380cb%7C0%7C0%7C638604504378662497%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=8nCjYBWSkowEzAW9x8O2CappLksC48MnxU1WmPO0IWQ%3D&reserved=0"><strong>Lea Salonga,</strong></a> the annual benefit event raises funds for <strong>student scholarships</strong> at the <a href="https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flink.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com%2Fls%2Fclick%3Fupn%3Du001.qM5htVYGHAcwvlvIYHRb9gET-2F2juXYxCiQvG09aCLO0-3D2cZ3_8zv46VVwxxCUyrELWir-2FpUSK60IWEUe31jCTqkwgEinJdTlvwMftJHyBrbZ07W1Rpw1CUwiu30ipSDAw2rRe3P4V8zOX2WjV3lHXYS-2FQRFd9EX8PlkTMcEFm0Ngy2jlM-2BVFOP1M2TJXnp715NcvBR-2FOCkQeX817UU9PhfUJE8M7xNFu-2F8ey7KIZI11tVgzP7fgPzy-2Fe-2BIOKItSQv3BJfnOfUCYgNcalHtnYfm6t7NHy2UQK79tSDu60YxcwlDD2-2F9D5NFFCEEBVn7KS4-2FBkFo9E-2FJHfO5KY1-2F7OqO5XshzZzd6lv6E82gMhDQesa99WjaP9FMPIIKYX9Y3cCJRaVauAQg14bM42XCN4KXK5BAUn7Z8x-2B2SmZjXTKU54Kxj-2Fs&data=05%7C02%7Clmertens%40gmu.edu%7C2f8010c7bb934b1744c408dcc769c98d%7C9e857255df574c47a0c00546460380cb%7C0%7C0%7C638604504378675126%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=pJ9IBMVwBsoGjNbuq6xdP5pwimFONSUCgtX3k6P5Me0%3D&reserved=0"><strong>College of Visual and Performing Arts</strong></a> (CVPA), as well as for the <a href="https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flink.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com%2Fls%2Fclick%3Fupn%3Du001.qM5htVYGHAcwvlvIYHRb9hzt7CdzRzTxU5szHbbKGpJ5F4m55l1I2v4A2ZiA8gvza6SU_8zv46VVwxxCUyrELWir-2FpUSK60IWEUe31jCTqkwgEinJdTlvwMftJHyBrbZ07W1Rpw1CUwiu30ipSDAw2rRe3P4V8zOX2WjV3lHXYS-2FQRFd9EX8PlkTMcEFm0Ngy2jlM-2BVFOP1M2TJXnp715NcvBR-2FOCkQeX817UU9PhfUJE8M7xNFu-2F8ey7KIZI11tVgzP7fgPzy-2Fe-2BIOKItSQv3BJfnOyryPT1Rqx-2BnpSamvNpYtEO3u4G88HW6jZWyTk2-2F426N-2BkkBFHGB6Rk88g4-2FiqD-2BU0ooDWMnY6iPW4ehnTHMFMQdNzyvWJKb5SmyeS5t2YspHguRks024YNSpn9b8U3nJRiVm7fZahYztgZuJiypV-2FNJNxUGNiPQF0QUu1qVyfL&data=05%7C02%7Clmertens%40gmu.edu%7C2f8010c7bb934b1744c408dcc769c98d%7C9e857255df574c47a0c00546460380cb%7C0%7C0%7C638604504378685450%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=QFtffu%2BWZ%2BYP86kcXJNlMSI6ECit2YZ8EAD6lyjqIrE%3D&reserved=0"><strong>Mason Community Arts Academy</strong></a>, <a href="https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flink.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com%2Fls%2Fclick%3Fupn%3Du001.qM5htVYGHAcwvlvIYHRb9lODlmzuIGttgkshW-2F0af0q3FVQm3gy8o4RTZ6yac1MHtytH_8zv46VVwxxCUyrELWir-2FpUSK60IWEUe31jCTqkwgEinJdTlvwMftJHyBrbZ07W1Rpw1CUwiu30ipSDAw2rRe3P4V8zOX2WjV3lHXYS-2FQRFd9EX8PlkTMcEFm0Ngy2jlM-2BVFOP1M2TJXnp715NcvBR-2FOCkQeX817UU9PhfUJE8M7xNFu-2F8ey7KIZI11tVgzP7fgPzy-2Fe-2BIOKItSQv3BJfnOEJxTwcyCxGcMxWKDiOJURkvdnP1GGxZ3zFRNairHhp-2BnLwF24yHt44Wz9xApl2ar0Geucp6ruSl7fsAPqa4uKASdH-2FhU0pL4JbaXZzO4Iil2CXj5F7SXtF-2Bv3LXiHSVwH4YuZY7a20Xh0UNnSjgBfx5tbX9PqPienUlmF3ROY0&data=05%7C02%7Clmertens%40gmu.edu%7C2f8010c7bb934b1744c408dcc769c98d%7C9e857255df574c47a0c00546460380cb%7C0%7C0%7C638604504378694935%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=szL9kqqM3SzrpdUanAsOlF7PglBRgZI9j9i7kddvUOA%3D&reserved=0"><strong>Green Machine Ensembles</strong></a>, and the <a href="https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flink.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com%2Fls%2Fclick%3Fupn%3Du001.qM5htVYGHAcwvlvIYHRb9hXW5tbMs2l5Je6W9Ccrf-2Fbt1E2lEOirlNZoqpoqNhT3iUKixX5YU7-2BGQa60S5fzOg-3D-3DC0qw_8zv46VVwxxCUyrELWir-2FpUSK60IWEUe31jCTqkwgEinJdTlvwMftJHyBrbZ07W1Rpw1CUwiu30ipSDAw2rRe3P4V8zOX2WjV3lHXYS-2FQRFd9EX8PlkTMcEFm0Ngy2jlM-2BVFOP1M2TJXnp715NcvBR-2FOCkQeX817UU9PhfUJE8M7xNFu-2F8ey7KIZI11tVgzP7fgPzy-2Fe-2BIOKItSQv3BJfnGM5Qa72BsN8g6GI27uuKEbiWpNPNAEPJ3vIcyqrUkhA-2BkWA-2FC34BiVUduRFR4afsFyhm87-2BcC-2BG0iRCSkSs-2B370nPPmPOKDXHNly7EG-2FbNWzVzavgplvQlbh7oWlFn4uzmFWU7bMYzuKGF7Ms8spOQu8AAA6GgK15jYnvFOLhYu&data=05%7C02%7Clmertens%40gmu.edu%7C2f8010c7bb934b1744c408dcc769c98d%7C9e857255df574c47a0c00546460380cb%7C0%7C0%7C638604504378704254%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=iCG18MHtdjwErtQW82nGVoZpLyDg6Rqh21J2kMhGKeI%3D&reserved=0"><strong><em>Great Performances at Mason</em></strong></a> season at the Center for the Arts. Since its launch in 2006, ARTS <em>by George!</em> has raised more than $4.1 million for <a href="https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flink.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com%2Fls%2Fclick%3Fupn%3Du001.qM5htVYGHAcwvlvIYHRb9scoFo-2FHkAlfe3SGPkcglSxhedEu0prypHJNR5AMunVYq4hRitGXkzybrVhKhNcwqQ-3D-3DB5VC_8zv46VVwxxCUyrELWir-2FpUSK60IWEUe31jCTqkwgEinJdTlvwMftJHyBrbZ07W1Rpw1CUwiu30ipSDAw2rRe3P4V8zOX2WjV3lHXYS-2FQRFd9EX8PlkTMcEFm0Ngy2jlM-2BVFOP1M2TJXnp715NcvBR-2FOCkQeX817UU9PhfUJE8M7xNFu-2F8ey7KIZI11tVgzP7fgPzy-2Fe-2BIOKItSQv3BJfnJqDg6Dqt3jPZPnLE7PWzYNOMltyzfpoRxH2-2BLW9b3iV6mYhV0qskEkaC7rKKvYIzlfq0E4aM2X5u4RdOpq4iI04sTrlN3HNG5-2B91-2F6-2BniWE0MqNEMj32EZfaxNkvU1ZC-2FHAKHGl5WpGFKFTNV-2Bsg23xvFovtMHups7XSbQRfmss&data=05%7C02%7Clmertens%40gmu.edu%7C2f8010c7bb934b1744c408dcc769c98d%7C9e857255df574c47a0c00546460380cb%7C0%7C0%7C638604504378713578%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=4oSEiXeGeicNYz2W8sRyxoXx4MCbwWA5VdouJ5QOv24%3D&reserved=0"><strong>Mason Arts</strong></a>.</p> <p>“‘Something for everyone’ might be an overworked phrase, but it fits ARTS <em>by George!</em> perfectly,” notes <strong>Rick Davis</strong>, dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts. “From art and music to dance and theater, virtual reality to documentary film, the student showcases offer an unparalleled opportunity to experience the breadth and depth of what we do every day in Mason Arts. I learn something new every year and become an even prouder Dean.”</p> <p>ARTS <em>by George!</em> begins at 5 p.m. by bringing hundreds of CVPA students and faculty together to showcase performances and exhibits, as well as to offer a behind-the-scenes look at their collaborative process. The seven CVPA academic units will be featured in showcases, which are a highlight of the annual event.</p> <p>The <strong>School of Art</strong> will host an antique photobooth and give demonstrations of 3D art and letterpress printing, while <strong>Arts Management</strong> will host a display of the <a href="https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flink.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com%2Fls%2Fclick%3Fupn%3Du001.qM5htVYGHAcwvlvIYHRb9lBYGgGemUCjpyierLxfBWRAG-2BR5cWztaw55jJKl5-2B6sR-2FSEMsNmreGft7xhCYn0xil-2FWTP2eOCaMSSpQessX-2B2f2K4oWMxfn7JM6q9kpQvmpIcXKdGgDnYopAHfxFytRQ-3D-3DVcnX_8zv46VVwxxCUyrELWir-2FpUSK60IWEUe31jCTqkwgEinJdTlvwMftJHyBrbZ07W1Rpw1CUwiu30ipSDAw2rRe3P4V8zOX2WjV3lHXYS-2FQRFd9EX8PlkTMcEFm0Ngy2jlM-2BVFOP1M2TJXnp715NcvBR-2FOCkQeX817UU9PhfUJE8M7xNFu-2F8ey7KIZI11tVgzP7fgPzy-2Fe-2BIOKItSQv3BJfnDp8yi64r20cHzUjLdveQ-2FqAJqgk7V1R375fEt6bpi-2BPHzc4kzy2HZvtjGdiFX-2BQYb-2BwvYaTMzpn-2BgbN-2Bp8pGFI8e-2BRM92IwjwhF-2Bn53OAjVnDXSU96ngIZvJzbk5nmGm6ueFkEJai-2BUSJ1p1qYVJ1lAck9PWnghhSax7wIP26lp&data=05%7C02%7Clmertens%40gmu.edu%7C2f8010c7bb934b1744c408dcc769c98d%7C9e857255df574c47a0c00546460380cb%7C0%7C0%7C638604504378722856%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=j%2FWvZTHH%2FWvqkpac0%2FRQotXAymUmndrjVvLDIgppcF8%3D&reserved=0">Free Little Art Gallery</a> created by a graduate from the program. <strong>School of Dance</strong> will offer two presentations by faculty members—Christopher d’Amboise on dancing to the music of Stravinsky and Karen Reedy on Robert Battle’s “The Hunt”—which also include live dancing by students. <strong>Film and Video Studies</strong> will screen a selection of films by students, and <strong>Computer Game Design </strong>will offer a presentation titled “Unlocking the Future: Game Design with A.I. and Mixed Reality.” Students in the areas of jazz, opera, classical piano, and percussion will perform, representing the <strong>Dewberry School of Music</strong>; and students from the <strong>School of Theater</strong> will stage selections from <a href="https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flink.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com%2Fls%2Fclick%3Fupn%3Du001.qM5htVYGHAcwvlvIYHRb9oEji1kxvx5i524-2BDnc9x75ykixU7om4mSPrw9N4-2BBrUOIEbO02IDn3tbpDdI4N-2F8w-3D-3Dpm25_8zv46VVwxxCUyrELWir-2FpUSK60IWEUe31jCTqkwgEinJdTlvwMftJHyBrbZ07W1Rpw1CUwiu30ipSDAw2rRe3P4V8zOX2WjV3lHXYS-2FQRFd9EX8PlkTMcEFm0Ngy2jlM-2BVFOP1M2TJXnp715NcvBR-2FOCkQeX817UU9PhfUJE8M7xNFu-2F8ey7KIZI11tVgzP7fgPzy-2Fe-2BIOKItSQv3BJfnLOFAuaZxxOmR-2Bv3FT6DlBEMOMehx-2B-2BcUDhfzyeQbKu3uAgNUVwxrNWgD7P7RPojBbIIDTX-2B1F6QHjtbpvNfyoXhCrokzjrOW9ROi6-2Be7sm2uiMb9ZGxi7mzHhedfVC57nP4R0M3SKoJMUS1XAxLPrNCOUc4QRaooSWi8JQ-2FzhlW&data=05%7C02%7Clmertens%40gmu.edu%7C2f8010c7bb934b1744c408dcc769c98d%7C9e857255df574c47a0c00546460380cb%7C0%7C0%7C638604504379085531%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=e%2BbS%2FBiS%2FedI9OH2TBovurijLqbveJhFtGI0henZz4M%3D&reserved=0"><em>110 in the Shade</em></a>, this fall’s musical, and student-written plays to be premiered in <a href="https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flink.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com%2Fls%2Fclick%3Fupn%3Du001.qM5htVYGHAcwvlvIYHRb9m-2BGXifhUVjCiIGPXOj0-2Boqv5WQKwyEGE4AWknjac5zFcj0CUb5ytPYLmB6DEJvjZw-3D-3Druvk_8zv46VVwxxCUyrELWir-2FpUSK60IWEUe31jCTqkwgEinJdTlvwMftJHyBrbZ07W1Rpw1CUwiu30ipSDAw2rRe3P4V8zOX2WjV3lHXYS-2FQRFd9EX8PlkTMcEFm0Ngy2jlM-2BVFOP1M2TJXnp715NcvBR-2FOCkQeX817UU9PhfUJE8M7xNFu-2F8ey7KIZI11tVgzP7fgPzy-2Fe-2BIOKItSQv3BJfnG-2FJ4NF-2FzzCC0cxPlm69i04UPxNaGAlA3hSZfP4KDklwEA7H8flor9vGBPeY2dXUfzPR1D-2BJmt-2FYw0cwOrE75SGiAiWnOpxRWHSw5lcbxj1HbwyVbKM8rUBywHU-2F541Dr6q-2F-2ByRhtgB1yfjqivQ6mDCnwNUQCnMwwe3C0-2Fn9D6jf&data=05%7C02%7Clmertens%40gmu.edu%7C2f8010c7bb934b1744c408dcc769c98d%7C9e857255df574c47a0c00546460380cb%7C0%7C0%7C638604504379095854%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=GsUimXHmtfl3ufWeLda5xUPb8YZndWu7KJx88UUBcHo%3D&reserved=0"><em>The Originals! 2024</em></a>. In addition, two Mason Arts programs—the <strong>Green Machine Ensembles</strong> and <strong>Mason Community Arts Academy</strong>—will also offer performances throughout the event. These showcases will be held in the Harris Theatre, de Laski Performing Arts Building, and Horizon Hall. Guests will enjoy a buffet dinner and drinks over the course of the evening.</p> <p>At 8 p.m., attendees will move into the Center for the Arts’ Concert Hall for a live <strong>Fund-a-Student </strong>appeal. The event culminates with a performance from <strong>Lea Salonga</strong>, starting at 8:30 p.m. Salonga will treat audience members to famous songs from her roles on Broadway and in animated films, and join them onstage for a champagne toast following the show. Beforehand, she will welcome George Mason students for an open soundcheck and Q&A.</p> <p>ARTS <em>by </em><em>George!</em> Chair and Mason Arts Board member <strong>Annie Bolger</strong> shared, “I’m thrilled to return as chair of this awe-inspiring event, which features George Mason’s impactful arts programs and highlights the talents of its amazing students. I invite our community to join us for what promises to be a very special evening, and to support us in raising critical funds for student scholarships and community arts programs so that the exploration and creativity continues for years to come.”</p> <p><strong>For high-resolution images, press tickets, and interview requests, please email </strong><a href="mailto:kfranko@gmu.edu"><strong>kfranko@gmu.edu</strong></a><strong> and </strong><a href="mailto:pr@camillecdevlin.com"><strong>pr@camillecdevlin.com</strong></a><strong>.</strong></p> <p> </p> <h3><strong>2024 ARTS <em>by George!</em> Schedule:</strong></h3> <p><strong>5 p.m., Harris Theatre, de Laski Performing Arts Building, and Horizon Hall</strong></p> <p>Showcases by the talented students from George Mason’s College of Visual and Performing Arts, complemented by a buffet dinner and drink stations throughout the event.</p> <p><strong>8 p.m., Center for the Arts</strong></p> <p>Alumni performance and Fund-a-Student appeal.</p> <p><strong>8:30 p.m., Center for the Arts</strong></p> <p><em>An Evening with Lea Salonga</em>, followed by an onstage champagne toast</p> <p>Ticket and Sponsorship Information for 2024 ARTS <em>by George!</em>:</p> <p>Individual benefit tickets are $350 per person and include entry to the student showcases, dinner, <em>An Evening with Lea Salonga</em>, champagne reception, and free garage parking. Each ticket includes a charitable donation portion directly supporting student scholarships and community arts programs.</p> <p>Sponsorship packages begin at $2,000. To reserve tickets, become a sponsor, or for more information, please contact Susan Graziano at <a href="mailto:cvpagive@gmu.edu">cvpagive@gmu.edu</a>, 703-993-4188, or visit the <a href="https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flink.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com%2Fls%2Fclick%3Fupn%3Du001.qM5htVYGHAcwvlvIYHRb9g5SuyOQWep-2BvTJdK4TyGGNLFXwDDxKjEOw6pC40KsW4q0E6eLKIh6Ov3shDoEuicg-3D-3DoVLt_8zv46VVwxxCUyrELWir-2FpUSK60IWEUe31jCTqkwgEinJdTlvwMftJHyBrbZ07W1Rpw1CUwiu30ipSDAw2rRe3P4V8zOX2WjV3lHXYS-2FQRFd9EX8PlkTMcEFm0Ngy2jlM-2BVFOP1M2TJXnp715NcvBR-2FOCkQeX817UU9PhfUJE8M7xNFu-2F8ey7KIZI11tVgzP7fgPzy-2Fe-2BIOKItSQv3BJfnBtsolSfoMDc6urgr5q4eZgBWs15HtOl750L-2BsYE0lMs1VhBAXfPwipgNIjzS-2B91i0r7IatNVJTUkJozS0BEzWqfp-2BGQpEwTnWShtFHUSPCWZUf5JlSP51XL-2BsRP3MFtGLHRJXIn8MEmfUmN8Uu7AtQV4KESdLk0HRFcDjH-2B2kzD&data=05%7C02%7Clmertens%40gmu.edu%7C2f8010c7bb934b1744c408dcc769c98d%7C9e857255df574c47a0c00546460380cb%7C0%7C0%7C638604504379103826%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=YHiB4vRdeDroBdZsXZJHuZkYVh2XD02CQ%2FjXPmLX1ow%3D&reserved=0">ARTS<em> by George! </em>website</a>.</p> <p>Standalone tickets to only the 8:30 p.m. performance of <em>An Evening with Lea Salonga</em> are $50–$100 and are available for purchase through the <a href="https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flink.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com%2Fls%2Fclick%3Fupn%3Du001.qM5htVYGHAcwvlvIYHRb9m-2BGXifhUVjCiIGPXOj0-2Bop0x6Of-2FS3SdvceTD9y4k-2FOhayIkOEHvb-2Bs-2F8fABR66p1xUvmbClgvjKPTLEApwunY-3DmlCk_8zv46VVwxxCUyrELWir-2FpUSK60IWEUe31jCTqkwgEinJdTlvwMftJHyBrbZ07W1Rpw1CUwiu30ipSDAw2rRe3P4V8zOX2WjV3lHXYS-2FQRFd9EX8PlkTMcEFm0Ngy2jlM-2BVFOP1M2TJXnp715NcvBR-2FOCkQeX817UU9PhfUJE8M7xNFu-2F8ey7KIZI11tVgzP7fgPzy-2Fe-2BIOKItSQv3BJfnLq9IO6QlfkzUxIoczxYMcB86fY3gf0rOIv3k5rsHZ5eFaeNZXqkW6SpDlPZctkZ1kc95OmHdXBMwsdj6j90H2duTB8ZenDRaI1WKYKVrxjNRl0klEoNv0R0WrgPWYgMkyE-2FBIE-2Beu19GnVpHn9crcZGhfOc1xDOi5NTC-2BWPSskD&data=05%7C02%7Clmertens%40gmu.edu%7C2f8010c7bb934b1744c408dcc769c98d%7C9e857255df574c47a0c00546460380cb%7C0%7C0%7C638604504379111763%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=ge7Zv523ccclVwR5qYzhL6qkdAIpPDkMh5Xy2rh9zGA%3D&reserved=0">Center for the Arts website</a>.</p> <p><strong>The Premier Sponsor for ARTS <em>by George!</em> is Dominion Energy.</strong></p> <p><strong>The Presenting Sponsor for ARTS <em>by George!</em> is Sandy Spring Bank.</strong></p> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="layout__region region-second"> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:text" data-inline-block-uuid="97900339-f0ad-4bcb-bb48-82ec81c86b72" class="block block-layout-builder block-inline-blocktext"> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:call_to_action" data-inline-block-uuid="6967b014-47c2-4bef-bf7e-002d6f402e20"> <div class="cta"> <a class="cta__link" href="https://cvpa.gmu.edu/give/signature-events/arts-george"> <h4 class="cta__title">Learn more about ARTS by George! <i class="fas fa-arrow-circle-right"></i> </h4> <span class="cta__icon"></span> </a> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:text" data-inline-block-uuid="41ebed22-40e7-4e8c-a8f1-46eeacf6814c" class="block block-layout-builder block-inline-blocktext"> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:text" data-inline-block-uuid="b1d2f6eb-8756-426d-b292-fdcb5cf81fc7" class="block block-layout-builder block-inline-blocktext"> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:call_to_action" data-inline-block-uuid="00096690-417d-4bc1-84cf-38130b8f7452"> <div class="cta"> <a class="cta__link" href="https://cfa.calendar.gmu.edu/an-evening-with-lea-salonga"> <h4 class="cta__title">Purchase tickets for culminating concert, An Evening with Lea Salonga <i class="fas fa-arrow-circle-right"></i> </h4> <span class="cta__icon"></span> </a> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:text" data-inline-block-uuid="838f827f-4b86-425d-9ad2-ab981fa2f4a5" class="block block-layout-builder block-inline-blocktext"> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:text" data-inline-block-uuid="a173b645-b621-4beb-a1e2-8354cd9638e1" class="block block-layout-builder block-inline-blocktext"> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:text" data-inline-block-uuid="ccd2b38f-6ea5-4499-ae0b-56e886a3c53a" class="block block-layout-builder block-inline-blocktext"> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p><span class="intro-text">“‘Something for everyone’ might be an overworked phrase, but it fits ARTS <em>by George!</em> perfectly.”  </span></p> <p class="text-align-right"><span class="intro-text">~ Rick Davis</span></p> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:text" data-inline-block-uuid="d4f52ae8-b02b-4018-9a94-f07bb8ab5e27" class="block block-layout-builder block-inline-blocktext"> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:text" data-inline-block-uuid="4ffe6084-2021-465d-a478-cdd951598978" class="block block-layout-builder block-inline-blocktext"> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_content_topics" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-content-topics"> <h2>Topics</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-content-topics field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Topics</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/12811" hreflang="en">CFA</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/5246" hreflang="en">Center for the Arts</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/116" hreflang="en">Campus News</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/5411" hreflang="en">philanthropy</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/4056" hreflang="en">Scholarships</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/17356" hreflang="en">Strategic Direction</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="layout layout--gmu layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--30-70"> <div> </div> <div> </div> </div> Wed, 28 Aug 2024 18:26:26 +0000 Laura Mertens 113816 at /news/2024-05/5-million-gift-peterson-family-foundation-will-support-center-arts-transformation <span>A $5 million gift from the Peterson Family Foundation will support the Center for the Arts transformation </span> <span><span>Colleen Rich</span></span> <span>Fri, 05/24/2024 - 12:32</span> <div class="layout layout--gmu layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--70-30"> <div class="layout__region region-first"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:body" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasebody"> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Body</div> <div class="field__item"><h3><span><span><em><span><span>This is the college’s second principal gift toward </span></span></em><em><span><span>the university’s one-billion-dollar comprehensive campaign, Mason Now: Power the Possible</span></span></em></span></span></h3> <p><span class="intro-text">The Peterson Family Foundation and George Mason �鶹����’s College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA) announce a transformational gift toward the reimagining of the <a href="http://cfa.gmu.edu/">Center for the Arts</a> on the university’s Fairfax Campus. The $5 million gift will support the modernization and the renaming of the Concert Hall auditorium.</span></p> <figure role="group" class="align-right"><div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img src="/sites/g/files/yyqcgq291/files/styles/medium/public/2024-05/abg24_taste_1.jpg?itok=ZcaMAl29" width="560" height="374" alt="College of Visual and Performing Arts Dean Rick Davis, George Mason �鶹���� Board of Visitors member Jon Peterson, Carolyn Peterson, George Mason �鶹���� Board of Visitors Rector Horace Blackman, George Mason �鶹���� Vice President of Advancement and Alumni Relations Trishana Bowden" loading="lazy" /></div> </div> <figcaption>College of Visual and Performing Arts Dean Rick Davis, George Mason Board of Visitors member Jon Peterson, Carolyn Peterson, George Mason Board of Visitors Rector Horace Blackman, George Mason Vice President of Advancement and Alumni Relations Trishana E. Bowden. Photo by Sean Kelley PHotography<br />  </figcaption></figure><p><span><span><span><span>“The Peterson Family has stood behind so much of our success in building an exceptional community of artists—students, faculty, and distinguished visiting professionals—at George Mason,” President Gregory Washington said. “This latest expression of visionary generosity makes possible a much-needed reimagination of our beloved Concert Hall, magnifying George Mason �鶹����’s standing as the artistic and cultural hub of Northern Virginia.” </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span>This gift bolsters the forthcoming capital initiative for the Center for the Arts, which aims to <span>improve and enhance the venue’s ability to support the needs of artists, audiences, and the students and faculty of the College of Visual and Performing Arts. The gift </span>also contributes to </span><a href="/masonnow"><span>Mason Now: Power the Possible</span></a><span>—the university’s first one-billion-dollar comprehensive fundraising campaign to support student success, research, innovation, community, and stewardship.</span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span>Jon and Carolyn Peterson announced their gift during a special event in Carolyn's home in support of the college’s upcoming annual benefit </span></span><a href="https://cvpa.gmu.edu/give/signature-events/arts-george"><span>ARTS <em>by George!</em></span></a><span><span>. </span></span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span>“�鶹���� family’s commitment to this project is a testament to our steadfast support of Mason Arts programs from the earliest days of the Center for the Arts right up to the present,” said Carolyn Peterson. “This gift is significant because we know it will provide our excellent students, world-class visiting artists, and the community of art lovers with a stellar Center for the Arts auditorium in which to share and experience the arts. We are honored to help move this initiative forward.”</span></span></span></p> <figure role="group" class="align-left"><div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img src="/sites/g/files/yyqcgq291/files/styles/medium/public/2024-05/abg24_taste_4.jpg?itok=SVRGC7_P" width="373" height="560" alt="Pianist GaYoung Lee and vocal performance student Samira Plummer-Brown" loading="lazy" /></div> </div> <figcaption>Pianist GaYoung Lee and vocal performance student Samira Plummer-Brown. Photo by Sean Kelley Photography</figcaption></figure><p><span><span><span>“The Petersons’ gift is a demonstration of their belief in the distinction of Mason Arts and the contributions that CVPA makes in our region,” Dean Rick Davis said. “Their generosity will have an incredible impact on the arts community, elevating the possibilities for our student musicians, dramatic artists, dancers, and vocalists—as well as for those who work behind the scenes to learn and understand the business of creating powerful performances. We are beyond grateful, now and forever.”</span></span></span></p> <p><span><span><span><span><span>Built in 1990, the </span></span></span><span><span><span><span>venue has supported the early work of George Mason students whose careers led them to Broadway, and has hosted GRAMMY, Tony, Emmy, and Academy Award-winning artists—and U.S. Presidents. </span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="xxx"><span><span><span><span><span>“Carolyn’s love and dedication to the vocal arts at Mason are legendary,” added Director of Vocal Studies Patricia Miller. “We are deeply grateful of the Peterson Family Foundation for their long history of scholarship support. Now, with this exciting new gift to help renovate our Concert Hall, they will be part of making a major impact that will inspire audiences and help prepare the coming generations of student artists.”</span></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="xxx"><span><span><span><span>Milt and Carolyn Peterson, together with their family, established the Peterson Family Foundation in 1997 out of a fundamental belief that to be successful, they must be fair, honest, and always strive to support the community in which they live and do business. Through their generosity and commitment to giving back, they have directly contributed to and helped to raise millions of dollars for a diverse list of organizations including Northern Virginia Family Service, Gleaning For the World, Life With Cancer, and Teach For America, among others. </span></span></span></span></p> <p class="xxx"><span><span><span><span><span>The Petersons’ philanthropic leadership follows Barry Dewberry and Arlene Evans’s $10 million gift to rename the Center for the Arts, upon completion of its future renovation. The Dewberry Evans gift was shared with the Mason community as part of the university’s 50th Anniversary Celebration on April 7, 2022.</span></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="xxx"><span><span><span>Information about the initiative to fund the Center for the Arts renovation, including project costs and timeline, will be announced at a later date. </span></span></span></p> </div> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_content_topics" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-content-topics"> <h2>Topics</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-content-topics field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Topics</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/116" hreflang="en">Campus News</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/146" hreflang="en">College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA)</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/17931" hreflang="en">Mason Now campaign</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/5246" hreflang="en">Center for the Arts</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="layout__region region-second"> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:text" data-inline-block-uuid="cc560667-7d5d-4c63-b508-353afb4424ea" class="block block-layout-builder block-inline-blocktext"> <h2>About Mason Arts</h2> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p><span><span><a href="http://cvpa.gmu.edu/we-are-mason-arts" target="_blank"><span><span><span>Mason Arts</span></span></span></a><span><span><span> encompasses the seven academic programs of George Mason’s </span></span></span><a href="https://cvpa.gmu.edu/" target="_blank"><span><span><span>College of Visual and Performing Arts</span></span></span></a><span><span><span>, six community arts programs, seven galleries, the </span></span></span><a href="http://cfa.gmu.edu/" target="_blank"><span><span><span>Center for the Arts</span></span></span></a><span><span><span>, the </span></span></span><a href="http://hyltoncenter.org/" target="_blank"><span><span><span>Hylton Performing Arts Center</span></span></span></a><span><span><span>, and the digital venue </span></span></span><a href="https://masonartsamplified.gmu.edu/browse" target="_blank"><span><span><span>Mason Arts Amplified</span></span></span></a><span><span><span>. The college prepares students for careers as creators, performers, teachers, scholars, arts leaders, and arts entrepreneurs, and provides them opportunities to perform, create, and exhibit their work in the wide variety of Mason Arts venues. Learn more at </span></span></span><a href="https://cvpa.gmu.edu/" target="_blank"><strong><span><span>cvpa.gmu.edu</span></span></strong></a><span><span>.</span></span></span></span></p> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="layout layout--gmu layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--30-70"> <div> </div> <div> </div> </div> Fri, 24 May 2024 16:32:11 +0000 Colleen Rich 112286 at /news/2024-04/mechanical-engineering-students-build-motorized-vitruvian-man-school-music-performance <span>Mechanical engineering students build motorized Vitruvian man for a School of Music performance </span> <span><span>Shayla Brown</span></span> <span>Mon, 04/08/2024 - 16:23</span> <div class="layout layout--gmu layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--30-70"> <div class="layout__region region-first"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_associated_people" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-associated-people"> <h2>In This Story</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-associated-people field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">People Mentioned in This Story</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/profiles/lbillin1" hreflang="und">Dr. Lisa Billingham</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/profiles/nkathir" hreflang="und">Nathan Kathir</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="layout__region region-second"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:body" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasebody"> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Body</div> <div class="field__item"><p><span class="intro-text">A group of George Mason �鶹���� <a href="https://cec.gmu.edu/program/mechanical-engineering-bs" target="_blank">mechanical engineering</a> students are building a motorized Vitruvian man for a <a href="https://cfa.gmu.edu/about" target="_blank">Center for the Arts</a> (CFA) performance of <a href="https://cfa.calendar.gmu.edu/university-singers-quot-flying-to-the-stars-davinci-and-beyond-quot%22HYPERLINK%20%22https://cfa.calendar.gmu.edu/university-singers-quot-flying-to-the-stars-davinci-and-beyond-quot" target="_blank">"Flying to the Stars,"</a> a choral concert dedicated to the beginnings of flight from the time of Leonardo da Vinci to the exploration of space.</span></p> <figure role="group"><div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img src="/sites/g/files/yyqcgq291/files/styles/medium/public/2024-04/20240321_team_polymath-2.jpg?itok=PBOulq6c" width="560" height="476" alt="Team members Kevin Kuck (left) and David Gosselin working on their project in the Machine Shop. Photo provided." loading="lazy" /></div> </div> <figcaption>Team members Kevin Kuck (left) and David Gosselin working on their project in the Machine Shop. Photo provided.</figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://music.gmu.edu/profiles/lbillin1" target="_blank">Lisa Billingham</a>, director of choral activities at the Dewberry Family School of Music, said she wanted the concert to be an immersive experience for the audience, and reached out to the <a href="https://cec.gmu.edu/" target="_blank">College of Engineering and Computing</a> (CEC) for help. There she connected with <a href="https://volgenau.gmu.edu/profiles/nkathir" target="_blank">Nathan Kathir</a>, a mechanical engineering professor, who shared the project idea with his students.  </p> <p>“This project is exciting because we are partnering with another unit at Mason outside of CEC,” said Kathir, who is the director of senior capstone projects for mechanical engineering students.  </p> <p>“There is already a lot of art involved in engineering, and this collaboration between music and our department will be very inspiring for future students,” said Kathir.  </p> <p>The four students assigned to the project are working in the Machine Shop on the SciTech Campus and call themselves The Polymaths. </p> <p>“We were thinking about the show’s theme of Leonardo da Vinci and we knew that the Vitruvian man is kind of his staple,” said Mellany Ayala, a senior mechanical engineering student. “I drew a very rough sketch of the Vitruvian man inside a gyroscopic figure, and it ended up being what our team decided to build.” </p> <p>The device, which will hang from center stage throughout the show, has two spotlights as well as projections that will shine down on the students as they perform.  </p> <p>“We’re aiming for something similar to the immersive Van Gogh experience in D.C.,” said Kevin Kuck, a senior mechanical engineering student and the team leader.   </p> <p>The Polymaths met once a week with Billingham and her student research assistant and choir member, Ross Calvin, to discuss the project and work on a proposal for funding. They applied for and received a grant from Mason’s <a href="https://provost.gmu.edu/about/administrative-units/university-life" target="_blank">�鶹���� Life.</a>  </p> <p>Billingham also created a QR code fundraiser on Facebook and received anonymous donations, she said.  </p> <p>“Hopefully these cool project collaborations keep happening in the future. It was really refreshing to work with people from CVPA; they were so easygoing and in such happy spirits,” said Ayala. </p> <p>The Polymaths worked with the CFA’s electrician and did a run-through a week before the performance. They will also give a presentation about the project on <a href="https://mechanical.gmu.edu/hands/senior-design-capstone" target="_blank">Capstone Day</a> to showcase the final product.  </p> <p>“This project has been one of the more hands-on experiences I’ve had at Mason so far,” said Kuck. “Being able to build something with my own hands was a lot of fun, and I really enjoyed seeing it go from an idea on a page to something real. I think that's been the most satisfying part for me.” </p> <p>During the concert, students will perform Jocelyn Hagen's “The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci” and “Leonardo Dreams of his Flying Machine” by Eric Whitacre.  A piece by alum Peter Kadeli will also be performed.  </p> </div> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_content_topics" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-content-topics"> <h2>Topics</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-content-topics field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Topics</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/6476" hreflang="en">senior capstone projects</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/5246" hreflang="en">Center for the Arts</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/7131" hreflang="en">Dewberry School of Music</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/4706" hreflang="en">mechanical engineering</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/17631" hreflang="en">collaboration</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/17321" hreflang="en">STEAM</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/336" hreflang="en">Students</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/166" hreflang="en">innovative classes</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/7171" hreflang="en">Tech Talent Investment Pipeline (TTIP)</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/18541" hreflang="en">TTIP</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/19491" hreflang="en">Tech Talent Investment Program</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Mon, 08 Apr 2024 20:23:35 +0000 Shayla Brown 111461 at /news/2024-03/mason-artist-residence-small-island-big-song-leads-events-across-campus-and-community <span>Mason Artist-in-Residence Small Island Big Song Leads �鶹���� Across Campus and Community</span> <span><span>Zoe Harr</span></span> <span>Fri, 03/29/2024 - 16:41</span> <div class="layout layout--gmu layout--twocol-section layout--twocol-section--30-70"> <div class="layout__region region-first"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_associated_people" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-associated-people"> <h2>In This Story</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-associated-people field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">People Mentioned in This Story</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/profiles/mcooley" hreflang="und">Mark Cooley</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/profiles/emaibach" hreflang="en">Edward Maibach</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/profiles/grobins8" hreflang="und">Dr. Gregory Robinson</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/profiles/vadebuso" hreflang="en">Victor Adebusola</a></div> </div> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:call_to_action" data-inline-block-uuid="becae595-2112-452d-af65-b4f9baf0a1c7"> <div class="cta"> <a class="cta__link" href="https://cfa.calendar.gmu.edu/small-island-big-song"> <h4 class="cta__title">Buy Tickets <i class="fas fa-arrow-circle-right"></i> </h4> <span class="cta__icon"></span> </a> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="inline_block:call_to_action" data-inline-block-uuid="0e425af0-f0f5-4cdd-9d0b-bbb66ffd1db1"> <div class="cta"> <a class="cta__link" href="https://cfa.gmu.edu/about/artists-residence"> <h4 class="cta__title">Learn About Mason's Artist-in-Residence Program <i class="fas fa-arrow-circle-right"></i> </h4> <span class="cta__icon"></span> </a> </div> </div> </div> <div class="layout__region region-second"> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:body" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasebody"> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Body</div> <div class="field__item"><div class="align-center"> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img src="/sites/g/files/yyqcgq291/files/styles/extra_large_content_image/public/2024-03/_ss91284.jpg?itok=0K41CUmh" width="1480" height="658" alt="Mason Artist-in-Residence Small Island Big Song performs at the Center on April 20." loading="lazy" /></div> </div> <p lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US"><em>Mason Artist-in-Residence Small Island Big Song will perform at the Center on April 20. Photo taken by Gelée Lai, Tony Tsai, Samra Teague, and Kimmi Cranes.</em></p> <hr /><p lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US">Right before Earth Day, <a href="https://cfa.calendar.gmu.edu/small-island-big-song" target="_blank">Small Island Big Song</a> presents a "jaw-dropping" (<em>Billboard</em>) concert experience at the Center for the Arts on April 20, combining music, spoken word, and stunning projections to showcase unique oceanic grooves and soulful island ballads, while shining a light on the devastating effects of climate crisis on our world’s oceans. Indigenous artists from Pacific and Indian Ocean island nations mix their diverse styles to establish a contemporary musical dialogue between cultures as far afield as Madagascar, Taiwan, Mauritius, Papua New Guinea, Tahiti, and Indonesia.  </p> <figure role="group" class="align-left"><div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img src="/sites/g/files/yyqcgq291/files/styles/small_content_image/public/2024-02/baobao_chen.jpeg?itok=ZIOEFIrh" width="350" height="350" alt="Small Island Big Song Co-Founder, BaoBao Chen" loading="lazy" /></div> </div> <figcaption>Co-Founder BaoBao Chen joins Small Island Big Song at the Center on April 20.</figcaption></figure><p lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US">“For us, the goal of Small Island Big Song is to bring the audiences to some places that we might not have the courage of going alone, to celebrate, to confront, to inspire, to mourn, to feel hopeful. �鶹���� performance goes to all these emotions and shares the stories of ‘�鶹���� Island’, but ultimately, ‘�鶹���� Island’ is the one we all share,” notes <strong>BaoBao Chen, co-founder of Small Island Big Song</strong>. </p> <figure class="quote" lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US">Want to learn more about Small Island Big Song? <a href="https://www.smallislandbigsong.com/" target="_blank">Read more on the official website</a>. </figure><p lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US">As a Mason Artist-in-Residence, Small Island Big Song will also deeply engage with the community through a series of education and engagement programs, detailed below:</p> <hr /><p lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US"><strong>Open-to-the-Public Residency �鶹���� </strong></p> <ul><li> <p lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US"><strong><em><a href="https://cfa.calendar.gmu.edu/climate-change-our-response-as-artivists" target="_blank">Climate Change: �鶹���� Response as Artivists</a></em></strong> on <strong>April 18</strong> will explore ways in which artists can use their voices to expand global conversation on political, economic, social, and cultural questions at the root of the climate crisis. This event is co-presented with the Inclusive Collaborative Arts at Mason (ICAM) project with panelists BaoBao Chen, Co-Founder and Producer of Small Island Big Song; Mark Cooley, Associate Professor and Director of New Media Arts, <a href="https://art.gmu.edu/" target="_blank">Mason School of Art</a>; founder of <a href="https://sporastudios.org/greenstudio/" target="_blank">Green Studio</a>; Moderated by Edward Maibach, distinguished professor at George Mason �鶹���� and director of Mason’s <a href="https://www.climatechangecommunication.org/" target="_blank">Center for Climate Change Communication</a>; and is a part of the Artist-Activist Speaker Series, an initiative of the Inclusive Collaborative Arts at Mason (ICAM) project. This event is free, but <a href="https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/Bai0FQ1/ClimateChangeArtivists" target="_blank">registration is required</a>. </p> </li> <li> <figure role="group" class="align-right"><div> <div class="field field--name-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img src="/sites/g/files/yyqcgq291/files/styles/small_content_image/public/2024-03/trash_to_music_by_sammy_square.jpg?itok=KrwwiyRu" width="350" height="350" alt="Small Island Big Song artist Sammy hosts "Trash to Music" on April 20." loading="lazy" /></div> </div> <figcaption>Small Island Big Song artist Sammy from Madagascar hosts "Trash to Music" on April 20.</figcaption></figure><p lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US">On <strong>April 19</strong>, Small Island Big Song invites local students to experience a <strong><a href="https://cfa.gmu.edu/field-trips" target="_blank">schooltime performance</a></strong> that includes participatory dance and rhythmic activities, as well as an open Q&A with students. This performance is free, but <a href="https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/a2230ec738794cadbc804c000864c878" target="_blank">registration is required</a>. </p> </li> <li> <p lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US">Also on<strong> April 19</strong> and in collaboration with <a href="https://masondining.sodexomyway.com/">Mason Dining</a>, Small Island Big Song artists will introduce Mason community members to a traditional island dish, fish curry. Led by Emlyn from Mauritius, the <strong><em><a href="https://cfa.calendar.gmu.edu/small-island-big-song-cooking-a-traditional-meal-with-local-twists">Cooking a Traditional Meal with Local Twists</a> </em></strong>workshop will include food samples and musical accompaniment. The event is free to Mason students, faculty, and staff, but <a href="https://mason360.gmu.edu/centerforthearts/rsvp_boot?id=2266761">registration is required</a>.</p> </li> <li> <p lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US">Led by Small Island Big Song artist Sammy and hosted by <a href="https://www.upcyclecrc.org/" target="_blank">UpCycle Creative Reuse Center</a>, <a href="https://cfa.calendar.gmu.edu/small-island-big-song-trash-to-music-workshop"><strong><em>Trash to Music</em></strong></a> on <strong>April 20</strong> is an inspiring hands-on workshop demonstrating how to make musical instruments from trash, commonly recycled, and/or reused materials. Participants will be making a Malagasy-style berimbau and shaker. Recommended for ages 10 and up, minors must be accompanied by an adult. Limit of 20 participants with waitlist to notify if spots become available. </p> </li> </ul><hr /><p lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US"><strong>Additional Residency Activities for Mason and Local Community </strong></p> <ul><li> <p lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US">Co-presented by the City of Fairfax and Center for the Arts, Small Island Big Song hosted a <a href="https://cfa.gmu.edu/give/friends-center-arts?_gl=1*k6se5d*_ga*NzEzMjg0MjEzLjE2OTg4NjAzMzU.*_ga_HHWWM9D99E*MTcxMTU0ODQyNS4xMDcuMS4xNzExNTUwNTgxLjQyLjAuMA.." target="_blank">Friends of the Center for the Arts</a> Artists in Conversation event, <em>�鶹���� Shared Seafaring Heritage, Alive in Rhythm and Song</em>, on April 2 at the Stacey C. Sherwood Community Center in Fairfax, VA. This lecture-demonstration provided geographical and historical background about the great oceanic migrations that affected the featured island nations of Small Island Big Song, and included musical demonstrations and an interactive Q&A. </p> </li> <li> <p lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US">Small Island Big Song artists Sammy, Yuma, Mathieu, and Small Island Big Song Co-Founder Tim Cole will visit Mason’s <a href="http://music.gmu.edu/" target="_blank">Dewberry School of Music</a> program’s “Music History in Society III” course taught by Professor Greg Robinson. </p> </li> <li> <p lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US">In this<em> Dancing Mauritian Sega</em> workshop, approximately 100 second grade students from Hunters Woods Elementary School are invited to learn the Sega dance from Mauritius, led by Mathieu Joseph (Mauritius) with support from Sam Roem (West Papua).  </p> </li> <li> <p lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US">Small Island Big Song artists and co-founders BaoBao Chen and Tim Cole will lead a discussion on the topic of “Artivism in Action - Managing Cultural Initiatives” with students of Mason’s <a href="https://artsmanagement.gmu.edu/" target="_blank">Arts Management</a> and <a href="https://folklore.gmu.edu/" target="_blank">Folklore programs</a>’ “Folklore and Festival Management” course.  </p> </li> </ul><p lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US">In addition to these special residency events, a pre-performance discussion with Small Island Big Song Co-Founders BaoBao Chen and Tim Cole will take place in Monson Grand Tier prior to the performance on April 20. The discussion will be moderated by Center for the Arts Programming and Engagement Manager Vic Adebusola. </p> <figure class="quote" lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US"><a href="https://cfa.calendar.gmu.edu/small-island-big-song" target="_blank">Buy tickets</a> to Small Island Big Song on April 20 and be transported to the musical islands that are just around the corner. </figure><hr /><p lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US"><em>This engagement of Small Island Big Song is made possible through the ArtsCONNECT program of Mid Atlantic Arts with support from the National Endowment for the Arts. </em></p> <p lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US"><em>The Mason Artist-in-Residence program is supported in part by the Wendy Frieman and David Johnson Fund. </em></p> <p lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US"><em>The Small Island Big Song residency is supported in part by Eloise Stinger. </em></p> <p lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US"><em>Thank you to the City of Fairfax Parks and Recreation Everybody Plays Grant program for making free tickets possible for the schooltime matinee program. This grant was funded by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).</em></p> </div> </div> </div> <div data-block-plugin-id="field_block:node:news_release:field_content_topics" class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodenews-releasefield-content-topics"> <h2>Topics</h2> <div class="field field--name-field-content-topics field--type-entity-reference field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="field__label visually-hidden">Topics</div> <div class="field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/12811" hreflang="en">CFA</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/146" hreflang="en">College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA)</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/14641" hreflang="en">College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA) Arts Management Program</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/14561" hreflang="en">folklore</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/5246" hreflang="en">Center for the Arts</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/19286" hreflang="en">Friends of the Center for the Arts</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/18711" hreflang="en">Mason Artists-in-Residence</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/18151" hreflang="en">Mason Dining</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/116" hreflang="en">Campus News</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/17696" hreflang="en">Sustainability</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Fri, 29 Mar 2024 20:41:10 +0000 Zoe Harr 111356 at