Fall for the Arts!
Boston Arts Organizations
Premiere Free Arts Discovery Event
Greater Boston's major arts organizations are joining
to present Fall for the Arts!, an evening event for
young professionals highlighting the rich cultural offerings of the
Greater Boston area. The event will also kick off a full calendar of
programs and
events offered by the participating arts organizations.
Featuring wine and food, and entertainment, Fall for
the Arts! will be held on Tuesday, September 30, from 6 to 8 P.M., at
the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA), 955 Boylston
Street. Sponsored by The Boston Phoenix, the evening is free
and open to the public. For information, contact the ICA at 617-266-5152.
The participating organizations, in alphabetical order,
are: American Repertory Theatre, Boston Ballet, Boston Lyric
Opera, Boston Symphony Orchestra, DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park,
First Night, FleetBoston Celebrity Series, Handel and Haydn Society,
Huntington Theatre Company, The Institute of Contemporary Art, The Isabella
Stewart Gardner Museum, The Lyric Stage Company, Museum of Fine Arts,
North Shore Music Theatre, The Peabody Essex Museum, The Wang Center
and World Music.
Representatives from all the participating organizations
will be present to meet guests and highlight their respective offerings.
Raffles will be held throughout the evening, with a grand prize of A
Year in the Arts, consisting of complimentary tickets to a
different arts venue each month. Each organization will also offer discounts
to upcoming shows and events, as well as invitations to special "behind-the-scenes"
happenings. The event is designed to educate young professionals about
the multitude of outstanding cultural organizations that exist right
in their own backyards.
Attendees will also be invited to enjoy the ICA's current
exhibit, "Splat Boom Pow! The Influence
of Cartoons in Contemporary Art" (September 17, 2003 -
January 4, 2004). An unprecedented, in-depth look at the profound influence
of cartoons in contemporary art, the exhibition chronicles three generations
of contemporary visual artists who have used the images and techniques
of cartoons to explore the challenging issues of our time.
The exhibition will showcase more than 60 works of
art in a variety of media by artists including Jean-Michel Basquiat,
Renee Cox, Keith Haring, Arturo Herrera, Kerry James Marshall, Elizabeth
Murray, Takashi Murakami, Roger Shimomura, and Andy
Warhol, among others.
The Fall for the Arts! participating organizations
include:
American Repertory Theatre
(www.amrep.org)
The A.R.T. was founded in 1980 by Robert Brustein and
Robert J. Orchard, and has been resident for twenty-two years at Harvard
University's Loeb Drama Center in Cambridge. Under the current leadership
of Artistic Director Robert Woodruff, Executive Director Robert J. Orchard,
and Associate Artistic Director Gideon Lester, the A.R.T. provides a
home for exceptional artists from across the world. The company presents
a varied repertoire that includes new plays, progressive productions
of classical texts, and collaborations between artists from many disciplines.
Since 1987, A.R.T. has administered the Institute for Advanced Theatre
Training at Harvard. The theatre has garnered many of the nation's most
distinguished awards, including a Pulitzer Prize, a Tony Award, and
a Jujamcyn Award. It was recently named by Time magazine as one of the
three best theatre companies in the country.
Boston Ballet (www.bostonballet.org)
Founded in 1963, Boston Ballet is one of the leading
dance companies in North America. Entering its 40th Anniversary Season,
Boston Ballet has more than 50 full-time dancers and maintains an internationally
acclaimed repertoire of classical and contemporary works, ranging from
full-length story ballets to new works by contemporary choreographers.
Boston Ballet's second company, Boston Ballet II, is a group of young
professional dancers that performs both with Boston Ballet and separately.
Boston Ballet's Orchestra, led by Music Director Jonathan McPhee, is
the second largest musical organization in Boston. Boston Ballet Center
for Dance Education instructs more than 9,000 students of all ages each
year through Boston Ballet School, Young Dancers Summer Workshop, DanceLab
and the Summer Dance Program. Boston Ballet's extensive community outreach
program includes: Citydance, a scholarship based program implemented
in 1991, offering a creative, cultural environment that introduces children
and their families to the art of dance; Adaptive Dance, which provides
a positive atmosphere for enhancing movement and focus for children
with Down syndrome; and Taking Steps, designed to benefit girls, ages
11-14, in Greater Boston, who may not otherwise have the financial means
to participate in performing arts programs.
Boston Lyric Opera (www.blo.org)
Founded in 1976, Boston Lyric Opera is recognized for
its commitment to debuts featuring some of the world's most exciting
young singers, conductors, directors and designers. The Company's educational
and community programs division, Opera New England, brings opera to
30,000 young people each year. BLO's broadcasts on WGBH radio reach
some 100,000 listeners throughout New England. For The 2003/2004 Italian
Season, BLO presents three greatly loved operas: Verdi's "Rigoletto,"
Puccini's "Tosca," and Mozart's "Così fan
tutte" -- as well as programs and events featuring Italian art,
literature, film, design, food and wine, along with so many other great
treasures for which Italy is known.
Boston Symphony Orchestra (www.bso.org)
Beginning its 123rd season in October, 2003, the world-renowned
Boston Symphony Orchestra offers classical orchestral performances from
October through early May in historic Symphony Hall. In addition to
subscription options ranging from 3 to 25 concerts, the BSO offers various
programs for different age groups, including Repartee for 21-38 year
olds, a Youth and Family Concert Series and programs for college and
high school age students. In July and August, the orchestra performs
at Tanglewood in Lenox, Massachusetts, the BSO's summer home in the
Berkshires. BSO Music Director Designate James Levine officially begins
his tenure as Music Director in the fall of 2004.
DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park
(www.decordova.org)
Founded in 1930 by Julian de Cordova, who donated his
home, gallery, art collection and 20 acres of land located in Lincoln,
Massachusetts, the DeCordova has become the largest museum of contemporary
American art in New England and the largest year-round sculpture park
(35 acres) in New England. The museum's mission is to educate its audiences
about modern and contemporary American art. DeCordova's commitment to
education is expressed in its indoor and outdoor exhibitions, as well
as at the Museum School of Art, which provides studio art instruction
to children and adults and is designed to encourage both the practice
and the appreciation of the visual arts.
First Night Boston (www.firstnight.org)
First Night Boston is the country's oldest and largest
New Year's arts celebration. On December 31, 2003, from 1:00 p.m. to
midnight, First Night will present its 28th annual day-long festival
of art, music, dance, ice sculpture, fireworks and more. First Night
is an alcohol-free event that welcomes children, families and revelers
of all ages to celebrate community and unity through the arts.
FleetBoston Celebrity Series (www.celebrityseries.org)
FleetBoston Celebrity Series is New England's leading
nonprofit presenter of performing arts from around the world. Now entering
its 65th season, the Celebrity Series brings to Boston's major concert
halls performances by instrumental and vocal soloists, symphony orchestras,
chamber ensembles, dance companies, jazz and popular music performers,
folk and ethnic performance groups and other performing artists. Project
Discovery, the education and community service program of the Celebrity
Series, reaches over 20,000 students annually through more than 130
performing arts activities each year at 225 Boston area schools and
organizations, including AileyCamp Boston, a six-week summer dance camp
for Boston middle-school students.
Handel and Haydn Society (www.HandelandHaydn.org)
Now in its 189th season, the Handel and Haydn Society
is a professional chorus and orchestra that offers historically informed
performances, in which music is played on the instruments and with the
techniques available to the composers in their time. Under the musical
direction of Grant Llewellyn, the Society specializes in music from
the Baroque and Classical eras, and features innovative elements in
its concert programs, including dance, jazz, and the semi-staging of
opera. Winner of a 2002 Grammy Award, Handel and Haydn has the largest
audience for any chorus or period instrument ensemble in North America.
Huntington Theatre Company (www.huntingtontheatre.org)
Under the leadership of Artistic Director Nicholas Martin
and Managing Director Michael Maso, Huntington Theatre Company is Boston's
leading professional theatre. In residence at Boston University throughout
its 22 year history, the Huntington produces a dazzling array of classic
and contemporary plays and musicals for a growing audience of 175,000,
including 16,500 subscribers. The Huntington has announced its ambitious
agenda for artistic and organizational expansion, including plans to
commission, develop, and produce new American plays. Plans include the
building of two new performance spaces in collaboration with the Boston
Center for the Arts (BCA), marking the first new theatres to be built
in Boston in more than 75 years. The Huntington will focus its new play
development at these new theatres while continuing to perform primarily
at the 890-seat Boston University Theatre on Huntington Avenue.
The Institute of Contemporary Art
(www.icaboston.org)
The Institute of Contemporary Art, New England's premier
contemporary art museum, presents provocative programs and exhibitions
by national and international artists exploring the ideas, issues and
images of our time. For over 65 years, the ICA's bold exhibitions have
introduced audiences to the world's foremost contemporary artists, from
Pablo Picasso and Edvard Munch to Andy Warhol and Cindy Sherman, continually
defining what is next in contemporary art. To reach outside its walls,
the ICA commissions artists through two programs -- ICA/Vita Brevis
and Aritsts-in-Residence at Boston National Historical Park -- to create
temporary works of art that are sited in unusual settings throughout
Boston. In 2006, the ICA will move into a new state-of-the-art building
designed by architects Diller + Scofidio that is located on Boston's
waterfront.
The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
(www.gardnermuseum.org)
The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum houses one of the
most renowned art collections in the world, including masterpieces spanning
30 centuries and representing numerous cultures from around the world.
The memorable 15th-century Venetian-style palazzo contains three floors
of galleries surrounding an interior courtyard adorned - as it was in
Isabella Stewart Gardner's day - with seasonal flowers and greenery.
Isabella Stewart Gardner amassed and personally arranged the collection
in an intimate and evocative setting as an ongoing source of inspiration
for artists and visitors. The collection of more than 2,500 artworks
includes masterpieces by Rembrandt, Raphael, Botticelli, Sargent, Whistler
and Titian. Ongoing and special contemporary and historic exhibitions,
concert and lecture series, educational partnerships and programs and
changing horticultural displays in the central courtyard enhance the
permanent collection.
Lyric Stage Company (www.lyricstage.com)
For thirty years, LSC has been providing audiences with
entertaining, provocative and challenging productions that even the
larger theatres dare not -- and cannot -- present. From classic to avant
garde and premieres to established hits, Lyric Stage Company's unique
meld of risk-taking professionalism has garnered an unprecedented nine
Elliot Norton Awards from the Boston Theatre Critics Association. This
theatre season, experience Boston's "Off-Broadway" -- The
Lyric Stage Company of Boston.
The Museum of Fine Arts (www.mfa.org)
The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA) is recognized for
the quality and scope of its encyclopedic permanent collection, which
includes an estimated 350,000 objects. The Museum's collection is made
up of: Art of the Americas; Art of Europe; Contemporary Art; Art of
Asia, Oceania and Africa; Art of the Ancient World; Prints, Drawings
and Photographs; Textile and Fashion Arts; and Musical Instruments.
The MFA also offers a host of educational programs and services to a
diverse audience, from the Museum member to the first-time visitor,
children and families, the academic community and visitors with disabilities.
North Shore Music Theatre (www.nsmt.org)
On its 26-acre Dunham Woods campus in Beverly, MA, the
award-winning North Shore Music Theatre (NSTM) is creating some of the
most vibrant and exciting musical theater in the country. As the largest
nonprofit professional theater in New England, NSMT annually produces
a six musical subscription series, a holiday production of "A Christmas
Carol" and an acclaimed Celebrity Concert series. With its renowned
Theater for Young Audiences program, a school touring program and year-round
classes for children, NSMT has become one of the region's leading providers
of theater arts and education programs.
The Peabody Essex Museum (www.pem.org)
The transformed Peabody Essex Museum, which reopened
to the public in June of this year, features 250,000 square feet of
new and renovated spaces, with gallery installations -- for the first
time in the museum's history -- representing the full range and scope
of the museum's extraordinary holdings, including Native American art;
Oceanic art; African art; art from China, Japan, Korea, and India; American
decorative art, and maritime art. A Chinese merchant's house from the
late Qing dynasty and a striking new wing designed by Moshe Safdie are
now part of the museum’s distinguished collection of 24 historic
and contemporary properties.
The Wang Center (www.wangcenter.org)
The Wang Center for the Performing Arts, Inc., which
operates The Wang Theatre, The Shubert Theatre and Wang Center Productions,
Inc., is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to presenting the finest
performing artists and cultural attractions from around the world. The
Wang Center provides support and has created partnerships with Boston
Ballet, Boston Lyric Opera, FleetBoston Celebrity Series, Commonwealth
Shakespeare Company and numerous other local arts organizations. Through
its membership in the Independent Presenters Network (IPN), The Wang
Center invests in Broadway and touring shows, including "Thoroughly
Modern Millie" and a new touring production of "Starlight
Express." The Wang Center's commitment to developing new works
has recently expanded through the launch of a play reading series of
original works by both new and established writers. Suskind Young At
Arts, the education department of The Wang Center, is the third largest
of its kind in the country. It motivates young people, inspires teachers
and connects communities through innovative programs in all arts forms.
World Music / CRASHarts (www.WorldMusic.org)
World Music, a nonprofit organization established in
1990, is New England's premier presenter of global culture, featuring
music and dance from the far and near corners of the globe. CRASHarts,
a division of World Music, Inc., is dedicated to presenting a contemporary
performing arts series in Boston. World Music / CRASHarts strives to
offer audiences an opportunity to share in many different cultural and
artistic expressions and seeks to foster an atmosphere of discovery
and exploration. Together World Music and CRASHarts present approximately
70 concerts and 15 educational programs per year.
--
OnStage Boston
9/1/03
