A NOTE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

If we’re looking for a phrase to capture the spirit of the 2021/2022 season at the Center for the Arts, it might be “Playing Catch-Up and Moving Forward.” I know that sounds like a bit of a zigzag but that’s the way our return from the pandemic shutdown often felt. And I think you’ll agree, there was a lot of energy and joy in those zigs and zags.

We played catch-up by bringing artists to our stage that had been postponed during the height (or depth) of the pandemic. And speaking of energy and joy, a particular highlight was SW!NG OUT, the big band and swing dance program that had us all dancing in the aisles—actually on the stage and in the orchestra pit—under the watchful eye of some of the world’s best swing dancers. Another brilliant “recovered” booking was the appearance of NEA Jazz Master Maria Schneider, conducting some of her amazing charts with our own Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra, including a special appearance by our students in the Mason Jazz Ensemble. Both of these Great Performances at Mason concerts also featured artist residencies of several days duration, bringing these stellar artists into our community in various kinds of meaningful engagement. That’s the Center for the Arts at its best, and those “catchups” were definitely worth waiting for.

We also moved forward with concerts that actually were not rescheduled, and again our Mason Artist-in-Residence program proved to be very rich for students at Mason and in some of our area schools as well. The outstanding Sphinx Virtuosi gave masterclasses, workshops, and led rehearsals in the fall in conjunction with their beautiful concert, and Camille A. Brown & Dancers did its version of that in the spring. When the work on stage is fantastic and the community engagement is equally strong, we know we are fulfilling our mission at the highest possible level.

Mason's students in the arts really moved forward too (almost like they never stopped learning and rehearsing, which I guess they really didn’t!) with high-energy, artistically satisfying, well-attended mainstage performances such as the Music and Theater collaboration of Footloose, School of Dance Gala Concert, Dewberry School of Music’s Holiday Concert, and GAMEmason computer game expo, among many examples.

I want to thank our patrons, supporters, volunteers, staff, and all the artists who call us home, whether for one weekend or on a regular basis, for helping us catch up and, most importantly, for keeping us moving forward. Our dean always says the arts create community and I think this past year proved that more than any in my memory.