December 2021
In the 2020–2021 academic year, the Donna and Marvin Schwartz Foundation Artist-in-Residence Program rose to the challenge presented by the times, expanding formats to ensure that our Emory and Atlanta communities continued to have access to the arts and artistic process. Without the ability to present in-person events, we intentionally curated the season to focus on two projects that could still be incredibly impactful in a virtual environment. During these online master classes, artist talks, and conversations, Emory students were able to perform for and receive critique from acclaimed jazz guitarist Bobby Broom and take part in an intimate conversation with artist Manjari Sharma. Emory jazz studies student Sawyer Gray remarked, “Building connections to the broader music community is the most important role of Emory’s Music program,” --- it is the Donna and Marvin Schwartz Artist-in-Residence Program that makes this possible for our students. This report details the eighth full year of this program—the impact on Emory’s campus and our community continues to multiply, and while we are delighted to return to live performances, we are incredibly grateful that these funds allowed us ways to create meaningful engagement opportunities for our students, while also expanding its reach to the thousands of additional people who viewed these programs online. We remain incredibly grateful to Donna and Marvin for their vision and generosity in cultivating future generations of arts-minded citizens, while simultaneously raising the visibility of the Arts at Emory to unprecedented levels.
With deep appreciation,
Rachael Brightwell Chair, Donna and Marvin Schwartz Foundation Artist-in-Residence Program Managing Director, Schwartz Center for Performing Arts