Middlebury College celebrates dedication of the Kevin P. Mahaney '84 Center for the Arts on center's 15th anniversary

MIDDLEBURY, Vt. - From Thursday, March 6, through Sunday, March 9, Middlebury College will host a dedication of the Kevin P. Mahaney ‘84 Center for the Arts and celebration of the center’s 15-year anniversary. Events are open to the public and free, unless otherwise noted, and include lectures, exhibitions, performances, films and a symposium.

“Since 1992, the Center for the Arts has enriched the life of the college and its community as a focus and catalyst for thriving programs in the visual and performing arts,” said Middlebury College Director of the Arts Glenn Andres. According to Andres, this celebration acknowledges the 15th anniversary of the Center for the Arts and its rededication in honor of 1984 graduate Kevin P. Mahaney in recognition of his generosity and commitment to the arts as a key component of every Middlebury student’s education. The events will encompass performances and exhibitions showcasing every arts discipline on campus.

The celebration begins on Thursday, March 6, at 3 p.m. with a performance by the Middlebury College student chamber musicians in the Middlebury College Museum of Art, located in Kevin P. Mahaney ‘84 Center for the Arts on South Main Street (Route 30). The performance is titled “Eloquent Music” and is free and open to the public.

At 7:30 pm., the public is invited to attend a free lecture titled “Green Strategies for Historic Buildings” in Room 304 of Johnson Memorial Building, located on Château Road off College Street (Route 125). Lecturer Jean Carroon is principal for preservation at the Boston architectural firm of Goody Clancy, and a national leader in integrating sustainable design and architectural preservation.

The celebration continues with a Performing Arts Series concert by the young and virtuosic Albers Trio, with acclaimed pianist Pei Yao Wang, on Friday, March 7, at 8 p.m. in the Concert Hall of the Mahaney Center for the Arts. The group will perform works by Beethoven, Martinu and Brahms. Reserved seating tickets are $15 for general admission and $12 for seniors.

A pre-performance dinner begins at 6:30 p.m. at Rehearsals Cafe in the Center for the Arts. Reservations are required. For tickets or dinner reservations, contact the Middlebury College Box Office at 802-443-6433 or www.middlebury.edu/arts.

On Saturday, March 8, the Middlebury College Department of the History of Art and Architecture presents “The Question of Collaboration,” this year’s Christian A. Johnson Symposium in the History of Art and Architecture. The symposium is free and open to the public and features student and faculty speakers from 9 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. in the Concert Hall of the Mahaney Center for the Arts.

The Hirschfield International Film Series will screen the acclaimed Russian film “4,” an apocalyptic journey of three strangers through the dark heart of a new Russia, at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. in Dana Auditorium, located in Sunderland Language Center on College Street (Route 125). This event is free and open to the public.

The Museum of Art will be open for patrons to view the seasonal exhibitions “Eloquent Vistas: The Art of Nineteenth-Century American Landscape Photography from the George Eastman House Collection” and “Art Now: Recent Acquisitions in Photography and Film/Video,” as well as ongoing exhibitions in the Robert F. Reiff Gallery of Asian Art, and Ancient, European, and American works from the permanent collection. Admission is free.

Visitors to the Mahaney Center for the Arts may also enjoy an exhibition of student works from the Middlebury College Program in Studio Art, on view in the lower lobby, and screenings of four student works from the Film and Media Culture Program, in Room 221.

On Saturday evening, activities include the official dedication celebration at 7 p.m. in the upper lobby of the Mahaney Center for the Arts, followed at 8 p.m. by a choice of three performances: the Dick Forman Jazz Group in the Concert Hall; the Middlebury College Theatre Program’s cast of alumni and students in “Curtain Up” in the Seeler Studio Theatre; and Leyya Tawil and Dance Elixir contemporary dance in the Dance Theatre, for which tickets are $15 for general admission and $12 for seniors - for more information, contact the Middlebury College Box Office at 802-443-6433 or visit online at www.middlebury.edu/arts. The Dance Elixir performance will be repeated at 8 p.m. on Sunday evening as well.

The night culminates with a 10 p.m. to midnight celebration gala in the style of a classic beaux-arts ball throughout the lobbies of the Mahaney Center, accompanied by the lively sounds of the Sound Investment Jazz Ensemble, and other musical guests.

Kevin P. Mahaney is the president and chief executive officer of the Olympia Companies, a real estate firm based in Portland, Maine. As a student at Middlebury, Mahaney majored in economics and was a member of the lacrosse team, receiving All-American honors in 1985. Mahaney also earned a master’s degree from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business. A 1992 Olympic silver medalist in sailing, Mahaney has served as a trustee of the University of Maine.

For more information about the events included in the 15th Anniversary celebration of the Kevin P. Mahaney ‘84 Center for the Arts, contact the Middlebury College Box Office at 802-443-6433 or visit online at www.middlebury.edu/arts.

To follow is a calendar of events:

www.middlebury.edu/arts.
Dance Theatre, Mahaney Center for the Arts, located on South Main Street (Route 30)