Mahaney Arts Center (MAC)
Attending a performance with your entire class or seminar, hosting an internationally acclaimed performing artist for a guest lecture or workshop in your course, or using performances for class assignments are all opportunities readily available to faculty from across the entire academic program.
The performing arts are central to Middlebury’s life and culture. Students and faculty directly engage with them as performers, creators, or viewers. Much of Middlebury’s arts activity resides in the Mahaney Arts Center, but the making and appreciation of art happens everywhere on campus and beyond in the town of Middlebury. The Mahaney Arts Center provides an environment for the creation of art, and invites audiences (students, faculty, entire classes) to experience the work of local, national, and international artists.
Opportunities primarily for faculty
- Performing Arts Series. The PAS presents world-class national and international artists in music, theatre, dance, and other disciplines. For Fall 2020, the Performing Arts Series moves online and will feature Imani Winds (diverse, innovative woodwind quintet) and a multi-performance series in conjunction with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.
- Rothrock Residencies. The majority of the PAS artists come to Middlebury not just to perform, but also to provide academic residency activities with direct experiential-learning opportunities. Residency activities routinely include class guest lectures, master classes, talkbacks, and workshops—all valuable curricular opportunities that are often included in course syllabi in both arts and non-arts disciplines. In fall 2020, the Imani Winds will offer an online residency with themes including contemporary composition and performance, and the Black experience in classical music.
- First-Year Seminars often make use of performing arts offerings to integrate experiential learning, to dive into themes of mutual interest, to foster creativity and self-expression, and to forge a sense of community.
Opportunities primarily for students
- Rothrock Residencies. In addition to the academic residency activities listed above, this program also supports student-initiated artist residencies each year, voted on by PASS Scholars (student members).
- MAC Literary Arts Programs such as Cocoon and NER Out Loud provide opportunities to explore the intersection between the performing and literary arts.
- Student-Oriented performance Events such as the student arts festival Nocturne, the TEDx conference, speech competitions, and Baggage Claim provide opportunities for students to make creative work and to manage projects.
- Box Office workers and Front-of-House staff (paid) learn about arts administration and take in arts events as ushers and house managers, while also earning money to support their college careers.
- Student Internships (academic year, Winter term, and summer) include Arts Marketing internships and a Performing Arts internship, providing professional development opportunities within the arts that also translate to other creative and project management endeavors.
- Arts Internships via CCI. The Committee on the Arts (COTA) helps manage and approve independent internships administered by CCI.
- Performing Arts Series Society (PASS) (free Scholar level membership for Middlebury students) helps support the work of bringing acclaimed artists and emerging alumni performers to campus. PASS members receive advance opportunities to purchase tickets, invites to special events, opportunities to meet artists, a chance to vote on future performances, and more.
- Research, independent study, and senior thesis opportunities.
For more information on how students and faculty can get involved with the MAC, contact Liza Sacheli (Director, Mahaney Arts Center), or Allison Coyne Carroll (Director, Performing Arts Series).