From the Executive Director

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Mary Lou Aleskie
Mary Lou Aleskie, Howard Gilman '44 Executive Director of the Hopkins Center for the Arts

June 28, 2022

Dear Friends,

With every fall comes the promise of new beginnings: a new crop of students to be inspired by, new collaborations to create through, new perspectives to learn from, and new opportunities to share the arts with you, our community.
 
As we embark on a new season, we stop to reflect on how we have been navigating the dramatic changes sweeping through the world. We are aware of, and grateful for, how impactful a role the arts can play when it comes to processing the challenges we face as a society. Extended artist residencies have allowed for a deeper and better understanding of one another. Our support of diverse artists from across the world—emerging and established—has blossomed into meaningful discussions and in some instances sparked new projects that we are witnessing come to fruition. We continue to evolve as an arts organization and work towards creating meaningful experiences that are essential for us to remain engaged. We continue to seek how we can best ensure that the arts at the Hop serve and benefit everyone in our community.
 
Our works this fall are emblematic of the journey we are on. The Ritual of Breath is the Rite to Resist is a collaborative, creative act of resistance that we have commissioned and produced in the wake of the ongoing theft of Black breath. The work premieres at the Hop this fall before going on to be presented in other venues across the US starting with Stanford Live. Extending beyond the stage, the work begins in the weeks leading up to the performance as audience members are invited to participate in six healing rituals with a final ritual after the experience offering participants ways to stay committed to justice for Black lives. 

A landmark moment like Midori's 40th anniversary is marked by a US-exclusive performance of the full Beethoven Violin Sonata cycle over three nights with long-time collaborator Jean-Yves Thibaudet. While Apple Hill String Quartet grace our stage alongside pianist-in-residence, Sally Pinkas as we deepen our connections with artists across our region.  
 
This fall wraps up as we begin to transform the iconic building that has served our community over the past 60 years. We invite you to celebrate the Hopkins Center and the arts at Dartmouth along with the 50th anniversary of coeducation at Dartmouth, over a weekend of performances, arts-centric conversations and gatherings on November 12 & 13. Mark your calendars!

Yours,

Mary Lou Aleskie
Howard Gilman '44 Executive Director of the Hopkins Center for the Arts
on behalf of the Hop staff & faculty

Explore the Fall

While we celebrate our ability to continue sharing the arts at Dartmouth, we acknowledge that the Hopkins Center is situated upon the ancestral and unceded lands of the Abenaki people. We seek to honor and amplify their contributions to our region and to build deeper relationships with the Indigenous peoples who call these lands home.