A ruby is often used to recognize a 40th anniversary — since it is thought to express an inner passion that remains alive and strong.
A passion for the arts created the Dalhousie Arts Centre four decades ago. Ever since, the centre has catalyzed artistic and musical expression on campus and in the community.
It’s fitting while celebrating the the Dalhousie Arts Centre’s anniversary to anticipate enhancing arts opportunities in years to come.
The Halifax-based architectural firm Fowler, Bauld & Mitchell designed the Dalhousie Arts Centre, complete with Japanese architectural influences. Their vision has been influential on campus, most recently with the Mona Campbell Building.
The arts centre’s main performance auditorium recognizes Rebecca Cohn, who immigrated to Halifax from Poland. She sold goods from a handcart and invested in downtown properties. In 1942, her estate gift supporting the arts began a legacy that reverberates today.
The centre’s inaugural public performance featured The Atlantic Symphony Orchestra in 1971. Stan Rogers, Gordon Lightfoot, Anne Murray, Joan Baez, Don MacLean, Oscar Peterson, Ray Charles, Harry Belafonte, Tony Bennett, k.d. lang, Jim Cuddy, Christopher Plummer, Gordon Pinsent and Bill Cosby all delighted Halifax audiences at the Dalhousie Arts Centre during the 1970s and 80s. For many years, the center has provided a home for Symphony Nova Scotia and the Kiwanis Music Festival.
Leonard Cohen was one of the first to receive a parchment in the Cohn. The Canadian poet picked up an honorary degree in 1971. In 2008, the iconic songwriter and musician was back onstage, kicking off a world tour and enchanting Maritime audiences. With the Cohn becoming the home for the university’s convocation ceremonies, the Cohn features in graduation memories for thousands of alumni.
The Dalhousie Art Gallery moved into its current home in 1971. Group of Seven painter Lawren Harris donated his silkscreen Pentagon on the occasion of his honorary degree that same year. The gallery arranges an annual curated film series on diverse subjects and hosts the popular Student, Staff, Faculty and Alumni Exhibition.
Free noon hour recitals continue to be offered by talented music students. 'The Marriage of True Minds' is the theme for the Dalhousie Theatre Department Productions this year.
The Dalhousie Arts Centre remains a hub for the province’s arts and cultural activity. Attendance at the Cohn Auditorium was 120,000 in 2010, with many more visitors attending performances in the Sir James Dunn Auditorium and checking out exhibitions in the Dalhousie Art Gallery.
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A chorus of support for expansion
Within the walls of the Dalhousie Arts Centre, community audiences have experienced riveting theatre performances, elaborate costumes and harmonious music created by talented Dalhousie students.
The theatre and music departments were new and fairly small when the arts centre was built in 1971. Since then, the programs have grown exponentially, but the space has not.
“The academic programs that live in the building have outgrown the building itself,” says Roberta Barker, chair of the Department of Theatre.
To address these space issues, Dalhousie hopes to make much needed renovations to the centre, including the addition of a new wing to the Seymour Street side of the facility.
The Dalhousie Arts Centre Revitalization Fund, part of Dalhousie’s $250-million Bold Ambitions campaign, is a $10-million, community-based project to create a 200-seat concert hall; a new multi-purpose seminar room; a dedicated space for the costume studies program; three labs for film studies, theatre and music classes; and a student lounge. These new spaces would have state-of-the-art sound recording, music technology, video and computer equipment.
“This is the single largest priority for the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences within the Bold Ambitions campaign,” says Robert Summerby-Murray, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.
“Building a $10-million modern arts facility will not only satisfy our space challenges and accommodate our program growth, but will enhance Dalhousie’s position as a post-secondary leader in the performing arts across Canada.
Supporters and learners alike will see the revitalized Dalhousie Arts Centre as a special place that invites collaboration among peers; a place that inspires others; and a place that encourages creativity across the arts,” says Dr. Summerby-Murray.
Michelle Hampson and Joanne Ward-Jerrett
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