Mason Arts Board Minutes - November 2024

Location: Center for the Arts

Attendees:

Annie Bolger, Mike Brown, Gardner Gillespie, Molly Grimsley, Laila Abdul-Hadi Jadallah, Kimberly Macedo, Paulette Miller, Anika Tené, Isaac W.K. Thweatt, Victoria Salmon, Jay Speer, Jenna Day, Jennifer Disano, Linda Harber, Djola Branner, Whitman Brown, James Casey, Rick Davis, Susan Graziano, Carolyn Hays, Cynthia Fuchs, Mary Lechter, Linda Monson, Sang Nam, Emily Rusch, Don Russell, Susan Shields, Julie Thompson, Lauren Wagner

Regrets:

Kelly Harms, Charniele Herring, Rose Mary Flores Troche, Nancy Jean-Louis, Val McWhorter, Willy Meaux, Ida Portland, Bob Purks, Sadhvi Subramanian, Edward Weiner, Barbara Jacksier, Janice Sutera Wolfe, Zoë Charlton, Niyati Dhokai, Kirstin Franko, Adrienne Godwin, Kristin Johnsen-Neshati, Karalee Dawn MacKay, Emily Schneider

No Response:

Robert Golden, So Lim, Jolanda N. Janczewski, Jonathan Goldman, Michael Nickens, Shá Norman, Mary Zigo

Welcome – Vicki Salmon, Chair

Vicki Salmon opened the meeting by thanking everyone for attending in person. She outlined the meeting format, noting that after the regular business portion, Board members would tour Mason Arts spaces, and then return to the Center for the Arts for small group discussions. The discussions were focused on the College’s new Strategic Plan and how the Mason Arts Board can best support the Mason Arts Strategic Priorities.

Committee Reports

Engagement – Paulette Miller

Paulette Miller reported that the focus of the engagement committee is shifting to Board engagement in an effort to keep members informed about what the college is doing so that they can be ambassadors for Mason Arts in the community. Several members have committed to hosting dinners that will introduce their friends and colleagues to Mason Arts. Paulette suggested that other members consider how they can best engage their friends and contacts with Mason Arts. She also asked that members consider hosting a Board social at the Center for the Arts before a scheduled performance.

Finance – Annie Bolger, Treasurer; Whitman Brown, Chief Business Officer

Whitman Brown presented a report on ticket sales for the Center for the Arts and the Hylton Performing Arts Center (see meeting documents for charts). Sales for the Center for the Arts are on track for this season’s projections. While sales are slightly behind last year’s numbers, they are still performing well given the differences in this season’s structure. There are a lot of variables that impact sales—like the timing of performances and which shows sell better than others. As the season continues, the performing arts center staffs will be monitoring sales closely and adjusting strategies where needed.

Governance – Molly Grimsley

Molly Grimsley introduced Mary Sanders Jones, the newest member of the Mason Arts Board. Ms. Jones spoke briefly about her career at Union Pacific and her life-long interest in the Arts.

Development – Victoria Salmon

Vicki Salmon reported that $1.6M has been raised in FY25 as of November 6, 2024. Gifts of note include a major gift from Paulette and Mack Miller to name the TheaterSpace Marquee in the deLaski Performing Arts Building. Susan Aitel made two major gifts to benefit the Grace Aitel Award Endowment for strings students and Jerry Long made a generous gift to support the Patricia A. Long Scholarship Endowment for Jazz Studies.

Arts by George!  –Annie Bolger, Chair

Annie Bolger thanked everyone who came and supported at ARTS by George! on September 28. It was a lovely evening with impressive student showcases, an amazing alumni performance, and a great concert with Lea Salonga.

The goal was to raise $250,000 and we exceeded it by $12,400 for a total of $262,400. This included:

$204,000 in sponsorships- $4,000 over goal

$19,450 in ticket sales- $5,550 below goal

Total of $38,950 in donations, nearly $14,000 over goal:

$10,800 in pre- and post-event donations

$28,150 in donations made during the paddle raise

There were 389 tickets reserved including all guests. This was an increase of 27 over last year. The development team are still collecting some outstanding pledges and will be calculating the payout to the units shortly.

The 20^th ARTS by George! will be held on Saturday, September 27, 2025.

Around CVPA – Please see Program Directors’ written reports in the meeting packet.

Dean’s Report – Dean Rick Davis reports on Mason/CVPA

Rick Davis noted that George Mason University and the College of Visual and Performing Arts thrive on the energy and support of our volunteers. It is proof that when you do good things for people, it comes back to you in both tangible and intangible ways.

He reported that he will travel to Mason Korea this fall for the opening of the Serious Game Institute there. CVPA’s Game Design program has been growing rapidly, and the opening of the Serious Game Institute in Korea will elevate Game Design’s international reputation. This will hopefully lead to new business and research partnerships that will not only benefit CVPA’s Game Design program but also further enhance the visibility of Mason Arts on the global stage.

Dean Davis is now part of a university-wide initiative to address the Grand Challenges. This is a major initiative at George Mason, aiming to solve some of the world's biggest issues, like climate change, food insecurity, social justice, and more. These challenges, many of which stem from poor human decisions, are things that the arts and humanities can help address. CVPA can help highlight the human side of these challenges, digging into the stories behind the science and data. It is a way that the arts and humanities can make a real difference—something that will set George Mason apart from other institutions tackling these same problems.

The work on Grand Challenges also ties into the work being done at Mason Arts, which is reflected in the new strategic plan. CVPA has undergone tremendous growth, and the focus on expanding the Arts District is a game-changer. This district will encompass new spaces for creation, learning, and performance, including the transformation of key buildings like the Center for the Arts and future facilities that will serve as hubs for Game Design and Film. This Arts District will bring CVPA facilities and people into alignment in a way that will truly transform the campus and elevate the College of Visual and Performing Arts.

Following the business portion of the meeting, Board members toured the proposed Arts District and returned to the Center for the Arts to discuss how the Board can contribute to the college’s continued growth and success. The discussion groups will meet on Zoom in January to complete their reports which will be presented at the full Board meeting in February.

Closing

The next Mason Arts Board meeting will be on February 12, 2025 from 8:30 am to 10:15 am. It will be held on Zoom.

 

 

 

 

---

Mason Arts Board November 8, 2024

8:30- 1:00pm AGENDA

1. Welcome – Victoria Salmon, AAMB Chair
2. Updates – Salmon
   1. Description of morning’s activities
   2. Website link – Arts at Mason Board (AAMB) | College of Visual and Performing Arts(gmu.edu)
3. Committee Reports
   1. Engagement – Paulette Miller, Chair
   2. Finance – Annie Bolger, Treasurer
   3. Development – Vicki Salmon and Susan Graziano, Senior Director of Development
   4. Governance – Molly Grimsley, Chair
   5. Arts by George! – Annie Bolger, Chair

4. Dean’s Report – Dean Rick Davis reports on Mason/CVPA

5. Around CVPA – Department, Program Directors’ written reports

6. Presentation – Tour of the proposed “Arts District”; groups will be led by members of CVPA’s Administration; comments and questions welcomed.

7. Lunch and Discussion – How does the Mason Arts Board support the College’s new Strategic Plan? What are potential action items that sustain the growth and development of the College in the coming years?

8. New Business/Announcements

9. Adjourn

10. Next Meeting: February 12, 2025; Zoom

Review of Portions of the College of Visual and Performing Arts Strategic Plan Mason Arts Board Action Items

November 8, 2024

MAB Group #1:

Mission Statements

• Review CVPA’s new mission statement; recognize its value to today’s artistic and academic conditions; Board members share their interpretations of the What does the mission statement mean to you as an advocate?
• Review the 2020 Mason Arts Board mission statement. Board members share their interpretations of the Does the 2020 MAB statement meet the criteria of the College’s mission statement? Potential revisions?

Mason Arts Strategic Priorities that connect to the Board’s Operating Practices MAB Group #2

SP#1 Expand and elevate the identity of the Mason Arts community

• Grow community partnerships and engagement
• Conduct internal and external brand awareness campaigns

MAB Group #3

#2 Enhance Student Success and Alumni Engagement through mentorship and networking, well- being support, and improved facilities

• Create a student-alumni mentorship program
• Increase networking events that incorporate student and alumni populations
• Create enhanced curricular and extracurricular opportunities in all units for career preparation and professional development
• Develop and enhance structures that support student well-being and belonging
• Create spaces for Mason Arts students to gather and feel at home on campus
• Build and maintain state-of-the-art, accessible instruction, exhibition, and performance spaces

MAB Group #4

#5 Strengthen financial resources across Mason Arts

• Create a culture of philanthropy across Mason Arts programs
• Advocate for increased state funding to support Mason Arts
• Conduct internal and external brand awareness campaigns
• Cultivate a sustainable culture of engaged alumni

Mason Arts Board Recommendations, Goals, Advocacy

Each group concentrates on one of the above portions of the College’s Strategic Plan, and the members describe their interpretations of the new mission statement and priorities. The College’s Plan is written to be an inclusive document; therefore, the Board members do have a stake in the components listed. The Board is a consequential partner in Mason Arts. Our voices and goals indicate our commitment to the College.

Potential discussion questions:

• What do you think the College’s Strategic Plan’s message is to the Board? To the communities the College serves?
• How should the Board’s Mission Statement be revised to bond with the College’s new Mission Statement?
• How can the Board strengthen its engagement with the College as it meets its mission, priorities, goals, and values?
• List two or three specific, practical (“do-able”) action items that Board members can commit to as we review our Expectations and Responsibilities of the Board Directors document?

Future Work: Group Zoom Sessions, facilitated by CVPA staff

Before the February 12 meeting, preferably in January 2025, we are asking each group to meet one more time by Zoom to review and revise their statements from today’s meeting. The groups will report their action items to the full Board at the February meeting. We will create a document that reflects our work, and perhaps we will need to review our Operating Practices.

Arts at Mason Board Operating Practices March 2020

ARTICLE 1. Introduction

The Arts at Mason Board (AAMB) is a non-fiduciary board that seeks to make the visual and performing arts a pervasive element of life in the multiple communities served by George Mason University (Mason)’s College of Visual and Performing Arts. The AAMB seeks to expand opportunities for the development, presentation and appreciation of the arts and arts education within the region by appropriately linking the resources of the University to the communities.

ARTICLE 2. Arts at Mason Board of Directors

SECTION 1. Board of Directors - The AAMB Board of Directors shall have not less than fifteen

(15) Directors with no set maximum but may set a maximum number of Directors as it deems appropriate.

SECTION 2. Annual Nomination of Directors – The Governance Committee shall from time to time propose qualified candidates for membership on the Board to the Chair and the Dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA).

SECTION 3. Terms of Directors – Directors shall normally be appointed for three-year terms. The length of a term may be adjusted if required so that approximately one-third of the Directors’ terms shall expire each year. Directors are expected to meet the requirements set forth in the Arts at Mason Board - Expectations and Responsibilities of Board Directors (attached).

SECTION 4. Ex-Officio Directors – The chair or president of any volunteer organization designated by the board as supporting the Arts at Mason shall be an Ex-Officio Director with voting rights. The Dean may appoint a limited number of CVPA faculty and staff to the Board as CVPA Ex-Officio Directors with voting rights.

ARTICLE 3. Meetings

SECTION 1. Annual Meeting – The annual meeting of the Arts at Mason Board shall be held at the discretion of the Chair in consultation with the Dean. The purposes of the annual meeting are to elect new officers, to receive an annual report from the Chair and the Dean of CVPA on the performance of the AAM in achieving its mission and strategic plan goals, and to consider such other items deemed appropriate by the Chair.

SECTION 2. Regular and Special Meetings – A schedule of regular meetings shall be established by the Chair annually. Special meetings may be called by the Chair as needed during the course of a year.

SECTION 3. Staff Responsibilities – A staff member in the College, designated by the Dean, shall serve as liaison to the Board, attend Board or Executive Committee meetings, handle arrangements for the meetings, communicate meeting dates, distribute the agenda, and be responsible for taking minutes and distributing minutes.

ARTICLE 4. Officers

SECTION 1. Officers – The Officers of the Board shall be Chair, Vice-Chair, and Treasurer.

SECTION 2. Term of Office – Officers will serve a two-year term and a maximum of two consecutive terms.

SECTION 3. Chair – The Chair will preside at all meetings of the Board and perform such duties as pertain to the office, including the establishment of committees, the appointment of committee chairs, setting the agenda for the Board and executive committee meetings, and such other duties as the Board or these operating practices require.

SECTTION 4. Vice-Chair – At the request of the Chair, or in the event of his/her absence or disability, the Vice-Chair shall perform the duties and possess and exercise the powers of the Chair. The Vice-Chair shall have such other responsibilities as the Chair or Dean may authorize or assign.

SECTION 5. Treasurer – The Treasurer shall work with the CVPA Director of Finance/CFO to assure that all funds raised by the AAMB are properly segregated and accounted for. The Treasurer shall provide periodic reports to the Board on the status of the CVPA’s finances.

SECTION 6. Nomination and Election of Officers – The Dean shall appoint the Chair, and the Chair, in consultation with the Dean, shall propose a slate of Officers to the Board for consideration and approval at the annual meeting as officer terms expire. Officers shall be elected by a majority vote of those present at the annual meeting.

SECTION 7. Vacancies – Any vacancy occurring among the Officers of the Board may be filled by the Chair in consultation with the Dean.

ARTICLE 5. Committees

SECTION 1. Executive Committee – The Executive Committee shall consist of the Chair, Vice- Chair, Treasurer, Dean of the CVPA and other at-large Directors appointed by the Chair. The Executive Committee shall meet at the call of the Chair and may act in the Board’s role as necessary between regular or special meetings.

SECTION 2. Governance Committee – The Governance Committee shall:

• Vet proposed candidates
• Propose new Directors for the Dean’s and Chair’s approval
• Distribute to the Directors a self-assessment based on the Expectations and Responsibilities of Board Directors (see attached).

SECTION 3. Other Committees – Other standing or ad hoc committees may be established from time to time by the Chair in consultation with the Dean.

SECTION 4. Committee Chairs and Membership – The Chair shall appoint the committee chairs and committee members who need not be Directors of the Board, except for the Executive Committee.

ARTICLE 6. Amendment of the Operating Practices

These operating practices may be amended at any regular or special meeting of the Board by a majority vote.

Arts at Mason Board Committees:

• Arts by George! Steering Committee Audience Engagement Committee Development Committee
• Executive Committee Governance Committee

CVPA Advisory Boards, Councils, Partnerships:

• Computer Game Design Executive Advisory Board Dance Partnership Council
• Fairfax Spotlight on the Arts Film at Mason Advisory Board
• Friends of Center for the Arts Board Friends of Music at Mason Advisory Board Friends of Theater at Mason
• Green Machine Boosters
• Hylton Performing Arts Center Executive Board Jazz 4Justice
• Mason Community Arts Academy Board Osher Lifelong Learning Institute
• School of Art Advisory Council

Arts at Mason Board

Expectations and Responsibilities of Board Directors

March 2020

1. Serve as an informed ambassador for the Arts at Mason;

2. Support the mission of the College of Visual and Performing Arts and support Arts at Mason development and fundraising initiatives, including:
   1. Personally making an annual gift to the Arts at Mason at a level appropriate for the Board Director; and/or;
   2. Raising at least $2,500 annually, either directly through the Director’s annual gift (see above), or fundraising efforts for any CVPA special event, discipline, program, or activity in the Arts at Mason (for example: Arts by George!, Friends groups, Dean’s Advancement Fund, Center for the Arts, etc.);

3. Attend full board meetings (at least 3 times during the academic year) and serve actively on one board committee, task force, or on a CVPA friends group/advisory board;

4. Attend at least one special event, such as ARTS by George!, Off the Wall, Dance Fête, or the Hylton Gala;

5. Attend professional events and performances - the Great Performances at Mason and/or the Hylton Presents series - which is strongly encouraged and vital to supporting the mission of the College; and

6. Identify and cultivate new prospects for the Arts at Mason by bringing them to performances and activities on campus.

The College of Visual and Performing Arts

• School of Art School of Dance School of Music School of Theater
• Arts Management Program Computer Game Design Program Film at Mason Program
• Green Machine Ensembles Mason Community Arts Program Virginia Serious Game Institute
• Center for the Arts, Fairfax Campus
• Hylton Performing Arts Center, Science-Technology Campus

ARTS MANAGEMENT

The Arts Management program will celebrate its 20th anniversary this Spring with a convening on Monday, April 28^th at Mason Square. We will be launching a 20/20/20 alumni giving campaign to support future arts leaders with scholarships as part of this initiative.

Students:

• We are accepting applications for the first cohort of the MFA Concentration in ArtsManagement for Fall 2025. https://artsmanagement.gmu.edu/academics/master-fine-arts-mfa- concentration-arts-management

Faculty:

• Karalee Dawn MacKay will co-chair a panel of students at the American Folklore Society's Albuquerque conference. The panel was developed from an interdisciplinary course andpartnership with the Folklore Program and the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and CulturalHeritage, offering a two-semester module that provides project-based experiential learning opportunities in festival management for George Mason students.
• Carole Rosenstein has secured an interagency partnership agreement with the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), and the American Academy of Arts & Sciences’ Humanities Indicators The grant will expand current data and assess the size and health of the nonprofit humanities, arts, and cultural sectors.

Alumni:

• Bobby Lacy (‘21) was awarded the Green Machine Ensemble’s Distinguished Alumni Award for his significant contributions to Mason!
• Rachael Shaw ('08) promoted to Assistant General Manager at The Orion Amphitheater in Huntsville, Alabama!
• Samba Pathak (‘24) joined the Board of Directors of Educational Theatre Company!
• Molly Jackson (‘21) hired as the Orchestra Personnel Manager at The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts!

Want to get involved? Reach out to Program Director, Karalee Dawn MacKay!

DEWBERRY SCHOOL OF MUSIC

As we approach the season of Thanksgiving, please know how grateful we are to each of you for your support of our marvelous students in the Dewberry School of Music. We invite you to join us for an abundance of varied music offerings during this month of November!

Please purchase your tickets now for Jazz4Justice: Ella & Coltrane on Friday, November 22 at 8 pm in Mason's Center for the Arts. Supporting Legal Services of Northern Virginia and Mason Jazz Studies, this concert features the Mason Jazz Ensemble (Director, Jim Carroll), the Mason Jazz Vocal Ensemble (Director, Dr. Darden Purcell), and very special guest conductor and performer, Dewberry School of Music alumna and Miss Virginia 2024, Carlehr Swanson!

What a terrific line-up of amazing concerts this month! We are excited to present our Mason Electronic Music Ensemble on November 10, Mason Jazz Vocal Ensemble on November 11, Steel Pan Ensemble and Jazz Combos on November 13, New Sound Collective on November 14, Healing Arts Ensemble on November 19, Braddock Road Brass Band and Jazz Combos on November 20, and Guitar Ensemble on November 24! We'd be thrilled to have you join us on our beautiful George Mason University campus for our various Chamber Ensembles and Studio Recitals, as well as our daytime Departmental Recitals and student degree recitals during this busy month of November. Please visit our website calendar for our complete performance information.

Save the date for Our Mason Opera on Saturday, December 7, 2 pm and 8 pm performances, at the Hylton Performing Arts Center (Gregory Theater). Additionally, do not miss our Dewberry School of Music Winter Festival concert, featuring our Mason Symphony Orchestra and our Mason Choirs, on Sunday, December 8 at 7 pm in our Center for the Arts.

We are excited to share our Mason students' gifts of music with you!

SCHOOL OF DANCE

It has been beautiful and abundant fall. Our studios have been drenched in sunlight with views of incredible foliage, making dancing in them even more visceral and alive! A very busy season is underway: Kennedy Center performances, Robert Battle auditions, Robyn Mineko auditions, Yue Yin auditions, the creation of a new work for our sophomore class, several faculty members restaging and creating new works, Mark Morris masterclasses, and Arts By George performances. Challenging classes, conditioning, and creating keep our building buzzing at all hours.

It is hard to believe that this Friday, November 8^th we will have our first audition for NEXT year’s class. To finish up this eventful week, we have our first Concert of the year. Fall New Dances will be performed in our Concert Hall featuring work by Paul Taylor alum, Robert Kleinendorst, our own faculty Karen Reedy and Christina Robson and three new senior works.

A very special thanks to Dan Rainey and Julia Morelli for their extremely generous gift to us to support costume replacements and updates. This unique and useful gift allows us to have our dancers feel as special as they are on our stage.

Hope to see you on November 8^th or 9^th in the Concert Hall. And please mark your calendars for our biggest event of the year, The Dance Gala, which will be March 28^th and 29^th with our biggest party of the year on the 29^th. And if you aren’t following us on Instagram and receiving our newsletter, you are missing out on some great stories and photos!

COMPUTER GAME DESIGN

The Computer Game Design Program has sustained a strong commitment to international collaboration and innovative pedagogy throughout the academic year. On September 19th, the program welcomed 18 visitors (16 students and 2 teachers) from Seoul Digitech High School. Professors Nam and Casey delivered lectures on the significance of serious games and emerging technologies within the game and tech industries, enriching cross-cultural understanding in these fields.

The faculty’s pedagogical innovations were further highlighted at the annual Innovations in Teaching & Learning Conference, also held on September 19th. Professor Jacob Enfield presented multiple sessions, showcasing the program’s commitment to progressive educational practices. His presentations included

“Harnessing Technology to Ignite Student Engagement: Game-based Mathematics Curriculum,” “Integrating VR and Game Design for Transformative Learning: Collaborating with the VSGI to Develop a VR Crime Scene,” and “Solving the Mystery of How to Engage Learners.” Additionally, Professor Nathan Hahn contributed to the conference with his research project, “Improving Game Programming Reading Comprehension with AI-Generated Code,” highlighting advancements in AI applications for education.

On September 20-21, the program supported gameMason, organizing an educational track with insights from alumni and faculty. Alumni from Little Arms Studio led discussions on founding and managing an indie game studio. Faculty contributions included Professor Nathan Hahn’s presentation on “Working as a Game Producer,” Professor Greg Grimsby’s interactive session, “How to Develop a Board Game,” and a joint session by Professors Casey and Nam on the business aspects of serious games.

The program also participated in Arts by George, where it presented research projects from the Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program. Among these, a VR-based serious game, “Utilizing Hand Tracking Technologies in Serious Games to Teach American Sign Language,” received positive reception for its innovative approach to language learning.

In service to the university, Professor James Casey has played an instrumental role in the campus-wide transition from Blackboard to Canvas as a Canvas Mentor, hosting multiple sessions during Canvas Day on October 16th. Additionally, Professor and Director Sang Nam will engage in an international project titled “Virtual Brunei Initiative: Capacity Building in Game Development and Producing a VR Representation of Brunei.”

The program is set to host Mason’s inaugural global game jam, with participants joining from the United States, the UAE, and Korea, in conjunction with the opening ceremony of the Korea Serious Game Institute. This event promises to reinforce the program’s international presence and commitment to global learning initiatives.

FILM AND VIDEO STUDIES

Film and Video Studies’ Best of Film Showcases is screening at multiple venues this semester. The event features 11 short films selected from last Spring’s Student Film Festival (over 180 films), followed by discussions with the student and alum artists: venues include Washington West Film Festival (October) and Mason Exhibitions, Arlington (November). Our Visiting Filmmakers Series includes two events: 1 screening and discussion of Ezra, with associate producer and FAVS alum and autism advocate AlexPlank and 2) Lagueria Davis with Black Barbie, hosted by AVT Professor Jessica Kallista. Faculty continue to make and screen their work, including Nikyatu Jusu’s development of The Fly for Universal Studios; Hans Charles’ completion of the third and final season of the CW’s All American: Homecoming; G Chesler’s Connection | Isolation’s premiere at the Seattle Queer Film Festival, Russell Santos’ eight music videos for Jon Batiste’s Beethoven Blues. Two faculty members have been awarded the Purks Faculty Enrichment Grant for their documentaries: Peter Kimball’s “Cinema in Sign” (history of deaf cinema) and Rebekah Wingert-Jabi’s “Kayden’s Hope” (national movement to protect children in contested custody cases, led by parents). And Meagan Arnold’s film Nora is appearing in The Lantern, an independent literary magazine that celebrates LGBTQIA+ creators in the DMV, hosted by the NoVA Prism Center. FAVS alum Kwanza Gooden was invited to the University's Celebration of Distinction where she was awarded the CVPA Thomas W. Iszard IV Distinguished Alumni Award.

SCHOOL OF THEATER

The School of Theater continues its season of multi-faceted productions examining characters on the brink of love, despair, redemption, and so much more. We just wrapped a successful run of 110 in the Shade, a golden-age musical centering around a young woman’s decision to explore the bright promise of new possibilities or the struggle of her present circumstances and are currently in rehearsal for the original devised show More Dogs which opens Friday, November 22nd in TheaterSpace. More Dogs, directed by MFA candidate Rex Daugherty and co-produced by the award-winning company Solas Nua of which Rex is Artistic Director, explores Irish and Irish American immigration and identity through music, dance and original text, and promises to be a dynamic, immersive experience for all involved.

Additionally, we are in pre-production for Shakespeare’s The Tempest, directed by our very own Dean Rick Davis, and hope that everyone will come out to enjoy the show in Harris Theatre in April of 2026. As always, George Mason’s School of Theater is proud to extend its mission of academic vigor, artistic innovation, and inclusive excellence in classrooms as well as on stages.

Please stay tuned for spring offerings! 

MASON COMMUNITY ARTS ACADEMY

MCAA’s fall is in full swing, providing over 300 private lessons each week and 33 group classes, with 250 students studying Music, Acting, and Visual Art. We proudly participated in ARTS by George!, with a presentation that featured Academy faculty and students, including our two Spotlight on the Arts scholarship recipients.

Students from the private studios of piano teaching artists Dr. Misha Tumanov and Masha Feygelson recently performed in a recital at Carnegie Hall in New York. Participants in our Visual Art programs presented an art show on November 2nd, under the direction of Dr. Justin Sutters, Dr. Hayon Park and several students from the MAT program. Music and Acting students will perform in recitals and showcases on December 14 & 15.

Spring 2025 planning is in the works, and in March, we’ll present our 6th Biennial Spring Music Competition. Plans are also underway for Summer 2025, after welcoming 1,868 participants to campus this year. Visit the MCAA website.

VETERANS AND THE ARTS INITIATIVE

We invite you to join us for a special concert featuring Mandy Gonzalez on Saturday, November 9 at 8 PM at the Hylton Performing Arts Center! Gonzalez will be performing a song called “Fearless” that was written for her by Lin-Manuel Miranda; the song highlights the story of her father’s military service.

In Spring 2025, Veterans and the Arts Initiative will feature community arts programming that includes virtual guitar workshops and virtual painting workshops, as well as in-person workshops featuring oral history and photography. Registration is open, and we encourage you to share information about our programming with the military veterans that you know. More information is available at: Veterans and the Arts Initiative | Hylton Performing Arts Center

VIRGINIA SERIOUS GAME INSTITUTE

At the Virginia Serious Game Institute (VSGI), we are preparing for the launch of the Korea Serious Game Institute (KSGI) at Mason Korea at the end of November. We are preparing the faculty and program there to share and expand our tenets there to offer more opportunities for our students and school. The ability for us to promote research, encourage entrepreneurship, and provide additional outreach for Serious Games in Korea is an amazing chance for us to embrace the amazing gaming culture that Korea offers and provide additional differentiation from other institutions in that country.

Here in the U.S., we are running our fall courses for the Mason Game and Technology Academy and are already planning and generating new content for our spring and summer of 2025. Likewise, on the research side of things, we are wrapping up a few of our current collaborations and showing off our great work at conferences and other mediums, but we are also actively seeking out new collaborations both inside and outside of our university.

Finally, we are seeing success in our resident companies and are actively seeking new and exciting opportunities for students and others that want to pursue serious games as a career. We are always interested in connecting with folks that may benefit from our expertise or are seeking out partners for collaboration. If you or someone you know want to know more or discuss ideas about how technology and/or serious games can benefit them, please reach out!