The Performing Arts Initiative by Melissa Sue Sorrells ’05

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magine a place of music, dance and theatre, where students, faculty and staff congregate in imaginative expression, artistry and teamwork. A building of soaring glass walls, sweeping outdoor spaces, dedicated studios and flexible theatres that doesn’t just serve the curriculum but pushes its inhabitants to rethink, revision and redefine the boundaries of their imaginations. Envision a place where students can imagine themselves born in another country, another

20 Pulteney Street Survey | Winter 2010

ARCHITECT’S RENDERING OF PROPOSED PERFORMING ARTS FACILITY AS SEEN FROM PULTENEY STREET LOOKING EAST.

era, another body, a space that compels them to think about the world – and their place in it – in original and inspired ways. Now picture that place at the heart of the Hobart and William Smith campus, a welcoming center of exploration and light, a cultural and creative anchor on Pulteney Street. This is the vision that inspires the HWS community as it embarks on the final capital project of Campaign for the Colleges, The Performing Arts Initiative. “As HWS builds on the momentum of

the Campaign, we must focus on a facility tailored toward the needs of our current and prospective students,” says Trustee Chair Emeritus and Tri-Chair of the Campaign Steering Committee L. Thomas Melly ‘52, L.H.D. ‘02. “A Performing Arts Center is imperative if we want to continue to bring in talented students.” In the first of many steps toward making this vision a reality, Hobart and William Smith have retained the services of The Gund Partnership, a highly-regarded Massachusetts-based