2018-19 Faculty Page

Welcome from the FAC!

The performing and visual arts make a powerful impact on teaching and research across the entire university. As a hub for the arts, the FAC connects with faculty to provide opportunities for students to gain knowledge and insights. The world-class artists brought to campus by the FAC creates unique experiences that can have a major impact on the academic classroom.

Ways to Think About Linking Arts & Academics

There are many ways to connect your academic course to the performing & visual arts. Our expert staff can meet with you for a one-on-one consultation to determine the most appropriate and impactful experience for your students in support of your goals for the course.

While each performance, artwork, and course is different, there are three broad ways to think about making connections to academic classes. We call them the Three C’s:
• Content
• Connections
• Conversations

Content refers to the material addressed directly by the performance or exhibition. When a literature class attends The Reduced Shakespeare Company, or an architecture class visits XTCA’s public art exhibition, these experiences are directly germane to content of the courses themselves. Often these links can be easily identifiable while browsing our website, but our staff can provide insight into the content of specific artworks and performances that faculty might otherwise not know.

Connections draws links between the practices of the artists and the issues raised in the performance or exhibition, and the learning objectives of the class. Many artists engage in professional practices that apply to a wide range of academic fields. A string quartet, by definition, become experts in collaboration and sharing your expertise in close proximity with other experts. Visual artists engage in cross-disciplinary exploration and innovation. Through encounters with both the works of art and the artists themselves, students can gain new insights and approaches to the valuable skills that define success in countless academic – and professional – endeavors.

Conversations highlights the opportunities created by arts experiences to open new and difficult conversations. As part of their academic and professional training, students at all levels encounter challenging topics that can be emotionally and intellectually fraught. The arts provide a rich experience that allows for conversation and reflection that may not always emerge in the weekly classroom. A theater performance on dementia can spur responses from students in the health sciences to react to their own practicum experiences, or an exhibition inspired by cultural identity may spur business students to reflect upon their own expectations and backgrounds.

What We Provide

The FAC provides a myriad of opportunities to connect courses with performances, exhibitions, and artists:
• Reserve a block of student tickets for your class
        o Faculty & TAs receive complimentary tickets for any performance included in the syllabus
• Provide primers and supplementary materials
• Arrange a personalized visit to an exhibition or set
• Schedule an artist visit to your class**
• Include your class in post-performance conversations**
• Facilitate a pre- or post-performance discussion in your classroom with an FAC curator
**Based on artist availability
And don’t forget, UMass staff & faculty always receive 15% off their single ticket purchase for eligible performances in Price Ranges A & B

What To Do Next

Take a look across our website for some of the upcoming performances & exhibitions in the 2018-2019 academic year. You can also peruse the departmental index below for suggestions by department. Or if you are unsure, our staff will be happy to work with you to develop connections for your specific syllabus.

Then, reach out to an FAC staff member. Don’t worry if you are not sure who to contact, any of our staff will be happy to direct you to the right place.

Box Office: (to reserve a block of tickets for your class)
Emma Messier

Asian Arts & Culture:
Ranjanaa Devi

Augusta Savage Gallery:
Terry Jenoure

Center Series:
Aaron Shackelford

Hampden Gallery:
Anne LePrade Seuthe

Magic Triangle:
Glenn Siegel

University Museum of Contemporary Art:
Amanda Herman

Departments