From a cappella to Hop productions, basement workshops to student ensembles, the College has witnessed a tremendous growth in interest in the arts at Dartmouth in the 35-year history of the Hopkins Center for the Performing Arts.
Many factors have contributed to the flourishing of the arts at Dartmouth -- coeducation, changing attitudes towards the arts and the creation of the Hop itself, for example. But while interest is increasing, the current space crunch and limited funding place constraints on the expansion of the arts at Dartmouth.
Despite these limitations, the College is home to a wide range of artistic expression.
The Hopkins Center
The central campus icon for arts is the Hopkins Center.
Since the Hop also houses the Hinman Boxes and the Courtyard Cafe, the artistic center of campus is a very accessible and familiar place.
Hopkins Center Director Lewis Crickard said what makes the Hopkins Center unique is the combination of four academic departments -- drama, art, music and film studies -- and programs and performance space for student ensembles.
The Hop was "one of the first campus arts centers in the country," Crickard said. It functions as a cultural, educational and social center on campus, he said.
Crickard said other unique aspects of the Hopkins Center include the film offerings -- a "really remarkable source at a very inexpensive price" -- and the quality student ensembles like the Dartmouth Symphony Orchestra, the Chamber Singers, the Gospel Choir and the Glee Club.
He said one of Dartmouth's strong points is the integration of the arts into the rest of student life. Other schools study Dartmouth as a model, he said.
"I think the fact that the Hop was placed in such a central location on the Green" says something about the importance of the arts at Dartmouth, Crickard said.
Arts administration
The interaction between the academic arts departments, the Hopkins Center and the administration is often a complicated procedure.
Crickard said his job as director of the Hopkins Center is to fundraise as well as serve as an advocate for the arts and a liaison between the academic arts departments and the administration.
Ensemble directors report to Crickard, who then reports to College Provost James Wright. But the heads of the academic arts departments report to associate deans who report to Dean of the Faculty Edward Berger.
This chain of command often makes communication between Hopkins Center programs and the academic arts departments difficult, according to Music Department Chair Jon Appleton.
But Crickard said there are usually no major hurdles to overcome.
He said, "We have good working relationships between Wentworth and Parkhurst and the Hop" -- the homes of the dean of faculty, the provost and the arts at Dartmouth.
Space -- a limiting factor
Although the arts at Dartmouth are thriving in terms of participation and quality, the departments and programs are not without needs.
Crickard said space constraints are a main problem at the Hopkins Center.
While building the Hopkins Center was the "right idea at the right time" in 1962, Crickard said it is amazing "how quickly the space was filled."
He said the remarkable increase in student activity in the arts has resulted in an "inevitable competition for resources."
"We deserve more," he said, but the competition between departments can be fierce.
He said the studio art and film studies departments are particularly pressed for space, including room for offices, performances, rehearsals and studios.
Space issues concern not only the arts departments, but also the Hopkins Center's other programs.
Anthony Princiotti, the director of the Dartmouth Symphony Orchestra, said space is an issue of paramount concern for him.
"Eventually the problem of facilities has got to be addressed," he said.
Show me the funding
Crickard said in contrast to the lack of space, Dartmouth provides significant funding for the arts.
"By any standards the College funds us well," he said. In addition to the Hopkins Center's funding from the administration, the Hop receives gifts to endow certain activities.
Last year's completion of the "Will to Excel" capital campaign provided arts funding, for example.
Despite large gifts from generous alumni, the Hopkins Center is still "box-office-dependent," Crickard said.
He said the administration is financially supportive of the arts. Without the Hopkins Center's endowment, student discounts on tickets would be less, he said.
Alumni are another source that contribute to ticket cost, he said.
Tickets to the Baryshnikov show, for instance, were half price to students, because they were covered by gifts from alumni, Crickard said.
Academic Arts Departments
Drama Department Chair Paul Gaffney said there is a clear distinction between the academic arts departments and the Hopkins Center's other activities.
"It is important to think of the drama department in the same way you think of the biology department," he said. "Producing plays is our laboratory."
Gaffney said although the arts departments inhabit the Hopkins Center, the Hop is a separate entity, with its own programs and administration.
He said drama productions are often thought of as "co-curricular," since they combine an opportunity for drama students to practice their work.
Gaffney agreed with Crickard that space is the only problem facing his department. For example, he said providing for senior majors' project needs is a large priority, citing the recent production of "Crime and Punishment" as an example of this sort of work.
Despite its needs, Gaffney said Dartmouth's drama department is the "premiere undergraduate drama program in the Ivy League."
Studio Art Department Chair Louise Hamlin said she has seen similar growth in studio art, with an accompanying need for space. However, the current additions to the art department -- such as the expansion of the sculpture studios in Clement Hall -- are helping to resolve this need.
"It's getting better and better," Hamlin said of the studio art department. "The College is being sensitive to our needs."
However, the department is not completely prepared for future growth.
"It won't be enough room in the future," she said, since studio art was the second most popular major in the humanities last year.
This year there are about 25 studio art majors and about 6 minors, she said.
"We are eager to establish a student gallery," Hamlin said, citing the Hop and the Hood's conspicuous lack of student exhibition space.
Chair of the Music Department Jon Appleton agreed that the arts departments often lack the means to show off their work. He said this results from the administration's lack of emphasis on such work.
"All that it takes is a decision by the president," he said.
Hamlin said the photography studio is high on her priority list for space needs, and the department also needs more course offerings, full-time faculty and office space.
However, Hamlin stressed the quality of Dartmouth's arts programs despite current needs. She said the College boasts one of the best undergraduate art departments in the nation.
Hamlin attributed this quality to the admissions office's commitment to admitting students with strong artistic interests.
"They understand and believe in the importance of the arts," she said, adding that art professors often help evaluate the work of students applying to the College.
Appleton also emphasized the need for further promotion, but unlike the other department chairs, he said space is not a major concern.
He said the administration often fails to listen to the concerns of artists on the faculty.
"The College recognizes the importance of the arts, but I don't think they have any idea of how to promote the arts," he said.
As an example, Appleton explained that the Spanish department routinely adds new sections of Spanish 1 to cope with the ever-increasing demand. He said despite an intense need for more sections of Music 2, no improvements have been made.
"Music seems to have not attracted the attention of the administration," he said. He added that it has been years since the president of the College attended performances.
Appleton said the position of the arts at the College is directly related to the attitude of the administration.
"The arts are not neglected," but they do not occupy a strong position in the eyes of the administration, he said.
He said a substantial shift in the position of the arts at the College will require either a change of the administration or intense student activism.
Despite these criticisms and suggestions for improvement, Appleton said the College's arts programs are exceptional.
"Dartmouth overall has probably the most qualified faculty in music in any of the Ivies," he said. "I do not have one colleague who is not deeply concerned about working with undergraduate students."
Student Interest
"Arts have really caught on at the College," and about 25 percent of students participate, Crickard said. "Students have a ton of performing opportunities."
He said during his time here he has seen student interest in the arts increase dramatically. Crickard said he has seen an accompanying increase in the quality of student art.
"The quality of the work the ensembles do is really extraordinary," he said.
Hamlin agreed that there has been "an explosion of student interest in the arts." She said this increase has had a "huge impact on the quality of the work."
Appleton also said student interest in the arts has quadrupled during his tenure at the College.
"Interest in the arts has grown spectacularly at this institution," he said. "I can't believe it."
He mentioned Freedman's interest in creating a diverse student body at Dartmouth as an impetus for the growth of the arts.
"I give the president full credit," Appleton said.
Charles Houmard, director of the Chamber Singers, also said Freedman's new vision for the College has helped to promote the arts.
"The desire to open up the College to a more diverse student body is very important for the health of the arts at Dartmouth," he said.
Performing Ensembles
In addition to the Hopkins Center's four academic departments, there are eight College musical ensembles, ranging from the Handel Society to the Barbary Coast to the World Music Percussion Ensemble.
According to Princiotti, the director of DSO, the College's ensembles have also benefited from increased student interest in the arts.
However, Princiotti said despite gains in student interest, certain aspects of the College make Dartmouth ensembles difficult to direct.
"There are always areas that present challenges," he said. "We all battle the [Dartmouth Plan]," he said, citing its constraints on potential curricular offerings and on time.
However, Princiotti also mentioned several benefits of Dartmouth's unique enrollment plan.
Because of the College's short ten-week terms, "academics come first" for students, who are generally very "task-oriented" and organized, he said. "The D-Plan is a double-edged sword in that way."
"I've been incredibly impressed with Dartmouth students," he said. Princiotti is in his sixth year working at the College.
"In general we have a really thriving artistic life at Dartmouth," he said, adding that it needs encouragement and development to continue.
Donald Glasgo, the director of the Barbary Coast jazz ensemble, stressed the role of student ensembles in Dartmouth life.
"From my own experience, I know that music at Dartmouth has had an enormous influence on the lives of many students here," Glasgo wrote in an e- mail message. "Music can be a means of spiritual transformation, and I have seen that transformation happen time and time again."
Glasgo wrote he believes Dartmouth fares well in comparison to other institutions concerning its promotion of the arts.
Considering the College's relative isolation and small size, Dartmouth's music programs are diverse, he wrote. "Music at Dartmouth compares favorably in many ways with other Ivies," he wrote.
Houmard emphasized the important role of the Hopkins Center administration in providing and planning for the arts.
"The Hopkins Center does an excellent job of supporting our musical organizations," he said, especially in the business, marketing and logistics for performances.
Houmard said the Hopkins Center staff gives all of the performing ensembles professional treatment and a professional appearance.
"There's a wealth performing ensembles at Dartmouth. The College needs to recognize that and articulate it," he said.
Workshops
In the basement of the Hopkins Center, students are constantly busy creating artwork in the College's student workshops.
Erling Heistad, who is in charge of the Hopkins Center's jewelry workshop, said a lack of space is one of many challenges he faces.
During his 31-year career at the College, Heistad said he has seen a dramatic change in the number of students interested in the arts. He said ever since he first created the workshop, student involvement has been increasing.
He said jewelry shop activity has increased by at least four times in the past 10 years.
"My ability to give the same kind of service to students" is impaired by a lack of space, he said. "There is no longer that relaxing atmosphere that we try to provide here."
Heistad said he opens the jewelry shop for 40 hours a week to help ease the crunch. He said since his workshop is not an academic department, it has lower priority for receiving new space.
"The College could be more supportive" in its budget for the Hopkins Center, he said.
Heistad also said there are additional needs facing the workshops, not just space.
"We need all kinds of services down here," he said. "There is a tremendous amount of stress on what we can provide."
In addition to Heistad's jewelry workshop, the Hopkins Center has workshops for woodworking and pottery.
