Arts Emerging Raises More Than $155,000 For Student Scholarships and Mason Programs

Arts Emerging: A Celebration of Renewal kicked off the start of the 2021 fall semester, while also marking the 20th anniversary of George Mason University's College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA). The event welcomed audiences back to in-person arts programming, featuring both outdoor and indoor performances, food trucks, activities, and exhibitions throughout the evening. The event featured appearances by George Mason University President Gregory Washington; Dean of CVPA Rick Davis; current students, faculty, and alumni; and was co-chaired by Arts at Mason Board members Steven Golsch (Vice President, People and Culture at NowSecure) and Annie Bolger (Corporate and Client Service Manager and Bank Officer at Sandy Spring Bank).

The event raised more than $155,000. Proceeds raised from the event support student scholarships in Mason's College of Visual and Performing Arts, the Mason Community Arts Academy, Green Machine Ensembles, and the Great Performances at Mason season at the Center for the Arts.

The evening of festivities began with outdoor performances on Mason's Holton Plaza and indoor presentations in nearby Buchanan Hall. Holton Plaza featured an excerpt from the School of Theater's upcoming concert presentation of Footloose as well as a performance from musical theater alumna Adelina Mitchell ('19). The lineup also included an instrumental jazz ensemble from the Reva and Sid Dewberry Family School of Music, a performance of Pause: Reset performed by students of Mason's School of Dance and choreographed by faculty member Shaun Boyle D'Arcy, and performances by young musicians of the Mason Community Arts Academy and the 8th Green Machine Regiment Band.

Meanwhile in nearby Buchanan Hall, the School of Art featured an exhibit entitled Women of the Same Blood by alumna Zia Palmer ('19), screenings of Mason's Film and Video Studies Program documentary and narrative showcases, and interactive gaming stations from Mason's Game Design program.

The 8 p.m. presentation in the Center for the Arts Concert Hall featured videos reflecting on the impact of 20 years of the College of Visual and Performing Arts. Guest appearances included a duet by Green Machine alumni Chelsea Mohindroo (BS '16, MS '20) and Brandon Showell ('14) as well as School of Theater alumni Garvey Dobbins ('20) and Lauren Fraites ('20), plus a rousing finale performance by current Dewberry School of Music opera students. Members of the Green Machine, led by Associate Professor of Music and Director of the Green Machine Ensembles Michael W. Nickens (Doc Nix), played music throughout the event.

School of Dance alumna Sasha Henninger ('09), who made her Broadway debut in Hamilton as #thebullet, presented a special merit scholarship to current Film and Video Studies senior Taj Kokayi, which was followed by an interactive Fund-A-Student drive.

Kokayi was a producer on the short film The Vine, which premiered during the event Saturday night and featured Dewberry School of Music alumnus ('16) and current Arts Management Program MA student Bobby Lacy II in a stirring spoken word performance inspired by the question of what it means to be an arts manager. Kokayi's film Woken From A Dream recently won Best Student Film at London International Web and Short Films Festival.

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