In recognition of the increasingly important role of the arts in the work of the Hurford Humanities Center, the Center has been renamed the John B. Hurford ’60 Center for the Arts and Humanities. And on Friday, December 2, the Cantor Fitzgerald Gallery was host to a dedication ceremony that celebrated that change.
President Joanne V. Creighton offered welcoming remarks at the event, describing the Center as both a “bridge that spans curricular divides and connects the humanities in all disciplines” and a “mirror that reflects our concerns.”
Provost Linda Bell also spoke at the event along with Jennifer E. Hurford ’06, who attended with her mother, Hilge Hurford. They helped unveil a new plaque outside the Gallery which heralds the new name and recognizes the generosity of the late John B. Hurford and his family in making the Center possible.
Israel Burshatin, the Koshland Director of the Center for the Arts and Humanities, told the crowd: “So, you might wonder what’s at stake in adding “arts” to our beloved and familiar name … One simple answer is truth in advertising.” The new name, Burshatin said, represents “more fully what the Center is about.”
He also noted that the change comes at an auspicious moment. Thanks to a substantial grant from the Mellon Foundation, the Center is gearing up to launch the Tri-College Creative Arts Residencies program. “[This] will enable faculty in all three colleges to bring performers and artists to campus and to integrate those visits with the curriculum,” said Burshatin, the Barbara Riley Levin Professor of Comparative Literature and Spanish. “We look forward in the coming year to this unique experiment that will locate and develop the bonds linking all three academic disciplines with artistic practices.”
The Hurford Humanities Center adds “arts” to its name.
