Rhodes Center for the Arts

Zoe Anderson ’03 isn’t the artsy type—she teaches math at a prep school in California—but she’s a big
For more information about the NMH Arts
Program or the Rhodes Center for the Arts, or
to discuss funding one of the many naming
opportunities still available, please contact one
of the following.
C ULTIVATING
CONTACT INFORMATION
A
P HILANTHROPIC S PIRIT
fan of the arts. So is her father, and together they’ve made a substantial donation to NMH that will fund
a studio in the Rhodes Center for the Arts.
“I told Zoe that while she was in college, I would give one hundred
dollars for every dollar she gave to NMH,” says her father, a
Allyson Goodwin ’83
Chief Advancement Officer
413-498-3334
[email protected]
stockbroker who wants to cultivate his daughter’s philanthropic
spirit. “I thought she might come up with five to fifty dollars. To
my surprise, in her senior year at Emory she pledged several
Bill Rowe ’83
Director of Advancement Initiatives
413-498-3601
[email protected]
Sheila Heffernon
Chair of the Performing Arts Department
413-498-3341
[email protected]
Philip Calabria
Chair of the Visual Arts Department
413-498-3492
[email protected]
thousand dollars over five years!”
Zoe’s generous pledge translates to a windfall for the new arts
center, a building that both father and daughter agree is crucial to NMH.
“Building the arts center on the Hermon campus brings a sense of wholeness
to our one-campus school,” says Zoe, an ardent school supporter who proudly
sports an NMH bumper sticker on her car.“I hope the new arts center encourages more students to take
a random dabble in the arts. You never know—the next famous photographer could be the ice hockey
star who hasn’t picked up a camera yet. Our job is to make sure she or he does.”
Northfield Mount Hermon School
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Nonprofit Org.
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Northfield Mount
Hermon School
9
One Lamplighter Way, Mount Hermon, MA 01354
such a formative time in my life.”
— Laura Linney ‘82
was a wonderful place for me to be at
“Northfield Mount Hermon
T H E
R H O D E S
C E N T E R
F O R
T H E
NMH
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A R T S
GOAL
A M ESSAGE F ROM H EAD OF S CHOOL
T HOMAS K. S TURTEVANT
The Rhodes Center for the Arts is taking shape beautifully. Now that
the scaffolding is nearly all down and interior work is progressing
quickly, the building’s distinctive features are on full display. The
formal entrance, which faces the center of campus, is sided with
brick made by the same company that manufactured brick for the Auditorium in the late 1890s.
In a nod to the past, the new bricks are tinted to match those originals. The “jewel box” rehearsal
hall near the front entrance draws the eye, living up to its evocative nickname. The tower, a
signature of many of our historic buildings, creates a triangle with the towers of Memorial
Chapel and Blake Hall.
As one circles the building, the exterior of the lower levels reflects a less formal style.
Multiple roof angles break down the scale of the center and hint at the many artistic
pursuits within. The red board-and-batten siding fits with the pastoral setting of our farm.
Expanses of glass capture stunning views to the east, south, and north, bringing the
landscape into the building.
Our in-progress arts center provides striking visual proof that the arts are integral in
educating the head, heart, and hand. Embedded in our arts program are lasting lessons in
practice, performance, composition, and constructive criticism. Our faculty demands each
student’s full intellectual presence in his or her arts education. Students performing in music,
theater, and dance experience the synergy of being part of something much bigger than oneself,
while young visual artists learn the joy of creating with their hands and imaginations.
We are two thirds of the way toward our fundraising goal for this essential building. There
are many ways you can contribute, including at the leadership level. Once again,
I would like to express my deep gratitude to William R. Rhodes ’53, NMH Board of Trustees
chairman emeritus, for his lead gift of $5 million. I can think of no more fitting tribute than
to name the arts center for the Rhodes family in recognition of their many contributions to
NMH over the years.
Please read on for an update on the arts program and the Rhodes Center for the Arts, due
to open for our students this September.
C ONSUMMATE A RTISTS L END S UPPORT
The Arts Advisory Council (AAC) is a special
initiative designed to promote the NMH arts program
as well as the spectacular new building that will house
it. The council’s responsibilities are threefold:
■ to provide advice concerning the
creation and execution of events that will
highlight the Rhodes Center for the Arts;
■ to encourage the attendance of high-profile
arts alumni and friends at such events; and
■ to lend the names of its members in support of
the NMH arts program.
Award-winning actress Laura Linney '82 has
agreed to be the honorary chair of this talented group.
“Northfield Mount Hermon was a wonderful place
for me to be at such a formative time in my life,”
Linney explained, “and I have warm memories of the
sense of community it promoted. Arts education
plays a vitally important role in the lives of young
people, and I feel lucky to have attended
a school that continues
to take the arts in
general, and theater in
particular, so seriously.
As an alumna and an
artist, I fully support
the initiative at NMH to
build such a stunning
center to house all the arts
Laura Linney ’82
together under one roof.”
The AAC and NMH will host a special evening
in Los Angeles on Friday, February 1. A reception
with alumni, parents, friends, AAC members, and
the NMH Board of Trustees will be followed by a
concert at the Disney Center with legendary jazz
musician and trumpeter Wynton Marsalis. For
more information, visit the NMH website at
www.nmhschool.org/alumni and find the
link under Upcoming Events.
FUNDRAISING
PROGRESS
As of December 2007:
■ William R. Rhodes ’53,
chairman emeritus of the
NMH Board of Trustees,
made a generous gift that
enabled him to name the
center after his father,
Edward Rhodes ’16;
■ 40 percent of the
spaces are named;
■ other gifts given
are unrestricted; and
■ Joel Bartlett ’63 gave
first gift: $100,000.
29.0
million
23.2
19.8
million
17.4
11.6
5.8
0.0
CONSTRUCTION TIMELINE:
RIGHT ON SCHEDULE
The Rhodes Center for the Arts is on schedule and
on budget. As of the end of 2007, here’s the status:
■ The outer structure is deemed completely weathertight (or in project-manager speak, the envelope
is buttoned up).
■ A temporary heating system is in place for interior
work to proceed.
■ The exterior scaffolding is removed.
■ Interior wall framing is well under way, with nearly
all sheetrocking complete on level one and two.
■ The concert hall ceiling is being framed with the
majority of the mechanicals roughed in; HVAC
(heating, ventilation, and air conditioning)
ductwork installed.
Theater and concert hall seating will be installed in
June and July 2008; the building will be “substantially
completed” in August; and it will be ready to welcome
students in September. To keep up with the progress,
visit www.nmhschool.org/artscenter.
SAVE THE DATE
May 2, 2009 Gala opening for the new arts center.
A RTS A DVISORY C OUNCIL
Laura L. Linney ’82 honorary chair, actor
Sherif Anise ’85 architect
William B. Canterbury ’83 TV comedy writer
Maria Cole former trustee, former parent, jazz singer
Mark DeGarmo ’73 dancer, choreographer, teacher
Michael C. Forman ’83 TV producer
John W. Irving current parent, author
Yaya C. Johnson (aka DeCosta) ’00 actor
Daniel J. Kellison ’82 TV producer
Dave M. King ’73 author
Yasufumi Michino ’00 designer
Daniel M. Petrie ’70 screenwriter, director
Luke B. Rosen ’98 playwright, actor
Mark Sheinkman ’80 visual artist
Ann G. Tenenbaum ’79 current trustee, art collector
THE RHODES CENTER FOR THE
ARTS GOES FOR THE GOLD—
LEED CERTIFICATION, THAT IS
The NMH Task Force for Sustainability (TFS), a group of
faculty, staff, students, and friends that promotes
environmental responsibility within the school
community, saw a golden opportunity to make an
impact when the school announced plans to build a new
arts center. After focused discussion and research, the
group met with architects from Childs Bertman
Tseckares, Inc. (CBT) to encourage them to incorporate
green building technologies in the design.
As a result, CBT agreed to examine its plans with
energy efficiency in mind. Working with Green
Roundtable, Inc. (GRT), an organization whose mission
is to mainstream green building and sustainable design,
CBT implemented changes, and the Rhodes Center for
the Arts is now well on its way to winning a prestigious
LEED gold certificate.
LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental
Design) is a green building rating program that
awards points in six categories: sustainable sites,
water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials
and resources, indoor environmental quality, and
innovation in design. The number of points earned
determines the level of LEED certification the
project receives.
CBT and GRT are confident that the building
will receive the gold rating—an exceptional
accomplishment—with at least 41 points (the range for
gold is 39 to 51 points). The TFS can proudly attest to
the fact that NMH “walks the talk.”
A CLARION CALL TO MOVE
THE CARILLON
In anticipation of their 50th reunion, NMH class of 1958
members were searching for just the right fundraising
project to honor their memories and their affection for
the Northfield campus, while also supporting the NMH
Board of Trustees’ decision to create a unified school on
one campus.
At an on-campus reunion planning meeting last
September, the answer came in the form of an
important Northfield artifact: the carillon that has been
housed in Sage Chapel since 1924. Bringing this
symbolic element of the Northfield campus across the
river seemed a fitting gesture.
The cost to move the carillon to the tower in the
Rhodes Center for the Arts, specifically designed to one
day house it, is $500,000. When the class of 1958 gift
officers learned that they could name the tower and the
carillon for their class if they raised half the amount, the
gesture proved irresistible, and a fundraising challenge
was launched.
To learn more about this exciting project and how
to help the NMH class of 1958 carry the carillon to the
Rhodes Center for the Arts, contact Director of
Advancement Initiatives Bill Rowe ’83 at 413-498-3601
or [email protected].
S POTLIGHT
ON
S TUDENT A RTISTS
The following four-year seniors are terrific examples of student-artists who have been touched by the power—
often in more ways than one—of the NMH arts program. They are also typical of many of their peers with
multifaceted interests: they are athletes, outreach volunteers, student leaders, student teachers, affinity group
members, admission tour guides, and more; and they take the highest-level courses and have studied abroad.
Spencer Hattendorf When conjuring up an image of Spencer, it’s usually
with an instrument case in hand or an alto sax strapped around his neck. But as
with so many other artists at NMH, Spencer’s interest in musical performance
has cross-pollinated, and he’s experiencing a newfound passion for the theater.
The list of groups Spencer is or has been in goes on and on: World Music
Combo, World Percussion Ensemble, Hogappella, Jazz Ensemble, Concert
Band, Concert Choir, Symphony Orchestra. He favors jazz, but he’s also willing
to take a risk in music: this year he performed at a student recital playing a bassoon
concerto on the alto sax.
“Before NMH,” Spencer reflects, “I was a participant in the arts, but never an enthusiast.
Performing in the groups here made me realize my potential and my love for the arts. I have also learned a
complete love of performing, whether it be with my saxophone, with my a cappella group, or on stage in a
theatrical role.”
Ever ambitious and wide open to the possibilities ahead of him, Spencer has applied
to four conservatories and five liberal arts colleges. “I want to continue studying music
and get as involved as possible in theater. I don't want to make a solid plan right now
because I want to keep my options open, but rest assured I'll continue to perform
for a long time.”
Stephanie Zhao Stephanie learned to draw when she was very young,
and it was love at first sketch. Every time she sets pencil to paper or brush to
canvas, she falls in love all over again—with her art, that is.
At NMH, Stephanie has taken an art class every term to expand her
experiences and hone her skills. Her first interest is in the two-dimensional
visual arts, especially drawing and design (including advanced placement
courses), but she also feeds her creative spirit by mixing it up with dance
workshops and playing in the Concert Band. She says she’s particularly proud
of placing first in the D. L. Moody Art and Writing Contest last year with her
original oil painting of the school’s founder.
Stephanie remembers taking Landscape Drawing with Janet Mayhew in her first
year at NMH: “Janet has been not only a great teacher, but also a friend to me. I chat with
her a lot, sometimes about my ideas for art, or what color fits my design best, or sometimes just
about daily life. Because she has gotten to know me, she gives me suggestions on my art that accurately fit my
personality and my interests.”
Stephanie plans to major in fashion design in college “because fashion design has been a power in my mind:
L EADING B Y E XAMPLE
Sheila Heffernon, performing arts department chair, choral
and vocal director
Among her many roles at NMH, foremost among them teaching and
directing choral music since 1980, Sheila Heffernon serves as chair of the
performing arts department. Her accomplishments as a faculty member
and as a professional in her field—she’s a soprano soloist, clinician, and
composer—are numerous and impressive. Her musical arrangements have
been performed by the likes of the Bloomington Pops; Peter, Paul & Mary;
and the New York Choral Society. As if her life isn’t busy enough, Heffernon is working on her doctoral degree
in music education at the University of Massachusetts/Amherst.
Heffernon worked closely with the Rhodes Center for the Arts architects before designs were even
sketched out. She and NMH colleague David Rowland, theater program director, toured concert halls and
theaters—some recently constructed—at several boarding schools and colleges in the Northeast to help them
develop their priorities for the acoustical spaces. Heffernon explains that the reflecting surfaces in the concert
hall were designed specifically for optimal distribution of the sound waves produced by adolescent voices
and instrumentalists.
“There is an exciting performing arts community here at NMH among our students and our teachers. The
halls are abuzz with the sounds of singing, instruments, duets, trios, quartets, students helping each other learn
it turns stone into gold and ordinary people into fairies.” So
far she has been accepted at the Art Institute of Chicago and
the Savannah College of Art and Design.“I’ve set my mind on
becoming a fashion designer because of Janet. She encouraged
me to go into design because she says I have a love of nature and of life.”
Althea SullyCole Singing, acting, dancing—at this point in the game,
Althea’s not prepared to choose a favorite, so. . . she does them all. And because she’s extraordinarily talented,
she does them all very well, and with equal zeal.
Althea has taken full advantage of the performing arts offerings at NMH. An NMH Dance Company
member, she is also an imaginative choreographer, and her creativity is on display this year in her threepart, yearlong project that debuted in November. She sings with the Concert Choir, Select Women’s
Ensemble, and NMH Jazz Ensemble; takes piano and guitar lessons; and enrolls in classes like Advanced
Placement Music Theory and Harmony. In between those impressive acts, she has taken to the stage in
many NMH theater productions.
“Gretel Schatz [dance program director] has had a truly large impact on me,” explains Althea. “Before
I came to NMH, I was intent on becoming an actress, and I actually hated dancing! Gretel opened my
eyes to the world of dance as a creative art and has guided me through the process of finding my voice as
a choreographer.”
Looking to the future, Althea says, “I hope to attend Barnard College and go into choreography, theater, jazz
singing, and/or jazz piano. Right now, I feel particularly passionate about choreography
and aspire to one day work with a company such as Alvin Ailey. I would love to direct
my own company.” Good news: Althea has since learned that Barnard wants her!
Jules Findlay Two years ago, an unfortunate accident on the gridiron led
junior varsity football captain Jules to discover a passion he hadn’t recognized
before: acting. A broken arm took him out for the season, and to cope with the
loss, he plunged into a search for a new pursuit—then promptly landed a lead
role in the NMH theater production of Baltimore Waltz. The acting bug bit hard.
Since that ah-ha moment, Jules has acted in nearly half a dozen plays, directed
two, worked as a theater aide, and taken just about every course in the NMH theater
curriculum. He says that some of his best performances have come on the heels of
challenging times, a testimony to his determination to not let life’s tough moments discourage him, but to draw
inspiration from them.
“Being a part of the theater program has influenced me a great deal,” Jules says, “and being around so many
creative people helps my own creativity shine. I’ll never forget meeting David Rowland [theater program
director] on the catwalk in Stone Theater when I was an eighth-grader. I had some acting experience before
NMH, but it’s David who helped me to mature into the actor I am today, from acting in comedies to
transforming myself into the Reverend John Hale in The Crucible.”
“After NMH, I plan on doing everything I can to broaden myself as an actor,” Jules enthuses, “be that going
overseas to study in England or Scotland, acting in local productions, or taking courses that will benefit me as an
actor. I know exactly what I want to do with my life, and that is to act.”
their music for their performing groups, and teachers practicing as well. The music is eclectic: classical, jazz, world,
broadway. With over 58 performances a year, there is no time for boredom in the performing arts department!”
Philip Calabria, visual arts department chair, photography instructor
NMH faculty member since 1980 and current chair of the visual arts department,
Philip Calabria is a highly accomplished professional artist specializing in
photography. He has received many fellowships, grants, and awards during his
career, and his artwork is in the permanent collection at several museums and
galleries around the country, including at the Archives of American Art
(Smithsonian Institution). Many of his students over the years have won prestigious
art awards and been accepted at the nation’s top arts colleges and universities.
Calabria’s insights were integral to the early stages of planning the Rhodes Center for the Arts. For his visual
arts studios he wanted an abundance of natural light and visual access to the landscape. The wing looks out over
the NMH farm and the river valley beyond, and the north wall is floor-to-ceiling glass, letting in the unvarying
light desirable for drawing and painting. He also wanted the spaces to be extremely functional. Certain studios
can literally be hosed down at the end of each day, and glass walls between all the studios will allow the sharing
of resources and create synergy.
“As a teacher, I am committed to developing in my students the skills they need to succeed, and then I set
them on their own path of discovery. I believe the true role of the teacher is that of a guide. I know the territory,
the skills are passed on, now go and see what they provide.”
NAMING OPPORTUNITIES FOR
THE RHODES CENTER FOR THE ARTS
As of December 17, 2007
MUSIC
Concert hall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$3,000,000
Choral rehearsal room “jewel box” . . . . . . . . .$1,500,000
NAMED
Instrumental rehearsal room . . . . . . . . . . . . .$350,000
NAMED
Concert hall control/recording booth . . . . . . . .$150,000
PENDING
Electronic music studio/lab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$500,000
Music classroom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$250,000
Music teaching studios (5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$150,000 ea
Large music practice rooms (7) . . . . . . . . . . . .$100,000 ea
Drum studio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$75,000
Concert performance grand piano . . . . . . . . . .$50,000
Concert hall center
NAMED
1 NAMED
1 NAMED
NAMED
NAMED
box seating (3 sets) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$50,000 ea
3 NAMED
Small music practice rooms (2) . . . . . . . . . . . .$50,000 ea
2 NAMED
Concert hall side box seating (4 sets) . . . . . . .$50,000 ea
Music library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$50,000
Music department office . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$25,000
NAMED
NAMED
THEATER
End-stage theater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$3,000,000
Scenery shop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$350,000
Orchestra pit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$150,000
NAMED
Royal balcony box seating . . . . . . . . . . .$100,000
NAMED
Theater control booth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$100,000
Mezzanine center box seating . . . . . . . . .$75,000
Balcony box seating (6 sets) . . . . . . . . . .$50,000 ea
Mezzanine box seating (6 sets) . . . . . . . . .$50,000 ea
Mezzanine gallery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$50,000
Theater department office/classroom . . . . . . .$25,000
NAMED
NAMED
DANCE
Dance performance studio/studio theater . . . .$1,000,000
Dance studio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$500,000
Dance lobby . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$100,000
NAMED
Dance department office . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$25,000
NAMED
Control room . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$50,000
VISUAL ARTS
Visual arts wing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$3,000,000
Professional art gallery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$1,000,000
Painting and drawing studio . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$350,000
Ceramics studio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$350,000
Teaching gallery for students . . . . . . . . . . . . .$250,000
Digital and video design studio . . . . . . . . . . . .$250,000
Printmaking studio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$250,000
Photography darkroom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$200,000
Classroom–exhibition/portfolio preparation . .$100,000
NAMED
NAMED
NAMED
NAMED
2-D design studio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$100,000
NAMED
Visual arts department office . . . . . . . . . . . . .$25,000
NAMED
BUILDING AND PROGRAM ELEMENTS
NAMED
Faculty studios (4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$50,000 ea
Center for the arts building . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5,000,000
Main entrance lobby . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$500,000
Carillon and tower . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$500,000
First-floor street . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$250,000
Second-floor street . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$250,000
PENDING
NAMED
NAMED
Grand staircase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$100,000
NAMED
music, and theater) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$100,000
NAMED
Green room (shared by dance,
Mezzanine grand stairway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$75,000
Costume shop (shared by dance,
music, and theater) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$50,000
Dressing rooms (3) (shared by dance,
music, and theater) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$50,000 ea