Restrictions
Some material is restricted; please consult the University Archivist.
Audio-visual and sound recordings cannot be reproduced without permission
of the creators or their estates.
History--Biography
Since its inception as the School of Music, Drama, and Fine Arts in 1949,
the School of Creative Arts has sought to raise awareness, increase
interaction, and affirm the value of the performing, visual, and cultural
arts at Brandeis University. The school offers a variety of programs at
the undergraduate, post- baccalaureate, graduate, and doctoral levels in
order to promote cultural growth. It has continued its dedication to its
Music, Theater, and Fine Arts departments while expanding to include
programs of creative writing and film studies.
ArtsFest was conceived of as a way to introduce the arts at Brandeis to the community each fall. The first ArtsFests were held in September and November of 1997, organized jointly by the Festival of the Arts Planning Committee and the Office of Arts and Sciences. It was scaled back the next year and held once each fall until the final event in 2002.
The Beaux Arts Ball was first held in the spring of 1954 to raise funds for the School of Creative Arts. Decorator Alfred Duca was placed in charge of the Somerset Hotel's aesthetics, and the event was successful as a fundraiser and artistic showcase. Although it was originally conceived to be an annual event, the Ball was held periodically in later years.
The Festival of the Creative Arts began in 1952 in conjunction with
the completion of the Ullman Amphitheater. The first Festival established
itself as a landmark by attracting renowned creative artists such as
Leonard Bernstein, Marc Blitzstein, Aaron Copeland, Merce Cunningham, and
Lotte Lenya to contribute original works and performances to the event.
Subsequent Festivals have been held yearly in the spring, and have
continued to showcase the talents of well-known artists and participating
students. In 2005 the name of the festival was changed to the Leonard
Bernstein Festival of the Creative Arts in honor of it's creator, and
beloved American composer and Brandeis faculty member.
Scope and
Contents
Files in this collection were created from 1952-2005. Most of the
materials include programs, schedules, reviews, press guides, and
speeches. Of note are the Beaux Arts Ball sourvenir artbooks (1954-55),
which contain original advertisements for companies that made donations
to the School of Creative Arts. Also included is President Sachar's
speech [in print and sound] inaugurating the Festival of the Arts in
1952, and other materials documenting the first Festival such as
photographs, sound recordings, and a video of the four-day event.
Series
Artsfest (box 1)
Beaux Arts Ball (box 1)
Leonard Bernstein Festival of the Creative Arts (boxes 1-5, map drawer 2)
Series Summary
Artsfest
Inclusive Dates: 1997-1998
Arrangement: Chronological
This series contains schedules from each ArtsFest event.
Beaux Arts Ball
Inclusive Dates: 1954-1955
Arrangement: Organized under subseries, then chronological
This series contains an invitation to one of the Balls, as well as two
commemorative artbooks.
Leonard Bernstein Festival of the Creative Arts
Inclusive Dates: 1952-2005
Arrangement: Organized under subseries, then chronological
This series contains programs, schedules, reviews, press guides, and
speeches pertaining to many of the festivals, as well as a T-shirt from
the 1991 event. It also includes photographs taken at the 1952 Festival
of the Creative Arts, which document rehearsals and performances of the
major operas, plays, and concerts at the event. For selected
photographs, some negatives are available in the University Archives.
This series also contains sound and audio-visual recordings (in
multiple formats), all pertaining to the 1952 Festival of the Creative
Arts.
Folder List
Artsfest
Box 1
Schedules, 1997-1998 [2 folders]
Beaux Arts Ball
Box 1
Invitation, 1954
Souvenir artbooks, 1954-1955 [2 folders]
Leonard Bernstein Festival of the Creative Arts
Map Drawer 2
Poster, 1995
Box 1
Publicity materials, 1952-2005 [11 folders]
Box 2
T-shirt, 1991
Box 3
Photographs
Art exhibit, 1952
Audiences, 1952
Dance, 1952
Faculty, administrators, and creative artists, 1952
Music, 1952
Opening ceremony, 1952
Rehearsals and theater dressing rooms, 1952
Staff, 1952
Theater and opera, 1952
Ullman Amphitheater, 1952
Box 4
Sound Recordings
Index to recordings, 1952
Conference on poetry, 1952 [3 folders; 3 reel-to-reel tapes, 2
cassette tapes, 2 CDs]
Copland, Aaron--Speech and Schuman's Symphony, 1952 [3
folders; 3 reel-to-reel tapes, 1 cassette tape]
Final discussion and review, 1952 [3 folders; 3 reel-to-reel
tapes, 2 cassette tapes, 2 CDs]
Inauguration, 1952 [3 folders; 3 reel-to-reel tapes, 2 cassette
tapes, 2 CDs]
Jazz concert, 1952 [4 folders; 4 reel-to-reel tapes, 2 cassette
tapes, 2 CDs]
"Noah," 1952 [1 CD]
"Noah" playbill, 1952
Oversized Folder
"Three Penny Opera"
2 LPs, 1952
Box 4
2 CDs, 1952
Webber, Ben and Irving Fine compositions, 1952 [1 CD]
Audio/Visual Recordings
Festival of the Creative Arts film
Silent work print, ca. 2002 [VHS]
Final sound print, 2004 [2 DVDs]
Box 5
Interview source materials, 200 [2 folders; 1 DVCAM, 4 micro cassettes]
Photographs--Building shots, ca. 2000
Notes
For more information about the Festival of the Arts, see Poses Institute
for the Arts: Creative Arts Awards records.
See also the university's Festival of the Arts website at: http://www.brandeis.edu/arts/festival/.