The UMass Fine Arts Center offers a variety of stellar performing arts, visual arts, and education programs that present a unique opportunity to experience the arts in the Pioneer Valley. Performing arts specialties include classical music, jazz, world music, popular music, traditional, classical and modern dance, theater, and family programming representing artists from around the globe. The Asian and Asian American Arts and Culture Program presents artists from throughout the Asian and Middle Eastern diaspora. The Fine Arts Center gives western Massachusetts residents, students and families the opportunity to experience the best in music and performance art within their community. Visual arts are presented through the Hampden and Augusta Savage Galleries, and the University Museum of Contemporary Art. Each of these spaces on the UMass Amherst campus promote artistic works from a broad spectrum of cultures focusing on issues of race, ethnicity, class, and cultural identity, to reflect current practices in contemporary art across all genres, and offer a multidisciplinary, international laboratory for the exploration and advancement of contemporary art. The Fine Arts Center provides education programs that deepen appreciation, understanding and knowledge of the arts making it a critical site for experiential student learning in the arts, creative community engagement, educational collaboration, and artistic exploration. These programs include the Arts Council, Global Arts for School Children, Jazz in July and Lively Arts. Combined, these programs fulfill the mission of the Fine Arts Center and the university to provide affordable access to high quality arts programming, through engagement in public service that advances knowledge and improves lives. The Fine Arts Center in Amherst opened as a campus concert center and art gallery in 1975, and has since earned a local reputation as a central force in the cultural, social and academic life of this western Massachusetts community. Over the years, the Fine Arts Center has played a unique role in serving the broad cultural and educational needs of the campus, the Five College Consortium, and the communities of the Pioneer Valley. Over the years the Fine Arts Center's role in western Massachusetts has evolved into much more than just a venue for the arts. Each season, an average of 80-90 exhibitions, music, dance, and theater events are programmed along with educational and residency activities that include master classes, lectures, demonstrations and pre- and post-performance discussions, open to the community. Since 1993 the Asian Arts and Culture Program has ensured that community residents have access to performers and artists beyond the traditions of western art, music and culture.
