As the staff at the UMass Fine Arts Center prepares to launch the Center’s 30th Anniversary Season, they thought it a good idea to throw an Open House Preview Party and invite the public to a sneak peek at the upcoming season.

The event will also provide valuable information to patrons and subscribers, local educators, Five College faculty and staff, the local media, volunteers, community partners and the business community about the many opportunities available through the Center’s visual, performing arts and educational programs.

Promising to be fun and festive, the party will include:

AN INTRODUCTION TO THE FAC PROGRAMMERS: Representatives of Asian Arts and Culture, Augusta Savage Gallery, Center Series, Magic Triangle/Solos and Duos, Hampden and Central Galleries, New WORLD Theater and University Museum of Contemporary Art will be available to talk about their upcoming season of events.

BACK STAGE TOURS: Production Services staff will be offering back stage tours throughout the afternoon.

INFORMATION TABLES: Information packets will be available for selected audiences, including K-12 teachers, media representatives, Five College faculty and staff, teaching assistants, Friends members, major donors, business sponsors and others.

ONGOING VIDEO/SLIDE LOOPS OF EVENTS: A DVD with musical recordings and clips/images of upcoming events and exhibitions will be on view throughout the afternoon.

OPEN GALLERY: The University Museum of Contemporary Art will be open to visitors who wish to visit the exhibitions on their own.

REFRESHMENTS: A delectable buffet will be prepared by University Catering Services.

PRIZES: Drawings for free tickets to the 2005-2006 season and more.

Since the Fine Arts Center opened its doors in the fall of 1975 it has served as home to a dozen performing arts, visual arts and educational programs. The center has grown and matured over the years with the support of its patrons, donors, local businesses, the Five College campus community and communities throughout the Pioneer Valley. Always at the heart of its mission is the desire to engage its audiences, provide ways of understanding people and their cultures and the importance of artistic traditions as well as new forms of expression. The 30th Anniversary Season will be celebrated with some exciting collaborations while welcoming the return of some favorite artists to its stages and galleries, as well as, introducing new names and art forms. The Open House Preview Party offers everyone the chance to get the first glimpse at what’s to come. And what better way to launch an anniversary than with the center’s community of friends.

Some of the artists scheduled to come so far are Martha Graham Dance Company, The Children of Uganda, the Flying Karamazov Brothers, Yin Mei Dance Company, Grammy winners Spanish Harlem Orchestra and Maria Schneider Orchestra, The Shanghai Circus, James "Blood" Ulmer and a 40th Anniversary Celebration of Alice’s Restaurant with Arlo Guthrie and Friends. To help us mark the anniversary, two special events: Break! and Critical Mass will presented. The Galleries will also be hosting some exciting exhibits. In the Fall University Museum of Contemporary Art will feature Svetlana and Igor Kopystiansky and Hampden Gallery is working on bringing in Gretchen Beck and Jack Balas next season. There is so much happening, so come and check it out!

The event is free and open to the public. For more information, please contact 413-545-3671.