The Big Apple Circus came to town and for two nights families filled the hall with constant oohs, ahs, and laughter. Sponsored by Fleet Bank and radio station WRNX 100.9 FM, the circus transformed the Concert Hall into a one-ring arena that featured amazing circus artistry by an international cast.

Congratulations to Fine Arts Center Deputy Director Marie Hess for receiving the Chancellor's Citation Award for her outstanding contributions to the University. She was one of ten professional employees and ten students honored at the awards luncheon hosted by Chancellor David K. Scott this past May.

Friends and family gathered to celebrate Barbara Aldrich, long time concert manager and programmer of Performances Plus!, at a retirement party held in her honor this past May. After 27 years of working for the Fine Arts Center, Aldrich has become a fixture in the Concert Hall and Bowker lobbies --chatting with patrons, coordinating ushers, shepherding children for Performances Plus!, and providing hospitality to artists. We'll miss Barbara and wish her all the best in her new adventures.

The Friends of the Fine Arts Center Gala received star-studded attention last February when stage and screen actor Billy Dee Williams received the first annual Artist of the Year Award. The festive evening of dinner, dancing, and silent auction attracted over 350 supporters and raised $26,000 for the Frederick C. Tillis Endowment for the Arts. Williams also conducted a discussion/master class for the UMass Department of Theater. In addition to his work on the big screen, Williams is also a painter. The local community got the chance to see his artwork at the R. Michelson Gallery in Northampton.