Sweet Briar College’s campus has been a hub of art activity this fall as we hosted a series of special guests while students and faculty produced a variety of performances, engaging both the campus and local community.
Visiting artists included the Richmond Symphony Orchestra, who gave a public concert on Sept. 5, featuring a selection of pieces by composers such as Beethoven, Dvorak, Barber, and Shostakovich and led by Associate Conductor Hae Lee. West African musician and songwriter Diali Cissokho came to campus for a two-day visit on Sept. 2 and 3, during which he met with classes, hosted a drum jam, and performed a concert. Sweet Briar also hosted the Jazz Sundays series, which welcomed Flat Five Jazz with Sweet Briar’s own Adjunct Instructor Eric Hollandsworth on bass. The ensemble performed on the Quad and in the Babcock Performing Arts Center while attendees enjoyed the lively music and Sweet Briar College Farm wine. Organized by Assistant Professor of Dance Betty Skeen, the Babcock Season presented Shining Beacon Arts Residency , a humorous dance work that followed the artists’ research journeys.
In addition to visiting artists and guest performers, Sweet Briar students and faculty were hard at work this fall bringing stories, experiences, and productions to life. The season of performing arts kicked off on Oct. 31 - Nov. 3 with the musical production of the Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, an electropop opera based on a climactic chapter of Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace . The Fall Dance Concert featuring 12 pieces choreographed by Skeen as well as the dancers themselves, performed on Dec. 6 and 7.
In the vocal and instrumental arts, the Sweet Tones hosted their Winter Concert on Dec. 8 to the theme of “Winter Songs from Around the World.” The performance featured holiday and seasonal songs from different countries and solos by seven students. In Pannell Gallery on Dec. 9, Daisy’s Harp presented “The Abduction,” a selection of cover songs as well as original works, all with an “alien vibe.” The College Choir then performed their fall concert on Dec. 11.
For two students, the fall semester presented opportunities to showcase their talents through senior performances, including a dance concert by Lilly Higginbotham ’25 on Dec. 10 and Lee Stanley ’25 directing Lucy Prebble’s The Effect on Dec. 13.
Art programming at Sweet Briar College is presented by the Kelley and C.T. Fitzpatrick Center for Creativity, Design, and the Arts.