Embracing Hope Through Art: The Civis Hope Commissions at Bard’s Fisher Center
In an era marked by anxiety and uncertainty, the concept of hope emerges as a bold and transformative force. This sentiment lies at the core of three groundbreaking new productions set to debut at the Fisher Center at Bard College. Among these is an innovative musical adaptation of Yentl the Yeshiva Boy, a project that highlights the center’s commitment to fostering creativity and resilience through the arts.
Thanks to a generous $2.5 million contribution from the Civis Foundation, which Bard College will match to establish an initial endowment of $5 million, the Fisher Center proudly announces the launch of the Civis Hope Commissions. This initiative is designed to support contemporary artists in their quest to explore, challenge, and reinterpret American cultural artifacts, archival materials, or historical artworks. The aim is to envision a future that is not only more just but also infused with hope.
Gideon Lester, the artistic director and chief executive of the Fisher Center, articulated the essence of this program in a recent interview, describing it as a “rallying cry for the possibility of art.” He emphasized the unique power of art to articulate visions of what could be, rather than merely reflecting the narratives shaped by the prevailing news cycle. “Great art possesses the ability to transform our consciousness,” Lester stated, “revealing the potential within us to embody our best selves. This is the true spirit of the commissions.”
The Civis Hope Commissions are designed to have a lasting impact, with the intention of continuing indefinitely. To kick off this inspiring initiative, the Fisher Center has announced three initial projects:
- “Jubilee”: A new musical featuring a libretto by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Suzan-Lori Parks, inspired by Scott Joplin’s opera Treemonisha.
- Courtney Bryan’s First Opera: An adaptation of Tennessee Williams’s poignant play Suddenly Last Summer.
- “Yentl”: This adaptation will mark the celebrated director Barrie Kosky’s inaugural project developed in the United States.
Though these commissions had been in development at the Fisher Center prior to the establishment of the Civis program, their selection for this initiative underscores their alignment with its mission. Lester noted that operating under the Civis umbrella has provided him and the collaborating artists a unique opportunity to reimagine their work through a hopeful lens.
