A Message from the Executive Director

Fall 2009

As the new term begins, the Hofstra University Museum welcomes all freshmen, new students, returning students, faculty and staff! 

This semester the Museum presents an exhibition schedule and related educational programs that foster diversity awareness and pay tribute to 25 years of accomplishments for the Dance Program at the University, while underscoring the valuable role and impact of the visual arts upon our cultural understanding.

America’s Irreplaceable Dance Treasures: The First 100 traveled by the Dance Heritage Coalition, Inc., in celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Dance Program at Hofstra, provides a rare look at the rich history of dance in America in the last century.  The exhibition includes panels with images of dance in every aspect, from Native American dancers to jazz, tap, and ballet.  The exhibit also features images of major contributors such as Alvin Ailey, Fred Astaire, George Balanchine, Isadora Duncan, Martha Graham, Gene Kelly, and Maria Tallchief.  Video clips also serve as a reflection and record of the nation’s diverse and dynamic cultural life.  The opening reception on October 3 includes performances by New York City-based dancers and representatives from other Universities.  The exhibition will be on view in the Museum’s David Filderman Gallery in the Joan and Donald E. Axinn Library, Ninth Floor, South Campus from September 29 to December 6.

Indian Art After Independence: Selected Works From the Collections of Virginia & Ravi Akhoury and Shelley & Donald Rubin, on view in the Museum’s Emily Lowe Gallery from October 13 to December 18, is curated by Rebecca M. Brown, Ph.D., associate professor of Indian art at Johns Hopkins University and the author of Art for a Modern India, 1947-1980 (Duke University Press, 2009).  This unusual exhibit explores India’s embrace of modernity and global culture in the years since Independence in 1947.  The paintings and works on paper in the exhibition offer a look at the choices and passions behind two notable collections of the art of this period.  Join us from 5:00 – 8:00 pm on Tuesday, October 13th for the opening reception with our special guests Virginia & Ravi Akhoury and Shelley & Donald Rubin.

The Museum will also host a number of public programs in conjunction with each of these exhibitions.  Please check out our Calendar of Events page on this website for more information or call 516-463-5672.