From the Dean

None of us could have predicted the relevance of this year’s keyword —resilience—before the tragic events of April 15, 2013, when a cheerful, sun-drenched Marathon Monday in Boston was violently interrupted. In those terrifying moments, three lives were lost, scores were injured, and thousands were stunned by an incomprehensible assault. Among those lost was Lu Lingzi (GRS’14), a BU graduate student. Pursuing a master’s degree in statistics, Lu also studied piano at CFA because music brought her joy. Music was part of her identity, just as Lu was part of ours.

I have always believed that the arts community comes together during times of tragedy, and in the days immediately following the marathon, I witnessed this union first-hand. Students from the Schools of Music and Theatre responded to the devastation, performing for patients injured at the marathon and BU Medical Campus staff. Students from the School of Visual Arts launched Still Running: An Art Marathon for Boston, an open call for art that celebrates strength and raises money. And in a remarkable spirit of community, the alternating casts of the Opera Institute’s production of La Clemenza di Tito shared the final performance, with each cast performing an act.

And you, compassionate alumni, offered your strength. Brian August (CFA’10) appealed to his classmates to “come together as a class to do whatever we can” to ease the pain of those affected by the tragedy. You sent messages of remembrance and hope via social networking, and you joined together throughout the world to participate in BU’s Global Days of Service the following weekend.

Even as our great city—the birthplace of America—mourned, it grew stronger and more resilient. I am proud that our CFA community of citizen artists did the same. You asked the question, “What can art do for society?” and you responded with a message of hope. You, CFA graduates and citizen artists, are proof of the power of art; you are changing the world.

Please join us in continuing to celebrate the resilience of the human spirit and the power of art by visiting us on campus, attending student performances and exhibitions, and supporting CFA’s campaign. Stay close and be strong.

—Benjamín E. Juárez