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Library Exhibits

The library's current displays of art and artifacts, with instructions for visiting in person.

Dance Umbrella:  Experience the Unexpected

Emerson College alumnus Jeremy Alliger founded Dance Umbrella in 1980.  During the next 20 years, the organization presented and promoted diverse dance performances that pushed boundaries, challenged perceptions, and extended their impact beyond the stage.

This exhibition – containing photographs, videos, artifacts, and memorabilia from the Emerson College Archives & Special Collections - celebrates the groundbreaking work of Jeremy Alliger and Dance Umbrella to enrich Boston’s cultural community.

The exhibit is located on the 4th floor of the Paramount Center (555 Washington Street).  Members of the public may schedule a time to view the exhibit Monday through Friday 9am - 4pm by emailing archives@emerson.edu.

Disrupting Mass Incarceration:  Six Decades of Emerson Prison Education

Between the early 1950s and late 1970s, faculty members Coleman Bender and Haig der Marderosian coached the debate teams at Emerson and the Norfolk Prison Colony.  While the Emerson team achieved regional and national success, the Norfolk team gained an international reputation for their intelligence and persuasive arguments.   

Beginning in 2017, the Emerson Prison Initiative (EPI) seeks to democratize access to tertiary education for those who have been historically marginalized or otherwise unable to attend college due to incarceration. EPI aims to offer courses that are as similar as possible to those taught at the Boston campus, an emphasis that follows from a philosophy that education is transformative in and of itself.

The exhibit focuses on both these trailblazing endeavors, and is located in the Iwasaki Library (Walker Building, 3rd Floor).  It is open to all students, faculty, and staff, and the general public may view the exhibit by emailing reference@emerson.edu.