By Barbara Leblanc

For Bob Shea, a season of performances in the Dana Humanities Center is a work of art. He compares it to a painting, a symphony or a flower arrangement. The tone, color, shape and style of each performance relate to the others for an aesthetic whole.

The painter, symphony conductor and flower arranger is Shea himself, who as Dana Center director works for months to plan a performance season that appeals to a general audience, and more importantly supports the college’s Portraits of Human Greatness humanities program.

"I always, always have the students in mind," says Shea. "We want to have a rich performing arts palette and environment that faculty and students can plug into."

This year Shea is deepening the connection between performances and the Saint Anselm College educational experience. He will introduce artist-in-residence programs and themed seasons-within-a-season, starting with African and African-American song, dance and drama.

While these plans will enhance the Dana Center as an academic and artistic hub, the 25-year-old building is in need of a substantial overhaul. The price tag could run to $15 million.

"When it was built, the Dana Center was more than adequate for our needs and state of the art," says Fr. Jonathan DeFelice, O.S.B., president of the college, who was chair of the building committee. "In the lapse of 25 years, it is now less than ideal for our uses and no longer state of the art."

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