In this evening of conversation, Karen Brooks Hopkins, president emerita, Brooklyn Academy of Music will discuss her 36 years at the world-famous cultural institution. A page-turning look behind the scenes of America’s oldest performing arts center, BAM … and Then It Hit Me is filled with stories and photographs of artists and icons—Princess Diana, Ingmar Bergman, Chuck Davis, David Byrne, LL Cool J, among others—along with hands-on practical advice on fundraising and leadership. The book is a paean to the glory of the arts and the evolution of Brooklyn: in Karen’s words, “the coolest neighborhood on the planet.” Through personal stories and raw reflections, tales of glamour and of grit, Karen looks back upon her career’s twists of fate, the total failures, and great triumphs along the way. Hopkins’s view of arts as a critical driver for the post-pandemic economy and her emphasis on diverse partnerships could be a blueprint for Boston and beyond. This evening’s conversation is moderated by Myriam Cyr, artistic director, Puntuate4 with a special introduction by Kelvin Dinkins, Jr., executive director, American Repertory Theater, (A.R.T.), Harvard University.
