THE ARTS AT THE UNIVERSITY
Several years ago, the University of Virginia took a step forward in a new and
exciting direction and identified Performing and Visual Arts as an emerging
strength and an area that would receive special attention in subsequent years.
University students, administration, and faculty assessed the state of the Arts
and recommended changes. That body gave its report in the fall of 2000, and
change began. Of the recommendations, the most dramatic was a $190 million
Arts Precinct-already becoming a reality-that will comprise several new buildings,
including new homes for the Music and Studio Art departments, an expansion to
the Drama building, a Fine Arts library, and a large performance hall. We want to
encourage the best and brightest Arts students to spend their college years here
at Virginia. These new facilities will sustain expected growth in the Performing
and Visual Arts disciplines and allow the University to retain truly outstanding
faculty. So that you know more about Virginia, I have taken some time to provide
overviews of our Arts programs. In addition to our academic offerings,
extracurricular organizations allow students to create and manage their own
performances and programs. The result of all of this is a thriving environment for
students interested in the Arts and those pursuing the Arts as their chosen career
field.
The McIntire Department of Art provides an art school experience in a liberal
arts framework. Students at Virginia are under the direction of fine faculty who
specialize in African, Baroque, and Classical Art, as well as Modern Practices
and New Media. The department offers a wide variety of courses in photography,
drawing, sculpture, painting, printmaking, digital media, and cinematography.
Students can select from major or minor programs in studio art and art history.
Too, students of exceptional ability may make application for admission into a
highly selective 5th-year Fellows Program. These gifted artists work even more
closely with academic faculty in the preparation of a student portfolio for
advanced study. http://www.virginia.edu/~finearts
The Drama Department offers students an opportunity to know and experience
what it means to be a person of the theatre. Undergraduate students benefit from
curricular offerings taught by some of the finest theatre faculty in the nation,
specializing in performance, theatre production and technology, and costume
design. Additionally, students benefit from course offerings and mentoring in
diction, voice, movement, and history of the theatre. Outside of departmental
productions are a wealth of drama activities including First Year Players, founded
to allow more and more first year students the opportunity to perform, direct, and
manage their own shows; Shakespeare on the Lawn, specializing in the lesserknown works; and Spectrum Theatre, founded to perform socially relevant drama
and to give UVA students a chance to further develop their talents. One of
Spectrum's annual endeavors is "Voices of the Class," in which selected
admission essays of incoming first years are brought to life on stage. Students
interested in theatre will find that Virginia provides the right balance between
liberal learning and focused study in drama. Some students find inspiration in
combining the drama major with course offerings and majors in English,
Literature, Media Studies, Music, and the interdisciplinary study of Film.
http://www.virginia.edu/drama
The McIntire Department of Music, is a thriving liberal arts music program with
over 120 undergraduate majors. Many students are drawn to music study
because of the performance aspect, which is enhanced here through private
lesson study (instruments and voice) and curricular (Jazz Ensemble, Orchestra,
Wind Ensemble, African Drum and Dance Ensemble) and extra-curricular
ensembles (Women’s Chorus, Black Voices Gospel Choir, Swing Orchestra).
Students at Virginia also benefit from a world-renown faculty of scholars in Music
History and Literature, Critical and Comparative Studies, Ethnomusicology,
Composition, and Electronic Music. Other areas of focus include Music analysis,
Popular music, Opera, Music of Africa, and Jazz. The department offers courses
for aspiring musicians and professors and for interested non-majors; classes
range from Music Appreciation and Basic Music Skills to World Music,
Composition and Computer Music design. http://www.virginia.edu/music
Dance at the University is an area that has benefited from increased student
and faculty interest in creating a course of academic study leading to a degree
program. Over the last several years students, faculty and other community
members have campaigned for the development of Dance's presence on
Grounds. As of this date, there are curricular offerings in dance each semester.
There are new movement courses offered in the Drama Department; the African
Drum and Dance Ensemble is a curricular offering through the Music
Department; and the Art Department offers the courses: Dance as Art and
Dance Composition. Numerous student organizations have emerged on-Grounds
and the growing, intense interest in this art form has sparked the fundraising and
development for a dance major and dedicated facilities. Student-dancers also
have at their fingertips a very active Arts community in Charlottesville offering
performance opportunities and community-based schools for instruction.
For more information about the Arts email artsadmission@virginia.edu or
write to the Office of Undergraduate Admission, University of Virginia, P.O.
Box 400160, Charlottesville, Virginia. 22904-4160.