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UNCG Announces Formation of College of Visual and Performing Arts
UNCG is pleased to announce the formation of the College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA), a new unit that unifies the discipline of art with the former School of Music, Theatre, and Dance.
Final approval was received from the UNC board of governors on Friday, July 29, to launch the new college this fall. CVPA is now the largest arts college in the state and one of the largest in the Southeast, with nearly 1,500 undergraduate and graduate students.
“The new college gives us an opportunity to build on our strengths by creating new collaborations, curriculums, and international connections,” said Dean Peter Alexander. “The College of Visual and Performing Arts will continue to influence and expand arts access across our region, state, and nation.”
The School of Music, Theatre, and Dance was created in 2010 as a centerpiece unit for the performing arts at UNCG, linking decades of practice, performance, and study within the new school.
In 2014, the installation of Alexander as dean galvanized exploration in unifying the visual arts with the performing arts. Alexander worked with UNCG Provost Dana Dunn to develop a process that provided opportunities for faculty, staff, and students to engage around the unification of the arts.
“UNCG’s new College of Visual and Performing Arts brings together four areas of academic strength to create new synergies and opportunities to work across disciplines,” Dunn said. “Music, theater, dance, and visual arts will be well situated to explore new collaborations between faculty and to ensure that our graduates are well equipped for post-graduation opportunities in the arts.”
The formation of CVPA comes on the heels of the launch of the new arts administration program – one of the only undergraduate programs of its kind offered throughout the UNC system – and the development of a musical theatre minor. CVPA will continue to be a leader in the arts at UNCG and within the Triad community, developing and supporting quality arts experiences for aspiring arts professionals and the general public.
Photography by Martin W. Kane, University Communications
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