Launched in 2005 as an arts initiative, Virginia Tech Arts encompasses all efforts within departments and colleges and at the university level to expand creative practice, and support interdisciplinary learning, engagement, and discovery through the arts.
Center for the Arts at Virginia Tech
With a mission to transform lives through exploration and engagement with the arts and the creative process, the Center for the Arts at Virginia Tech presents performing and visual arts programs that serve the campus, students, and the broader community. Performances, exhibitions, and engagement activities are designed to increase participation in the arts across diverse forms, cultures, and ideas, including traditional and contemporary expressions. Collaboration, diversity, and learning are core values that extend across center programs.
Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology
Operating at the nexus of arts, design, engineering, and science, the Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology (ICAT) is one of seven research institutes at Virginia Tech. ICAT is composed of faculty and student researchers from multiple disciplines coming together in a living laboratory that fosters creativity and promotes critical reflection. This unique research environment supports ICAT’s mission to forge a pathway between transdisciplinary research and artistic output, scientific and commercial discovery, and educational innovation.
Academic programs
Academic programs residing within the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences and the College of Architecture and Urban Studies offer undergraduate and graduate programs in the performing and visual arts. They work together with the university’s other colleges, ICAT, and the Center for the Arts to expand interdisciplinary programs that fully integrate creative practice across disciplines at Virginia Tech.
School of Performing Arts
The School of Performing Arts, in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, includes:
School of Performing Arts Programming
School of Visual Arts
The School of Visual Arts, in the College of Architecture and Urban Studies, includes
School of Visual Arts Programming
- Perspective Gallery
- Armory Art Gallery
- XYZ Student Gallery
Student Activities
Arts policy board
Under the leadership of the senior vice president and provost, the arts policy board is charged with implementation of the university’s arts strategic plan, which was adopted in 2010. The arts policy board’s plans are facilitated by the associate provost for the arts, who serves as the central leader and advocate for the arts across campus.
- Mark McNamee, chair, senior vice president and provost
- Justin Camputaro, director, Student Centers and Activities
- Kevin Concannon, director, School of Visual Arts
- Jay Crone, head, Department of Music
- Jack Davis, dean, College of Architecture and Urban Studies
- Joan Hirt, interim associate dean and director, School of Education
- Ben Knapp, director, Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology
- Sue Ott Rowlands, dean, College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences
- Patty Perillo, vice president, student affairs
- Patty Raun, department head and director, School of Performing Arts
- Minnis Ridenour, senior fellow for resource development
- Dwight Shelton, vice president for finance and chief financial officer
- Ruth Waalkes, associate provost for the arts and executive director, Center for the Arts at Virginia Tech