University of Massachusetts Dartmouth (College of Visual and Performing Arts) - Overview
College of Visual and Performing Arts
The College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA) at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth is a fully accredited, comprehensive arts college, with bachelor's and master's degree programs that prepare students for careers in the visual arts and music. CVPA is an active component of the University of Massachusetts state system and provides students with exceptional hands-on and theory-based educational opportunities in art education, art history, artisanry, fine arts, visual design, and music. CVPA is a student-centered college focusing on developing a strong foundation of time-honored skills while integrating contemporary and historical perspectives necessary for successful professional practice in the visual arts and music disciplines. The faculty at the college support student success in the classroom and guide students to achieve career goals.
The Campus and Location
Noted architect Paul Rudolph created a dramatic design for UMass Dartmouth's 710-acre Main Campus. CVPA has its studios and classrooms in two locations -- on the main campus in Dartmouth and at the nearby Star Store in downtown New Bedford. CVPA, its faculty and students, serve as a cornerstone to the regional arts scene in the communities of the South Coast of Massachusetts. The college is active in downtown New Bedford, participating in the monthly AHA! Night -- a vibrant, energizing event. Additionally, the college's location, with its proximity to Providence, Boston, and New York City, is ideal not only for access to these cultural centers but also for attracting visiting scholars, artists and performers to the campus.
Faculty
CVPA faculty members are artists, designers, historians, musicians and educators -- each distinguished in his or her field. Many are recipients of prestigious awards such as the National Endowment for the Arts, Massachusetts Cultural Council grants, Fulbright Scholar awards, and national and international arts fellowships. Arts faculty members exhibit in galleries and museums regionally, nationally, and internationally, in addition to presenting at scholarly meetings and consulting in a variety of professional capacities. The music faculty members are accomplished musicians who perform in recital halls and on concert stages, both internationally and throughout the United States. Additionally, the composition and academic faculty members are noted for their publications, academic papers, and creative work -- recognized during the past academic year with a Rome Prize in Music and a Fulbright Scholar Award.
Visual Arts Facilities
The facilities and equipment available to students in the College of Visual and Performing Arts are among the finest in New England. We have state-of-the-art studios for drawing, painting, printmaking, photography, sculpture, ceramics, jewelry and metals, textiles, digital media labs and a virtual reality studio. Private studios are provided to graduate students.
Studios, workspaces, or workstations are provided to upperclassmen contributing to a vibrant and productive studio culture. The College's galleries maintain a high caliber of exhibitions on both the Main Campus and at Star Store. The University Art Gallery is devoted to showing the work of international and national artists. The CVPA Campus Gallery and Gallery One feature exhibitions of CVPA student and faculty work curated by college faculty members. Gallery 244 is a student-run gallery, featuring work by graduate students. Informal exhibition spaces abound on both campuses contributing to the vibrant atmosphere.
Music Facilities
The music facilities of the College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA) include an 800-seat auditorium, an intimate 200-seat recital hall, computer-aided music stations, an electronic clavinova piano lab, two electronic music studios for electronic composition, recording technology and sound production capabilities, Steinway concert grand pianos, traditional and non-Western percussion instruments (Gamelan, steel drums), individual practice rooms, and a campus-wide computer network.
Performance Opportunities
Students have opportunities to perform in the following groups: University Chorus, Wind Ensemble, Concert Band, Large and Small Jazz Ensembles, Brass Ensemble, West African Drum and Dance Ensemble, Laptop Ensemble, Contemporary Jazz and Jazz Vocal Ensembles, Guitar Ensemble, Javanese Gamelan, and Percussion Ensemble. The Department of Music presents a Guest Artist Recital Series, a Faculty Recital Series, and community concerts as well as student ensemble and solo recitals.
Special Programs
Study abroad for all CVPA students is encouraged; Visual arts students have studied in Sicily, Japan, France, and Portugal. Music students are encouraged to pursue fieldwork study and research abroad in a culture relevant to their area of concentration. Internships and experiential learning are also encouraged; placements have included Graphics Express, WGBH, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, the Smithsonian, the Boston Ballet, and the Walt Disney Studios. CVPA offers minors in music and Art History.
Requirements for Admission
Students entering the Visual Arts must pass a portfolio review and music students must pass an entrance audition and take an advisory exam to assess background and determine potential. Music candidates are expected to have some instrument facility and preparation in fundamental concepts of music theory. All applicants must follow the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth admissions procedures detailed on the Admissions Web site.