Welcome to Western Connecticut State University’s School of Visual, Performing and Communication Arts.
Only 60 miles from downtown New York City, we draw from the talent and resources rooted there – allowing us to enrich both our students and our local arts community by providing quality arts programming and a competitive arts education.
Our mission is to advance knowledge, to promote intellectual inquiry, and to cultivate creativity among faculty and students through teaching, research, scholarship, artistry and public performance.
From the visual and fine arts to music, theatre, communication and writing, we provide our students with a superior arts education, foster excellence in creative research and discovery, nurture ethical and moral decision-making and leadership, and contribute to the cultural enrichment of the state and region.
Western Connecticut State University is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Art and Design. We offer majors in Graphic Design, Illustration, Photography and Studio Arts. Our undergraduate and graduate students work in studios for drawing, painting, sculpture, graphic design, illustration, and photography, as well as showing their work in our Art Gallery.
We offer B.A. majors in Communication – Communication Studies; Media Arts – Media Production; and Digital Interactive Media Arts (DIMA). Our graduates are positioned to pursue careers in public service, media campaigns, organizational relations, broadcasting, film making and many others.
Western Connecticut State University is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Music. Our professional faculty meet the educational needs of a diverse student body through instruction, performance, scholarship and public service. Along with rigorous instruction in Music Education and technical skills, students practice and perform in instrumental, jazz, vocal and chamber ensembles.
Our NAST-accredited Department of Theatre Arts provides a strong professional training approach to the study of the art and craft of theatre. Students who pursue a BFA in Theatre Arts prepare for a myriad of professional careers as they relate to the student's personal interests in Acting, Design/Technology or Stage Management through our specialized and rigorous curriculum. Students pursuing a BFA in Musical Theatre prepare for professional performance careers through the BFA program's intensive curriculum and training. Our BA in Theatre Arts program is the perfect place for a more expansive, less specialized approach.
Our rigorous Writing Program is part of the Department of Writing and Literature and offers three options within the Bachelor of Arts in Professional Writing: Creative Writing, Journalism and Public Relations, and Business and Technical Writing. The success of our approach is reflected in the dramatic 87% success rate (employment or book publication within two years) of our MFA alumni. Our undergraduates have high placement rates in internships and jobs in publishing, journalism, entertainment, nonprofits, business and technical communication.
Our MFA in Visual Arts is the preferred degree for the practicing artist who is preparing for a professional career in the visual arts.
Our MFA in Creative and Professional Writing both inspires and encourages while offering a practical education for working writers.
Our Visual and Performing Arts Center (VPAC), home to the School of Visual, Performing, and Communication Arts, provides students with facilities of the highest caliber, enhancing their educational experiences. The VPAC boasts a multitude of dynamic spaces to accommodate the needs of artists across all disciplines. The versatile facilities include the concert hall, studio theatre, scene shop, dressing rooms, sculpture studio and MFA studios. This state-of-the-art center provides immeasurable creative and collaborative opportunities for students, faculty, staff and patrons.
For tickets to events, or for more information about the School of Visual, Performing, and Communication Arts & the VPAC, visit the box office, located in the main lobby of the VPAC, or call the box office at (203) 837-8732.
BOX OFFICE HOURS |
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Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays: 10 A.M. – 4 P.M. |
Wednesdays: 10 A.M. – 6 P.M. |
GALLERY HOURS |
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Tuesday-Friday: 12 P.M. – 4 P.M. |
Saturday-Sunday: 1 P.M. – 4 P.M. |
Saturday |
Visual and Performing Arts Center
43 Lake Ave Ext, Danbury, CT 06811