Arts At Holy Cross
Holy Cross is enlivened by a vibrant arts ecosystem. Interdisciplinary collaborations and creative learning opportunities infuse the arts throughout the curriculum. And the dynamic programming of the academic arts departments, The Prior Performing Arts Center, The Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Art Gallery, and student-led arts organizations inspire us with new ways to come together. Whether you consider yourself an artist, an arts lover, or simply arts curious, there is a place for you within the culture of creativity at Holy Cross. Read on to learn more—and then join us!
Prior Presents
Prior Presents is the keystone of The Prior Performing Arts Center’s public-facing programming, merging thrilling live events by visiting artists with robust educational and outreach activities. Defined by exceptional artistic quality, interdisciplinary impulses, and the potential to spark both wonder and reflection, this annual series celebrates artistic risk-taking and the exchange of ideas and perspectives from around the globe. Short- and long-term visiting artist residencies include performances, artist talks, installations, workshops, and experiential learning opportunities for Holy Cross students and the greater Worcester community.
Cantor Art Gallery
The Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Art Gallery exists to promote and support the intellectual and cultural life of Holy Cross. Through its exhibitions and acquisitions, both historical and contemporary, the Cantor Gallery has special responsibility for integrating the liberal arts values of the College and the classroom by linking exhibitions to the broader curriculum. Gallery exhibitions educate members of the College community, the Worcester community and the larger community of scholars and artists about the fundamental intellectual, cultural, spiritual and aesthetic issues encountered through art.
Theatre & Dance
Act, dance, direct, design, or stage manage. With numerous production opportunities throughout the year, students studying theater can try on many different hats — figuratively and literally. Recognized for its high standards of training and the quality of its productions, the Department of Theatre & Dance at Holy Cross provides a nurturing and supportive environment for students to express themselves and develop their artistic capabilities in a collaborative environment.
Music
The Department of Music at the College of the Holy Cross presents dozens of performances each academic year at venues on campus including The Prior, Brooks Concert Hall, the St. Joseph Memorial Chapel, and more. In addition to concerts from faculty and students each semester, annual performance series from The Department of Music include its Chapel Artist Series of visiting and on-campus organists, its Lunchtime Concert series of student and faculty performers, and biannual Gamelan Gita Sari concerts.
Creative Writing
The Creative Writing Program offers students the opportunity to pursue fiction, nonfiction and poetry. Some creative writing courses are taught primarily as workshops, with an emphasis on drafting and discussing student manuscripts, while others take up special topics such as science writing and memoir and the psyche. All of them expose students to contemporary literature, teach them to read like writers, and allow them to explore countless approaches to telling stories, crafting images, and developing an ear for language.
Visual Arts
The study of the visual arts provides a powerful lens through which you can better see, evaluate and understand the world that surrounds you. Encompassing multimedia studio explorations, art historical research, and specialized opportunities in architectural and museum studies, the Department of Visual Arts empowers the broader examination of the liberal arts at the College, honing sensitivity to visual culture and the built environment and engaging the surrounding community.
Student Art Organizations
The College of the Holy Cross is also home to a rich variety of arts organizations for prospective and current students, which rehearse, make art, and perform in venues at The Prior and across campus.
