Arts at Holy Cross
The College’s arts departments and programs enliven the Prior Performing Arts Center and other venues on campus with their curriculum and programming and inspire us to engage with one another in new ways through the arts. They include:
Iris and B. Gerald 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.
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.
Music is an integral part of a liberal arts education and vital to campus life at Holy Cross. Every year, hundreds of students take advantage of a wide range of opportunities to explore, experience, and perform music both inside and outside the classroom. The department’s academic courses challenge students from across the curriculum to think, speak, and write effectively about music. Its performance ensembles bring students and faculty together to perform a diverse repertoire. And its program of instrumental and vocal instruction offers students private lessons, coaching, and master classes with exceptional performers drawn from across the country.
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.
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. You will hone your sensitivity to visual culture and the built environment, refine your skills of visual expression and critical analysis, and engage the surrounding community as points for visual inspiration, reflection, and advocacy.
Holy Cross is also home to a rich variety of student arts organizations, which rehearse, make art, and perform in venues across campus. Prospective and current Holy Cross students can learn about these groups here.
