The Visual and Performing Arts Department at Le Moyne College in Syracuse, New York takes learning far beyond textbooks and lectures. Educating the Whole Artist is the department’s driving force, and students are encouraged to take the reigns on many academic and artistic projects during the year.
Le Moyne College offers students an exceptional educational experience characterized by its foundation in the liberal arts, its commitment to excellence, and its faculty, who are wholly invested in their roles as teachers, mentors, and advisors. Academic offerings include more than 30 undergraduate programs in the humanities and natural sciences, as well as graduate programs. Of special note is the Visual and Performing Arts Department at Le Moyne College. Five programs are offered in the Visual and Performing Arts: Theatre Arts, Music, Dance, Arts Administration, and Visual Art.
The Le Moyne College Visual and Performing Arts Department boasts two performance spaces, a dance studio, a scene shop, classrooms, a scenic & graphic design studio, music practice rooms, and other spaces that support the department. The main theater features moveable seating and state-of-the-art lighting and sound equipment allowing for quality theater productions and featured artists. Our secondary performance space is a small black box theater, which is used for rehearsals, auditions, workshops, and performances.
Students in the Theatre Arts program are trained to use theatre to entertain, to inspire, to challenge, and to build community. The Theatre Arts program produces three faculty directed shows a year in addition to two (or more) student directed, written, or devised projects. Any student involved in this award-winning program experiences the rich, collaborative, and joyous nature of theatre art while seeking ways to express themselves creatively and to serve their community. Theatre majors also have the opportunity to study abroad or to double major in other disciplines, such as Communications, Psychology, Peace and Global Studies, Creative Writing, Political Science, and many more.
Le Moyne’s vibrant and growing Music program provides students with the opportunity to continue their musical studies and participate in a wide range of performing ensembles. Students of all majors can deepen their understanding of musical language and performance, and students may choose to pursue a music minor. Faculty-directed ensembles include a full orchestra, jazz ensemble and multiple choral groups, including an award-winning vocal jazz ensemble. The Music and Theatre Arts programs enjoy close collaboration every other year through a co-produced fully-staged musical.
The Dance Minor is open to students from all majors and levels of experience. The Dance Minor program is designed to give students dance technique, choreographic and performance training, and an understanding of the artistry and the context of dance in society. The Dance Minor offers students an opportunity to explore multiple approaches to physical expression through exciting courses, including Musical Theatre Dance, Modern Dance Technique, and many more!
The interdisciplinary Arts Administration program offers students the opportunity to apply management concepts in an arts environment. The program is a partnership between the College of Arts & Sciences and the Madden School of Business and is the fastest-growing minor on campus. Students in the program study arts marketing, fundraising, financial planning, and many other topics, which are then applied through internships with Arts and Cultural organizations. The program also regularly hosts visits by national arts leaders – recent guests include executives from the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Disney Theatricals and the Dallas Black Dance Theatre.
The Le Moyne College Visual Art program offers a variety of courses in diverse disciplines, including sculpture, ceramic, drawing, illustration, and art history, as well as black-and-white, color, and studio photography. These courses encourage students to explore and develop their personal creativity, and take pride and pleasure in their artistic achievements. Students may exhibit their work in many venues, including the annual student art show at the Wilson Art Gallery, and are also encouraged to join the student-led Art Club.
Le Moyne College, situated on a picturesque 160-acre campus, is located in Syracuse, New York. It has an enrollment of approximately 2,800 undergraduate students and 600 graduate students. Le Moyne brings in students from 33 states across the United States and 35 foreign countries. For the past 21 years, U.S. News & World Report has recognized Le Moyne’s academic excellence and value by naming it one of “America’s Best Colleges” among regional universities in the North. The College has also, for the past four years, been named by The Princeton Review as one of the best colleges in the Northeast.
