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The Arts at Appalachian

The Russian National Ballet on the stage of the Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts. Photo: Troy Tuttle

Art for Life: All across our campus, Appalachian presents diverse and vibrant arts programs that enrich the cultural and intellectual climate of the campus and region.

Arts Events & Venues

Join us for an event or exhibition — you can find one nearly every day of the year, for nearly every age level and interest.

Arts as Curriculum

The arts offer innovative ways to learn about the world. Appalachian's academic arts programs are varied and diverse, and students have many opportunities to experience, interpret, understand, record and shape culture through the arts at Appalachian.

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Arts Calendar

Find out about upcoming arts and cultural events at Appalachian.

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Tier 2000
by Ann Melanie
From the Rosen Outdoor Scuplture Exhibition

Find your Art at the Turchin Center

Bale Folclorico comes to App and watch what happens!

Arts Calendar

Sep
16
to
Oct
3
Exhibition: Jewish Life in Germany Today
Sep 16 - Oct 3, 2017
Jewish Life in Germany Today brings together a cacophony of voices from Jews in the Berlin Republic, ranging from Michael Blumenthal, the Founding Director of the Jewish Museum in Berlin, to Adriana Altaras, an actor and stage director, who was involved in interviewing survivors for the Shoah Foundation. On panels and in audio-visual displays, it explores how Jews, living in a country whose political leadership once planned and perpetrated an unprecedented genocide against the Jewish people, confront and live with past and present challenges and how many of them remain committed to succeed against all odds.
Sep
25
History in the House of the Hangman: How Postwar Germany Became a Key Site for the Study of Jewish History
September 25, 2017
7:00 pm
Prof. Till van Rahden, who holds the Canada Research Chair in German and European Studies at the Université de Montréal, works on European history, including Jewish history, since the Enlightenment and is interested in the tension between the elusive promise of democratic equality and the recurrent presence of diversity and moral conflicts. His lecture is part of the programming for the "Jewish Life in Germany Today" exhibition that is currently on display at Plemmons Student Union.
Sep
26
Film: Kedi (2016)
September 26, 2017
7:00 pm
Hundreds of thousands of Turkish cats roam the metropolis of Istanbul freely. For thousands of years they’ve wandered in and out of people’s lives, becoming an essential part of the communities that make the city so rich. Part of the Sustainability Film Series.
Sep
27
Are you a patriot? The meanings of patriotism, populism and America First
September 27, 2017
12:00 pm
In conjunction with the Humanities Council Symposium Fall 2017, join us for a series of book discussions about Timothy Snyder's "On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century."
Sep
28
Workshop: From Orphan to Sage: Trauma-Informed Music Therapy with Adolescents
September 28, 2017
9:00 am - 3:45 pm
This presentation will explore the impact of childhood adversity on adolescent development and trauma-informed music therapy practice. Open to all professionals and student professionals who work with adolescents.
Sep
28
Visiting Writers Series Craft Talk: Randall Kenan
September 28, 2017
3:30 pm
Randall Kenan is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Whiting Writers Award, the Sherwood Anderson Award, the John Dos Passos Award, and was the 1997 Rome Prize winner from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. He is Professor of English and Comparative Literature at UNC-Chapel Hill.
Sep
28
Music Therapy 20th Anniversary Celebration Reception
September 28, 2017
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
A reception in celebration of the first 20 years of the Music Therapy Program will be held in the Solarium of Plemmons Student Union. All are welcome to join in the festivities!
Sep
28
to
Oct
1
First Year Showcase
Sep 28 - Oct 1, 2017
The Appalachian State University Department of Theatre and Dance will introduce incoming freshmen and transfer students for their inaugural campus debut during the 2017 “First Year Showcase.” This year’s showcase theme is “Relationships,” which demonstrates the lasting connections made between new students, professors and upperclassmen during the production.
Sep
28
Visiting Writers Series Reading: Randall Kenan
September 28, 2017
7:30 pm
Randall Kenan is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Whiting Writers Award, the Sherwood Anderson Award, the John Dos Passos Award, and was the 1997 Rome Prize winner from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. He is Professor of English and Comparative Literature at UNC-Chapel Hill.
Sep
29
Sustaining Democracy: Existence, Persistence, Resistance
September 29, 2017
9:00 am - 4:00 pm
The goal of the Humanities Council Symposium Fall 2017 is to promote a dialogue that explores the various meanings of democracy and the experiences of multiple populations. Speakers will be Dr. Abram Van Engen, Dr. George D. Pappas and Dr. Timothy Snyder.
Sep
29
Workshop: Traversing Soundscape: Exploring the Clinical Use of Digital Technology in Music Therapy
September 29, 2017
9:00 am - 4:15 pm
This workshop will investigate the role of digital music and media for both clients and therapists in music therapy. Participants will gain experience working with drum machines, samplers, and synthesizers used in music production in rap, electronic dance music, and other pop music styles. Open to music therapists and music therapy students
Sep
29
Timothy Snyder
September 29, 2017
12:00 pm
The Center for Judaic, Holocaust and Peace Studies’ second research colloquium of the fall term features internationally renowned Holocaust scholar and historian Timothy Snyder. Among Snyder’s many publications are six single-authored award-winning books, including the important works Bloodlands: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin (2010); and Black Earth: The Holocaust as History and Warning (2015).
Oct
4
Are your rights disappearing? Preserving the rule of law
October 4, 2017
7:00 pm
In conjunction with the Humanities Council Symposium Fall 2017, join us for a series of book discussions about Timothy Snyder's "On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century."
Oct
4
to
8
Radium Girls
October 4 - 8, 2017
In 1926, radium was a miracle cure, Madame Curie an international celebrity, and luminous watches the latest rage — until the girls who painted them began to fall ill with a mysterious disease. Inspired by a true story, "Radium Girls" traces the efforts of Grace Fryer, a dial painter, as she fights for her day in court. Written by D.W. Gregory.
Oct
4
Homecoming Comedy Show ft. Chris D'Elia
October 4, 2017
8:00 pm
Celebrate Appalachian State's Homecoming 2017 with a night of comedy featuring Chris D'Elia. Chris D’Elia is quickly becoming one of the most sought after comedians and actors in the comedy world. D’Elia is best known for his starring role on the NBC comedy series UNDATEABLE. His latest stand-up special, MAN ON FIRE, is now on Netflix.
Oct
5
Visiting Writers Series Craft Talk: Susan Ludvigson
October 5, 2017
3:30 pm
Over the course of her career, poet Susan Ludvigson has received grants and fellowships from the North Carolina Arts Council, the South Carolina Arts Commission, The Witter Bynner Foundation, The National Endowment for the Arts, The Fulbright Foundation, The Guggenheim Foundation, and The Rockefeller Foundation. She will serve as Appalachian’s 2017-18 Rachel Rivers-Coffey Distinguished Professorship in Creative Writing.
Oct
5
Visiting Writers Series Reading: Susan Ludvigson
October 5, 2017
7:30 pm
Over the course of her career, poet Susan Ludvigson has received grants and fellowships from the North Carolina Arts Council, the South Carolina Arts Commission, The Witter Bynner Foundation, The National Endowment for the Arts, The Fulbright Foundation, The Guggenheim Foundation, and The Rockefeller Foundation. She will serve as Appalachian’s 2017-18 Rachel Rivers-Coffey Distinguished Professorship in Creative Writing.
Oct
6
TCVA exhibition opens: Spectacle & Scaffolding: Contemporary Photography Muses Hierarchy
October 6, 2017
Spectacle & Scaffolding features the works of contemporary photographic artists who explore the underlying power structures that we live with and participate in daily, but which often seem invisible.
Oct
6
TCVA exhibition opens: Taking Tea: Judith Gregory
October 6, 2017
Judith Olson Gregory transforms the Turchin Center’s Gallery A into a tranquil tea house for meditation, contemplation and intimate conversation. Constructed from used tea bags and loose tea leaves, Taking Tea creates an immersion in a quiet, delicately scented world.
Oct
6
TajMo: The Taj Mahal & Keb’ Mo’ Band
October 6, 2017
8:00 pm
Iconic blues legends Taj Mahal and Keb’ Mo’ unite for historic cross-generational collaboration. “TajMo” marks a timely convergence of the talents of two unique American artists who’ve already built iconoclastic individual legacies that have extended and expanded blues traditions into adventurous new territory.
Oct
10
Film: Beatriz at Dinner (2017)
October 10, 2017
7:00 pm
Beatriz is a Los Angeles massage therapist and holistic healer who drives to the seaside mansion of her client Cathy. When her old Volkswagen breaks down, she receives a friendly invitation from Cathy to stay for a seemingly innocent business dinner. Part of the Sustainability Film Series.
Oct
18
TCVA ArtTALKS: Ann Kaplan & elin o'Hara slavick: Spectacle & Scaffolding: Contemporary Photography Muses Hierachy
October 18, 2017
6:00 pm
Ann Kaplan, guest curator of the Turchin Center exhibition Spectacle & Scaffolding: Contemporary Photography Muses Hierarchy, and participating artist elin o'Hara slavick will speak.
Oct
24
Film: Under Contract: Farmers and the Fine Print (2017)
October 24, 2017
7:00 pm
For the first time in a full-length documentary, contract farmers tell their stories and industry experts reveal how the corporate production model pits farmer against farmer. Part of the Sustainability Film Series.
Oct
25
to
Nov
4
Much Ado About Nothing
Oct 25 - Nov 4, 2017
Shakespeare’s beloved comedy Much Ado About Nothing roars to life in the I.G. Greer Studio Theatre in a romping experimentally staged production. Join us for a hilarious evening, celebrating romantic love and highlighting the silliness that surrounds people in love.
Oct
26
Ailey II: The Next Generation of Dance
October 26, 2017
7:00 pm
The talented dancers of Ailey II are renowned for captivating audiences and translating their strength and agility into powerful performances. The Ailey spirit shines as these artists perform an exhilarating and diverse repertory that includes Alvin Ailey’s timeless classics and thrilling new works by today’s outstanding emerging choreographers.
Oct
26
Holocaust Research Since 1990: Contemporary Contexts and Their Impact on the Comprehension of the Event
October 26, 2017
7:00 pm
Prof. Dan Michman, the head of the International Institute for Holocaust Research at Yad Vashem, Jerusalem, and the incumbent of its John Najmann Chair of Holocaust Studies, will deliver the talk "Holocaust Research Since 1990: Contemporary Contexts and Their Impact on the Comprehension of the Event."
Nov
1
TCVA ArtTALKS: Katherine Mitchell: Hearing the Trees
November 1, 2017
6:00 pm
Katherine Mitchell, whose exhibition Hearing the Trees will be on display at the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts, will speak.
Nov
2
Visiting Writers Series Craft Talk: Vivian Shipley
November 2, 2017
3:30 pm
Vivian Shipley, Professor of Creative Writing at Southern Connecticut State University, is the recipient of the 2015 Hackney Literary Award for Poetry. Her tenth book, Perennial, was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize and was a 2016-17 Paterson Poetry Prize Finalist.
Nov
2
Visiting Writers Series Reading: Vivian Shipley
November 2, 2017
7:30 pm
Vivian Shipley, Professor of Creative Writing at Southern Connecticut State University, is the recipient of the 2015 Hackney Literary Award for Poetry. Her tenth book, Perennial, was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize and was a 2016-17 Paterson Poetry Prize Finalist.
Nov
3
TCVA exhibition opens: Hearing the Trees: Katherine Mitchell
November 3, 2017
Katherine Mitchell's practice is seeped in the traditions of Zen mediation as much as it is in the tradition of modernism as investigated in the 1960s and 70s when she was a young artist absorbing the concepts of conceptualism and abstraction into her rigorous practice of drawing and painting based observations of the natural world.
Nov
3
TCVA exhibition opens: Forest Light: Adele Wayman
November 3, 2017
Adele Wayman’s paintings can reveal two different scenes or the same scene in different light, different moods or veer toward abstraction—letting the viewer deep into the artist’s nuanced mind as it wanders with focused attention through the seasons outside the big bay windows of her studio.
Nov
8
TCVA ArtTALKS: Judith Olson Gregory: Taking Tea
November 8, 2017
6:00 pm
Judith Olson Gregory, whose exhibition Taking Tea will be on display at the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts, will speak.
Nov
8
Aniruddha Knight & Ensemble: Bharatha Natyam, South Indian Music and Dance
November 8, 2017
7:00 pm
Aniruddha Knight is a ninth generation descendant of a 200-year-old family of dancers and musicians, and the grandson of world famous Balasaraswati, classical dance. In his concert work, he presents the sole surviving example of a continuous family practice of music and dance once almost exclusively performed by a traditional matrilineal community of performingartists in South India.
Nov
13
to
17
International Education Week
November 13 - 17, 2017
International Education Week (IEW) at Appalachian State University is a celebration of transformational global experiences at home and abroad. Everyone is encouraged to participate in these free events, which take place throughout the week!
Nov
14
Film: Zootopia (2016)
November 14, 2017
7:00 pm
In a city of anthropomorphic animals, a rookie bunny cop and a cynical con artist fox must work together to uncover a conspiracy. Part of the Sustainability Film Series.
Nov
15
TCVA ArtTALKS: Adele Wayman: Forest Light
November 15, 2017
6:00 pm
Adele Wayman, whose exhibition Forest Light will be on display at the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts, will speak.
Nov
15
to
20
Fall Appalachian Dance Ensemble
November 15 - 20, 2017
This popular, annual concert features Appalachian faculty, students and guest artists showcasing their talents in choreography and performance. This fall’s choreographers include faculty members Laurie Atkins, Sherone Price and Kevin Warner, along with new work by guest artist Cheryl Cutlip.
Nov
17
Us The Duo
November 17, 2017
7:00 pm
Singing/songwriting couple Michael and Carissa Rae Alvarado make their debut on the Schaefer Center stage performing crisp, pop-folk delivered with the same intimate emotion fans will recognize.
Feb
9
Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo
February 9, 2018
7:00 pm
This company of professional male dancers presents a playful, entertaining view of traditional, classical ballet in parody form and en travesty, performing the full range of ballet and modern dance repertoire.
Feb
21
to
25
Well
February 21 - 25, 2018
In Well, playwright Lisa Kron uses her own life experience to address what it means to be healthy in medical, personal and social terms. "This play is not about my mother and me," begins the character of Lisa. But, of course, it is about her mother, and her mother's extraordinary ability to heal a changing neighborhood, despite her inability to heal herself.
Feb
27
Natalie MacMaster & Donnell Leahy: Visions of Cape Breton and Beyond
February 27, 2018
7:00 pm
Fierce fiddling duo command the stage with an explosive celebration of raw energy and passion that infuses their traditional heritage with their taste for the contemporary.
Mar
16
Golden Dragon Acrobats
March 16, 2018
7:00 pm
The Golden Dragon Acrobats combine award-winning acrobatics, traditional dance, spectacular costumes, ancient and contemporary music and theatrical techniques to present a show of breathtaking skill and spellbinding beauty.
Mar
21
to
25
Spring Appalachian Dance Ensemble
March 21 - 25, 2018
This popular, annual concert features Appalachian faculty, students and guest artists showcasing their talents in choreography and performance. This spring’s concert is scheduled to include work by faculty Emily Daughtridge and Susan Lutz, as well as a choreographic world premiere by a national guest artist.
Apr
6
to
8
The Hero Twins: Blood Race
April 6 - 8, 2018
Competing in the ancient Blood Race, a stonecutter named Moth descends into the underworld to free her twin brother, Cricket, who is trapped there. An original story inspired by classic Mayan mythology, Ramón Esquivel's The Hero Twins: Blood Race employs parkour, free running, capoeira, and other martial arts and dance forms to weave a tale of determination, discovery, and liberation.
Apr
13
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
April 13, 2018
7:00 pm
A production of Appalachian’s Department of Theatre and Dance and the Hayes School of Music, this tasty, thrilling, theatrical treat by Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler has simultaneously shocked, awed and delighted audiences across the world. The show’s Broadway premiere received eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical.
Apr
14
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
April 14, 2018
7:00 pm
A production of Appalachian’s Department of Theatre and Dance and the Hayes School of Music, this tasty, thrilling, theatrical treat by Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler has simultaneously shocked, awed and delighted audiences across the world. The show’s Broadway premiere received eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical.
Apr
15
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
April 15, 2018
2:00 pm
A production of Appalachian’s Department of Theatre and Dance and the Hayes School of Music, this tasty, thrilling, theatrical treat by Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler has simultaneously shocked, awed and delighted audiences across the world. The show’s Broadway premiere received eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical.
Apr
20
Black Violin
April 20, 2018
7:00 pm
Black Violin is composed of classically trained violist and violinist Wil B. and Kev Marcus who combine their classical training and and hip-hop influences to create a distinctive multi-genre sound that is often described as “classical boom.”

News

Visiting Writers Series resumes with readings and craft talks
September 8, 2017
The Hughlene Bostian Frank Visiting Writers Series resumes with readings and craft talks by creative nonfiction writer Jeremy B. Jones, author Randall Kenan, poet Susan Ludvigson and poet Vivian Shipley. All series events are free and open to the public. Book sales and signing will follow each event.
Appalachian professor directs season four of ‘A Craftsman’s Legacy,’ premiering Sept. 9
August 30, 2017
Dr. Kelly Davis, assistant professor of electronic media/broadcasting in the Department of Communication, returns to “A Craftsman’s Legacy” to direct his second season.
English major presents at American Literature Association
August 23, 2017
As a member of the Gertrude Stein Society, English major Tommy Young was one of four scholars to present a paper on a panel titled “New Directions in Stein Studies.”
Gelber named AppTV general manager
August 7, 2017
In this role, Robert Gelber will oversee all aspects of AppTV, including programming, expansion and new initiatives while also mentoring students in the university’s electronic media/broadcasting program.