Appalachian State University / The Arts

Art for Life

The Arts and Humanities at Appalachian

Appalachian presents vibrant arts and humanities programs that enrich the cultural and intellectual climate of the campus and region. Join us for an event, performance, exhibition or workshop — you can find one almost every day of the year, for nearly every age level and interest.

By the numbers

600+

arts and humanities events on campus annually
6

free student workshops each week at the Turchin Center
10

departments offer degree tracks in arts or humanities
14

exhibition and performance venues on campus
9,000+

children in grades K-12 attend free and low-cost school matinees each year
20+

countries recently featured in arts and humanities programming, including Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Brazil, Cuba, Ukraine, Germany, Israel, Chile, Spain, Russia, Poland, South Africa and France
80

students are employed annually within the arts and humanities
30+

Arts and Education Outreach Programs connect university arts resources to a diverse audience of community arts patrons, teachers and learners

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

Venues, programs and publications

Art Galleries and Special Collections
Cultural Centers and Programs
Music and Stage
Lecture Series
- The Hughlene Bostian Frank Visiting Writers Series
- Turchin Center Art Talks and Lunch & Learn
- Martin & Doris Rosen Summer Symposium
- Humanities Council Symposium
- Civil War Speaker Series
- DLLC Annual International Speaker Series
- Gender, Women's and Sexuality Studies Lecture Series
Community Connections
Publications and Partnerships

Upcoming events

Sep
24
Nihad Dukhan: Art Starts with a Line: Foundations of Arabic/Islamic Calligraphy
Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures International Speaker Series
September 24, 2019
7:30 pm
Nihad Dukhan is a Palestinian-American master of Arabic and Islamic calligraphy. In his public lecture he will address the development and styles of Arabic/Islamic calligraphy as well as its religious, cultural and artistic significance. His personal calligraphy designs are described as highly stylized and modern, while remaining legible with tremendous simplicity. His work has been exhibited in major US cities and in Istanbul, Turkey. Dr. Dukhan is a professor at the University of Detroit Mercy.
Sep
25
A reading and conversation with environmental writer Rick Van Noy
Goodnight Family Department of Sustainable Development
September 25, 2019
5:00 pm - 6:30 pm
Join author Rick Van Noy for an exploration of climate change stories from the South. Van Noy’s “Sudden Spring: Stories of Adaptation in a Climate-Changed South” is a portrait of what climate change looks like in specific Southern places to specific people. Combining stories from residents with local experts from geology, conservation and government, this book details who climate change affects, what it does and how communities are dealing with it.
Sep
25
Brewconomy: A documentary film about North Carolina’s craft beer movement
Followed by a panel discussion with filmmaker Camden Watts
September 25, 2019
6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
Filmmaker Camden Watts explores the rise of craft beer in North Carolina and its positive impact on the agriculture, community and economy. Following the film, there will be a panel discussion including the filmmaker, local craft brewer Tim Herdklotz, Co-Founder of Booneshine Brewing Company and Dr. Cameron Lippard, Department Chair and Professor of Sociology, and Co-editor of “Untapped: Exploring the Cultural Dimensions of Craft Beer” (2017).
Sep
27
Preservation Hall Jazz Band
The Schaefer Center Presents
September 27, 2019
8:00 pm
Preservation Hall Jazz Band has held the torch of New Orleans music aloft for more than 50 years, all the while carrying it enthusiastically forward as a reminder that the history they were founded to preserve is a vibrantly living history.

Exhibitions and ongoing events

Sep
10
to
Oct
10
Acting Hard
Sep 10 - Oct 10, 2019
Smith Gallery
“Acting Hard” is a two person exhibition featuring new and recent work by the artists William Paul Thomas and Antoine Williams. Works for the exhibition were selected by the artists themselves and focus on their shared interests in interrogating representations of black masculinity in a variety of cultural contexts — from film and popular media to gallery based arts.
Sep
6
to
Feb
1
Metaphorical Reality: Keith Bryant
Sep 6, 2019 - Feb 1, 2020
Turchin Center for the Visual Arts
Keith Bryant creates work from a place that exists beyond the confines of language yet enhances the realm of understanding riddles in life, connection and independence. Working in wood, metals and ceramics, his forms employ abstraction and metaphor. Bryant’s sculptures address ideas of loneliness, isolation, architecture and landscape.
Sep
3
to
Nov
12
Hughlene Bostian Frank Visiting Writers Series
Fall 2019
The Hughlene Bostian Frank Visiting Writers Series, named in honor of alumna Hughlene Bostian Frank ’68, brings distinguished and up-and-coming creative writers to the Appalachian State University campus throughout the year to present lectures and discuss their works.
Sep
27
to
Mar
24
The Schaefer Center Presents
Fall 2019/Spring 2020
The Schaefer Center Presents series promotes the power and excitement of the live performance experience; provides a “window on the world” through the artistry of nationally and internationally renowned artists and showcases some of the finest artists of our region.

View more arts and cultural events

News

And . . . action! Video director gained professional work experience as a student at Appalachian
August 22, 2019
Maleek Loyd ’18 began his professional career while still a student at Appalachian, directing and editing productions for real-world projects.
App State professor performs at Carnegie Hall
July 26, 2019
Taking a break from his math professor duties at Appalachian State University, Witold Kosmala traded calculus lessons for a violin to join three generations of his family to play with the Millennial Choirs and Orchestra at Carnegie Hall in New York City earlier this month.
Joseph Bathanti wins Lee Smith Award for his literary contributions to Appalachian culture
July 2, 2019
Bathanti, professor of creative writing and the McFarlane Family Distinguished Professor of Interdisciplinary Education at Appalachian, was recognized for his work to preserve and promote Appalachian culture.
New languages, new stories — Appalachian student combines her passion for travel and literature
July 1, 2019
Appalachian’s Emily Sedlacek ’19 finds new ways to express herself — and view the world.