Appalachian State University / The Arts and Humanities

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
- Civil War Speaker Series
- DLLC Annual International Speaker Series
- Gender, Women's and Sexuality Studies Lecture Series
Community Connections
Publications and Partnerships

Upcoming events

Mar
10
TCVA ARTtalk: Matthew Arnold, Longing for Amelia — The Historical and Mythological Landscape
Turchin Center for the Visual Arts
March 10, 2021
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Join us for a Q&A with Matthew Arnold and share in the insights behind his exhibition, “Longing for Amelia — The Historical and Mythological Landscape.” With this photographic project, Matthew Arnold documents the environs that play host to the many theories which attempt to resolve the mystery of Amelia Earhart’s disappearance.
Mar
11
Steep Canyon Rangers
A Schaefer Center Presents Virtual Event
March 11, 2021
8:00 pm - 9:30 pm
Streamed live from the stage of the Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts! Steep Canyon Rangers are Asheville, North Carolina’s GRAMMY winners and perennial Billboard chart-toppers (and frequent collaborators of the renowned banjoist and occasional comedian Steve Martin).
Mar
18
to
19
International Workshop on German-Jewish and Forced Migration Studies Hosted by Center for Judaic, Holocaust and Peace Studies
Center for Judaic, Holocaust and Peace Studies
March 18 - 19, 2021
The first online Southeast German Studies workshop brings together 50 junior and senior American and German scholars from a wide variety of disciplines to discuss the latest research in German-Jewish and forced migration studies. The workshop includes a series of panels along with information meetings on how to fund research in Germany. Presented online via Zoom.
Mar
18
Berlin Center Director Prof. S. Schueler-Springorum speaks on Gender, Sex, and Violence in Nazi Germany
Center for Judaic, Holocaust and Peace Studies
March 18, 2021
11:15 am - 1:00 pm
In cooperation with the Southeast German Studies Consortium, the Center for Judaic, Holocaust and Peace Studies invites the public to an online lecture by Prof. S. Schueler-Springorum live from Germany. A prominent scholar of German-Jewish history, Prof. Schueler-Springorum heads the renowned Center for Research on Antisemitism in Berlin. Her talk is entitled "Gender, Sex and Violence: Race Defilement in Nazi Germany." Presented online via Zoom.

Exhibitions and ongoing events

Mar
5
to
Jun
5
18th Annual Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition
Mar 5 - Jun 5, 2021
Turchin Center for the Visual Arts
This competition provides both amateur and professional photographers the opportunity to showcase their interpretation of the unique character, people, places, and pursuits that distinguish the Southern Appalachians.
Mar
5
to
Aug
7
Ruminations: Cheryl Prisco
Mar 5 - Aug 7, 2021
Turchin Center for the Visual Arts
“I am addicted to color and pattern, drawn to irreverence and visual dissonance. In place of paint and brush I cut, color, and shape wood elements, creating abstract low relief assemblages. The process of my work, the shaping and fitting, the painting and placement of multiple pieces, is the physical manifestation of rumination.” — Cheryl Prisco
Feb
4
to
Mar
25
The Schaefer Center Presents
Feb 4 - Mar 25, 2021
The Schaefer Center Presents supports Appalachian State University’s teaching mission by presenting world-class performances that bring classroom learning to life, while contributing in a significant way to quality of life for residents across our region and the cultural landscape of the High Country and beyond.
Dec
4
to
May
1
Refugium: Christina Laurel
Dec 4, 2020 - May 1, 2021
Turchin Center for the Visual Arts
Christina Laurel is a paper artist creating installations and two-dimensional art, all with a Japanese aesthetic. Her mission is to create an “exhale” moment, an oasis that offers a respite and refuge from our daily sensory overload. Suspended lace panels support a migrating pattern of butterflies that cast shadows and respond to air movement.

View more arts and humanities events

News

Giving back to the community: One App State student’s idea to brighten older adults’ lives through art
February 23, 2021
As part of her internship with Appalachian Brian Estates, App State senior Mary Carver Deal is engaging the facility’s older adults in a colorful mural project — one taking shape right outside their windows. Learn how Deal, along with other App State students and Dementia Awareness Club members, is bringing joy to the residents’ lives amid COVID.
Renowned drummer Shirazette Tinnin ’02 shares the rhythm of her life
Q&A with an App State alumna about her journey toward a professional music career in NYC
February 17, 2021
In this Q&A, App State alumna Shirazette Tinnin ’02 shares details about her life as a professional musician in New York City, some of her experiences as a Mountaineer, the trials she has encountered and the lessons she has learned along the way.
A virtual stage keeps App State arts patrons, students entertained — from a distance
February 1, 2021
App State’s Department of Theatre and Dance will offer a variety of virtual performing arts events during the spring 2021 semester to help keep campus and local community members safe during the pandemic.
Schaffels commit to $1 million matching gift for An Appalachian Summer Festival
January 22, 2021
Nancy and Neil Schaffel and the Murar Foundation have made a $1 million matching gift to the endowment for Appalachian State University’s An Appalachian Summer Festival. The gift will support the festival’s music, dance, theater, film and visual arts programming.