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

Jul
5
Calidore String Quartet
An Appalachian Summer Festival
July 5, 2023
7:00 pm
The Calidore String Quartet is renowned for its “deep reserves of virtuosity and irrepressible dramatic instinct”. The Calidore is recognized as one of the world’s foremost interpreters of a vast repertory; from the cycles of quartets by Beethoven and Mendelssohn to works of celebrated contemporary voices like Grygory Kurtag, Jörg Widmann and Caroline Shaw.
Jul
8
Lea Salonga
An Appalachian Summer Festival
July 8, 2023
8:00 pm
Multiple award-winning actress and singer Lea Salonga is renowned across the world for her powerful voice and perfect pitch. She is best known for her Tony Award-winning role in Miss Saigon. She was also the first Asian to play Eponine in the musical Les Misérables on Broadway and returned to the beloved show as Fantine in the 2006 revival. Many fans of all ages recognize Lea as the singing voice of Princess Jasmine from Aladdin and Fa Mulan in Mulan and Mulan II. For her portrayal of the beloved princesses, the Walt Disney Company bestowed her with the honor of “Disney Legend.”
Jul
14
Belk Distinguished Lecturer: Vivian Howard
An Appalachian Summer Festival
July 14, 2023
2:00 pm
Vivian Howard is an award-winning cookbook author, TV personality, chef and restaurateur. Born in Deep Run, NC, as the youngest daughter in a tobacco and hog farming family, Vivian’s upbringing was steeped in the Southern food traditions of her neighbors. After college, she moved to New York to work in advertising, but soon transitioned to the city’s food and restaurant scene. Vivian honed her culinary skills in the kitchens of some of New York’s most esteemed restaurants and trained under some of the most cutting-edge chefs.
Jul
20
Dance Theatre of Harlem
An Appalachian Summer Festival
July 20, 2023
7:00 pm
Dance Theatre of Harlem is a leading dance institution of unparalleled global acclaim, encompassing a professional touring company, a leading studio school, and a national and international education and community outreach program. Each component of Dance Theatre of Harlem carries a solid commitment towards enriching the lives of young people and adults around the world through the arts. Dance Theatre of Harlem has achieved unprecedented success, bringing innovative and bold new forms of artistic expression to audiences in New York City, across the country and around the world.

Exhibitions and ongoing events

May
26
to
May
14
37th Rosen Outdoor Sculpture Competition and Exhibition
May 26, 2023 - May 14, 2024
Various campus locations
The Rosen Sculpture Competition and Exhibition is a national juried competition presented annually by An Appalachian Summer Festival and the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts. Since its establishment by Martin and Doris Rosen in 1987, the Rosen Competition continues a tradition of showcasing contemporary American sculpture in outdoor settings across the beautiful campus of Appalachian State University.
Jan
20
to
Jun
3
Say:Word, a site-specific installation by Renee Cloud & de’Angelo DIA
Jan 20 - Jun 3, 2023
Turchin Center for the Visual Arts
“Say:Word” is visual dialogue between artists de’Angelo DIA and Renee Cloud. This multimedia collaboration is a hybrid of exhibits, Not Another Word and Dichotomy, used to examine misrepresentation, cultural appropriation, and the significance of cultivating your own narrative and distribution of those narratives. The artists’ visual and poetic words are a reflection of excavated intimate and public conversations, journal entries, and social media debates.
Jun
2
to
Nov
4
Memento Mori: Death and the Art of Living, Larassa Kabel
Jun 2 - Nov 4, 2023
Turchin Center for the Visual Arts
Exploring that which makes us most uncomfortable, Larassa Kabel explores the emotional and intellectual space between life and death, love and loss. Through drawing, painting, performance, and sculpture, she confronts our view of ourselves “outside of Nature” and our desire to distance ourselves from our mortality.
Jun
24
to
Jul
29
An Appalachian Summer Festival
Jun 24 - Jul 29, 2023
Presented by Appalachian State University’s Office of Arts & Cultural Programs, this annual celebration of the performing and visual arts is held every summer in venues across the university campus, and features an eclectic, diverse mix of music, dance, theatre, visual arts and film programming.

View more arts and humanities events

News

Cut from a different cloth: App State alumnus Mitch Purgason ’15 stitches his way to fashion’s forefront
February 14, 2022
Mountaineer alumnus Mitch Purgason ’15 stitches his way to award-winning success, designing custom clothing for professional athletes, executives and fashion influencers.
Pandemic experiences inspired Jeffrey Dean Foster’s latest album
September 24, 2021
Musician Jeffrey Dean Foster ’82, who formed his first band while a student at Appalachian State University, has released an album inspired by the pandemic.
App State and Cone Estate connection spans 100-plus years, yields academic and engagement opportunities
August 6, 2021
App State’s location in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina opens avenues of academic and civic engagement particular to the area. The university’s partnership with the Moses H. Cone Memorial Park in Blowing Rock — spanning more than a century — is a good example.
App State students design and produce award-winning wine labels — cheers!
July 26, 2021
A new family of wines developed by App State students and faculty has an award-winning look, with labels designed and printed by students in the graphic communications management program. The labels won second place in the 2021 Phoenix Challenge — a college competition between graphic communications students across North America.