Appalachian State University / The Arts and Humanities

App State has returned to pre-pandemic operations for the Fall 2021 semester, with safety precautions in place. There are no current plans to move in-person classes online. All students, faculty and staff should get vaccinated against COVID-19. Face coverings are required in all indoor campus locations for students, faculty, staff and visitors, regardless of vaccination status. Read the latest updates

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

Oct
25
to
31
Homecoming 2021
Return to Boone
October 25 - 31, 2021
Homecoming returns at Appalachian State University. Whether you join us in person for our annual events and spirited atmosphere that can't be found anywhere else, or you show your Mountaineer pride from wherever you call home, it's a chance to celebrate and reconnect with App State.
Oct
26
Panel Discussion on the film “Trust Me”
Reich College of Education / Media Literacy Week
October 26, 2021
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
“Trust Me” is a feature-length documentary exploring human nature, information technology, and the need for media literacy to help people trust one another, bring them together and create a more resilient population. The panel discussion will include Appalachian’s Dr. Theresa Redmond, associate professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, Mark Coltrain, associate professor in the library and alumna Jimmeka Anderson ’17.
Oct
27
Bread & Puppet is Coming: Free Cantastoria Workshop for Appalachian Community
Center for Judaic, Holocaust and Peace Studies
October 27, 2021
Bread & Puppet, one of the oldest non-profit political theater companies in the U.S., begins its short-time residence at Appalachian with its famed Cantastoria Workshop for the university and broader public. “Cantastoria” is a street theater form championed by Bread & Puppet that involves the narration of pictures using song, movement, text and puppetry. The company will perform a B&P Cantastoria and then teach workshop participants how to make new Cantastorias in small groups.
Oct
28
Bread & Puppet is Coming: Free Performance of “Our Domestic Resurrection Circus”
Center for Judaic, Holocaust and Peace Studies
October 28, 2021
7:00 pm
As the highlight of its short-time residence at Appalachian, Bread & Puppet, one of the oldest non-profit political theater companies in the U.S., stages a brand-new production in the tradition of the iconic B&P Circuses that began at Goddard College in Plainfield, Vermont in 1970. Traditional circus tropes are recast, with the help of Bread and Puppet's distinctive folk iconography, to draw attention to the urgent issues of the day.

Exhibitions and ongoing events

Sep
15
to
Nov
10
Sequoyah Lecture Series
Gadugi Partnership
Sep 15 - Nov 10, 2021
12:00 am
Appalachian State University’s Gadugi Partnership (housed in the Reich College of Education), Honors College and Chieftains Museum/Major Ridge Home are hosting three speakers as part of the Celebrating Sequoyah event. The series of lectures are part of the celebration of Sequoyah and learning about the battle to preserve the Cherokee language.
Jul
2
to
Feb
5
98.6 – A Creative Commonality
Jul 2, 2021 - Feb 5, 2022
Turchin Center for the Visual Arts
This exhibition features works created by chimpanzees at Zoo Knoxville, an AZA-accredited institution in Knoxville, Tennessee that works closely with the SSP. Reflecting on the concept of 98.6%, our shared DNA, and the vast number of similarities between humans and chimpanzees, we celebrate our likeness.
Oct
25
to
31
Homecoming 2021
Return to Boone
October 25 - 31, 2021
Homecoming returns at Appalachian State University. Whether you join us in person for our annual events and spirited atmosphere that can't be found anywhere else, or you show your Mountaineer pride from wherever you call home, it's a chance to celebrate and reconnect with App State.
Nov
15
to
19
International Education Week
Office of International Education and Development
November 15 - 19, 2021
International Education Week (IEW) at Appalachian State University is a celebration of transformational global experiences at home and abroad. Everyone is encouraged to participate. IEW on the national level is a joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education and part of our efforts to promote programs that prepare Americans for a global environment and attract future leaders from abroad to study, learn, and exchange experiences in the United States.

View more arts and humanities events

News

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.
Alumna, professor and award-winning poet shares her Mountaineer journey
June 30, 2021
App State alumna and Allegheny College professor Dr. M. Soledad Caballero ’95 shares how her Appalachian Experience prepared her for a career in academia — and a lifetime love of literature. She is the author of the award-winning debut poetry collection “I Was a Bell.”