The School of Fine Arts balances artistic and cultural legacies with the innovative approaches and techniques of contemporary art. In so doing, the School of Fine Arts serves students at the University of Connecticut in both their educational and their professional development. As a cornerstone of our teaching philosophy, the School of Fine Arts is particularly committed to creating an intersection between our educational activity and the various professional industries connected with our disciplines. This approach emphasizes various forms of experiential learning, and includes faculty and institutional engagement with the professional arts world outside the university.
The outstanding faculty from the four academic departments of Art and Art History, Digital Media and Design, Dramatic Arts and Music are committed to providing rigorous professional education and all offer undergraduate and graduate degrees. Our academic programs are supported by specialized and uniquely focused showcases, stages, exhibition space and forums which include the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts, William Benton Museum of Art, Contemporary Art Galleries, Digital Media Center, Connecticut Repertory Theatre and von der Mehden Recital Hall.
The School of Fine Arts reaches out to the student body as a whole and to our larger community that extends from Storrs around the world. The School of Fine Arts embraces the cultural and racial diversity of our community through our programs and curriculum as well as the recruitment of faculty, staff, and students.
The Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts, William Benton Museum of Art, the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry, and the Community School of the Arts also support the academic mission of the School while engaging the wider University community, the state and northeast region with broad-based programs, presentations, concerts and exhibitions that have ranged from the works of Auguste Rodin to the Boston Pops and from puppet retrospectives to international theatrical and musical premiers.
History of SFA
The School of Fine Arts at the University of Connecticut was created in 1961 and celebrated its 50th Anniversary during the academic year of 2011-12. From its inception in 1881, UConn has encouraged artistic and cultural development for its students, faculty, staff and the community at large. With the formation of glee clubs, orchestras, drama clubs and other artistic organizations during the late 1800’s, the arts have flourished and grown in visibility and in importance on the campus.