The School of Fine Arts

Mission: The School of Fine Arts at the University of Kansas has a multiple mission: to offer a comprehensive array of programs of study at the bachelors, masters and doctoral levels to students wishing to pursue a profession in the arts; to offer required coursework to students wishing to pursue a profession in the arts; to offer required coursework to students pursuing related programs of study on campus, and to offer elective opportunities for study in the arts to the larger student body. The School is committed to excellence in scholarly and creative research in the arts, and to the support and advancement of the research activities of the faculty regionally, nationally and internationally. The School mandate includes the provision of experiences of high quality in the visual and performing arts to the greater university community and to the regional public. This overall mission is in keeping with the larger mission of the University of Kansas and its longstanding embrace of the arts as an essential part of the institutional fabric.

The School of Fine Arts at the University of Kansas in Lawrence provides a premier arts education to more than 1600 students pursuing undergraduate and graduate degrees in the performing and visual arts, visual art education, music therapy, and music education.

The School of Fine Arts was established as an academic unit in 1891 and became one of the first national institutions to offer professional degrees in the arts. The School of Fine Arts offers more than 70 degree programs within its three academic departments: Art, Design, and Music and Dance.

The School is a major contributor to the arts community, through student, faculty, and professional exhibitions and performances in the Art and Design Art Gallery, Swarthout Recital Hall, Bales Organ Recital Hall, and notably in The Lied Center of Kansas.

The Lied Center of Kansas is a $14.5 million multi-purpose performing arts facility. It opened on September 28, 1993 and was build through the generosity of the Lied Foundation Trust. The Center was named one of the "Top 10 U.S. University Presenters" by the International Arts Manager Magazine (1999).

The KU Fine Arts's academic departments have achieved national presence: The Departments of Art and Design are accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design.

The Department of Art sponsors a thriving Visiting Artist Program, in which students and faculty collaborate in bringing to campus leading regional, national, and international artists. Additionally, the Department of Art participates in international faculty and student exchanges with the Staffordshire University, located in Stoke-on-Trent, England and the Edinburgh College of Art, located in Edinburgh, Scotland.

The Department of Design offers the Hallmark Symposium, which brings internationally recognized designers to campus yearly. The Department of Design's Center for Design Research facilitates faculty and student collaboration with industry and institutional partners.

The Department of Music and Dance is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music. The Master of Music degree is ranked 26th among 575 musical institutions throughout the nation by U.S. News and World Report. A multi-million dollar renovation of and addition to Murphy Hall, dedicated at a special ceremony in February 2001, adds 52,000 square feet to the existing space, including 12,000 square feet for the new Music and Dance Library.

Through collaborative programs with the School of Fine Arts and the Departments of Theatre and Film and Art History, students can earn degrees in a variety of other related areas, such as theatre design (B.F.A.), scenography (M.F.A.), and museum education (VAE).

Dean, School of Fine Arts
University of Kansas
School of Fine Arts
Murphy Hall
1530 Naismith Drive, Room 446
Lawrence, KS 66045-3102

Telephone: 785-864-3421
Fax: 785-864-5387
E-mail: finearts@ku.edu

Administration Staff
Communications
Fine Arts Advisory Board