Exploration in the Arts: Princeton in the Service of the Imagination
We believe that engagement with the arts should not be restricted to those undergraduates destined for careers in the field. Rather it is our goal to give every student an opportunity to explore their creativity and imagination through meaningful experiences with the arts.
Some of the most distinguished artists of our time have come to campus to teach, mentor, collaborate, and perform—complementing the talents of our dedicated faculty. Undergraduates
have studied with Nobel laureate Toni Morrison and cellist Yo-Yo Ma, with theater director Peter Sellars and set designer Christine Jones, with choreographer Jacques d’Amboise and jazz artist Terence Blanchard.
The creative and performing arts—and the exploration they inspire—are at the heart of the Princeton experience. Whether by paint stroke or by keystroke, Princeton students cultivate their creative spark and fuel all of their pursuits with imagination.
The Lewis Center for the Arts, established in 2007, is the creative hub for Princeton’s arts scene, giving new force and focus to the programs in creative writing, dance, theater, and visual arts. We have increased faculty and course offerings to meet the growing demand from our students and their myriad creative interests, and will soon build additional facilities to accommodate new and expanded initiatives in the arts and music. The center will also be home to an interdisciplinary Society of Fellows in the Arts—innovative, early career artists who will teach and practice their art on campus while participating in seminars, conferences, and other collaborative ventures.
Plans are under way for a cluster of new buildings that will transform part of the campus into a vibrant arts destination. New facilities will house the Lewis Center, the programs in theater and dance, and performance spaces. The complex will feature a black box theatre, music rehearsal space and practice rooms, and acting and dance studios.
With 72,000 works of art, ranging from the ancient to the contemporary, the Princeton University Art Museum has one of the world’s finest collections. Students and faculty explore its holdings to learn from the works themselves, and Princeton’s distinguished curators help interpret the collection for scholars and visitors.
The Princeton Atelier, founded in 1994 by Toni Morrison, Nobel laureate and the Robert F. Goheen Professor in the Humanities Emerita, brings artists to campus for intensive collaborations with students and faculty. The atelier provides students rare opportunities to work alongside emerging artists and acknowledged masters, experimenting with works in progress before their public debuts. Guest artists have included Gabriel García Márquez, the Pig Iron Theatre Company, and Sweet Honey in the Rock’s Bernice Johnson Reagon.
Additional funding from the Aspire campaign will support professorships, distinguished artists and aspiring new artists in residence, master classes, and curatorships—among other initiatives.
Contact Us
For more information, please contact the Office of Development at 609.258.8972
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