About the Chaddock + Morrow College of Fine Arts
For over 85 years, the Chaddock + Morrow College of Fine Arts has championed the creative process and excellence in art. The college serves as a vital cultural, scholarly and creative hub that fosters artistic innovation, interdisciplinary collaboration, and global engagement. Through its commitment to student success and artistic excellence, the college advances the role of the arts as essential to education, civic life, and cultural dialogue.
Guided by renewed leadership, the college is advancing a commitment to operating as a unified and collaborative College of Fine Arts. This effort focuses on strengthening connections across disciplines and bringing the college together as one cohesive creative community rather than six independent schools, fostering shared vision, collective innovation, and expanded opportunities for students, faculty, and partners.
A transformative milestone in the college’s continued evolution is the reimagining of its physical and academic environment through the creation of the Arts + Education Green, a dynamic arts district designed to consolidate the college’s six schools and four professional arts programs into one integrated area bustling with creative activity across all disciplines.
The future of the college is rooted in collaboration, inclusivity, and transformative artistic practice. The college will operate as an integrated creative ecosystem where disciplines intersect, ideas flourish across boundaries, and students gain holistic artistic and scholarly training. Building on the college’s traditional and current culture of care, the Dean will lean into individual and collective centering of the people who make up the college and the collective vision of the college as a space for impacting social justice and cross-cultural understanding.
New Name, New Look, New Life
Engagement and Collaboration
Our students and faculty assist in building culturally inclusive and resilient community through arts engagement and collaboration. The Chaddock + Morrow College is building new opportunities for collaboration, student learning, community engagement, and global artistic exchange.
You’ll learn from acclaimed artists who teach because sharing their ideas and techniques with talented students inspires them. Our faculty have performed and designed on the world’s greatest stages, exhibited at prestigious museums and galleries, published creative and scholarly research and served as leaders with international arts organizations. Their mentorship will help you hone your skills and make connections across creative industries.
With hundreds of performances, lectures and exhibitions throughout the year, you’ll also find many opportunities to share your talents with the community. To further the atmosphere of continuous collaboration and artistic ideation, visiting artists, scholars and filmmakers, along with theater, dance and music professionals share their insights and talents.
Tucked into the rolling hills of scenic southeastern Ohio, the University has earned a reputation for its rich educational tradition and outstanding academic programs. The idyllic beauty of the region is enhanced by the deep and varied tradition of arts, creating an exciting and culturally rich community. It’s no wonder that Athens was recently named one of the best small art towns in America.
If you’re looking for a unique, vibrant, and innovative environment to explore and refine your craft, the Chaddock + Morrow College of Fine Arts is for you.
Experiential Learning Labs
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The Athena CinemaThe Athena opened its doors in 1915, and has played film continuously over the years, placing it among the oldest movie theaters in the nation.
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Kennedy Museum of ArtThe Kennedy Museum of Art enhances the intellectual and cultural life of the university and region through quality national and international exhibitions, collection-based research, and diverse formal and informal learning opportunities.
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Performing Arts & Concert SeriesThe Performing Arts & Concert Series has a long reputation for serving the Ohio University and Southeastern Ohio communities by providing world class artistry as well as talented local artists and performers
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Tantrum TheaterFounded in the fall of 2015 by the College of Fine Arts, the Tantrum Theater is a professional company and serves as a training ground providing apprenticeships for students in the School of Theater.
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Athens Community Music SchoolThe Athens Community Music School (ACMS) is truly community-wide in mission and in scope as it is the principal source of organized and qualified music instruction in southeast Ohio and portions of West Virginia.
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International Film and Video FestivalEstablished in 1973, the Athens International Film + Video Festival (AIFVF) has proven itself a premier platform for showcasing international cinema for over 50 years.
Schools in the Chaddock + Morrow College of Fine Arts
Visit the College of Fine Arts
Sitting in on classes, getting feedback on your portfolio or audition, visiting or attending our annual Experience the Arts Day will help you gain a true understanding of life in the Chaddock + Morrow College of Fine Arts. We’ve saved a place just for you.
History
Beginning in 1883 with the first piano lessons and singing classes offered at Ohio University, through today, the visual and performing arts have been at the forefront of our historic land grant institution.
Our Faculty and Staff
Our faculty are acclaimed artists in their own right, imparting knowledge and collaborating alongside students to help you find your own artistic voice, and we have the staff support every stage of your creative growth.