The Arts

Centre’s curriculum accommodates those who want to begin a career in the arts and those who just want to try a course or two.

The arts, no matter what form they take, are part of the daily educational experience at Centre College. Every student and member of the larger Centre community are encouraged to enjoy and participate.

Centre students are given the opportunity to take interdisciplinary courses, both on campus and abroad, such as “Molecular Modernism: Manet to Matisse,” cross-referenced as both an art history and a chemistry class. Or travel to Greece with a course exploring the intersection of math and drama.

Centre’s Norton Centre for the Arts hosts more than 100 world-renowned performers, speakers and musicians every year, many of whom conduct master classes for students. Imagine taking a class with cellist Yo-Yo Ma, or having your composition sight-read by The American String Quartet. Amazing moments like these happen regularly at Centre.

AN EMPHASIS ON THE ARTS

Centre students develop technical proficiency in specific areas of the arts, and our interdisciplinary approach to viewing and making art emphasizes critical thinking and writing. That, combined with our talented faculty and small student-faculty ratio, is just part of what makes us a top-50 liberal arts college.

The arts play an integral role in students’ college experience and throughout their lives of learning, leadership and service. We nurture our students’ interests through personal attention, countless opportunities to create and to participate, and of course, our very rich curricular offerings in glass, music, theater, dance, cinema, photography, art history, studio art, and creative writing.

THEATRE AND PERFORMING ARTS

Prefer to take the stage yourself? Opportunities abound for both majors and nonmajors, including:

Performing Arts

Three major student productions—and many smaller shows— each year

Centre Singers and other Choral Groups

Centre Singers and other choral groups for mixed and treble and tenor-bass

Instrumental Ensembles

Instrumental ensembles, including Centre Orchestra, CentreJazz, and the Kentucky Ensemble (a bluegrass, folk, and contemporary alternative country group)