Arts
Art + design, creative writing, dance, music, and theatre are a core of vibrant activity and creative exploration, based in a liberal arts curriculum, at Salem State University. Our dedicated faculty encourage you to take the arts beyond the classroom, onto the campus, into the community, and make it an integral part of your life. Participate in public readings of your original poetry and fiction, take the stage in a dramatic play or musical, perform a solo in our beautiful recital hall, craft your own choreography, create sculptures from recycled materials, exhibit your work in one of the Winfisky Gallery’s annual art + design student exhibitions, or write a play and see it performed.
Scholarships and aid are available to students in the arts, including the Harold T. and Alice M. McCarthy Memorial Scholarship for art + design, the Meaghan Noel Scholarship for Dance, the Irene Ryan and Kingsley Colton Scholarship for theatre, and the Antone Aquino Music Scholarship—just to name a few. Learn more about Salem State scholarships at salemstate.edu/scholarships
The Sophia Gordon Center for Creative and Performing Arts includes a 432-seat state-of-the-art theatre and rehearsal, tech and classroom spaces. Additional arts venues include the Winfisky Gallery, a 164-seat Recital Hall, and numerous rehearsal and studio spaces.
Art +Design
Chances are, at some point today, you interacted with something a Salem State designer had a hand in. Maybe you stopped at Dunkin’ or made a document in Excel? Perhaps you played a game on Facebook or shopped on Amazon Fashion?
Our design program boasts a robust network of graduates who have succeeded in every facet of design. While some work for agencies who design for major multi-national corporations, others create for the biggest names online. The great thing—our graduates come back to Salem State to share what they have learned and to help guide our program toward the latest growth areas in graphic and interactive design.
We also offer a dynamic studio program with faculty mentors who will help you to hone your technical and conceptual skills while channeling your curiosity and intuition. And the university’s general education curriculum will enable you to connect your art and design with the ideas and challenges that are shaping our society today. Plus, we offer a surprisingly affordable education in one of the most creative cities in Massachusetts. Salem has a world-class art museum, innovative public art initiatives, international film festivals, and more.
We offer concentrations in art history, graphic design, studio art, photography, and a wide range of minors, including user-experience and interface design. Applicants are not required to submit an admissions portfolio. Instead, graphic design, photography and studio art concentrators submit portfolios for review and evaluation after completing 21 credits in the major. We believe this creates greater equity in the admissions process.
Music
T he music program offers a BA in music, a music minor, a minor in music technology and undergraduate certificates in music technology and music in early childhood education. The curriculum lays a solid foundation of music understanding that will support your musical and academic goals. All students, regardless of major, can take classes and participate in music ensembles, which may fulfill general education requirements.
Our experienced music faculty are dedicated to creating a supportive learning environment that allows students to thrive artistically. Students and faculty work together as a community of learners who continually share knowledge, experience and creative expression.
*Admission to the music major requires an audition. Learn more at salemstate.edu/auditions-portfolios
Dance
W ith a broad curriculum that welcomes movers of all experience levels, the dance program offers courses that develop technical proficiency and performance skills, critical thinking and individual artistry. Students can study a range of dance styles, choreography, history, teaching, and entrepreneurship in a supportive and focused environment. Students have opportunities to perform, choreograph and attend masterclasses and performances presented by renowned guest artists throughout the year. In addition to classes open to all students, the dance program offers a BA in dance, a dance minor and a certificate in dance education.
*Admission to the dance major requires an audition. Learn more at salemstate.edu/auditions-portfolios
Theatre
T heatre offers a BFA or BA in theatre, with concentrations in performance, musical theatre, design, technical theatre, stage management, directing and playwriting. The department produces four mainstage productions and two staged readings a year. We are a hands-on program where from day one you will work with experienced theatre faculty, guest artists and staff in all areas of study.
Salem State theatre has won numerous national and regional awards as part of the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF). Twelve acting students have represented New England at the national KCACTF in Washington, D.C., with three students winning the top national prize, the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship. A total of twenty students have also received national KCACTF awards in design, directing, dramaturgy and stage management.
*Admission to the BFA, theatre program requires an audition. Learn more at salemstate.edu/auditions-portfolios
Creative Writing
Once a student, you may apply to the creative writing concentration within our English program. Accepted students complete a senior thesis capstone project under the direction of a faculty mentor and students have a chapbook of their work published by the program.
Outside the classroom, students comprise the editorial staff for Soundings East , the university’s national literary magazine. Each semester, the Writers Series hosts four to six events, welcoming nationally known writers to campus.
Center ƒor Creative and Perƒorming Arts
(CCPA)
The CCPA produces approximately 70 events a year in art, creative writing, dance, music, and theatre. These events feature students, faculty, and internationally recognized professional performers and artists. Guest artists who come to campus engage directly with students through master classes, workshops and artist residencies.
Rehearsal and Performance Spaces
Callan Studio Theatre
Dance Studios
Electronic Music Lab
Percussion Studio
Recital Hall
Recording Studio
Rehearsal Hall
Sophia Gordon Center for Creative and Performing Arts
Winfisky Gallery
Student Groups and Clubs
Audio Engineer Society provides opportunities for student musicians to network with people in their fields of interest, by learning from like-minded, professional, audio engineers around the world.
Music Society is a social and cultural forum for musicians and non-musicians alike.
Repertory Dance Theatre provides students with performance opportunities including a dance concert each semester.
Student Theatre Ensemble provides students with performance and production opportunities on campus.