The Department of Visual and Performing Arts at Loyola University Maryland offers a major in visual arts with concentrations in art history, photography, studio arts, and InterArts; and a major in performing arts with concentrations in music, theatre, and a comprehensive concentration (combining coursework in music and theatre). Minors are offered in art history, photography, studio arts, InterArts, music, theatre, and arts management.
Department Chair: Jon Malis (he/him/his), jdmalis@loyola.edu, 410-617-2566
Curated Curriculum
Each one of the programs in the department provides its students with a rigorous and comprehensive curriculum designed to first introduce students to the discipline and then develop increasing levels of mastery of the knowledge, skills, and habits of the field. Introductory level courses present the basic foundation in each discipline with no previous experience necessary. Upper division courses offer more specialized studies, building upon the experiences of the introductory classes. Advanced students may apply for an internship or undertake an independent study in their specific discipline. Additionally, all Loyola undergraduates choose one visual or performing arts course as an integral part of the core curriculum.
Facilities for Flourishing
All Visual and Performing Arts programs are located in the west wing of the DeChiaro College Center, which houses not only McManus Theatre and Julio Fine Arts Gallery, but also rehearsal spaces for the performing arts, specialized classrooms for art history, and fully equipped studios for clay, drawing, and photography. The department's facilities also include specialized spaces such as black-and-white and alternative-process darkrooms, digital laboratories, soundproof practice rooms, a piano lab, a recording studio, and a black box theatre. Other on-campus spaces include painting and printmaking studios.
Extracurriculars Abound
Department-sponsored field trips to museums, galleries, and professional performances in Baltimore and other cities expose Visual and Performing Arts students to creative works by practicing artists, performers, critics, and curators. Each semester, students will find performance opportunities in a number of performing ensembles including: the Evergreen Players, Poisoned Cup Players, Spotlight Players, Concert Choir, Cantorei, Chamber Ensemble, Guitar Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble, Jazz Combo, and Steel Pan Ensemble. Students in the visual arts can avail themselves of on- and off-campus exhibition venues, while art history students benefit from internship opportunities in Baltimore's museums. The Sehn Fund—made possible by a generous gift from the Sehn family—supports a wide range of artistic and intellectually enriching experiences for students in art history, photography, and studio arts. This gift has enabled the department to support a series of guest lecturers and visiting artists and has also financed student attendance at the College Art Association annual conference in Washington, D.C.