College of Visual and Performing Arts

Welcome to ArtsWinthrop—the leading College for the Arts in the Carolinas.

The disciplines within ArtsWinthrop have been a central component of Winthrop's commitment to the arts for well over a century. In fact, we are one of only 37 universities in the United States and the only public or private institution in South Carolina with all of its undergraduate and graduate arts programs — theatre, dance, music, fine arts and design — nationally accredited. As the only comprehensive collegiate arts program nationally accredited in all the arts in the State of South Carolina, public or private, the College of Visual and Performing Arts at Winthrop University offers majors in art, design, music, theatre, and dance and teacher certification in art, music, theatre, and dance.

ArtsWinthrop, consisting of a student body of 700 enrolled in a wide variety of undergraduate and graduate professional degree and liberal arts programs, provides demanding instruction in an interdisciplinary environment that inspires and prepares the next generation of responsible citizens of the creative class — the makers, performers, designers, educators, and influencers. We have over 50 full-time faculty as well as part-time teachers, all practicing professionals from the surrounding metropolitan area.

The college provides a vast array of outstanding performances and art exhibitions annually:

More than 100 music performances annually, most of which are free of charge and open to the public;
Regularly produced theatre and dance performances featuring student work, main stage productions, and smaller studio and experimental performances; and
Art galleries that regularly present professionally curated exhibitions, student-centered exhibitions, and educational programs that celebrate artistic achievement and creative excellence.

Our proximity to the metro Charlotte area offers our students opportunities to draw upon the many arts resources of a major metropolitan area — and we've established strong relationships with museums, galleries, dance companies, theatre organizations, orchestras, design firms, and many other arts institutions. The facilities we provide on campus include advanced technology studios in all the arts, contemporary dance studios, traditional and experimental theatre spaces, an unparalleled music conservatory, and studios in the diverse disciplines of the visual arts.