Driving around Calvin’s campus, one can clearly see investments being made, from the new football stadium to the track, from science building upgrades to a major library renovation.
But there are investments being made at Calvin that aren’t so clearly visible—at least from the road.
“The investments Calvin is making in the arts reflect the growth and vibrancy of the arts at Calvin,” said Brent Williams, co-chair of the visual and performing arts department and director of exhibitions at Calvin. “In recent years, there have been deliberate improvements to our arts facilities, curriculum and opportunities for students. These investments have led to growing programs and strong communities of arts students.”
Returning theater minor majoring in music education
One example of that investment is in the theater program, which Noah Tolley, provost at Calvin University, says includes an investment in people, places and programming. The university recently increased the hours of two current faculty and staff members, made a significant technology upgrade to the Lab Theater and Gezon Auditorium, and decided to bring back the secondary theater.
Another arts investment Calvin is making is the return of a reimagined music education program that was discontinued in 2018.
“Since then, the music department has received several direct inquiries from high school students and parents seeking a music education program at a Christian college, particularly Calvin,” said Brian Bolt, dean of education, who noted that high school choir and band teachers at both state and and in private schools in the region they wanted the same. “This interest comes through visits and inquiries, but also from faculty who travel to band/orchestra/choir festivals and campus, conduct private lessons, and interact with middle and high school orchestra and choir directors and teachers of music.”
A holistic solution
But the decision to invest in the arts at Calvin runs deeper than demand.
“The arts receive huge investment at Calvin because we value them and they are at the core of our identity. Not only do we want them to thrive, but we know we won’t thrive without them,” Tolley said.
That’s because Tolley knows that a vibrant arts program is essential to Calvin’s thriving as a liberal arts university.
“An investment in art is a hassle-free investment,” Tolley said. “We rely on the full range of arts: visual arts, performing arts, especially our ensembles, to help us build community and build networks of relationships across the university, including between students who may not have large classes together. Participants in our arts programs come from all our majors, from engineering to English, from philosophy to finance. That’s just one of the reasons I see an investment in the arts as an investment in the entire community.”
Take the Calvin Theater Company, for example, where 19 major areas of study are represented by its members. When considering membership in musical ensembles, 58 major areas of study are represented.
“The arts at Calvin were only enhanced by students who intentionally combined their interests in the arts with other academic focuses,” Williams said. “The diverse student interests and creative problem-solving that are cultivated through the study of the arts strengthen our arts programs and enhance academic learning across campus.”
So while the investment in art may not be clearly visible from the road, its infrastructure is being built to support the community’s future flourishing.
“If we’re going to do the ‘liberal arts university’ right, it’s not going to be by doing everything well in our own silo. We need to connect the vibrant liberal arts to robust professional and graduate programs and to other aspects of the student experience,” Tolley said. “I think these new and revitalized programs reflect that ideal.”
