School of Fine Arts
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Dr. Bausano invited me to attend the Chamber Singers reunion during Alumni Weekend. Although I cannot make it due to a work conflict, I wanted to give what I can. The Chamber Singers was a very important part of my time at MU, especially as a non-music major.
~Brandon Hensler '00
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The Power of the Arts
Miami University’s School of Fine Arts is distinctive among universities because of the quality and breadth of its accredited programs and professional degrees in music, art, architecture, interior design and theatre.
The School’s emerging strategic plan calls for even deeper engagement of students, faculty and staff in connections across disciplines. It seeks to bring both the voice and the imagination of the arts to all corners of the global society; provide students with opportunities to develop creative and entrepreneurial skills to achieve their personal and professional goals; and give students first-hand experience with the ideas, practices and technologies that are transforming 21st century arts and design.
Endowed Scholarships and Fellowships
The school seeks to increase the quality and diversity of its student body by offering financial assistance to students in need. Additional talent-based scholarships for undergraduates and fellowships for graduate students will help the school inspire the next generation of leadership in the arts, design and architecture.
Endowed Chairs and Faculty Development
To commemorate its Bicentennial, Miami University is launching its “Professorships Initiative,” a generous matching gifts program it hopes will inspire funding for 100 endowed faculty positions. Endowed professorships and chairs allow Miami to attract world-class scholars who will offer new possibilities for students and enhance the university’s ability to compete with the nation’s top institutions. Opportunities in each of the school’s departments will help achieve enhanced national visibility for the school and its faculty, and the presence of endowed chairs will attract the highest quality new faculty, enhancing the school’s ability to diversify the faculty as well.
Student Enrichment and Programs
Technology and Equipment
The school seeks to position itself as a leader in exploring the interface between technology and the arts. All students enrolled in the School of Fine Arts are required to own a laptop computer, which creates additional financial burden for some. The school seeks philanthropic support to provide laptops and other tools for students with financial need and to equip its learning environments with the latest computer technologies (both hardware and software), particularly in the areas of digital creation and design.
Production, Exhibit and Visiting Artist Endowment
Income from a robust endowment will underwrite the costs of sharing music, theater, the visual arts and design with an extended university community and citizens in the region. Visiting artists enrich the educational experience for all arts students and enhance the university’s cultural life through performances, workshops and lectures.
Programs and Enrichment
The school seeks to expand its off-campus/ off-site educational opportunities as well as study abroad initiatives, including providing opportunities for traveling student performances and exhibitions. Endowment funds also will support co-curricular programs, interdisciplinary course offerings, public performances, exhibits and commissioned original works.
Miami University Performance/Concert Hall
The School of Fine Arts has hosted some of the finest performers in the world through the Performing Arts Series and through the Cromer-Flory Artist-In-Residence Program, in addition to the many guest artists and scholars hosted by individual departments. To host these events in a space that provides the appropriate acoustics and seating, funding for a 1500- to 1800-seat performance hall is a priority. Performing students and faculty, in addition to the campus and the community, would benefit greatly from a performance hall. It would allow the school to redirect larger performances and speaking engagements from Millett Hall to a space that is suitably designed for such events.
For Love and Honor
With generous gifts of any size from those who believe in the power of the arts, the School of Fine Arts can significantly enhance communities and society itself through its innovative and transformative programs. Please consider making an investment in the School of Fine Arts during the Bicentennial Phase of The Miami University Campaign For Love and Honor.