School of the Arts
At the VCU School of the Arts, we believe in the potential within every artist, designer, performer and scholar — a potential that sparks innovation, drives community progress and transforms lives. Unlocking Potential: VCU’s Campaign for the Future is a visionary initiative designed to invest in that potential by expanding access to artistic education, advancing creative expression and strengthening communities through the arts. Your support during this campaign ensures our graduates are skilled artists and trailblazers in creativity and cultural leadership.
With your support, we will create more opportunities for students and the communities we serve, shaping the future of creativity and excellence. Together, we will build pathways that empower those in the arts to lead, innovate and boldly shape the future.
Join us in unlocking potential at VCUarts. When you invest in the arts, you invest in a future where creativity and culture thrive.
Our goal
You will unlock potential in the School of the Arts when you help us reach our goal of $30 million.
Our priorities
Increasing access and fostering student success
VCUarts nurtures talented, visionary artists, designers, performers and scholars who will shape the cultural landscapes of tomorrow. Our students don’t just study the arts — they engage with wide-ranging communities, push creative boundaries and spark dynamic ideas that inspire and elevate society.
Your support provides critical scholarship opportunities, both acknowledging significant talent and easing financial burdens that enable more students to focus on their fields of study. Scholarships make a lasting impact by allowing students to pursue arts education without the worry of financial strain. Your generosity empowers the next generation of creative individuals to profoundly impact the world.
Together, we can unlock potential in every student artist, ensuring they have the opportunity to cultivate their talent and contribute to a vibrant future for the arts.
Recognizing faculty and nurturing scholarship
VCUarts faculty are leaders, mentors and visionaries shaping the future of creativity and artistic expression. Their expertise drives innovation, pushing boundaries in the arts, design and performance, while enriching communities and inspiring cultural change.
Your support strengthens faculty excellence by funding endowed professorships — multiple within each department — along with support for our artist-in-residence program, faculty development funds and an expendable faculty research fund overseen by the dean. These resources provide faculty with the means to advance groundbreaking creative work, educate the next generation of creators and scholars, and address the most pressing challenges in their fields. With your help, we can attract and retain exceptional artists and scholars, ensuring VCU remains a leader in artistic innovation and education.
Together, we will enhance the creative and innovative activities of our faculty, empowering them to shape the future of the arts and make a transformative cultural impact.
Sustaining institutional excellence and achieving prominence
At VCUarts, we are dedicated to addressing the most urgent needs in the arts today, such as expanding access to art and arts education, providing creative opportunities both within and outside of the School of the Arts and exploring cutting-edge platforms for artistic expression.
Your support is crucial in advancing initiatives that have a lasting impact on the arts. With your help, we can strengthen areas such as the Institute for Contemporary Art at VCU, further expanding its reach and influence as a dynamic hub for contemporary artists and engaging exhibits. Additionally, funding for student and faculty performances and exhibits helps to bring bold, new work to life, offering vital opportunities for VCU talent to showcase creativity and push artistic boundaries. Finally, contributions to the unrestricted VCUarts Annual Fund allow us to address the school’s most immediate needs and respond nimbly to emerging opportunities, ensuring the continued growth and innovation of VCUarts.
Together, we can unlock the potential of emerging artists, support visionary programs and position VCU as a leader in the arts.
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Shape what’s next
VCUarts was founded nearly a century ago on the belief that art is a fundamental and transcendent force in life. Truth, creative expression, critical inquiry, cross-institutional research and robust exchange have built our community of scholars, artists, performers and designers, and both individually and as a whole, VCUarts alumni have gone on to lead and shape the world. VCUarts is simultaneously indispensable to the city of Richmond and resonant globally. Our talented students and committed faculty are driven by the excitement of understanding, producing and creating new forms of art, and we invite you to join this pursuit.
Carmenita D. Higginbotham, Ph.D.
Dean, VCU School of the Arts
You are the key.
You’ve seen how this historic effort is unlocking potential across VCU and VCU Health for students, patients, faculty members, researchers, clinicians and members of our community. Now it’s your turn. How will you help shape what’s next?