The Arts
Past Events
Open Auditions for students of any major interested in participating in the Drama Department productions of Skin by Naomi Iizuka and Hurricane Diane by Madeleine George.
Students only, please.
A special dance performance presenting works by VRDT, Battery Dance, and original works created for Dancing to Connect, a collaboration between Vassar and Poughkeepsie High School students.
Campus community only, please.
This student-produced exhibition features field research conducted by Art History and Earth Science students in Iceland this semester. Light refreshments will be provided.
Annual Advent service with readings, choral anthems, congregational carols and candle lighting ceremony.
James Osborn, director
This is an in-person event that will also be streamed live
A 20–30 minute lunchtime recital series by members of the Vassar College Chamber Music Program in a relaxed atmosphere outside the Bridge Cafe.
Eduardo Navega, director
This is an in-person event that will also be streamed live
British artist Tilla Crowne is Vassar’s Sitomer Artist in Residence this month. Her work concentrates on drawing and installation, exploring themes of identity, memory, and the body.
Drew Minter, conductor.
This is an in-person event that will also be streamed live
Featuring Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto with Faculty Member Ari Isaacman-Beck, violin
Eduardo Navega, conductor
This is an in-person event that will also be streamed live
Embark on an immersive journey through the captivating realm of traditional Chinese music. Everyone is welcome and no reservation is needed.
A 20–30 minute lunchtime recital series by members of the Vassar College Chamber Music Program in a relaxed atmosphere outside the Bridge Cafe.
Composers Jonathan Chenette and Harold Meltzer lament one building’s violent destruction (Chenette) and reflect another’s fantastical construction (Meltzer).
Three programs of new choreography by guest choreographers Janice Rosario and Shannon Gillen, a repertory work by legendary choreographer Jerome Robbins, as well as faculty and student works. A free but ticketed event.
Join us to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center, 160 years of the collection, and the official launch of our new collection catalogue Making & Meaning.
James Osborn, conductor.
This is an in-person event that will also be streamed live
Christine Howlett, conductor
This is an in-person event that will also be streamed live
A 20–30 minute lunchtime recital series by members of the Vassar College Chamber Music Program in a relaxed atmosphere outside the Bridge Cafe.
Transdisciplinary artist Maravilla grounds his practice in activism and healing.
Chabon is the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of several bestselling books, including The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay. Free and open to the public.
A poetry reading and conversation on women, home, exile, and identity featuring poet-scholar and activist Saba Hamzah.
Christine Howlett, Conductor
This is an in-person event that will also be streamed live
Join a free fun-filled afternoon of art for all ages, exploring the current exhibitions Silver Linings: Celebrating the Spelman Art Collection and Interwoven Histories: Prints by the Gee's Bend Quilting Collective.
Presentation on the history of classical Arabic scripts like Thuluth and Naskh. Students will have a chance to practice Arabic letter art with reed pens during the workshop.
Duo recital by two artists who have appeared together for decades. Peter Wiley, cello, and Anna Polonsky, piano. Free and open to the public.
A 20–30 minute lunchtime recital series by members of the Vassar College Chamber Music Program in a relaxed atmosphere outside the Bridge Cafe.
Beth Livensberger will discuss her site-specific installation at the Palmer Gallery.
Experience a reconstruction of the Tudor sound world: Music by Henry VIII himself, Irish songs referenced by Shakespeare, and more. Free and open to the public.
A tidbit from Vassar’s architectural history became the genesis for this artist’s exploration of digital technology, fitness and productivity culture, the merging of private with public spaces, and more.
The chief architects responsible for the restoration of Notre-Dame de Paris, Philippe Villeneuve and Pascal Prunet, will discuss the massive reconstruction project.
In this Claflin Lecture, art historian and author David J. Getsy will discuss the works of Scott Burton.
This program resurrects the soundscape and musical culture of Dutch Manhattan circa 1660 for an exhilarating and unforgettable musical experience. Free and open to the public.
The Department of Dance, the Africana Studies Program, and the Office of the Dean of Faculty present a performance by the Philadelphia Dance Company (PHILADANCO!). This is a free but ticketed event; reservations required.
Eduardo Navega, conductor. Free and open to the public.
This is an in-person event that will also be streamed live
Five new plays by Vassar seniors, presented at the Powerhouse Theater. This annual festival is dedicated to the extraordinary contributions of James B. Steerman, who retired as Professor Emeritus of Drama and Film in 2011.
Campus community only, please.
Alison Matthews-David of Toronto Metropolitan University will give a talk that investigates the theme of crime and clothing as weapon, evidence, and disguise.
Campus community only, please.
A concert featuring pianist and Vassar Adjunct Artist in Music Thomas Sauer. Free and open to the public.
Vassar guitar faculty member Trevor Babb will be joined by Matt Sargent, Blair McMillan, Evan Runyon, and Taylor Long in a program of contemporary chamber music written or adapted for modern rock band instrumentation. Free and open to the public.
A lecture and exhibit with readings commemorating the centennial anniversary of Edna St. Vincent Millay’s Pulitzer Prize for Poetry.
Panelists include the Spelman College Museum of Fine Art executive director and curator-in-residence, along with the inaugural director of the Atlanta University Center Collective for the Study of Art History and Curatorial Studies. Livestream available.
The Haiti Project’s 23rd annual sale, showcasing hundreds of original Haitian artworks including paintings, iron sculptures, paper mâché, wood and metal handcrafts. Purchases may be made in person or online.
One of the greatest of all melodramas, presented at the Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center. Robert Osborne, bass-baritone; Babette Hierholzer, piano. Free and open to the public.
Sharif is the author of Customs (Graywolf Press, 2022) and Look (Graywolf Press, 2016), a finalist for the National Book Award. Free and open to the public.
A reception for the Library’s fall exhibition, Elizabeth Bishop’s Postcards, with talks by Head of Special Collections Ronald Patkus and the two co-curators of the exhibit, plus refreshments.
The Vassar College Music Department Jazz Faculty perform original and standard jazz! Free and open to the public.
Photographer Elia Alba will speak about her multifaceted project The Supper Club, on view at the Palmer Gallery through October 14.
Program will include works by Bach, Schubert, and Wilson along with selected memories of 51 years on the Vassar faculty.
Film Professor Mia Mask examines the African American Western hero within the larger context of film history by considering how Black westerns evolved.
Campus community only, please.
An evening of Sufi music from the Middle East. Free and open to the public.
Elia Alba’s multifaceted project The Supper Club features portraits of contemporary artists of color and a series of salon-style dinners that serve to stimulate critical exchange and community. Palmer Gallery, College Center.