School of Visual, Performing, and Communication Arts

Holiday Pops
2024-12-08 15:00 - 17:00, 2024-12-07 15:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York) | Veronica Hagman Concert Hall, VPAC, 43 Lake Avenue Extension, Danbury, CT, 06810, United States
This event is SOLD OUT!

Chamber Singers and University Singers
2024-11-24 15:00 - 17:00 | Veronica Hagman Concert Hall, VPAC, 43 Lake Avenue Extension, Danbury, CT, 06810, United States
Chamber Singers and University Choir

Chamber Singers directed by Kevin Jay Isaacs and University Singers directed by Jeremy Wiggins
**Free tickets for Faculty, Staff and WCSU Students are available at the VPAC box office located in the VPAC lobby – a valid WCSU ID is required at the time of purchase**

NOTE: Advance ticket purchases made online are $10; Tickets purchased at the door are $15.

No refunds are permitted; all sales are final.

The Mound Builders
2024-11-24 14:00 - 16:30, 2024-11-23 20:00 - 22:30, 2024-11-23 14:00 - 16:30, 2024-11-22 20:00 - 22:30 | MainStage Theatre – Visual & Performing Arts Center, 43 Lake Avenue Extension, Danbury, CT, 06811, United States
WCSU Dept. of Theatre Arts presents The Mound Builders, November 22 – 24

Percussion Ensemble
2024-11-17 13:00 - 14:30 | Veronica Hagman Concert Hall, University Boulevard, Danbury, CT, 06811, United States
Percussion Ensemble

WCSU Percussion Ensemble , Directed by Greg Haynes
**Free tickets for Faculty, Staff and WCSU Students are available at the VPAC box office located in the VPAC lobby – a valid WCSU ID is required at the time of purchase**

NOTE: Advance ticket purchases made online are $10; Tickets purchased at the door are $15.
No refunds or exchanges are permitted, all sales are final.

Orchestra and Concert Chorale
2024-11-16 15:00 - 17:00 | Veronica Hagman Concert Hall, University Boulevard, Danbury, CT, 06811, United States
Orchestra and Concert Chorale

WCSU Orchestra directed by Fernando Jimenez and Concert Chorale directed by Jeremy Wiggins
**Free tickets for Faculty, Staff and WCSU Students are available at the VPAC box office located in the VPAC lobby – a valid WCSU ID is required at the time of purchase**

NOTE: Advance ticket purchases made online are $10; Tickets purchased at the door are $15.
No refunds or exchanges are permitted, all sales are final.

Jazz Combos
2024-11-15 19:00 - 20:30 | Veronica Hagman Concert Hall, University Boulevard, Danbury, CT, 06811, United States
Jazz Combos

Four of Western’s outstanding student jazz combos will be featured performing a mix of standards and original compositions and arrangements.
**Tickets at the Faculty and Staff rate are available at the VPAC box office located in the VPAC lobby – a valid WCSU ID is required at the time of purchase**

No refunds or exchanges are permitted, all sales are final.

Visiting Artist Lecture - Tom Burckhardt, Painter
2024-11-13 11:00 - 12:00 | Visual & Performing Arts Center, 43 Lake Avenue Extension, Danbury, CT, 06811, United States
WCSU MFA Visiting Artist Lecture with Tom Burckhardt, Painter

Visiting Artist Lecture with
TOM BURCKHARDT, PAINTER
Wed, Nov 13, 2024, 11:00 am

Visual & Performing Arts Center
WCSU, Westside Campus, room 144
Free & Open to the Public
Limited Seating Available

Tom Burckhardt was born in New York City and remains a lifelong resident. He graduated with a BFA in painting from SUNY Purchase in 1986 and attended the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture that same year. His work explores the intersection of abstraction and figuration, playing with perception to discern forms and figures within multiple, abstracted layers.

Tom’s work has been shown in over thirty solo exhibitions and countless group shows throughout the U.S. and abroad, including McNay Art Museum, Hudson River Museum, Knoxville Art Museum, Bowdoin Museum, and the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum. His most recent solo show of paintings was at George Adams Gallery, NYC, in February 2024. Other NYC gallery shows include Tibor De Nagy, Pierogi, DC Moore, and Caren Golden Fine Art, among others, with several shows at Gregory Lind Gallery in San Francisco.
In 2016, he participated in the Kochi Muziris Bienalle in Kerala, India with an installation piece entitled “Studio Flood”.

Tom is the recipient of numerous grants and awards, including three grants from the NY Foundation for the Arts, a Joan Mitchell Foundation Grant, a Guggenheim Foundation Grant, and two Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grants. He was awarded two artist in residencies at Yaddo Foundation in 2024 and 2019. He was also an artist in residence at Pepper House, Kochi, India, in 2020, as well as a resident faculty at Skowhegan in 2007. Currently, Tom teaches part-time at SUNY Purchase.
@tomburckhardt

Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band
2024-11-10 15:00 - 16:30 | Veronica Hagman Concert Hall, VPAC, 43 Lake Avenue Extension, Danbury, CT, 06810, United States
Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band

Wind Ensemble directed by Fernando Jimenez and Symphonic Band directed by Matthew Doiron.
**Tickets at the Faculty and Staff rate are available at the VPAC box office located in the VPAC lobby – a valid WCSU ID is required at the time of purchase**
NOTE: Advance ticket purchases made online are $10; Tickets purchased at the door are $15.
No refunds are permitted; all sales are final.

Angels in America, Part Two: Perestroika
2024-11-10 13:00 - 16:00, 2024-11-09 19:00 - 22:00, 2024-11-09 13:00 - 16:00, 2024-11-08 19:00 - 22:00, 2024-11-03 13:00 - 16:00, 2024-11-02 19:00 - 22:00, 2024-11-02 13:00 - 16:00, 2024-11-01 19:00 - 22:00 | Studio Theatre – Visual and Performing Arts Center at WCSU, 43 Lake Avenue Extension, Danbury, CT, 06811, United States
WCSU Dept. of Theatre Arts presents Angels in America, Part Two: Perestroika, November 1 – 10

Opera Scenes
2024-11-09 19:00 - 20:30 | Veronica Hagman Concert Hall, VPAC, 43 Lake Avenue Extension, Danbury, CT, 06810, United States
Opera Scenes

Opera Scenes, featuring the WCSU Opera Ensemble in favorite opera scenes and excerpts. Richard Weidlich, Director
**Tickets at the Faculty, Staff and Student rate are available at the VPAC box office located in the VPAC lobby – a valid WCSU ID is required at the time of purchase**
NOTE: Advance ticket purchases made online are $10 plus fees; Tickets purchased at the door are $15.

No refunds are permitted; all sales are final.

2024 Professional Development Day for Arts Educators
2024-11-05 08:30 - 15:30 | Visual and Performing Arts Center, WCSU, 43 Lake Avenue Extension, Danbury, CT, 06810, United States
Join us for the 2024 Professional Day for Arts Educators

Join us for the 2024 Professional Day for Arts Educators
$40 per attendee includes lunch.
Keynote speaker: Wendy Valerio, Professor of Music Education at University of South Carolina.
“Why Are We Arts Educators? Hope and Purpose in Troubled Times”

8:30am: Registration / Coffee Service (included in registration fee)
9:00am – 10:30am: Keynote Speech: “Why Are We Arts Educators? Hope and Purpose in Troubled Times” – Wendy Valerio
10:30am – 11:45am: Breakout Session 1

Music Education at the Crossroads: The Impact of AI & Technology – Dr. James Frankel
Movement Matters: Kinesthetic Strategies for Choral Rehearsals – Jeremy Wiggins
Facilitating Student-to-Student Interaction through Improvisation – Wendy Valerio
The Power of Pre-Band: Push Past Recorder and Build the Band – Brittany Bauman
Podcasting: The New Voice of Your Students – Wayne Splettstoeszer
Music and Arts String Repair
Maximizing Lighting for HS Theatre – Oliver Wason
Directing for Musical Theater – Anthony Depoto
Resiliency for Educators – Jennifer Dauphinais
Beadwork Culture & Identity: Color Theory Review – Corina Alvarezdelugo
Introduction to Teaching for Artistic Behavior (TAB): Empowering Creativity- Kim King
Exploring Art’s Impact: Communicate, Educate, Transform, Inspire – Aimee Jette
Instructional and Behavioral Strategies for Inclusive Music Environments – Anthony Granata
Creativity in Learning Interactive Experience – Apple Education
Ekphrastic Writing: Art Inspired by Art – Shannon Marzella

12:00pm – 1:00pm: Lunch (included in registration fee)
1:00pm – 2:15pm: Breakout Session 2

Rock-solid Beginnings: Technology Tools for Elementary Music – Amy M. Burns
Everything Can Be Measured; Everything Can Be Improved: Temporal, Tonal, and Articulational Accuracy in the Choral Rehearsal – Kevin Isaacs
Elemental Composition..taking the simplest idea from Zero to Infinity – James Allen
Improvisation Strategies for the Classroom and Ensemble Dan O’Brien
Arts Advocacy: Creating and Developing Essential Districtwide Assets – Rick Sadlon
Soundtrap! The best DAW for Education – Wayne Splettstoeszer
Music and Arts Band Repair
Preparations for BFA Acting & Musical Theater Auditions Justin Cowan, Tim Howard, Pam McDaniel
Inclusive Discourse in Schools and Classrooms – Jennifer Dauphinais
The Secrets of Negative Space: Mastering Drawing and Composition- Corina Alvarezdelugo
Introduction to Teaching for Artistic Behavior (TAB): Empowering Creativity – Kim King
Coping with Uncertainty: Emotional Resilience for Art Teachers – Aimee Jette
Stuck in the Middle – working with the MS changing voice – Jeremy Wiggins
Building an orchestra for non String Players – Anthony Grananta
Creativity in Learning Interactive Experience – Apple Education

2:30pm – 3:30pm Reading / Curriculum Sessions / Discussion

String Orchestra with Fernando Jimenez
Symphonic Band with Matt Doiron
Jazz Ensemble with Jamie Begian
Choir with Jeremy Wiggins
General Music roundtable with James Allen
Arts Educator roundtable with Rick Sadlon
High School Theater roundtable with Justin Cowan

Piano Studio Recital
2024-11-03 15:00 - 16:30 | Veronica Hagman Concert Hall, University Boulevard, Danbury, CT, 06811, United States
Piano Studio Recital

WCSU Piano Majors in recital
**Tickets at the Faculty, Staff and Student rate are available at the VPAC box office located in the VPAC lobby – a valid WCSU ID is required at the time of purchase**
NOTE: Advance ticket purchases made online are $10; Tickets purchased at the door are $15.

No refunds are permitted; all sales are final.

Oktoberfest Jazz
2024-10-26 13:00 - 14:30 | Veronica Hagman Concert Hall, VPAC, 43 Lake Avenue Extension, Danbury, CT, 06810, United States
Oktoberfest Jazz!

WCSU’s outstanding large jazz ensembles take center stage in this presentation of big band classics. Featuring the Vocal Jazz Ensemble under the direction of Will Gorman, the Jazz Ensemble under the direction of Jamie Begian and the Jazz Orchestra under the direction of Jimmy Greene.

**Tickets at the Faculty and Staff rate are available at the VPAC box office located in the VPAC lobby – a valid WCSU ID is required at the time of purchase**
NOTE: Advance ticket purchases made online are $10; Tickets purchased at the door are $15.

No refunds are permitted; all sales are final.

Gallery Opening - Meticulous: Methodical Approaches to Making Art
2024-10-24 18:00 - 20:00 | The Gallery at the Visual & Performing Arts Center, 43 Lake Avenue Extension, Danbury, CT, 06811, United States
Join us for the opening reception of the exhibition “Meticulous: Methodical Approaches to Making Art” on Thur, Oct 24, at 6:00 pm.

METICULOUS:
Methodical Approaches to Making Art
Darlene Charneco
Kathy Greenwood
Michiyo Ihara
Nathan Meltz
Aliyah Salmon
Christopher Werner
On view Oct 24–Dec 8, 2024
Opening Reception: Thurs, Oct 24, 2024
6:00–8:00 pm

THE GALLERY at the Visual & Performing Arts Center
Western Connecticut State University
Westside Campus, 43 Lake Ave Extension, Danbury, CT 06811
Gallery Hours: Tues–Fri, 12–4, Sat–Sun, 1–4

The term “meticulous” implies order and attention to detail; this exhibition presents a group of artists working in various media who employ specific systematic procedures, processes, and techniques to create their work. The use of particular parameters can be dictated by the chosen medium, but the methodology is not always by design and may even feel compulsory or necessary. The works in this exhibit explore this aspect of creativity.
The Gallery at the Visual & Performing Arts Center is dedicated to presenting professional, contemporary art exhibitions and cultural programming. By providing outstanding visual art experiences, we seek to inspire our audiences to embrace new ideas and perspectives and appreciate art in all its forms.

Visiting Artist Lecture - Cheryl Mukherji, Interdisciplinary Artist
2024-10-23 11:00 - 12:00 | Visual & Performing Arts Center, 43 Lake Avenue Extension, Danbury, CT, 06811, United States
WCSU MFA Visiting Artist Lecture with Cheryl Mukherji, Interdisciplinary Artist

Visiting Artist Lecture with
CHERYL MUKHERJI –INTERDISCIPLINARY ARTIST
Wed, Oct 23, 2024, 11:00 am

Visual & Performing Arts Center
WCSU, Westside Campus, room 144
Free & Open to the Public
Limited Seating Available

Cheryl Mukherji is an Indian visual artist and writer based in Brooklyn, New York. In 2020, she received her MFA in Advanced Photographic Studies from ICP-Bard College, New York, where she was also a recipient of the Director’s Fellowship.
In her work, Cheryl explores the idea of origin and inheritance, which is embedded in the figure of her mother and her presence in the family photo album. She incorporates photography, text, video, and printmaking in her works, some expanding to installations.
Cheryl is the 2024 Workspace Artist-in-Residence at Penumbra Foundation, NYC. In 2023, she received the highest award for the 97th Annual at the Print Center, Philadelphia. In 2022, she was a finalist in the Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition at the National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian. Previously held residencies include Stoneleaf Retreat in 2023, Center for Photography at Woodstock in 2022, and Baxter Street at Camera Club of New York in 2021.

Cheryl’s work was exhibited last year at The Gallery at WCSU, where she was also a panel member for an artists’ talk. Her work has been shown in many solo and group exhibitions in the U.S. at the Museum of the City of New York, Brooklyn Museum, Printed Matter, The Print Center, International Center of Photography, Museum of Moving Image, National Portrait Gallery, and Minnesota Museum of American Art. Her work has also been shown in the United Kingdom at Huxley-Parlour Gallery and Format Photo Festival. Cheryl’s works are in collections at the Harvard Art Museums and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts.
@cherylmukherji

Legally Blonde The Musical
2024-10-20 14:00 - 16:30, 2024-10-19 20:00 - 22:30, 2024-10-19 14:00 - 16:30, 2024-10-18 20:00 - 22:30 | MainStage Theatre – Visual & Performing Arts Center, 43 Lake Avenue Extension, Danbury, CT, 06811, United States
WCSU Dept. of Theatre Arts presents Legally Blonde The Musical, October 11 – 20
