Pursue Your Passion
San Antonio – Studying the Fine Arts at Incarnate Word has long been a tradition. In fact, when the first bachelor’s degrees were awarded in 1929, twelve were in music. Since that time, the Fine Arts offerings have grown beyond music to include theatre, art, photography and the performing arts. Today more than, 22 programs are offered at the undergraduate and graduate level through the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (CHASS), which provides a well-rounded liberal-arts education for undergraduates through many CORE curriculum courses and numerous degree programs.
In 2015, the university celebrated the opening of the state-of-the-art 55,000 square foot Fine Arts Complex which includes classrooms, practice rooms, a recording studio, music facilities as well as a 500 seat concert hall. The complex gives students access to the facilities and resources necessary for a state-of-the-art fine arts education.
The Fine Arts Complex refers to the Kelso Arts Building, the Music Building and Concert Hall, and Coates Theatre Building and Halligan-Ibbs Theatre building.
The Kelso Arts Center refers to the Art Building, which serves BA and BFA programs in art and photography. It contains classrooms, darkrooms, production spaces and three galleries, the Kelso Gallery, the Semmes Gallery and the Student Gallery.
The three-story music building features a 100-seat recital hall; choir and band rehearsal halls; a state-of-the-art recording studio; a music therapy suite with a services center offering clinical sessions to the community; piano lab; iMac lab; 18 Wenger modular practice rooms; percussion studio; seven teaching studios for private lessons; two general classrooms; instrument storage facility; and a listening library.
The 500-seat concert hall has variable acoustics ranging from zero to 10 seconds of reverb via an electronic system installed throughout the hall designed to replicate natural, room sound.
UIW Theatre Arts produces in two venues: The Coates Theatre and the Cheever Theatre. Both are located in the Elizabeth Huth Coates Theatre Building. This building also houses the scene shop, a design studio, props storage, a department library, the Theatre Arts Box Office and a spacious lobby. Most Theatre Arts performance and directing classes take place in the theatre spaces.
The Halligan-Ibbs Theatre building is adjacent to the Coates Theatre Building. This building houses the Theatre Arts offices, Costume Shop, a traditional classroom, the Green Room, Theatre Arts callboards, a dance studio and dressing rooms.
Each semester, Fine Arts students share their talent in a number of ways. The theatre department offers two plays a semester, the Cardinal Chorale performs concerts throughout the year, at holidays, and at the end of each semester. UIW’s esteemed music program, boasts six musical ensembles. The Cardinal Chorale and Cardinal Singers are directed by William Gokelman, Terence Frazor directs the UIW Community Orchestra, the Marching Cardinals, the UIW Wind Ensemble and the Cardinal Red Basketball Band are directed by Dr. Brett A. Richardson and the UIW Jazz Band is directed by Jim Waller.
Become part of the tradition. If Fine Arts is your passion, UIW has a place for you. Visit www.UIW.edu for admission information.
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CONTACT: Margaret Garcia, associate director communications and marketing, (210) 829-6001, mlgarci2@uiwtx.edu