Department of Performing and Fine Arts

"Styles upon styles upon styles is what I have," boasts Queens-formed A Tribe Called Quest in their 1991 hit "Buggin’ Out". Proud of the long history of artistic experimentation in the borough with innovative arts initiatives spanning over a century, the faculty of the Department of Performing and Fine Arts believe that the “styles upon styles upon styles” which propel artistic expression are fundamental to the health of society and the imagining of more just and equitable futures.

Under the founding ideals of our liberal arts college, we guide students in the making and performing of their own art imbued with an appreciation of the conceptual, historical, social, and cultural heritages which surround us.

Our standards of excellence and inclusivity match our scope. We guide students in the cultivation of their individual interests, as well as in community-building for mutual support in the arts; we teach the intellectual, emotional, and imaginative rigors of creativity and impart technical skills, visual literacy, and the power of sensitive listening, close looking, and deep thinking. Opened to the possibilities of artistic engagement and free thought, students develop signature styles and voices, learning how to nurture and appreciate those of others to cultivate the sensibilities necessary to share the world and change with it for our collective flourishing.