The School of
VISUAL, PERFORMING AND DESIGN ARTS


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Student Focus

OSU Choirs - A New Era

“We’ll fight for dear old OSU, for an OSU man am I” – Meistersingers Medley

In 1898, Oregon State’s first band director, Captain Harold Beard, arranged an ode to the then-named Oregon Agricultural College. When the university’s name changed, so did some of the words, but the traditional tune was preserved, and Beard’s legacy lived on in the choral form of the Meistersingers Medley. Now, Dr. Steven Zielke, director of choral studies at OSU, is altering the words again to create a more gender-inclusive message within the anthem.
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choir students singing

Peter Swenson

CLA Leadership

CLA hires Patricia Valian Reser Chair and Director of Visual, Performing and Design Arts

Peter Swendsen, a cutting-edge composer and accomplished academic administrator, has been hired as the Patricia Valian Reser Chair and Director of Visual, Performing and Design Arts for Oregon State University’s College of Liberal Arts (CLA). Swendsen comes to Corvallis from Oberlin Conservatory of Music in Oberlin, Ohio, where he served as senior associate dean of academic affairs, professor of computer music and digital arts, and co-chair of musical studies.

“We’re excited to welcome Peter as the director of our School of Visual, Performing and Design Arts,” said Larry Rodgers, dean of the college. “He’s not only an experienced, innovative administrator who’s helped lead one the country’s most distinguished conservatories, he’s a nationally prominent musician in his field of computer music.
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Faculty Focus

Anna Fidler: A Practice of Passion

They say that practice makes perfect, and while nobody is perfect, being passionate about and dedicated to her daily art practice probably makes OSU Art Instructor Anna Fidler a better artist and a better teacher. As a single Mom, a university instructor and a successful working artist with an in-home studio not far from campus, the boundaries of Fidler’s personal and professional life may be muddled, but her quietly calm and happy demeanor gives a sense that she’s found a balance. So what’s her secret?

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Anna Fidler

Faculty Focus

Evan Baden preaches the power of photography: Acclaimed photographer encourages students to look deeper at imagery

There’s a quote in “The Things They Carried,” Tim O’Brien’s classic novel about the Vietnam War, that Evan Baden likes very much, in part because it says something important about Baden’s photography.

Here’s the quote: "Fiction is the lie that helps us understand the truth."

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donation innovation

Visionary Donations Funding our Future: The Arts & Education Complex

“The arts and education complex will serve as a unique and dynamic education and performance center and will be a showcase destination for the visual, musical, theater and cultural arts for students, faculty, campus visitors and Oregonians,” said Larry Rodgers, dean of OSU’s College of Liberal Arts.

A lead gift of $25 million for the complex has been provided by an anonymous donor. Additional gifts include a $2 million commitment from the family of the late Lynne Detrick of West Linn to build a new 500-seat concert hall to offer a high-caliber venue for both listeners and performers, Rodgers said. The OSU Foundation continues to seek philanthropic support for the center, and OSU will also seek state bonding from the 2020 Oregon Legislature to help support the project. read more >

Explore the Arts & Education Complex

Arts Entertainment Complex