Wake the Arts

The Wake Forest Theatre production of Bertold Brecht's The Caucasian Chalk Circle

Your Artistic License!

At Wake Forest University, the arts belong to everyone, regardless of major! From the studios and stages of Scales Fine Arts Center to our galleries and museum-quality art collection, our students combine creative ingenuity with scientific rigor and business acumen. In fact, 93% of our students who participate in performing-arts organizations major in something other than the arts. To encourage that cross-disciplinary involvement, Wake Forest offers the Interdisciplinary Arts Center, our campus hub for connecting chemists and choreographers, painters and programmers, to produce new forms of impact in unexpected places.

Wake Forest seeks out creative students by offering Presidential Scholarships for those who show exceptional talents in art, dance, debate, music, and theatre. These scholars don’t always pursue a major in the area of their talent, but they do participate actively in that activity on campus, fostering our incredible interdisciplinary culture.

One of those activities is the Student Union Art Buying Trip. Wake Forest sends a group of selected students to New York City to purchase important contemporary artwork to add to our world-class collections. We also take student groups to the top-tier Venice Biennale on a regular basis. Locally, the Reynolda House Museum of American Art and Gardens as well as the Southeast Center for Contemporary Art (SECCA) are close by and open with free admission for all Wake Foresters.

And for life after Wake, DeacLink is our exclusive arts alumni network, connecting students with successful producers, gallerists, stage designers, performers, and more – as they become part of the international Wake the Arts family.

Did You Know?  

In the Fall 2023 semester alone, Wake the Arts promoted, guided or otherwise engaged with at least 426 arts events on campus. These included performances by students, faculty and guests; days of art gallery exhibitions; guest lectures and symposia; and others.

Wake Forest art professor Leigh Ann Hallberg brings her class to the Hanes Art Gallery to make collages.
The Wake Forest dance company holds the final dress rehearsal for the Fall Faculty & Guest Artist Dance Concert.
An exhibit of new works in the Wake Forest Student Union Collection of Contemporary Art opens in the Hanes Gallery. The art was purchased by students on the quadrennial Art Buying Trip.
Wake Forest music professor Matt Kendrick teaches jazz improvisation.
Wake Forest students look at the painting The Andes of Ecuador, by Frederic Church, at the Reynolda House Museum of American Art.
Student filmmakers in Wake Forest art professor Joel Tauber’s class project their films onto the wall of Bailey Power Plant in downtown Winston-Salem as a temporary public art project.
The Wake Forest Theatre performs The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller and directed by Sharon Andrews, on the Tedford Stage.

What’s next?

Keep Exploring

Exciting things happen at Wake Forest every day! Check out additional topics to discover your niche and where you’ll leave your mark as a Demon Deacon, and learn more about affordability and explore our residence halls.

Secure Your Seat

Learn more about how to enroll and make your deposit.

Register for Campus Day

Welcome home, Deac! Are you ready for a sneak peek into your next four years? Join us for Campus Day on either Friday, April 5, or Monday, April 8. It’s your chance to explore the Forest and get a feel for what makes this place so special.

Connect with Students and Faculty

Start a conversation with a current Wake Forest student or faculty member. We’ll send you a text to see which majors you’re interested in, and we’ll make the connection!

WFU28 Resources

Majors & Minors

Take a closer look at our majors and minors and discover what inspires you.

WFU Facts

Check out our Viewbook and visit our facts and stats page to see what makes Wake Forest special.

Questions?

Reach out to your regional dean, who will be more than happy to answer them.