Arts

Arts at W&L

At Washington and Lee, our arts program is more than just a major or minor. It goes beyond the classroom, playing a role in campus life, performances and projects, on-campus museums, and downtown exploration.

Performances in Lenfest Theater. Art installations and exhibitions in Staniar Gallery. Musical ensembles and visiting musicians. Collections of paintings, porcelain, and historical documents. All of these things are accessible to students, staff, faculty, and visitors to the Washington and Lee campus.

Arts at W&L

Small town. Big culture.

The Lenfest Center for the Arts

The Lenfest Center for the Arts is a multi-use facility designed and equipped to accommodate a broad spectrum of the performing arts, including theater, musical theater, opera and operetta, choral and band music, dance and performance art in one energizing complex.

Museums at WLU

The Museums at Washington and Lee University support the university as an interdisciplinary teaching resource through the preservation, study, interpretation and exhibition of its collections. The Museums at WLU are composed of three areas: The University Chapel & Galleries; the Reeves Collection; and the Art Collection.

Galleries

W&L's campus has several art galleries to showcase both our own collection of art, as well as rotating exhibits comprised of student, faculty, and visiting artist pieces.

Japanese Tea Room

Our campus is home to an authentic Japanese Tea Room for performing Japanese Tea Ceremonies. This piece of art is open for viewing, as well as public tea demonstrations throughout the year.

Historical Sites and Markers

As the ninth oldest institution of higher learning in the nation, Washington and Lee boasts a long history. Much of this history is recognized across our campus in our historical sites and markers. We encourage all visitors to explore these areas and learn more about W&L as an institution and its past.

Wilson Concert Hall

Wilson Hall contains a 300 seat, state-of-the-art concert hall which hosts the University's many student and faculty ensemble groups, as well as world renowned concert artists. Most of these performances (both free and ticketed) are open to all members of the campus and wider Lexington community.

Keller Theatre

The Keller Theatre is a 415-seat proscenium theatre located in the Lenfest Center for the Arts. Equipped with state-of-the-art sound and lighting, full fly tower with slip weight counterweight rigging, trapped stage floor, and an orchestra pit elevator, the Keller boasts an impressive stage house capable of handling most performances.

Johnson Theatre

The Johnson Theatre is a 170-seat black box theatre located in the Lenfest Center. Equipped with audience seating that can be set up in multiple configurations providing students the opportunity to work in arena, alley, thrust, and other dynamic set ups.

Stackhouse Theater

Located in the Elrod Commons, Stackhouse Theater functions not only as a gathering place for club meetings, but also as a movie theater for weekly free movie showings (popcorn included) and student performances, as well as guest speakers and club-sponsored film viewing nights.

‘W&L After Class’ Podcast Releases New Episode Featuring Melissa Kerin

In this month’s episode, Kerin, professor of art history, discusses how following her curiosity of the ways in which people tell stories opened her to opportunities to study remote Buddhist shrines in the Himalayas and examine how we live and die as the director of the Roger Mudd Center for Ethics.

Continue Reading

Inspiring Minds

George Bent, Sidney Gause Childress Professor in the Arts, has spent his career at W&L inspiring and being inspired by his students.

Continue Reading

Impacting Lives Through Words

Veronika Kolosova ’25 has explored the liberal arts experience at W&L through campus involvement and an interdisciplinary approach to her studies.

Continue Reading

George Bent sets up a scanner on the roof of a building in Florence.

Reconstructing the Past

Summer Research Scholars are spending their summer helping to bring one of the world's oldest cities to life through modern technology.

Continue Reading

‘W&L After Class’ Podcast Releases New Episode Featuring Jenefer Davies

In this month’s episode, professor Davies talks of creating and building W&L’s dance program to be a place where preconceived notions dissipate and the liberal arts education flourishes.

Continue Reading

University Singers graduating in 2024, l-r: Top Row: William Pittman Joe Condie Josh Lewis Mynor Lopez Stuart Robinson Sarah-Gabrielle Lynch (originally ’22) Kate Lardner Annie Thomas 2nd Row: Garrett Price Adele Roulston Jordan Jontz Elizabeth Gonzalez Avalos Lana Hess William Dantini 1st Row: Catherine McKean Elizabeth Kent (originally another year) Jowita Chotkiewicz (originally ’23) Sydney Brun-Ozuna (’24 Law) Colleen Curto Deuce Smoot

A Choir That Cares

This year's graduating class of Washington and Lee's University Singers reflects on their college experience.

Continue Reading

W&L Student Performs at Havana Jazz Festival

A meeting with a Broadway legend allowed engineering major Zaria Daniels ’26 to take her vocal talents to Cuba.

Continue Reading

W&L Repertory Dance Company students and alumni participate in a joint concert in Brooklyn, NY. Alumni include Rasaq Lawal ’10, Elliot Emadian ’17, Runa King ‘21, Amalia Nafal ‘21, and Mary Pace Lewis ‘21.

Alumni and Students Connect Through Choreography

The W&L Repertory Dance Company’s alumni-student dance performance in New York City’s Center for Performance Research returned after a four-year hiatus.

Continue Reading

Stella Adamopoulis '27 performs in Speech & Debate in the Johnson Theater

The Space to Be Brave

W&L’s recent staging of ‘Speech & Debate’ brought its cast, crew and audience an opportunity to engage with an innovative, collaborative approach to theater.

Continue Reading

Students talk through the curatorial process with Patricia Hobbs.

W&L Students Curate Fall Art Exhibition

“Mohammad Omer Khalil: Musings,” co-curated by four Washington and Lee students as part of a seminar course in museum studies, will be on display in the Watson Galleries Sept. 28, 2023 through June 1, 2024.

Continue Reading

Stephanie Shih, artist-in-residence 2023

Collection Connections

Washington and Lee’s Museum Artist-in-Residence Program welcomed photographer Stephanie Shih to campus in May to create new work based on the Museums’ art collection.

Continue Reading

Swedish Theater 4x5 Shawn Paul Evans Spring Term

Live from Sweden

W&L students in this Spring Term’s “Swedish Theater” course were immersed in culture during their three weeks in Stockholm, Sweden.

Continue Reading