Williams combines a beautiful, rural setting with the cultural opportunities of a major urban center, especially with regard to the visual and performing arts. Students can enjoy direct access to world-class exhibitions, lectures, and performances that augment the classroom experience. Members of the wider community can take advantage of the rich programming found on campus, where many events are offered for free.

Art

One of the largest departments on campus, the art department is built on the conviction that making and studying art go hand in hand. At the undergraduate level, Williams offers programs in both studio art and art history. The college also offers a Graduate Program in the History of Art. A variety of artists’ talks and scholarly lectures are presented year-round. The department houses the Visual Resources Center, which provides art images in various formats to support faculty members and students with presentations.

The Williams College Museum of Art houses nearly 13,000 art objects and features exhibitions that travel both nationally and internationally. Programs and events are free and open to the public.

Containing over 50,000 books and 100,000 other items, the Chapin Library is an important arts resource for the Williams community. Its holdings include illustrated and artist books, illuminated manuscripts, original prints, paintings, and drawings, archives of illustrators, architects, sculptors, and designers for theater and cinema, documents of dance history, theater programs and posters, sheet music, and rare books related to music composition and performance.

Dance

The dance department provides opportunities for students to study technique, choreograph, perform, and research ancient and contemporary forms. Five ensembles study and perform on and off campus throughout the year: CODA, INISH, Kusika, Sankofa, and the Zambezi Marimba Band. The department sponsors professional artists in concerts, workshops, master classes, and residences in an effort to bring participants together for unique cultural experiences in a wide variety of dance forms.

Music

A dynamic faculty and numerous first-rate performance and composition opportunities set Williams’ music program apart from those at most other liberal arts colleges. The music department is noted for its orchestra, choirs, jazz groups, and Symphonic Winds Ensemble. With more than 100 concerts and events a year, Williams highlights student and faculty talent, and brings many visiting artists and internationally acclaimed ensembles to Williamstown.

Theatre

The theatre department combines artistic practice with scholarly inquiry and each season represents a broad range of dramatic literature and theatrical style. The department is a laboratory for the profession, exposing students to theatre at the highest level.

’62 Center for Theatre & Dance

The ’62 Center for Theatre and Dance houses the music and theatre departments, and hosts the CenterSeries, performances by visiting artists who run workshops for students. The ’62 Center houses three theaters, dance and directing studios, and classrooms.