Creative Arts Division

Division Chair Daniel Tankersley
wou.edu/creativearts/

The Creative Arts Division offers majors in Art & Design, The Arts, Dance, Graphic Design, Music, and Theatre Arts, and minors in Art & Design, Art History, The Arts, Dance, Music, and Theatre Arts.

Mission

The Creative Arts Division serves as a leading regional hub for cultural practice and academic excellence, housing comprehensive programs in Art & Design, Dance, Graphic Design, Music, and Theatre Arts. The Division also provides pathways for aspiring K-12 educators through specialized teacher education concentrations in Art & Design and Music.

Our degree offerings integrate contemporary practices with a rigorous foundation of training, ensuring students achieve high standards of excellence. Through individualized instruction and a focus on experiential learning, we prepare our students for meaningful professional work in the visual and performing arts.

Beyond our specialized majors, we are committed to the broader university mission by contributing accessible arts coursework to the General Education curriculum, allowing all students to engage with the transformative power of the arts. We further enhance student success through robust professional involvement and unique hands-on student employment opportunities.

Central to our vision is the knowledge that creative arts are vital for building community and enhancing individual and community well-being. We believe creative arts foster belonging, empowerment, and quality of life. We actively promote the health benefits of creative practice and maintain an environment where artistic expression facilitates critical reflection and emotional depth. The Division acts as a central site for cultural engagement, providing public exhibitions and performances that serve both the university and the broader region.

Program Objectives

Provide rigorous and accessible degree pathways across Art & Design, The Arts, Dance, Graphic Design, Music, and Theatre Arts, empowering students with the skills and professional dispositions required for their chosen fields.
Actively foster community well-being and individual health by promoting expressive practice, hosting public performances and exhibitions, and supporting co-curricular activities that enhance cultural engagement across the university and region.
Ensure broad accessibility to arts instruction by delivering diverse and inclusive General Education coursework, empowering all WOU students to engage with and reflect critically on the transformative power of creative arts.
Maximize student success through high-impact experiential learning, including individualized instruction, professional involvement opportunities, and unique student employment roles within the division’s performing arts productions and gallery exhibition operations.

More detailed information, including program admission requirements can be obtained by contacting the division at 503-838-8461 or visit our website at wou.edu/creativearts/.