UCCS Department of Visual and Performing Arts

08/20/2026

The Film & Screen Studies program has made some changes for the upcoming school year, but the film community is still as strong and creative as ever! Last semester, the Student Film Festival was filled with creative projects and awards. We're excited for what this upcoming year holds for the program! 🎞️📽️

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08/19/2026

Continuing our Throwback Series in preparation for the upcoming events in VAPA, the 2026 senior visual art exhibition, "Chrysalis" was one to remember! Chrysalis marks a moment of transformation and renewal; a vibrant mix of works coalescing into a new era of growth. The featured artists in this post include, Julia Lewis (bottom left and right pieces), Amy Lauderbaugh (top left piece and background picture), Lizzy Cox (second top right piece), Alexander Kracker (third right piece), and Amelia Cate Parr (top right piece).
We're looking forward to seeing what the 2027 senior visual art exhibition has in store!

| UCCS | Visual Art Department at UCCS |

08/18/2026

Exciting things are happening within VAPA during this upcoming academic school year! As we're gearing up to kickstart the Theatre & Dance season, we thought it would be fun to throwback to one of last year's performance, "The Ghost Sonata!" Featuring UCCS Theatre & Dance students, this expressionist and symbolist classic explores the masks we wear, the ghosts we carry, and the truths we’d rather not face.
This successful performance is a testament to the exciting season up ahead! 🎭

| UCCS | UCCS Dance | UCCS Theatre |

08/14/2026

The Department of Visual and Performing Arts, in partnership with the Rockley Family Foundation, will be hosting the Annual Piano & Violin Sale Thursday, September 10 through Saturday, September 12 at the Ent Center for the Arts!

The University of Colorado Colorado Springs has had the use of new first-class pianos and digital pianos on a no-cost basis for the 2025-2026 school year. This arrangement is provided through a partnership with the Rockley Family Foundation, recognized by the I.R.S. as a 501(c)(3) organization. These instruments, and ones otherwise made available, will be sold to perpetuate this valuable program.

A large selection of grands, baby grands, digital player grands, vertical (upright) pianos, hybrid pianos, digital pianos, violins, violas and cellos will be available. This event will feature instruments from such famous makers as Steinway & Sons, Yamaha, Seiler, Roland, Italia Fine Violins and many others. Most instruments are less than one-year old, include a new factory warranty, are tuned, and ready to go. Delivery and special no-interest financing is available on site. Moreover, in most cases, a "substantial portion" of your purchase is considered as a charitable contribution to the Rockley Family Foundation and may be TAX DEDUCTIBLE.*

BY APPOINTMENT: You are invited to attend a special private sale on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, September 10-12, along with our faculty and staff. This will give you an opportunity to purchase with priority in selection and price reductions. To secure a time call or text (719) 302-4636 or visit RockleyFamilyFoundation.org/UCCS.

This event will be held on campus in the Ent Center for the Arts, 5225 North Nevada Avenue Colorado Springs, CO 80918. Please park in Lot 576. Virtual appointments via Zoom are available if required.

In a time where creative solutions are needed to maintain a properly equipped music program, the continuation of this loan program is important to us in our efforts to further education in the arts. We invite you to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity.

07/24/2026

Read more about the Millibo Arg Theatre and VAPA Assistant Professor of Theatre Birgitta De Pree!

For nearly 25 years, Jim Jackson and UCCS Theatre Professor Birgitta De Pree have shaped the Millibo Art Theatre into a welcoming home for artists, families and audiences across Colorado Springs. From children’s theater and original works to puppetry, circus and contemporary plays, the MAT has presented hundreds of performances while nurturing emerging creatives. De Pree brings that same passion for devised theater, collaboration and live performance into her work at UCCS. Together, she and Jackson continue to demonstrate how theater can strengthen community, inspire possibility and bring people closer together.

READ MORE --> https://gazette.com/2026/07/12/the-little-theater-that-could/

05/05/2026

Congratulations to the Visual & Performing Art Department's Outstanding Students for Spring 2026! 🏆🎨🎶🎭

Art History - Lila Pacheo
Film Studies - Katherine Monsen
Film Studies Minor - Nikki Wright
Music - Autumn Choate
Theatre - Kaya Cogger
Visual Art - Riley Rhodes
VAPA - Emily De Smidt

05/05/2026

The VAPA Film Festival is a local event highlighting student achievement in film and showcases different genres such as horror, comedy, documentaries, horror, & musical videos, featuring students and local actors, tackling social issues, highlights future stars, all through the eyes of future film makers.

This year, there were many talented artists! Here are the winners of each category:

Audience Choice and Favorite Thriller: Is That Yours: Suitcase II (dir. Rob Bowen)
Favorite Comedy: Professional-ish (dir. Journey Forrest)
Favorite Horror: No Strings Attached (dir. Val Tostado)
Favorite Experimental: Project Eternity (dir. Jonathan Heisler)
Favorite Animation: Big Mouth (dir. Riley Rhodes)
Favorite Documentary: Robert von Dassanowsky (dir. Jeurdan Directo)

05/01/2026

Students from Visual Art Teaching Professor Stacy J. Platt's class have been working on semester-long personal photography projects, and are exhibiting their work tonight in a pop-up show at The Packaging Express, located at 618 Garden of the Gods Rd. The exhibition is TONIGHT, May 1st, from 4:30pm-7:30pm. Food and drinks will be served.

04/21/2026

From first note to full fiesta—the UCCS Mariachi Ensemble, performing with Mariachi Diamante, is bringing the heat from rehearsal to the stage TONIGHT, 7:30pm, at the Ent Center for the Arts! 🔥🎺 Mariachi Diamante has been mentoring our new program and passing on the beauty of this tradition to the next generation of learners and advocates. This event is free and open to all, but ticket reservation is required at loom.ly/WqedEEE.

04/21/2026

In VA 1040: Drawing Foundations, students participated in a project called the 'Collaborative Grid Portrait.'
How its made: A black and white printed photo of a person relevant to our culture today is gridded and then cut into over one hundred 1 x 1" squares. Every student is given ~ seven random squares and then they draw 6 x 6" enlargements of each square using charcoal on drawing paper. Their goal is to match the value, texture, pattern, space, and composition of the original small square within each larger drawing, while not knowing who or what they are drawing. Once the drawings are complete, we cut them out and tape them together, thereby reconstructing the portrait. The result is a large-scale, distorted, almost pixelated translation of the original image. This year, Professor Corey Drieth chose Alysa Liu for the project due to her positivity, grit, grace, and cultural impact.