Here, we know that art is more than most people imagine: it's a process, no matter the medium. Here, you’re free to dream, to create, and to discover new ways of thinking. Grinnellians invest in exploring their shared cultures and discover themselves through making and doing.
Picasso and Rembrandt have found homes in Iowa. With unique chances to study original pieces by nationally and internationally renowned artists, and access to an ever-increasing collection of compositions, we think you'll find your place here too.
One of Grinnell’s 13 music ensembles, the Singers bring together Grinnellians of all interests and backgrounds to do what they love: Sing. Whether you’re a part of the performance or listening in the audience, you’ll find the opportunity to enjoy a wide range of music — from “Wayfaring Stranger” to Brahms — amid a group committed to high standards for both their music and their inclusive community.
Our 13 ensembles offer places to create music that spans the globe and time — from 17th-century oratorios to contemporary jazz compositions. Each one is led by faculty, who provide expert guidance that will help you stretch your creativity.
Some ensembles also are open to faculty and community members, so don’t be surprised if you’re sitting between your favorite chemistry professor and a local librarian who knows her way around a viola. This offers you the chance to teach, learn from, and grow close to people you might not otherwise get to know, and to extend our community beyond our campus.
Stitch, design, direct: Grinnellians thrive on a “yes, and” mentality in our performances. You can find roles in main-stage and open-space theatre productions, as well as in our one-act festival. Dance ensembles form communities for every body, bringing together performers, choreographers, and designers. And through interdisciplinary courses and creative student organizations of all stripes, we offer opportunities for practiced performers and beginners alike.
Yet, no performance is complete without its audience, and between the myriad of Grinnellian performances and community mainstays like Gardner and Harris Shows and the Harris Cinema, you’ll stay inspired.
We usually learn from an artist’s work. We study their brush strokes. We sift through their words. We contemplate what moved them and wonder what will move us. But at Grinnell, we offer opportunities to learn from the artists themselves. We have hosted national poets laureate alongside groundbreaking authors, established artists, filmmakers, dancers, performers.
A chance to display your work and experience the creativity of your fellow Grinnellians, the BAX brings all of Grinnell together in April and May to encounter and celebrate the work of our third- and fourth-year students. From the opening reception and awards ceremony to our Twenty Minutes @11 conversations with featured students, BAX represents the culmination of years dedicated to the craft for our most creative students.
Take a virtual stroll by sculptures you’ll pass every day. A feat of marble that emblemizes Islam’s complex artistic history. A sundial that will challenge everything you thought about time. A crossroads at the confluence of Iowa’s two major highways that unites the past and the present through the ghosts of historic architecture.
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