Oberlin College

Oberlin, OH

Oberlin College

Oberlin, OH

Explore Oberlin College's Featured Profiles:

Undergrad Science & Engineering Health & Medicine Performing Arts

Performing Arts Profile


In the studio, on set, on stage, out in the world—Oberlin students are thinking artists

The practicing arts at Oberlin College combine intensive studio training in a chosen medium with the intellectual dynamism of a liberal arts campus. Our students find their creative direction by working closely with faculty artists and collaborating on groundbreaking work with their friends and peers.

Art empowers change
Art is a powerful tool for inspiring social change. It touches our hearts and minds and stirs us to act. From poetry in local schools to nationally recognized documentaries to Black art on a global stage, Oberlin artists help transform the world.

Roll up your sleeves
From fiction workshops and the letterpress to sculpture studios and fabrication labs, Oberlin students gain hands-on experience at every step of the artistic process.

The campus is your stage
With numerous faculty-led and student-driven productions, readings, exhibitions, and performances, the College campus invites students to create a vibrant, year-round artistic community.

Form and feeling
An Oberlin arts education combines critical inquiry with rigorous daily practice to prepare students for a lifelong creative career.

The College-Conservatory connection
Oberlin’s college-conservatory synergy inspires profound collaborations between musicians and artists who work in dance, film, theater, creative writing, and new media forms.

Location

An ideal location

In a quintessential college town in the heart of the Midwest, our picturesque location provides both small-town charm and safety. It gives us a lot of room to breathe and the freedom to explore and apply new ideas. Whether on campus, in Oberlin, or nearby Cleveland, you'll find expansive offerings of cultural, social, and service programming.

Oberlin Practicing Arts at a Glance

8
curricular pathways

100+
productions and performances each year

30+
workshop courses every semester

#1
Creative Writing major in the country

An Inside Look

What students are saying about us...

  • “During my four years at Oberlin, I always felt heard, encouraged, and inspired. With support from both my professors and peers, I learned the true meaning of creative freedom and collaboration.”

    • Christy Chen '22
      Cinema Studies major; current MFA in Filmmaking student at USC
  • “Not only are my teachers brilliant at what they do, they’re some of the most compassionate and supportive people I know. They’ve offered me invaluable guidance and pushed me in new creative directions that have ultimately made me a better artist and better human being.”

    • Josh Augustin ’20