The College of Fine Arts is at the center of an exciting, unique division at the University of Arizona and at the center of a strategic plan that is elevating the arts throughout the campus and in the community.
Dean Hasan Elahi leads this integrated Arizona Arts division that unites the academic programs of the College of Fine Arts with the university’s public-facing arts research and engagement units. Together, these units serve more than 1,600 students and attract over 300,000 annual visitors through performances, exhibitions, and community events.
Fueled by our belief in the transformative power of the arts, and in collaboration with partners across the university, throughout Arizona, and around the world, Arizona Arts integrates the arts throughout the university experience, providing all students, regardless of major, meaningful experiences in the arts.
This arts and this division play an essential role in realizing the university’s land-great mission and delivering on the university’s promise to our students and our community, strongly supporting the University of Arizona’s three Strategic Imperatives:
- Success for Every Student
- Research that Shapes the Future
- Engagement with our Community to Create Opportunity
The Founding Vision
As part of its founding vision, Arizona Arts developed a Master Plan to reimagine its role in academic life, research, and campus vibrancy. Created through a year-long process of research and dialogue—with guidance from the DLR Group and in coordination with the university’s Planning, Design and Construction team—the Master Plan outlined aspirations to improve physical spaces, foster cross-campus collaboration, and integrate the arts more fully into the university’s strategic priorities. Phase One renovations included:
- Marroney Theatre with the Craig T. Nelson Stage
- Alice Chaiten Baker Interdisciplinary Gallery
- School of Art lobby and patio
- Plus, other improvements in the Arts District, including a new staircase, a refreshed Arts Oasis, a repaved Olive Road and a reimagined façade at the Center for Creative Photography.
Collaborations
A hallmark of Arizona Arts is creative inquiry and collaboration. The University of Arizona is one of the nation’s leading research, land-grant institutions. Arizona Arts facilitates the full spectrum of interdisciplinary programming and integrative arts research opportunities in alignment with the university strategic plan. Major themes that are being explored online, in classroom and in our annual State of the Arts | Impact Report, include:
- Arizona Arts Connect
- Research in the Arts
- Arts in the Environment
- Arts and Technology
- Arts and Wellness
The Arizona Arts Master Plan was approved by university leadership in March of 2020.