Arts & Culture
Art enriches one’s character and contributes to the life of the community. We feel so strongly about the importance of arts and culture to a student's development that we implemented an initiative to ensure that the arts programs at Rollins continue to enhance our community: Arts at Rollins College (ARC). ARC is a unique initiative that helps to fuse the efforts of the
nationally acclaimed Annie Russell Theatre, Cornell Fine Arts Museum, Winter With the Writers, and Winter Park Bach Festival
with our programs in art, dance, film, literature, music, and theatre.
As a student in any of these programs, thanks to ARC, you will enjoy an
abundance of support and begin participating in performances and
productions as early as your first year.
But you don’t have to be a fine art, music or theater major to be involved
in the arts at Rollins. You can continue your music lessons, audition for one of
our performance groups, or immerse yourself in our frequent art
exhibitions. Opportunities for involvement—either directly or as part
of an appreciative audience—are encouraged for all Rollins students
ARC Activities and Events
Each year, the entire Rollins community joins together in celebration of the arts through a vibrant selection of events and activities.
These include theatrical productions, vocal ensembles, readings, jazz
ensembles, percussion ensembles, concert choir, visiting speakers and
artists, and countless others.
Annie Russell Theatre
The Annie Russell Theatre is among Rollins’ most cherished and
magnificent facilities. Built in 1932, the Annie Russell Theatre is on
the National Register of Historic Places and is home to one of the most
prestigious theatre programs
in the country. It is the oldest continually operating theatre in
Florida, and offers a quaint, yet spacious setting with 375 seats. Each
year the Annie Russell Theatre hosts six major performances.
Bach Festival
Since 1935, the Bach Festival has been an integral part of the
character of Rollins. This two-week, music-packed event draws the
world’s most distinguished classical performers to the John Tiedtke
Concert Hall on the Rollins campus. The New York Times
recently recognized the Bach Festival as “one of the outstanding choral
events in the country,” and the 150-voice Bach Festival Choir—under the
direction of Rollins music professor Dr. John Sinclair—is widely
considered to be the finest oratorio choir in the state of Florida and
among the best in the country.
Cornell Fine Arts Museum
The Cornell Fine Arts Museum is recognized as one of the finest college
art museums in the country. Recently, the facility underwent a $4.5
million renovation which resulted in three new galleries, 4,000
additional square feet of exhibition space, and new lake vistas. The
Museum features the oldest collection of American and European art in
Florida.
Winter With the Writers
For more than half a century, Rollins and Winter With the Writers have
brought to our campus the finest literary minds of our time.
David Halbersham, Dana Goia, Harry Crews, Richard Ford, Kaye Gibbons,
Mary Karr, Edward P. Jones, Michael Ondaatje, Tobias Woolf, and scores of others have
made us laugh, cry, and contemplate. But best of all, they have
inspired in us an even greater appreciation of contemporary literature.
