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A digital drawing of Cav Man waving goodbye to a student as she walks to a big city in the distance.
Drama

“History Has Its Eyes on You”: Advice for a New Generation of UVA Arts Graduates

Despite Punxsutawney Phil’s prediction, graduation weekend has arrived. From theater to media studies to even architecture, graduating arts students are soaking in their final days as University undergraduates, begging time to slow down, even considering graduate school to prolong their tenure in Charlottesville. Inevitably, however, after diplomas are received and caps tossed high above the Rotunda, these students must reckon with the ultimate question — what comes next after the University?

https://www.cavalierdaily.com/article/2025/05/history-has-its-eyes-on-you-advice-for-a-new-generation-of-uva-arts-graduates?ct=content_open&cv=cbox_latest

A black and white photo of Brian Wilson sitting at a piano.
Music

The Music Beat: Beach Boy Brian Wilson Left a Lasting Mark on American Music

Composer, bass player, singer and Beach Boy Brian Wilson drew deep on American traditions. “Brian Wilson was an incredibly important musical figure,” said Jack Hamilton, a professor of Media Studies at the University of Virginia. “He made a lot of contributions to post-war American pop music, introducing innovations in harmonic sophistication and orchestral arrangement.”

https://news.virginia.edu/content/music-beat-beach-boy-brian-wilson-left-lasting-mark-american-music

Six student musicians sit on stage with their music stands and instruments during a performance.
Music

The Undergraduate Composers Concert Exhibited the Talent of UVA's Musicians

10 University music students had their original compositions performed in Old Cabell Hall for the first time Saturday. With faculty performers Ayn Baliya, Jiyeon Choi, John Mayhood and David Sariti, as well as a brass quintet composed of University students and a student choir, these students’ compositions were given the chance to be performed. From pre-recorded scores to arrangements for live instruments to a choir performance, there was an abundance of unique music on display.

https://www.cavalierdaily.com/article/2025/04/the-undergraduate-composers-concert-exhibited-the-talent-of-uvas-musicians?ct=content_open&cv=cbox_latest

A picture of the student event where visitors are seen creating zines at a table, which is covered in various colorful art supplies.
Visual Art

The Growing Zine Scene of Charlottesville

From recent on-Grounds workshops to city-wide festivals, University students and community members all across Charlottesville have begun to embrace the unique medium of zines. The art form can be traced back to the 1920s, when they were used to spread the message of the Harlem Renaissance. Since then, artists have also used zines to speak on crucial subjects such as rights for the disabled, women’s reproductive rights, the dismantling of racial discrimination and more.

https://www.cavalierdaily.com/article/2025/04/the-growing-zine-scene-of-charlottesville?ct=content_open&cv=cbox_latest

Collage of various performing arts photos, some including chorus performances, dance showcases, and theatre performances.

Graduating Arts Leaders Leave Lasting Legacies on Their Communities

As they prepare to walk the Lawn, graduating fourth-year leaders are leaving their mark on student arts organizations. From increased accessibility for student dancers and comedians, to a more inclusive community established in the theater and music scenes, the University’s robust arts community has undergone tremendous change under its class of 2025 leaders.

https://www.cavalierdaily.com/article/2025/05/graduating-arts-leaders-leave-lasting-legacies-on-their-communities?ct=content_open&cv=cbox_latest

A UVA student band plays at an outdoor venue with colorful lights.
Music

Student Bands Celebrated Final Weekend with Meaningful Tributes

With the arrival of the 2025 graduation weekend, student musicians went above and beyond to deliver memorable last performances. Whether it was their own last hurrah or in commemoration of their band members graduation, University bands set the Corner abuzz with music and bittersweet nostalgia as fellow fourth-years flooded to the bars to toast their achievements.

https://www.cavalierdaily.com/article/2025/05/student-bands-celebrated-final-weekend-with-meaningful-tributes?ct=content_open&cv=cbox_latest

Five characters from Into the Woods are posing in front of a bookshelf in a library.
Drama

Into the Woods Set to Open June 27th

The Virginia Theatre Festival will launch its 51st season with Into the Woods, the Stephen Sondheim/James Lapine Tony Award-winning musical that follows some of our favorite fairy tale characters on a journey toward, and beyond, happily ever after. Into the Woods, directed and choreographed by UVA alum Matthew Steffens, who directed VTF’s highly acclaimed 2023 production Cabaret, will run from June 27-July 6. Tickets start at only $15, with $5 tickets available for children 12 and under.

https://virginiatheatrefestival.org/into-the-woods-show-announcement/

Photo of the inside of the Rotunda with a small group of musicians playing string instruments in front of an audience.
Music

Arts This Week – “Bellringer”: Rita Dove and the Early Music Access Project

You’re listening to WTJU Charlottesville. The Early Music Access Project collaborates with Pulitzer Prize winning poet Rita Dove for Bellringer, a program that celebrates the intersection of poetry and music. For Arts This week, we spoke to EMAP’s artistic director, David McCormick.

https://www.wtju.net/arts-this-week-bellringer-rita-dove-and-the-early-music-access-project/

Early architectural drawing of the Rotunda.
Architecture

McKim, Mead and White Architectural Drawings, 1895-1907

When the Rotunda burned down in October of 1895 — faulty wiring was to blame — University of Virginia officials immediately pushed to rebuild, and in 1896, after a false start with McDonald Brothers of Louisville, Kentucky, the Board of Visitors hired prominent New York architects McKim, Mead & White. Stanford White, the artistic force of the firm, was the lead architect on the Rotunda redesign. The University also hired the firm to design three new buildings to enclose the South Lawn. These buildings, also designed by White, came to be Rouss, Cocke, and Cabell Halls, and White also went on to design Garrett Hall as well as Carr’s Hill, the UVA president’s home.

https://library.virginia.edu/news/2025/mckim-mead-and-white-architectural-drawings-1895-1907

Three images of special collections exhibitions. All three show glass display cases with various artifacts and wall texts inside.
Art History

UVA Library Special Collections: 2025 Exhibitions Overview

The Library’s exhibitions program allows us to serve the UVA community and beyond as an evolving space for discovery and celebration of our shared cultural heritage, by showcasing to the public the rare and unique materials available to the University’s faculty, students, and visiting researchers in a controlled environment, and celebrating them in creative and edifying ways. Exhibitions also allow us to take advantage of partnerships with other institutions and guest curators to bring fresh insight and new treasures to our galleries.

https://library.virginia.edu/news/2025/uva-library-special-collections-2025-exhibitions-overview

Photo of David. J. Getsy in a suit standing outside infront of a brick building.
Art History

Accolades: Art Historian Earns Prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship

David J. Getsy, the Eleanor Shea Professor of Art History, has been awarded a prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship, recognizing his groundbreaking research at the intersection of art history, queer studies, trans studies and performance studies. Getsy’s work has significantly contributed to understanding how non-normative genders and sexualities have shaped art and cultural history.

https://news.virginia.edu/content/accolades-art-historian-earns-prestigious-guggenheim-fellowship

Piece by Joan Mitchell on a blue wall at the exhibition, with the wall text to the right.
Visual Art

“Joan Mitchell: Uncovering 100 Years” Is a Fascinating Look at the Complexities Behind Art Restoration

To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the American artist Joan Mitchell’s birth, museums all over — such as the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Museum of Modern Art and the Seattle Art Museum — are displaying collections of her work. However, along with celebrating the artistry of Joan Mitchell, the Fralin Museum of Art exhibit also centers the process of restoring the artwork itself.

https://www.cavalierdaily.com/article/2025/05/joan-mitchell-uncovering-100-years-is-a-fascinating-look-at-the-complexities-behind-art-restoration?ct=content_open&cv=cbox_latest