Strategic Planning

Working Group C: The Arts at Reed information sheet

Members: Kate Bredeson, Mark Burford, Jessica Camhi ’14, Michael Knutson (co-chair), Sandra Mintz, Luc Monnin, Peter Norton ’65, Peter Rock, Stephanie Snyder ’91, Alice Steiner ’74, Denise VanLeuven, Andrew Watson ‘14

GOAL 1: The Arts will be a core part of the Liberal Arts education at Reed College. Proposals to implement this goal are (not in priority order):

PROPOSAL 1A: Create an Arts group requirement of two units in the same discipline, satisfied by creative or performance courses in art, music, dance and theater.

PROPOSAL 1B: Include the Performing Arts in the Humanities curriculum.

PROPOSAL 1C: Establish a stand-alone Dance Major.

PROPOSAL 1D: Establish a Film & Media Studies Program.

PROPOSAL 1E: Establish an alternative track within the English Department to provide students with a defined progression of courses that would lead to a Creative Writing thesis.

PROPOSAL 1F: Add faculty positions to strengthen departments, to deal with over-enrollment and high demand for courses in Art, Creative Writing and Theatre, to support the establishment of a stand-alone Dance major, to create permanent positions in Film and Media studies, and to create a larger presence for the Arts and Creative Writing at Reed.

PROPOSAL 1G: Give academic credit for dance classes taught by Reed faculty which are currently offered for PE credit. OR, a s is currently the case for the Music department's program of private instruction and performance, allow staff-taught courses in dance technique and performance to be eligible for academic credit. Allow similar courses, taught by technique- specific specialists, to be offered by Theatre and Music.

PROPOSAL 1H: Enhance funding for bringing to campus professionals in the Arts and Creative Writing.

PROPOSAL 1J: Increase staff positions in dance, theatre and music. Proposal 1K: In order to fully support the Theatre department's curricular program, increase their performance production budget to reflect current costs.

PROPOSAL 1L: Plan for and fund the on-going operation of the new Performing Arts Building including:

  • Provide appropriate staffing;
  • Establish scheduling priorities; and
  • Create a master calendar of events on campus.

GOAL 2: The Arts facilities at Reed will support a range of artistic endeavors including teaching text-based and applied arts courses, research, creation of works of art, and presenting performances and art exhibitions. Proposals to implement this goal are (not in priority order):

PROPOSAL 2A: Build an addition to the Studio Art Building, that would house a Center for the Book, for the production and study of bookmaking and printmaking; a larger digital media lab; an additional seminar/projection classroom, an additional gallery space for thesis exhibits and critiques.

PROPOSAL 2B: Build a pedagogically dynamic, modestly-sized teaching museum in order to expand, house, care-for, and academically integrate the Reed College Art Collection into the curriculum. The museum would absorb the Cooley Gallery’s temporary exhibition program, allowing the Reed College Library to repurpose the Cooley’s climate-controlled space as a Special Collections study facility.

PROPOSAL 2C: Build a 450- to 500-seat Performance Theatre, planned as Phase II of the Performing Arts Building.

PROPOSAL 2D: Create a Center for Writers including gathering space, appropriate classrooms, faculty offices, and a library.