About the College of Visual and Performing Arts

At the NIU College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA), we’re educating the new creative class, Generation Renaissance, who will imagine and build a brighter future.

In addition to academic programs, we provide artistic presentations and services to the region, strengthening student learning and promoting artistry and research. 

The CVPA is led by Dean Paul Kassel. Read a message from the dean and/or view the dean’s annual report (PDF). 

Our Mission

The mission of Northern Illinois University’s College of Visual and Performing Arts is to nurture an environment that empowers students, faculty, and staff to develop their highest level of artistic creativity, scholarship, and teaching, and put these qualities into purposeful action that makes lasting contributions to our local community and global society while fostering the next generation of artists, scholars and teachers.

Our Contributions

We’re dedicated to enhancing the depth and excellence of our area’s cultural and educational landscape. Our students, faculty and alumni are represented in:

• 30% or more of all exhibitions of contemporary art in museums and galleries in the region each year
• 100% of the professional orchestras in the region
• 100% of the major repertory theater and dance companies in the region

In addition, our art and music education graduates often choose to begin and build careers in Illinois public schools.

Our Vision

Our vision is to be:

• Engaged: bringing art to audiences and audiences to art
• Inclusive: arts for all; all for the arts
• Boundless: arts across the disciplines
• Strong: art as a noun: people, places, things

We strive to be a supportive community of:

• Artists with a presence at the highest level, nationally and internationally
• Scholars at the cutting-edge with work in publications of the highest reputation
• Teachers routinely given the highest commendations by learners and peers
• Staff who provide the highest level of service
• Students sought by industry, graduate schools and public institutions because they create, perform and communicate with authority, clarity and purpose

We center our research and artistry on:

• Arts and community engagement: how the arts make, define and revitalize communities socially, culturally and financially
• Arts and cognition: the effect of arts and art education on cognitive development, mental health and emotional resiliency 
• STEAM: investigating interdisciplinary opportunities in the art of science (and technology, engineering and math) and the science of art
• Data visualization and narrative: converting data into visual, aural and dramatic narratives to facilitate more effective communication of data
• Film institute: providing resources (sound stage and equipment, editing bays, expertise, etc.) for emerging artists and those who might not otherwise have access