Celebrating our 60th anniversary

Dear Campus Community, 

Yesterday, Sept. 21, marked a monumental day in our history: the anniversary of our first arts classes in 1965 and the first convocation led by President Vittorio Giannini. 

A great deal of planning had preceded that auspicious occasion. Former N.C. Gov. Terry Sanford had an idea to start a music conservatory in North Carolina and hired author John Ehle as his assistant. Ehle broadened the concept into a school for the performing arts and on June 21, 1963, the state legislature passed a bill establishing the North Carolina School of the Arts with a $325,000 appropriation. 

In 1964, after investigating sites in several cities, Gov. Sanford’s Advisory Board of Artists selected Winston-Salem, where more than 5,000 people pledged nearly $1 million in a two-day telephone drive to win the school. In December, officials broke ground on the first two dormitories, Sanford and Moore (named after Sanford’s successor, Gov. Dan K. Moore), for high school students.  

In 1965, renovations began on Gray Building, formerly the old Gray High School, with high school dorms under construction. In December 1966, a milestone was set when “The Nutcracker” was performed for the first time in Reynolds Auditorium; the Stevens Center wasn’t ready until 1983. The ballet will have its 60th performance this December.

I’m leaving out a great deal of intrigue – including the paving of state roads in return for support – that you can read about in-depth in Leslie Banner’s fascinating “A Passionate Preference: The Story of the North Carolina School of the Arts.” Don’t miss N.C. Rep. John Kerr’s famous quote: “Man cannot live by bread alone. … Now, some of you have ridiculed this legislation as a toe-dancin’ bill. Well, if there’s going to be toe-dancin’, I want to be there!” 

I don’t think it can be overstated what a unique and important proposition it was that Gov. Sanford should suggest a school solely dedicated to the arts in our state, and that the enthusiasm and support of our local community brought the school here. In fact, the Winston-Salem Journal ran a story on its front page with the headline, “Give Us the School!” In today’s media landscape, that’s better than a post that goes viral. 

It is amazing to look back and see how far we have come, both in terms of the physical campus – which has grown from a single building to a 78-acre campus with state-of-the-art facilities – and in how we are training the artists of tomorrow.  

The fact that UNCSA has persisted and thrived throughout these six decades, preparing generations of artists who have made an impact on the state and beyond, is a testament to the hard work and dedication of so many, and, I believe, to the power of the arts and their central role in society. The arts not only provide a vital means of self-expression – they foster creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship; build understanding and empathy; strengthen community; drive economic development; devise a better workforce by enhancing critical thinking and problem-solving skills; and so much more. 

As we honor our incredible traditions this year, we also embrace the ways we can evolve to meet the future of the arts. We are already preparing students for a changing global arts and entertainment industry with instruction and experience in motion capture, devised theater, animation, on-camera work, themed entertainment, animatronics, and creating opportunities for student-generated work, and we’re poised to define how a conservatory should approach the intersection of the arts and AI.  

To celebrate our 60th, you’re invited to a campus block party from noon - 4 p.m. on Saturday, October 11 as part of Homecoming: Family & Alumni Weekend. Enjoy food trucks, a DJ, games, a tie-dye station and an array of fall festival activities, including a homecoming parade at 3 p.m. As a special treat, Design & Production alumnus Houston Odum will bring his alumni-owned Circus Evo, a contemporary circus company, to perform at 3:30 p.m.

As we mark this momentous day in our unorthodox history, I hope you’ll join me in remembering the people who made this special university possible and the passion that continues to enliven it today.  

Sincerely,

Brian Cole 
Chancellor