In 2007, Duke launched the Arts Initiative to make the arts a vital part of the Duke education. Thanks to strategic investments by the university and its donors, the arts now thrive at Duke. Leading academic programs, critically-acclaimed presenting organizations, and premier visiting artists create connections between campus, the cultural momentum of Durham, NC, and international thinkers, makers, and performers. At Duke, the arts are an engine of collaboration and innovation.
The rise of Duke Arts means demand for world-class spaces. Our supporters are answering that call.
The Ruby opened in January 2018 and encompasses 70,000 square feet dedicated to making, performing, and discovering art.
Baldwin was designed by African American architect Julian F. Abele in 1927 and renovated in 2013 to become a premiere venue for classical music.
The arts are integral to a Duke education. Students from all backgrounds, no matter what their major, are engaging with the arts in and out of the classroom.
Art, Art History & Visual Studies
Dance
Music
Theater Studies
English (Creative Writing minor)
Dance: Embodied Interdisciplinary Praxis Experimental and Documentary Arts
Digital Art History
Computational Media
Art History and Visual Culture
Computational Media, Arts & Cultures
Music Composition
Ethnomusicology
Musicology
Innovation & Entrepreneurship
Arts of the Moving Image
Documentary Studies
Theology & the Arts
Exceptional faculty and students stand at the center of Duke’s arts education—and make surprising connections.
“Duke in Chicago was a life-changing experience for me. I took workshops at The Second City and The iO Theater, two centers of the comedy world where many Saturday Night Live stars trained. My fellow Duke students and I also built and staged a show from the ground up, doing all the writing, acting, business, and advertising. I came back with a new mindset about what I wanted to pursue in life.”
Visiting artists engage students, create new work, and enrich the life of our campus and community.
Duke’s critically acclaimed presenting organizations originate exhibitions, commission new work, and bring the arts to life in the classroom, studio, and stage.
Duke’s flourishing arts community offers all students opportunities to explore their creative passions.
98 Student Arts Organizations offer something for everyone:
DukeCreate workshops in ceramics, screen printing, digital media, drawing and painting, and more are free for all students.
DEMAN (Duke Entertainment Media & Arts Network) and StudioDuke connect students with stellar alumni— producers, screenwriters, composers, journalists, animators—for mentoring, internships, and job opportunities.