From music, theatre and film to visual arts, creative writing and dance, Bowling Green State University embraces the arts. Individually, these University programs are strong, having earned national and international recognition. Together, they exemplify an exciting synergy of the arts that benefits students, the University, the region and beyond.

Two recent BGSU Board of Trustees actions have focused the spotlight even more brightly on BGSU’s arts collaborations.

The arts have become the first of the University’s “centers of excellence,” approved by the board in response to Ohio’s 10-year Strategic Plan for Higher Education. In that plan, the state has asked public universities to identify by December 2009 their centers of excellence.

In another action to further enhance the University’s stature as a center of excellence in the arts, the trustees authorized construction to proceed on the Wolfe Center for the Arts.

The center will position BGSU not just as a leader in the arts and education, but also as a model for the new entrepreneurial, creative economy.

The facility, to be located on the site of the former Saddlemire Student Services Building, will visually bridge the College of Musical Arts and the Fine Arts Center and will be the new home of the Department of Theatre and Film. It will encompass performance, choral rehearsal, digital arts and design, and instructional spaces.

“Frederic (Fritz) and Mary Wolfe’s enthusiasm for this project mirrors our shared vision for the importance of the arts in the lives of all citizens in northwest Ohio,” says Dr. Ron Shields, chair of the BGSU Department of Theatre and Film. “The facility will support our ongoing efforts to provide a meaningful arts experience for all BGSU students and to enrich the cultural life of our community.”

For more details on the Wolfe Center for the Arts and the Center of Excellence:

Wolfe Center: where arts can meet, flourish

Designed by the international architectural firm Snøhetta, based in Oslo, Norway, the Wolfe Center will feature an abundance of natural light and open, welcoming public areas and functional work areas.